One Day At A Time!

A crisp savoury deep fried snack made of gram flour/chickpea flour.  Shev/Sev is known as Karo in Konkani.  Also made as festival food during Diwali.  Ingredients: Besan/Gram Flour/Chickpea Flour - 3 cups Ajwain/Owa/Carom seeds - 2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper/Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp (optional) Salt Oil Method: 1. Coarsely grind Carom seeds. 2. In a mixing bowl add gram flour, ground carom seeds, turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt.  Add about 1/2 cup water and knead all the ingredients to a soft dough.  Add few drops of oil and knead the dough well.  Keep the dough (covered) aside for about an hour. 3. Grease the chakali/shev mould with oil.  Stuff the mould with gram flour dough. 4. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadhai/wok.  Hold the shev mould above the kadhai and press (or turn depending on the mould) and deep fry the shev.  Be careful while turning the...

I have always loved Maharashtrian food. But my most favorite are sago recipes -  Sabudana Wadas and Sago Khichdi. And especially, when my Mom cooks this Sabudanyachi Khichdi with aromatic cilantro leaves. Here I am cooking my Mom's recipe reminiscing my childhood days in my US kitchen.

A coconut chutney made with ridge gourd peels.  I have learnt this from my Mom, just as all other Konkani recipes.  Ridge gourd is called as Ghosale in Konkani. Ingredients: Ridge Gourd peels - about 1 cup Grated/Shredded Coconut - 1 cup Green chillies - 8 Tamarind - very small piece Salt Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp Red chillies - 2 Curry leaves/Kadipata - a sprig Asafoetida/Hing - 1/8 tsp Oil Method: 1.  Heat a pan and roast the ridge gourd peels for about a minute, to get rid of moisture if any.  Add few drops of oil and continue roasting till the raw smell goes off (about 3 - 5 minutes at low flame).   The peels will wilt a little.  Let it cool. 2. Slit the green chillies lengthwise and roast them in a pan with few drops of oil.  Roast till colour changes slightly. 3. Grind roasted peels, roasted green chillies, coconut, tamarind and salt to a fine or slightly coarse paste. 4. For tempering/tadka, heat little oil and add...

I am sure everyone likes potatoes.  We do too.  I like to cook potato with a combination of different vegetables, especially fresh greens.  Aloo (Potato) Methi (Fenugreek) is one of our favorites with soft phulka.

A Konkani style fish fry.  Semolina/Rava crusted fish with garlic.  You can try the same recipe for Mackerel, Sardine and Pomfret as well.   Ingredients: Tilapia - 1/2 pound Semolina/Rava/Sooji - 1/2 cup Cayenne Pepper/Red chilli powder - 3 tbsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Tamarind Paste - 1 tsp Garlic - 4 big cloves Salt - about 1/2 tsp Oil Method: 1. In a mixing bowl, add cayenne pepper, turmeric, tamarind paste, crushed garlic and salt.  Add about 1 - 2 tbsp water and mix all the ingredients well to form a thick paste. 2. Add the washed tilapia pieces in this paste, coat them well.  Keep it covered (preferably refrigerated) for about an hour or more.  3. Coat the marinated tilapia pieces in semolina.  (You can add salt, cayenne pepper in semolina as well.)  Discard the garlic pieces.  4. Heat a frying pan and add about 1 tbsp oil.  Shallow fry the semolina coated tilapia pieces t...

I grew up eating Idlis and Dosas for breakfast. Konkani food, a coastal Cuisine has shades of both South Indian and Maharashtrian food. Pohe called as Phovu in Konkani, Uppit or Upma  are also part of our breakfast. My Mom made sure that we enjoy something different everyday, even in terms of chutney. This coconut chutney with red chilies called as  Kande Tamboli  in Konkani is my favorite with Idlis.   Ingredients: Grated Coconut - 1 cup Dry Red Chillies (Byadagi) - 6 Tamarind/Chinch/Chincham Paste - about 1/4 tsp Finely chopped Red Onions - 2 tbsp Salt How to prepare Coconut Chutney: Grind grated/shredded coconut, red chillies, tamarind, salt to a fine or a slightly coarse paste. I prefer mild Byadagi variety of dry red chillies which are well known in Maharashtra and Karnataka for their color. Add finely chopped onions just before serving. If you don't like raw onions, add 1/4 tsp asafoetida or hing. Both versions taste great with...

A simple breakfast recipe.  An instant Konkani pancake recipe made of rice flour. Ingredients: Rice Flour - 1 cup leveled Grated/Shredded Coconut - 3/4 cup Finely chopped Onions - 3/4 cup Green chillies - 8 Cilantro/Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup Finely chopped Ginger - 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera seeds - 1 tsp Water - 1 cup Salt Oil Method: 1. Finely chop onions, green chillies, ginger and cilantro. 2. Mix rice flour, chopped onions, green chillies, ginger, cilantro, cumin, grated coconut and salt.  Add about 1 cup water and mix all the ingredients well.  Use Coconut water if available. 3. Heat a pan/tawa. Spread a handful of the above mixture evenly as thin as possible using hands.  While spreading lowering the heat helps. 4. Drizzle little oil on top and at the sides.  Flip it after a minute or so and roast both sides till golden brown. 5. Rice Thaalipith is ready to serve.

Semolina/Rava coated crisp Salmon Fry tastes good with steamed rice and Kokam Kadhi . Ingredients: Salmon - 1 pound Cayenne Pepper/Red chilli powder - 3 tbsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp Tamarind pulp - 1 tsp Semolina/Rava/Sooji - about 3/4 cup Peanut/Groundnut Oil Salt Method: 1. In a mixing bowl, add cayenne pepper, turmeric, tamarind and salt.  Add about 1 - 2 tbsp water and mix well to form a thick paste. 2. Add washed salmon pieces in the paste, coat them well and keep them aside for about 45 minutes. 3. Take semolina in a plate.  Coat the marinated salmon pieces in semolina. 4. Shallow fry the salmon pieces, about 3 - 5 minutes each side drizzling little oil. 

Chaimui is a Konkani dessert made from curdled milk.  In summer, milk gets spoilt easily.  You can make this dessert with such curdled milk.  If you dont like using spoilt milk, you can use lemon juice and a dessert like Kalakand is ready.  Cooking time is 5 - 10 minutes, much lesser than Kalakand. My Dear Aai's easy recipe -:) Ingredients: Milk - 500 ml Lemon juice - 1 tsp Sugar - about 2 tsp Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 1 pod Pistachios or any nuts - 4 (optional) Method: 1. Heat milk in a heavy bottomed vessel.  After milk starts boiling, turn off the gas and add lemon juice.  Milk will start curdling.  (In case of spoilt milk, follow the method from step 2 as lemon juice is not required to curdle milk.) 2. Once the chenna settles, sieve/strain through a strainer.  Use a spoon to press out excess water.  Discard the liquid. 3. Add the chenna in a heavy bottomed vessel and cook for 2 minutes.  Add sugar, grou...

Acorn Squash is similar to Pumpkin/Lal Bhopla/Kadoo in taste. Few months back I had blogged about Duddhe Upkari or Lal Bhopla Bhaji . This recipe is similar to that, but with acorn squash and minus coconut. Ingredients: Acorn Squash - 2 cups Green chilies - 8 Curry Leaves - a sprig Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Asafetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Jaggery or Brown Sugar - 1 tsp Salt Oil How to cook Acorn Squash Bhaji: Peel the squash skin and discard the seeds. Cut it into bite sized pieces. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadhai/wok and add mustard seeds, asafetida and curry leaves. When mustard seeds splutter, add squash pieces and lengthwise slit green chilies. Cook it covered. When squash gets cooked and soft, add salt and jaggery. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add chopped cilantro and Stir fry Squash is ready.

When we talk of Indian flatbreads, the popular Tanduri Naan or Roti comes to our mind. Today's Konkani flatbread recipe is not made of wheat flour, but of cooked rice. This Bhakri recipe is similar to the unleavened flatbread made of Rice flour and/or Jowar flour, quite popular in Maharashtra. Ingredients: Cooked Rice - 1 cup Rice flour - about 2 cups Salt Oil How to cook Rice Bhakri: Grind cooked rice in the mixer adding little water. Add salt, rice flour and knead into a soft dough. Add more rice flour if required. You can also use leftover rice for this Bhakri recipe. Make round balls.  Roll each ball like chapati in between 2 food wrap sheets.  While rolling each bhakri, apply oil to the plastic to avoid sticking. Traditionally, banana leaf is used to roll this bhakri. Instead of rolling pin, you can spread the dough ball with hands. Roast bhakri on a tawa/griddle drizzling little oil.  Serve Bhakri with a chutney or a sp...

Easy and quick pancakes made of Semolina and Cucumber. A Konkani recipe which is like thaalipith and also known as Sajjige Roti in Kannada. Ingredients: Semolina/Rava/Sooji - 1 1/4 cups Grated Coconut - about 1 cup Grated Cucumber - about 1/2 cup Cumin/Jeera seeds - 1 tsp Chopped Green Chilies - 4 Water - 1 cup Sugar - 1/2 tsp Salt - about 1/2 tsp Oil How to cook Konkani Rave Bhakri: Mix all the above ingredients except oil in a mixing bowl. Let it rest for 5 - 10 minutes. Soaking semolina for a longer time will make the pancakes too soft and not crisp. Add coconut water if available, enhances its taste. Heat a pan/tawa, add few drops of oil. Spread a handful of the above mixture evenly as thin as possible with hands. While spreading lowering the heat helps.  Flip it after a minute or when the edges dry. Drizzle few drops of oil all over the pancake and roast it till golden brown on both sides. Rave Bhakri is ready to binge. If the pancake ...

We all are told greens are good for you. I try to include it in our everyday diet. More than spinach, I like Dill leaves, Fenugreek leaves. If you are looking for greens other than Palak, try this Konkani style Shepuchi Bhaji.  Dill is known as Shepu in Marathi and Sabasgi Soppu in Kannada . Dill has a peculiar aroma. This is the way my Mom makes and I love it with Bhakri. Ingredients: Dill/Shepu/Sabasgi - a bunch Chana Dal/Split Chickpeas - 1/4 cup (optional) Onions - 2 medium Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/4 tsp Green chillies - 6 Garlic - 5 cloves Salt Oil How to cook Shepu or Dill leaves Bhaji: Soak chana dal in water for 20 - 30 minutes. If you soak it longer, it will take lesser time to cook. You can also use Mung Dal instead of Chana Dal. If you are not a fan of lentils, use diced potatoes. Potatoes blend well with any other vegetable. Crush the garlic cloves and medium chop the onions. Pick the dill leaflets and tender stems. Wash them well. Roughly chop ...

AluWadi or Patra or Patrado is a roll made of Arum/Colocasia/Taro root leaves .  Since Arum leaves are not available here, I had experimented making rolls with mustard leaves, lettuce leaves and collard greens.  I found Collard Greens taste the best. Aluchi Wadi in Marathi, Patra in Gujarati and Patrado in Konkani.

A K onkani vegetable Idli recipe which is a good change from the regular rice idli. My Mother-in-law's recipe again.  I make it mildly sweet. For Cucumber Idli I used sugar, but for this I tried jaggery and it tasted better. Whenever pumpkin is not available, I use Butternut Squash and squash idlis taste great too. Ingredients: Grated Pumpkin/Kadoo - 4 cups Grated Coconut - 3/4 cup Idli Rava (Cream of Raw Rice) - 1 cup Jaggery or Brown sugar - about 3/4 cup Salt - 1/2 tsp Coconut Oil or Ghee/Clarified Butter How to cook Konkani Dudde Idli: Peel the pumpkin skin and grate it. In a mixing bowl, add grated pumpkin, grated coconut (fresh or frozen), idli rava, jaggery, salt. Mix all the ingredients well. Add more or less sugar to suit your taste. Grease the idli plates with little coconut oil or clarified butter or any other oil. Add the above mixture in the idli mold/mould and steam it for about 12 - 15 minutes. Remove the cooker lid and...

Sasam is the Konkani name for Mustard seeds .  Dodak is thick, unfermented  dosa made of urad dal and semolina.  Authentically, Sasama Dhodak is made in a bowl shaped pan/Kadhai.  I tried it using a regular nonstick pan. You can change the amount of Semolina and Urad dal as per your choice.  Too much Semolina will make the dosa hard.  You can also ferment the ground urad dal like a regular dosa, but do not add semolina and other ingredients for fermentation. Ingredients: Urad dal/Split Black Gram - 1 cup Rava/Sooji/Semolina - 1 1/2 cup Ginger - 1/2 inch piece Green Chillies - 8 Coconut Slices - about 1/2 cup Cumin/Jeera seeds - 1 tsp Mustard Seeds Salt Oil Method: 1. Soak urad dal in water for 30 - 45 min.  2. Wash urad dal well.  Grind urad dal and green chillies into a fine paste. 3. Add semolina, salt, finely chopped ginger, cumin seeds and coconut slices to the batter. 4. Add water to soak the semolina...

Kokam ( Garcinia indica ) is a round dark coloured sour fruit which looks similar to a plum.  Its dry skin is used for making Sol Kadhi .  Dry Kokum skin, called as Aamsol or Sol or Birindasol is also used as a substitute for tamarind in coconut curries.  I am not sure about its English name Purple Mangosteen.

Easy and quick snack made of parched rice or Poha and requires no cooking at all. This Konkani recipe of Godda Phovu  is made of thin Poha also known as flattened rice or beaten rice or parched rice. Konkani phovu recipes are both sweet and savory. Savory Poha recipes are similar to Maharashtrian Dadpe Pohe . Today I am sharing a simple sweet recipe which needs only 5 ingredients. And with thawed frozen coconut, I need less than 15 minutes for this sweet treat. This recipe can also be made by preparing a sugar syrup, but I always go with the easiest one.

A Konkani coconut curry with whole Mung sprouts. Ingredients: Mung Bean/Whole Green Gram - 1/2 cup Grated Coconut - about 1 cup Thin Coconut Slices - about 1/4 cup Green Chillies - 2 Coriander Seeds/Dhane - 1 tbsp Dry Red Chillies - 4 (Byadagi Variety) Turmeric/Haldi - 1/8 tsp Tamarind/Chinch - small piece Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil Method: 1. Soak Mung Beans for 5 - 6 hours.  Drain the water and keep it covered overnight to get sprouts.  Alternately, you can tie the soaked mung in a cloth and keep it overnight.  2. Wash the sprouts.  Cook the sprouts and coconut slices in about 2 cups water till soft. 3. Wash the curry leaves and pat them dry.  Slit the green chillies lengthwise.  4. Roast the coriander seeds and red chillies with little oil, till the coriander seeds slightly darken. 5. Grind grated coconut, roasted coriander seeds...

Every Konkani delicacy has coconut and today's recipe is no exception. Upkari is a mild stir fry of vegetables with fresh coconut. Ingredients: French Beans/Farasbi - 300 gms Green Chilies or Dry Red Chilies - 5 Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Asafetida - 1/4 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - a pinch (optional) Grated Coconut - about 3 tbsp Jaggery/Gud/Gul - about 1 tsp Oil preferably Coconut oil Salt  How to cook Beans Upkari: Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a kadhai/wok, add mustard seeds and asafetida. After mustard seeds pop, add chopped beans. Sauté for a minute and lengthwise slit green chilies.  Stir and cook it covered at low flame for 5 - 10 minutes. Keep stirring after every 2 minutes. You can add water if you like. When beans turn soft, add salt, jaggery, grated coconut and turmeric. I generally use frozen shredded coconut. Cook for 5 more minutes and its ready to serve with dal rice or chapati.