Goa - Cookery Lesson

We arrived at 5 pm as agreed and for 800 rupees (£10) each we were ready for our Goan cookery lesson with Shemi. The kitchen at the back of their shop was quite rustic to say the least but at least it was clean. Just as she started the demonstration for masala tea there was a loud clatter on the tin roof that sounded like the roof was caving in. Oh that's just a monkey said Shemi all nonchalant. A monkey - it sounded like a herd of elephants! We were a bit shocked when Shemi was unwrapping vegetables etc. She did not need a bin for the wrappings as she threw all the rubbish through a hole in the roof into next door! We continued with the lesson and the following recipes are all for four people Masala chi •Add 2 glasses of water to a saucepan •Add 2 Cloves, Cardamom pod, fresh Ginger •Bring to boil •Then add •Small amount of sugar •4 heap spoons Rose tea granuals •1 glass of Milk •Bring back to boil •Then sieve and serve in cups for all the following recipes we only used: 5 spring onions 4 small red onions 4 tomatoes 3 green chillies 1 bunch fresh coriander leaves Small ginger root 3 bulbs of garlic All Chopped finely Garlic Naan bread •300gram Strong coarse bread flour •Mix with water to make a dough •Add in mashed garlic and chopped coriander leaves •Divide and roll into circles •Melt some ghee on a Chapati pan and drop naan onto it •Cook both sides and let it puff up a bit. •Put onto paper to absorb some of the oil •Serve Vegetable Samosas •Save some of the dough already made for the naan but add guarum seeds to the dough •Cut dough into brazil nut size pieces •Roll into ovals •Heat some oil adding mustard seeds to it •Add chopped red onion •Add garlic and green chillis •Stir •Add salt •Cook until onion soft and brown •Add some spring onion and coriander •Add one pinch turmeric powder and some garum masala •Add some cooked potato and chopped spinach and any other cooked veg as you like •Cut ovals in half - hold round edge away from you •Fold right hand edge to centre damp edge and fold left side to lap it •Fill with mixture damp top edge and fold top flap down to seal parcel •Fry in hot oil •Drain & serve - yum yum - we liked these best of all :-) Vegetable Kofta •Add to a bowl - potato, onion, spring onion, raisins, garum masala, chilli powder, salt and cashews •Mix with your hand to a paste •Add white flour to bind together •Roll into balls - not too big Bryan - and roll in semolina •Fry in hot oil •Drain and serve Lentil Dal •Wash lentils and boil in water - 1 cup of lentils in 2 cups of water. Do not drain •Heat oil with mustard seeds in •Add red onion, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, salt, pinch of turmeric powder, stir •add lentils in the water and add chopped coriander leaves. •Cook until pulpy •Serve Chutney •Grate a small coconut •Add squeeze of lemon •Add salt, chopped tomato, coriander, green chilli, red onion Mix altogether •Serve Palak Paneer •Heat some oil in a pan and add red onion, ginger, garlic, salt, Fry until soft •Add chopped tomato and coriander •Add 200gm of spinach and cook over low heat. •Put a lid on it stir occasionally •Add small cup of grated coconut and mix in •Add small pieces of paneer cheese •Serve Serve it all up together and enjoy with a nice bottle of white wine Enjoy....