Kitchen Diaries

 Shev Bhaji is a snacks food item made in the evening. This an easy and quick , without much of preparation yet, a very good chat item.  This is my grandmother's recipe, she used to make it really good.  This serves 4 plates.  Ingredients:  1. Moong dal : 3/4 cup 2. Potato: 1 medium size  3. Onion : 2 medium size  4. Green chilli: 1  5. Jaggery : 1/2 tsp  6. Chilli powder: 3/4 tsp  7. Garam masala: 1/2 tsp  8. Garnish : Thin and crispy Shev,  Coriander leaves, Lemon  Preparation:  1. Wash and cook moong dal in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water for one whistle.  2. Chop the potato into small chunks and chop one onion.  3. Once dal is cooked, add the chopped potato chunks and onion and cook together with one whistle.  3. Slit thele green chilli. Chop another onion into fine pieces. Chop coriander leaves.  Method:  1. In a thick bottom pan, add the previously cooked dal + potato+ onion....

Bamboo shoot (kirlu) coconut gravy (kirla randayi in Konkani) is a must seasonal dish, during monsoon, as fresh bamboo are available. The tender ones are preserved in salt water and used throughout the year.  There are a varieties of dishes such as sprouted moong ghashi with kirlu, tawa fry, palya (upkari) etc.  Let's see how to make coconut gravy which is served with rice.  Ingredients:  1. Tuvar dal : 1/2 cup  2. Bamboo shoots cut pieces : 10 approx  3. Freshly grated coconut: 3/4 cup  4. Dry red chillies(byadagi) : 5 to 6 5. Tamarind: small gooseberry size 6. Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp  7. Chinese pepper(jummanakayi in Kannada/ teppal in Konkani) : 10 to 15 crushed a bit 8. Salt  Preparation:  1. Cook tuvar dal in a pressure cooker for about three whistles. Keep aside.  2. Cut the bamboo shoots into thin longitudinal pieces. If using brined bamboo, soak in normal water for overnight. This removes the extra salt.  3. Cook these...

 Vali bhajji in Konkani, Basale soppu in Kannada, Malbar spinach is abundantly grown in coastal and malenadu region of Karnataka. This is grown in almost everyone's courtyard.  There are a varieties of dishes made which includes - randayi (nothing but soppu cooked with tuvar dal with coconut gravy), majjige huli, sikka etc. Among this, randayi is predominantly prepared among GSBs. Here goes the recipe: Ingredients: 1. Basale soppu : 250 gms 2. Tuvar dal : 1/2 cup (200 ml cup) 3. Onion : 2 medium size  4. Freshly grated coconut: 3/4 cup 5. Coconut oil: 2 tbsp  6 Dry red chillies : 4 to 5 (byadagi menasinakaayi) 7. Tamarind  8. Turmeric powder  9. Salt  Preparation: 1. Firstly wash tuvar da. Pressure cook with 2 whistles.  2. Wash basale soppu thoroughly in running water. Soak in turmeric water for few minutes. Discard the water and chop the green leaves.  3. Cut one onion into smaller chunks. Keep the other onion for seasoning for later. ...

 The vegetable pulav is frequently prepared at home. This is my mom's recipe and popular as Shailakka's pulav in the area in our town. My mom had learnt it from her aunt from Mumbai before her marriage. Below are the ingredients and steps for vegetable pulav. You need to first make pulav powder and start with it  - Ingredients for pulav powder : Coriander seeds - 3 tbsp Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp Cloves - 7 Cinnamon - 2' piece Cardamom - 2 whole Pepper corns - 5 Ingredients to make a paste : Ginger - 2' piece Garlic cloves (peeled) - 7 to 8 Green chilly - 1 or 2 based on hotness Ingredients  (vegetables) : Cauliflower - 1 handful cut into pieces Carrot - 2 cut into long very thin pieces Cabbage - Longitudinally cut 1 handful Green peas - 1 handful Onion - Longitudinally cut 2 med sized Tomato - 1 small size chopped Coriander leaves - 1 handful chopped   Other ingredients : 1 cup (200 gm) - Basmati rice or normal sona masuri rice 2 cups (400 ml) water Salt - 1 tbsp Ghee -...

There a various chutneys prepared to have for lunch. Currey leaves chutney is one such side dish along with rice. The spiciness and the taste of curry leaves activates the taste. My grand mom used to make varieties of chutneys. When I saw a bunch of fresh curry leaves in super market, I remembered and made it this weekend after a long time. The curry leaves is believed to have multiple health benefits such as anticancer effects, prevent weight gain and reduces body cholesterol. Satiate the taste buds with this appetizing curry leaves - coconut chutney. Below are the ingredients and steps curry leaves chutney  - Ingredients : Curry leaves - 4 - 5 sprigs Red chilly powder - 1 tsp or can be increased as per taste Green Chillies - 1 or 2 based on the hotness Fresh grated coconut - 1 big handful   Asafoetida / Hing - half a pea size (if you use hard crystal hing) / 1/4 tsp (powdered hing) Tamarind - one pea size Salt - less than 1/4 tsp Coconut oil - 2 tsp   Water - 2 to 3 tbs...

Vegetable tawa fry is a side dish which is served with the meals. The vegetables such as brinjal, potato, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, spine gourd (cantola), cauliflower, onion, yellow pumpkin, radish, chow chow, mushroom, bread fruit, drumstick, lady's finder, raw banana, ivy gourd are all used to make it. The vegies are sliced as thin as  possible and mixed with red chilly powder, salt and then rolled over the semolina (bombay rawa or the rice flour). Then shallow fried on tawa.   Mom used to prepare almost everyday during our childhood with variety of vegetables without which the dinner was unimpressive.  Below are the ingredients and steps for brinjal rawa tawa fry - Ingredients : Semolina / rice flour - 1/2 cup (1 cup = 200 ml) Red chilly powder - 1 tsp or can be increased as per taste  Salt - less than 1/4 tsp  Brinjal - 1 big size  Oil (Sunflower oil) or any oil - 4 to 5 tbsp  Preparation : 1. Wash the brinjal thoroughly and pat dry 2. Slice ...