coconutoil

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.

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.

-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.

-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.

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

Marakesavu Pathrode:

July 25, 2017

Pathrode, name itself will make any Mangalorean drool. That too if it is marakesavu leaf, fun is even more. Marakesavu is non-itchy, seasonal colocasia leaves. It is one more classic monsoon special from Mangalore. Pathrode is usually served with coconut oil either plain or pan fried by slicing.

Marakesavu is commonly known as hitchhiker elephant ear and botanical name of this leaf is Remusatia vivipara. Leaf is large, oval, leathery textured, glossy on both the sides. Foliage disappears in winter and emerges after the first rain during monsoon. Grows widely on big tree trunks or in-between the stones, mainly emerges from the moss bed. The name itself suggests about its habitat. Here, “Mara” is Tree and “Kesavu” is colocasia.

We will see the Procedure-

Ingredients:

Dosa rice – 3 cups

Fresh Coconut – 1 ½ cup

Dried red chillies – 12 (Roasted)

Hing – ¼ teaspoon

Salt

Jaggery – 1 table spoon

Tamarind – 1 table spoon (if normal colocasia use little more)

Marakesavu – 3 bundles

Coconut oil – for serving

Method:

– Wash the leaves, remove stem and trim.

– Wash and soak rice for 3 hours.

– Fry red chillies by putting very little oil.

– Grind soaked rice, coconut, tamarind, jaggery, salt, roasted red chillies into smooth paste by adding sufficient water.

– Batter consistency should be like Dosa batter.

– Now, we are ready to make Pathrode.

– Take biggest leaf from the lot, place upper glossy part downwards and apply ground batter on back side of the leaf. (pc:step 1)

– After applying on the first leaf, keep second one (slightly smaller than the first one)

– Proceed with the application. After applying on second leaf, keep the third leaf then fourth one and proceed.(pc: step 2&3)

– Now lift sideways, and fold. Make it like a mat. Apply some batter on these folds as well.

– Roll from the tip and proceed until the end and apply some batter on outer shell and keep this in a water filled idly steamer.

– Cook this for 45 minutes to one hour, depending on the quantity of the content inside the vessel, in a low fire.

– Serve fresh with coconut oil by slicing these cooked rolls or apply coconut oil and fry these in an iron tawa on both the sides and enjoy as it is for breakfast or with lunch or dinner.

NOTE:

-Tamarind is a key ingredient while making Pathrode.

– If it is Mara Kesavu, it is non-itchy and quantity of the tamarind doesn’t matter.

– If you are using normal colocasia leaves, tamarind plays a very crucial part, in removing the itchiness of the leaves. Use little more quantity than normal.

– You can prepare this same recipe by using big spinach leaves as well.

Creamy Mushroom Curry:

July 14, 2017

This curry is very dear to my heart; I had dished out this recipe almost eighteen years back. At that time, I was not very familiar with cooking mushrooms. I wanted to try mushrooms at the same time; I had no clue how. I decided to keep the curry leaves’ flavour and creamy texture dominant, mainly because of my hubby’s fondness towards these two aspects.

This lightly spiced curry is very easy, and it has no frills attached. It is super simple with mind-blowing flavours of southern Indian spices. It takes less than 30 minutes to make. It is healthy, low fat, mild, and a perfect side dish for any roti, pulka or even bread.

For a vegan and tastiest version, you can use coconut milk and replace milk with coconut milk and if it is thick, avoid adding cornflour.

Ingredients:

Mushroom – 200 grams

Onion – 1 (big)

Green chillies – 1 or 2

Curry leaves – 2 springs

Coconut oil – 1 tablespoon

Cumin – ½ teaspoon

Turmeric – ½ teaspoon

Salt

Pepper powder – ½ teaspoon

Garam masala – ¼ teaspoon

Milk – 1 cup

Corn starch – 1 ½ teaspoon

Method:

-Wash, wipe and slice the mushrooms.Chop onion and green chillies as well.

-Mix cornflour to milk and keep it aside. (If you are using coconut milk, avoid this step)

-Heat oil in a skillet, add cumin, curry leaves.

-Then add chopped onions and green chillies, turmeric and fry for a while.

-When onion becomes transparent, add in sliced mushrooms and fry for two to three minutes.

-When it starts wilting, sprinkle little salt and mix.

-Pour milk and cornflour mixture or Coconut milk and cook until it reaches a creamy texture.

-Lastly, garnish with a little pepper powder and garam masala.

-Enjoy with any flatbread.

Bitter gourd salad:

March 31, 2017

Bitter gourd is a very healthy vegetable and is considered as a therapeutic vegetable, used mainly in controlling diabetes and weight reduction in Ayurveda. I have come up with this recipe to utilise fresh produce from my terrace garden. We are a bitter gourd loving family and my daughters are very fond of gourd in any form. I usually make dry curry or tawa fry but I tried my hand at this salad and everyone loved this as a side dish with rice and yellow dal.

Ingredient:

Bitter gourd – 2 to 3

Onion – 1 to 2 (chopped)

Green chillies – 3

Salt

Turmeric – ½ tsp.

Lemon – ½

Coriander leaves – 1 tbl sp (chopped)

Coconut Oil – 1 tbl sp.

Method:

-Wash bitter gourd, make bite size pieces, including outer skin and inner seeds. Chop green chillies and put together.

– Sprinkle some salt, turmeric and mix nicely and keep aside for 10 minutes.

-Take one tawa, put oil. When it is hot, put marinated bitter gourd and chilli pieces and fry in a low flame until it is crisp.

– Cool this mixture. Add chopped onion, some more salt, lemon juice and mix nicely and serve.

-It is very simple to make and tastes really great with hot rice and dal.

Alasande- Hesaru kaalu Jeerige Bendi:

February 5, 2017

It is nothing but Yard long beans and whole green gram with cumin flavoured coconut gravy.

This is an age old combination and a traditional recipe from Mangalore. Jeerige Bendi is very mild, flavourful and not spicy. It can be enjoyed with hot rice, Whole wheat Roti’s, Dosa or Rice rotti.

main

Ingredients:

Yard long beans / Alasande – 250 grams

Green gram – 1 cup

Coconut – 1 bowl

Cumin – 1 teaspoon

Dried Red chilli – 2

Salt

Jaggery – ½ teaspoon

Red chilli powder – ½ teaspoon

Tamarind – peanut size.

Seasoning: Coconut oil – 1tsp, mustard – 1 teaspoon, Red chilli -1, curry leaves – 1 spring.

Method:

Wash green gram and soak it overnight.
Next day, wash yard long beans and make one inch pieces.
Cook Soaked green gram with sufficient water, salt, jaggery and red chilli powder.
When it is half done, add chopped yard long beans and cook.

collage

Meanwhile, grind coconut, red chillies, cumin and tamarind into a smooth paste and add this paste to cooked vegetable and boil.
Check for the salt and add seasoning.
For seasoning, heat oil, add mustard, red chilli. When mustard starts spluttering, add curry leaves and pour this into boiled curry.

It can be enjoyed with hot rice, Whole wheat Roti’s, Dosa or Rice rotti.

Chana Saarupkari /Chickpea Rasam:

December 29, 2016

In last post we did chana and ivy gourd dry curry and I promised you to post the Rasam which utilizes the drained water of cooked chana or chick pea. This is very nutritious and tasty too.

What we need-

Ingredient:

Drained water of cooked chickpea – whatever you get.

Cooked tor dal – 1/4 cup

Green chillies -2

Salt

Jaggery – 1/2 tsp

Hing – ¼ tsp

Seasoning:

Coconut oil – 1 tbl sp

Mustard – 1tsp

Red chilli – 1

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Crushed garlic – 6

Method:

-Drain water from the cooked chana or chick pea while making any curries.

-Boil this drained water by adding 1 cup of water, cooked toor dal, salt (if needed) ,jaggery, hing, green chillies.

-Cook until green chillies are cooked and flavour is released to water.

-Add seasoning by heating coconut oil. When it is hot, add mustard. When it splutters add red chilli, curry leaves, crushed garlic.

-Fry till garlics are brown and add this seasoning to Rasam.

Enjoy this Rasam with hot rice and any side dishes, like chickpea dry curry and papad.

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