Vegetable Cheese Bake, Goan Fish Caldinho And Chicken Pakora by Zarnak Sidhwa

Ingredients for Vegetable Cheese Bake:

• Carrots  1/2 cup
  
• Fresh beans  1/2 cup
  
• Peas  1/2 cup
  
• Cauliflower  1/2 cup
  
• Bread crumbs  1/2 cup
  
• Capsicum  1
  
• Onion, sliced  1
  
• Cheddar cheese 1/4 cup
• Butter  1 tsp
  
• Ketchup  1/4 cup

Ingredients for White sauce:

• Flour  2 tbsp
  
• Milk  2 cups
  
• Butter  1 tbsp
  
• Nutmeg  2 cups
  
• Sugar  1 tbsp
  
• Dried oregano  a pinch
  
• Pepper  1/4 tsp
  
• Cheddar cheese  3 tbsp
  
• Salt  to taste
  

Method:

1. Blanch the vegetable and drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid.
   
2. Refresh the blanched vegetables in cold water and drain.
   
3. For the white sauce, melt butter, in a pan on a low heat.
   
4. Add the flour and mix with the butter.
   
5. Take pan off fire and add milk gradually using a whisk and then cook on low heat till the sauce thicken.
   
6. Add pepper, grated cheese, dried oregano, nutmeg and salt and the served stock. Put the vegetables in a greased dish and pour the sauce evenly on the vegetables. Sprinkle bread crumbs 1/4 cup cheese, sliced onions and capsicum, pepper powder and dot with butter.
   
7. Sprinkle a little ketchup on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degree C till it bubbles and the top turns a light golden brown about 20 minutes.
   
8. Serve with garlic bread.
   

Ingredients for Goan Fish Caldinho:

• Fresh coconut  1
  
• Cumin seeds  1 tsp
  
• Peppercorns  10
  
• Coriander seeds  2 tbsp
  
• Garlic  3 cloves
  
• Turmeric powder  1 tsp
  
• Tamarind juice  2 tbsp
  
• Warm water 2 cups
  
• Pomfret sliced  1/2 kg
  
• Onion   1
  
• Tomato  1
  
• Oil  2 tbsp
  
• Ginger   1 inch
  
• Green chilies 2
  
• Sugar  a pinch
  
• Vinegar  to taste
  
• Salt  to taste
  

Method:

1. Blend all the ingredients for the juice in a blender with warm water.
2. Strain this masala paste to obtain a thick coldinho juice and keep aside.
   
3. Mix the residue with some more water and extracted thinner juice.
   
4. Keep it aside for further use.
   
5. Heat oil and saute the chopped onions till soft.
   
6. Then add the chopped tomatoes, grated ginger and cook till tomatoes turn soft. Add the second extraction thin juice; stir well and let it come to a boil. Gently add in the pomfret slice.
   
7. Let it come to a boil, then add the thick extract, slit chilies, a pinch of sugar and let it come to a boil.
   
8. Adjust salt and vinegar to taste.
   
9. Let it simmer and cook for a while. Serve with steamed rice.
   

Ingredients for Chicken Pakora:

• Chicken  1/2 kg
  
• Gram flour  2 cup
  
• Onion  2 large
  
• Green chilies 8 to 10 small
  
• Baking soda  1 tsp
  
• All spice powder 1 tsp
  
• Red chili powder  2 tsp
  
• Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper 1/2 tsp
  
• Ginger grated 2 tsp
  
• Garlic paste 1/2 tsp
  
• Cumin paste 1/2 tsp
  
• Lemon juice  1 tbsp
  
• Chaat masala  1 tsp
  
• Coriander  1 tbsp
  
• Salt  to taste
  
• Oil  for frying
  

Method:

1. Stir the flour, chili powder, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
   
2. pour in sufficient water to make a thick beat well until smooth.
   
3. Leave to stand for at least 15-20 minutes. Boil chicken pieces until done.
   
4. Now add garlic paste, cumin powder, chaat masala powder, turmeric powder, lemon juice, grated ginger, salt, garam masala powder, black pepper powder, and cook on a low flame until chicken gravy is totally dry.
   
5. Remove from heat and keep set aside. Now add chicken masala gravy into chicken pea flour mixture.
   
6. Add coriander leaves and thinly chopped onions to chicken chickpea mixture and mix well.
   
7. Heat oil, dry fry chicken pakora on high heat till golden brown then fry on low heat till crispy.
8. Remove to kitchen pape to remove excess oil.
   
9. Serve hot with tamarind chutney