Madhur Jaffrey's Chicken Korma

Last year on a cold chilly December night, a book took me down the memory lane. It was a trip that stirred nostalgia as she deftly narrated pages from her childhood and growing up years. I am talking about Madhur Jaffrey's childhood memoir - Climbing the Mango Trees. I read it, enjoyed it and realized why she is the undisputed doyen of Indian cooking. I recall seeing her shows coming on TV where she was clad in finest silks, would rave and reminisce about the food dearest to her heart mostly in outdoor locations cocooned in lush green foliage, all orchestrated with perfection.

Her Chicken Korma recipe particularly fascinated me because it boasted of Punjabi Garam Masala something I have been wanting to make at home from a long time. The recipe was a regal approach in terms of cooking chicken. I was smitten by the rich Korma gravy and before I realized my kitchen corners and crevices welcomed the rich and striking aromas of Cardamom and Pepper. I could imagine kings and queens in ancient India feasting over this simple, subtle flavored rich tasting chicken curry. The way she writes and describes her recipes have a lesson or two for me as a writer. The specificity of directions, precision of measurements and succinct steps bowled me over.

The Korma recipe has juicy moist chicken chunks swimming in light and intense gravy. I marinated the meat to add extra punch. The gravy is made with Yogurt and fried onions and finally garnished with golden raisins that plump up like jewels. I used store available Brown Fried Onions, the ones which can be directly added to garnish on top of Biryanis and enrich gravy of any sorts. The chicken remained juicy and moist since it was literally drunk and high on the rich silky gravy. I added little butter to finish the gravy and make it silky smooth. This recipe is a keeper and we plan to make it often. Needless to say, I xeroxed all the recipes in the book and have added them to my recipe collection. I have a wide happy grin on my face. :)

Madhur Jaffrey's Chicken Korma minimally adapted from her memoir
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
Chicken - 3 lb. of Dark Meat

Yogurt - 1 and 1/2 cup
Punjabi Garam Masala - 1 and 1/2 tsp suggested, I added 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Cayenne powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp

Ginger paste - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Meat tenderizer powder - 1 tbsp
Almonds (blanched) - 3 tbsp
Onions (sliced) - 1 and 1/2 cup
Golden Raisins - 1/2 cup
Indian Bay Leaf - 2
Cardamom - 8 suggested, I added 5 crushed
Cinnamon - 2 of 1" piece
Butter - 1 tbsp
Oil
Salt

Punjabi Garam Masala -
Cardamom seeds - 1 tbsp
Pepper corns (whole black) - 1 tsp
Cloves - 1 tsp suggested, I reduced it to 1/3 of tsp
Nutmeg - 1/3 of a Nutmeg
Cinnamon - 1 of 1" stick
Cumin seeds - 1/3 tsp
Got about 2 and 1/2 - 3 tbsp of powder.
*** Grind to smooth powder in a coffee grinder, store in
an air tight container ***

For Garnish -
Coriander leaves - 3-4 strands
Fried Onions - 1/2 cup

Method:
1. Chicken Marinade - Clean and trim the chicken. Wash and pat dry. Marinate the chicken in 1 tsp each of ginger paste, garlic paste, salt and meat tenderizer powder.
2. Herb and Almond paste - In a blender make a paste of Ginger and Garlic with little water, make a paste and add blanched almonds to it, add little water. Keep the paste aside.
3. Yogurt mix - Mix the yogurt with coriander powder, cayenne powder and salt.
4. Chicken Fry - In a deep bottomed pan, heat few spoons of oil and add add cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves. Add the Chicken now and fry well on both sides till they turn a shade darker and are part cooked. Remove from the pan and transfer to a paper towel.
5. Building the gravy - In the same pan, add some more oil, add the onions now and fry them till they turn brown. Add the herb paste now and saute for couple of minutes. Add the yogurt mixture now and cook well on a low to medium flame for about 5 minutes. Add the golden raisins and chicken now, stir well to mix all the ingredients. Taste for salt and seasoning and adjust accordingly. Cook (cover with lid on) on low to medium flame for about 45 minutes and till the chicken is juicy and well cooked. Check if done, turn off flame. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Sprinkle fried onions on top of Korma while serving. I served them with Rotis.

Note - Cook the curry on low to medium flame, if you bump up the heat the yogurt will curdle away. You could add onions early on, fry and keep aside. I added them and did not bother to remove. Madhur recommends removing them and draining on paper towel and adding later to the gravy. Adding butter to the gravy for finish results in a gravy which has silky and smooth texture, omit this step if required.

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!

5 Vegetable Alphabet Soup

5 Vegetable Soup is a soup which Mom frequently made for brunch when we were tiny tots. I simply loved the concept of Soups, so Mom found it easy to trick me into this by adding all vegetables which are finely chopped along with Alphabet pasta which is incidentally also quite popular soup amongst tiny tots in US. She added all colorful vegetables and each spoonful used to be full of proliferated Pasta alphabets. We all had a fun time guessing the letters and of course eating them! Even after growing up, on a rainy day I used to request Mom to make this soup and now after many decades when I am a woman, I insist on her final touch, with some execution from me. This soup is the perfect panacea for missing-mommy syndrome. :)

The Alphabet pasta which are available in US (you can find them at Trader Joe's) are large and little different from the ones you get in India but never mind the flavour compensates for it all the way. Some alphabets are colored, they also add a good texture and flavour to the soup.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 4 medium servings

Ingredients:
Vegetables (chopped) - 3 cups
[Onion, Cauliflower, Carrot, Beans, Cabbage]
Alphabet Pasta - 1/2 cup
Ghee/Oil
Maggi Cube (vegetable) - 2 cubes
Salt

Method:
Take a deep bottomed pan; once heated up, add ghee and ensure it coats the bottom of the pan. Saute onions for a while and once they are translucent, add the vegetables one by one. Once all of them are added, add 3 cups of water and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer on low flame, covered, add the Alphabet pasta & Maggi cubes. Check after 5-7 minutes, once completely cooked, turn off flame and serve hot.

Note - Maggi cubes pack in lot of salt, so do not add lot of salt in the soup.

Seasoned Beaten Rice With Potato & Onion (Kanda Batat Pohe)

One of the breakfast items which is quite banal and adored so to say - Kanda Batat Pohe. Kanda = Onions, Batat = Potatoes and Pohe = Beaten Rice. Mom made this for our school lunchbox and morning breakfast. Pohe is easy to make and quick to finish dish. This is the savoury recipe for many a Maharashtrian households and a pop item if you have quick and unexpected guests at home and also if the bridegroom is visiting home to see/meet a prospective match and their family. There is another version of Pohe, which is Dadpe Pohe which is also easy. Beaten rice is washed, seasoned with salt and turmeric and covered with a lid, which is called as Dadapney in Marathi, hence Dadpey Pohe. I like both the versions and they pack a world of nutrition in them. In Kannada, they are known as Avalakki. These apart, there are many styles and varieties of Pohe. I choose Thick Poha available at Indian grocery.

For festive occasions especially in Marathi families, an offering of different types of Pohe are made to God. The festive platter made during Diwali is known as Faraal; apart from being heartily enjoyed and rejoiced by family members we made these at home and Mom sent Faraalachey Taat to be shared with our neighbours and friends. Dudh Pohe, Gul Pohe, Tikhat Pohe to name a few. Dudh Pohe is one of my favorite snack made during Diwali. One of my dear aunt, fondly called as Maushi, prepared this every year for me during Diwali. At the crack of dawn , she would give a pompous shout and plead to my Mom to have me summoned at her place to enjoy the grand Diwali brunch. Sadly, she passed away many years back but the memories are close to my heart. The popular belief drilled in us as kids was eating Pohe on Diwali morning supposedly brought good luck and prosperity for the family. So every year during Diwali, we had a Pohe overdose. :)

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2

Ingredients:

Beaten Rice - 1 cup

Onions (sliced) - 1 cup

Potato (thinly sliced) - 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - 1/3 cup

Grated Coconut - 2 tablespoon

Salt

Turmeric powder - 1/3 teaspoon

Red Chilli powder - 1/3 teaspoon

Lime juice - 2 tablespoon

For Seasoning -

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida - just a pinch

Oil/Ghee

Method:

Wash the beaten rice in water for couple of times to get rid of the starch. Allow the water to drain completely. Add salt and turmeric powder and leave aside for 10 minutes.

In a separate deep dish vessel, heat few spoons of oil/ghee. Add mustard seeds, once they splutter, add curry leaves and asafoetida. Add the onions and potatoes now and allow to sweat. Add a cup of water and slow cook with a lid on. Add Turmeric powder if desired. Once both cooked, add the beaten rice and give a good gentle mix. Adjust salt if required. Once done, garnish with grated coconut, coriander leaves and a drizzle of fresh lime juice. Serve hot with Tea or Coffee.

Kundapur Chicken Curry (Kori Rotti)

Kundapur is tiny city perched in the tranquil harmony of a beautiful seashore strip, swaying coconut palms and plenty of greenery, flora and fauna. Its located in Udupi district of Karnataka State, India. Kundapur is known for places of historic significance which includes scenic beaches, ancient temples with splendid architecture and best of all a cuisine which needs no further mention. If you ask any meat eating individual from Mangalore, they would proudly speak for hours together boasting about the few distinct & famous dishes which are part of Kundapur cuisine - Kundapur Chicken Curry, Chicken Ghee Roast, Kane Fry and Ghee Rice. Some also address the dish combination as Kori Rotti; Kori is Chicken and Rotti is the flaky bread eaten with this Chicken gravy.

Kundapur Chicken Curry is the fiery hot, spicy curry loved and adored by many. This humble red hued spicy curry with lot of broth and Ghee Rice get along like house on fire. It is an act of blasphemy to visit Kundapur and not partake in any of the sinfully rich dishes. The popular eating spot in Kundapur is Shetty's Lunch Home which is most sought after place when it comes to these dishes. If it is to be believed, Chicken Ghee Roast & Ghee Rice were all born in the cosy confines of this famous eatery.

I was wondering what makes this dish so special until I got a chance to sample this unique style of cooking Chicken one day at one of our dear one's place. I got the recipe and lot of tips and suggestions on getting the right flavour. Some of my friends informed me that Chicken and the broth are key components which define the flavour and taste of this dish. My MIL also makes the best Kundapur Chicken Curry and her other Non-Veg curries are simply amazing. Some of my friends opined that Farm Chicken (Naati Koli) gives best results. The broth is made by a fiery paste of Onions and Tomatoes seasoned with lots of Curry leaves resulting in a rich red colored paste known as Kundapur Chicken Masala. One could also use ready store bought spice powder of Kundapur Chicken Masala. Infact, some of my aunts and cousins opine that the store bought spice powder easily beats the one we make at home. Curry leaves offer a very nice balance and earthy flavour to this curry. Traditionally, its eaten with Ghee Rice, Kori Rotti, Idli (Khotte) or Rice String Hoppers (Shevai). I do not claim that this is the original recipe. This is my interpretation of this recipe and we both liked the flavour.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients:
Chicken (Thigh - Skinless variety) - 1 pound or 1/2 kg.
Onion (chopped) - 2 cups
Tomatoes (chopped) - 1 cup
Ginger paste - 1 tablespoon
Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Butter - 1/2 cup
Bay leaf - 1
Curry leaves - 10-15
Coconut milk (thick) - 2 cups

Kundapur Chicken Masala -
Red Chillies (Byadgi) - 8-10
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander seeds - 2 teaspoon
Cloves - 2-4
Cinnamon stick - 1" piece
Fenugreek seeds - 1/3 teaspoon
Toast the Red Chillies and grind them all to a paste with less or little water.

Yield - Around 2-3 tablespoon of spice powder

Method:
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan, roast the red chillies and spices for 2 minutes and allow to cool. Grind all of this along with Turmeric powder to a smooth red paste. This is Kundapur Chicken Masala. Wash Chicken thoroughly, defrost if required, wash multiple times till water is clear; pat it dry and chop them into bite sized pieces.
Puree Onion and Tomato separately and keep the paste ready. In a deep stock pot, heat the entire quantity of butter, allow to melt. Add Bay leaves and Curry leaves and saute for a minute or two. Add Ginger and Garlic paste and saute to eliminate the raw flavour. The fragrance and aroma now gets imparted to the oil. Add Onion paste and Tomato paste and sweat them in oil till the raw flavour disappears. Add the Chicken pieces now and gently give a stir. Cook for few minutes. All the Masala paste now, add enough water and bring to boil. Cover with a lid and simmer on low flame for 20-30 minutes till the Chicken is cooked. Once done, add thick Coconut milk and allow to simmer on low flame. Do not cook a lot after adding coconut milk. Turn off flame and serve hot. Suggested serving with Kori Rotti, Rice String Hoppers (Shevai), Idli (Khotte) or Ghee Rice.

Note - Do not use white meat of chicken (breast portions) since it remains hard after cooking. Best portions would be red meat - thigh or leg portions. They soften upon cooking and are apt for this curry. I made a big batch, lessen the proportion for smaller quantity.

Steamed Rice & Spinach Spicy Balls (Palak Piyava Mudde/ Spinach Onion Mudde)

The cold spells and chilly weather makes me yearn for warm home cooked food all the time. Couple of days back, I made this traditional style of eating spicy rice and vegetable balls called as Mudde or Muddo in Konkani. It is cooked batter, usually mixed with vegetables of choice. We make different versions of Mudde at home. Essentially, Mudde is a lump or dumpling of batter cooked with or without vegetables of choice. In olden days, during my Grandmom's era, they were shaped as balls and steam cooked just on its own. Later, Idli moulds came into the picture, my aunts also steam them in Banana leaf & Jackfruit leaf containers. I prefer cooking them in Idli stand with indendations; that way the quantity is just right for a bite!

Mix the basic batter with vegetables of choice - Cabbage, Onion, Taro Leaves, Cassia Tora leaves (Taikilo), steam them and serve with warm coconut oil. Don't skip this step else you will miss the flavour. For best flavour, devour them when they are piping hot. The Mudde is very healthy since it is steam cooked. It blends well as a side dish for many a Konkani curries and daals. The blend & balance of coconut and rice is key; if you add more coconut, the steamy cakes fall apart, less coconut they turn hard and unedible. My Grandmom makes the best Onion and Cabbage Mudde. You could use Idli Steamer stand (with indentations) or Idli steel moulds which you get at Indian or Ethnic stores to steam cook the little goodies.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Yield: 10-12

Ingredients:
Batter -
Rice (Sona Masoori variety) - 1 cup
Coconut (grated - fresh or frozen) - 1 cup
Red Chillies - 5-7

Tamarind - small lump
Asafoetida - Just a pinch
Salt
Pure Coconut oil

Vegetables (chopped) - 3 cups
[Any of these - Onion, Spinach, Cabbage, Taro leaves, Cassia Tora leaves]

Contraption - Idli Steamer and Idli Stand or Idli moulds

Method:
Wash vegetables, chop them and keep aside. Wash rice in multiple rounds of water till clear and soak for 2-4 hours. Drain rice and keep aside. Heat few spoons of oil and roast the red chillies for couple of minutes. Allow to cool. Grind to a coarse paste with rice and red chillies. Add salt and Asafoetida. The paste should be very coarse so rice should break into 2-4 pieces for better flavoured Mudde. Add less or no water and make a coarse paste. Mix in the chopped vegetables in the paste. Pour scoops of this paste on each of the Idli stands indentation and steam cook for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot with a garnish of coconut oil. Serve as a side dish along with Paej/ Kanji/ Soupy Brown Rice.

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.

Mom's Vegetable Pulao

Mom's Vegetable Pulao - this is one recipe which I consider precious. Mom made this ever since we were kids and we loved this simple Pulao recipe. Since I am miles away from my dear mother, this is my way of connecting to her actions, thoughts, inspiration, moods and moments. I have been a Mommy's Little Gal all through my life and needless to say she means a lot to me. She was delighted that I rejoiced the flavour of her all-time favorite recipe.

I have tried to balance the ratio of spices so that none overpower each other and yet blend to bring out the uniqueness. I love the light green hue and the beautiful flavour which goes well with any tangy Raita of choice.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1 cup

Vegetables (chopped into 1/2" chops - Carrots, Beans, Cauliflower florets) - 2 and 1/2 cups

Salt

Oil/Ghee

For Green Masala -

Cloves - 3-4

Cinnamon - 1" inch piece

Whole Black Pepper - 3-5

Cardamom - 2

Green Chillies - 2

Ginger - Garlic (minced) - 1 and 1/2 tablespoon

Star Anise - 1

Poppy seeds (Khus-Khus) - 1/2 teaspoon

Onions (chopped) - 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves (minced) - 1/2 cup

Fennel seeds (Saunf) - 1/2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

For Seasoning Pulao -

Onions (quartered) - 1/2 cup

Cumin seeds - 1/3 teaspoon

Cashew Nuts (chopped into bite sized bits) - 1/2 cup

Method:

Wash rice in water multiple times till the water is clear and clean. Soak in water for 1/2 before use. Cook rice separately with 1: 1 and 1/2 proportion and once done, separate grains with a fork on a big tray to cool. Pressure cook vegetables separately with little salt, keep aside.

In a pan, heat few spoons of oil/ghee, lightly saute the Cloves, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Pepper, Poppy seeds, Star Anise and Ginger-Garlic-Green Chillies. Take care not to burn the spices else the Pulao gets the burnt aroma which is awful. Once sauted, add chopped Onions and keep aside. On a very low flame, separately saute Fennel seeds and Cumin seeds (their cook point is lower and hence are prone to burning), set aside and allow to cool. Grind both together along with little or no water to a smooth paste, also add Coriander leaves and sauted Onions while grinding. Keep the paste aside.

In a big thick bottomed pan, saute the onions which are quartered with little oil/ghee, once transparent and pinkish in hue add the ground Green Masala. Add the cooked vegetables at this stage. Let the consistency be a collective mass. Add the cooked rice at this stage. Mix gently and take care not to break the rice. Pour few spoons of ghee finally on top and cook on low-to-medium flame with a covered lid for 5-8 minutes. Serve hot with Raita of choice.

Onion Mini Dosa (Piyava Sanna Polo/ Piyava Sanna Pole)

Quite a typical Konkani dish and loved by many of them. Sanna Polo or Mini Dosa is prepared in many a South Canara Konkani houses and is one of the most tastiest things I have munched. A little spicy with lots of vegetables, its crunchy and the mini size of Dosa's are simply cute.The combination of both kinds of chillies (Byadgi + Harekala) spikes up the flavor.

In Konkani homes, the Sanna Polo is made of any seasonal vegetables available. Some use Drumstick leaves, Fenugreek leaves, Onions which are chopped, Cabbage which are chopped finely or simply a combination of any of these. The Dosa's are little spicy in taste but go well as a side dish. My personal favorite is Fenugreek leaves or Methi Sanna Polo. Mom's Sanna Polo taste is simply incomparable and one of its kind. Even my Granny's version is nice but less spicy as she adds more of Tamarind. She makes two versions - one without Toor Dal and another with Toor Dal, both taste yummy. I prepare without Toor Dal, it still taste good.

Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

Preparation time: 4 hours (includes soak time)

Ingredients:

Rice (Sona Masoori variety) - 1 cup

Grated Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 4 tbsp.

Onion (finely chopped) - 2 cups approx.

Red Chillies (Byadgi - 4 nos. + Harekala - 2 nos.) - 8
Tamarind (pulp) - 1 tsp.

Salt

Oil

Water

Method:

Soak Rice rinsed in water till clear, for at least 3-4 hours. Wash, drain and set aside. Save the drained water. Roast red chillies in few spoons of oil for couple of minutes. Turn off flame and allow to cool. Grind together coconut, red chillies and tamarind pulp. Once the mixture is ground, add rice, salt with less or no water. Add the chopped vegetables. Mix well.

On a griddle pan, pour a small ladle of this mixture and spread to form a round shape. On one Griddle, you can manage making at least 4 nos. of Dosa's. Drizzle ghee on sides. After few minutes when its cooked, flip them over and allow to cook till get a slightly charred finish. If you allow them to get charred, they become more crispy, if non-charred they taste softer.

Suggestion: Coconut makes a big difference to the Dosa. More coconut it becomes softer and less coconut makes the Dosa harder. Use your discretion and make Dosa accordingly.

Potato-Onion in Coconut Tamarind Coarse Gravy (Piyava-Batata Sukke)

Sukke (suk-kay) in Konkani translated to Dry. In Konkani cuisine, different types of Sukke are made. We make Black Horse Gram Sukke (Kaaley Chaney Sukke), Bamboo Shoots Sukke (Kirla Sukke), Okra Sukke (Bhendaa Sukke). Sukke comprises of a coarse dry coconut-tamarind-red chillies sauted with vegetables of choice and tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Incidentally, though the basic paste remains the same, different vegetables render different kind of aroma to the dish. One of my friend from Calcutta, told me that they make similar dish amongst Bengalis and they term it as Shukti.

Potato-Onion Sukke is one of my favorites. Mom used to make it during summers when we used to abundant supplies of Potatoes and Onions. The firm flavours of Potatoes in spices mesh with the sublime crunchy flavour of Onion to create this unique dish which is a popular Konkani preparation.

Recipe adapted from Mom's version with few changes

Serves: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

Potatoes (boiled) - 4

Onion (diced) - 4

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Red Chillies - 4-5 ~ Byadgi Chillies preferred

Coriander seeds - 2 teaspoon

Urad Dal - 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/5 teaspoon

Salt - as per taste

Oil - for frying

Method:

Boil Potatoes in pressure cooker, dice them into 1/2" quarters and set aside. In a sauce pan, saute red chillies in one teaspoon oil along with Coriander seeds and Urad Dal. Lightly wilt the grated coconut but do not over fry it since this will affect the final flavour of the Sukka Masala. Allow to cool and gring along with turmeric powder and salt.

In the same sauce pan used, add one teaspoon of oil. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Saute till fried and done. Fry Onions till they are translucent and add Potato pieces. Add the ground gravy, salt and enough water used from the gravy making process. Bring to boil and simmer on a low flame till water completely evaporates. Serve hot as a side dish.

Rice And Vegetables (Bisi Bele Bhaat)

"Yene maganey?"
"Namgey Bisi Bele bath beyku"

(What kiddo?

I want Bisi Bele bath)

Sweet memories of the Silicon city of the south. I can never forget the good old flavours I have captured in my heart from the great city of career and dreams - Bangalore. It is a potpourri of different cultures yet has managed to preserve the old and has smoothly ushered into the new. Sometimes I wonder where on the world can you find such unique distinctness of culture, diversity, opportunities and cuisines.
When I moved to Bangalore, my survival was dependent on the various Darshinis and Sagars dotting the city space. "Shanti Sagar" the famous chain was one such food joint near my apartment. Mornings were exclusively was Times of India and Bisi Bele Bath and Filter Coffee from Shanti Sagar. Best part about Shanti Sagar is that apart from sit-in spaces they also have stand-and-eat spaces outside their joints which enables office goers and rush-travellers to get a quick bite of their "tiffin" before they head out for a busy day. Maa makes amazing Bisi Bele Bath and the taste of this dish fondly reminds me of green shammi tress, cool mornings, filter coffee and time well spent at this career mecca for millions - Bangalore.

I tried this recipe from Mandhu's Vantalu and it turned out quite nice. Thanks Madhu.

Recipe Source: Madhu's Vantalu
Serves: 6 individuals

Ingredients:
Toor Dal: 3/4 cup
Rice: 1 cup
Water: 8 cups or more
Salt: as per taste
Ghee: 2 tablespoon
Bisi Bele Bath powder: 3 tablespoon

Vegetables -
French Beans: 10-15 - chopped to 1" pieces
Carrot: 3 - chopped to 1/2 " pieces
Onion: 1 - chopped to 1" pieces
Potato" 2 - chopped to 1" pieces

Tempering -
Oil: 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves: 3-4
Cashew nuts: 3-4 tablespoon
Mustard seeds: 1 t easpoon

Method:
Boil 8 cups of water in a deep dish pan and add salt, turmeric and toor dal which preferably could be pre-soaked for atleast 15 minutes. Once par-boiled, add carrot and beans and bring to boil. This whole process takes around 20 minutes.
Wash rice thoroughly and add to this. Add desired amount of salt and bring to boil. Lower the flame thereafter.
On a separate pan, heat ghee and add mustard seeds. Once the seeds begin to pop, add onions and cashew nuts. I had chopped cashew nuts to small pieces because they render a good flavour once done so. Fry till onions turn transparent and cashew nuts turn crunchy.
Give the Bath a gentle stir, once done add the tempered mixture and turn off the flame. Mix well. Serve with hot melted ghee and boondi. They also taste great with Vodee/ Vadams and Appalams.