Kokum isn't a fruit many are familiar with. It is indigenous to the Konkan coast of India. It isn't generally consumed like other fruits, it is mostly had in the form of the sweet juice or the savoury kadi. The kokum rind is sun dried and is called "Aamsol" in Konkani and used in kadi. It is also used instead of tamarind to add sourness to curries and gravies. Solkadi is a must for every Goan meal. It is made in 2 ways in Goa, one with coconut milk and one without. Solkadi is supposed to aid in digestion. The recipe below is for the one without coconut milk. Although this is eaten with rice in Goa, I prefer it just like a drink along with my meal.
Aamsol or dried kokum rind
The recipe makes 2 big glasses.
Solkadi | Spicy Kokum Drink
Traditional Goan savory beverage made with the dried peel of the kokum fruit.
Ingredients: 10-12 pieces Aamsol / Dried Kokum Peel 2 glasses Water 2-3 Green chillies A handful of Coriander leaves(Optional) 1/2 tsp Sugar(Optional) Salt
Method:
Heat 1/2 a glass of water until it is slightly warm.
Add the kokum and allow them to seep.
After 10-15 mins, add this seeped liquid along with the kokum to the remaining water
Slit the green chillies and add to the water
Add salt and sugar. I don't add sugar, I prefer the tartness.
If it isn't yet tart/ sour enough for you, allow the kokum to seep longer in the water
If you think it is too sour, add more water.
While serving, remove the kokum and the green chillies and garnish with finely chopped coriander and serve.
Did you know, that India is the largest producer and consumer of chillies? And Andhra Pradesh accounts for 30% of production... No wonder when we think of Andhra food, we think spicy... It is fitting that AP has a dish showcasing their favorite hot chilli. This is generally served as an accompaniment with Biryani. Now, although, I can eat spicy food, I cannot go all the way and eat it as spicy as the Andhraites, so instead of using spicy green chillies, I stuck to using the yellow ones which are generally used to make bhajjis. I also cut them into chunks rather than use them whole, this just made it easier to eat with chapati...
Mirchi Ka Salan
Spicy Andhra curry made with chillies and peanuts. Usually served as an accompaniment to Biryani.
4-5 Banana pepper / Wax chili / Bhajji mirchi 4 Tbsp Peanuts 3 Tbsp Coconut (desiccated) 1.5 Tbsp Sesame seeds ½ cup Curd/ Yogurt 1 tsp Tamarind 1 Onion 2-3 cloves Garlic 1” piece Ginger 1 tsp Coriander powder 1 tsp Cumin powder 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 1-2 tsp Red chili powder 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds 1 tsp Cumin seeds 2” stick Cinnamon 1 Cardamom 1-2 Cloves 2 dry Red Chilies 5-6 Curry leaves 1 tsp Jaggery or 1/2 tsp Sugar 5 tsp Oil Water Salt
Method:
Heat a tsp of oil in a kadhai and add the peanuts once the oil is hot.
Fry the peanuts on low flame until slightly brown.
Add the sesame seeds and continue frying until the sesame is slightly browned.
Now add the desiccated coconut and fry until the coconut browns slightly.
Do this on low flame and not on high. You want them to cook, not just color.
Keep this aside to cool.
Soak tamarind in half a cup of water.
Crush and grind the ginger and garlic into a fine paste. Alternatively, you can use 1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste.
Heat 3 tsp of oil in a kadhai.
Once it is hot, add the red chilies (either whole or you can break them), cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.
Fry for about 20 secs and then add the mustard seeds.
Once the mustard crackles, add the cumin seeds.
After the cumin seeds have browned, add the onions and fry until the onions are golden brown.
Now add the curry leaves and ginger-garlic paste and fry until fragrant
Add the coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and red chili powder and fry for 30 secs – 1 min.
Add ½ cup water and cover and cook until the oil oozes out.
Now add the whisked curd, tamarind water and jaggery and cover and cook until the oil oozes out. I did not add all the tamarind juice at once, added ¼ cup first and tasted it later and added the rest.
Grind the coconut, peanut and sesame into a fine paste with some water.
Add this paste and salt and cover and cook for 15-20 mins until the raw taste disappears.
Who doesn't like the greasy Indian Chinese fried rice? Pair that with some spicy manchurian, and we have a dinner going... It has become so popular that tiny roadside carts also sell you some tasty fried rice at lower cost... But some of the best things are made at home when you know how hygienic it is... And this works perfectly for a busy week night dinner as it hardly takes any time to prepare.
Ingredients: 3/4 cup uncooked or 2-3 cups cooked Rice 1 Carrot 10-12 Green Beans 1/2 Capsicum 2 Spring Onions or 1 Onion 1" piece Ginger 3-4 cloves Garlic 1-2 Tbsp Soy sauce 1/2 tsp Ajinomoto / Maggi magic cube (Optional) 1 tsp Pepper 1/2 tsp Vinegar 3 tsp Oil 2-3 drops Lime juice Salt
Method:
Rice needs to be slightly under cooked and dry for fried rice. So cook the rice with a little less water than usual and for little less time. I cooked with a tbsp less than 1.5 cups of water and it generally takes 5 whistles or 10 mins for my rice to cook in the pressure cooker. I cooked for 4 whistles instead. Add a few drops of lime juice so that the cooked rice has separate grains.
Once the rice is cooked, spread it out on a large plate until ready to use.
Chop the carrot and beans into small cubes and boil them until half done.I microwaved them for around 6 mins.
Julienne the capsicum and onions. If the spring onions are very small, you can use more.
Crush the ginger and garlic into a fine paste.
Heat oil in a kadhai / wok and once it is hot, add the onion and fry.
Once the onions are slightly translucent, add the ginger garlic paste and capsicum and fry for 1 min
Add the beans and carrot and cook until the vegetables are almost 90% done. They should retain their bite. Do not overcook them.
Add the 1 tbsp soya sauce, pepper, vinegar, ajinomoto or maggi magic cube and mix well.
The first time I had this, I loved it. It was in a cafe, we friends went to after our tuition in the 10th standard. It cost us Rs.20 back then in a moderately priced cafe. Back then, we did not have it as an accompaniment, we ate it as the main meal. Spicier than home food and newer flavors, it tingled our senses. And it has been tingling ever since...
Gobi after frying
Gobi Manchurian
An Indian Chinese appetizer of deep fried cauliflower in a spicy sauce
Crush and grind the ginger and garlic into a fine paste. Alternatively, use ginger-garlic paste. I prefer using fresh as I feel it gives it a better fragrance.
Mix the cornflour and flour with 1/2 cup water. Add 1 tsp of the ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp soya sauce and salt. Add more water if needed, the consistency should not be very thin, it should be sufficient to coat the cauliflower
Break the cauliflower into smaller florets
Heat 2 cups Oil for deep frying in a kadhai
Dip the cauliflower in the batter and deep fry until golden brown and keep aside
Heat 2 tsp oil in a kadhai, add the onions and once they are translucent, add the ginger garlic paste and fry until fragrant
Add the other vegetables and continue frying until they are done,
Now add the remaining batter prepared for the cauliflower. Add more water to get a gravy. If you want it dry, you may not need to add any water.
Add all the sauces, vinegar, ajinomoto / maggi magic cube and salt and cook for 2-3 mins.
The reason I call this the Bombay Pav Bhaji is because I eat and make 2 kinds of Pav bhajis and it gets confusing about which one I'm talking about. The other one being the Goan Pav bhaji ( recipe will be posted soon). The Bombay pav bhaji is the red coloured pav bhaji most commonly eaten across India in restaurants or small chaat carts / gaadis . As a kid, eating out meant small snacks in the evenings, as restaurant culture had not yet caught on as it has today. We would go on my dad's Bajaj scooter to our favorite chaat cart/ gaadi in the market to eat Pav bhaji. With very low tolerance for spices, I was generally stuck eating just butter pav. But as I grew up, the spice tolerance also grew and I was able to enjoy this spicy red bhaji with the greasy yet amazingly tasty butter pav. I'm sure a lot of us have similar memories of the 1990s. Till date, whenever I go home, I make it a point to go to the same gaadi and eat the same pav bhaji. I don't know his secret recipe that makes it so yummy, but I do make it my way at home... The recipe that follows is the way I make it at home...
Bombay Pav Bhaji
A popular Bombay street food consisting of spicy mix vegetable mash and bread rolls/pav.
3 medium Potato 1 cup chopped Tomato 3/4 cup chopped Onion 1/2 cup chopped Capsicum 1/4 cup chopped Carrot 1/2 cup Cauliflower (broken into small florets or chopped) 1/4 cup Green peas 3-4 cloves or 1 Tbsp paste of Garlic 1" piece or 1 Tbsp paste of Ginger 2 Tbsp Pav bhaji masala (In case you don't have this available, use Garam masala - 1/2 tsp, Coriander powder - 1 tsp, Amchur/ Dry mango powder - 1/4 tsp, Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp) A pinch of Garam masala 2 Tbsp Butter Red chilli powder - To taste Salt - To taste A handful of Coriander leaves Lemon wedges
Method:
Boil and peel the potatoes
Boil the carrot, cauliflower, peas and capsicum.
Grind the ginger-garlic into a fine paste.
Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a kadhai or pan
Add the onions and fry until golden brown.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes and fry until soft and cooked.
Add all the remaining vegetables and mash them.
Add all the spices and salt.
Add a little water to achieve the desired consistency
Boil for 5-6 mins
Add 1 tbsp of butter on top
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves
Serve hot with some lemon wedges, chopped onion and buttered Pav
Few people like Karela. My dad loves it. As a kid I used to think he is weird for actually like it. It all changed, when I was in college. As in most hostel messes across the country, the food was barely tasty. So on days we could not go to the city to eat in restaurants, we had a few "aunties" in our campus who would deliver lunch/dinner to the hostel in tiffin carriers if we informed them beforehand. The food was simple, but it was home cooked. One of those tiffins, one day, contained some small strips of some vegetable fried with rava aka Kapo / Podi. I loved it but could not even identify the vegetable. I was surprised to hear, it was the karela. It looked like I could be weird and like karelas. I told this to my aunt once and she made karela sabzi and that's where my love affair with the karela began. Since then I've made karela in various ways. This was my first time stuffing it.
Stuffed Karela
Use small karela/ bittergourd
Tie and fry
Masala Bharwan Karela | Bittergourd stuffed with Spices
Karela or Bitter gourd stuffed with spices and fried to make a dry curry.
After a short trip to Sri Lanka where we struggled to find veg food, our taste buds were craving for some spice and lots of vegetables. I wanted to make and eat something that celebrated our wonderful Indian cuisine. It had also been a long time since I had made biryani, I'd almost forgotten the recipe taught to me by my friend's mom. So I tried to recollect all I could and gave it a go. It definitely was the tastiest biryani I've ever eaten (may be cause I made it :P) Below is the recipe how I made it (1st one). There are a few things missing here that are present in an authentic biryani as I made it with things readily available. I have not added potato, black cardamom and saffron/kesar. You can add the potato along with the other vegetables. Black cardamom needs to be added to the rice as well as the masala (1 each). Few saffron strands are mixed with milk and added to the rice. I skipped all this and as I know it, it made no difference to the biryani tastewise. Also, I used regular rice and not Basmati. I highly recommend using Basmati as it adds to the fragrance. I am listing down 2 recipes below, 1st one is how I made it and the 2nd one is an easier method.
1 cup / 10-12 florets Cauliflower 1 Carrot 1/2 cup Peas 12-15 Beans 2 medium Onions 2 medium Tomatoes 4-5 cloves Garlic 1 " piece Ginger 1/2 cup Curd/ Yoghurt 1/2 cup Mint 1 cup uncooked Rice 3.5 cups Water 4 Cloves 2 1" pieces Cinnamon 4 Green cardamom 2 Bayleaf A few strands Mace 8-10 Peppercorns 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 1/4 tsp Ajwain 6 tsp Oil 1 tsp Red Chilli powder 1 tsp Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp Garam masala 2 tsp Coriander powder 1/2 tsp Cumin powder 2 Tbsp Milk Salt
Method:
Take 3 cups of water in a kadhai/pan. Add 2 cloves, 1 bayleaf, 1 piece of cinnamon, 2 Green cardamoms, few strands of mace and 1/2 tsp of salt.
Wash the rice and add to the water and boil until the rice is almost done.
Remove the spices from the rice and drain excess water if any.
Heat 4 tsp oil in another kadhai and add the cumin seeds.
Once they brown, add the 1 chopped onions, remaining cloves, cardamom, bayleaf, peppercorns, ajwain and cinnamon.
Cook until the onions are translucent.
Grind together the tomatoes, ginger and garlic.
Add it to the kadhai with the onions.
Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and the garam masala and cook for 1 min.
Add all the roughly chopped vegetables and 1/4 cup water and cover and cook on low flame until the vegetables are almost done.
Add more water if needed.
Grind the mint leaves with a little water and add it to the curd and whisk to remove any lumps.
Add this to the masala and cook for 1 min.
Add salt and remove from heat.
In another pan, add the remaining oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the remaining onion sliced lengthwise and fry until brown.
Add one layer of the masala over the onions
Add one layer of rice
Again add a layer of masala and then one layer of rice.
Sprinkle 2 tbsp of milk and cover the kadhai and cook on low flame for 10-15 mins.
Mix well and serve hot with raita.
Recipe 2: Easy way out
Ingredients:
Cauliflower - 1 cup / 10-12 florets
Carrot - 1
Peas - 1/2 cup
Beans - 12-15
Onion - 2 medium
Tomato - 2 medium
Garlic - 4-5 cloves
Ginger - 1 " piece
Curd - 1/2 cup
Mint - 1/2 cup
Rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups + 1/2 cup
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1" piece
Green cardamom - 2
Bayleaf - 1
Mace - few strands
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 6 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Biryani masala - 1-2 tbsp
Salt
Method:
Cook rice along with cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom, bayleaf, mace and 1/2 tsp of salt. You can pressure cook the rice until it is done. Add a little less water than you regularly do so that the rice is not too mushy. We need the rice grains to be separate.
Remove the spices from the rice and keep aside.
Parboil the vegetables outside until they are half done. Especially carrot and beans that take a little longer to cook. You can microwave them on high for 3-4 mins.
Heat 4 tsp oil in another kadhai and add the cumin seeds.
Once they brown, add 1 chopped onion. Cook until the onions are translucent.
Grind together the tomatoes, ginger and garlic.
Add it to the kadhai with the onions.
Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and biryani masala and cook for 3-5 mins.
Add the vegetables cook on low flame until the vegetables are done.
Add more water if needed.
Grind the mint leaves with a little water and add it to the curd and whisk to remove any lumps.
Add this to the masala and cook for 1 min.
Add salt and remove from heat.
In another pan, add the remaining oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the remaining onion sliced lengthwise and fry until brown.
Mix the fried onion, masala and rice. Heat once again if needed.
Same story as my Kaju Katli post. I asked hubby dearest what khara/ namkeen/ spicy snack should I make for Diwali and the reply was Nippattu. Again, I had tried this earlier and it was something I couldn't brag about. Tried it again and presto! it tasted good this time. I did struggle a little initially even this time, but I got the correct advice from multiple people and managed to salvage my nippattu mission. I was not rolling them thin enough and hence they were not cooking properly in the center giving them soft centers and crispy sides. After about 7-10 turning out soft, I took the advice and patted them out evenly and thinner and they turned out nice and crisp. The recipe made close to 40 nippattus.
Nippattu | Thattai
Spicy flat South Indian crisps made from Rice flour
2 cups Rice flour 1 cup Maida / Flour 1-2 tsp Red chilli powder 50 gms or 3 Tbsp Butter 2 Tbsp Oil (hot) 2-3 sprigs Curry leaves 2 Tbsp Coriander leaves (chopped) 1/2 cup Peanuts 1/4 cup Puthani / Roasted gram 1/4 tsp Asafoetida / Hing A pinch of Cooking soda Salt Water Oil for deep frying
Method:
Dry roast the peanuts and peel them. Crush the peanuts into 2-3 pieces, just be careful not to powder it.
Mix the rice flour, maida, red chilli powder, butter, chopped curry leaves, coriander leaves, peanuts, roasted gram, hing, cooking soda and salt.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil and add to the mix.
Add water and knead into a smooth dough.
Cover and keep aside for 10-15 mins
Take a small ball of dough and place it on a butter paper or any other greased surface and pat it down into a disk using your fingers. The disk should be around 2mm in thickness. Make sure it is evenly thick.
Heat the oil in a kadhai for deep frying. After the oil is hot, reduce the stove to medium flame.
Deep fry the nippattu on medium flame until they are brown on both sides.
Allow it to cool a little to check if they have crisped up.
Allow it to cool and then store in an air tight container.
In the early 1990s, cable TVs had just entered homes, infact, TVs had just entered a few homes. International brands were unknown to most except probably those who had travelled abroad. Internet was virtually unheard of and computers unseen by most. Weekends were 1.5 days long and travels by Bajaj scooters. The only McDonald we had heard of was the old farmer who had pigs and ducks on his farm. Eating out was restricted to local foods like pao bhaji, sev puri, samosas and dosas. Eating out was an extravagance, a luxury. Families ate out once in 1-2 months. Sundays became special affairs. Sunday was a day to cook out specialities by the woman of the house. The menu for sunday until lunch was pretty much fixed. Idlis with hot sambhar and spicy chutney for breakfast. And my mom's special Pulao and Chana masala for lunch. How we lusted for the lunch. All the while, playing in the street, the mind was still in the kitchen smelling in the aroma of pulao. My mom's simple yet delicious vegetable pulao was always a favourite among friends and relatives. I use the same recipe, the same ingredients, but I can never match up to the pulao of those early sunday afternoons of my life. But each time I make this pulao, the feeling of nostalgia envelopes me.
Vegetable Pulao
Indian rice pilaf made with vegetables and whole spices
1 cup Rice 2 cups Water (Or how much is needed to cook 1 cup of rice in a pressure cooker) 1 cup Assorted vegetables (Roughly chopped Cauliflower, Potato, French beans. Carrots and Green Peas) 1 Onion 1 Tomato 2-3 Green Chillies 5-6 Black peppercorns 1-2 Cloves 1" stick Cinnamon 1 Bayleaf / Tej patta (dry) 1 cube Maggi magic cube (veg) 2 Tbsp Oil Salt
Method:
Wash the rice and spread on a muslin cloth to dry until ready to use.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker
Add the finely chopped onions and slit green chillies
Add all the whole spices and fry until the onions are light brown
Add the tomato and fry for 1 min
Add the rice and fry for 30secs - 1 min
Add the water. Crush the magic cube and add it to the cooker.
Add salt. The magic cube itself has salt, keep that in consideration while adding salt.
Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles or until the rice is done.
It was a hatrick of stuffed bhindi two weeks ago. Bhindi(Okra) is our least favorite vegetable at home, so it is brought into the house once every blue moon. The way I can eat it, is the way hubby dearest hates it. The way he likes it, I don't. So tired of these bhindi wars, when I was grumbling to my friend about cooking bhindi, she gave me a couple of recipes. I tried her first one, and both of us seemed to like it. Next day, I tried something a colleague at office suggested, that tasted a little better... and finally i tried stuffing the bhindi with coconut and coriander as per Tarla Dalal (a variation also suggested by my friend), this version was our favorite of the 3 we tried...
Bharwan Bhindi | Stuffed Okra Fry
Okra/Bhindi stuffed with spice powders and pan fried.
Corn Tomato Bharta recipe with video instructions. Corn Tomato Bharta is a vegan curry made with flame roasted tomatoes and sweet corn. This smoky curry is gluten free and vegan.
Grilled juicy Tomatoes. Boiled Sweet Corn. Fresh Spices. A marriage made in HEAVEN!
The sweetness of the corn marries well with the tanginess of the tomatoes and the sprinkling of spices, just make this Corn Tomato Bharta so delicious.
It was fate that make me sample this Corn Tomato Bharta. We planned to eat at a particular restaurant but the long winding queue of people waiting to be seated, made us change our mind and go to a new place. Since, we'd never heard of Corn Tomato Bharta, we decided to take a chance and try it. Try it, we did. Love it, we did.
How can I sample something new and not try to make it myself? I tried many versions and finally settled on this recipe.
What is a Bharta?
Bharta is a curry or sabzi made by grilling a vegetable directly on open flame or coals. The most frequently grilled vegetable is eggplant or brinjal to make Baingan ka Bharta.
Tomato Bharta is a village recipe in which the tomatoes and onions are grilled over coals until they are soft and then mashed to make the curry. Here, I have pureed the onions and tomatoes and cooked them further to make a spicy gravy. I have also added sweet corn for flavor and texture.
Tomato Bharta is very similar to the Bengali / Bangladeshi Tomato Vorta and the Trinidad Tomato Choka.
You can also grill the tomatoes in the oven or roast on a frying pan with little oil in it.
If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.
If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
Corn Tomato Bharta Recipe | How to make tomato bharta
Corn Tomato Bharta is a vegan curry made of fire roasted tomatoes and sweet corn. Tomatoes and onions are roasted on an open flame, charring them and adding a smoky flavor. The onions and tomatoes are pureed and cooked along with spices to make the base of the curry. Boiled sweet corn is added for the slight sweetness and texture. Corn Tomato Bharta is vegan and gluten free.
3 Tomatoes 1 Onion 1 cup Sweet Corn 3-4 Garlic cloves 0.5" Ginger 2 Tbsp Oil 1 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera) 0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder 1 tsp Coriander Powder 1 tsp Cumin Powder 1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder 1 tsp Sugar 2 Tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped Salt to taste Water as required
Method:
1. Grill the whole tomatoes over an open gas flame until the skin is charred and the tomato softens or rrill the tomatoes in an oven for 20 mins. Turn them every 7-8 mins. 2. Allow the tomatoes to cool, then peel and puree them. 3. Grill an onion on the open flame until the skin is charred or it can also be grilled along with the tomatoes in the oven. 4. Once the onion is cool, peel it. Blend it along with garlic and ginger into a smooth puree. Add a little water to help the blending if required. 5. Boil the corn until done. Takes around 4-5 mins in the microwave. 6. Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds 7. Once the cumin seeds brown slightly, add the onion-ginger-garlic paste and fry until it turns light brown 8. Add the tomato puree and add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. 9. Cook until the oil separates or for 8-10 mins on low flame while stirring frequently 10. Add water to achieve the desired consistency and cook for another 2 mins 11. Add the salt and corn and simmer for 1 min 12. Serve hot with rotis
