Mangalore is a port town just off Goa on the west coast of India. The cuisine of Mangalore is very distinctive and reflects the diverse communities of this region. Coconut and curry leaves feature heavily as the food here is influenced by South Indian cuisine.
I have used a rather uncommon spice in my version. It is called stone flower (Pathar ke phool in Hindi or Rathi puvvu in Telugu – it is a dried lichen with the scientific name of Parmotrema perlatum. This has a distinct floral aroma and used generally in meat stews but works well in this dish.
Spices for Kori Gashi – the stone flower is on the right next to coriander seeds
INGREDIENTS
1 kg boneless chicken thighs, cut in half
100g onion, chopped
1 sprig curry leaf
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
4 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil
150g grated coconut, (if frozen, thaw first)
4 plump garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
5 centimetre piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
Pickling is a way of preserving vegetables and fruits. Pickling likely first originated in the Indus Valley Civilization in northwest India around 2400 BCE.
The pickles in South Asia are different to pickles in the rest of the world. Mustard, chilli powder and some fenugreek are the most commonly used spices. South Indian pickles do not use any vinegar and the preserving agent was mostly salt and oil – so anaerobic if you want to get scientific.
Growing up in India, we had a distinct “pickling” season. Mostly mangoes were pickled during the height of summer in May. I fondly remember the time when mum shopped around for the best chillies and mustard along with mangoes, the variety being specific for the type of pickle she wished to make. In addition to mangoes, there was lemon, tomato, sour greens, fresh red chillies and gooseberry later in the year to be pickled. The pungent smell of ground mustard and chilli would linger in the air for a few days with the promise of taste tests in the ensuing days.
Andhra style lemon pickle
My lemon pickle recipe is a Westernized version and I like to make it because it adds zing to the blandest food. Believe me, it is most comforting to eat lemon pickle and steamed rice when you are recovering from the flu.
Have you ever wondered where flat breads originated from? To cut a long story short, I will just attribute their origin to Egypt. Isn’t it remarkable that over the centuries they have been morphed and now several countries have their versions of flat breads? In India, we have specific names – chapati, paratha, kulcha, puri, naan , phulka – they are all flat breads but prepared differently.
Just a word about how much water to add. In my recipe, please note it is approximate as the amount of water needed depends on the flour and humidity in your location. Add a little at a time, that way you will have the right consistency for the dough. When you are making them ahead of time, stack them one on top of the other, wrap in foil and reheat in a warm oven.
This is affectionately referred to as “breakfast of champions”. In Punjab, people tend to have aloo paratha with some natural yoghurt on the side for breakfast. I prefer to make aloo paratha for lunch and serve with a simple cucumber raita.
Aloo Paratha
INGREDIENTS
400g atta (special flour you get from an Indian grocery store)
These quesadillas are great at breakfast, lunch or brunch. They are so satisfying and I bet it will become a favourite for you as well. These are made with wheat flour tortillas and as a guide, it is one egg per one tortilla. These are best eaten straight out of the pan, so the maker gets to eat last!
My son made these for me for lunch a few months back and I just loved them. Here is his recipe.
Making of egg quesadilla
INGREDIENTS
8 eggs
2-3 jalapenos, finely chopped
50g red onion, finely chopped
½ cup of finely chopped coriander stems and leaves
I love mushrooms in any form. Mushrooms are rich in B vitamins, are excellent sources of micro elements like selenium and copper and rich in antioxidants. For as long as I remember I used to make mushroom ragout with cream and in my quest to make more of my recipes plant based, I experimented with options and came up with this recipe as it has the richness and creaminess of cream but it is vegan.
I find instant polenta is easier to work with and does not get lumpy as easily. In my experience I have always found that it requires way more water than recommended on the packet. Another trick I found is that if your polenta is too runny, then cook for longer. The creamy polenta is not vegan as I add some grated parmesan cheese in the end. Maybe you can omit the parmesan and see if you like it.
Mushroom Ragu with Creamy Polenta
INGREDIENTS
500g mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 4-5mm thick
50g shallots, chopped
100g onions, finely diced
10g dried shitake mushrooms
1 teaspoon Marmite
50g cashew nuts, soaked for 30 minutes in 200ml hot water
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2-3 sprigs of thyme
2 tablespoons brandy
½ teaspoon brown sugar
Salt and pepper
2 cups or 300g instant polenta
30g butter, cubed
30g parmesan cheese, finely grated or on microplane
METHOD
Rinse the shitake mushrooms and soak in 50ml hot water from a freshly boiled kettle for 15-20 minutes. Set aside.
Blitz the cashew nuts along with their soaking liquid in a food processor until creamy. In a small jar of food processor or spice grinder, add the shallots, shitake mushrooms including the soaking liquid and marmite. Process to a fine paste.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large fry pan. Fry the onions, thyme and garlic for 8-10 minutes. Toss the mushrooms in and mix well so that the aromatics stick to the mushroom pieces. Increase heat to a high and pour in the brandy. Be very careful and set the alcohol alight by using the flame from the stove or lighting a match. Once the alcohol has burnt off, lower heat to medium and fry the onions. Season with salt and pepper.
Once mushrooms look cooked, add the shitake mushroom paste and sugar. Mix well and check for seasoning adjusting as needed.
Pour in the cashew nut cream. Mix well and if sauce is too thick, add hot water spoon by spoon until desired sauce consistency is achieved. Fish out the thyme before serving. Keep warm while you prepare the polenta.
Cook the polenta as per instructions on the packet. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Once butter cubes are incorporated, you can mix the parmesan cheese.
Serve a scoop of polenta and top it with the mushroom ragout. Serves 4 as a main meal.
I love the bold flavours of this curry – I have used typical Indian spices in the traditional way one would and the Thai part comes with blending coriander leaves, garlic and chilli. This is easy enough to prepare and is bursting with flavour – take your time to fry the onions and cooking down the tomatoes is what gives the richness.
The type of fish for a curry – my first preference is monk fish (they call it poor man’s lobster) but warehou or groper would work well.
In a formal Italian meal, risotto is served as a primo or first course and then the secondi or meat course follows. Obviously there is a lot of eating over the course of the evening /night happens. I like the risotto to stand on its own so I pack it with lots of flavour even though I say so myself! I may serve a small starter or a dessert when I make risotto.
This was a big hit with my family and I urge you to try it. The success of your risotto depends on your stock. I like to make my own stocks and if you are after any stock recipes, hit the search bar.
I love cauliflower because it lends itself so well to all cooking styles. I know there is the recent craze with cauliflower rice and tabouli but be it in a soup, roasted or in a curry, a stir fry or a humble cauliflower cheese, they are all delicious. People talk about pantry staples and if I were to talk about fridge staples, cauliflower will probably be in my top 5.
You can feature these cauliflower steaks as a main course or a starter for a vegan degustation meal.
CAULIFLOWER STEAKS WITH CANNELINI BEANS & ROASTED CHICK PEAS
Cauli steaks with cannelini mash and roasted chick peas
INGREDIENTS
1 large cauliflower weighing at least a kilo
1 tablespoon garam masala powder
1-2 teaspoons chilli powder
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
400g tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well
I know there are a number of recipes for falafel but this recipe is not a true falafel. I couldn’t think of another name so I called them falafel. These falafels are made with red lentils, butternut pumpkin and bulgur. Served with baby cos lettuce leaves or other salad geens they are a complete and satisfying meal.
Cranberry beans also called borlotti beans, Roman or romano beans are creamy and flavourful. They do lose their gorgeous colouring once cooked.
Cranberry beans
You can cook them in a number of ways but I wanted to make a hearty vegan one pot dish and this is as easy as they come. You just need to remember to soak the beans overnight so you need a bit of planning to make this. When I make dishes like this, I tend to save one half for another meal before eating!
INGREDIENTS
400g cranberry beans (soaked overnight)
300g onion, evenly diced
400g carrots, chunky diced
2 celery sticks, sliced thinly
200g tinned tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
15 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
6-7 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Aleppo style chilli powder or a mild chilli powder
