AVALA SASAM(Gooseberry Raitha)

Brined gooseberries have been my favourite from childhood days.  So I always try to collect new dishes with them.  I saw this recipe in a Food group posted by Usha Bhat akka, got tempted and tried it then itself.  Its very easy to prepare and very healthy too.

Ingredient

·       Brined Gooseberries            --  4 to 5

·       Green chilly                            --  2 to 3

·       Curd                                         --  ½ cup

·       Mustard seeds                       --   1 tsp

·       Jeera                                        --   1 tsp

·       Curry leaves                           --   4 to 5

·       Salt a pinch

·       Oil for seasoning

Method

Wash and rinse the gooseberries, take out the seeds and cut into pieces, crush Amla pieces and green chilly coarsely.   Transfer to a bowl, then add curd, season it with oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves.  Mix it well add salt if needed only.

Good side dish with rice.

Bhindi sambar with a twist

I got this recipe from Shyamala Prabhu Maayi from one food group.  Got tempted to try the recipe. Its very easy and very tasty one.

Ingredients

·       Ladies finger                      -- 250 gm

·       Onion                                  --  2

·       Tomatoes                           -- 2

·       Roasted red chilly             --  8 to 10

·       Coriander seeds                -- 2 tsp

·       Toor dal                               -- ¼ cup

·       Turmeric powder               -- ¼ tsp

·       Coriander leaves for garnishing (optional)

Method

Cut ladies finger in length wise small pieces.  Cut tomatoes in cubes.

Pressure cook toor dal and onion for one or 2 whistles, let it cool for sometime.  Then add tomatoes and ladies finger and boil.  Meanwhile, grind roasted red chilly and coriander seeds into fine paste, add this to boiling ladies finger, add salt, cook till done.  Season with finely chopped onions.   Finally garnish with coriander leaves.

Very good combo with rice and dosa. 

Losune kook (Garlic chinese potatoes)

This dish is generally prepared with baby potatoes.  Here I tried with chinese potatoes(kook).

Ingredients

1.   Kook(chinese potato)              -- ½ kg

2.   Chilly powder                            -- 1 tbsp

3.   Garlic flakes                               -- 10 to 12

4.   Tamarind                                    -- small piece

5.   Mustard seeds                          -- 1 tsp

6.   Oil                                                --  1 or 2 tbsp 

 Method

Wash and peel the skin of chinese potatoes, add little water and pressure cook it for one or 2 whistles with little salt.

Remove the skin of garlic and make paste with chilly powder and tamarind.  Strain the cooked chinese potato.  Marinate this garlic paste and keep for 10 minutes.

Heat oil in kadai, add mustard seeds, when it splutter, add marinated chinese potato, mix well, cover and cook in low flame till it gets nicely roasted. 

Batate vaagu (potatoes spicy curry)

Batate vaghu is an authentic Konkani dish mainly prepared during  temple festivals and weddings, because it contains no onion and garlic.

Ingredients

·       Potatoes                     -- 3 medium

·       Tomatoes                   -- 2 or 3

·       Fresh green peas       -- ¼ cup

·       Red chilly powder     -- 1 tbsp

·       Coriander powder     -- 2 tsp

·       Hing                              -- ¼ tsp

·       Mustard seeds           -- 1 tsp

·       Coriander leaves       -- little

·       Curry leaves                --  2 srpring

·       Salt to taste               

Method

Peel the skin and cut the potatoes in cubes.

Heat pressure cooker, add oil, add mustard, when it splutter add curry leaves and hing powder fry for a second then add coriander powder and chilly powder fry for 2 minutes then add chopped tomatoes and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.  Then add few more curry leaves, add cut and cubed potatoes and fresh green peas, add little water and salt and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.  Let it cool for sometime then add chopped coriander leaves mix it well.

  

Perfect combo for rice, chappathi, dosa etc

Note:- you can add cauliflowers and tender cashew nuts too    

to the dish.  

Kerala style raw banana stir fry

Recipe courtesy :- Manju G Rao             

Ingredients

Raw bananas                                  --  1 or 2

Turmeric powder                           --  ¼ tsp

Red chilly powder                          --  1 tsp

Mustard seeds                                --  ½ tsp

Shallots/onion                                --  10 to 12/ big one

Garlic cloves                                    --  3 - 4 crushed

Curry leaves    few

Green chilly                                     --  2

Oil for cooking

Method

Cut the raw banana lengthwise, pressure cook adding turmeric powder, red chilly and salt for 1 or 2 whistles.  Let it cool for sometime.  Heat 1-2 tsp oil in Non-stick pan, splutter mustard seeds, add chopped shallots or onions, crushed garlic, curry leaves and green chilly, fry till color change, then add cooked bananas mix well keep on low flame till it gets roasted well.      Serve it with rice and dal.

Paneer Nuggets

Paneer                             -- 250 g, cut into cubes

Ginger garlic paste        -- 2tsp

Chilly powder                 -- 2 tsp

Coriander powder         -- 1tsp

Cumin powder               -- ½ tsp

Garam masala                -- ¼ tsp

Maida                               -- 4 tbsp

Corn flour or rice powder -- 2tbsp

Bread                                --  1 packet

Coriander leaves            -- 1 tbsp, finely chopped

Green chilly (optional) --  1 or 2 nos, finely chopped

Oil for frying

Salt to taste

Method

Part 1

1.   Take one bowl add chilly powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt, coriander leaves, green chilly add little water and make thick paste then add paneer cubes and marinate and keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes

2.   Make small pieces of bread and grind it into powder and keep aside.

3.   Take one bowl, add maida, corn flour, pepper powder, a pinch of salt and add water to make a thick paste.

Note: the above steps ie, part 1 can be prepared and kept in the refrigerator.

Part 2

1.    Dip marinated paneer into maida batter and coat it with bread crumbs. Do the same for all the paneer cubes

2.   Heat oil in kadai, and fry the bread coated paneer in medium flame till it becomes golden brown.

3.   Serve hot  with tomato ketchup or your choice of dip

4.   Your yummy, tasty, crispy nuggets are ready to eat.

Jeeve Battani Ambat(fresh Green peas curry)

An authentic Konkani dish Battani and mogge Ambat.  Green peas and Manglore cucumber is used here with coconut based gravy and finely chopped onion is fried for tadka(coconut oil if used for tadka gives lovely aroma and taste).  This is my hubby’s favourite and it’s a very good combo with rice.

Ingredients

Fresh Green peas                       --  ½ kg

Grated coconut                          -- 1 cup

Red chilly                                     --  10 to 12

Tamarind                                      -- small piece

Manglore Cucumber                  --  ½ cup (cut into cubes)

Onion medium sized                  --   1 finely chopped;  OR

Shallots                                         --  10 to 12

Oil for seasoning                         --   2 to 3 tsp

Salt to taste

Method

Pressure cook green peas and cucumber for One whistle and keep aside. 

Fry red chilly in little oil for few seconds, grind it with coconut and tamarind into fine paste.  Add this paste to

the green peas, bring it to boil, add salt to taste, season with finely chopped onion.

Instant Bisi Bele Bath

Bisi bele bath, onion cucumber salad, potato chips and lemon pickle .

Happy New year to All

White rice                                 - 1 cup

Carrot and beans chopped   - 1 cup

Chopped onion                       -  1

Toor Dal                                    -  ½ cup

sambar powder                       - 3 or 4 tbsp

Garam masala                          -  ½ tsp

Cloves                                        - 3 to 4 nos

Cinnamon stick                        - small piece

Green chilly                              - 2 or 3

Chana dal                                  - 1 tsp

Mustard                                     - ½ tsp

Cashew nut/peanut                -  optional

Ghee                                            - 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method

Heat pressure cooker, add ghee, add mustard and chana dal

fry till light brown, add green chilly and chopped onion, cinnamon stick and cloves, again fry till light brown.  Lower the flame and add sambar powder and garam masala, salt to taste.  Add carrot and beans fry for a while, add rice and dal, add 4 cups of water and chopped coriander leaves and cook for 3 to 4 whistles.

Biscuit Rotti

Manglorean style biscuit roti :- quick and easy traditional tea time snack.  Biscuit rotis are generally a crispy puri stuffed with spicy and delicious stuffing.  The roti can be made and stored for at least a day or two.  It might become little soft but will be the alltime favourite with hot cup of tea or strong coffee.  I learnt this from my mother-in-law.

Maida                                    -  1 cup

Rava                                       -   3 to 4 tbsp

Grated coconut                   -   ½ cup

Mustard                                -  1 tsp

Urad dal                                -  2 tsp

Chilly powder                       -  2 tsp

Hing                                        -  ¼ tsp

Curry leaves & coriander

Leaves finely chopped        -  1 tbsp                

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Method

First make dough using maida, salt and water for the puri.  Once dough is made add 2 tsp of hot oil pour on the dough mix well and keep aside.

For stuffing :- Take one pan, add 2 tsp oil, add some mustard seeds, when it splutter, add urad dal fry till light brown, add hing and curry leaves and coriander leaves mix.  Switch off the flame, add rava, grated coconut, salt and chilly powder and keep aside.

Make small puri from the dough and stuff this mixture and roll it into thick puris and deep fry them till crisp.

Mogge Doddak(Manglore Cucumber Dosa)

Ingredients

Raw rice                                       -- 2 cups

Grated coconut                           -- ½ cup

Cucumber grated                        --  1 medium sized

Sugar                                              -- 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil for greasing tawa

Method

Soak rice for 2-3 hours, wash and grind it to coarse thick batter (rava consistency).  Then add grated cucumber, salt and sugar. Keep aside for 5 to 10 minutes, then heat tawa and prepare thick dosa add little coconut oil over it.  Fry both sides, healthy cucumber dosa is ready to serve with any pickles.

Rulava Doddak (sajjige roti)

Ingredients

Wheat rava or semolina           - 1 cup

Green chilly                                 -  3 to 4

Grated coconut                          -  ½ cup

Salt to taste

Sugar                                            -  2 - 3 tsp

Mustard                                       -  1 tsp

Method

Crush the grated coconut and green chilly, add this to one bowl, add semolina, salt and sugar, add little water, mix it well (batter should be thick).   Season it with mustard and curry leaves and keep it for 20 minutes.

Heat tawa, grease little ghee or oil, place lemon size thick batter on tawa and pat it with fingers and spread as thin as possible (dip fingers in water before patting).

On medium flame roast both sides adding little ghee or oil to the edges.

Serve hot with any chutneys, pickles or butter or ghee.