Bibbya Upkari

March 4, 2017, 4:52 pm

≫ Next: Mangalore Buns ( with wheat flour )

Bibbo means Tender cashew or green shelled cashew.They are available during summer season and just before the Monsoons .It is a konkani favourite.These shelled green cashew are quite costly.We can find bibbya upkari almost in all our functions during the season.It is a prestigious issue to serve bibbya upkari on occasions like marriage, upanayana, etc which is held during this season.It is a must to prepare on Ugadi which is our new year.Few prepare as prasad on Sri Rama navami too.

When we get it abundantly we make upkari just with tender cashew alone or mostly it is combined with Ivy guard which is called tendle in konkani and also with potato.When the cost is little low people buy them in bulk and sun dry it.So that they can be used in the lean seasons !Personally I would recommend everyone to taste the fresh tender cashews upkari at least once as it tastes awesome than the dried ones.We use tender cashews in soyi bhajjil gashi, humman, saungh,valval and various other curries.Poori and bibbya upkari is a well known combo.

Let us go through the recipe
Ingredients:-

Bibbo - 100 nos (can use dried ones too)
Red chillies - 2-3
Hing - 1/2 tsp
Jaggery - a small piece
Salt to taste
Curry leaves
Oil - 1-2 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Coconut gratings - 1 tbsp

Method:-

Remove the outer skin of the cashew either by soaking them in warm water or if possible straight away just with hands .Wash it and keep aside.Be careful with your dress as they may stain the dress and hands.

Heat a pan with oil and prepare seasoning with mustard , red chillies , curry leaves and hing in it.

Now add the peeled cashews in it, put salt, jaggery and little water.close a lid and cook till they are soft.

Add coconut gratings and give a good stir.close lid and keep for a minute.

Switch off gas and serve it along with poori for breakfast or as a side dish with rice.

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Mangalore Buns ( with wheat flour )

March 5, 2017, 7:01 am

≫ Next: Dhavi tori ghashi

≪ Previous: Bibbya Upkari

Traditionally we make Mangalore buns using maida and sugar which are a big no-no these days for health conscious people.So I thought of this healthy version using wheat flour and jaggery.Except for the colour which is a little darker, this tastes as good as the traditional version. So let's see the recipe !

Ingredients :-

2 big ripe bananas.
2 tbsp curds.
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup of powdered jaggery.
2 tbsp oil.
1 tsp cooking soda powder.
1 handful besan (optional)
Wheat flour 5 cups.(depends upon the size of the bananas)
Oil for deep frying.

Method :-

Grind the bananas, curds, salt, jaggery, soda all together in a mixer.
Pour the mixture in a big wide bowl.
Add 2 tbsp of hot oil.Mix well using a spatula.
Now add the besan (optional) and then add wheat flour little by little and knead well, till it becomes a soft dough.
Don't add the wheat flour all at once . Because if you have used smaller bananas you may need less flour. You might need more if you had add bigger bananas.
Once the dough is done, smear it with oil, preferably coconut oil, at all sides, keep it aside for atleast 10- 12 hours before you use it.
Make small balls,roll them like thick pooris and deep fry till they turn into golden colour.
Soft , fluffy buns are ready to relish.

Note :-

This tastes good with ginger chutney.

You may also eat it as such !!

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Dhavi tori ghashi

March 5, 2017, 7:08 am

≫ Next: Godi Nanchane Bhakri - version - 2

≪ Previous: Mangalore Buns ( with wheat flour )

Ghashi is a common curry in our cuisine and is a must on most of the religious occasions ,festivals and functions.There are already many combos of ghashis in this blog shared by my friends.Today I am going to show you all one more combo of ghashi with raw Jack fruit and white toor/tuvar.Do try this delicious ghashi.

Ingredients:-

1/2 kg of raw jack fruit..peeled and cut
1/2 cup of white tori/whole pigeon pea soaked overnight
1 cup of coconut
A marble size tamarind
4-5 roasted red chillies
Salt to taste
Oil as required for seasoning
A tsp of mustard seeds
A sprig of curry leaves

Method:-

Pressure cook the tori and jackfruit pieces for 2-3 whistles.

Meanwhile grind coconut,tamarind and red chillies into a smooth paste.

Add the ground paste to the boiled pulse and veggie .

Add water as required,salt to taste and mix well.

Boil it for few minutes and simmer on low flame and switch off.

Season it with mustard and curry leaves.

Serve this delicious curry as side dish.

Notes:-

The same curry can be done with combo of toor and suran/surnu or elephant yam.
Ghashi is usually not spicy.
Some also use black toor for making this ghashi.

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Godi Nanchane Bhakri - version - 2

March 5, 2017, 7:36 am

≫ Next: Rava Payasu

≪ Previous: Dhavi tori ghashi

Godi nanchane bhakri with home made butter is one of very old traditional recipes ! This recipe is courtesy my dear FB friend Veena Nayak ! She learnt it from her grandmas ! So here is the recipe !

Ingredients :-

1 glass - ragi powder
1/2 coconut gratings
5 dates
1 banana
Cardamom
A pinch of salt
Jaggery - 3/4 glass
Plantain/Banana leaves - as needed (cleaned & cut into small sizes )

Method:-

Grind coconut gratings , dates , banana in a mixer to a fine paste.
Add jaggery, salt & elaichi and grind again without adding water.
Mix in the ragi powder and keep this aside for half an hour.
The consistency of the batter should be such that it can be spread with the fingers onto the plantain leaf ;
Heat a pedavan/ steamer .Spread out the batter by flattening with the fingers on to a plantain leaf
Close it with another leaf.Proceed this way with the rest of the batter .
Stack them neatly in the steamer and steam for about 20 minutes.
Once done , heat a tawa and roast the bhakris on both sides first with the leaves.
On roasting the leaves will separate . Now remove the leaves and again roast them on a low flame.
While roasting You do not need to add ghee or oil.

Yummy sweet nanchane bhakris are ready to eat.Enjoy them with fresh homemade butter They actually tastes more better the next day.

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Rava Payasu

March 7, 2017, 8:12 am

≫ Next: Moong & Methi Sukke

≪ Previous: Godi Nanchane Bhakri - version - 2

Rava payasu is a very easy and equally delicious dessert which can be made quickly too. Amma used to make this often for us as an evening snack and we would be delighted to see this on returning from school.This can also be done when there are unexpected guests and we are short of time.Also this is one of the few desserts which can be introduced to infants(without adding nuts) once they start having solid foods as the babies can have them easily.

Do try this yummy payasu and am sure you will enjoy it as much as we do.

Ingredients:-

1/4 th cup of rava (also called as sooji / Bombay rava)

3/4 th ltr of milk (approximately)

1/2 cup of sugar (adjust as per taste)

1/2 cup of water

Tsp of cardamom powder

2-3 saffron strands (optional)

Nuts of your choice for garnish

3-4 tbsp of ghee

Method:-

Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan or kadai and roast the rava till it gives a nice aroma...will take around 8-10 minutes.

Add water to the roasted rava and cook it on low flame till the water is all absorbed and rava is cooked.

Now add sugar and mix till all the sugar melts.

Once the sugar melts add 1/2 litre of milk ,cardamom powder , saffron strands and stir ..the rava will absorb the milk and thicken.

Adjust the consistency to your preference by adding remaining milk and simmer it for few minutes.

You can drop a tbsp of ghee at this stage if you prefer.

Switch off the gas and allow it to stand for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Roast the nuts in bit of ghee and garnish .

Here's a pictorial stage wise of preparation

The delicious and yummy rava payasu can be served hot ,cold or at room temperature.

Notes:-

1/4 cup of rava will serve 3-4 persons.

Quantity of milk will depend upon your preferred consistency of payasu.so adjust accordingly.

The payasu will thicken once it cools.

The same recipe can also be made using jaggery.

You can add milk directly after roasting the rava and cook it in milk only and avoid adding water.In this case you might need more milk than mentioned.

If you are planning to feed this to a baby...avoid adding nuts or add fine powder of nuts.

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Moong & Methi Sukke

March 7, 2017, 10:21 pm

≫ Next: Bimbla Gojju varieties

≪ Previous: Rava Payasu

Sprouted Moong & Methi sprouts come together to form a most delicious & healthy sukke ! Its one of the most popular & traditional dish of the GSB's in Kerala !This is made or all important occasions like weddings , functions & festive days as also for a feast to guests ! I have already posted Methi sukke in this blog ! Except for the addition of moong sprouts - there is not much difference in procedure ! But the taste is entirely different ! Moong tones down the bitterness of Methi & makes it a totally healthy & tasty side dish ! So here is the recipe !

Ingredients:-

Methi / fenugreek seeds - 1/2 cup
Whole Moong - 1/2 cup
Coconut grated - 1 cup
Red chillis - 5 - more or less as per taste
Tamarind - a small piece ( a small piece of dharmbya sol too can be used )
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Seasoning :-

Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Urad dal -1 tsp
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

Method :-

Soak the methi seeds for about 18 hours ! Keep them covered in a wet cloth or in a sprouter which is available these days ! At this time soak the moong for about 6 hours ! Keep aside for sprouting ! so now you have both the sprouts ready at the same time ( methi takes longer to sprout ! Ensure that they are long sprouts for better taste & volume ( see pic below)

Grind grated coconut , red chilies & tamarind to a coarse paste adding very little water

Heat the oil in a thick bottomed kadai. add the mustard seeds & urad dal .

When they crackle add the sprouts, the paste, salt to taste and very little water.

Cover and let cook on slow fire. You may get a bitter smell while its cooking because of the methi . Don't mind that. Let it roast well till it changes color to a nice brown.

Your Moong & Methi sukke is ready. Serve hot with rice & dalithoy, which is the best combination for this dish.

I served this sukke with rice , Dhuddiya elchikeri , ambya chutney,Allen & happolu !

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Bimbla Gojju varieties

March 10, 2017, 6:53 am

≫ Next: Shimpiyan Kheeri

≪ Previous: Moong & Methi Sukke

Bimbul or Birmi Karmbal has many fans in the GSB Community !There is already one gojju variety in this blog ! Here are two more varieties for you to enjoy!
Version - 1

Ingredients :-

8 Bimbuls.
4 green chillies.
5-6 garlic clove.
Salt to taste
Coconut oil - 2 tsps.

Method :-

Cook the bimbuls adding a little water till soft. Set aside to cool ..

Using mortar and pestle, crush the green chillies and peeled garlic cloves.

Along with the crushed garlic and green chillies, mash the cooked bimbuls in a bowl. Add salt. Pour the raw coconut oil on top and mix well..

A very simple , easy, but a lip smacking gojju is ready !

Bimbla Gojju - Version -2

Ingredients :-

8 Bimbuls.
1/2 cup fresh coconut gratings
5 fried red chillies.
7-8 garlic cloves.

Method :-

Cook the bimbuls in a little water and keep aside to cool.
Grind the coconut, red chillies and garlic to a smooth paste. Add salt. Mash the cooled bimbuls in it.
Another mouth watering gojju is ready !

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Shimpiyan Kheeri

March 20, 2017, 10:19 am

≫ Next: Festival Special - Ugadi

≪ Previous: Bimbla Gojju varieties

Shimpian Kheeri is a very traditional & almost forgotten Payasu , It's almost similar to Polyan Kheeri which is also included in this blog !Little blobs of rice dough cooked in sweet coconut milk give an awesome taste !This dish is made for special lunches & during festivals .Some make this for Janmastami too . Do try out this recipe !

Ingredients :-

Raw rice - 1 cup
Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
Coconut milk from 1 large coconut or 2 cups of milk from store bought readymade Packets
Pinch of salt
Jaggery - 1 cup of grated jaggery
Cardamom - 1 tsp
Cashews & kishmish for garnish ( optional )

Method :-

Soak the raw rice for 2-3 hours .Then grind to a smooth paste with the grated coconut adding very little water to a thick dough . ( Check notes for tip) .

Now pinching of a little of the dough - make tiny balls and flatted them in d centre - make the shimpis as tiny as possible because they will swell up when we cook them.

With the second & third extracts of the coconut milk - add jaggery & bring to a boil .( check notes for procedure of extracting Coconut milk )

Now drop one by one of the shimpis in the boiling sweet milk .

Keep the flame on medium & note that when you drop the shimpi - the milk is boiling ,,,If not wait till it boils & then add , Once you drop them , they should immediately rise to the top ! Only then they will cook well without breaking up and creating a mess ! Once all the shimpis have been added - let them cook on low flame for about 6-8 minutes . Once they have cooked , add the first coconut milk & some cashewnuts & kishmish(optional ) .

Bring to a boil & switch off flame . Add the cardamom powder & Keep covered for some time . Serve hot or cold . The taste develops more when it is kept for a longer time !

Notes :-

Instead of grinding rice - You may grind only the coconut to a smooth paste & add about half a cup of rice flour and knead to a soft dough .
Use only the white part of coconut to grind to get a white dough '
For extracting milk - Grate the coconut and adding a cup of water grind it to a smooth paste . Strain it to get the first milk , Keep the first milk aside . Now to the strained coconut extract - add one more cup of water & grind , Strain again to get the the second milk . Do this once again to get the third milk . Mix these two & add the jaggery
If you are using store bought Coconut milk powder - Make a thinner milk to boil with the jaggery & add a thicker milk at the end .
Colour of the dish depends on the jaggery you use - a darker coloured jaggery will give a deeper colour !( I used a light colored jaggery )

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Festival Special - Ugadi

March 24, 2017, 2:58 am

≫ Next: Bor Fruit Thiksani Humman

≪ Previous: Shimpiyan Kheeri

Our GSB community follows the lunar calendar of which Chaitramasa is the first month . So the first day of this month is celebrated as the New Year or Samsarpadavo / Samvatsara Prathama as it is known in Konkani - Prathama of the shuklapaksha in Chaitramasa ! Preparations to welcome this festival - Ugadi as it is known more popularly - start with spring cleaning the whole house and it surroundings . All cleaning jobs are finished by Amavasya / New moon which comes on the previous day ! So the whole house , Pooja room (Koodi ) , Front courtyard with the tulsi plant look spic & span . Thorans of mango leaves , neem leaves & flowers decorate the pooja room & house !

pic Courtesy - Padmini Kamath

Early morning of Ugadi day Family members take bath ( after applying oil to their heads ) All wear new clothes and men & male children who wear the sacred thread 'Jannuve ' perform the Naamadhaaran and Nityakarma . Women bedeck themselves with ornaments and do Rangoli in the courtyard , door entrances and Tulsi Khatto ! All the lamps in the Deva kooda including the "Staana Divo " are lit and Aarti is waved to the Gods asking for blessings for a bright & prosperous year ahead .

Some families have a tradition of "Kani"- that is a plate is decorated with all auspicious items like a silk saree , gold , coins, flowers , haldi , kumkum and rice are arranged and shown to each family member as the first sight to behold when they get up on that day . Some arrange in the Deva kood itself and members are led there with their eyes closed by the elder of the family !

The new Panchaangam is also kept in the pooja room . In some families the Bhatmaam/purohit comes and reads the Panchaang forecasting the family's fortunes for that year .At other places people go to the temples to hear the "Samsaar Phal"or Ugadi Phal . Also in some families a token gift of coins is given to each member .

A temple visit is a must on this day and all partake of the prasad which is a mix of sugar /jaggery & neem leaves . As per Brahmakalpa, the sweet cum bitter prasadam signifies the good and bad part of life and has to be dealt with equal emotions .

Usually Breakfast consists of 'Udida Khaan' which will be mostly Khottos with coconut chutney .

Of course an elaborate lunch with special delicacies are prepared for this day ! For those living in and around Kochi Kerala - the main special dishes will be Hittu , Kelya Ambat , allen ,papad, kelya phedi, sukke, edgai, elchakeri, valval, ghassi and of course the most popular dali thoy finishing off with some sweet paysu and of course - all this to be served on a banana leaf !

In and around mangalore in some families - there is tradition of "Vadap" ie all the special foods cooked on that day is served on banana leaf along with godu phovu and a new saree is kept on a wooden plank " manayee" decorated with flowers .The master of house performs a aarti to it in remembrance of all the Sumangali ladies of the family who have passed away .He partakes of this later and gives the saree to his wife. For lunch the main dishes include tendle bibbe ambat,madgane ,any ghashi using kadgi or surnu & deep fries .In mangalore people also make ambe upkari ,chane ghashi along with other delicacies while some families prepare tendle bibbe ambat.Onion & garlic are not to be used in any of the dishes !

Here are two typical jevana paans-Recipes of which you can find in our blog !

pic Courtesy -Asha Radhakrishna Shenoy

Pic courtesy-Sandhya Puranik

Newly married daughters are invited specially for this festival , The couple are made to sit on a manayee , gifts and token money is given and blessed by the elders .
In this age of fast moving lives and Konkani people living far away from their native homes - we hope this reminds you of our unique culture & traditions ! This is an attempt to put together the traditional way of celebrating our New Year ! Some variations may exist from family to family! .Thanks to my dear friends who helped me in compiling this post- Padmini Kamath , Vijayalakshmi Prabhu , Asha Radhakrishna Shenoy , Sandhya Puranik !

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Bor Fruit Thiksani Humman

March 26, 2017, 9:57 am

≫ Next: Madgane ...version 2 (using rava for Alavan)

≪ Previous: Festival Special - Ugadi

Bor/ Indian Jujube (Karakka in Malayalam) is a fruit which is available in abundance in Kerala usually during Dec - June. We can preserve the raw Bor by keeping it in salt water just as we keep brined mangoes. Dishes that can be prepared using this fruit include Thiksani humman (using raw/salted Bor) & Halwa using ripe Bor. I have some nostalgic memories associated with this fruit. There was a huge Bor Tree at my Cousin’s home and all of us children in the neighborhood used to play under this tree. When it used to rain we ran up to the tree to collect those Bor strewn around by the nature to relish it along with salt.

Please check the below link to know more about the Bor / Indian Jujube Tree :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaeocarpus_serratus

Ingredients:-

Bor Fruits / Indian Jujube – 25 numbers
Chilli Powder – 1 Tbsp + Kashmiri chilli powder
Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
Asafoetida – 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Dharmbya sol – 2 small pieces - see pic below

Seasoning :-

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Udid – 1 tsp
Methi – 1 tsp
Curry Leaves – 1 Sprig
Coconut Oil – 2 tsp

Method:-

Clean and make slits lengthwise in Bor fruits (If you like, you can chop it in to small pieces and discard the seed) .Heat oil in a kadai ( preferably coconut oil )

Add Mustard. When it splutters add Udid and Methi seeds to it. Saute till they turn a little brown color. Then add the Curry leaves.

Add chopped / slitted bors , chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and water.

Close with a lid and cook till it’s almost cooked.

Add washed dharmbya sol and cook till bors are cooked well

Add asafoetida and kashmiri chilli powder and mix well.

Sprinkle some coconut oil and switch off the gas

Enjoy the Bor Thiksani humman with Idlies / Dosas / Udida Appos

Note: -

You can add Tamarind pulp if you don’t have Dharmbya sol.
Using Kashmiri chilli powder is optional. I use this to get a nice fiery color to Thiksani humman
This humman is a little watery type. If you like to make it a little thick, mix some rice flour in a little water and add it to the humman and boil it for some time till you get the desired consistency.

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Madgane ...version 2 (using rava for Alavan)

March 30, 2017, 8:07 am

≫ Next: Ukadambo

≪ Previous: Bor Fruit Thiksani Humman

Madgane is a very traditional dessert made from chana dal for our New year which we call as Ugadi / Samsar Padvo.You can know more about this festival in our festive series Here.My senior friend and co- blogger Shobana mai has already shared her version which can be found in the "Konkani Sweets " Archive.My version is a bit different with rava so thought of sharing this too.Though this is usually prepared on Ugadi in South Canara ,there is no rule that it can't be prepared on other days.Many prefer to have it prepared for functions too .Hope you try and enjoy this version of Madgane.

Ingredients:-

250 grams( 1/4 th kg of chanadal)
A bit less than 1/2 cup of rice rava (also called idli rava) * Check Notes
250 grams of crushed jaggery or as required (adjust accordingly to taste)
A cup each of thick and thin milk of coconut (for detailed procedure check here )
Tender cashews(bibbo) a handful either fresh or dry ones(if using dry ones soak for half an hour and peel them).
A tbsp or two of ghee
Cashewnuts

Method:-

Soak Chana dal for 1-2 hours after washing thoroughly.
Pressure cook the chana dal and cashews for 3-4 whistles.Take care to see that the dal must be nicely cooked but retain its shape too.(The dal when pressed between two fingers should easily mash but hold its shape when we touch).
Add crushed jaggery to the dal while it is still hot so that it melts and blends well .
Soak the rava for 10-15 minutes ,add double the water and place it on medium heat,when it starts bubbling and gets thick add the thin coconut milk and let it cook for few minutes.
Now add the cooked dal, jaggery and tender cashews ,stir and mix well so that all comes together,check for sweetenss and add more crushed jaggery if required.
Once this comes to a boil add the thick milk and gently simmer for few minutes..and switch off.
Garnish with fried cashewnuts in ghee.

Below is the pictorial of various stages while making Madgane

Serve hot,warm or at room temperature..tastes delicious when chilled too.

Notes:-

As I always use the same brand of jaggery and have found it to be without impurities I have used it directly.You can use the way you prefer.
The quantity of rava depends on the consistency you prefer..so you can increase or decrease the quantity a bit as per your liking.
I use cardamom pods while extracting the milk itself so I have not added it separately.
For garnishing I have used the dry tender cashews ...you can use the regular ones too.
Alavan is a term used to describe a method in Konkani where a thickening agent is used and stirred till it is thickened.In olden days rice would be soaked ,dried on a muslin cloth for a day and then ground to a rava consistency along with turmeric pods or turmeric powder and this paste would be then stirred till it thickened and cooked .
Now a days as the rava is easily available and convenient to use most of them use it..Though I have heard from my friends that the ground version is also still followed.
I have not added turmeric as I love the colour the jaggery and dal bring together.
Many have the habit of roasting chana dal before soaking and pressure cooking..I have not roasted ...You can roast if you prefer - for a few minutes.

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Ukadambo

April 4, 2017, 12:44 am

≫ Next: Paanak

≪ Previous: Madgane ...version 2 (using rava for Alavan)

Ukadambo means mangoes preserved in jaggery syrup.This is an old traditional nearly lost konkani recipe just like murabba .Small mangoes - which we call gointa are best for this dish. This can be done when these mangoes are available in plenty and preserved for future use.This recipe has been contributed by my dear FB friend - Veena Nayak

Ingredients :-

15 mangoes - Gointa variety or small variety,
1/2 kg jaggery
One big piece dry ginger ( SuNti)
10 pepper corns
Cardamom powder - 1tsp

Method :-

Wash & clean the mangoes thoroughly . Then peel a little skin of the mangoes as shown in the pic

Prepare jaggery syrup with a little water .To that add crushed dry ginger , pepper corns & elaichi. When the syrup starts boiling add the mangoes and cook till it becomes soft as shown in the pic below .

Switch off the gas .For 2 days boil this mangoes for 10 minutes twice a day.The mangoes will shrink and will be completely coated with the syrup. You may relish this along with the skin and the sweet syrup.You can preserve this also for future use too !

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Paanak

April 5, 2017, 9:15 am

≫ Next: Rava Upma / Rulav

≪ Previous: Ukadambo

Paanak is a drink / beverage made on the occasion of Ram Navami.All most all the temples serve this drink along with toushe mugadali pachadi on this day. Many of us prepare this at home too on this auspicious day.The paanak is also served in temples during other festivities.A very simple to make but healthy and refreshing drink which can be made anytime during summers too.

As it is Ram-Navami today I prepared both the paanak and the pachadi.Wishing all a very Happy Ram Navami. Do try this refreshing drink .

Ingredients:-

1 cup grated or crushed jaggery
5 - 6 cups of water
A tbsp or two of pepper crushed
A tsp of cardamom powder
Juice of 1 big lemon or two small lemons

Method:-

Take the jaggery in a big wide bowl and add a cup of warm water to it so that the jaggery melts.You can strain this at this stage after melting.
Once the jaggery has completely melted add remaining 5 cups of water and stir properly.
Add cardamom powder and crushed pepper and stir again
Squeeze in the juice of lemon too and mix properly.
Allow the flavours to settle for a few hours ,though one can have it immediately too.
Refrigerate for few hours before serving.
Serve chilled.

The traditional healthy and refreshing Paanak is ready to be enjoyed

Paanak served along with pachadi

Notes:-

Adjust the ingredients as per your requirement
The paanak served in temples is spicy as they use pepper generously.
Some also add dry ginger powder (saunth) but I love it this way..if you prefer adding but don't have the dry powder - you may grate ginger and mix it.
I love it a bit on the tangier side and hence I have used lemon juice generously...some avoid it completely but I recommend adding it for that zing and refreshing taste.
Stays good for 2-3 days if refrigerated.

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Rava Upma / Rulav

April 6, 2017, 1:45 am

≫ Next: Ambya Gojju

≪ Previous: Paanak

Rava Upma/Rulav a very famous breakfast !-there are only two opinions about it - Some hate it & some simply love it ! Well I am from the group who loves upma because my mother used to make the best upma and my family , friends & relatives would just happily eat up whenever my mother made it ! So I dedicate this recipe to those who hate upma just so that they change your attitude to liking upma ! And also for those who are beginners venturing into the kitchen - trying to make one easy , quick & fulfilling meal ! Follow the steps exactly to get a yum upma !

Ingredients :-

Rava ( also called as suji , semolina , bombay rava ) - 1 cup ( roasted )
Green Chillies - 4 or more as per taste
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Chana dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a sprig
Salt to taste
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Coconut oil - a minimum of 3 tbsps
Water - 2 & 1/2 cups

Method :-

If you have plain rava and not pre roasted - first roast it on a low flame till it slightly changes colour .Split the green chillies into half and chop the ginger as finely as possible , Keep the water to boil on one stove , on the other - heat a kadai and add the oil ,when it gets hot add the mustard seeds .

After they splutter add the seasonings as shown in the pic below .

When the dals have roasted to golden brown , carefully add the water . Add the salt & let boil for about two minutes so that the dals soften .

Now take the rava in a bowl and slowly add it to the boiling water , Keep stirring with the other hand so that the rava does not form any lump

As you stir when there is very little water left , stop adding the rava .Never keep adding till all the water has gone Cover & let cook for about 1- 2 minutes .

Now add the grated coconut and mix well .

Flatten and cover , let cook for another two minutes

Serve this hot with a pappad , pickles , mixture or even a curry of your choice, Kids love to eat this with sugar or jaggery . This make for a complete breakfast when paired with a banana !

My favourite combo is with sambhar though !

Notes :-

Always use roasted rava ONLY as the plain rava tends to turn mushy or as we say in amchi - pich pichi
Use coconut oil only as this only gives the right flavour .alternatively you may add a little ghee when using vegetable oils . But do not reduce the amount of oil - this DOES need a lot of oil to be tasty!
You may add one chopped onion too , you may also add veggies like , thinly sliced carrots , green peas , chopped capscicum - along with the seasonings .
Wait so that dals or veggies are cooked in the boiling water - before you add the rava .
You may use a little more of water than mentioned - so that even if you add all the rava , there is a little more water left .
Those who want to avoid grated coconut can do so .but I recommend adding it .

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Ambya Gojju

April 6, 2017, 6:18 am

≫ Next: Godu Layee Pitto

≪ Previous: Rava Upma / Rulav

Raw Mango Gojju or Ambya gojju - just a mention of this and I always drool as I remember the tastiest gojju prepared by my grandmother with those green mangoes from our backyard at my native place. One lick of the gojju as a side dish with rice used to be a heavenly treat for us... So let me share the recipe with you .

Ingredients :-

Green mango - 1 large
Roasted red chillies - 3 to 4
Green chillies - 3 to 4
Hing - 1 teasp
Coconut oil -2 teasp

Method :-

Pressure cook the whole mangoes adding sufficient water. Let cool .

Now peel the mangoes and remove the flesh from it . Keep aside.

Next crush the red chillies in the water used for cooking the mangoes.

You can use a heavy bottomed glass for this if you don't have a mortar and pestle .

Crush it to a coarse paste.

Add the mango flesh and again crush well with your hands& add to the chilli paste to this paste.

Add finely chopped green chillies and salt.

Mix well & add water if required for the desired consistency.

Add hing ..and pour coconut oil on top.

Your gojju is ready... a tangy and spicy gojju !!!!!

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Godu Layee Pitto

April 9, 2017, 4:43 am

≫ Next: Galgali Upkari

≪ Previous: Ambya Gojju

Godu Layee (Popped rice )pitto is a very old & traditional snack of GSB's . With just a few ingredients one can make a tasty & filling snack .

Ingredients :-

3 cups - layee pitto. ( powdered popped rice)
1 cup - finely grated coconut.
1/2 cup - powdered jaggery.
1 tsp - powdered elachi
2 tsp - fresh homemade ghee.

Method :-

Mix the grated coconut , jaggery & elachi and Mash well with your hands .
Add the layee pitto and ghee.. . Mix well.
You can adjust the quantity of jaggery as per taste

Your yum snack is ready !

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Galgali Upkari

April 11, 2017, 8:28 am

≫ Next: Masingha phulla sannapolo

≪ Previous: Godu Layee Pitto

"Galgali " - sounds amusing right ? It just means very mild and subtle . Galgali upkari is a sort of watery dish made with a mixture of veggies usually ash gourd, pumpkin and potato. The hing flavour brings a lovely taste to it and is an excellent sidedish with rice.

Ingredients :-

Ash gourd cut in small squares - 1 cup
Potato cut in small squares - 1/2 cup
Pumpkin cut in small squares - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 2 to 3
Red chillies - 3 to 4
Hing - 1 tsp

Procedure :-

Heat oil in a pan , add mustard and red chillies.

Add slit green chillies and saute for a while.

Now add the veggies and saute for few seconds more .

Add 1 cup of water (or as reqd ) to the veggies.

Cover and cook till the veggies are soft and blended well.

Do not let all the water be absorbed ..

The consistency should be bit watery .

Now add hing and let it boil for a few seconds

Turn off and its ready .

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Masingha phulla sannapolo

April 12, 2017, 1:25 am

≫ Next: Batani Surnu Piyav Phanna Ambat

≪ Previous: Galgali Upkari

Masingha phool means drumstick flowers and sanna polo means spicy mini dosas. We konkanis prepare various types of sannapolo which are spicy and very tasty.These are simple to prepare and goes well as a side dish with rice and dalithoi.

Drumstick flowers always gives me a nostalgic memories.We had a big drumstick tree at our house.Every morning we can see white bed of flowers fallen down.I eagerly pick those white fresh flowers collect them and give to my Amma,she makes yummy upkari with potato combination and spicy sannapolos which are very tasty.Sannapolo can be made with the leftover batter of pathrode as the masala ingredients are the same.

Various types of sannapolo's are cabbage sannapolo,piyava sannapolo,kirla sannapolo,sala sannapolo,masinghapallya sanna polo,mulangi sannapolo etc.The only change is adding the mentioned veggies and raw onions finely chopped to the basic masala.Lets check the recipe here.

Ingredients :-

Rice - 1 cup
Toor dal - 1/4 th cup
Drumstick flowers - 2 cups
Coconut - 1/2 cup grated
Dry red chillies- 6-8 nos
Tamarind - small marble size
Salt to taste.

Method:-

Soak rice and dal together for 2 hours.

Grind the soaked rice and dal along with coconut,red chillies and tamarind to not so fine a paste with enough water.

Wash the flowers and mix them along with the ground batter.Add salt to taste.

Also add finely chopped onions and little water.Mix very well.

Heat a dosa pan,apply oil to it.Take a ladle full of batter and spread it on the tawa.drizzle oil on sides and close lid.

Allow it to cook for 2 minutes,Now turn over and cook the other side too and roast till they turn little brown.

Sannapolo is ready to serve.

Thick sannapolos
Notes:-

Dosa rice is used to make sannapolo
Masala can be ground to a fine paste too .
Including onion is a option,in that case you can add a tsp of hing.
Sannapolos can be made thick or thin according to ones taste,adding little more water to the batter makes thin dosas.
If making thick dosas then instead of using a ladle the batter can be spread with hands.

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Batani Surnu Piyav Phanna Ambat

April 13, 2017, 5:08 pm

≫ Next: Santhani

≪ Previous: Masingha phulla sannapolo

Dried peas or batani is one of our favourite pulses.We love any curries using them and this one combined with surnu (elephant yam ) I feel this Batani surnu piyav phanna ambat (dried peas ambat ) is the tastiest one.

Ingredients ;-

Dried peas - 1 cup
Elephant yam (surnu ) - 1 cup (cut in small squares )
Coconut - 1 cup
Roasted dried red chillies - 10 to 12
Tamarind - a small piece
Onion - 1 medium

Procedure :-

Soak the dried peas overnight .
Pressure cook them together with the yam pieces till soft.
Meanwhile grind coconut , chillies and tamarind to a smooth paste.
Add this to the peas mix and let it boil well.
Switch off flame .
Now keep a small pan and saute the finely chopped onions in oil till it turns golden..
Pour the tadka over the curry and the ambat is ready .
Relish as a main course curry with rice.

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Santhani

April 16, 2017, 8:42 am

≫ Next: Gudugo/ Jeev Kadgi Balukk

≪ Previous: Batani Surnu Piyav Phanna Ambat

Santhani is boiled and dried jackfruit seeds,they are a simple snack which was home made in earlier days.I don't know how many of them remember this nor make this at home. For few this name might sound new.This timepass snack is nothing but cooked jackseeds dried in sun and stored by elders those days for rainy seasons,they munch/chew (golache) this for timepass.

Those days each house would have a jackfruit tree in their house.So during season in small town like udma,pallikere and kasargod (north kerala),Jack fruit seeds are removed from the Jack fruit bulb..First they are cooked with salt and spread in arecanut leaves called poy in konkani,or tie them in these leaves and make a parcel (chudi).Then they keep them behind the clay oven or burnt (bajjunu) in well polished cow dung oven called Rannani in konkani.

Ingredients:-

Jack fruit seeds - 15 - 20 (or more)
Salt - to taste
Water - to cook

Method:-

Add the jackfruit seeds to a pot.Pour enough water to cover the seeds,also add salt.Bring the water and seeds to a boil.Lower the heat and cover the pot.Let the seeds boil for 25-30 minutes or until soft .Switch off gas.

Drain the water and spread them on a plate or on a arecanut leaf if available and sun dry them for 4-5 days.

You can remove the white skin which is easily peelable .Store them in air tight container.
It is little hard but a tasty timepass snack.

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