(H)ap(p)y 4th B'day Apy Cooking! Celebrating with Churmundo (Wheat Flour Laddoos)

Long before I relished rasgullas and rasmalai, tasted tiramisu and tres leches, or polished off pies and puddings, the homely, humble and hearty burst-in-the-mouth churmundo, stood tall as one of my most favourite desserts in my early childhood. Memories of my granny, Amma and Pachi (aunt) sitting around a huge vessel and shaping these laddoos as I hovered around 'sampling' a couple here and a couple and a half there are still very vivid.  

Today being the 4th 'Bloggiversary' of Apy Cooking, I thought of making these simple, easy laddoos  just to walk down the memory lane a little bit, and sought help from my Pachi for the measures. There are a few variations to this laddoo - some people add besan (gram flour) and some prefer to throw in raisins and cashewnuts.  I have kept it simple with the usual four ingredients.

Ingredients :

2 cups wheat flour (chapati atta)

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp ghee

1 1/4 cup sugar

7 to 8 cardamom

Note: Reduce sugar if you don't like the laddoos very sweet.

Method:

Pour 1/2 cup ghee into a  heavy bottomed pan and place on low heat.  When the ghee turns slightly warm, add wheat flour little by little and keep mixing and roasting for about 10 to 15 minutes on low heat till you get a nice aroma and the flour appears to change in colour. Remove from heat and keep aside till it cools completely.

Meanwhile, grind sugar along with cardamom (skin removed) in a blender for about 15 seconds till you get a fine powder. Add this powdered mixture to the roasted flour. Mix really well. Add another 2 tbsp ghee and mix well (knead with your palm).  Grease your palms with a little ghee and taking about a fistful of mixture at a time, shape into lime-sized balls.

To shape the laddoos, press the mixture by tightening your fist and move it along the fist as you press it hard. As the laddoo gets it's shape, decrease the pressure, or else it can collapse in your palm. 

You can add a little more ghee to the mixture if the balls don't hold their shape. Just mix well again and rework the laddoos.

The recipe yields 20 to 22 laddoos.

Gudgud Alambe Songa / Mushrooms in Tangy-Spicy sauce

Rainy season has a beauty of it's own. Rains have a certain magic to them which makes you want to watch them and just watch them, while you listen to their sound of music. One of my favourite things about rain, apart from the refreshing smell of the soil, is these delectable mushrooms that take shape in the beginning of rainy season. These are called thunder mushrooms or gud gud alambe, are round in shape, and need to be peeled individually - a tedious task that is done by almost everyone in the family together at the dining table, amidst jokes and laughter. 

My favourite dish made with these mushrooms is Alambe Songa - a spicy dish (and I love it extra-spicy), slightly sour and very delicious. Typically, potatoes are also added, but I prefer it without them, as I love the unique taste and  flavour these alambes offer - something we relish only a few weeks in an entire year. So let's keep the potatoes at bay and enjoy a field day with the taste of thunder!

Ingredients:

3 cups peeled round mushrooms

3 cups finely chopped onions

3 to 4 tsp red chilly powder (adjust according to your spice level)

1 tamarind lump (gooseberry sized)

Salt to taste

Method:

Soak tamarind in 1/4 cup hot water and keep aside.

In a deep-bottomed pan, heat 3 to 4 tbsp oil (or more). Sauté onions for 8 to 10 minutes till they turn brownish. Add chilli powder and roast on medium low heat for 5 to 6 minutes. 

Squeeze out all the water from the tamarind, add the water to the onions and roast well, till the water is absorbed.

Meanwhile add 1/2 cup water to the mushrooms and bring to a boil. Add boiled mushrooms along with water to the pan. Add salt to taste, cover and cook for a few minutes.

I like it best with boiled rice (ukde sheeth) or bread. And a glass of water to help me out!!

Raja Phanna Upkari / Mackerel In Spicy-Tangy Sauce

Raja Phanna Upkari is a super-spicy, delightfully tangy Konkani dish made with very few ingredients. "Raja" here refers to mackerel and somehow for me, this fish is irreplaceable. Ofcourse, you can make this dish with prawns or tilapia or any other type of fish, but I always found mackerels winning hands down on this one.

Ingredients:

5 to 6 medium mackerels, cleaned and cut

2 cups onions finely chopped

5 to 6 tsp chilli powder

1 goose-berry sized tamarind

Salt

Method:

In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup hot water and soak tamarind in it.

In a deep-bottomed pan, heat oil. Add chopped onion and roast for about 10 minutes till they become brownish. Add chilli powder and roast on medium-low heat for 7 to 8 minutes.

Squeeze tamarind in the water as much as possible. Add the water into the pan. Pour some more water on the tamarind, squeeze out the juice completely and add the water to the pan. Discard the tamarind.

 Add a cup or two of water and bring to a boil. Add mackerels. Add more water if needed and salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Simmer and cook till the fish is completely cooked, about 5 to 10 minutes.

People also make this dish by grinding roasted chillies with tamarind. At my mom's place it's usually made with chilli powder. Either ways, the kick the chillies lend are a great accompaniment to rice along with milder fish curries. Love the combo! Fish fry anyone?

Kurle Alle Piyava Ghashi / Crabs in Spicy Onion-Ginger Coconut Curry

Eating crabs can be a messy affair. That's why it's best eaten at home, when nobody is watching! Seriously, I get so involved with this dish that I have to be reminded that there is nothing more left that is edible.

Alle Piyava Ghashi is a konkani delicacy where the crab is cooked along with chopped onion and ginger and you get a delicious aftertaste of these ingredients. This is how crab is usually prepared at Amma's place. My mom cleaned and cut the crab for me and made most of this dish while I happily clicked pictures.

Ingredients:
5 medium crabs
2 cups grated coconut
7 to 8 roasted red chillies
1 goose-berry sized tamarind
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tbsp chopped ginger
Salt
1 tsp oil

Method:
Grind coconut, red chillies and tamarind with enough water to get a smooth paste.
In a large deep-bottomed pan, add cleaned and cut crabs, onion, ginger and the ground paste. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add more water if needed. Cook till the crabs are completely cooked - about 10 minutes. Adjust salt, drizzle oil. Cover and keep aside for sometime.

Like all seafood curries, this tastes better after a few hours or next day. I like it best with boiled rice, fried fish and a phanna upkari. Now what is that? More in the next post :).

Sungta Ghashi ( Humman ) / Shrimps ( Prawns ) in Spicy Coconut Gravy

Being born and brought up in Mangalore, I've been an avid sea-food lover. I enjoy eating fish when it is cooked in typical "amchi" style and this particular dish is my all-time favourite. My mom makes sure a plate of hot steaming sungta ghashi is ready for me whenever I land in M'lore.
The hing (aesofotida) adds a punch to the prawns which are cooked in a spicy coconut gravy with a hint of tangy tamarind. A day old dish is always preferred since the prawns would have soaked in all the spices.

Ingredients:

Approx 2 cups shrimps (45 to 50 medium sized), shelled and de-veined

1 ¼ cup grated coconut

10 to 15 red chillies, lightly roasted in oil (I added 14)

1 gooseberry-sized tamarind

Salt

2 tsp oil

1 tsp hing powder 

Method:

Grind coconut, chillies and tamarind with enough water (about 1 cup) and some salt to get a smooth paste. [Adjust the chillies according to your spice level]. The paste has to be spicy to accommodate the bland prawns.

In a deep-bottomed vessel, pour this paste and mix the prawns in it. Add more water and salt to taste and cook covered for 10 to 15 minutes. The shrimps will curl up and appear pink in colour. Switch the gas off.

Add oil and hing powder and mix well. Adjust salt according to your taste. I like this dish slightly spicy and very slightly salty as it will be an ideal combination with rice.

And by rice I mean "boiled" rice or "ukde sheeth". Seen in this picture is "kuthari brown rice" which I bought from an Indian store in Sunnyvale. Now all this plate needs is a piece of fried fish :)!!

Undi

A lot of exciting things transpired in the past few weeks and my blog graciously took a backseat. Back to the grind now with this hot steaming konkani breakfast dish. Undi is made of rice or idli rava (not to be confused with sooji. The rava is made of rice and not wheat) and fresh grated coconut. Some people prepare this dish by grinding soaked rice with coconut milk.

Typically, at Amma's place, undis are accompanied by ravo or godda paank - a syrup make out of jaggery. My husband however prefers undis with chutney.

Ingredients:

1 cup idli rava / rice rava 

1/2 to 3/4 cup grated coconut

3/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp urad dal

1/4 tsp methi seeds

5 to 6 curry leaves

Oil / ghee

Salt to taste

Method :

Wash idli rava with water. Drain. 

Blend grated coconut coarsely. [I added a little water]. Pour over idli rava, add 2 cups water and mix thoroughly. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.

In a deep bottomed pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds, urad dal and methi seeds. When they splutter, add curry leaves and roast for a few seconds. Pour idli rava-coconut mixture. Bring to a boil. Add  another 1/2 cup of water. Add salt [I added approx 1 tsp]. Keep stirring for 5 to 10 minutes on medium heat till all the water gets absorbed. Cover and leave aside for 10 minutes till the mixture cools. [When you touch the mixture with your fingers, it shouldn't stick. If it does, cook for another few minutes till  all the water is absorbed].

Shape into balls and a make a depression in the centre with a finger. Steam in a steamer or pressure cooker for 20 minutes. [Do not crowd the undis in the steamer. Allow some space between the undis. I dumped all the undis at once because I was running out of time. If they turn out too soft after steaming, allow to cool and they will harden].

For the ravo or godda paank just boil a huge piece of jaggery with 1/2 cup or so of water. Boil for about 10 minutes (stir in between) till water reduces and the solution becomes slightly thickish.

If you do not have a lot of time to make this dish in the morning, you can do most of the work the previous day. Just store the unsteamed balls in an airtight container and refrigerate it. All you have to do the next day is steam the undis. You can even make the jaggery syrup a few days in advance and store in the refrigerator.

   

Devasthana Saaru

Wishing you all a Happy Ugadi!!

When I was a kid, I was not a big fan of Konkani food, but this saaru, I loved. Still do. I've been calling it Devasthana Saaru from the time I remember and don't know if there's any other name to it. It is served in the temples during carfestival, and so the name. During weddings or special occasions, it is a usual accompaniment to rice.

I got this recipe from my Amma and don't know if this is exactly how they do it in the temples. But it tastes pretty much similar.

Ingredients:
2 tsp oil
3/4 tsp chana dal
1 tsp urad dal
2 tsp coriander seeds
3 to 4 red chillies
1/4 tsp hing powder
1 pinch methi seeds
1 pinch jeera
1 to 2 tbsp grated coconut
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 marble-sized tamarind
1 to 2 tbsp chopped jaggery
1 green chilli
2 strands of coriander leaves

To season :
1 tbsp ghee
3/4 tsp mustard seeds
6 to 8 curry leaves

[The chillies typically used are a variety called kumte mirsang. I used 2 kumte mirsang and 2 kashmiri chillies, hence the colour].

Method :
In a shallow bottomed pan, heat oil. Roast ingredients 2 to 8 one by one on medium low flame for a few minutes. When they release an aroma, add grated coconut and roast for a minute. Switch the gas off, sprinkle turmeric powder and allow to cool.

Grind the above with tamarind and enough water to get a smooth paste.

In a deep-bottomed vessel, bring two cups of water to boil. Add slit green chilli and jaggery [I added 2  tbsp of jaggery because I like the way it balances the spice. You can add less if you do not prefer sweetness in the saaru]. When jaggery melts, add ground paste. Add another cup or two of water and bring to a boil. Add salt [I added a little more than 1/2 tsp]. Add coriander leaves.

Season with ghee, mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Cabbage-a Undi / Steamed Cabbage Dumplings

A couple of years back, when I asked a cousin what she would like to have for dinner, she mentioned about cabbage-a muddo. I  immediately googled and found a  recipe for cabbage-a undi on Divya's blog.  I wasn't sure if they were the same but thought of giving it a try anyway. My cousin loved the undis and said these were exactly what she wanted. After that I have made it a few more times, with a couple of changes - I reduced the turmeric powder and, as suggested by my M-I-L, added tamarind. For the original recipe, go here.

Ingredients :
1/2 of a medium cabbage, chopped finely
1 cup idli rava
1 cup grated coconut
5 to 6 roasted red chillies
1 marble sized tamarind
1/4 tsp haldi
1 tsp hing
Salt

Method :

Soak idli rava in water for 15 minutes. [The water should just cover the top].

Grind grated coconut, red chillies, turmeric powder and tamarind, with very little water - just enough to get a smooth paste. Drain any extra water from the idli rava, add to the above and grind again. Do not add too much water. The batter should be thick.

Add salt and hing and mix well. Add chopped cabbage into the batter [only as much cabbage as the batter can accommodate]. Shape into balls.
Grease the steamer basket lightly. Place undis atleast half an inch apart as they will slightly increase in size. Steam undis for 25 minutes, or till toothpick inserted comes out clean. [You can even use an idli stand to steam].

To serve - In a bowl, pour some coconut oil, mix a pinch of hing. Pour on top of the undi.

Tastes great with rice, dal, papad, pickle and some yummy Konkani curry.

Sending these to Bookmarked Recipes.

Chane Ghashi

It's car festival time in M'lore and Chane Ghashi has been dominating my mind for the past few days. I finally got around to making it today and thought of posting it immediately.


Ingredients :
3/4 cup chana (black chana)
1/2 can young green jackfruit (kadgi)
3/4 cup grated coconut
5 to 6 roasted red chillies
1 marble sized tamarind
6 to 8 methi seeds
3/4 tsp mustard seeds
6 to 8 curry leaves
Salt
Oil

Method:
Wash chana a couple of times. Soak in about 2 and 1/2 to 3 cups of water overnight.
Pressure cook chana (with the water) for 4 to 5 whistles. Meanwhile, grind together coconut, red chillies and tamarind with enough water to get a smooth paste.
In a large vessel, transfer the chana with the water and add canned young green jackfruit. Make sure you wash the jackfruit throughly before adding it, to remove the briny smell. Boil for a few minutes. Add the coconut paste and bring to a roaring boil.
Season with methi seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Loshne / Garlic Chutney

'Loson' in Konkani means garlic. Loshne (garlicky) chutney is among my favourite chutneys. My husband loves it too, so we make it quite often.

As a kid I loved having garlic chutney with pudde nonche (a pickle - maybe  a post on that some day) and pej (congee).

When I posted Easy Rice Flour Dosa, a couple of people asked me for the recipe of loshne chutney so I thought I'll post it right away. I did not take any pictures when I made it the last time though, so I'm just going to borrow a picture from the previous post.

Ingredients :
10 to 12 medium garlic cloves
1 to 2 tsp ghee
1 cup grated coconut
1 marble sized tamarind
2 to 3 roasted red chillies
Salt

Method :
Crush garlic, discard the peel.
In a pan heat ghee, throw in the crushed garlic and roast till the garlic turns golden brown. Sprinkle salt and allow to cool.

Grind coconut, tamarind, red chillies and salt with very little water, just a few spoons, into a coarse paste. Add the roasted garlic and grind further. Remember, this is a dry chutney, so add as little water as possible, but make sure it is properly ground.

This comes with practice I guess. A couple of times when my chutney turned slightly damp, I just refrigerated it overnight and the next day it looked dry.

Valval / Mixed Vegetables in Coconut Sauce

Valval is a very popular Konkani dish. It is made of coconut milk and lots of vegetables which, along with jeera, work together to give a rich, wonderful flavor.

The vegetables that are usually used are listed below. You can use all of them or just a few of them and add your own as per your liking or availability. If you are using most of these vegetables, just a few pieces of each will suffice.

Potatoes
Carrots
Ivy Gourd / gherkins (tendle / tindora)
Yard long beans (alsando)

Ash Gourd (kuvale)

Pumpkin (dudde)

Mangalore / Yellow Cucumber (magge)
Bottle Gourd (gardudde)
Snake Gourd (poddale)
Ridge Gourd (ghosale)
Sweet Potatoes (kanang)
Green beans
You can also add -
Zucchini, yellow squash, butternut squash etc. Sometimes my mother-in-law also adds corn kernels.

The vegetables should be chopped into chunks. You don't have to peel them. I usually peel only carrots and sweet potatoes.

Ingredients :
5 cups chopped vegetables
1/4 cup cashewnuts
1 can (13.5 fl oz / 400 ml) coconut milk
2 to 3 green chillies
Salt to taste

Seasoning
1 tbsp ghee
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
3/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 to 3 red chillies
6 to 8 curry leaves.

Method:
Heat 2 cups water in a large vessel and allow to boil.  Add cashewnuts, all the vegetables , salt and green chillies and cook for a few minutes with coconut milk.

You could also chop while you add, to save time. As the water is boiling, add the cashewnuts and green chillies. Quickly chop potatoes and add. Chop carrots and add. Keep repeating till you are down to the last vegetable (go in the order of vegetables that need more time to cook). Add salt.
Now pour the coconut milk, adding more water if necessary and bring to a roaring boil. Do not over-cook the vegetables. A slight crunch adds to the taste.

If homemade coconut milk is used, usually a paste of maida (or rice flour) and water is added to thicken the dish.

Seasoning :
Heat ghee, add jeera and mustard. When they splutter, add red chillies and curry leaves. Pour over Valval.

Relish with rice, dal and some spicy pickle!

Sending this dish to Divya's Show Me Your Curry.

Kali Tori Ghashi

Ingredients:

1 cup kali tori

1/2 can young green jackfruit (kadgi, raw jackfruit)

3/4 cup grated coconut

4 to 5 roasted red chillies

1 marble sized tamarind

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

6 to 7 curry leaves

Oil for seasoning

Salt to taste

What is Kali Tori? Kali in konkani means black and tori, I learnt recently are pigeon peas. So kali tori, as you guessed, are black pigeon peas. Also, I checked around on google and found out they are also called kadyos. Looks like I need to make a trip to The Ranch Market to see for myself.

This is what Kali Tori looks like :

Method :

Wash the peas and soak in 2 cups of water for a few hours (or overnight) and pressure cook till almost cooked (about 3 whistles).

Meanwhile, grind the coconut with chillies, tamarind, salt and just enough water to form a paste.

In a deep bottomed vessel, heat about 1/2 a cup of water and boil the jackfruit pieces. I used about half a can, you could use the whole of it if you are fond of it. You could use the pieces as they are or chop them into smaller chunks. Just make sure you wash them really well to remove the smell and taste of brine. The ones in the can cook fast, so if you pressure cook them with the peas, they may become soggy and mushy. 

Add the peas along with the water and cook for some more time .

Add the coconut paste, salt, water if needed and bring to a boil.

Season with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Serve hot with rice and dal. And some lip smacking pickle!

Sending this recipe to MLLA event hosted by Siri, originally started by Susan.

Keerla Sukke

We recently had Keerla Sukke at a friend's place, with Cheppi Kheeri. I loved the combination! Luckily I had some turmeric leaves in the freezer so I decided to make, what else, Keerla Sukke and Cheppi Kheeri!

Keerlu is bamboo shoots in konkani language. Cheppi Kheeri is another delicacy made with rice and coconut milk. Konkani food is rich in coconut - grated, dry roasted, coconut milk, paste, and what have you!

Traditionally, jaggery is used in the dish which I excluded since my husband and I prefer it this way.

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cup chopped bamboo shoots

3/4 cup grated coconut

1 marble sized tamarind

1 tsp oil

3 to 4 red chillies

1 tsp urad dal

1 tsp corriander seeds

3/4 tsp mustard seeds

6 to 7 curry leaves
Salt to taste

I used canned bamboo shoots (Chaokoh) from the Ranch Market. Make sure you wash the bamboo shoots thoroughly. Chop them finely. (And do excuse my picture. I should have chopped better - was running out of time). In a deep bottomed vessel, take some water and boil the bamboo shoots. 

Meanwhile, heat oil and roast urad dal and corriander seeds.  Add red chillies and roast for some more time. Remove from flame and blend with coconut, tamarind and salt, adding water little by little. Don't add too much water - you don't want it to be too watery.

Pour the above mixture on the boiling bamboo shoots. Stir for sometime and allow to boil, till all the water is absorbed and the dish appears dry. Season with mustard seeds and curry leaves. And relish with Cheppi Kheeri and pickle :).