XACUTI CHICKEN ( Goa)

Xacuti chicken - (pronounced as sha-koo-tee) is a spicy curry from Goa. It goes well with plain boiled rice. These days xacuti masala is easily available in the stores but nothing better than using freshly home made one. You can prepare more quantity of masala and store it for later use. You can make mutton, pork, fish, egg, crab, prawn curry or any vegetarian curry too with this masala. 

Ingredients:
Chicken ........... 500 gms. ( with bones)
Onions ............. 2 (sliced)
Coconut .......... 1/2 cup ( grated)
Ginger paste .... 1 tsp
Garlic paste ...... 1 tbsp
Tamarind paste ...... 2 tbsp ( Less or more according to your taste)
Turmeric powder ..... 1/2 tsp
Salt ..................... to taste
Oil
Coriander leaves ... to garnish.
Xacuti masala ... 3 tbsp ( see recipe HERE )

Method:
1. Clean the chicken and set aside.

2. In a sauce pan stir fry the grated coconut until golden brown. Let it cool.

3. Grind the coconut, ginger, garlic, tamarind to a smooth paste adding a little water. Set aside.

4. In a pan heat a little oil and fry the sliced onions until brown. Add a little water to cook. Grind to paste.

5. Pour a little more oil and put the onion paste and the ground coconut paste. Saute. Add salt, turmeric powder and 3 tbsps of xacuti masala powder. Stir it to mix.

6. Now add the chicken pieces. Stir fry for a few minutes. Add 2 cups of water and simmer it to cook until done.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with plain rice.



I tried out boneless chicken dry preparation using the same recipe with xacuti masala.

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PULIYODHARAI / TAMARIND RICE

This is always my favourite rice dishes that I end up making whenever I have some left over rice. So simple to make and delicious too. People carry this for journeys as it stays longer because of the tamarind and can be relished cold too. You really don't need any accompaniment with this as it is tasty on its own.

Ingredients:

Left over rice ... 1 cup

Turmeric powder .. 1/4 tsp

Tamarind extract .. 2-3 tbsps ( as per your liking)

Salt .. to taste

Sugar / jaggery .. little to balance the sourness.

Oil ... 2 tbsps

 For the masala:

Chana dal .. 1 tbsp
Urad dal ..... 1 tbsp
Sesame seeds .. 1 tsp
Dry red chillies .. 1-2 (as per your taste)
( Dry roast and grind the masala )

For Tempering:
Mustard seeds .. 1 tsp
Asafoetida .. a pinch
Groundnuts ... 1 tbsp
Curry leaves .. 1 sprig

Method :
1. Heat oil in a pan and add the tempering ingredients.
2. When they crackle, add the tamarind extract and the ground masala powder.
3. Add the tamarind extract, salt, sugar or jaggery, turmeric powder and stir well.
4. Simmer for a minute or two until the masala is incorporated into the rice. Sprinkle a little water if you like a softer consistency.
5. Serve hot or cold with fried papads.

Check out the video 

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KEEMA DOSA

Most of us always make extra dosa batter at home to make use of it for different variations with it. I had some left over keema too and I used it for the filling instead of potato masala. It tasted awesome.

How to make dosa batter:

Ingredients:
Urad dal .... 1 cup
Rice ........... 3 cups
Methi seeds .... 1 tsp.
Baking soda ... a pinch
Salt ... to taste
Oil.

Method:

1. Soak dal and rice separately for at least 5-6 hours.Add methi seeds while soaking.
2. Grind them separately adding enough water to a smooth batter. Mix them well, adding salt and leave to ferment preferably over night.

How to make Keema :
Ingredients:
Keema ..... 1/2 Kg. (Mutton or Chicken)
Onions ..... 2 large
Ginger-garlic paste ... 1 tbsp.
Green chillies .. 2 (finely chopped)
Coriander powder ..1tsp.
Jeera powder .......... 1 tsp.
Garam masala ......... 1-2 tsp.
Amchoor powder .... 1 tsp.
Salt ........................... to taste
Red chilli powder ....1/2 tsp.
Oil

Method:
1. Wash the keema and squeeze out the water completely.
2. In a pan heat a little oil and fry the onions till golden brown.
3. Now add the ginger garlic paste, green chillies and a little water to cook the onion.
4. Add the mince, salt and the dry masalas. Stir fry sprinkling little water from time to time until the keema is cooked to a very dry consistency. Let it cool.( You can sprinkle a little kasoori methi if desired)

To make keema dosa:
1. Spread the dosa batter on the tawa / griddle.
2. Sprinkle some podi evenly on it and spoon the keema.
3. Spoon a little oil or ghee to make the dosa crisp.
4. Roll it and serve hot.
You can serve with chutney or even relish it just with the keema masala.

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GRILLED FISH WITH FRESH BASIL

Simple grilled fish can be made with many variations .. Today I had some fresh basil at home and used it for the marination. The fish tasted awesome with just a few ingredients.
Here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:
Fish Fillet ...   2   (or as needed) use any variety preferably boneless.
Lemon juice ... 2 tbsps
Olive oil ........ 2 tbsps
Garlic paste ... 1 tbsp
Fresh basil .... handful ( crushed)
Salt ... to taste
Black pepper .. freshly crushed to sprinkle on top before serving.

Method:
1. Marinate the fish with all the ingredients except black pepper.
2. Leave them for a couple of hours in the refrigerator.
3. Bake them in a pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes on medium heat. Alternately you can also pan fry them.
4. Serve hot sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and any vegetables or salad of your choice on the side.

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KEEMA PAKORAS ( Mince Meat Fritters)

Pakoras are relished by one and all specially on a rainy day. Have you ever tried making them with mince meat ? If not you must give it a try. I have used chicken keema in this recipe.. you may use mutton keema or minced beef also. Vegetarians can replace it with soya granules. We can make use of the left over keema also. Take care while mixing the batter and add the water according to the consistency of keema.

For chicken keema:



Onions ...... 1 chopped finely
Chicken mince .. 100 - 150 grams
Turmeric powder ... 1/8 tsp
Cumin powder ...... 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder .. 1/4 tsp
Ginger garlic paste ... 1 tsp each
Red chilli powder ..... 1/2 tsp
Garam masala ....... 1/2 tsp
Salt ... to taste
Oil ..... 2 -3 tbsps
Heat oil in a pan and stir fry the onion, ginger, garlic. Add the chicken mince and saute until it changes colour. Add all the spice powders and salt. Set it aside to cool.

For the Pakoras:
Besan / gram flour ... 1 cup
Keema ................ 1/2 cup
Onions ............. 1/4 cup (finely chopped)
Green chillies .... 2-3 (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves .. handful (chopped)
Mint leaves ......... few (chopped)
Baking soda ....... 2 pinches
Cumin seeds ...... 1 tsp
Red chilli powder .. 1/2 tsp (as per your taste)
Salt ................. to taste
Oil .............. to fry

Method:
1. Mix all the ingredients together (except oil) adding a little water to make a thick batter.


2. Heat oil in a kadai / frying pan.

3. Drop small quantities of batter and deep fry until crisp and golden brown.
3. Serve with chutney or sauce.

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SEYALA MAANI ( Green Masala Rotis)

This is a Sindhi breakfast dish, usually made from left over rotis. They are broken into pieces and cooked with flavourful green masala made with fresh coriander and mint leaves.

Ingredients:
Rotis ....... 6-7 (you may use the left over rotis)
Coriander Leaves.....1 cup
Mint leaves .............. 1/2 cup
Green Chillies............2-3
Onions........................1 chopped
Tomatoes...................1 chopped
Garlic..........................7 to 8 cloves
Ginger .......................1 inch piece
Salt..............................to taste
Red Chilli Powder.....1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder.....1/2  tsp
Coriander Powder....1 tsp
Cumin powder ...... 1 tsp.
Garam masala ........ 1/2 tsp (optional)
Oil ................... 6 tbsps

Method:



1.Grind coriander leaves, mint leaves, onion, tomato, green chillies, ginger and garlic. ( Grind coarsely)

2. In a pan pour the oil and saute the green masala for a few minutes.
3. Add the dry masalas and salt and mix well. Pour 2 cups water and let it boil.( If using left over rotis then add a little more water)

4. Break the rotis into small pieces and stir into the masala. Check the salt and let it cook on low flame until the rotis are cooked.

5. Sprinkle garam masala on top and pour a little hot oil on it.
Serve immediately.

For variation you can also make chapati rolls using this masala.
(Will add the recipe soon.)

Check out the video:

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KESARIA PARATHA

I saw this recipe on a cookery show "Rasoi Se" on ETV Rajasthan. Liked the idea of making saffron flavoured parathas. They would go well with all the shahi curries.

Ingredients:
Wheat flour ..... 3/4 cup
Maida ............. 1/4 cup
Dessicated coconut .. 1 tbsp.
Paneer chena or grated paneer .. 2-3 tbsp.
Saffron ................... a pinch (Soaked in warm milk)
Cardamom powder ...... 1/8 tsp.
Ghee
Salt

Method:


1. Knead ata and maida adding a little ghee, paneer, coconut, cardamom powder, saffron and salt to taste.You can use milk/water to knead. Set aside for a couple of hours to bring out the colour of saffron.
2. Roll out the parathas and roast on a griddle adding a little ghee.
Can be served with any curry. A different kind of paratha for your next party.

CHEMMEEN MASALA ( Prawn Masala Kerala Style)

Chemmeen masala is a dry and spicy prawn preparation from Kerala. This preaparation is more tastier with small prawns / shrimps. In Kerala they use coconut oil for cooking all their dishes. It tastes really awesome. But I have used the normal cooking oil as we don't get it here in Brazil. Serve them with dosas, appams, rotis or as a side dish with dal and rice. The dry version can be relished like a snack also.

Ingredients:
Shrimps ... 200 grms
Onion ..... 1 cup ( cut into small cubes or use shallots )
Ginger .... 1 small piece (julienned)
Garlic ..... 1 tsp (crushed)
Tamarind extract... 1-2 tbsps
Garam masala ... 1/2 tsp
Salt .... as needed
Turmeric powder ... 1/2 tsp
Oil .... 2-3 tbsps (preferably coconut oil)
Coriander leaves .. handful.

Dry Roast and Grind:
Coriander seeds .. 1 tsp
Cumin seeds ..... 1 tsp
Methi seeds ..... 1/4 tsp
Dry red chillies ... 1-2
Coconut (grated)....... 1 tbsp (optional)
Curry leaves ... few

Tempering:
Mustard seeds ... 1 tsp
Curry leaves ... few

Method:
1. Clean the shrimps, devien them and marinate with salt and turmeric powder. You can leave the tails intact if you prefer.
2. In a chatti or pan, heat the oil and add the tempering. When it crackles, tip in the shallots, ginger , garlic and saute for half a minute.
3. Now put the ground masala, salt and stir to mix.. Add the marinated shrimps and saute.
4. The shrimps cook in their own water. Now add the tamarind extract and garam masala , coriander leaves and simmer.
5. You can sprinkle a little water if you want a little gravy type masala.

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SINDHI PHAKKI

Sindhi phakki is a very traditional and age old recipe that we have learnt from our ancestors.. This was served as an accompaniment along with Sindhi Daroon (daru) during the ceremonies. It has healthy nuts, sweet toffees and mints which are broken into pieces. As a shagun this is also distributed among relatives during the weddings. Preparing this also was one of the rituals. As it is time consuming many ladies would get together to do it. 

Ingredients:
Pistachios - Half cup(Sliced)

Almonds - Half cup(Sliced)

Strong pepper mints - One-fourth cup (Broken onto small pieces)

Lump sugar/ misri - One-fourth cup (Broken into small pieces)

Colourful toffees - 1 cup of various colours and flavours like fruity, orange, pineapple, kala khatta etc.(Broken into pieces)

Cardamoms - 3-4 tablespoons(Crush lightly and remove the seeds. Only seeds are to be used)

Shah jeera or Saunf - 3-4 tablespoons(Dry roast it lightly and let it cool before mixing. This ingredient is optional)

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients together and store in an air tight container.

Sindhi Phakki packed beautifully for distribution to friends and relatives during wedding ceremonies.