Koot - A mixed vegetable Konkani curry- Onion free- saatvik- Jain

This curry is onion and garlic free and hence can be eaten on auspicious days. This can also be eaten by jains using the relevant vegetables.

While koot is the type of curry like vindaloo or madras or dopyaza. it can be eaten with your choice of veggies,

Koot (Konkani mixed vegetable curry)

Boiled potato and raw tomato is one combination.
Cauliflower, potatoes, boiled peas, tomatoes cut into large pieces is another combination.

Masala (Grind the ingredients given below to make a paste)

Coconut (2 cups fresh) or 1 ½ cup desiccated coconut.
8 Roasted red chillies
1 Teaspoon coriander seeds – roasted
Methi (Fenugreek seeds) 1/3 teaspoon roasted
Hing (Asofoetida)- ½ teaspoon roasted.
Mustard seed- 1 pinch roasted
1 teaspoon roasted chanadaal (Chikpea- dry)
Tamarind 1 teaspoon of paste or ½ inch ball of fresh tamarind.


For the Tadka (Tempering)
Mustard seeds- pinch
Hing –Pinch
Chilli – one red.
½ teaspoon kadipatta

In a large wok/kadhai boil the potatoes and other vegetables (Except tomatoes). When cooked add the tomatoes. Boil for 1 minute.

Add the ground masala, salt and boil till you get required consistency. In a smaller wok (Kadhai) add 2 teaspoons of oil, heat- add some mustard seeds, hing, ½ teaspoon kadipatta and red chilli. Add this the tadka(Or Phann in Konkani) to the main curry and allow to simmer.

Vatana Golo ( Konkani Pea and potato dry curry)

1 cup peas
2 medium sized potatoes- cut into small cubes .

Masala (Grind coarsely)
1 fresh coconut grated. Or 1 cup of dessicated coconut soaked in warm water.
4 green chillies (Roasted in 1 teaspoon oil)
½ teaspoon pepper corns.
Pinch of turmeric powder.

Boil the peas and potatoes. Temper the peas and potatoes in a pan with 2 tablespoons of hot oil with mustard seeds sputtering and kadi patta (Karbev Pallo).
Add salt to taste and the Masala.

Boil and stir until dry. This is a dry curry. Serve with Hot dalitoy and rice and koshambir.

Ragda for Ragda Pattice.

Ragda Pattice is a savoury snack which is a favourite at the Mumbai beaches. The pattices are potato pattices while the ragda is this fantastic spicy white pea curry which coverts the pattice.
The curry is served over the pattice and this is garnished with chopped onions and coriander leaves.

Recipe for Ragda.

¼ Kg White dried Peas (Soak for 6 hours and pressure cook until soft)
One can also used tinned marrow fat peas.

Boil the peas. Add ½ Teaspoon tumeric ; 1 teaspoon Dhania (Coriander) powder ; ½ teaspoon Jeera (Cumin) powder ; 1 ½ teaspoon chilli powder and boil until the consistence is quite thick. Add about 5 teaspoons of tamarind water or 2 teaspoons of ready made tamarind paste (adjust according to the level of tartness that one wises)
Add 2 heaped teaspoons of Garam masala Powder , salt to taste and boil on slow heat till the require thick consistency is reached.

Green Peas Barfi - Sweet Pea fudge try this it will surprise you

Green Peas Burfi

This is a fantastic green pea sweet. The sweetness can be reduced if one does not like it very sweet as Indians do :)


300 gms Green Peas
¼ Kg Mava (or Condensed milk if mava is not available)
½ Kg Sugar
2 Desert Spoon of Ghee
Badam , Pista, Elaichi Powder, Silver Foil

Grind the peas to a paste with a little milk. Take the Ghee. Fry the pea paste. When half done add the mava (Or Condensed milk if mava is not available) and fry until the oil separates. Allow it to cool completely.
Take the sugar and a cup of water and heat them together to make a syrup. Add the pea mix and stir continuously till the mix leaves the side of the pan and becomes thick.

Pour in a greased tray. Decorate with the Badam and Pista and silver foil. Cut it into rectangular pieces as it cools.

Kairas - Peanut and Capsicum curry Saraswat style

This is a fantastic Masol(Coconut gravy based) curry traditional cooked by Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins (Bhanaps).

Its mildly sweet and savoury tasteis kind of like a thai curry but with a very Indian flavour.

Masala to grind:
1/2 Coconut
1 teaspoon Coriander seeds
1/3 teaspoon Methi (Fenugrek) seeds
1 Pinch mustard seeds
3/4 Teaspoon Hing(Asofoetida)
3/4 Tablespoon Chanadaal
3/4 Tablespoon Til(Sesame)
8 red chilies Dried (Bedgi Variety if poosible)
1/2 Inch ball of Tamarind or 1 teaspoon of readymade tamarind syrup
1 small 1/2 inch size piece of Jaggery or Molasses or 2/3 teaspoon of brown sugar
2/3 cup Peanuts-Soak for 8 hours in water and cook (In a pressure cooker if possible) until tender.
3 Medium sized capsicum diced into 1 inch size pieces
Temper (Phann)with 1 tsp Mustard;1/4 teaspoon Hing;Kadipatta(curry leaves)and 1 red chili in 2 tablespoons of hot oil.
Grind the paste. Add the peanuts and Capsicum, let cook for a few minutes(Not too long or the capsicum gets squishy). Temper with the oil and the above ingredients and add salt to taste.
Really tastes fantastic hot with steamed rice....

Mother's recipe Fresh Mushroom Curry

Ingredients
250 gms Fresh Mushrooms
2 Cardomoms
2 Bay Leaves
3 Cloves
1/2 Tsp Garam Masala
1/2 Tsp Chili Powder
1 Tsp Finely Chopped Ginger
2 Chopped Green Chilies
1 Teacup Beaten Curds(Yogurt)
1/2 teacup chopped Coriander leaves
4 Tbsp Ghee(or Olive Oil)
Salt to taste
Paste
2 Onions
6 Cloves Garlic
1/2 Inch Piece Ginger
3 Tbsp Cashewnuts
For the Paste
Boil the onions in 1 cup water until soft.Add the Ginger, garlicand cashewnuts and make a paste.
For the curry
Slice the Mushrooms, blanche them in hot water for 2 minutes and drain.
Heat the Ghee/Olive Oil -fry the cardomom, bay leaves, Cloves for a few seconds and then add the paste. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the Garam Masala, ginger green chilies and fry again for 1 minute.
Take the vessel off the flame and add the curds(Yogurt).Mix well. Put the vessel on a slow flame and keep mixing. Add the mushroom, coriander leaves and cook for a few minutes
Serve Hot.

Dalitoy - a fantastic accompaniment to steamed rice- Konkani style lentil curry.

Dalitoy and Xit (Sheath)- Rice and Dal
The perfect couple.

Most Konkanis would have dalitoy xit as their basic meal with accompaniments such as a cocount based curry.

Dal is lentil, usually toor dal and certainly toor or tori dali for dalitoy and toy or rather tauy is from the sanskrit word for water i.e. toyam. Therefore dalitoy is basically a thin dal soup. Most saraswats, especially gowd saraswats or dorkas (Because they follow the vaishnavite tradition or the dwarka tradition) would never eat patal or dilute dalitoy. They would rather enjoy a daat dalitoy or thick dalitoy= DDT !!!

Tori dal, Tuvar Dal- Soak in water for at tleast 2 hours.
Oil 2 tablespoons
Kadi pata/ curry leaves fresh a few.
Hing/ asofoetida powder 2 pinches.
Mustard seeds
Green chilies a few
Red chilies a few
Salt to taste

Method

Boil the tori dal. Some prefer to pressure cook it until it is a good mash.
Add the green chilies after they are split into half.
Add the salt.
Some people also add a bit of turmeric powder for some colour (Or the Dalitoy looks anemic!)
Heat the oil in a small vessel, add the mustard seeds, the asofoetida, the redchillies and the kadi patta to the hot oil.
Temper the boiling dal with this sputtering oil and spice mix (the tempering is Called Phann in Konkani)
Add salt to taste
Stir well and serve with Hot steamed rice.

Many Konkanis like to eat this with a spoonfull of warm ghee. Well - ghee is full of saturates so I wouldnt recommend it though it does add to the flavour.