vinaya - Vinaya's Culinary Delights

Tender Mango Pickle Recipe

Posted on March 23, 2018 by vinaya

One of the favourites amongst Indians, tender Mango Pickle lends the necessary zing to a meal. Popularly known as Vadu Manga in Tamil or Appe Midi in Konkani, this pickle is made in the month of March or beginning of April. This particular variety of tender Mango is slowly becoming scarce in the local market because of its mounting supply to the Pickle making industries. My heartfelt thanks to my sister in law Roopa Prabhu who hunted it out and sent it to me.

Ingredients :

2 kgs tender mango
200 gms Iodised Table salt
1/2 kg Everest Tikhalal Chilly Powder
200 gms Mustard
25 gms Hing/Asafoetida
1 tbsp Haldi/Turmeric powder
Boiled and cooled water as required
100 gms Coconut oil

Method:

Wash the tender mangoes thoroughly. Allow to dry on a cloth. Remove the stalks if any. Do not remove the stalks before washing and drying, as the water can seep into the tender mango and spoil the pickle. Tip them into a broad vessel. Sprinkle the salt and mix thoroughly. Keep mixing it about four times a day for three days. The tender mango changes colour and also releases water. Keep aside. Boil and thoroughly cool around 1 litre of water. Powder the mustard and asafoetida first and then grind it along with the chilly powder and turmeric to a smooth paste with the boiled and cooled water. Drop the ground paste into the tender mangoes and mix thoroughly. You can increase or decrease the quantity of water depending on how thick or thin you want the pickle to be. Store the Pickle in ceramic jars or glass bottles. Heat the coconut oil to smoking point. Allow to cool thoroughly. Dip a cloth in it and place it over the pickle to prevent air from entering. Cap the bottle tightly and allow to stand undisturbed in a cool dark place in the kitchen cupboard. This pickle takes a little more than a month to mature. Enjoy it with Roti, rice or even with bread.

Little millet and Sago Pearl Dosa /Crepe Recipe

Posted on March 20, 2018March 20, 2018 by vinaya

Millets have been a staple in rural India from times immemorial, though the urban crowd has realised its benefits of late. They are a healthy option to eating rice or other carb rich food. This little millet and sago dosa is a crisp and crunchy one which can be enjoyed with fresh home made butter or with a coconut chutney. A special thanks to my sister in law Roopa Prabhu for her recipe.

Ingredients :

500 gms Little millet/Varai/Samai
250 gms Sago Pearls/Sabudana
15 Green chillies
2 inch piece of ginger
1tbsp of Asafoetida /Hing
5 sprigs of curry leaves
1tbsp Cumin seeds /jeera
A small bunch of coriander leaves
Salt
Oil to roast the dosa

Method :

Soak the little millets and Sago for four hours. Grind to a smooth batter. Make a coarse paste of the green chillies and ginger. Chop the curry and coriander leaves fine. Tip in the ginger chilly paste, the chopped leaves, jeera, hing and salt into the batter. Add enough water to get a batter of free flowing consistency. It should be neither too thick nor runny. Keep it aside for an hour for the flavours to infuse. Heat a tava/skillet. Drizzle oil. Pour a ladleful of the batter and swish the Tava to spread the dosa. Do not use the ladle to spread. Drizzle with oil. Roast to a golden yellow. Flip and roast on the other side too. Serve hot with chutney.

Neem Leaves Dry Chutney Recipe

Posted on March 19, 2018March 19, 2018 by vinaya

Neem leaves are known to have antiseptic, anti bacterial and anti fungal properties. Juice of Neem taken on an empty stomach once a week keeps the skin glowing and blemish free. It is a natural way to de worm and also a blood purifier. Those who cannot take the bitter taste of the juice can make a dry chutney powder. A teaspoon of the powder is sprinkled on a morsel of hot rice with a little ghee/clarified butter and eaten as is. This dry chutney powder is traditionally prepared on Ugadi or the New Year celebrated by the Konkani community of Mangalore and some of the communities to the South of India. Posting the recipe of the same today.

Ingredients :

A small bunch of fresh Neem leaves
100 gms Chana Dal /Bengal Gram Dal
Salt
1/2 tsp of ghee/clarified butter.

Method :

Wash the Neem leaves and dry them on a piece of cloth. Separate the leaves from the stem. Roast the Chana Dal in the ghee till it turns to a rich golden yellow. Drop in the Neem leaves and roast till the Chana Dal takes on a golden brown hue. Remove from the flame and keep aside to cool a little. Dry grind to a fine powder along with salt. Allow to cool thoroughly and store in an air tight container.

Cauliflower Delight Recipe

Posted on March 15, 2018July 25, 2018 by vinaya

The sight of the fresh and luscious Cauliflower is simply tantalizing!!! Everyone in the family is fond of it, be it fritters, a simple stir fry, an Ambat or even a North Indian Aloo Gobhi. I had decided to make a Gobhi Paratha, and then realized that there was a bowl of peas lying in the freezer. So……. instead of the Paratha I made Rotis and rustled up a subzi which was loved by all. Hence the name Cauliflower Delight.

Ingredients :

300 gms Cauliflower
2 large potatoes
1 bowl of peas
2 large onions
10 medium sized garlic cloves
1 inch piece of ginger
2 tsps chilly powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsps Coriander powder
1tsp Garam masala
2 tomatoes
Coriander leaves
1tsp jeera/Cumin seeds
5 tbsps oil

Method :

Chop the Cauliflower and potatoes into bite sized pieces. Slice the onions. Chop the tomatoes. Crush the garlic, and grate the ginger. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the jeera. After it splutters add the onions, ginger and garlic. Roast till the onions turn translucent. Drop in the potatoes, peas and salt. Sprinkle water and cook on a gentle flame, till three fourth done. Add the Cauliflower, chilly, turmeric and coriander powder. Mix well. Sprinkle water and when the Cauliflower is three fourth done add the tomatoes. Cover and cook. When the tomatoes have turned mushy add the garam masala. Toss for a few minutes. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with Roti.

Eggplant/Brinjal Masala Curry Recipe

Posted on March 14, 2018 by vinaya

This simple Eggplant Masala Curry is a family favourite. The only Masalas used in here are chilly powder and turmeric, thus keeping the flavours of all the vegetables intact. Goes well with Rotis and even with bread.

Ingredients :

250 gms Eggplant /Brinjal
2 large potatoes
2 large onions
3 tomatoes
I heaped tsp chilly powder
A large pinch of turmeric powder
Salt
Coriander leaves
3 tbsps oil
1 tsp mustard

Method :

Chop the Eggplant into bite sized pieces. Cube the potatoes and slice the onions. Chop the tomatoes and coriander leaves fine. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the mustard and after it splutters add the onions. Roast till translucent. Add the Eggplant, potatoes and salt. Toss for a couple of minutes and then add a glass of water. When half cooked add the salt and tomatoes. Cook till done. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Idli Pakora Recipe

Posted on March 13, 2018 by vinaya

Idli Pakora is a simple and delicious option to put leftover Idlis to good use. The Pakora is nice and fluffy inside and crisp on the outside. It can be served with a mint chutney or with tomato ketchup. I love mine as is, as the batter has all the spices added to it.

Ingredients :

6 Idlis
100 gms Besan/Chickpea flour
50 gms Rice flour
2 green chillies
Hing/asafoetida as per taste
A large pinch of ajwain /caraway seeds
1/2 tsp chilly powder
1/2 onion
Coriander leaves
Salt
Oil for frying the Pakora

Method :

Cut the Idli into bite sized pieces. Keep aside. Crush the green chillies coarsely. Chop the coriander leaves and onions fine and tip them into a bowl. Add the ajwain, chilly powder, salt and hing. Add the Besan and rice flour. Add a little water at a time to make a semi thick batter. Mix well and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil has reached the right temperature dip around five pieces of Idli into the batter. Drop them into the oil. Deep fry to a rich golden brown. Drain on tissue paper and serve hot with mint chutney or tomato ketchup.

Black, Green and Bengal Gram Dosa/Crepe Recipe

Posted on March 13, 2018 by vinaya

A healthy, protein rich option to the dosa is this Black, Green and Bengal Gram Dosa. No fermentation process involved, though it needs to be soaked for a good 5-6 hours to facilitate grinding. It can be enjoyed with home made butter as it is spiced up with Green chillies and ginger. I love mine with chutney which has not been seasoned or with pickle.

Ingredients :

200 gms Urad dal/black gram dal
250 gms Moong dal/Green gram dal
250 gms Chana dal/Bengal Gram Dal
18 green chillies
3 inch piece of ginger
A Kidney bean sized piece of hing/asafoetida
9 sprigs curry leaves
Salt
Oil or ghee/clarified butter for roasting the dosa.

Method :

Wash and soak the dals for 5-6 hours. Grind them non stop for half an hour in the wet grinder to a smooth batter with water just enough to give you a pouring consistency. Crush green chillies, hing and ginger coarsely and, add to the batter. Chop curry leaves fine. Tip them into the batter along with salt. Mix thoroughly. Heat a tava/skillet. Pour a ladleful of batter and spread it thinly to cover the skillet. Drizzle with oil or ghee. Allow to roast for a couple of minutes and then flip it over. Roast the other side too, to a rich golden brown. Serve with chutney or butter. The recipe for chutney can be found under the catagory, ‘Chutneys’ of this website.

Note: the proportion of green chillies and ginger is for those using the wet grinder. If using a blender or mixer cut them down into exactly half the quantity mentioned above. The batter increases to double the volume when, ground in the wet grinder as compared to the mixer. This dosa is not fermented.

Potato and Tomato Gozzu Recipe

Posted on March 12, 2018March 12, 2018 by vinaya

A simple yet delicious accompaniment to Rice or Rotis, the Potato and tomato gozzu is best served at room temperature. A dish which is traditionally served with Kanji/Rice gruel, it can be made by garnishing with or without raw onions.

Ingredients :

2 large potatoes peeled, washed and sliced thinly.
5 medium sized tomatoes chopped into large chunks
5 green chillies minced
Hing/asafoetida
Salt
1 medium sized onion minced
1 tbsp coconut oil
1tsp mustard
1 tsp urad dal/black gram dal
2 sprigs curry leaves

Method :

Cook the potato and tomato together. After it is done, discard the peel of the Tomato and mash the Tomato and potato together. Crush the green chillies, hing and salt and add it along with the finely chopped onion to the gozzu. Heat 1 tbsp oil. Add a spoon of mustard and after it splutters add a spoon of urad dal. Toss till it is golden brown. Drop in two sprigs of curry leaves. Toss and season the gozzu with it. Mix well and serve with dal rice or roti.

Besan/Gram Flour and Vegetable Kadhi Recipe

Posted on March 10, 2018 by vinaya

This Gram flour and vegetable Kadhi goes well with both Rice or Pulao. Though in a Kadhi vegetables of choice are used, I prefer making one with potato, carrot and drumstick. One can even eat it as a soup.

Ingredients :

1 carrot
2 potatoes
1 drumstick
100 gms Besan/Gram Flour/Chickpea flour
2 tbsps ghee/clarified butter
5 tbsps oil
2 tsps jeera/Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp methi/Fenugreek seeds
4 sprigs curry leaves
6 green chillies
2 inch piece of ginger
1 tbsp tamarind paste
A pinch of turmeric powder

Method :

Deskin the carrot and potato and wash them thoroughly. Chop lengthwise. Chop the Drumstick into bite sized pieces. Grate the ginger. Slit the green chillies. Cook all the vegetables with salt and keep aside. Heat the oil and ghee mixture. Add the jeera and methi. After the jeera stops crackling drop in the curry leaves, green chillies and ginger. Toss. Add the Besan and roast on a slow flame to a deep golden brown. Add the turmeric powder. Toss. Add the cooked vegetables and pour in as much water as required to make a gravy like consistency. Add the tamarind paste. Adjust salt and boil well. Serve with rice, pulao or as a soup.

Ivygourd/ Tendle Ambat Recipe

Posted on March 9, 2018 by vinaya

Ivygourd Ambat is one of the most delicious amongst the Ambats made by the Konkani community of Mangalore in India. An Ambat is basically a preparation made of a vegetable of choice in a coconut gravy seasoned with onions. One or more vegetables may be used depending upon the family’s preference. Today I have added a couple of drumsticks, Cashews and potatoes along with the ivygourd to enhance the taste.

Ingredients :

200 gms ivygourd
1 large potato
4 onions
A fistful of cashewnuts
1 drumstick
1/4 of a large coconut grated
12 roasted red chillies
1 heaped tsp tamarind paste
100gms toor dal/Pigeon peas
Salt
3 tbsps Coconut oil

Method :

Pressure cook the toor dal. Chop two of the onions very fine. Keep aside. Chop the ivygourd, drumstick, potatoes and the remaining two onions into bite sized pieces and pressure cook to only one whistle along with the cashewnut. Grind the grated coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind to a fine paste. Drop the cooked dal, vegetables and the ground masala into a pan. Add salt and adjust to a pouring consistency by adding water. Boil well. Heat oil. Add the finely chopped onions and toast to a rich golden brown. Tip the seasoning into the Ambat. Boil and keep aside for half an hour for the flavours to infuse before consuming.

Note: Pressure cook the vegetables to only one whistle as over cooking makes them mushy. Alternatively the open pan method too can be adopted to cook them.