3 Easter Recipes

I recently contributed these easter recipes to The Bengaluru Pages for their Easter issue.
Happy Easter !

SORPOTEL – GOA
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 3 hours
Serves: 10-12

Ingredients
1½ kg pork, boneless
½ kg liver
2 tbsp oil
2 medium onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp Feni, cashewnut or coconut (optional)
2 tbsp vinegar
Salt to taste Finely grind together:
4 tsp turmeric
4” piece cinnamon
1½ tsp cumin seeds
12 peppercorns
12 cloves
1 whole pod garlic cloves
2 tsp ginger paste
Seeds of 5 green cardamoms
15 Kashmiri dry red chillies
Note: Some Goan Sorpotel recipes also include pork heart and tongue, but this is completely optional and works perfectly just the same with only pork meat and liver.

Method
1. Boil the meats for half an hour in enough water to cover it.
2. Strain and reserve the liquid.
3. Chop the meats into small cubes.
4. Heat oil, fry onions till brown. Add the finely ground masala and fry it till cooked.
Note: The masala is fully cooked when it loses the ‘raw’ aroma and the oil separates from the masala, floating on top.
5. Add this cooked masala to the reserved stock from the meat.
6. Add meats to the same pan and fry well for 15 minutes. till the fat leaves the meat. Add this also to the stock.
7. Simmer the meat for 2 hours on a low heat. Add salt, vinegar and feni.
8. Let it cool and refrigerate.
9. Heat it again the next day and add more red chilli powder if needed.
10.Serve with rice, sanas or bread.
Note: This dish is best prepared a day earlier. When the Sorpotel is kept overnight, it allows the masala to be fully absorbed by the meat, creating an unparalled Easter dish that can be kept even for a week.

EASTER CHICKEN ROAST – KERALA
Preparation time: ½ hour
Marination time: 3 hours
Cooking time: 40 mins Serves: 4-6

Ingredients
1 whole chicken (without the liver and kidney)
Grind together:
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder 8
cloves 2” piece
cinnamon 2 tbsp
vinegar 2 tbsp
oil 1½ cup hot water
Salt to taste

Method
1.Wash and dry the chicken inside out. Pat dry.
2. Add vinegar and salt to the ground ingredients and rub well over chicken.
3. Marinate in a covered bowl for three hours.
4. Heat oil in a deep pan and brown the chicken on all sides over a low heat, till it’s browned on the outside.
5. Pour hot water and cook covered till chicken is tender.
6. Remove the chicken and cook the gravy till it thickens and the oil separates.
7. Put the chicken back and coat it with the gravy.

MUTTON STEW CURRY - MANGALORE
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients
1 kg mutton (weigh a whole leg and get it cut for a curry)
2 medium onions, finely sliced
4 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled & cubed
2 tbsp oil
Grind together:
4 green chillies
2” piece cinnamon
4 cloves
2” piece fresh ginger
1 medium onion
10 peppercorns
1 tbsp tamarind, soaked and pulped
1 tsp turmeric powder

Method
1. Cook the washed and dried mutton in 4 cups of water and salt to taste for about 40 minutes or till tender.
2. Add previously boiled, peeled and cubed potatoes.
3. Heat oil and fry the finely sliced onions till brown.
4. Add the ground masala and cook till the oil leaves the masala. Keep stirring.
5. Add the mutton pieces and the stock and simmer till the gravy is slightly thick.
6. Serve with hot Sannas