One Day At A Time!

My last blog post was Ambe Sasam . Today I am back with another Konkani savory sweet recipe with mangoes. Upkari in Konkani is a less spicy veggie stir fry with coconut. This is a Mango Upkari recipe where mangoes are cooked in a similar way. I have used Mexican Champagne Mangoes which are easily available here in US. Ingredients: Mangoes - 4 medium Grated Coconut - about 3 tbsp Green Chilies - 1 or 2 Dry Red Chilies - 1 Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 1/4 tsp Fenugreek/Methi Seeds - 1/8 tsp Curry Leaves - a sprig Asafetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/8 tsp Jaggery or Brown Sugar - 1 tsp Oil preferably Coconut Oil Salt How to cook Konkani Ambe Upkari: Wash curry leaves and pat them dry. Wash and peel the mango skin. Heat about 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, red chillies (break it into 2 - 3 parts) and asafetida. When mustard seeds pop, add the peeled whole mang...

Sasam is an iconic Konkani delicacy. A friend of mine ate this Sasam at a Konkani wedding and asked for its recipe. So here it is. A sweet and savory fruit salad with coconut and mustard seeds. Generally, this fruit salad is made with mango (Ambe), pineapple (Avanas) with a few grapes. This treat gets its name from mustard, which in Konkani is called as Sasam. Ingredients: Mango (chopped) - about 2 cups Pineapple (chopped) - about 11/2 cups Red Grapes (halved) - 1/2 cup Shredded Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1 1/2 cups Mustard Seeds/Saasam - 1/2 tsp Dry Red Chilies  (Byadagi variety)  - 2 or 3 Turmeric/Haldi - 1/8 tsp Jaggery/God/Gool (grated) - 3 tsp Salt - 1/8 tsp How to make Konkani Ambe Sasam: Peel the mango skin and dice the flesh into bite size pieces. Repeat the same for pineapple as well. Cut the grapes into halves. You can make this Sasam with just mango as well. I like adding grapes for a little more color. You can skip grapes. Grin...

Konkani pan fried potato fritters with a crisp semolina crust.  Easy yet tasty appetizers.  Eggplant/baingan and arum root/colocasia root fritters can also be relished in a similar way.   Ingredients: Potato - 1 big Semolina/Rava/Sooji - 1/2 cup Red Chilli Powder/Cayenne Pepper - 1 tbsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/8 tsp Tamarind/Imli/Chinch - small piece Salt Oil Method: 1. Peel the potato skin and dice it into thick round slices. 2. In a mixing bowl, add potato slices.  Add red chilli powder, turmeric, tamarind, salt on the slices.  Mix/Toss well  and keep it covered for 30 - 40 minutes. 3. Coat the potato slices in semolina.  Heat a pan and add 1 tbsp oil.  Fry the semolina coated potato till crisp.  Check with a spatula to see if potatoes are cooked.  Shallow fried and crisp Batatya Phodi or Kaap is ready. 4. Instead of semolina you can use corn meal (not corn flour) which has similar texture as semolina.  You can also...

Nevri in Konkani is a coconut stuffed sweet snack.  Also known as Karanji in Marathi. Ingredients: All Purpose Flour/Maida - 1 cup Semolina/Rava/Sooji - 1/4 cup Grated Coconut - 1 1/2 cups Sugar - about 1/2 cup Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 4 pods (seeds only) Salt Oil How to make Nevri or Karanji: In a mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, semolina and salt. Mix and make a well in the centre. Add 1 tbsp oil and mix again. Now add water and knead well to form a firm dough. Add little more oil and knead again to slightly soften the dough. Keep the dough covered for an hour or so. Grind the grated coconut using little water so that the coconut turns to a coarse powder, about a minute. Heat about 1 tbsp ghee/clarified butter or oil and add the ground coconut.  Saute for few minutes at low flame. Now add sugar and continue cooking till the coconut stuffing turns to a dry powder. Turn off the heat and add cardamom powder. You can a...

A Konkani version of potato stew.  One of my Mom's recipes - simple yet tasty. Ingredients: Mashed Boiled Potato - about 1 cup Dry Red Chillies - 2 Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig (optional) Garlic - 2 big cloves Ginger - 1/2 inch piece Green Chillies - 4 Coriander Seeds/Dhane/Dhania - 1 tsp Tamarind Paste - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Salt Oil Method: 1. Grind coriander seeds to a coarse powder.  Crush ginger and garlic.  Slit the green chillies lengthwise and finely chop cilantro.  Pat the washed curry leaves dry. 2. In a mixing bowl, add mashed potatoes, leave a few chunks unmashed.  Add coriander powder, crushed ginger, chopped cilantro, green chillies, tamarind paste, turmeric and salt.  Add about 1 cup water and mix all the ingredients well with a spoon. 3. Heat about 2 tsp oil in a pan.  Add crushed garlic, curry leaves and red chillies.  Saute till garlic turns gold...

Back home in my Mom's kitchen, every Monday was a Sago special.  My favorite breakfast, since I love both sago and potatoes.  In my kitchen, sago delicacies are part of our weekend brunch, some days Sabudana Khichdi and some days Thaalipeeth.  I am sure you all love the popular Sabudana Wada .  Its my fave too, but deep frying doesn't sound healthy, right?  For calorie conscious foodies, these savory pancakes with the goodness of potatoes are perfect.  These taste similar to Sago Wadas, but with a lot less calories.

Earlier I had blogged about Idli Fry . Here is another easy and fast snack made from leftover idlis . In Konkani, we call this as Idli Usli . You might know it as Idli Upma . Ingredients: Idli - 10 small Grated Coconut - about 3/4 cup Green Chilies - 6 Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Asafetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Oil preferably Coconut Oil Salt How to make Idli Upma with leftover Idli: Crumble the idlis with hands to a powder. Add salt keeping in mind that idlis do have little salt. Mix and keep it aside.  Wash green chilies, curry leaves. Pat them dry to avoid oil spluttering. Slit the green chilies lengthwise. Heat 2 - 3 tbsp coconut oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, green chilies, curry leaves and asafetida. When mustard seeds pop, add crumbled idlis and grated coconut. Sauté at low flame to mix all the ingredients for about 5 minutes. Simple yet tasty Idly Upma is ready. 

HAPPY MAKAR SANKRANTI!  HAPPY PONGAL!  A Sankranti special sweet rice with lentils. Ingredients: Mung Dal/Split Green Gram - 1/2 cup Raw Rice - 1 cup Grated Coconut (fresh or frozen) - about 3/4 cup Jaggery or Brown Sugar - about 1/2 cup Cashews - 10 Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 5 pods Ghee/Clarified Butter Method: 1. Heat about 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy bottom pan.  Add mung dal (or whole mung bean with skin) and roast at low flame.  Saute till mung dal turns aromatic, about 5 minutes.  Save it for later. 2. Heat about 2 tbsp ghee in the same pan and add rice.  (I used Basmati, you can use your favourite variety of rice.)  Saute till rice turns fragrant, about 5 minutes. 3. In the same vessel, to the roasted rice, add roasted mung dal and 4 - 5 cups water.  Cook till both rice and mung dal turn soft.  Add more water if required. 4. When both rice and dal get cooked, add coconut, b...

A Konkani coconut curry with raw mango and an urad methi tempering. Ingredients: Grated Coconut - 3/4 cup Raw Mango/Kairi - 1 small Coriander Seeds/Dhania - 1 tbsp Dry Red Chillies (Byadagi) - 5 Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 1/8 tsp Fenugreek/Methi Seeds - 1/8 tsp Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Tamarind/Imli/Chinch - small piece Salt Oil Method: 1. Heat about 1 tsp oil in a pan and add coriander seeds, red chillies.  Saute till coriander seeds turn slightly brown and aromatic. 2. Grind coconut, turmeric, tamarind, roasted coriander seeds, red chillies with water to a slightly coarse paste. 3. Heat 1 - 2 tsp oil in a kadhai/wok and add urad dal, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, asafoetida.  When mustard seeds pop, add the ground paste, raw mango and salt.  Add water according to the desired consistency. 4. Cook till (sliced) mango flesh turns soft.  5. Serve with hot steamed rice.

Tomato Saar is similar to a tomato Soup or a tomato rasam, generally served with rice. Ingredients: Tomatoes - 4 medium Green Chillies - 3 Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Garlic - 3 big cloves Salt Oil How to cook Tomato Saar: 1. Heat about 10 cups water in a vessel.  Bring it to a boil and add whole tomatoes.  Turn off the heat and keep it covered for 15 - 20 minutes. 2. When the tomatoes cool down, peel the tomato skin.  Puree the peeled tomatoes to a smooth paste. 3. Heat 1 - 2 tsp oil in a pot.  Add crushed garlic cloves, cumin seeds and lengthwise slit green chillies.  Saute till garlic turns golden brown.  Add the tomato puree, salt and freshly ground black pepper powder.  Bring it to a boil and garnish with cilantro.  Enjoy hot Tomato Saar with rice or slurp as a soup.

We Konkani foodies love coconut in every dish. Today's post is a simple yet flavorful vegetable stir fry with coconut. Ingredients: Ridge Gourd/Ghosali - 300 gm Green Chilies or Dry Red Chilies - 4 Grated Coconut - about 1/2 cup Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Asafetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Grated Jaggery or Sugar - 1/4 tsp Oil - 1 tbsp Salt How to cook Konkani Ghosale Upkari: Wash and peel the ridge gourd. Dice the ridge gourd into bite size pieces and place them in a bowl of water. Pat the green chilies dry and slit them lengthwise. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, asafetida. When mustard seeds pop, add diced ridge gourd and mix. Cook it covered. No need to add water.  After about 5 minutes, when ridge gourd gets cooked, add salt, coconut, green chilies, jaggery. Cook for 5 more minutes or till water (from ridge gourd) gets evaporated. Serve Ghosale Upkari with steamed rice.

We Konkanis prepare many kinds of Idlis for breakfast. So far, you have read about Dudde (Pumpkin) Idli and Tavshe (Cucumber) Idli . Here is another one - Rave Idli made of Semolina/Rava. This is especially made on auspicious occasions or fasts. Ingredients: Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 1/2 cup Rava/Sooji/Semolina - 1 cup Baking Soda - 1/8 tsp (a pinch) Salt Oil How to cook Konkani Rave Idli: Soak Urad Dal for about 2 hours. Wash soaked dal well. Grind soaked dal with about 1 cup water to a smooth fine paste. Let the ground urad dal ferment overnight, preferably in a warm place.  Fermentation is not necessary. For instant idlis without fermentation, add more baking soda. Roast Rava at low flame until it turns aromatic, for 10 - 15 minutes. Let it cool. Grease the idli plates with little oil or cooking spray. Add the roasted rava, baking soda and salt to the fermented urad dal. Add enough water (about 1 cup) and mix well to remove lump...

For rice dishes like Pulav, Bisible Bhaath, we love a yogurt side dish. Even with Dal Rice, I like a dollop of yogurt.  When I have a few minutes to spare, rather than plain yogurt, I make this easy and quick pumpkin raita. One of my dearest Aai's (Mom) recipes which I love.  Since its not a spicy dish, this veggie raita is good for kids too.

Konkani Baingan ka Bharta. Charred/Roasted Eggplant with coconut and raw onions. Ingredients: Eggplant/BrinjalBaingan/Vaangi - 1 big Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup Red Onion - 1 small Green Chillies - 2 Dry Red Chillies (Byadagi) - 2 Tamarind paste - 1/4 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil - few drops Method: 1. Wash the eggplant and pat it dry.  Make 3 - 4 long slits to check for worms.  Apply oil to the eggplant and roast it on a stove top.  Alternatively, you can place the eggplant in a broiler as well.  Place a pan underneath in a broiler to collect the juice.  Roast till the eggplant skin turns black and crisp.  Keep turning from time to time.  Discard the juice. 2. Keep the hot charred/roasted eggplant covered with a vessel for 15 - 20 minutes. 3. Finely chop onion. 4. Grind grated coconut, red chillies, green chillies, turmeric, tamarind and salt to a fine paste with little water. 5. Peel the eggplant skin.  After roasting, the...

Tempered buttermilk/chaas/taak gets ready within minutes and tastes great with steamed rice.  In Konkani, this is also called as Phanna Taak. Ingredients: Curd/Yogurt - 1 cup Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Curry Leaves/Kadhipata - a sprig Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Ginger - 1/2 inch piece Salt Oil Method: 1. Wash curry leaves and green chillies.  Pat them dry.  Crush the ginger piece. 2. Beat/Blend the curd with about 2 cups water, salt and turmeric.  Add more water if required. 3. Heat 1 - 2 tsp oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies and asafoetida. When mustard seeds pop, turn off the heat.  Alternatively, a garlic tadka can also be added. 4. Pour this tempering/tadka/phann over the curd.  Add crushed ginger, chopped cilantro and mix. 5. Serve Taaka Kadi with steamed rice or as a drink.

Savoury crackers called as Shankarpali/Shankarpalya in Marathi and Konkani.  Also known as Tukdi in Konkani. My Dear Mom's easy recipe for Diwali Faraal or Diwali Khaan.

Ingredients: Raw Mango - 1 big Garlic - 4 big cloves Cayenne Pepper/Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Salt - about 1/2 tsp Oil - 2 tbsp Method: 1. Wash the mango and pat it dry.  Cut the mango into bite sized pieces.  Crush the peeled garlic cloves. 2. Heat about 2 tbsp oil and turn off the heat.  Let the oil cool. 3. In a (dry) mixing bowl, add the cooled oil.  Add cayenne pepper, turmeric, salt, black pepper powder, crushed garlic and mix well with a dry spoon.  Lastly add the mango pieces and mix to coat the mango pieces well. 4. Store the pickles in an air tight container. 

A Konkani Arum or Colocasia coconut Curry - less spicy, easy, simple yet tasty.    Maddi in Konkani is just another version of Colocasia root or Arbi or Arvi. Ingredients: Arum Root/Taro Root/Colocasia Root -  500 gms Onion - 1 medium Grated Coconut - 1 cup Dry Red Chillies (Byadagi variety) - 8 Coriander seeds - 11/2 tbsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Tamarind - small pebble size Salt Oil How to cook Arbi or Maddi Ambat: 1. Peel the arum and dice it into bite sized pieces.  While cutting arum, apply few drops of oil to your hands to avoid itching sensation.  Cook the arum pieces in 1 - 2 cups water till soft. 2. Heat about 1 - 2 tsp oil in a pan.  Roast the red chillies for 2 - 3 minutes at low flame or till they turn crisp.  Keep them aside.  Roast the coriander seeds with few drops of oil till they turn slightly brown and aromatic. 3. Grind roasted red chillies, roasted coriander seeds, grated coconut, tu...

A North Canara Konkani coconut curry with okra or bhindi. Less spicy, creamy curry tastes great with steamed rice. One of my Aai's recipes which I just love. Ingredients: Okra/Lady's finger/Bhindi - 450 gm Chopped Ginger - 1/2 tsp Green Chilies - 2 Split Black Gram/Urad dal - 1/8 tsp Fenugreek/Methi seeds - 1/8 tsp Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp Jaggery or Brown sugar - 1 tsp Salt Oil Grated Coconut - 1 cup Coriander/Dhania seeds - 1 tbsp Dry Red Chilies (Byadagi variety) - 5 Tamarind - small piece Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp How to cook Konkani Bhenda Ghashi: Roast red chilies, coriander seeds with few drops of oil till they turn  golden brown and aromatic.  Grind roasted red chilies, roasted coriander seeds, grated coconut, tamarind, turmeric to a fine paste using about 1/2 cup water. Heat about 1 tsp oil in a skillet or kadhai. Add mustard, fenugreek, black gram seeds. After the seeds pop, add diced (medium size) okra, finely chopped gi...

Few days back I had blogged about an Okra Coconut Chutney recipe.  If you liked that chutney, this one with sauteed Cucumbers is definitely for you. Ingredients: Grated/Shredded Coconut - 1 cup Roasted split Chickpeas/Bengal gram/Dalia - 1/4 cup (optional) Finely Chopped Cucumber - 3/4 cup Green chillies - 8 Tamarind pulp - 1/2 tsp Salt Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Curry leaves/Kadipata - a sprig Dry Red Chillies - 2 Oil