298) BOTOTYA GALGALI

BOTOTYA GALGALI

A MILD, SOUPY, KONKANI POTATO CURRY

Ingredients:

     1)    Potatoes – 1 kg.

     2)    Hot green chilies – 5 Nos.

     3)    Dry Kashmiri chilies – 4 Nos.

     4)    Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

     5)    Cooking oil – 1 tablespoon

     6)    Curry leaves – 1 sprig

     7)    Asafoetida powder – ¼ teaspoons

     8)    Salt – 1½ teaspoons

     9)    Water – 1 litre

To cook:

          Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes of around 1 cm (½ inch) size. Slit the green chilies lengthwise into halves. Tip the potatoes and the green chilies into a pressure cooker. Pour in a litre of water. Close the lid and set on high heat.

As soon as you hear the first whistle, lower the heat and let cook for 10 minutes. Now switch off the heat and allow the cooker to cool naturally till all the steam has subsided (this will give the potatoes enough time to cook perfectly).

Set a cast-iron wok (for better taste and health) or deep curry vessel on high heat. Pour in the cooking oil and throw in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds are about to finish crackling, pull the curry leaves off their sprig and toss them in. Break the dry red chilies into two pieces each and throw them in. Stir once and tip in the asafoetida powder. Now quickly pour in the cooked potatoes with their broth and add the salt.

As the curry starts to boil, use the ladle to lightly mash the potatoes. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Your Bototya Galgali is now ready to enjoy. Serve hot with fresh chappatis.

Both my mother and my son love to pour this Galgali generously over a plate of hot parboiled rice, mash with their fingers and slurp up the rice with gusto! It is the combined flavour of the potatoes, the asafoetida and the chilies that does the trick.

Bototya Galgali with Chappatis

Bon appétit!!!

297) TOMATO FRY

TOMATO FRY

A QUICK, HOT, FRESH, CRISPY SIDE DISH ENJOYED ALL OVER KERALA

 

Ingredients:

     1)    Tomato – 500 gm.

     2)    Long hot green chilies – 3 Nos.

     3)    Onion – 120 gm.

     4)    Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

     5)    Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

     6)    Hot red chili powder – 1 teaspoon

     7)    Cooking oil – 1 tablespoon

     8)    Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon

     9)    Ginger powder – ¼ teaspoon (or finely chopped ginger – ½ teaspoon)

     10)     Garlic cloves – 5 Nos.

     11)     Powdered salt – 1 teaspoon

To cook:

          Chop the tomato and the onion separately into pieces and set aside (any size is okay). Cut each long green chili diagonally into 4 or 5 pieces. Pull the curry leaves off their stems and set aside. Chop the garlic cloves to fine bits.

Set a pan on high heat. Pour in the cooking oil and throw in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds are about to finish crackling, tip in the curry leaves, the garlic, the onion and the chilies. Stir for just 1 minute and tip in the tomatoes. Stir once and throw in the chili powder, the ginger powder (or chopped ginger), the turmeric powder and the powdered salt. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes and switch off the heat.

Your mouthwatering tomato fry is now ready to serve. Serve immediately with hot chappatis, porottas, rotis, naans, or with freshly baked bread.

Tomato fry with chappatis

As you bite into the hot, crispy onions and the tangy, crunchy tomatoes, the juices exploding in your mouth blending with the rich natural flavours, you will finish your plate in a trice and look for more. In fact, the magic of this simple dish will push aside many an elaborate curry!

Enjoy!!!

296) CHAKKA PRATHAMAN

CHAKKA PRATHAMAN

RIPE JACKFRUIT PAYASAM DESSERT

Introduction:

          It is mid-July and the jackfruit season is coming to a close. We plucked one of the last few fruits this morning. When cut open, it turned out to be beautifully ripe, just right to make superb Chakka Prathaman, one of the favourite desserts of Malayalees. The dish was so delicious, so perfect, that my husband and children were in raptures. In fact, my daughter calls this a dish-licker! Be sure to cook this dish and enjoy!

Ingredients:

     1)    Fully ripe Varikka jackfruit (see my jackfruit tree article) without seeds – 500 gm.

Fresh Jackfruit. Mouthwatering?

     2)    Coconut (medium-large) – 1 No.

     3)    Jaggery (unrefined cane sugar) – 400 gm.

     4)    Sugar – 100 gm.

     5)    Raw rice powder (you can use putte podi / pathiri podi too) – 60 gm.

     6)    Cashew nuts – 10 Nos.

     7)    Kismis (sultanas or dry seedless grapes or raisins) – 15 Nos.

     8)    Ghee (clarified butter) – 1 tablespoon

     9)    Cardamom – 5 pods

To prepare and to cook:

          Put the jackfruit into your food processor. Shell the cardamom and tip in the seeds. Grind to fine paste and transfer to a non-stick pan. Put in half the ghee and set on the stove. Stir continuously to avoid burning at the base. 10 minutes later, switch off the heat and set aside (I do this first in order to preserve the fresh flavour of the jackfruit).

Grate the coconut. Put it in the food processor. Add enough water (around 350 ml.) to grind it to fine paste. Strain it using a stainless steel sieve while squeezing out the coconut milk with your hand. Pour a little water (around 400 ml.) into the pomace again and squeeze out any remaining coconut milk. Repeat this once more, keeping the milk and discarding the residual solids (you do not want any coconut fibre in your dessert). Combine all the coconut milk and set aside.

Put the jaggery together with 50 ml. of water into a pan and set on low heat. Stir occasionally until it has melted fully. Now sieve the liquid and set aside the jaggery juice. Chop the cashew nuts and the kismis to fine bits (If you like to bite into whole cashew nuts / raisins, you need not chop them).

Put the rice powder into a pan. Add the remaining ghee. Tip in the chopped cashew nuts and the kismis. Set on low heat and stir carefully in order to avoid burning at the base. It will take about 8 minutes (depending on heat) for the rice powder to turn a light cream in colour (take care not to let it brown lest it ruin the taste). Switch off the heat and set aside.

Now pour the sieved melted jaggery into the cooked jackfruit paste and set on high heat. Stir continuously for around 12 minutes till the mixture comes to a jam-like consistency. Without letting up on the stirring, tip in the roasted rice powder mixture and the entire coconut milk.

Let the Chakka Prathaman boil for 3 minutes. Switch off the heat. This marvellous dish will thicken as it cools. Serve hot or chilled. If you are serving hot, you might like to pour in a teaspoonful of ghee on top, for added flavour. This dish is so good it will sweep you off your feet!

Enjoy!!!

295) NENDRAN BANANA PUTTE (PUTTU)

NENDRAN BANANA PUTTE (PUTTU)

A DIVINELY SWEET, FILLING, SATISFYING, GLADDENING SNACK FROM KERALA

Introduction:

          After days of gloomy weather and rain, the sun came out bright this morning and I went for a stroll with my husband in our compound. As we walked downhill, plucking and enjoying fresh guavas, we came to a spot where the fodder grass had flattened a little. We went nearer and surprise! A nice big bunch of Nendran bananas which had been pushed down by strong winds, perhaps a week ago was there, nestling in the grass.

          The upper comb had ripened fully and some of the bananas had been claimed by the birds, but the rest of the bunch was untouched. Then and there, we ate a Nendran banana each – perhaps the tastiest of bananas. We decided to have Nendran banana putte for breakfast. It turned out so delicious, so elevating, I must share this recipe with you. If you are living abroad, as you enjoy Nendran banana putte, you will feel you are back in Kerala – God’s own country – again!

Ingredients:

     1)    Putte podi (roasted rice powder available in all kerala grocery shops) – 350 gm.

If you wish to make your own putte podi, see my putte or puttu recipe.

     2)    Ripe medium sized Nendran banana – 2 Nos.

     3)    Coconut – ½

     4)    Sugar – 1 tablespoon

     5)    Salt – ¼ teaspoon

     6)    Cardamom – 4 pods

     7)    Cashew nuts – 10 Nos.

     8)    Kismis (Dry seedless raisins or sultanas) – 15 Nos.

To cook:

          Scrape the coconuts and set aside. Peel the banana and chop to tiny pieces (the smaller the better). Chop the cashews and kismis to fine bits. Now put the putte podi into a wide bowl. Add the sugar, the salt, the bananas, the cashews and the kismis. Tip in a tablespoonful of grated coconut. Break open the cardamom pods. Crush the seeds (you can use a board and a rolling pin) finely and tip them in.

          Mix in everything nicely with your fingers. Steam the putte in the putte maker (see the pictures and go through the detailed instructions in my putte or puttu recipe). The mixture together with the remaining grated coconut is enough to make nearly three standard sized cylinders of Nendran banana putte. Enjoy hot and smile!

Note:

     1)    As roasted rice powder is used, the putte mixture may dry up if there is a longer interval between the steamings. If this happens, be sure to sprinkle a few drops of water to bring it to the desired consistency (see putte recipe). However, for the first batch, you normally do not require any added water, since the putte draws moisture from the coconut and the bananas.

     2)    While this delicious Nendran banana putte needs no curry or other accompaniments for the average person, if you are a gourmet guru, you might like to enjoy the putte with cherupayar curry and with crumbled papads, eating with your fingers and licking them between mouthfuls.

294) ALVATHI

ALVATHI

A KONKANI GOURMET TARO LEAF CURRY

Introduction:

          This princess of a curry comes not from prized truffles or precious caviar, but from the simple, humble, ubiquitous elephant ear leaves (a type of taro or Colocasia Esculenta commonly known as Alva Pànne in Konkani or Pal chèmbe ila in Malayalam).

          These leaves, together with jackfruit seeds and cucumber tree fruit (Bimbul in Konkani and Bilimbi or Irumban Puli in Malayalam) are freely available in the monsoon season. They are a true blessing of mother nature. Be sure to cook and enjoy this delicious curry with several crumbled papads.

Ingredients (for five large servings):

     1)    Tender and fresh deveined taro leaves – 500 gm.

     2)    Fresh jackfruit seeds with the outer skin removed – 150 gm.

     3)    Cucumber tree fruit – 120 gm.

     4)    Dry Kashmiri chilies – 35 gm.

     5)    Salt – 20 gm.

     6)    Medium sized coconut – 1 No.

     7)    Garlic cloves – 8 Nos.

     8)    Cooking oil – 1 tablespoon

     9)    Deep fried papads (black gram / urad dal plain papads) – 30 Nos.

To Prepare:

          Select only one tenderest leaf from each taro plant. This is because mature leaves contain too much of calcium oxalate and cause itching of the mouth and irritation of the throat. Around 15 leaves may be required depending on the size of the leaf. Carefully slice off the thick veins from the underside of the leaves and set aside.

Be sure to peel off the nylon-like white skin (cellulose) from the jackfruit seeds. Cut them lengthwise into two halves and set aside. Cut off the stems of the cucumber tree fruit. Slice them into thin disks and set aside.

Scrape the coconut. Put the grated coconut and the chilies into your food processor. Add a little water and grind it to superfine paste. Roll the taro leaves and slice them roughly into ribbons. Crush the garlic cloves and set aside.

To cook:

          Put the leaves, the jackfruit seeds and the cucumber tree fruit into a pressure cooker. Pour in 600 ml. of water. Close the lid and set on high heat. As soon as you hear the first whistle, turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes. Now switch off the heat and let the steam subside naturally. This will provide enough time for the leaves to cook to perfection.

          As soon as the cooker is cool enough, open the lid. Set a curry vessel on the stove. Tip in the cooking oil and the garlic. Stir continuously till the garlic turns brown. Now tip in the contents of the cooker into the curry vessel. Throw in the salt.

As soon as it starts boiling, tip in the coconut chili paste and stir. Add a little water to bring the curry to the desired consistency (see picture).  Once it boils again, taste and add more salt if necessary. Your delicious alvathi is now ready.

No sooner than hot rice, porridge or cherupayar kanji is ready, deep-fry the papads. Serve hot alvathi in a bowl or deep plate. Crumble two or three papads on top. Crush with your fingers, mix and slurp up alternating with a mouthful of rice / porridge. You will be surprised at the quantity of curry you devour!

Enjoy!!!

Tip:

          Race, nationality or table manners notwithstanding, please be an Indian as you enjoy this curry. Give up the spoon for the duration of this meal. Use your fingers to eat and see for yourself the surprising difference in taste.

293) GUAVA CANDY

GUAVA CANDY

A PURE FRUIT CANDY FOR EVERYONE

Introduction:

          Five years ago, my husband planted 9 different varieties of guava plants in our compound, each one with its own unique flavour, taste, size and goodness. We grew them organically and now they often bear fruits so heavily that even after birds eat their fill and visiting family members and friends take with them basketfuls when they return, we still have more. So I often make guava jam or guava candy to the delight of children and adults alike.

          Did you know that guava has many medicinal properties? Eating a raw guava gives you instant relief from acidity or heartburn. People suffering from tonsillitis, sore throat or influenza are greatly benefited by sipping hot water in which a couple of tender guava leaves have been boiled. Eating guavas is good for digestion.

          Even cows instinctively eat guava leaves when they suffer from stomach-ache or worms. If possible, be sure to plant a guava tree in your courtyard. Here is a simple recipe for delicious pure guava candy.

Ingredients:

     1)    Fully ripe guava pieces after discarding the seed core – 500 gm.

     2)    Sugar – 1 kg.

     3)    Citric acid (optional) – 2 pinches

     4)    Cooking oil (to grease the plate / tray) – 1 teaspoon

To cook:

          Put the guava in your food processor and grind to a nice smooth paste. Grease a wide shallow steel plate or tray with the cooking oil and set aside. Put the paste and the sugar in a pan or a copper bottom steel vessel and set on high heat. Stir continuously till the paste starts to thicken. As it does, it gets harder to stir.

To test if the paste is ready, keep a small bowl with a centimetre (½ inch) of water. Let fall a few drops of hot paste into the water. As soon as they have cooled, take out of the water and squeeze between your fingers. If the globules feel hard and rubbery, the candy is nearly ready. You can see translucence of the paste is being replaced by opaque, silvery sugary patterns. Moreover, the breaking bubbles give out hardly any steam.

Now switch off the heat. Carefully and quickly, pour the paste over the greased plate or tray. Drizzle a few drops of oil over the hot paste. Use the greased bottom of a large spoon to smoothen the hot paste uniformly.

Once the candy is cool, it will stick tightly to the plate or tray. Keep a clean wide cutting board ready. Use asbestos gloves or tongs to hold the plate or tray over the gas stove for a minute or two till its bottom gets hot.

Now tap the plate or tray upside down gently upon the cutting board. The candy will fall out easily. Cut into small pieces before it gets too cold. Store in an airtight container within reach of children and see how quickly it empties.

Enjoy!!!

Notes:

     1)    It is not compulsory to use citric acid in making this candy. I sometimes use it only because our guavas are quite sweet and less tangy as they are organic.

     2)    You might like to use moulds to make candy in different shapes or just use butter paper to wrap the pieces.

     3)    If you find the process of greasing the plate or tray too cumbersome, you can line it with butter paper or wax paper.

292) BOTOTO PIYYAVA AMSHE TIKSHE

BOTOTO PIYYAVA AMSHÉ TIKSHÉ

A SIMPLE, DELICIOUS, EARTHY, SOUR AND HOT, KONKANI POTATO CHILI CURRY

 

Introduction:

          My paternal grandmother used to make this curry for my father when he was a boy. He lost her long before he was married. My father, though an excellent cook himself, had little time to cook as he had to run his jewellery business. So he taught my mother many of his recipes. When mother made bototo piyyava amshé tikshé, I was invariably the first to queue up for lunch as I so loved this curry.

          The potato chunks curried in their jackets retained such a wonderfully strong earthy flavour, that no other side dish was needed to gobble up a plateful of rice. The jackets are simply peeled off at the time of eating the chunks. Do cook this curry and enjoy.

Ingredients:

     1)    Potatoes – 1 kg.

     2)    Onion – 120 gm.

     3)    Tamarind – 20 gm.

     4)    Cooking oil – 1 tablespoon

     5)    Hot red chili powder – 15 gm.

     6)    Coriander powder – 7 gm.

     7)    Powdered salt – 18 gm.

To cook:

          Soak the tamarind in 300 ml. of warm water. As soon as the water cools, squeeze the tamarind nicely with your fingers until the pulp dissolves. Sieve and set aside the tamarind water.

          Soak, scrub and wash the potatoes. Cut them roughly into chunks of around 1-inch (3 cm.) size. Peel the onion and dice it likewise.

Set a curry vessel on the stove. Pour in the oil and throw in the onion pieces. Stir and sauté them for a minute. Now tip in the chili powder and the coriander powder. Stir for a minute and chuck in the potatoes. Pour in the tamarind juice. Add some water to submerge the potato chunks entirely. Tip in the salt. As soon as it comes to a boil, lower the heat and cover with a lid.

Let the potatoes take their time to cook nicely. Soon, your kitchen will be permeated with a nice earthy aroma of the cooked potatoes. Stick in a knife or fork to see if the potatoes are well cooked.

Taste the curry. Add more salt if you wish. Your delicious bototo piyyava amshé tikshé is now ready to enjoy. Serve with hot rice, dosa, vellappam, pathiri, machkat, roasted idlis, or putte. Or else, just enjoy the warm potato chunks by themselves, squeezing off the skin and licking your fingers after every bite!

Note:

          During my grandmother’s time, curry powders were not in vogue. So she would hand grind the roasted chilies, the roasted coriander seeds and the tamarind to fine paste. The roasting was done with coconut oil. Be sure to try this ancient cooking technique at your leisure and recreate the true taste of the spices in your dish as the older generation enjoyed.

291) HINGA MIRSANGE

HINGA MIRSANGE

GREEN CHILI STIR FRY

A SIMPLE EYE-WATERING SIDE DISH FOR THE GOURMET CHILI CRAZIES ALONE!

Introduction:

          This is a very simple, easy to make side dish which my mother used to cook at home when we were kids. Hardly a third of my family members (ours was a large joint family) would enjoy this side dish. One of my cousins and I would pester mother to make it.

The pairing of asafoetida and green chili brought forth a mouthwatering aroma. For chili lovers, this stir fry is heaven, but for others, not used to ingesting such heat, or for people suffering from heart disease, blood pressure, ulcers, piles, urinary infections, heartburn or sensitive mouth, this dish is positively off limits. Nevertheless, to me, it is delicious and my son loves it even more.

Ingredients:

     1)    Hot green chilies – 100 gm.

     2)    Asafoetida powder – ¼ teaspoon

     3)    Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon

     4)    Cooking oil – 1½ tablespoons

     5)    Salt – 8 gm.

To cook:

          Wash the chilies and slit them lengthwise into halves while taking care to leave the stems intact. Set a cast iron wok on high heat. Pour in the cooking oil and throw in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds are about to finish spluttering, tip in the chilies and stir. Now throw in the asafoetida powder and the salt and stir continuously.

Hinga Mirsange in a Cast Iron Wok

          In about 5 minutes (depending on heat), the chilies start to change colour and you can see beautiful silvery blisters forming. Switch off the heat. Your Hinga Mirsange is now ready to serve. One or two are enough for a meal. Enjoy with rice, porridge, cherupayar kanji, in a sandwich, a rolled porotta or with vada pav.