PHOVA USLI

A Konkani recipe, fast and quick to prepare. Normally thick Phova is used for Phova usli. I do prepare with both the varieties, thick or thin. But you should be careful while preparing with thin variety, because the water absorbs quickly. In this case, as you put water in phova, it becomes too soggy. You must soak thick phova in water for few minutes, but for thin phova you have to just sprinkle water over it.

PHOVA USLI

Here is the recipe...

WHAT YOU NEED:

Phova - 3 cups
Coconut. grated - 2 cups
Red chilly 5-6
Green chilly- 3
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 4-5 sprigs
Salt - to taste

PHOVA USLI...

HOW TO MAKE:

Wash and soak the Phova for just a few minutes. 
Drain out the water completely and keep aside. See that the phova is wet and soft.
Mix salt in coconut gratings and keep aside.

Now heat kadahi with 3-4 tbsp oil.
Splutter mustard seeds, then add red chilly, slit green chilly and curry leaves.
Now add drained phova and stir nicely so that the seasoning will coat the phova evenly.
Add coconut mixture and stir well again.

Serve Phova usli for Breakfast.

TOMATO STIR FRY

A very quick and easy preparation.... 

TOMATO STIR FRY

WHAT YOU NEED:

Tomatoes - 6
Onion - 1
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Sambar powder - 1 tsp ( heaped )( Plz check sambar powder recipe here)
Salt - to taste 

SPICY, SWEET N LITTLE SOUR TOMATO STIR FRY....

HOW TO MAKE:

Wash Tomatoes and cut in quarters.
Chop Onion.

Heat kadhahi with 3-4 tsp oil.
Splutter mustard seeds, then splutter jeera.
Add curry leaves and onion. Stir for few minutes.
Add tomatoes and stir well
Now add sambar powder and salt. Stir.  
Reduce the flame and cook till done.

Serve Tomato stir fry as a side dish.

GREEN AMARANTHUS / BHAJJI AMBODO

WHAT YOU NEED:

Raw rice - 1/2 cup
Tur dal - 1 handful
Dry red chilly - 9
Green amaranthus Leaves - 1 big handful
Onion - 1 small
Salt - to taste

HOW TO MAKE:

Soak rice and dal in enough water for one hour. Drain.

Grind rice, dal. red chillys and salt together with very little water. Transfer masala in to a mixing bowl.

Wash green leaves and chop them finely.
Chop onion too.

Mix green leaves and onion well with the masala. 

Heat kadhahi with enough oil.
When hot take a small part of the mixture, make a ball and flatten and put directly in a hot oil.
Fry such 6-7 ambodos at a time
Fry them on a moderate heat till they are well cooked and crisp.


Serve Amaranthus ambodo as a side dish.

BLACK SEEDLESS GRAPE JUICE

BLACK SEEDLESS GRAPE JUICE

WHAT YOU NEED:

Black seedless grapes - 1 cups
Sugar to taste
Water - 4-5 cups

REFRESHING GRAPE JUICE!

HOW TO MAKE :

Blend grapes and sugar with little water.

Add water to make 4-5 cups juice.

Serve chilled.

CUCUMBER AVIYAL

Aviyal is a very popular dish from Kerala State. This is one of the items in the Menu in Kerala's feast,  may it be a wedding, religious festival, birthday feast or any feast. Aviyal is made of many vegetables like Yam, green banana, chinese potatoes, beans, long beans etc...  If you go at weddings and you are served this delicious curry then you can find in it all the veggies which grow on the earth !!!
Today I prepared it with different veges with same masala. 

CUCUMBER AVIYAL... IT IS DIFFERENT !!!

WHAT YOU NEED :
Cucumber or Kakdi, well grown - 1
Snake gourd - 1 small
Vaali / Basale - 1 long stem
Coconut, grated - 2 handfulls
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Green chillies - 3
Curd - 1 tbsp or tamarind - a small piece.
Salt - to taste
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

HOW TO MAKE:

Wash cucumber and snake gourd and cut in big pieces.
Cut vaali/ basale 3" long pieces.

Grind coconut, green chillys, tamarind, 1 tsp cumin seeds and turmeric powder to a rough masala.

Now cook veggies in a vessel with enough water till tender.
Add masala and bring to boil.
Add salt and mix well.
Now add curd and mix well ( if the tamarind is not added).

Heat a small pan with a tsp of coconut oil.
Sputter 1 tsp jeera, add curry leaves.
 Pour this seasoning on the Cucumber aviyal.

Serve hot with rice.

SWEET POTATO STIR FRY / KANANGA UPKARI

Always my first preference is Potato masala with Pooris. Here my mother-in-law used to prepare Kananga upkari every now and then. Initially I did not like it but gradually I started liking Kananga upkari. Today I prepared Poori and Sweet Potato stir fry for Breakfast. 

                                                     SWEET POTATO STIR FRY

WHAT YOU NEED:

Sweet potatoes - 2 medium

Red chillies - 2 (broken in to pieces)

Green chillies - 2 (slit)

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Jaggery - 2 cubes or to taste

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Salt - to taste 

 KANANGA UPKARI, A NICE COMBO WITH POORIS

HOW TO MAKE :

First wash sweet potatoes and cut in small cubes.

Heat kadahi with 1 tsp oil.

Splutter mustard seeds, add red chillies, curry leaves and green chillies.

Add sweet potatoes, coconut gratings, jaggery, salt and water.

Allow it to cook till it is cooked and gravy should be thick.

Serve Kananga upkari with Pooris.

UBBATI / OBBATTU

Today is our pet Betsy's birthday. So I made ubbati in the name of her. 

UBBATI  AND GHEE

WHAT YOU NEED:

Chana dal - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Maida - 1 1/4 cup
Yellow color -2 drops
Oil - 3-4 tbsp

THE BALLS PREPARED FROM MAIDA AND DAL...

SHOWN HOW TO  MAKE UBBATIS....

HOW TO MAKE :

In a mixing bowl put little water and yellow color.
Add maida and mix well. 
Add water to make a chappati dough. Knead well.
Add oil, knead again to make a smooth and rubber like dough.
Keep covered for at least 2 hours.

Wash chana dal with just enough water and pressure cook for 15 minutes.
If there is any water drain it.
Make a paste in a mixer. 

Transfer dal paste in a kadahi, add sugar and keep on the flame.
Keep stirring continuously till the paste becomes thick.
Add cardamom powder, mix well.
Allow it to cool.

READY TO EAT .....

Now divide the maida dough in to 30 balls.
Also divide chana dal dough in to 30 balls.

Roll maida balls in to small puris, then stuff dal ball in to each puris and cover them
Now roll the puris again to form a little bigger size ubbatis.

Heat dosa tava, dry fry each ubbati well on both sides.

Serve Ubbatis with ghee.

COLOCASIA CURRY /ALVA MANDE HUMMAN 2

A Konkani preparation.

COLOCASIA CURRY / ALVA MANDE HUMMAN

WHAT YOU NEED:

Colocasia bulbs - 15-20 small (if it is the long variety you can reduce the numbers)
Red chilly - 8-9 ( roasted in a little oil)
Tamarind - size of a gooseberry
Asafoetida - size of a pea
Coconut, grated - 2 big handfuls 
Salt - to taste
Coconut oil - 1 tsp

HERE I USED THE LONG VARIETY...

HERE I HAD USED THE SMALL ROUND VARIETY...

HOW TO MAKE :

Pressure cook Colocasia bulbs for 15 minutes. When cool remove the skins.
Grind red chilly, grated coconut, tamarind and asafoetida to a fine masala.

In a vessel put colocasia bulbs and masala. Mix well and required water to make gravy.
Keep on the flame and allow it to boil.
Add salt, mix well. Let it boil for few more minutes.

Pour a tsp coconut oil on the curry.

Serve hot with steaming rice.

JACKFRUIT SAMBAR / KADGI KOLOMBO

Last week my husband had gone to one of his friends' place. There was a big garden and full of big trees including a jack fruit tree. The tree was full of jacks hanging from top to bottom. He offered many, but my hubby took just one. Here every one at my house loves jack fruit, whether it is raw or ripe. With raw fruit one can make different dishes. The friend told my hubby that sambar from jack is absolutely awesome! I never had an idea of this kind of sambar. But listening to this I was tempted to try Jack fruit sambar. Yes, the taste is really really superb! 

JACK FRUIT SAMBAR

WHAT YOU NEED:

Jack fruit pieces - 2 cups
Tur dal / sambar dal - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 small
Turmeric powder - little
Tomato - 1
Tamarind paste - 2-3 tsp
Sambar powder - 4-5 tsp (heaped) 
Salt - to taste

FOR SEASONING:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - a few
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

KADGI KOLOMBO !

HOW TO MAKE:

Pressure cook dal and Jack fruit pieces in separate containers for 15 minutes.
Whip dal to smooth.

Chop onion and tomato.

Heat a vessel with a glass of water.
Add onion, tomato, tamarind paste and turmeric powder and cook till they are cooked.
Add jack fruit pieces, dal and mix well.
Add sambar powder to it and mix thoroughly. 
Add required water and salt, boil for few minutes.

Heat 2-3 tsp of oil in a small pan.
Splutter mustard seeds, add fenugreed seeds and curry leaves. Stir.

Pour this seasoning on the sambar.

Serve Jack fruit sambar with steaming rice and papad.

ORANGE PEEL PICKLE

Here it is Orange season, a citrus fruit, full of vitamin C. I always feel sorry while throwing orange peels. Long back I had tried to make Juice out of orange peels, and once I tried making marmalade. But most of the times I simply throw it away. Today I tried it's pickle and it came out well. It is spicy, a bit sour, a little bitter and of course with its little orange flavor. 
The recipe goes like this......

ORANGE PEEL PICKLE

WHAT YOU NEED :

Orange peel of -1
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Dry red kashmiri chilly - 10
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds -1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - a small piece
Salt - to taste

HOT N SPICY 

HOW TO MAKE:

Remove the white pith of the orange peel.
Wash well, cut in small pieces and soak them in vinegar.
Cover and keep overnight.

Dry roast red chilly, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida and salt one by one.
When cool powder them.

Boil the soaked orange peels along with little water for 5 minutes or till they are soft.

Now in a bowl mix orange peel, ground powder and lemon juice well.

Serve pickle for lunch or dinner.

IVY GOURD AND POTATO STIR FRY/UPKARI

IVY GOURD + POTATO STIR FRY

WHAT YOU NEED:


Ivy gourd /Tendle 25 numbers
Potatoes 2 medium 
Red chillies 5 (broken)
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Salt to taste

FRESH IVY GOURDS 

TENDLE + BATATE UPKARI!

HOW TO MAKE :

Wash Ivy gourds, cut in length wise and keep aside.
Cut potatoes also in lengthwise, then apply salt and keep aside for at least 15 to 20 minutes. 

Heat a kadahi with 2-3 tbsp oil.
Splutter mustard seeds, add broken red chillies. Stir.
Now squeeze out lightly the salty water from potatoes and add in the kadahi.
Add Ivy gourd too, mix well. 
Cover and cook on a low fire till it is done. 
Stir several time to avoid burning.

Serve Ivy gourd and Potato upkari as a side dish.

CRISP DOSA

CRISP N HOT DOSA

WHAT YOU NEED:

Udad dal - 1/2 cup
Battani dal - 1/4 cup
Raw rice - 1 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste

SERVED DOSA ALONG WITH CHUTNEY ....

HOW TO MAKE :

Wash udad dal and battani dal and soak in water for 4-5 hours.
Soak rice separately for 4-5 hours.

Grind udad dal and battani dal to a very smooth batter. Transfer the batter in a vessel.
Now grind rice to a smooth paste and transfer the batter in to the same vessel of dal batter.

Add salt and keep overnight for fermentation.

Next day, stir the batter nicely.

Heat dosa tava, spread a little oil and spread a ladle full batter thin... as thin as possible.
Fry the dosa on one side, when it is cooked and fried remove.

Serve dosa with chutney / sambar.

PATHRODO

Pathrodo is a very popular dish among the Konkani people.  This is made from colocasia leaves and we find many varieties of these leaves. I normally use 2 varieties, one is Madarasi leaves, they are the thick variety. I had prepared Pathrodo with this variety. My friend Rani had brought some leaves for me, a few days back. Another one is Terepaan, which grow wildly during the rainy seasons. They are thin leaves compare to Madarasi colocasia leaves.
Patrodo is prepared in different ways. I like it with just rice, my mom uses green gram and rice;  some use gram flour...etc....
I must say the Konkani people die for this Patrodo....even I :P....:)

STEAMED PATRODO!

WHAT YOU NEED:

Colocasia leaves, tender ones - 12- 15 (medium size)
Raw rice - 3/4 cup
Coconut - 1/2, grated
Dry red chilly - 12-14
Asafoetida - size of kabuli chana
Bilimbis - 8-9 or Tamarind - size of a small lemon
Salt - to taste

COLOCASIA LEAVES...

HOW TO MAKE :

Wash rice and soak for an hour. Drain.
Wash colocasia leaves, remove its stem and thick part of the nerves.

Grind rice, grated coconut, bilimbis or tamarind, asafoetida, dry red chillys, salt and little water to make a little rough masala.

READY TO APPLY THE MASALA OVER THE  LEAF....

HERE THE MASALA IS APPLIED EVENLY....

Now on the kitchen slab keep a colocasia leaf upside down and apply a thin layer of masala on the back side of the leaf. Place another leaf over it and apply the masala. So keep 6-7 leaves and apply masala one after another.

SIDES ARE FOLDED...

ROLLED .....

Now fold sides and roll tightly to form a cylindrical roll. 
Make another roll the same way.

CUT IN PIECES AND READY TO STEAM.....

Cut in 3-4" pieces and place in a flat vessel.
Steam the Patrodo pieces in a cooker or Idli maker for half an hour.

Serve Patrodo as a side dish with coconut oil.

TOMATO CHILLI MASALA

Long, thick chillies are used for making Bajjis, ie chillies are dipped in gram flour paste and deep fried. My daughter Dipti loves bajjis. A few days back only I had prepared this, so I did not feel like making them again. I prepared something new- a curry and it goes really well with chappatis or rotis or phulkas. This preparation can be served at breakfast or lunch or dinner. Why don't you try this out and send me your comments??? :)

TOMATO CHILLY MASALA

WHAT YOU NEED:

Tomatoes - 3 medium
Chillies - 2
Capsicum - 1
Gram flour / Besan - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 3/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garlic - 5
Ginger - 1" piece
Salt to taste
Fresh cream - 1 tbsp

IT CAME OUT SO YUMMY...

THE CHILLY FLAVOR ENHANCED THE TASTE OF CURRY...

HOW TO MAKE :

Chop onion.
Cut chillies and capsicum in 3" long pieces.
Slice the tomatoes in round shape.
Chop ginger and garlic.

Now heat one tbsp oil in kadahi.
Splutter cumin seeds, then add coriander powder. Fry.
Add chopped ginger and garlic, fry till the aroma arises.
Now add onion, stir fry till it is translucent.
Then add Tomatoes and gram flour. Stir for a minute.
Add cut chillies, capsicum, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and enough water. 
Allow it to cook till it is done.
Finally add fresh cream.

Serve hot with Chappatis. 

CAULIFLOWER PEAS MASALA

A north Indian style dish......

CAULIFLOWER PEAS MASALA

WHAT YOU NEED:

Cauliflower -1 small
Peas - 1 cup ( fresh or frozen)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
Ginger piece - 1 "
Garlic - 6 cloves
Dry red kashmiri chilly - 7
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Onions - 2 medium and 1 small
Cashew nuts - 7-8
Tomatoes -2 
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Fresh cream - 1 tbsp
Dry mint powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

GOBI MUTTER MASALA....

HOW TO MAKE :

Immerse cauliflower florets in salt water for 10 minutes. Drain.
Cook florets and peas with little water. Do not over cook the flowers.
You can fry the florets in little oil to get rid of its raw smell.

Grind 2 onions, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, ginger, garlic, red chilli, cashew nuts to a very fine paste. Remove.
Puree the tomatoes along with turmeric powder and keep aside.

Slice the small onion.

Heat 3-4 tsp oil in kadahi.
Add sliced onion in to it and stir for a minute.
Now add ground paste to it and fry till the aroma comes.
Then add tomato puree, cook for 2 more minutes.
Now add garam masala powder, red chilli powder, salt and some water. Stir.
Add cooked veges to it and mix thoroughly. Cook for few minutes.

Garnish with dried mint leaves powder and fresh cream.

Serve with hot chappatis, rotis or phulkas.

POTATO PICKLE

POTATO PICKLE

WHAT YOU NEED:

Potato - 1 medium
Red chilli - 8-10
Asafoetida - a chick pea size
Fenugreek seeds - a few
Mustard seeds - 1/2 + 1/2 tsp
Tamarind - size of a small gooseberry
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt - to taste

YUMMY PICKLE! FRIED CRUNCHY POTATOES!

HOW TO MAKE:

Wash and cut the potato in small cubes.
Apply salt and keep for half an hour.
Then squeeze the potato pieces to remove the salt water and immediately put in hot oil.
Fry till crisp on a moderate heat. 

Dry roast red chillies, fenugreek seeds and 1/2 tsp mustard  one by one.

Grind the roasted ingredients along with tamarind, asafoetida and little water to a fine paste.

Now mix the masala and fried potatoes. Check the salt.

Heat a small pan with 1 tsp oil. Splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves.

Pour this seasoning on the pickle.

Serve as a side dish.

GOOSEBERRY JUICE

GOOSEBERRY JUICE

WHAT YOU NEED:

Gooseberry - 5, big size
Cinnamon stick - 1" long piece (grated)
Sugar - 8-9 tbs
Water - 3-4 cups

FRESH GOOSEBERRY 

TRULY A HEALTHY DRINK, AMLA JUICE....

HOW TO MAKE :

Wash gooseberry, remove the seeds and cut in pieces.
Blend gooseberry, cinnamon, sugar with little water.
Strain the juice through a sieve. ( do not throw the fruit waste. you can use this for making jam or murabba)
Add enough water to make thin juice.

Serve gooseberry juice chilled with ice cubes.