Mushroom & Green Peas Curry - East Indian Style

This is  a quick and yummy curry, vegan and gluten free.
Ingredients 

200 Grams Button Mushrooms - sliced
½ Cup Fresh Green Peas
1 Large Onion
2 Green Chillies - finely chopped
1 Big Clove Garlic - minced
¼ Cup Tomato Puree
1½ Teaspoon Bottle Masala
1 Veg Stock Cube
½ Teaspoon Sugar
1½ Teaspoon Lemon Juice
2 -3 Tablespoon Oil

Grind  To A Fine Paste

1 Tablespoon Grated Dry Coconut - dry roasted 

2 Cloves Garlic

½” Piece Ginger 

1 Bay leaf

6 Mint Leaves

Method

For the Paste

Dry roast the coconut on a non stick frying pan till light golden ( can use desiccated coconut). Cool and grind this to a fine paste with rest of the ingredients adding just a tablespoon or two of water.

In a kadai heat oil, add minced garlic and fry till it just starts to change color, add chopped onions, green chillies and fry till  onions turn light golden.  Add in the ground paste, bottle masala, tomato puree and 2 tablespoon water,stock cube   saute' till oil separates. Now add the   mushrooms, peas mix well, add a cup of water and cook on low flame till mushrooms and peas are cooked, stirring after every 2 minutes.   Taste for salt, add the sugar and adjust the gravy consistency by adding water accordingly . Bring this to a boil. Switch off the flame, add lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves. 

 Enjoy with chapattis or rice.

Labels : Mushroom, Green Peas, Bottle Masala, Main course, East Indian, Vegan, Gluten free, Vegetarian  

East Indian Lunch Menu - Vegan & Gluten Free

East Indian Masala Dal Without Coconut, Stir Fry Bhendi & Sweet & Tangy Radish Tomato Salad

My today's simple lunch, brought fresh memories of my father and mother. By the way yesterday was my mother's birthday. Missed them even so much today, that as my hubby and me were having lunch, shared some memories of my dad and mom. My dad making fresh salad and chopping fruits for us almost every day. 

My mom making different dishes for us for breakfast, lunch, dinner and more so ever, even made, evening snacks for us to have with tea. I now, learned to appreciate how hard she worked for us, cause I don't even have half the energy that she had , who cooked for so many of us. Love you Dad and Ma, May your souls rest in peace. 

Let's go to our today's Lunch Menu Serves 3 -4

East Indian Masala Dal Without Coconut
Ingredients
½ Cup Masoor Dal / Red Lentil
3 Big Cloves Garlic - smashed lightly
4 -5 Curry Leaves
1 Medium Onion - sliced
1 Tablespoon East Indian Bottle Masala or to your spice level
4 Slices Amboshi + 1 Dried seed - Homemade
3 Tablespoons Oil
Salt to taste
250 ML Hot Water 

Method

Wash and soak the dal for 30 to 45 minutes. Drain it and keep aside.
In a kadai, heat oil, when the oil is hot the add the smashed garlic and let it sizzle till starts curl, do not brown it or else the flavor of the dal will be different. Add the curry leaves and sliced onion, fry till the onion is translucent , add the dal and bottle masala. Fry this for at least 3 -4 minutes on low medium flame. Add hot water and bring this to a rolling boil. Cover with a lid and let it cook on low flame till the dal is cooked and oil surfaces. Now add salt and the amboshi, cover with a lid, let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Do not make the curry too thin/ watery or else it will not be tasty.  

East Indian Masala Dal Without Coconut is ready. We enjoyed this with rice.

Stir Fry Bhendi / Lady Fingers
Ingredients
700 Grams Bhendi / Lady Fingers
2 Long Green Chilly - Slit
½ Teaspoon Heaped Cumin Seeds
½ Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
A Pinch of Asafoetida
¼ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
5 -6 Curry Leaves
Salt to taste
3 Tablespoons Oil
12 Thin French Fries - pan fried
Method

Cut the top and tail of the bhendi and cut them into diagonal pieces.
Heat oil in a broad frying pan , add cumin and mustard seeds, when they splutter add the asafoetida and turmeric, add the curry leaves and slit green chilly saute for a minute add the bhendi and saute on medium low till they are cooked, stirring in between. When nearly done add salt and plate a lid on the pan and let it cook till done. Add the french fries and toss it.

Stir fry bhendi is ready.

Sweet & Tangy Radish Tomato Salad

Ingredients 
1 Radish - grated
1 Large Tomato - thinly sliced
Salt to taste
½ Teaspoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon Water
1 - 1½ Teaspoon Vinegar
Method

In a small pan add water and sugar place it on medium flame, heat it till the sugar melts. Switch of the flame add the vinegar and salt. Taste for sourness and add more vinegar accordingly. Let this cool.
When you are just ready to serve, pour the vinegar dressing over the salad and toss it well. Salad is ready to serve.

Homemade Amboshi / Sun Dried Raw Mango Slices
Amboshi as is sun dried Raw mango slices. 

Ingredients 
4 -5 Firm Raw Mangoes
1 Tablespoon Heaped Sea Salt
Method

Peel the mangoes and cut into into slices. Add salt on the slices, the seeds and rub the salt well ( do not add more salt or else when dried they will turn black). Keep this in the colander and let is sit overnight so that the excess salt and water drains off. Next morning spread it in a broad plate or a soopra ( a woven basket).  Place this in the sun till fully dried for 4 -5 days depending on the sunlight . Every evening take it into the house. Again next morning place it in the sun. When dried this can be powdered and you will get Amchur Powder. Of this amboshi we make pickle that is sweet and delicious will post the recipe soon.

My Notes:
If you don't have amboshi then add tamarind juice or one medium tomato chopped.  Add the tomato when you add the dal.
Labels: Masoor dal, Bottle Masala, East Indian, Vegan, Gluten free, Main course, Bhendi, Stir Fry, Salads, Radish, Homemade, Amboshi, Sun Dried, Raw  Mango

Ola Zavla Patties / Fresh Tiny Baby Shrimps Patties#FishFriday

My Mother's recipe, a traditional East Indian one. My Mother's recipe is different from many East Indian households. My Mother uses dry coconut to make these patties, its gives a different flavor and a nutty taste to these patties. 

For this we require fresh tiny baby shrimps which we East Indians call it Ola Zavla. This is easy to make but cleaning these shrimps is time consuming. These tiny baby shrimps when fresh are white with a tint of pink glaze . They look shiny then these are fresh. 

When cleaning these you will find tiny glass like particles which look like shrimp heads, but they should be removed and thrown, all extra stones or shells too should to removed. Its takes time, but once you taste these patties you will love them. Crusty from outside, soft inside. They are delicious, that I,  bet you can't stop at one and these are the ones you'll die for!! 

I, really don't know, whether, they are available outside Mumbai or aboard, but this is available in the Mumbai and Malvan / Ratanagiri coastline. 

You can freeze these patties after frying, I do them since, am, the only fish eating mammal in my house!😊.  Husband and Son-in-law vegetarian, Daughter vegan.. ha aa.. only one to enjoy these 😋.

Made these for our Fish Friday Foodies event for this month, am, the Host which, I, completely forgot, till Karen could buzz me on FB.  Thank you Karen for the reminder. 

Ingredients

3 Cups Packed Zavla - washed and drained
2 Tablespoons Bottle Masala - see notes
4 -5 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
1 Inch Piece of Ginger - finely chopped
1 Spring Onion - finely chopped
1 Medium Onion - finely chopped
3 -4 Green chillies - - finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Grated Dry Coconut -roasted
½ Cup Finely Chopped Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
1/3 Cup Chickpea Flour / Besan
Oil as required to pan fry

Method

Clean and wash the shrimps in a fine mesh strainer.  Then with your hands squeeze out all the water as much as you can or else place them in cheese cloth and squeeze out the water. 

 Dry roast the coconut and keep aside.  In a small mixer jar take the coconut, ginger, garlic and green chillies, grind them  to a coarse paste, using not a drop of water.

In a deep bowl or deep flat tray take the zavla,  add the  onions, coriander leaves, ground coarse coconut paste, chickpea flour, bottle masala, spring onions and salt.

Mix all the ingredients well ( I used a fork),so that  shrimp should get mashed and  then form it into a ball. At this stage if you feel it too watery and wet, then add a tablespoon or more of chickpea flour.

Wet your hands lightly and divide it into equal ball and press it on your palms, shape them into patties, these should be thin or esle after frying they will not become crisp.

Heat 2 or 3 tablespoon oil in a frying pan  and shallow fry till crisp on both sides.

Serve hot, enjoy them plain or as an accompaniment to a main course meal or as a burger.

I love to have these in between soft Laadi Pav they are yum, no need to butter the bread, if it's hot and fresh.

My Notes

If you do not have bottle masala then use chilly powder with garam masala.  

Labels : Zavla, Fresh Tiny Baby Shrimps, Bottle Masala, Patties, East Indian, Fish Friday, Seafood/Fish

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Brinjal with Dried Baby Shrimps / Zavla Vanga #FishFriday

This is an East Indian dish that is a mostly prepared in Monsoons where in fresh fish is not easily available because of rains. Dry fish is stocked in East Indian homes in the month of February  or March wherein you get fresh dried fish.  This is a most easy quick and delicious dry / side dish.

Sending this to Fish Friday Foodies our Host choose the theme prepare a Fish dish with " Preserved Fish- Pickled, Canned, Dried".

Ingredients

2 Cups Zavla / Baby Shrimps
2 - 3 Baby  Brinjals - cut into pieces
2 Spring Onions - finely chopped - green and white separated
8 Cloves Garlic - minced
1 Inch Ginger - minced
3 Green Chillies - minced or according to taste
2 Tablespoons Coriander Leaves - finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Heaped Bottle Masala - see note
2 Tablespoons Oil
1 Teaspoon Tamarind Juice or 4 -5 Kokam
Salt to taste

Method

Clean the  dried baby shrimps well to remove any dirt, stones or any other dried fish.  Wash the zavla / dried shrimps well in a bowl of water taking only what come  on top ( at the bottom will be all the dirt that settles down)  and then soak it in clean water for 10 - 15 minutes (this step is very important - do not use the dry fish directly it to needs to be soaked in water first).  After 15 minutes place the shrimps in a fine mesh strainer to drain all the excess water.  Keep aside.

Slice the brinjals and keep in the water to avoid darkening.

In a vessel/ pan  heat oil add chopped onions, green chilly, ginger  and garlic, saute for 5 minutes.

Add the chopped spring onions and saute for 2 -3 minutes.
Now add the the soaked & drained shrimps /zavla and fry for 2 minutes then add the bottle masala and and chopped brinjals. 

Mix well just sprinkle water and cover with lid and cook over medium low flame till the shrimps and brinjals are done.  Now add the tamarind pulp and cook for few more minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with  Handbreads (Apas)

My Notes
If you do get bottle masala then use Kacha Masala and garam Masala powder to taste.

Can use any type of brinjals in this dish.. the quantity also varies according to you.

Labels:  Zavla, Dried Baby Shrimps, Brinjal, East Indian,  Bottle Masala, Side Dish, Fish, Fish Friday, Indian Fish Curry

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