SUNGATTACHE HOOMAN
(Prawn Curry)Cooking time: 20 minutes, Serves 6

Ingredients:
25 medium-sized prawns 1 tsp coriander seeds 6 peppercorns 2 onions, chopped fine 1 small ball of tamarind (size of a marble) 8-10 red (Goan, Bedki or Kashmiri) chillies 1 tsp haldi powder 1-1/2 cup grated coconut 2 raw mangoes peeled and cut into pieces Salt to taste

Procedure:
Grind coconut, cillies, haldi, peppercorns, coriander very fine and keep aside the masala paste. Put cut onions, prawns and 1 tsp masala paste and 1 cup water and cook for 5 minutes. Then mix 4 cups of water with remaining ground masala paste and add raw mangoes (cut into pieces) and salt to taste. Cook for 5 minutes.

The Saraswat food at Hira Vihar

Talalli Sungta (Fried prawns)
Talalle Shinane (Fried mussels)
Sungattache Dangar (Prawn pattice)
Battateche Phodi (Pan fried potatoes)
Neerphanasache Phodi (Pan fried breadfruit)
Main Course (Non-Veg)
Sungateche Hooman (Prawn curry)
Tarlyache Sukhen (Sardine curry)
Tisryache Sadsadit (Clam curry)
Koolyache Tondak (Crab curry)
Tallilyo Muddoshyo (Fried ladyfish)
Bharlele Bangde (Stuffed mackerels)
Tallelo Viswan (Fried kingfish)
Talleli Vaggo (Fried tiger prawns)
Viswanachi Kalputi (Kingfish head curry)
Sungatachi Kismoor (Dry prawns relish)
(Veg)
Khatkhatem (Mixed veg curry)
Uddamethi (Veg curry with raw mango slices)
Tamdi Bhaaji (Amarnath bhaji)
Toranche Lonche (Raw mango pickle)
Daalicho Ros (Dal with coconut)
Almyachi Shagoti (Mushroom xacuti curry)
Desserts
Manganne, Payas

GOAN MASALAS

Dry Chilli and Chilli Powder: Out of the two the first has a better flavour and has to be freshly ground. If chilli is powdered and kept for along time, its effect is lost.
Garam Masala: The components of garam masala are: cloves, cinnamon, star anise, bud mace, nutmeg, peppercorn.
Simple Masala: Coriander seeds, red chillies, turmeric powder.
Tondak Masala: Cloves, peppercorns, garlic.
Shagoti Masala: Coriander, dry chilies, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, bud mace, poppy seeds.
Roasted Masala: In India the term 'roast' is frequently used to indicate the stir-frying of seasoning. Whenever grated coconut and onion is prepared in this manner, it should be done over low flame till brown. The condiments used should never be charred, otherwise the dish will be bitter and unsavoury in both colour and taste. For oysters and mushroom tondak, garam masala should be expressly avoided in order to preserve the taste of the primary ingredients.
Asafoetida: To preserve the shelf life of items such as pickles, papads, vadyo, asafoetida is used. Some fresh ingredients also used as masala are: Chilies (green), coconut, coriander, garlic, ginger, yogurt and a vareity of herbs. Spices frequently used in Goan cuisine are: ajwain, anisee, cardamom, chilli, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin and fenugreek.

KOOLYANCHE TONDAK (Crab Curry)
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
6 large crabs, 3 medium onions
12 peppercorns
1 one-inch piece of cinnamon
1 tbsp oil
Marble-size ball of tamarind (10 gm)
2 cups grated coconut, 6 flakes garlic
6 cloves, 6 red chillies
2 tbsp coriander seeds, Salt to taste

Procedure:
Clean the crabs. Cut into 4 pieces and remove legs. Cut 2 onions fine. Pour 2 cups water into a deep cooking pot and boil crabs and onion. Cut one onion lengthwise and keep aside. In a frying pan, heat oil, and fry cloves, garlic, cinnamon and peppercorns. Stir-fry coriander seeds and red chillies till coriander turns brown. Remove this roasted mixture from the pan. To the same oil, add the onion cut lengthwise and fry till it turns brown. Now add grated coconut and stir-fry till coconut also turns brown. Keep aside. Grind coriander and chillies alongwith cloves, garlic, cinamon and peppercorns to a fine paste. Keep aside. Now grind the roasted coconut to a fine paste alongwith tamarind. Add ground coriander masala and tumeric powder to boiled crabs and boil for another 2 minutes. Add 1 cup water, ground coconut and salt to taste. Boil for 3 minutes or until the gravy thickens.

TASTE ENHANCERS IN GOAN FOOD

Goan cuisine is very influecned by the variety of fruits and vegetables grown in the region. Besides coconut (naall) tres, mango (ambo) trees, jackfruit (phanas) trees, drumstick (sange) trees, breadfruit (neerphanas) are also grown. Similarly, fruits which are sour to taste like tamarind (chinch) trees, starfruit (karmala) trees, hog plum (ambado) trees and bhirand (cocum) trees are also grown. Cashew grows on the slopes. Depending on the time of the year each variety of fruit is used to enhance the taste of Saraswat food. Coconut is almost always used. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are essential components of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.
The flesh of the coconut is grated to obtain soy which is ground to get coconut milk which plays a major role in Goan cuisine. From dessicated coconut, vernacularly known as copra, oil is extracted and used for frying.
The cocum fruit has digestive attributes as well, and this is one of the reasons why it is used as a basic ingredient for a type of liquid curry which is consumed at the end of every meal. As a substitute to dry cocum, raw mango slices or seasonal sour fruits can be used. For example, bimbla also known as star fruit (karmala) can be employed to add acidity. Another fruit used to add both acidity and sweetness to the dish is the tamarind. The acrid lemon (teffal) gives a distinct flavour to the dishes and is generally used in deep water spicy fish curries of king fish, mackerel, shark, etc.

TALLELO VISWAN (Fried Kingfish)
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients:
6 large kingfish slices 1-1/2 tumeric powder Coconut oil for shallow frying 3 tsp chilli powder 2 tbsp. rice flour Salt to taste

Procedure:
Wash kingfish slices and marinate in salt for 15 minutes. Apply chilli powder and turmeric powder to the slices. Heat frying pan, apply a little coconut oil. Rub slices in rice flour and arrange neatly side by side in the frying pan. Pour 3 to 4 tsp. of oil over them. Fry over low to medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Then turn over and again pour 3 to 4 tsp oil on them and fry till brown.