This is one of my favourite spicy idli recipe using cabbage and onion and after so many trials Iam satisfied with this recipe.The use of sona masoori rice instead of dosa rice would be the key!!.The batter should be perfectly blended and it should be on the coarser side.These idlies can be enjoyed as a snack too,but beware as the spice levels may take toll of your tummy.Traditionally they were made weaving tiny baskets made of jackfruit leaves called 'Khotto'and hence called 'sanna khotto' where sanna means small and khotto meaning the weaved jackfruit leaf baskets.I have used idli moulds instead and called them sanna idlies.The baskets should be carefully weaved with no gaps as it results in loss of moisture in form of dripping.I prefer making idlies over khottos due to unavailability of leaves and foolproof weaving as well.Here you go with the instructions below.
Ingredients:
Rice(sona masoori) 1cup
Tuvar daal 2/3 cup
Red chillies(roasted) 7-8
Tamarind cherry sized(soak in warm water and make pulp)
Salt to taste
Fresh/frozen coconut 1/2 cup or little more
Cabbage Shreddings 1cup
Onion(chopped fine) 1 large
Oil just to grease the idli plates/moulds
Method:
- Wash and soak rice and daal for atleast 2-3 hours.
- Take a blending jar add the roasted chillies,salt,coconut and tamarind.
- Pulse it to make a coarse paste.
- Add drained rice+daal and blend to form a coarse paste adding little water as required.
- The texture should be like rava idli batter.
- Transfer into a mixing bowl.
- Add cabbage and onion and give a nice stir.
- Rest it for 30 minutes as both cabbage and onion wilt and also give out some moisture.
- Prepare the idli steamer filled with required amount of water and heat it up and grease the idli plates/moulds with oil of your choice.
- Pour a ladleful of batter into the greased plate and steam for 15-20 minutes.
- Tastes heavenly when served hot drizzled with coconut oil(thats a must) with rice and dali thoy or rasam or even any sarupkaris(refer this blog for variants)
This is one of the easiest, tastiest and traditional gravy native to konkani cuisine which anyone can prepare with minimal ingredients easily available in the kitchen.The taste will be best when paired with pathrado(colocasia leaves steamed rolls).The sliced rolls may be even dunked in the gravy just like koftas which will also taste heavenly and known 'ghashi pathrado',and non onion lovers may season the gravy with mustard seeds,curry leaves and asafoetida/hing skipping onions altogether.
I had totally forgotten about this gravy as i had not prepared it for ages.Had a box of colocasia rolls and was thinking about something to go with rice for an afternoon lunch and this was the one that flashed!!! otherwise would have been usual daalithoy or rasam.
Ingredients:
Fresh grated coconut 1 cup
Roasted red chillies 4 bydagi or Kashmiri and 3 guntur
Salt to taste
Tamarind size of a chickpea
Onion finely chopped 1/2cup
Oil 1tbsp(preferably coconut)
Method:
- In a blending jar take red chillies,tamarind and salt and just blend it once so that chillies are coarse.
- Add in the coconut gratings and with required amount of water blend it to form a smooth and fine paste.
- Transfer this into a soup pot.
- Add required water to get curry consistency and bring to a nice boil and then cook for 5-10 mintues on sim flame.
- Take a small seasoning pan with oil and heat it up
- Add the finely chopped onions and roast it turns golden brown(had to be done on a medium low flame)
- Drop this into the pot of gravy.
- Tastes best with rice and Pathrado
This dish is typically Konkan but not known to everyone as it was new to me as well after my marriage once when my Mother-in-law had prepared .I like the taste so much that now when there is a batch of okra from veggie shopping a dozen are set aside for this dish.It is similar to batate humman a curry made with potatoes where the flavour is of asafoetida and coconut oil and this one is an extended version as apart from potatoes even okra,tomato are added and the masala had coriander seeds and needless to say this dish is lipsmacking good!!!.I can call this as Vintage dish as my mother in law had learnt from her MIL..cool na.
Ingredients:
Lady's finger/Okra 10-12
Onion(L) 1 nos
Potato(M)boiled 1 nos
Tomato(M)1nos
Hogplum(Ambado)
Chopped 1nos
Or Bilimbi(Bimbul) 2-3nos
Tamarind extract(thick) 1/2-3/4tsp
if not using bilimbi/
hogplum)
salt to taste
For masala:
Fresh grated coconut 3/4cup
Roasted red chillies 5-6
(2 byadagi for a nice colour)
Coriander(dhania) seeds 1tsp
For seasoning:
Coconut oil 1-2tsp
Hing(asafoetida) 1/4tsp
Method:
- Wash okra and dry on a towel .
- Cut the okra into 1 inch fingers after discarding the tip ends.
- Slice the onions into thick 1 inch pieces.
- Slice tomatoes too in the same manner.
- If using hogplum/bilimbi slice into cubes or fingers.
- In a blending jar take all the ingredients mentioned in the masala,also tamarind if using and blend everything to a smooth paste adding required amount of water.
- Bring a soup pot with hogplum/bilimbi,tomatoes,onions to boil with a glass or two of water.
- Once onions are tender add the okra pieces,cubed potatoes salt to taste,and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- If the contents are slimy in texture add a little bit tamarind extract as this helps to get rid of sliminess.
- Add the masala,water as required to get the curry consistency and bring to a good boil,lowering the flame ,add hing and cook for another 5-7 minutes until rawness of the masala goes off.
- Finally add raw coconut oil give a quick stir and siwtch off the flame and cover with a lid.
- Tastes truly heaven when served with white or red boiled rice.
Note:
- There are two varieties of hogplum..one with a fibrous seed and the other one with a soft seed
- While cutting the harder one it may not be able to slice into chunks,just chip slices all around and then in a mortar using a stone it may be crushed lightly and used in the curry,it may be discarded,some like to chew it like you do with mango,but beware the seed is smaller than the one in mango..so don't gulp..
For a view on hogplum and bilimbi please go here.
Kolmbho is a Konkani name for sambhar.Piyavu means onion in Konkani.This is a lentil based dish that is cooked with tamarind pulp,vegetables and masala powder freshly made by roasting and blending spices.This is inseperable part of South Indian cuisine.It serves as an accompaniment with idli,dosa and rice.Again there are umpteen number of recipes when it comes to sambhar.There are a wide variety of ready powders available in stores.It can be even made at home with toasting and roasting spices which needs a little time and patience.There are innumerable recipes when it comes to sambhar and varies from person to person.I too prepare sambhar in 2-3 different ways(difference is in the proportion and contents used in the spice mix)and always prefer making it fresh.
Here I present one of my versions of sambhar with freshly roasted and grounded spices that is loved by my family members.Here I have tagged it as tomato and onion sambhar which may sound strange as in our community sambhar means mix of many veggies and need not be specified even if only two vegetables are used.Iam inspired by the south indian way of saying radish sambhar,drumstick sambhar where tomato and onion are constant and only one vegetable is used which highlights the name...so here I go with tomato onion sambhar!!!!
Ingredients:
Tuvar daal(split pigeon peas) 1/2 cup
Small onions(peeled) 20
Tomatoes(M),diced 3
Tamarind pulp a small cherry sized ball
Turmeric powder 3/4tsp
Jaggery/light brown sugar 3/4tsp
Asafoetida/Hing 1/4tsp
Salt to taste
Fresh chopped corainder 2tbsp
For seasoning:
Oil 1tbsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Curry leaves 6-8
For Masala:
Coriander seeds/dhaniya 3tbsp
Cumin seeds/jeera 3/4tbsp
Fenugreek seeds/methi 1/2tsp
Peppercorns 3-4
Garlic flake(crushed) 1 (optional)
Byadagi chillies 5-7
Guntur chillies 3-4
Method:
Roasting masala-
- Heat a tava(i use my cast iron chapathi tava)add little oil,once heated set to low flame and roast chillies to crisp without burning them.set on a plate.
- Add coriander seeds and roast just till the aroma is felt(over roasting will change the flavour of sambhar)set aside.
- Add jeera roast till it crackles,set aside
- Add methi roast till colour changes/crackles,set aside.
- Add the peppercorns and crushed garlic and switch off the flame.
- When the spices are moderately cool blend to a powder(need not be extra fine)
Preparing Sambhar:
- Wash and pressure cook the tuvar daal(split pigeon peas)with 1.5cups of water,pinch of turmeric and a drizzle of oil to 1 whistle then lowering the flame and cooking more 5 minutes.
- Soak tamarind in a tbsp of water and squeeze well to get a thick pulp.
- Dilute the sambhar powder with water to form a paste.
- In a soup pot add take the peeled whole small onions,tomatoes and add a cup of water bringing it to boil
- When the onions are tender add jaggery,salt to taste,tamarind pulp,turmeric powder,asafoetida and boil further.
- Add the prepared paste and a little water too.
- Add cooked daal(with a wire whisk/buttermilk churner beat it well)adding required water to get a consistency and bring to a good boil and cook stirring in bewteen as daal sticks to the bottom of the pot.
- Prepare the seasoning in a small pan and pour it over the sambhar.
- Add fresh chopped coriander,also 1-2 fresh curry leaves torn into pieces.
- Serve as an accompaniment with idly,dosa and even white rice.
- This becomes thicker after sometime,so,add required additional water,boil and then serve.
Note:
- The small onions used here are nothing but the regular onions which are small in size.
- Can use pearl onions,shallots too which also makes it more authentic.
- Can add cut drumsticks to this along with onions while cooking..will be delicious.
- This portion makes about 2.5ltrs(3 quarts apprx),so adjust the recipe according to needs.
- A combination of different vegetables can also be made to make it a mixed veg sambhar.
- The powder can be made and stored for later use.
