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FOOD – Mumbai Blogg https://www.mumbaiblogg.com Tips, Tricks and Things Not to Miss in Mumbai Thu, 10 Jun 2021 13:14:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.25 https://www.mumbaiblogg.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cropped-dpa-stp-140166-32x32.jpg FOOD – Mumbai Blogg https://www.mumbaiblogg.com 32 32 Preserved Fish Roe — Aatheli Garab https://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/19th-century-parsi-recipes/preserved-fish-roe-aatheli-garab/ https://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/19th-century-parsi-recipes/preserved-fish-roe-aatheli-garab/#comments Wed, 03 Oct 2018 10:51:41 +0000 http://www.mumbaiblogg.com/?p=1887 Preserved Fish Roe — Aatheli Garab

How to preserve Fish Roe the Parsi Way.

Preserved Fish Roe — Aatheli Garab

This is for the many readers, especially Parsis, who have written to ask how one can preserve Roe bought during the season.

I am sharing the process described by my Great Grandmother, Dosibai Wankadia.

The method used in her time is prior to the advent of the various modern cheese-presses, heat-dryers and other kitchen gadgets and therefore, use of traditional straw basket(s) and weights. The reader may use the gadgets he has, if any.

A WORD OF CAUTION TO THE READER. My Great-Grandmother informs that the salted Garab/roe available in the market is merely that —Salted. It has does not have the shelf life of the Aatheli (Preserved) Garab/Roe. The Salted Roe available in the market may be used for immediate cooking. The salted Roe has to undergo the undermentioned process before it can be preserved and retained in your larder for months.

 PRESERVED FISH ROE — AATHELI GARAB

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ kg fish roe (preferably Bhing fish/Giant Herring), it should be very fresh;

Salt enough to sprinkle on and fill the sacs in the roe;

1 straw basket or as required;

1 grinding stone or heavy weights as required;

METHOD:

Wash the roe,

Sprinkle salt on the Roe (Sea Salt/ Sel de Mer preferred),

Next, Also fill the hollow sacs in the roe with a lot of salt (the hollow in the roe, we, Parsis, call the stomach {pait} of the roe in Gujarati);

Place all the roe in straw basket(s),

Cover the roe with a plantain/banana leaf,

Place grinding stone/ weights on the leaf to weigh it down, so as to drain all the liquid from the Roe (like one would do to make paneer/cheese),

Let the Roe discharge its water for three days,

Remove the Roe from basket(s) after three days,

Now you have Aatheli Garab (Preserved Roe) which you can use for frying or cooking .

 

IF you want to preserve the Roe for a months/a year or more or to PICKLE  THE ROE, you have to further process it :

Back: ROE WITH MEMBRANE
Front: After removing Memebrane

After the first 3 days:

Wash the Roe well,

Remove the various blood vessels and nervous matter that are sticking to the Roe,

Separate the roe into its natural segments,

Wipe each segment dry with a soft dry cloth taking care not to break up the Roe,

 

FISH ROE
NATURAL SEGMENTS
FISH ROE
SEGMENTS SEPERATED

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mix a little turmeric, salt and oil,

Rub the mixture all over the Roe segments,

Dry these under a light sunlight OR

Put it in a straw basket and hang it over your stove for three days OR until it is completely dry.

The Aatheli Garab may now be preserved until you require to use it.

This Garab (Roe) may now be used to make Garab Nu Achaar (Pickled Roe).

 

 

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Skirlie (Traditional Scot recipe) —Also Mealy Jocks https://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/parsi-recipes/skirlie-traditional-scot-recipe-also-mealy-jocks/ Fri, 14 Sep 2018 11:15:01 +0000 http://www.mumbaiblogg.com/?p=1850 SKIRLIE: A TRADITIONAL SCOT RECIPE.

SKIRLIE: A TRADITIONAL SCOT RECIPE is  here to help you out with a new dish for breakfast. Tired of the same old oats-porridge-breakfast? Try Skirlie, a traditional old crispy crunchy tasty, substantial dish. Simply, oatmeal and onions seasoned and cooked in fat to a nice brown.

In fact, the Skirlie is named so because the ingredients ‘skirl’ (make a shrill wailing sound, like made by bagpipes) as one cooks the dish, swirling the ingredients around the pan.

As often as it is eaten by itself, Skirlie is just as often used to stuff fowl and game birds for roasting, especially Christmas dinners. The stuffing is softened, while cooking the Skirlie, with water or stock and medium oatmeal is used not the pinhead one. Eaten with mince too, or Tatties (Scottish swede, yellow turnip or rutabaga and potatoes, boiled and mashed separately).

It makes a tasty toasty accompaniment to rich meat dishes, roasts and stews. mince

Originally, in Scotland the Skirlie was made in beef drippings or beef suet, a fat easily available in the Highlands.

Check at the end of the recipe, a dish similar in ingredients, to the  Skirlie called ‘Mealy Jocks’ eaten as an accompaniment to potatoes and meat.

INGREDIENTS:

150g of pinhead oatmeal, or medium oatmeal (essentially it is rava of oat either rough or medium); the pinhead i.e. rough one recommended it gives a crunchy taste. (do not use instant or quick-cooking oats)

25g of bacon fat or vegetable oil or half butter-half oil or beef suet (traditionally the Scots use beef drippings or suet);

2 small or 1 large onion, finely chopped;

1/2 litre chicken stock (OPTIONAL)

Salt;

Pepper.

 

METHOD:

Heat the fat or heat the oil in a large heavy based frying-pan (or sauté pan) over a medium heat;

Soften the onions in the oil till transparent and very little golden (don’t want them brown);

Add in the oatmeal and stir to thoroughly coat with the onions;

Add a large pinch of sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper and stir for a couple of minutes;

Then turn the heat down as low as it’ll go;

Keep cooking for around 20-25 minutes (around 10-15 minutes for medium oatmeal);

Stir until the oatmeal has softened but fairly firm and finally becomes brown and develops a crunchy/ toasty bite;

Adjust the seasoning and serve.

THIS IS TRADITIONAL.

OPTIONAL: (this is not done traditionally) Add stock or water, a little at a time and allow it to be absorbed by the oatmeal (like for risotto);

Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently and continuing to add the stock;

The end result should be a crunchy bite not soggy like upma.

Season well and serve with mashed potatoes or shredded meat.

 

MEALY JOCKS:

Should you collect the pinhead oatmeal, onions, salt and pepper , bind it in a cheese-cloth or malmal, and steam the meal, you get Mealy Jocks another MEALY JOCKS:.

 

 

 

 

 

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15-MINUTE POTATO CURRY — RASAALOO https://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/parsi-recipes/15-minute-potato-curry-rasaaloo-quick-and-easy-recipe/ Wed, 05 Sep 2018 10:04:08 +0000 http://www.mumbaiblogg.com/?p=1835 15-MINUTE POTATO CURRY — RASAALOO

15 minute Rasaaloo also known in some north Indian states as Taariwale Aloo is perhaps the sole potato-only dishes that goes well with rice, especially white rice. Potatoes in India are often cooked in combination with some meat or other vegetable.

This recipe has a rather soupy gravy

This is another of Dhiraj Srivastav’s 15-minute office lunches and as yummy as it comes.

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

250gms Potatoes;

2 Onions (peeled and finely chopped);

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander leaves;

1 tablespoon Ginger-garlic Paste (made from 6 to 8 garlic cloves and ½ inch piece of peeled ginger);

1 large Tomato chopped;

1 tablespoon Cumin seed (Jeera);

10 to 12 Fenugreek seeds (Methi);

1 tablespoon Chili powder;

½ tablespoon Turmeric powder;

1 table spoon Garam masala powder;

1 tablespoon Coriander powder;

Salt to taste;

1 tablespoon ghee or oil (Cooking medium of your choice).

The taste of the dish will change with the cooking medium. Ghee best, failing which peanut oil highly recommended.

 

METHOD:

Boil the potatoes whole and unpeeled;

Peel and roughly mash with your fingers when done;

You will get unequal and odd shaped pieces.

Heat the ghee/oil in a pot on a high flame but don’t let it smoke;

Add fenugreek seeds (Methi) and Cumin seeds (Jeera);

When the seeds splutter, add the chopped onions;

Fry till the onions begin to brown (takes about 4 or 5 minutes);

As the onions begin to brown, add the ginger-garlic paste;

Fry for about 30 seconds;

Add chopped tomatoes, Chili powder, Turmeric powder, Garam masala powder, Coriander powder and salt;

Lower the flame to medium and continue to fry the masala till it becomes a homogenous mixture;

Add the boiled potatoes;

Bring the flame down to low;

15 minute potato curry rasaloo
FINISHED DISH

Continue to fry for a few seconds till the potatoes are coated with the fried masala;

Add 2 cups of water;

Cover and let cook for about 3 to 5 minutes;

Add chopped fresh coriander leaves;

Mix;

After 2 minutes turn off the heat.

Pack with white rice or poori or chapatti or any leavened /unleavened bread of your choice; goes well with all manner of bread except sweet breads like buns or brioche.

 

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15 minute Cumin Potato (Jeeraloo) 2 https://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/parsi-recipes/15-minute-cumin-potatoes-jeeraloo-quick-and-easy-recipe/ Mon, 03 Sep 2018 10:41:32 +0000 http://www.mumbaiblogg.com/?p=1828 15 minute Cumin Potato (Jeeraloo) 2

A  Quick and Easy Recipe

250 gms. Potatoes (skinned, diced and then boiled);

2 tablespoons ghee or oil (Ghee preferred);

¼ teaspoon ghee or oil (Jeera);

A pinch of powdered Asafetida (Hing );

1 teaspoon dry Coriander powder (Dhania powder);

1/8th teaspoon turmeric (just a little on the tip of a teaspoon);

1 teaspoon Chaat Masala;

1 teaspoon Dry Mango Powder (Amchur);

½ teaspoon chili powder or to your taste;

1 teaspoon Garam Masala;

Salt to taste.

A few sprigs of Fresh Green Coriander leaves (plucked off the stalks and chopped fine).

 

Method:

Heat the ghee on a high flame taking care not to let it smoke;

Add A pinch of powdered Asafetida (Hing ) and the cumin seeds (Jeera),

When the seeds begin to splutter:, add the boiled and diced Potatoes,

Fry for a few seconds,

Add: 1 teaspoon dry Coriander powder (Dhania powder);

1/8th teaspoon turmeric (just a little on the tip of a teaspoon);

1/8th teaspoon turmeric (just a little on the tip of a teaspoon);

1 teaspoon Chaat Masala;

1 teaspoon Dry Mango Powder (Amchur);

15 minute cumin-potato Jeeraloo 2
FINISHED DISH

½ teaspoon chili powder or to your taste;

1 teaspoon Garam Masala;

Salt ;

IMMEDIATELY REDUCE THE FLAME TO LOW;

Gently stir the contents of the cooking vessel to ensure all the Potatoes are well-coated with the masalas,

Then raise to medium flame, cover vessel and let cook for a minute or so.

Take care that the potatoes do not stick to the bottom of the pan or burn,

Put the flame off and sprinkle the Potatoes with fresh coriander and mix.

Pack up your office lunch to eat with any unleavened bread of your choice.

 

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15-Minute-Cumin-Potatoes – Jeeraloo https://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/parsi-recipes/15-minute-cumin-potatoes-jeeraloo-quick-and-easy-recipe-2/ Mon, 27 Aug 2018 07:40:04 +0000 http://www.mumbaiblogg.com/?p=1809 15-Minute-Cumin-Potatoes – Jeeraloo

A quick and easy recipe for people in a hurry.

15-Minute-Cumin-Potatoes – Jeeraloo, are an office favourite at Dhiraj’s work-place. The recipe from start to finish takes 15 minutes or less and is very easy to make.

Dhiraj Srivastav resides in Mumbai away from his parents and other members of his joint-family. Over a period of time he has developed tasty Vegetarian recipes that take 15 minutes or less to cook. The girls in the office including yours truly, now await Dhiraj’s daily lunch box.

Today we had his specially made 15-Minute-Cumin-Potatoes — Jeeraloo (in Hindi) and 5-grain purees, soft, tasty yum purees to go with the potatoes.

The 15-Minute-Cumin-Potatoes – Jeeraloo is best with purees but taste delicious with any unleavened bread — Roti, Chapatti, Tortilla, Phulka, Dhebras.

INGREDIENTS:

250 gms. Potatoes (skinned, diced and then boiled);

2 tablespoons ghee or oil (Ghee preferred);

1” inch piece of Ginger root, peeled and cut fine;

1 teaspoon cumin seeds;

2 small onions, chopped;

2 small tomatoes, chopped with skin and seeds;

1/8th teaspoon turmeric (just a little on the tip of a teaspoon);

½ teaspoon chili powder or to your taste;

1 teaspoon Dry Mango Powder (Amchur)

salt to taste.

Three sprigs of fresh coriander, (remove leaves and chop them).

 

Method:

Heat the ghee on a high flame taking care not to let it smoke;

Add the cumin seeds (Jeera),

When the seeds begin to splutter:

Add the green chilies and Ginger,

Fry for a second or two,

Add the chopped onions,

Fry till golden brown,

Add chop tomatoes, Turmeric and chili powders,

Fry for until the tomato softens, mash the mixture while frying,

quick and easy cumin-potato Jeeraloo
The Finished Dish

Add dry mango powder (Amchur) and salt,

Stir for a second or two,

Lastly add the boiled and diced potatoes,

Stir till potatoes are well coated with the fried mixture,

Add fresh coriander,

Mix,

Cover and cook for about 2 ½ to 3 minutes; taking care that the potatoes do not stick to the bottom of the pan or burn,

Take off the heat.

The potatoes are ready to pack for your office lunch.

 

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Fajeto — A Ripe Mango Curry https://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/19th-century-parsi-recipes/fajeto-ripe-mango-curry/ Thu, 14 Jun 2018 06:46:00 +0000 http://www.mumbaiblogg.com/?p=1546 Fajeto — A Ripe Mango Curry

Fajeto in Gujarati means a ‘mortification/discomfiture/embarrassment/humiliation/awkwardness’, a ‘faux pas/gauche-ness’ or something that ‘leaves one red in the face’; and thereby hangs a pretty tale.

Legend tells us that a family was resting late on a summer afternoon, after a large and sumptuous meal of ‘puris and Aamras’ (Indian fried bread with mango juice and pulp flavoured with condiments.).

Now, at the time of this tale in India, the lady of the house would soften the whole mangoes, and ease the pulp and juice out with her hands through the hole formed by removal of the stem.

This caused the seed and a fair part of the mango pulp to remain within the skin and stuck around seed. This remainder was discarded and fed to the cows in the evening.

So, back to our lady of the tale. While the family snored through its afternoon nap, who should arrive, but a large party of their daughter’s in-laws. Very important, very important guests, indeed! What were the parents to do? It was just past lunch time, so, no food and in the mango season too! It becomes imperative for the family to serve a lunch, mangoes included.

The clever lady washed clean the seeds and skin of the mango in a vessel of water; added some curds to this flavoured water, condiment, spices and voila! A delicious mango curry was born. This was Fajeto. She cooked some Khichri [a quick and easy dish mix of rice and dal boiled with salt and turmeric powder (http://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/recipes/khichri/ )] to go with the mango curry and literally, hey presto! One of the most delicious combinations of Parsi-Zoroastrian cuisine was perpetuated –Khichri and Fajeto. To this day, I doubt if there is a better combination of foods.

 

I could not swear to the authenticity of the tale; but I promise the Fajeto curry is incomparable in taste and texture.

FAJETO
RIGHT COLOUR, RIGHT CONSISTENCY.

 

RECIPE:

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

1 Cup pulp of ripe mangoes;

1 Cup curds (may be replaced with plain yogurt where curds not available);

1 tbsp gram flour;

3 green chilies;

10 curry leaves;

1 inch piece of peeled ginger minced;

½ teaspoon turmeric (Haldi) powder;

1 tbsp jaggery;

Salt to taste;

1 tbsp ghee;

2 tsp cumin seeds;

½ tsp mustard seeds;

2 dry Red Chilies;

2 teaspoons chopped coriander leaves.

 

METHOD:

 

Mix the curd with 3 cups of water to make a smooth liquid of pouring consistency, Add the gram flour

FAJETO
WRONG COLOUR, TOO MUCH CURD AND GRAM FLOUR

1 inch piece of peeled ginger minced, ½ teaspoon turmeric (Haldi) powder to this liquid,

Heat on medium fire for about 10 minutes,

Stirring gently but continuously.

Stirring helps to achieve a proper smooth texture ensuring that the curds and water do not separate nor do the curds curdle further because of overheating.

 

In a separate vessel, heat the ghee,

When hot but not smoking, add the mustard seeds and the cumin seeds,

When the seeds begin to splutter, add the Red chilies, the green chilies and the curry leaves. (Please take care when frying the chilies, these are likely to burst and burn the hands and face. The smartest thing to do is to immediately cover the frying vessel after introducing the chilies in it take the vessel off the fire. The chilies will fry in the hot oil off the stove.)

Fajeto
FAJETO CURDLED, NOT GOOD

 

Pour the curd and water mix slowly into the tempering of the seeds, chili and leaves in ghee.

Equally slowly introduce the mango pulp into the tempered curd mix stirring gently but constantly to ensure a smooth curry.

Sprinkle finely cut fresh coriander leaves,

Stir constantly but gently and further cook the curry on medium to low fire for about 10 minutes. (Please watch out for curdling).

If the curry appears to be curdling, immediately take it off the fire.

DO NO LET THE CURRY BOIL AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECIPE.

 

Serve as a delicious soup of with Khichri (recipe at http://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/recipes/khichri/) or with Savoury Dhebras or rice flour chapattis.

 

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SAVOURY DHEBRAS — Flat, Unleavened, Savoury, Griddle Cooked Bread https://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/19th-century-parsi-recipes/savoury-dhebras-flat-unleavened-savoury-griddle-cooked-bread/ https://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/19th-century-parsi-recipes/savoury-dhebras-flat-unleavened-savoury-griddle-cooked-bread/#respond Wed, 13 Jun 2018 08:23:07 +0000 http://www.mumbaiblogg.com/?p=1531 SAVOURY DHEBRAS– FLAT, UNLEAVENED, SAVOURY, GRIDDLE COOKED PARSI BREAD.

Dhebras in Gujarati literally mean ‘lumps or rough thick chunks’.

Dhebras are unleavened bread therefore, which are rolled thick; unlike the chapatti or roti and cooked on a griddle.

You have probably tried the Sweet Dhebras, which Dhebras are made purely of wheat, uni-grained bread. The Savoury Dhebras uses more than one grain and is quite different in its preparation, taste and use. The Savoury Dhebras can is eaten at any meal or as a snack. It makes excellent ‘travel food’; tasty, filling and long shelf-life.

Try it with the Ripe Mango Curry (Fajeto), or good old Buttermilk or any Lassi, tea or coffee or other beverage or cooked meat or vegetable. The Savoury Dhebras, Doesn’t do too well with Salads, but goes well with Soups especially soups with a stronger flavour like a Tomato soup or Mulligatawny.

For 6 Savoury Dhebras:

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup gram flour (Channa ka Atta/ Chick pea Flour);

1 cup Pearl millet flour (Bajra ka Atta);

1 small bunch fresh coriander leaves, chopped fine;

6 green chilies, chopped fine;

2 cloves garlic;

1 inch piece ginger;

1 tbsp Sesame seeds (Til) OPTIONAL;

Salt and ground Black Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon ghee or oil or as needed (Ghee gives it a distinct and traditionally accepted flavour.).

METHOD:

Sieve together the Gram flour, Millet flour, and salt.

Peel and grind the ginger and garlic together into a smooth paste.

Now With water, knead the flour into soft fairly pliable dough.

Do not add Ghee to the dough

Add:  finely chopped fresh green coriander and Chilies, ginger-garlic paste, ground black pepper, Sesame (if using) and knead further.

Roll out into 6” roundels about 1/8th of an inch / 0.3 cms/3 mm Thick.

Heat a griddle (preferably made of iron),

Brush ghee on both sides of the Savoury Dhebras,

Cook the Savoury Dhebras one at a time on the hot griddle on a medium flame,

Till the one side is brown,

Flip the Savoury Dhebras to cook on the other side equally brown,

Flip once again, and remove within 5 seconds.

Your Savoury Dhebras is ready to eat.

As a VARIATION and a more pungent version, one may replace the green chilies and the ginger-garlic paste with a paste of garlic, dry red chilies

pungent

and salt. In this case adjust the amount of salt added to the dough.

OR

For a more mellow taste, replace the green chillies with coarsely (very roughly) ground Cumin or Coriander Seeds or even whole Cumin or Coriander Seeds.

 

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TOMATO SALAD —Quick and Easy Recipe https://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/parsi-recipes/tomato-salad-quick-easy-recipe/ https://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/parsi-recipes/tomato-salad-quick-easy-recipe/#comments Mon, 04 Jun 2018 11:40:11 +0000 http://www.mumbaiblogg.com/?p=1506 TOMATO SALAD–Quick and easy Recipe

ONE more way to beat the heat is with this cooling Tomato Salad. According to Ayurveda, Tomatoes are one of the foods that have a cooling effect on the human body; a food highly recommended in one’s summer diet. Lettuce leaves are another cooling vegetable. Milk and milk products, including cream, are also cooling foods. Fresh herbs are used and no heat producing spices or herbs are used. So when one combines all these, well, what better way to beat the heat but the way of a Tomato Salad!

The Chinese say that cooling foods have a way of ridding the body of heat and toxins. It calms the blood and enhances the Yin in the body. Cooling foods eliminate or at least reduce irritating summer problems of excess perspiration and thirst, gastric discomforts like flatulence, constipation, pungent and odorous wind.

This is an old recipe from the times when flavours were not so complex with complicated ad mixes of spices, sauces and plethora of ingredients; its superiority lies in the simplicity of its purity of taste.  It is only on the palate that the flavours mix to enhance the refined experience

RECIPE: Serves One.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch lettuce (alternately you may use iceberg lettuce but the taste changes completely);

1 large tomato per person;

1 teaspoon of Whipped Cream per slice of tomato;

1 tablespoon of roughly chopped olives (black preferred);

2 tablespoons of finely chopped chives;

2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley (try fresh coriander or cilantro for a change);

½ finely chopped medium sized onion (about 1 ½ inch in diameter), preferably pink or red (red/pink onions bring greater zest to the salad and contrast well with the juicy sweet-sour of the tomato);

¼ teaspoon honey.

 

METHOD:

Wash and dry lettuce leaves,

tomato salad
LETTUCE LEAVES

Halve each leaf and spread these in a dish.

Slice the tomatoes about 3 mm in thickness (half an index finger width),

Place a slice of tomato on each piece of lettuce.

 

In a mixing bowl:

Put the whipped cream, chopped olives, chopped chives, chopped parsley and chopped onions,

Mix well.

TOMATO SALAD
ICEBERG LETTUCE

Now, place some mixture on each tomato slice.

To finish place a small drop of honey on the mixture.

If you prefer to eliminate the sweet taste of honey, replace it with a few grains of freshly ground pepper. I DO NOT RECOMMEND ELIMINATION OF HONEY. The surprise of the slight sweetness adds a twist of urbanity and chic to the otherwise forthright taste of the salad.

 

 

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RAW MANGO MEAT CURRY— KAIRI NI CURRY https://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/19th-century-parsi-recipes/raw-mango-meat-curry-kairi-ni-curry/ https://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/19th-century-parsi-recipes/raw-mango-meat-curry-kairi-ni-curry/#comments Thu, 24 May 2018 10:58:14 +0000 http://www.mumbaiblogg.com/?p=1449 RAW MANGO MEAT CURRY— KAIRI NI CURRY

The Raw Mango Curry or ‘Kairi ni Curry’ is a seasonal dish. It is a sweet and sour curry made completely without chilles though spicy. The spiciness comes from the cloves, black pepper, cardamom and cinnamon.

The Parsi Zoroastrians of India celebrate the mango season! They look forward to adding raw or ripe mangoes to various dals, lentil stews, beans, sprouts, meat and vegetable stews. So, Ambakalyo, Bafaenu, Kairi Ni Daar, and Kanda Kairi Nu Gosh and of course, the Raw Mango Curry or ‘Kairi Ni Curry’ is something to which they all look forward.

The Raw Mango Curry uses no Chili, whether green or red, and no coconut or other nuts to thicken the gravy. The gravy thickens because of the amount of onions used. On its completion, the Raw Mango Curry comes out sweet sour and spicy

At the time when this recipe was written down there was either use of wood stoves or of a Primus Stove, sometime Around The 1920 it was obviously at the time considered a great delicacy and the cooking time required was over 3 hours

The mango pieces required about 20 minutes to cook and then another hour to make the mango syrup

the meat took an hour or more then after adding the first few ingredients it had to be cooked for a further 12 minutes and then, again for a further 20 minutes

And after adding the gravy cook uncovered for another 12 minutes

We’ve come a long way from that especially if one uses a pressure cooker. Do try the curry it sounds delicious the saffron is optional but would certainly enhance the flavours if used.

 

Ingredients:

500 Gms meat of a young male goat or meat of your choice (no fowl. For that you need different spices);

250 Gms ghee/cooking medium of choice;

500 Gms onions;

250 Gms peeled raw green mangoes;

1 tablespoon of sugar;

20 Gms large black currants;

1 inch piece of peeled ginger;

10 Gms (one fistful) leaves of fresh coriander;

10 cloves powdered,

½ teaspoon turmeric powder;

10 balls of black pepper

10 pieces of green or white cardamom (white strongly recommended. Parsis use the white in all their cooking.)

2 inch stick of cinnamon;

1 pinch Saffron strands or ¼ teaspoon saffron powder;

2 tablespoons lemon juice;

10 gms salt or as per taste.

PREPARATION:

Deseed the currants and cut into rough pieces (buy the largest currants you can find).  Put aside.

Cut the coriander leaves fine and grind to a paste. Reserve for later use.

Retain whole, the seeds of one cardamom and put aside.

Grind very fine: the peeled ginger, turmeric powder, rest of the cardamom seeds, powdered cloves, cinnamon and saffron.

Cut the meat into small pieces,

Hand wash in room temperature water, just once and put aside for later use.

METHOD:

Cut the mangoes to bite size pieces,                raw mango curry

Boil the raw mango pieces in a little water,

Cook till soft and well cooked,

Retain the water from boiling, if any;

Divide the mango pieces into two equal portions,

Drain one potion,

Retain the second portion with any water that may have remained after boiling;

Mash the drained portion of mango, with the back of a spoon, in to a fine paste;

Put the mashed mango aside, preferably in a crockery vessel.

Take the remaining portion of the mango pieces with any water that may have remained,

Add more water to cover the mangoes in 250 ml of water,

Heat,

Add the sugar and the lime juice,

Boil to made a one-string syrup (it is interesting to know that the original recipe, which was cooked on a wood stove, recommends a full hour of further boiling),

Once the syrup forms, take the mangoes off the stove,

With the back of a spoon mash the mango pieces into the syrup to make a paste of the syrup and mango.

Grate the onions,

Heat 200 grams ghee,

Fry onions until evenly brown,

Stirring occasionally to prevent onions burning at the bottom of the vessel,

Add the meat to the brown onions and fry till all the meat pieces change colour and begin to brown on all sides ,

Add all the ground coriander leaves,

Add salt to taste,

Fry for a further minute or two,

Add 900 ml of water let the meat cook till tender and edible (recipe on wood stove speaks of two hours or more, if required),

Add water if needed so as to ensure that there is about 200 ml of gravy left after cooking.

Remove the gravy from the pot and place aside for later use.

Add all the remaining ghee to the to the meat,

Further add the ground ginger and spices; and mix well,

Fry the spices and the meat together for another 2 to 4 minutes,

Add a few cardamom seeds, the mango pastes (the sweet and unsweetened), and the currants to the meat,

Cook for another few minutes for the meat to absorb the flavours of the spices.

Pour into the meat, all the gravy that was put aside and cook uncovered for another few minutes.

Serve with long grained white rice boiled with salt and a couple of cloves.

Serve a salad made of onions, tomatoes and cucumbers dressed in lime juice and salt (Cachumber).

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Summer Potatoes — Quick and Easy Cool Parsi Recipe https://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/parsi-recipes/summer-potatoes-quick-easy-cool-parsi-recipe/ Sat, 19 May 2018 08:59:53 +0000 http://www.mumbaiblogg.com/?p=1392  Summer Potatoes — Quick and Easy Parsi Recipe

Summer Potatoes — Quick and Easy Cool Parsi Recipe, for  your ever hungry brood’s summer vacation this year. Simple and delicious, leaves one asking for more.

Summer Potatoes is light and lovely, cooling, tasty and filling, a recipe so easy to make and so quick to serve. Summer Potatoes are an excellent accompaniment to your meats and other meals or it may be used as a main dish by itself, eaten with Dhebras.

‘Parsis love their potatoes’ and amongst the family recipes from as early as mid-1800s, other than the Summer Potatoes, I discovered at least four other Potato Salads; including the old German Kartofel Salad. I will share them all with you in due course.

 

INGREDIENTS:

PER PERSON:

2 large potatoes (if for a main dish, add 2 more  per person);

SUMMER POTATOES
POTATOES PER PERSON

100 Gms curds or 150 ml buttermilk per person (use Yogurt, if you prefer; though Yogurt is not so cooling a food);

¼ tsp cumin powder or freshly, roughly crushed roasted cumin seeds;

¼ tsp black pepper powder or a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper (powder tastes better);

1 tsp finely cut fresh coriander leaves;

2 mints leaves (optional);

1 green chili or as preferred (CHECK {*} in the recipe below).

METHOD:

1) Boil or steam the potatoes whole,

Since in the old recipe the potatoes were put in a pottery vessel (matti nu vaasan) and buried in the embers of the wood stove, we at our place bake the potatoes whole. However, this is time consuming and steamed potatoes do just as well. Boiled potatoes turn up an equally tasty dish and save a lot of time. Any of the three ways will do.

2) Poke a knife into each potato to see if fully cooked all the way to the center. The knife must slide in easily. Any resistance means the potato is not ready.

3) When done, cooked and soft enough take off the fire, drain and run in cold water,

4) When cool enough to handle take the skins off.

5) Cut into cubes and put aside,

6) When the cubes cool completely:

6 a) Sprinkle fine cut coriander and mint leaves (ensure the leaves have been thoroughly washed before adding),

6 b) Add Washed and finely cut green chilies ( * if you want to reduce the zest of the chili, add slit the green chilies length-wise, leave                       then in the salad for five to seven minutes and then remove them from the salad and discard),

6 c) Sprinkle salt and Cumin powder and black pepper powder and salt;

7) Toss to mix well,     SUMMER POTATOES

8) Add curds mix with a spoon to coat the potatoes evenly (do this just before serving. Curds tends to become very sour if added before hand and kept. even if you refrigerate it),

9) Place into a serving bowl Sprinkle a little more coriander on top,

Serve Summer Potatoes cold, refrigerated or room temperature. If serving as a main course, Summer Potatoes taste marvelous with Sweet Dhebras.

VARIATION: A Few bits of left over pineapple or finely cut bits of Murabba make a delicious variation.

Sweet Dhebras recipe at:

Sweet Dhebras — Flat, Unleavened, Griddle-Cooked Parsi Bread

 

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