Mankeo (Squid /Calamari) Curry

Ingredients:

Squid -500g(It shrinks on cooking)
Green chilli-4
Ginger-25g
Garlic-25g
Tomato Puree-1 cup
Onion-2 large-chopped thin
Cocum juice-1/2 cup
Chilli powder-2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder-1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds-1/2tsp
Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Refined oil-as required
Salt-as required

Method:

Clean the squid and make gashes on it.Dry roast chilli powder,turmeric powder,coriander powder,fenugreek seeds and a sprig of curry leaves for a couple of minutes.Heat oil in a wok.Saute onion,ginger,garlic,green chillies till they become soft.Now wait for a minute or two to cool the sauted ingredients(the powders too) and grind it into a coarse paste.Now add the tomato puree to the paste and whisk it for a minute.Now pour this mixture over the cleaned squid.Add salt as required.Leave it for 10 minutes.Now add the cocum juice and enough water for the required consistency and cook it over a medium flame for nearly 8-10 minutes or till the squids are cooked properly.Finally add a sprig of curry leaves and mix well.(You may add a pinch of sugar,for a good twist).Now remove from the stove and serve it hot with chappathi/rice/tapioca.

(This squid curry again tastes better the next day).

Dry Prawn Kismur!

Nothing like a Prawn Kismur, on a rainy day!

This post is one of my pictorial ones as its so very easy to make!

Saute roughly chopped onion in coconut oil and keep aside..

 Wash the dry prawns to clear impurities and saute in coconut oil

 Add a couple of slit green chillies

Once crispy, add a grated coconut and mix well

Add 1 teaspoon turmeric powder and 2 teaspoons chilly powder.

Mix well and fry for a while .

And well there it is.. ready to be served !

You can make the similar version with mixed dry fish 

Beef Roulade

Ingredients for Marination:

Grind the below to a paste!
1/2 tsp - garlic ginger paste
4-5 - cardamoms 2 - green chillies
1 cup - mint leaves
2-3 cups - coriander leaves
1/2 tsp - cumin seeds
1/2 tsp - pepper corns
1/2 tsp - turmeric pwd
1&1-2 inch - cinnamon stick
4-5 - cardamoms
4-5 - cardamoms
Salt to taste

Method:

Slice (or ask your butcher to slice it for you) 1 Kg Beef into 3" x 2" flat slices that can be rolled

Flatten the slices with a Tenderizer

Marinate for about 2-3 hours in the above paste, preferably overnight covered with a cling film.

Lay a slice at a time flat on a cutting board

Lay  julienne of carrot, green chilly, potato and (Goan Sausage or Spanish Chorizo)      

Roll the beef and tie with with a strong thread

Lay the rolls into a pressure cooker (or slow cook them in a pot) , and pour in the remaining marination into the pot.

Depending on the quality of your meat, once you put off the fire, take the rolls out and cut the thread just before you serve! 

Image courtesy

CUCUMBER CHICKEN

Contribution by Sanghita Pal

INGREDIENTS:

*Chicken- 850 gm-1 kg

*Potatoes- 2- cubed/diced

*Cucumber- 1 big (finely chopped) for marination; 1 medium- for garnishing

*Yoghurt- 1 cup

*A thick paste of 1 capsicum, 2 big onions, 1 tomato, 2-3 pods of garlic, small ginger piece (of two soya chunks’ size!)

*Salt to taste

*A pinch of sugar

*Cardamom, Cinnamon- 2 each finely grounded

*Turmeric powder- ½ tsp (for marination); ½ tsp (for cooking)

*Red chilli powder- ½ tsp (for marination); ½ tsp (for cooking)

*Coriander powder- ½ tsp (for marination); ½ tsp (for cooking)

*Cumin powder- ½ tsp(for marination); ½ tsp (for cooking)

*Chicken Masala powder- 1 tsp

*Green chilli- 2-3 (slit)

*Mustard oil- 2 tsps for marination; 2 tsps for cooking

FOR MARINATION:

Marinate chicken with yoghurt, cucumber, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt, sugar, mustard oil and keep it aside for 2 hours. 

METHOD:

In a wok, fry the potato cubes till golden brown. Keep them aside. Now nicely fry the thick paste till the oil gets separated and add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt to it one by one. Add the marinated chicken, chicken masala powder, fried potatoes, green chilli and cook until done. Season with cardamom-cinnamon powder. Garnish with cucumber pieces and serve hot with rice/chapattis/ any type of bread. 

(Note: You can use 2-3 sprigs of freshly chopped coriander/cilantro leaves as a substitute for cardamom-cinnamon powder.)