Potato Saung (Batate Saung/ Batate Song)

Potato Saung is a popular Konkani dish and has a great spicy kick to it. Yes, that's the actual name of a dish. But certainly a song of a different kind. The nomenclature of the dish never fails to amuse me.

Growing up, we had 5-6 Konkani families as friends and all of us loved to head out on Sundays for family picnics. Together, we explored all the lakes, beaches, temples, creeks, mountains, hills and brooks you could think of. That also explains my love for nature clad, scenic places especially the silent, calming solitude found on a seashore. The best part is since the decision of Picnic was always last minute, the food was prepared either the previous day or early morning on Sunday. Ma was responsible for one dish - Potato Saung which was typically paired with Shevai - Konkani Rice Noodles, served with a splash of coconut oil. Soon, she became an expert and I've never tasted a better one. The plain taste of Shevai goes well with the spicy fiery hot flavor of Potato Saung. The secret of a great tasting Potato Saung is in the usage of Coconut oil.

I like to pair Potato Song with Chapati/ Roti/ Paratha. The base of the Song Masala can be used to make other varieties like Chinese Potato Saung (Kooka Song), Mushroom Saung, etc. Beware, this dish has a fiery edge to it and is certainly not meant for the faint hearted. A day old Saung tastes even better.

~ Potato Saung ~

Preparation time: 30 minutes (includes pressure cooking for Potatoes)

Cooking time: 20-30 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Potatoes (peeled, boiled and cubed) - 4 cups

Onions (peeled and quartered) - 2 cups
Coconut oil
Salt

For Saung/ Song Masala -

Red Chillies (Byadgi variety [6] + Harekala [2] variety) - 8

Coriander seeds -  1 tbsp.

Chana Dal (optional) - 1 tsp.

Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp.

Tamarind - 1 tsp.

Method:

Boil Potatoes in the pressure cooker and peel, cube them and set aside. In a frying pan, heat a teaspoon of coconut oil and roast Red chillies along with Coriander seeds and Chana Dal. Dry roast for couple of minutes and allow to cool. Grind to a paste with little water, tamarind and coconut. 

In a deep bottomed dish, heat coconut oil and fry onions till they are translucent and lightly brown. Once the onions are cooked and browned, add the boiled potatoes and the ground masala, adjust salt as per taste, add water for more gravy and cook on medium flame for few minutes. Let it simmer for 5-8 minutes till the raw aroma goes off. Once cooked completely, turn off the flame and serve hot. This dish goes well with Roti or Rice-Dalithoi. 

Note - Coconut is added for consistency alone. Do not add a lot of it. Brown the onions lightly, this is a crucial step to get the right taste for the dish.

Seasoned Patrode (with Urad Dal and Methi) | Phanna Patrode

Seasoned Patrode with Urad Dal and Methi

Sometimes I get bored of my own cooking. Hence, I like to try different variations of the same base recipe. Recently, I got lucky at Patel's with the fresh stock arrival of Taro leaves, a rare feat indeed! I made Phanna Patrode and the flavor was awesome. The other version of Patrode is Patrode Upkari seasoned with Garlic and Red Chillies, a favorite of the husband.

Patrode Lollo - Patrode Log ready to be steamed

My Ma pairs this seasoned cakes with Paej. The seasoning sticks to the cakes almost creating a crunchy texture. She does it in a cast iron deep dish pan so you get the crust well formed and the seasoning offers yummy surprise of flavors. I cooked them in my iron kadhai and the roll steamed beautifully.

~ Phanna Patrode ~
Preparation time: 30 minutes + 4 hours (soaking time)
Cooking time: 30 minutes (maximum)

Patrode Recipe

For Seasoning -
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Methi (Fenugreek) seeds - 1 tsp
Split Urad Dal - 1 tsp

For Garnish -
Coconut oil

Method:
Prepare Patrode as described in the recipe. In a wide mouthed iron pan, heat few spoons of oil and while its hot, season with mustard seeds, methi seeds and split urad dal. Place each sliced cake of Patrode side by side and add a cup of hot water. Cover with a lid and leave undisturbed for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, flip the cakes over and add 1 or 1/2 cup of hot water and cook with lid on. Once done, scoop each slice and serve hot with Paej. Drizzle coconut oil on each cake before serving.

Note - Add hot water to aid the cooking process.

Byadgi Red Chillies (Byadgi Mirchi/ Byadgi Mirsaang)

Byadgi Red Chillies is a peculiar variety of Red Chillies which finds abundant use in Udupi and Konkani GSB cuisine. The thin, tall crinkly Chilli gets its name from a small town Byadgi, located near Haveri district of Karnataka, a state located in South of India. The chilli packs in less heat, is less seeded and provides the distictive red color and flavour to Konkani food. These are also known as Kaddi Chillies (Kaddi = Thin and slender in Kannada). These chillies find lot of demand in South Indian cuisines and are harvested with great aplomb in many central Karnataka districts in India.

When season's best Byadgi produce hits the market, many buy a huge stock and trim off the stem and store in bulk. When we were kids, many a times we sourced a bulk stock from local farmers who used to harvest these thin lanky slender goodies in their farmland. The close cousin of this Chilli is the Dabbi Chilli which is heavily seeded and has an albeit short stature. Dabbi Chilli (Guddi Mirsaang) is very strong, spicy, non crinkly and also gives a rich red color.

Raw Green Mango Pickle (Ambuli Nonchey/ Kairicha Loncha/ Maavinkayi Uppinkayi)

Green Raw Mango (Ambuli in GSB Konkani, Maavinkayi in Kannada and Kairi in Marathi) Pickle made from fresh Kairi tastes yummy. It is like a party of different spices in your mouth. I like this simple, easy pickle which Mom makes. Every Summer, pickle making has been a BIG ritual in many families. Some gather in groups, some make it alone, some get it done through experts but everyone has a tiny place in their kitchen for this tangy, spicy treat. A small jar would adore many a homes for the sheer symbolic value a jar of pickle carries with itself.

Pickles for me conjure and pile up lot of sweet, happy stories in a very special and significant way. Its about childhood memories, a cultural ethos which grows on you as you age, a group activity to bond, grow and share the daily domestic jabber, fond thoughts of summer vacations, visit to vast farms dotted with Mangroves and bounties of Mango trees, gift of couple of Raw Mangoes from a kind friend, hours of labour in the kitchen tugging along with Mom's Saree, some strict instructions given by elders not to meddle with the pickle jar - all this to finally taste the rich red tinged Mango bathed in the pickle liquor. A slice of sun-kissed Kairi with Red Chilli powder and salt dribbled on, and we packed a world of happiness with our giggles and pranks.

The pickle gets the powderful sharp and snappy aroma from the edible gum commonly known as Hing. Asafoetida is used in many Indian Daal and Curries. I picked Hing which is the globular gummy one you get in India instead of powdered Asafoetida. The taste had a profound difference in flavour with the use of gummy globular Hing. The combination of Crinkled Chillies (Byadgi) and/or Non-crinkled Chillies (Short Chillies/Guddi Mirsaang) enabled a smooth texture to the pickle liquor. We enjoy the red pickle liquor with Dosa's specially. The shelf life of this pickle is within 2-3 weeks or before the raw mangoes turn squishy and soft in the liquor.

Processing time: 2-3 days

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Raw Green Mangoes (chopped Ambuli/ Kairi/ Tor/ Maavinkai) - 4 cups

Red Chillies (Byadgi [15] + Red Chillies [15] ) - 30

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Mustard seeds - 1 tablespoon

Asafoetida ~ Edible globular gum (globular edible gum which is non-powdery) - 1/3 teaspoon

Salt

Water

Method:

Wash and chop Raw Green Mango into bite sized pieces. Add good enough salt and leave them aside (salt cure) for 2-3 days. Store and refrigerate if required. This is called 'Karmbi'. The day you are making pickle, thaw them and leave aside. Grind Red Chillies in grinder, add Turmeric powder and globular Asafoetida and Mustard seeds towards the end. Do not add salt as the Mangoes already have salt. Allow the powder to cool off for couple of hours. Spread on a wide tray if required. Once cool, add the powder to Mango pieces, add enough water as desired. Mix well. Asjust and add salt if required. Leave aside for couple of hours. Store the pickle in a clean non-reactive glass/ ceramic/ porcelain jar. Refrigerate and consume within 2-3 weeks or till the Mangoes do not turn squishy and soft.