Scrambled eggs (Parsi style)

INGREDIENTS

1. Eggs - 2 
2. Cheese slice - 1 1/2
3. Milk - 100ml
4. Ghee - 2tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Pepper (Powdered; To sprinkle)

PROCEDURE

1. Break the eggs in a bowl
2. Cut the cheese slices into small pieces and add them to the eggs.
3. Add milk
4. Add salt to taste
5. Mix the content with a fork
6. Heat the ghee in a pan
7. Pour the above mixture in the pan
8. Simmer on slow heat and keep stirring till the eggs start thickening
9. Serve in plate
10. Sprinkle powdered pepper to taste
11. Decorate the plate with potato wafers

NOTE: Tastes best with bread, toasts, or chapati

Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS

1. All Purpose Flour - 195 gms
2. Sugar - 200 gms (Granulated; White)
3. Cocoa Powder - 25 gms (Unsweetened; Not Dutch Processed; Sifted)
4. Baking Powder - 1 tsp
5. Baking Soda - 3/4 tsp
6. Salt - 1/4 tsp
7. Butter - 75 gms (Unsalted; Melted)
8. Water - 240 ml
9. Lemon Juice / Vinegar - 1 tbsp
10. Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

For Chocolate Frosting:

1. Chocolate - 170 gms (Semi Sweet; Chopped)
2. Cream - 180 ml (Heavy; 35% Butterfat)
3. Butter - 1 tbsp (Unsalted; Room Temperature)

PROCEDURE

1. Preheat oven to 350 Deg F (177 Deg C) and place the rack in the center of the oven
2. Stir together the flour, Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt
3. Add Melted Butter, Water, Lemon Juice and Vanilla Essence and mix with a fork till well blended
4. Upturn the mixture into an greased 8 inch (20 cm) Square Cake pan
5. Bake in a pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes or until the Cake springs back when lightly pressed and the toothpick inserted comes out clean
6. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool

For Frosting:

1. Place the chopped Chocolate, Cream and Butter in a heat proof bowl an place over a saucepan of simmering water and let it melt till smooth
2. Remove from heat and let it stand at room temperature until its of pouring consistency
3. Pour the frosting over the cooled cake and let it stand till frosting has thickened

Brinjal Gotsu

This is the best side dish to serve with Ven Pongal!!

INGREDIENTS

1. Brinjal - 4/5 (Chopped)
2. Onion - 1 (Big; Chopped)
3. Tomatoes - 2 (Chopped)
4. Green Chilly - 2
5. Moon Dal - 5 tbsp
6. Curry/Sambhar Powder - 2 tsp
7. Salt (To Taste)
8. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Water (For Cooking)

For Tadka:

1. Oil - 1tsp
2. Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Hing - A Pinch
4. Curry Leaves - 5/6
5. Coriander Leaves - 1 tbsp (Chopped)
6. Red Chilly - 1 
7. Udad Dal - 1tsp

PROCEDURE

1. Take a pressure pan, add Onion, Tomatoes, Brinjal, Green Chilly, Curry Powder, Turmeric Powder, Moong Dal, Water and pressure for 3 whistles
2. Let the pressure come down, the open the pan and mash the contents into a pulp using a masher
3. Take a pan, heat Oil, add Mustard Seeds and let them sputter
4. Add Udad Dal, Red Chilly, Hing,Curry Leaves and saute it for a minute
5. Add tadka to the gravy and let it boil and adjust Salt to taste
6. Garnish with Coriander and Serve

NOTE:

1. One tomato can be replaced with 1/2 tsp of Tamarind Paste
2. If the gravy is watery, let it boil till it reaches required consistency

Ven Pongal

A typical South Indian breakfast recipe that goes well with Coconut Chutneys, Sambhar or Gotsu!!

INGREDIENTS

1. Raw Rice - 1 Cup
2. Moong Dal - 1/2 Cup
3. Water - 4 Cups
4. Salt (To Taste)

For Tadka:

1. Peppercorns - 1 tsp
2. Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
3. Ginger - 1 inch piece (Finely Chopped)
4. Curry Leaves - 10/15
5. Ghee - 2 tbsp
6. Cashews - 6 (Optional; Broken)

PROCEDURE

1. Heat a pan and saute the raw Rice and Moong Dal on medium heat till you get the aroma
2. Pressure cook with water for 4 to 5 whistles
3. Heat a Kadhai, add Ghee and Tadka ingredients one-by-one
4. Saute for a minute or two and now add the pressure cooked mix into the kadhai
5. Add Salt to taste and mix well
6. Saute the Cashews in Ghee and then add it to the Pongal

NOTE: Rice and Moong Dal combo should not be separate when done and should be pasty in nature

Goan Prawn Balchao

INGREDIENTS

1. Prawns - 1/2 kg
2. Tomatoes - 4 (Big; Finely Chopped or Ground into a paste)
3. Onions - 4 (Finely Chopped or Ground into a paste)
4. Curry Leaves - 8/10
5. Green Chillies - 3/4 (Finely Chopped)
6. Sugar - 1/2 tsp
7. Vinegar (Few Drops)
8. Salt (To Taste)
9. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
10. Coconut Oil - 50 ml

For Paste:

1. Ginger-Garlic Paste - 2 tbsp 
2. Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
3. Cinnamon stick - 1 (2")
4. Cloves - 4/5
5. Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
6. Black Peppercorns - 1 tsp
7. Red Chillies - 2/3 (Whole; Dry)
8. Vinegar - 1 tbsp
9. Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch

PROCEDURE

1. Marinate the Prawns for 5-10 minutes with some Salt and Turmeric Powder to get rid of the awful-raw-seafood smell
2. Wash the Prawns gently and thoroughly and put them in a colander
3. Meanwhile make a smooth paste of the ingredients and mix well with the Prawns
4. Now heat the oil in the pan, add curry leaves and let them splutter
5. Add chopped Onions and saute till golden brown
6. Add Tomato paste and cook till oil starts to separate from the mixture
7. Add the Prawns mix to this and stir gently
8. Add Sugar, Salt and Vinegar 
9. Cover the pan and cook on low flame for 8-10 minutes
10. Garnish with roasted curry leaves

NOTE:

1. Cook with Coconut Oil to get the authentic Goan Flavour
2. Serve with Steamed Rice or Bread or Pav

Fish Soup

INGREDIENTS

1. Fish (Surmai, ravas, halva) - 2 pcs
2. Pepper -  A few
3. Salt to taste
4. Water to boil fish
5. Garlic - 2 cloves
6. Clove (Laung) - 1 bud
7. Corn stalk
8. Red Chilly sauce to taste 

PROCEDURE

1. Boil the fish and let it cool
2. De-bone and shred  the fish into small fragments
3. To the boiled water add garlic, clove, corn stalk, salt and pepper
4. Put the shreded fish into it and steam for a few minutes
5. Add water to adjust consistency
6. Serve in a soup bowl

NOTE: 

1. Vinegar chilly / soya sauce, can be added while eating the soup
2. The fish head tastes best, as its the most tender part of the fish
3. Make sure to remove the bones and scales while de-boning

Kanda Papeta (Onions Potato: Parsee Style)

INGREDIENTS

1. Onion - 1 (Medium size)
2. Potatoes - 2  (Medium size) 
3. Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
4. Green Chilly - 1 (Sliced) 
5. Salt to taste
6. Oil - 2 tsp
7. Coriander - 2 tbsp (Finely chopped)

PROCEDURE

1. Slice the onion into thin slices
2. Peal the potatoes and cut them into 4 quarters and Slice them too
3. Heat oil in a pan and fry the chilly and onions till they start turning brown
4. Add the potatoes
5. Add salt, and red chilly powder to taste
6. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes and lightly stir and mix the contents
7. Serve in a bowl
8. Garnish it with finely chopped coriander

NOTE: Tastes best with hot Chapaties

Sali par Eedu (Eggs on Potato Strips)

INGREDIENTS

1. Eggs - 2
2. Potato Sali (Straws of potato chips) - A hand full
3. Pure ghee - 2 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Pepper Powder (Optional)

PROCEDURE

1. Heat ghee in a frying pan till it melts
2. Spread the potato sali in the frying pan and break the eggs on it
3. Add salt to taste
4. Sprinkle the powdered pepper (Optional) and cover the pan
5. Remove the fried eggs and serve for breakfast

NOTE:

1. If u want the yolk to be hard, double fry the eggs after turning them over
2. The fried eggs can be eaten with bread or chapati