Cream of Broccoli Soup (Without Cream)

With the onset of Fall, I gravitate to the hearty and comforting soup-bread routine. That pretty much sums up the dinner at times. I searched for various cream of vegetable soup recipes online and most of them used roux - the classic base for any white sauce and cream which I prefer to skip. I replaced the roux with potatoes (you will still get close-to-creamy texture) and added milk instead of cream. This may not be a classic cream of broccoli recipe but serves the needs (calories) and nutritional requirements of my family. 

The body of the soup is more often than not, very thin and finely blended. To build it up, I created a good base with Celery and Onions. For a touch of green, I added few sprigs of Arugula popularly known as Rocket. All this brought together with a pat of butter (its about 25 calories) and milk. We enjoyed the soup with Garlic Crostini made out of soft Baguette.

In Summer this year, I watched a documentary narrated by Anthony Bourdain, incidentally one of my favorite food writer and travel narrator, suggesting the method followed by Chefs in French cuisine  for Cream of Veg. soups of any kind. The restaurant style pureed soups are apparently strained through a sieve multiple times for a silky, smooth texture. I didn't bother to do that, besides it leaves your soup with coarse home made flavor.

~ Cream of Broccoli Soup ~
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
Broccoli (cut into tiny florets) - 4 cups
Warm Milk (reduced fat) - 1 cup
Celery (finely chopped) - 1 and 1/2 cup
Red Onions (finely chopped) - 3/4 cup
Potato (medium sized, diced) - 1
Arugula (coarsely chopped) - 1 cup
Whole Black Pepper (coarsely crushed) - 1/2 tsp
Olive Oil
Butter (unsalted) - small pat
Hot Vegetable stock - 2 cups
Salt

For Garnish -
Red Chilli flakes - a pinch
Bread croutons - 4-5 per serving

Contraption needed -
Immersion Blender/ Heavy duty Blender 

Method:

Cut two large heads of Broccoli into tiny florets. Remove the tough fiber from the stem and chop the tender core and add to the florets. In a separate utensil, bring to boil the reserved vegetable stock. 

In a deep bottomed non-stick vessel, heat a pat of butter and splash of olive oil together. This prevents butter from burning. Saute red onions and celery. Let it wilt and cook to reduce in size. This process takes around 10 minutes. 

Add the Arugula, Potatoes and Broccoli now, season with salt and pepper. Add the hot vegetable stock and bring to boil. Warm up 1 cup of milk and add to boiling broth. Simmer and bring the veg. broth to boil, cover with lid on and let it cook till vegetables have fall-apart texture. This takes roughly 15 minutes. Turn off flame and allow to cool. Once semi-cool, blend it to a coarse puree. Serve warm or bring to boil before serving. Add more/less milk as per texture desired. I prefer to have thick consistency. Add a ladle of soup in a soup croc and garnish with red chilli flakes and croutons. Serve hot with hunks of toasted Peasant Bread/ Baguette. 

Blackeyed Beans and Baby Red Potatoes Usal (with Goda Masala)

Recently I made Marathi style dish called Usal with Goda Masala. The simple addition of Goda Masala gives a new refreshing dimension to this dish. I use the masala to make Marathi style Amti, Usal and the aroma the dish oozes out is very close to my heart.

I have few Marathi friends who are hold a special place in my life and everytime I visit their homes, their Mums make Triangle Roti (Ghadichi Polya), Moth Beans Usal (Matki chi Usal) and Amti for me. The dishes from Malvan, Kolhapur have a very unique aromatic flavor and I make them often.

~ Black-eyed Beans and Baby Red Potatoes Usal (with Goda Masala) ~

Preparation time: 20 minutes (includes pressure cooking time)

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Black-eyed Beans (cooked) - 2 cups

Baby Red Potatoes (Peeled, diced into two) - 4

Onion (finely chopped) - 3/4 cup

Goda Masala - 1tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp

Coconut (grated) [optional] - 2 tbsp

For Seasoning -

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 5-6

Green Chillies (sliced lengthwise) - 2

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

For Garnish -

Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Soak the beans overnight and pressure cook with little salt for 2 whistles. Drain water and keep aside. Peel the baby Potatoes, dice into two and rinse to get rid of excess starch. 

2. In a deep bottomed vessel, heat a tsp. of oil and season with mustard seeds. After they splutter, add curry leaves, green chillies and asafoetida. Reduce the flame and add onions now. Saute the onions and once they wilt down, add the  turmeric powder, goda masala and red chilli powder. Brown the onions till they caramelized (This is a very important step. Please don't skip this). This step takes around 10-12 minutes.

3. Once the onions are browned enough, add the black-eyed beans and baby potatoes. If you are adding coconut, add it now. Mix well and add water if you want gravy. I prefer the dish semi-dry so added just enough water to cover the beans. Bring to a boil and simmer on low flame. Cover with a lid. Once done, sprinkle coconut, mix well and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve warm with Rotis.

 
Note - Brown and caramelize the onions, else your dish will have the raw flavor of onions. I like adding coconut toward the end to finish the dish (just like garnish in GSB Konkani dishes), that way the coconut flavor is little prominent and fresh. Add it earlier, if you want the coconut to be cooked.

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.

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.

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.

Spicy Potato Side Dish (Batate Talasaani/ Batate Bhajjuju Upkari))

Spicy Potato Side Dish/ Batate Talasaani/ Batate Bhajjunu Upkari is a popular and adored Konkani dish. Talasaani originates from the Konkani word 'talap' which implies deep frying or shallow frying (in my opinion). Our ancestors who devised this recipe thought of efficient and healthy way to make the French Fries with less oil and spice powders to enhance the flavour. There are many Potato lovers I know who would not mind fighting a battle or waging a war to eat this dish. I visualise this dish as the Konkani French Fries, well albeit that was my reference point as a tiny tot. If Konkani cuisine were to evolve with its own version of French Fries, then I believe this would be it (pun intended!). I love enjoying this with Goan style - Varan Bhaat.

This dish is slowly gaining popularity and is make a silent, docile appearance on Konkani wedding menus. Some prefer to retain the skin on Potatoes, thereby retaining the nutritional value, some discard it. Either ways take your pick and enjoy this. Change the spice proportion as per choice.

~ Batate Bhajjuju Upkari/ Batate Talasaani ~

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Potato (thinly sliced as strips) - 2 cups

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Curry Leaves - 4-5

Asafoetida - Just a pinch

Ghee

Salt

Spice powders -

Red Chilli powder - 2 teaspoon

Pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Garam Masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/3 teaspoon

Garnish - chopped Coriander leaves

Method:

Wash the starch from the potatoes with multiple change of water. Chop them into thin tall strips, wash, pat dry and keep aside. Heat oil/ghee in a pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they begin to pop, add the curry leaves. Saute till they are crisp, add the washed Potato strips. Give a gentle stir. Add the spice powders and cook on a medium flame, undisturbed. Sprinkle little water if desired at regular intervals. The Potato pieces will begin to get fried on even sides. Saute for around 5-8 minutes. Cover with a lid and turn over the flame to low, and steam cook till done. Toward the end, add few spoons of oil and roast till they are reddish and have a crunchy texture. Garnish with Coriander leaves if desired. Serve warm with Rice.

Note: For best results, use cast iron pan for crispy texture. 

Green Beans and Potato Vegetable (Beans Batatey Upkari/ Batata Beans chi Bhaaji)

Upkari's are as easy as a breeze culinary preparation in Konkani custom. I love this recipe for the simple reason that the dish is easy to make and I have to spend less time in kitchen. I made Beans-Potato Upkari recently. The good thing is Potato goes well with any vegetable. Mom's old wise wisdom saves me most of the times when I am lost for recipes and quick dishes.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Potato (boiled and chopped into tiny squares) - 2 cups

Green Beans (chopped finely) - 1 cup

Salt

Ghee/Oil

Water

For seasoning:

Curry leaves - 4-5 leaves

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Ghee/Oil

Red Chillies (Byadgi preferred) - 2

For Garnish:

Grated Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1/3 cup

Method:

Boil Potatoes in pressure cooker and chop them into tiny squares and keep them aside. In deep pan, heat few spoons of ghee/ oil. Once the oil is heated up, add the mustard seeds, red chillies spilt into two and curry leaves. Once the popping of mustard seeds stop, add the chopped Potatoes and Beans and give a gentle stir. Add enough water just to soak 1/2 the vegetable quantity. Adjust salt as per taste. Bring to boil and simmer on low flame for 10-15 minutes. Once the vegetables are completely cooked and water is evaporated, turn off the flame and garnish with grated coconut. Serve warm with Rice and curry of choice.

Potato Patties (Aloo Tikki)

A fairly simple recipe for a very easy ~ Aloo Tikki. A bag of Potatoes needed immediate attention. I vehemently decided to make Tikki's out of them. Easy to make Starter, tastes better when fried in Ghee. A few details got me thinking. Potato's composition includes 92% carbohydrates and is a rich source of Manganese, Potassium and Vitamin B6. Good to satiate the Carbohydrate cravings when your diet needs one. In North India, Aloo Tikki is a very popular festival food and is made during Vrat or Upaas e.g Karva Chauth. My friend from Delhi adores when the Tikki's come pipping hot on a platter as an offering partaken by the individual who has fasted for a long day, symbolising the end of fast.

I found a heap of simple and nutritious Potato based recipes on NY Times, click here to view them. This misconstrued vegetable can be used in many a dishes for thickness, taste and variety.

Preparation time ~ 20 minutes

Cooking time ~ 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Potatoes (boiled and mashed) - 3 cups

Corn Flour - 2 tablespoon

White bread chunks (eliminate the brown sides) - 1/3 cup

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Garam Masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Green Chillies (optional) - 1 teaspoon

Salt

Oil/ Ghee

Suggested Garnish: Mint Chutney or Tamarind Chutney

Method:

Boil and mash Potatoes. In a frying pan, heat few teaspoons of Ghee, fry the chopped green chillies. Add the Potato mixture, Corn Flour, White Bread chunks and Spice powders. Mix well and make palm sized Tikki's. In the same frying pan, fry the Tikki's with Ghee till the surface area of the Tikki's get a mild browned look and are completely cooked. Serve hot or warm as a snack. Garnish with Tamarind Chutney or Mint Chutney.

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.

Mashed Potatoes In Seasoned Coconut Sauce (Batata Gojju)

Simple dish for afternoon lunches - Potato Gojju. Sometimes when I go through - "what to cook" moments the Gojju's bail me out like a breeze. Easy to make, this side dish version can be replicated to many a favorite vegetables. The dish takes less than 15 minutes of cooking time.

I have also mentioned another Gojju version previously - Onion Gojju.

Preparation time: 20-25 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
Potato (boiled and mashed) - 3 cups
Grated coconut - 3-4 tablespoon
Green Chillies - 2
Tamarind lump - 1" piece
Salt - As per taste

For seasoning -
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 5-6 leaves
Oil - For frying

Method:
Boil Potatoes in a pressure cooker and allow to cool. Crush green chillies in grated coconut and tamarind with salt to paste. Add potatoes and adjust water as per consistency required. Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds and one they begin to pop, add curry leaves. Turn off flame and pour this seasoning on the Gojju. Mix while serving. Serve as a side dish, tastes great with rice.

Suggestion: Transfer Potatoes immediately after the cooker cools else they absorb water rendering a soggy flavour to the Gojju. The seasoning has to be just right, if you burn the seasoning, the Gojju would catch the smoky flavour.

Potato Bhaaji (Goan-style Batatyachi Paatal Bhaaji)

One dish which I grew up eating and simply love the taste. Potato Bhaaji is a very simple dish yet very tasty suiting the coastal taste buds. You will find this is most of the Goan houses in North Goa - Panjim, Mapusa, Bicholim et al. It goes well with Chapathi or Goan Laadi Pao. It is called Batatyachi Paatal Bhaaji owing to the liquid consistency of the curry, Paatal in Goan Konkani stands for liquid. This dish is available in most of the retaurants in Goa and is a delight to eat owing to the subtle flavours of Potatoes and Tomatoes. One could also garnish with grated coconut, I simply omitted it.

~ Bataatyachi Paatal Bhaaji - Goan style ~

Preparation time ~ 15 minutes minutes
Cooking time ~ 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Potatoes (boiled and mashed) - 2 cups

Tomatoes (Chopped, diced and blanched) [optional] - 1 cup

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal - 1/2 tsp

Green Chillies (chopped) - 2

Grated coconut - 4 teaspoons

Coriander leaves (chopped) - 6-7 sprigs

Oil

Salt

Method:

Heat oil in a deep dish sauce. The pan should be thick bottomed. Once oil heats up, add cumin seeds, they would pop up in size. Saute green chillies, mustard seeds and urad dal. Once they are sauted well, add diced and lightly mashed potatoes. Saute well and add tomatoes. Add enough water to bring about a semi-liquid consistency. Adjust the salt and simmer on a low flame for 10-15 minutes. Once completely cooked, turn off the flame and garnish with coconut (grated) and coriander leaves. Serve hot with Pao, Poori or Chapathi.

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.

Mixed Vegetable Sambhar (Randekayee Kolambo)

Indian Sambhar is a curry made of lentils, spices and vegetables. It is known as Kolambo in Konkanis, Huli in Karnataka, Pulusu in Andhra and Vettal Kuzhambu, Poricha Kuzhambu, Karai Kuzhambu in Tamil Nadu. Its primarily eaten with Rice or served as a soupy dish along with Idlis or Iddiappams.

Sambhar or Kolambo (konkani term for Sambhar) is an all time favorite amongst Konkanis. Sambhar is a medley of lentils, vegetables and spices cooked together. Some worship this dish, and some hate it, some devout it like a daily ritual. Personally, Mixed Vegetable Kolambo is one of my favorite dishes and Mom makes the best Kolambo ever.

Recipe Source: Mom
Serves: 6-10 servings

Ingredients:
Vegetables (Carrots, Cauliflower, Potato, Tinda, Beans) - 1" pieces - 10-12 each
Toor Dal (boiled and mashed) - 1 cup
Salt - as per taste
Coriander leaves (chopped) - 6-7 sprigs
Tamarind juice of 1 small lump soaked in water (optional)
Oil - To fry
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig

Masala:
Coriander seeds - 3 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad Dal - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder - 1/10 teaspoon
Red Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Method:
Grind the ingredients in Masala after roasting red chillies on medium flame and allowing to cool. Bring Dal to boil along with vegetables and add the masala. Pour the tadka on the curry with curry leaves smoked in 2 teaspoon oil with mustard seeds. Put off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with hot rice and red chilli papad/ odi.

Tip: One could also add Tamarind juice, we prefer spicy Kolambo so I did not add Tamarind juice.

Potato in Coconut Curry ~ Mangalore style (Batatey Humman)

I have come across lot of individuals who love potatoes. It is such a delight to eat this vegetable. It blends well with different dishes and give a unique flavour each time. Batatey Human was a dish my mom learnt in Goa. Its creamy in texture, thick as a base, mild in spices and goes well with rice. Humman forms the base and serves as the staple for many a Konkan curries.

One could also add Fish instead of Potatoes, and this leads to Fish Humman or Nustechey Humman (Nuste is fish in Goan Konkani).

Recipe source: Mom
Serves: 3-4 individuals

Ingredients:
Coconut (grated) - 1 cup
Red Chillies - 5-6
Asafoetida - 2-3 pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Water - for curry consistency
Potatoes (cubed and diced) - 3 cups
Coconut oil - 2 teaspoon

Method:
Heat oil in a saucepan and roast chillies mildly. Allow to cool and grind it along with grated coconut, asafoetida, turmeric powder, salt and water. Do not add too much water, just add enough water to suffice for the consistency.

Chop potatoes into small sliced cubes and immerse in a skillet and cook till soft. Add the ground batter. Bring to boil. Once cooked, turn off flame and add raw coconut oil or any vegetable oil if not available. Since I was running out of coconut oil I used vegetable oil. Serve hot with rice.

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.

Beetroot Potato Cutlet - Diana Style

Growing up, Ma made these lovely Cutlets which were inspired by a restaurant which was and still is very close to our hearts. Its Diana Hotel located in the heart of Udupi, a small cosy town near Mangalore. Any visit to Diana would be incomplete without a trip to Diana for their signature dish - Beet-Potato Cutlet. I have some fond memories of dining at this place with my Grandma and Grandpa who are no longer in this world. Every time I visit this place, their memories flash by and my eyes turn misty. So in essence, it is greater part of our family legacy and past that will be cherished always.

This recipe is my Ma's spin inspired the same restaurant. She does not add too many vegetables and keeps it simple, plus its shallow fried so is an healthy option. As a kid, I loved packing these goodies for my school tiffin box. To make life easy, I prepare them way ahead before use. This way they can be easily shallow fried and quickly cooked.

~ Beetroot Potato Cutlet ~
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 20 Cutlets

Ingredients:

Potato - 4 (Medium - boiled, peeled and mashed)

Beetroot - 2 (Medium - boiled, peeled and mashed)

For Seasoning -

Green chillies - 3 (chopped finely)

Split Urad Dal - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp

Rava (semolina) - 3/4 cup

Salt 

Method:

1. Boil, peel and mash potatoes and beetroot together. Add salt and keep aside. To make things easy, I use a pressure cooker. 

2. In a small frying pan, heat few teaspoons of oil. Season with mustard seeds and once they splutter add Split Urad Dal. Saute till they change a shade or two in color. At this stage add the chopped green chillies. The chillies need to be well sauted to turn crispy. Allow the seasoning to cool.

3. Pour this seasoning and mix well with the mash mixture done earlier. Using a Cutlet mould, make cutlets of uniform shape and refrigerate till use. This helps in binding the mixture and firms their texture.

4. Heat a cast iron pan and dredge the cutlets in Rava. Pat lightly to let go of extra Rava and place on the pan side by side. After a minute, drizzle oil on sides. Keep the flame medium-to-high. Flip them with a turning spatula after 5 minutes. Let the cutlets cook on both sides. There will be a brown crust formed on either sides making the texture crisp. Once done, turn off flame and serve with Ketchup.

Note - Ensure the Cutlets are refrigerated after done. This process keeps them firm and aids binding when dredged in Rava.

Potato Gojju (Bataatey Gojju)

Of late its been p0uring cats and dogs in Bangalore. Sometimes I wonder if Mother Earth is heading to dooms day. The weather cycle is getting displaced at an erratic pace. Today when I woke up it was bright Saturday noon and suddenly it was followed by a heavy deluge. Potato Gojju and Paej seemed to be the perfect combination for this day. Paej is a Brown Rice Soup, this rice is available in abundance at Mangalore stores in and around Bangalore. I always like combining Gojju’s with Paej. The combination is yummy and simply delicious.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Processing time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2-3 Individuals

Ingredients:
Potatoes – boiled and mashed - 3 cups
Green Chillies – 2
Grated Coconut – 1/2 cup
Asafoetida – Just a pinch or two
Room temperature water – 2-3 cups
Salt – As per taste

Tempering:
Coconut oil – 2 teaspoon
Curry leaves – 10-15 leaves
Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon

Method:
In a mixing bowl, crush the chillies alongwith grated coconut, chillies and salt. Crush vigorously till an even paste is formed and the ingredients blend well with each other. Now add the mashed potatoes to this mixture. In a pot, heat coconut oil on medium flame. Add curry leaves and mustard seeds and allow the seeds to pop. Temper the ingredients with the curry leaves, coconut oil and mustard seeds. Add Asafoetida powder and mix with water to form a good consistency which is not too brothy. Serve with hot Paej.Enjoy your meal.

Mom’s Special Tip – The consistency and taste of Gojju depends on the taste and flavour of coconut used. Suggested usage of Jeevo Narlu(Raw Coconut) brings about a good flavour. This should not be mistaken for Tender coconut. Jeevo Narlu in Konkanis is the one which has plenty of water in it and has ample of fresh kernel which is super white.