DAHIWALE ALOO

 DAHIWALE ALOO

Potatoes are amongst the most popular ingredients in our Indian cooking. North, South, East or West you will find dishes aplenty made with potatoes. They are called Aloo in Hindi, Aloogadde in Kannada, Batata in Marathi and Gujarati, and Batato in my mother tongue, Konkani.

Apart from being tasty and commonly available, potatoes have several health benefits as well. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find dishes made with potatoes, such as:-

• Masala Baby Potatoes
• Dum Aloo Punjabi
• Aloo Parantha
• Batate Upkari

Today's recipe is for a delicious side dish called Dahiwale Aloo as it is made with potatoes and curds ( aloo and dahi in Hindi) and a mixture of spices. You can use baby potatoes, if you wish. I have chosen to make this dish with less gravy today. 

Ingredients:-

• Aloo (Potatoes), 2-3, about 250 grams 
• Small-sized Tomatoes, 3
• Onion, 1
• Dahi (Fresh Thick Curds), 1 cup
• Turmeric (Haldi) Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp or to taste
• Sugar, 1/2 tsp
• Coriander (Dhaniya) Powder, 1 tsp
• Cumin (Jeera) Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds (Jeera), 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida (Hing), 1/8 tsp
• Green Chillies, 2
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 and 1/2 tbsp for shallow frying + 1 tbsp for seasoning
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp for garnish

Method:-

Wash and cook the potatoes. When cooled after cooking, peel the potatoes, cube them, sprinkle a little salt, mix well and keep aside

If using baby potatoes, peel them but they need not be cubed, and can be used in full 

Finely chop the onion and slit the green chillies

Whisk the fresh, thick curds in a bowl and to this add turmeric powder, chilli powder, sugar, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt  and mix well. Keep aside

Heat 1 and 1/2 tbsp of oil in a thick bottomed kadhai and on medium heat shallow fry the potatoes and tomatoes for 2-3 minutes. Keep aside

In the same kadhai, heat 1 tbsp of oil and on medium heat add the cumin seeds and when they sizzle add the asafoetida. Saute for a few seconds

To this add the finely chopped onion and slit green chillies and fry till the onion becomes translucent

Lower the flame, pour in the mixture of curds and spices, and mix well, stirring continuously 

Lowering the flame is important as adding the curds without doing so could result in the curdling of the curds. 

If you want the dish to have more gravy, you can add water at this stage

Cook on low flame for 2-3 minutes

Now add the shallow fried potatoes and tomatoes and mix well. Check for salt, and add only if required

Cook on medium/low flame for a couple of minutes till the potatoes get well blended with the curds and spices

Switch off the gas and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves

Transfer to serving bowl and serve the Dahiwale Aloo as a side dish with rotis.

MASALA BRINJAL

 MASALA BRINJAL

I must start by saying that in India eggplants or aubergines are more commonly known as brinjals. They are called Baingan in Hindi, Badanekayi in Kannada, Begun in Bengali and Vaingan in my mother tongue, Konkani.

We get several types of brinjals in India. Today's dish is made with what is often called the Balloon Brinjal because of its shape. Brinjals contain bioflavonoids which help in managing stress and regulating blood pressure. They also have good quantities of useful nutrients like calcium and iron.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will recipes for dishes made with Balloon Brinajls such as :-

• Begun Bhaja 
• Roasted Brinjal Chutney 
• Baingan Bharta

Today's recipe is for an easy to make yet yummy side dish. My Amma used to make this dish quite often. For this we use the Balloon Brinjals as they don't have so many seeds and suit this recipe better than other types of brinjals.

This is served as a side dish with the main meal.

Ingredients:-

• Balloon Brinjals, 500 gms
• Cumin Seeds, (Jeera), 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Sambar Powder, 3 tsp or to taste
• Asafoetida Powder, 1/4 tsp to be dissolved in a little water
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Method:-

Wash the brinjal and remove the stalk. Cut the brinjal into cubes

Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadhai and on medium heat add the cumin seeds

When they sizzle add the curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

To this add the cubed brinjals and salt to taste, mix well and cook covered on medium heat stirring from time to time till the brinjals get fully done

There is no need to add water as the salt added to the brinjals will release water /juice to cook the brinjals in their own juice

Add 3 tsp of sambar powder or as per taste and mix well

Cook for a few minutes more so that the brinjal gets well blended with the sambar powder

Finally add the asafoetida powder dissolved in water and mix well

Switch off the gas and transfer the Masala Brinjal to a serving bowl

Serve Masala brinjal as a side dish with the main meal 

MIXED VEGETABLE SUKKE

 MIXED VEGETABLE SUKKE 

Often in our homes we are left with small quantities of different vegetables. Today's recipe is for an option where you can use these small quantities of different vegetables to make a yummy side dish from our Konkani cuisine. You can use vegetables of your choice. In today's dish I have used carrots, French beans, peas and potatoes. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes which make use of Mixed Vegetables, such as:-

• Mixed Vegetable Kootu
• Avial
• Mixed Vegetable Huli

Today's dish does not call for the use of onion and garlic so can be made when you do not wish to use them like during festivals etc.

This side dish goes equally well with rice and rotis.  

Ingredients:-

• Mixed Vegetables (Carrot, French Beans, Peas, Potato) 100 grams each 
• Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Roasted Byadgi Red Chillies, 4
• Tamarind, a small marble-sized ball
• Coriander Seeds, 1 heaped tsp
• Urad Dal, 1 heaped tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Coconut Oil,  1 tsp 

For Seasoning:- 

•  Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a sprig 
• Coconut Oil, 2 tsp

Method:- 

Wash, peel and cube the carrots and potatoes

Wash and chop French Beans

Wash the peas ( I used frozen peas )

Pressure cook all the vegetables in a vessel adding adequate water, with a little salt, for 2 whistles or till they are done

Once the pressure cooker cools, keep the cooked vegetables aside after collecting the excess water ( which can be used later for grinding the masala)

Using 1 tsp of oil, roast the coriander seeds and Urad Dal separately in a kadhai till they become fragrant and turn golden in colour. Keep aside

In a mixer jar, grind together the coconut gratings, the roasted  Byadgi red chillies, and the tamarind along with the roasted coriander seeds and Urad Dal 

Grind this to a paste which is a little coarse in texture, using the water collected earlier 

Add this ground paste to the cooked vegetables and bring to a boil

Check for salt and add if required

Lower the heat and cook on medium heat till the mixture becomes semi-solid in consistency 

Switch off the gas

Finally do the seasoning by heating 2 tsp of coconut oil in a small pan. On medium heat add the mustard seeds, and when they splutter add the curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

Pour this seasoning onto the Mixed Vegetable Sukke

Transfer to a serving bowl  and serve the Mixed Vegetable Sukke as a side dish with the main meal.

PUFFED RICE DOSA

 PUFFED RICE DOSA

Visitors to India are truly awestruck by the amazing varieties we have in the dosas we make for our daily breakfast. There are so many different types of dosas that books have been published titled, "100 Types of Dosa" and the like!! 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for some dosa varieties such as:-

• Pesarattu
• Masoor Dal Dosa
• Davangere Benne Dosa
• Paper Dosa

Today's recipe is for a dosa made with Puffed Rice, which is called Muri in Bengali, Pori in Tamil, Murmura in Hindi and Marathi, Charamburo in my mother tongue, Konkani and Kadalepuri in Kannada. 

With the measurements given below, I got about 15 dosas. We enjoyed these soft and porous dosas served with garlic chutney.

Ingredients:-

• Puffed Rice, 3 cups
• Raw Rice, 1 and 1/2 cups
• Methi (Fenugreek) Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, as required to make the dosas

Method:-

Wash the raw rice in a few changes of water, then add fresh water and the fenugreek seeds and soak for about 3-4 hours

Drain away the water and transfer to mixer jar

Immerse the puffed rice in adequate water, then after cleaning it drain away the water and transfer the soaked puffed rice to the same mixie jar 

Grind the soaked raw rice and puffed rice to a smooth paste adding just the required amount of water

Transfer this batter to a vessel

Add salt to taste and mix the batter with your hand to help in the fermentation

Allow it to ferment overnight ( typically during summer it takes about 8-10 hours to ferment but in colder seasons it may require nearly 16-20 hours to ferment)

When the batter is fermented, mix the batter and adjust the consistency if required

The batter should be thick but of dropping consistency 

Lightly grease a tawa and on medium heat add one ladleful of batter and allow it spread on its own 

Increase the heat slightly and drizzle 1 tsp of oil around the dosa

As the dosa gets cooked, you will see holes appear on the dosa

Wait for 2 minutes till the dosa gets done

There is no need to flip and cook it on both sides

Remove from tawa and keep on serving plate 

Repeat this till you have made dosas with the remaining batter 

Switch off the gas and serve the Puffed Rice Dosa with chutney of your choice

BAJJILE PHOVU OR ROASTED BEATEN RICE

BAJJILE PHOVU OR ROASTED BEATEN RICE 

From the days of our childhood, we are used to having what in India is termed " an evening snack". This is something to munch in the duration between an early lunch and dinner. 

The recipes for some of the snacks that we used to have are elsewhere in this blog, such as :- 

• Moong Dal Usli 
• Congress Kadalekayi
• Masala Charamburo /Spicy Puffed Rice

I guess the concept of making an evening snack is not very popular these days. Probably, people prefer store bought snacks as they are short on time. 

Today's recipe is for what we call " Bajjile Phovu " in my mother tongue, Konkani. This roughly translates to Roasted Beaten Rice in English. The principal ingredient is Beaten Rice of the thin variety. We call Beaten Rice, "Phovu" in Konkani. It is called Poha in Hindi, and Avalakki in Kannada. Another ingredient is Fried Gram which is called Hurigadale in Kannada and Bhuna Channa in Hindi. 

This easy to make snack brings back many memories of my childhood and even now we make this from time to time. 

Ingredients:-

• Beaten Rice/Phovu/ Patla Poha, 6 cups
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp 
• Green Chillies, chopped, 3
• Fried Gram, 1/3 cup
• Oil, 1 tbsp
• Salt, to taste 
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup 
• Asafoetida, (Hing), 1/4 tsp,  dissolved in water 

Method:-

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai and on medium heat add the cumin seeds and when they sizzle, add the turmeric powder, salt to taste, chopped green chillies, and fried gram

Saute on medium heat till the fried gram becomes slightly golden in colour

Add the beaten rice and roast, stirring continuously, till the beaten rice gets well blended with the fried gram and spices

Switch off the gas and allow the Bajjile Phovu to cool 

You will notice that the Phovu becomes crisp as it cools

Transfer to serving bowl 

Mix in the asafoetida water (Hinga Udda) with the fresh coconut gratings

When you are serving the Bajjile Phovu,  add the fresh coconut gratings -asafoetida water mixture to individual portions 

GULACHA SHEERA

 GULACHA SHEERA

Today's recipe is called Gulacha Sheera and is popular in Maharashtra. Apart from loving the taste of this dessert, I like the fact that we use  jaggery to make it. Jaggery gives the dish adequate sweetness and is a more healthy option than using sugar which is normally used to make sheeras.

Over the last few years, I have consciously tried to use jaggery instead of sugar. This article in The Times of India details the benefits of jaggery over sugar in our diets. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find other dishes in which we use jaggery such as:-

• Peanut Sesame Ladoo
• Ponsa Polo, Jackfruit Dosa
• Godu Phovu
• Godu (Sweet) Appo 

I made this recently as neivedhya for Varamahalakshmi festival . Please try out this Gulacha Sheera and I am sure you will enjoy it! 

Ingredients:-

• Rava/ Semolina, 3/4 cup
• Jaggery, grated, 1/2 cup, or to taste
• Warm Water, 1 and 1/2 cups 
• Ghee, 2 and 1/2 tbsp
• Cashewnuts, broken into pieces, 1 tbsp
• Raisins, 1 tbsp
• Cardamoms 2-3, made into a powder

Method:-

Dissolve the grated jaggery in 1 and 1/2 cups of warm water. Heat if required for it to dissolve completely. Keep aside. 

Peel the cardamoms and crush them to a powder. Keep aside.

Heat a thick bottomed pan and on medium heat add 1/2 tbsp of ghee. Roast the broken cashewnuts till they turn slightly golden. Keep aside

Next add the raisins and fry till they puff up. Keep aside. 

In the same pan, add 1 tbsp of ghee and roast the rava on medium heat stirring constantly till it gives off a good aroma and turns slightly golden in colour

To this add the jaggery water and mix well taking care that there are no lumps

Cook till the rava gets done and the excess water gets absorbed, stirring constantly 

Now add 1 tbsp of ghee, roasted cashewnuts, roasted raisins and cardamom powder and mix well

Continue to stir till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball

Apply some ghee  to the insides of a bowl. Transfer the Gulacha Sheera to this bowl. 

Garnish with raisins or nuts as you wish 

PHAGILA SUKKE

 PHAGILA SUKKE

Teasel Gourd/Spiny Gourd/ Kantola is a relatively rare vegetable that we get only in the monsoon months of July-August. We call this "Phagil" in Konkani. This is called Kantola in Hindi, Adavihagalakai in Kannada, Kakrol in Bengali, Adavikakarakaya in Telugu and Kattupavakai in Tamil.

This is a vegetable that many of us crave for this time of the year. It has various health benefits being rich in protein and iron and low in calories.

We make different kinds of dishes using phagil. Elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for :-

• Phagila Phodis, 
• Phagila Puddi Sagle.
• Phagila Talasani
• Phagila Kismuri

Today's recipe is for Phagila Sukke. In our Konkani cuisine, a sukke is a mildly spiced side dish made with either roasted coriander alone, or with roasted coriander and roasted Urad Dal ground into the coconut masala.

This is usually served as an accompaniment with the main meal of rice and dal.

Ingredients:-

• Phagil (Teasel Gourd) , 4 to 5 or about 250 gms
• Turmeric Powder, 1/8 tsp
• Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Roasted Byadgi Red Chillies, 4
• Tamarind, a small marble-sized ball
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tsp
• Urad Dal, 1 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Coconut Oil,  1 tsp 

For Seasoning:- 

•  Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a sprig 
• Coconut Oil, 2 tsp

Method:- 

Wash the phagils thoroughly and snip off the two ends. Cut them into halves then cut each of the halves into quarters. 

The seeds can be used as long as they are tender. Discard the seeds if they are hard.

Using 1 tsp of oil, roast the coriander seeds and Urad Dal separately in a kadhai till they become fragrant and turn golden in colour. Keep aside

In a pan, cook the phagil pieces in adequate water, adding a little salt and a pinch of turmeric powder

Make sure the phagils do not get overcooked. They should be cooked yet remain firm

In a mixer jar, grind together the coconut gratings, the roasted  Byadgi red chillies, and the tamarind along with the roasted coriander seeds and Urad Dal 

Grind this to a paste which is a little coarse using the required amount of water

Add this ground paste to the cooked phagils and bring to a boil

Check for salt and add if required

Lower the heat and cook on medium heat till the mixture becomes semi-solid in consistency 

Switch off the gas

Finally do the seasoning by heating 2 tsp of coconut oil in a small pan. On medium heat add the mustard seeds, and when they splutter add the curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

Pour this seasoning onto the Phagila Sukke

Transfer to a serving bowl  and serve the Phagila Sukke as a side dish with the main meal.