Nankhatai - Indian shortbread cookies

S made these amazing Nankhatai for Christmas.  As kids, we got to eat them a couple of times in a year, when my grandfather sent them by parcel all the way from Mangalore. We knew them then as Narayan Katar, don't ask me why they were called that! The transportation by lorry took a long, long time, but well worth the wait.  The recipe link is from Ruchik Randap, and S made only slight modifications.

Ingredients:  Makes 16 medium ones/ 20-22 smaller ones

Maida or APF - 150 gms
Powdered Sugar - 125 gms  (granulated sugar that is powdered)
Melted Ghee - 100 gms
Salt - 1/8 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

Optional
Few strands of saffron, Cardamom powder if you like the flavour

Take the melted ghee (ensure that it is not too hot) in a bowl and add powdered sugar gradually, little at a time, till well mixed.
Sift the flour, baking soda and salt.
Add to the ghee and sugar mixture.
Blend it well.
If the mixture is paste like add a bit of flour.  It should be kneading consistency.
Lightly knead the dough till smooth.  Place in bowl, cover with clingfilm and keep aside 4 hours.
The dough might become firmer now.  If so, gently knead and make it soft and pliable.
Preheat oven to 180 fan
Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Divide dough into equal sized portions.  Roll each portion to a ball and gently flatten the sides (only).  The centre should be like a raised dome. This will enable the cracks to form on surface.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes.  Keep checking. Do not over bake or brown .
Remove from oven and let them cool on tray for another 15 minutes, after which they can be gently transferred to a wire rack till cool.

Store in airtight container.

Konkani Cuisine - Sanna Polo

There is an amazing group on facebook that shares Konkani cuisine.  This recipe is from the site. Perhaps the Sanna Polo can be described as a savoury pancake made with rice and lentils with chopped onions and cabbage.  Konkani cuisine without coconut is rare and this one is no exception.  Not the usual amount, but it is there nevertheless.  Though, it is a polo or a dosa, it is generally consumed as a side dish with rice and dalitoy ( konkani dal dish ).  Here chopped cabbage and onions have been added, but these can be substituted with greens, snake gourd seeds and what have you.  Arhar lentils can be replaced with another. Other spices may be added.  Experiment and enjoy the taste.

Ingredients:  Makes about 7-8 small polos

Rice - 1/2 cup
Tuvar Dal - ( split pigeon pea) - 1/2 cup
Grated coconut - a fistful
Roasted red chilies -few - spicier the better
Tamarind - 10 gms or half teaspoon of paste
Salt to taste.
Chopped cabbage - 1/4 cup
Chopped onion - 1/4 cup
Curry leaves - a few
Oil - for shallow frying

( Feel free to experiment with the above quantities and vary the ingredients)

Soak rice and dal for at least 3 hours
Grind with coconut, chilies, tamarind and salt to a thickish fine paste.  This is like an idli batter.

Add chopped onions, cabbage and a few shredded curry leaves.

Heat a flat pan.
Add the batter and spread with either a spoon or use your fingers to flatten it.
Pour oil along the polo/dosa
Allow it to brown on the underside.  Flip over and let the other side brown
Remove from pan.
Serve with hot rice and dalitoy.

While that may be a traditional way to eat the sanna polo, let me tell you it can be eaten at any time of the day.  Enjoy !

Konkani cuisine - Ambe Upkari - Small mango curry

I was so pleased when my neighbour gave me these small mangoes.  In konkani, we call them 'ghonto', I was not sure if they were the actual ones.  These ghonto are mangoes that do not grow large in size, and as they ripen they are mostly green with a yellow tinge.  They get a little soft and have this sweet and tangy taste.  And so I messaged my Aruna akka and got the recipe for the mango curry - Ambe Upkari.

I do not know if this is a popular dish.  I mean most people would probably shudder at the  thought of a curry made with mango.  Yes, it is unusual, but delicious.  Tastes even better when you keep it overnight.

Ingredients -
am not specifying amounts here - everything approximate - and as long as you start with less, it can be adjusted even in the finished dish.

Mangoes - the green small variety
Jaggery
Salt
Green chili - keep it less - and depends on the spiciness of the chili - maybe two for six mangoes
Rice flour or All purpose flour - 1 tbsp (optiona)

Seasoning -
Oil - 1 tbsp
Red chilies ( optional) - I did not add
Mustard
Urad or black gram dal
Curry leaves

Wash the mangoes well
Peel the skin with your fingers.  And take off as much flesh off them as possible with a little water
( with this variety, there will be flesh on the peel)
Keep the seed with the flesh in along with the pulp extracted
Add salt - this just gives it a nice balance.  So just a little
Jaggery to taste - this would depend on the sweetness of the pulp- this is not an overly sweet dish
Add a little water if too thick.

Now bring it to a boil.  Simmer
If the pulp seems a little thin, make a paste of rice flour/APF with a little water and add it
Allow the flour to cook and this will also thicken the gravy

Remove from fire.
Prepare the seasoning
Heat oil, add  red chili ( optional) mustard allow to splutter, the urad dal which can be lightly browned
Add the curry leaves.
Add the seasoning to the curry

Cool.  And refrigerate.  I like it best when it is chilled.
Tastes even better the next day

It's different.  Its tasty !


PS - if the jaggery contains impurities , dissolve in a little water and strain.

Surnali

I have not had my fill of Konkani cuisine.  And now that I have renewed contact with aunts and cousins who are wonderful cooks and ever willing to share recipes, I think I can fulfil a few of my cravings :-)

A akka whatsapped the recipe for Surnali.  There are two variations.  One is the god surnali, god in konkani is sweet.  And the other is the Chepi Surnali - Chepi meaning bland.  Only because it is not sweet.  By no means is it tasteless !

Most things in South Kanara will have some bit of coconut in it.  As does Surnali.  This is like an Indian pancake , something like an Uthapam, but with many more holes.  

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 2 cups

Coconut - 1/2 cup

Flattened rice ( Poha) - 1 cup

Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Buttermilk ( or milk with the addition of curd)  - 1/2 cup

Salt to taste.

Soak rice and methi seeds for at least 3-4 hours 

Just before grinding, wash the poha

Grind soaked rice and methi along with coconut, poha, salt to a fine paste.

Add the buttermilk to it.  

Mix and keep overnight for about 8 hours to ferment 

(If you are making the sweet variety, omit the salt, just a pinch is sufficient, add sufficient jaggery for the sweetness as per your taste, and grind. Also a pinch of turmeric.  The addition of jaggery may make the batter thinner. So keep that in mind.  The batter should not be thin or too flowy )

The next day heat a tawai.  Smear a little oil on the surface. 

Put a spoon of batter and let it spread on its own 1/2 cm thickness

Cover with a lid and allow the surface to cook . You will see these little holes that will appear on the surface The dosa is genernally not turned over.  

Have the sweet surnali with a blob of butter.  Th.e bland one can be had with chutney

Note - In case, the batter has not fermented enough, add a bit of cooking soda, whisk it well and use. 

Wheat Semia / Gova Shevai

My cousin's wife S came home with this huge bag of goodies from the Mangalore Store.  And one of them was a packet of the Wheat Semia or Gova Shevai as they are called in Konkani.   These are sun-dried wheat vermicelli.  Traditionally they were made at home.  It is a long process.  The wheat has to be soaked in water and made to a paste that is strained through a layer of muslin. This is then stirred on heat till it begins to thicken and then the semia is extruded through a semia maker.  Now, it is more a convenience food, someone else does the hard work and one just picks the dehydrated semia from the store.

The dehydrated semia has to be rehydrated by soaking in water for about 20 mins.  The strands are squeezed to remove most of the liquid. It is now ready to be cooked.

Ingredients

Rehydrated Wheat Semia - About 200 gms
Oil for seasoning - 2 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Black gram dal - 1/2 tsp
Green chilies - 2 slit
Curry leaves -f ew
Ginger - chopped 1/8 "
Asafoetida - pinch
Peas - 20 gms - optional
Carrot finely chopped or grated - 1 small - optional
Salt to taste
Fresh coconut - 2 -3 tbsp - the more the better

Take a deep pan
Heat, add the oil.
Put in the mustard, when it splutters add the asafoetida, black gram dal, curry leaves, green chilies and ginger
Add the peas and carrot.  I used frozen peas, otherwise if using fresh peas, cook them till tender beforehand
Add the rehydrated semia
Mix gently
Cover and keep over a low flame for about 5 minutes. Stir gently now and then.
Garnish with grated fresh coconut.

The dish is different from the readymade vermicelli that you get.  It is also very filling since it is with whole wheat.  The carrots and peas are optional.  It will still taste as good without them.  Try adding fried cashew to make it more delicious.

Konkani Cuisine - Valval

Another of R mai's recipes.   Almost like the Kerala Stew.  A variety of vegetables in coconut milk and lightly seasoned.  Traditionally had with rice, but here I had it with Rava Dosa and I must tell you it was a great combination.  I just think, Valval can be had with anything you fancy.  Try it

( No specific measurements )

Veggies like - potato, sweet potato, pumpkin white or yellow, kovai, tender cashew, alsanda beans, ridge gourd......

Cut into even pieces lengthwise 

Cook till just tender in some water adding salt and a couple of slit green chilies

Either make fresh coconut milk by grinding coconut and water and extracting the milk or use ready to use - like I did ( makes life simpler)

Add this to the cooked veggies.

( If you find the mixture too watery you can thicken it any flour)

Season with mustard, cumin seeds and curry leaves.

Konkani Cuisine - Avanas Ambe Sasam

My aunt R mai makes this the best.  I requested her to make it for me keeping a watchful eye on the ingredients.  It may seem a strange dish - avanas (pineapple) ambo ( mango) in a slightly spicy coconut gravy, but once you taste it, you will want more.  Sasam refers to mustard and that is another ingredient that is part of the coconut masala.

Ingredients (  approximate )
Pineapple cubes of about 2 " size - 1 cup
Ripe Mango cubes - 2 cups
( You can add more or less of either of the fruits as per taste)
Coconut - grated - 1/2 large
Jaggery - 75 gms - depending on the sweetness or sourness of the pineapple
Red chilies - 1-2 - fry in little oil
Salt - a large pinch
Raw mustard - 1/2 tsp
Grapes - few (optional)

Cook the pineapple cubes with jaggery and salt in a little water till just tender - do not get them mushy
Cool thoroughly
Grind coconut and red chiles with a little water
After you grind to a fine paste add the raw mustard and grind once again
Add to the cooled pineapple.
Add the mango pieces and grapes

Serve chilled.

It is sweet/spicy and tangy all in one.

Note - Use ripe fruits for best results.

Steamed Rice Dumpling a.k.a Oondhi/ Undhi

I have been thinking of this for some time. A Konkani dish - Oondhi / Undi/ Undhi - a seasoned steamed rice dumpling.  I went looking for it online and landed at Red Chillies.  It turned out quite well.  A dish that does not require any soaking and fermentation.  And the few leftover dumplings were pan fried for another tasty snack.

Ingredients :

Fine Rice Rava - 1 cup ( I used Idli rava - which worked as well, but I feel fine rice rava would be better)
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 1/2 cups
Salt to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Ginger finely chopped - to taste
Green chilies - finely chopped - 2 nos or as per your spice tolerance
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida - large pinch

Take a pan
Heat the oil
Add mustard seeds allow to splutter and then the urad dal.  Allow to brown slightly
Followed by methi seeds, ginger, curry leaves torn into pieces, green chilies
Mix
Add the water - bring to boil
Add the rava and salt
Stir till the water is absorbed by the rava and it begins to come together to form a mass/ dough like
Add the coconut

Take off fire.  Allow to cool ( not totally ) but till you are able to handle the dough
Rub your palms with oil or dip them in water - whatever suits you best
Take a piece of dough.  Make into a ball and then a depression in the middle
Place in a greased pan or idli stand
Steam for about 8-10 minutes
Serve hot with chutney, pickle, podi or sambar

Horsegram Saaru and Curry - Kulitha Saaru ani Upkari

Actually I went looking for Whole Masoor, and but ended up buying the wrong gram - the horse gram.  But this is a gram I knew I had eaten before and googled to find exactly what I was looking for at Aayis Recipes.  She mentions ( that was told to us as kids too) that this gram was generally fed to cattle, and is supposed to be very nutritious.  She does calls it a 'winter food', but I have always had it only in summer, since that was the only time we went to Udupi.  If I am not mistaken we would drive down all the way to Coondapur to pick up the thickened gravy of the water in which the gram was cooked.

Well, it was a nice journey back in time and we enjoyed it... and here is how it is made

But first - apologies for the pictures.  And you can figure out that I used the same spoon to pour the food into the containers ( which was part of the lunch box) - and so you will find coconut in the saaru and a piece of onion in the curry!!  Will replace with better pictures the next time I make it - I still have half a packet left.

Ingredients
1 cup horse gram - washed, soaked overnight and pressure cooked in three times the water for 5 whistles - or about 8 minutes on simmer after the first whistle

You will now have cooked gram in a whole lot of water.

The water will be used for the saaru and the gram for the Upkari or Curry

The Saaru
Horse gram broth
Green chilies - approx 2 nos - slit
Onion - 1/2 chopped
Garlic - 1 large clove - chopped
A little crushed cooked horse gram - this is for thickening the saaru ( optional)
Salt to taste
Oil or ghee for seasoning - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - few

Heat the broth, salt, chilies, onion.  Bring to boil and allow to simmer for about 8-10 minutes
Remove from heat.
Season with oil/ghee. garlic ( allow to brown) and curry leaves
This is a nice almost thin soup with a lot of flavour

Curry
Boiled horse gram
Coconut - grated 2 tbsp
Green chilies - 3-4 nos
Asafoetida - big pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for seasoning ( preferably coconut oil)
Red chilies (optional)

Take a wok.
Add the oil, asafoetida and the curry leaves/red chilies ( optional)
Add the cooked gram, salt green chilies, and grated coconut.
Mix well.
Keep for a few minutes, remove from heat

Have with hot rice.

Supposedly good for arthritis - joint pains.   

Shevai - The Konkani Semiya

I have been dreaming of this for some time now.  And browsing through various food blogs led me to the recipe.  I have memories of this food as one being difficult to make.  Maybe in the past, with no mixie but the old stone grinder and then the shevai maker was not the easiest one to operate either.  But there was this ' I have to eat it now' factor that set the wheel in motion....

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup
Coconut - 1/4 cup - some recipes even have 1/2 measure
Salt to taste

Step 1
Soak rice for about 6 hours.
Grate the coconut.
Grind the soaked rice and grated coconut to a fine paste.
The mixture should be like dosa batter

Step 2
Take a wok and lightly grease it
Pour in the batter, add salt to taste
Keep on a low flame, stir it constantly till it comes together like a soft dough
Take off flame
With wet hands ( since it will be hot) shape into medium sized rolls

Step 3
Put this in a steamer or whichever method you may use for steaming
Steam for about 12-15 mins.  You can put a skewer in and it should come out clean

Step 4
Take the steamed roll out and put in a semiya/muruku maker
Pass it through and extract the final product - SHEVAI is now ready

Note - As you extrude one roll, make sure the remaining rolls are still in the steamer.  They should be hot when you put them through the semiya maker.

Eat it with a nice accompanying dish of coconut milk sweetened with jaggery,  or coconut oil with finely diced onions and green chillies,  or just pickle, or a nice prawn gashi or eat it just plain.  Have it for breakfast  or any meal that you wish.

For a step by step account you can check the pictures at CusineIndia

Cabbage Sukke

I have been missing the Konkani food. And then I chanced upon this recipe in Vani's blog- Mysoorean. I made the recipe and it was so good.

Sukke in Konkani means dry, and this is meant to be a dry curry, but since I was serving it with rotis, I did retain a little gravy.

Ingredients:

Cabbage - 2 cups finely cut

Potato - 1 cup - diced

Tamarind - 1/2 tsp

Jaggery - 1 tbsp ( small piece - optional) but does add to the taste.

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Coconut - 50 gms - grated

Urad dal (Black gram dal) - 2 tsp

Red Chillies - 5-6 \nos

Coriander seeds (dhania) - 2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds (Methi) - 1/2 tsp

Oil

Salt to taste

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - pinch

Curry leaves - few.

Roast in a little oil - the urad dal, red chillies, coriander seeds and methi seeds.

Grind the roasted ingredients with coconut,jaggery and tamarind paste to a fine paste with a little water.

Keep aside the masala.

In a wok, heat a little oil ( 2 tbsp)

Add the mustard and hing.

When mustard splutters add the curry leaves.

Add chopped cabbage and potato.

Add turmeric powder.

Allow to cook.

When the potatoes are tender add the ground masala.

And the salt.

Simmer till the masala is absorbed.

Enjoy!

Sanna Polo

Cabbage recipe -2 . A konkani dish - serves 2

Ingredients -
Raw rice - 3/4 cup
Tuvar dal - 1/2 cup
Cabbage shredded - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 medium - finely chopped
Coconut - 1/4 cup grated
Red chilles - 2
Tamarind = 1/4 tsp paste or a small piece of tamarind
Hing ( asafoetida) - pinch - optional
Salt to taste
Oil for shallow frying

Soak the rice and dal for about 2-3 hours
Roast the dry red chillies in a little oil.
Grind to a coarse paste, the rice, dal, coconut and red chillies.
Add the shredded cabbage and diced onion and salt to the ground paste.

Heat a tawa.
Smear with oil
Take a sizeable amount of the paste and flatten on tawa ( 1/4" thickness)
Add oil and cook both sides till done.
.
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Serve hot.
The recipe brought back memories of childhood. Sourced the recipe here

Mushroom curry - Konkani style

Ingredients -
Mushrooms - 50 gms
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Ginger - 1' piece finely chopped
Coconut - 100 gms - grated

Red chillies - 6-8 according to taste
Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp

Oil ( for typical konkani curry use coconut oil) - I used refined sunflower oil
salt to taste.

Roast the red chillies and coriander seeds lightly.

Grind with coconut to coarse powder.

Take a wok, add oil. Heat

Add the onion , ginger , saute.

Add the sliced mushroom and saute for a while.

Add the ground masala and tamarind paste and a little water.

Simmer over low flame till tender.

Add salt to taste.

Note : The dish in Konkani is Alambe Buthi … and I got it here

Rava Bhakri and Rava Upma

For those who do not like Upma, but can do with a breakfast dish that is as simple to make - this is it.

Rava - 1 cup
Onions - 1 medium - chopped fine
Green chillies - 1 medium - chopped fine
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 1/2 tsp - if you like it slightly sweeter, add some more
Coconut scrapings - 3 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tbsp
Corriander - finely chopped.

Take the rava, add all other ingredients to it.
Add water and make a batter - that is not like chappati dough nor as liquidy as dosa batter.
Keep tawa on fire
Smear some oil ( for the first one)
Take the batter with your hand and place it on the tawa.
With your fingers smoothen it down to form a round dosa/roti. Ensure that the finger does not come in contact with the hot tawa ( ouch!)
Let it mildly brown on one side.
Turn and do the same for the other side.
And the bhakri is ready to eat.

As a kid, a blob of butter would be placed on top of the hot bhakri.
You could eat it with pickle, curry or whatever.

And for those who may like Upma - Serves 2-3

Ingredients
Bombay Rava - Semolina - 1 cup
Onions - 1 large - chop or slice
Green chilies - 3 - as per your spice tolerance - slice lengthwise
Bengal gram dal - 1/2 tsp
Black gram dal - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - 1/4 inch - finely chopped
Asafoetida - big pinch
Oil - 3-4 tbsp - substitute with ghee or mixture of ghee-oil for richer taste
Salt to taste
Curry leaves - generous number
Fried cashew - optional - few

Roast the rava till it shows signs of browning and emits a nice flavour ( you can do this with a dash or oil or dry roast)
Remove from heat and keep aside

Take a wok
Add the oil ( extra oil just adds to the taste - use wisely)
Put in the chana (bengal gm) dal and mustard. Wait till it splutters
Add the urad ( black gm) dal and wait for it to just begin to brown
Add the asafoetida and ginger, curry leaves, onions and green chilies.
Saute
Add water - 2 1/2 cups of water and salt to taste.- increase water if there are other vegetables added
Allow the onions to turn translucent
If the water evaporates a great deal, add a little more
Now slowly add the roasted semolina a little by little stirring all the time till the whole quantity is used up.
Wait till it comes together to a soft mass
Take off heat and serve hot with pickle.

Or as A does it - a bowl of rava, mix in a generous amount of pickle. Mix well. Put into a katori that will serve as a mould.  Unmould onto a plate.

Panpolo

Raw Rice - 1 cup
Fresh coconut - 1/2 - preferably slightly tender
Salt to taste


Soak Rice for about 4-5 hours
Grind with the fresh coconut and salt
A handful of cooked rice may also be added while grinding (optional)

The batter should be thin like the batter for rava dosa.
Heat the tawa, smear oil
Pour the batter ( also like rava dosa is made)
And you should notice tiny bubbles while the batter comes in contact with the tawa
Cover with a lid to enable the upper side to cook, since the panpolo is not turned over.
Once you are sure the under side is done, fold into a triangle (though picture does not show that!!)
Serve

Serving options:
Jaggery syrup - jaggery is dissolved in water and kept on fire till it slightly froths. It should not form syrupy stage.
Any kind of chutney, pickle
Avial or stew

All yummy!

Dhal Ambat

Dhal - Tuvar - 3/4  cup
Coconut fresh - 1/2 cup
Peas: 200 g - shelled / other veggies like potato, cauliflower, carrot
Onion - 1/2 medium - chopped fine
Corriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Red chillies -4-5
Tamarind - 1/2 tsp ( paste)
Asafoetida - pinch
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 1 tbsp

Boil dhal.
Roast Corriander seeds, red chillies with or without oil
Grind to a fine paste the coconut, corriander seeds, chillies with the tamarind.
Cook peas and veggies separately till just done.
Add the ground masala to cooked dal and simmer till well blended
After a while add the cooked veggies
Bring to a boil , simmer a while
Remove from fire.
Take some oil and fry the finely chopped onion to a golden brown and the hing at the end. Add curry leaves ( optional)
Add to the dhal.
Ambat can be made with peas, with potato, with leafy vegetable and clams!!

(Edited again Dec 20 , 2012)

Egg curry ( green)

Eggs - 4 nos -hard boiled, cut in two
Coconut - 1/4
Jeera - 2 tsps
Green chillies - 2-3
Onions - 1 medium
Corriander leaves - 1 bunch ( medium)
Oil

Grind coconut, jeera, green chillies and corriander.
Put masala in vessel and sufficient quantity of water ( it should be a slightly thick gravy) and cook for a while.
Add salt to taste.
Add the eggs.

Seasoning: Take a small quantity of oil and saute finely diced onion till slightly brown. Add to the egg curry.

Dhalitoi

This wonderful Konkani dish is a must for all meals. Toi - refers to water and Dhalitoi in other words is dhal water.
Dhal - 1/2 cup
Ginger - 1/2 " finely sliced ( ask La if she is around for such jobs)
Green chillies - 4-5 medium
Seasoning:
Mustard, red chillies (2), asafoetida
Garnishing - curry leaves and finely chopped corriander leaves
Lime - 1/2

Pressure cook dhal with turmeric till soft.
Dilute reasonably with water.
Add salt, green chillies, ginger.
Bring to boil and simmer for atleast 10 minutes.
Season with mustard, red chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves.
Garnish with corriander.
Squeeze lime juice just before serving.
Have with hot rice. YUMMY.