Easy Cashew nut pakoda

Sunita Shenoy

This recipe has become my go to easy recipe for Diwali snacks. 

Ingredients 

2 cups whole raw cashew nuts

1/2 cup besan

1 tsp rice pwdr 

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp chilli pwdr 

1/2 tsp asafotida ( hing)

1/2 tsp jeera pwdr

1 tsp finely chopped curry leaves (optional)

You may adjust salt and spices to your taste.

Method:

Wash cashew nuts. Separately mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle on washed cashews and use your hands to coat the cashews. You can add very little water only if needed to help with coating. Finally drizzle about 1 tsp oil to the coated nuts. Take grease a microwaveable plate and spread the nuts without forming clusters. 

Microwave for 1 min. Take it out and toss nuts. Repeat this for 3-4 times until nuts are crisp. Alternatively you can deep fry  these . 

Tendle Talasane (Gherkins stir fry)

Tendle Talasane (Gherkins Stir Fry)
Sunita Shenoy

This is a very simple dish and a konkani delicacy.

Ingredients:
20-30 gherkins
8-12 crushed garlic pods (more if small garlic)
2-3 crushed red chillies
salt to taste
2 tbsp oil

Recipe:
Wash and crush each of the whole gherkin with a stone. add salt to taste and keep aside for 30 min or so. Now take a wok/kadai and add oil, crushed garlic and chillies. once garlic begins to brown, add gherkins and stir fry. Cover and cook till it is limp and roasted w/o adding any water. Stir often so that it does not stick to the bottom and burn. It should be roasted (brown, not burnt).

Magge Koddel (Konkani curry with Mangalore Cucumber)

Magge Koddel (Konkani curry with Mangalore Cucumber)

- Sunita Shenoy

Basics:

Konkani coconut curry base is made with fresh grated coconut, small piece of tamarind, red chilles ground into smooth paste. the seasoning makes the difference in what the end product is named.

The vegetarian version typically is a combination of a vegetable like mangalore cucumber and a legume like pigeon peas, whole masoor, toor daal.

Koddel = season with crushed garlic in oil 

Ambat = chopped onions fried in oil

Gashi = mustard seeds and curry leaves in oil

Oil is typically coconut oil for best flavor, but any cooking oil maybe used. Variations of above include adding coriander seeds, methi seeds, urad daal, different combinations of vegetables and legumes.

Konkani Koddel with Mangalore Cucumber and Pigeon Peas

Ingredients

1 whole magge (mangalore cucumber)

1 cup cooked pigeon peas 

1 cup grated coconut

1 marble size tamarind

1 tbsp chilli powder mild to medium

2 tbsp crushed garlic cloves = 2-3 whole red chillies

2-3 Tbsp oil for seasoning

Procedure

Grind coconut, tamarind, chilli into a fine paste consistency of a gravy. 

Cut cucumber into cubes and cook partially with a little salt.  now mix in gravy, cooked pigeon peas, salt to taste and boil for 10 min or so till cooked through. Now heat oil and add crushed garlic/chillies till it turns reddish.  Curry is ready to serve with rice.

Bhindi Coconut Masala ( Bhenda Sagle - Konkani)

Masala
 1/2 small cup grated coconut
1 tbspn coriander + 1/2tbspn  urad dhal
roast  in to light brown in a little oil
 grind the coconut with 1 tbspn moderate  spicy chillipowder  along with roasted grains in to paste adding little water

Method:

Wash dry and cut 250 grams okra (bhindi) in to 1" pieces and keep.

Heat 3 tbspn oil in a kadai add 1 tspn mustard and few curry leaves and 1 tspn jeera .
When the mustard splutters add cut bindi , salt to taste 1/2 tb spoon, tamarind paste and little jaggery powder
Mix every thing together and close it with a lid on a medium fire stirring frequently
When the bhindi is cooked, add the masala and mix stirring frequently till the masala is dry
Serve with rice and dhal or with rotis.

Sprouted Moong Upkari (Mooga Upkari)

 1 cup green moong, soak in water in the morning
 Drain the water and close the vessel tight overnight
Next day it will sprout; in winter it may take two days to sprout
 

Method:

Heat 3 tbspn oil in a kadai
Add 1 tspn mustard , 1/2 tspn jeera
when mustard splutters, add
3 to 4 red chili bits
Add the sprouted moong and 1tspn asofoetida powder
Add 1/2 cup water or more if necessary , and salt to taste
Close the pan with a lid and cook on medium flame for few minutes tossing frequently. when done remove from stove . Relish with plain dhal and rice. Healthy dish!

Vermicelli upma

Method:
2  medium cups  Bambino vermicelli
Heat 3 tbspn oil and 2 tbspn ghee in a flat bottom kadai
Add 1 tspn Mustard + 1 /2 tspn urad dhal
When it splutters add 4 green chillies slits and a
a few curry leaves
Add few cashew nut bits
Add the  vermicelli to this and stir  fr few minutes
Boil 3 cups water and add to the above fried vermicelli
Add salt to taste and 2 , 3t spns sugar and
mix nicely
Close with a lid on a medium flame .
when it becomes  dry remove from flame and add some coconut gratings and stir well . relish with tea or coffee .

Cauliflower Upkari ( Cauliflower Konkani Stir Fry)

Method:

1 medium size cauliflower
Cut into medium florets
Wash in hot water thoroughly
Heat 3 tbspn oil in a flatbottom kadai
Add 1 tspn mustard seeds + 1/4 tspn jeera
When it splutters add 1/2 tspn red chillipowder+ 1/2 tspn asofoetida powder and 1/2 tspn turmeric powder
Stir little then add the cauliflower florets and mix well Add salt to taste and sprinkle little water and  mix well again .
 Close with a lid and keep on the medium flame stirring frequently .
 Do not over cook
 when the florets  become crunchy to taste remove from fire / relish with rice and dhal