Weekday Tomato Sandwich

Few weeks back, I committed myself to a resolve to write down few of Ma's signature recipes lest I forget them. For me, Ma's signature recipes evoke lot of happy emotions and pleasant thoughts. A few weeks back, I had blogged about My Ma's Mixed Vegetable Kurma which is very dear to me.

The second on the list is Weekday Tomato Sandwich. I cannot decide whether I like this Sandwich more or I am simply smitten by the tangy bites of tomatoes slathered with Chaat Masala, bits of onions and coriander leaves with an occasional spicy surprise of green chilli bits thrown in. This Sandwich was typically made on a weekday at my home. The ingredients are simple and can be put together in a snap. They need to be eaten hot, straight from the pan and turn soggy very fast hence are not ideal for lunchbox meals. I adore the taste of this yummy, crunchy Sandwich with a hot cup of filter coffee.

If you are serving the Sandwiches for kids, substitute green chillies with red chilli powder or simply omit it. For best results, use a Cast Iron pan for golden crust formation.

~ Weekday Tomato Sandwich ~
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 4 Sandwiches

Ingredients:
White Bread Slices - 4

For Filling -

Tomato (ripe, chopped into tiny bits) - 1 large
Onion (chopped into fine bits) - 1/3 cup
Cucumber (peeled, deseeded, chopped into bits) - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup
Green Chillies (finely chopped) [optional] - 1 tsp
Chaat Masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Ghee - For frying

Contraption - Cast Iron pan

Method:
Chop all the vegetables into fine bits. Add salt and Chaat Masala few minutes before preparing the sandwiches. Mix well and spoon 2 tablespoon of the filling between bread slices.

Heat a Cast Iron pan. Drizzle ghee on the sides if needed. Roast the Sandwich on both sides. Use a flat steel spatula to flip them. Cut them into 2  triangle shaped servings with a bread knife and serve hot with filter coffee.

Dal Makhani ~ An Indian Classic

Of all the North Indian and Frontier West cuisines, Dal Makhani is one of my many favorites. The warmth of this dish easily spells comfort and is my go-to dish if we are out for dinner at any Indian restaurant. Dal is Lentils and Makhani comes from the hindi word Maakhan which is Butter, hence a buttery version of Dal. Many a times, I wondered if I could re-create the flavors in my home kitchen with minimum fat and added flavor. The creamy taste of the Tomato rich Dal & Kidney Beans dipped in pillow soft Naan is something I yearn when I crave for restaurant kind of Khana.

Dal Makhani uses Skinned Split or Whole Urad Dal as one of its primary components. This pulse is a new entrant in my kitchen. I must confess though I had eaten this dish at my friend Sandy's place many years ago and instantly loved the soft texture of this pulse. His Mom hails from Delhi and cooks delicious Mughlai and Old Delhi dishes. Seeing my enthusiasm, she invited me to her kitchen and gave me the recipe of Dal Makhani and Roz ke Chole, her version of Chole which is less loaded with oil and can be made daily for family dinners served with Roti.

Urad Dal (Split and Skinned)

Later, I made this dish in India for a few hungry friends with chopped Tomatoes and was not happy with the results. Next time around, I switched to Tomato Puree and was amazed at the difference it did to the texture of the dish. Her recipe has a home style flavor and uses two main ingredients - Split Ural Dal (skinned) and Red Kidney Beans in 1: 1/3 proportion. The best part is a cup of Ural Dal yields plenty of slow cooked soft textured Dal which can easily feed an army of hungry people!

~ Dal Makhani ~
Preparation time: 6-8 soaking time + 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
Split Urad Dal (skinned) - 1 cup
Red Kidney Beans (Rajma) - 1/3 cup
Tomato Puree - 2 cups
Ginger (chopped) - 1" piece
Garlic (crushed) - 3-4 Jumbo pods
Green Chillies (slit lengthwise) - 2
Vegetable stock - 1/2 cup
Salt

Masala -
Red Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

For Seasoning -
Butter
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

For Garnish & Finish -
Cream (optional) - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves (chopped) - 1/2 cup

Contraption -
Vegetable Masher

Method:
Clean the Dal for any usual suspects. Soak overnight or for at least 8-10 hours. Once done, wash and rinse in multiple changes of water (3-4) till water is clear. Pressure cook Rajma and Urad Dal together along with Ginger, Garlic and Green Chillies for upto 4 whistles. Allow to cool. Mash with a Vegetable masher till its gooey and soft. Do not over-mash and make it mushy. Keep it aside.
In a deep dish pan, heat few blobs of butter and temper with Cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add Red Chilli powder, Coriander powder and Turmeric powder. Turn the flame to low while you do this. Add the mashed Dal now and mix well to form a consistency. Adjust salt and add more chilli powder to increase heat. Add vegetable stock to adjust consistency. Bring to boil and simmer on low flame with lid on for 8-12 minutes. Once cooked, cover and serve warm with Unleavened Bread (Naan)/ Roti/ Parathas. Garnish with a drizzle of cream and a gentle sprinkle of coriander leaves.

Tomato Saar with Asafoetida (Tomato Hingaa Saaru)

Many moons ago, my Pachi (Aunt) invited me for a casual lunch at her place. Since she is a busy Mom she sheepishly informed me that the spread was very simple and she was wee bit embarrassed to serve me Tomato Saaru along with the other simple dishes. I chuckled as I enjoy her food either ways!

The version of her Saaru caught me unaware and has become my go-to recipe now. This is a simple 15-minute-fix kind of a recipe. Every recipe has that one secret ingredient which demystifies the taste of the dish and takes it a few notches higher and in this case she had used Hing (Asafoetida). The recipe has a very Saatvik touch and is very simple. I turn to this once in a while just to experience the departure from my regular Coconut laden recipes which I also enjoy unabashedly. Another tip is the kind of Tomatoes one chooses. For this Saaru, she used the semi-ripe one (the one that is not too bright red but just ripe for use, if you know what I mean) so that the acidity is not way too high in the final broth. The third and final tip she gave was use only Ghee, better if home made. Ghee supplements the flavor, use a sparing helping if you are diet conscious. This recipe holds good for the taste buds of kids, elderly and those convalescing.

~ Tomato Hingaa Saaru ~
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:
Tomatoes (diced) - 2
Coriander leaves (chiffonade thinly) - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Salt

For Seasoning -
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Asafoetida (Hing/ Edible Gum) - 1/4 tsp

Method:
Dice the tomatoes and boil it with three cups of cold water. Add the coriander leaves as well and bring to a boil and simmer away for 5-10 minutes till the Tomatoes are cooked. Add salt and sugar now and turn off the flame. In a separate frying pan, heat few spoons of Ghee, season with mustard seeds and curry leaves on medium flame. Once they splutter and are cooked through, add asafoetida, wait for few seconds and turn off the flame. Pour this seasoning on the cooked stock, cover with a lid. Serve warm with cooked Par-boiled/ Basmati rice.

Tomato Saar with Ginger (Alle Tomato Saaru)

In my household, using Ginger/ Alle as an herb for Saaru is unheard of. Saaru is a soupy broth of herbs and condiments, couples well with rice and constitutes as a light and soothing lunch and dinner. Having said that, one cannot undermine the importance of Ginger and its curative properties in Indian food. This recipe is from my Ma's collection, sourced from Kannada magazine - Taranga. Interestingly, this one is a favorite among our household. The flavour of this Saaru has a very soothing effect, hence holds good for kids as well as elderly and senior citizens in the family. I added a stash of red lentils which needed to be used and it added a good texture to the Saaru.

My Ammama - maternal granny, is an octogenarian, a true matriarch of our family, hale-o-hearty woman, however cannot eat boiled or cooked rice and needs a good mash of food before she can eat. She is on dentures, hates to wear them, rebukes them as artificial aid and like a true Konkani, loves her dose of Dalithoi, Upkari and Patrode. Funnily, she enjoys spicy and savoury food and dislikes bland food. If she dislikes what is made for lunch or dinner, she will grab a bite and stop right there. She will pompously declare that the food is no good. She jokes around by saying - Don't give me patient food when I am ok. We all oblige with laughter! Ma makes Alle Tomato Saaru for her on many occasions and she enjoys her lunch with a satiated calmness which only my Ma and Pachi's can read and comprehend. She eats a little bit and then declares with a grin that this food makes her soul happy. I like this recipe for the tenderness and nostalgic memories built around it.

~ Alle Tomato Saaru ~
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 1o-15 minutes
Source: Original recipe from Kannada magazine - Taranga

Ingredients:
Tomato (ripe, chopped and pureed) - 2 cups
Red Lentils (washed and drained) [optional] - 1/2 cup
Ginger (grated) - 1 tbsp
Garlic (grated) - 1 tbsp
Onion (finely chopped) - 3 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
Green Chilli (split lengthwise) - 1
Salt

For Seasoning -
Red Chillies (split into two) - 1
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 3-4
Oil/Ghee

Method:
Rinse the tomatoes and puree them in a blender. Bring this to a boil along with grated ginger and garlic. Adjust salt, add green chilli and chopped onions when semi-cooked. Add 1/2 cup of hot water if desired. Add washed red lentils at this stage. After it comes to a rolling boil, simmer with the lid on for 5-8 minutes. Once done and lentils are cooked, add coriander powder and give a good stir and turn off the flame. In a separate frying pan, heat few spoons of oil/ghee, season with mustard seeds and once they begin to pop add curry leaves and red chillies. Pour this seasoning on the Saaru and cover with a lid. Serve hot with cooked white or parboiled rice.

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!

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.

Lentil Spicy Soup (Bele Saaru/ Udupi Daali Saaru)

Bele Saaru or Udupi Daali Saaru is an amalgamation of Daal + Saaru. The final product which you get when you marry both is Udupi Daali Saaru or Bele Saaru. This approach of cooking Daal along with Saaru is very popular and sought after in Udupi & Mangalore regions, also practised in Kannada/ Karnataka cuisines. This version is a far cry from the traditional Tomato Rasam or Tomato Saaru Recipe. The only twist here is the addition of Daal plus the consistency is more thicker and not as thin and soupy as Rasam.

If you are making a big batch of this recipe, try putting a bunch of Coriander leaves and Curry leaves tied together as a Herb Bouquet in the soup. Else, put all the herbs in a muslin cloth, tie off the ends and dunk in the soup. Discard once the soup is ready. I believe this is the chef's little secret to get the 'precise' flavour for Saaru. This is one of the approaches still practised in Udupi Krishna Temple where more than 5000+ people enjoy temple food preparations cooked by Shivalli Brahmins cooks; this Saaru is served as part of lunch and dinner to a huge mass of devotees thronging to the holy abode from nooks and corners of the world. I recall watching it on a Travel and Living documentary on Udupi Temple food served on Plantain leaf hosted by Padma Lakshmi ; simply incorporated this method into my recipe. :)

I am forever bowled over by this humble recipe which fuses two cooking methods of Daal and Saaru. In my home, this is a regular one. Daal adds volume and provides the much required pep to improve the texture. Feel sick, just slurp this up from a mug.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2-3 servings

Ingredients:

Toor Daal (cooked) - 1 cup

Tomatoes (finely chopped and pulsed) - 3/4 cup

Rasam powder - 2 teaspoon

Green Chillies (sliced) - 2

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Coriander leaves (chopped) - 1/2 cup

Jaggery - 1 teaspoon

Herb Bouquet - Coriander leaves + Curry leaves strands (bunch of 2-3 strands tied together)

Salt

Water

For Seasoning -

Curry leaves - 1 strand

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Oil/ Ghee

Method:

Cook Toor Daal in a pressure cooker and keep aside. Pulse the tomatoes in blender to rough chops or manually crush them with your hands. Add Toor Daal paste to this. Bring to boil with Green Chillies and the Herb Bouquet. Add Rasam powder, Turmeric powder, Jaggery, Asafoetida powder and adjust salt & water as per taste. Simmer on low flame for 10 minutes. Turn off flame once completely cooked.

In a separate pan, heat few spoons of Oil/ Ghee, add Mustard seeds, once they begin to pop add Curry leaves and saute. Turn off flame and pour this seasoning over the cooked Daal consistency. Garnish with chopped Coriander leaves. Serve hot with warm rice and a dollop of Ghee.

Tomato Rasam (Tomato Saaru)

Tomato Rasam is a favorite with my Mom, Dad and my Akka (konkani term for sister). They love this dish because it very simple, light and leaves you with a sweaty feel at the end of the meal. I used the same approach which Mom uses to make this Rasam. As a child, I was anti-tomato and now I simply love the flavours. In Konkani, this is known as Saaru; Saaru is a water based blend of spices and most of the times is cooked in a vegetable stock of choice.

I also had a packet of Shivalli Brahmins Rasam powder which my sister had got for me from Udupi. If this Rasam powder is not there, then any rasam powder can be used - Gits or MTR. I prefer MTR as their flavours are very similar to authentic South Indian rasam. The Shivalli Brahmins powder is quite famous in Udupi and gives you the authentic flavour of Rasam, the way its supposed to be enjoyed with Rice.

Recipe Source: Mom

Serves: 2-3 individuals

Ingredients:

Tomato (Ripe, Red and ready) - 1

Rasam powder - 2-3 teaspoons - Shivalli Brahmins Saaru Pitti

Coriander leaves (chopped finely) - 6-8 sprigs

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Black Pepper corns (whole) - 4-6

Garlic flakes - 3-4

Green Chillies - 1

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Jaggery - 1/2 teaspoon

Tamarind juice - 1 teaspoon

Method:

Grind pepper corns, garlic flakes and cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar. In a sauce pan, heat oil and fry this masala. Separately, finely chop tomato pieces and crush them gently in water. Add this mix to the fried masala. Add turmeric powder, green chillies, tamarind juice, jaggery and bring to boil. The consistency will be with reddish blend and would be all collected. Hence, tomatoes crushed manually help acheive the collected consistency. Finally, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.