My Cook Book

another summer cooler that is easily available in goa is kokum sherbet. it is available in small cans and bottles in every store here.

i usually avoid buying the readymade kokum sherbet as i find them too sweet and also white sugar is added to it. i prefer to make my own kokum sherbet.

kokum also known as garcinia indica is a fruit bearing plant from the mangosteen family. the plant yields dark red colored fruits. you can see the dark red color fruits in the below pics. read more about kokum here on wiki.
the outer cover of the fruit is dried in the sun to get what we call as kokum or aamsol. after drying they yield blackish purple color. they are sour to taste and have a sweetish aroma.

this dried kokum is used to sour curries, dals and veggie dishes in the maharashtrian, gujarati, konkan, kerala and goan cuisine. it is mostly used to sour fish & prawn curries in the malvan and goan cuisine.

the dried fruit is a mildly souring agent. i add the kokum to my dals as well as make kokum curry-sol kadhi from it.
ingredients

    1 cup kokum fruits, chopped or dry kokums
    2 cups water
    2 cups sugar
    5-6 cardamoms powdered or crushed
    1 tsp roasted cumin powder
    a pinch or two of black salt or salt (optional)

method:

    rinse the kokum fruits in water. (see notes below on making the sherbet from dry kokum)
    chop the fruits and remove the seeds.
    keep the pulp and the outer cover.
    grind the fruit and pulp with little water.
    strain the whole kokum mixture.
    boil the sugar and water until the syrup becomes a little thick.
    cool the sugar syrup and then add the strained kokum mixture to it.
    add the roasted cumin powder and powdered cardamom.
    mix well.
    store in a jar or bottle and refrigerate.
    when serving, dissolve 1 or 2 tbsp of the kokum sherbet in one glass of water.
    add ice cubes and serve chilled.

my notes
follow this method if making the kokum sherbet from dry kokum peels:

1: rinse the dry kokum in water.

2: soak them in 2 cups of water for 3-4 hours.

3: collect the kokum in a blender and reserve the water.

4: grind them with some of the reserved water to a smooth mixture.

5: boil sugar with the remaining reserved water till the mixture becomes thick.

6: cool the sugar syrup and then add the kokum mixture to it.

7: add the powdered cardamom and cumin powder.

8: mix well and store in an airtight bottle or jar in the fridge.

if you do not want to make sugar syrup, then just dissolve the sugar in the kokum extract. in this case you don't need 2 cups of water. just 1 cup water can be used to soak the dry kokums and then grind them to a smooth paste. also you will need 1 cup sugar. 


recently when buying veggies in the local market, i saw these red kokum fruits and had to buy it. i knew instantly what i was going to make from these red lovelies.
usually i make kokum sherbet from dry kokums. this is the first time i made the sherbet from fresh kokum fruits. if you can manage to get semi dry or dry kokums than do make kokum sherbet at home. they are the best cooling fruits in nature.

when you slice the kokums into two there will be the outer cover and the soft pulp inside with the seeds. these kokums which i had were very ripe. the outer shell had a very sour and a mild sweet taste while the inner pulp was very sour.
i sliced them all into two. removed the seeds with the pulp. then removed the pulp also. discarded the seeds. chopped the outer cover. put them in a blender and blended till smooth.
then strained the entire mixture and kept aside…. i forgot to take a pic of this one.
you can now add sugar to the strained mixture or cook sugar with water till the sugar dissolves. make a thick sugar syrup. then add the strained kokum extract to the sugar solution when it cools. spice the sherbet with some powdered cardamom and cumin.

the sherbet has to be refrigerated. store in an airtight jar or a bottle. for a serving of one glass of water, add 1-2 tablespoon of the kokum sherbet. serve chilled with ice cubes added to the sherbet.
a few health benefits of kokum:

    kokum is one of the best natural coolants for the body.
    it is excellent in reducing the pitta dosha as per ayurveda.
    kokum sherbet and kokum curry helps in digestion and improves the appetite.
    rich in vitamin c and is an anti oxidant.
    kokum is also used to treat heat rash. on a side note i remember my mom rubbing the kokum on the heat rash which we would get as kids.

so what are you waiting for…. beat the heat this summer with this refreshing and rejuvenating summer drink.
note: please check my notes  on how to make kokum sherbet from dry kokum.

now for a spicy and hot recipe of mushroom vindaloo… vindaloo/vindalho is a portuguese goan recipe and is usually made with chicken or pork. i have seen the pork & chicken vindaloo featured in many of the restaurants’ menus in goa.

the portuguese goan cuisine offers really good recipes like xacuti recipe, ambotik recipe, cafrael recipe, bafad recipe, sorpotel recipe… but they are all made with meat. so the only option for vegetarians is to make the same recipe with veggies or eggs if you are an eggetarian.

generally the vindaloo paste is made and the meat is marinated in the paste. however, for vegetables you don’t need to do this, as whilst cooking the veggies will absorb the flavors of the vindaloo paste.
what you need to make the vindaloo paste is some dry red chilies, our usual indian whole garam masala and vinegar, preferably malt vinegar. using kashmiri red chilies gives a nice red tinge to the vindaloo.

vindaloo is best had with plain boiled rice or the goan bread/pav. the spiciness of the dish can be reduced by using less amount of red chilies.

adding fried potatoes is optional and you could skip this part if you do not want potatoes in the vindaloo. but let me tell you, potatoes taste good in the vindaloo.

this recipe of mushroom vindaloo is strongly flavored with the spices and is a fiery, hot and very spicy recipe. reduce the amount of red chilies, ginger, garlic and spices if you want a less spicy mushroom vindaloo.

so here we go with the step by step recipe pictorial of mushroom vindaloo recipe…

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Serving Size: 4-5

ingredients

    For the Vindaloo Paste:
    10-11 kashmiri red chilies, deseeded
    2 tbsp coriander seeds
    1 tbsp cumin seeds
    4 cloves each of 1 inch
    2 inches piece of ginger
    11-12 small to medium sized garlic
    1 tsp turmeric powder
    3 tbsp vinegar/malt vinegar
    For the Vindaloo:
    2 packet of button mushrooms, rinsed and chopped
    2 medium sized potatoes, cubed
    2 medium sized onions, chopped
    2 green chilies, chopped
    4 green cardamoms
    4-5 cloves
    10-12 black peppercorns
    3/4 cup oil
    1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
    2 to 3 cups water (add more water if you want a thin curry)
    salt to taste

method:

    Preparing the Vindaloo Masala Paste:
    Grind all the spices and herbs mentioned for the vindaloo masala paste with vinegar to a smooth paste.
    Preparing the Mushroom Vindaloo:
    heat oil and fry the potato cubes. drain and keep aside.
    in the same pan, fry the whole spices which are cardamom, cloves and peppercorns.
    once they sizzle, add the chopped onions & fry till they become transparent.
    now add the masala paste and fry the paste for some 12-15 minutes on a low flame.
    keep on stirring the paste in between to ensure it does not get burnt.
    add the green chiles and mushrooms and mix these well with the vindaloo paste.
    saute the mushroom for 8-10 minutes.
    add water, salt and simmer the gravy for 10-12 mins.
    finally add the fried potatoes and simmer for 1 minute.
    garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.


lets begin with the masala ingredients. in the pic below you see all the ingredients for making the vindaloo paste.
take all of the above from the plate to the grinder jar. add turmeric powder.
add vinegar and grind to a smooth paste.
peel, wash and chop potatoes into cubes. deep fry the potato cubes in oil and keep them aside.
in the same pan, add some more oil if required. sizzle the cardamoms, cloves and black peppercorns.
add onions and fry till they become transparent.
now add the vindaloo masala paste.
and start frying the vindaloo paste for some 12-15 mins on a low flame.
add the green chilies.
add the chopped mushrooms and mix the mushrooms plus green chilies with the masala paste.
saute the mushrooms in the paste. they will start to leave water and the whole mixture will become moist. no issues…. continue to saute the mushrooms for 8-10 minutes.
then add water according to the desired consistency you want. i made it a little watery.
add salt and cook the mushroom vindaloo for some more 10-12 minutes. add the fried potatoes and simmer for a minute.
finally garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with cooked plain rice.
tips:

    while grinding the paste with vinegar, if the paste is too dry and you are not able to grind it… add some water to make the paste moist and for ease of grinding.
    i have cooked the mushrooms while making the vindaloo, but if you have the time and patience, you could also fry the mushrooms and keep aside. once you have fried the masala paste well, add water and let it simmer. then you add the fried mushrooms and potatoes and simmer for 8-10 minutes so that the mushrooms absorbs the flavors of the vindaloo paste.
    i have used kashmiri red chilies, but you could use any kind of red chilies or even a combination of red chilies.
    the vindaloo can also be made with veggies like aubergines, cauliflower, mix veggies and also tofu and paneer. if using tofu or paneer, then marinate the tofu/paneer with the vindaloo paste for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
    reduce the number of chilies if you want the vindaloo to be less spicy.
    if you are not going to fry the potatoes, then use 3 tbsp oil instead of 3/4 cup oil.

Now what is a Thoran:

    Thoran is a traditional Kerala dry vegetable recipe made with grated or finely chopped vegetables like yam (suran), bittergourd (karela) , cabbage (bandh gobhi), carrots (gajar) , beans (beans like chawli beans, french beans) , red amaranth leaves , drumsticks or drumstick leaves. The basic ingredients in which the vegetables are cooked are shallots, coconut, curry leaves, mustard seeds, turmeric powder, green chili or red chili and coconut oil.

    Thoran is one of the dishes that is served in the Sadya along with the other dishes. ( A Sadya is a grand feast where a vegetarian meal comprising of various dishes is served on a plantain/banana leaf.)
There are some variations of the thoran like adding ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, chili powder, using onions instead of shallots. In fact, my mom used to make a thoran of all the vegetables mentioned above.

If you do not like the raw taste of beetroot, than you should try this recipe. Its great. It goes very well with rotis, parathas and specially the Kerala Parota and even cooked rice. You could also have this recipe as a side dish.

In this recipe, I wanted some spiciness that would soften the sweetness of beetroot and coconut. So, I added both red chili and green chili along with ginger. I also added coriander powder, red chili powder and crushed whole garam masala. This was my variation to this recipe and the beetroot thoran was awesome and great.

You have to chop the beetroots finely. You could also use grated beetroot which will cook faster than chopped beetroots.

For all those who do not have fresh coconut, you could easily substitute with dry or dessicated coconut. Of course fresh coconut has a different taste, but the thoran tastes equally good with dessicated coconut too.
Ingredients for the Beetroot Thoran (Serves 4):

1.     2 beetroots ( chopped or grated)
2.     4 tsbp  grated fresh coconut
3.     1 tsp mustard seeds
4.     1/2 tsp cumin seeds
5.     4-5 shallots (chopped into 4 pieces)
6.     10-12 curry leaves (whole or chopped)
7.     1 whole red chili
8.     1 green chili, finely chopped
9.     3/4 tsp finely chopped ginger
10.     1 tsp turmeric powder
11.     1/4 tsp red chili powder
12.     1 tsp coriander powder
13.     1 cardamom, 2 peppercorns, 1/2 ” cinnamon, 1 clove ( crushed to a medium coarse powder in a pestle and mortar)
14.     2 tbsp coconut oil
15.     salt

How to make the Beetroot Thoran:

1.     Heat the coconut oil in a kadai or wok.
2.     Add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the cumin seeds.
3.     The cumin seeds will start to sizzle now. Immediately add the shallots and curry leaves.
4.     Fry the shallots on a medium flame for 2 minutes.
5.     Now add the whole red chili,  chopped green chili and ginger.
6.     Fry for a minute.
7.     Add all the dry masala powders including the crushed and powdered whole garam masala.
8.     Fry for a half a minute and then add the beetroot.
9.     Mix the chopped beetroot with the rest of the spices.
10.     Add the grated coconut and salt
11.     Cover and cook the beetroot till it is done.
12.     To facilitate faster coking of the beetroot, you could add some 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup of water to the beetroot. Cover it and cook.
13.     Serve with rice, chapatis or even parathas.

P.S: The pics are of the same recipe. Its looks different in all the 4 pics that I have posted. Thats due to variations in the lighting and the settings of the camera.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Serving Size: 4

ingredients

    5-6 tomatoes
    1 large capsicum or 2 small capsicum
    1 large onion or 2 small onions
    1 inch ginger
    6-7 garlic flakes
    1/4 or 1/2 cup fresh coconut or dry coconut
    1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera powder
    1 tsp cumin seeds
    3 cloves
    1 inch cinnamon
    3 tbsp oil
    2 cups rice
    salt
    water
    coriander leaves and fresh coconut for garnishing

method:

1.     slice the onions and capsicum.
2.     make a smooth and fine paste of the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, coconut, green chillies, cinnamon, cloves, jeera powder.
3.     clean and wash the rice. you can also soak the rice for 20-25 minutes.
4.     in a pan heat oil or ghee.
5.     fry the cumin seeds, bay leaves.
6.     add the sliced onions and brown them.
7.     now add the sliced capsicum and saute for 2-3 minutes.
8.     measure the masala paste in a measuring cup and add it.
9.     for 2 cups of rice you will need 4 cups of the paste.
10.     if the paste yield is less then add water.
11.     add salt and cover and cook the rice till its done.
12.     garnish with fresh grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves
13.     serve hot. 

i wonder why its called tomato rice and not tomato capsicum rice. in the sheets that were handed out to us it was called tomato rice. since it uses less numbers of capsicum than tomatoes, at least logically for me i also decide to call it tomato rice.

lets begin the step by step recipe of tomato rice

you will need fresh juicy red tomatoes. of course i know you know that, but i have to write something…
chop the tomatoes and green chillies and add them in the food processor or wet grinding jar.
add cloves and cinnamon
put ginger garlic in these
add coconut (fresh or dessicated)
finally add the cumin seeds/jeera powder
and grind everything to a smooth fine paste
in a pan heat ghee or oil. add cumin seeds and let them splutter
add sliced onions
i forgot to add bay leaves with the cumin seeds hence i have added them later when the onions were half cooked.
brown the onions
and then add sliced capsicum
mix the capsicum with the browned onions and saute for 2-3 minutes
now measure the tomato masala paste in a measuring cup
since we will be using 2 cups rice we we will need 4 or 4½  cups of the paste. i got 3¼ cups of the tomato masala paste. add the tomato coconut paste to the onions and capsicum mixture
add cleaned and washed rice
i also added 1/4 cup of water. remember to add salt.
give the whole mixture a nice stir. cover and let the rice cook till its done
serve the tomato rice hot hot…
this recipe is a yummy one… you will soon see the rice disappear slowly slowly
and soon disappear more and more as soon as it is served.

tips:

    if you want a more mushy rice add more water. thats what i did. i added 2 cups water later to get a mushy and soft texture.
    use the same measuring cup that you have used to measure the rice.
    you can also pressure cook the rice.
    when the rice is cooking keep an eye on it by checking it with a fork so as to ensure that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan. add more water if the water dries up and the rice mixture looks dry.
    to add more spice increase the quantity of green chillies.