341) KONKANI TENDER BAMBOO PICKLE

KONKANI TENDER BAMBOO PICKLE

KIRLU AMBADA NONCHE

Introduction:

          Konkani kirlu ambada nonche is a supremely delicious, hot, tangy and salty tender bamboo and hog plum pickle. Traditionally, this pickle is prepared using fresh unprocessed tender bamboo pickle. You can also make the pickle using salted tender bamboo pieces (see my tender bamboo in Konkani cuisine article). While using fresh bamboo, the sap is retained and the bamboo pieces are crisp and crunchy.

          When you use salted bamboo, the pieces are soft. So too, as hog plums were not available, I have used fresh green acerola cherries which grow in our courtyard with surprising results. They are crisp, tangy and thrillingly delicious. This pickle will truly sweep you off your feet!

Ingredients:

     1)    Kirlu (fresh tender bamboo, Mulankoombe in Malayalam) pieces or juliennes – 300 gm. 

     2)    Green acerola cherries – 200 gm. OR fresh tender hog plums – 200 gm.

     3)    Mustard (preferably sun-dried for 2 hours) – 50 gm.

     4)    Dry Kashmiri chilies (preferably sun-dried for 2 hours) – 25 gm.

     5)    Dry hot red chilies (preferably sun-dried for 2 hours) – 25 gm.

     6)    Asafoetida powder – 2 gm. (½ teaspoon)

     7)    Salt – 50 gm.

     8)    Water – 500 ml.

To make mitta paej (brine):

          Put the salt and the water together in a vessel and set on the stove. Stir till the salt dissolves. Boil for 5 minutes and switch off the heat. Let cool naturally.

To make the pickle:

          Put the mustard into the dry grind jar (preferably sun-dried) of your food processor, grind to fine powder and set aside. Put both the chilies together with the brine into the wet grind jar (preferably sun-dried) of your food processor and grind to superfine paste in 2 or 3 batches. Transfer to a clean, dry mixing bowl.

Tip in the mustard powder, the asafoetida powder, the acerola cherries (or the hog plums) and the bamboo pieces. Mix thoroughly with a clean dry ladle. Transfer the pickle to a sun-dried airtight jar. Close the lid and store in a cool, dry place to rest for 5 to 7 days. Your delicious Konkani kirlu ambada nonche (in this case, kirlu cherry nonche) is ready to eat. Enjoy with rice, roasted idlis, machkats, nuchi, undis, soyyea polos or with shevai.

 

Bon appétit!

Notes:

     1)    Take care to refrigerate the pickle once you start using it. Always use a clean, dry spoon.

     2)    The ingredients and utensils are sun-dried to remove unwanted moisture and to gain a longer shelf-life.

331) BAMBOO SHOOT PICKLE

BAMBOO SHOOT PICKLE

A HOT, TANGY, CRUNCHY TENDER BAMBOO PICKLE

Ingredients:

     1)    Processed (for processing instructions, please see my tender bamboo in Konkani cuisine article), finely chopped tender bamboo pieces – 625 gm.

     2)    Peeled garlic cloves – 75 gm.

     3)    Peeled, finely chopped ginger – 5 gm.

     4)    Hot green chilies – 15 gm.

     5)    Sesame (gingelly) oil – 150 ml.

     6)    Hot red chili powder – 10 gm.

     7)    Kashmiri chili powder – 15 gm.

     8)    Mustard seeds – 3 gm.

     9)    Mustard powder – 10 gm.

     10)    Turmeric powder – 2 gm.

     11)    Asafoetida powder – 2 gm.

     12)    Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

     13)   Sugar – 25 gm.

     14)    Powdered salt – 35 gm.

     15)    Vinegar – 150 ml.

To cook:

          Put the hot red chili powder, the Kashmiri chili powder, the mustard powder, the turmeric powder, the asafoetida powder, the sugar and the powdered salt into a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Chop the hot green chilies to fine bits and set aside.

          Set a wok or frying pan on high heat. Pour in the oil and tip in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds are about to finish popping, pull the curry leaves off their sprig and throw them in. Stir once and tip in the chopped chili, the ginger and the garlic cloves. Lower the heat and stir-fry for a minute.

          Now put in the tender bamboo and turn up the heat. Mix thoroughly and stir continuously for 2 minutes. Lower the heat and stir frequently for 3 more minutes. Pour in half of the vinegar (75 ml.), mix thoroughly and switch off the heat.

          Let cool naturally without a lid. When cool, transfer to four small (200 ml.) airtight jars and pour the rest of the vinegar on top of the pickle. Seal and set aside to rest for 3 days.

Enjoy this delicious bamboo shoot pickle with rice, chappatis, dosas, machkats, biriyani, fried rice or just about any food you like. This pickle is so good you will finish it in no time!

Bon appétit!

Note:

          Once a jar is opened for use, keep it refrigerated for freshness.

326) KIRLA SUKKE

KIRLA SUKKÉ

A TRADITIONAL KONKANI SPICY TENDER BAMBOO CURRIED SIDE DISH

 

Ingredients:

     1)    Processed, finely chopped tender bamboo (for processing information, please refer to my tender bamboo in Konkani cuisine article) – 300 gm.

     2)    Peeled jackfruit seeds – 125 gm.

     3)    Grated coconut – 150 gm.

     4)    Dry Kashmiri chilies – 18 gm.

     5)    Coriander seeds – 15 gm.

     6)    Urud dal (split black gram lentils) – 10 gm.

     7)    Seedless tamarind – 15 gm.

     8)    Coconut oil – 1 tablespoon (15 ml.)

     9)    Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

     10)    Salt – 12 gm.

     11)    Water – 600 ml.

To prepare:

          Chop the jackfruit seeds to fine pieces and set aside. Set a skillet or small pan on low heat. Pour in half the oil (7.5 ml.) and tip in the urud dal. Stir till the urud dal turns a light brown in colour. Now tip in the coriander seeds and stir for 30 seconds. Throw in the chilies, stir for 30 more seconds and switch off the heat. Transfer the contents to your food processor. Add the grated coconut, the tamarind and 250 ml. of water. Grind to rough paste.

To cook:

          Set a wide cast iron wok (to cook kirla sukké the tasty, healthy, traditional way) or a non-stick wok on high heat. Pour in the remaining (7.5 ml.) coconut oil and throw in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds are about to finish popping, tip in the chopped jackfruit seeds, the tender bamboo pieces and the remaining water (350 ml.). Throw in the salt.

Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and cover with a cloche or lid. Let the bamboo cook slowly for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally. Now tip in the ground coconut paste and turn up the heat. Mix well and stir frequently until the water evaporates, leaving the delicious, semi-thick kirla sukké. Switch off the heat. Serve hot as a side dish to steaming hot rice or chappatis.

Enjoy!!!

320) KIRLA SANNA POLO

KIRLA SANNA POLO

A HOT AND YUMMY KONKANI TENDER BAMBOO SHOOT DOSA

Ingredients (to make 10 numbers):

     1)    Processed (for processing instructions, refer to my tender bamboo in Konkani cuisine article) tender bamboo shoots – 75 gm.

     2)    Cucumber tree fruit (Bimbul in Konkani, Bilimbi / Irumbanpuli in Malayalam) – 55 gm.

     3)    Tor dal (split pigeon pea lentils) – 100 gm.

     4)    Raw rice – 100 gm.

     5)    Grated coconut – 100 gm.

     6)    Dry red Kashmiri chilies – 25 gm.

     7)    Dry hot red chilies – 5 gm.

     8)    Asafoetida powder – ¼ teaspoon

     9)    Curry leaves – 1 sprig

     10)    Salt – 12 gm.

     11)    Water – 500 ml.

     12)    Coconut oil – to grease the pan

To prepare:

          Soak the raw rice and the tor dal together in water for an hour. Chop the processed tender bamboo pieces (juliennes) to superfine bits. Cut the cucumber tree fruit roughly into pieces.

          Drain the soaked rice and dal and transfer to a food processor. Tip in the cucumber tree fruit, the grated coconut and the chilies (both varieties). Grind to superfine paste in one or two batches using the required water from the premeasured 500 ml. Transfer to a bowl or a vessel.

          After grinding the final batch (but before emptying the food processor), tip half of the chopped bamboo shoots together with the curry leaves into the food processor containing the paste and grind for 30 seconds (this increases the flavour of the polo).

Transfer to the bowl and tip in the rest of the bamboo shoots. Throw in the asafoetida powder, the salt and the remaining water and mix thoroughly.

To cook:

Put one or two flat cast-iron pans (a non-stick pan just won’t do for this dish as it cannot give you the real taste of the KIrla sanna polo) on high heat. As soon as the pan is hot, pour and spread a teaspoonful of coconut oil and put a ladleful (75 ml.) of paste in the center.

Placing the bottom of the ladle in the center of the paste, turn it in widening circles to make a perfect polo (thin pancake). Turn down the heat and cover with a cloche. Let the sanna polo roast slowly.

5 minutes later, lift up the cloche, dribble a teaspoonful of coconut oil and flip over the polo. Let it roast slowly for 6 minutes.  Flip over once more and roast for 1 more minute (it takes a total of 12 minutes for the polo to be done).

Lift up the polo and roast the rest likewise. Serve hot kirla sanna polos with hot rice and dali toye or tomata saru or rasam. You will need no other side dish for a delicious, satisfying meal.

Bon appétit!!!

318) BAMBOO SOUP

BAMBOO SOUP

(KIRLACHÉ SOUP)

AN ENTHRALLING TENDER BAMBOO SOUP

Ingredients:

     1)    Processed (for processing instructions, refer to my tender bamboo in Konkani cuisine article), finely chopped tender bamboo shoot – 50 gm.

     2)    Coconut milk (to make fresh coconut milk, refer to my harshale povu recipe) – 500 ml.

     3)    Potato – 120 gm.

     4)    Corn flour – 25 gm.

     5)    Carrot – 20 gm.

     6)    Green beans / string beans – 20 gm.

     7)    Salt – 5 gm.

     8)    Ghee – 1 tablespoon

     9)    Water – 500 ml.

To cook:

          Chop the tender bamboo pieces again to superfine bits. Peel the potato and grate it. Chop the carrot and the beans to superfine bits.

Set a soup pan on high heat. Pour in the ghee and tip in the bamboo. Stir for 2 minutes and turn down the heat. Stir-fry for 5 more minutes. Now tip in the grated potato. Stir for 3 minutes. Add the carrot and the beans. Stir again for 2 minutes.

Now pour in 2 cups (500 ml.) of water and tip in the salt. Turn up the heat. In another vessel, mix the corn flour nicely with the coconut milk. As soon as the soup starts to boil, pour in the mixed coconut milk. Stir occasionally. Let the soup boil and thicken for 3 minutes as you keep stirring. Your ultra-delicious bamboo soup is ready to slurp up!

Enjoy!!!

Note:

          This soup is so enrapturing, so complete that we have it without adding any pepper or spice. However, if you like your soup to be spicy, please add pepper powder and garam masala powder to suit your taste.

317) KIRLA BHOJJO

KIRLA BHOJJO

THE TASTIEST EVER TITBIT

A KONKANI TENDER BAMBOO SIDE DISH / SNACK

Ingredients:

     1)    Salted tender bamboo (Kirlu in Konkani, Mulankoombe in Malayalam. For salting and desalting instructions, go to my tender bamboo in Konkani cuisine article) – 500 gm.

     2)    Hot red chili powder – 18 gm.

     3)    Putte podi or roasted rice powder – 200 gm.

     4)    Asafoetida powder – ½ teaspoon

     5)    Cooking oil – to deep fry

To make:

          Rinse well, the salted tender bamboo in water. Soak them in around 2 litres of tap water overnight. Next morning, drain off the water and just leave them in a colander or strainer for 15 minutes to get rid of any excess water. Now put a couple of pieces in a thick, wide polythene envelope (to prevent splattering) and use a mallet to crush the pieces nicely (or you can use a metal mortar and pestle too).

          Put the crushed bamboo in a mixing bowl and repeat till all the pieces are fully crushed. Now tip in the rice powder, the chili powder and the asafoetida powder and mix nicely, kneading the dough a little bit with your fingers (use a glove if you have sensitive skin). Make small, gooseberry sized balls by rolling bits of dough between your palms and set aside.

Set a wok or frying pan on high heat. Pour in the cooking oil. As soon as the oil is hot (do not allow it to smoke as overheated oil is not good for health), press each dough ball between your palms lightly to make small patties. Slip them in gently into the hot oil. Take care not to overcrowd the wok or pan.

          3 or 4 minutes later, stir softly as you want the patties to fry uniformly without breaking up in the oil. They will start turning a bit crispy in around 10 minutes (depending on the heat and the size of the patties). Turn down the flame and fry for a few more minutes till the patties are well done. They will hard and woody to the touch of the straining ladle.

It is time to lift out your precious kirla bhojjo and to drain off the excess oil. Serve with hot rice and curry or just enjoy this gourmet’s delight with tea, coffee or wine.

I do not exaggerate when I say that you can win your way to a Konkani person’s heart by serving this bewitching titbit. In fact, this little snack is so entrancing, you will push aside a plate of superbly fried fish in favour of Kirla bhojjo.

Bon appétit!!!

316) KIRLA UPKARI

KIRLA UPKARI

MOST DELICIOUS KONKANI TENDER BAMBOO SIDE DISH

 

Ingredients:

     1)    Processed, finely chopped tender bamboo shoot (Kirlu in Konkani and Mulankoombe in Malayalam. For processing information, study my tender bamboo in Konkani cuisine article) – 350 gm.

     2)    Dry hot red chilies – 2 Nos.

     3)    Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon

     4)    Coconut oil or other cooking oil – 1 tablespoon

     5)    Powdered salt – 5 gm. (1 teaspoon)

To cook:

          Rinse and drain the processed, finely chopped tender bamboo shoots. Break each red chili into two or three pieces and set aside. Set a cast-iron wok (for best taste) or pan on high heat. Pour in the coconut oil and tip in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds are about to finish spluttering, throw in the red chilies.

          Stir once and tip in the chopped bamboo shoot. Add the salt and stir occasionally. Once it heats up nicely, turn down the heat and cover with a lid. Let the bamboo cook slowly for 10 minutes. Remember to stir once every few minutes to avoid burning at the base.

          Now remove the lid while still keeping it on low heat. Stir once every minute for 5 more minutes. Your ultra-delicious, crisp and hot kirla upkari is now ready to serve. Serve small portions as a side dish to rice.

Enjoy!!!

Note:

          Tender bamboo shoots have the ability to warm up one’s constitution the same way dry fruits do. So they are generally consumed mostly in the monsoon and in the winter months in moderate quantity despite their bewitching taste.

315) TENDER BAMBOO IN KONKANI CUISINE

TENDER BAMBOO IN KONKANI CUISINE

          Long, long ago, in a remote village nestling in a forest on the Konkan coast, there lived a poor Brahmin priest who had a daughter and a son. Being poor, they lived off the forest where the trees and the plants amply supplied their simple needs with fresh fruits, roots and leafy vegetables.

          The children grew up strong and healthy. When the girl came of age, her father started looking for a suitable groom for his beautiful lass. Wherever he went, he met with a demand for a dowry, which clearly, was beyond his means.

Finally, a visiting relative took pity on the poor Brahmin and said, “Well, a wealthy priest of my town has a good looking son who should suit your daughter. Only, he’s a little wanting in intellect but quite good natured and the best thing is, his people are not asking for a dowry.”.

Soon, one discussion led to another and the marriage was celebrated with a feast, as grand as the poor Brahmin could afford. The newlyweds were taken to the groom’s town, the groom riding a horse and the girl in a palanquin with musicians in attendance.

Three days passed by. On the fourth day, as is the custom among Konkani Brahmins, the girl’s brother set off to his sister’s to bring the newlyweds back home on a visit for a few days. By the time they arrived, it was nightfall. It was raining heavily and the party was famished.

The priest’s wife had prepared many delicacies for her dear daughter and her only son-in-law. The sweet and spicy flavours of several mouthwatering dishes filled the air. The bashful new groom felt he could gulp down a cartload of food. Banana leaves were spread and hot rice was served with a dollop of fresh ghee. Soon, one delicacy after the other was placed on the leaf.

The simple, new, town-bred son-in-law had never tasted such yummy wild dishes before. One side dish in particular entranced him more than the others. He wanted to eat more and more of it. After eating three servings, he thought to himself, “What will they think of me if I ask for more?”. He asked his wife aside in a whisper, “What is this dish?”. She whispered back, “Kirlu”. Again, he asked, “What?”. She murmured “Kirlu” once more and jerked her head towards the bamboo blinds (curtains) hanging in front of the verandah. He could not make head or tail of it.

Tired after the long journey, they all went to sleep. The day dawned not with the crow of the cock, but with the shriek of the priest’s daughter. For she found herself alone in the room, which was latched from outside. Soon everybody woke up.

There was no trace of the son-in-law. As they came out, they found to their surprise and dismay, the bamboo blinds had disappeared entirely, and the verandah was dripping wet from the blowing rain. The question was – should they laugh or cry?

A clump of medium sized bamboo growing in our backyard

This story is about perhaps the tastiest of all vegetables – the tender bamboo shoot. Known as ‘Kirlu’ in Konkani and ‘Mulankoombe’ in Malayalam, it is indeed the most beloved vegetable of the Konkani people; especially so as it is available only once a year, during the beginning of the monsoon (rainy) season, in the months of July and August. This is precisely why the elder Konkanis practice the art of salting and pickling kirlu, jackfruit, mango and other edibles in season.

Bamboo, a member of the vast grass family, is one of the quickest growing plants in the world, for it often grows above 90 cm. a day and can reach several storeys of height. There are short decorative bamboos like the Buddha bamboo or the variegated bamboo as well as tall bamboos like the ‘Aeni mula’or ladder bamboo which are used to make long, single-pole ladders for harvesting pepper growing on vines clinging to tall trees.

There are bamboos which are no more than reeds, thinner than pencils growing alongside huge clumps of ‘Ana mula’ or elephant bamboos, with each column as thick as a bucket. Bamboos are used as building material in several countries. People make baskets, ornaments, musical instruments, mats, furniture, implements and even fishing nets with bamboo. Textile and paper industries are large consumers of bamboo.

The giant panda, the red panda of Nepal, the bamboo lemurs of Madagascar, the chimpanzees and the mountain gorillas of Africa, as well as the elephants of Asia all love to eat Bamboo. It is perhaps the people of the Konkan coast who have mastered the art of making dozens of delicious dishes of tender bamboo.

So too, many people of Kerala living in or near forests, especially in the districts of Wayanad, make delicious mulayari payasam – a sweet dessert made with bamboo rice. The Nepalese and the Chinese too consume large quantities of tender bamboo shoots, having lived in close proximity to bamboo forests for generations.

I wish to share with you some of my finest bamboo recipes as well as the art of processing, salting and pickling tender bamboo shoots.

Bamboo shoots coming up on either side of the clump

Rising bamboo shoots are harvested from beneath the bamboo plants using a sharp machete (an axe or cleaver will do). Ideally, a foot (30 cm) tall shoot gives more tender portions for cooking. However, for tall, stalwart varieties, one can collect even 4 foot (1 metre) tall shoots too. Green bamboos are tastier, crispier and better for salting than yellow bamboos which are comparatively softer and get mushy when salted.

CUTTING / PROCESSING / SALTING / DESALTING OF TENDER BAMBOO

Freshly harvested tender bamboo shoots

To cut

          Weigh and set aside a suitable, airtight container for salting. Keep a vessel half full of water nearby. Several types of bamboo shoots are covered with minute, shiny, sharp hairs that stick to your skin. It is better for inexperienced beginners to use a pair of gloves before taking up the bamboo shoots for cutting.

The bamboo shoots are encircled by sheets of thick leaves. Draw a fine line all around the base of the sheath with a sharp knife and grasping the outer, upper portion of the sheath, simply pull down and discard it. Remove the other sheaths too, one by one, likewise.

 

Now start cutting up the bamboo, starting from the base, discarding the inedible harder portions that are difficult to cut. Cut the tender portions roughly into chunks and put them straight into the airtight container, ready for salting.

 

As you start approaching the tip, you will find that the shoot is getting whiter and more and more tender. It is having plenty of tender leaves too. Chop the tender stem portions as well as the white tender leaves finely into thin juliennes and drop them straight into the water.

The very tip of the shoot is hard as plastic and is to be discarded. Process the rest of the shoots too in the same manner. Once you do two or three shoots, you will get quite proficient.

To process:

          The sap of most bamboo shoots contain a substance called taxiphillin (cyanogenic glycoside). Whereas animals which live on a diet of bamboo are able to digest bamboo together with its sap, such is not the case with the human digestive system. So humanity simply had to devise some easy means to consume safely this marvelous vegetable.

          One only needs to soak the finely chopped tender bamboo shoots for 48 hours, taking care to change the water thrice daily. This leeches out the bitter taxiphillin, leaving the bamboo ready to cook.

To salt:

          As wild bamboo shoots are available only in season, salting needs to be carried out in such a fashion, that the salted bamboo stays fresh and nice for at least a year. When you do it this way, it stays good for well over 3 years in room temperature so long as the airtight container is kept undisturbed. If you are opening it in between, use only a clean, dry ladle to take out the chunks.

Weigh the tender bamboo chunks (you can weigh them together with the pre-weighed airtight container and then deduct its weight). For every 350 gm. of bamboo, you require 100 gm. of powdered salt (ratio – 3.5: 1). Tip in the required salt, close the lid and shake the container vigorously and thoroughly so that the powdered salt sticks to all the chunks. Store it in a cool dark place.

To desalt:

          Before use, the salted chunks need to be washed and soaked in water overnight. Soak them in plenty of water (at least 5 times the volume of the bamboo) for around 12 hours to get desalted tender bamboo chunks ready for cooking.

3 year old, salted bamboo chunks

Konkani bamboo dishes:

          Traditionally, the Konkani people are used to eating Kirlu by making kirla nonché, kirla sukké, kirla bhojjo, kirla upkari, kirlu ambada ghashi, kirla sanna polo, kirlu dhanya bendi and gantiyé ghashi. I am hoping to share with you all these dishes (depending upon availability of hog plums – they are a bit difficult to obtain here in Wayanad and our trees are still too young to bear fruit) one by one together with a few more, surprisingly good, new creations. Till then!