Mangalore Buns

These soft, fluffy buns are a staple Mangalore morning breakfast. Although they are eaten more often at restaurants than at home, they are quite easy to prepare. They have a slight banana sweet taste and are contrarily served with spicy coconut chilli chutney. Enjoy them warm for breakfast or tea!

Makes 10 bun's

Ingredients:
Banana - 1 ( the Cavandish variety is best)
Curd(yoghurt) along with whey - 3/4 cup ( if you're curds are thick then you may add 2 tbsp water)
Sugar - 6 tbsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Baking Soda- 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Maida(Plain Flour) - 2 cups + 2 tbsp
Oil for deep frying.

Method of Preparation:
1. Put all ingredients except maida into a blender and whisk untill smooth.
2. Pour the blended mixture into a big bowl. Add 2 cups of maida and mix well. Add more maida to make a soft, smooth dough. Knead well for atleast 10- 15 mins. Make into a big ball, cover with a damp cloth and leave overnight.
3. Next morning, divide the dough into 10 equal balls. Apply a little oil on your rolling pin and board. Roll out the balls into small round buns approximately 2" in diameter. Roll out all the bun's just before frying.
4. Heat oil in a kadai on medium heat. Gently drop in the buns and fry on both sides untill brown in colour and puffed up.
5.Serve warm with coconut chutney

Notes: 1. Roll out all the bun's just before you fry them. If they are rolled out much earlier the dough tends to get soft and limp and you will have to roll them all over again. This applies to all breads like puri's, kachori's, chapathi's.
2. After you put in the bun's in hot oil, gently press them down with a slotted spoon. This will make the buns rise and puff up!

Mutton Fugad

Mutton Fugad is the meat version of Chicken Sukka, a traditional Mangalorean recipe. It is best to serve it hot with boiled rice.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

Mutton - 750 gms

Water - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1 no., sliced

Tomato - 1/2 medium size, roughly chopped

Coconut - 1/2 cup grated

Cashewnuts - 1/2 cup, washed.

Ghee for frying  - 1tbsp +1tbsp for seasoning

Salt to taste

Seasoning:

Onion - 2 nos - finely chopped

Garlic - 8 pods, crushed

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Masala:

Long Red Chillies - 10 nos.

Corriander seeds - 1 tsbp

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric pwd. - 1/2 tsp

Khus -khus -1 tsp

Cloves- 2 nos

Cinnamom - 1/2 " piece

Cardamom- 2 nos.

Garlic- 6 cloves

Make a paste of the above Ingredients with 1/2 cup water.

Method of Preparation:

1. Put cleaned and washed mutton into a pressure cooker along with sliced onion, tomato, salt to taste and water. Bring to full pressure on high heat, (i.e. 1 whistle). then lower heat to medium- low and cook till you hear 4 whistles. Let the pressure drop on its own.

2. Heat ghee in a kadai and add the ground masala and fry for 5 mins on medium heat untill the oil separates.

3. Add the cooked mutton with the left over stock and washed cashewnuts. Cook untill most of the water has evaporated.

4. Coarsely grind the coconut in a grinder and add it to the mutton.

5. Heat ghee in a pan and fry curry leaves, crushed garlic and chopped onions till they turn golden brown. Add this to the mutton. Mix well and put off heat. Serve hot.