Biriyani Masala Powder

Biriyani Masala Powder

Biriyani Masala Powder

This aromatic and flavourful mix of spices is easy to make at home. It can be used in vegetable biriyani  and also in all kinds of  non-vegetarian biriyanis. 

What you need:

• 50 gm cinnamon 
• 12 gm cloves
• 50 gm kuskus
• 25 gm fennel seeds
• 5 gm star anise
• 12 gm kapok buds (marathi moggu)
• 10 gm masala leaves (tej patta)
• 5 gm kallu hoove (stone flower)

Method:

Warm the ingredients up. Do not roast. Powder it. 

Fresh Pepper in Brine

Fresh Pepper in Brine

The black pepper which we use daily actually looks and tastes differently when it is fresh. I tasted this pickle while sharing lunch with collaagues at office. Since it tasted good and easy to prepare, caught hold of fresh pepper stalks in Mangalore. The fresh pepper stalks should be pickled as early as possible to retain its tastel.

You need

10 bunches of fresh green pepper

1 cup water (approx. 220 ml water)

A pinch of turmeric powder

Juice of 2 big lemons

1 tbsp Salt

·      Wash the pepper corns well. Drain them and gently wipe them with a clean towel. Spread them on a clean plate and leave for an hour so to dry well.

·      Cut the stalks into small pieces keeping the pepper in tact.

·      In a pan bring the water to boil, add turmeric and salt. Let it simmer for a few minutes. Let this brine mixture cool down.

·      When the brine water is cooled down add lime juice. Stir well and pour the brine into a sterilized bottle.

·      Put the peppercorns into the bottle. Make sure that pepper stalks are submerged in water completely.

·      Close the lid and store the bottle in a cool dry place. Pepper stalks are ready to use after a week. The green colour turns into brownish green.

·      Tastes well with curd rice. Keeps well in room temperature. No need to refrigerate it.

Flax Seed Chutney Powder the Power Food

Flax Seed Chutney Powder the Power Food

The small brown seeds are treasure of numerous nutrients. Flaxseeds are called super food due to their content of omega-3 fats and fiber. Keeping a jar of chutney powder in the fridge and daily consuming a spoon of it adds much needed omega-3 fat and fiber into ones diet.

You need

½ cup flax seeds

4 cloves garlic with skin

1.5 tsp chilli powder

1.5 tsp jeera/cumin seeds

Salt to taste

·        Heat a thick bottomed pan on medium heat, add flax seeds and dry roast on medium flame. Keep stirring. You get a nice aroma and can hear the flax seeds popping.

·        Spread them on a dry plate to cool. If the seeds are not cooled completely, the powder tends to be more oily.

·        Roast the cumin seeds slightly and garlic till the skins become brownish.

·        When the fried items are cooled well, blend them in the mixer including chilli powder and salt.

·        Check the taste, add salt if required and blend till you get a fine powder.

·        Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

·        Use it with rice/chapathi with ghee or honey.

Note:

Before roasting the flaxseeds look out for any stones etc. But never wash them. They get very slimy.

This chutney powder can be added to any veg pallya/subji/sambar  if you don’t prefer to eat it with rice or chapathi. In that case remember to reduce the chilli powder.

SALTED RAW MANGO for later use

Raw Mango in Brine/Kolache Ambe

2 big raw mangoes (around ½ kg)

3 cups water

4 tablespoons table salt

3 green chilies washed and dried

2 big glass bottles, washed and sun dried for a day or two

·         Take a clean vessel, pour water and bring it to boil. Add salt and boil in low heat for 10 minutes. Put off the heat and allow it to cool. (brine)

·         Wash the mangoes well and dry them. Cut off the stalk and wipe off the sap if you find any.

·         Cut the mango in to strips and discard the seed.

·         Cut the chilies in to 4s.

·         Take a bottle and place the cut mango pieces in the bottles slightly more than half. In between put the cut chili pies.

·         Pour the boiled and cooled salt water in the bottle till the mango pieces are immersed in the brine.

·         Put the rest of the mango and chili pieces in the second bottle, pour the brine water.

·         Make sure that the level of salt solution is higher than the mango pieces.

·         Close the lid. It is better to secure the lid with clean cotton cloth. Place the bottles in a dry, cool place.

·         Use a clean, dry spoon to take out the mango pieces after a few days.

Tips

Ø  A bit of more or less of water and salt will not change the taste. However, it is better to finish all the other cooking when you start this work. Cleanliness is very important, lest the entire mangoes may spoil.

Ø  Mangoes cut into small pieces, so that the bottle can hold more of mango.

Ø  The mango bottles may be kept in the fried for a longer life.

Meet Mirsang/Salt & Chilly Paste

Meet Mirsang/Salt & Chilly Paste

The Chilly paste should not be watery

This humble salt and chilly paste is a must in all Mangalorean homes who eat fish. (Meet = slat and Mirsang = Chilly in Konkani). This paste stored in a glass bottle in the corner of your refrigerator comes handy at all times. You can marinate the potato and brinjal slices in this paste and shallow fry. 

You need

Red dry chillies (byadgi) - 50 Nos.

Jeera - 1 tsp

Pepper - 5 Nos.

Salt - 4 tbsps

Turmeric powder - 1 tbsp

Vinegar - 500 ml

Method

1. Take a dry mixi jar and add all the ingredients except vinegar.

2. Make a coarse powder of the above.

3. Now add 2/3 of the vinegar and grind for few more minutes.

4. Add the remaining vinegar little by little till you get a thick paste.

5. Store it in a clean dry glass bottle and keep it in the fridge.

6. Use this to marinate the the fish, potato or brinjals. Shallow fry them.

Tips: 

To prepare vinegar, boil and cool 450 mil of water. Add 50 ml of cooking acid to this and keep it ready before you start grinding the chillies.

Don't make the chilli paste too watery. Fish tastes better if it is marinated well with thick paste.
Use byadgi chillies for good colour. Double the quantity of items, if you need more quantity.

You may also like to try Silver Fish Gravy