Fried Prawns Recipe | Jhinga Fry Recipe

Because we koknis LOVE seafood!! 😍😋😋
We have seafood at least five times a week here in kokan. Most of the time seafood is fresh straight from the sea to your doorsteps that too variety of seafood like many varieties of fish, oysters, prawns, crabs, bombay duck etc. But there are days when the fishermen are not so lucky to catch fish (for example stormy rainy days) and that time we have to go for dried seafood (surat, bombil, sore etc.) that we have already stocked up during summers. So basically we live on seafood lol. Anyway, I was talking about this dish - Jhinga Fry. This spicy and simple prawns preparation is one of the dishes that are frequently cooked at my home and I loved Jhinga Fry since my childhood. Sabzi, roti and Jhinga Fry would make a perfect dinner that you can even serve to your guests with a side of omelette and mango pickle.

Fried Prawns Recipe

Ingredients:

300 gm prawns
1 large onion
1 medium sized tomato
2 teaspoons red chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder (optional)
A piece of dried raw mango OR 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp OR 2-3 dried kokum fruits
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Shell, devein and wash prawns and place in colander so that all the water is removed completely.
2. Finely slice the onions and fry in 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Once the onions have turned golden pink add chopped tomato and stir fry till tomato turns pulpy. Now add turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder and salt and mix well.
3. Once the rawness smell of masala goes, add prawns and mix well. Keep the flame lowest and let the prawns cook covered for 4-5 minutes then add dried mango/tamarind/kokum and again cook covered till prawns are done.
4. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves while serving.

Grandma's Flan Recipe | Crème Caramel Recipe | Caramel Custard Recipe

I have a big sweet tooth that most of the times I skip main course and eat only the salads and desserts and if the saying "you are what you eat" is true then I must be very sweet! Haha 😛
Anyway, here I am sharing one of those light, filling and pleasant desserts that have been there since ages! These old style desserts don't have any fancy ingredients buy still rock till the date. I am sure most of you are already a fan of this superb sweet dish - Crème Caramel! I know it's not like many of our mix, whip and serve kind of fancy desserts but it's not that difficult either. When I tried it for the first time I ended up with a burnt mess of sugar which was not ready to leave the bottom of sauce pan lol so I had to prepare caramel once again and it was all so messy but like everything else I mastered the art of making a perfect flan with time. Alhamdulillah!

Easy No Fail Flan Recipe

Ingredients:

4 eggs
2 cups full cream milk
1/2 cup thick cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
A pinch of cardamom powder
A pinch saffron soaked in 1 tablespoon of hot milk
1 cup sugar for making caramel

Directions:

1. Beat eggs in a bowl and add cream, half cup sugar, salt, cardamom powder and saffron. Beat well and slowly pour in the milk and whisk well.
2. Take 1 cup sugar in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and place on very low flame till the sugar is liquefied and turns golden brown in colour. DO NOT stir the sugar while it's melting.
3. Take a glass baking dish and pour caramelised sugar. Rotate the dish so that covers the bottom and sides of the baking dish. Now gently pour in the egg mixture without disturbing the caramel.
4. Take some water in a baking tray and place the prepared flan dish and bake in the preheated oven till it becomes firm. Insert a skewer to check if it's done. Once done remove from the oven and let cool completely.
5. When the pudding cooled down completely invert it on a serve plate and and place in the fridge till its time to serve. You can serve fresh fruit on the top of caramel custard.

Dry Garlic Chutney Recipe | Vada Pav Chutney Recipe | Orange Sandwich Chutney Recipe

After many failed attempts at this popular chutney I finally went to ask a local vada pav vendor. As expected the vada pav wala was reluctant to share his recipe (trade secrets you know!) But after repeated "uncle please batao nah kaise banate hai ye chutney, please batao" he finally agreed and shared his secret chutney recipe. He said most of the stall walas in the area use this same recipe for vada pav as well as sandwich chutney. I was pretty excited to try this recipe and decided to make this in that same day. And the result was surprisingly awesome! The chutney same in taste as that of street vada pav chutney!

How to make Vada Pav Chutney

Ingredients:

1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup fried besan batter (you can reserve and use the besan droplets that while frying the vadas) OR use 1/2 cup khara boondi
1 tablespoon grated coconut
3-4 cloves of garlic with skin
1 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil

Method:

1. Combine bread crumbs, fried besan (or in have used crushed khara boondi) and grated coconut and run in food processor (you can use blender) for a minute so that it forms a uniform mixture.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add garlic crush with skin. When garlic starts to change colour add salt and red chili powder and immediately mix in the crumbs mixture. Give it a good mix and turn off the burner. The chutney is ready!

3. You can use this chutney with vada pav or bombay sandwich.

Vada Pav Recipe | How to make Vada Pav at home

Vada pav, samosa pav, lagda pav, cutlets pav, bhajji pav, misal pav blah blah blah... sounds similar to your school/college canteen menu? 😄 and we all used to ask for extra chutney with vada pav but somehow that extra chutney was always insufficient when a group of friends used to eat together  (Nostalgia! Sigh! 😪)

Okay! They say vada pav (or vada pao, wada paav) is the street food that defines Mumbai. Yeah I agree, but if they come to see the interior areas of Maharashtra like our Kokan they'll be amazed to see that almost every village, every town has at least one vada pav stall. This native maharashtrian snack is now available in the cafés and restaurants throughout the country, in fact, it's that one food that's truly popular across the globe, wherever there are Indians. I have had some scrumptious vada pav abroad at food courts in shopping malls. There is something in this simple sandwich made with deep fried, gramflour coated potato patties and simple humble dinner roll that drives you crazy and once you have a look at it you just can't resist it. And that orange chutney! How can I not mention that? Drooling already? 😋
So one fine day I woke up craving vada pav for breakfast lol and couldn't help but headed straight to the kitchen and after we were done with a full filling brunch I thought to share the recipe here. Because the taste was not less than any famous stall vada pav but obviously as it was homemade it was more hygienic and less oily. And yes! I even made pav at home! You can get the recipe here (link)

So here it is,

How to make Vada Pav at home:

Ingredients:

For making vada (potato patty):
2 large potatoes
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves+1 tablespoon extra
2 green chilies (or more as per your taste)
2×2" piece of ginger
6-7 cloves of garlic
A pinch of asfoetida
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon salt
10-12 curry leaves
1 tablespoon oil
A few drops of lemon juice

For vada coating:
1 cup besan (gramflour)
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
A pinch of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
A pinch of asfoetida

Method:

1. Boil, peel and mash potatoes. And keep aside.
2. Make paste of coriander leaves, ginger, garlic and green chilies. Use very little water so that the masala would thick and smooth in consistency.
3. Now heat one tablespoon of oil in a skillet and add mustard seeds, asfoetida and curry leaves and let them splutter then add turmeric powder and salt and mix in mashed potatoes. Mix well adding a tablespoon of water and let the mixture cook covered for a minute so that all the flavours get incorporated. Remove from the flame and sprinkle lemon juice and give it a nice stir.
4. Take a above mixture in a flat dish so that it cools down faster. After it is cold enough to handle, make small discs and keep aside.
5. Now make batter for coating. Take gramflour in a bowl and add all the ingredients mentioned for coating except water and baking soda. Mix well and add water little by little with continuous stirring to avoid lumps. The batter shouldn't be of pouring consistency. Finally add baking soda and stir gently.
6. Heat oil for deep frying. Dip potato patties in above prepared batter in such a way that all the patty is well coated with batter. Deep fry till the coating is crispy but still yellow in colour. Serve with mumbai ladi pav (dinner roll), salted green chilies and orange Garlic Chutney with a cup of steaming hot and very sweet chai. Yummy!

Banana Pudding Recipe | Traditional Khawrus Recipe | How to make Banana Pudding

Koknis have a tradition of having a few plants around the house and of the famous plants grown in backyard is banana. Houses surrounded with tall coconut palms and mango trees along with banana plants and a few chikoo, lemon, guava, chili, tomato etc. plants is a common sight here. And the result is we have plenty of recipes with these locally grown fruits and vegetables. Khawrus or banana pudding is one such traditional recipes that's usually made during the month of Ramadan as a dessert. You can even have this pudding as a filling and healthy breakfast.

How to Make Khawrus/Banana Pudding:

Ingredients:

4 ripen bananas

4 eggs

½ cup wheat flour

½ liter milk

1 cup sugar

¼ tsp salt

1 cup water

1/4th tsp nutmeg powder

Slivered almonds for garnishing

Method:

1. Peel the bananas and cut into small pieces and sprinkle all the sugar.
2. Break the eggs one by one in a bowl and beat them lightly.
3. Dissolve the flour in a heavy bottomed pan by using a little at a time, add salt and cook on medium low heat till it forms a thick paste and the raw smell goes off completely.
4. Now, add banana pieces, lightly beaten eggs and flour paste in the blender, add a little milk to facilitate blending.
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 200 degrees for about 10 minutes. Grease a 9” springform pan and keep it aside.
6. Pour the blended mixture in a large bowl add in the remaining milk and mix well, sprinkle nutmeg powder. Finally pour in the greased pan and top with slivered almonds and place it in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes at 200 degrees.
7. Let it cool for 1 hour then cut into slices and serve!

Fried Coconut Chutney Recipe | How to make Coconut Chutney

If you are from Mhasla or Shriwardhan area this chutney HAS TO BE one of your favourite dishes! Along with Chawal ki roti, Fried Fish and/or dry bombil (bombay duck) fry. With a side of some scrumptious, crispy Kanda Bhajji. I know the mention of this meal alone is making your mouth water! Lol

How to make Fried Coconut Chutney

Ingredient:

2 cups freshly grated coconut

1 large onion

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cloves of garlic

2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chili powder

Method:

1. Peel and slice the onion. Peel and mince the garlic cloves.

2. Heat oil in a wok and put in garlic and onion and fry till translucent and then add salt, chili, turmeric powder and sugar and fry for a minute.

3. Now, add the coconut and mix till all things get well incorporated. Cover and cook for 5 minutes then remove the lid and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Put off the flame and serve with chawal ki roti.

Chakli Recipe | How to make Chakli

This snack maybe popular throughout the country but here I'm sharing the maharashtrian version. This homemade spicy chakli makes a great, healthy tea time snack.

You will need this chakli press for making the  roundels which you can buy here

How to make Chakli (murukku)

Ingredients:

1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup gramflour
1/2 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
1/2 teaspoon black cumin seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (white or black or both mix)
1/8 teaspoon (or a pinch) asfoetida (hing)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1-1 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon salt (or as per taste)
2-3 tablespoons oil
Lukewarm water as needed
Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Take both the flours in a large bowl and add all the dry ingredients. Mix well then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil and rub the mixture well. Now knead the dough using lukewarm water. The dough shouldn't be very soft otherwise it will stick to the mould and won't come off easily. Neither it should be very hard or else the final result will be dense and hard chakli.
2. Now grease the mould with little oil and put a small portion of the dough. Press it to make Chakli shape.
3. Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying and fry the chaklis immediately till golden. Remove on an absorbent paper. Chakli is ready to serve. You can store them for 2 weeks.

Oil Free Lemon Pickle Recipe | 3-Ingredient Lemon Pickle Recipe

We all like pickles but most of such stuff is packed with oil and excess calories so eventually becomes a no-no among health freaks. But our grandmas were really smart then to produce pickles which is not only oil but has ingredients like lemon and turmeric that can help you control the hunger and are good for your overall health. And the icing on the cake is the recipe is really easy, no cooking or any extra skills needed. Do here is a recipe you have for a fat free, low calorie, least spicy and very tangy and tempting Lemon Pickle

Oil Free Lemon Pickle Recipe:

Ingredients:

12 lemons
2 teaspoon turmeric powder
4-5 teaspoon salt (or as per taste)

Method:

1. Wash, pat dry and cut lemons into 8 pieces each.
2. Apply salt and turmeric to cut lemons.
3. Take a clean and dry wide mouth, screw capped glass bottle and fill the lemon prices in this bottle.
4. Place the bottle under direct sunlight for 15 days. Shake the bottle well every day so that juices coming out will get well incorporated uniformly. The pickle will be ready to use on 15th day. Enjoy!

Golden Fried Chicken Traditional Recipe

Every cuisine has its own version of fried chicken (in fact many different versions). Here I am presenting traditional golden fried chicken which I made today as a side dish with biryani. This lip-smacking chicken recipe is a winner! You can pair it with plain daal chawal as a quick fix meal if any unexpected guests arrive. You can change the spices quantity as per your taste. Keep it mild if you are going to serve it with dishes like biryani and korma etc. While spicy chicken would do with simple meal like daal rice.

Ingredients:

8 chicken pieces
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt as per taste
Bread crumbs for coating
2 eggs for coating
Chopped coriander leaves
Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Wash chicken pieces and apply all the masala powder, salt, lemon juice and ginger paste and cook chicken in a skillet till the chicken is cooked completely and all liquid is almost dry.
2. Remove the chicken in a plate and let it cool.
3. Meanwhile beat eggs adding salt and coriander leaves. Take bread crumbs in a flat plate.
4. Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Coat the chicken with bread crumbs and then with beaten egg and deep fry till golden. It's ready to serve.

Pomfret Head Curry

We koknis love seafood. Whether it is fresh or dried it has to be on our dining table at least twice a week. (In villages we eat fresh fish and prawns everyday.. yeah literally everyday!) Though we like all type of fish but for some reasons pomfret and few other types and more favourite. There are several traditional ways to cook fish and this is one of those authentic Kokni recipes. Pomfret heads cooked in coconut milk based curry. This might sound bland at first or by looks but it actually tastes so good that you will definitely love it (iff you like fish). You can use of the pomfret or any part but we prefer heads for this curry and other half of the fish goes either for frying or  for red spicy tomato based fish gravy.

Pomfret Head Curry Recipe

Ingredients:

4 pomfret heads
1 medium sized onion
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/8th teaspoon turmeric powder
2 pieces of kokum OR a piece of khatai
A sprig of curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
3 cloves of garlic
1 green chili
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup thick coconut milk +1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Take finely sliced onion in a pot add coriander powder, salt, oil and mix well then add some water and let it cook for sometime on high flame and add washed pomfret pieces ( preferably heads for this curry). Add a piece of khatai or kokam and cook covered till its almost dry.

2. When it's a bit cooled down add coconut milk and bring to a boil.
3. Then give tadka. Heat oil in tadka pan and add curry leaves, zeera, rai, garlic and green chili (optional).
4. Serve with boiled rice with a side fried fish, fried papad and spicy lemon pickle.

Banana Puri Recipe | Khaja Recipe

No! this isn’t made from bananas and I don’t know why it’s called banana puri. There is no banana neither it’s shape (yeah some people roll them elongated to resemble banana though) but it has nothing to do with banana anyway. They are also called ‘khaja’ again for some unknown reasons lol.

Banana Puri Recipe:

So, here are the ingredients you require to make these scrumptious puris:

2 cups all purpose flour (maida)

1/2 cup melted ghee

1/2 cup cold milk

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

A pinch of saffron

A pinch of salt

Water if required for kneading

Oil for deep frying

Some dry flour and oil to roll and stick the sheets

Powdered sugar or sugar syrup as required

Method:

Mix flour, baking powder and salt and sift in a bowl. Sprinkle cardamom powder and saffron.

Break eggs in a small bowl and add beaten eggs and ghee (at room temperature) to the flour and knead well with the help of milk. If required, you can use water but not more than 1 tablespoon at a time.

When you get a smooth dough, divide it into golf ball size portions and roll out very thin sheets.

Take one sheet on the rolling surface and apply some oil then sprinkle a pinch of dry flour and stick another sheet. Stick 5-7 sheets at a time then flatten with the help of rolling pin and start folding in to make a roll and cut into one inch thick discs.

Now gently roll out these discs either into a circle or into elongated banana shape.

Deep fry these puris and either dip in sugar syrup or if you don’t want them to be too sweet just sprinkle some powdered sugar. Don’t forget to add cardamom powder to your sugar in any form.

You can store them in a jar for 2 weeks.

PHOTO COURTESY: Ash JK

Sukdi Recipe | Sweet Poha with Grated Coconut

Photo courtesy: Asma Dhanshe 💗

Another poha (flattened rice) breakfast that's healthy but sweet! Sukdi is famous as a wedding dish that's served on chiksa day which is a day before nikah when sukdi is served as a snack with evening tea along with some savoury snacks like samosa etc. And potato wafers and even jalebi and laddoo. If there's no kokni wedding happening around in the near future and you can't wait to have this amazing poha dish then go ahead and make it for breakfast or just as a snack. You can find the recipe here:

Sukdi Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups thick poha
1 cup freshly grated coconut
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons rose water (or vanilla essence)
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Take pohe in a strainer and run cold water over it. Lightly press to get rid of any excess water.
2. Now take this poha in a mixing bowl and add grated coconut and give a mix.
3. Then add all the ingredients and mix well with a flat spatula. Leave it covered for a few minutes so that all the flavours get incorporated. Serve cold.