Varutharacha Thakkali Curry(Tomato Curry)

Ingredients

Tomatoes                               3 to 4

Chopped onion                     ½ cup

Green chillies                         3 to 4

Turmeric powder                  ¼ tsp

Cumin powder                      ½ tsp

Mustard seeds                      ¼ tsp

Few curry leaves

Oil

Salt to  taste.

Ingredients to  dry roast

Grated coconut                    1 cup

Garlic flakes                          2 to 3

Red chilly powder               1 tsp

Garam masala powder      ½ tsp

Fennel seeds                        ½ tsp 

 

Method

Dry roast grated  coconut and garlic in medium heat. Fry till coconut turns dark brown colour, then add fennel seeds, red chilly powder and garam masala fry for 2 min. Then allow it to cool then grind into fine paste.

Heat oil in kadai add mustard seeds and curry leaves fry for a min. Then add chopped onions fry till light brown, then add slit green chilly and chopped tomatoes fry for a while then add jeera powder fry for a min. Then add dry roasted coconut paste, salt and little water mix well and cook in low flames till gravy becomes thick.

Tasty varutharacha thakkali curry ready to serve with chapathi or rice.

Onion Masala Kozhukkatta (steamed rice dumpling in Onion Masala)

I learnt this recipe from Indira R Prabhu Maayi.  Thank you for this easy and flavourful recipe.

 

 

 

Ingredients

Rice flour                                 -  1 cup

Grated coconut                      -   ¼ cup

Water                                       -   ¾ cup

Jeera                                        -    ¼ tsp

Mustard seeds                        -  ½ tsp          

 curry leaves and coriander leaves

 

For masala

Small onions                          -  15 to 20

Red chilli                                 -  10

Garlic cloves                          -  3 to 4

Tomato                                  -  small one

 

Method

Boil water in a kadai add salt in it, add grated coconut and jeera.  Lower the flame, add rice flour keep stirring until it reaches dough consistency.   After cooling down make small balls from the dough.   Steam the balls in steamer/idly cooker for 5 to 10 minutes.  meanwhile, take a mixer add shallots, red chilli, tomato and garlic grind it as powder without adding water.  Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, curry leaves then add onion paste fry for a while add steamed rice balls mix well, cover and cook for 5 minutes in a low flame.  Add chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

 

 

 

Ulli theeyal

Theeyal is a typical kerala dish.  Ulli theeyal is prepared with small onions/shallots.   It goes well with hot steaming rice and papad.   For a change I tried it with Mangalore special Neer dosa and it proved to be a very  good combination.

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

Small onion                                         250 gms

Grated coconut                                   ½ cup

Coriander seeds                                 2 tsp

Red chillies                                          6 to 7

Mustard seeds                                    ½ tsp

Curry leaves few

Oil for cooking                           

 

Method

 

Peel the skin of onions and keep aside. If onion is big cut them into 2.

 Dry fry the grated coconut, red chilli, coriander seeds, and small onion 4 to 5 fry them till brown colour.

 

Let it cool for some time,  then grind into fine paste.

 

Heat oil in kadai add mustard seeds when it pop up add curry leaves and small onions fry till light brown .

 

 

then add grounded paste mix well do not add too much water this gravy should be thick,  boil it for 5 to 10 min.

 

Ulli theeyal ready to serve with dosa or boiled steaming rice.

 

 

 

 

 

Charumburi dosa (puffed rice dosa with garlic coriander chutney)

I saw this in another food page “KAF’ posted by Archana Kamath Prabhu for dosa theme.  I got tempted and thought of preparing this for next day breakfast.

Ingredients

Dosa rice/raw rice                  -  1 cup

Urad dal                                   -  ½ cup

Methi seeds                             - 1 ½ tsp

Puffed rice                               -  ¾ cup

 

Method

Soak dosa rice, urad dal and methi seeds for 2-3 hours. Soak charumburi(puffed rice) in water for 10 minutes.  after soaking strain the excess water out of charumburi and grind it with soaked rice, urad dal and methi seeds into fine paste.   add salt and leave for fermentation over night

Heat dosa tawa, apply 1 tsp of oil take a ladleful of batter and pour on tawa (don’t spread too much) roast on both sides.  Serve hot with any chutneys.

Egg sandwich

Egg sandwich is one of the few snacks available in Indian Coffee House outlets.  After cutlets and samosas egg sandwich comes to third position in snacks division in the ICH outlets.   This is one of my favourite snack.  Whenever I visit ICH outlet I surely have this.

Boiled egg                              5 to 6

Bread slice                             10 to 15

Pepper powder                     1 tsp

Salt to taste

Butter             

Method

Boil egg then smash it and keep aside.

Add pepper powder and salt and mix well.

 

 

 

Cut bread edges then apply butter on it then keep egg mix again take one slice bread apply butter keep over, press it tightly.

   egg sandwitch ready to serve with hot coffee or tea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vaali ani mande sasam/ Malabar spinach with taro root curry

Vaali/ Malabar spinach                                  1 cup

allva mande /taro root/chembu                  ½ cup                                                                  

Grated coconut                                               1 cup                                                                                         

Red chillies                                                       7 to 8                                                                                                

Mustard seeds                                                ½ tsp                                                                                                                                                         

Curry leaves few

Cooking oil                                                       2 tsp                                                                                                   

Salt to taste.

Method

Chop vaali / Malabar spinach leaves and stem. Peel skin of alva mande/taro root  then cut into cubes then pressure cook for 2 whistles.  Let it cook for some time.

Grind grated coconut with red chilly into fine paste. then  add this paste into cooked vali and alva mande then boil it for 10 min.

Heat oil in kadai add mustard seeds when it pop up add curry leaves. Pour this on boil curry mix well.

Serve with rice.

u can use any leafy vegetable for this curry normally this dish is prepared with Malabar spinach.

   

Mitta avale bendhi / salted amala curry

This is again a forgotten Konkani dish.  My grand mother’s mother used to prepare this and this was her favourite dish.  

 

 

 

 

ingredients

Salted amala/mitta avalo                                 8 to 10

Grated coconut                                                  1 cup

Red chilly                                                             10 to 12

Garlic                                                                    8  to 10  cloves

Coconut oil                                                          2 to 3 tsp

Method

Take salted amla then soak in water for 5 min. wash this with clean water. then cut amla into pieces add half cup water and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Fry red chilly in little oil for 2min in low flame.

Grind grated coconut and fried red chilly into fine paste. then add this paste to pressure cooked amla and boil it for 10 to 15 min.

Heat oil in kadai   add crushed garlic fry  till light brown then pour this on boiling curry.

Tasty avale bendhi  with rice and papadam.

 

 

 

Tingalavare vaagu/ white bean spicy curry

Konkanis love tingalavre. TingaLavare or white beans is the most commonly used bean in the konkani cuisine. Normally this curry is prepared with potato and tomato. Today I tried an easy method with white bean. This   dish is the favourite dish of everyone in my home.  Same   recipe can be tried with green peas also. Beans need to be soaked for 3 to 4 hours. It saves cooking time.

 

 

 

ingredients

White bean/tingalavare                             1 cup

red chilly powder                                         2tsp to 3tsp

red chilly                                                        2

hing powder                                                  ¼ tsp

tomatoes                                                        2

mustard seeds                                               ½ tsp

curry leaves few

salt to taste

oil for cooking

method

soak white beans for 3 to 4 hours then pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles.

Heat  3tsp of oil in kadai   add mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing powder and broken red chilly  fry for 1min. Then add chopped tomatoes fry till smashy then add red chilly powder fry for a min. Then add cooked beans and salt. Boil it for 5 to 10 min.

Tingavare vaagu ready to serve with rice and rasam.

 

 

 

Alva Mande bajjunu upkari/ Taro root/Arbi shallow fried

Alva mande/ taro root                             ½ kg

Mustard seeds                                           ½ tsp

Red chilly powder                                     2 tsp

Pepper powder                                          ¼ tsp

Hing powder                                               ¼ tsp

Salt to taste.

 

Method

Steam alva mande/ taro root peel skin and keep aside.

Then make thin slice of alva mande.

Mix red chilly powder and   salt with little water make thick paste,  marinate this paste to alva mande slices sand keep aside for 10 to 15 min.

Heat oil in kadai add mustard seeds when it splutter add hing powder and pepper powder fry for a min then add marinated alva mande sliced mix well. cook till it becomes little crisp.

Spicy alva mande bajjunu upkari ready to serve with dal and rice.

Phagila podi/ kantola/teasel gourd deep fried.

Phagila /kantola/teasel looks like bitter gourd but not bitter and small in size.

Its seeds are very hard but it becomes crisp after frying.   I have not seen it anywhere  here so I brought it from my native place.

 

 

 

Ingredients

Phagil                                          ½ cup

Red chilli powder                      2 tbsp

Hing powder                              ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Rice flour                                    ¼ cup or required for coating

Oil for deep frying

 

Method.

 

 

Wash kantola/phagil  drain excess water. Then cut into thin slices.

 

 

Take one bowl add chilli powder, salt , hing and little water and make thick paste.

Apply this paste to sliced phagil  and keep aside for 5 to 10 min.

Then coat each slice of marinated kantola/phagil into rice flour.

 

Then deep fry them till crispy.

Serve hot.                    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MINT CHICKEN

This is my uncle’s experiment.  One day he sent me the picture of Mint chicken and we got tempted.  Immediately I asked  him and he sent the recipe thru whatsapp.  I prepared the dish on the very same day and  I like to  thank my uncle JayBappa for this wonderful recipe.

 

 

Ingredients

 

Chicken                                         ½ kg

Curd                                              ½ cup

Chilly powder                                2 or 3 tsp

Green chilly                                   4 to 5

Coriander powder                         2 tsp

Garam masala                              1 tsp

Turmeric powder                          ¼ tsp

Mint                                              ¼ cup

Bay leaves                                    1

Black cardamom                           1

Cloves                                           4 to 5

Tomato chopped                           1

Onion finely chopped                    2

Ginger garlic paste                        2 or 3 tsp

Cinnamon                                      1” piece

Method

Cut and clean chicken and keep aside.

Take one bowl add curd, red chilly powder,  salt and turmeric powder and mix well.   Beat till it becomes thick paste.

Then add chicken pieces into it mix well keep aside for at least 30 min.

Finely chop onions, green chillies  and tomato   and keep aside.

Heat oil in kadai add bay leaves,  cinnamon,   cloves, and black cardamom sauté till nice aroma comes.

Add chopped onions sauté till translucent. Add ginger garlic paste fry till onion turn into brown.   Then add coriander powder fry  for a min.  Add  chopped  tomato, mint leaves and green chill fry till smashy then add little water to get thick paste add marinated chicken mix well.  Do not  add much water,  gravy should be thick. When chicken half cooked add garam masala powder mix well check salt and spice level.  If u need more spice then add some more chilly powder and cook till done.

Tasty mint chicken ready to serve with parartha,  chapathi or white rice.