South Indian Cuisine - Vinaya's Culinary Delights

Chana Ghashi Recipe

Posted on December 1, 2017 by vinaya

Chana Ghashi or Chick peas in Coconut gravy is an authentic Konkani delight wherein either raw jackfruit or Yam is added to enhance the flavour of the Ghashi. Since raw jackfruit is seasonal, yam is usually used. These need to be cooked separately in a pan as pressure cooking them along with the Chick peas will make them mushy.

Ingredients :

200 gms chana/ Bengal gram/chick peas washed and soaked for 8 hours.
16 bite sized pieces of raw jackfruit or Yam
1/2 coconut grated
6 Guntur and 4 Byadgi chillies roasted or any dry red chillies that are available.
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp grated coconut kept separately.
2 tbsps of Parachute Coconut oil
1 heaped tsp of mustard
A pinch of turmeric
5 sprigs of curry leaves

Method :

Pressure cook the chana with salt. Also cook the raw jackfruit or Yam separately in salted water. Grind the coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind to a smooth paste. Add it to the cooked chana and the raw jackfruit or Yam. Boil well. Heat 2 tbsps oil add a spoon of mustard. After it splutters add the tbsp of grated coconut. Toss and add a pinch of turmeric. Drop in 5 sprigs curry leaves. Switch off and drop the seasoning into the boiling ghashi.

Sweet Khichdi Recipe

Posted on November 25, 2017July 8, 2018 by vinaya

This highly aromatic dish of Lapsi / Bulgar wheat and Chana dal / Bengal Gram dal is simply divine!!! Drizzled with ghee/clarified butter and garnished with slices of banana it is a quick and easy dessert that the Konkani community of Mangalore relish!!!

Ingredients :

125 gms Chana dal/Bengal Gram dal
125 gms Lapsi rava/Bulgar wheat
1/2 a small coconut grated
250 gms sugar
3 big ladles full ghee/ clarified butter
1.5 tsp powdered elaichi/Cardamom
A handful of cashew nuts roasted in ghee to a golden brown
A handful of kishmish

Method :

Dry roast the chana dal and the Lapsi rava separately to a rich golden brown and pressure cook the Chana dal in 500ml of water. Three whistles of the pressure cooker and it is done. Add the Lapsi rava and another 500ml of water to cook it. Once the Lapsi rava is cooked add the sugar, grated coconut, roasted cashew nuts and kishmish and boil till it starts to leave the sides of the pan. Add the ghee and elaichi powder and mix well. Switch off and serve with sliced elaichi banana.

Cabbage Pakora Recipe

Posted on November 23, 2017September 30, 2018 by vinaya

Cabbage Pakora or Cabbage Ambado as the Konkani community calls it, is a tea time snack or even prepared as a side dish for lunch. I have innovated by grating a small potato and adding it to the usual Pakora batter. It adds to the texture and can be fried or even shallow fried. Here I have deep fried it as that is where the real taste lies!!!

Ingredients :

3 onions finely chopped
Cabbage the same quantity as that of the chopped onion
A small potato, deskinned and chopped fine
1 green chillies minced
2 inch piece ginger grated
A few sprigs of coriander leaves finely chopped
Besan/ Chickpea flour
Rice
Salt
Chilly powder as per spice level
Oil for frying

Method :

Mix the chopped cabbage, onions, grated potato, finely chopped green chillies, coriander leaves and ginger. Add salt and chilly powder and keep aside for ten minutes. It will release water. Mix the Besan and rice flour in the proportion of 2:1. Sprinkle the mixture onto the chopped vegetables and mix well till you get a semi solid dough like consistency which can be shaped into balls. Pat the balls into shape, press and keep them aside. Heat oil. Gently lower the balls 3-4 at a time in the oil and deep fry to a crispy golden brown.

Potato and Onion Saung Recipe

Posted on November 21, 2017July 10, 2018 by vinaya

This is for the spice lovers!!! Baby potatoes in a fiery red onion gravy. Though the spice level can be adjusted to one’s preference it tastes best when it is on the spicier side. Goes well with string hoppers, rotis, rice, or even with bread.

Ingredients :

500gms baby potatoes
5 large onions sliced fine
5 tsps chilly powder
2tbsps tamarind paste
Salt
5 tbsps Parachute Coconut oil

Method :
Pressure cook the potatoes and peel them. Heat 5 tbsps coconut oil. Add the sliced onions and roast on a high flame so that half of them get browned and the other half are translucent . Add the chilly powder and toss for a few seconds. Add the tamarind paste, salt, potatoes and enough water to make it a gravy. Drop in the boiled potatoes. Boil well so that the potatoes absorb the masala.

Note: this is one variety of Saung. I will be posting another variation which is not as runny as this one.

Puffed Rice Dosa Recipe

Posted on November 18, 2017 by vinaya

I am an ardent Dosa fan and my idea of a hearty breakfast is hot Dosas, chutney and a mug of steaming coffee. I am always on the look out to try a new variant in Dosas, so the other day when my niece Rupa Kamath suggested that I try this one with Puffed rice I made it for breakfast today morning. It turned out super soft and fluffy and with the accompanying Hing/asafoetida chutney it was simply divine!!!!

Ingredients :

250 gms rice
2 tbsps grated coconut
500 gms puffed rice/kurmura
1 tbsp curd
1 tsp sugar
Salt
Oil ( I prefer using Parachute coconut oil for this dosa)

Method :

Wash and soak the rice for 4 hours. Soak the puffed rice and pass it through a sieve. Grind the coconut and puffed rice first and then add the rice and grind it to a fine batter. Add the curd, sugar and salt, stir well and allow to ferment for 8 hours. The batter fluffs up beautifully. Heat a tava/skillet. Stir the batter and pour a ladleful on the tava. Do not spread it. It should be as thick as a pancake. Drizzle oil, cover and cook. Within minutes the dosa is done with lovely pores appearing all over. Serve with chutney.

Note: This Dosa is not flipped and roasted on the other side. The recipe of the Hing/ asafoetida chutney is given under the catagory Chutneys of this website.

Farm yard Beans and Potato Stir Fry Recipe

Posted on November 16, 2017November 16, 2017 by vinaya

An accompaniment of a simple stir fry of Farmyard Beans / Chawli /Alsande to Dal and rice or even Rotis is my idea of a comfort meal. I have already posted a stir fry of Farmyard Beans which is equally delicious. One can make a meal of it too, just as I do!!

Ingredients :

250 gms Farmyard Beans
1 large potato
2 dry red chillies
1 tbsp Parachute Coconut oil
1 tsp mustard
A pinch of Hing/ asafoetida
Salt
Grated coconut

Method :

String the Beans. Peel the potatoes. Wash and chop both fine. Heat oil in a pan., add the mustard. After it splutters add the broken red chilly bits and toss. Immediately add the chopped vegetables, salt and a small glass of water. Cook till done. Garnish with grated coconut and serve hot.

Tomato Saar Recipe

Posted on November 16, 2017 by vinaya

Tomato Saar is an aromatic preparation which can be served as an appetizer or as a mixer for rice. The basic ingredient that is used here as the name indicates is Tomato. What makes it different is that it can be seasoned in a variety of ways. Each seasoning lends its own unique taste to the Saar. Here I have seasoned it with garlic. You may also try seasoning it with finely chopped onion or a simple one of asafoetida, mustard and curry leaves.

Ingredients:

3 medium sized tomatoes
1 litre water
1 tsp tamarind paste
3 tsps sugar
2 tsps Sambhar powder
Salt
20 garlic cloves
2 tbsps ghee/ clarified butter
Coriander leaves

Method :

Chop the tomatoes fine. Drop them into the boiling water along with the tamarind paste, salt, sugar and sambhar powder. Cook till soft. Heat ghee and add the lightly crushed garlic cloves to it. Roast to a rich golden brown. Tip the seasoning into the boiling Saar. Boil for a couple of minutes to allow the aroma of the garlic to infuse into the Saar. Switch off. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Note : The recipe to the Sambhar-powder can be found under the catagory of Spice powders of this website. You may also use the store bought one too.

Guava Curry Recipe

Posted on November 13, 2017 by vinaya

Guavas are in season and after gorging on them, decided to turn some of them into a curry. Allahabad is the home to some of the best Guavas in India. This is a tangy, sweet and spicy curry which borders on to a chutney or a semi pickle. One can enjoy it with Roti or rice. Serves well as a dip too.

Ingredients :

300 gms guava
2 large tomatoes
1 tsp tamarind paste
2 tbsps jaggery syrup
1 tbsp chilly powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
A large pinch of turmeric powder
Salt
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp jeera/ cumin seeds
1/4 tsp methi/ fenugreek seeds
2 tbsps ghee/ clarified butter

Method :

Slice the guava into bite sized pieces. Chop the tomatoes fine. Heat ghee. Add the mustard. After it splutters add the cumin followed by fenugreek seeds. After the fenugreek seeds turn golden brown add the tomatoes and salt. Roast till they are mushy. Add the coriander, chilly and turmeric powders. Toss. Add a large glass of water, the jaggery syrup, tamarind paste and the guava. Boil on a slow flame till the guava is cooked and the curry turns semi solid.

Copra, Curry Leaves and Peanut Chutneys Recipes

Posted on November 13, 2017November 13, 2017 by vinaya

These three Chutneys are life savers for bachelors and for working women. They can be used as a spread on buttered bread, sprinkled on rice with a drizzle of ghee/clarified butter or used as a side dish. Each has its own unique taste. The one with Copra/ dried coconut has roasted garlic added to it whereas raw garlic flavours the Peanut chutney. The Curry Leaf chutney is sans garlic.

Copra and Garlic Chutney
Ingredients :

250 gms copra/ dry coconut
100 gms garlic
2 tbsps chilly powder
Marble sized ball of tamarind
Salt
1 tbsp ghee/ clarified butter

Method :
Cut the Copra into tiny pieces. Peel the garlic. Heat the ghee and roast the garlic to a rich golden brown. Switch off. Tip in the chilly powder, toss and immediately drop it into the blender along with the Copra, salt and tamarind and powder it. Store in an air tight container.

Curry Leaves Chutney
Ingredients :

1 coconut grated
21 sprigs Curry leaves
A lemon sized ball of tamarind
3 tbsps coriander seeds
1 tbsp urad dal
50 gms roasted Bengal gram dal/ daalia
2 tbsps chilly powder
Salt

Method:
Dry roast the grated coconut along with the curry leaves to a rich brown. Roast the coriander seeds and the urad dal separately in a drop of oil to a rich golden brown. Tip the chilly powder into the roasted coconut and toss well. Powder together the above roasted ingredients along with the tamarind and salt. Store in an air tight container.

Peanut Chutney
Ingredients :

250 gms Peanuts
15 medium sized garlic cloves
1 tbsp chilly powder
Salt

Method :
Roast the peanuts and deskin them. Powder them along with the garlic, chilly powder and salt. Store in an air tight container.

Sweet Appam Recipe

Posted on November 12, 2017November 13, 2017 by vinaya

Sweet Appam/ Godu Appo/ Unni Appam as it is known, is traditionally offered to Lord Ganesha. These sweet Appam are made either with rice or wheat flour and flavoured with Banana and Cardamom. Posting the wheat one today.

Ingredients :

125 gms wheat flour
125 gms rava/ semolina
200 gms jaggery
3 tbsps grated coconut
1/2 of a banana
1tsp Cardamom powder
Ghee/ clarified butter for roasting

Method :
Crush the jaggery. Chop the banana. Powder the Cardamom. Grind the coconut, banana, jaggery and Cardamom together. Remove and mix the rava and wheat flour in it. Wash the blender with half a glass of water and add the adhering paste into the rava n wheat flour mixture. Allow to stand for five minutes. Check the consistency. It should be of dropping consistency. If it is thick add some more water and allow to stand for ten minutes. Heat the Appam pan. Pour ghee into it. Drop in the batter and cook covered over a medium flame. When done flip over and roast the other side too. Fragrant sweet Appam are ready to serve.