Recipe 01: Kombi Bafat (Mangalorean Chicken Curry in Bafat Masala)
Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20-30 minutes Serves: 4-5
Sunday lunches and dinners at every Mangalorean or Goan household is not complete without a traditional curry on the table. Made with coconut milk, our traditional chicken curry in bafat simply called Kombi Bafat is a must try when you visit someone in either region. Every household has a unique recipe passed on from our grandmoms and the same method is used to cook the curry for generations, here I share my granny’s recipe.
Ingredients:
1 kg chicken on the bone or boneless; 2 medium sized red onions thinly sliced; 3 small green chilies slit in the middle; 2 tsp ginger garlic paste; 1 tsp cooking vinegar or lemon juice; 3 tbsp Ghee or Vegetable Oil; 1/2-1 tbsp Mangalorean Bafat Masala; 400-500 ml Thick Coconut Milk; Salt to taste
Method:
Wash the chicken thoroughly and drain all excess water. Marinate the chicken with 1 tsp garlic-ginger paste, chillies and salt to taste. Set aside for 10 minutes. In a deep saucepan, heat oil or ghee on medium flame and add thinly sliced red onion and cook till pink and translucent. Add the marinated chicken with chillies and ginger-garlic paste into the pan and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the Mangalorean Bafat Masala and mix well to ensure all the chicken pieces are evenly coated. Roast the chicken with the mixture for another 3-4 minutes. Add coconut milk depending upon how thick you like your curry and vinegar and stir the mixture well, taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Bring the curry to a boil and simmer it on slow heat for 15-20 minutes or till chicken is done. Serve piping hot with steamed rice or neer dosa or sannas.
Recipe 02: Pork Curry in Bafat Masala (Dukra Maas Masala)
Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 2-3 hours Serves: 3-4
Pork Curry made with Bafat Masala also known as Dukra Maas is a celebratory dish prepared in most Goan and Mangalorean households during special occasions. This slow cooked spicy pork dish is a star feature in most family celebrations especially Indian Catholic weddings.
Cook this delicious spicy dish at your latest house party and make yourself some fans already!
Ingredients:
1kg pork cubed (best section to use is pork shoulder or tenderloin with a little bit of fat); 2-3 hot green chillies sliced in half; 3 large red onions largely diced; 3 inch ginger peeled and thinly sliced; 20 garlic cloves medium or small diced; 2-3 tbsp Lily Aunty’s Mangalorean Bafat Masala (4 is only if you love spicy food); 1 tsp turmeric powder; 2 bay leaves; 5 tbsp brown vinegar or red wine vinegar; 4 tbsp tamarind water (50:50 tamarind pulp to water); Salt to taste
Method:
Wash the cubed pork multiple times under running water. Marinate the cubed pork with Mangalorean Bafat Masala, turmeric powder, green chillies, sliced ginger, diced garlic, bay leaves, salt, tamarind water and vinegar thoroughly in a deep saucepan and keep aside for 1 hour at room temperature or the fridge.
On a cook top, turn up the heat and start cooking the marinated mixture of pork without adding any water. Only add a little water every few minutes to ensure the meat doesn't stick to the bottom. One hour into the cooking process add the onion to the mixture and stir well. Now simmer the pork mixture on low heat and add a little water depending on how much sauce you want from the mixture. Let the pork continue to cook on low heat for 2 hours till the meat is tender but not falling apart. Adjust seasoning of salt and vinegar to your liking and cook accordingly.
Once cooled down, you can refrigerate the dish overnight for the meal to absorb all the masalas and make the pork taste more intense. Reheat and serve with rice or bread.
Recipe 03: Mix Vegetable Korma
Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes Serves: 5-6
Mix Vegetable Korma is the answer to all non-veg curry dishes and is incorporated with specialties from each region according to its taste. While some like to add yogurt, South Indian preparations make it with coconut milk or desiccated coconut but they taste just as lovely. Here’s our version of a Mix Vegetable Korma that you can make for you and your family for a perfect Sunday afternoon family meal.
Ingredients:
For paste: 4 tbsp desiccated coconut; ¼ cup soaked, peeled almonds; 1 tsp black peppercorn
For curry: ¾ cup French beans (chopped); ¾ cup diced carrots; ¾ cup cauliflower (chopped); ¾ cup diced potatoes; ½ cup green peas; ¾ cup finely chopped tomatoes; 3 large red onions (finely chopped); 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste; 2 tsp Mangalorean Bafat Masala; 1 small bay leaf; 2 tbsp oil; coriander leaves for garnish; 2 cups water; salt to taste
Method:
Make fine paste adding little water to ingredients marked For paste and keep aside. Heat oil in a saucer pan, add onions & sauté till translucent, add bay leaf and ginger garlic paste and sauté for a while; add tomatoes and sauté till the mixture is soft, add Mangalorean Bafat Masala and fry the mixture for 1-2 minutes; add paste and fry for 2 minutes; add beans, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, green peas and fry the mixture for 2-3 minutes. Add water and cook until the vegetables are soft and cooked, cook with more water if you like more gravy. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rotis or rice.
Recipe 04: Channa Masala
Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes Serves: 4-5
There is nothing more warm and comforting than piping hot channa masala and rice to lift one’s mood up instantly. This preparation can be made with a variety of grams however the recipe below uses Kabuli channa as I have learnt to make this for my family and I always get a thank you kiss from my youngest every time I prepare this dish ☺
Ingredients:
3 cups soaked kabuli channa; 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste; 4 large red onions thinly sliced; 3 tomatoes diced; 2 green chillies slit; 2 tsp Mangalorean Bafat Masala; 2 tbsp oil; 2 cups water; coriander leaves to garnish; salt to taste.
Method:
Use kabuli channa that has been washed thoroughly and soaked overnight to cook. Add them to a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt and cook for 3 whistles. In a saucer pan, heat oil and sauté sliced onions till translucent; add ginger garlic paste and mix well; add diced tomatoes and cook well till soft; add slit green chillies and sauté a little; add Mangalorean Bafat Masala and cook for 1 minute; drain the channa off water (don’t throw) and add them to the mixture in saucer pan and mix well; use the water from the pressure cooker and add depending on how much gravy you like. Add salt. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 5 minutes on slow flame or till it is cooked enough to your liking. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve piping hot with rice or rotis.
For your benefit, this blog post has some recipes to get you started on your journey of preparing a wholesome family meal, and enjoying your weekdays and weekends without the hassle of elaborate prep.
PS: Please note, the instructions on amount of spice to be used is basis what we use in our kitchen, if you don’t eat spicy food please reduce the spice instructions by half or less than to make it palatable for you and your family.