Salt Beef

1 chunk of Beef from the “Round” portion weighing about 3 kgs
1 teaspoon saltpetre or lime salt
8 tablespoons table salt or powdered salt
3 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar

Wash the beef well. Mix the saltpetre / lime salt, table salt, sugar and vinegar together. Rub this mixture on the Meat and prick all over with a fork. Keep in the fridge for 4 or 5 days turning it over and rubbing it well several times a day. On the 6th day boil in a suitable vessel with all the residue and a little water for one hour or pressure cook for 45 minutes on low heat. Cool and store along with the residue and use whenever required.

Fish Curry in Coconut Milk

1 kg good fleshy fish cut into slices
2 big onions chopped finely
1 teaspoon ginger paste
2 teaspoons garlic paste
1 cup thick coconut milk
3 teaspoons chilly powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 teaspoons coriander powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
A few Curry Leaves
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons oil (Sunflower or Mustard)

Wash the fish well and fry it lightly to make it firm. Keep aside. Heat the oil in a shallow vessel and fry the curry leaves and onions till golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic paste, chilly powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and a little water and fry well for some time. Add the Coconut Milk, salt, and a little more water and bring to boil. Add the fish and cook for about 6 to 7 minutes till the fish is firm. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and slit green chilies Serve with Rice or chapattis.

SAVOURY MINCE PAN ROLLS / PANTHRAS

Ingredients for the Pan Rolls
2 cups flour
3 eggs beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
A pinch salt

Ingredients for the Mince
500 grams topside mince
1 onion chopped finely
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
2 medium size potatoes peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons chillie powder
1 teaspoon garam masala powder or all spice powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 egg lightly beaten
Oil for deep frying
1 cup dry bread crumbs

On low heat, cook the mince along with the chopped onion, garlic, giner, potatoes, chillie powder, garam masala / all spice powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt with half cup of water till the potatoes are soft and the mince is cooked. Cool and keep aside.

Mix the flour, 3 eggs, milk, butter and salt with a little water to make a think batter. Make thin pancakes / crepes on a flat pan cooking them on one side only.

Place each pan cake / crepe on a plate, add a tablespoon of mince mix on one end and roll up tucking in the sides as you would a spring roll. Follow the same procedure till all the mince and pancakes / crepes are exhausted.

Heat oil in a pan. Dip each pan roll in beaten egg then roll in bread crumbs. Shallow fry until golden and drain on a kitchen towel.

Serve with tomato or chillie sauce

ANGLO-INDIAN BEEF ROAST

2 kg Beef from the “Round Portion” or “Top Rump part”
2 large onions cut into quarters
2 teaspoons pepper powder
2 dry chillies broken into pieces
2 sticks cinamon
2 tablespoons vinegar
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons oil
3 large potatoes pealed

Wash the meat and rub the salt and pepper well into it. Place it in a big oven- proof dish or a pressure cooker, and place on high heat. Keep turning the meat on all sides till it changes colour. Add the onions, potatoes. chillies, vinegar and sufficient water and cook either on the stove or oven till the meat is tender. Continue to simmer on low heat till the meat is nicely brown all over and the potatoes too are nicely roasted. Serve hot or cold with bread.

The same recipe can be used for making Mutton or Lamb Roast as well.

CHRISTMAS RUM AND RAISIN CAKE

500 grams refined flour or Maida
300 grams soft brown sugar
100 grams powdered white sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons spice powder
1teaspoon nutmeg powder
200 grams chopped black currants
200 grams chopped raisins
100 grams chopped sultanas
100 grams chopped orange / lemon peel
100 grams chopped cherries
500 ml Rum or Brandy
250 ml Wine
500 grams butter
4 eggs beaten well
4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon almond essence

Mix all the dried fruit together and soak in rum / brandy and wine for at least a month. When required drain and keep aside. Reserve the leftover rum.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Dust the soaked fruit / peel with a little flour.
Cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar well. Add the beaten eggs, almond essence and vanilla essence and mix well. Add the orange / lemon peel and dried fruits, nutmeg powder and spice powder and mix thoroughly. Slowly add the flour and fold in well. If the mixture is too thick add a little milk. Pour into a greased and papered baking tins or dishes and bake in a slow oven for about one hour or more (or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean). Remove from the oven when done. Prick the cake with a toothpick and pour the remaining rum over it.
Remove from the tin when cold and wrap tightly in foil or waxed paper and keep in an airtight container for the cake to absorb the rum.
Just before serving, heat for a minute in a microwave oven and pour some more rum on the cake while hot. Tastes delicious!!!!!

KALKALS

KALKALS
Ingredients
I kg refined flour or maida
6 eggs beaten well
2 cups thick coconut milk
½ teaspoon salt
300 grams sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Oil for deep frying
Mix the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder together. Add the coconut milk and eggs and knead to a soft dough. Keep aside for an hour. Form kalkals by taking small lumps of the dough and roll on the back of a fork or a wooden kalkal mould, to form a scroll. Alternately, roll out the dough and cut into fancy shapes with kalkal or cookie cutters. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry as many kalkals as possible at a time. Keep aside.
To ice the kalkals, melt 1 cup of sugar with ½ cup of water and when the sugar syrup crystallizes pour over the kalkals and mix well. Store in airtight boxes when cold.

ROSE COOKIES

ROSE COOKIES
Ingredients

½ kg refined flour or maida
250 grams rice flour (optional)
1 cup coconut milk
200 grams sugar
6 eggs beaten well
½ teaspoon salt
1 litre oil for frying
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix all the ingredients together to form a smooth slightly thick batter.
Heat oil in a deep pan till it reaches boiling point. Now place the rose cookie mould into the oil to get hot. When the mould is hot enough dip it half way only into the batter and put it back immediately into the boiling oil. Shake the mould to separate the cookie from it. Heat the mould again and repeat the process. Fry rose cookies till brown. Continue in this way till the batter is finished.

Note: The batter will stick to the rose cookie mould with a hissing sound only if it is sufficiently hot otherwise it will just slide off the mould

DUCK PULI FRY ( Duck in tamarind sauce)

Ingredients
1 dressed duck chopped into medium size pieces (de-skin if desired)
2 big onions sliced
1 teaspoon coriander powder
4 green chillies slit lengthwise
2 teaspoons chillie powder
1teaspoon chopped ginger
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup thick tamarind juice

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and sauté the onions lightly. Add the duck and all the other ingredients and mix well. Fry for a few minutes. Add sufficient water and pressure cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes. Open the pressure cooker and add the thick tamarind juice and mix well. Continue cooking on low heat till the gravy is thick and dark brown. Serve with Chapattis, Hoppers or Dosas.