Cucumber Sweet Idli / Taushe Idli

Taushe idli is a sweet idli preparation using cucumber and jaggery. Its a traditional konkani recipe.I learnt this recipe from my mom. It is served for breakfast along with some butter or ghee on the side. This recipe has 2 versions. One is sweet, that I am going to share the recipe about. The second variation is a savory one using ginger and green chillies. An advantage of this recipe is that you don't have to ferment the batter and can prepare it instantly.

Ingredients:

1 medium sized cucumber, (preferably seedless cucumber)
1 cup rice, (idli rice or sona masoori)
1 handful of grated coconut
Salt to taste
1/2 cup grated jaggery (adjust according to taste)
1/2 tsp oil, to grease the idli mould.
Butter or ghee to serve on the side

Directions:

Soak rice for 2 to 3 hours. Wash and drain all the excess water. 

Wash, peel and grate cucumbers. Squeeze out all the liquid and reserve it in a cup.

Put grated coconut, jaggery and reserved cucumber water in a blender and grind to a smooth paste. (if you find it difficult to grate the jaggery, you can melt it using little water. Allow it to cool down and then proceed with the recipe)

Add rice and grind till the rice resembles idli rava. The batter should be thick.

Remove it on to a bowl and add grated cucumber and salt. Mix it well.

Grease the idli moulds with oil. Pour the batter halfway through in each mould.

Place it in a hot steamer and steam cook for 15 minutes.

Once done, remove the idli moulds from the steamer and allow it to cool a bit.

Demould using a spoon. Serve hot with some butter or ghee.

Vermicelli Upma / Semiya Upma

Vermicelli Upma also known as Semiya Upma is a south Indian breakfast dish. Its healthy and gets ready in no time. There are many variations to this recipe. Sometimes I add a few mixed vegetables and sometimes make it without using any onions. 

Ingredients:

1 cup vermicelli
2 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
10 12 cashew nuts, chopped
1 tsp chana dal (optional)
1 spring curry leaves
1/2 tsp urad dal
2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated
1 small sized onion, sliced
11/2 cups water
salt to taste

Directions:

Dry roast vermicelli until golden brown. Remove on to a plate and keep aside.

Heat oil in the same pan. Put mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add chopped cashew nuts and saute till golden brown. Add urad dal, curry leaves and green chillies and saute till the urad dal turns golden brown.

Add grated ginger and sliced onions and saute till onions become translucent.

Add water and salt and mix well. (The water should be slightly over salty than required. Salt will balance out once you add vermicelli) Bring it to a boil.

Add vermicelli and mix well. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame to medium low and cover and continue to cook till all the moisture evaporates and vermicelli gets cooked.

Remove on to a plate and serve immediately.

Lachcha Paratha (Multi Layered Indian Bread)

Lachcha paratha is an Indian multi layered bread prepared using whole wheat flour. It’s flaky texture is the perfect accompaniment to any creamy, rich curries such as korma, tikka masala or makhani as it soaks in more gravy than the regular chapatis

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

Water as needed to make the dough

1 tsp oil

For frying the paratha:

2-3 tbsp ghee / clarified butter

Some wheat flour for dusting

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, take wheat flour. Add salt and mix well. Add water gradually and knead a smooth and soft dough. Add 1 tsp oil and knead again for 2 to 3 minutes. Cover with a tight lid and keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Make medium sized balls from the dough. (Approximately 16)

Take one dough ball on a rolling board. Lightly dust it with some flour.

Roll it into 6 to 7 inches diameter thin paratha. Sprinkle flour while rolling as needed.

Apply ghee liberally on the paratha.

Sprinkle some whole wheat flour on the top.

From one edge start pleating the paratha. Do this till you reach the other edge. Once done, stretch the pleated dough as much as possible.

Roll the pleated dough in a tight circle. When you reach the end, tuck the dough at the bottom side of the dough and press it gently so that it wont open while rolling.

Likewise roll all the remaining dough balls and keep it covered.

Now take the rolled ball and dust with some more whole wheat flour and start rolling into a thin circle.

Heat up a tawa and place the rolled paratha. After a minute, apply some ghee and flip it. Press gently with the spatula while frying the parathas. Cook on the other side till the golden brown spots starts to appear. Apply ghee on the other side as well. 

Take off from the tawa once you see the golden brown spots on both the sides. Crush it with your palms to separate the layers.

Serve hot with the curry of your choice.

Note:

Once you apply ghee on the rolled paratha, while sprinkling wheat flour, you can also sprinkle dried, crushed mint leaves and make mint layered paratha

Pictorial:

Methi Sanna Polo (Savory Fenugreek Leaves Dosa)

        Methi sanna polo is one of the easiest and most nutritious recipes. It uses very basic ingredients and gets ready in no time.
        This is one of the very first recipes that I learnt. I got this recipe from my sister's mother in law.

Ingredients:

2 med. bunches of fenugreek leaves
1 med. onion
2 med. tomatoes
2 tbsp. besan/chickpea flour
2 tbsp. cream of wheat/sooji/upma rava
1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust according to taste)
Salt to taste
Oil for frying the dosa

Directions:

Wash Methi Leaves.
Finely chop the methi leaves, onions and tomatoes.Put it in a mixing bowl. Add besan, sooji, red chilli powder and salt to taste.
Squeeze it and mix it well using your hands. Do not add any water.
Cover it and keep it aside for 15-20 minutes.Heat a pan and drizzle some oil. Take a handful of methi leaves batter and spread it into small circles patting using your fingers. You can put 2-3 dosas at once. Drizzle some more oil and allow the dosa to cook.

Carefully flip it over and cook on the other side as well. (Dosas tend to break as it is very delicate).
Serve hot with rice and dal or any other curry.

Kaarate Kismuri (Bitter gourd dry side dish)

 

 

 

Ingredients:

2 med. sized bitter gourd
3/4 to1 tsp salt
Oil for shallow frying
1 cup fresh/frozen grated coconut
2-3 dry red chillies, roasted
1 tsp coriander seeds
Tamarind pulp, to taste
2 green chillies, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped

Directions:

Wash and slice bitter gourd. Remove the seeds and chop in to small pieces. Apply salt and keep it aside for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan. Squeeze out all the moisture from the bitter gourd pieces and fry until crispy. Take out on to a paper towel to drain excess oil.
Grind coconut, dry red chillies, coriander seeds and tamarind pulp to a coarse paste by adding couple of spoons of water.
Take out the paste in a bowl. Add fried bitter gourd pieces, chopped green chillies and chopped onions. Mix it really well. Adjust the salt.
Serve on the side with some rice and any curry.

Ivy gourd/tindora stir fry (tendle upkari)

This ivy gourd/tindora stir fry is a simple mangalorean style stir fry dish. It goes really well with some dal and rice or on the side with some chapatis for a healthy and comforting week day meal.
I got this recipe from a malayalam video clip on you tube. When I prepared it for the first time for my family, we absolutely loved this dish. Little bit of heat from the green chillies, tang from the lemon juice and slight sweetness from the use of pinch of sugar makes this dish different from the regular stir fry that we usually make at home.

Ingredients:

500 grams tindora/tendle/ivy gourd
Salt to taste
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
4 cloves of garlic, slightly crushed
1 tbsp chana dal
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 green chillies, slit lengthwise
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 medium potato, cut in to strips (optional)
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup fresh/frozen grated coconut
1/4 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Directions:

Wash the ivy gourd, cut the ends and slit into 4-6 pieces. Discard the ivy gourd if it is ripe and has turned red inside. Add the ivy gourd into a vessel and add some salt and water. Cover and cook until just done. Drain the excess water if any. (If you want to cook it in the pressure cooker, pressure cook by adding 1/4 cup water and salt to taste. Pressure cook for 1 whistle. Immediately release the pressure by lifting the weight slightly with the help of a spoon. Once the pressure goes off, remove the lid and keep the cooked ivy gourd aside)
Heat oil in a wok/kadai. Add mustard seeds, when they start to pop, add crushed garlic and chana dal. Cook until chana dal turns golden brown. Add chopped onions and green chillies and cook until onions turn translucent. Add turmeric powder and mix well. Add potatoes, if using and stir it for 2-3 minutes. Cover the pan cook until tender. Add tomatoes and cook until soft.
Add cooked ivy gourd and mix it well. Simmer and cover for 2-3 minutes until everything comes together.
Add grated coconut, sugar and lemon juice and give the pan a good mix. Finish it off with some chopped coriander and serve.

Masala Khichdi (spicy rice,lentils and vegetables)

          Masala khichdi is a variation of simple khichdi with the additions of spices and vegetables. Each family in India has their own version of the khichdi. It's a healthy, comforting meal in one pot.
          I used brown rice for making this recipe and served it with some lemon pickle on the side.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup moong dal
1/2 cup rice
2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
1" piece ginger, grated
2 large cloves of garlic, grated
1 spring curry leaves
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 carrots, diced
1 cup fresh/frozen green peas
8-10 green beans
4 cloves
1" cinnamon stick
1/2-1 tsp peppercorns
1 tbsp oil and/or ghee
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp chopped coriander

 

 

Directions:

Wash and soak rice and moong dal for 30 mins.
Put green chilles, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and tomato in a small bowl and keep aside.
Using a pestle and mortar, crush cloves, cinnamon and peppercorns into a fine powder.
Heat oil, add bay leaves and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add cumin seeds and the first bowl ingredients ( green chillies, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and tomatoes) and mix well. Cook until the tomato becomes soft.
Add crushed spices and turmeric powder and mix well.
Add soaked dal and rice and mix well. Add vegetables and salt along with 3 cups water. (31/2 cups if using brown rice)
Pressure cook for 3 whistles in medium flame. (4 whistles if using brown rice)
Allow the pressure to go. Remove the lid and add in the chopped coriander leaves.
Mix well and serve.


Ambuli Chutney (Raw Mango Chutney)

Ambuli means raw mango in konkani. This tangy, spicy raw mango chutney gets ready in no time. It requires a very few ingredients. We usually serve this chutney with rice and dal or any other curry. But it goes equally well with idli or dosa. You can substitute green chillies with roasted dry red chillies.

Ingredients

1 medium sized raw mango
1 cup fresh or frozen grated coconut
3-4 green chillies (adjust according to taste)
1 tbsp oil
1/3 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. asafetida/hing
Salt to taste

Directions

Peel and chop the mango in to medium sized pieces. Grind it to a smooth paste along with grated coconut, green chillies and salt. Transfer the ground chutney in to a bowl.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add asafetida and mix well. Pour this tadka over the ground chutney. Mix well.
Serve.

Gardudde Upkari (Bottle Gourd Fry)

Bottle gourd known as gardudde in konkani, sorekai in kannada and lauki in hindi is a vegetable packed with nutrients. I got this recipe from a Facebook group couple of months back.
It goes really well on the side with steamed rice or chapati and dal for a quick, easy and healthy weekday meal.

 

 

Ingredients:

1 medium sized bottle gourd
1 tbsp oil
1/3 tsp mustard seeds
1 spring curry leaves
5-6 cloves of garlic
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust according to taste)
2-3 tbsp fresh/frozen grated coconut

 

 

 

 

Directions:

Wash, peel and cut bottle gourd in to medium sized pieces.
Slightly crush the garlic cloves. ( you can either peel the skin off or keep them on)
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds.
When they start to splutter, add curry leaves and garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds.
Add bottle gourd pieces and salt and sauté until the gourd becomes tender, around 5 minutes.
Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and little less than 1/4 cup of water. Bring it to a boil.
Cover and simmer until the bottle gourd gets cooked and all the moisture evaporates.
Finally, add grated coconut and mix it well. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Serve.

 

 

 





Vyngana/Gulla Talasani (Eggplants Talasani)

Vyngana talasani / gulla talasani is one of my favorite recipes using eggplants / brinjals / aubergines. (Gulla is a special kind of eggplant that we get in India. Here We don't get gulla so I have used eggplants, known as vyngana in konkani. You can use either green or purple eggplants for making this dish. Here, I have used green eggplants).  It is very easy to make and gets ready in no time. Whenever I make this recipe, I remember the time when me and my sister used to fight to eat the seedless pieces of the eggplant :-)

Ingredients:

1 medium sized eggplant
1 drumstick, cut up into 2" pieces (optional but special)
2 tbsp oil
6-8 cloves of garlic
2-3 dry red chillies (adjust according to taste)
Salt to taste

Directions:

Wash and cut eggplants into 1"cubes. Immerse in water and keep it aside.
Break red chillies into pieces. Crush garlic cloves slightly. (You can either peel the skin off or keep them on).
Heat oil in a pan and add crushed garlic cloves and fry until golden brown.
Add broken red chillies and sauté until the seeds of the chillies change the color to light brown.
Drain all the water and add eggplant pieces, drumstick pieces and salt to taste. Add little less than 1/4 cup of water. Mix it well.
When the water comes to a boil, simmer and cover the pan and cook till the eggplant becomes soft and all the moisture evaporates. Serve hot.

talasani using purple eggplant and drumsticks

Gobi Masala

I tasted this dish for the first time at a friends place. She made this using cabbage. I made some minor changes to the recipe to suit the taste of my family. It goes really well with some roti, yogurt and pickle or with steamed rice and dal.

Ingredients:

1 small cauliflower
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 spring curry leaves
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/3 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust according to taste)
2 tsp coriander powder
1/3 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tomato, chopped
Salt to taste
Some coriander leaves, chopped

Directions:

Wash and cut cauliflower into small florets.
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add cumin seeds and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds.
Add onions and sauté until translucent.
Put ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw smell is gone, around 30 seconds.
Lower the heat and put all the powdered spices and mix well. Sauté for another 30 seconds.
Increase the heat to medium. Add chopped tomato and salt to taste.
Cook until the tomatoes turn mushy and oil leaves the side of the pan.
Add cauliflower and mix well. Add 1/4 cup of water and bring it to a boil.
Cover and simmer until the cauliflower gets cooked, stirring once in a while in between.
Add chopped coriander and mix well.
Serve hot with some more chopped coriander on top.

Panchmel dal / Panchratan Dal

Panchmel dal, also known as panchratan dal is a healthy and delicious Rajasthani preparation. This dal goes really well with rice or chapati but it is usually served with baati. Panchmel dal is a mix of five most commonly used lentils in Indian cuisine. You can also use split lentils with the skin on.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup toor dal
1/4 cup chana dal
1/4 cup urad dal
1/4 cup moong dal
1/4 cup masoor dal
Salt to taste
2 tbsp oil/ ghee
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Pinch of asafetida
1-2 dry red chillies
1 med. onion, chopped
1" piece of ginger, grated

2 cloves of garlic, grated (optional)
 1-2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

 

 

 

Directions:

Soak lentils for 30 minutes. Wash and pressure cook by adding salt and 3-4 cups of water for 4-5 whistles or until soft.
Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, add asafetida and broken dry red chillies. Sauté for few seconds.
Add chopped onions and sauté until golden.
Add grated ginger and slit green chillies (and garlic, if using) and sauté for a minute.
Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Mix well.
Add chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Cook until tomatoes turn mushy and oil separates.
Add garam masala powder and mix well.
Add cooked dal and adjust the consistency of the dal by adding water, if required.
Bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.




Beans Talasani (Green Beans stir fry)

Green beans talasani is very simple yet delicious stir fry flavored with lots of garlic. It is very easy to make and needs minimal ingredients. It goes really well with some rice/chapati and dal for a simple weekday meal.



 

 

 

Ingredients:

500 grams green beans
2 tbsp. oil
10 medium cloves of garlic
2-3 dry red chillies (adjust according to taste)
Salt to taste

Directions:

Wash and cut beans into 1" long pieces.
Slightly crush each clove of garlic (You can either peel off the skin or keep them on).
Heat oil in a pan. Add crushed garlic and roast until golden brown on both sides.
Add broken red chillies and roast until the seeds of the chillies change the color slightly.
Add green beans and salt to taste. Mix well.
Add 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Bring it to a boil.
Cover and simmer until the beans gets cooked. If there is any water left, increase the heat and stir until all the moisture evaporates.
Serve.

Pressure cooker method:

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add crushed garlic and roast until golden brown on both sides.
Add broken red chillies and roast until the seeds of the chillies change the color slightly.
Add green beans and salt to taste. Mix well.
Add 2-3 tbsp of water and mix well. Cover and pressure cook for 1-2 whistles.
Once the pressure goes off, take out the lid. Mix the beans well. If there is any water left, increase the heat and stir until all the moisture evaporates.
Serve.





Chilli Masala Potatoes

This recipe is by chef Sanjay Thumma. I have tried this recipe couple of times and it comes out absolutely delicious every time. I served these on the side of veg biryani and raita. I have made some minor changes to the original recipe and we loved it.

 

 

Ingredients:

500 grams baby potatoes
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. butter
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 med. onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2-3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tbsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. cumin powder
1/2 tsp. amchur powder
Salt to taste
1/2 bunch of coriander, chopped
1 bell pepper, diced ( I have used green and red)
Juice of lemon (optional)

 

Directions:

Wash and pressure cook potatoes for 1-2 whistles. You can either peel the skin or keep them on.
Heat oil and butter in a pan. Add cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, add chopped onions. Sauté until translucent.
Add chopped garlic and green chillies. Sauté until the raw smell of the garlic is lost, around 30 seconds.
Lower the heat and add turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, amchur powder and salt to taste. Mix it well. Add chopped coriander and diced bell pepper. Mix it well.
Increase the heat, Add potatoes and mix well. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes absorb all the flavors. The bell peppers should retain the crunch. If you feel the spices are sticking to the pan, sprinkle little bit of water.
Serve.



Spicy potato curry (Batate Song)

Batate song/Potato song is a very famous konkani dish. This spicy, tangy curry goes really well with some dalithoy and rice or pan polo/neer dosa. I have used Kashmiri red chilli powder for making this dish as it gives a nice color but it is less spicy compared to the regular red chilli powder.  You can also use a combination of both the red chilli powders. You can adjust the quantity of red chilli powder and tamarind concentrate according to your taste.

 Ingredients:

4 medium sized potatoes
3 tbsp. coconut oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp. red chilli powder
Little less than half a teaspoon of tamarind concentrate (I used tamicon)
Salt to taste

Directions:

Pressure cook potatoes until soft but not mushy. Allow to cool down and peel off the skin. Crumble them coarsely.
Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions and sauté until golden brown on medium heat.
Lower the heat completely and add red chilli powder. Mix well. Sauté for 5-6 minutes.
Add tamarind concentrate, salt and 2 cups of water. Mix it well. Increase the heat and bring it to a boil.
Add crumbled potatoes and mix well. Bring it to a boil, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes, until the potatoes absorb the flavors and very thick sauce is left.

Methi Matar Paneer (Fenugreel leaves with Peas and Paneer)

Methi matar paneer is full of flavor and texture and is a fantastic vegetarian main course. This recipe is inspired from a north Indian classic recipe matar paneer. But adding fresh methi leaves gives this dish a different aroma altogether. You can add fried paneer cubes to maintain its shape. But I like to add it as it is. Adding almonds is optional. I prefer to add it as it gives a smooth, creamy and rich texture to this dish. You can use cream or milk. Here I have used milk in this recipe. This dish goes really well with chapati, jeera rice, ghee rice or basmati rice.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1 bunch fenugreek leaves/methi
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
200 grams paneer
3 tbsp. oil
12 almonds
1 large onion, roughly chopped
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1" piece of ginger, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tbsp. coriander powder
2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tsp. tomato paste ( use only if the tomatoes are not sour enough)
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
3/4 cup of milk
Pinch of sugar (optional)

 

Directions:

 

Wash fenugreek leaves and chop finely. Keep it aside.

Thaw frozen peas and keep it aside. If you are using fresh peas, pressure cook by adding some salt until soft.
Cut paneer into desired shape and keep it in some warm water.
Grind ginger and garlic to a smooth paste.
Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan. Add almonds and onions and sauté until the onions turn translucent.
Add ground ginger and garlic and sauté until the raw smell is gone.
Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Mix well. Cook for 30 seconds on low flame.
Add salt, tomatoes and tomato paste, if using. Mix it well. Increase the heat to medium and cook until soft. Add some water to prevent the spices sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Allow the mixture to cool down. Put it in a blender grind to a smooth paste.
Heat remaining oil in the same pan. Add chopped fenugreek/methi leaves and sauté until it wilts.
Add ground onion tomato paste and mix well.
Add milk and mix well. If you find the gravy is too thick add some water.
Add peas and bring the curry to a boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add paneer cubes, garam masala powder and a pinch of sugar.  Mix gently as the paneer tends to break. Continue to cook for 5 more minutes until everything comes together.
Serve.

 

 

Dal Fry

 This is a classic dal recipe. It is absolutely wonderful and easy to make. I learnt this recipe from my sister in law Shilpa Shenoy.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup toor dal
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic
1" piece ginger
2 green chillies
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2 med. tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
8-10 springs coriander, chopped

Directions:

Wash and pressure cook dal by adding water and salt for 4 whistles or until smooth.
Grind ginger, garlic and green chillies to a smooth paste by adding some water. Keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Put cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle.
Add chopped onions and sauté until they turn slight golden on the edges.
Add ginger, garlic and green chilli paste until the raw smell is gone, around 45 seconds.
Lower the heat and add turmeric powder and red chilli powder and mix well. Cook for 15-20 seconds.
Add chopped tomatoes, mix well and increase the heat to medium. Cook until the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
Add garam masala powder and cook until oil leaves the sides of the pan.
Add cooked dal and mix well. Bring it to a boil, cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add chopped coriander and mix well.
Serve hot garnished with some more chopped coriander. Goes well with jeera rice, ghee rice or chapati.




Chickpeas Curry (Chane Ghashi)

Chane ghashi is a classic coconut based konkani dish using garbanzo beans/chickpeas.  It is usually prepared on special occasions like festivals or weddings. You can substitute yam with green jackfruit pieces or potatoes. You can use either black chickpeas or white.

Ingredients:

1 cup chana
1 cup fresh/frozen yam/suran cubes
Salt to taste

For the masala:
1 cup fresh/frozen grated coconut
8-10 dry red chillies, roasted
1 small ball of tamarind or 1 tsp tamarind paste
1/4 tsp mustard seeds

For tadka/seasoning:
1 tbsp oil (preferably coconut oil)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 spring curry leaves

Directions:

Wash and soak chana overnight. Pressure cook chana by adding salt for 3 whistles. Add yam/suran and pressure cook for 1 more whistle.
Grind grated coconut, dry red chilles and tamarind to a smooth paste. Add 1/4 tsp mustard seeds and grind for another 30 seconds.
Pour this masala over cooked chana and combine. Add more water to adjust the consistency of the gravy. Bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Heat oil in a small pan. Add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds. When they splutter, add curry leaves and mix well.
Pour this over the curry and mix well.
Serve with steamed rice.




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.