Ragi Duddali /Nanchane Duddali (Konkani Recipe)

Ragi Duddali also known as nanchane duddali in Konkani is a sweet dish made with finger millet flour.Finger millet (ragi) is rich in calcium, helps in strengthening bones.Consumption of ragi food is good for cooling the body on summer season.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Ragi Duddali /Nanchane Duddali.

Ingredients:-

Ragi flour.          - 1/2 cup
Milk.                   -1 cup
Sugar or Jaggery. - 1/2 cup
Cardamom pods. - 3
Ghee.                    -3 tsp
Cashew nuts.        - 8 chopped
Almond (Badam). - 8 chopped

Instructions:-

1). Sieve finger millet flour (ragi flour) and keep aside.

2). Peel and crush cardamom and keep aside.

3). Chop cashew nuts and almonds into small pieces and keep aside.

4). Grease a bowl with little ghee and keep aside.

Method:-

1). In a thick bottom non stick pan mix together ragi flour, milk and required water. Place the vessel on low flame and stir continuously.

2). When small lumps begin to appear add sugar or jaggery into the pan and mix well.

3). Once the sugar or jaggery is dissolved add the crushed cardamom and keep on stirring.

4). Add ghee and stir the mixture continuously and cook on low flame until it is thick enough that it does not come out from pan when tilted.The ragi mixture has turned thick in consistency.

5). Switch off the flame and add the chopped dry fruits and mix well.

6). Transfer the hot duddali to a greased bowl and flatten it with the back of a spatula. Allow the ragi duddali to cool for 1 to 2 hours.

7). Garnish the ragi duddali with chopped almond flakes.Cut ragi duddali into desired shape and serve chilled.

Mitta Gallele Avale / Brined Gooseberries

Brined Gooseberry/Salted Amla is called Mitta Uddhkka Ghalelo Avalo in Konkani.We can preserve the Indian gooseberries (avalo) in concentrated brine solution. Brine is a solution made with salt and water. Brined gooseberries stays good for years and have a good shelf life. Mitta Ghallele Avale recipe is explained with step by step method and photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Mitta Gallele Avale / Brined Gooseberries.

Ingredients:-

Gooseberry (Avalo). - 10 or 15 (large)
Salt.                           -1/4 cup
Water.                        - 6 cup or as required

Instructions:-

Wash the gooseberries (Avalo) in water. Wipe the gooseberries with a clean cloth and make them completely dry.Keep them on a plate.

Method:-

1). In a large vessel boil required water. Add salt to the boiling water and mix well and boil on low flame till the salt completely dissolves in water. Switch off the flame and let salt solution cooled to room temperature.

2). Wash, clean and sun dry a large glass bottle and its lid.Put the wiped whole gooseberries inside the sun dried large glass bottle upto 2 inch below the top of the glass bottle.

3). Pour the cooled salt solution over the gooseberries inside the glass bottle till it fully covers the gooseberries.

4). Close the glass bottle with its lid tightly.Keep aside the glass bottle with gooseberry in brine solution to a clean and dry place.

5). After 6 to 8 months the brined gooseberries /mitta gallele avale become matured and ready to be consumed for cooking or for making chutney, pickle or for making other gooseberry recipes.

Gooseberries stored in concentrated brine solution will have a good and long shelf life. We can preserve this gooseberries for more than 5 years, though their colour gradually changes to dark shade, but they continue to retain their nutritional value.

Muringayila Chammanthi /Masinga Palle Sukki Chutney

Muringayila Chammanthy (Mashinga Palle Sukki Chutney in Konkani) is a coconut based dry chutney made with drumstick leaves/moringa leaves and goes well with dosa, idli, rice or kanji (rice gruels).Drumstick leaves are known as muringayila in Malayalam and mashinga pallo in Konkani.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Muringayila Chammanthi /Masinga Palle Sukki Chutney.

Ingredients:-

Drumstick leaves.        - 2 cup tightly packed
Red chillies.                 - 4
Urad dal.                      - 2 tbsp
Chana dal.                    - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves.                -1spring
Tamarind.                     - a lemon size
Dry Hing (Asafoetida).- a small piece
Desiccated Coconut.    -1/2 cup
Salt.                              - to taste
Coconut oil.                  - 2 tsp

Instructions:-

1). Seperate the drumstick leaves from its stems and wash the leaves in water. Drain water completely and keep aside.

2). Keep aside the other ingredients on a plate.

Method:-

1). Heat 1tsp coconut oil in a pan and roast urad dal, chana dal and dry red chillies till golden colour. Add dry hing, curry leaves and tamarind into the pan and saute well.Add drumstick leaves into the pan and saute well for a minute on low flame.Switch off the flame and mix well all the roasted ingredients and allow it to cool.

2). Grind all the above roasted ingredients along with desiccated coconut and required salt to a smooth and dry paste without adding water.Transfer the dry ground chutney to a plate.

Add 1tsp coconut oil over the ground chutney and shape it into round ball.

A very tasty and delicious Muringayila Chammanthi /Masinga Palle Sukki Chuney is ready to serve  with dosa, idli, rice or kanji (rice gruels).

Sabudana Papad (Sabbu Orva Vodi)

Sabudana Papad (Sabbu Orva Odi /Vodi in Konkani) is a sun dried ready to fry fritters made with Sabudana.Deep fry the sundried Sabudana Vodi / Papad in hot oil till they puffed up as and when needed and serve as a snack with tea or coffee or as a side dish with rice.Sun dried Sabudana Papad recipe with method and photos are given below.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Sabudana Papad (Sabbu Orva Vodi).

Ingredients:-

Sabudana.      - 3 cup
Water.            - 6 + 9 cups
Cumin seeds. - 2 tsp
Salt.                -1tsp

Instructions:-

Soak 3 cup of Sabudana in 6 cups of water overnight and keep aside.

Method:-

1). In a wide bottom steel kadai boil 9 cups of water. Add soaked sabudana along with soaked water into the kadai. Stir well and cook sabudana on low flame.

2). Add required salt into the kadai and mix well.

3). Stir continuously with a ladle to avoid sticking to the bottom of the kadai.

4). Add cumin seeds into the kadai and stir well.

5). Boil and cook sabudana till it becomes little thick and trasparent.Switch off the flame and allow the mixture to cool.

6). The sabudana mixture becomes thick when it cools down.

7). Clean a plastic sheet with a wet cloth and grease the sheet with little oil.Take a spoon of sabudana batter and gently pour it on the plastic sheet. Lightly spread it evenly into a small round papad shape using the back of the spoon.Keep the plastic sheet under hot sun to dry the sabudana papad.

8). After 2 days the papad shrinks under hot sun.Pluck and remove the shrinked sabudana papad from plastic sheet. Keep the shrinked sabudana papad together on a large tray or on a plate and dry again under hot sun for 3 more days till the moisture from it completely goes away and becomes crispy.

9). Cool the sun dried sabudana papad to room temperature and store them in airtight container. Deep fry the sun dried sabudana papad (Sabbu Orva Vodi) in hot oil till they puffed up and serve as a snack with tea or as a side dish with rice.

Koduve Pathal Bhaji (Kochi GSB Konkani Recipe)

Koduve Pathal Bhaji is a very healthy and tasty Kochi GSB Konkani style gravy dish made with Koduvi leaves cooked in ground coconut paste and goes well with rice.Koduve or Koduwe or Koduvi (Kaippa cheera in Malayalam) is a very small and slightly bitter green leafy vegetable usually grown in paddy fields and are available during winter season in Kochi, Kerala.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Koduve Pathal Bhaji.

Ingredients:-

Koduvi leaves. - 2 cup tightly packed
Green chillies.   -3
Tamarind.          - a marble size
Hing powder.     - 3/4 tsp
Salt.                    - to taste
Coconut oil.        - 2 tbsp

For grinding Coconut paste:-

Grated coconut.   - 1 cup
Turmeric powder. - 1/4 tsp

Instructions:-

1). Clean and seperate the koduvi leaves from its small stems and roots.Discard the stems and roots.Wash the cleaned koduvi leaves thoroughly in water 2 to 3 times to remove the dust and mud.Drain water completely and finely chop the kuduvi leaves and keep aside.

2). Wash and half slit green chillies and keep aside.

3). Divide a small marble size tamarind piece into small small balls and keep aside.

4). Grind grated coconut along with 1/4 tsp turmeric powder to a smooth paste adding very little water. Keep aside the ground coconut paste.

Method:-

1). In a wide bottom pan add the ground coconut paste, half slit green chillies, small small tamarind balls, required salt and 1 and 1/2 cup of water and mix well. Boil and cook for 5 minutes on low flame to remove the rawness of the coconut paste.

2). Add 2 tbsp coconut oil and hing powder into the coconut gravy in the pan.

3). Add chopped koduvi leaves into the pan. Press the chopped koduvi leaves into the hot gravy in the pan with a flat spatula and do not stir the mixture.

4). Cover the pan with a lid. Switch off the flame and keep the pan covered for 20 minutes.The koduvi leaves will soften and cook very fast in the steaming gravy.

5). Open the lid and transfer the Koduvi leaves gravy to a serving bowl.

A very tasty and healthy Koduve  Pathal Bhaji is ready to serve with rice.

Raw Banana Shallots Stir Fry.

Raw Banana Shallots Stir Fry is a very tasty side dish made with raw banana and shallots, goes well with rice and dal curry.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Banana Shallots Stir Fry.

Ingredients:-

Raw Banana.         -2
Shallots.                - 8
Green chilly.          - 2
Turmeric powder.  -1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder. -1/2 tsp
Curry leaves.          -1spring
Mustard seeds.       -1tsp
Coconut oil.           -2 tsp
Salt.                        - to taste

Instructions:-

1). Chop both the ends of raw bananas. Peel the skin and chop the raw bananas into small pieces. Keep the chopped raw banana pieces in water to avoid them from turning black.

2). Peel, wash and chop shallots into halves and keep aside.

3). Wash and half slit green chillies and keep aside.

Method:-

1). Heat coconut oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and saute well.

2). Add chopped shallots into the pan and saute well in oil for a minute.

3). Add half slit green chillies and add curry leaves and saute well in oil for a second.

4). Drain water and add chopped raw banana pieces into the pan and saute well.

5). Add turmeric powder and red chilly powder into the pan and saute well.

6). Add required salt and 1/4 cup of water into the pan and mix well. Cover and cook the raw banana pieces till soft and saute in between to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle little water if needed.

7). When raw banana pieces become soft, saute well and cook on low flame till the water evaporates. and switch off the flame.

8). Transfer the raw banana shallots stir fry to a serving plate.

A very tasty Raw Banana Shallots Stir Fry is ready to serve hot as a side dish with rice and dal curry.

Turkey Berry Chutney

Turkey Berry Chutney (Chunde Phala Chutney in Konkani) is a tasty and delicious side dish made with raw turkey berries and goes well with steamed rice, curd rice, dosa, idli etc.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Turkey berry Chutney /Chunda phala Chutney.

Ingredients:-

Raw Turkey berries. -1/4 cup (chunda phal)
Coconut pieces.  -1/2 part of a small coconut
Dry Red chillies.        - 4
Tamarind.                   - a gooseberry size
Urad dal.                     -1tbsp
Chana dal.                   -1tbsp
Hing (Asafoetida ).     -1/4 tsp
Curry leaves.               -1 spring
Coconut oil.                 -2 tsp
Salt.                             - to taste

Instructions:-

1). Remove the stem and wash raw turkey berries in water and chop into halves and keep aside.

2). Keep aside chana dal, urad dal, dry red chillies, coconut pieces, curry leaves, hing and tamarind on a plate.

Method:-

1). Heat coconut oil in a pan and roast urad dal, chana dal and dry red chillies on low flame.Add hing, tamarind and curry leaves into the pan and saute well.Add chopped raw turkey berries and required salt into the pan and saute well.Switch off the flame and allow the roasted ingredients to cool

2). Grind all the above roasted ingredients along with coconut pieces to a smooth paste without adding water. 

3). Transfer the ground turkey berry chutney (chunda phala chutney) to a serving bowl.

A very tasty and delicious Turkey Berry Chutney is ready to serve as a side dish with rice, dosa or idli.

Vanpayar Kaya Erisseri (Red Cowpeas and Raw Banana Curry)

Vanpayar Kaya Erissery is a traditional Kerala style coconut based Vanpayar Kaya Curry made with red cowpeas and raw bananas, garnished with roasted coconut gratings and goes well with rice.Vanpayar Kaya Erisseri recipe is explained with step by step method and photos.

Ingredients:-

Red Cowpeas (Vanpayar). -1/2cup
Raw Banana (Kaya).          -3
Red chilly powder.             -1tsp
Turmeric powder.               -1/4tsp
Salt.                                    - to taste

For grinding Coconut Paste:-

Grated Coconut. -1cup
Green chillies.     - 4
Cumin seeds.       -1/2tsp
Shallots.              - 4 (optional)

For Seasoning:-

Coconut oil.        -1tsp
Dry Red chillies. -3 (broken into halves)
Curry leaves.       -1 spring

For Garnishing:-

Coconut oil.       - 1/2 tsp
Grated Coconut. - 2 tbsp

Instructions:-

1). Grind grated coconut along with green chillies, cumin seeds and shallots to a smooth and little coarse paste adding very little water. Keep aside the ground coconut paste.

2). Wash and soak red cowpeas (vanpayar) in water overnight and keep aside.

3). Peel the skin and chop raw bananas into small pieces and keep aside.

Method:-

1). Drain the soaked water and pressure cook the soaked red cowpeas along with chopped raw banana pieces adding sufficient water for 2 to 3 whistles.Transfer the cooked red cowpeas and cooked raw banana pieces in a cooking pan. Add 1cup of water into the pan and boil for a minute.

2). Add red chilly powder and turmeric powder into the cooking pan.

3). Add required salt into the pan and mix well.

4). Add ground coconut paste into the pan.

5). Mix the ground coconut paste with the cooked red cowpeas and banana pieces in the cooking pan. Boil and cook for 4 minutes on low flame and switch off the flame.

6). Heat 1tsp coconut oil in a small pan for seasoning and splutter mustard seeds and saute well. Add broken dry red chilly pieces and curry leaves into the small pan and fry in oil for a second. Switch off the flame.

7). Pour the above seasoning into the curry in the cooking pan.

8). Heat 1/2 tsp coconut oil in the same small seasoning pan and roast 2 tbsp of grated coconut till golden brown colour and pour it into the curry in the cooking pan and mix the curry using a ladle. Transfer the red cowpeas and raw banana curry to a serving bowl.

A very tasty, traditional and delicious Kerala style Vanpayar Kaya Erisseri (Red Cowpeas and Raw Banana Curry) is ready to serve hot with rice.

Potato and Methi Leaves Sukke

Potato and Methi Leaves Sukke (Batate and Methi Palle Sukke in Konkani) is a coconut based dry masala curry made with fenugreek leaves, potato, tur dal, onion and spices, goes well with rice and dhal curry or with chapathi.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Potato and Methi Leaves Sukke.

Ingredients:-

Methi leaves.     - 2 cup tightly packed
Potato.                - 2
Tur dal.               -1/2 cup
Onion.                 - 2
Grated Coconut.  -1 cup
Dry Red chillies.  -5
Coriander seeds.   -1tbsp
Turmeric powder. -1/4tsp
Tamarind.              - a small piece
Coconut oil.           -2tsp +1/2tsp
Urad dal.                -1tsp
Mustard seeds.       -1tsp
Salt.                        - to taste

Instructions:-

1). Wash and pressure cook tur dal adding required water for 2 whistles or till soft and keep aside.

2). Peel and chop potato into 1/2" cubes. Boil the chopped potato cubes adding sufficient water till soft and keep aside.

3). Peel, wash and roughly chop onion and keep aside.

4). Remove the stems from methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) and wash the leaves in water. Drain water and finely chop the methi leaves and keep aside.

5). In a small pan dry roast coriander seeds till nice aroma comes out on low flame and keep aside.Add 1/2 tsp coconut oil in the same small pan and roast dry red chillies. Grind the dry roasted coriander seeds and roasted red chillies along with grated coconut, turmeric powder and tamarind to a little coarse paste. Keep aside the coarsely ground coconut masala paste.

Method:-

1). Heat 2tsp coconut oil in a wide bottom pan and add urad dal and saute well. When urad dal starts to change its colour splutter mustard seeds and saute well.

2). Add roughly chopped onion and saute well till translucent.

3). Add finely chopped methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) and add very little water into the pan and mix well. Cover and cook the methi leaves on low flame.

4). Add boiled potato pieces into the pan and mix with the cooked methi leaves.

5). Add required salt and sprinkle little water into the pan. Cover and cook for 2 minute on low flame and saute well in between.

6). Add cooked tur dal into the pan and mix with the cooked methi leaves and potato cubes.

7). Add the coarsely ground coconut masala paste into the pan.Mix well and cook on low flame till the water evaporates and the curry becomes dry. Saute in between and switch off the flame.

8). Transfer the Potato Methi leaves Sukke to a serving bowl and serve hot with rice and dhal curry or with chapathi.