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Malvan being a coastal area, coconut and fish along with rice forms our staple food,our fish curries,when combined with rice is a combination to die for.The distinct flavour to the curry comes from the use of coconut oil.

This recipe gets its name “chatni “as the consistency of this gravy is thick and not like curry….

Here I have added a turmeric leaf,which gives a very distinct taste to the dish,either fresh or dried turmeric leaf can be used .

It go well with ,chapati,bhakri,ghavana almost everything……and tastes best if had a day after cooking.
So here goes the recipe…

Ingredients:

15 to 20 Mandeli cut and cleaned.

1 small Onion chopped.

1/4 cup grated Coconut.

6 Peppercorns.

1 tbsp Tamarind pulp

2 tbsp Coconut oil.

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder.

Salt to taste.

2 fresh or dried Turmeric Leaves.

For the Masala:

1 medium sized Onion.

2 tbsp Dhana(corriander seeds).

5 tbsp Red Chilli Powder.

1 tbsp Turmeric Powder.

1 tsp Black pepper Powder.

Method:

Wash and clean mandeli.

Add salt and turmeric Keep aside.

Grind all the masala ingredients to a fine paste.

Apply grounded masala paste to mandeli and keep aside.

Grind together grated coconut,peppercorns and half chopped onion to a fine paste.keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadhai.Add turmeric leaves and half chopped onion,let it turn brown.

Add marinated mandeli,saute well with light hand,add coconut paste, mix well and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or till mandeli is cooked.

Add tamarind paste and salt if required.(As salt is applied to mandeli).

Remove in a serving bowl.

Serve hot with steam rice or bhakri of your choice.

Tip-Dont over cook the dish or else flesh will seperate from the bones.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera.

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This dish is a very appetizing combination of sautéed prawns, sauces and fresh vegetables.In restaurants its usually served as a starter,can be easily made at home with minimal ingredients and
goes very well with any chinese soup, noodles or rice.

Ingredients:

500 gm Medium sized Pawns.

1 Egg.

½ tsp Black Pepper Powder.

2 tbsp Maida.

2 tbsp Cornflour.

1 tsp Soy Sauce.

Salt to taste.

Oil for frying.

1 tbsp Sesame Oil.

2 tsp Garlic finely chopped.

2 tsp Ginger finely chopped.

5-6 Green chillies slit into half.

1 cup Onion Cubed.

1 cup mixed Capsicum cubed ( Red, Yellow and green).

2 tbsp Spring Onion greens Chopped.

1 Chicken Stock Cube.

2 tsp Soy Sauce.

1 tsp Red Chilli Sauce.

1 tsp Vinegar.

Salt & Pepper to taste.

Method:

Wash,peel and de vein the prawns, tap them dry using a kitchen towel.

Add prawns in a bowl along with egg, salt, black pepper powder, maida, cornflour and soy sauce,mix keep them aside for 15 mins.

Heat oil for frying in a pan.
When the oil is hot, add the prawns and fry until nicely browned.

Drain and keep aside.

Heat oil in a wok.add onion from spring onion, ginger,garlic and green chillies, fry on high heat for 1-2 minutes.

Add cubed onion and tri colour capsicum and fry for another minute.

Add powdered chicken stock cube, soy sauce, red chilli sauce and vinegar along with ½ cup of water and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add salt and pepper.
Add the prawns and toss them in the masala.

Garnish with spring onion greens.
Serve immediately.

Tip:If tri colour capsicums/bell peppers are not available,any colour capsicum can be used.

Same dish can be made using paneer or chicken instead of prawns.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

With this easy recipe you can make restaurant style Prawns Tikka without tandoor or oven.

Prawns,onion,and bell capsicum are marinated with spices and curd and are roasted on pan.

Traditionally prawns tikka is grilled in a tandoor but you get the same amazing taste by roasting it  in the pan.

Ingredients: 

250 gms medium size Prawns,cleaned,shelled and deveined.

2 cups thick Curd.

1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste.

2 tbsp Mustard Oil.

1 tsp roasted Cummin powder.

1 tbsp kashmiri red chili powder

1/2 tspn Garam Masala powder.

Pinch of Tandoori Red Color.(Optional)

Juice of 1 Lemon

Salt to taste

1 large onion, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 large Capsicum and cut into 1 inch cubes.

Oil for Grilling.

Chat Masala.

Method:

 

Prawns pulav is a spicy rice preperation usually made using small prawns.Here I have used fresh karandi same recipe can be made using dried karandi also.

It has a distinct flavour of Malvani masala and Kokum.

Traditionally served garnished with grated coconut and chopped corriander leaves.

Ingredients :

1 cup de shelled,deveined ,cleaned and washed Prawns (small size)

1/2 cup Onions finely chopped.

1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste.

1 tbsp Malvani masala.

1/4 tsp Haldi powder.

3 Kokum.

1 1/2 cup Basmati Rice.washed,soaked for half an hour and drained.

2 Tamal Patra.

3 tbsp Oil.

2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped.

Salt to taste.

Method:

Wash ,de shell,devein prawns and keep aside.

Add salt,haldi powder and malwani masala,mix well and keep aside.

In a thick bottom pan,heat 1 tbsp Oil,add tamales para,  onion and saute till pinkish brown in colour.Add ginger garlic paste,stir and cook for a minute.

Add marinated prawns,mix well cover and let it cook for 5 minutes.

Add little water if required ,as prawns will leave its own water.

Cook till prawns is cooked.Add kokum.Remove the lid and cook till dry.

Add chopped coriander leaves and keep aside.

In another pan,heat oil,add washed,soaked and drained rice & salt.

Mix well,add 3 cups boiling hot water.

Cover and let cook.

Once the rice is half done,add cooked karandi,mix well ,cover and cook till rice is completely cooked.

Serve hot garnished with grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera.

This is very easy to make prawns masala dish,usually small size prawns are used if you are using large size prawns,cut them into 2 or 3 peices.

This dish has a unique taste of Malawani masala and Kokum, fresh grated coconut can also be added to this dish before serving.Goes well with rice flour bhakri.

Ingredients :

1 cup deveined, Cleaned and washed Prawns (small size)

1/2 cup Onions finely chopped.

1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste.

1 tbsp Malvani masala.

1/4 tsp Haldi powder.

3 Kokum.

1 tbsp Oil.

Salt to taste.

Method:

Wash, deshell and devein the prawns and keep aside.

Add salt,haldi powder and malwani masala,mix well and keep aside.

In a thick bottom pan,heat 1 tbsp Oil,add onion and saute till pinkish brown in colour.Add ginger garlic paste,stir and cook for a minute.

Add marinated prawns,mix well cover and let it cook for 5  to 7 minutes or till the prawns are cooked. Add little water if required as prawns will leave its own water.Add Kokum.

Once prawns are cooked ,remove the lid and cook till dry.

Garnish with chopped corriander leaves and serve hot with roti or bhakri of your choice.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera.

 

Bangda (Indian mackerel) is one of the tastiest fish.It is used in curry as well as fried.My mom uses fresh/dried turmeric leaves to flavour bangda Curry.Sol kadhi,rice and fried bangda is an ultimate comfort food for any malvani.

To clean bangda,slit it in a slanting way chopping off its head and open up its stomach,remove dirt from the stomach,cut of fins and tail end and wash under running water.

Give slits on both the sides of bangda,so that it gets well marinated.

Ingredients:

6 Bangda (Indian Mackerel )

Salt to taste.

1/2 tsp Haldi powder.

1 tbsp kokum aagul.(Juice of Kokum)

1/4 cup rice flour.

1/4 cup fine rava.

Oil for frying.

For the masala

1 medium sized onion.

2 tbsp Dhana(corriander seeds)

5 tbsp Red chilli powder.

1 tbsp haldi powder.

1 tsp black pepper powder.

Method:

Wash cleaned bangda under running water,drain out water completely.

Add salt,turmeric and kokum aagul to wash and cleaned bangda.Keep aside.

Place all the masala ingredients in a mixie jar and grind to a smooth paste using very little water.

Apply this masala to bangda,leave it to marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.

Mix together rice flour and rava.

Heat Oil in a frying pan.

Coat the marinated bangda with rava and rice flour mixture from both the sides.

Shallow fry in the oil till crisp from both sides.

Drain on an absorbent paper to drain out excess oil.

Serve hot.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera.

 

Whenever you buy crabs make sure you buy female crabs as they have eggs in their stomach,which gives extra flavour and thickness to the gravy.As per my mom,cleaning crab is an art.In crabs the two big legs (not the walking ones)are the most dangerous ones .The 10 walking legs are relatively very less harmful. I mostly get the two big legs  removed by the person who sells  the crabs. If not you can keep crab in deep freezer for hour or two and then clean them.Two big legs are also used with crabs while cooking.

Always hold the crab from top, If you try to hold in any other way, they can easily bite your hand

Still keeping it pressed to ground, pluck the legs.2 big one and 10 small ones.Open the white colour flap,u will see a small hole init,put a thin knife or chop stick in it and apply pressure to remove the shell.Clean the soft portion ( lungs) ,dont discard yellowish orange colour substance,those are eggs.

Hold the crab below running water to remove any other unwanted dirt from crab.,ur crab is ready to use now.

Dont discard small legs,clean them well and grind them in mixie without using water to extract juice out of it.

Strain the juice and keep it aside.

You can  makes two pieces from the stomach to make eating easier (only for bigger crabs). For this, hold the cleaned crab like this and twist the right hand in clockwise and left hand in anti-clockwise direction.

Ingredients:

6 Medium sized crabs with big legs..

1 small Onion chopped.

1 tsp Ginger garlic paste.

2 tbsp Malvani masala.

1/2 tsp Haldi powder.

4 Kokum.

4 tbsp Vatan ( see glossary)

2 tbsp Oil.

Salt to taste.

Method:

To the cleaned crabs and big legs apply malwani masala and haldi powder,mix well,add yellowish orange eggs to this,and keep aside.

In a pan heat oil,add chopped onion and saute till brown.Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute more.

Now add marinated crabs and juice extracted from small legs.Mix well and let it come to boil on high flame,lower the flame and let it cook for 5 to 7 minutes.

Now add vatan and mix well.

Simmer on slow flame for a minute or two,add kokum and simmer further for a minute.

Check for salt and add only if required,as shell fish has salt content in it.

Remove in a serving dish and serve hot with rice or roti of your choice.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.