241) EGG CHILI CURRY

EGG CHILI CURRY

A QUICK N’ EASY EGG CURRY FOR KIDS

Ingredients:

     1)    Eggs – 4 Nos.

     2)    Onion – 100 gm.

     3)    Tomato – 150 gm.

     4)    Hot green chili – 1 no.

     5)    Ginger – ½ inch piece

     6)    Tender curry leaves – 1 sprig

     7)    Hot red chili powder – 1 teaspoon

     8)    Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon

     9)    Coconut oil – 2 teaspoons

     10)     Water – 300 ml.

     11)     Salt – 1 teaspoon

To Cook:

          Peel the onion and the ginger. Cut the onion and the tomato into rings (or into pieces of any other shape you desire). Chop the ginger to fine powder-like bits. Slit the green chili lengthwise on one side or diagonally to 2 or 3 pieces.

          Set a small wok on high heat. Pour in the water. Tip in the chopped onion, the tomato, the green chili and the ginger. Add the salt, the turmeric powder and the chili powder. As it starts to boil, taste and adjust the seasoning if required. After boiling for 2 minutes, break the eggs one by one and tip them in at different corners (leaving enough space to turn them over individually. Lower the heat.

          A minute later, gently turn over the eggs. If the eggs are cooked enough to suit your taste (some persons love their eggs fully poached while others love to have their eggs half done with a gooey center), tip in the curry leaves and dribble the coconut oil over the curry.

          Switch off the heat and serve fresh and hot with rice. Children just love this simple, watery, soupy curry. Do cook this now, serve it to the children in bowls with a spoon and enjoy their delight as they eat the egg and slurp up the soup. Of course, you will love it too!

Note:

          Make sure you prepare this curry only after all the other dishes have been prepared, especially the rice. It is important that this wonderful curry be enjoyed fresh from the stove.

240) LASSI

LASSI

A REFRESHING BUTTERMILK COOL DRINK TO ENERGIZE YOU IN SUMMER

Ingredients:

     1)    Buttermilk or curd (see note no. 1) – 1 litre

     2)    Water – 1 litre

     3)    Sugar – 200 gm.

     4)    Rose extract or rose essence – 1 teaspoon

     5)    Fresh lime juice – of one green lime

     6)    Ice cubes – 10 to 15 Nos.

To Make:

          Put all the ingredients into a 3 litre vessel and stir till the sugar is fully dissolved. Taste. If it is too sour, add more water and sugar. Stir well and enjoy!

Notes:

     1)    If you are using curd to make a thick lassi, you need to whip it up for 30 seconds before pouring it into the mixing vessel. This will aerate the curd and make a nice frothy lassi. The buttermilk lassi however, contains much less fat and can be enjoyed in larger volumes.

     2)     As lassi contains beneficial lactobacilli, it is excellent for digestion and for health.

     3)    Curd and buttermilk have cooling properties and help to keep your body cool and comfortable in summer.

     4)    The amount of sugar and water required may vary depending upon the sourness of the buttermilk and the curd and upon the sweet tooth of the drinker.

     5)    It is best to find the right balance of sour and sweet for total satisfaction. Your tongue is the best judge in the matter.

239) KERALA FISH CURRY

KERALA FISH CURRY

Ingredients:

     1)    King fish slices (any other fish can also be used) – 500 gm.

     2)    Tomatoes – 200 gm.

     3)    Onions – 200 gm.

     4)    Hot green chilies – 2 Nos.

     5)    Ginger – 1 inch piece

     6)    Curry leaves – 3 sprigs

     7)    Fresh coconut – ½

     8)    Tamarind – a big olive sized bit

     9)    Chili powder – 5 teaspoons

     10)                      Fresh turmeric – 1 inch piece OR turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon

     11)                      Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon

     12)                      Fenugreek seeds – ¼ teaspoon

     13)                      Salt – 1½ teaspoons

     14)                      Coconut oil – 2 teaspoons

To Cook:

          Wash the king fish slices (or fillets) in a solution of 15 ml. of vinegar in 1 litre of water. Rinse in 2 or 3 changes of clear water, drain and transfer to a curry vessel. Squeeze the tamarind briskly in 200 ml. of water. Sieve and pour the juice over the fish. Tip in the salt and the chili powder. Discard the stems of the green chilies, slit them lengthwise on one side and put them into the curry vessel.

          Chop the tomatoes roughly to pieces (the size can vary according to your choice) and tip them in. peel the onions and the ginger. Chop the onions to pieces of the same size as the tomatoes and tip them in. Dice the ginger into superfine cubes and put it in too. Stir once and cover with a lid. Let the fish marinate till the coconut paste is ready.

          Grate the coconut and peel the fresh turmeric (in this curry, I have used freshly dug turmeric because of its special aroma). Put the grated coconut together with the fresh turmeric (if fresh turmeric is not available, you can use turmeric powder) into a food processor. Add 100 ml. of water and grind to superfine paste.

          Put the paste into the curry vessel. Stir and add a bit more water to bring the curry to a pourable consistency. Set on high heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, taste and add more salt if required. Lower the heat. Once the fish pieces or fillets turn opaque and whitish, it means that the fish is cooked. Turn off the heat and cover with a lid.

          Set a small pan on low heat. Pour in the coconut oil and throw in the mustard seeds. As soon as they are about to finish popping, tip in the fenugreek seeds. Stir twice. Pull the curry leaves off their sprigs and add. Stir once and switch off the heat. Tip over the contents of the pan into the curry. Stir gently and cover with a lid again.

          Let the curry rest for at least half an hour. Serve with a plate of soft parboiled rice or with hot chappatis or with hot porottas.

Enjoy!!!

Note:

          One of the secrets of great taste in Kerala curries is the fact that coconut is ground to extra fine paste in hand operated granite grinders called ‘ammi’. The ‘ammi’ is a flat rectangular block of granite over which a granite cylinder called ‘ammi kutty’ is pushed to and fro using both hands to grind the paste. The grated coconut and other ingredients such as turmeric and red chilies are stirred and handled with the hands and fingers and this somehow, magically enhances the taste.

238) GABBYA GOJJU

GABBYA GOJJU

      BANANA PITH IN CHILI SAUCE

Ingredients:

     1)    Finely diced edible banana pith (to learn about edible varieties and cutting techniques, please see my gabbya poltho recipe) – 150 gm.

     2)    Tender ginger – ½ inch piece

     3)    Dry hot red chilies – 12 Nos.

     4)    Hot green chili – 1 no.

     5)    Tamarind – an olive sized bit

     6)    Coconut oil – 2 teaspoons

     7)    Asafoetida powder – 2 pinches

     8)    Water – 200 ml.

     9)    Salt – 1¼ teaspoons

To Make:

          Peel the ginger and dice into 3 mm. cubes. Discard the stems of both types of chilies and break each one into 2 pieces (this is to prevent them from bursting when fried).

          Set a small pan on low heat. Pour in the coconut oil and tip in the broken chilies. Stir till the chilies are roasted and give forth the fried chili aroma (this will take only a minute or two). Switch off the heat. Tip over the entire contents of the pan into a food processor. Add the tamarind and pour in half the water (100 ml.). Grind to fine paste.

          Put the diced banana pith and the ginger into a mixing bowl. Pour in the paste. Add the remaining water and tip in the salt together with the asafoetida powder. Mix nicely. Taste and add more salt if required.

          Serve your hot and crunchy gabbya gojju with a nice heap of hot parboiled rice. Dip warm rice balls in the gojju and enjoy over and over again!

Notes:

     1)    If you do not like too much heat, use milder chilies.

     2)    The traditional Konkani method is not to make a chili paste using the food processor but to simply soak the chilies for 30 minutes in tamarind juice and then squeeze them with one’s fingers and then add the banana pith and the ginger cubes to make this gabbya gojju. Of course, no gloves were available in olden times and the cook had to suffer the burning sensation from the hot chilies for a day.

237) GABBYA UPKARI

GABBYA UPKARI

A SIMPLE, CRUNCHY BANANA PITH

SIDE DISH

Ingredients:

     1)    Fresh banana pith (‘Vaazha Kaambe’ in Malayalam, ‘Gabbo’ in Konkani) – 500 gm.

     2)    Dry medium hot red chilies – 3 Nos.

     3)    Hot green chili – 1 no.

     4)    Mustard Seeds – ½ teaspoon

     5)    Coconut oil – 1 tablespoon

     6)    Salt – ½ teaspoon

To Cook:

          In order to select the right banana pith and to use the correct cutting techniques, please go through my earlier gabbya poltho recipe. Dice the banana pith into 3 mm. cubes and set aside. Break each red chili into 2 or 3 pieces and set aside. Slice the hot green chili diagonally into 3 or 4 pieces and put aside.

          Set a cast iron wok on high heat. Pour in the coconut oil and throw in the mustard seeds. As soon as the seeds are about to finish crackling, throw in both types of chili pieces. Stir once and chuck in the diced pith. Tip in the salt and stir well.

          As soon as the pith is heated up, lower the heat and cover with a lid. Stir occasionally. After 5 minutes, taste and add a bit more salt if required. Taste to check whether the upkari is cooked enough to be sweet, soft and juicy. If cooked, switch off the heat. If not, cook covered with the occasional stir.

          Serve hot by itself or as a side dish to rice, to porridge or to cherupayar kanji.

Enjoy!!!

Note:

          To learn the health benefits of eating banana pith, see my gabbya poltho recipe.

236) GABBYA POLTHO

GABBYA POLTHO

A KONKANI NENDRAN BANANA PITH

CURD SALAD

Introduction:

Banana pith, which is available in abundance wherever Nendran banana bunches are harvested, can be a super-healthy ingredient for many wholesome recipes. First of all, you need to make sure whether the banana pith at your disposal is of the right type. Cut off a bit and bite it. If the juice is bitter, it is better to throw it away. Piths of Robusta variants, Mannan and certain Kadali varieties have a bitter taste. If the juice is neutral and bland, it is best for poltho. Nendran, Red banana, Karpura Kadali, Adakka Poovan, Palayankodan and certain other varieties have nice, edible pith. The pith is called ‘Kaambe’ in Malayalam and ‘Gabbo’ in Konkani.

          Banana pith contains a tremendous amount of fibre with large water content and can be eaten both raw as well as cooked. Health conscious juice lovers often drink raw banana pith juice seasoned with salt. Banana pith, prepared in whatsoever way, is an excellent cleanser of your entire digestive, excretory tract. Regular eaters of banana flower pods (see my bondiyé upkari recipe) and banana piths can banish forever the nightmare of piles. The Konkani people prepare several delicious dishes using fresh banana pith.

Ingredients:

     1)    Central pith of the banana stem of Nendran and other sweet varieties which resembles a fluorescent tube light in appearance once all the outer sheathes have been removed – 150 gm.

     2)    Thick fresh curd – 200 ml.

     3)    Mustard seeds – ¼ teaspoon

     4)    Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon

     5)    Coconut oil – 2 teaspoons

     6)    Hot green chili – 1 no.

     7)    Dry hot red chilies – 2 Nos.

     8)    Tender curry leaves – 2 sprigs

     9)    Salt – 1¼ teaspoons

To Make:

          Use a sharp knife to slice the pith into thin discs around 3 mm. thicknesses. When you cut each disc, you will find countless strings of fibre binding each disc to the other.

          These strings resemble cobwebs and need to be removed and discarded by rolling them around your forefinger every time a disc is cut.

          Now stack 4 or 5 discs and dice into fine cubes of around 3 mm. sizes and set aside.

          Now discard the stems of both types of chilies. If you are a chili lover and want your gabbya poltho to be hot, chop the chilies to very fine bits. If however, you prefer sweeter, milder poltho, simply split the chilies into halves or just break each one into 2 or 3 pieces and set aside. Pluck the curry leaves from their sprigs and set aside.

          Put the banana pith cubes into a mixing bowl. Pour in the curd and tip in the salt. Mix nicely. Set a small pan on low heat. Pour in the coconut oil and throw in the mustard seeds. As soon as they are about to finish popping, tip in the cumin seeds. Stir once and tip in the chilies and the curry leaves. Stir twice and switch off the heat. Quickly tip over the entire contents of the pan into the salad. Mix well.

          Your fresh and crunchy gabbya poltho is ready to eat. Pour over a plate of soft parboiled rice and enjoy. You can also relish gabbya poltho just by itself or as a side dish to a feast.

235) AMBO KADGI ADGAI

AMBO KADGI ADGAI

MANGO, TENDER JACKFRUIT PICKLE

A SPECIAL TRADITIONAL KONKANI PICKLE

Ingredients:

     1)    Mature or young (but not tender) green mango chunks (minus the stone) – 600 gm.

     2)    Tender jackfruit chunks (without the peel and the core) – 400 gm. (for tips on cutting, see my kadgi talaasan recipe)

     3)    Coriander seeds – 50 gm.

     4)    Mustard seeds – 100 gm.

     5)    Dry hot red chilies – 100 gm.

     6)    Fenugreek seeds – 20 gm.

     7)    Asafoetida powder – ½ teaspoon

     8)    Powdered salt – 125 gm.

     9)    Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

     10)     Gingelly oil (sesame oil) – 1 teaspoon

To make the pickle powder (for this recipe only):

          Set a cast iron wok (for best taste) on high heat. Pour in the gingelly oil and tip in the mustard seeds, the coriander seeds, the red chilies, the fenugreek seeds and the asafoetida powder. Stir nicely. The mustard seeds will crackle. As the wok heats up and the oil starts to smoke, quickly lower the heat and keep on stirring till the chilies are roasted (the red colour will fade and will turn to creamy orange).

          A nice ‘pickley’ aroma will fill your kitchen. Now switch off the heat and allow to cool naturally. As the cast iron wok continues to retain a lot of heat, there is danger of the ingredients at the bottom getting burnt. So remember to stir occasionally till the wok cools down.

          Once cool, transfer the roasted ingredients to the clean sundried jar of a food processor and grind to fine powder.

To prepare the pickle:

          The mango chunks and the tender jackfruit chunks need to be of somewhat uniform size (½ inch to 1 inch as you prefer) and need to be kept separately. Put the tender jackfruit chunks in a curry vessel. Pour in enough water to immerse the chunks. Tip in the turmeric powder and set on high heat.

          As soon as it starts to boil nicely, switch off the heat and drain off all the hot water (there is no need to cook the tender jackfruit chunks. They only need to be blanched with turmeric to get rid of their gummy taste). Allow the chunks to cool down fully (reach the same temperature as the unblanched mango chunks).

          Select a large airtight glass jar or a food grade polypropylene container to make the pickle. Mix up the powdered salt with your pickle powder in a dry bowl and put in a dry spoon. Now put a handful of mango chunks in the jar followed by a handful of tender jackfruit chunks. Sprinkle some pickle powder over the chunks with the spoon. Repeat the process till all the chunks are in the jar.

          If any pickle powder is left over, tip it in too. Close the lid tightly and shake the jar a little bit to make the chunks settle in nicely. Now open the lid and pour in filtered, purified, drinking water till all the chunks are submerged. Close the lid and keep in a cool, dark place for the pickle to marinate.

          This delicious ambo kadgi adgai is ready to serve after 3 days of marinating. However, you must stir the pickle well before serving since some of the pickle powder may have settled at the base. Once you start using it, remember to keep the jar in the refrigerator for longer shelf life.

Enjoy!!!

Notes:

     1)    I find that use of filtered, purified, drinking water gives the pickle much better keeping quality than when I use boiled and cooled water.

     2)    In tender jackfruit season, the Konkani people love to serve this mango-tender jackfruit pickle in nearly all marriage and festival feasts. Ambo kadgi adgai is verily a treasure for all pickle lovers. In fact, I am sure; all Konkani people living outside India who follow my blog will find their mouths salivating when they see this recipe and its picture since childhood memories are quick to awaken. So quickly lay your hands on some raw mangoes together with a tender jackfruit and let your gastronomic dreams come alive!

234) KERALA PRAWN CURRY

KERALA PRAWN CURRY

MILD, DELICIOUS & YUMMY

Ingredients:

     1)    Fresh small prawns after shelling and cleaning – 600 gm.

     2)    Fresh, fleshy tender drumstick – 200 gm.

     3)    Mature green mango – a side slice

     4)    Tender curry leaves – 3 sprigs

     5)    Fresh coconut – 1 no.

     6)    Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon

     7)    Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon

     8)    Hot red chili powder – 2 teaspoons

     9)    Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon

     10)     Coconut oil – 2 teaspoons

     11)     Hot green chilies – 2 Nos.

     12)     Salt – 1¼ teaspoons

To Cook:

          Cut off the tips of the drumstick and cut it into approximately 2½ inch (6 cm.) long pieces. Cut the mango slice roughly into 2 or 3 pieces. Discard the stems of the green chilies and slit the thicker ends into halves along half their lengths.

          Set a curry vessel on high heat. Put in the drumstick pieces and the chilies and pour in enough water to immerse the pieces. Tip in the salt and the turmeric powder. When it starts to boil, turn down the heat and cover with a lid. Stir occasionally.

          Meanwhile, grate then coconut. Put the grated coconut together with the cumin seeds into a food processor. Pour in just enough water to grind it to superfine paste. Remember, the smoother the paste, the tastier the curry. Now check to see whether the drumstick is cooked. Press with a knife. If the knife goes through the drumstick smoothly and easily, it is cooked.

          Now tip in the cleaned prawns and the split green chilies. Stir occasionally. As soon as the prawns turn white in colour, pour in the coconut paste and stir. Add enough water to bring the curry to a pourable consistency. Turn up the heat. Now add the chili powder and stir nicely.

          Taste and add more salt or chili powder only if required, keeping in mind that this curry is a nice, mild one. Switch off the heat and cover with the lid. Set a small pan on low heat. Pour in the coconut oil and tip in the mustard seeds. When they are about to finish spluttering, pull the curry leaves off their sprigs and put them in. stir once and switch off the heat.

          Pour the entire contents of the pan into the curry. Stir and cover again. Let the curry rest for at least 30 minutes (the more it rests, the tastier it becomes). Serve hot with a heap of soft parboiled rice. Do cook and enjoy this simple, healthy, wonderful curry for certain!

Bon appétit!!!