CARROT PORIYAL

 CARROT PORIYAL

In my house, I make it a point to include carrots in our food from time to time. This is because carrots have a wealth of health benefits being particularly strong in beta-carotene and antioxidants.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find many recipes for dishes made with carrots, such as:-

• Carrot Chutney
• Carrot Kismuri
• Carrot Soup
• Gajar ka Halwa

Today's recipe is for an easy to make yet tasty stir fry (called Poriyal in Tamil). This dish tastes better through the use of freshly ground spice powder.  I have adapted this from Carrot Poriyal from Subbu's Kitchen.

We tried it out today and it tasted great. We especially loved the crunch of the urad dal in the seasoning! 

Ingredients:-

• Carrots, 300 gms 
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Salt, to taste

For the Spice Powder :

• Fresh Coconut Gratings , 2 tbsp
• Fried Gram, 2 tbsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 3
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp

For the Seasoning:-

• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Black Gram Dal (Urad Dal), 1 tsp
• Curry leaves, a few
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Method:-

Wash the carrots thoroughly and snip off the two ends

Lightly peel the skin and cut the carrots into cubes

In a small mixer jar, grind together fresh coconut gratings, Byadgi red chillies, fried gram, and cumin seeds -initially in pulse mode till the ingredients get crushed- then in regular mode to a fine powder. Keep aside

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai and on medium heat add the mustard seeds, when they splutter add the urad dal and saute till the dal changes colour

Next add the curry leaves and saute for a few seconds

To this add the cubed carrots, turmeric powder, and salt

Cook covered on medium heat, stirring from time to time, till the carrots get cooked yet remain firm

Now add the freshly ground powder and mix well

Switch off the gas and transfer to a serving bowl

Serve the Carrot Poriyal hot as an accompaniment with rice and sambar/rasam

SWEET POTATO FRY

 SWEET POTATO FRY

As you must know, besides their distinctive flavor, sweet potatoes have many health benefits. They provide an excellent source of beta carotene, Vitamin C and potassium. I make dishes using this root vegetable from time to time. 

In India, Sweet Potatoes are known as Shakarkhand in Hindi, Sihi Genasu in Kannada, Sakkarvalli Kilangu in Tamil, Ratale in Marathi and Kannang in my mother tongue, Konkani. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with sweet potato such as:-

• Sweet Potato Stir Fry 
• Sweet Potato Tikkis
• Sweet Potato Roast 

Today's recipe is for an easy to make yet delicious stir fry of sweet potato which goes great as a side dish with hot steamed rice and rasam. I have adapted this from Sweet Potato Fry in the YouTube video by Dindigul Food Court. 

We enjoyed this very much and hope you will too! 

Ingredients:-

• Sweet Potato, 500 gms 
• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Urad Dal, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Onion, small sized, 1
• Garlic Cloves, 3
• Green Chilli, 1
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Kashmiri Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Method:-

Snip off the ends of the sweet potatoes and wash them thoroughly 

Chop the onion and green chilli

Crush the garlic cloves

Pressure cook the sweet potato in adequate water adding a little salt for one whistle

Once the cooker cools, check to ensure the sweet potato is cooked yet remains firm

(Make sure it does not get overcooked) 

Remove from the cooker, peel off the skin and cut them into cubes

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

Once they splutter, add the cumin seeds and when they sizzle add the urad dal and saute till the dal turns golden brown

To this add the chopped onion, crushed garlic cloves, curry leaves, and chopped green chilli

Saute till the onion turns translucent

To this add the boiled and cubed sweet potato, mix well and saute

Now add salt to taste, chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder

Mix well and cook uncovered on medium/low flame for about 5 minutes till the sweet potato gets well blended with the spices

Switch off the gas and transfer to a serving bowl

Serve as a side dish with hot steamed rice and rasam 

PONSA GHARAI - RIPE JACKFRUIT DESSERT

 PONSA GHARAI - RIPE JACKFRUIT DESSERT

A very commonly available fruit in India is the jackfruit which we call Ponas in my mother tongue, Konkani. This is called Hallasinu Hannu in Kannada, Phanas in Marathi and Gujarati, and Chakka in Malayalam.

It is encouraging to know that apart from being so yummy, jackfruits have many health benefits too! 

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

• Ponsa Polo (Jackfruit Dosa) 
• Ponsa Appo (Jackfruit Appo) 

Today's recipe is for a popular dessert made with jackfruit in our GSB Konkani community called Ponsa Gharai. It is like a payasam, served after a meal. This dessert can be served hot or refrigerated as per your preference. 

Please remember the amount of jaggery you add will depend on the inherent sweetness of the jackfruit you use and your individual taste. The number of jackfruit bulbs used will also depend on their size. In this case, I have used 8-10.

Do let me know if you like this item for dessert.

Ingredients:-

• Ripe Jackfruit, 8-10 bulbs
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Jaggery, grated, 1/2  cup heaped 
• Ghee, 2 tbsp
• Cashewnuts, broken into halves, 6-8
• Cardamom Powder, made from 4-5 cardamom pods
• Rice Flour, 2 tsp 

Method:-

Cut open the jackfruit bulbs, remove the seeds from each of them 

Chop the jackfruit bulbs into small pieces

Heat the grated jaggery in a pan along with 3 tbsp of water until it melts

Strain the jaggery liquid to remove the impurities, if any, and keep aside 

In a mixer, grind the coconut gratings with 1 cup of water. Strain this through a muslin cloth to get the first (thick) extract of the coconut milk . Keep aside.

Put back the ground coconut gratings in the mixer jar, add 1 cup of water and repeat the process to get the second (thin) extract of the coconut milk. 

To this thin coconut milk extract,  add 2 tsp of rice flour and mix well so that it does not form any lumps. This helps thicken the texture of the Gharai. 

Heat the ghee in a thick bottomed pan. Roast the cashew nuts on medium heat till they turn slightly golden. Keep aside. 

In the same pan, add the chopped jackfruit pieces and saute till they are almost cooked

To this, add the melted jaggery syrup, mix and bring to a boil

Now add the thin milk extract, mix well and bring to a boil 

Lower the heat, add the thick milk extract, mix well and once again bring to a boil

Switch off the gas. Mix in the cardamom powder and garnish with roasted cashewnuts.

Transfer the Ponsa Gharai to a serving bowl

Serve hot or refrigerated, as per your preference

 

DELICIOUS MANGO RECIPES

 DELICIOUS MANGO RECIPES

I hope many of you would have gone through my last blog post:  Delicious Raw Mango Recipes

There are so many varieties of mangoes available in India that there is always an argument as to which is the best/tastiest of the lot. Lovers of each variety swear their choice is the best. Some of the best rated and hence highly popular varieties are : Alphonso, Kesar, and Dashehari.

Apart from using raw mangoes in our cooking, we in India make extensive use of the ripe mango as well. In today's post, I will share the recipes for some of my favourite dishes using ripe mangoes.

1. Mango Mastani: a rich mango milkshake topped with vanilla ice cream  https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2017/05/mango-mastani.html

2. Mango and Sago Pudding: a delicious dessert made with ripe mangoes and sago (tapioca) pearls

https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2016/05/mango-sago-pudding.html

3. Mango Phirni: a rich dessert from North India made with ripe mangoes.   

https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2015/06/mango-phirni.html

4. Mango Sheera: a dessert made with ripe mangoes and semolina.

https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2016/05/mango-sheera.html

5. Aamras : a dish made with the pulp of ripe mangoes, served with puris in Maharashtra. Also served as a dessert. 

https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2013/05/aamras-mango-dessert.html

 The sweetness of each dish will depend on the inherent sweetness of the mango you use  as well as your individual taste. 

I hope you will enjoy these dishes as much as I do! 

DELICIOUS RAW MANGO RECIPES

 DELICIOUS RAW MANGO RECIPES 

You will remember that my last blog post was for Kairichi Thecha, made with raw mangoes!  I was happy to get messages from friends who too recalled the days of our childhood. They could relate to the love all over India for snacking on raw mangoes!! Needless to say, they liked the recipes too! 

In India, specially during the hot summers, we use mangoes- raw and ripe- to make a wide variety of yummy dishes.  Mangoes are to be found in pickles and relishes, in dals and curries, and in drinks and desserts. 

Since this is the season for mangoes, I felt it may be useful to post more recipes of dishes made with raw mangoes that we have loved in my house! 

They are easy to make, lip-smacking and well worth the effort of making them! 

1. Raw Mango Palu : an easy to make hot and sweet pickle from North Karnataka, which you will love! 

https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2017/06/raw-mango-palu.html

2. Methamba : the name for this delicious relish from Maharashtra comes from the principal ingredients of methi (fenugreek seeds) and Amba ( mango) . https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2021/06/methamba.html

3. Mamidikaya Menthi Pachadi: an Andhra-style pickle . https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2019/05/mamidikaya-menthi-pachadi.html

4. Aam Ka Panna : a popular drink in North India. https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2013/05/aam-ka-panna.html

5. Thenga Manga Pattani Sundal : an extremely, popular snack from Tamilnadu. https://www.cookingwithshobana.com/2016/05/thenga-manga-pattani-sundal.html

While all the above recipes were made with raw mangoes, in another post I shall share recipes of dishes made with ripe mangoes. Look out for this!! 

KAIRICHI THECHA

 KAIRICHI THECHA

Here in India, we associate the hot summer days with raw mangoes being available in plenty. Raw mangoes are called Kairi in Marathi, Maavinkayi in Kannada, Mamidikayi in Telugu, and Ambuli in my mother tongue, Konkani.

No kid growing up in India would have missed that great experience of eating slices of raw mango dipped liberally in salt and chilli powder! 

As this article explains, raw mangoes have numerous health benefits.

Elsewhere in the blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with raw mangoes, such as:-

• Raw Mango Pachadi
• Maavinkayi Chitranna
• Mamidikaya Menthi Pachadi 

Today's recipe - Kairichi Thecha- is from Maharashtrian cuisine. Raw Mango is called Kairi in Marathi. Thecha is a dry chutney-like popular accompaniment for bhakri and roti. 

Traditionally, thecha is made using a mortar and pestle. These days since most people use mixers, I must mention that the grinding should only be done in the pulse mode to get the coarse texture required for the thecha.

Do try this out and I am sure you will love it! 

Ingredients:- 

• Kairi (Raw Mango), 1 of about 240 grams
• Green Chillies, 10
• Roasted Peanuts, 1/3 cup
• Garlic Cloves, 8
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Coriander Leaves, 1 handful
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tsp 

Method:-

Wash the raw mango and wipe it dry. 

Peel and cut the raw mango into cubes and discard the core

Wash the green chillies, remove the stalks, pat them dry and slit them 

Wash, dry and finely chop the coriander leaves

Peel the garlic cloves

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a kadhai and roast the slit green chillies stirring continuously till they get spotted  

Remove from the kadhai and allow them to cool

Transfer to a mixer jar

To the roasted green chillies, add the roasted peanuts, garlic cloves, cumin seeds, coriander leaves and salt to taste. 

Add the raw mango cubes. 

Grind on pulse mode till the ingredients are crushed and blended to get the Kairichi Thecha with a coarse texture

Transfer to serving bowl

Serve as accompaniment to bhakri/roti

BASALE SOPPINA HULI

 BASALE SOPPINA HULI

The Malabar Spinach is a climbing vine much akin to the usual spinach. It is also called Vine Spinach. We call this "Basale Soppu" in Kannada and "Vaali" in my mother tongue, Konkani.

This plant has numerous health benefits. I have this growing in pots at home which comes in handy from time to time. You can easily grow them by planting the firm stem in a pot. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with Malabar Spinach such as:-

• Basale Soppina Tambuli
• Malabar Spinach Dal
• Vaali Ambat

Today's dish is popular in my Home State of Karnataka where it is usually served with hot steamed rice. This is an easy to make dish which is both tasty and good for health.  I have adapted this from the  Kannada YouTube video Basale Soppina Huli from Swayam Paaka.

Do try it out and let me know whether you liked it. 

Ingredients:-

• Basale Soppu/ Malabar Spinach, 1 bunch or approximately 3 cups when chopped 
• Thuar dal/ Split Pigeon Peas, 1/2 cup
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp 
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/4 cup
• Jaggery, small piece
• Tamarind, size of a medium sized lemon 
• Salt, to taste 

To be Roasted and Ground To a Paste:- 

• Oil, 1 tsp
• Urad Dal/Black Gram Dal, 1/2 tsp
• Channa Dal/Bengal Gram Dal, 3/4 tsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 8
• Fenugreek/Methi Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a few 
• Hing/Asafoetida, 1/8 tsp
• Mustard Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Coriander seeds, 1 tbsp

For Seasoning:

• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 3/4 tsp
• Asafoetida/Hing, 1/4 tsp
• Oil, 2 tsp

Method:-

Wash the basale soppu in several changes of water. Drain away the water in a colander. Chop the basale soppu and keep aside

Soak the tamarind in water for about 10-15 minutes and extract the juice 

Wash the thuar dal and pressure cook it in a cooker adding 1 and 1/2 cups of water with a little oil and a little turmeric powder

Cook for 3-4 whistles or till the dal gets done. Once the cooker cools, remove the cooked dal, mash the dal  and keep aside.

 

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. On medium heat add the urad dal and channa dal, Byadgi red chillies, fenugreek/methi seeds, and a few curry leaves and fry for a minute

To this add the asafoetida, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and coriander seeds and fry till the dals change colour and turn golden. Switch off the gas.

Transfer the roasted ingredients to a plate and allow it to cool.

Once they cool, grind the roasted ingredients along with fresh coconut gratings in a mixer jar. Grind to a fine paste adding water as required. Keep aside.

Add the chopped basale soppu to the cooked and mashed dal. Mix well and bring to a boil.  

Now add the ground masala, jaggery, salt to taste and tamarind extract 

Mix well and adjust the consistency by adding water as required and once again bring to a boil

Lower the heat and let it simmer for a couple of minutes

Switch off the gas

Heat oil in a seasoning pan, on medium heat add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the asafoetida and the cumin seeds. Saute for a few seconds. 

Pour this seasoning on to the Huli.

Transfer the Basale Soppina Huli to a serving bowl

Serve with hot steamed rice