Gharen Karo/Ponsa Balka(Jackfruit Chips)

This is the season for Jackfruit. Local market has abundant stock of raw and ripe jackfruit. Trees also look well loaded with yield. Tender raw jackfruit is used in curries and fritters. Well grown but unripe Barke raw jackfruit with thick segments are used for making chips and happalam. Making Gharen Karo is an art mastered by experts in Undivided Dakshina Kannada, Uttar Kannada and Shimoga Districts of Karnataka and most of the regions in Kerala.

The process involves cleaning the jackfruit and jackfruit has loads of gum in it which makes the job sticky and irritating. Hence, many people avoid making this at home and buy ready made stuff from sweet shops/bakeries. Certainly home made chips are much much better than the ones available commercially. At hoe we can be assured about the consistency of the jackfruit, quality of the oil we use for frying and zero adulteration.

Gharen Karo is a favourite tea time fried snack and is also a good starter snack with drinks. On a lazy rainy day a bowlful of crispy Gharen Karo and a cup of hot tea makes my day

Ingredients:
Barke raw Jackfruit segments - 1Kg(Approximately)
Salt - 50Gm(Approximately)
Water - QS
Coconut Oil - 500Ml(Or for deep frying)

Method:
Prepare a concentrated salt solution in water.
Cut the jackfruit segments into thin finger chips.
Heat oil in a kadai.
When the oil starts fuming, reduce the heat to medium.
Drop the jackfruit fingers in hot oil as much as possible and keep mixing them with the perforated frying spatula to ensure even frying.
When the chips turn into light golden colour, pour a spoonful of the salt solution into the oil, taking care not to look straight into the kadai at close range. The oil tends to spurt.
Quickly mix the sizzling chips with the salt solution and as soon as the sizzling stops, remove the chips and drain on kitchen paper to get rid of excess oil.
When the chips cool down, store in air tight container.
These last for at least 2-3 weeks without any change in smell.

Mixed Vegetable Aambat

Aambat in original Konkani/Marati spells tangy curry. But we GSBs make a bland coconut based curry with a seasoning of chopped onions perfectly browned. The gravy can be made thick by adding Tuvar daal or potatoes. If you use any beans like fresh or soaked Peas, Avare Kaalu, sprouted Bagdo or even Alaambe(Laamb or Thunder Mushrooms), you need not add daal.

Here is the recipe for Mixed Vegetable Aambat that we prepare round the year. You may choose vegetables that don't have pungent taste or flavour. A well balanced preparation may suggest use of Potatoes, Brinjal, Cauliflower, String Beans, French beans, Ridge gourd, Gherkins and Tender cashews.

What I have shown here has only cauliflower and green peas, because we ran out of potatoes.

Ingredients:
Mixed veggies - 2 Cups(diced)
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Tamarind - Size of its seed
Red Chillies - 4
Tuvar Daal - A handful
Onions - 2 chopped
Salt - To taste
Oil(Preferably coconut oil) - 1 Tsp

Method:
Boil the vegetables along with 3/4 of the chopped onions adding little salt till just cooked.
Pressure cook the daal with a cup of water till well cooked.
Roast the red chillies with little oil and grind along with grated coconut and tamarind to a fine paste.
Combine the ground masala with the cooked daal and bring that to a boil in a thick bottomed vessel.
Add the cooked vegetables along with the broth and simmer for 5 mins.
Check for salt and add if necessary.
Heat oil in a small wok and add the 1/4 chopped onion.
Fry till golden.
Pour the seasoning over the curry and serve with rice.

You may make the aambat thick if you are serving it as a side dish with rice and daalitoi, chapathis, dosas or idlis.

Aambuli Pachchodi - Type2

The scorching summer heat calls for some cool stuff. My personal preference is white rice with curd, some salad and pickle. This summer thaali shown here, has rice, curd, mango pickle with roast masala and Aambuli(Raw Mango) Pachchodi.

Some days ago I had posted the recipe for aambuli pachchodi, which is slightly different from this one. This one is made with green chillies as the spice and a seasoning of mustard seeds adds to the taste.

Clockwise from bottom left: Curd, Aambuli Pachchodi, Mango pickle, Rice

Ingredients:
1. Raw Mango - 1 big(Around 300Gms)
2. Green Chillies - 2
3. Grated coconut - A handful
4. Salt - to taste
5. Asafotoeda - A pinch
6. Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp
7. Coconut oil - 1 Tsp

Method:
Wash, wipe and peel/shave the skin off the raw mango with the help of a peeler or knife.
Chop the mango into tiny bits.
Chop the green chillies and grind along with grated coconut to a coarse chutney.
Mix the chopped mango along with this chutney and salt to taste.
Dissolve asafotoeda in a spoonful of water.
Heat oil in a small wok.
Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.
Add the asafotoeda solution, taking care not to stand too close to the wok.
Pour the seasoning over the pachchodi and mix.

Egg Methi Pulao

This pulao is Meena's own creation. She had some methi leaves and green peas left over. Formulated a bland recipe to come out with a complete meal to suit the summer heat. You may relish this wih raita, daal fry or any north Indian curry of your choice.

Vegetarians may substitute egg with shallow fried paneer cubes.

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Water - 3 1/2 cups
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Eggs - 4
Methi leaves - A handful chopped
Boiled green peas - A handful(Optional)
Onion - 1 chopped
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 3 sliced
Shahjeera - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 4
Green Cardamoms - 4
Cinnamon - 1/2 " stick
Biryani masala powder - 1/2 tsp(Optional)
Salt - To taste
OIl or ghee - 2 tsp

Method:
Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 15-20 mins.
Boil, peel and cut the eggs into halves.
Heat oil/ghee in a thick bottomed pan.
Fry shahjeera, cloves, cinamon and cardamom.
Fry the chopped onion till transparent.
Add the ginger garlic paste and fry till oil leaves the sides.
Fry the green chillies till they turn whitish.
Add the chopped methi leaves and green peas and fry for 2 mins.
Now add biryani masala, salt to taste and 2 cups water.
Bring to a boil.
Drain the soaked rice and add to the boiling water, followed by coconut milk.
Cover and simmer.
Cook for 15-20 mins or till the water has been absorbed by the rice and the rice is cooked.
Serve with onion raita or with any curry.

Whole Wheat Flour Buns

These whole wheat flour buns are tastier and healthier than their counterparts Mangalore buns. You can have them as it is or with chutney, sambar, daalithoi or some curry. If the recipe is followed properly, these buns bounce from the pan into your plate!

Ingredients:
1. Whole Wheat Flour - 3 cups
1. Maida - 1 cup
2. Buttermilk - 1/2 Cup
3. Cooking Soda - 1 Tsp
4. Salt - 1 Tsp
5. Sugar - 8 Tsp
6. Mysore(Salem) or Yelakki Banana - 2-3 small
7. Butter - 2 Tsp

Method:
Dissolve cooking soda, salt and sugar in buttermilk. Add wheat flour, maida and mashed bananas. Fold in to make a sticky and soft dough. Add little water if necessary. Add butter and mix well. Don't knead hard like poori or chapathi dough. This dough should not be too watery or too dry. Must be like chewing gum and should be easily rolled with minimum pressure of the rolling pin. Cover the dough in a moist cloth and allow to raise for 6-8 hours at warm room temperature.

Make big lemon sized balls and roll out thick pooris with enough maida to dust the pooris. Deep fry in hot ghee or oil till fluffy and golden brown.

Methi Theplas

The Gujarati snack Thepla is a type of chapathi spiced up with chilli powder and asafotoeda. Added methi leaves also add to the flavour and nutritional content. Theplas can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Gujaratis eat this with plain yoghurt, chutney or with mango chunda. I prefer this with dry garlic chutney or the Jain pickle Menasina Gatti. More on Menasina Gatti soon.

Theplas

Here's Meena's improved recipe for making soft and nice methi theplas.

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat flour - 2 cups
Fresh Methi leaves - 1 bunch(100Gms)
Plain curd or buttermilk - 1 cup(Or QS)
Salt - To taste
Red chilli powder - 2 Tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp
Cumin powder - 1 Tsp
Asafotoeda - A pinch
Oil/Ghee - QS

Make lemon sized balls

Roll out thin chapathis

Roast on both sides

Apply little oil/ghee on both sides

Store in hot case

Method:
Clean wash and chop the methi leaves.
Make a stiff but soft dough with wheat flour mixed in with curd tempered with salt to taste, red chilli powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and asafotoeda.
Add the chopped methi leaves, knead well and keep covered with a moist cloth for 30 Mins.
Heat the chapathi pan.
Make lemon sized balls with the tepla dough, dust the rolling board and roll thin chapathis.
Roast this on the hot pan, applying little oil/ghee on both sides.
Serve hot with curd, garlic chutney, chunda or any chutney of your choice.
Can also be eaten with any kind of daal or vegetarian curry.

Theplas with garlic chutney

Note:
1. You can substitute methi leaves and use a small bunch of mint leaves to make Pudina Teplas.
2. You can also make variations and add ajwain, ginger garlic, crushed green chillies, coriander leaves etc.
3. You can make the dough with only water. In that case, you may mix in a teaspoonful of oil or ghee to the dough.
4. Adjust the quantity of chilli powder according to your taste. We like them little more spicy, hence we add 2 tsp.

Veg Fried Rice with Capsicum Chicken

One of the easiest and unusual gravy dishes that I came across while browsing for Chinese recipes in vahrevah.com three years ago. Capsicum Chicken with Chinese Sauce is really tasty and my nephew loved it. We changed the style a bit and added a slice of chopped pineapple. Why not try this combo and see smiles on the faces of your kids?

You can find the recipe for Vegetable Fried Rice here.

Capsicum Chicken
Recipe courtesy: vahrevah.com

Ingredients:
Capsicum - 1 Big, sliced thin  
Boneless Chicken - 15-20 chunks
Pineapple - 1 slice chopped(Optional)
Garlic - 2-3 cloves chopped
Red chilli sauce - 1 Tsp
Soy sauce - 2 Tsp
Tomato ketchup - 3-4 Tbsp  
Turmeric powder - A pinch
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 Tsp

Method:
Heat oil in a wok and add chopped garlic.
When the raw smell disappears, add capsicum, optional pineapple pieces and chicken pieces.
Add very little turmeric and let it cook till chicken oozes out it's own juices.
Now add Soy Sauce, red chilli sauce and tomato ketchup and let it sizzle for few more minutes.
Check for salt. Normally it is not necessary to add salt, as the sauces contain salt.
Serve with fried rice or noodles.

Drumstick Leaves Sannan by Uma Shenoi

Drumstick leaves are available round the year. GSBs prepare curries, vadas and sannan with drumstick leaves. I have tasted sannan at many places but the one made by Uma is too good. It needs some magical touch and lots of love that makes a dish perfect. Uma has a passion for cooking and she cooks any dish with love.

Here is Mashinga paalle sannan or drumstick leaves sannan for you. Relish this with white rice and daalithoi. You won't ask for anything else!

Ingredients:
Rice rava - 2 Cups
Grated coconut - 1/2
Red chillies - 10-14 roasted with little oil
Tamarind - Marble sized ball
Asafotoeda - A generous pinch
Salt - To taste
Drumstick Leaves - 2 cups cleaned and chopped
Coconut Oil - QS

Method:
Wash and soak rice rava in water for 10mins.
Grind rosted chillies, tamarind and asafotoeda along with grated coconut to a fine paste.
Add the soaked rice rava.
Add the chopped drumstick leaves and salt to taste. Mix well.
Let the batter be as thick as Idli batter.
Grease idli moulds with little coconut oil and pour one handful of batter in each mould and steam for 15-20mins or till well cooked and soft.
Serve with fresh coconut oil drizzled on the sannans.

Also try: Cabbage Carrot Sannan

Spring Onion Chicken

Recipe Courtesy: vahrevah.com

Chef Sanjay Thumma is versatile with his lip smacking recipes. One of the best and easy recipes we tried was Spring Onion Chicken. Chicken pieces are cooked with spring onion and spices to get a delicious treat. This can be eaten as a starter snack if the masala is allowed to get dry. You can also eat this with ghee rice or rotis.

Ingredients:
Chicken - 800gms
Chilli powder - 1tbsp   
Desiccated Coconut - 1 Tsp
Coriander powder - 1tbsp
Coriander leaves - 50gms
Cumin seeds - 1/4tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1tbsp
Lemon - 1
Oil - 1tbsp
Salt - To taste
Spring onion - 200Gms
Turmeric powder - A pinch

Method:
Cut the green springs and chop very finely and coarsely grind the bulb parts in a blender.
In a pan heat oil, add cumin seeds, grated coconut, onion paste, mix well then add turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, salt and fry till golden.
Add chilli powder, coriander powder, then add chicken.
Mix well and add chopped spring onion leaves.
Cover and cook till the chicken is tender.
Once chicken is done add chopped coriander leaves and garam masala powder, mix well, squeeze lemon and serve.

See Chef Sanjay Thumma preparing the dish step by step in the video.

Video courtesy: vahrevah.com

Vegetable Korma

There was a time when Poori Korma used to be the premium North Indian item on the menu of any restaurant in Mangalore and Udupi. We loved to eat Poori Korma at Mohini Vilas, Woodlands, Woodside, Madhuvan, La Shangrila Manipal and Diana Udupi. I am talking about the Seventies.

Now North Indian cuisine has come a long way and every nook and corner of Mangalore and Udupi have restaurants preparing North Indian Food. Yet, the flavour and taste of the authentic Vegetable Korma still lingers on. A blend of South and North cuisine, this korma is a going to be a sure hit with your family.

Ingredients:
Mixed Vegetables(Beans, potato, carrot, cauliflower) - 1 cup cut into small pieces and boiled
Green peas - A handful (Boiled along with other veggies)
Paneer(Optional) - A handful chopped
Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Kasoori methi - 1/2 tsp(Optional)
Tomato - 1 medium chopped
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - A pinch
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Curd  - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves - A handful chopped

Grind to a fine paste:
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 chopped
Green chillies - 2
Cashew bits - 1 tbsp
Cloves - 2-3
Cinnamon - 1"
Cardamom - 1
Poppy seeds(Khus Khus) - 1/2 tsp
Roasted Gram Daal(Hurikadle) - 2 tsp

Method:
Heat oil in a thick pan.
Fry ginger garlic paste and then the ground masala paste till oil leaves the sides.
Add the dry powders, salt to taste and sugar.
Fry for another 2 mins.
Add optional kasoori methi and the curd and fry further till the masala is well combined with the curd.
Add the boiled veggies, chopped tomatoes and paneer.
Add the veg stock if you want the gravy to be thin.
Cook on slow fire till tomatoes are slightly tender.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with a wedge of lemon along with pooris, rotis or chapathis.

Tomato Fry

This is a life saver when you have nothing to go with chapatis and you don't have time enough for elaborate cooking.

Try this quick recipe of Tomato Fry that I formulated the dish in the Eighties, and you may also bring a smile on many sad faces!

Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 2 chopped
Onions - 2 sliced
Urad Daal - 1Tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Curry leaves - A Sprig
Oil - 2 Tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 Tsp
Sambar powder - 1 Tsp
Salt - To taste
Coriander leaves - Two sprigs chopped(Optional)

Method:
Heat oil in a kadai.
Prepare a seasoning with mustard seeds, urad daal and curry leaves.
Add the sliced onions and fry till transparent.
Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till they become mushy.
Add the chilly powder, salt to taste and sambar powder.
Fry till the masalas blend well and a nice aroma emanates.
Switch off the flame and garnish with optional chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with lemon wedge, as accompaniment with dosa, poori, chapati or phulka.

Mushroom Ghee Roast(Kundapur Masala Style)

Kundapur Masala powder is a versatile masala for preparing chicken curries, masala fried fish, tawa fried fish and a variety of ghee roast. We tried making Mushroom Ghee Roast recently and it tasted authentic, just like in any good restaurant.

Mushroom ghee roast is a good starter snack with drinks and also a good accompaniment with Paanpole, Ghee rice or Biryani.

You can prepare Kundapur Masala powder following this recipe.

Ingredients:
Mushrooms - 200Gms
Thick curd - 1 Tbsp
Brown Onion paste - 2 Tsp
Garlic paste or chopped garlic - 1 Tsp
Kundapur Masala powder - 3 Tsp
Salt - To taste
Tamarind - Size of its seed
Oil - 2 Tsp
Ghee - 2 Tsp

Method:
Wash and dice mushrooms.
Heat oil in a pan and fry brown onion paste along with garlic/garlic paste for 2 mins.
Add the Kundapur masala powder mixed in with tamarind dissolved in 1/2 cup water.
Add curd and salt to taste.
Fry till the raw smell disappears and oil leaves the sides.
Drop in the mushrooms and coat the pieces with the masala.
Allow to sizzle on slow flame with the pan covered.
When the masala gets thick and the mushrooms are cooked, switch off the flame.
Serve with a lemon wedge.

Masala Roast Paapad

Masala paapad is very popular as a starter snack served in multicuisine restaurants. However, the usual masala paapad is made with deep fried paapad with lots of oil dripping, thus not so friendly with health conscious people.

I was intimate with a waiter in a local restaurant. I asked him if he can ask the cook and make Masala Paapad with dry roast paapad. He didn't disappoint me. He came out with a superb formula of his own, not quite masala paapad, not paapad chaat either. He made it with Lizzat Pepper Paapad roasted on direct flame but I tried it at home with local plain paapad and  roasted it in the microwave.

Here it is, Masala Roast Paapad.

Ingredients:
Plain Paapad - 6
Tomato - 1 chopped
Onion - 1 chopped
Red Chilli powder - 1/4 Tsp
Chaat masala - 1/2 Tsp
Salt - To taste
Coconut Oil - 1/2 Tsp
Lemon - A dash
Coriander leaves - 1 Sprig chopped

Method:
Microwave the paapads for 20-25 secs, turning over once after 10 secs.
Mix chopped tomato and onions along with red chilli powder and chaat masala.
If you prefer, add a pinch of salt or to taste.
Drizzle coconut oil.
Squeeze lemon and garnish with some chopped coriander leaves.
Crush the roasted paapads and sprinkle all over the masala tomato onion mixture.
Finally garnish with the remaining coriander leaves and serve.

Kele Koddel(Raw Plantain Curry)

GSB curry Kele Koddel is a hot and sour coconut masala based curry with a seasoning of garlic. Raw green plantains called 'Bangbaale' are used in curries and they are grown in most of the parts of karnataka and Kerala. Some also use raw Nendrabaale' to prepare this curry.

Kele Koddel is my personal favourite and my mother used to make this perfectly. A well balanced curry has the right amount of chillies and tamarind and the seasoning should be properly prepared. Nothing like the smell of burnt garlic in hot coconut oil!

This curry can be mixed into rice and consumed as it is, or as a side dish with rice and daalithoi. It can also be well savoured with chapathis, dosas or idlis.

Ingredients:
Raw Green Plantains - 2
Grated Coconut - 1/2
Roasted Red chillies - 6-8
Tamarind - Size of its seed
Salt - To taste
Garlic flakes with skin - 8-10 crushed
Coconut oil - 1 Tbsp

Method:
Wash and shave the green skin of the plantains with a peeler.
Cut into round discs of 1CM thickness.
Cook the banana rounds with little salt and water till tender.
Grind the grated coconut along with roasted red chillies and tamarind to a smooth paste.
Add this Paste to the cooked plantains and salt to taste.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 mins.
Prepare a seasoning with crushed garlic in hot coconut oil.
When the garlic flakes turn golden, pour the seasoning over the curry and serve.

Dry Garlic Chutney

My mother used to make dry garlic chutney which we used to relish with congi. This also tastes good with chapathis, dosas and idlis. During long distance train travels, mother used to steam khottige and carry them along with this Dry Garlic Chutney.

Here is the recipe from Jaya V Shenoy cook book 'Oota Upaahaara' that turned out perfect, as good as mother used to make.

Ingredients:
Copra(Dried Coconut) - 1/2
Garlic - 2 small whole pods
Red Chillies - 12
Ghee - 1 Tsp
Tamarind - Cherry Size ball
Salt Crystals - 3 Tsp(or salt to taste)

Method:
Grate copra.
Break the garlic pod and peel the garlic flakes.
Make small bits out of the tamarind ball.
Heat ghee in a kadai and roast garlic flakes, followed by grated copra and finally the red chillies.
Powder the roasted chillies in the mill, then add the roasted garlic flakes, salt and tamarind and run the mixer further for 30 secs.
Mix in the roasted grated copra and store the chutney in an air tight jar.