Category: coconut oil

Breadfruit Peel Chutney:

October 10, 2017

Yes!!! You heard it right. In our household we never throw out nutritionally filled outer peel of the veggie or the seeds. I normally make it a point to use as frequently as possible in one form or the other. Normally vegetable stock is an easy option. If only one variety is available, chutney or relish is an alternative tasty option too.

Don’t throw away organically grown or home-grown veggie skins. These are a real treasure of flavour and vitamins. Normally breadfruit is grown without any pesticide. 

This chutney can be relished with hot plain rice with ghee or with any flat breads. 

chutney main

Ingredients: 

Breadfruit peel – From one fruit

Coconut – ½ cup

Urad dal – 1 tea spoon

Cumin – ½ tea spoon

Dried red chilli – 2

Green chilli – 1 or 2

Garlic – 3 to 4 cloves

Tamarind – ½ tea spoon

Coconut oil – 1 table spoon

Salt

Seasoning:

Coconut oil – 1 tea spoon

Mustard – ½ tea spoon

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Method:

-Wash bread fruit peel before peeling. Once again wash and remove white latex, which oozed out while peeling.

-Take one small kadai, pour oil, when it is hot add urad dal fry until it is light brown.

Ribbet collage 1

-Next add cumin, red chilli, and fry until chilli puffs and becomes crisp.

– Now add peels, garlic, green chilli and fry until outer peel changes its colour and wilts a little.

-Next you can add coconut, tamarind and salt, switch off the gas. Toss for one minute and cool this mixture.

-Grind this cooled mixture in a mixer grinder with enough water.

– Do seasoning by heating oil, splutter mustard and add curry leaves and pour it over the chutney.

 

Breadfruit/Deevi halasu sambar:

October 8, 2017

Breadfruit is seasonal much-loved veggie in our coastal region of Karnataka.

It is something we all grew up with – “a comfort food”

It can be consumed when it is mature, but still firm and can be cooked and eaten in so many forms.

This picture is not enough to bring out the glory of this sambar. This veggie is very soft, melt in the mouth type and combined with this sambar, it makes a heavenly gravy.

breadfruit main

Let us see how to prepare it –

Ingredients:

Bread fruit – 1

Salt

Red chilli powder – 1 tea spoon

Jaggery – 1 to 2 tsp

Toor dal – ¼ cup (cooked)

For masala:

Coriander – 1 table spoon

Cumin – ½ table spoon

Urad dal – 1 ½ table spoon

Hing – ¼ tea spoon

Grated fresh Coconut – 1 bowl

Tamarind – 1 tea spoon

Seasoning:

Coconut oil – 1 table spoon

Mustard – 1 tea spoon

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Onion – ½ (chopped)

Method: 

– Apply some oil to your hand. To some extent it will protect your hand from blackening

– Take fresh breadfruit, wash properly. Take one sharp knife and remove outer skin as thin as possible and reserve this to make chutney. Yup!! you heard it right: D

Ribbet collage 1

– Make four longitudinal pieces, remove inner pith (which is slightly harder and rubbery in nature)

-Immerse these pieces in bowl of water for 2 minutes.

– Take out and Make chunk like pieces.

– Cook these pieces with sufficient water, salt, jaggery, red chilli powder.   

Ribbet collage 2                     

–  Now take one kadai, add 1 tsp of coconut oil, put coriander, cumin, urad dal, hing and red chillies – fry in a low flame. When urad dal becomes red, switch off.

-Grind this masala by adding coconut, tamarind and required amount of water to fine paste.                            

-When breadfruit pieces are done, add cooked dal and ground masala. Check for the salt. Keep this on the stove top and boil this mixture.

-After it boils switch off and add seasoning by heating coconut oil, add mustard when it starts spluttering. Add curry leaves and chopped onion. Fry nicely till onion chunks are brown and add this over ready sambar.

-Enjoy this sambar with hot rice.

 

 

 

Citrus medica / Dudle huli Chithranna:

September 28, 2017

Dudle huli is a big lemon and is known as Citrus medica. Citrus medica is much bigger than normal lemon with thick outer rind and less sour and sweeter than normal lemon, excellent for thin Rasam, juice, pickles or Chithranna. This Chithranna is fragrant, rich in vitamin C and very tasty. We normally serve this in any festivals or weddings. It is a no onion no garlic recipe and we use mustard, dry red chilli and coconut for flavour. This is our traditional and much-loved recipe for Chithranna.

chithranna main

Ingredients:

Rice – 3 cups

Citrus medica – 1 (big citrus fruit)

Dried red chillies – 2 to 3

Mustard – 1 tsp

Coconut – ½ cup

Jaggery – 1 to 2 tsp

Salt

Oil – 1 tsp

Seasoning:

Coconut Oil – 3 tbl sp (any refined oil is ok)

Mustard – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Cumin – 1 tsp

Hing – ¼ tsp

Curry leaves – 2 springs

Ground nuts – ¼ cup

Method:

-For cooking rice:

Boil water in a big vessel by putting 1 tsp of salt and oil. Add washed rice and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until it is soft and firm and cooks. Drain cooked water and spread this rice in a colander.

– Grind masala by putting coconut, roasted red chillies, mustard, jaggery and dry run without adding any water.

-Seasoning:

-Take one thick bottomed kadai, add oil and heat. When it is hot, add mustard.

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-When it starts splutter, add urad dal and ground nut and fry until it becomes little dark. Next add cumin, hing and curry leaves.

-Now add ground masala and fry for 2 minutes. Add drained rice, juice of citrus medica and salt.

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-Mix well and switch off the gas. Check for the seasoning and adjust according to your taste.

– This is very ideal vitamin C rich option for tiffin box as well.

 

Banana/Plantain Stem Salad:

September 20, 2017

Traditionally we have used banana stem from ages and it is a super-rich vegetable and neglected by many. Our ancestors were very intelligent and included all the available nutritive vegetables from their surroundings. In our native, usually most of the people rely on agriculture for a livelihood and include all parts of banana plant in day to day cooking. When a bunch of bananas is harvested, the banana tree is cut away. Which is 80% water and 20% fibre.

Eating banana stem is very good for health as well as the kidney. It’s high fibre nature is known for its cleansing property of the digestive system. So, it is very good for diabetic or kidney stone patients.

It has layers of covers which should be peeled off and foot long pieces are made by retaining only a couple of outer layers as a protective layer for this vegetable and they are stored and kept aside for future use.

According to the requirement, before chopping this veggie, chop off required length of the stem, remove outer remaining sheath, until you find the very soft inner core.

Now comes the chopping part. Make thin slices, while slicing you will see the thread like fibre, which sticks to the knife and sometimes it will stick to the slices itself. If you find any thread like fibre either in sliced pieces or knife, remove it by hand.

After slicing the roundels, stack 5 to 6 roundels one over the other and chop as desired. I usually make square small pieces for this salad.

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Ingredients:

Plantain stem – 10-inch long.

green chillies – 2 (if available use bird eye chillies)

Fresh Coconut – 2 table spoons

Salt

Lemon – ½

Coriander leaves – 1 table spoon (chopped)

Coconut Oil – 2 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Hing – 1 pinch

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Method:

–  Chop banana stem as described in description.

–  Now, remove the remaining outer cover.

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–  Slice inner pith into roundels by removing thread like fibre.

–  Stack all the roundels and chop as needed. I prefer small square pieces.

collage 2

–  Sprinkle salt and lemon juice and mix it thoroughly.

–  Chop chillies.

–  Do seasoning, heat oil, splutter mustard, add chopped chillies, hing and curry leaves.

–  Add this seasoning over salad.

–  Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut.

–  Goes very well with hot rice or curd rice.

 

Onion Chutney with Coconut:

September 14, 2017

We normally refer to this as Neerulli Chutney in Mangalore. Here Neerulli is Onion.Coconut is an integral part of our cooking. This is how we prepare onion chutney traditionally in our households. It can be paired with anything and everything from our breakfast list.

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Ingredient:

Grated Coconut – 1cup

Red chillies – 2 (Byadagi variety)

Salt – as required

Tamarind – ¼ tsp

Onion – ½ of medium size.

For seasoning-

Coconut oil – 1 tsp

Mustard – ½ tsp

Curry leaves – 1spring

Method:

-Roast the red chillies by putting 2 drops of oil.

-Chop onion

-Grind Coconut, roasted red chillies, tamarind, onion by adding required amount of water and salt into smooth paste.

– Empty out this paste to one small bowl.

-Do seasoning by heating oil, add mustard. When mustard starts to splutter, add curry leaves and pour this over the chutney.

Aviyal/Avial OR Avilu:

September 2, 2017

Aviyal is a mixed vegetable dish cooked in coconut gravy by adding some curd/yoghurt, Raw coconut oil and lots of curry leaves. It is an integral part of any festival cooking and It is believed that Bhima, one of the Pandava’s, invented this dish, during their exile period. Avial is a must dish during Onam Sadhya in Kerala. Aviyal is one of the favorite dishes of my family. I learnt this recipe from my mom-in-law. This is how we do this recipe in our family.   

pic mainIngredients:

Ivy gourd – 250gms.

Brinjal – 1

Snake gourd -1

Raw banana -1

Yam -250 grams.

Ridge gourd-1

Yard long beans -250 grams.

Bitter gourd -1

Coloured cucumber – 1

Raw mango-1 or Hog plum -4

Fresh grated Coconut – From one coconut.

Butter milk – 1 cup

Coconut oil – 6 tsp.

Jeera/cumin -1 tsp.

Dry red chilli – 2

Green chilli -4 to 5

Red chilli powder – 1tsp.

Turmeric Powder – 1tsp.

Curry Leaves- 5 springs.

Salt 

Procedure:

1. Cut all the above-mentioned vegetables in a matchstick manner (slightly big pieces).     collage 1     

2. Take all the vegetables and slit green chilies in a heavy bottomed vessel. To this add little red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and little water and cook till the veggies are done.                           

3. In the meantime, prepare coconut paste by adding grated coconut, jeera, dry red chilli in a mixer jar. Add little water, grind and keep it aside.

4.When veggies are cooked add this coconut paste along with butter milk. Mix nicely.

5.To this mixture add lot of curry leaves and pour raw coconut oil. Press everything using back of the ladle, close tightly using a plate and continue cooking till it boils nicely.                            

6.Once it starts boiling, switch-off the gas and delicious avial is ready to serve.

7. You can enjoy this Avial with rice, roti or Neer Dosa.                  

 NOTE: -Try to add all the mentioned vegetables as much as possible.

            – Usage of coconut oil will give the authentic taste.

 

Neeru Mavinakayi/ Brined mango chutney:

August 27, 2017

The word “Neeru Mavinakayi” makes me nostalgic and my mouth water. I am sure that is the case with every Mangalorean. We grew up with very basic comfort food during monsoons. Which consists of kucchilakki (Red rice) ganji accompanied with ghee and this chutney, which is made by using coconut and dried red chillies.

Raw mango in brine is known as Neeru Mavinakayi. During its season we normally preserve raw, firm mangoes by putting it in brine solution. This way, the mangoes can be enjoyed throughout the year. We do make varieties of recipes and this chutney is one of them.

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Ingredients:

Brined mango – 1

Fresh Coconut – 1 cup

Dried red chillies – 3 to 4

Hing – ¼ tsp

Seasoning:

Coconut oil – 1 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Red chilli – 1

Curry leaves – 1 string

Method:

– Take out one mango from the brine, wash properly and peel outer skin and chop.

-Roast red chillies and hing in a drop of coconut oil.

collage 1

– Grind chopped mango, roasted items and coconut into coarse paste by adding very minimal water.

-It usually doesn’t require salt, if needed you can check the taste and add accordingly.

-Add seasoning by heating oil, when mustard splutters add curry leaves and add this to the chutney.

pic 4

-Enjoy either with white rice or like us with boiled rice (red rice) ganji and ghee.

 

 

 

Menthe Kodilu/ Methi Sambar:

August 25, 2017

This is one of our traditional recipes and if you like a little sweetish tangy taste, this is the perfect combo for kotte kadubu / idly or semige.

We don’t use onion or garlic on any auspicious day and this side dish is usually prepared on such days and we relish this as a side dish with kotte kadubu/ Moode.

Here menthe is fenugreek and kodilu stands for sambar in our language. This is a very simple coconut based little sweetish gravy and needs very less ingredient and tastes good.

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Ingredient:

Fresh grated coconut – 1 big bowl.

Dried red chillies – 3 to 4

Methi / fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Coconut oil – 1tsp

Tamarind – ½ tsp

Jaggery – 2 tbl spoon

Salt

Seasoning:

Coconut oil – 1 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 springs

Red chilli – 1

Method:

– Take 1 spoon of coconut oil in a small kadai, heat.

– When it is hot, drop methi and fry for a while.

– When it is light brown, add red chillies and fry until it swells.

–  Add coconut gratings, turmeric and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

collage 1

–  Cool this mixture and grind this into smooth paste by adding sufficient water, salt, jaggery and tamarind.

– Now take that same kadai, in which we have fried chillies and coconut. Pour ground batter, adjust the consistency by adding water.

–Boil this for a while and check for a salt and jaggery. If needed adjust that as well.

–Do seasoning by heating oil, mustard, red chilli and curry leaves and pour this over boiled kodilu.

Breadfruit chips:

August 9, 2017

Breadfruit is commonly known as Jeegujje or Deevi halasu in our native language. It is a staple food in many tropical region and considered as an exotic veggie and wonder food only because of its richness either in its taste, fragrance, its high source of gluten free carbohydrate, protein and minerals.

pic 4

Breadfruit is a seasonal, much-loved veggie in our coastal region of Karnataka. It can be consumed when it is mature, but still firm and can be cooked and eaten in many forms. Today I am going to write about its chips. How we can make this exotic savoury and enjoy the gloomy weather.

I got this fresh Breadfruit from my cousin brother’s farm and got an opportunity to make these chips and had them after ages. Guidance was given by my lovely co sister who prepares this in our native, during every season.

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Ingredients:

Breadfruit – 2

Salt -1 table spoon

Turmeric – ½ tea spoon (optional)

Water – 1 small cup

Coconut oil – To deep fry

Chips slicer – to slice

Method:

– Apply some oil to your hand. To some extent it will protect your hand from blackening.

– Take fresh breadfruit, wash properly. Take one sharp knife and remove outer skin as thin as possible.

– Make four longitudinal pieces, remove inner pith (which is slightly harder and rubbery in nature)

– Immerse these pieces in bowl of water.

collage 1

– Take one small bowl of water and mix salt, turmeric powder and keep aside. It is your salted water, which is used while frying and addition of turmeric will enhance the colour of the chips.

– Now you can keep coconut oil for heating. When it is very hot, start making chips. To test the hotness of oil, drop one small piece of breadfruit, if it pops up immediately, it is ready.

collage 2

– Take out breadfruit from water, remove traces of water by wiping it out. Make each quarter into half and now you will get 8 total pieces from one bread fruit.

– Take each piece and start slicing directly to the hot oil by using slicer. Keep gas flame at medium.

– When the breadfruit slices cook, the bubbling sound of the oil becomes faint. Now you can add 1 to 2 tsp of salted water.

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– You will hear lot of bubbles and bubbling sound immediately after adding salted water to the hot oil.

– When the sound reduces, the chips are ready to be removed from the oil.

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– Remove the chips from the oil and keep them on a tissue paper laid plate.

– After cooling store it in an air tight container and proceed with the remaining bread fruit.

Bendekayi/Okra Palya:

August 3, 2017

Bendekai/lady’s finger/okra/bhindi- so many names for this simple, high fibre, low calorie vegetable. Some people just avoid this slimy vegetable without knowing how to cook. It is just simple, if you know the right technique.

We normally don’t use any onion, garlic or tomato in festive cooking. In Mangalore, we prefer this simple coconut based side dishes for any weddings or festivities.

Here we use tamarind base to cook Bendekai to remove its slime. To avoid sliminess , you should remember 2 to 3 things. First thing, drops the veggie, only after tamarind water starts boiling. secondly, don’t over mix the veggie, while cooking. Thirdly, don’t cover the lid, while cooking lady’s finger. These are all the tricks I learnt from my elder’s while learning cooking from over the years.

You can use any varieties of lady’s finger for this recipe. Here I have used local variety from Mangalore which I have grown and harvested from my terrace garden. It is Red Okra and after cooking, it becomes like any other okra.

pic 1

Ingredients:

Ladies’ finger – ½ kg

Tamarind – 1 tsp

Salt

Jaggery

Red chilli powder – ½ tsp

To grind:

Fresh Coconut – 1 small cup

Red chillies – 2 to 3

Mustard – ½ tsp

Hing – very little

Seasoning:

Coconut oil – 1 tbl sp

Mustard – 1tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Red chilli – 1

Curry leaves – 1 string

Method:

-Wash and cut the bhindi into half inch pieces.

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-soak tamarind in one cup of water.

-Roast red chillies and hing in a drop of coconut oil.

-Dry grind coconut, roasted red chillies, hing, mustard and keep it aside.

– Take one tawa, do the seasoning by putting oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, red chilli.

collage 3

-When mustard starts spluttering, add curry leaves and pour tamarind water (squeeze soaked tamarind in water and use)

-Add required amount of salt, jaggery and red chilli powder.

-When it starts boiling, add chopped Bendekai and cook this in a low flame.

-when water drains or Bendekai cooks, add ground coconut mixture and mix thoroughly and keep this in a simmer for couple of minutes.

pic 3

-serve this as a side dish with hot rice or Chapati.