Pork Vindaloo - A Goan pork recipe

This recipe was given to me by my dear friend Richlyn so other gourmets like me can enjoy this delectable recipe. This is an authentic hot and sour dish from the scenic region of Goa on the Western coast of India. The cuisine of this region, due to the occupation of the Portuguese, was in part influenced by them. This is one of the many recipes that have become a steady staple of this beautiful land. I hope to introduce you to some of the many famous recipes from this land of beaches.

Pork Vindaloo
Originally uploaded by Andrew Dyer

Ingredients :

Pork (with a 1/2" layer of fat) : 2 kg
Kashmiri red chillies (seeds removed) : 25-30 nos.
Garlic Cloves : 25 nos.
Cumin seeds : 3Tbs
Turmeric powder : 1 1/2 Tsp
Fresh ginger (optional) : 2" piece
Cinnamon -: 2" piece
Black Peppercorns -: 10 nos.
White vinegar : as required
Salt -: as required

Method :

Cut the pork into 1 inch cubes,apply salt and keep aside overnight. Next morning wash and dry the pork cubes with a towel. Grind the above given ingredients with vinegar to a fine paste. Apply the masala paste to pork and let it marinate in an earthen dish or bowl for over 8 hrs or overnight. Next day put the pork in a thick bottomed vessel and 1/2 bottle of vinegar and cook on slow fire till tender.

P.S. : A Vindaloo tastes better if it is allowed to 'pickle' for a day after being prepared.

I would like to thank Andrew Dyer and Rafi's Spice Box for the use of this picture. You can find more beautiful pictures by visiting his profile on Flickr.

गरम मसाला (Garam Masala Powder)

Garam masala is one of the main ingredients in Indian cuisine. A meal, especially a North Indian meal, can never be complete without the sprinkling of garam masala at the end.
The first thing you notice about the masala is the aroma. It has a sort of hot pungent heady aroma which lingers in the air long after you have closed the container of the masala powder.
Garam masala is a blend of spices usually used in Indian cooking not only for flavour but for the aroma it lends to the dish as well. A simple biryani or pulao with whole garam masala added for its unique aroma is something to be experienced as it cannot be described. "Heavenly" comes close.
Here is a blend that can be used for everyday use. There are other, more aromatic blends, but those will be posted later.

Ingredients : -

Coriander seeds - 8 tablespoons
Cumin seeds - 4 tablespoons
cloves - 10
black peppercorns - 3 tablespoons
cinnamon - 3-4 inches
black cardamom - 3-4
turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
green cardamom - 4
dried red chillies - 6-8
bay leaves - 2-3

Method : -

Roast the ingredients separately on a griddle til they release their unique aroma. Then powder them together.

कच्चे गोश्त की बिर्यानी( Kacche Gosht Ki Biryani - Rice dish made with boneless lamb and curd)

Ingredients :

Mutton (boneless lamb pieces) : 500 Gms

Basmati Rice : 500 Gms

Saffron (Optional) : a pinch

Onions – 150-20 Gms

Oil or Fat – 150 Gms

For The Marinade :

Curd : 200 Gms

Mace Powder : a pinch

Nutmeg Powder a pinch

Green Cardamom Powder : a pinch

Garam Masala Powder : ½ tsp

Whole Black cardamom(1 no), Whole Green Cardamom ( 2-3no), Cinnamon, Cloves(3 no), Black Peppercorens (8 no)

Ginger Garlic Paste : 1 Tbsp

Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp

Salt : To Taste

Method :

Soak the basmati rice in water for half an hour & then drain it. Prepare the marinade by mixing the ingredients and then marinate the lamb pieces for about ½ an hour. Soak the saffron in a 2 Tbsp of warm water.

Finely slice the onions and deep fry them till golden brown and remove.

In a heavy bottomed degchi (casserole), add the marinated lamb along with the marinade.

Then cover this with the drained rice. Do not mix the rice and lamb. Then cover the pan and cook on low heat for 1 to 1 ½ hours. When the rice is three-fourths cooked (This will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour), open the lid and sprinkle the saffron water on the rice. Then let it cook till done. Serve hot, garnished with fried onions.

Chicken Reshmi Kabab ( A Subtle Flavored Chicken Kabab That Will Melt In Your Mouth )

Ingredients :

Chicken breasts – 1/2 Kg

Hung curd – 200 Gms

Processed Cheese slices – 4 no

Ginger Garlic paste – 2 Tb

Green chilli paste – 1-2 tsp

Mint leaves chopped or paste – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

White pepper powder – as required

Method :

In a bowl, add the cheese slices and knead them to a paste. To this add the hung curd, ginger garlic paste, green chili paste, mint paste and salt and pepper powder. Mix well. To this mixture, add the chicken breasts and mix well. Then keep aside for 2-3 hours. Skewer these pieces on a metal skewer and either cook in a tandoor or grill them. Baste with oil while cooking as chicken tends to dry-out while cooking. Serve with Green chutney and roti.

Chicken Sukka(sukha)( Chicken Sauteed In A Spicy Masala )

Ingredients :

Chicken – 1 Kg

Ginger Garlic Paste – 2-4 Tbs

Malvani Masala – 4-6 Tbs

Oil - 3 Tb

Green Masala – 4 Tb

Salt – as required

For Green Masala:

Coriander Leaves - 1 bunch

Mint Leaves - 1/2 bunch

Green Chillies - 6 no.

Method :

For the green masala, make a smooth paste of all the ingredients.

Clean the chicken but leave the skin on. Then cut the chicken into 10-12 pieces. Make slashes/cuts on the chicken pieces. To the chicken pieces, add the green masala, ginger garlic paste, salt to taste and 2 Tb of malvani masala. Keep aside for about an hour.

In a kadai / wok add the oil, and when it’s hot, add the chicken pieces and sauté till they start to brown. Then add about 2 Tb of Malvani masala and a little water (1/4 cup) and cover and cook for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and sauté till the chicken is completely dry.

P.S. You can also put all ingredients together and marinate the chicken in it. In that case, use less amount of Malvani masala.Then barbeque it.

Photo courtesy MLON

Tandoori Paneer Tikka ( Barbequed Cottage Cheese )

Most people hate paneer as it has a very bland taste. To all those I request to try this recipe.Though this recipe uses the same marinade as Chicken Tikka, the use of vegetables in between the paneer cubes adds a special flavor to the dish. I would like to thank Jayul for letting me use his Paneer Tikka pictures.

Ingredients :

Paneer : 500 Gms

Onions : 2-3 Large

Green capsicum (Simla Mirch ) : 2-3Large

For The Marinade :

Hung Curd : 500 gms

Red Chilli Paste : 2-3 Tbs

Ginger Garlic Paste : 2-3 Tbs

Garam Masala Powder : 1 1/2 tsp

Kasoori Methi Powder : 1/2 tsp

Lime Juice : 2 tsp

Salt : to taste

Pepper Powder : 1/2 tsp

Sesame Oil : 3-4 Tbs

Method :

Cut the paneer into square pieces of 1" length and hight & 1/2" thick. Cut the onions and capsicums into 1" cubes.
For the marinade, mix together the hung curd, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder and the powder masalas. Then add the salt to taste, lime juice and oil and mix well.
To this marinade, add the cut paneer and onion and capsicum pieces and keep in the refrigerator for at least 2-4 hours.
Then skewer these pieces on thin metal skewers alternating between paneer, onion and capsicum pieces.

Then you can either roast them in the oven for about 7-8 minutes or grill them for the same amount of time. Make sure to baste them with oil after a few minutes, as they tend to dry out while roasting. If you ave a tandoor at home even better. The tandoor lends a special flavor to the Tikka which cannot be replicated in an oven.

Serve the Tikka with roti and Green chilli, mint and coriander chutney.

P.S. To make hung curd, take freshly made curd or yogurt and tie it in a four fold muslin cloth. Then hang it in the refrigerator till all the water drains out from the curd. you may have to keep it this way for 4-6 hours till all the water is drained from the curd. This is how you get the hung curd.