Puffed Rice Dosa (Charmbure polo)

I got this recipe from the book "the konkani saraswat cook book" by Asha S Philar. I simply love the texture and softness of this dosa. It goes really well with some coconut chutney or sambar or any curry.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup urad dal/split black gram
2 cups rice
1/2 tsp methi/fenugreek seeds
11/2 cups puffed rice
Salt to taste
Oil for frying (you can also use a combination of oil and ghee)

Directions:

Soak urad dal, rice and methi seeds in 5 cups of water for 4-5 hrs. Soak puffed rice separately.

Wash the urad dal and rice. Squeeze out water from the soaked puffed rice. Grind everything to a smooth batter.
Allow it to ferment overnight.
Next morning, add salt and mix the batter thoroughly with a whipping movement to incorporate as much air as possible.
When the griddle/iron tawa is hot, turn down the heat to medium. Take a ladleful of the batter and pour it on the center of the tawa. Spread it slightly as it must be spongy, with holes appearing as it cooks. Spoon a little oil around the dosa.
Cover and cook on one side only until light brown.
Serve hot with coconut chutney.



Asafoetida Flavored Coconut Chutney (Hinga Chutney)

This is one of the easy, tasty and popular konkani chutney recipe. This goes really well with dosa or idli.

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh/frozen grated coconut
3 dry red chillies, roasted
1 green chilli
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
Small piece of tamarind
Salt to taste
1 tsp oil (preferably coconut oil)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
A large pinch of asafetida/heeng
1 spring curry leaves

Directions:

Put coconut, dry red chillies, green chilli, tamarind, salt and coriander seeds in to the blender and grind it to a smooth paste by adding warm water.
Transfer it to a bowl. Add some more water to adjust the consistency.
Heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add asafetida and curry leaves. Mix well.
Pour it over the chutney, mix well and serve with dosa or idli.



Sukki Chutney (Onion Coconut Chutney)

This is one of the tasty and easy to make chutney that goes really well with chapati, roti or paratha. I got this recipe from my mom.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh/frozen grated coconut
1 green chilli
2 dry red chillies, roasted
1 tsp coriander seeds
Small piece of tamarind
Salt to taste
1 tbsp onions, roughly chopped
2 small cloves of garlic, peeled

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a blender and grind it to a fine, thick paste by adding warm water.
Serve.


Fenugreek Leaves Flatbread (Methi Paratha / Methi Roti )

These parathas/flatbreads are absolutely delicious and healthy. This goes really well with some pickle or yogurt or chutney or any curry. There are many variations to this recipe. My family loves it this way. You can substitute methi with chopped spinach, grated zucchini, grated bottle gourd, grated radish or a combination of grated radish and grated carrots.

Ingredients:

1 cup methi leaves / fenugreek leaves

2 cups wheat flour plus more for dusting
Salt to taste
3 tbsp yogurt
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp ajwain seeds
Water, as required to knead the dough
Oil, ghee or butter for roasting the parathas

Directions:



In a bowl, combine methi leaves, yogurt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ajwain and salt.
Add wheat flour and mix well. Add water gradually and make a medium soft dough. Knead until smooth by adding 1/2 tsp of oil. Cover and keep it aside for 15-20 minutes.
Divide the dough into 12 balls.
Heat an iron tawa, flat griddle pan or frying pan. Take a ball of dough and roll into 6-8" diameter circle, using flour for dusting.
Pat off excess flour and place the paratha on the hot tawa and let it cook for 15 secs. Flip the paratha and let it cook for a few more secs. Once light brown spots appear, drizzle some oil, ghee or butter and roast to a golden shade on both sides. Use a spatula to press the puffed areas as the paratha gets roasted.
Serve hot.





sambar / Kolmbo

Sambar is one of the most famous South Indian recipes. This recipe has lots of variations. This is my mom's recipe. I have used potatoes, drumsticks, green beans, carrots and Lima beans. You can also use cauliflower, radish, ivy gourd / tendle, eggplants, winter melon, yellow cucumber or bottle gourd. If you are making it on fasting days, you can skip adding onions.

Ingredients:

For Sambar:
3/4 cup toor dal
Salt to taste
4 cups of mixed vegetables (see the note above)
1 medium onion, diced (or 6-8 shallots)
2 med. tomatoes, diced
1 handful chopped coriander leaves and stems

For the masala:
1 tbsp. oil (preferably coconut oil)
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tbsp. Bengal gram / Chana dal
6-8 black peppercorns
1 tbsp. split black lentils / urad dal
1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds / methi
1 1/2 tbsp. coriander seeds
8-10 dry red chillies
A large pinch of asafetida / hing
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1 spring of curry leaves
2 tbsp. fresh/frozen coconut
Small piece of tamarind

For the tadka/seasoning
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 spring curry leaves
A large pinch of asafetida / hing

Directions:

Pressure cook toor dal with 2-3 cups of water and salt for 4 whistles until soft. Whisk to a smooth paste. Add 1 more cup of water along with vegetables, onions and tomatoes. Pressure cook for 1 more whistle.
Heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add cumin. When they slightly change the color add chana dal, peppercorns and dry red chillies. When the dal changes the color slightly, add urad dal, methi seeds and coriander seeds one by one and roast until they turn golden.
Add hing, turmeric powder, curry leaves and coconut and roast until golden.

roasted spices

Allow the spices to cool down. Grind it to a smooth paste by adding tamarind and 1 cup of water or more as required.
Add this ground paste to the boiled dal and vegetables and combine well. Adjust the consistency of sambar and check the seasoning. Bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes mixing in between.
Add chopped coriander leaves and cook for 1 more minute.
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add curry leaves and hing. Mix well. Pour this over the sambar and mix well.
Serve hot garnished with some more coriander with steamed rice.



Tomato Rice

This is one of my favorite rice dishes. You can use basmati or sona masoori rice. It can be eaten by itself, with some yogurt or any curry. The recipe is by chef Leevin Johnson.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice
2 tbsp. oil
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds /saunf / badesopu
1 bay leaf
8-10 cashew nuts, chopped
1 med. onion, finely chopped
1" ginger, minced
1 green chilli, slit lengthwise
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Directions:

Heat oil in a pan. Add fennel seeds and bay leaf. Once they start to sizzle, add cashew nuts and fry until golden.
Add onions and sauté until golden. Add ginger and green chilli until the nice aroma comes out.
Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and combine.
Add tomato and salt and mix well. Cook until tomatoes turn mushy and oil leaves on sides of the pan.
Add rice and mix well. Cook on medium heat for 2-3 min. Simmer, cover and cook for 8-10 minutes until the rice is heated through.
Add coriander leaves, mix well and cook for 1 more minute.
Serve hot or warm garnished with some more coriander leaves.

Curd Rice / Yogurt rice

Curd rice is a South Indian recipe. It makes a complete meal along with some pickle. There are different variations to this recipe. It can be served at room temperature or chilled. It's a perfect dish for hot summer days. You can use either fresh or leftover rice for making this dish.

Ingredients:

1 cup sona masoori rice
3 cups plain yogurt/curd
Salt to taste
1 tsp. ginger, grated
3 green chillies, finely chopped
2 tbsp. green coriander, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh or frozen pomegranate seeds
2 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tbsp. cashew nuts, chopped
1/2 tsp. chana dal
1 tsp. urad dal
1 spring curry leaves, finely chopped


Directions:

Wash and cook rice until soft. Mash it lightly with a spoon.  Allow it to cool down completely.
Add salt, ginger, green chillies, yogurt, coriander leaves and pomegranate seeds. Mix well.
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds,  when they splutter, add cashew nuts and chana dal. Mix until they change the color slightly.
Add urad dal and fry until golden brown.
Add curry leaves and sauté for few more seconds.
Once it cools down, pour it over rice and mix well.
Serve garnished with some more coriander leaves and pomegranate seeds along with some pickle.

Beaten Rice Upma (Phova usli)

Phovu also known as avalakki, poha or beaten rice can be used in various breakfast and evening snacks. This quick, healthy and easy to make recipe is very common in most of the konkani households. Adding cashew nuts is optional.

Prep time: 5 mins



Cook time: 15 min
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

2 cups thick poha
Salt to taste
2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. oil or ghee
1/4 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. urad dal
1 tbsp. chopped cashew nuts
1 spring curry leaves
2-3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
1 tbsp. fresh or frozen grated coconut

softened poha



Directions:

Wash poha 2-3 times in cold water. Drain all the excess water. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of water and keep it aside for 5 minutes. (If you feel the poha has not softened, you can sprinkle some more water).
Add sugar and salt and mix gently.
Heat oil/ghee and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add urad dal, cashew nuts, curry leaves and green chillies and roast until the dal turns golden.
Add softened poha and mix well.
Cook on high for 1 minute. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the poha gets cooked.
Sprinkle grated coconut, mix well and serve.

Hyacinth Beans Curry (Avarekalu saaru)

Hyacinth beans or avarekalu is the most popular beans in Bangalore. It is used in making curries, dosa, rice or upma. I hardly get fresh avarekalu here, so I use the frozen ones available in Indian grocery stores as surti papdi lilva. You can also use valor lilva for making this dish.

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 pack of hyacinth beans
3 tbsp. oil
4 cloves
1" cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tbsp. coriander seeds
2 medium cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1" piece of ginger, roughly chopped
1 green chilli, roughly chopped
1 handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup of fresh/frozen grated coconut
4 dry red chillies
1 onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped

Directions:

Pressure cook avarekalu by adding salt for 2 whistles.
Heat 1 tbsp. oil and roast cinnamon, cloves, cumin, coriander seeds, ginger, garlic, green chillies and red chillies until they change the color slightly. Add grated coconut and roast until golden. Add coriander leaves and fry till its wilted.
Allow it to cool down and grind to a smooth paste by adding water.
Heat remaining oil, add onions and fry until golden. Add tomatoes and cook until soft and mushy.
Add cooked beans and ground masala. Combine. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until everything comes together.
Serve with chapati or rice.

Malabar Spinach with Black Eyed Peas (Vaali Alsande Biyye Bendi)

Bendi is a coconut based curry with garlic seasoning. You can substitute black eyed peas with white navy beans (tingalavare), red kidney beans (rajma) or pinto beans and Malabar spinach with spinach, yam (suran), green jackfruit (kadgi), yellow cucumber (magge) or potatoes. I have used 5 spicy dry red chillies for the heat and 5 byadgi chillies for color. You can adjust the amount of chillies according to your preference.

Prep time: 10 min



Cook time: 30 min
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 cup black eyed peas
1 bunch malabar spinach
Salt to taste
1 cup fresh or frozen grated coconut
8-10 dry red chillies
1/2 tsp. tamarind pulp
1 tbsp. oil
5-6 cloves of garlic, slightly crushed

Vaali/Malabar spinach

Directions:

Wash and soak black eyed peas overnight. Wash and roughly chop Malabar spinach leaves and tender stems. Roast the red chillies in 1/4 tsp oil until crisp.
Pressure cook black eyed peas for 2 whistles by adding salt. Add the Malabar spinach and cook till soft.
Grind red chillies, coconut and tamarind to a smooth paste by adding a cup of warm water.
Add the coconut paste to the peas. Mix well and bring it to a boil.
Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Heat oil in a small pan and add garlic. Roast until golden. Pour it over the curry and combine. Continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
Serve with steamed rice.