Spicy Crab

Crab is one of my favourite dishes, I would spend hours even as a child enjoying and making sure I have sucked the juices from the tentacles and shells.

This is a simple quick but delicious recipe. We enjoyed it with rice and shark ambotik.

Ingredients:

4-5 blue crabs, cleaned, halved, add salt and keep aside
6-8 curry leaves
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 inch ginger, chopped finely
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 small red onions, chopped finely
1 vine tomatoes, chopped finely
1/2 tsp whole cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp paprika powder
freshly chopped coriander
Salt & Pepper for seasoning

Method:

1. In a deep thick bottomed pan, heat oil, add the cumin seeds, once they start to splutter, add the curry leaves, chopped ginger, garlic,green chillies.

2. Add the onions, once they start to soften add the tomatoes. Cook until the oil separates and turns nearly into a paste. Add in the coriander, turmeric powder and cumin powder . Cook for few minutes.

3.  Add the crabs and stir till well coated.

4. Add little water if required. Sprinkle the paprika powder and check for seasoning. Cover and cook on low heat until crabs are done.

5. Sprinkle freshly chopped coriander and serve hot.

Chapatti flour bread

I did not have whole wheat flour to bake Goan styled poie/flatbread so I tried my own version using a mix of chapati flour and normal bread flour.. it turned out surprisingly soft and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 cup Chaki Atta - wheat flour
2 cups normal bread flour
1 egg
1 sachet instant dry yeast
4-5 tbsp warm milk or water
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt for seasoning

Method;

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients except for the olive oil and knead well.

2. If it gets sticky add the olive oil to the palms if your hand and continue kneading until soft.

3. Cover and store in a dark place/cupboard for an hour.

4. You will see that it has risen, punch the air out and knead again.

5. Cut into equal portions and roll into circles/ovals. Use the atta flour for dusting if needed.

6. Place in a tray brushed with little oil and cover. Leave for 30-40 mins.

7. Preheat oven. You can brush the bread tops with melted butter if you wish.. I dusted a bit of flour to give a rough texture.

8. Place in the oven and cook for 10 mins or until lightly brown.

9. Take the bread out of the oven and cover with a tea towel for 15-20 mins. This will help soften the bread.

10. Enjoy warm with your favourite gravy dish.

Pork Solantulem

This dish reminds of my childhood when I used to go visit my paternal grandparents in Curtorim. My shamai used to cook this dish in a kundem (earthen pot) , tasted absolutely divine. My version of the recipe turned out well and my girls really enjoyed eating the pork fat pieces, the meat was tender and the gravy was filled with flavour of the spices. The light gravy is tangy with a hint of spice. 

Ingredients

1 Kg pork belly, cut into small pieces

2 large onions, chopped

12 Kashmiri chillies

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

4-6 cloves of garlic, slightly smashed 

1 inch of ginger, cut in strips

10-12 kokum 

1 tsp turmeric powder 

1 small ball of tamarind, soaked in warm water 

6-8 peppercorns

1 inch cinnamon stick 

Salt for seasoning 

Method:

1. Apply salt to the cut meat and leave overnight to marinate.
2. In a pressure cooker add the meat and all the ingredients except the tamarind.
3. Cover and cook for 2 whistles. 
4. Open the cooker, stir and add in the softened tamarind pulp.
5. Cook again for another 2 whistles or until meat is tender. 
6. Enjoy with bread or rice.

You can prepare this dish a day in advance to let the flavours infuse.  
The next day in the morning I reheated the dish and added one slot green chilli whilst I brought it to a boil. 

Pimm’s cupcakes

This was fun to make and tasted lovely.. the colours are vibrant and remind you of summer...

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 150g self-raising flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• zest of 1 small orange
• 175g soft unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 175g caster sugar
• 3 medium eggs, lightly beaten
• 12 strawberries, hulled             

For the Pimm's syrup:

• 150ml Pimm's
• 50g caster sugar

For the Pimm's buttercream:

• 250g unsalted butter, softened
• 50ml semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp Pimm's
• 350g icing sugar

To decorate:

• a few mint leaves
• thin slices of orange, cut into quarters
• thin slices of lemon, cut into quarters
• 6 strawberries, sliced in half
• 12 blackberries 
• Straws 

Method: 

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 12-hole cupcake tray with cupcake cases.
• Sieve the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in the orange zest.
• In a separate bowl, using an electric whisk, cream the soft butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy. Alternately whisk in the beaten eggs and the flour mixture until combined. 
• Divide the mixture evenly among the cupcake cases. 
• Insert a whole strawberry into each cupcake 
• Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
• While the cupcakes are baking, make the syrup. Gently heat the Pimm's with the sugar in a medium saucepan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and let it bubble for 5-7 minutes until thick and syrupy. Pour the syrup into a small jug.
• As soon as the cupcakes come out of the oven, prick the tops a few times with a toothpick and brush them with the Pimm's syrup. Leave to cool in the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
• While the cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream. Using an electric whisk, mix together the butter, milk and Pimm's in a medium bowl until smooth. On a low speed, gradually add the icing sugar and continue to beat until smooth and thick. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm star nozzle.
• Once the cupcakes are completely cool, generously pipe each one with the icing, then decorate with sliced strawberries, orange slices, lemon , blackberries and the baby mint leaves. 

Crescent shaped Sausage rolls

I remember eating these when I was a kid from 'Braganza stores' in Panjim market. My girls enjoy this as an evening snacks and can be eaten warm or cold.

Ingredients;

3 cups bread flour
1 sachet instant yeast
4-5 tablespoons warm milk.
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp melted butter
1 egg

salt for seasoning
Drizzle of olive oil

For the stuffing

Goan sausages- see my recipe
1 large onion
salt for seasoning

Method:

For the sausage stuffing:

1. In a pan, saute onions and add the sausages. Season with salt in required. Cook until the onions are caramelised and the meat is cooked.

For the bread:

This is my basic bread recipe --


1. Mix the yeast and sugar in warm milk and leave till it froths for 5-10 mins.

2. In a bowl, add the flour and melted butter.  Rub together with your fingertips.  Season with salt and then add the yeast mix. Add the egg.

3. Knead well until soft. Don't worry if its sticky, rub little olive oil on your palms and knead till smooth. If you feel you need more liquid add little milk.

4. Cover and let in rest in a dark place for 1 hour. It should double in size, punch the air out and gently knead again.

5. I cut into equal portions and then shape. Roll nicely until you get your desired shape. For the crescent shape I roll into a circle and cut into 8 equal triangles.

6. Take each triangle and place a spoonful of stuffing at the bottom edge and then firmly roll to form a crescent shape.

7. Place in a tray (just brush the tray with little oil else it will stick) keep space between the bread as they will rise again.

8. Cover and keep for 30-40 mins as they will rise again.

9. Pre heat oven. Brush the bread with beaten egg or melted butter. Put in oven and cook for 12-15 mins on 200deg or until golden brown.

If you don't want to use milk you can use water in this recipe, but I prefer milk as it turns out softer.

Rissois de Camaraõ

Rissois is a Portuguese snack stuffed with prawn and cheese filling. These little melt in your mouth bites are served in most Goan households. I prefer the cheesy fillings but some people do prepare a dry version as well. 

Ingredients

For the dough 1 cup water 2 cups all purpose Flour 2 tbsps Butter Salt for seasoning
For the coating

Breadcrumbs 
1 beaten egg For the stuffing
200 gms prawns 1 tbsps Butter 1 tbsps Olive Oil 1 cup diced white Onion 2 cloves finely chopped Garlic 2 tbsps milk 1 tbsps Cornflour Freshly chopped parsley 1 cup grated cheese Salt to taste

Method:

1.  In a pan melt butter and sauté the prawns until tender and pink. Once cooled finely chop the prawns and keep aside

2. In the same pan add the Olive oil and saute the onion followed by the garlic and prawns.

3. Add the milk , stir and let it cook. To thicken the sauce stir in the cornflour. Take off the heat.

4. Add the parsley and mix in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

I always make this mix a day before and keep cool in the fridge as it’s easier to fill when cold.

5. In a pot , add the water, butter and salt and allow to simmer. Mix the flour and stir vigorously.

Take the warm dough and place it on a working surface. Knead the warm dough until smooth. I used cling film to help knead the warm dough as it’s too hot for my hands. 

6. Take half the dough and wrap the rest in clingfilm and keep in the warm pot. 

7. Roll the dough, sprinkle flour if needed or dough gets sticky. Roll until thin and cut the shapes with a circle cookie cutter.

8. Place a small teaspoon of the filling in the middle of the circle , using a cotton bud, dap water on the edges and then fold. Press the edges firmly else they will open whilst frying. 9. Coat the rissois in beaten egg and then in breadcrumbs. These can now be frozen to use later.

10. Deep fry until golden brown.. eat warm.. Enjoy!!!