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.

Ivy Gourd Rice (Tendli Bhaat)

Iyy Gourd Rice goes well for Lunch box and you get the wholesome combination of vegetables and rice in a pot. That is the beauty of One Pot Dish, a single dish with rice and vegetables holds good for a yummy meal.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Rice (Basmati rice) - 1 cup

Ivy Gourd (Tendli/ Tendley) - chopped - 2 cups

Onion (chopped) - 1/2 cup

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt

Turmeric powder

Red Chilli Powder

Oil/ Ghee

Masala -

Coconut powder - 1/2 cup

Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon

Clove - 2-3

Cinnamon - 1" stick

Whole Black Pepper Corns - 3-5

Red Chillies - 2

Garnish (optional) - chopped Coriander leaves

Method:

Wash and cook Rice in water and keep aside. In a deep dish pan, heat few spoons of Ghee/ Oil, once the pan heats up, add Cumin seeds, they begin to proliferate in size, add chopped Onions and saute till they wilt in size. Add a hint of Turmeric powder and Red Chilli powder and chopped Ivy Gourds. Adjust salt and add enough water to immerse the gourds, bring to boil and simmer covered on a low flame for 10 or till the gourds are completely cooked.

On the side, grind the masala ingredients to a fine powder with no water. Add this to the cooked Ivy Gourd and allow water to evaporate completely. Add cooked Rice now and gently stir. Turn off flame and serve hot with a garnish of chopped Coriander leaves.

Ivy Gourd Vegetable Side Dish (Tendle Upkari/ Tondli chi Bhaaji)

Ivy Gourd or Tendli or Tondli is an adored vegetable in my home. The mere taste, sight and smell of this vegetable takes me back home, my city and all the umpteen memories just flash by in a jiffy. Tendle Upkari or Ivy Gourd Vegetable Side Dish or Tondli chi Bhaaji is a comfort food for me and most of my family members.

The younger and tender the vegetable, the better is the taste of the dish. I am specially documenting this recipe for the newbie Konkani food lovers and individuals learning to cook Konkani dishes. Upkari's are a great way to begin your cooking journey. They are simple, easy to follow and require very less preparation.

Cooking time ~ 20 minutes

Preparation time ~ 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Ivy Gourd (thin tall sliced) - 4 cups

Green Chillies (slit lengthwise) - 2

Grated Coconut - 3-4 tablespoon

Turmeric powder (optional) - 1/3 teaspoon

Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon

Salt

Ghee

Water

For seasoning -

Curry leaves - 4-5 leaves

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Method:

In a deep frying pan, heat few teaspoons of Ghee. Once the pan is hot, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Allow the leaves to fry and the mustard seeds to pop completely. Stir gently and add the green chillies. Be careful as the chilly seeds could dance around causing potential injury to the eyes. Saute gently.

Add the pre-washed, chopped Ivy Gourd pieces. Mix along with the seasoning. Adjust salt as per taste, add enough water for the vegetables to soak in. Bring to boil and once the consistency reaches the boiling point, simmer on low flame till the water gets evaporated, cover with a lid if possible. Cook till the vegetables get completely cooked. Turn off the flame once done and garnish with grated coconut. Serve warm as a Side Dish.

Here is another way of cooking Ivy Gourd -

Seared Ivy Gourd - Tendley Talasaani

Seared Ivy Gourd (Tendley Talasaani)

This dish is one of Mom's favorite and mine too! We both love eating this dish and does not take much time as well. Tendley Talasaana is one preparation which I enjoy. Every time Ivy Gourds are brought to our house, I plead my Mom to make Talasaana for me.


In Konkani custom, we make different types of Talasaana, the procedure remains same but vegetables vary - Brinjals, Ivy Gourd, Potato, et al. Talasaani is a konkani style of searing vegetables in seasoning of choice and then boiling the vegetables to perfection. The crux of the detail lies in the flavour one gets after searing the vegetables.


They taste good and go well as a side dish. Ivy Gourds which are smaller in size taste better vis-a-vis bigger ones.

Recipe Source: Mom

Serves: 2 individuals

Ingredients:

Ivy Gourd - 10 to 12

Green Chillies - 2

Garlic flakes - 2-4

Salt - as per taste

Oil - for frying

Method:

Wash the Gourd thoroughly and slit the sides. In a pestle and mortar, crush the green chillies, salt and garlic to make a rough paste. Crush Ivy Gourd in this paste one by one. They should just burst open however should not break.

Heat oil in a pan, fry the paste of chillie, garlic and salt. Allow to roast, add the Ivy Gourds. Sear them on all the sides. till they turn brown. Add enough water and simmer till they cook well. Serve hot once done.

Cashewnut Side dish (Tendley Bibbe Upkari)

Festivals are times we look forward to the good old moments we spent with our loved ones especially if you are a far away land like in my case. Today is Gudi Padwa. It reminds me of sweet moments when Mom used to wake me up from a deep slumber and force me to eat Kadoo Limba Patra and Good (Neem Leaves fried in oil) after brushing my teeth. I used to detest the taste much to the bitter flavour of Neem Leaves. Lunch is a big affair with a lavish spread on Samsaar Padwaa (Gudi Padwa as known in Konkani). We had Khotto, Madganey, Patrodo, Bibbe Upkari (king of all dishes), Phodis, Saasam. Today I cannot help but sigh in nostalgia as I am terribly missing home be it the love and affection of mom and dad, the early morning calls wishing Happy Gudi Padwa or simply the feeling of being with your loved ones. The hope of a new beginning. The hope of a better life.

Here's some info I got when I googled Gudi Padwa, which is quite an interesting read:

"Gudhi Padwa (Devnagari: गुढीपाडवा {often mis-pronounced as guDi padwa because ढी sounds like डी while speaking}) is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month, and is celebrated as New Year's Day by Maharashtrians and Hindu Konkanis ( called as Samvatsar ( Sausar ) Padvo or Yugadi by Konkanis ). It is the same day on which great king Shalivahana defeated Sakas in battle.
This is also first day of Marathi Calendar. This festival is supposed to mark the beginning of Vasant (spring). According to the Gregorian calendar this would fall sometime at the end of March and the beginning of April. According to the Brahma Purana, this is the day on which Brahma created the world after the deluge and time began to tick from this day forth. This is one of the 3 and a half days in the Indian Lunar calendar called "Sade-Teen Muhurt", whose every moment is considered auspicious in general to start a new activity.
While the people of Maharashtra use the term Gudhi Padwa for this festival and the Konkanis use Sanvsar Padvo (sanvsar derived from samvatsar meaning year) the people of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka term the same festival, observed on the same day, Ugadi. The Sindhi festival of Cheti Chand is celebrated same day."

Today I prepared Bibbe Upkari (Raw Cashewnut Fries). Amongst Konkanis, its holy to eat Cashewnuts on this auspicious day. For generations to come, this dish is quite symbolic and on Gudi Padwaa day, we make Bibbe Daali Aambat. I decided to make Tendley Bibbe Upkari. Since, I had less Ivy Gourd, I added boiled Potatoes for added flavour and to increase the quantity as well. Take your pick on the vegetables accordingly.

Tendley Bibbe Upkari

Serves: 6 servings

Cooking time: 45 minutes hour (excluding the preparation time)

Ingredients:
Cashewnut: 2 cups (Pre-soaked in warm water for 4-6 hours)
Ivy Gourd: 3 cups (chopped into thin - 1" pieces)
Potato: 1 cup (optional - boiled and chopped into thin slices)
Grated coconut: 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon

Corn Oil/ Any vegetable oil: 2 tablespoon
Red Chillies(Byadgi preferably): 2-3
Curry Leaves: 6-7 of them
Salt as per taste
Water: For boiling vegetables

Method:
Pre-soak cashewnuts in water the previous day. Once done they would be swollen and kind of plump.

Heat oil in a kadhai and temper with mustard seeds and chillies. Saute for 2-3 minutes after seeds start popping. Remove the chillies if you wish to avoid spicy taste. Add Potatoes and Ivy Gourd. Saute for 5 minutes till the flavour of tempering spreads across the vegetables. Add Cashewnuts and add water. Bring to boil and simmer on low flame with a covered lid till water evaporates and the vegetables are completely cooked. Adjust salt as per taste. Once done, garnish with grated coconut and serve hot as a side dish.

Tip: For a sweet taste, one could add 1/3 teaspoon of Jaggery while boiling vegetables to give a mild sweet flavour. Raw Cashewnuts are available in plenty in season in Udupi, Mangalore and Bangalore. They are the actual ones to be used for this Upkari, we call it Jeevo Bibbo (Fresh Cashew). Since, I did not have them handy, I decided to soak store brought Cashews and made Upkari.