Ghardudde(Bottle Gourd) Paanak by Veena Bhaktha

In the scorching summer heat, different kinds of coolers are well soughgt after. Natural juices have an edge over artificially blended/aerated ones. Ghardudde in Konkani or Bottle Gourd is a known coolant. It is mainly used in making curries and halwa. I found a good use for that in making healthy natural juice which is not only tasty nut keeps your body cool for a long time. Added ginger and lemon are rich sources of minerals and Vitamin C. Jaggery compensates for the reduced energy level in the body due to dehydration and salt sums up for the electrolyte imbalance. Pepper adds to flavour and by itself is known to have cooling properties.

Ingredients:
About 100-200 gms of peeled deseeded and chopped Bottle Gourd(Ghardudde)
Jaggery (as per taste) used 50gms here
Pinch of salt & Pepper powder
A small piece of Ginger
1 big Lemon

Method:
Add all the ingredients except lemon in a mixer and blend very well.
Empty the ground paste into a vessel.
Now add 3 glasses of water to mixer, beat it for few seconds, add that water to the paste and stir well.
Squeeze one big sized lemon, mix well and filter the contents.
Chill for 2-3 hours in the fridge before serving.
Got four glasses of thick tasty juice here.

You can vary the Ingredients as per your requirements.

Simple N Easy Potato Masala

This is a spicy curry with potatoes and onions which can be prepared at short notice and tastes good when served with rice and daal. My aunt(Father's sister) found this popular dish in Andhra. They add Turmeric powder and some other ingredients but we make it simple, with only 6 ingredients. This used to be my favourite side dish when I was a bachelor, cooking own food in Bangalore.

This goes well with chapathis and pooris also. You may add chilli powder according to your taste but this being a dry curry needs little more oil to taste better.

Ingredients:
1. Potatoes - 4 medium
2. Onions - 2 medium
3. Urad daal - 1 Tsp
4. Red Chilli powder - 2-3 Tsp
5. Salt - To taste
6. Coconut oil - 3-4 Tsp

Method:
Wash boil and peel the potatoes.
Cut into small cubes.
Chop the onions finely.
Heat oil in a kadai.
Add urad daal. Allow that to get golden brown.
Add half of the chopped onions and brown them.
Now add the remaining chopped onions and saute till they become soft and golden.
Add chilli powder, cubed boiled potatoes and salt to taste.
Mix well to coat the potatoes with the masala and salt.
If the curry gets too dry, you may sprinkle little water.
Allow the masala to infiltrate the potatoes.
Switch off the heat, cover and keep for 5 mins.
Serve garnished with chopped coriander leaves and lemon wedge. We prefer it as it is.
Goes well with Rice and Daalithoi.

Pot Roast Chicken with Mustard

Many years ago, my friend Balachandra Shetty had invited us for dinner and his wife Anjali Shetty who is with Air India as hostess, had prepared a whole chicken roast in a pot. It was excellent and we had never tasted such a delicious dry chicken dish before. She passed on the recipe to Meena who prepared it 4-5 times whenever we had guests for dinner.

Yesterday, my nephew had come for dinner and after many years Meena roasted similar chicken in the pot for him. He liked it so much, he gobbled up half of the bird happily! So, my catchword is, prepare two whole birds if you have hungry youngsters at home. This one is gonna be a superhit anyway!

Ingredients:
Whole Chicken with skin - 1 Kg
Coarsely ground Ginger - 2 Tsp
Coarsely ground Garlic - 2 Tsp
Black pepper powder - 2 Tsp
Salt - 2 Tsp(Adjust according to taste)
Mustard powder or paste - 2 Tsp
Dark Soy Sauce - 2 Tsp
Lemon juice - Of 1 lemon
Cloves - 10-12
Cinnamon - 2" stick broken into small pieces
Butter or ghee - 4 Tsp

Method:
Prepare a paste combining the ingredients other than cloves and cinnamon.
Apply the paste on the chicken, inside out and stick the cloves and cinnamon pricking the flesh with a sharp knife point.
Marinate the chicken in the fridge for 24 hours.
Heat butter/ghee in a nonstick pan.
Place the marinated chicken in the pan on high heat and allow the chicken to get browned on one side.
Turn over and brown the other side as well.
Now close the lid and simmer for 15- 20 mins.
Turn over again and close the lid. Simmer for another 15-20mins
Open the lid, raise the heat and carefully turn the chicken and keep it sideways to brown the drumstick portion.
After 5 mins, turn over again and allow the other drumstick side to get browned.
When the juices have evaporated and the chicken is tender, remove and trasfer to aa platter.
Serve with lemon wedges and choice of salads.

Instant Sweet Raw Mango Pickle

Recipe Courtesy: Sharmi's Passion

My Facebook friend Archana Shenoy Prabhu was in Kannur recently. She uploaded a picture showing a very big raw mango, almost the size of a tender coconut! When asked, she said it is from her brother in law, also my Facebook friend Mahesh Baliga's mango tree that yields hundreds of such big mangoes but they are not edible directly. They are very sour and are fit for making pickles.

When I contacted Mahesh Baliga, he offered to send a few raw mangoes by the next available train. Yesterday, by 12.30 in the afternoon the mangoes reached Mangalore. I was in a mood for pickles and chutneys myself and ventured into making Spicy Raw Mango Chutney, while our neighbour Vinaya Shenoy made Cut Mango Pickle in Brine. I thought of making a different kind of pickle and came across this wonderful recipe online. Thus we had three different pickles within hours!

This one is easy to make and is finger licking good. Guaranteed to go well with congi, rice and daalithoi and with curd rice. You can also serve this as sides with Aloo Paratha and curd.

Clockwise from bottom  left: Raw Mango Chutney,
Mango Sweet Pickle, Cut Mango Pickle

Ingredients:
Raw Mango - 750 Gms whole
Red Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Powdered Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp
Salt - to taste

To roast & grind:
Fenugreek seeds - 1 Tsp
Byadgi Red Chillies - 5-7

To temper:
Oil - 20 ml
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafotoeda(Hing) - 3-5 Gms

Method:
Wash the raw mangoes, chop into bite sized pieces, set aside.
In a pan, dry roast fenugreek seeds and red chillies till golden brown.
Transfer it to a mixer.
Grind it to a semi coarse powder, set aside.
In a pan heat oil, add mustard seeds let them splutter.
Add roasted powder, red chilli powder, hing and turmeric powder.
Give a quick mix and switch off.
Transfer this to the chopped raw mango pieces,add salt and mix well.
Leave that to rest.
Meanwhile we can prepare the jaggery syrup.
Add 1/4 cup of water to jaggery and heat it up until it nicely bubbles and is thick like honey in consistency.
Strain to remove impurities.
Now to the thick jaggery syrup add the marinated raw mango pieces and heat it up until it is nicely coated.
Switch it off immediately.
The mangoes get cooked easily so don't heat up for more time, just mix and switch off.

Further note:
The pickle stays well for 2 days in room temperature and many days if refrigerated. 
If more oil floats on top (as for any pickle) it increases shelf life. 
Always use clean spoon every time. 
Don't keep silver spoon immersed in the pickle, the pickle will get spoiled easily.
Grinding chillies and fenugreek to a coarse powder gives the pickle a nice crunchy taste while eating.
This is instant pickle and you need not wait till soaking time.
Just make it and serve it. 
The mangoes get half cooked in jaggery syrup and get soft.
Adjust spice and sweetness according to your taste.

Spicy Baked Fish Fillets

Thanks to Kavitha Shriyan, follower of Garam Tawa on Face Book who suggested the name for this dish.

This is a fusion of two Tawa roast fish recipes followed by my wife Meena and she modified that to suit the South and North Indian tastes, while baking them to avoid all that excess fat and get a firm but tasty seafood treat!

We tried making this with Indian Red Snapper Fish(Yeri) but any fleshy fish that can be cut into fillets or cubes can be substituted.

All you need to do is to be little generous with that tang and spice to make this dish deserve its name!

Ingredients:
Fish fillets or cubes - 500Gms
Green Chillies - 4(Add more if you like)
Ginger Garlic paste - 2 Tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 Tsp
Salt - 1/2 Tsp or to taste
Cumin Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Turmeric powder - A pinch
Chaat Masala  - 2 Tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 Tsp
Lemon - 1
Butter - 1 Tsp
Oil - 1 Tsp

Method:
Wash and pat dry the fish fillets/cubes.
Make green chilli paste.
Mix green chilli paste with other ingredients except oil, squeeze lemon and apply to the fish fillets/cubes and marinate for 1 hour in the fridge.
Preheat oven to baking temperature.
If you are using fish fillets, layer the drip tray with aluminium foil and arrange the marinated fillets.
If you use fish cubes, pin them with wooden skewers.
Bake for 20mins or till golden, basting with oil every 5 mins on both sides.
Serve with green salad and lemon wedges.
Goes well as a starter snack with cocktails or mocktails.

Paan Polo/Neer Dosa by Anuradha Mudalagiri Kamath

This dosa is very popular among GSBs and the Tulu speaking people. In Malnad, most of the villages and small towns have restaurants serving Paan Polo. These low fat thin crepes are light on the stomach, tasty and easy to digest. Especially during hot summer months, these dosas are good for breakfast.

Since these dosas are made with rice, they can be eaten with any veg or nonveg curry, chutney, sambhar, jaggery syrup that we call GoDDaa Ravo and also with jaggery coconut choorna. Some like them with Appe Midi or cut mango pickle and coconut oil. I am a pure vegetarian and I prefer chutney, pickle or some sprouted bagdo aambat along with this and a cup of strong filter coffee to complete the breakfast.

Ingredients:
Raw Rice(Preferably Kolam or BT) - 1 cup
Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
Salt - To taste
Coconut oil - For roasting

Method:
Wash and soak rice for 2-3 hours.
Drain and grind smoothly with grated coconut.
Add enough water to the batter to make it as thin as milk.
Add salt to taste.
Heat a nonstick dosa tawa and pour a ladleful of the batter.
Tilt the tawa in a rotation to spread the batter even and thin.
Cover and let it cook for 2 mins.
Open the lid, drizzle little coconut oil from the sides,
When the dosa surface looks dry, carefully lift the dosa and transfer to a platter.
Allow to cool down a bit and then fold like a napkin and serve.

Prawn Saaru/Sunghta Soi Bhaajjunu Saaru

In the summer heat when spicy food makes one thirsty, here's an alternative, a slightly easy on the gastronomy, Prawn Saaru. This is the modified version of Sunghta Soi Bhaajjunu Ghashi as prepared by Sujatha Baliga, my Sister in Law's sister. She gave us the recipe for that ghashi long ago but I lost it. I came out with my own version.

This is almost like phannaupkari but added roasted grated coconut makes this tasty and aromatic. Slight tang, a hint of coriander powder and limited use of chilli powder makes this best suited accompaniment with boiled red rice. Suggested combo meal is boiled red rice with Prawn Saaru, alsande upkari, mango pickle and fried fish.

Ingredients:
Small or medium Prawns(Preferably brown Karkadi) - 500 Gms
Turmeric powder - A pinch
Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp
Chopped Onions - 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Tamarind - Cherry size ball
Coconut oil - 2 tsp
Water - 500 ml
Salt - to taste(Approx 1 tsp)

Method:
Clean, de-vien and wash prawns.
Marinate the prawns with turmeric powder and salt for 1 hr.
Dry roast the grated coconut till golden in colour.
Grind coarsely with little water. I prefer it as it is.
Make a thick extract of tamarind in little water.
Heat oil in a wide mouthed earthen pot or in a thick bottomed pan.
Fry the onions till golden.
Add the roasted coconut paste, red chilli powder, salt to taste and coriander powder.
Fry till raw smell disappears.
Add the tamarind extract and fry.
Add water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 mins.
Add the prawns and allow to boil.
Cover again and simmer for another 5 mins or till prawns are cooked.
Check for salt and serve hot.

Chicken Sukkha(Kori Aajadina)

Chicken Sukkha is a typical Tuluva chicken dry curry that is a must at any feast following Tuluva weddings, receptions, Tammana and Daiva Nema. Today, Coastal cuisine has this dish along with Kori Rotti on top of the menu. Traditional sukkha is made with country chicken meticulously by the rural people. For that, preparing the bird is a rite by itself.

Country birds grow up to 4 Kgs in weight depending on the environment and feed. 'Kattada Kori' or the cock that is grown for fighting is much in demand. The bird is bled to death by putting a gash on its gullet. Then the feathers are plucked carefully and the contents inside the stomach are cleaned. The whole bird meat is then washed, wiped dry and coconut oil is rubbed all over it. Dried coconut leaves are  set afire and the chicken meat is burnt on it, so that the half baked flesh swells in size and the skin clings to the flesh and smells good. Then this meat is cut into small pieces and is cooked along with a spicy masala with added kokum skin or 'Jarige Vote"(Dried Kodampuli) and finally grated coconut and other spices are added to make a thick dry curry.

Kattada Kori(Country Chicken) Sukkha

City dwellers can't afford to make the traditional country chicken sukkha on a regular basis and we depend on fast cooking broiler chicken to make chicken sukkha. Whichever way we make it, sukkha is a delicious curry that is loved by almost all who taste it!

Ingredients:
1. Coconut Oil - 1 Tbsp
2. Red Chillies – 30(20 Short and 10 long)
3. Coriander Seeds – 3 Tbsp
4. Jeera – 1 Tsp
5. Methi seeds – 1 Tsp
6. Oama(Ajwain) - 1/4 Tsp(Optional)
7. Peppercorns – 1 Tsp
8. Cinnemon 1 inch stick and Cloves 4-6
9. Garlic Flakes – 8-10
10. Turmeric Powder – 1 Tsp
11. Tamarind – A small ball
12. Kokum Skin/Jarige Vote – 4(Optional)
13. Butter – 1 Tbsp
14. Water – 2 Cups
15. Salt – To Taste
16. Onions – 2 Big chopped
17. Chicken - 1.2 Kg cleaned and cut into small pieces
18. Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig

Coarse Coconut paste:
1. Coconut - 1/2 grated
2. Jeera - 1/2 Tsp
3. Garlic flakes - 8

Seasoning:
Ghee - 2 Tsp
Onion - 1 medium chopped

Chicken Sukkha

Method:
Roast the chillies and dry spices with little oil and grind with turmeric powder, garlic flakes, tamarind to a fine paste.
In a wide mouthed thick bottomed earthen pot or vessel, Cook chicken pieces with this masala, butter, 2 chopped onions, kokum skin/jarige vote and salt to taste.
Cook till onions are transparent.
Roast jeera and 2 tbsp grated coconut till light brown. Coarsely grind with remaining coconut and garlic flakes.
Heat 1 tbsp oil and add curry leaves.
When they are crisp, add the coarsely ground coconut paste, mix well and add this to the cooked chicken.
Mix well and allow the curry to dry.
Fry 1 chopped onion in ghee until golden brown and mix this seasoning into the sukkha.
Serve garnished with chopped coriander leaves and lemon wedges along with Kori Rotti.