Mula Ambat (Radish Coconut Curry)

Mula Ambat is a radish coconut curry flavoured with a Konkani spice Teppal and a dry fruit Kokum.  Quite an easy recipe with very few ingredients.

Ingredients:
Radish/Moola/Mulangi - about 2 cups
Grated Coconut (fresh or frozen) - about 1 cup
Dry Red Chillies - 5
Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp
Teppal/Triphal/Schezuan Pepper - 8
Kokam/Amsol/Birinda Sol - 4 pieces
Salt

How to prepare Mula Ambat:
1. Peel the radish skin and dice it into bite size pieces. 
2. Heat 2 - 3 cups water in a pot.  Add diced radish and cook it covered till radish turns soft.  Save the water for grinding the coconut paste.
3. Grind coconut, turmeric and red chillies to a fine paste.  Add teppal and grind the coconut paste for few seconds, just enough to get the aroma of teppal.  This coconut sauce/gravy is called as Teppala Masalo and any other veggies can be cooked in a similar way. 
4. Now add the coconut paste to the cooked radish and bring it to a boil.  Lastly, add kokam and cook it for another minute or so.  Kokam is a sour fruit, add more or less pieces to suit your taste.  You can also add little jaggery or sugar if you like.  Turn off the heat and add a few drops of coconut oil if you like.  Serve with rice, chapati or dosa.

Teppal

Kokam