Sukho Galmo ( Dry small shrimp dish)

I like seafood but am not much of a galmo fan, but my husband likes fish a lot so made this for him.

Ingredients.

2 cups Galmo (dry small shrimp), washed and rinsed twice with water,

1 medium onion, chopped fine,

1 tomato, chopped into 1 inch pieces,

2 new potatoes, chopped into 1 inch pieces,

1/2 tsp turmeric powder,

1 tbsp paprika,

5 tbsp coconut milk,

2 tbsp garam masala,

5-6 pieces of sola (kokum),

1 tsp salt,

1 tbsp oil.

Method.

• Heat oil in a pan on medium heat add the chopped onions and potatoes and stir fry till they are well coated with the oil.
• Next add the salt, turmeric powder, paprika, garam masala and a couple of tbsp of water.
• Reduce heat to low , cover the pan and let the potatoes cook til tender.
• Then add the washed galmo(dry shrimp), chopped tomato, sola(kokum) and the coconut milk. Adjust water for the consistency.
• Cover again and cook till everything is well cooked and blended.
• Serve with hot steamed rice and may be a simple bhaji like beans bhaji.

Note.

I got galmo (dry small shrimp ) from a Chinese store.

This is not a traditional goan recipe but sometimes I cook fresh shrimp in this manner too, so well decided to make the galmo in that manner.

I get my stock of kokum when I visit goa, India.

My Kitchen Garden Produce.

Loads of baby red potatoes, odd shaped zucchinis and fresh mint from my kitchen garden.

French Beans Bhaji.

Simple beans bhaji with new potatoes from my kitchen garden.

Ingredients.

1 lb/ 500gms french beans, chopped into 1 cm pieces,

1/2 small onion, chopped,

2 small new potatoes, diced, (I used potatoes from my kitchen garden),

1/2 tsp turmeric powder,

1/2 tsp garam masala(mild),

2 tbsp grated coconut.

1 tbsp oil,

1/2tsp mustard seeds,

1/2 tsp cumin seeds,

1 tsp salt.

Method.

• Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and let them splutter, then add onion and diced potato and the salt.
  Mix well and add few tbsps of water, cover the pan and reduce heat to low and let the potato cook slightly.
• Next add the chopped french beans and the rest of the ingredients.
• Cover and let the beans and the potato cook till tender.

Note.

I added dry coconut to the bhaji. I usually add dry coconut for bhajis and let it cook with the vegetable so that way the dry coconut gets moisture and flavour from the vegetables and the spices.

Dahi Kadhi.

This kadhi is made in Gujarat / Rajasthan/ Punjab and may be some other states of India too.

I love the Gujarati version of slightly sweet dahi kadhi very much.

Ingredients.

2 cups plain yogurt,

2 cups water,

2 tbsp chickpea flour(besan),

2 tbsp sugar,

1tsp salt,

1/2 tsp turmeric powder,

1 tbsp minced ginger,

1 green chilly, minced,

For the Tadka(tempering).

2 tbsp oil,

1 tsp mustard seeds,

1 tsp cumin seeds,

4 cloves,

1 inch piece of cinnamon,

pinch of hing,

3 dry red chillies,

7-8 kadipatta leaves(curry leaves),

cilantro for garnish.

Method.

• Mix yogurt, water, besan, sugar, salt, minced ginger, minced green chilly, and turmeric powder till everything is well mixed and there are no lumps.
• Pour this mixture in a pan and keep the flame on medium heat, keep stirring till there is a rolling boil in the mixture.
• Then reduce heat to low and cook for 15-18 minutes , stirring all the while.
• Heat oil in another pan on medium heat and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing, cloves, cinnamon, curry leaves, dry red chilly.
• When the seeds start to splutter pour it in the yogurt besan mixture, stir well and cook for another 5-8 minutes till the kadhi gets a smooth velvety look.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with rice.

Note.

Can make white kadhi by simply omitting the turmeric powder.

Can add any pakoda, vegetables or boondi to the kadhi.

The key step for this kadhi is to pour the yogurt-besan mixture into a pan and then heat the pan and then later add the oil-spices tempering. This way there is no chance for the buttermilk mixture to curdle. And the dahi kadhi gets a velvety smooth taste and look to it.

I have noticed that if you make the tempering first and then add the buttermilk-besan mixture into the hot pan there are chances that it might curdle.

Ma's Birthday / Ma's Vanilla Cake.

Today is Ma's birthday, she would have turned 63 years old today.

Ma always made cakes for our birthdays and I always helped her in the mixing when she made the cakes. When I was old enough to bake I started baking the cake by myself for Ma's birthday and that made her really happy and proud that I could bake too.

We did not have a oven, so Ma kept a thick ( kayl/thick kadahi )pan on the gas stove, then she kept the baking pan with the batter on the very hot tava and then she finally covered it with a very wide deep vessel(toop) and reduced the heat to medium and baked the cake till done, usually about 35-40 minutes.

This cake is for you Ma if you are seeing over me.

This is Ma's recipe of simple vanilla cake.

Ingredients.

3 eggs,

2 and 1/2 cups of all purpose flour,

2 cups sugar,

1/2 cup butter, room temperature,

1 tsp baking powder,

1/2 tsp baking soda,

1 tsp vanilla essence.

3/4-1 cup milk or more( to get cake batter consistency)

Method.

• Preheat oven to 350 F.


• In a bowl mix flour, baking powder and baking soda, keep aside.


• In another bowl beat eggs for 2 minutes with an electric beater, then add soft butter and beat for another 2 minutes.


• Next add the sugar and beat till everything is well incorporated.


• Gradually add the flour mixture 1 tbsp at a time, till all the flour mixture is used up.


• Finally add the vanilla essence and mix well.


• Grease and flour a deep 10 inch baking pan(round or square). Pour the batter into the pan and bake in oven for 45-50 minutes. test by pricking a clean toothpick into the cake, if the toothpick comes out clean then the cake is done, if there is some sticky batter on the toothpick then allow cake to bake for some more minutes.


• Once cake is done, take it out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.


• Run a knife around the edge of the cake pan.


• Then take cake out of pan and cool on wire rack till cooled completely.


• Eat plain or apply frosting of your choice.

Note.

I baked this cake in a 10 inch spring form pan.

Ma always said add the essence last as that way the cake gets more essence flavour. So I always follow that tip for any cake that I bake, no matter when the recipe says to add the essence. :)

Can add 2 tbsp cocoa powder to make chocolate cake.

Also add any kind of chopped nuts or tutti frutti to cake to make a variation.

Ma usually added cream( in place of the milk) that we get in India after we heat the milk.

I decided to add milk instead.