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This is a traditional Maharashtrian (Konkan) recipe. I learnt it from my mother, she is an awesome cook and just like her other recipes, this recipe too is out of the world. I have been eating this delicious preparation since my childhood and even today whenever I visit her, I ask her to prepare this for me. A quick and finger-licking recipe.

Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
500 gms prawns or shrimps; peeled and deveined,
1 onion; diced,
1/2 cup dessicated coconut,
6 cloves of garlic; crushed,
1/4 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tsp red chilli powder,
Salt to taste,
Oil for frying,
Water,
Chopped coriander leaves to garnish.

Method:
Dry roast the coconut till it turns brown stirring occasionally (do not burn) and grind with little water to a paste.
Meanwhile heat oil in a kadhai (wok), add garlic and roast it till it turns light brown. Then add onion and saute till onion becomes transparent. Then add turmeric and red chilli powder and cook for a minute. Now add the ground coconut paste, stir well, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Uncover, add the prawns, mix, add water to form gravy and again cover with the lid. Pour some water on the lid. Cook on medium-high flame for 5-6 minutes or till prawns are cooked. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with chapatis (Indian bread).

Ingredients: (Serves 4-5)
For the koftas-
2 cups finely chopped spinach leaves (Palak),
2-3 tbsp crumbled paneer,
Cornflour and gramflour for binding,
1/2 tsp green chilli paste,
1 tsp garlic paste,
Raisins as per taste,
Salt to taste.

For the curry-

Whole garam masala:-
2-3 bay leaves (tejpatta),
4 cloves (laung),
7-8 peppercorns,
1 star anise (chakriphul); broken into pieces,
1″ stick of cinnamon (dalchini),
2-3 green cardamom (chhoti elaichi),

Other:-
1 cup spinach leaves; blanched and pureed,
1 large onion; ground to paste,
1 large tomato; pureed,
1/2 tsp melon seeds (magaj beej),
1/2 tsp poppy seeds (khus khus),
8-10 cashew nuts,
1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tsp red chilli powder,
1/2 tsp roasted cumin (jeera) powder,
1/2-3/4 tsp garam masala,
1-2 tbsp cream,
Salt to taste,
Water,
Oil for frying.

Method:
Mix together all the ingredients of the kofta and prepare small koftas. Meanwhile heat water in a steamer to steam the koftas. When water is hot enough, place the koftas in the steamer and steam them on medium flame for around 8-10 minutes. If you like heat some oil in a pan and lightly fry these koftas. And if you are not one of those who minds calories, then go ahead and deep fry these koftas, they taste out of this world.
For the gravy soak the cashew nuts, melon seeds and poppy seeds in warm water for 10 minutes. Then grind to paste.
Heat oil in a kadhai (wok) add whole garam masala, fry for a minute. Then add ground onion and fry on low-medium flame till it changes its color. Then add the tomato puree, cover and cook till the gravy starts leaving  the sides of the kadhai. Then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, jeera powder, garam masala and fry for 2 minutes. Now add the cashew paste, cover and let it cook. Stir occasionally else the gravy will stick to the bottom of the kadhai. Now add the spinach puree, cook for a while and then add water to prepare a curry. Bring to boil and then add the koftas to it. Add salt. Cover and cook of low-medium flame till the curry thickens. Put off the flame, add cream, mix and serve with parathas or pulao.

I cooked this ‘Dum Aloo’ this Diwali and all of us just loved it. It is a simple and awesome recipe prepared from most common ingredients.

Ingredients:
12 baby potatoes,
2 small onions,
1 large tomato; pureed,
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste,
1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tsp red chilli powder,
1/2 tsp jeera powder,
3/4 tsp garam masala,
2 bay leaves (tejpatta),
2 cloves (laung),
3-4 peppercorns (kalimirch),
1 star anise (chakriphul), broken into pieces,
1″ piece of cinnamon (dalchini),
Salt to taste,
Oil for frying,
Cream and chopped coriander leaves to garnish.

Method:
Peel the potatoes and cook them in the microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes. Else pressure cook them upto one whistle. Then prick fork and marinate them with salt and turmeric powder. Set them aside for 15 minutes or till you prepare the gravy. Finely chop one onion and grind the other to fine paste.
Heat oil in a pan, add bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon and fry for half a minute. Then add chopped onion and cook till it turns light brown. Then add ginger-garlic paste and ground onion, again cook till the mixture is equally browned. Then add little turmeric powder, red chilli powder, jeera powder, garam masala, tomato puree and cook till the mixture starts leaving oil from the sides of the pan.
Meanwhile heat oil in a kadhai/wok on medium flame. Then drop the marinated potatoes into it, few at a time. Fry these potatoes till they turn golden from all sides. Similarly fry all the potatoes

Add water to the gravy to get a desired gravy consistency. Cover and let it boil. When all the potatoes are fried add them to this gravy, mix and again let it boil. Garnish with cream and chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with parathas or any pulao.

Ingredients:
7-8 big pieces of fish,
1 cup thinly sliced onions,
1 cup thinly sliced tomatoes,
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste,
1 tbsp finely chopped green chillies,
2-3 cinamon (dalchini) sticks,
2-3 bay (tejpatta) leaves,
Sea salt for marination,
Juice of 1/2 lemon,
Salt to taste,
2 tbsp vinegar,
1 cup Olive oil,
Water.

Method:
Marinate the fish with sea salt, lime juice and set aside till you prepare your curry.
Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a deep frying pan. Fry ginger-garlic paste for 2 minutes. Then add cinnamon, bay leaves and onions. Cook till onions soften and change their color. Then add the sliced tomatoes, salt, chillies and cook till tomatoes soften. Then add 1/2 cup water, cover and let the curry simmer on low flame.
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil. To that add vinegar, salt, 1 cup water and let it boil. Then add the marinated fish. Keep flipping till fish is cooked. Test by poking it with fork. Drain and arrange on a plate, pour the curry over it and serve with plain rice, parathas or coconut rice.

This recipe is my innovation. I keep thinking about recipes that are delicious but healthy as well. This recipe could be categorized as specially for kids, since usually they do not want to eat green leafy vegetables. So for all those troubled moms here is a creative recipe. 

Ingredients:
For the manchurian balls-
1 cup spinach leaves; chopped,
1/2 cup cabbage; finely shredded,
Salt and pepper to taste,
1/2 tsp finely chopped green chillies (if you like),
1 tsp soy sauce,
Cornflour as required for binding,
Oil for frying.

For the sauce-
1/2 cup chopped greens of scallions (spring onions),
2 scallions; finely chopped,
1 green chilli; deseeded and slit lenghtwise,
1 tbsp cornflour,
1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce,
1 tsp chilli sauce,
Salt and pepper to taste,
Olive oil,
Water.

Method:
Mix together all the ingredients for the manchurian balls and knead well. Make small round balls. Heat oil in a wok for deep frying, lower the flame to low-medium and then drop these balls into the oil in batches. Fry till they turn reddish-golden in color, drain and set aside.
To prepare the sauce-
Heat olive oil in a skillet, add scallions and fry for a minute. Then add the greens, chilli and again saute for 2 minutes. Now add soy sauce, chilli sauce, salt, pepper, water (enough to form a thin gravy) and let it boil. Meanwhile mix cornflour in 1/2 cup water to form a paste and pour into the gravy. Keep stirring. Soon the gravy would start thickening, then drop the manchurian balls into it, cover and put off the flame. Serve with boiled noodles or steamed rice.