coconut – Page 14

Tadka dal- Seasoned lentil :

July 22, 2017

Tadka dal is a simple, nutritious side dish from northern India. Tadka dhal is a blend of a couple of lentils, cooked and seasoned with ghee as well as butter. It is a very good side dish and goes very well either with roti, plain rice, jeera rice or Kashmiri Pulav.

Ingredients:

Toor dal/ Pigeon peas – ½ cup

Masoor dal/Red lentil – ½ cup

Ghee – 1 tbl sp

Cumin – 1tsp

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Onion – 1 small

Garlic – 4 to 5 cloves

Ginger – ½ inch

Tomato – 1 big

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Salt

To Garnish – Chopped coriander, sliced garlic – 3 cloves, butter – ½ tbl sp

Method:

-Wash both the dals, cook with sufficient water.

– Take chopped onion, garlic and ginger in a small mixer jar and make rough paste and keep aside.

– grind tomato as well and keep aside.

-Now take one kadai, put ghee. When it is hot add Cumin then ground onion mixture, turmeric and fry until it is light brown.

-Now add ground tomato and fry this until raw smell vanishes and add Coriander, Cumin and Red chilli powders.

– Add cooked dal, salt and sufficient water. Boil.

-Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

-Fry chopped garlic in little butter and add this into dal.

Enjoy this Dal with Kashmiri Pulav, plain rice or roti.

Kashmiri Pulav:

July 21, 2017

The Kashmiri Pulav what we see in restaurants have so many fresh fruits and dry fruits and are sweetish in taste as well. But in 2011, when we went to Kashmir, the care taker of our boat house made this wonderful Pulav which he served with tadka dal. That Pulav neither had fresh fruits nor so many dry fruits and it was not that sweet. It had raw yellow fresh dates, coconut chunks, cashew and raisins. My family liked this very much and wanted to note down the recipe to try it out. When I asked for the same.

Our care taker Mahdha kaka was very happy to share his recipe and I want to dedicate this blogpost of mine to this humble man.

here we go for detailed account –

Ingredients:

Basmati rice – 3 cups

Ghee – 150 Gms

Onion – 2 (sliced)

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbl sp

Shahi jeera- 1 tsp

Bay leaf – 1

Salt

Saffron – 7 -8 strings

Hot milk – ¼ cup

Yellow dates, Raisins, cashew and dry coconut bits – as you wish.

Method:

– At first wash rice, soak for 10 min and drain the water and keep aside.

– Soak saffron in hot milk and keep aside. Slice dates, coconut etc.

– Now take one thick bottomed pan, put little ghee, fry cashew, raisin, coconut slices and dates one by one and keep aside.

– Now fry half of the onion in to dark brown and keep aside.

– Pour remaining ghee, put Shahi jeera, bay leaf then remaining sliced onion and fry for a while.

– When it becomes brown add ginger garlic paste and fry until raw smell vanishes.

– Add drained rice, fry for a while.

– Now add 6 cups of water, salt and cook this rice by closing the lid and keeping it in a simmer.

– When rice is almost done, add soaked saffron with milk, fried onion, dates, raisins and cashew.

– Mix everything and keep it in a fire for little more time until all the water evaporates or until rice is done.

– Enjoy this Kashmiri Pulav with Tadka dal.

Kanile Gashi /Bamboo Shoot and sprouted moong Gravy:

July 1, 2017

Kanile is nothing but Bamboo shoot. We coastal people, prepare some delicacies from this seasonal high fibre veggie, this curry is prepared by mixing with sprouted Green gram. which is very tasty and goes very well with Dosa or Rice. So, it is a seasonal treat for us.

We normally use fresh bamboo shoot and chop it in this manner. (please refer to the Post of How to chop Bamboo shoot)

Ingredients:

Ready Bamboo shoot – 1 cup (you can use frozen or tinned too)

Sprouted green gram /moong – 1 cup

Salt

Red chilli powder – 1teaspoon

Green chilli – 1

Turmeric – ½ tsp

For Masala:

Coriander – 2 tsp

Cumin- 1 tsp

Red chilli – 3

Garlic cloves – 2

Fresh grated Coconut – 1cup

Tamarind – ½ tsp

Seasoning:

Coconut oil – 1tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Red chilli -1

Method:

– Cook Sprouted moong and ready to cook bamboo shoots in sufficient water, by adding turmeric, red chilli powder, and slit green chilli.

– Roast coriander, cumin, red chilli and garlic by putting little oil for masala.
– Grind this into smooth paste by adding coconut and tamarind and sufficient water.

– Add this ground masala to cooked mixture and boil nicely.

– Do the seasoning. Heat coconut oil ,splutter mustard ,add red chilli and curry leaves fry and pour over the curry.

Zucchini Chutney:

June 28, 2017

Zucchini, a member of gourd family is a popular summer squash, also known as courgette. Personally I like this spongy veggie and include this in so many Indian recipes.

Zucchini chutney is one of them and it is an excellent side dish for any Indian flat breads, Dosa, idly or Paddu.

Ingredients:

Zucchini – 1

Garlic – 8 – 10 cloves

Green chilies – 3 -4

Salt

Oil – 1 tbl spoon.

Coconut – 1 small cup

Raw mango or tamarind –If mango (2 “small piece) If tamarind (½ tsp).

Seasoning: Oil – 1 tsp, mustard – ½ tsp and curry leaves.

Method:

Wash, chop zucchini into pieces.

Take one small kadai; fry these pieces, garlic and green chillies by putting little oil until it wilts.
Switch off the gas, leave this for cooling.

When it cools down, add coconut, salt, either mango pieces or tamarind. Grind all this into a smooth paste by putting required amount of water.
If you want, add seasoning with mustard and curry leaves.

Kadu Mavina hannina Sasive / Wild Mangoes in coconut and mustard sauce:

May 21, 2017

Wild mangoes are known as Kadu mavina hannu in our local language. Which is very fibrous, tangy as well as sweet in taste. It has distinct taste, it is widely used in varieties of curries in our region. This particular curry doesn’t need any heating and is a perfect treat for summer. Usually we enjoy this with hot rice.

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Ingredients:

Wild mangoes -5-6

Salt – to taste

Jaggery – to taste

Fresh Coconut gratings – 1 bowl

Red chillies – 2

Mustard – 1 tsp

Seasoning: Coconut oil – 1 tsp, mustard – 1 tsp, Red chilli – 1, Curry leaves – little.

Method:

– Wash wild mangoes, remove top part of the mango, remove outer skin and keep this in a separate vessel. Keep inner fruit part in another vessel.

unnamed (1)

– Add one cup of water to outer skin, mash nicely, collect pulpy water and add this to fruit. Discard outer remaining skin. Add required amount of jaggery, salt and mix.

– Grind fresh coconut, mustard and red chillies to a fine paste by adding little water.(No need to roast Chillies and mustard)

– Add this ground paste to mango and check for the seasoning. If needed add some more grated jaggery or salt.

unnamed (2)

– Season by using coconut oil. When it is hot, add mustard, after it splutters, add red chilli and curry leaves, add this to mango curry.

– Enjoy this with hot rice.

NOTE:

-If you don’t have access to wild mango, don’t worry. Pick up any varieties of mango, peel the outer skin and chop the fruit into bite size pieces and proceed with above method.

Thondekayi Ele Geru beeja Palya / Ivy gourd with Tender Cashew stir fry:

April 12, 2017

Vishu is one of the important festivals of Kerala and our coastal region. It comes in April and usually on 14^th.Traditional rituals are followed to bring in prosperity and we (lady of the house) will assemble Vishu-kani at Pooja room. It comprises all the fresh crops, vegetables, rice, gold, money, flower and pot full of water and one mirror. On the festival day morning, after taking bath, family members will see this “Kani” and seek the blessings of the god and from the elders. Usually at this time of the year, fresh cashew crop starts and cashew is one of the main crops of our region. Only for this festival we pluck fresh raw green cashew and prepare either payasam or kheer with chana dal or cashew and ivy gourd dry curry. This particular side dish is a must in almost all the festivities and weddings. Which is a speciality of Mangalore region.

This side dish has no other masala’s other than green chilli and coconut flavour.

Ingredients-

Ivy gourd – 500 gms

Tender cashew – 100 kernels

Green chillies – 3 to 4 (slit)

Coconut oil – 1 table spoon

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Red chillies -2

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 2springs

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Salt

Jaggery – ¼ tsp.

Method:

-At first we have to remove outer cover of the young cashew. Take one bowl, put all those young and raw cashew kernels into it, pour boiling water and keep it aside for 10 to 15 minutes by closing the lid.

collage

-When outer cover of the kernels swells, remove the outer cover and keep aside.

-Chop ivy gourd after washing it thoroughly. Make 4 lengthwise pieces of each gourd.

-Now take one thick bottomed kadai or clay pot, heat oil for the seasoning. Put mustard, when it splutters add urad dal, red chillies.

-When urad dal becomes red, add curry leaves and slit green chillies and fry a little.

-Next, add chopped ivy gourd and cashew kernels, turmeric, salt, jaggery and fry until it wilts a little.

-Now add one cup of water and close the lid and cook this in a low fire until it is done.

-Lastly add grated coconut and mix and cook until it is done.

Note:

– One pack of Young cashew, that we get in the market has 100 kernels. In Bangalore, I get these from the Mangalore Store (all Mangalore stores will have it when it’s the season)

-If you are using regular cashew, cook the cashew first by putting water and salt in cooker for 2 whistles, drain the water and then proceed as above method.

Kadle Bele –Gerubeeja Payasa / Chana dal and Cashew Kheer:

March 29, 2017

Happy Yugadi! Yugadi is celebrated as the beginning of a new year in India (but through different names). In Bangalore, we start this festival by eating neem and jaggery. Neem denotes the bitterness we face in life, and the jaggery represents all the sweet things of life. By eating the neem and jaggery together, it is a symbol of promising ourselves to face the bitterness and sweetness of life with confidence.

In Mangalore, we celebrate this festival by savouring a kadle Bele (Bengal gram or chanadal) and gerubeeja (raw cashew) Payasa. It is a delicious dessert which is made more delightful because of the cashew nuts which are present in every spoonful.

pic main

We will see the procedure –

Ingredients:

Chana dal/Split Bengal gram – 1 cup

Whole raw Cashew – 1 cup

Coconut milk – 1 tetra pack

Jaggery – 1 ½ block (used Organic jaggery blocks)

Cardamom powder – ½ tsp.

Salt – ½ tsp.

Method:

-When outer cover of the kernels swells, remove the outer cover and keep aside.

collage 1

-Wash chana dal and cook this in a cooker by putting sufficient water for two whistles.

-Cook dal till it is perfectly cooked. Dal should be well cooked and easily crushed. Doneness is very important, after adding jaggery, dal becomes little stiff and firm.

– When its pressure relieves add cashew kernels and cook. After one whistle, switch off the gas and cool this.

-Now add salt and jaggery and boil till you get a nice aroma and till the raw smell of jaggery disappears.

– When it is done, add one tetra pack of coconut milk and give one boil. That is it. Garnish with powdered cardamom and enjoy.

pic main

Note: –

– If you don’t have access to raw cashew kernels, you can use regular cashew and you can cook this with Chana dal for 3 whistles and proceed by adding jaggery.

– If you are using fresh coconut for extracting milk, take grated coconut (from one coconut), add one cup of water and grind, and extract milk. (This is a thick extract and should be added at the end)

– Once again add little water and grind, to take out thin milk and you can add this while boiling jaggery.

– If you are using regular jaggery, at first self-boil this with little water, make a liquid and sieve this before adding to the kheer, to remove impurities.

Mavinakayi Chithranna/Raw Mango Rice:

March 28, 2017

Chithranna is one such dish,which can be relished for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is a tangy, seasoned rice dish. Usually tanginess comes from addition of lemon juice,bitter lime juice(citron) or Raw mango. Some times we use tamarind too.

Mangos are in season now. My daughters love to have raw mango rice in their tiffin box and this preparation of mine is one of their favourite rice items.

Ingredients:
To make rice: Rice – 2 cups, Salt – 1 tsp, Ghee – 1 tsp, Water – 4 cups.
Grated Raw Mango – 1 cup
Green chillies – 4
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp.
Salt
Capsicum – 1
Grated coconut – ½ cup
Chopped coriander leaves – little.
Seasoning : Oil – 2 tbl sp , mustard – 1 tsp ,urad dal – 1 tsp, chana dal – 1 tsp, jeera – ½ tsp ,asafoetida – ¼ tsp ,red chillies – 2 ,curry leaves – 2 springs .
Method:
– Take one cooker vessel, Wash rice and pour 4 cups of water, ghee and salt. Keep this vessel in a cooker. Cook for 1 whistle and keep it in a simmer for 4 min. You will get perfectly cooked rice. After cooker cools down, remove cooked rice and spread the rice in a bigger vessel to cool.
– Now take one kadai, prepare seasoning by putting oil . When it is hot add mustard. When it starts to splutter add urad and chana dal, red chillies .When dal becomes little red ,add jeera and asafoetida, curry leaves ,chopped green chillies and capsicum.
– After capsicum becomes soft, add turmeric, salt, grated coconut and fry for a while.
– Now add this seasoning, grated mango, chopped coriander to cooled rice.

– Check for the salt and mix this mixture by using your hand. Keep this for a while, so that rice will absorb all the seasoning.

– Serve this seasonal mango rice either with any fritters or as it is.

Ridge gourd Tambli:

March 10, 2017

Here is a low calorie option with ridge gourd, which is healthy, refreshing as well as soothing in this summer season. This particular Tambli is prepared by grinding tossed ridge gourd with fresh grated coconut and mixing in buttermilk and it doesn’t need boiling. You can savour this like an appetiser or mixing with piping hot rice .It has healing properties and is very good for the digestive system. Recently I tasted this curry at my sister in laws place and just loved this.

ridge gourd tambli

How to prepare this:

Ingredients:

Ridge gourd – 6” with skin

Cumin – ½ tsp

Black pepper – 5

Bird eye chilli – 2

Ghee – 1 tsp

Coconut – ½ cup

Salt

Butter milk – ½ cup

Seasoning: ghee – ½ Tsp, cumin – ½ tsp, curry leaves – 1 spring.

Method:

-Chop ridge gourd with skin intact.

-take 1 tsp of ghee in a small kadai. When it is hot, add jeera, pepper and bird eye chilli. If you don’t have bird eye chillies, instead you can use half green chilli and roast. Then add chopped ridge gourd and fry until it wilts.

– Now take out all these fried items and cool.

-Grind this into smooth paste by adding coconut, salt and little water.

-remove this into a vessel, add buttermilk, and adjust the consistency by adding little water if needed.

-Consistency should be like normal milk.

– Add seasoning by heating ghee, cumin and curry leaves.

– Enjoy this with hot rice.

Mint- Coconut chutney:

February 12, 2017

In Mangalore, we have one very famous ice cream parlour called Pabba’s and they serve not only ice creams, but also really tasty snacks as well. Beauty of the Cutlet that they serve is mainly because of this coconut chutney which goes really well with their mixed vegetable cutlet, this recipe which I have posted earlier.

chutney3

Ingredients:

Coconut – 1 cup

Green chillies – 3to 4

Pudina/mint leaves – little

Coriander leaves – little

Garlic – 4 to 5 cloves

Salt

Oil – 1 table spoon

Tamarind – peanut size

Seasoning: – oil – 1 teaspoon, mustard – ½ Tsp, curry leaves – 1spring.

Method:

-Wash; chop Pudina, coriander and chillies.

-Take one small kadai; fry these chopped items and garlic, by putting a little oil until it wilts, put grated coconut and fry for 2 minutes. Then switch off the gas.

-When it cools down, add tamarind, salt and grind this into a smooth paste by putting required amount of water.

-If you want, add seasoning with mustard and curry leaves.

cutlet10

-Serve this with mix vegetable cutlet and enjoy your snack.