Modaks

Yes, the best authentic modaks, even if it is a bit late to make them for Ganesh Chaturthi. This recipe is from my friend Sulabha Kulkarni who is an acknowledged expert on the subject. This recipe is for Meena and Lavanya, who missed their quota this time.

The dough:
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Rice flour 1 cup,  water, ghee, peanut oil .

Mix in *cold*  water until the flour has the consistency of batter for pakodas. Add ghee and 2 1/2 tsps of peanut oil. Cook on stove top till translucent. The mixture should be steaming well, for at least 5 to 10 minutes.  Let the steamed dough sit till it is cold enough to touch. Knead to a stiff dough. The dough should be stiff enough to roll out. Add more rice flour if necessary. Roll into rounds.


Stuffing:
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Mix grated coconut 2 cups, cardamom powder 1/4 tsp, roasted ground poppy seeds and grated jaggery (1 1/2 cup). Cook on stove top and cool.

Put the stuffing in the  rolled out dough and shape as in the picture above. Put them into a container with holes at the bottom and steam for ten minutes. Eat with ghee, of course after offering them to Ganpati Bappa, as below.

Here is a microwave version.  Mix the ingredients for the stuffing in a bowl. Microwave on medium power for 3 minutes. Then stir and microwave on high power for 2 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to dry out.

Mix the ingredients for the dough with one cup water and knead into a ball. Sprinkle some water on the kneaded dough and microwave on high power for 2 minutes. Remove from microwave, knead again with oil and water. microwave on medium power for 30 seconds just before rolling out and forming into modaks with the stuffing.

Put the modaks in a plate, cover with a paper plate and microwave on high for 2 1/2 minutes.
Meena, tell me if it worked out. It should, it even worked for me. I had the best P.G. Vaidya flour, from Pune, however. It helps!

Goan fish curry

Here is a staple of Goan as well as restaurant food. However, the homemade version has an entirely different taste. This version is from a newspaper cutting and has been contributed by Ms Diana Raja. It has a few variations by us.

Ingredients
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Fish (Sliced 400 gms ) (Best with pomfret)
Onion - 1/2 -1
Chopped tomatoes- 2
Green chillies- 2
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Oil- 1/2 tbsp
Salt - to taste

For the paste
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Dry chillies- 8-9 nos
Corriander seeds 1-1/2 Tbsp
Cumin seeds -1/2 tsp
Chopped ginger-1/2 tsp
Tamarind paste-3/4 tbsp
Turmeric powder -1/2 tbsp
Water - as required

(Grind to a fine paste)

Method:
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Clean the fish fillets thoroughly with water.
Rub the fish slices with salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder (one pinch each). Set aside for 30 minutes.Grind the onions to a paste. Fry in oil till the paste turns pink and add the rest of the masala paste. Fry the mixture and add the chopped tomatoes (tomato paste is fine, too). Fry for a few minutes, and then add coconut milk and water and allow to boil.

Add the fish, green chillies and salt. Cook till the fish is done and the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Garnish with green corriander leaves.

(Leave out the tamarind paste if you don't like it, but I don't think Goans would do that. Again, curd can be substituted for coconut milk, but the same warning holds.)


Short cuts:
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You can buy standard Goan fish curry masala. Some versions do not require you to add anything other than fish and water. Parampara has a good version, but use 1/3 what the packet recommends.

Nothing gives the taste that fresh extracted coconut milk does, but the standard versions in tetrapacks are not bad at all. In fact, nothing gives the taste that fresh ground masalas do, if you can do it, and that starts with ginger garlic paste.

Chocolate log

Many years ago, Kasturba Nagar in Adyar used to boast of a Gourmet club, which assembled every Saturday to cook assorted delicacies, and polish them off. This Sunday, a truncated version of this club assembled to remember old times, and also Rahul on his birthday. Meena dug out this hoary recipe for chocolate log for the dessert. It worked pretty fine and also came out really pretty as you will see in the photos.

Meena says:


This is a major assembly job. You have to make a filling (can be
warmedup jam, but we made chocolate custard), a frosting, and a sponge
cake sheet, and then you have to assemble it all at the right times.
The end result is worth all the trouble!

I made things in the following order: first the custard, then the
sponge, then the assembly. While it chilled, I made the frosting, and
put it over an already chilled log.

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The chocolate custard filling (about 1 cup)

3/4 cup milk
1/2 cap vanilla essence
5-6 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 egg 1 yolk
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tbsp butter

Scald milk + vanilla + chocolate. Blend and mix over very low heat
(the recipe calls for heating over, not in, water in a double boiler,
but I can't be bothered with that) the sugar, flour, and eggs. Cream
until light. Add scalded milk gradually, stirring, and cook until
boiling point, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and continue
stirring until all steam is released.

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The roll cake (10.5 x 15.5 x 1 inch pan)

4 eggs, separated.
3/4 cup powdered sugar.
1 tsp vanilla essence.
3/4 cup maida
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Place a butter paper sheet on the pan and grease it well.

Beat egg yolks until light. Add sifted sugar gradually, and beat until
creamy. Add the vanilla.

Sift together the maida and baking powder Add gradually to egg mixture
and beat until smooth.

Whip egg whites until stiff, not dry. Fold lightly into batter with
the chopped nuts.

Pour the batter onto the greased butter paperin the pan. Spread it out
to cover the surface. Bake for 13 minutes in a preheated oven.

Keep ready a damp tea towel on which another butter paper sheet is
spread out. Sprinkle some confectioner's sugar on the paper.

As soon as the cake is done, invert it onto the towel+paper. Peel off
the butter paper from the cake. With a sharp knife, trim off any
crispy edges of the cake. Using the towel for support, roll up the cake
(from the short side, to get a 10 inch long roll) while still warm,
and keep rolled for a minute. The cake will be about half an inch
high, and may crack a bit while you roll it, but hopefully will not
crack through. Now unroll, spread with warm filling (stop an inch from
the edge), and re-roll. Place the roll, seam side down, on the serving
dish and let it cool.

Spread the frosting evenly all over the roll. Cover up the sides
too. Let the roll chill for a while. Then, using a fork, score lines
in the frosting to make the cake resemble a log.

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Fudge frosting (makes 1 and 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup cocoa
5 tbsp butter
1 cup finely powdered sugar

In a small heavy saucepan over very low heat, combine the cream and
chocolate. Stirring constantly, heat just until melted and
smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar.

Fudge Brownies

I don't remember which book this is from, but I suspect I got this recipe from Meena. Anyway, for what it is worth, here it is. It makes the riches, moistest, chewiest brownies I know, and I wish some of the so-called bakeries here would use this recipe.

Ingredients:

Butter 10 1/2 tbsp or 2/3 cup
Chocolate (cocoa powder) 7 1/2 tbsp or 1/2 cup
Eggs 2
pinch of salt
Sugar 7/8 cup
Vanilla essence 1 tsp
Flour 1/2 cup
chopped walnuts

Method:

Melt the butter in a heavy bottom saucepan or skillet. Remove from heat, add the cocoa powder and smoothen the mixture. Combine the eggs and salt, in a bowl, and beat with an electric beater till very light and fluffy (this should take about 5 minutes, with short breaks). Add the sugar and beat another two minutes. Add the chocolate mixture and the vanilla and mix gently. Mix the flour in gently with a spoon. This is important. Heavy strokes while mixing will collapse all the bubbles in the beaten eggs and make the brownies hard and heavy. Add the chopped walnuts, pour into a buttered baking dish and bake at 160 degrees for about 30 minutes. Do not overbake so as to dry out the brownies. A knife passed through it should come out almost but not quite clean.
Cover with fudge frosting and refrigerate.

Fudge Frosting

Cream 1/4 cup, sugar 1/3 cup, cocoa powder 1/2 cup, butter 2 1/2 tbsp.

Powder the sugar in a grinder (you can buy confectioners sugar but it is unnecessary). Mix the butter, chocolate and sugar over a low flame. Add the cream. The mixture should be smooth and spreadable. Spread over the brownies before refrigerating.

The fudge frosting should be smooth and glistening after it is set. However it is customary to make a few streaks in the frosting with the back of the tines of a fork.

Yakhni

Yakhni is a kind of mutton stew from Kashmir. It is simple to make, probably the simplest mutton recipe I know. It was taught and in fact, demonstrated to me by a Kashmiri known for his culinary skills and so the recipe I give you here is about as authentic as you are likely to get. You will need a couple of slightly non standard ingredients -- soont which is dry ginger powder (it cannot be substituted by fresh ginger!) and powdered fennel seeds (saunf). You will also need the big black cardamon, not the small green one. Also, note that Yakhni is always made with meat from the seena i.e near the breast because it is fatty. However, if you are making it in the warmer plains, like me, you may want to go easy on the fattiness of the meat. Soont and fennel powder are ubiquitous in Kashmiri cooking so if you plan on branching off in that direction, keep these handy in your kitchen.

Ingredients:

Mutton 1/2 kilo, usually from near the breast
Dry ginger powder - 2 tbsp
Fennel powder (ground saunf) -- 2 tbsp
Black cardamon - 4
Cinnamon stick - couple of 1 inch sticks
cloves -- 4-5
Black peppercorns (optional) -- 1 tsp
Yoghurt - 1 large cup, beaten smooth
Oil -- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

In a large pot or pressure cooker, place the mutton, add water to just barely cover it, add all the above ingredients except the yoghurt. As I said, this is a stew and the usual paraphernalia of frying meat and spices is skipped. (Trust me, it tastes great nonetheless). Boil this whole combo till the meat is cooked (about 15 - 20 minutes if using a pressure cooker). Let the cooker cool, then open it. If there is too much water, reduce it till it barely covers the meat. Cool it again and then slowly add the yoghurt. (As I have noted earlier, adding yoghurt to the hot pot makes it split). The gravy is not thick, but it should not be watery. Adjust the salt as needed, give it one final boil and serve with plain basmati rice.

Eggplant in Yoghurt Sauce (Doi Boingano)

This is a very popular recipe from Orrisa.

Ingredients:

1 cup yoghurt
2 medium eggplants
1 medium size onion
3 green chillies
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
pinch of curry powder if available
1/4 inch piece of ginger
1 clove garlic
bunch of curry leaves
salt to taste

Method:

Beat yoghurt to make it smooth and add 1 tsp salt to it. Add oil to a kadai (wok) add mustard seeds and when they pop, add cumin seeds, chillies, ginger, curry leaves and garlic. Fry for a short time and add to the beaten yoghurt.

Cut the eggplant lengthwise, mix with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp chili powder, a pinch of generic curry powder if you have it, and turmeric. Fry in oil till cooked. (It is usually deep fried but if you want a healthier version, shallow pan fry is also fine).

Remove with a slotted spoon, drain the excess oil and add to the spiced yoghurt mixture. Allow to soak for about half and hour before serving.

Fish from the East and the West

Last week I again missed my date with this blog so here are two recipes -- both for fish, since I haven't 'done' fish yet on this blog - one from Western India and the other from the East.

Prawns in mustard and coconut

This recipe is inspired by a rather fanciful dish called Daab Chingri (made popular by Oh! Calcutta)cooked inside a hollowed out coconut shell. This version dispenses with all these unnecessary flourishes and can be made at home in about fifteen minutes (not including standing time). It also tastes somewhat different and better! Credit for this goes to my wife who is from Western India but this recipe is pure Eastern. It is best made in the microwave!

Ingredients:

Prawns (cleaned and deveined) -- 1/4 kilo
Mustard seeds -- 3 tbsp
Green chilly - 1 medium size
Coconut cream -- 1/2 cup
Kasundi (if available) -- 2 tsp
Turmeric -- 1/2 tsp
Mustard oil -- 1 tsp
Chilli powder -- 1/2 tsp or more if preferred
Coriander leaves for garnish
Salt to taste

Method:

Sprinkle the salt, turmeric and chilli powder on the prawns, mix well and keep aside.
In the small container of a blender or mixie, add the mustard seeds, a bit of salt and one green chilly, a tablespoon of water. Grind to a smooth paste.

Note: Grinding mustard in a mixie usually produces a bitter paste. The trick is to let it stand for an hour or more so it is best to do this early. Or even make it and keep it in the refrigerator the previous day for later use though that tempers the sharpness (some people prefer that).

Mix the mustard paste and the kasundi with the prawns and mustard oil, add the coconut cream and necessary salt in a microwave proof bowl. Make sure it is well mixed. Let it stand for about ten minutes (the longer the better). Microwave on high for 3 minutes (longer will make the prawns rubbery). If you use more prawns, be sure to increase microwave time but not too much. You will need to experiment with your microwave but generally prawns cook very fast. In fact, if you have got it right, it should almost melt like butter.

Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve. What could be simpler!

If the mustard smell is too strong for you, replace the mustard oil with some other refined oil (sunflower, peanut ...).

Warning: Many people, particularly those from the South have a marked aversion to the smell of mustard. Don't try this recipe on them.

And here is my second recipe.

Patrani Macchi

This is my simplified Patrini Macchi, a popular Parsi dish. You will need to procure some banana leaves -- it is possible to use aluminum foil but the taste is not the same.

Ingredients:
Pomfret fish -- 1/2 kilo whole with deep gashes made in the body (you can use seer/surmai but this is best made with white pomfret)
Pudina (spearmint) - 1 cup loosely packed
Coriander leaves -- 1/2 cup loosely packed
Whole Jeera (cumin) -- 2 tsp
Garlic -- 2 -3 pods depending on size
Ginger - one inch piece or so
Black pepper whole -- 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 2 tsp or vinegar
Green chilly - 2 medium sized
salt to taste
sugar - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Preheat the oven to about 180 degrees Celsius.

Wash the pomfret, smear with salt and a little bit of the lemon juice and keep aside for about half an hour, then wash it and pat it dry (this removes the fishy taste and smell).

While the pomfret is sitting, grind all the ingredients (pudina, coriander leaves, cumin, garlic, ginger, pepper, lemon juice, green chilly, salt, sugar) above in a mixie or blender to a fine paste. It should give out a heady smell of pudina, garlic and coriander leaves. Empty out the paste into a bowl, and mix with about 1/2 a tablespoon of oil. Cut the banana leaves into squares large enough to contain one piece of pomfret. Smear the dark green side of the banana leaf with a small bit of oil, place one piece of pomfret, wrap the sides of the banana leaf around it so that it is completely enclosed and tie it with string (it is possible in the wrapping to make a little pocket and tuck the ends of the leaf into it - then you don't need a string but you need to know how to do this which I can't explain here). Do this for all the pomfret pieces. Place them in an ovenproof casserole, and place it in the oven for about 40-45 minutes.

When you take it out, the banana leaf should have slightly charred or discoloured quite a bit. Open one packet gingerly and check if the fish is done, otherwise put it back for another 10 -- 15 minutes (this is very unlikely if your oven heats properly). Take all the pieces out and serve each packet as an individual serving (let your guest unravel the string). If some ignoramuses ask you if they should eat the 'leaf' keep mum -- they will figure it out soon enough!