Goan-style Goat Curry

Ingredients
1 pound goat
1 large red onion
1 large tomato
1 cup grated coconut
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon of curd
1 teaspoon tamarind juice
2 green chilies
1 cup finely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) 
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste

Step 1: Grind the ginger-garlic, cilantro, chilies together into a paste and marinate the goat along with  curd and 1/2 teaspoon of chili and turmeric powders. Keep aside for about 7-8 hours.

Step 2: Saute onions (sliced length wise) in 1 teaspoon coconut oil. Add the grated coconut and fry till it turns light brown. Blend the mixture with tamarind juice into a fine coconut paste.

Step 3: Saute onions, tomatoes in a pan, till it turns soft. Add garam masala, chili, and turmeric powders.

Step 4: Add the marinated goat and saute for 5-10 minutes on low heat. Slow cook the curry on low heat till the meat is tender.  Alternatively,you could pressure cook for 3 whistles. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 5: Once the goat is cooked, add the coconut paste and salt and sugar. Serve hot with rice/bread.

P.S. Sheela Kelekar contributed this recipe to the blog. 

The Brewery Fare in Northern Virginia

Egg rolls and fish sliders

Unlike wineries which typically have a food menu limited to breads and cheese, the menus at breweries tend to offer more variety. This diversity was on display when I visited two breweries in Northern Virginia.

Gordonbiersch, located in Tyson's Corner, despite being located in mall (which always sets off my culinary alarm bells), has pretty good food. We have been here several times and have never been disappointed. For appetizers, we have tried their garlic fries, southwest egg rolls, beer-battered fish sliders and they have all been very flavorful and delicious. A variety of entrees are also available, among which we have tried their fish tacos, and cheese burgers. Slightly pricey for their organic produce, but completely worth it. You will not be disappointed.

Pate with spent grain crackers

Caboose Brewing Company is located along a biking trail in Vienna, Virginia. Without claiming to be an expert on the beers they served, as far as the food was concerned, we liked it. We went there in the afternoon, the time when they don't serve their entrees, but we got a chance to try a few of their appetizers. The menu was rather short and most of the items that were there seemed slightly over-priced, though not to the degree that it should deter those who are interested in the somewhat elevated combination of crackers and pates on offer.  The hand-cut potato frites, Pennsylvania duck liver pate, and salmon pate were both served with spent grain crackers, were very good. And of course there is plenty of beer to wash all of the food down. 

Po' Boy Sandwich

Ingredients
Slices Bread
10-15 Shrimp
Sliced onion/tomato/lettuce.
Mayo (as spread)
For the marinade
1 egg
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon chilli, coriander powders
Water
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil (for frying)
For the remoulade sauce
1/2 cup celery
1/4 cup onion
2 pods garlic
2 tablespoons horseradish
2 tablespoons brown mustard
1 tablespoon mayo

Step 1: Grind all the ingredients for the remoulade sauce and keep aside.

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients for the marinade.

Step 2: Deep fry the shrimp in a pan.

Step 3: Apply the remoulade sauce to one slice and mayo to another slice.

Step 4: You can add sliced onion/tomato/or lettuce on your sandwich and serve with chips on the side.

Tostados with cheese

Ingredients
Corn Tostados
2 cups of mozarella cheese
Finely diced 1 small onion, tomato
pepper
Olive oil
Crushed garlic (optional)

Step 1: Put a generous amount of mozarella cheese on the tostados with some olive oil and bake at 350F.

 

Step 2: Once the cheese has melted, sprinkle the diced onion, tomato, and pepper. Serve hot.

El Pescado

Escabeche

Freshly caught fish (el pescado in spanish) is hard to find in restaurants. A freshly caught fish which is also cooked well is an even rarer find. So it was my good fortune to have stumbled on such fish on not one, but two recent occasions.

Grouper with corn risotto and mango ginger sauce

First, was at a seafood specialty restaurant called Tarpon Bay, Hyatt Regency in Bonita Springs, Florida. I ordered their grouper with a mango ginger sauce and a risotto and it was outstanding. I also tried their mixed seafood paella, which I liked. Ceviche was also available, though I did not try it myself. Pricey, but worth it. My other recent run in with fresh fish was at Purple Patch - a Filipino-run restaurant (with an Indian cook) in Washington DC. I ordered a dish called Escabeche featuring a full fried red snapper in a soy-based sauce for reasonable $22.  While none of the other menu items I tried, including their fried guajillo pepper chicken wings and coconut-based shrimp curry, struck me as particularly Filipino, this fish was very similar to what I tried while visiting the Luzon islands.

Not a place I would go again to, but I will alway remember the fish...

Indian-style stuffed chicken

Ingredients       
1 full small chicken

For marination
Yoghurt
1 teaspoon each of chilli, coriander, turmeric powders
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

For the filling
1/2 diced onion
1/2 diced bell pepper
2 cups of finely chopped spinach
4-5 almonds and walnuts
Hard boiled eggs
1 tablespoon garam masala
Salt and pepper to taste

For the gravy
1/2 onion
1/2 tomato
1 potato
2 bay leaves
2 cloves
4 pods cardamon
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon chilli, turmeric and coriander powders
Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Marinate the chicken generously with yoghurt, 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste, chilli, turmeric and coriander powders and keep aside for about 1 hour.

Step 2: For the gravy, saute onions, tomatoes, bay leaves and cardamon pods in ghee. Add the potatoes and let them cook slightly in chicken stock.

Step 3: Saute the onions in the remaining ginger garlic paste. Add the bell pepper, spinach, almonds, walnuts, and finely cut eggs into the mixture and let it sit.

Step 4: Stuff the chicken with the filling, and let it bake in the gravy for 1:30 hours at 400F.

Chicago's Ethnic Fare

Saganake

After New York or San Francisco, I would rank Chicago as the city that offers the most to the food tourist. On a recent visit, I had the chance to sample a few of the cuisines the city had to offer.

Chicago's Greek neighborhood features several Greek or Mediterranean restaurants offering varied dining experiences, from casual to fine. On the casual end of this spectrum, I can recommend Nia for their saganaki cheese - a flaming cheese that can be had with bread or just by itself. The jumbo shrimp in garlic sauce and a wild mushroom risotto were also tasty. While these items were a bit on the pricey side given the small quantities, the food delivered in terms of quality.

I was less taken by the Frenchmarketchicago - an indoor marketplace seemingly tailored for mostly the working crowds. Very little about either the decor or menu struck me as French other than the crepes and pastries. However, the vendors are very diverse, with ethnic foods on offer ranging from tamales to kababs. I tried crepes at fLip Crepes and lobster rolls at Da Lobsta - not outstanding but edible.

Macaroons

I also stopped by Del Seoul, a Korean restaurant whose menu, interestingly, features tacos. I had read some great reviews about this place, but came away somewhat disappointed, perhaps because I didn't find it novel enough. Their shrimp and chicken tacos were great, but they were not something I had not eaten before. I certainly did not see any Korean influence. However, their chicken wings were good - closer to those I had at Bonchon.

So as to not end this post on such an ambivalent note, I would recommend that if you find yourself in Chicago, make time for the French pastries and macaroons at at Tonipatisserie. You will thank me!

Goan steamed fish

Steamed catfish

Ingredients
3 fillets of catfish
Banana leaves (I got them frozen from a Hispanic market)

Ingredients for the Marinade
1 1/2 cups of fresh grated coconut
1/2 onion
1/2 tomato
2 tablespoons of ginger garlic paste
2 spoons of tamarind paste ( I used homemade date chutney)
Coconut oil for cooking
1 bunch of finely cut coriander leaves
1 teaspoon chilli, turmeric and coriander powders
Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Saute the ginger garlic paste in coconut oil on low heat. Add finely diced onion, tomato and coconut. Cook it until the ginger garlic paste is cooked. Add the tamarind paste, spices and the coriander leaves.

Step 2: Mix it well. Blend half of this mixture and marinate the fish in it for about 1 hour and set it aside. You can sprinkle some lime juice on the fish.

Step 3: Add the rest of the mixture on top on the fish and place it on the banana leaf.

Step 4: Wrap the fish in the leaf and close it from all sides. You can toothpicks to hold it together.

 Step 5: Bake the fish in the oven at 350F for 15 minutes in a baking pan or foil. Serve hot.

Shrimp Creole

Shrimp Creole

Ingredients
1/2 pounds extra large shrimp
4 pods of crushed garlic
1/2 Onion
2 tomatoes
1/2 bell pepper
2 celery sticks
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay spice and chili powder
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1 cup of chicken stock
2 tablespoons flour
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Saute diced onions garlic and bay leaves with olive oil in a pan.

Step 2: Once the onions have turned brown, add the diced tomatoes.

Step 3: Add the chopped celery, bell pepper, spices and stir the mixture.

Step 4: Add the chicken stock and let it cook. Add the flour and let the mixture thicken.

Step 5: Add the shrimp, hot sauce and stir the mixture. until the shrimp is cooked.

Step 6:  Add some finely chopped coriander for garnish. 

Peach jam

Ingredients
4 peaches
2 cups of cane sugar
1/2 lime
a pinch of cinnamon powder

Step 1: Boil the peaches in water for about 20 minutes so that you can peel the skin.

Step 2: Grind the peaches and if possible let some chunks of peaches remain.

Step 3: Boil some water in a pan and add the sugar.

Step 4: Once the sugar has melted, add the peach mixture along with the lime juice.

Step 5: Keep stirring on medium heat for 2 hours. You do not have to constantly be there but make sure it does not stick to the bottom. Add the cinnamon powder.

Step 6: Let it cool down once it thickens. Serve it with some bread or english biscuits.

Roast Chicken - Indian style

Ingredients
5-6 large pieces of chicken
3 tablespoons of yoghurt
1 tablespoon chilli, turmeric and coriander powders
1 large red onion
4 tablespoons of ghee
2 bay leaves
4 cloves, pepper corns, cardomom pods
4 pods of garlic
4-5 almonds or cashews
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Coriander leaves/Caramelized onion for garnish
Vegetable oil for frying

Step 1: Marinate the chicken with yoghurt, 1/2 tablespoons of chilli, turmeric and coriander powders, salt and pepper for an hour. Shallow fry the pieces lightly in vegetable oil. Don't let them cook fully.

Step 3: Dice the whole onion and saute it in ghee, with bay leaves, cloves, pepper corns and cardomom pods. [In a separate pan, for caramelized onions, fry diced onion in oil until they turn fully brown].

Step 4: Add the chicken pieces, the remaining spices [chilli, turmeric and coriander], whole garlic pods and let it simmer in some water.

Step 5: Grind the cashews or almonds in some yoghurt and add it to the gravy.

Step 6: Let it cook for 15-20 more minutes on medium heat until the chicken is cooked. Garnish with some coriander leaves and caramelized onions. Serve it with white rice/pulao.

Crabmeat wrapped in smoked salmon

Ingredients
Readymade pacific smoked salmon
1/4 cup crab meat
1 teaspoon mustard sauce
1 teaspoon horseradish
2 tablespoons mayo
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 bell pepper (finely chopped)
1/4 onion (finely chopped)

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients well (except smoked salmon) in a bowl.

Step 2: Place the mixture in between two pieces of smoked salmon.  Place a toothpick on each piece to hold it together.

Step 3: Serve cold as an appetizer.

Squid Fry

Ingredients
1/2 pound squid cut into rings
1 egg
1/2 cup gram flour
2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon chilli and turmeric powders each
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

Step 1: Mix the ginger garlic paste, egg, chilli and turmeric powders, salt, pepper and gram flour in a bowl.

Step 2: Cut the squid in rings and marinate them in the mixture. I left them overnight.

Step 3: Shallow fry the squid in vegetable oil.

Step 4: Serve hot as an appetizer.

Goan crab cakes

Ingredients
Coconut oil for frying
1 cup crab meat
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 teaspoon each of chilli and turmeric powders
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 egg
4 teaspoons rice flour 
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon tamarind juice
Rawa for frying
Coriander leaves (optional)

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients together and roll them into small cakes into rawa.

Step 2:  Shallow fry them in coconut oil. Cover the pan with a lid and allow the cakes to cook for around 5 minutes until both sides are done.

Step 3: Serve hot with a sauce of your choice.

P.S. Sheela Kelekar contributed this recipe to the blog. 

The food truck season

Crab wontons 

Spring and summer is the time to enjoy road side food. We had the opportunity to do just this when we attended the Bull Run Food Festival in Northern Virginia.

While we sampled a variety of wines from different wineries in the region, we quickly gravitated towards the food trucks camped on the hill overlooking the festival. The cuisines on offer included Puerto Rican, Greek, Vietnamese, Venezuelan, Cajun, and southern American.

Borinquen's lunch box offered traditional Puerto Rican cuisine. We tried their chicken empanadas and were delighted. They represented a steal at a price of 4 dollars a piece and were, as far as i could tell, authentic.

Arepasone specialized in Venezuelan. We ordered the arepas - grilled crunchy corn patties made of corn and stuffed with chicken salad, shredded cheddar and avacados. At Deliciousdisheva, we tried the crab wontons made in a American Asian fusion style. We washed all of this down with Wildbills olde fashioned soda pop Co., which offered endless refills of root beer, vanilla soda. All are recommended if you are looking for an inexpensive, but flavorful option for your lunch hour meal.

Kismoor

Ingredients
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 cup dried shrimp
2 cups grated coconut
1 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon tamarind juice
1 teaspoon chilli powder, turmeric
1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander
Pinch a salt

Step 1: Saute dried shrimp in coconut oil and set aside.

Step 2: Saute onion in coconut oil, add the chili, turmeric powders, and tamarind juice. Add grated coconut and salt. Sprinkle the coriander on top.

Step 3: Mix the two portions just before serving.

P.S. Sheela Kelekar contributed this recipe to the blog.