Palak Soup

2  small spinach bunches cleaned and washed
2 small carrots peeled and washed
1 big tomato washed
Pressure cook all above for 5 minutes adding little water and grind to a fine paste
Add 2 cups of water and 1 can of chicken broth ( adjust consistency according to your preference)
Heat 2 tbspn oil and fry 1 finely chopped onion until golden brown.
Add this to the soup along with salt to taste, chilly sauce, vinegar and pepper powder according to your liking.
Garnish with croutons and serve.

Cauliflower and Potato Curry

Ingredients :
1 cauliflower, cut in to medium pieces and washed
1 medium sized potato cut into cubes
1 big onion cut length wise
1 medium tomato chopped
4 green chillies slit
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 tbspn garlic paste or 4,5 crushed garlic pods
1/2 tspn cumin powder
1 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn garam masala powder
1 tspn turmeric powder

Method:
Heat  4 tbsp oil in a kadhai
Add garlic paste and stir for a few seconds, then add chopped onion and fry until it is light brown in colour.
Add green chillies, chopped tomato and fry until you get a sauce like consistency
Add chopped coriander and fry some more.
Add all the masala powders and stir for a bit
Now add the cauliflower and potato pieces and salt to taste.
Keep on stove until done, stirring frequently . Do not over cook. No need to add water as cauliflower leaves off moisture
Serve with chapatis.

Sue's Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 medium large whole chicken (preferrably organic or free range chicken)

1-2 sticks of cinnamon

4-5 cloves

4-5 cardamon

5-6 Kafir Lemon Leaves (Or 2-3 Bay Leaves)

1 sprig cilantro

1 bag of red seedless grapes

5-6 cloves of garlic crushed

2 Tbsp garam masala

1 Tbsp oil

2 Tbsp yoghurt

Salt to taste

One large banana leaf for wrapping the chicken (optional)

Kitchen string



Method:
First thaw the chicken completely and then clean the chicken under streaming water thoroughly inside and outside. Next loosen the skin of the chicken. Make a paste with garam masala, salt, oil, yoghurt. Rub it under the skin of the chicken, trying to get it in as far as you can it. Mix grapes with whole spices, cilantro, salt and stuff it into the open cavity. Truss the chicken (see the video on how to truss a chicken). Sprinkle he top of the chicken salt and pepper. Optionally, wrap the whole chicken in the banana leaf. Keep it in refrigerator for about an hour (or overnight). Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the chicken on a roasting pan in the middle rack of the oven. Roast it for about 1 hour, until the skin is nicely browned (if you are using banana leaf, unwrap it to check for brownness). Let it stay in the oven for another ~20 min to finish cooking process. Cut into pieces and serve on a platter with grapes around it.


Note: This is my family's favorite for holiday dinners. The grapes enhance the taste with just the right blend of moist sweetness and spiciness. The banana leaf (which is completely optional) gives an added layer to retain moisture and gives it a smoky flavor.
By sunita Shenoy

Sue's Black Pepper Crab

Ingredients:
3-4 Dungeness Crabs 
3-4 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1-2 tsp black pepper powder
2 whole red chillies
3-4 green onions chopped (for garnish)
2-3 sprigs of thai basil sliced
5-6 cloves of garlic sliced
2-3 kafir lemon leaves thinly sliced (optional)
1tsp corn starch
3-4 Tsp Olive or Canola oil

Cleaning and cooking the crab: 
I prefer to buy live crabs, but you can also buy pre-cooked and cleaned crabs. First put the live crab in the sink and pour near boiling water on it. leave it covered with a heavy lid for 5 min. Then rinse in cold water. To clean, hold the base of the crab in one hand. Hold the shell at the midpoint, using the index finger and thumb of your other hand, and pull off the back of the shell, also called the apron. Put your thumb in the hole exposed by the shell removal. Pull up to remove the carapace and the intestines. Remove the gills and mandibles. Wash away the viscera. This is the yellow and mushy goo on the crab, also known as "crab butter." Separate all the crab legs. Cut the body to two pieces. Turn the faucet on full blast, and rinse the crab pieces under the stream of water.
Next, steam the crab in a little water in a pot with a lid on. Shut off the heat when the water begins to boil and becomes frothy. Cool and keep aside. Make sure you retain the crab broth. You can do this ahead of time, refrigerate it and use it just before seasoning.

Seasoning: When ready to serve, heat oil in big wok till smoking hot. Add red chillies and garlic to it. Next, add pepper and stir. Next, add soya sauce and stir. Then stir in basil and kafir lime leaves. Add the crab broth, thicken with corn starch. Mix in cooked crab pieces and stir fry till all pieces are nicely coated. Garnish with green onions and serve. You can make many variations to above; such as stir fry sliced white onions and red bell peppers or,  grated ginger and cilantro instead of garlic and basil.

By Sunita Shenoy - Guest blogger 

Tomato Rasam

Method
3 medium size tomatoes
Wash  cook in the cooker
Mash the cooked tomatoes
Add 4 cups of water
 Add 1/4 cup of chopped coriander leaves
Add 1/4 cup of cooked thuvar dhal ( left over dhal)
Add salt to taste
Add 2 to 3 tbspn rasam powder
Stir and simmer for few minutes
Seasoning:
2 tbspn oil heat
Add 1 tspn mustard
 When it splutters Add 2 strings of curry leaves +2 red chillies
Add 1 tspn asafoetida powder
Serve hot with rice.

Pink Masoor Dhal with Palak Fry or with dil

Methodil
1 cup pink masoor dhal - wash 3 to 4 times
 1/2 cup chopped onion
4 to 5 slit green chillies
5,6 cloves of garlic crushed
1/4 cup  chopped coriander leaves
1/2 tspn cumin powder
1 tspn coriander powder
1/2 tspn garam masala
1 tspn cumin seeds
1/4 tspn turmeric powder
a few palak leaves washed
2 chopped tomatoes
3 tbspn oil
Heat oil , add cumin seeds and chopped onion, crushed garlic.
Fry for a while till the onion becomes translucent
Add chopped tomatoes
Fry for a while
Add all the powders mentioned above
Add chopped  coriander leaves
Fry for a while
Add palak leaves and stir
Add masoor dhal and mix
Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles adding 1 1/2 cups  water.
When done remove from the cooker and mix thoroughly
Add salt to taste and simmer for a while adding water to the consistency you require
Serve with rice and  yogurt or with roties .

Instead of palak dil can be used on this recipe. It turns out more superb !

Potato and Tomato Gojju | Konkani

Method-
3 Boiled  Potatoes, peel and mash

3 to 4 chopped green chillies 

1 large tomato boiled in the cooker 

2 tbspn yogurt
1 fistful of chopped coriander leaves

Mash all the above ingredients and mix 

Add salt to taste 

Seasoning -

Heat 2 tbspn oil , splutter 1 tspn mustard, curry leaves 2 bits of red chillies,1 tspn asafoetida.
Add seasoning to potato-tomato mixture and serve.

Methi Leaves and Potato Sukke

Method
2 bunches of methi leaves -remove the leaves from the stems
Wash, chop and keep aside.
Skin 2  potatoes and cut in to 1/2"  cubes.
2 big cups of chopped onions
1/2 cup cooked thuvardhal

Heat 3 to 4 tbspn oil
 Splutter 1 tspn cumin seeds
Add chopped onion and fry till translucent
Add chopped potatoes and chopped methi leaves
Add little water to cook it
Add salt to taste
Add 1/2 cup of cooked thuvar dhal
For Masala:
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 to 2 tbspn roasted coriander seed
1/2 tspn tamarind paste
1/2 tspn chillipowder
Grind the above ingredients in to a paste
Add this paste to the cooked methi potato mixture
Stir frequently and keep on medium flame  for a while stirring frequently till it becomes dry .
Serve hot with rice and dhal or with roties .

Long Green String Beans Upkari (simple dish)

Method
1 bunch of long string beans cut in to 1/2" pieces, wash and keep aside.
Heat 2 tbspn oil in a kadai
Splutter 1 tspn mustard seeds+1/2 tspn urad dhal +5,6 methi seeds
Add 3 to 4 red chillies cut in to pieces
Add the cut stringbeans
Add1/4 tpoon turmeric powder
Add salt to taste and little water
Stir frequently and close the kadai  with a lid
Keep on stovee till it is done stirring frequently
When done, sprinkle grated coconut and mix.
Serve with rice and dhal or sambar . This is an easy and simple dish
Instead of string beans , chopped  cauliflower , cabbage , beans etc can be used  to make upkari.

Rajma Chole - Kidney Beans Masala

Method
1cup  kidney beans  (rajma)
2 medium size onions cut in to big cubes
 7 to 8 cloves garlic
 ginger 1 "big
 2 medium size tomatoes
 2 , 3 slit green  chillies
  1/2 cup chopped  coriander leaves
 5 tb oil
 1 spn red chilli powder
2 tbspn coriander powder
 1tspn cumin powder
salt to taste
 2 tspn garam masala powder
 OR
  1  to 2tbspn chole masala powder

Soak kidney beans in water over night
Next morning cook in the pressure cooker adding sufficient water till 2 , 3 whistles

  Heat  little oil  fry onin cubes , garlic and chopped tomatoes for a while till  onion becomes translucent
Grind this in to smooth paste
Heat oil and add this masala stiiring often till the onion  odour goes
 Add the the coriander powder +cumin powder
 Add chillipowder , green chilli slits
 Add garam masala OR chole masala .
 Add chopped coriander leaves
Stir for a while till the masala thickens .
Add the cooked rajma and salt to taste
Add suffiient water according to ur consistency
Simmer for a while .
 Relish with roties or rice and yogurt ,
(In place of ginger garlic , ginger garlic paste can be stirred in the oil for a few seconds and then the masala can be added )