MUTTON INDYAL

East Indian Community popularly call Vindaloo dish Indyal or Indad…… Indyal can me made with pork, chicken or fish too…. Weddings or feasts of this community must have this dish…… Best combination with Indyal is Fugiyas.

Ingredients : 1 kg mutton, 2″ginger, 20-25 garlic cloves, 15-20 red dry Kashmiri chillies, 2 tbsp cumin, 1/4 cup sugarcane vinegar, oil, salt to taste.

Directions : Wash the mutton, apply salt and keep aside…… Roast the cumin seeds……. Soak the Kashmiri red chillies in hot water for at least 15 mins……. Grind the ginger, garlic, red Kashmiri chillies (If one wants the dish to be less hot, slit the chillies and remove the seeds) and cumin with sugarcane vinegar to make a very fine paste…… Marinate the salted mutton with the ground paste and enough oil….. Add more salt if required….. Keep aside for at least an hour……. Place the marinated meat in pressure cooker……. Add water according to the gravy required and place on medium heat for about half an hour……. Serve hot with Fugiyas……. Goes well with bread and steamed rice too.

NOTE : Marinated meat kept overnight tastes even better……. Increase or decrease chillies according to taste…… Quality & sourness of vinegar is very important, so increase or decrease it accordingly…… This dish tastes even better the next day or the day after.

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CHITTAPS

Chittaps are rich, soft, porous, delicious pancakes….. These are perfect accompaniment to any gravy items….. The East Indian community prepare Chittaps either with a mixture of rice flour & maida OR rice flour & wheat flour, coconut milk, egg and yeast.

INGREDIENTS : 2 1/2 cups rice flour, 1 1/4 cups maida (white flour), 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1/2 cup sugar, salt to taste, 2tsp yeast, 1 egg, oil.

DIRECTIONS : In about 1 tbsp lukewarm water stir in yeast with a pinch of sugar…… Set aside for some time….. Mix rice flour, maida, coconut milk, sugar, salt, yeast mix and egg well….. A little water can be added, if required……Set aside to ferment for at least 2-3 hours….. Stir batter again…. If required, add little more coconut milk to get pouring consistency.
Heat a nonstick pan….. Lightly grease with oil…. Pour batter with a ladle on the pan, softly spread it to form a pancake…… Cover (to retain the heat) and cook on slow fire for a minute or two….. Flip….. Cook uncovered for a few seconds till done….. One side will be light brown and the other side whitish…… Serve hot….. Continue this procedure till all the batter is used…… Goes very well with veg / non veg gravies.

NOTE : Sugar can be adjusted according to taste….. Increase coconut milk, if required, to get pouring consistency…….East Indian community use cast iron chittap pan.

APRICOT CHICKEN

This unique East Indian community chicken dish is really worth trying….. Portuguese influence can be seen in apricots being soaked in brown palm vinegar…… Arab influence in the use of saffron….. Apricot chicken is an all out winner.

INGREDIENTS : 1 kg Chicken, 3/4 onions, 3 tomatoes, 15-20 dried apricots, brown palm vinegar as required, water as needed, 1-2 tbsp oil.
Masala paste : 1″ginger, 10-12 garlic cloves, 1 tsp cumin, 2tbsp coriander, 1/2 tsp poppy seeds, 5-6 whole black pepper, 6-8 dried Kashmiri chillies, 5-6 cloves, 1″cinnamon, 4-5 green cardamoms, salt to taste, a pinch of saffron.

DIRECTIONS : Soak the dried apricots in the brown palm vinegar…… Keep aside…… Wash the chicken pieces….. Make a paste of onions…… Chop the tomatoes….. Grind the masala ingredients with enough water to form a paste….. Heat oil…… Fry onion paste till it browns….. Add the masala paste and tomatoes…… Sauté till oil separates…… Add the chicken pieces and stir fry well……. Add water….. Stir…. Cover and simmer till chicken is almost done…… Mix in the apricot and vinegar….. Cook for few more minutes……. Serve hot…… Goes very well with Chittaps.

NOTE : Brown Palm Vinegar can be increased/decreased according to taste…… Instead of water, one can use chicken stock…… If saffron is not available, one can add a pinch of turmeric powder.

EAST INDIAN COMMUNITY STYLE FISH MOILE

Konkan region, particularly Mumbai, is surrounded by beautiful coastline…… So the East Indian Community have a special liking for seafood….. Whether it is fresh catch or dry ones (During monsoon, fish is not available easily)), they prepare wonderful seafood dishes.

INGREDIENTS : 4 small pomfrets, 3-4 onions, 1/2″ ginger, 6-8 cloves garlic, 2-3 green chillies, 1 lemon, 1 tbsp East Indian bottle masala, salt & vinegar to taste, water, oil.

DIRECTIONS : Clean and wash pomfrets…… Apply salt and lemon juice…… Keep aside……. Slice the onions in rounds….. Cut ginger, garlic, green chillies lengthwise….. Heat oil….. Fry the fish….. Keep aside….. Sauté sliced onion rounds…… After sometime add green chillies, ginger, garlic…… Sauté till onions are brown…… Add in the bottle masala powder and water (about half cup)….. Simmer….. Now add salt & vinegar…..Simmer…. Add the fried fish and cover….. Cook till done….. Serve hot with rice.

NOTE : Instead of small pomfrets, one can use one medium sized pomfret (sliced)….. Vinegar can be increased/decreased according to taste….. Water can be increased/decreased depending on amount of gravy required.

EAST INDIAN STYLE FRENCH BEANS FOOGATH

East Indian Community have very few vegetarian dishes…… Notable among them is Foogath or Fugad…… Foogath can be made from various vegetables like French beans, pumpkin, capsicum, cabbage, cauliflower, drumsticks etc…. A foogath is generally made regularly along with other dishes….. The word ‘Foogath‘ originates from the Portuguese word ‘Refogado‘……. Refogado means ‘to braise’…… So whenever a vegetable is cooked by braising, it retains it’s original colour & light crispness, thus making it the perfect side dish.

INGREDIENTS : 250gm French beans, 1 onion, 1tsp black pepper powder, salt to taste, 1/2-1 lemon, Ghee/white oil.

Masala paste : 1″ginger, 4-6 garlic cloves, 1/4th bunch coriander leaves, 1-2 dried red chillies, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1-2tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp sesame seeds.

DIRECTIONS : Wash and cut the French beans…… Grind the ingredients of the masala paste….. Heat oil….. Add chopped onions and sauté till golden brown…… Now add the ground masala and sauté for a few moments……. Add cut French beans and mix with the masala…… Cover & cook till almost done….. Add salt & black pepper powder…… Sauté….. When done add lemon juice according to taste….. Remove from heat…… Serve hot.

NOTE : While sautéing the masala, if required, sprinkle some water to prevent burning…… One can garnish French bean Foogath with grated coconut.