Categories
festivefood konkanirecipe sweets

Gulab Jamun

Gulab jamun

We have 2 birthdays in January and February within a span of 15days. So before ordering cakes for birthday became a trend we always bought gulab jamun as the birthday sweet for 2 reasons. 1 it is not prepared always, so special sweet. 2nd most brands have buy 1 get 1 free offer so it was perfect for us to use in 2 occasions 😁 since it is read the instructions on the pack and prepare business its always given to me but I always messed up! Jamuns never became perfect until 1 day when my mom wasn’t well and I prepared it in hurry. That day I learnt few of my mistakes and corrected them. When we prepare something in hurry usually it becomes tasty as perfect right?

Ingredients required-

  1. Gulab Jamun mix – 1pack
  2. Water – about 1/2 glass
  3. Oil – for deep frying
  4. Sugar – 2cup
  5. Water – 2 cup
  6. Cardamom- 1

Method of preparation-

  • Empty the entire pack into a vessel and add water little by little while mixing
  • Continue till you get a soft dough. Make sure to add enough water else jamun will crack while frying if it is too dry.
  • Heat the oil and once hot, turn flame to medium
  • Add few jamuns and fry with continuous stirring. If flame is high it will turn brown from outside and will not cook inside.
  • Keep the fried jamuns for cooling
  • Meanwhile take the water and sugar to prepare a sugar syrup. Cook for about 15min till you get the syrup. Add crushed cardamom.
  • Once this is ready allow to cool.
  • Finally mix cooled jamun to cooled sugar syrup and allow to rest for about 1hr. Cooling is important to prevent cracking of jamuns. I always used to add hot jamun to hot sugar syrup and that was biggest mistake.
  • Garnish with chopped almonds while serving.

Note :

You can fry the jamoons in ghee but if you are planning to refrigerate, they might turn little hard.

Categories
festivefood konkanirecipe Naivedyam sweets

Chana Dal sweet khichidi

Chana dal sweet khichidi

Today is makara Sankranti and it is Dhanurmasa. So for all the celebrations khichidi is prepared as a sweet in this month. I have already shared the recipe of moong dal and rice khichidi. This is another khichidi which is usually prepared. This is my moms recipe. Along with mom, my sister prepares it very well as it is a slow cooking procedure and requires patience.

Ingredients required-

  1. Chana dal – 250grms
  2. Broken wheat – 250grms
  3. Jaggery – a little more than 250grms(can be adjusted as per sweetness needed)
  4. Coconut- 1
  5. Ghee – about 100grms
  6. Cashews
  7. Raisins
  8. Dates
  9. Cardamom

Method of preparation-

  • Wash chana dal and broken wheat and pressure cook for about 4 whistles
  • Take a pan and add jaggery and coconut. Slowly cook it on medium flame till jaggery melts and paaka is formed.
  • Cashews can be either added to pressure cooker or can be fried in ghee and added.
  • Once jaggery is melted add chana dal and broken wheat. Also add crushed cardamom.
  • Mix them well and cook on low flame for about 15min. Keep adding ghee as you cook.
  • It is important to keep stirring in between else it will stick to the bottom of the pan.
  • Add deseeded and chopped dates, raisins and mix.
Categories
festivefood konkanirecipe Snacks

Poha Chivda

Poha Chivda

A favorite snack item at home which we prepare often. There is a variety of thick poha available which is best for preparing chivda. If we use other varieties it may become soft soon. The measurements i have given here are rough ones. You can always vary it as per your taste. After all it is home made we have the liberty to customize it.

Ingredients required –

  1. Thick poha – 1.5cup
  2. Oil for frying
  3. Raisins – 5tsp
  4. Coconut pieces/kattoli-5tsp
  5. Ground nut – 5tsp
  6. Cashew- 5tsp
  7. Roasted gram/Putani -5tsp
  8. Sev – 1/4 cup
  9. Oil – 2tsp
  10. Mustard seeds – 1/2tsp
  11. Curry leaves – 3strands
  12. Red chilly- 2
  13. Turmeric powder – 1tsp
  14. Dry mango powder/amchur powder- 2tsp
  15. Salt to taste
  16. Sugar powder – about 4-5tsp

Method of preparation-

  • Prepare sev as explained in the previous post and take about half cup of it
  • Heat oil and fry the poha. Add little by little and keep gas in medium flame to avoid burning
  • In the same oil also fry ground nut and coconut pieces. It is best to use dry Coconut (khobre). You can also use fresh ones but may need more frying.
  • Now take a kadai and add oil. Once hot add mustard, red chilly cut into pieces.
  • Once it splutters add cashews and Raisins. Once it is roasted add putani.
  • Add coconut pieces and ground nuts as well.
  • Now add salt, sugar powder, turmeric powder and amchur powder. You can also add chilly powder.
  • Now add poha and sev. Mix very well keeping flame minimum.
  • Cool and store in air tight container.

Note :

Alternatively we can roast the poha instead of deep frying to make it more healthy. In such case thin poha can be used.

Categories
festivefood konkanirecipe Snacks

Sev / shavo /karo

Sev or shavo or karo as we call it in konkani, is a crispy snack which can be had as it is or it can be paired with uppittu(rullav), avalakki(phovu) or used in chats or preparation of chivda. We can prepare spicy as well as non spicy version.

Sev / shavo

Ingredients required –

  1. Besan / gram flour – about 2 cups
  2. Salt to taste
  3. Asafoetida/ hing – 1/4 tsp
  4. Carom seeds – 1/2 tsp
  5. Hot oil – about 8-10 tsp
  6. Oil – for deep frying
  7. Water
  8. Chilly powder – 2-3tsp

Method of preparation-

  • Sieve the gram flour and keep.
  • Now take about half cup water and to that add salt, chilly powder and hing
  • Mix well and add the gram flour
  • Kneed it well
  • Heat the oil and add to the dough little by little while kneeding
  • Once the dough comes together and doesn’t stick to hand it is done. It may take 8-10min.
  • Finally add the carom seeds and mix
  • Take the sev mould and add a small portion of the dough
  • Heat the oil and press the mould to prepare sev
  • Take care while ending each batch of sev to prevent lump formation. Gently shake the mould so that dough doesn’t form a lump at the end of the batch
  • Deep fry it till crispy and store in air tight container

Note :

  • Adding hot oil makes the sev crispy
  • Let the dough be soft and not too hard to help in making pressing easy
  • You can skip chilly powder if don’t want spicy sev
  • Different sizes of moulds can be used to prepare khara kaddi as well.
Categories
festivefood konkanirecipe Naivedyam sweets

Moong dal Sweet Khichidi

Moong dal sweet khichidi

Today is Shashti and this moong dal sweet khichidi will be prepared in konkani houses. Different people like to eat it in Different ways. Apart from the base recipe which I have shared here, we can add chopped dates (usually dates will be available during this time around) or while serving add chopped bananas. Or add some more ghee on top and enjoy it with udida polo.

Ingredients required –

  1. Moong dal – 1/2 cup
  2. Rice – 1/2 cup
  3. Jaggery – about 3/4 cup
  4. Grated coconut – 1/2 cup
  5. Ghee – 4-5tsp
  6. Cashews and Raisins
  7. Cardamom- 1

Method of preparation-

  • Take the moong dal and dry roast it till aromatic
  • Cool it completely and wash it along with the rice
  • Now take a pan and add this along with enough water for cooking.
  • When it is 75% cooked add jaggery and cardamom . You can increase jaggery if you like it more sweeter
  • Keep mixing and avoid burning .
  • Once everything is cooked add the grated coconut.
  • Mix and cook well for 5min more.
  • Once everything comes together n forms a lump add about 5tsp ghee. You can add more if you like.
  • Finally top it with cashews and raisins fried in ghee.