Potato Spicy Fritters (Batate Tandla Pitta Phodi)

I made these fritters some time back from an inspired version which comes from my Ma's traditional Phodi preparations. Since I did not have time to soak the rice, I used Rice flour (Tandlaa Peet) and Idli Rava. I prefer using Rice based batter over Gram Flour (Besan) because the fritters are super crispy and work well on our health and metabolism. Incidentally, my Ammama never liked using Besan and used Rice flour all through for deep fried preparations when she managed the kitchen and the daily meals. The batter for these fritters are not runny but should be sticky and thick (chikchiki). The only thing is one needs to guard the fritters with hawks eye and fry them on medium-to-high flame and remove them once they are crispy (kurkuri).

Ma soaks the rice and grinds the washed rice to a coarse wet batter along with red chillies. I refined her recipe for an easier version with less labor. In the bargain, I also save my blender from extra load as my blender hates grinding rice and lentils. The batter can be frozen and thawed and used to deep fry smaller batches of Fritters /Phodi.

Happy New Year to All!

It feels great to usher and welcome yet another year and still find the time and liberty to pursue one's hobby and passion. Last year has been a pleasant discovery of flavors, textures and aromas on the food front. I also became an efficient cook and baker which in turn helped me plan my time well so that I am not caught up in the kitchen all the time. I also decided to jam the breaks on the postings and thereby enable myself to focus on other personal and professional goals. All this for the love of food and eating!

I plan to dig deep and discover more facets of Konkani cuisine this year. No matter which food I eat, my heart still comes back to Dalitoy and Patrodo. :)

~ Batate Tandla Pitta Phodi ~
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
Potatoes (peeled and sliced) - 10 slices
Oil

For the batter -
Rice Flour - 1 and 1/2 cup
Idli Rava - 1/2 cup
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt

Method:

Wash and peel the Potatoes to get rid of grime and dirt. Wash the slices to get rid of all the starch. Pat dry with a paper towel and keep aside. Make a thick sticky batter of rice flour and idli rava. The batter should not be runny at all, so add water little by little. Add red chilli powder, salt and asafoetida now. Mix well and keep aside for 5-10 minutes. Heat oil for deep frying and dip the potato slices so that each slice has an even coating of the batter. Deep fry on both sides till they are crispy (kurkuri) and are a shade darker upon frying. Serve hot or warm as a side dish.

Radish Fritters (Mulya chi Kaap/ Mulyaa Phodi)

A simple fritter made out of Radish/ Mooli which tastes amazing and goes well with cooked white/brown rice. This is very popular in Goa, India and is made during the days when one follows a vegetarian diet i.e Monday and Thursday. I was anti Radish growing up and these tender, succulent fritters converted me to be a Radish lover. Radish is also high in Folic acid, Ascorbic acid and Potassium content. Here in US, they are available as Daikon Radish and are relatively larger, firm and robust in size.

~ Mulya chi Kaap ~
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
Radish (peeled and cut into 1/4" discs) - 3-8
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Rice Rava - 3 tbsp
Salt
Oil

Method:

Peel the skin off Radish and cut them into 1/4" discs, rinse well in multiple changes of water and pat dry with paper towel. Allow little moisture to be present on the vegetable. Apply salt, red chilli and turmeric powder. Leave aside for 30 minutes. Heat a frying pan and dredge the radish discs one by one in rice rava. Once the pan is hot enough, shallow fry all of them. Drizzle oil on sides of the vegetable; flip them over and fry on both the sides till they get a nice golden brown crust. Alternately, one could sprinkle a handful of water and cook with a lid on and flip them till both sides are done (to avoid oil). Serve hot with cooked white rice and Shengya cho Ros.

Tandoori Fish Fry (Tandoori Macchi)

Tandoori Macchi has been a pleasant winter discovery for me. While my husband is a strong carnivore (using it for the sheer lack of any other term), I prefer to hyper-analyse and be educated about everything that goes down my throat. Which takes my meat research a step further. Of all the meats I eat, Chicken and Fish are my preferred ones. Throw a choice, I prefer to stick to the safest lean fat - Fish. I have mentioned earlier on this blog that both of us detest Fish curries in any form. Having said that it leaves us with very less choices albeit just a single one - frying fish with all different spice powder combinations and relinquish the taste. Replicate if happy with the trials.

I have a huge concern with Chicken which we buy from the local grocery. I spend minutes and a sometimes very long time pondering and ruminating over the labels - growth hormone free, no steroids used, chicken fed on healthy edible elements and not just left over animal trash. We are what we eat - my father reiterated the statement time and again when I was a child owing to my fussy eating habits! This is the quote which has grown on me over a period of time & I cherish it now as better sense had prevailed! End result being - eat what you like and if sceptic sense of judgement persists, abhor the food group till you find healthy cuts and convincing produce. Finally, more often than not I restrict myself to the easiest and safest choice - Fish. Part of fishy fascination explains the fact that I detest cleaning meat, the less disturbing scenes I see while cleaning meat, the more motivated I am to cook, feed and be fed if I am lucky!

During one of my daily jabber conversations, one of my cousin informed me that she was making Tandoori Macchi. The convo was quick and I could not get time to ask for the recipe. This was many months ago. Few weeks back, I bought Fish and wanted to try something new and refreshing. I used store bought Tandoori masala and some spice powders to bring about the fish flavour. Traditionally, this version of Fish needs to be cooked in a traditional clay oven called - Tandoor mostly found in Northern regions of India and in specialty hotels & restaurants; the temperature is almost at 900 F in a Tandoor, and is certainly higher than that of conventional ovens at home but the taste is very earthy and crispy. I skipped using the oven and opted for a hot stove top griddle instead. We both like Tandoor or any kind of grilled food. This recipe is an ode to that taste and flavour which one can find only in specific restaurants in South Asia.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Marinade time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients:
Fish fillet (boneless) - 6-10 pieces
Tandoori Masala - 2 tablespoon
Lime juice - 1 tablespoon
Red Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam Masala powder - 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Black Pepper (whole & crushed) - 1/2 teaspoon
Semolina (Sooji) - 4-6 tablespoon

Oil - for frying + marinade
Salt

Method:
Clean the fish fillet and use centre cut portions; this ensures that all the fish pieces getting cooked evenly. Thaw at room temperature if frozen and let rest in warm water for few minutes for a quick thaw. Wash the fish in multiple change of water till clean. Take care not to cook the fish in the bargain. Pat dry with a kitchen towel. Cut them into 2" bite sizes.
Add all the spice powders mentioned, mix well with hands. Add lime juice towards the end. If you prefer eating fish with lime juice drizzled, then pour half of the quantity in the marinade and preserve rest for serving. The marinade will form a thick red paste on the surface of fish. Add a tablespoon of oil to the marinade. This prevents the fish from drying up while frying & keeps it moist. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes have elapsed, heat a shallow pan, dredge the pieces one by one in Sooji, shallow fry on both the sides for few minutes till they are fork tender. Drizzle oil on the sides to cook the fish. Fish cooks very fast so keep a watchful eye. Once done, serve with a drizzle of lime juice. I did not add the juice since I had added enough to the fish marinade. This fish fry is very spicy and tasty. Reduce spice quantity as per taste and preference.

Onion Fritters (Kandya chya Bhajya/ Piyava Bajo)

Onion Fritters or Kandya chya Bhajya is my childhood tea time favorite. The recipe takes me back to my good old school and college days when Mommy dear made a huge batch of piping hot Pakoras with hot Elaichi Chai (Cardamom Tea) for me. The yummy treat were good enough for me to forget the hectic projects, timelines and gruelling study schedule. The thing which I like most about Mom's recipe for Kandya chya Bhajya is the simple secret ingredient she added - Danyachey Koot, in layman's terms coarse Peanut Powder which adds extra zing and biteful flavour to the recipe. This recipe takes me back to Mom's memories and the wonderful things she did for our entire family. I think I am missing her a lot these days. :(

This spicy hot treat is a big hit at home and my husband loves the combination of Kandhya chya Bhajya with hot Tea a.k.a Elaichi Chai. The Bhajya get over in no time, thanks to mighty gluttons hoovering in the kitchen.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 5-10 minutes

Ingredients:

Onions (sliced) - 4 cups

Coriander leaves (chopped) - 1 cup

Green Chillies (chopped) - 2

Ginger (minced) - 2 tablespoon

Peanut powder (Daanyachey Koot) - 1/2 cup

Red Chilli powder - 1 tablespoon

Garam Masala powder (optional) - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Chickpea Flour or Besan - 6-10 tablespoon

Rice Flour (optional) - 1-2 tablespoon

Baking soda - a pinch

Oil

Salt

Method:

Slice the Onions one by one and mash them with the hands to disintegrate each of the thin slice from the calyx which is the base. Add chopped Ginger, Coriander leaves, Green chillies and salt and mix them gently. Add rest of the spice powders and baking soda except Besan. Leave aside for 20 minutes.

Keep adding Chickpea flour, to form a thick gooey clump of Fritters mix. Do not add water at all. Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Pour the batter with a spoon or with your hand in scoops and fry 8-10 fritters at a time. Deep fry till golden brown and transfer to a clean kitchen towel which is absorbent. Consumer hot Fritters with Elaichi Chai.

Note: Pick smaller scoops of batter to make Pakoras which are crisp and well done. With big scoops, the Pakoras remain uncooked in the centre. Add more Rice Flour if you want crispy fritters, you could then omit adding baking soda.

Pumpkin Buds Fritters (Dudya Kaley Phodi) & 200th post!!

Pumpkin Buds are long, tender greenish-yellow hued buds which are picked when they tender for delicious Fritters or to dish out a simple vegetable side dish. In Konkani, this bud is known as Dudya Kaley/ Kalo. This easy to make dish requires little check cum preparation just to see if there are worms in the inner membranes of the bud. Wash the buds, make a small incision on one side of the bud and just poke through the inner membrane, weed out the outer strings of the bud and retain only the bud for edible needs. Still if you are sceptic, soak them in water with little salt for 15 minutes to expose and eliminate any suspects.

The buds taste amazing upon frying and make a delicious, crunchy snack. In US, some of my friends bought Squash Blossoms which taste and look very similar to Pumpkin Buds. I do not know if they are same or different. If anyone is aware, kindly enlighten. The taste upon frying is similar to the Pumpkin Buds Fritters.

The stem of the Buds (called as Dudya Dentu) can be used and added in coconut gravy based preparations like Koddel and Ambat as a complementary vegetable.

This is my 200th post.Wow! I am elated and cannot help but smile when I look at my initial posts (need some terrible proof-reading), some evolved ones (sign of improvement) and some really great write-ups (I am improving, yay!). Thanks to all my blogger friends, family, friends, my husband who gets the daily edible dose of my blog and last but not the least my Mom for being the inspiration behind all what I do and say!

Serves: 2-3 individuals
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
Pumpkin Buds - 8-15 pieces
Salt - as per taste

Turmeric powder - 1/3 teaspoon
Oil - for frying

For Batter:
Rice (Sona Masori - Pre-soaked) - 1/2 Cup
Red Chillies (Byadgi) - 6-8
Asafoetida - Just a pinch
Water - For accomodating grinding consistency

Method:
Pre-soak washed rice in water for minimum 4 hours. Grind it to a batter after draining water along with red chillies and asafoetida, salt and very less water. This batter should be thick and sticky, so add no or less water.
Wash the buds, remove the strings which are on the sides of the bud, check for any suspects in the inner membranes of the flower. Apply salt and turmeric powder to pieces and set aside for 1/2 hour. Heat oil in a deep dish pan. Once oil heats up (should not be smoking hot as fritters would burn) dip the pieces in batter and deep fry. Transfer to an absordent paper. Serve hot as a side dish.

Vada Pav ~ The Pop Mumbai Street Food

Who does not like Vada Pav? I am yet to come across one who could say 'no' to this delicious humble Indian Burger unless some dietary restriction prevents them from saying so. The humble seasoned Potato Patty deep fried in Gramflour ~ Besan and wrapped in a Pav ~ The Indian version of double decker daily bread, with some spicy dry red colored chutney interspersed between the buns; throw in a deep fried salt wrapped green chilli and chow chow away to glory. I picked my mom's recipe which has no ginger-garlic and modified it a little to suit a spicy palate with some extra's and more crispness.

The best Vada-Pav I've had was at Bandra, Mumbai where an aunty serves home made Vada Pav outside her door step. She sits on a rickety wooden chair perched outside the door with a huge tray with Vada's on one side, a heap of Laadi Pav on another and a tiny mountain of some spicy red coconut chutney or Tikhat Chutney Pood along with. On another corner would be the green chillies deep fried which is given along with the entire loot. So, post the order she curls up all of them in a newspaper, ties them with a cloth string with a professional expertise and hands over the warm potli with a smile. Whenever I visit Mumbai, I make sure I hunt down this aunty after going through the various narrow bylanes just to eat this warm snack.

Khao Galli, Mumbai, a street dedicated entirely to 'FOOD' located near Marine Lines is another place which is a favorite food spot of mine. You will spot different street-food treats adorning the sides of the pavement. The efficiency is uber cool and your dish gets ready on demand within 2-3 minutes approximately. The person serving you suggests to have it with Cut Chai ~ a simple cardamom flavoured tea with some cream or malai dunked on top for extra flavour. The plate looks colorful with the reddish brown Patty peeping in from the Pav with bright colors of red coarse chutney bursting out. He also gives you a nice green chilli deep fried and wrapped in salt. It certainly makes me a happy soul for the entire day!

The best way to enjoy a Vada-Pav is certainly to discover a local vendor selling Vada-Pav. You can spot the vendors in most of the places in Mumbai - near the local train station, market places and if nothing works out, take time to go to a restaurant and order for one without further ado. Both of us yearn for Street Food and we make sure we make Vada-Pav's very often. That's the beauty of this humble snack which costs a tiny little sum of Rs.5/- and gives lots of happiness and soul-satisfaction in return.

Cooking time - 10 minutes
Preparation time - 40 minutes
Yield - 6-8 Vada Pav's

Ingredients:
Vada: Patty -
Potatoes (boiled and mashed) - 4 cups
Onions - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/3 teaspoon
Green Chilli paste - 1 teaspoon or 2-3 Green chillies chopped (fry them in little oil prior to be added)
Ginger paste - 1 teaspoon
Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

Vada Seasoning -
Curry leaves (chopped into bits) - 3-4
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - For seasoning

Vada Coating Batter -
Gramflour or Besan - 3/4 cup
Boiled Toor Dal - 2 teaspoon (for crispness)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Rice flour - 1/2 teaspoon
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Hot oil - 1 teaspoon
Water - For batter consistency
Oil - For deep frying

Spicy Red Coconut Chutney or Tikhat Chutney Pood
Coconut powder - 1/2 cup
Tamarind pulp (separated in raw form) - 1/2 teaspoon
Garlic (shredded to tiny bits) - 1 teaspoon
Salt - As per taste

6-8 Green Chillies - Deep fried & dunked in some salt

Indian Pav - 6-8 or Hamburger Buns - 6-8

Method:
Boil and mash the Potatoes and keep them aside. Mix in Turmeric powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, chopped Coriander leaves and add salt as per taste, keep aside. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and once they begin to pop, add curry leaves which are chopped into bits. Add Onions and saute a little. Pour this seasoning on the Vada and mix well. If adding Green chillies not as a paste, make sure you saute them in little oil before adding to tone down the heat. Make small Vada's ~ round shaped of Ladoo size out of the mixture and keep them aside.

Make a thick batter of Besan along with baking soda, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and rice flour. Rice flour makes the Vada crisp. The thicker the batter, the better would the coating cling to the Vada. Heat the oil for deep frying the Vada, take a teaspoon of oil and pour into the batter. Mix well and deep fry the vada's individually after dipping them in the coating batter. Deep fry evenly till they turn golden brown and transfer to kitchen tissue to absorb excess oil. Deep fry green chillies, stir them in some salt, transfer to kitchen tissue and set aside.

Grind the coconut powder, red chilli powder and garlic along with little salt to a coarse powder. Store in an air tight container and refrigerate, use as per requirement.

While serving, plonk open the Burger or Paav, pour some generous amount of Red Chutney. Tuck the Vada in, pour some on top. Close the Vada and enjoy with a deep fried green chilli - a bounty full of flavour in your mouth.

Breadfruit Fritters (Jeev Kadgi Phodi/ Neer Phanas Chi Kaapa)

Do you get oodles and oodles of happines seeing that one long lost vegetable which you are sampling after decades..? Well I for one, relish such instances. Recently, I got my hand on a pretty young Breadfruit. I was delighted and on cloud zillion (if there was one) to see the mushy buttery vegetable. In Konkani, the Breadfruit is known as Jeev Kadgee (Konkani) or Jee Gujji (Konkani) or Neer Phanas (Marathi).

The Breadfruit is of mighty coconut size, with light green honey comb like structure on the surface. While chopping the vegetable, I oil the knife and apply some on my palms as well; the thick milk oozing from the Breadfruit sticks to hands otherwise and gets messy to clean up. Extract the central thick stem which is the Pith (called as Geeru in Konkani), chip off the thick Breadfruit green bark entirely from the surface of the vegetable. You will find white, pristine meat which is soft and easy to chop. Chop them into desired pieces or shapes of choice. Of many a dishes I ate, I love Fritters (Jeev Kadgee Phodi) and Breadfruit Chana Curry (Jeev Kadgee Chane Soyi Bhajili Ghashi).

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Yield: 2-3

Ingredients:

Breadfruit pieces - 4-6

Sooji - 3-4 tablespoon

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/3 teaspoon

Garam Masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Pepper powder (optional) - 1/3 teaspoon

Water - For cooking

Oil - For frying

Method:

Remove the green bark from the breadfruit and the central core which is the Pinth. Chop them into desired size. Apply spice rub of all the powders. Sprinkle little water for moisture and leave aside for 20-30 minutes.

Dredge them in Rava/ Sooji. Shallow fry in a heated pan with oil on the sides. Turn them after they are fried on one side. Pour some oil on the sides. After some time sprinkle 2-3 handfull of water, cover the lid and allow to cook evenly on both the sides. Serve hot with rice and a side dish.

Suggestion: Breadfruits tend to have a dry texture once cooked. To prevent that, sprinkle some water after turning them over once and cover with a lid. This ensures the fritters have a soft, moist taste.

Chattambado or Daal Vada

Chattambado or Daal Vada is quite a common fried food in my home. The best ones I have eaten are the ones made by my aunty, hence I chose her recipe for the Vade with a simple variation of adding onions and cilantro chopped for that extra zing. She fries them in Coconut oil for the extra flavour. Some also address it as Daal Vada. Typically, this was made at our home when we had guests as a tea-time snack. It was a matter of great pride and happiness if Chattambado was made. Needless to say, one needs to enjoy them hot from the frying pan and the disappear in minutes once transferred to the cooling plate. I see this dish slowly dwindling nowadays, very rarely someone makes it at home. I would not be surprised after 20 years this could become an ancient vintage dish. I have loved the one served at Mitra Samaj, Udupi and the small restaurants dotting Car Street - Udupi, which we devoured with cousins and friends with ample amount of giggles and laughter thrown in. After all, this was Ajja's (konkani for grandfather) treat and you would want to enjoy it to the brim.

You can say it is very similar to the infamous Maddur or Madhur Vade, this is a crispy palm-sized Vade which originate from a place called Maddur; its a small town located on Bangalore-Mysore express train strip. Once the train halts off for a quick pit-stop break at Maddur, you would see men and women carrying these hot Vade's in colorful buckets of blue and green strolling around in the compartment's hoping to find a seller for these home-made Vade's. If you end up buying one, a huge flattened Vade spread on a newspaper A4 sized paper if offered to you, costing only 6/- and tasting crunchy with the occasional bites and mish-mash of onions and daal. Ok, stop to wandering thoughts, digress and deviate and back to Chattambado. :)

Chattambado, the way its made at my home is a round mass, small and thick. These are much softer and give you ample chance to enjoy the core and the crust as well. Want it crispy, flatten them with palm and they come almost close to Maddur Vade. My Mom's version of Chattambado has Urad dal and Chana Dal in 1/2:1/2 proportion, I would save this recipe for another post. Serve with some coconut chutney and enjoy them with a cuppa Ginger Tea.

On a separate note, Konkani Foodie completes 2 years! Yay! Cannot fathom that I have come this far with the blog; Some highs and lows, the blog is marching on. Special thanks to all my blogger friends who played a pivotal role in this journey.

Preparation time: 4 hours

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Yield: 6-8 Vadas

Ingredients:

Chana Dal - 2 cups

Onions (chopped) - 1 cup

Cilantro leaves (chopped) - 1/2 cup

Green Chillies (chopped) - 2

Asafoetida - Just a pinch

Ginger (minced) - 1" piece paste

Curry Leaves (chopped) - 4-5

Salt - As per taste

Cooking Oil - For frying

Turmeric powder - 1/5th teaspoon

Red Chilli powder (optional) - 1/2 teaspoon

Water - As per requirement

Method:

Wash and soak Chana Dal for 3-4 hours in water. Drain the water out completely and grind to a coarse mixture. Keep in mind that the Vada has to have bites of Daal, bit ground and bit whole so do not grind it to a pasty consistency. The better your paste, the tastier the Vada. Add onions, cilantro, ginger, salt, curry leaves and turmeric powder. The batter has to be dry and should not have water in it. Make small patties - about 1 1/2 " diameter and flatten them. Heat oil in a deep frying pan, deep fry the vada's in batches till they have a crispy reddish brown crust. Adjust the flame on medium-to-low, don't overheat and overcook or vice-versa. Drain on a paper towel and enjoy them hot with Ginger Chutney (Aalle Chutney) or Coriander (Kothmiri) Chutney.

Taro Root Fritters (Kaale Alvaa Maddi Phodi)

I am always on the pursuit of adding age-old recipes which I believe would be easily buried down and under as generations progress.Taro is known to all for the leaves used to make Patrado, a popular Konkani pin-wheel roll steamed with a paste of flour and spices. Taro Root is a kind of Yam quite familiar to Asian communities. The root of Taro is also consumed with relish. Taro Root Fritters or Kaale Alvaa Maddi Phodi is my dad's favorite. In laymans terms in Konkani we address it as "Maddi or Maaddi". Much better if the Maddi is obtained from Black-stemmed Taro leaves and not the green-stemmed ones. The meat of the Taro root is extremely delicious and one of its kind. This should not be confused with Sooran or Surnu or Yam. Sooran is a different root vegetable, is compressed, circular in Asian regions and short about 1 foot sized, little bit tall if grown in Carribean or South American regions.

Its a seasonal produce and the harvest usually results in Taro Roots coming to the markets in October-December in India. I have seen them in local markets in Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore, Udupi and Mangalore. The raw Taro roots appear as shown in the picture. Some who do not eat regularly, would not know the actual taste of this vegetable. Its delicious and soft. Sometimes, after consumption you would find an itchy sensation in your throat, but its out and out tasty and one of its kind vegetable. To combat the sensation, ample amount of Tamarind or a souring agent like Bilimbi is added. So as you conclude from the habits, in Konkanis we make abundant use of seasonal vegetables and produce.

I got this picture of Taro Root from a local market in India. As you see from the picture, the root is huge and bulky. The pink snout on top of the Taro can be saved by green thumbs to plant and grow more Taro leaves. I did that as a kid, got two tiny leaves, which Mom used for Patrodo, also got three tiny pieces of Maddi, which we pan-fried with spices. Time to time I used to check on the growth and progress of the sapling. The memories are still vivid and bring a smile to my face.

More often than not, we cook it to at home to make Fritters or Fries or Phodi. One can also make Alvaa Maddi Gojju, just boil them, mash them, add spice powders crushed in Coconut (grated) and green chillies and garnish with coconut oil. My mom makes this often and taste is nice and subtle, very earthy so to say. The chopping process of a Taro Root entails chopping off, of the sides of the root to get a white meat in the centre. The ridges can be chopped off in strips with a knife. Sometimes, your hands could itch, so its advisable to wear kitchen gloves while chopping them. After chopping off the ridges, the white tube shaped stem is chopped into desirable pieces. Macerate the vegetable in spices powders of choice and pan-fry them.

Preparation + Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Taro Root or Maddi - 6-10 pieces

Red Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Salt - As per taste

Turmeric powder - 1/3rd teaspoon

Asafoetida - 1/4th teaspoon

Garam Masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Tamarind pulp - 1 teaspoon

Oil - For frying

Rava or Sooji (coarse) - 3 tablespoon

Water - For steaming vegetables

Method:

Take a Taro stem and chop off the ridges on the side which are thick and sturdy. Wear Kitchen gloves to prevent any itching sensation while chopping the pieces. You will find the white meat inside. Cut them into bite sized pieces. You could boil them in water for 20 minutes before applying the spice rub. One of my Pacchi does it that way and the taste is very soft and tender. You could also directly macerate in the spice powders for 30-45 minutes.

Dredge them in Rava and pan-fry with oil on the sides. Once fried turn them over, add oil on sides. After couple of minutes sprinkle water and cover with a lid. Allow to roast on low flame. Check if the pieces are completely cooked. Once done, turn off flame and serve hot as a side item.

Stuffed Masala Okra Fritters (Stuffed Masala Bhindi Fritters/ Masala Bhendaa Phodi)

A simple dish which is truly delightful and soul warming. Okra is an excellent vegetable, fosters effect digestion, aids in quick stomach relief, keeps the stomach bacteria (bad) free. Okra is either loved by many or hated by many. Its one vegetable which if consumed, offers plenty of health benefits to the individual. I pepped this dish up by adding a spice powder stuffing to it. It tasted nice and crispy.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
Okra (sliced horizontally) - 5
Rice flour/ Rava - 3 tablespoon
Oil (approx ~ 2 tablespoon) - For frying

Salt - as per taste

Spice powder -
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Cumin powder - 1/3 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1/3 teaspoon
Red Chilli powder - 1/3 teaspoon
Pepper powder - 1/3 teaspoon
Mix all of them together

Method:
Wash the Okra thoroughly and slice them horizontally. Apply some salt and keep them aside for 5 minutes. Pick each of the piece and stuff the spice powder, dredge them in Rava/ Rice Flour and pan-fry with oil on the sides. Fry both the sides completely, as the Okra needs to be cooked completely on all the sides. Serve hot as a side dish.

Parval Fritters (Parval Phodi or Ghointaa Phodi)

I recently found Parval at the local market. My joy knew no bounds. We also call it as Ghointaa in Konkani and Pointed Gourd in English. For some reasons amusing, I prefer to call them Parval. This is a very tasty vegatable and many a dishes can be made out of it. These gourd when store bought should be firm and well seeded. Care should be taken while frying them since the seeds have a tendency to burst and sometimes the oil can spurt and cause injury as well.

I enjoy them deep fried dipped in rice and red chilli batter. We address it as Parvala Phodi or Ghointaa Phodi. They become crisp and are extremely tasty. We make Parval Fritters in during important festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi etc. I rarely find Parval here so when I get them, I just grab them and get greedy to try out simple variations. We also make Parval Saasam, wherein Parval tit-bits and deep fried in oil and added in red chilli-grated coconut paste and mustard seeds. The combination is an awesome treat with warm rice.

There are other combinations of Parval available which are stir fried mixed with Potatoes which I believe find a prominent place in Bengali cuisines. In Bengali, they are known as Potol and Aloo-Potol is a regularly made dish amongst many a Bengali friends of mine.

Serves: 2-3 individuals

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
Parval (sliced into thin slices of 3-4 mm each) - 8-15 pieces
Salt - as per taste
Vegetable Oil - for frying

For Batter:
Rice (pre-soaked) -1 Cup
Red Chillies - 6-10
Asafoetida - 1/10 teaspoon
Water - For accomodating grinding consistency

Method:
Pre-soak washed rice in water for 5-6 hours. Grind it to a batter after draining water along with red chillies and asafoetida, salt and very less water.
Peel off the skin of Parval. They render a rather odd and chewy flavour if retained on the vegetable. Apply salt to slices/ pieces and set aside for 1/2 hour. Heat oil in a deep dish pan. Once oil heats up (should not be smoking hot as fries would burn) dip the pieces in batter and deep fry. Serve hot as a side dish.

Raw Banana Fritters (Kele Phodi/ Kelyachey Kaap)

Nupur's Recipe Marathon - Day 5

The weather is getting colder and chiller with very strong wind chill in the air. I bought a couple of Banana's yesterday. Raw Plantain is a rich source of iron and packs in lot of vital nutrients as well. I thought of making Banana Fritters or Kele Phodi as call it in Konkani.

Chop some Bananas, retain some amount of skin, par boil if required and dredge in a marinade of choice. Pan fry on low flame with a sprinkle of water and once completely cooked, serve hot as a side dish. Phodis are very popular Konkani side dish. I am a big fan of these and in winter I find myself eating quite a lot of them. There are various other vegetables which we use for Phodis - Okra, Potato, Radish, Mushroom. The vegetable bites cook fast and taste delicious. I served them with carrot sticks for lunch. Warm fritters to beat the winter chill.

Preparation time: 20-30 minutes

Yield: 1 Banana - 9-10 Fritters

Ingredients:

Raw Banana Plantain - 1

Rice Flour - 4-5 tablespoon

Red Chilli powder - 1/3 teaspoon

Garam Masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Pepper - 1/3 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - just a pinch

Salt - As per taste

Oil - For frying

Method:

Chop the bananas into bite sized pieces. Retain some amount of skin on it and only peel the top layer. This ensures that we don't get rid of all of the vital nutritious layers of Banana. Par-boil in water for 10-15 minutes, this will make them soft and tender. Marinate in all the spices, dredge in Rice flour and pan-fry on both the sides. Serve hot as a side dish.

Teasel Gourd Fries (Kantola Fries/ Phaagila Phodi)

Phaagil or Teasel Gourd is a favorite amongst most of the West Coast foodies in India. I was introduced to this vegetable during my early childhood days. We used to get these in plenty in Goa and Mumbai. Best consumed when the vegetable is tender and the seeds are not formed. Teasel Gourd is known as Phaagil in Konkani. Some like this vegetable a lot and some hate it. But out and out favorite at many a homes I know owing to the yummy fries dipped in Rice batter. For best results, the fries have to be made from tender Teasel gourds. When I visit India, Mom knows that this one has to be there. I love the fritters fried to crispy red perfection.

This vegetable primarily grows during the rainy season in abundance. It grows best in marshy areas and well watered habitats. In Konkani homes, the Teasel gourd finds prominence during festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi when 5 types of Phodis are made as an offering to Lord Ganesha.

More often than not its used to make Phodi - Pan-fried or Deep fried. Mom makes Phaagla Saasam which is another delicacy we used to cherish during Sunday lunches. The fries are very delicious and make a great side dish.

Serves: 2-3 individuals

Ingredients:
Teasel Gourd or Phaagil (sliced into thin slices of 3-4 mm each) - 8-15
Salt - as per taste
Oil - for frying

For Batter:
Rice (pre-soaked) -1 Cup
Red Chillies - 6-10
Asafoetida - 1/10 teaspoon
Water - For accomodating grinding consistency

Method:
Pre-soak washed rice in water for 5-6 hours. Grind it to a batter after draining water along with red chillies and asafoetida, salt and very less water.
Apply salt to Gourd slices/ pieces and set aside for 1/2 hour. Heat oil in a deep dish pan. Once oil heats up (should not be smoking hot as fries would burn) dip the pieces in batter and deep fry. Serve hot along with rice and curry.

Urad Daal Vadaa (Biskut Aambado)

Biscut Aambado is a popular Konkani snack cum breakfast item. Its is lavishly prepared during weddings, pooja ceremonies, birthdays and marks the sign of celebration in my home. Biscut Aambado is my father's favorite. He can simply give in to multiple helpings of this dish and yet be not too satisfied. It has the shape which is usually round hence Aambado and is crispy like a Biscuit, but its pronounced as Biscut Aambado (Bis-kuut - Aam-bado). Served with chutney, these Vaadas should be consumed hot and straight from the stove. Mom makes amazing Vadaa and I love sitting next to the stove and consuming them one by one. Her crust is very crispy with a crunchy feel to it and the core is extremely soft and well cooked always.

Manglorean Konkani Biscut Aambado is very similar to Uddin Vada or Medu Vada. My Mumbai friend used to call it as Medu Vadaa and my friend from Bangalore and Chennai would address as Uddin Vadai. At one time I got confused with all the fancy nomenclature, later was ushered into the facts by my Mom. Mom's seem to have all the answers, don't they? My Pacchi (aunty in Konkani language) asked me to do it like a doughnut (with a hole in the centre); I was too happy to make it my way because the doughnut shape requires skill and a dextrous hand; leave it if its a doughnutty-shaped or simple round, albeit closer to it, I am happy as long as its good and crispy. Udupi's Mitra Samaj - a nice restaurant based out of Udupi serving authetic Konkani South Canara snacks sells one of the most delicious Aambado's I have ever eaten. I found one nice article on Outlook India describing the tasty treats of Mitra Samaj, please click here to read it. They are also famous for their Goli Bajey - a konkani snack made of refined flour, gram flour and green chillies.

Preparation Time ~ 30 minutes
Serves ~ 20-25 Aambado (small sized)

Ingredients:
Urad Dal (Whole white Urad Daal, without skin) - 1 cup
Green Chillies - 2 (chopped)
Grated coconut - 2-4 teaspoons
Coconut meat pieces (called as Kaatley in Konkani) - 2 teaspoons
Curry leaves (chopped) - 4-6
Ginger (minced) - 1 teaspoon
Salt - As per taste
Oil - For frying

Method:
Soak Urad daal in water after multiple wash for 3-4 hours. Grind to a paste with very less water or no water (as desired). I added few tablespoons of water for grinding consistency. The paste should be thick and not runny. Add minced ginger, coconut both grated and pieces, curry leaves, green chillies and salt.
Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan. Check for heat by frying a small ball of dough first. If done, then pour ping-pong ball sized scoops of the mixture one by one. Transfer off heat to a paper towel once they are golden brown and have a crispy shell and a cooked core. Serve with chutney of your choice.

Potato Fritters (Batatyaa Phodi/ Batatyachi Kaapaa)

This is a staple dish in Goa, India especially during the days when Vegetarian food is eaten which is Monday and Thursday. I have grown up eating this delightful spiced up Fritters. They are thin, crispy Potato Fritters fried to perfection in Rice powder, spices and oil. The vegetarian meal is called as Shivraag in my home. Non-Vegetarian meal is called as Bhairaag. Many of my Goan friends used to sigh on Mondays, it implies that they get to eat only vegetarian food that day. My dear friend N, used to sulk and say, "Ash - Its Varan Bhaat and Batatyachi Kaapa today". I used to giggle at her attachment to Fish and Seafood dishes.

There are few details about Goan meals which I wish to highlight. My neighbour whom we used to call as Bhaabhi used to cook greens like Drumstick leaves Bhaaji, Radish leaves Bhaaji, Sol Kadi, Varan, Ambadhyachee Udda Methi, Chavalichi Bhaaji on Mondays and Thursdays. I owe a lot of cooking and learning from Goa region to Bhaabhi who used to feed us with all sumptuous Goan meals and practices. Another observation is that she used to always offer warm water during Vegetarian meals. I used to find this amusing. Upon further research I began to understand that warm water supports digestion while eating food unlike cold water which converts the food into slush and is extremely bad for the stomach gut and lining as well for the whole digestive system. She also taught my mother this quintessenial Goan way of making fritters called Batatyachi Kaapa.

I loved this dish so much, that I told Mom to make it at our place. The peculiar thing is the manner in which the Potato is sliced which is vertical slices not more than 3-4 mm thick. From that day onwards, all our meals with Potato fried were Batatyachi Kaapa styled.

Serves ~ 2 individuals
Preparation time ~ 30 minutes

Ingredients:
Potato slices - 6-10
Rice Flour - 4-5 tablespoons
Red Chilli powder - 1/3 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/5 teaspoon
Oil - For frying
Salt - As per taste

Method:
Slice 2 Potatoes and wash them in water for few minutes till the starch completely goes off. Drain off water, apply the marinade of salt and turmeric powder. Keep aside.

Roll the florets into Rice flour and Red Chilli powder mixture. Shallow fry in a deep dish frying pan, turn them over after they get fried on one side. Sprinkle water and cover with a lid. This ensures they get cooked appropriately. Turn off the flame once they are evenly fried and crispy, golden colored. Serve hot with Rice and Curry.

Cauliflower Fritters (Floweraa Phodi)

I have a fetish for Fried Food/ Phodi and I do not want to live in denial. Of late, from deep fried I have switched to Pan-Fried for health reasons hence Floweraa Phodi or Cauliflower Fritters for one such lunch menu which has been consciously thought of (trying for some weight loss and low calorie food). They are simple, nice and tasty. Do not consumer oil as much as Deep Fried goodies do. In Goa, we used to get plenty of fresh Cauliflower straight from the Farm. From there began my love affair with farm fresh vegetables, greens and root produce. Goa is blessed with plenty of farm area, beaches, unexploited virgin territories. Out local Milkman also owned one and some of my neighbours too owned. They call it Bhaat in Goan Konkani language. It was a thing of pride to share the local produce you get from your Bhaat with your friends and family. Sometimes we had huge batch of Coconuts, Cashews, Hogplums, Colocasia leaves dropped by our friends. It was such a delight to eat those because they are fresh from farm, organically treated and have a longer shelf life.

Once, our Milkman dropped a huge Cauliflower (yes, he is a pro owning Tractors, Gobar Gas plant, we visited his village when we were kids to see his plant). Anyways, coming back - Mom made Cauliflower Phodi out of it. Ever since that day, I have become a big fan of this Phodi. Her approach is little different because Cauliflower is a hard vegetable and it takes time to cook. She treats this vegetable differently.

Serves ~ 2 individuals

Preparation time ~ 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Cauliflower florets - 6-10

Rice Flour - 4-5 tablespoons

Red Chilli powder - 1/3 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/5 teaspoon

Oil - For frying

Salt - As per taste
Water - For parboiling Cauliflower.

Method:

Chop a large head of Flower into ledium sized florets. Parboil them in hit water for 15 minutes. Drain off water, apply the marinade of salt and turmeric powder. Keep aside.

Roll the florets into Rice flour and Red Chilli powder mixture. Shallow fry in a deep dish frying pan, turn them over after they get fried on one side. Sprinkle water and cover with a lid. This ensures they get cooked appropriately. Turn off the flame once they are evenly fried and cripsy, golden colored. Serve hot with Rice and Curry.

Ripe Banana Fritters (Nendra Baaley Phodi)

In Udupi, we get a certain type of Banana called Nendra Baaley (its a term in Kannada language for the Banana) or Moirachi Keli or Maidyachi Keli (Goan Konkani: These Bananas believed to originate and harvested from a small village named Moira in Goa). Baaley Kai or Baaley Hannu in Kannada language means Banana. I do not know what Nendra stands for (need to ask my rescue line: 1-800-MOTHER, if anyone knows the meaning kindly enlighten). I found a tall one at a local grocery store in US for a petty buy. They taste extremely delicious and are very nutritious, filling for a medium heavy breakfast.

These Bananas taste good and are a good fit for Fritters. They were one of the regular delicacies made at home for breakfast. Breakfast? Yes; Funny isn't it? When I made these Fritters, P raised his eyebrows in amusement. I also recalled having sampled these as a kid at couple of restaurants in Calangute Beach and Baga Beach, Goa. For me it was a heavenly feeling! How can a dish be sweet and salty yet taste so delicious? I used to wonder. Coming back , this Banana is a local delicacy in Goa. As kids, we gorged on these Fritters. My cousins in Goa used to prepare the Fritters for festivals and important celebrations in the family. The Banana is tall, yellowish-black tinge and one Banana can easily suffice for a breakfast for 2 people (will get a picture next time around). The first look at these Bananas you would feel they are overripe, but trust me they are not. The more ripe they go in your rack, the better tasting are the Fritters.

I specially like these Fritters because the sweet flavour of Banana blend with the spices well and take the flavour to a whole new level. It was an easy breakfast snack for me while in school because I used to hate munching early in the morning for hours together. Fritters are a quickie. Plus as a kid I relished the marriage of sweet with spice, something which I cannot withstand now after many years. I fried them in salted butter as the aroma turns unique and savoury.

Recipe Source ~ Mom

Serves ~ 2 individuals

Ingredients:

Tall Green-Yellow Overripe Plaintain (Nendra variety or Moira Keli variety) - 1

Red Chilli powder - 1/3 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - Just a sprinkle

Rice Flour powder (coarse) - 3-4 tablespoon ~ Wash rice, dry and grind to a powder

Salt - As per taste

Ghee/ Butter (salted) - For frying

Method:

Peel the Banana and chop them into 2" pieces, apply salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder and keep aside. In a deep dish thick saucepan, heat ghee/butter and allow to melt. The butter should be just enough for the Fritters to fry and not swim.

Roll each Banana piece in Rice Flour and pan-fry on both sides for 20 minutes. Once done you will see that they get sort of charred and browned on both sides. Serve hot with coffee/tea.

Suggestion: Do not use oil for frying as it interferes with the taste of Banana. Use Ghee/ Butter (salted) as it gives good aroma and makes the Fritters more flavourful.

Jalapeno Poppers

There are some dishes which you associate with your travel and later tend to be one of your favorites. I sampled Jalapeno Poppers during one of our travels to West Coast. The Poppers are traditionally Jalapeno Pepper stuffed with Monterey Jack Cheese or Cheddar cheese or Mozzarella cheese and rolled in a mix of Egg-Milk-Bread crumbs with 2-3 coatings of each. Stir fry or grill them. The taste is simply out of the world, though little high in calories. They are favorite snacks and bar foods and are crunchy owing to the crispy crust of Jalapenos. Jalapeno Poppers are popular in US as a Tex-Mex cuisine, primarily because they were born out of American food products which blended with the recipes inspired by Mexican cuisines.

Since Jalapenos are spicy in flavour, its best to first keep them soaked in a marinade of buttermilk and salt. This helps to soothe the flavours of spiced seeds and veins which are super hot. The Jalapeno I bought were super spicy so much that I could feel the heat in the air. I removed the kitchen gloves once I was done with the seed removal bit. My fingers had the burning tingling sensation for couple of hours. So beware, and never let you gloves rest till you are done. One could also experiment with different types of stuffing like onions, minced vegetables, et al.

Serves ~ 6-8 servings

Recipe source: Adapted from Epicurious with few changes

Ingredients:

Jalapeno Pepper - 6-8

Mozzarella Cheese - 6-8 teaspoon

Egg - 2-3

Pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Buttermilk - 5 tablespoon

Salt - As per taste

Oil - For frying

Bread crumbs - 6-8 tablespoons

Oregano herb - 1/2 teaspoon

Method:

Wash the Pepper thoroughly and make a slit from the top to the bottom in a line (please wear kitchen gloves, I did that and was saved from burning fingers). Gently pull out the seeds, devein and scoop out the veins. Apply a marinade of buttermilk and salt and keep aside for 30 minutes.

Make a batter of beaten eggs, oregano, salt and pepper powder. Roll the Peppers in this mix and then in bread crumbs. Alternate and apply 3 coatings of both. Heat oil in a deep dish pan and fry one by one. Peppers fry quickly, so be on your feet to transfer them immediately to a paper towel to drain out oil and cool down. Serve hot with Hot Sauce and Ketchup.

Capsicum Pakoras (Donne Mirsaang Bajo or Bhajiya)

Pakoras or Deep Fried Fritters are a mood lifter any time! I have fond memories of Capsicum Pakoras. Quite a rarity, Mom used to make Pakoras for breakfast, so for me its always been Capsicum Pakoras with Coffee! My friends wonder at this combination and ask me if I really like it! (Yes, I do !!! :)) Capsicum is called as Donne Mirsaang in Konkani.

Servings ~ Around 20 pieces of Pakoras.
Recipe Source: Mom

Ingredients:
Capsicum pieces - 20 ~ 2 Green Bell Peppers
Chickpea flour (Besan) - 1 cup
Garam masala powder - 1 teaspoon ~ MDH Garam Masala
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - as per taste
Oil - for frying
Water - for batter consistency
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Method:
Marinate the pieces of Bell Pepper in salt and keep aside. Make a thick batter of Chickpea flour, Red Chilli powder, Garam masala powder, Cumin seeds and salt. The batter should be very thick hence be careful while adding water.

Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, dip the pieces one by one and deep fry in oil till golden. Serve hot with Tomato ketchup.

Pumpkin Fritters (Duddyaa Phodi)

Pumpkin Fritters or Duddya Phodi has been a fairly recent discovery. My Maushi in Goa uses different types of vegetables - Pumpkin, Okra, Radish, Potato, Brinjal to make shallow fried fritters which have a crispy coating. I was amused with the simplicity of this dish. Quick to fry and easy to make.

I added some more red chilli powder to make it more interesting and tasty. I found them at the American grocery store and they are known as Calabaza.

~ Duddya Phodi ~
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Pumpkin pieces/ Calabaza pieces - 4 to 8

Rice Rava - 4 tablespoons

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Oil - for frying

Salt - as per taste

Method:

Make bite sized pieces of Pumpkin and marinate with salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder and keep aside for 20 minutes. Heat 2-3 teaspoons of oil in a pan, roll the pieces in Rice Flour one by one. One could also mix red chilli powder with rava for added flavour. Flip the fritters after they get roasted on one side, slather some oil. Allow to fry on all sides for 5-8 more minutes. Serve hot as a side dish or as a snack.