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Goan Prawn Cutlets/Sungtache Dangar

August 8, 2019 by Vaishali Leave a Comment

Goan Prawn Cutlets/Sungtache Dangar is a popular dish made in every Goan household.  Cutlets are known as Dangar in Konkani.  They are served along with a main meal of rice and Goan fish curry.  Growing up, my mom prepared these delicious cutlets frequently and they would be devoured within minutes.  Now I prepare them for my son who too enjoys them a lot.

To prepare small prawns are used but if your prawns are big, cut them into smaller pieces.  You can substitute the prawns with clams or oyster meat as well.

How to make Goan Prawn Cutlets/Sungtache Dangar:

Ingredients:

500 gms prawns, preferably small

1 cup onion, finely chopped

2-3 green chillis, finely chopped

Handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped

2 tbsp. chickpea flour*(see notes)

1/2 tbsp. tamarind pulp

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tspns. goan garam masala powder*(see notes)

2 tbsp. grated coconut(optional)

1/4 cup semolina

Salt to taste

oil for shallow frying

Instructions:

  1. Clean and devein the prawns.  If the prawns are big, chop them into small pieces or pulse them in a food processor. Pat dry.
  2. In a mixing bowl, add the prawns, onions, green chilli’s, tamarind pulp, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, coconut, chickpea flour and salt and mix well.
  3. Apply a little oil to your palms and make small flat round cutlets. Set aside
  4. Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan and also set another plate with semolina.
  5. Coat the cutlets with semolina and shallow fry them till the prawns are cooked and they are crispy on both sides.
  6. Transfer the cutlets to kitchen towels to drain off excess oil.
  7. Serve hot as an appetizer or with a main meal.

Notes:

  • You can add rice flour instead of chickpea flour.  This is used to reduce the moisture in the mixture.
  • If you don’t have goan garam masala, you can use any garam masala you have at home.

Filed Under: 30 minute meals, Recipes Tagged With: appetizer, cutlet, goan cuisine, non-vegetarian, prawns, side dish

Badam milk

March 22, 2019 by Vaishali Leave a Comment

The winter in Toronto, this year is very cold and frigid. To me, winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is time for home and time for a hot drink like the ‘Badam Milk’ – an Indian version of Almond milk.

Almonds known in Sanskrit as ‘vatāda’ and in Hindi as ‘Badam’ is actually the seed of the fruit of the almond tree and like other fruits like peach, cherry and apricot bears fruits with stone like seed inside. The seed of the fruit is what we call nuts.

Apart from having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, almonds are among the richest sources of vitamin E in the diet. Vitamin E is known to reduce our risk of Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancers and also protects cells from oxidative damage. Ayurveda uses almonds as a brain tonic, for physical weakness, to improve quality of sleep, to treat nerve disorders and to tone up all the tissues of your body especially reproductive ones.

**Always soak any nuts or seeds for at least 6-8 hours before using them. Soaking helps the nuts/seeds release the harmful enzymes that cause indigestion and also increases their nutritional content.

The Badam milk recipe comes from the Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana cooking show by Chef Rajeev Sethi and it is delicious!!

Badam Milk Recipe

Ingredients:

Milk mixture

½ cup almonds

2.5 cups full fat milk (preferable unhomogenized)

1/8 tsp saffron

¼ – 3/8 cup sugar or as per taste

To powder :

20 almonds, raw, unsalted

30 pistachios, raw, unsalted

2o cashews, raw, unsalted

¼ tsp Saffron

½ piece of Mace

½ tsp Cardamom

½ tsp Turmeric powder

1 tablespoon organic Rose flower petals (dried) – optional

Method:

  1. Soak the almonds in water for about 6-8 hours. Drain off the water, rinse the almonds thoroughly, and peel the skins.
  2. Grind the almonds to a fine paste with a little water.
  3. Bring the milk to a boil. Keep stirring so that it does not burn at the bottom.
  4. Add the almond paste and continue to keep stirring until it is reduced and thickened a little.
  5. Finely powder all the ingredients in the ‘To powder’. Set aside.
  6. Add the sugar and the 2 tablespoons of the powdered nut mixture to the milk.
  7. Continue cooking until the sugar is dissolved and then switch off the flame.
  8. Serve hot or chilled, according to your preference.
  9. Garnish with slivered almonds, saffron and rose petals.

Filed Under: almonds, Ayurveda, beverage, dessert, drinks, Health, Milk, Recipes

Mung beans with jaggery and coconut/Muganchi Oosali – Konkani style

August 24, 2018 by Vaishali Leave a Comment

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Mung beans are a nutritional powerhouse.  These are green legumes which are a good source of protein and rich in dietary fibre. It is native to India and grown in the United States.  The word mung bean comes from the Hindi word मूंग moong derived from the Sanskrit word Mudga.

In addition to being a good source of protein and fibre, it is also low in cholesterol, low in GI Index, low in sodium and is rich in minerals (calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and manganese) and also very rich in vitamins A, B, C & K.  A cup of cooked mung beans contains 15.4 gms of dietary fibre.  They are easily digestible, known to reduce inflammation, useful in all ailments including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity.   They are used in both sweet and savoury dishes. It is ideal food source of vegan and vegetarians.

 

IMG_0671Muganchi Oosali is a traditional Goan dish which my mom often prepared for me and my brother when we were kids, usually during tea time.   I was reminded of this dish during my recent visit to Goa.  It is usually prepared during holy fasts and also served to kids and elderly/invalids to boost their immune system.

My mom never soaked her mung beans but soaking enhances the nutritional qualities of the beans.

Muganchi Oosali (Serves 2) – Recipe courtesy : My mom

  • 1/2 cup mung beans, soaked
  • 1- 1 1/4 cup water
  • 3 tbspns jaggery* (see notes)
  • 1/4 cup grated fresh coconut
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom
  • 1 tsp ghee
  • pinch of sea salt

Directions:

Soak the mung beans in warm water for at least 8-10 hrs.   Drain the water and give it a good rinse.

Pressure cook the beans for at least 3 whistles on medium heat or till they are cooked thoroughly. Switch off the flame and wait for the pressure to release.

Once the pressure is released, add jaggery and coconut and cook till the jaggery melts.  Adjust the sweetness according to your taste. Add salt, cardamom and ghee and let it cook for another minute and then switch off the flame.

You can add chopped nuts sauteed in a little ghee at the end, if needed.  But this is purely optional.

Serve piping hot.

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Notes: 

Jaggery, a healthy alternative to refined sugar is unrefined sugar obtained from raw, concentrated sugar cane juice.  It is readily available in South Asian grocery stores.  If you cannot find it, you could substitute it with organic coconut sugar.

 

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mung_bean

 

 

 

Filed Under: coconut, jaggery, Moong, Mung beans, Recipes

The Golden Nectar – Ghee

July 23, 2018 by Vaishali Leave a Comment

IMG_0612Have you tried Ghee? The Sanskrit word for Ghee is Ghrita – घृत (ghṛta, “sprinkled”). Ghee is considered sacred and as a superfood in Ayurveda.    It is also known as ‘Golden Nectar’ due to their wonderful healing properties. Ghee can be kept at room temperature and has a long shelf life. The more aged the ghee, the more beneficial to the body.  I  love the intoxicating aroma and taste of freshly made Ghee.  Just a teaspoon of ghee is any dish is so comforting.

ऋणम् कृत्वा घृतम् पिबेत् यावत् जीवेत् सुखम् जीवेत् ।
RuNam kRutvA ghRutam pibet yaavat jeevet sukham jeevet |
It means ‘ Take a loan, drink Ghee and live happily as long as you live

Consuming a teaspoon of ghee will improve your digestion and also heal inflammation in the GI tract.  It is also a good source of fat for our nervous cells and helps in preventing Alzheimer’s , Parkinson’s and Dimentia.  It has both anti-viral and anti-fungal properties.   Experts say that if your cholesterol is within normal range, then you can consume a tsp of ghee with each meal. It is packed with fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K.

To reap the benefits of ghee, it is important to prepare it with butter from a good quality raw, free-range, grass-fed  whole Cow’s milk. People in India make ghee from both Cow and Buffalo milk. How would you know the difference? Ghee  prepared from Cow’s milk is yellow and Buffalo milk is white.

Growing up, my mom always prepared Ghee at home. She would collect the cream that settles on top of whole milk and keep the cream refrigerated in a container. When she have enough to prepare the butter, she would add a couple of tablespoons of curd to the cream and let it ferment overnight. After the cream has turned sour, it was then add it to a container along with some water and churned by hand.  Once the butter separated, she would use it to prepare ghee.  Nowadays Ghee is widely sold in stores under different brands. But the taste and texture of home made ghee is very hard to find in the store bought ones and also they are extremely pricey. Because of the ultra-pasteurization and homogenization processes of milk, it has become very difficult to find good quality cow’s milk and this affects the quality of butter that is produced from them.  Since I do not have access to good free-range, grass fed milk, I prepare my ghee with organic butter.

IMG_0040IMG_0599

 

IMG_0610Here’s what you will need to prepare Ghee:

Tools:

  • Heavy bottom pan
  • Fine mesh metal strainer
  • Clean, sterilized glass jars
  • Clean ladle or spoon

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound Butter (unsalted organic or grass fed butter)

Preparation:

Place the butter in a  heavy bottom saucepan or wok on medium heat and let it melt slowly.

Once it has melted, you will notice the milk solids floating on the surface .  You can skim the milk solids, if you wish.  But this is not necessary.

Reduce the heat a little and let it continue to boil.  Once it starts bubbling, the water contents starts evaporating and the milk solids  will settle at the bottom of the pan till it turns a golden brown colour.   Make sure you are close to the pan as it can burn very easily.

Wait till it cools a little.  Strain the ghee through a metal strainer into clean glass jars.

IMG_0589

Note:  Always store ghee at room temperature.  Do not store it in the refrigerator as then the ghee turns into saturated fat. Use a clean and dry spoon while using the ghee as any moisture will cause it to go stale.  You can safely consume ghee if you lactose intolerant as the milk solids have been removed.

 

Filed Under: Ayurveda, Butter, ghee, Health, Recipes, Uncategorized

Lemon Water Elixir

May 15, 2018 by Vaishali 1 Comment

An early morning – lemon water is a blessing for the whole day. Each morning, I start my day with a 16oz. glass of warm water with lemon juice in it. I first read about lemon water cleanse from ‘The Master Cleanse’ by Stanley Burroughs.

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Since I started this ritual, I discovered a lot of health benefits of this simple, yet powerful concoction:

  1. Detoxifies Liver: Lemon contains an enzyme ‘D-Limonene’ which activates the enzymes in the liver and helps in detoxification. An average lemon juice contains about 100 mg of D-Limonene.
  2. Alkalizes the body: It is a very good source of Vitamin A, B, C, and K, is rich in citric acid, phosphoric acid, malic acid and sugar. It has an alkalizing effect in the body and helps in reduces phlegm in the body.
  3. Vitamin C: It is an excellent source of Vitamin C which is great immune booster and one of the most important antioxidants in nature. These antioxidants travel through the body and neutralize free radicals both inside and outside the cell. Free radicals can damage healthy cells of body and cause lot of inflammation and swelling. The antioxidants are helpful in reducing symptoms with arthritis and rheumatism. Lemons are great for fighting colds and clears cough and mucus.
  4. Blood Pressure: Lemon juice contains potassium which stimulates brain and nerve function and helps control blood pressure.
  5. Balances pH: Lemons are incredibly alkaline food. They are acidic fruit but inside our bodies they are alkaline.
  6. Digestion: The warm lemon water stimulates the liver and helps in digestion. The liver produces more enzymes from lemon water than any other food. It stimulates the peristalsis which causes bowel movement naturally and easily. It aids in digestion and helps to get rid of toxins in the digestive tract. It is a natural laxative and helps to get rid of excess bile in the body. It can help reduce symptoms of heartburn, indigestion and bloating.
  7. Natural Diuretic – Helps to keep urinary tract healthy by flushing out toxins which helps in preventing inflammatory conditions in the body.

If you have a habit of drinking coffee in the morning, try replacing it with this simple energizing, alkalizing and healing elixir.

Lemon Water Elixir

Serves 1

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz of warm water
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • ¼ tsp pure turmeric powder (optional – but I suggest you use it)
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • Raw honey or maple syrup – to taste (optional)

Directions:

Boil the water. Let it cool till it is warm. Add the lemon juice, turmeric and sweetener of choice, if using and stir. Drink immediately and keep stirring as the turmeric tends to settle at the bottom.

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Notes: Please consult a doctor if you suspect having a lemon allergy.   If you are concerned about tooth erosion from the juice, I suggest drinking it with a straw and/or rinsing your mouth after drinking.   People suffering from ulcers or heartburn should not drink too much as this may make your condition worse. Try diluting the concoction or start off with ¼ of a lemon and stop if you find your condition worsening.

 

References:

http://www.totalhealthmagazine.com/Vitamins-and-Supplements/Enzyme-Detoxifiers.html

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=27

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jnme/2014/912684/

The Ultimate pH Solution:  Balance Your Body Chemistry to Prevent Disease and Lose Weight – by Michelle Schoffro Cook (Author)

The Master Cleanser: With Special Needs and Problems Paperback – 1993by Stanley Burroughs (Author)

 

 

Filed Under: Health, lemon, Recipes

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