Puli Inchi Curry

 Puliinchi curry is a spicy, tangy, sweet curry and one of the main side dish usually served on a banana leaf in onam sadhya (feast) during onam festival in Kerala. Recipe is given with step by step method and photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Puli Inchi Curry.

Ingredients:-

Ginger.                    - 100 gm
Green chilly.           - 4
Jaggery.                  - 3/4 cup
Tamarind.               - a gooseberry size
Red chilly powder. -1 and 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder.   - 1/4tsp
Hing powder.          -1/2tsp
Mustard seeds.        -1/2tsp
Curry leaves.           - 1 spring
Fenugreek (Methi). -1/4tsp
Coconut oil.            -1tbsp
Ghee.                       -1/2tsp
Salt.                         - to taste

Instructions:-

Peel and remove the outer skin of ginger. Wash well and finely chop the ginger and keep aside. Wash and chop green chillies into thin round pieces and keep aside. Grate jaggery and keep aside.Soak tamarind in 1cup of water and squeeze and extract tamarind juice and keep aside.

Method:-

1). Heat coconut oil in a pan and add finely chopped ginger and green chilli pieces into the pan and fry in oil.

2). When ginger and green chillies are fried well add extracted tamarind juice into the pan and boil well.

3). Add chilly powder, turmeric powder, hing powder, grated jaggery and required salt into the pan and mix well.

4). Boil the mixture and stir well till it becomes thick. Switch off the flame.

5). Heat 1tsp coconut oil in a small pan for seasoning and splutter mustard seeds and saute well. Add curry leaves and fry in oil for a second and switch off the flame. Pour the above mustard seasoning into the puli inchi curry.

6). Heat 1/2tsp ghee in the same small pan and roast fenugreek (methi) seeds in ghee and switch off the flame.Crush the ghee roasted fenugreek seeds and pour it into the puli inchi curry and mix well.

Transfer the puliinchi curry to a serving bowl. Puli Inchi Curry is ready to serve. 

Harve Kelya Bajja /Raw Banana Bajji

 Harve kelya bajja / raw banana bajji is a deep fried tea time snack made with home grown raw robesta banana.Raw banana bajji recipe is explained with method and photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Harve Kelya Bajja /Raw Banana Bajji.

Ingredients:-

Raw Banana.          - 3 firm
Besan flour.            - 1 cup
Red chilly powder. - 1 and 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder.   -1/4tsp
Hing powder.          -1tsp
Salt.                         - to taste

Instructions:-

Peel and chop raw banana into halves and again chop the banana pieces into little thin  lengthy slices. Keep the raw banana slices in water to prevent discolouring.

Method:-

1). In a bowl add besan flour, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, hing powder and required salt and mix well. Add required water into the bowl and mix well and make a thick batter.

2). Heat oil in a wide bottom kadai for deep frying. Dip the raw banana slices into the thick batter and put them in hot oil and deep fry in hot oil on medium flame till golden colour on all sides.Deep fry the banana slices in batches.

3). Remove the deep fried banana slices from hot oil and transfer to a serving plate.

 

Harve Kelya Bajja /Raw Banana Bajji is ready to serve with hot tea.

Pathrode Paan Undi /Thera Paan Undi

Pathrode Paan Undi also known as Thera Paan Undi is a steam cooked konkani dish made with tender taro leaves or colocasia leaves.Chopped taro leaves are stuffed with ground paste of rice, coconut, tamarind and spices and then steam cooked in a steamer and served with coconut oil.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Pathrode Paan Undi /Thera Paan Undi.

Ingredients -

Taro Leaves or Colocasia leaves. -15

For grinding the Spicy Batter : -

Raw Rice.             - 2 cup
Grated coconut.    -1/2 of a big coconut
Dry Red chilly.     - 8
Turmeric powder. - 1/4tsp
Tamarind.             - a lemon size
Hing powder.        -1tsp
Salt.                       - to taste

Instructions:-

1) Choose tender and large taro leaves or colocasia leaves and wash the leaves in water thoroughly. De-vein the leaves. Remove the thick stems on the middle part and remove the main veins and sub veins on the back side of the taro leaves using a knife. Wash the de-veined leaves in water.Then finely chop the leaves and keep aside.

Or you can pluck the leafy parts in between the main veins and sub veins of the taro leaves. Discard the vein and sub vein parts and finely chop the plucked leafy part of the taro leaves and wash well in water. Drain water from the leaves and keep aside.

2). Soak raw rice for 5 hours.Grind grated coconut, dry red chillies, turmeric powder and tamarind along with soaked rice and little water to a not so fine but thick and little coarse paste.

3). Transfer the ground batter to a vessel and add hing powder and required salt into the batter and mix well. If the batter is too thick you can add little water and make the batter to a idli batter consistency.

4). Add the finely chopped taro leaves into the batter. Mix the chopped taro leaves and ground batter with your hands or with a ladle to coat the batter on the chopped leaves.

Method:-

1). Boil sufficient water in a steamer on medium flame.

2). Greese a wide bottom baking pan with little oil.Pour the taro leaves batter mixture into the greased pan upto 3/4 level of the pan.

3). Keep the pan on a steamer and close the steamer vessel with lid and steam cook the batter coated taro leaves mixture for 45 minutes to 1 hour or till done.

4). After 45 minutes you can check for doneness. Insert the tip of a knife in the middle portion of the steam cooked taro leaves batter mixture. If it goes in smoothly and comes out clean then the pathrode paan undi is well cooked.

5). Switch off the flame and remove the pan from the steamer and keep aside the undi to cool. When cooled demould the undi to a serving plate. Cut the steamed pathrode paan undi into desired shape with a kitchen kinfe.

A tasty and delicious pathrode paan undi / thera paan undi is ready to serve hot with coconut oil.

Govakona Upma

Govakona upma is a delicious broken wheat rava upma made with bansi rava/ broken wheat rava and can be served as a breakfast dish.Broken wheat is called govakono in konkani.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare govakona upma.

Ingredients:-

Bansi Rava     - 2 cup (broken wheat rava)
Green chillies. - 4
Curry leaves.   -1 spring
Mustard seeds. -1tsp
Urad dal.          -1tsp
Cumin seeds.    - 1/2tsp
Water.                - 7 cup
Salt.                   - to taste.
Grated coconut .-2tbsp
Coconut oil.       - 2 tsp
Ghee.                  - 2tsp

Instructions:-

1). Heat 1tsp ghee in a pan and roast bansi rava /broken wheat rava on low flame.

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

Method:-

1). Heat coconut oil in a pan and add urad dal and saute well.When urad dal starts to change its colour splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds and saute well.Add curry leaves and saute well.

2). Pour water into the pan and boil well.Add required salt and mix well.

3). Add ghee roasted bansi rava into the boiling water. Mix well and cook rava till the water evaporates.Stir rava continuously without any lumps using a flat spatula to prevent sticking rava to the bottam of the pan.

4). Add 2 tbsp of grated coconut into the pan and mix with the cooked rava and switch off the flame.

5). Add 1tsp ghee into the pan and mix the govakona upma.

A tasty govakona upma/ broken wheat rava upma is ready to serve hot.

Rice Rava Idli

Rice rava idli is a healthy breakfast dish made with urad dal and rice rava /idli rava.Rice rava idli can be served with coconut chutney. Rice rava also known as idli rava is made of rice and is available in super markets.Rice Rava Idli recipe is explained with step by step method and photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare for Rice Rava Idli.

Ingredients:-

Whole white Urad dal. -1 cup
Rice Rava.                    - 2 and 1/2 cup
Salt.                               - to taste

Instructions:-

1). Wash and soak urad dal in water for 3 hours. Drain water and grind the soaked urad dal to a smooth and thick paste adding very little water.Transfer the ground urad dal batter to a large vessel.

2). Soak rice rava/ idli rava in water for 15 minutes. Drain soaked water from rice rava.Squeeze the soaked rice rava to drain water completely and mix with the ground urad dal batter in the large vessel.

3). Add required salt into the batter and mix well using your hands and make the batter to a idli batter consistency. Keep aside the large vessel to ferment the batter for 8 to 10 hours.

Method:-

1). Grease the idli moulds with little oil. Mix the fermented idli batter using a ladle.Pour the idli batter in each mould and keep the idli moulds on the idli stand.

2). Boil sufficient water in a steamer vessel and place the idli stand inside the steamer.

3). Cover the steamer with its lid and steam cook the idlis for 15 minutes on low flame.Then open the steamer lid.

 

4).  Remove the idli stand from the steamer and allow the steam cooked idlis to cool.

5). Demould the steam cooked idlis from idli mould using a spoon edge.Transfer the rice rava idlis to a serving plate.

A healthy and tasty Rice Rava Idlis are ready to serve with coconut chutney.

Nimbya Dhevi Adgai

  

Nimbya Dhevi Adgai  /Vella Naranga Achar is a delicious pickle made with fresh lemons adding green chilly, garlic, curry leaves, ginger and hing powder goes well with kanji (rice gruel).

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Nimbya Dhevi Adgai /Vella Naranga Achar.

Ingredients:-

Fresh Lemon.     - 6
Green chillies.    - 5
Ginger.               -1 inch piece
Garlic.                -12
Hing powder.      -1/4tsp
Fenugreek seeds. -1tsp
Curry leaves.        -1spring
Gingelly oil.         -3 tbsp
Vinegar.                -1tsp
Salt.                       -1tbsp

Instructions:-

1). Wash and clean fresh lemons in water and pat dry with a cloth. Steam cook the lemons till the skin is soft for about 6 minutes and allow to cool. Once cooled wipe the steamed lemons and cut into 8 pieces and keep aside.

2). Wash and pat dry green chillies and chop into thin round pieces and keep aside.

3). Peel and wash ginger and pat dry with a clean cloth and chop into thin pieces and keep aside.

4). Peel and chop garlic into thin pieces and keep aside.

Method:-

1). Heat gingelly oil in a pan and splutter fenugreek seeds and saute well.

2). Add chopped green chilly pieces, chopped ginger pieces, garlic pieces and curry leaves into the pan and saute well in oil till the raw smell goes away.

3). Add Hing powder into the pan and mix well.

4) Add chopped lemon pieces into the pan. Gently press the lemon pieces with the back of a spoon and mix together all the ingredients in the pan until all lemon pieces are soften.

5). Stir the lemon mixture occasionally for about 5 minutes until it becomes soft.When the mixture starts bubbling add salt and vinegar. Mix well and switch off the flame.

6). Once cooled to room temperature store the lemon pickle in a clean glass bottle.Add 1/2 tsp gingelly oil on the top of the pickle in the glass bottle for good shelf life and close the glass bottle tightly with its lid. After 2 days lemon pieces are well coated with spices and the tasty and mouth watering Nimbya Dhevi Adgai /Vella Nranga Achar is ready to use. You can keep the pickle in the refrigerator.

Raw Rice Uttapam

 

Raw Rice Uttapam /Rice Uttapam is a breakfast snack made with raw rice and urad dal adding chopped onion and chopped coriander leaves and can be served hot without any side dish.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Raw Rice Uttapam.

Ingredients:-

Urad dal.              -1 cup
Raw Rice              - 3 cup
Methi seeds          -1/2 tsp
Onion.                  -1 big
Coriander leaves. - few
Salt.                      - to taste

Instructions:-

1). Wash and soak urad dal and methi seeds together in water for 6 hours.

2). Wash and soak raw rice in water for 6 hours.

3). Peel, wash and finely chop onion. Apply a pinch of salt to the chopped onion and keep aside.

4). Clean, wash and finely chop coriander leaves and keep aside.

Method:-

1). Grind soaked urad dal along with soaked methi seeds to a smooth and thick paste adding very little water and transfer the ground urad dal batter to a vessel.

2). Grind soaked raw rice to a smooth paste adding very little water. Transfer the ground rice batter to the same vessel.

3). Add 2tsp salt into the batter in the vessel and mix both the ground batter well using your hands.Keep aside the vessel to ferment the batter for 8 to 12 hours.

4). Heat a dosa tawa on medium flame.

5). Mix the fermented batter and take a ladle of batter. Pour the batter on hot tawa and spread it and make a little thick round dosa.

6). Spread little finely chopped onion and coriander leaves over the dosa.

7). Pour little oil on the sides and around the dosa and cook on medium flame.

8). Flip the dosa using a flat spatula to cook the other side.

9). Transfer the cooked rice uttapam to a serving plate.

10). Make rice uttapam with the remaining batter and serve hot.

Kuvale Saali ani Bhee Sukkeylele /Sun dried Ash gourd Skin and Seeds

Kuvale Saali ani bhee sukkeylele is a ready to fry salted and sun dried ash gourd skin and seeds also known as ash gourd skin and seeds vattal. Deep-fried ash gourd skin and seeds can be served as a side dish with rice. Ash gourd skin is called kuvale saali and seed is called kuvale bhee in konkani.

 

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Kuvale Saali ani Bhee Sukkeylele.

Ingredients:-

Ash gourd skin and seeds. -1cup

Salt.                                    - to taste

Instruction:-

Cut a small ash gourd and chop the outer green skin and take out the inner seeds.Keep the chopped ash gourd skin and the seeds on a plate.

Method:-

1). Chop the outer green skin of the ash gourd again into small pieces and keep the chopped ash gourd skin and it's seeds on a large plate.

2). Apply little salt on the ash gourd skin and seeds and mix well using your hands.

3). Place the large plate under hot sun to dry the ash gourd seeds and chopped skin.

4). Keep them under hot sun till they dried up completely and become crispy.

5). Store the sun-dried ash gourd skin and seeds in a air tight container.

6}. Deep fry the salted and sun-dried ash gourd skin and seeds in hot oil as and when needed.

 A very tasty deep fried ash gourd skin and seeds are ready to serve as a side dish with rice.

Karathe Sukkeylele /Salted and Sun Dried Bitter Gourd Slices

Karathe sukkeylele is a ready to fry salted and sun-dried crispy bitter gourd slices also known as pavakka kondattam.Deep fried sun dried bitter gourd slices goes well as a side dish with curd rice or with rice and dal curry.Recipe is explained with method and photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Karathe Sukkeylele /Salted and Sun Dried Bitter Gourd Slices.

Ingredients:-

Bitter gourd.          - 3
Red chilly powder. - 2tsp
Turmeric powder.   - 1/2 tsp
Salt.                         - as needed

Instructions:-

Wash the bitter gourds in water and pat dry with a clean cloth.

Method:-

1). Cut and remove both the ends and then chop the bitter gourds into little thin round slices and keep them in a large plate.

2). Add salt, red chilly powder and turmeric powder.

3). Mix the salt and spice powders thoroughly with the chopped bitter gourd slices using your hands.

4). Spread the salted and spiced bitter gourd slices on a plastic sheet and keep it under hot sun to dry.

5). Again put the salted and spicy bitter gourd slices on a plastic sheet and keep under hot sun for next 3 or 4 consecutive days to dry them completely and become crispy.

6). When the bitter gourd slices become crispy remove them from the plastic sheet.

7). Keep the crispy, salted and sun dried bitter gourd slices / karathe sukkeylele in a clean and air tight container. When needed deep fry them in hot oil. Deep fried karathe sukkeylele /pavakka kondattam is ready to serve with rice or curd rice.

Green Peas and Raw Banana Kurma

Green peas and raw banana kurma /Green peas kurma is a coconut milk based simple and delicious gravy dish goes well with rice.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Green peas and Raw Banana Kurma.

Ingredients:-

Raw Banana.           - 3
Dry Green peas.       -1/2 cup
Green chillies.          - 3
Cinnamon.                - a small stick
Cloves.                      - 4
Thick Coconut milk. -1cup
Curry leaves.             - 1spring
Salt.                           - to taste

Instructions:-

1). Peel the outer skin and chop raw bananas into very small pieces.

2). Wash and soak dry green peas in water overnight and pressure cook the soaked green peas along with chopped raw banana pieces for 2 whistles adding 1 and 1/2 cup of water and keep aside.

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

4). Crush cinnamon and cloves in a mortar and pestle and keep aside.

5). Grind grated coconut and extract thick coconut milk and keep aside.

Method:-

1). In a cooking vessel add the pressure cooked green peas and raw banana pieces along with cooked water.Add half slit green chillies, curry leaves, crushed cinnamon and cloves into the vessel.

2). Add required salt and 1/2 cup of water into the vessel and mix well. Boil and cook for 5 minutes on low flame.

3). Add 1 cup thick coconut milk into the curry in the vessel and mix well.When boiling bubbles starts to appear in the vessel switch off the flame.

4). Transfer the curry to a serving bowl.

A delicious Green peas and Raw Banana Kurma is ready to serve with rice.

Piyava Ghassi.

Piyava ghassi/ ulli thiyyal is a roasted coconut masala curry made with shallots. Piyava gassi goes well with rice.Shallot is known as Piyavu in Konkani.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Piyava Ghassi.

Ingredients:-

Shallots.            - 20
Salt.                   - to taste
Tamarind.          - a small gooseberry size
Grated coconut. -1 cup
Urad dal.            - 1tbsp
Coriander seeds. -1tbsp
Dry red chillies.  - 8
Mustard seeds.    -1tsp
Curry leaves.      -1 spring
Black pepper.      -1/2tsp
Coconut oil.        -1tbsp

Instructions:-

1). Peel the shallots and wash well in water and wipe with a clean cloth and keep aside.

2). Crush black pepper and keep aside.

3). Soak tamarind in water and extract tamarind juice and keep aside.

4). In a pan dry roast urad dal, red chillies and coriander seeds. Add grated coconut and roast all together till the coconut grating becomes golden colour. When little cooled add turmeric powder and mix with all the roasted ingredients and grind to a smooth paste without adding water. Keep aside the roasted coconut masala paste.

Method:-

1). Heat 1tbsp coconut oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and saute well.Add curry leaves and saute well. Add shallots and roast well in oil on low flame.

2). Add required salt and crushed pepper into the pan and saute well.

3). Add extracted tamarind juice into the pan and mix well. Boil and cook the shallots on low flame.

4). Add roasted coconut masala paste into the pan and mix with roasted shallots. Add required water and mix well to make the piyava ghassi to a semi thick gravy. Boil the ghassi for 4 minutes on low flame and switch off the flame.

5). Transfer the piyava ghassi to a serving bowl and serve hot with rice.