Creamy Fruit Salad

Creamy Fruit Salad

Ingredients

Fruit cocktail, drained 1 can
Bananas, peeled and sliced 2
Cherries, halved ½ cup
Heavy whipping cream ½ cup
Caster sugar 1 tbsp
Vanilla essence ½ tsp

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine fruit cocktail, bananas and cherries. Reserve 3 slices of banana and 1 cherry for garnish.
2. In a mixing bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks with an electric mixer. Add sugar and vanilla, and whip to combine.
3. Fold the whipped cream into the fruit. Garnish with a fan of banana slices. Place cherry, chill and serve

Tuna Salad

Tuna Salad

Tuna Salad

Ingredients

Tuna fish 1 tin

Pita breads 2

Onion 1 medium

Fresh parsley 2 – 3 sprigs

Capsicum (cubed) 1

Black olives 3 – 4

Mayonnaise 2 tbsp

Black peppercorns, crushed ½ tsp

Method

Heat the pita breads on a non stick griddle on low heat till crisp. Chop onion, parsley, capsicums cut into cubes and black olives. Mix onion, olives and capsicums in a bowl. Add tuna and mix. Add mayonnaise, crushed black peppercorns and mix well. Cut the pita breads into 6 triangles each. Place the tuna salad over 6 pieces and sprinkle a little parsley. Cover with another pita triangle and serve. You can also serve them as open sandwiches. Use a scoop to put the tuna salad over the pita breads so that it looks neat.

Coconut Cake (Baath)

Coconut Cake (Baath)

Coconut Cake (Baath)

Ingredients
Coconut, fresh & grated 400 gm
Semolina 200 gm
Sugar 200 gm
All purpose flour 1/8 cup
Butter/ghee ¾ cup
Eggs 3
Baking powder 1 tsp
Vanilla essence 1 tsp
Dry fruits (optional) 4 tbsp
Method:
1. Beat the eggs till fluffy and add grated coconut slowly with continuous mixing.
2. Combine semolina, sugar, flour and baking powder and add slowly to the above mixture with continuous mixing.
3. Beat the butter/ghee and add it to the above mixture. Continue mixing.
4. Leave the batter for 6 –7 hours or overnight.
5. Add vanilla essence (or desired flavor) and mix.
6. Transfer the batter in a greased baking tray (I've used 8x8 glass tray) and top with dry fruits. 
7. Preheat oven to 325˚ F (165˚ C) and place the tray at the center.
8. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean
Note: * Add more sugar if you need the cake to be more sweet.
The baking tray has to be half full so that the cake is cooked properly, so use a baking tray accordingly.
Coat the dry fruits with some flour before adding to the batter.

Goan Prawns and Ladyfingers

Goan Prawns and Ladyfingers

Goan Prawns and Ladyfingers

Ingredients

Prawns 1 cup
Lady Fingers (Okra) 300 gm

Prawn & Lady Finger Curry Masala  Ingredients:
Coconut  half
Kashmiri Chilies 8
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Dry coriander Seeds 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
black pepper ½ tsp
Tamarind a little
Garlic flaked 3 – 4 cloves
Dry mango 2 flakes
Vinegar 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Ingredients for Baghaar

Onion 1 medium
Tomato half
Ginger 1 inch piece
Oil ¼ cup

Procedure

Sauté or baghar the onions, tomato and ginger pieces in a little oil.

Toss the prawns in and stir a little so all of it gets evenly cooked. In the mean time blend the ingredients for the prawn curry.

When it gets a little brownish its time to add the masala.

The goan prawn curry masala has a nice orangey color thanks to the Kashmiri chilies and coconut, it also has a delightful aroma.

Add the masala to the prawn sauté and stir it up, you would probably realize that its too thick.

Add some water to the blender or mixer depending on how thick or thin you want the gravy, you can also add some coconut milk instead of water to make it tastier.

Once it reaches a boil that’s when you add the lady fingers as you do not want them to get too soft.

Add some vinegar if required, this depends on your taste buds so does the salt.

You can add 2 skins of kokum to add some more flavor to tickle the taste buds.

Stir the mixture carefully so as to not break the pieces of lady finger as they are rather delicate.

Here's the ready prawn and ladyfinger curry, make sure you do not cook it for too long after you add the ladyfingers as they will get too soft they have to remain crunchy.

The Prawn and Bhende curry tastes best with rice accompanied by fried fish and prawns, true Goan style!

Goan Stir Fry Prawns

Goan Stir Fry Prawns 

Ingredients
Fresh Prawns ½ kg
Onions chopped 3 medium
Capsicum sliced 1
Goan Recheado Masala 3 tbsp
Cooking Oil 3 tbsp
Salt to taste

Ingredients for the Goan Rechado Masala Paste

Kashmiri Chilies 10
Peppercorns 4
Cloves 6
Cinnamon ½ inch stick 
Sugar 1 tsp
Tamarind Paste ¼ tsp
Cumin Seeds ½ tsp
Ginger ½ inch piece
Garlic 10 cloves
Sugarcane Vinegar ¼ cup
Salt to taste

Method for Goan Rechado Masala Paste

Break the chilies into small pieces. 
Soak in vinegar chilies, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, sugar, tamarind paste, 
Cumin seeds, ginger, garlic & salt for 20 minutes.
Grind in a blender/grinder to a fine, thick paste without using any water. 
Store in a clean sterilized bottle. Use as required.

To Prepare the Goan Stir Fry Prawns:

Marinate fresh prawns with 1 tbsp masala paste for 10 minutes. 
Heat cooking oil in a wok on medium heat, 
Add marinated prawns, 2 tbsp masala paste & stir fry on high heat for 3 minutes. 
Keep aside in a bowl.

To the same wok add onions & capsicum & stir fry for another 2 minutes on high heat. 
To this add the prawns from the bowl & again stir fry & toss for another 3 minutes. 
Serve hot with fresh bread, hot chapati or steamed rice.