Bombay Street Food Special #2 – Bhajiyas (Vegetable Fritters)

by Trisha Vaz
UPDATE: Edited to add a video recipe using the same great recipe.

For the second edition of the Bombay Street Food Special, I’ve chosen Bhajiyas. These are nothing but vegetable fritters. My mum used to make this for us as an after school snack and we always enjoyed it piping hot with some spicy tomato sauce. Today I’m going to share with you not one, but two, yes two types of bhajiyas and based on these, there’s a whole range of vegetables you can use to increase the variety. Have this with a piping hot cup of tea, there’s nothing better than this on a rainy day.

This one’s for all the potato lovers out there.

Aloo Bhajiyas (Potato Fritters)


2 potatoes, peeled and sliced and kept aside in salted water (Take some water in a bowl, drop in about 1/2 tsp. salt and stir.) till you’re ready to fry.
Oil, for deep frying


For the batter – 
1/2 cup besan (chickpea flour)
Salt, to taste
A pinch of turmeric powder
A pinch or two of red chilli powder
1/4 tsp. ajwain (carom seeds)
Water

Mix all the dry ingredients together and gradually add the water, a little bit at a time, till you get it to a dripping batter. It shouldn’t be too thin, it should coat the back of a spoon. (If its too thick, add a little water, if its too runny, add some more besan). Ensure you are left with a lump free batter.

Heat oil for deep frying.

When the oil is hot, pick up the potato slices from the salted water and drain off any excess water, dip well in batter till its coated and carefully drop it into the oil.

Fry on both sides till it gets a nice golden brown on a medium flame. Drain on some kitchen paper.

Serve hot with some spicy tomato ketchup.

If you have any excess batter, you can either slice up some more potatoes and make some more of these delicious fritters or you can use it for the next kind of fritters. You’ll see how in just a bit.

In the same manner, you can make fritters using cauliflower florets or spinach leaves (dip whole spinach leaves into the batter) instead of the potatoes and the same batter.

Kanda Bhajiyas (Spicy Onion Fritters)


2 onions, sliced
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
1/2 cup besan (chickpea flour)
Salt, to taste
A pinch of turmeric powder
A pinch or two of red chilli powder
1/4 tsp. ajwain (carom seeds)
Water 
Oil, for deep frying
Mix all the ingredients except the water in a bowl. 
Add water a little at a time to form a medium consistency batter. It shouldn’t be too thick or too thin. 
Heat the oil. Carefully, using a spoon, place spoonfuls of the batter into the oil. Leave to cook, untouched for a few seconds. Then turn them around to ensure even cooking on all sides using a medium flame. 
Once they’ve turned a nice brown, drain on some kitchen paper. Serve hot.
Make sure you don’t burn them, or you’ll be left with bitter-ish fritters.
Serve hot with some tomato ketchup.
You can also add some grated lauki (bottle gourd) to the mix and make some lauki bhajiyas. If using grated lauki or bottle gourd, peel and grate it in advance. Sprinkle some salt and keep aside for about half an hour. Squeeze out all the water from the grated vegetable and add it to the mix.
So there you go, using these two methods, you can make atleast five different types of fritters, using a variety of vegetables.
Go on then, give it a try and tell me what you think of it!
These recipes have been linked to – 

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Goan Recipes, Recipes, Snacks, Starters / Appetizers, Vegan

Bean and Spinach Bake

by Trisha Vaz
This is a baked dish that I really enjoy. I’ve been making it for about 4 years now, though I don’t make it very often. I’ll bet you’re wondering why. Let me start by telling you that this is one tasty concoction, however, my husband isn’t fond of baked beans. He isn’t a very picky eater and he’s had to sample some of my not so good creations as well, and I must say he does that without complaining. But his opinion of whatever I make means the world to me. And to make up for it, I try and keep his not so favorite stuff to a minimum. So if I’m having folks over for dinner or I’m cooking a bunch of other stuff as well, thats when I sneak this one in. This is a recipe from Nita Mehta’s Continental Cooking for the Indian Kitchen.  

 
 
Bean and Spinach Bake
Serves 8
 
200 gms mushrooms, sliced
100 gms baby corn, cut into 1/4″ thick round slices
3 tbsp. butter
4-5 cups spinach leaves, finely chopped
1 cup tinned baked bins
1/2 tsp. red chilli flakes
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
4 tbsp. bread crumbs
50 gms mozzarella cheese
For the sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. cornflour (Sometimes, I use all purpose flour and it works just fine)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3-4 flakes garlic, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
Crushed black peppercorns, to taste
In a pan, add 1 tbsp. butter and cook the spinach till all the water dries out.
Stir fry for a couple of minutes, till it appears fried.
Add bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. The bread crumbs prevent the spinach from turning runny.
Transfer to a shallow baking dish.
Layer the baked beans over it.
In the same pan used to cook the spinach, heat 2 tbsp. butter.
Add the mushrooms and baby corn and sauté for 5-7 minutes till it starts getting brown spots. 
 
Add red chilli flakes, salt and pepper to taste.
 
Arrange this over the baked beans.
 
Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together in the same pan used to cook the veggies and cook stirring till it thickens and begins coating the back of the spoon. 
 
Pour the sauce over the baby corn and mushrooms. 
 
Grate cheese on top. 
 
Bake at 200ºC for 15 minutes.




This recipe is linked to – 
Tasty Tuesdays
Tasty Tuesday
What’s on the Menu Wednesday 
Real Food Wednesday

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Mains, Recipes, Vegetarian

Salads at the Barbecue Party #2 – Simple Tuna Salad

by Trisha Vaz
Here’s another easy peasy salad that can be thrown together in minutes. You don’t even need to make a dressing. But I must say this is delicious tossed in some mayonnaise. Since I was looking for fresh sides to go with all the meat at the barbecue party, I skipped the mayonnaise. Its also healthier without the mayo and equally tasty. But don’t take my word for it. Try it out yourself and let me know what twist you put on it. What I love about these kind of salads is their versatility. Sometimes, I also add olives, lettuce, cucumber, pickles and some bell peppers to the salad. Really, you can add whatever you’d like in your salad and leave out whatever you don’t fancy. 



Simple Tuna Salad


1 small can of tuna flakes
3 large onions, chopped
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
Sour lime juice, to taste

Toss all the ingredients in a bowl.

Check for salt and sourness and adjust accordingly. It’s always better to start with a small amount of salt and lime juice. You can always add more after tasting, but if it’s too salty or too sour,  there’s not much you can do, except add more veggies and fish to the bowl.

Also, most canned tuna is also salted. So taste the salad before you add any salt to it.

Have fun!

This recipe is linked to –
Hearth and Soul
Made By You Monday
Tuesdays at the Table
Tuesday’s Tasty Tidbits
Tuesday Night Supper Club
Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Goan Recipes, Recipes, Salads

Aloo Parathas – Whole Wheat Flatbread with a savory potato stuffing

by Trisha Vaz
There are many variants of the paratha that are made across the country. All sorts of veggies can be used for the stuffing. I hope to share some of the others with you soon. Today, I’m going to share with you one of our absolute favorites. This takes a little time and effort so I usually make these parathas when my husband has the day off and we don’t have to rush anywhere early in the day. A lot of folks serve this with plain curds and a spicy pickle. Personally, we find curds a little too tart for breakfast and pickle isn’t really our breakfast thingie. We like to have it plain and with a dollop of butter on top. Ooh yummy! The thought of it makes my mouth water. The recipe is very simple. I do hope you give it a try. Let me know what you think of it.

Aloo Parathas


For the dough – 
3 cups wholewheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Water

Mix the flour and the salt well.

Bind with a little water at a time to form a soft pliable dough. The dough should not be sticky.

If you find the dough sticky, add some more whole wheat flour. If the dough is too dry and difficult to knead, add a little water.

Knead well, roll into a ball, cover with a damp cloth and keep aside while you make the filling.

For the filling – 
3 potatoes, boiled
1-2 onions, finely chopped
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 tbsp. fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. cumin powder
1/4 tsp. amchur (dry mango) powder (optional)
Salt, to taste (Make sure the mix is sufficiently salted)

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well to make sure all the ingredients are well mixed. Adjust seasoning, if needed.

Shape into balls about the size of a ping pong ball and keep aside.

To assemble – 
Shape the dough into balls a little bigger than the ones made for the filling.

Roll the dough into 4″ disc on a lightly floured surface, making sure it doesn’t stick to the work area. Don’t flip the dough over while rolling.

Place the disc in the palm of your add, add a few drops of clarified butter / ghee on the side facing you and spread it out on the disc.

Place a ball of the filling in the centre and bring the sides of the dough together and press to seal the edges. Roll between your palms to form a ball again, without pressing. (The layer of dough around the filling shouldn’t be too thin or else the filling will come out and burn while roasting).

Roll this out to a disc on a floured surface. Don’t roll too thin.

Place this on a well heated tawa / griddle and roast for a while moving it around till light brown spots appear on one side. Turn over and cook on the other side till light brown spots appear on the other side as well.

To finish off, spoon a few drops of clarified butter on the paratha and spread. Flip over and repeat this on  the other side letting it roast for a few seconds after you add the clarified butter to the side.

Serve hot with butter and a mug of hot coffee.

You can leave out the clarified butter if you want an even healthier version, but it does wonders for the taste.

If you have any dough or filling left over, simply refrigerate and use the next day.

You can also make a plain paratha by simply rolling out the dough, spreading with ghee, wrap, re-roll and roast it without the filling. This can be served with your favorite jam or cheese or scrambled eggs or an omelette or anything else you’d fancy.

This recipe is linked to –
Meatless Mondays @ Midnight Maniac
Mouthwatering Mondays @ A Southern Fairytale
Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent
What’s Cooking Wednesday
Just Another Meatless Monday
My Meatless Monday

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Bread, Breakfast, Recipes

Vanilla Custard In Guava Cups

by Trisha Vaz
This is a fairly simple dessert that my mum used to surprise us with every once in a while. I still have fond memories of coming home to be greeted to some of this. As a child, I think this was one of my favorite desserts. It is so simple to make, yet tastes divine. I used some Brown & Polson Vanilla Custard, but I’ve always wanted to try making my own custard. I’ll probably do that the next time I make this. I can’t believe I haven’t made this on my own before. This dessert is served refrigerated, so its lovely for the summer months when you need to take an edge off the heat. I consider this one a healthy dessert and I’m sure you’ll agree once you’ve taken a look at the list of ingredients.

Vanilla Custard in Guava Cups


For the Vanilla Custard –
1/2 litre milk
2 tbps custard powder
3-4 tbsp. sugar, superfine or to taste

Mix the custard powder and the sugar with the cold milk.

Place on a medium flame, stirring continuously till it has thickened.

Cool and refrigerate.

For the Guava Cups – 
3 guavas, ripe but firm and not bruised (Use as many guavas as you would need to serve the number of people for the meal. You can serve half a guava to a person.)
1 1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
5 cloves

Wash and cut the guavas in half. Cut off the brown parts near where the stem would’ve been.

In a large vessel, place the guavas cut side up.

Pour enough water to reach a little over the top of the guavas and add the sugar.

Bring to a boil and continue cooking till the seed portion of the guavas start popping out of the flesh.

At this point, you can pick out the guavas using a slotted spoon, cool the stewing liquid and place the guavas back in it and refrigerate till you’re ready to serve.

I picked out the guavas and let the sugar syrup continue boiling till it had thickened a little.

The stewed guavas are delicious even by themselves.

For Assembly – 
When you’re ready to serve, scoop out the guava seeds and discard. Place the guava on the serving plate/bowl.

Spoon out the chilled custard into the guava cup. I always like a little extra custard for me.

Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to –
Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent
Fun with Food Fridays
Sweets for a Saturday

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Cakes, Cookies & Desserts, Dessert, Goan Recipes, Recipes

Salads at the Barbecue Party #1 – Easy Corn Salsa

by Trisha Vaz
I know, I know, it’s been over a fortnight since the barbecue party and I still haven’t posted a lot of the recipes. I’m sorry about that. It’s just been really busy around here and that coupled with a little weekend getaway and a couple of projects I’m working on (more on that later), left me wondering where the days went. Before I get absorbed in the days chores, I’ve decided to start putting up the other recipes one at a time. I also want to mention that these recipes make quite a bit, so please adjust the quantities to suit your requirements.

Easy Corn Salsa

1 cup corn kernels, boiled
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped (optional)
Salt, to taste
Sour lime juice, to taste
Crushed black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. Chopped fresh coriander leaves
To boil, the corn kernels, I put it in a pan with a little water and a pinch of salt. Don’t add too much water. Once it comes to a boil, I simmer it for a minute or 2 on a low flame. I like it to have a little bit of crunch. But you can boil it to suit your liking.
In a bowl, tip in all the vegetables.
Add the salt, lime juice and pepper to taste.
Add the chopped coriander leaves.
Toss again. Cover and refrigerate till you’re ready to serve.

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Recipes, Salads, Vegan

Crumb fried prawns

by Trisha Vaz
Whenever I pick up fresh prawns from the market, I always reserve a few to crumb fry. There’s hardly any prep involved and prawns cook really fast. So this is ideal for a weeknight as well. They turn out nice and tender and the crumb coat gives it a nice crunch. Really, nothing could be simpler. You should try this, you really should. Serve this alongside a nice fresh salad and some crusty bread and you’re good to go. This is not so much a recipe but some guidelines that you can use to create this sea food delight. Feel free to tweak it to suit your taste.

Crumb Fried Prawns


15 prawns, shelled and de-veined (Simply adjust the number of prawns based on the number of people you need to serve)
Salt, to taste
Juice of about 1/4 of a sour lime (A dash of apple cider vinegar can be used instead of the lime or a combination of the two. The apple cider vinegar adds a nice flavor to any sea food.)
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. chilly powder
A bowl of bread crumbs, to coat
1-2 tbsp. oil, for frying

Sprinkle the salt, lime juice, turmeric powder and chilly powder over the cleaned prawns. Toss the prawns well in this marinade.Set aside for atleast 15 minutes. (If you are in a hurry then  minutes will do, but if it sits in the marinade a little longer, the prawns are well flavored.)

After resting the prawns in the marinade, dredge the prawns in the bread crumbs, making sure that each prawn is well coated with the bread crumbs.

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry the prawns on a medium flame, adding more oil if needed.

Watch the pan closely and don’t allow the prawns to burn. Drain the prawns well and serve with a wedge of lime. (The lime wedge is optional.) All the little crumb pieces that fall away are really delicious too. I never throw them away. I simply add them to the serving plate.

Remember, all the measures of the ingredients need to be adjusted to taste. So have fun and let me know how  it goes!

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Goan Recipes, Recipes, Sides, Starters / Appetizers

Floral Fondant Anniversary Cakes

by Trisha Vaz
Over the weekend, I got a call for an order of a couple of anniversary cakes. This client was very easy to work with. She wanted something floral on a white background, she was also okay with me using fresh flowers if I was short on time. It was very short notice since she needed the cakes for Monday evening so I had to stick with something simple yet pretty to look at. Since she was so understanding of the short notice, I decided to go all out and do simple sugar flowers for her anyway. Well, that meant a super busy day and a late (**yawn**) night. But I must say I was pleased with the outcome. Never had I imagined that such simple blossoms could lift a cake from being plain to something pretty. And the best part is, she loved them. Client delight (not just client satisfaction) is what makes it all worth it.

Everything was made from scratch. The base was a rich, dark fruit cake, covered with a layer of homemade marzipan and homemade fondant. The flowers were made of fondant.

I was free to use any colors I wanted. So for the first cake, I opted for some bright spring – summer colors.

Here’s a view of the side of the cake –

For the second cake, I went with pink. One can never go wrong with pink.

Here’s what the sides looked like –

These cakes are linked to –
Rook No.17
Thrilling Thursdays @ Paisley Passions
Crazy for Cakes @ Now Serving

Crazy for Cakes 3

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Recipes