CAULIFLOWER BHUTHI

 CAULIFLOWER BHUTHI

In my house, one vegetable which we like and use quite often is cauliflower, known as Gobhi in Hindi. One reason is that we make rotis every day at home and I find that most gobhi dishes go well with rotis.

Cauliflower have many health benefits being rich in nutrients and antioxidants. 

In choosing cauliflower, try to get those which are tightly packed. It is also advisable to clean them thoroughly by breaking them into florets and putting them in water with a little salt and turmeric (haldi) powder, to get rid of any impurities.

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

• Masala Cauliflower, in which the whole cauliflower is cooked;
•  Cauliflower Ambat, from our Konkani cuisine, 
• Achari Gobhi with the Punjabi Achari masala.

Today's recipe is for a GSB Konkani favourite called Cauliflower Bhuthi. This side dish goes well with both rice and dal, and with chappatis/rotis. 

Please note that for this dish- indeed for any bhuthi- we do not roast the coriander seeds before grinding.

We love to have this yummy side dish from time to time, and I hope you will too! 

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower,  1 medium-sized
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Onions, medium sized,  3
• Roasted Byadgi Red Chillies, 6
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tbsp ( not roasted) 
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/2 to  3/4 cup
• Tamarind, a small piece
• Oil, 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste

Method: 

Wash the cauliflower throughly and break them into medium sized florets. 

(Tip: Breaking them into too small florets makes the cauliflower too soft and mushy when it gets cooked)

Immerse these in a bowl of water adding salt and turmeric powder, to remove the impurities if any. Keep immersed for about 10 minutes. 

Peel and chop the onions

In a mixer jar, grind together fresh coconut gratings, roasted Byadgi red chillies, tamarind along with the coriander seeds to a coarse paste, adding just the required amount of water. Keep aside

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai and when it gets hot add the chopped onions

Saute till they become translucent 

To this add the cauliflower florets, a little salt, and mix well

Sprinkle a little water if required 

Cover and cook on medium flame till the cauliflowers gets about 75 % cooked

Now add the freshly prepared ground paste along with the water from the mixer jar and salt to taste  Mix well

Cook on medium heat till the cauliflowers gets well blended with the ground paste and the excess water evaporates, stirring once in a while. Ensure the cauliflower doesn't get over cooked 

Switch off the gas and transfer to a serving bowl

Serve the Cauliflower Bhuthi with dal and rice or with chapatis/rotis 

BATANI BATATA BHUTHI

BATANI BATATA BHUTHI

Green Peas and Potatoes pair well together and can be made into many different types of dishes. Elsewhere in this blog, for example, you will find recipes for Aloo Matar, and Peas and Potato Ambat.

Like the Peas & Potatoes Ambat, today's dish is also from Konkani cuisine. Batani Batata Bhuthi is a dish which gets its name from the two major ingredients of Jeev Batani ( Green Peas in Konkani) and Batato (Potatoes in Konkani). This is a medium-spiced, coconut-based semi-dry side dish. It gets its colour from the Byadgi Red Chillies.

Notes :

You could use either fresh green peas or frozen peas for this dish

To prepare the masala for the bhuthi, it is not necessary to roast the coriander seeds

The masala for the bhuthi has to be ground coarse and not fine

Ingredients:

• Batani ( Green Peas), 2 cups
• Batato ( Potato), large-sized, 1
• Onions, medium-sized, chopped, 2
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tbsp

To Grind Together For The Masala:

• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Roasted Byadgi Red Chillies, 5 
• Tamarind, seed size
• Coriander Seeds, 1 and 1/2 tsp  (not roasted)

Method: 

Wash the green peas and the potato
Peel and cut the potato into cubes
Cook the green peas and the potato cubes in a pressure cooker adding the required amount of water for 1-2 whistles or till done
Once the cooker cools, remove the green peas and potato cubes. Drain the excess water and keep aside.
In a mixer, grind together coconut gratings, roasted red chillies, tamarind, and coriander seeds to a coarse paste adding just the required amount of water. Keep aside.

In a kadhai, heat oil and when it gets hot, add the chopped onions and fry them till they turn translucent
Now add the ground paste and mix well
To this, add the cooked green peas, potato, and salt
Mix well and bring it to a boil
Next, allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes or till the excess water evaporates leaving behind a semi-solid bhuthi