March, 2020 - Vinaya's Culinary Delights

This simple Hyacinth Beans Usli is one of my favourites. Popularly known as Pavta in Maharashtra and Avrekalu all over Karnataka, these beans have a distinctive flavour. This Usli with its minimum seasonings keeps the flavour intact. The blob of butter added at the end enhances the taste of the Usli.

Ingredients :

250 gms Hyacinth beans (shelled)

4 green chillies chopped fine

12 garlic cloves crushed slightly

2 tbsps Coconut oil or oil of choice

3 tbsps grated coconut

Juice of half a lemon

Coriander leaves finely chopped

Salt.

Method:

Soak the shelled Hyacinth Beans in enough water overnight. Deskin them. Wash and keep aside . Heat the coconut oil in a pan. Drop in the crushed garlic and roast to a golden yellow. Do not brown the garlic. Add the finely chopped chilles, toss and then drop in the Hyacinth beans, salt and half a glass of water. After it starts boiling, cover and cook over a slow flame till done. Add the grated coconut, finely chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly and serve hot.

One of the easiest to make, the quickest to mature and utterly delicious is the mixed vegetable pickle. Usually a must at all Konkani weddings because it can be eaten within a day of making it. Usually only the hard variety of vegetables are used to make this pickle. It stays good in the fridge for at least six months, though mine has lasted upto a year. There is absolutely no use of oil made in this pickle.

Ingredients :

750 gms Cauliflower

250 gms Carrot

250 gms Ivygourd

250 gms Raw Mango

9 large sized Lemons

100 gms Ginger

100 gms Green chillies

200 gms Mustard

250 gms Everest Tikhalal chilly powder

1 tbsp Asafoetida crystals

1 tbsp Turmeric

150 gms salt or more if required

Method:

Clean the Cauliflower. Separate it into florets. Wash in salted water. Wash all the other vegetables too and dry them on a piece of cloth, overnight. The next day, chop the vegetables into bite sized pieces. Grate the raw mango, and ginger. Finely chop the green chillies. Tip these vegetables in a large glass bowl. Sprinkle salt over them and toss them well. Squeeze the lemon juice. Keep tossing atleast six to seven times throughout the day so that all the vegetables are evenly coated. Allow to marinate for a day. The next day grind the mustard, chilly powder, asafoetida and turmeric to a smooth paste with water. Drop the ground paste into the vegetables and mix thoroughly. Add as much water as required to get a consistency of your choice. Salt may be added depending upon the sourness of the lemon juice and raw mango. Allow it to settle for another day. Bottle and use as required.

Vinaya's Culinary Delights

Month: March 2020

Hyacinth Beans Usli/ stir-fry Recipe

Mixed Vegetable Pickle Recipe