Olya Naralachi Karanji / Fresh Coconut Nevries

We East Indians make this for San Jao Cha Sann/St  John feast, which is celebrated on 24th June the proper day or the coming Sunday. 

This is must in my family, my mother and grandmother used to make this every year,  I too make this since my husband love them. This year I decided to take step by step pics, here is my family recipe. You can add more sugar if you want, but for us the sweetness was just right.

This Karanji is  also a traditional Maharashtrian sweet,  usually made  for festive occasions like Diwali and Ganesh Chaturthi.  

Olya means fresh, naralachya means coconut,  karanjya is turnovers or nevries,  which means fresh coconut karanji. The shelf live of these are just 3 - 4 days,  for a longer shelf-life you may use dry or desiccated coconut and sugar. 
I, prefer making karanji using fresh coconut for a superior taste. Making these, is quite a time consuming task, but,  if you love these, all the effort is worthwhile. This is one of the most easy recipes, do try preparing karanji this way and let me know how it turned out.

Makes around 9 - 10  Nevries /Karanjies - depending on the amount of filling inside.

Ingredients
For the filling

1 Cup Packed Fresh Grated Coconut
1/4 Teaspoon Heaped Cardamom pods
3 Tablespoons Heaped Sugar

A Pinch of Nutmeg powder

15 Cashewnuts - chopped

1 Tablespoon Golden Raisins/Kismis

1 Teaspoon Ghee/Vegetable Shortening

For the Covering

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1½ Tablespoon Heaped Melted Ghee

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

For frying 

Vegetable Oil as required
 Method

For the filling

In a pan / kadai take ghee, coconut and sugar. Cook on low heat till  melts and the mixture comes together, add the raisins, cashew nuts, cardamom  and nutmeg powder and continue to cook the mixture on low medium heat for a 2 minutes stir continuously, since tends to burn quickly, so do not stop stirring at any given point of time. Once the mixture is dry  take  off the heat and set aside to cool completely.

For the covering

In a thaal/bowl mix  flour, melted ghee and salt, mix well.  Add water as required and knead to a soft, pliable,  smooth dough.  Keep it covered in a moist cloth  for 25 to 30 minutes. 

After 30 minutes, knead the dough again slightly and make small round balls.

Take one small dough ball. With the help of a rolling pin, roll it flat (same as the size of a poori)

Place a spoonful of the coconut jaggery mixture in the center

Dip your finger into the water and apply on the edge of half the poori. Flod the other edge of the poori, press the edges well to seal the filling inside
Be sure that no air bubbles remain inside. The edges should be tightly sealed or the filling may ooze our during deep frying.

Press the edges using the back of a fork  or a cutter to give it that  design.  Place the filled karanjis on  a plate and cover with  a damp  towel to avoid drying. 

Heat oil for deep frying in a kadhai or deep pan.
Slowly fry the karanjis on low flame till golden brown. Remove on paper towel and let them rest for 20 mins. When cooled down, store in airtight container upto 3 - 4 days. If refrigerated, it can be stored for a few more days.

Enjoy.. these are delicious, I am sure you can't stop at one or two!!
Labels:   Coconut, Fried, Nevries, Karanji, Turnover, Festival , Maharastrian Cuisine, East Indian, Vegan

Crispy Cheese Prawn Pancakes#FishFriday

These Prawns pancakes you will die for, asking for more.
Ingredients
8 Large Cleaned Prawns

For the stuffing
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons Cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Green chilies
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Coriander leaves
For the batter
1 Large Egg
3 Tablespoons Milk
2 Tablespoons Hot Sriracha sauce
3 Tablespoons Heaped Self Raising Flou
For the Coating
1/2 to 3/4 Cup Self Raising Flour
Panko Bread crumbs as required

Method

Open prawns like butterfly.
Let's make the Stuffing and the Batter

Mix all the ingredients together and make a thick coating batter, keep aside.

Mix all the ingredients for filling together. Keep aside.

To Stuff the Prawns
Take the prawns unto a kitchen towel, pat them dry to remove any excess moisture

Take a  teaspoon of  the filling , place it in the center of the  prawns. 

Dredge them in seasoned flour and then dip it in batter, then again in flour  and in the batter. Then press them in panko bread crumbs. Keep this in the freezer for at least 2 -3 hours cling wrapped in a single layer. 

Shallow  fry in a broad frying pan for 2 -3 minutes on each side.

Serve with sweet chili sauce.

Perfect party pleaser...
Labels :  Seafood/Fish, Party pleasers, Fish Friday, Fried, Starters

Fish Friday Foodies

Copycat Restaurant Recipes

Hosted by Sue Lau

• Rubio's Fish Tacos from Making Miracles
• Wahoo's Grilled Fish Tacos with Citrus Slaw {copycat} from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Chinese Take-Out Combination Seafood Chow Mein from Palatable Pastime
• Shrimp Damian from Food Lust People Love
• Crispy Cheese Prawn Pancakes from Sneha's Recipe
• Mahi Mahi Matecumbe from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Mekitsa - Bulgarian Fried Doughnuts#EattheWorld

Last year  on our trip to Bulgaria we visited  the Rila Monastery which  is on the slopes of Rila, the highest Balkan Peninsula Mountain, in the valley of the Rilska River. 

It was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria. 

Destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century, the complex was rebuilt between 1834 and 1862. A characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation.

This monastery is so beautiful inside.

We had our lunch  at the  monastery and for tea we enjoyed these Mekitsa -  Bulgarian Fried Doughnuts.  They served us with a dusting of icing sugar.  

Since here it's a season of mangoes, paried them with chopped mangoes and the combo was simply divine. 

These also can be had with jam, honey or any soft cheese, for your breakfast or as dessert with different toppings of your choice.
Ingredients
1¾ Cups All purpose flour
1 Egg
2 Tablespoons Yogurt

5 Grams Fresh Yeast
Oil for deep frying¼ Teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Heaped Granulated Sugar
Water  as required 

Method

In a small bowl add the yeast , ¼ cup warm water, a tablespoon of flour and sugar.  Let is sit covered for 15 minutes till the yeast starts to froth. 
Take the flour in a large bowl, add the egg,  yogurt and the yeast mixture. Mix all well, then add water a tablespoon at a time and knead it into a soft and smooth dough. Cover and keep aside for an hour or till it doubles in volume.

Make medium sized balls from the dough. Now oil your hands generously.

With oiled fingers, shape the dough balls as round shape by stretching it with your hands.

Heat oil for deep frying, fry the doughnuts in medium flame until they turns golden brown.

Dust them with icing sugar and serve hot with your favorite topping. We enjoyed them with chopped Alphonso mango.

Labels: Bulgaria, Doughnuts, Fried, Eat the World, Breads, Breakfast, Snack 

Check out all the wonderful Bulgarian dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!
 Pandemonium Noshery: Bulgarian Sausage Stew
Sneha’s Recipe: Mekitsa - Bulgarian Fried Doughnuts
Sara’s Tasty Buds: Gevrek
Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Patatnik + 2016 Edoardo Miroglio Bio Mavrud & Rubin
Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Koledna Pitka (Bulgarian Christmas Bread)
Making Miracles: Gyuveche
Kitchen Frau: Patatnik (Bulgarian Potato Pie)
Dinner By Dennis: Kebapche (Bulgarian Grilled Kebabs)

Fried Bombils / Bombay Ducks With Temprado Masala#FishFriday

Our Theme this month for Fish Friday Foodies is Inspired By Your Travels and our host is Camilla M. Mann . 

Goan are basically fish eater's and they love to eat fish every day. I have visited Goa umpteen number of times. What I, enjoy eating most is their fish preparations, tangy, spicy .. mouth watering. This is one of the recipes of Goa, a simple and spicy fried fish with Temprado Masala- Homemade, some call it Green Recheado Masala or Green Masala. 

Bombils have a lot of water content and the secret to perfect crisp fried bombils is to remove as much moisture as you can from the fish before frying them. Makes a great appetizer as they taste the best from pan to the plate!

Read My Notes and follow each step carefully before you start - to get a crispy and tasty Fried Bombils.

Ingredients
10 Fresh Bombils /Fresh Bombay Ducks
3 Tablespoons Heaped Temprado Masala- Homemade
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Heaped Fine Rawa/Semolina or as required
¼ Cup Heaped Rice Flour or Corn flour - I used rice flour
Oil as required for frying

Method 

Wash and clean the Bombils.

 Slit each of the bombil lengthwise. 

Open up each of the fish and flatten them with your hands. 

Place them on the kitchen platform.

 Take another plate and cover the fish

 Keep some weight over that plate. (This is done to remove all the water from the bombils). for 30 to 45 minutes.

 Pat them a fresh kitchen towel ( I use an old cloth which I can throw away ). 

They should be absolutely dry.

Rub salt. Apply the Temprado Masala- Homemade , individually on all sides using your hands. Keep this aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes or more in the refrigerator.

To Crumb Coat

Mix the rawa and rice flour well, spread it in a plate and keep aside.
Now tilt the plate in which the Bombil is marinated to remove excess water. Take each Bombil and press it into the rawa - rice flour mix on both sides nicely by pressing to crumb coat well.

Keep the crumb coated Bombils aside covered and refrigerate them for at least 15 minutes. 

Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil and place only 3 Bombils in a pan to fry at a time. (see My Notes for frying ). 

Fry till golden brown. Serve this with tomato slices or any green salad with a drizzle of lemon juice.  

So yummy and finger licking.

My Notes 

Do not add too much oil in the pan to fry the Bombils or else they disintegrate. 

Do not crowd the pan with too many Bombils at a time.
Fry one side on high flame for 2 minutes then reduce the flame to low and leave it to golden brown one side, then flip and just drizzle a teaspoon of oil on the pan and fry this side on low flame only till golden brown and crisp.
Do not flip the fish too many times, the Bombils will disintegrate. 

Wait till one side is perfectly golden brown done, then flip it carefully, tenderly with love. 

Labels: Fish Friday, Seafood/Fish, Goa, Fried, Bombay Duck, Bombils, Starters, Main course

Baked Salmon and Veggie Parcels by Food Lust People Love
Foiled Fish with Mango by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Fried Bombils and Bombay Ducks with Temprado Masala by Sneha's Recipe
Irish Fish Cakes by Karen's Kitchen Stores
Pickled Fish, A Plethora of Textures, and Memories of a Holiday Trip to Denmark by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Senegalese Fish and Rice (Thiéboudienne) by Making Miracles