341) KONKANI TENDER BAMBOO PICKLE

KONKANI TENDER BAMBOO PICKLE

KIRLU AMBADA NONCHE

Introduction:

          Konkani kirlu ambada nonche is a supremely delicious, hot, tangy and salty tender bamboo and hog plum pickle. Traditionally, this pickle is prepared using fresh unprocessed tender bamboo pickle. You can also make the pickle using salted tender bamboo pieces (see my tender bamboo in Konkani cuisine article). While using fresh bamboo, the sap is retained and the bamboo pieces are crisp and crunchy.

          When you use salted bamboo, the pieces are soft. So too, as hog plums were not available, I have used fresh green acerola cherries which grow in our courtyard with surprising results. They are crisp, tangy and thrillingly delicious. This pickle will truly sweep you off your feet!

Ingredients:

     1)    Kirlu (fresh tender bamboo, Mulankoombe in Malayalam) pieces or juliennes – 300 gm. 

     2)    Green acerola cherries – 200 gm. OR fresh tender hog plums – 200 gm.

     3)    Mustard (preferably sun-dried for 2 hours) – 50 gm.

     4)    Dry Kashmiri chilies (preferably sun-dried for 2 hours) – 25 gm.

     5)    Dry hot red chilies (preferably sun-dried for 2 hours) – 25 gm.

     6)    Asafoetida powder – 2 gm. (½ teaspoon)

     7)    Salt – 50 gm.

     8)    Water – 500 ml.

To make mitta paej (brine):

          Put the salt and the water together in a vessel and set on the stove. Stir till the salt dissolves. Boil for 5 minutes and switch off the heat. Let cool naturally.

To make the pickle:

          Put the mustard into the dry grind jar (preferably sun-dried) of your food processor, grind to fine powder and set aside. Put both the chilies together with the brine into the wet grind jar (preferably sun-dried) of your food processor and grind to superfine paste in 2 or 3 batches. Transfer to a clean, dry mixing bowl.

Tip in the mustard powder, the asafoetida powder, the acerola cherries (or the hog plums) and the bamboo pieces. Mix thoroughly with a clean dry ladle. Transfer the pickle to a sun-dried airtight jar. Close the lid and store in a cool, dry place to rest for 5 to 7 days. Your delicious Konkani kirlu ambada nonche (in this case, kirlu cherry nonche) is ready to eat. Enjoy with rice, roasted idlis, machkats, nuchi, undis, soyyea polos or with shevai.

 

Bon appétit!

Notes:

     1)    Take care to refrigerate the pickle once you start using it. Always use a clean, dry spoon.

     2)    The ingredients and utensils are sun-dried to remove unwanted moisture and to gain a longer shelf-life.

340) VEGETABLE PUTTE (PUTTU)

VEGETABLE PUTTE (PUTTU)

A TRADITIONAL KERALA STEAMED BREAKFAST DISH MADE EVEN HEALTHIER AND TASTIER, HOT AND SPICY

Ingredients:

     1)    Putte podi (roasted raw rice powder) – 500 gm.

     2)    Grated coconut – 125 gm.

     3)    Peeled potato – 175 gm.

     4)    Peeled beetroot – 300 gm.

     5)    Peeled carrot – 150 gm.

     6)    Onion – 50 gm.

     7)    Hot green chilies – 15 gm.

     8)    Coriander leaves – 10 gm.

     9)    Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

     10)    Powdered salt – 12 gm.

     11)    Garam masala powder – 3 gm.

To prepare:

          Grate the potatoes, the beets and the carrots. Chop the onion, the green chilies, the coriander leaves and the curry leaves to superfine pieces. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Tip in 25 gm. of the grated coconut. Add the rice powder (putte podi), the powdered salt and the garam masala powder. Mix well with your fingertips and set aside.

To steam:

          Fill three fourth of the putte steamer with water, cover with its lid and put it on high heat. Place the perforated disc at the bottom of the putte kutti (cylinder).

 

Putte / Puttu Kutti

Tip in a couple of teaspoons of grated coconut. Fill a third of the cylinder with a vegetable rice mixture. Tip in a teaspoonful of grated coconut and fill up another third of the cylinder with the mixture. Repeat with grated coconut and the mixture once again till the cylinder is full. Top up with a teaspoonful of grated coconut. Take care never to press the mixture for the steam has to pass through freely. Put on the perforated lid and set the cylinder on the putte steamer which should be boiling by now. In 2 to 4 minutes, the steam will start coming out at the top. Keep for a minute longer, turn down the heat and lift up the cylinder. Remove the lid. Keeping the cylinder horizontally over a plate, insert the steel rod into the bottom of the cylinder and gently push your delicious steaming hot vegetable putte onto the plate. Enjoy hot. You need no other accompaniment for this healthy dish. Hungry kids coming back from school just love to gobble up this putte. So does everyone else!

Enjoy!!!

Note:

          The moisture from the vegetables is just right to make the putte, so long as you are steaming it immediately after mixing. If, however, you take an hour or more to start steaming the putte, you may need to sprinkle a few drops of water and mix again, since the rice flour tends to absorb water, rendering the mixture too dry to bind properly.

331) BAMBOO SHOOT PICKLE

BAMBOO SHOOT PICKLE

A HOT, TANGY, CRUNCHY TENDER BAMBOO PICKLE

Ingredients:

     1)    Processed (for processing instructions, please see my tender bamboo in Konkani cuisine article), finely chopped tender bamboo pieces – 625 gm.

     2)    Peeled garlic cloves – 75 gm.

     3)    Peeled, finely chopped ginger – 5 gm.

     4)    Hot green chilies – 15 gm.

     5)    Sesame (gingelly) oil – 150 ml.

     6)    Hot red chili powder – 10 gm.

     7)    Kashmiri chili powder – 15 gm.

     8)    Mustard seeds – 3 gm.

     9)    Mustard powder – 10 gm.

     10)    Turmeric powder – 2 gm.

     11)    Asafoetida powder – 2 gm.

     12)    Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

     13)   Sugar – 25 gm.

     14)    Powdered salt – 35 gm.

     15)    Vinegar – 150 ml.

To cook:

          Put the hot red chili powder, the Kashmiri chili powder, the mustard powder, the turmeric powder, the asafoetida powder, the sugar and the powdered salt into a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Chop the hot green chilies to fine bits and set aside.

          Set a wok or frying pan on high heat. Pour in the oil and tip in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds are about to finish popping, pull the curry leaves off their sprig and throw them in. Stir once and tip in the chopped chili, the ginger and the garlic cloves. Lower the heat and stir-fry for a minute.

          Now put in the tender bamboo and turn up the heat. Mix thoroughly and stir continuously for 2 minutes. Lower the heat and stir frequently for 3 more minutes. Pour in half of the vinegar (75 ml.), mix thoroughly and switch off the heat.

          Let cool naturally without a lid. When cool, transfer to four small (200 ml.) airtight jars and pour the rest of the vinegar on top of the pickle. Seal and set aside to rest for 3 days.

Enjoy this delicious bamboo shoot pickle with rice, chappatis, dosas, machkats, biriyani, fried rice or just about any food you like. This pickle is so good you will finish it in no time!

Bon appétit!

Note:

          Once a jar is opened for use, keep it refrigerated for freshness.

330) PAPADA GOJJU

PAPADA GOJJU

A TANGY, HOT, YUMMY KONKANI PAPAD SALAD

A PAPAD KACHIMBER GUARANTEED TO BRING TASTE TO YOUR TONGUE

Introduction:

          Ever wondered what to do with leftover deep-fried papads going soft? Or with softened roasted papads for that matter? What if you could create a dish fit for a gourmet king to drool over! Here is the recipe.

Ingredients (see note):

     1)    Fried papads (turning soft) – 70 gm. (any papad – plain, pepper, masala or chili papad or a combination will do)

     2)    Tamarind – 20 gm.

     3)    Dry hot red chilies – 3 gm.

     4)    Peeled onion – 110 gm.

     5)    Cooking oil – 1 tablespoon (15 ml.)

     6)    Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon (2 gm.)

     7)    Curry leaves – 1 sprig

     8)    Powdered salt – 5 gm.

     9)    Drinking water – 150 ml.

To make:

          Put the tamarind in a small bowl and pour in the water. Squeeze well with your fingers till most of the pulp dissolves in the water. Set aside to soak.

Chop the onion to superfine pieces and set aside. Use a pair of scissors to cut the dry chilies to fine rings and set aside. Cut the papads to thin slivers likewise and set aside.

Sieve the tamarind juice into a serving bowl. Squeeze and sieve the pomace (residue) and collect the remaining juice too. Tip in the chopped onion and the powdered salt.

Set a small pan or skillet on low heat. Pour in the oil and throw in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds finish crackling, pull the curry leaves off their sprig and throw them in together with the chili rings. Stir once and empty the contents into the serving bowl. Mix well and set aside.

 

          Just before serving the dish, tip in the papad pieces and mix. Enjoy your exhilarating papada gojju as a side dish to rice.

 

Enjoy!!!

Note:

For this recipe, I used 9 regular plain papads and a couple of chili papads. If leftover papads are not in stock, just crumble fresh fried papads with your fingers and mix them in.

326) KIRLA SUKKE

KIRLA SUKKÉ

A TRADITIONAL KONKANI SPICY TENDER BAMBOO CURRIED SIDE DISH

 

Ingredients:

     1)    Processed, finely chopped tender bamboo (for processing information, please refer to my tender bamboo in Konkani cuisine article) – 300 gm.

     2)    Peeled jackfruit seeds – 125 gm.

     3)    Grated coconut – 150 gm.

     4)    Dry Kashmiri chilies – 18 gm.

     5)    Coriander seeds – 15 gm.

     6)    Urud dal (split black gram lentils) – 10 gm.

     7)    Seedless tamarind – 15 gm.

     8)    Coconut oil – 1 tablespoon (15 ml.)

     9)    Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

     10)    Salt – 12 gm.

     11)    Water – 600 ml.

To prepare:

          Chop the jackfruit seeds to fine pieces and set aside. Set a skillet or small pan on low heat. Pour in half the oil (7.5 ml.) and tip in the urud dal. Stir till the urud dal turns a light brown in colour. Now tip in the coriander seeds and stir for 30 seconds. Throw in the chilies, stir for 30 more seconds and switch off the heat. Transfer the contents to your food processor. Add the grated coconut, the tamarind and 250 ml. of water. Grind to rough paste.

To cook:

          Set a wide cast iron wok (to cook kirla sukké the tasty, healthy, traditional way) or a non-stick wok on high heat. Pour in the remaining (7.5 ml.) coconut oil and throw in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds are about to finish popping, tip in the chopped jackfruit seeds, the tender bamboo pieces and the remaining water (350 ml.). Throw in the salt.

Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and cover with a cloche or lid. Let the bamboo cook slowly for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally. Now tip in the ground coconut paste and turn up the heat. Mix well and stir frequently until the water evaporates, leaving the delicious, semi-thick kirla sukké. Switch off the heat. Serve hot as a side dish to steaming hot rice or chappatis.

Enjoy!!!

321) KAPPA WITH MULAKE CHAMMANDI

KAPPA WITH MULAKE CHAMMANDI

DELICIOUS KERALA CASSAVA WITH HOT AND TANGY CHILI SALAD

Introduction:

          For centuries, the people of Kerala and cassava (or kappa as it is called in Malayalam) have been conjoined as inseparably as body and soul. Ever since the Portuguese introduced cassava in India nearly 4 centuries ago, the farmers of Kerala have come to consider it as the poor man’s bread and have developed a staunch liking for this delicious root.

The Christian community in particular, accepted this food crop so wholeheartedly that the first settlers in the hill districts of Wayanad and Idukki as well as the foothills of most other districts subsisted almost entirely on cassava grown on land cleared of forests.

Even today, many families are happy to enjoy cassava in place of rice or wheat 4 to 5 times a day, having it with mulake / mulaku chammandi, meen mulakittathe, wheat curries, bone marrow biriyani or as sardine cassava. From the poor man’s kitchen, cassava has now earned its place with royal splendour upon the dining tables in 5 star hotels. Cassava is called kappa, mara kizhangu, poola and kolli kizhangu in Malayalam and badi kanange in Konkani. In Wayanad district, tens of delicious varieties of cassava are cultivated, the tastiest of them being Aambakkadan.

My children love cassava and often ask me to make dishes like kozhikkal, kizhangu pori, cassava sticklets, kappa with mulake chammandi, chendan (boiled pieces) kappa with losune gojju, cassava upma, kappa bonda or cassava bhaji. Here is a fine recipe for kappa with mulake chammandi. Do cook and enjoy!

Ingredients for the kappa:

     1)    Peeled, washed and roughly chopped cassava cubes (see note) – 1300 gm.

     2)    Water – 1500 ml.

     3)    Salt – 15 gm. (3 teaspoons)

     4)    Turmeric powder – 3 gm. (½ teaspoon)

     5)    Hot green chilies – 10 gm.

     6)    Dry hot red chilies – 2 gm.

     7)    Mustard seeds – 5 gm. (1 teaspoon)

     8)    Coconut oil – 1 tablespoon

     9)    Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

     10)    Grated coconut – 100 gm.

     11)    Coconut water – 75 ml.

Ingredients for the mulake chammandi:

     1)    Hot green chilies or pigeon eye chilies (kandari mulake) – 20 gm.

     2)    Dry hot red chilies – 2 gm.

     3)    Peeled garlic cloves – 10 gm.

     4)    Vinegar / tamarind juice / garcinia cambogia (kudampuli) juice – 50 ml.

     5)    Salt – 10 gm. (2 teaspoons)

 

To make the mulake chammandi:

          Chop both the chilies and the garlic cloves to fine bits and put them in a tiny serving bowl. Tip in the salt, pour in the vinegar, mix well. Your simple, mouthwatering mulake chammandi is ready.

To cook the kappa:

          Put the cassava cubes, the water, the salt and the turmeric powder into a vessel and set on high heat. Once it comes to a boil, turn down the heat and cover partially with a lid. Stir occasionally and let the cassava cook for 15 minutes. Press upon a cube with the edge of a sharp ladle or a knife to see if it is cooked. The cube should slice easily. If not, continue to cook for a few more minutes (cooking times may vary slightly for different cultivars grown in different soils).

          Switch off the heat and drain off the broth. It is important to drain off all the water as it gets rid of the sap of the cassava as well as any soil borne pollutants, rendering it quite safe to eat (see note). Now pour in the coconut water and set aside.

          Chop the hot green chilies as well as the dry hot red chilies to fine bits. Pull the curry leaves off their sprig and set aside. Set a skillet or small pan on low heat. Pour in the coconut oil and throw in the mustard seeds.

          As soon as the mustard seeds are about to finish popping, throw in the curry leaves and the chili bits. Stir once, switch off the heat and empty the contents into the kappa.

          Turn on the heat and stir the kappa well for a minute. Tip in the grated coconut and stir nicely. Switch off the heat. Enjoy your delicious kappa hot with mulake chammandi. I am sure you will love this dish.

Bon appétit!

Notes:

     1)    While chopping the cassava tubers, be sure to remove the thick, hard, long fibre that runs through the centre as well as the hard, bony end where the cassava connects to the stem of the plant. 2 kg. of freshly dug cassava will give you over 1300 gm. of clean, usable portions.

     2)    Raw cassava is poisonous. So it is always best eaten well cooked. Rats and bandicoots consume large quantities of raw cassava without ill effects as they are wise enough to eat charcoal to nullify the toxic sap. This technique, however, is definitely not for us humans!