Mixed Vegetable Pickle (without Oil) - Konkani style

Mixed Vegetable Pickle is a popular Konkani pickle prepared with all winter fresh vegetables you can find. This is the way Ma makes it for us when the fresh bounty of winter vegetables surfaced in the markets. Of late, she has stopped making large batches of pickle because both of them cannot finish the batch and then it just gets wasted. The pickle Ma made was without oil and had lot of pickle liquor (nonche kholu). If there is one item which I refuse to buy from store then its got to be Pickle. I feel the flavor of home made pickle is a sure shot winner and you can also control the amount of sodium and oil content that goes in.

Every time I tell her I making a batch of pickle at home, she reminds me to sun dry the jars or sanitize them crisp and dry in the dishwasher. She even goes the extra mile by storing them in special pickle jars (Bharani) and covers the porcelain jars with tight cheesecloth on top to be used only during the rainy season, next year around. The husband is not a big fan of pickle, so I made a small batch just for me over the weekend. I did not add water so the pickle has a semi-dry consistency. Soon after the jar is ready, I store it in refrigerator after two days. The shelf life of this pickle is 1-2 months and goes well with Dosa, Idli, Paej and Parathas. Check here for elaborate notes on different types of Konkani pickles.

~ Mixed Vegetable Pickle (without Oil) - Konkani style ~

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Processing time: 5 minutes

The measurements are good for 4 cups of vegetables (approx.)

Ingredients:

Cauliflower (chopped into tiny florets) - 2 cups

Ivy Gourd [Tendle] (chopped into thin strips) - 1 cup

Carrot (chopped into thin strips)  - 3/4 cup

Ginger (peeled and chopped into tiny bits) - 1/4 cup

Lime (juiced and chopped into tiny bits) - 1/4 cup

Lime juice - 2 medium Limes

Salt

For Pickle Masala -

Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp

Red Chillies (Byadgi) - 10

Red Chillies (Harekala/ Guddi Mirsang) - 5

Asafoetida - 1/5 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Chop the vegetables and wash them well. Air dry on a cheesecloth or a paper napkin till the water content is gone. Add salt and lime juice, give a good toss and set aside for 2 hours.

2. In a mixer, add the red chillies and grind to a fine powder, add asafoetida now and turmeric powder and blitz for a while to mix it all up. Now, add mustard seeds and run the mixer once to crush it all up to a fine powder. Spread this powder on a plate and allow to cool completely. Once cooled off, mix the powder to the chopped vegetables and adjust salt as per taste (leave for 2 hours undisturbed). 

3. In a dry non-reactive jar, transfer the pickle. After 2 days, refrigerate for further use. Finish within 1-2 months. 

Note: If you live in tropical/ hot terrains, heat 1/3 cup of neutral oil (Vegetable or Canola oil). Allow to cool and pour over the pickle stored to prevent from any bacteria/ fungi attack and store in a cool place. Any kind of moisture ruins the pickle, so store it well.

Chicken Xacuti | Chicken Shaguti

Chicken Shaguti is the version cooked in Hindu Brahmin homes in Goa. This dish is also known as Chicken Xacuti and has its roots influenced by Portuguese cuisine. One thing which stands out is the manner in which this dish is made by Goan Hindus vs Goan Christians. The jury is still out on that and I think the biggest differentiating factor is the use of Lime vs Vinegar and local chillies for e.g Bicholim Chillies vs Kashmiri Chillies. If you visit any home in Goa for a Shaguti lunch, you will hear this comment coming often. This recipe is from a very close friend's Mum who hails from Siolim, Goa. My favorite Chicken recipes are Chicken Shaguti, Chicken Cafreal and Kori Rotti.

The color of Chicken Shaguti curry is greenish brown and is thicker than fish curry but very rich, intense and spicy. The meat is first dunked in a marinade with turmeric powder, large knobs of crushed ginger and loads of herbs. The quantity might seem a lot, but it is what the recipe requires and hence the masala is 'zhanzhaneet' as my friend informed me. In Goa, we usually eat this with Pao, Katri, Unno, Tandlachi Bhakri or white rice. Since this is a curry with a very strong gravy base, Rotis prove to be meek and cannot withstand the strong intense aroma of this curry. The base of the gravy can be used to cook Prawns and Clams. The vegetarians need not lose heart. You could use the same gravy with Paneer, Soya Chunks, Potato or Beans of different kinds. I enjoyed this style of chicken cooked in a spicy gravy.

~ Chicken Shaguti ~
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
Chicken (Dark Boneless Meat) - 3 lbs.
Goan Garam Masala - 1 tbsp
Indian Bay Leaf - 2
Coconut milk - 1/3 cup
Turmeric powder - 3 tbsp

Onion (medium, sliced finely) - 5
Garlic cloves (peeled and slit into two) - 10-12
Grated Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1/3 cup

Green Masala/ Harvo Masalo -
Ginger (peeled and cut into large chops) - a large knob of 2" piece
Green Chillies - 3
Coriander leaves - 5-6 strands
Lime juice - half of a lime

Shaguti Masala -
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Black Pepper (whole) - 10-12
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Cloves - 6
Cinnamon (broken into pieces) - 2" piece
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 2
Tamarind (optional) - 1 tbsp

Oil
Salt

For Garnish -
Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - 2-3 strands

Contraptions required -
Blender
Coffee Grinder

Method:
Chicken in Marinade - Clean and trim the chicken of any excess fat. Wash and pat dry. Cut each piece to 2" chunks and add to a mixing bowl. Crush ginger and green chillies roughly and add to the chicken. Do not make a mushy paste just crush them roughly. Make a smooth paste of coriander leaves with little water and add to the chicken. Mix well and add turmeric powder and Goan Garam Masala powder along with salt and lime juice. Leave the chicken in marinade for atleast 4 hours.
Shaguti Masala - In a wide mouthed frying pan, heat a tsp. of oil and roast all the spices in masala except Poppy seeds. Add the ingredients one by one and toast lightly on low flame. Add the Poppy seeds toward the end and allow to cool. Grind this to a powder and keep aside. You could also make this in advance to save time.
Onion-Coconut-Garlic Paste - In the same pan used before, heat few spoons of oil and saute onions, coconut and garlic. Fry them well till they turn reddish brown. It takes around 15-20 minutes to get the right color of browning. Once done, turn off the flame and allow to cool completely. Once done, blend to a paste with little water. Save the water rinsed to add to the gravy at a later stage.
Assembly - In a large deep-bottomed wide mouthed vessel, heat few spoons of oil/ghee, add bay leaves and add the chicken with marinade side by side. Increase the heat and let the chicken brown on both the sides. The chicken will turn couple of shades darker, will be part cooked and turn opaque. Add the water from the rinsed marinade (about a cup of hot water), add additional water (1/2 cup of hot water). Cover with the lid on and let the chicken cook. This process takes about 30-40 minutes. Check if chicken is done, if done add the onion-coconut-garlic fried paste and the Shaguti Masala. Mix well, adjust salt and seasoning and bring to a medium boil and cook for 5-8 minutes. Once done, turn off flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. I served with cooked white rice.

Note - I made the Shaguti masala separately in my coffee grinder. If you wish, you could grind them together to a paste after separately frying. This recipe is spicy and hot, reduce the proportion if the need be. If you do not have Goan Garam Masala, use your own brand of Garam Masala.

Kundapur Chicken Curry (Kori Rotti) - 2.0

I had earlier blogged about Kundapur Chicken Curry which was an elaborate version. It is also known as Koli Saaru in some regions owing to its soupy broth since its supplemented by addition of thick coconut milk. Some also address it as Chicken Kundapuri/ Koli Kajipu. Recently, I have worked on making a simpler version of this recipe in order to save time and effort. The results were great and we both liked it. My husband is an ardent Chicken fan and he can eat this curry and savour the flavour for days together. I like to sample and slurp the gravy, thought I must confess I am biased to my vegetables and greens. :)

Few tricks which I incorporated is instead of using Tomato puree, I used Red Tomato paste which is easily available is grocery stores. The Tomato paste is very concentrated and adds a nice tangy bite with the red alluring color. I got my stash of Kundapur Chicken/ Kori Rotti masala from Mangalore as a generous gift from a dear one; if not available use any store bought chicken masala which is bright red and has red chillies as its primary ingredient. Else, you could use the Masala recipe which I had posted earlier. I also used Chicken-on-bone which is the thigh meat and once cooked shredded it in curry broth. To enjoy the curry with all the fiery red hot taste and flavour, I made it ahead of time and let the curry rest. The next day around, the curry taste divine. :)

Konkani Foodie also completes 300 posts with this recipe! All and this for love of good home made food! Thanks to all my readers for making this journey special & for the love which is overwhelming and much appreciated! :)

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30-45 minutes
Serves: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
Chicken (thigh meat on the bone) - 1 pound or 1/2 kg
Kundapur Chicken Masala - 1 cup ground paste or 3 tablespoon masala powder
Onions (sliced) - 1 cup
Tomato paste - 3 oz. ~ approx 90 gms diluted in 1/2 cup warm water
Ginger paste - 2 tablespoon
Garlic paste - 2 tablespoon
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs ~ approx. 10-12 leaves
Ghee
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Red Chili powder - 1 tablespoon or as per taste
Coconut Milk (thick) - 2 cups

Rotti - 8 servings
Garnish (optional) - Coriander leaves which is finely chopped

Method:
1. Chicken - Clean the Chicken thighs and trim the skin if any, remove excess fat. Wash and pat dry. If frozen, thaw the meat and clean with multiple wash and pat dry. Poke deep gashes in the chicken, season with little salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and keep aside.
2. Kundapur Chicken Masala - Get the Kundapur Chicken Masala ready (grind the paste if making from scratch), extract thick Coconut milk and keep aside.
3. Chicken Broth - In a deep bottomed dish (preferably use a stainless steel non-reactive vessel or a stoneware) heat ghee and ensure it coats the bottom of the vessel. Add the Onions and sweat the till they turn translucent and mushy. Lower the flame, once cooked, add Chicken Kundapur Masala, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and 1/2 cup of water. Give a gentle mix, add the Tomato paste diluted in warm water. Add the marinated Chicken pieces and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer on low flame covered till the chicken gets cooked. This process takes around 20 minutes.
4. Finale - Check if the chicken is fork tender now; if yes, pick each of the thigh piece and shred the meat with a steak knife and transfer back to the curry. Add the coconut milk now, adjust salt and cook for few minutes (3-5 minutes). Turn off flame, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and let the curry rest for at least an hour before serving.
5. Plating - Take a generous helping of Rotti in a plate, add the curry on top. Mix well and chomp chomp! Enjoy the delicious Kundapur Chicken curry.

Step by Step Illustration: How to eat - Kori Rotti
1. Choose best quality Silk Rotti for great taste. These are available in bakeries and select specialty stores in India and abroad.


2. Plate the Rotti and crush lightly.

3. Pour the curry and mix well and enjoy!

Green Herb Paste (Hirwa Thecha)

Mom often makes Hirwa Thecha – a green herb paste which she uses to combine as a sauce for curries, as chutney for breads and sandwiches, a side dish for rotis and parathas. (Hirwa = Green in Marathi language). I find this paste very handy and a small batch can be used for many different purposes. Traditionally, Coriander leaves, Garlic, toasted Cumin seeds and Green Chillies are ground to a coarse paste and used as per need.

Interestingly, the one Mom makes is a bit different from the traditional one, but nevertheless tastes yummy! I got this recipe from my Ratnagiri Kaaku. We simply loved the multi purpose paste and its abundant use. This paste is not a simple one and don’t be fooled by the timid look and the nice green color. Just a few spoons pack in lot of heat, spice and taste. So I tweak the proportions as necessary. I had a bunch of Mint leaves handy so used them up for this paste. Use tender, light green Coriander stems else use leaves alone.

Every Maharashtrian household has a different way of making this paste. Some grind them coarsely, some make a fine paste. I prefer the smooth paste and also found two methods which are practised in my family - the first one is a regular paste which can be used for Curries and Sauces; the second one which is my favorite one for summer - a spicy sandwich chutney spread. The taste is simply delicious and makes you fall in love with your otherwise regular boring sandwich.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Processing time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
Coriander leaves & stems – 1 cup
Mint leaves (optional) – ½ cup
Green Chillies – 3
Garlic pods – 4
Cumin seeds (optional) – ½ teaspoon
Ginger (chopped) -1 tablespoon
Onion (whole) – 1 medium
Oil
Salt

Method: 1
Wash Coriander leaves, Mint leaves and stems. Chop them coarsely. Toast the Cumin seeds & Green Chillies lightly on low flame in little oil for couple of minutes. Allow to cool. Be careful as chillies tend to burst open being subjected to excessive heat and pressure. Grind Coriander leaves, Mint leaves, Green Chillies, Garlic (chopped), Ginger (chopped) and Cumin seeds to a fine paste or a coarse paste. Adjust salt as per need. Do not add too much water. Store in a jar and refrigerate. Use within 2 weeks.
Suggested Use: For Curries and Sauces

Method: 2
Wash Coriander leaves, Mint leaves and stems. Chop them coarsely. Toast the Cumin seeds & Green Chillies lightly on low flame in little oil for couple of minutes. Transfer to a separate plate and allow to cool. Now, in the same pan, sauté an Onion split into two in oil. Once lightly crisp and brown transfer to a separate plate and allow to cool. Grind Coriander leaves, Mint leaves, Green Chillies, Garlic (chopped), Ginger (chopped), pan fried Onion and Cumin seeds to a fine paste or a coarse paste. You could add more chillies to increase the spicy flavour of the chutney spread. Adjust salt as per need. Add little or no water while grinding as this paste needs to have a chutney consistency. Refrigerate once done and use within 2-3 days as onion are prone to rapid spoilage.
Suggested Use: For Sandwich as a spread