BOMBAY CHUTNEY

BOMBAY CHUTNEY

As the whole world and we too in India wrestle with the Covid 19 pandemic, often we are forced to make do with what we have at home. All the ingredients, vegetables etc are not easily available as before.  In these circumstances, dishes that can be made with a minimum of ingredients, that can be made fast, and can be made quite easily are in high demand.

One such dish is "Bombay Chutney" - a very tasty yet easy to make accompaniment for our breakfast items like dosas, idlis, pooris etc.  Some serve Bombay Chutney with idlis as well but I personally don't prefer this combination.

How this got the name of "Bombay Chutney" is anybody's guess.

It is possible that " Bombay Chutney" as it is commonly called in the South was modeled after the popular Maharashtrian dish made of gram flour called Pithla, and hence got the name.

Irrespective of how or why it got the name, I can say for sure that this is a very tasty dish. We usually have this with dosas. 

Ingredients:-

• Besan ( Chickpea Flour/Gram Flour), 2 heaped tbsp
• Large-sized Onion, 1
• Large-sized Tomato, 1
• Asafoetida (Hing), 1/8 tsp 
• Ginger, finely grated, 1 tsp
• Green Chillies, 3
• Curry Leaves, 6-8
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Water, 3 cups ( including 1 cup for the besan slurry)
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp - for garnish

For Seasoning:

• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Urad Dal, (Black Gram Dal), 1/2 tsp
• Channa Dal, ( Bengal Gram Dal), 1 tsp
• Oil, 1 and 1/2 tbsp 

Method:-

Wash the onion, tomato, ginger and green chillies.

Chop the onion, and tomato,  

Finely grate the ginger and slit the green chillies

Prepare the besan slurry : In a bowl, mix the besan with a little water to make a paste, making sure that no lumps are formed. Add 1 cup of water to make the besan slurry. Keep aside. 

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

When the mustard seeds splutter, add the urad dal and channa dal and sauté till the dal change colour and become golden

To this add the asafoetida, grated ginger, slit green chillies and curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

Next add the chopped onion and sauté till the onion becomes translucent

Add the turmeric powder and a little salt and mix well

Now add the chopped tomato and cook covered on medium heat till they become soft and mushy

Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil 

Once it boils, lower the heat and add the besan slurry prepared earlier and mix well

Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes or till the raw smell goes, stirring from time to time, so that it does not get burnt at the bottom 

Check for salt and add only if required

Switch off the gas and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves

Transfer to a serving bowl

Serve as an accompaniment to dosas, pooris or chapatis. 

DODDAPATRE ( SAMBARBALLI) TAMBULI

DODDAPATRE ( SAMBARBALLI)  TAMBULI

In some parts of Karnataka like South Kanara, we make Tambuli, which is a mildly spiced coconut and curd based gravy, that is a tasty and healthy accompaniment for steamed rice. It is considered to be cooling in nature and good for digestion.

Today's Tambuli is made with the leaves of an aromatic plant called Doddapatre in Kannada , Sambarballi in Tulu and Konkani, and Karpuravalli in Tamil.

Interestingly, this plant is known as Indian Borage or Mexican Mint in English. You can read more about this and its health benefits in this article in Urban Mali.

Traditionally every household used to grow this plant. I too have one in a pot at home even now. The juice of this is supposed to have medicinal properties as per our old grandma tales.

For making this Tambuli, it is advisable that the curds/buttermilk used should be slightly sour. I have adapted this from Doddapatre Tambuli in Swayam Paaka, the popular Kannada cookery channel.

Ingredients:-

• Doddapatre (Sambarballi) Leaves,  a big handful
• Curds/Buttermilk, 1/2 cup
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Black Peppercorns, 15
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Water, 1/2 to 3/4 cup
• Ghee, 1 tsp

For Seasoning:-

• Mustard Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Ghee, 1 tsp 

Method:-

Remove the Doddapatre leaves from the stems and wash them thoroughly

Pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel

In a thick-bottomed kadhai, heat 1 tsp of ghee and on medium heat add the peppercorns, sauté for a few seconds then add the cumin seeds. Saute till the cumin seeds become golden brown in colour. 

Add the Doddapatre leaves and sauté for another 5 minutes till they wilt and the raw smell goes

To this add the coconut gratings, mix well, sauté for a few seconds and switch off the gas

Wait for this to cool and transfer to a mixer jar

Add salt and grind to a fine paste adding 1/2 cup of water

Now add the curds and grind briefly or in pulse mode
In case it is too thick you can add another 1/4 cup of water, only if required, to get the right consistency
Transfer the ground Tambuli to a bowl

Heat 1tsp ghee in the kadhai and on medium heat add the mustard seeds, when they splutter, add the cumin seeds and sauté till they turn golden
Pour this seasoning onto the tambuli

Serve Doddapatre Tambuli with steamed rice 

DONDAKAYA MASALA

DONDAKAYA MASALA

Today's recipe is for a side dish from Andhra cuisine in which we use ivy gourd stuffed with masala. This goes great with rice and rotis.

Ivy Gourd, called Dondakaya in Telugu, is a commonly available vegetable in India. It is known as Tindora in Hindi, Tendle in my mother tongue, Konkani,  Kovakkai in Tamil, and Thondekayi in Kannada.

According to this article in Lybrate, Ivy Gourd has many properties that are good for our health.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes with ivy gourd such as Tendle Talasani from our Konkani cuisine, Thondekayi Yennegayi from North Karnataka, and Tindora Masala from North India.

I have adapted this from Dondakaya Masala Curry by Hyderabadi Ruchilu.

Ingredients:-

• Dondakaya ( Ivy Gourd), 1/2 kg
• Groundnuts, 2 tbsp
• Coriander Seeds, 2 tbsp
• Sesame Seeds, 2 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 2 tbsp
• Chilli Powder, 2 tsp or to taste
• Kitchen King Masala, 1/4 tsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind, marble sized ball
• Medium-sized Onion, 1
• Salt, to taste 
• Oil, 2 tbsp

Method:- 

Wash the ivy gourds and snip off the two ends

Make criss-cross slits in each of them without breaking them ( required for stuffing the ivy gourd with masala). Keep aside.
Chop the onion. Keep aside.

Dry roast the groundnuts in a broad, thick-bottomed kadhai  on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. When they change colour and give off a good aroma add the coriander seeds, followed by the sesame seeds and when they start popping, add the cumin seeds and roast for a few seconds
To this add the fresh coconut gratings and sauté for a few seconds and switch off the gas
Allow the roasted ingredients to cool, then transfer to a small mixer jar
Add salt, chilli powder, tamarind, Kitchen King masala and grind to a thick, smooth paste, adding very little water
Transfer this to a bowl
Stuff the slits in the ivy gourds with this prepared masala. Please see pictures below.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in the same kadhai and when it gets hot add the chopped onion and sauté till it becomes translucent
Add the turmeric powder and the ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell goes
To this add the stuffed ivy gourd- one by one
Cook covered on medium heat for about 10 minutes, flipping periodically
Cover and cook the flipped ivy gourds for another 10 minutes
Add the remaining ground paste and 1/2 cup of water and mix well
Cook for another 10-15 minutes or till the oil separates
Switch off the gas
Lastly, garnish the Dondakaya Masala with finely chopped coriander leaves
Serve hot with rotis or rice

DRY MASALA ARBI

DRY  MASALA ARBI

Today's recipe makes use of colocasia, a root vegetable, which is also called Taro. In India, we call it "Arbi" in Hindi, "Alvamande" in my mother tongue, Konkani and "Kesavuna Gedde" in Kannada.

Colocasia is commonly used because it has high potassium content and numerous health benefits.

In my family, we like colocasia so I use this quite often.  Elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for :

• Dum Arbi, 
• Colocasia Stir Fry. 
• Arbi Masala Fry

I have adapted today's recipe from Dry Masala Arbi in Ruchi's Kitchen.

We tried out this dish recently and had it with our lunch. It tasted just great!!

Ingredients:-

• Arbi, 10-12 or about 300 gms
• Rice Flour, 2 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Fennel Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Green Chilli, slit, 1
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Cumin Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Chaat Masala, 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Juice of Half a Lime
• Oil, 2-3 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp - for garnish 

Method:-

                                                         Arbi (colocasia) 

Wash the arbi thoroughly and pressure cook in adequate water for 2 whistles

When the cooker cools. remove the cooked arbi and allow it to cool
When it is cool enough to handle, peel the arbi and cut them into 1/2 " pieces
Grease your palms and gently press the arbi pieces one by one between your palms to make patties
Place these patties in a wide bowl and sprinkle 2 tbsp of rice flour evenly on them
Toss them gently so that they are well coated. Keep aside.

In a small bowl mix together chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, chaat masala, turmeric powder and salt to form the spice powder mix

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai and on medium heat add the cumin seeds and when they sizzle add the fennel seeds, followed by curry leaves and slit green chilli. Saute for a few seconds.
To this add the arbi patties and shallow fry them on medium/low heat till they turn a golden brown on both sides
Sprinkle the spice powder mix on the frying arbis and toss to coat the arbis well
Next squeeze the lime juice over the arbi masala
Transfer to serving plate and garnish with the finely chopped coriander leaves
Serve the Dry Masala Arbi hot as a snack, starter or as a side dish with the main meal

BEETROOT & POTATO KURMA

BEETROOT & POTATO KURMA

There are some vegetables which people either love or hate! I guess beetroot is one of them. My husband is one of those who over the years has changed from being a beetroot hater to becoming a fan!

I make dishes using beetroots often as it is well established that beetroots have several health benefits. 
This article in NDTV Foods suggests 11 Popular Beetroot recipes from India.

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

• Beetroot Poriyal 
• Beetroot Bharth 
• Beetroot Halwa

Today's recipe is for a side dish made with Beetroot and Potatoes. I have adapted this from Beetroot Kurma from Subbu's Kitchen.

We had this with hot rotis and it tasted awesome!

Ingredients:-

• Beetroots, 2-3 or about 300 gms
• Medium-sized Potatoes, 2 or about 200 gms
• Medium-sized Onion, 1
• Medium-sized Tomato, 1
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Kitchen King Masala, 1/4 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp, for garnish

To Be Ground To A Smooth Paste-

• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/4 cup
• Poppy Seeds, (khus khus) 2 tbsp
• Fried Gram, ( buna channa) 2 tbsp
• Cinnamon, 1/2 inch piece
• Cardamoms, 2
• Cloves, (Lavang) 2
• Fennel Seeds, (Saunf) 1/2 tbsp

For Seasoning :-

• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Bay Leaf, 1
• Oil, 2 tbsp

Method:-

Wash the beetroot thoroughly, peel and cube them

Wash, peel and cube the potatoes
Place the cubed beetroot and potatoes in a vessel, add the required amount of water, a little turmeric and salt
Keep the vessel in a pressure cooker and cook for 3 whistles
Once the cooker cools, remove the boiled beetroot and potatoes . Keep aside
In a mixer jar, grind together the coconut gratings, poppy seeds, fried gram, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and fennel seeds to a smooth paste, adding just the required amount of water. Keep aside
Heat oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai and on medium heat add the bay leaf and cumin seeds
When the cumin seeds sizzle add the finely chopped onions and sauté
To this add the ginger garlic paste and salt, and sauté till the raw smell goes and the onions become slightly golden
Now add the chopped tomatoes and mix well
Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, Kitchen King masala and mix well
Cover and cook on low flame till the oil separates from the onion-tomato mixture
Next add the cooked beetroot, potatoes and the freshly ground paste and mix well
At this stage if it is too thick you can add 1/4 cup of water
Cover and cook on medium flame for about 5 minute
Lastly, garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves
Switch off the gas and transfer the kurma to a serving bowl
Serve hot with chapatis, rotis etc

GARLIC RASAM

GARLIC RASAM

Rasam is basically an aromatic spicy-sweet soup-like preparation used as an accompaniment for rice in a South Indian meal. It is generally made with lentils, tamarind, and spices and seasoned using ghee.

Today's recipe is for a spicy South Indian rasam made with garlic. It goes great with hot steamed rice and ghee.

We use garlic, which is called Lahsun in Hindi, Poondu in Tamil and Bellulli in Kannada, in many dishes in our Indian cooking.

To clarify a doubt once asked by a young lady new to Indian cuisine, the garlic itself is in the form of a pod or bulb as you see in the picture below. This is usually made up of 10-15 cloves, which we peel and use for cooking. You will find garlic commonly used for seasoning in many of our Konkani dishes.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes using garlic such as :

• Lahsuni Bhindi from North India
• Lasaniya Batata from Gujarat
• Batata Losne Saung from our Konkani cuisine 

As was well-known to our forefathers, garlic traditionally was famous for its many health benefits. Even to this day, many home made remedies even in rural areas make use of garlic for its healing powers.

I have adapted this from Garlic Rasam by Padhu's Kitchen.

We enjoyed this very much and I am sure you will like it too!

Ingredients:-

• Garlic Cloves, peeled 6 + crushed, 1 
• Tamarind, the size of a small gooseberry 
• Medium-sized Tomatoes, 2
• Salt, to taste
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp - for garnish 

Grind To A Coarse Powder :-

• Black Peppercorns , 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Tur Dal, 1 tsp
• Garlic Clove, peeled, 1

For Seasoning:-

• Ghee, 2 tsp
• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a few 

Method:-

Peel 7 garlic cloves and in addition lightly crush 1 unpeeled garlic clove. Keep aside

Wash and chop the tomatoes
Prepare tamarind extract by soaking the tamarind in 1 cup of warm water for about 15 minutes, then  extracting the juice and discarding the seed and pulp. Keep aside

In a small mixer jar, dry grind the peppercorns, cumin seeds, tur dal, and 1 peeled garlic clove to a coarse powder. Keep aside
In a vessel, take the tamarind extract and to this add the chopped tomatoes, salt, the remaining 6 peeled garlic cloves, 1 lightly crushed garlic clove and the coarsely ground spice powder
Mix well and heat on medium flame
Lower the flame and let it cook till the raw smell goes and the volume of the mixture reduces
Now add 1 and 1/2 cups of water and cook till it forms a froth
Switch off the gas
Seasoning:  In a small pan, heat 1 tsp of ghee and on medium heat add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the cumin seeds and when this sizzles, add the curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds
Pour this seasoning on to the garlic rasam
Lastly, garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves
Serve hot with steamed rice and ghee

PONSA APPO (JACKFRUIT APPO)

PONSA APPO (JACKFRUIT APPO)

Yesterday, we celebrated the festival of Guru Poornima during which I offered what we call "Ponsa Appo" (in my mother tongue, Konkani) as naivedhya.

In Konkani, Ripe Jackfruit is called "Ponosu". This is called "Hallasinu Hannu" in Kannada, Phanas in Marathi and Gujarati, and Chakka in Malayalam.  We make numerous dishes using ripe jackfruit such as Ponsa Polo, (Jackfruit Dosa).

Ripe jackfruit has many health benefits as well.

Appos are typically made for breakfast or as a snack. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for the usual Appos, and for Godu (Sweet) Appos.

The amount of jaggery depends on your taste and the sweetness of the jackfruit being used. I used 2/3 cup as the jackfruit was very sweet. Please remember that an excess of jaggery could lead to the appos getting burnt.

My "Appe Kayili" or Appo Pan has 11 sockets. With this batter I was able to make two batches of Ponsa Appos.

Ingredients:

• Ponosu ( Ripe Jackfruit), chopped, 3/4 cup
• Raw Rice, 1 cup
• Freshly Grated Coconut, 1/4 cup
• Jaggery, grated, 2/3 cup
• Cardamoms, 2
• Baking Soda, a pinch
• Salt, 1/4 tsp 
• Ghee, as required to make the appos 

Method:

Wash and soak the rice for 2-3 hours
Drain the excess water

Remove the seeds from the jackfruit pods
Roughly chop the jackfruit pods and keep aside

Powder the cardamoms and keep aside

In a mixer jar, grind together the soaked rice, and the coconut gratings using the least amount of water possible, to a paste
To this, add the chopped jackfruit, and grated jaggery, and grind again to form a smooth batter adding very  little water if required ( as the jackfruit and the jaggery will leave their own juices).
The batter should be a little thick but of pouring consistency
Transfer to a bowl, add the powdered cardamom, salt and baking soda. Mix well
The batter for the appos is ready.
There is no need to ferment this batter and the appos can be made immediately .

To make the Appos:
Heat the special griddle/ appe kayili/ paniyarakkal on a medium low flame
When it is hot, add ghee to each of the sockets
When the ghee is hot, on medium heat, pour the batter in each of the sockets
Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium/low flame
Using a skewer or knife, flip the appos carefully and fry the other side until they are fully done
Once they are cooked, take out the appos using a knife or the skewer
To check whether the appo is fully done, you can poke it with a skewer or knife
If it comes out clean, it means the appos have been fully done
Transfer to serving plate
Serve hot

LASANIYA BATATA

LASANIYA BATATA

The best part of being a foodie in India is that you get to cook and eat such a diverse range of cuisines. Having lived in Gujarat for a while, I developed a taste for Gujarati food and hence you will find in my blog recipes for dishes well known in Gujarat such as:-

• Bhindi Sambhariya
• Gujarati Kadhi
• Methi Theplas
• Khaman Dhokla 

The name of the recipe for today indicates what it is all about. It is called Lasaniya Batata and is a hot and spicy side dish made with Baby Potatoes and Garlic. You can, of course, vary the spice level to suit your personal taste.

I have adapted this from Lasaniya Batata  in the Food Viva site.

Ingredients:-

• Baby Potatoes, 250 gms
• Garlic Cloves, 8-10 
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 6
• Ginger, chopped, 1 "
• Medium-sized Tomato, 1
• Coriander Powder, 2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/8 tsp 
• Chaat Masala, 1/2 tsp
• Kitchen King Masala, 1/4 tsp
• Medium-sized Onion, 1
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tbsp + 3 tbsp
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp

Method:-

Wash the baby potatoes thoroughly and pressure cook them in adequate water and a little salt for 2 whistles  or till they are done. Make sure that they don't get overcooked. 

When the cooker has cooled, remove the potatoes and peel when they are cool enough to handle. Keep aside.
Soak the dry chillies in water for about 10 minutes
Finely chop the onion and tomato
In a small mixer jar, grind together the soaked red chillies alone with garlic, ginger, tomato, coriander powder, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and salt, to a smooth paste. Keep aside this tomato-garlic paste
In a thick-bottomed kadhai, heat 1 tbsp and on medium heat add the boiled and peeled potatoes and shallow fry them for about 2 minutes
To this, add the chaat masala and the Kitchen King Masala and fry for 1 more minute
Switch off the gas and transfer the shallow fried potatoes to a bowl
In the same kadhai, heat 3 tbsp of oil and on medium heat add the finely chopped onion and sauté till it is slightly browned
Now add the prepared tomato-garlic paste, and sauté on low flame for about 5 minutes till the oil separates
Add the shallow fried potatoes and mix well till the potatoes are well coated with the masala
Cook on medium/low heat for another 3-5 minutes
Switch off the gas and transfer to serving bowl
Lastly, garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves
Serve hot as a side dish with rotis or rice