Goan Alami Tonak\ Mushroom Xacuti

Alami Tonak is a very typical Goan dish. In konkani, Alami(Almi) means mushrooms and Tonak means some gravy.
In Goa, the Alami's are available in the month of Shravan and within minutes, the stock gets over.

Alami Tonak is prepared by roasting coconut with spices and then grinding it thus making it really spicy.
You can adjust the spice level as per your taste by adjusting the peppercorns and red chillies.

Ingriedients:
Button Mushroom - chopped into four pieces
Grated coconut
1 Onion - finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon - 2
Peppercorns - 8
Cloves - 6
Corainder seeds - 1 tablespoon
Red chillies - 3
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Mustard - 1 teaspoon
Bay leaves - 2
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Corainder leaves - finely chopped
Oil
Water

Procedure:
1. Take 1 teaspoon oil, and fry the grated coconut, Cinnamon, Red chillies, Corainder seeds, Peppercorns, Cloves, 1 Bay Leaf for 2-3 minutes. Keep it aside to cool down.
2. Once it cools down, grind it in the mixer.
3. Take 2 tablespoon oil in a pan, add mustard. Once it splutters, add Jeera, 1 Bay leaf.
4. Next add the chopped onions and add a pinch of salt. Fry till golden brown.
5. Next add ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 minute. Then add turmeric powder.
5. Next add the chopped mushrooms and let it cook in the oil for around 5 minutes.
6. Finally add the ground masala and mix well.
7. Add 1 cup of water and let it cook for another 5 minutes.

Garnish it with chopped corainder leaves.
Serve it hot with Rotis or rice.

Seviyan Upma\ Vermicelli Upma

We are all very fond of seviyan kheer/Payasam. A khara or spicy variation to that would be seviyan upma, which serves as a very healthy breakfast. It is a very commom breakfast item in south India.
I had it for the first time after coming to Bangalore (from one of my friend's dabba) and just fell in love with it. I tried preparing the same at home and it turned out to be awesome.

 

Ingriedients:
Seviyan/Vermicelli - 2 cups
1 Onion - finely chopped
Red chilies - 2
Urad dal - 1 tea spoon
Karipatta leaves
Mustard - half teaspoon
Jeera/Cumin seeds- half teaspoon
Chilli powder - half teaspoon
Haldi powder\ Turmeric- half teaspoon
Oil
Water - 3 cups
Salt

For garnishing:
Coriander leaves - finely chopped
Dry coconut\ Kopra - grated (optional)
Lemon juice

Procedure:
1. Take oil in a kadhai. Add mustard. Once it splutters, add jeera, urad dal, Karipatta leaves and red chilies.
2. Next add the chopped onions and a pinch of salt.
3. Simultaneously keep 3 cups of water for boiling in a separate container.
4. Once the onion turn golden brown, add the chili powder and turmeric powder.
5. Next add the vermicelli and keep stirring for about 2-3 minutes.
6. By this time, the water will start boiling. Add this boiling water to the vermicelli and mix well.
7. Add salt as per taste and cover it with lid and let it cook on a low flame for about 10 minutes.
8. Once the water is absorbed by vermicelli and it is cooked properly, switch off the gas.

The delicious vermicelli upma is ready.
Sprinkle lemon juice and garnish it with chopped corainder leaves and grated dry coconut.

Tips:
1. To prepare Vermicelli Pulao, veggies like grated carrot, finely chopped capsicum, green peas can be added after adding the onions.

Marie Biscuit Cake

This is the one of most easiest and fastest preparation of cake I have ever known. It needs no baking. From the name Marie biscuit cake, it sounds little uninteresting. But don't go by the name. Try it out to see how delicious it tastes. Everyone would just love it ...from kids to elders

Ingredients:
Marie biscuits - 1 pack (around 20 biscuits)
Cocoa powder - 2 tablespoon
Vanilla custard powder - 2 tablespoon
Instant coffee powder - 1 tablespoon
Sugar - 5 teaspoon
Chocolate
Milk - 500ml
Nuts
Water

Procedure:
1. Boil the milk and keep it aside to cool down
2. Prepare the coffee decoction by boiling 1 tablespoon coffee powder in one cup of water. Keep this aside and let it cool down
2. Once the milk cools down, take half cup of boiled milk, add the cocoa powder , custard powder and mix well. Make sure no lumps are formed.
3. Next add sugar to the remaining milk and keep it for boiling. Once it starts boiling at this mix of cocoa powder and custard powder prepared in milk. Keep stirring continuously.
4. Next add the chocolate and keep stirring.
5. Boil this for around 10 mins till it forms a thick paste
6.  Powder 5 biscuits using a grater or with your hand.
7. Take a small container with a wide bottom for layering the cake.
8. Dip each marie biscuit in the coffee decoction for around 2 seconds and place it in the container to form one layer.
9. Next pour the mix prepared on this till all the biscuits are covered completely.
10. Next sprinkle Marie biscuit powder on this. One layer is ready.
11. Similarly continue for as many layers as your like.
12. Top the final layer with nuts and chocolate chips.
13. Refrigerate it for around 8 hours

Delicious Marie biscuit cake is ready to be served.