Pork Vindalho (Vindaloo)

Pork Vindalho is a much liked dish in Anglo-Indian homes. Tangy, yet delicate its worth trying!!





the recipe

Pork – 1 kg

Mustard & Red Chilly paste

Dry Red Chillies (whole – Kashmiri chillies are better) – 25 – 30 or 3 tablespoon kashmiri chilly powder
Mustard – 2 tsp
Cumin – ½ tsp
Pepper corns – 1 tsp
Cardamom – 3
Cinnamon – 2 cm piece
Cloves - 5
Garlic – 12 – 15 cloves
Ginger – 3 cm piece
Shallots (small onion) – 12 – 15
Vinegar – 4 tbsp
Tomato - 1

Oil – 1 tbsp
Onion – 1
Turmeric – ½ tsp
Salt – 1 ½ tsp
Sugar – ½ tsp

the method

In a mixer grinder finely powder the red chillies, mustard, cumin, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Add ginger, garlic, shallots, vinegar and tomato to the powdered mixture and grind to a fine past by adding required amount of water.

Cut the pork into flat 4 x 6 cm pieces or any preferred shape. Marinate the pork with Mustard & Red Chilly paste and salt for at least an hour.

In a pan, add oil. Stir in the onion till translucent and add the turmeric. Add the marinated pork. Cook till done. Add sugar just before turning off heat (Alternatively, the meat can be cooked in a pressure cooker). Serve with rice or bread.

Instant Papaya Jam

the recipe

Papaya, ripe and diced - 1 cup
Butter / Ghee - 1 tsp
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Nutmeg - 1 grating

the method

Cut the papaya pieces into small cubes and wash 2-3 times. Blend it into a smooth paste. In a non-stick pan pour the papaya puree and stir continuously till the water completely evaporates and it starts sticking to the pan. At this point add ghee and sugar. When the sugar has melted thoroughly grate the nutmeg just once.

Snake Gourd Koottu / Curry

A regular curry at home...i have inherited this recipe from my mom...i had a snake gourd plant at home few months back....hope to plant them again and photograph the creeper :-)

the recipe

Toor Dal - 1/4 cup
Snake Gourd - 400 - 600 gms
Tomato - 1 or 2
Turmeric - 3/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

for the spice and coconut mixture

Coconut - 1/2
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 2 cloves
Green chilly - 2
Onion - 1/2 or 5 shallots

for the tempering

Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds (optional) - 10
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Onion - half an onion
Whole Red Chilly - 2 or 3


the method

Cook the dal partially. Cut the snake gourd into small cubes and add it to the dal. When half done add tomato, chilly powder and turmeric powder. Grind the ingredients for the spice and coconut mixture into a coarse to smooth paste consistency. Add it to the snake gourd and dal. Add salt. Cook till done and turn off heat.

In another pan heat oil, add mustard and let it crackle. Add chopped onion, fenugreek seeds, broken red chilies and curry leaves. When brown add to the snake gourd and dal and mix well. Serve with rice and pappad or a spicy vegetable stir fry.

Ladies Finger Creamy Curry

When I was a kid i have heard that eating ladies finger would increase your acumen for mathematics......after a research on the web it seems to be true....

the recipe

Ladies Finger – 200 gms
Onion – 1
Garlic (optional) – 3 cloves
Chilly powder – ¼ tsp
Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Garam Masala - ¼ tsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Milk – ½ cup

the method

Cut the ladies finger into slivers (2 inch long slant pieces). Pour oil in a pan and add chopped onion and garlic. Stir for a minute and add the ladies finger and salt. Stir for two minutes. Add turmeric, chilly powder, pepper powder and garam masala. Cover and cook till ladies finger is soft. Add milk. Bring it to a boil. Serve with rice or chapati.

the recipe contests in Show me Your Curry

Pumpkin and potato saute

the recipe

Pumpkin -200 gms
Potato – 150 gms
Tomato - 1
Onion – 1
Green Chilly – 1
Chilly powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt – ¾ tsp

the method

Add oil to a pan. Add onion and stir till it starts to brown. Add green chilly, turmeric, chilly powder and pepper powder. Add chopped tomatoes. Stir till the tomatoes are soft. Add potato cubes and cook for 7 minutes. Add the pumpkin cubes and salt. Cook till potato and pumpkin is cooked. Serve with rice or chapati.

Soya chunk curry

the recipe

Soya chunks – ½ cup
Onion – 2
Garlic – 5 cloves
Ginger – 2 cm piece
Tomato – 2
Chilly powder – ½ tsp
Pepper powder – 1/4 tsp
Turmeric – ½ tsp
Garam Masala - ½ tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp

the method

Soak the soya chunks in 3 cup salted water for 20 minutes. Squeeze out the water from the chunks and wash it again.

Heat the oil in a pan. Add finely chopped onion. When it starts to brown add finely chopped or pounded garlic and ginger. Stir for two minutes. Add turmeric, chilly powder, pepper powder and garam masala. Stir for a minute and add finely chopped tomatoes. Stir. Add half cup water and ½ tsp salt for the gravy. Bring it to a boil. Add the prepared soya chunks (you may halve it if needed). Let it simmer for 10 minutes and absorb the spices. Serve with chapatti, string hoppers or rice.

Spinach & Potato Sandwich

I am new to food blogging. Whenever i come across vegetables, am thinking of new recipes that i can come out with. Today i was trimming the spinach and realised there was no snacks to go with the evening tea and there were few bread slics left from the breakfast loaf. Sandwich was the idea that stumbled upon me.

the recipe

Spinach – 20 leaves
Potato – 1 medium
Onion – 1 small
Garlic – 1 clove
Salt – ¼ tsp
Pepper – ¼ tsp
Flour – 1 tbsp
Milk – ½ cup
Oil – 2 tbsp
Bread – 8 slices

the method

Cut the potato into tiny cubes as seen in the picture. Boil it for 7 minutes. Drain. Add the oil and fry the potato adding a pinch of salt. Remove from oil. To the same oil add the finely chopped onion, garlic and spinach leaves together. Stir until the water content of the leaves have completely evaporated. Add the flour and stir without forming lumps. Stir for one minute. Add the milk and stir well till the mixture starts boiling and forms a creamy consistency. Add the fried potatoes, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Trim the crust (sides) of the bread. Spread the hot spinach and potato mixture and close it with bread. Cut it diagonally. The sandwich is very soft and melts away.

Stewed Apple in Oats

I like to have oats 'coz they are easy to cook and are full of fibre. The same taste makes it boring and therefore tried to add apples and a little bit of spice.

the recipe

Oats - 1/2 cup

Water - 1 cup + 1/2 cup

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Sugar - 3 tbsp + 1 tbsp

Apple - 1

Cinnamon powder - 1/4 - 1/2 tsp

Milk - 1/2 cup

Cook oats with salt and 1 cup water. Make a sugar solution with 1/2 cup water and 1 tbsp sugar in a sauce pan. Cube the apple into small pieces and place it in the sugar solution (retains the colour of the apple). Cook the apple for 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon powder, mix well and cook for one more minute. Now add the stewed apple into the cooked oats. Add 3 tbsp sugar. Mix well. Add milk and let it boil for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Crab Roast

Kochi is known for its backwaters, sea, the vivid forms of fishing and the variety of fish. Crabs are actually exotic even if it is simply boiled with a dash of salt. Crab Roast is a recipe i have been following from my mom's preparation which is in turn influenced by one of her aunt. Therefore the recipe has been passing on to generation and i would like to share it.

Crab - 500 gms
Ginger - 4 cm piece
Garlic - 10 cloves
Curry leaf - 1 sprig
Green Chilly - 1 small
Small onion - 10 to 15
Turmeric - 3/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
Pepper powder - 3/4 tsp
Cocum - 1 piece
Oil - 2 tbsp
Water - 3/4 cup
Salt - 1 to 1/4 tsp

Clean the crab and cut it into four pieces. Break the legs of the crab to let the spice in.

Add oil to a pan and add the chopped small onions. When lightly brown add chopped ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves. Stir it until light brown and then add turmeric, chilly powder and pepper. Stir well till the raw smell is gone. Add the crab pieces and salt. Stir for a minute and then add water. Add 1 tsp salt and cocum. Cook for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Adjust salt. Serve with rice.

Prawn: Green Curry

Prawn can be cooked in various forms: fry, curry, added as an taste enhancer to vegetables, fried rice or as a main ingredient in prawn pulao. Prawn green curry is influenced by Goan cooking. Instead of adding just a cocum or tomato, three types of sour ingredients are added to bring out a distinct taste to the curry.

the recipe

prawns - 300 gms
ginger - 2 cm piece
onion - 1
cocum - 1 small piece
tomato - 1/2
salt - 1/4 + 3/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

ingredients for green paste

coriander - 3 plants
chillies - 3
tamarind - 1/2 tsp
ginger - 3 cm piece
garlic - 8 cloves
grated coconut - 1/2


Grind the ingredients for the green paste into a smooth and thick paste. Set aside. Marinate the prawns with 1/4 tsp salt for about 10 minutes.
In a pan, add oil and onions. Chop the 2 cm piece ginger and add to the onion. Stir till the onion starts to turn brown. Add the prawns and stir for about a minute. Add the green paste and add 1/4 cup water so that the gravy is thick. Add 3/4 tsp salt. Bring it to a boil and cook for two minutes. Serve after ten minutes with rice, chapati or naan.

the recipe goes to Food Palette Green