Savoury Cheese Sticks

Mozarella cheese fingers covered with chicken  and vegetable mixture seasoned with desi spices that create unique blend of flavours. Can be frozen for two weeks. As it's loaded with goodness of vegetables and packed with protein from chicken and cheese, it make a healthy treat of you bake instead of deep frying.

Savoury Cheese Sticks Recipe

Ingredients:

• 200 g Mozarella cheese block
• 1 cup boiled and shredded chicken
• 1 large potato
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 medium sized carrot
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1/2 cup sweetcorn kernels
• 1/2 cup cauliflower florets
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• Salt as per taste
• Beaten eggs for coating
• Bread crumbs for coating
• Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Cut Mozarella cheese into thick 2 inches long sticks and keep in fridge for later use.

2. Wash, cube and pressure cook all the vegetables adding just half a cup of water, a little salt and ginger garlic paste. Vegetable should be mushy but there shouldn't be any excess water.

3. Take cooked veggies in a mixing bowl and add shredded chicken and all the spices and mix well. If it's too sticky, add some seasoned bread crumbs.

4. Now take a little portion from above mixture and spread on a flat surface, place a cheese stick and close ends in such a way that cheese is well coated with chicken and veggies mixture.

5. Give egg wash and coat with bread crumbs. You can in freezer and deep fry or bake till golden while serving.

White Sauce Croquettes

White sauce because we were bored of potatoes and bread and lentils. So, tried this new base for croquettes and it was a hit instantly! Though the mixture is very soft and sticky initially but when you keep it in fridge for an hour it becomes easy to handle and you make shapes of your choice.

I have used chicken and spinach filling but again, you're free to throw in whatever you want!

White Sauce Croquettes Recipe

Ingredients:

For base:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 stick or 4 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups full cream milk
1 cup grated cheese
3-4 cloves of garlic
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/2 dried oregano

For filling:

1 cup chopped spinach
1 cup shredded chicken
1/2 cup boiled sweet cornkernels
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/2 mixed vegetables of your choice like carrot, bell peppers, mushrooms, green beans etc.
2 tablespoons hot and sweet sauce
1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

For coating:

Beaten egg
Seasoned flour
Bread crumbs

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add ginger garlic paste, hot and sweet sauce and salt and then add rest of the ingredients for filling and saute well till everything is crisp.

2. Remove from the fire and let the mixture cool down completely.

3. Now prepare white sauce for base. Heat butter in a pot and put in grated garlic cloves. As the garlic turns slightly golden Add chili flakes, pepper powder and oregano and then immediately add the flour and whisk well. Slowly mix in the milk to form a smooth mixture. Let it cook for a minute on high flame with continuous stirring. Turn off the flame and add one cup grated cheese. Mix well.

4. Once the sauce is cooled down a bit, add in the prepared filling and mix well then keep in the fridge for an hour so that it becomes thick and pliable.

5. Take out of the fridge and make croquettes shapes. Immediately roll in Seasoned flour keep in a tray. Repeat till you are done with all the mixture.

6. Now dip the croquettes in beaten egg on by one and roll in the bread crumbs.

7. Freeze for half an hour and then deep fry till golden. Serve warm.

Half Moon Pies

This recipe is best for freezing as it stays fresh for more than two weeks hence its always on the menu for frozen Ramadan items.
The crispy covering is the result of pate a choux dough which is then deep fried. We prefer creamy filling for this pastry as it goes just perfect with the crispy melt in mouth covering. But the best thing about such pies is, you can always experiment with fillings.

Half Moon Pies Recipe:

How to prepare choux dough for half moons:

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg (optional)

Directions:

1. Take butter, water, milk and salt in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. When the butter has melted completely, put off the heat and add all the flour and mix vigorously with wooden spoon and again place on medium heat. Let the dough cook on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes or till it makes a ball with shiny surface. Keep stirring with wooden spoon. A thin film of flour may form on the bottom of the pan while cooking the dough.

2. Take the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium low till the dough is warm to the touch. (Instead of using electric mixer you can cool the dough manually by tossing the dough with a metal spatula.

3. Once the dough is cool enough, add beaten egg, if using. The dough will become very sticky and after adding the egg but it will hold back together as you keep on kneading. (To avoid this mess you can skip egg).

4. As dough cools down completely, divide it into small balls. Roll out small and not very thin discs.

5. Put filling on one side of the disc and apply some beaten egg or water on edges with brush or using your finger and then flip the other end making half moon shaped.

6. Dip the pastry in beaten egg and then in bread crumbs and store in freezer safe container. Deep fry and serve when needed.

Creamy Chicken filling for Half Moon Pies:

Ingredients:

1 cup boiled and shredded chicken
1/2 cup boiled green peas
1/2 cup boiled sweet corn kernels
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt and pepper as per taste
1 teaspoon olive oil

Method:

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and toss well. Keep in fridge for an hour before using.

You can adjust spices as per your taste.

Crispy Bread Pockets

Just another way of eating sandwiches that's even more sinful than the regular ones because the bread itself gets breaded and then deep fried till crispy. So, basically there are loads of calories! But who counts calories when it's Ramadan? ;)
You can make filling of your choice to fill the pockets. Here I have used stir fried chicken and vegetables and topped it with loads of cheese! Because it's cheese and I love it. :D

How to make Crispy Bread Pockets

For making bread pockets you will need:

Sliced Bread (white or brown)

Beaten Egg

Seasoned Bread Crumbs (or you can use plain bread crumbs)

Water for sticking the edges

Oil for deep frying

Round shaped cookie cutter

Directions:

1. Slightly roll out the bread slices on a plain surface with the help of a rolling pin and cut with cookie like this

2. Apply little water on edges of bread discs and stick two discs.

3. Dip in the beaten egg then roll in bread crumbs and keep in the fridge for some time.

4. Heat oil for deep frying and fry the prepared bread discs till they puff up and are nice golden in colour. Remove on kitchen paper and let them cool down. Then cut into two equal halves. Your pockets are ready!

Recipe for the filling I have used:

Ingredients:

1 cup boiled and shredded chicken

1/2 cup chopped bell peppers (green and yellow)

2 Tablespoons chopped carrot

1 small red onion chopped

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon mixed herbs

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon chili flakes

Salt as per taste

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Method:

1. Heat butter in a pan when it bubbly add onion, bell peppers and carrot and stir fry for 2-3 minutes then add chicken and all the spices and fry on high flame for 2 minutes.

2. Place 1 teaspoon of this filling in prepared bread pockets.

3. Mix Cheddar and Mozarella cheese and top the bread pockets with cheese.

4. Serve at room temperature.

Alan Recip | Baked Besan Recipe

Alan or Besan is a savoury cake made from chickpea flour. It is considered as a delicacy in kokni cuisine and as it requires kind of hard work, skills and time to make hence its made on special occasions in big batches so that it can last longer. Alan can be stored for one week or more in the refrigerator, just reheat the pieces in a frying pan using just a hint of oil and serve whenever you want.

You have to be careful while making alan that there no lumps are formed and its cooked through so that raw smell of chick pea flour is gone. Elders recommend using wooden spoon to stir while its cooking and its suggested to stir it vigorously, in kokni, Ghotni. After cooking on stove top you can keep the creamy mixture unbaked and serve with roti but the baked Besan tastes HEAVENLY! especially during the rainy days when you are not in the mood of making a full course and just want to enjoy the rains while munching in something that pleases your tastebuds. Make a large batch of this scrumptious delicacy and enjoy!

 How to Make Alan or Baked Besan:

Photo courtesy: Saima Miqdad

Besan Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 Cup Thick Coconut Milk
1 Cup Thin Coconut Milk
7 Tablespoons Chick Pea Flour (Besan)
1 Tablespoon Rice Flour
1 Large Onion
3 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
3-4 Cloves of Garlic
2-4 Green Chilies or Dried Red Chilies (depending upon your taste)
1 1/2 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
Salt as per taste
1/4 Teaspoon Dry Mango Powder (or a small piece of raw mango)
2-3 Tablespoons Fresh Coriander Leaves

Method:

1. Take chickpea flour and rice flour in a medium sized bowl and add 2 tablespoons of thick coconut milk. Use wire whisk to make a smooth paste. Slowly add more coconut milk little by little while stirring the mixture. Adjust the consistency with thin coconut milk. The ideal consistency is thick yet runny mixture.

2. Now make paste of cumin seeds, garlic and green chili using just a little water so that paste comes out smooth.

3. Now peel, slice and fry onion in three tablespoons of cooking oil. After onions turn slightly golden, add cumin paste, turmeric powder, salt, red chili powder and sauté for a minute then lower the flame and slowly pour in the besan mixture with constant stirring. Add a small piece of raw mango and cook on medium to low flame while stirring vigorously with wooden spoon till it becomes a thick creamy mixture.

4. Add chopped coriander leaves before switching off the burner.

5. Let it cool and remove mango piece.

6. Pour in a greased baking tray and bake in pre heated oven at 210 degrees for 15 minutes or till top turns slightly golden.

7. Cool and cut the pieces. You can serve them immediately or keep in the fridge and serve later. While serving, heat the pieces in slightly greased pan.

Chana Dal Recipe

 

This simple but very delicious dal curry made with split bengal gram is a very famous dish in kokan. The dal is fried in spices and then coconut  milk is added after dal has cooked completely. Egg is added just a minute before taking is off the flame maybe just to give that extra protein punch ;) (NB: eating healthy foods like this is way better than those overrated protein shakes and diet supplements). This dal is paired with hot chili chutney and roasted papad and served with either cooked rice or chawal ki roti. Broiled fish makes a perfect side dish with this meal.

I know that every household has their own version of dal preparation but the basic technique remains the same. So, here I am presenting most common recipe that most of my relatives follow.

Chana Dal Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Split Bengal Gram (Chana Dal)
• 1 Large Onion
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
• 1 Green Chili
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds Powder
• Salt as per taste
• 1 Tablespoon Cooking Oil
• 1 Cup Coconut Milk
• 1 and 1/2 Cups Water
• 1 Egg

Method:

1.  Wash and soak chana dal for about half an hour.
2.  Soak cumin seeds in little water and then make paste of these soaked seeds, green chili and garlic cloves using very little water.
3.  Finely slice the onion and fry in oil. When onion turn translucent add ginger garlic paste and cumin paste. Saute well then add turmeric powder, red chili powder and fennel seeds powder and mix well.
4.  Discard all the water from the dal and add it to above prepared masala, add one and half cups water and let the dal cook covered till its tender and all the water has dried up. (you can use pressure cooker to cook dal).
5.  Now add coconut milk and bring it to a boil and then let it simmer. Beat egg in a small bowl and pour in the dal while its simmering and stir it carefully.
6.  Remove from the burner and serve warm with hot chili chutney.

Note: You can skip egg for vegetarian version.

Adjust spices as per your choice. I like it mildly spiced but you can go for spicier dal curry.

Some people prefer ghee instead of oil so its up to you what type of fat you want to use.

Instant Raw Mango Pickle

Kokan is the home to alphonso mangoes, everyone knows that. Plus, we have many different varieties that are not found anywhere else in the world. Kokan mangoes are rich in flavours and have distinctly different colours and they smell really good. So, undoubtedly we have the best quality of mangoes in the whole world. *feeling proud and blessed, alhamdulillah* 😇
Anyway, as it's the mango season and we have them in abundance, alhamdulillah, so not a single day goes without some instant mango preparation. Whether it's a pickle or chutney or some mango coolant like mango Panna or sometimes mango coconut curry etc. So here I am sharing one such recipe that is loved by all at home. I supposed to take photos after the sugar has melted completely but then I knew that I won't get a chance for photo session once the pickle is ready as nobody would wait till I get a perfect shot lol. But I hope this pic is tempting enough to make you drool ;)
This pickle is made with raw alphonso but if you don't have alphonso you can make with any of the varieties you have. And it's called "kaach" in local kokni lingo. If you are avoiding sugar you can replace it with jaggery but sugar is best for this recipe. We have some other recipes with jaggery and for spicy pickles without any sweetener.

Instant Mango Pickle Recipe

Ingredients:

1 big raw mango
2-3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red chili powder
2 teaspoon refined oil

Method:

1. Wash and peel the mango and chop it finely.
2. In a bowl, crush garlic cloves and adde chopped mango. Add salt, sugar and red chili powder. Finally add oil and mix everything well.
3. Wait till sugar melts completely and the lip-smacking, juicy mango pickle is ready in no time! Enjoy!

Chocolate Fridge Cake

Fridge cakes are a hit nowadays because not everybody can bake (though I can, alhamdulillah!) and as the Mercury levels are getting up we all are getting hooked on foods that can keep us cool and can be prepared quickly as nobody would like to spend hours in the kitchen. And baking is just a big no! So, today when I was asked to make a chocolate cake I opted for this Chocolate Fridge Cake and didn't expect any appreciation because I knew I have taken a shortcut and it is going to disappoint all but to my surprise everyone loved this simple fridge cake and I had to prepare another batch because the first one was not enough! Lol
It's a simple recipe with layers of sweet and salty biscuits and chocolate ganache and it's frozen till firm and then sliced. You can serve this cake with fresh fruits and some whipped cream, if you want. I have used Parle's Crackjack Biscuits you can use any of the sweet and salty biscuits of your choice.

How to make Chocolate Fridge Cake

Ingredients:

24 sweet and salty biscuits
100 gms dark chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Method:

1. Pour cream in a sauce pan and microwave for 2 minutes (you heat on gas stove for about 3-4 minutes on medium to low flame.
2. Now finely chop the chocolate and mix in hot cream also add condensed milk and mix well with the help of rubber spatula. It should be thick mixture but of pouring consistency.
3. Take a 8 inch square box and arrange four biscuits side by side pour some prepared chocolate mixture wait for a minute so that the sauce thickens. Repeat till you get 6 layers of biscuits. Pour the remaining sauce on top and keep it in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
4. Check if it's hard, if not, leave it in the freezer till it is hard enough to cut with a knife.
5. Remove from the fridge and cut into one inch thick slices. Serve immediately.

Tilkoot - Sesame Seeds Dry Chutney

Sesame seeds are known as 'Til' in kokani langauge and and the word Tilkoot translates to "ground sesame seeds". We koknis have many such "secret ingredients" that make our dishes distinctly different from others and Tilkoot is definitely one of those ingredients. La! Wait.. tilkoot is not just an ingredient, it's actually a kind of dry chutney made from black sesame seeds by adding garlic and dried red chilies. You can have tilkoot on its own as a chutney or you can use it as a condiment to make many other dishes that includes vegetables and sprouts. Traditionally tilkoot was made using mortar and pestle and the remains would be wiped of by grinding chawal ki roti in the same vessel which would make a great nutritious snack with a  dollop of pure ghee, as told by my grandma but I have always seen tilkoot being made in electric grinder so it's not a difficult task at all and you can easily make it whenever you are craving for it and have all the ingredients in your pantry.

Ideally you should use a mixture of long and short black sesame seeds in the proportion of 1:4 that is, if you have 1 tablespoon of long sesame seeds you should use 4 tablespoons of short black sesame seeds but if you don't have the long ones (that aren't easily available in most of the places) you can go for only short ones and it will taste even better as the short ones are rich in  oils and flavours.

So here is How to Make Tilkoot

Ingredients:

1 cup short black sesame seeds
1/4th cup long black sesame seeds
4-5 cloves of garlic
2-3 dried red chilies
1 teaspoon salt
A small piece of dried coconut (khopra) (totally optional)

Method:

1. Dry roast sesame seeds on a cast iron tawa till you get nice aroma. Then remove in a plate and let them cool completely.
2. Also roast khopra, if using, till it becomes dark brown and slightly charred at ends.
3. Peel and add garlic cloves to the seeds. Break and add dried red chilies.
4. Ground everything to get coarse mixture. Your tilkoot is ready!
5. Store tilkoot in glass jar and keep it in fridge so that it can last longer.

Tilkoot can be enjoyed as a chutney or you can sprinkle it on boiled drumsticks, green beans etc. It's also used to make a stuffing for veggies like okra and eggplant.

Dried Baby Shrimps Fry | Sukat Fry | Suka Javla Fry

Every kokni household has Sukat, Sore and bombil in their pantry. Whether you like it or not but as a kokni you should some stock of these dried seafood as it's an age old tradition in the community and it really helps when you are unable to access fresh seafood during the rainy season when it rains heavily. In case you don't know what's sukat then know that it's just the dried shrimps which shrink to the size of a thumbnail and the one I'm sharing the recipe for looks like this 👇

There are many other varieties which I'll share soon, in shaa Allah!

Buy Sukat online

Or here

The dried seafood had as an intense odour that's unbearable at times but if you wash and cook it properly then the taste overpowers the odour. You don't really feel any bad aroma while eating. And yeah let me assure you that sukat taste really good! You can even make a filling for your toasted sandwiches with leftover fried sukat along with other accompaniments (that's the way I eat sukat lol). Anyway, let's proceed with the recipe.

Sukat Fry Recipe

1 cup sukat
1 large onion
1 medium sized tomato
1/8th teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
A small piece of dried raw mango Buy Now
(Or you can use either tamarind or dried kokum)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

Method:

1. Thoroughly clean the sukat and soak it in warm water for 10-15 minutes and then wash well gently rubbing with your hands under running water. Drain and keep it aside.
2. Peel, wash and finely slice the onions and fry in oil till translucent then add finely chopped tomato.
3. After tomatoes become pulpy add turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt and mix well. Keep flame very low.
4. Now add in sukat and stir well to get everything incorporated. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and place raw mango piece and cover the pan.
5. Cook for about 10 minutes then remove lid and stir fry on high flame for a minute with stirring. Serve with chawal ki roti or any other roti and bread.

Breakfast Poha Recipe | Kanda Poha Recipe | Onion Poha Recipe

Kanda Poha or Onion Poha is undoubtedly the most popular breakfast item in the state of Maharashtra. It's light yet very filling breakfast with the goodness of peanuts and exciting flavours of curry leaves and fresh coriander. There are two types of poha (flatten rice) thick and thin, the thick one needs to be soaked for 3-5 minutes while just washing in a colander would do for thin variety. The dish is made more filling by adding deep fried potato cubes. Serve Kanda Poha with freshly shredded coconut and lemon wedges for additional flavours.

How to Make Kanda Poha:

 

Ingredients:

1 Cup Poha (Pressed/flatten Rice)

1 Large Onion

2-3 Green Chilies

10-12 Curry Leaves

2 Tablespoons Coriander Leaves

1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds

A small pinch of Asafoetida

1/4th Teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 Tablespoon Peanuts

1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Salt as per taste

1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice

1/2 Cup Cubed Potatoes (deep fried and drained)

Method:

1. Take Poha in a colander and run cold water all over it and leave it to drain out completely.

2. Heat oil in a skillet and fry peanuts till crispy then remove the peanuts and add mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, green chilies and let it splutter then add chopped onions.

3. when onions turn pink add in half of the coriander leaves, salt and turmeric powder and stir well.

4. Finally add poha and give it a good mix and saute for a couple of minutes. Then mix in the remaining coriander leaves, peanuts and fried potatoes. Sprinkle lemon juice and some chopped green chilies.

5. Serve poha hot topped with freshly shredded coconut and lemon wedges.

Spicy Scarmbled Eggs | Egg Bhurji Recipe | Akoori Recipe

Egg Bhurji

Another popular breakfast dish across the country but like all other dishes every region has their own version of scrambled eggs but Mumbai's Anda Bhurji is probably the best among all. It has amazing blend of spices and nutrients to kick-start your day with a protein punch! Its usually eaten with freshly baked Pav (dinner rolls) but if you are a weight watcher and are avoiding carbs then you can have bhurji on its own. But to be honest nothing can beat Bhurji Pav with a cutting chai :P lol
Anyway, here I am sharing the recipe for egg bhurji that's popular in mumbai as well as in kokan. It's really very easy to make and quite a filling dish with added vegetables (but that's optional) plus you can adjust spices as per your taste. For vegetarian version, you can replace eggs with crumbled paneer.

Hot To Make Egg Bhurji:

Ingredients:

2 Large Eggs
1 Medium Sized Onion
1 Medium Sized Tomato
3-4 Green Chillies (Chopped)
2 Tablespoons Chopped Coriander Leaves
1 Teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
1/4th Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Butter (or Oil)
1 Teaspoon Pav Bhaji Masala (Optional)
(You can optionally add vegetables of your choice like finely cubed carrots, bell peppers, boiled potatoes etc.)

Method:
1. Break eggs in a bowl and beat well with the fork.
2. Peel and finely chop the onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves and green chillies.
3. Heat butter or oil in a pan and add onions and fry till turns pink then add tomatoes and saute till tomatoes become pulpy.
4. Add ginger garlic paste, green chillies and coriander leaves. fry for a minute then add salt, turmeric powder and pav bhaji masala. Add vegetables at this stage if using and cook covered till vegetables are tender.
5. Now slowly and pour in the beaten eggs and and keep stirring so that everything gets well combined. Cook till eggs are fully cooked. Serve hot with freshly baked mumbai ladi pav.