Food

Paplet Hooman (pomfret curry)

Pomfrets – two larger or four medium
Onion – one, finely sliced
Ginger and garlic paste – 1 teaspoon
Turmeric – 1 teaspoon
Coconut – 1/2
Beydgi chillies – 10
Pepper corns – 15
Coriander seeds – 1 tablespoon
Tamarind – size of a lime
Green chillies – four
Salt as required
Coconut oil as required

Clean and cut the fish into thick slices and marinate with garlic and ginger paste along with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric. Set aside

Grind together to form a smooth paste all the dry ingredients and then the wet ingredients except the onions and the green chillies. Usually you need about half a coffee cup of water to grind this but I suggest you go slow when adding. You need a thick masala not a runny sauce in the mixer

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Food

Open Sesame!

Popular all over the world, this tiny, flat, and teardrop-shaped seed packs a powerful punch and not just flavour wise. Just Google the health benefits of one of the oldest condiments know to man and you will be amazed.

White, black, yellow, and red they come in 4 colours.

With their history that can be traced back to ancient India, Egypt, and Assyrian legends and even considered a symbol of immortality at one point. You know you’ve struck food gold when it comes to this delicate nutty wonder.

So how do you know if the sesame you’ve bought is fresh? Smell it. If old, the oil in the seeds will smell rancid. Valued for their high content of sesame oil the funny thing is the oil itself is resistant to rancidity. So it’s best to store the seed airtight in a cool, dark place or in the fridge and the oil in a dark cupboard too. 

In fact in my opinion this is the best way to store most nuts and oils.

Now for its culinary uses.

Let’s tackle this through the regions. I feel it’s always interesting to understand how the very same ingredient can be used in so many different ways all over our wonderful world. This is where man is at his best with his imagination.

Halva, zaatar, sweets, bread, or tahini spread in the Middle East (add some grape molasses and it makes a great snack on bread). In the Mediterranean region, they are used in cakes. In Africa, it is ground as a paste and served alongside mains or added to soups. In Asia on salads,** bakes, sweets, in sushi, etc. Ever tried Ellu Sadam or Sesame rice. Sesame is known as Ellu in Tamil and Kannada. In this traditional dish, where rice is mixed with a spicy powder made from sesame seeds and other ingredients and eaten on special occasions.

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Food

Pork sausages and vegetables in a coconut stew

I am a big fan of one pot meals, they have everything a great dish needs and you do not have to labour much over these dishes as the many ingredients marry beautifully. This great dish has the flavour of pork which uplifts a vegetable stew to another level. For this dish use any hardy vegetables you like or have. I used what I had in my refrigerator . You can use peas, cauliflowers or beans besides the ones suggested below. Never use capsicums for this dish. Feel free to substitute the pork for chicken

Pork sausages – 500 grams
White pumpkin – 400 grams
Mushrooms – 200 grams
Carrots – 200 grams
Onions – one large
Coconut milk powder – 50 grams
Cinnamon – three one inch sticks
Cardamom – 4
Cloves – 6
Pepper corns – 10
Bal leaf – 2
Green chillies – 2
Curry leaves – 5 sprigs
Corn flour – 1 1/2 tablespoon
Salt and oil ( use coconut oil) as required

Cut the vegetables into one inch dices; onions included. Cut the pork sausages into half or the size of the vegetables. In a pan heat oil and add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf and peppercorns. When they swell in size and release their oils add the green chillies (whole) and the curry leaves. Add the sausages and fry for about three minutes on a high flame. Now add the onions and stir this in for a minute before adding all the vegetables and about two cups of water or enough to cover the vegetables and the sausages. Allow this to simmer for about ten minutes.

In a bowl add the coconut milk powder and the cornflour with water (never hot water). Mix well and add to the vegetables stirring well. It is always good to allow the vegetable mixture to be brought to simmer rather than add the coconut milk when it is boiling. This will cause the coconut milk to split. However adding cornflour to the coconut milk mix prevents this from happening. Allow this to simmer for a few minutes more and then turn off the gas and allow the vegetables to cook in its own heat

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Food

Karela with dried prawns and potatoes

Karela – 500 grams
Dried prawns – 50 grams
Potatoes – two
Onion – one large
Curry leaves – five sprigs
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Ginger and garlic paste – 1 1/2 teaspoon
Red Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder – 2 teaspoons
Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon
Dry mango powder – 1 teaspoon
Oil and salt as required

Method
Soak the prawns for five minutes and allow to drip dry. Cut an onion very fine and the potatoes into half thumb nail dices. Scrape the external peel of the Karela with a potato peeler. Slit in the centre and remove the seeds and pulp. Cut the Karela into juliennes (long thin strips) and place in a colander. Add a heaped teaspoon of salt and mix well and allow it to stand for ten minutes. After ten minutes squeeze the Karela in your fist like as if you are mad at someone. Do this for all and set aside

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French beans in a spicy masala

At the end of the recipe you will find some interesting gyann that I have pulled out from the net which explains how french beans got their name. In any case, this vegetable when married to Indian spices brings east and west together in a perfect match. Today I have provided you with a second meat masala recipe that I used for this dish. Thanks Cora for the recipe for this meat masala. 

French beans – 400 grams
Onions – 2 large
Tomatoes – one
Curry leaves – four sprigs
Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon
Meat Masala – one tablespoon
ginger and garlic paste – 1 1/2 teaspoon
Coconut grated – one handful
Fresh coriander – A few sprigs
Mustard oil

For the meat masala (Cora’s Recipe)- You can bottle and store

2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons fennel
3 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
2 tablespoons kasuri methi
2 bay leaves
2 nos.  Javatri (mace)
3 star anise
5 one inch pieces cinnamon
2 tablespoons pepper corns
1 tablespoon cloves
50 grams Kashmiri chillies
50 grams  Beydgi chillies.

Roast the above separately on a hot pan beginning with the biggest ingredients. Cool and powder in a grinder. Mix in 1 tablespoon haldi powder.

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