Konkani Khatkhate / Khatkhata

A Konkani recipe of mixed vegetables with coconut and lentils (tur dal). A varied mix of fresh veggies like pumpkin, green beans, drumsticks along with corn cob make this coconut curry a relish. Based on the veggies available, you can also add ridge gourd, snake gourd, potatoes, sweet potatoes, arum root, etc.
This no onion garlic delicacy is more common among North Canara households during festivities like Ganesh Chaturthi.
I personally don't like certain vegetables for this curry - cauliflower, radish, cabbage which have a peculiar aroma. Pumpkin and corn are my favorites.

Ingredients:
Grated Coconut - about 3/4 cup
Dry Red Chillies - 7 (Byadagi variety)
Tur Dal/Split Pigeon Peas - 1/2 cup
Kokam/Sol - about 5 pieces
Teppal/Triphal/Schezuan Pepper - about 10
Jaggery or Brown Sugar - 1 1/2 tsp
Salt

Green/French Beans - about 25
Drumsticks/Shevga Shenga - 1
Potato - 1 medium
Pumpkin/Lal Bhopla/Kadoo - about 1 cup
Green Peas - 1/2 cup
Corn Cob - 1

How to cook Konkani Khatkhate Curry:

• Wash tur dal and cook dal with about 1 cup water till it turns soft. Mash the cooked dal with a spoon.
• Dice the corn cob into 3 or 4 pieces. Cook them with enough water and little salt till the corn kernels turn soft. Drain the water and save them for later.
• Grind coconut, (mild) byadagi red chilies and turmeric with little water to a smooth paste. Add teppal and grind the paste again for few seconds, just enough to get the aroma of teppal. In Konkani, this is called as Teppala Masalo/Masol.
• Below is a picture of a popular Konkani spice called Teppal. It is called as Triphal in Marathi. I guess, its English name is Schezuan Pepper, a spice commonly used in Chinese food. Fresh Teppal is green in color, which is much more aromatic than the dry brown teppal.

• Cut the ends of green beans, remove the strings and cut them into big pieces. Chop the drumstick into 3 or 4 pieces. Dice the potato and pumpkin into big cubes, peeling the skin is optional. You can substitute pumpkin with butternut squash or any other squash in case pumpkin is not available. Place all the veggies in a bowl of water.
• Heat 1 - 2 cups of water in a big pot. Add all the veggies and cook them covered. When the veggies are almost done, add cooked corn cobs, ground coconut paste and mashed tur dal. Bring it to a boil. Now add kokam, salt and jaggery (to suit your taste). Cook till you get the desired consistency. Serve Khatkhate or Khatkhata with steamed rice.
• Below is a picture of Kokam. It is known as Kokam or Aamsol in Marathi and Birindasol in Konkani. Its a sour fruit like plum and the dried skin is used to flavor coconut curries in Konkani cuisine.