Red lentil/Masur is one of the very nutritious dals rich in protein.Tonak in konkani means a spicy side dish, so this is a goan recipe which is very easy to prepare specially when you are running short of veggies in your pantry :)
Ingredients-
red lentil/masur
freshly grated coconut
tamarind
onion
oil
Spices -
coriander seeds-dhaniya (1/2 tspn)
black pepper seeds-kali mirch (1/2 tsp)
cinnamon - dalchini(1 med stick)
cloves -laung (3-4)
dry red chillies (4-5)
cumin seeds -jeera (1/4 tspn)
Method-
Wash and soak the lentil in water for 2-3 hours.
Chop the onions roughly.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
Roast the spices and coconut lightly.
Allow it to cool, then grind it a paste with some tamarind pulp.
In the same pan fry the chopped onions.
Add the lentil and water so that it boils.
Red lentil becomes soft after soaking in water for 2-3 hours, so you do not need to pressure cook it.
When the masur is cooked, add the ground paste.
Add salt as per taste and let it cook for another 2-3 min.
Hot masur masala is ready to serve with rotis or steamed rice :)
Idli sambar is one of the most famous south Indian cuisines around the globe.It's a very healthy breakfast option for all of us right from kids to elders.Although there are many ways of preparing sambar the above recipe is very similar to the one you would get in authentic south Indian restaurants.
Ingredients-
suji/rava - 2cups
urad dal - 1cup
salt
baking soda - pinch
water
toor dal - 1cup
onions
tomatoes
potatoes
carrots
brinjal
chana dal - 1tspn
urad dal - 1tspn
red chillies
coconut
tamarind pulp
turmeric powder
sambar powder
water
salt
sugar
mustard seeds
curry leaves/kadipatta
Method-
Wash the urad dal and soak it in water for 7-8 hours.
Grind the dal with minimum water.
Now mix the ground dal with rava.Add some water if required.
The batter should be of medium consistency(not very thin or thick).
Keep the batter covered outside the fridge for the entire night for fermentation.
Next day morning add salt and soda to the batter.
Grease the idli stand with some oil/ghee.
Pour small scoops of batter into the idli moulds and steam them in a pressure cooker.
Hot idlis are ready.
To prepare the sambar -
Pressure cook the toor dal with salt and haldi powder till soft.You can add some vegetables along with the dal like carrots, potatoes.
Heat some oil in a pan.
Add chopped onions and saute.
Then add chopped tomatoes and let it cook till soft.
Once done add the cooked dal and veggies.
Separately dry roast some urad dal,chana dal,toor dal,red chillies and freshly grated coconut.
Grind all these to a fine paste.
Add this paste to the above cooked dal.
Add water to get the desired consistency of sambar.
Add tamarind pulp to adjust the tanginess and sambar powder.
Add salt as per taste and a pinch of sugar.
Finally five a tadka of mustard seeds,curry leaves and red chillies to it.
Serve hot idlis with sambar :-)
Besan ladoos are a common sweet delicacy during festivals in India specially Diwali.I made these on Diwali this year, but sorry for posting so late.This is an easy recipe ,but yes you have to be patient for this one,but at the end of it you have mouth-watering laddos..so give it a try atleast once :)
Ingredients -
chickpea flour/besan
ghee
powdered sugar
raisins/kismis
Method -
Heat a non-stick pan/kadhai.
Add the besan to it(flame should be on sim).
Keep on stirring till the raw smell/taste of besan goes.
This takes a long time so you need to be patient for this step :P.
Once the raw smell goes ie-the besan is almost done, add some ghee to it and stir.
After adding ghee, stir for another 10min or so.
Next,remove the pan off the flame.
Add ghee and sugar to it.
Adjust the sugar as per your sweetness.The amount of ghee should be adjusted such that you are able to make ladoos out of it.
Now mix all together and make small ladoos out of it.
Add a kismis each to one ladoo as a garnish :)
The english name of this fruit is "hog plum".It is known as "ambado" in konkani,"amra" in bengali and "junglee aam" in hindi.This is a rare fruit which is used only in some parts of India.It has got a tangy taste.So a combination of khatta-meetha makes it taste yummy.This dish is known as ambadyache raite in konkani..
Ingredients -
hog plum/ambado/amra(4)
freshly grated coconut(1cup)
green chillies(2-3)
jaggery as per taste
mustard seeds
asafoetida/hing
salt
oil or ghee
Method -
Wash the plums and peel them.
Boil water in a pot and put in the plums.Cook them till they are soft.Dont discard the water, as you can use it for grinding in the next step.
Grind together grated coconut,green chillies with the above remaining water.
Heat a pan and transfer the ground mixture to it.
Add jaggery and salt to this mixture.
Put in the cooked plums and let them simmer in the mixture for about 2min.
Give a tadka/fodni of hing and mustard seeds in 1tspn of oil/ghee to the above mix.
Plum raita/chutney is ready to serve :)
Whenever we hear the word "Sabudana" the first thing what comes to our mind is sabudana khichdi(atleast it happens with most of the people).This sabudana sheera is a nice variation to the savoury khichdi.People who have a sweet tooth will definitely like it.It is literally very simple.The only thing you have to keep in mind is to soak the sabudana :)
Ingredients -
sabudana/sago(1 cup)
sugar(3/4th cup)
freshly grated coconut(2tbspn)
cardamom/elaichi powder(1/2 tspn)
salt(a pinch)
ghee/tup(2tbspn)
Method -
Wash the sabudana(lightly) once and keep it covered for 5-6hours(till it becomes soft).
Sprinkle some water drops in between if it becomes too dry.
Do not soak it in water as it may get mushy.
Heat a non-stick pan.
Put in the ghee and soaked sabudana.
Toss it lightly.
Add sugar as per taste.Put in fresh coconut(this is optional).
Add a pinch of salt.
Remove it from the flame and sprinkle elaichi powder.
Yummy sabudana sheera is ready to serve :-)
Muga gathi as it is called in konkani is a famous vegeterian whole moong dish which you would find in any religious functions specially Ganesh Chaturthi.This is a favourite amongst almost all Goans :) Apart from being tasty, this dish is very very healthy as it is made out of sprouts.So if you have never tasted sprouts other than in salads it is time to try this out..
Ingredients -
whole moong sprouts(2 cups)
freshly grated coconut(1 cup)
red chillies(2-3)
turmeric powder(1/2 tspn)
tamarind extract/paste(1/2 tspn)
coriander seeds(1/4 tspn)
cloves(2)
black peppercorns(2)
mustard seeds(1/4 tspn)
asafoetida/hing
oil/ghee
curry leaves/kadi patta
salt to taste
jaggery(1/2 tspn)
Method -
Soak whole moong overnight.Next day morning place them in a muslin cloth,tie it close for the entire day.Again soak them in water for overnight.In this way you will get sprouted moong the next day morning.
The above procedure can be followed to make sprouts at home or you can buy it.I prefer making at home.
Pressure cook the sprouts till soft.
Grind to a fine paste-coconut,haldi powder,red chillies,tamarind paste,coriander seeds,cloves and peppercorns.
Heat some ghee in a non-stick kadai.
Add hing,mustard seeds and curry leaves.
Add the above ground mixture.Then put in the cooked sprouts.
Add jaggery and salt as per taste.
Let it cook for about 2 minutes.
Serve hot moong sprouts gravy with chapati/puri or steamed rice :-)
Rice-prawn fish curry is a very famous combo in Goa.Prawn curry with drum-sticks gives it a unique taste and flavour which just cannot be described.. :)There are other variations of prawn curry too which I shall post sometime later..till then you can try and enjoy this one.
Ingredients -
prawns
drumsticks
freshly grated coconut -1/2cup
turmeric powder -1/2tspn
whole red chilly -3
whole coriander seeds - 5
tamarind - 1tspn
black pepper -2
onion -1(small)
asafoetida/hing -a pinch
oil
salt
Method -
Wash the prawns well and apply salt.
Grind the following to make a fine paste - grated coconut,haldi powder,red chillies,tamarind pulp,coriander and pepper seeds.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
Chop the onion.Peel the outer skin of the drumsticks and cut them to finger-size sticks.
Add onion to the pan and saute.
Put in the prawns and drumsticks and add sufficient water so that the drum-sticks and prawn cook.
Once done add the ground paste and salt as per taste.
Add a pinch of hing to this.
Cook for about 2-3 minutes.
Serve hot fish curry with rice :-)
I am posting this sweet today on the eve of Raksha Bandhan/Rakhi.This festival celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters and is celebrated almost in all parts of India.Since potato is an item which is always present in our homes this burfi can be made without much prior preparation.And if you have never heard of this sweet before and are wondering how this would taste then please do try it :)
Ingredients -
potatoes(2)
sugar
freshly grated coconut(2 tbspns)
cardamom/elaichi powder(1 tspn)
ghee for greasing
Method -
Wash and boil the potatoes with the skin and mash them.
Measure this mixture in a bowl.This is important because you need to take the measure of sugar from this.
Take exactly the same quantity of sugar as the mashed potato.
Heat a pan,add the sugar and potato mixture to it.
Stir it continuously till the mixture gets hard.
After its alomst done add coconut and sprinkle elaichi powder.
Grease a plate with ghee.
When the mixture is done transfer it to the greased plate.
Flatten it with a spatula and cut into desired shapes.
Once the mixture hardens it is not possible to cut it hence cut it when hot.
Once cooled potato burfis are ready :-)
You can refrigerate and store the burfis.
Puran poli is a type of sweet flat bread which is made in the states of Maharashtra,Goa,Gujarat and Karnataka.This dessert is served during auspicious occasions like Holi or Gudi Padwa.The stuffing is known as puran and the outer cover is known as poli.So if you have never tried this one out then you are definitely missing on a very yummy Indian sweet :)
Ingredients-
split bengal gram/chana dal-1cup
jaggery/gur grated-1cup
cardamom/elaichi powder
all purpose flour/maida-2cups
oil
water
turmeric powder-a pinch
salt-a pinch
ghee for serving
Method-
Wash the chana dal and soak it overnight or for 7-8 hours in water.
Grind the dal and jaggery together to form a paste.
Heat a non-stick pan.
Add this mixture to the pan and keep on stirring till all the moisture evaporates.
Add elaichi powder to it and continue stirring.
The mixture should be dry and a little hard.This is called as puran.
To prepare the dough -
Add a pinch of salt and turmeric powder to the maida.
Add water and start kneading.
Use oil while kneading so that you get a soft dough.
Make small balls out of the dough.
Take one ball of dough and make a small roti with the help of a rolling pin.
Take a ball of puran and place it in the center of the roti.
Seal the edges and roll into a roti.
Heat a non-stick tawa.
Cook the roti on both sides.
Once done apply ghee on both sides and serve hot :-)
Cucumber pancake is also known as tavshyachi bhakri in konkani and kakdiche thalipeeth in marathi.Tavshe and kakdi standing for cucumber in konkani and marathi respectively.This is a nice variation to the typical thalipeeths/bhakris.This recipe is very simple and can be made within no time for breakfast or evening snacks.This is a savoury version, shall post the sweeter version sometime later.
Ingredients -
rice flour(2 cups)
cucumber grated(1/2 cup)
onion(1 medium)
green chillies(2-3)
salt
coriander leaves
oil
ghee(optional)
Method -
Wash the cucumber and grate it along with the skin.
Chop the onion and green chillies finely.
To the rice flour add the grated cucumber,onion,chillies,salt and freshly chopped coriander leaves.
Add water as required to get a desired thalipeeth consistency.
Heat a non-stick tawa.
Grease it with some oil.
Take a portion of the above mix and pat it with your hands gently to form a roti.
Apply some water to your hands so that it doesnt stick.
Sprinkle oil on the sides and let it cook.
Flip it on the other side and cook.
Serve hot thalipeeth with a dollop of home-made ghee over it or else it just goes well with a cup of hot tea :-)
Wishing everyone a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi !!
Modak is a sweet dumpling which is common in Western India.It is called modak in konkani,marathi and gujarati.The sweet filling inside a modak is made up of jaggery and fresh coconut.When the filling consists of chana dal along with coconut and jaggery it is known as puran.Puran stuffed modaks are known as Puranache Modak.The dumpling can be fried or steamed.The steamed version is known as Ukdiche Modak.Modak has a special importance in the worship of Lord Ganesh as modak is believed to be his favourite food. Along with modak another preparaton which is common amongst konkanis is nevri.It is known as karanji in marathi and gujia in hindi.
Hence posting this on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi... :-)
Ingredients -
wheat flour(2 cups)
salt(1/2 tspn)
water to knead the dough
For the stuffing -
chana dal(1 cup)
freshly grated coconut(1/4 cup)
jaggery(1/2 cup)
cardamom powder(1 tspn)
Method -
Add salt to the flour and knead the dough using water(like that of chapati dough).
To make the stuffing -
Soak the chana dal for 5-6 hours in water(or overnight).Pressure cook the dal till soft.
Heat a non-stick pan.
Add jaggery to it.Mash the cooked dal and then add it to the pan.
After 2min add freshly grated coconut and then cardamom powder.
Keep stirring this mixture till all the moisture is lost.
The stuffing should be a little hard.This is known as 'puran' and its the same stuffing used in making puran-polis(use of coconut may be optional).
Once the puran is ready(around 5-7min later) let it cool down for sometime.
Make small balls out of the dough and roll them into small puris.
Place some stuffing in the center and seal the edges to give it the shape of a modak.
For the nevris- roll the dough into small rotis.
Place the stuffing in the center and fold one side of the roti to cover it in a d-shape.
The edge of the nevri can be given any shape you like.
Similarly make rest of the modaks and nevris.
Heat oil in a pan.
Deep fry the modaks and nevris on a medium heat till golden brown.
Carrot cutlets/tikkis are a healthy alternative to the typical aloo tikki..It is one of the options to include carrots in your diet :)
Ingredients -
carrot(1 medium)
onion(1 medium)
turmeric powder
red chilly powder
freshly grated coconut(2 tspns)
salt
bread crumbs
oil
Method -
Wash,peel and grate the carrot.
Chop the onion finely.
Mix the chopped onion and grated carrot.
Put in turmeric powder,red chilly powder and salt.
Add freshly grated coconut.This is optional but adding coconut makes it more tasty so we prefer it.
Make small tikkis out of the above mixture.
Roll them in bread crumbs and shallow fry.
Crispy carrot cutlets are ready to serve as a starter or as a side dish :-)
Papletache human - paplet stands for pomfret in konkani and human(pronounced as hoo-mann) stands for curry.Rice and fish being the staple food of Goa..fish curry-rice is the most favourite (naturally) :-) The basic coconut-gravy is almost the same for any kind of fish with slight variations.So if you have never tasted this spicy and tangy goan fish curry plz go for it :)
Ingredients -
pomfret
onion(1 medium)
dry red chilly(4-5)
freshly grated coconut(1/2 cup)
turmeric powder
coriander seeds
peppercorns
tamarind/tomato
fenugreek seeds(methi)
salt
red chilly powder
oil
Method -
The pomfret is cut into small pieces and used in this curry.
Wash the pomfret pieces and marinate with salt,turmeric powder and red chilly powder for atleast an hour.
Grind the following ingredients to a fine paste -
coconut,red chillies,turmeric powder(1/2 tspn),tamarind(small ball),coriander seeds(1/2 tspn),peppercorns(1/2 tspn).
Incase tamarind is not available tomato can be used as a substitute.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
Add the methi seeds(1/2 tspn) and finely chopped onion to it.
Once the onions sautes add the above paste.
Put in the marinated fish and salt as per taste.
Cook for about 5-6 minutes as pomfret cooks fast.
Serve hot fish curry with steamed rice :-)
Sungat meaning prawn in konkani and sukke meaning dry.This is a dry prawn recipe which does not contain gravy.It's a very simple and fast dish which can be prepared within 15 min.I prepare this kind of prawn whenever I am running out of time and it is always delicious with the spice and tangy flavour..and prawn being our anytime favourite :-)
Ingredients -
prawns(100 gms)
onion(1)
potato(1 small)
tomato/tamarind
red chilly powder
turmeric powder
salt
oil
freshly grated coconut
fresh coriander leaves
Method -
Wash and clean the prawns.If the prawns are not small,chop them to small pieces.
Marinate the prawns with salt and turmeric powder for atleast 3-4 hours.
Chop the onions finely.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
Add the chopped onions to it.
Let the onions saute,then add the thinly sliced potato.
Add the tamarind pulp.If you dont have tamarind chopped tomato can be used as a substitute.
Add the marinated prawns,salt,red chilly powder and turmeric powder.
Add little water and let it cook.
Cook till the potatoes are soft.
Add freshly grated coconut(2 tspns) and mix well.
Finally garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Prawn sukka is ready to serve with steamed rice :-)
Kotmir saar - kotmir meaning coriander in konkani and saar is a watery dish - similar to rasam/dal which is had with rice.This is one of the saars we make in konkani.The other variations are tomato saar,kokum saar etc..shall post these next time.If you are bored of making/eating typical dal-rice this is a nice change to that :-)
Ingredients -
fresh coriander leaves
green chillies
freshly grated coconut
turmeric powder
mustard seeds
jaggery
salt
oil
Method -
Grind together the coconut,green chillies(2),turmeric powder and coriander leaves.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard seeds.Once they splutter add green chillies(2).
Now put in the above ground mixture.Add salt and jaggery(a pinch).
Serve coriander saar with steam rice :-)
This is one of the most common prawn item you will find in every konkani home :-) It disappears in just minutes..Coarse rice flour known as aalen in konkani is actually used to coat the fish so that it gets crispy.Sooji/rava is a good substitute in case rice flour is not available.
Ingredients -
prawns
red chilly powder
turmeric powder
salt
oil
coarse rice flour or sooji/rava
Method -
Wash the prawns well.
Marinate them with salt,turmeric and red chilly powder for atleast an hour.
Roll them in coarse rice flour or sooji.
Heat a non-stick tawa with some oil.
Shallow fry the prawns on both sides till crispy.
Serve them as a starter or just with meal :-)
A very basic dal fry recipe which is one of the best combinations with steamed rice/jeera rice.
Ingredients -
toor dal (1/2 cup)
green chillies (2)
tomato(1 small)
onion (1 small)
turmeric(haldi) powder
hing (asafoetida)
mustard seeds
cumin seeds
oil/ghee
fresh coriander leaves(1 tspn)
salt
water
Method -
Wash the dal well and keep it soaked for 10-15 min in water.
Pressure cook the dal with salt and turmeric powder.
Put 1 tspn oil or ghee in a non-stick pan.
When the oil is hot add a pinch of hing and 1/2 tspn mustard seeds.
Once the mustard seeds splutter add the cumin seeds.
Now add the chopped green chillies(slit) and onion.
Then add the chopped tomato.
Let it cook for a min, then add the cooked dal.
Add salt if required and cook the dal to the desired consistency by adding water(if required).Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with steamed rice :-)
Prawn masala is known as sungtache tonak in konkani and chingri malai curry in bengali.Sungta/chingri stands for prawns in konkani/bengali respectively.This is one recipe which is common to both konkani and bengali cuisine :-)
Ingredients -
prawns (200 gms)
onion (2)
ginger garlic paste
garlic cloves(2-3)
freshly grated coconut (1/2 cup)
potato (1 small)
coriander(dhaniya/kotmir) seeds (1/2 tspn)
black pepper (kali mirch/mirya)seeds (1/4 tspn)
cinnamon (dalchini/tikhi) (1 medium stick)
cloves (laung/lavang)(4-5)
dry red chllies (5-6)
tomato (1 medium)
salt
turmeric (haldi) powder
red chilly powder
oil
Method -
Wash the prawns well and marinate it with salt,haldi and chilly powder for atleast 2 hours.
Take 1 onion and cut it lengthwise(vertical).Chop the garlic cloves.
Put a tspn of oil in a non-stick pan.
Put in the onion,garlic and freshly grated coconut.Stir it on a low flame till a nice aroma comes.Keep it aside once done.
Now dry roast the spices - coriander,pepper,cinnamon,cloves,cardamom(optional),red chillies.
Grind the spices with the onion-garlic-coconut mix to a fine paste.
Heat some oil in a non-stick pan.
Chop 1 onion finely and add to the pan.Let it saute.
Make a paste of ginger-garlic (or can use the ready-made one) and add to the onions.
Once the raw smell of ginger-garlic goes add the finely chopped tomato.
Add salt and let it cook.
After about 2 min, add the chopped potatoes and prawns let it cook.
Add the ground coconut-spice mix to the prawns.
Cover and cook for about 7-8 min.
Add water if the potatoes are not boiled.
Once potatoes are done, prawn masala is ready to serve either with roti/pav or steamed rice :-)
Fodi stands for vegetable fritters(shallow fried veggies) in konkani.This is a very common side dish in a konkani meal-there has to be some kind of fried item.You give any veggies to a goan and they will be make these (shallow fried)fritters or fodi out of them :-)
So this is a very simple dish which can be served as a starter too along with ketchup or chutney.
Ingredients -
any of the veggies - potato,eggplant(brinjal),ladyfinger(okra/bhendi),bitter gourd(karela),plantain(raw banana)
salt
red chilly powder
turmeric(haldi) powder
rice flour/sooji(rava)
oil
Method -
Wash and cut the veggies into small pieces.I have used bitter gourd(kaarate in konkani).Check the pic.
Apply salt and let it stand for atleast 10 min.
Then drain out the water and apply chilly and haldi powder.
Roll the veggies in rice flour(aalen in konkani) or rava(sooji) and shallow fry them on a low flame on a non-stick tava.
Serve these as a starter or just a side dish with rice.
Lashnichi kadi as it is called in konkani.Lasun stands for garlic in konkani - hence the name.Goans will have half of the rice with dal or fish curry, and the remaining rice is kept to have with sol kadi.This is a compulsory item in every konkani home without which the lunch/dinner is incomplete :-)This also serves a healthy purpose as it is very good for digestion.
Ingredients -
1 cup fresh coconut(grated)
garlic (4 cloves)
red chillies(5-6)
salt
kokum(sola)
water
fresh coriander leaves
Method -
Heat water(not very hot) in a bowl and add kokum or sola (as it is called in konkani) to it.Add a pinch of salt to this.
In a mixer grind the coconut,garlic and red chillies adding lukewarm water(not too much)
Now strain this into the bowl of kokum-salt mix through a strainer(galni in konkani) to get thick coconut milk(milk strained the very 1st time).
Add some water to the coconut mix and again drain to get the thinner coconut milk(milk strained after adding water the second time).
Thats it ! kokum sol kadi is ready :-)
Garnish it with a few coriander leaves(optional)
Variation - sol kadi can also be prepared by grinding coconut and green chillies in the mixer.In that case garlic is not used.Remaining procedure is same.
