Prawn Rice with Coconut Milk | Goan Kolambi Bhaat

Recently, at our local grocery, I found small Prawns in the seafood section. Its a rare discovery considering that the usually sell the slightly bigger, plump ones which I don't fancy. I made Goan version of Prawn Rice with Coconut Milk. The taste was awesome and I relished it to the core. In US, Prawns are popularly referred to as Shrimps and they sell different varieties - the shelled ones, cooked ones, semi-seasoned ones, de-veined and peeled ones.

I grew up in a community of a seafood lovers and was probably the only vegetarian amongst my friends for the longest time. Shrimps are expensive in India (atleast while I was growing up) and for every birthday party there was Shrimp Rice with Peas. Since I was the only vegetarian I had limited choices but I often wondered why my friends were crazy after Shrimp Rice. They would perpetually haggle and argue over who got more shrimps on their plate. I now know why they did that.  :-)

In GSB Konkani, Shrimps are known as Sungat and Kolambi in Marathi. Few of my favorite Shrimp recipes are Sungta Phanna Upkari (a spicy broth of shrimps cooked in onions and red chillies, Prawn Balchao (a spicy Goan pickle made with Shrimps in a vinegar based sauce), Prawn Koliwada (deep fried spicy Prawns cooked Koliwada style), Shrimp Dangar (a Goan shallow fried cutlet made with Shrimps) and Kolambi Bhaat (Prawn Rice cooked in coconut milk).

One can substitute coconut milk with water, but the taste is a distant departure from the original one. This recipe is from my Maushi from Mapusa, Goa. The days you find a bunch of big Prawns from the fish market, fret not. Just chop them up once cooked. In addition, she adds Tomatoes and Peas which I avoided. A dash of Goan Garam Masala gives the red color. If you omit it, you will get a pale jade like green shade for the rice.

~ Kolambi Bhaat ~

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Shrimp (peeled, deveined and cleaned) - 15-20

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Lime juice - 1/2 tsp

Sea Salt/ Rock Salt

*** Marinate the cleaned Shrimp in all of the above and set

aside for an hour *** 

Rice (Long grain Basmati) - 1 cup

Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup

Coconut Milk - 1 and 1/2 cup

Red Onion (finely chopped) - 1 cup

Peas (cooked) [optional] - 1/2 cup

Tomato (finely chopped) [optional] - 1/2 cup

Cinnamon - 1" stick

Cloves - 3

Star Anise - 1

Goan Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Green Chillies paste - 1 tsp

Coconut oil 

Salt

 

Method:

Wash and rinse the Basmati rice. Soak in filtered water for 1/2 hour. Peel, devein and clean the Shrimps with sea salt to get rid of the smell. Pat dry and transfer to a zip lock bag. Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and lime juice. Refrigerate for an hour.

In a non-stick pan, heat few spoons of coconut oil. Season with whole spices of Cinnamon, Cloves and Star Anise. Add very finely chopped onions and saute them till they turn reddish pink and wilt down. Add grated coconut now and roast it well. This process takes around 10 minutes. The flame should be on low-to-medium.

Add the ginger paste, green chilli paste and garlic paste now and saute till the raw flavor goes off. Add a hint of Turmeric powder for a golden glow. Add Goan Garam Masala powder and mix well. Add Peas and Tomatoes now and saute well. Fry this paste till the oil oozes off and it becomes semi-dry. Add the marinated shrimps now and toss to have an even coating of masala on the shrimp. Add Rice and toast it well, till you get a nutty aroma. Add 1/2 cup of water to coconut milk and mix well. Add this to rice and masala, mix well. Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes, till completely done. Fluff it gently with a fork and leave undisturbed with lid on for 5-8 minutes. Serve warm with Raita.

Note - Sprinkle sea salt on shrimps, mix well and rinse them thoroughly with water. This helps to get rid of the sea smell and you can proceed with cooking thereafter.

Black Beans Goan Style Curry (Black Beans Tonak)

The peculiar tasting daily curry made in many Goan Hindu homes - Tonak is a personal favorite. I usually make Tonak with Goan Garam Masala. The masala is very potent and flavors curries and gravies perfectly. This curry is popular in Goan homes for breakfast, lunch or dinner and goes well with Goan Pao, pillow-soft freshly baked and sold by the local Poder at the crack of dawn, hence the dear dish every Goan adores to bits - Pao Tonak.

Cooked Black Beans

Different vegetables used for Tonak are Adsaney, Mushroom (monsoon special umbrella variety) and Yellow Peas. For some reasons unknown, the quality of Yellow Peas I get at my Indian grocery is very bad and part of the reason why I never make this dish often. Recently, I got my hands on Black Beans and I was sold to the idea of making Tonak with these shiny, black jewels.

The Black beans are a staple and regular part of many Mexican dishes like Mexican Black Bean Rice, Burritos stuffed with bean rice and Tortillas stuffing. I am smitten by the creamy flavor of the beans. Pair them with some fresh homemade Phulkas and your senses are sure to be vowed.

~ Black Beans Tonak ~

Prep Time: 8-10 hours

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

Black Beans (soaked overnight, pressure cooked) - 2 cups

Red Onion (finely chopped) - 1 and 1/2 cup

Grated Coconut - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Goan Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Salt

Coconut Oil

For Garnish -

Coriander leaves (chopped) - 2 tbsp

Method:

Soak the Black Beans overnight. The next day pressure cook them for couple of whistles with little salt. Drain and keep aside. 

In a Kadhai, heat few spoons of oil and saute chopped onions. Get them to a reddish pink color. Add grated coconut and roast this mixture together on a low-to-medium flame. Once the onions have wilted and are cooked down and the coconut gets a toasty texture, turn off flame and allow to cool completely. Save 1/4 cup of the onion-coconut mixture and keep it aside. Grind this to a paste with Turmeric powder and little water. Save the rinsed water to be added later to the curry.

In the same Kadhai, heat a tsp of coconut oil and lightly warm the 1/4 cup of onion-coconut mixture. Add the ground paste now and add enough rinsed water to make a broth. Add Goan Garam Masala, little Salt and cooked Black Beans and bring to a boil. Simmer on low flame for 5-8 minutes. Turn off flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with Pao/ Phulkas.

Note - Use any Garam Masala of your choice if you don't have Goan Garam Masala. 

Guacamole - A Mexican Avocado Dip

Guacamole with crunchy Pita chips

Guacamole is a dip sauce made out of Avocado, a fruit native to central Mexico. It is one of my favorite go-to Mexican recipes. Mole is sauce in Mexican and hence Guacamole. Avocados get a bad reputation owing to the high-calorie content of the fruit pulp. The origin of Guacamole can be traced back to the times when Aztecs lived in Mexico, making it a food of choice owing to the 'good fats' found in bulk in this fruit. The healthy unsaturated fat in Avocado is a great energy booster and is a healthy substitute for spreads on toasted bread, warm tortillas, rotis and dips instead of  good old butter. Traditionally, the entire dip is mushed and mixed in a Molcajete, a traditional Mexican tool carved out of a single basalt lava rock. Avocados grow in plenty in California and are part of many dishes hailing from that region.

Halved Avocados with the pit

After coming to US, I found there are dozen different varieties of Avocados. The one I've used here is called Hass Avocados and grows in abundance in California. The pulp of this Avocado optimally suits the mole requirement. Its got a blackish green skin and has a firm to soft texture depending on the ripeness. It is the tiny baby among the different varieties of Avocado family. The Guacamole serves apt for dips aimed for quick entertaining. The flip side of using them is they oxidize very fast and have to be quickly mixed in before serving. A splash of lime juice prevents them from quick oxidation. I like to enjoy them with crunchy Pita Chips or multi-colored Corn Chips.

~ Guacamole ~
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Processing Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
Avocado pulp (scored and pulp scooped) - 1 and 1/2 cup
Red Onion (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup
Red Tomatoes (cored and finely chopped) - 1/4 cup
Green Chillies (thinly sliced) - 1
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Lime juice - 4 tbsp
Toasted Cumin powder - 1/3 tsp
Salt

Method:

In a pestle and mortar, crush the red onion, tomatoes, green chillies lightly along with salt and 1 tbsp of lime juice. Set aside. 

Just before serving, halve the Avocado. Score it with knife to form horizontal and then vertical incisions to form a criss-cross web. Take a large tablespoon and scoop out the pulp of the fruit. Add to the previously mixed ingredients. Add a dash of toasted cumin powder and the reserved lime juice and give a good mix with the back of a pestle. This will even out the chunks to form a gloppy paste. Leave a few chunks in the mix to add texture. Adjust salt and spice as per taste. Serve with crunchy Pita Chips.

Note: Add lime juice to the Avocados once you add them to the mixing bowl to prevent the pieces from getting oxidised.

Jackfruit Chips (Ghare Karo)

Jackfruit Chips are one of my childhood favorite snack items. These chips are made from a special variety of unripe Jackfruit kernels which yield good, tasty chips. The kernel of Jackfruit from which the chips are made are known as Gharo (in Konkani), Karo implies chips hence Ghare Karo. 

Growing up, my grandparents' sprawling backyard had few of my favorite trees easily touching 50 metres in height. We had a massive Jackfruit Tree which was used for Ghare Karo, a large Mango tree which bore tangy-sweet Kairi, a sweet smelling Champa tree (Champe) which blossomed with divine smelling Champa flowers of light orange shade, followed by a medium high Guava tree which yielded  pink, ripe Guava (Peru or Pear) during summer season. Needless to say, our favorite summer activity was to raid the trees. My Grandfather (Ajja) was the only one who supervised the tree and chose the Jackfruits to be used for these chips. He loved the tree and guarded it like a pot of gold. The tree was in demand just for the chips and a source of joy for all of us. With the onset of summer, all cousins and relatives would call us to book for a Jackfruit from the tree. Later my Grandparents moved from that home and the tree was chopped off, only to retain the trunk. Everytime I visit India, I make a point to visit the old home. Large buildings have mushroomed, but the tree stands tall with the trunk sans the foliage, a silent testimonial to an era gone by.

The chips were made by all the family members as a joint activity. Three, strong red and crimson Laterite bricks held a wide mouthed Iron Kadhai which was used once a year, specially lugged and hauled from the family attic, cleaned and sun-dried. The entire cooking was done in the backyard. The flames went high and the heat left us teary eyed all the time. All the kids had paper cones ready to enjoy the fresh batch of these fried chips. We squealed with joy when the salt water was added to the oil, the sound only indicating that we would be enjoying the chips soon.

The biggest chore in making these chips is separating the kernel from the bark of Jackfruit which is a super labor intensive activity. The entire family participated in the activity by oiling their hands and pulling out the kernels, de-seeding them and then slicing them for the chips. Once done, the chips have to be stored in an airtight container. The chips remain fresh and crisp for 2 weeks if stored well.

~ Ghare Karo ~

Prep Time: 60 minutes

Cook Time: 10-15 minutes for each batch

Ingredients:

Jackfruit Kernel (Gharo) (sliced into thin strips) - 4 cups

Oil

Salt Water Concentrate -

Water - 1 cup

Salt - as per taste

Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp

*** Mix everything to form a solution ***

Method:

1. Slice the kernels into thin strips and keep aside. If they are wet, air-dry them by spreading them on a paper towel.

2. Mix all the ingredients of salt water concentrate to form a salty yellow solution. If the salt is less, the chips will not catch the salty taste. Adjust salt as per taste.

3. Heat oil in a big Kadhai and let the oil be smoking hot. Pour a handful of sliced pieces of Jackfruit and stir occasionally to prevent them from sticking to each other. Once they are done (they will get a reddish-orange color and will become crispy), add 2-3 tbsp. of the salt water concentrate. Give a good stir and pull them off heat and transfer to a paper towel to absorb excess oil. 

4. Store in airtight container and enjoy.

Note: The chips are made from unripe Jackfruit kernels. Not all unripe Jackfruit kernels are suited for making these chips.

My Ma's Mixed Vegetable Kurma

My Ma's Mixed Vegetable Kurma is a recipe which is very dear to my heart for many reasons. This is one of my Ma's signature recipes.

When I was a teenager, Ma got a chance to participate in a community kitchen event for charity. She signed up for it and gave a commitment almost 3 months before the event was slated to be held. Just a months before the said event, she fractured her right leg owing to which she was bed ridden for few weeks. With the event around the corner, all of us advised her to back out because there was no way she could have pulled it off. She chose this recipe of Mixed Vegetable Kurma. Finally, the decision was taken by her and she agreed to do it although her health was in shambles. I was the Sous Chef and together we cooked for a large gathering of 450 people. I distinctly remember the day when we sat in our tiny kitchen chopping the vegetables one by one and offering her a helping hand. For the first time, I saw 2-3 industrial size cooking utensils used in my home. There were no fancy gadgets nor Italian modular kitchen with marble floor to boot, just a small 3 burner gas stove, a 10X8 kitchen and nerves of steel to see the event through finish. Finally, she taste tested and approved and it was delivered to the venue for the event. Everyone liked her dish and we were relieved to know it was over.

I learn a few additional things from that event - Honor a promise made even if its hard. Keeping a promise for a cause strengthens your character and broadens your viewpoint in life at large. Few days back, I was browsing through my blog to check if I missed any one of Ma's signature recipes, I found this one missing. I asked her for the exact recipe and she went on - little bit of this and sprinkle that and a pinch of this. She rarely measures the ingredients for her daily cooking and the taste is perfect.  Finally, she measured everything and gave me the recipe. Thank you Ma. You are precious. 

I used Carrots, Green Beans, Lima Beans, Peas and Cauliflower. I forgot to add Potatoes as I was in a hurry to wrap up the dinner. Do add a couple for diversity of flavors and textures. If you are pressed for time, add a pack or two of frozen vegetables.

~ My Ma's Mixed Vegetable Kurma ~

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

Cauliflower (cut into small florets) - 1 and 1/2 cup

Potatoes (peeled, cubed and rinsed of starch) - 1 cup

Fresh Green Peas - 1 cup

Carrots (peeled, chopped into small chunks) - 1 cup

Lima Beans- 1 cup

Onions (finely chopped) - 1/2 cup

Coconut oil 

Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp

Salt

Kurma Masala -

Grated Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1 cup

Onion (chopped finely) - 3/4 cup

Ginger knob - 1"

Garlic pods - 2 

Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Green Chillies - 2

Tomato (pureed, best if whole canned are available) - 1

Clove - 4

Cinnamon stick - 1"

Peppercorns (whole) - 5-8

** Grind everything to a paste, except pureed Tomatoes **

For Garnish -

Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - 3 tbsp

Method:

1. Chop all the vegetables into uniform pieces and cook with hot water and little salt. Drain and keep aside.

2. In a mixer, blend the grated coconut and green chillies. Add the rest of the ingredients including the whole spices and blend to form a thick paste. Do not add a lot of water. Rinse the blender and save the rinsed water as well.

3. In a deep bottomed pan, heat a few spoons of coconut oil. Add the onions (1/2 cup) and brown them. Once done, add the ground masala and saute on a medium flame. Once the masala is half way cooked, add the pureed tomatoes and cook till the raw aroma goes away. This process takes 15-20 minutes. If the masala dries out, add little rinsed water to awaken it. Stir occasionally to bring it all together.

4. Add the par-cooked vegetables now and add little of the rinsed water from the ground masala. Add the turmeric powder and salt. Adjust taste and bring to a boil. The Kurma gravy is thick and not runny in consistency. Simmer on low flame, covered for 5-8 minutes. Turn off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with Phulkas/ Rotis.

Note: I used whole canned tomatoes, its easier to puree them as compared to regular store bought Tomatoes. Ma's Kurma recipe uses all ingredients raw, so no need to pre-roast the ingredients.

Brinjal-Drumstick Sambhar (Gulla Maskasange Kolmbo)

Brinjals/ Eggplant are in season these days. Ironically, whenever I found a nice plump Eggplant, the freshly plucked Drumsticks were out of sight and vice-versa and that prevented me from making this Sambhar for the longest time. Finally, the day dawned and I found them both at the local Indian store and I was darn happy. This is a variety of Sambhar I grew up eating. Incidentally, this is my Dad's favorite dish and he enjoys this Sambhar served with cooked white rice along with Papad and Vodi.

In India, my parents use a special variety of Brinjal known as Gulla which is available only for a short time during particular months of the year in Udupi/ Mangalore region and surrounding areas. Since I can't find them here, I use the purple skinned Brinjal also known as Japanese Eggplant. Gulla is Eggplant, Maskansang is Drumstick hence Gulla Maskasange Kolmbo.

Another interesting thing about this dish is the vegetables cook quickly, all you need is boiled Toor Dal to put everything together. This in turn helps me save a lot of time and on a busy day it matters quite a lot. 

~ Gulla Maskasange Kolmbo ~

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Eggplant (diced into big chunky cubes of 2") - 5 cups
Boiled split Pigeon Peas/ Toor Dal - 2 and 1/2 -3 cups

Sambhar Powder/ Kolmbo Pitti - 2 tbsp

Drumstick (peeled and cut into 3" sticks) - 2 cups

Asafoetida - 1/5 tsp

Tamarind pulp - 1/2 tsp

Salt

For Seasoning - 

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 sprig

Ghee/ Oil

For Garnish -

Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - 3-4 tbsp

Method:

Rinse the vegetables, trim off the tip and stem of eggplant. Dice them into large chunks of 2" pieces. Peel the Drumstick with a peeler to get rid of the thick green fiber and cut them into sticks which are 3" long. Cook the vegetables with lightly watered down boiled Toor Dal. Bring to boil and simmer on low flame, covered with lid on till par-cooked.  This takes around 5-8 minutes.

Once par-cooked, add salt, add Sambhar powder, and tamarind pulp in little warm water. Mix well to get a smooth paste, add this paste to the boiled vegetable-daal broth - adjust salt, spice level, add asafoetida and adjust consistency as desired. Simmer for few minutes till completely cooked. Turn off flame and set aside.
In a small frying pan, heat few spoons of oil, season with mustard seeds and once they splutter  add curry leaves. Pour this seasoning over the freshly made Sambhar and garnish with chopped Coriander leaves. Mix few minutes before serving, goes well with cooked Basmati Rice.

Malabar Spinach Side Dish - Konkani style (Vaali Upkari)

Currently, the month of Shravan is going on. It also means lot of fresh vegetables and greens available in the market. 

For vegetarians it does not make a difference but strict non-vegetarians pine for the month to end to begin meat eating once again. I recently made Malabar Spinach side dish which is very tasty and simple to make. I make use of both leaves (Paan) and tender stem (Tarne Dentu) for this dish. This vegetable side dish is commonly made in many Konkani homes and finally garnished with grated coconut. A dash of red chilli powder is added to camouflage the bland taste of vegetable. The taste of this vegetable dish is an acquired one and it takes time to get acquainted to like it or for that matter hate it. I also enjoy Malabar Spinach Ambat with Papaya (Vaali Papayi Ambat).

~ Vaali Upkari ~

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Malabar Spinach | Vaali - 4-5 cups

Red Chilli powder - 1/3 tsp

Salt

 

For Seasoning -

Garlic pods (crushed) - 2 

Red Chillies (split into two) - 2 

Coconut oil 

For Garnish -

Grated Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1/4 tbsp

Method:

Wash and rinse the spinach leaves and separate the tender stem from non-tender ones. Use the tender ones for this side dish. In a deep bottomed vessel, heat few spoons of coconut oil, once the oil is hot enough, season with crushed garlic and red chillies. Add the spinach leaves and tender stem now and adjust salt and add a dash of red chilli powder. Sprinkle a little water and bring to boil. The leaves wilt to 1/4 of the size once they cook. Simmer with lid on low flame till completely cooked. Garnish with grated coconut just before serving and serve warm as a side dish.