GOAN BEAUTY......

I dont have to write or say anything the pictures have a voice of their own.......

AAYIS FOOD

A little more of my mom's food...
My sister had come down from the US last month so my mother planned one evening where she would make some very traditional fare and which could be enjoyed by all of us.

THE TABLE WITH THE GOODIES.


so, a day convenient for all of us was chosen ,here in the pictures you will see a typical home cooked meal that my mother made for all of us ... Here you will see there is no presentation, no frills or show . I took the picture just as it was on the table and did not even shift or move anything for improving the look of the picture.

DALIMBI USAL

I just wanted all my friends to see how it at home when food is served with love and affection .
In the earlier days as i said in my last post ,it was the quality and quantity that mattered and the rest was sorted out on its own...


MASOORCHE TONAK AND BATATYACHE BHAJI



KADI , RICE , CHAPATI.


The menu was :

dalimbi usal
batatyachi bhaji (potato vege)
boondi raita
masoor masala or as we say in goa "masurche tonak"
sol kadi or kadi made with coconut milk
chapati
rice
and the only thing that was bought from out was the chicken biryani (for my brotherinlaw)
There was fried fish and fish curry which is not in the picture they were on the gas stove being heated while i took the pictures.
but once everything was served i had no patience to wait and click some more photographs my mind was only on the yummy food ....

PURANACHE MODAK.......

My earlier post shows you how i made UKADICHE MODAK this year for Ganesh chaturti.

In the pictures below , are the modaks which my mother and normally all Goan homemakers prepare for Ganesh chaturti, these are the " ट्रडिशनल फ़ूड " made in Goa .


The above modaks are very very tasty and very filling too , one would be enough to fill you up .
You will see that the modaks are not perfectly shaped as that was not something that was given too much importance as was the taste. I can assure you that the taste would be perfect every time they are made.
lots of attention is given to the presentation in our generation , which was not so with the earlier generation, People concentrated on the quality , the quantity and the sharing and caring .

Food was always in large quantities , as the family was usually very large , the produce was from the backyard and many hands to help.
I have never made these modaks (i don't know why) i usually like to visit my mothers house and eat them the way she makes them.
here is the recipe for you..... (The ingredients are offcourse not backyard produce but something you will have to visit your grocer and buy)

INGREDIENTS

COVER

knead wheat flour atta just the way you would for your roti , only add a little warm oil to it before you start kneading.

STUFFING

250g chana dal
250g jaggery or gul
2 tsp cardamom powder or as per taste.
a little ghee for the glaze

METHOD

1. soak chana Dal for 2-3 hours
2. cook chana Dal after a single rinse (it takes about 45 mins ) in enough water
3.When cooked the chana Dal should great crushed when pressed between your fingers but it
should not dissolve into the water
4. drain out the remaining water and take the cooked dal in another kadai
5. add the 250g jaggery grated fine.
6 you will find that the jaggery melts and makes the Dal more watery
7.let it cook together (takes about 30 mins or a little more) for the mixture to be dry
8. add cardamom powder
9. roll your dough into a small round like a puri or small roti
10. stuff the filling and take the edges together to make a point on top(this need a little practice)
11. Deep fry in oil
12. eat hot or cold.

UKADICHE MODAK (STEAMED MODAKS)

These little babies are my favorite....
I love the way they look and also the way they taste....
These are Ganapati's favorite food , which used to be made once a year, only on ganesh chaturti day . But now i make them more often as they are liked and enjoyed by almost everyone...
Those seen here were made on the 23rd of August which was the ganesh chaturti day and i made lots and lots of them to be devoured and shared with all those who like to eat them.

Ingredients
STUFFING.
2 cups grated coconut
1 cup grated jaggery you can use more to suit your taste
1 tsp finely ground cardamom powder
you can add these according to preference golden raisins,finely chopped cashewnuts or almonds.
a little ghee to moisten the mixture while cooking.
COVER
For one cup basmati rice flour
one cup water
a pinch of salt and a spoon full of ghee.
METHOD:
Below you will see the sweet in a green leaf next to the modak's , those are called Patolyo in Goa here the stuffing is the same as the modaks for the recipe read here. The only difference is the way in which the covering is made although the ingredients are the same.
so let me tell you how the covering for the modak is made.
take a vessel with one cup of water boil
when it starts boiling add a spoon of salt and ghee
stir and let it come together , stir it for some more time and cover for about 2 mins
Take care to see that it does not stick to the bottom ( so its always better to cook this in a alumimium kadai or a non-stick kadai)
Take this mixture into a plate and cook a little
put ghee on your hands and knead it like a dough.
make small balls out of the dough and roll into small rounds
you have to catch this puris in your palms (left hand-for the right handed)and fill it with the stuffing and then take the ends together and make it into a point on top..(with your right hand )**smiles....*
It makes me smile because of the way i have explained, i know it is very difficult for a novice to understand this when they havent actually seen it being made, its easy for me to explain as i can see it in front of my eyes... dont worry look at the picture and try to make the shape and dont worry atall even if it is not perfect as it will definetly taste perfect ** thumbsup....***
After you complete this part you have to steam it in a steamer for about 10-12 mins .
eat it as it is or cut them in the center and drizzle a spoon full of warm pure homemade ghee ...
**yumm.....***.

CARROT SALAD......

This is according to me the most fascinating looking salad so simple to make and so very healthy for young and old alike.
I usually make this salad when i have something spicy on the menu like a goan chicken curry or some spicy vegetable preparation.
Here is the simple recipe the proportions are according to each persons liking
chop carrots finely or in a chopper.
take boiled kabuli chana or chickpeas take 1/4 the amount of carrots taken.
green chillies chopped, mustard seeds, jeera seeds, asoefotida,curryleaves (for tempering)
coriander leaves for garnish.
a little grated coconut for garnish.a little lemon juice too.
Take a kadai,add a little oil or ghee
add the ingredients for tempering
Then add the chopped carrots and the chickpeas.
add salt, sugar and a little lemon juice..
garnish with freshly grated coconut and coriander leaves.

BANANA-CHOCOLATE MUFFINS........

HAVE I SAID THIS BEFORE??????
OFFCOURSE!!!!!!! I have,
I love baking and get immense satisfaction in baking something ,especially something new.

I have said this before too, I love baking but do not like the ingredients which are required for a good bake, especially the butter and plain flour, I always feel that you eat something which won’t be of much benefit to you but will just fill you up with some unwanted calories.
I know that for a good soft cake or a muffin, plain flour is very essential, but I wanted to make my banana chocolate muffins without the plain flour, and as I was not answerable to anyone but to myself, and because it would be eaten only by us at home I knew I could take a risk and make it I had tried a wheat flour cake before and it was a success.
I decided to go ahead and try these new muffins which I have made completely with my own measurements and ideas.
Let me tell you these muffins are wonderful and healthy , you find them a little chewy when they get cold , as wheat flour is not like plain flour and the texture and components are different from one and other.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup wheat flour
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil.
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
1 very ripe banana you can put 2 if they are tiny.
1 tsp vanilla essence
Broken cashew nuts for decoration (optional)
I put some pieces of milk chocolate on top too.
¼ cup milk if you find it too dry

METHOD

Simple simple method,

Mix together the wet ingredients in a blender or mixer in the following

Order

Oil---sugar ---- mix

Eggs –banana --mix

Sift together wheat flour, baking powder, baking salt, cocoa powder Add it to the above mixture – mix (all mixing to be done in the blender)

Add salt and milk if the mixture is too dry.

Pour the mixture in greased muffin cups, decorate.

Bake

Very important!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eat them as soon as they come out of the oven.

YUMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

FUN WITH MANGO.......

One more thing that you will find very regularly in my house during this season And that’s a mango milk shake or a mango smoothie, my son loves to have a mango in this form more than anything else, so I usually make him a glass when he comes back from his classes I try to do some variations each time and I feel that they are as tasty every single time. Here are the variations that I have tried and loved, 1. MANGO, MILK CHURN TOGETHER 2. MANGO, MILK, VANILLA ICECREAM CHURNED TOGETHER. 3. MANGO, YOGURT CHURNED TOGETHER. 4. MANGO, VANILLA ICECREAM SERVED WITH FRESH PIECES OF MANGO.

I would love if my blogger friends, who have read this post would give me some more suggestions as to what one can make with this wonderful fruit called MANGO

MANGO SEASON IS HERE......

MANGO is a fruit which is much awaited the whole year round....

WATI FULL OF THICK MANGO AMRAS (PUREE)

I haven’t met anyone as yet who says that he does not like mangoes , and so as soon as you see mangoes in the market you want to be the one to get the first ones (sigh*****) they are so expensive that each piece you have seems that you are eating a precious morsel.


WHEAT FLOUR PURIS
To tell you frankly I don’t go crazy over a mango, off course!!! I like eating a mango but it’s a "like".
I did not say love, but my family and especially my hubby loves mangoes and loves to see a pile of these waiting to be devoured. He loves to go to shop for the best fruit of the season (he is not the type who normally goes out to the market to buy fruits or vegetables; I am the one who is in charge of this job.)

AMRAS PURI
Our mango season starts with amras or mango juice actually a puree which is made by churning the flesh with a little sugar, a little milk and elaichi powder.
This is the most preferred sweet in most of the houses in Maharashtra. During the mango season, you will find mango shrikand too, which is a very also a very popular sweet (it is easily available and can be made at home too; I will be blogging about this in the future). I have never made shrikand at home I have the store bought one.
One more thing that you will find very regularly in my house during this season
And that’s a mango milk shake or a mango smoothie, my son loves to have a mango in this form more than anything else, so I usually make him a glass when he comes back from his classes I try to do some variations each time and I feel that they are as tasty every single time.
Here are the variations that I have tried and loved,
1. MANGO, MILK CHURN TOGETHER
2. MANGO, MILK, VANILLA ICECREAM CHURNED TOGETHER.
3. MANGO, YOGURT CHURNED TOGETHER.
4. MANGO, VANILLA ICECREAM SERVED WITH FRESH PIECES OF MANGO.

I would love if my blogger friends, who have read this post would give me some more suggestions as to what one can make with this wonderful fruit called MANGO

A PROPER MEAL FOR GUESTS*****

It’s been a very very very long time since that I have written a post, but its not that I won’t be writing anymore or that I will be so infrequent like the way I have been, Its only that I have not been in the same frame of mind that I was before.
Whenever I do something I need to be in the right frame of mind for that, and that may be anything as little as going for a walk or to the market.
When I write I want it to come from my heart and not write for the sake of writing, and so I did not do much posting but I did click photos occasionally and so I have some good photos and posts pending, hope you like them.

ROASTED CORN SALAD

In Goa, my native place food is given a lot of importance in one’s life and guests are considered god, hospitality is at its highest I have seen in Goa. Whenever I have someone visiting me from Goa I usually make a meal which looks like the one that you see here.

FRIED PRAWNS
The meal comprises of One dry vegetable, one wet vegetable, salad, chapatti, rice, fish curry, sol kadi (not in the picture) and fried fish. So fish plays a very very important part of a Goan meal and that does not mean make a fried fish and feel happy nope!!!! There will be at least three dishes which will have fish in it. Fish fried and fish curry is almost compulsory.

TEESRYO SUKHE(DRY CLAMS)

Guess what are the items made by me, I don’t think it will be very difficult

CABBAGE PEA ONION DRY VEGETABLE

FISH CURRY

SHALLOW FRIED SURMAI OR KINGFISH
HERE IS THE RECIPE FOR TEESRYO SUKHE....

http://goanche.blogspot.com/2006/06/dry-clams-masala.html

TEESRYACHE SUKHE or dry clam masala

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups clams or teesryo3 medium onions finely choppedLots of chopped coriander11/2 cups of grated coconutRed chili powder to tasteTurmeric powder1tsp dhania powder1 tsp garam masala powderSalt to tasteTamarind pulp or kokum depending on tasteThe whole preparation should be hot and sour

METHOD:

Very very simple to make..Just mix together all the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly with your handsIn a pan take a tbsp of oil in Goa we take coconut oil as it gives a nice flavorAnd put the mix in pour water till the whole mix is just about immersed you can put less water too if you want it very very dry.Cook on low heat for about 15 mins till the water evaporatesIts ready to eat. ENJOY!!!!NOW ,HERE IS THE RECIPE OF “TOI” -------

VERY VERY SIMPLE VEG MEAL....

This was a very simple meal that i had yesterday, sometimes its good to have such simple and less elaborate meals it not only helps your system but also helps us think of food in a new light .


NEERPHANAS(type of Jackfruit) PHODI

SPICY VEGETABLE PULAO

BOONDI RAITA

What is your idea of a detoxing and a simple meal , pls share it with me and all our friends who would love to get great ideas in making a simple but nutritious thali (plate) of food.