With the frequently changing weather and increasing heat it is becoming difficult to consume spicy food and curries with lots of masala. We mostly crave for simple pej/ganji/congee with pickles or chutney or some gojju which are light on stomach and easy to digest. Also easy to prepare. So when I was thinking about a side dish for lunch remembered this humble tomato gojju which we had not prepared since long time. I recently learnt that tomato is called as ಗೂದೆ ಹಣ್ಣು in kannada but all my life I have been thinking it is called tomato in kannada. Let me know if you know any other name for tomato 🙂
This gojju is simple to prepare and method of preparation is given below.
Ingredients required :
Tomato – 2
Green chili -2
Grated coconut – 3tsp
Hing – a pinch
Coconut oil – 1tsp
Salt to taste
Method of preparation :
Make vertical cuts on the tomato and add it to a vessels along with chilli. Better to take a wide vessel and add water till everything is immersed
Cook them until tomatoes turn soft.
Remove from the gas and then you can remove the skin of the tomato or if you like can keep as well.
Now you can mash the tomato n chilli with hand or grind it in a mixie to a coarse mixture.
Transfer it into a bowl, add freshly grated coconut, salt, hing and coconut oil
Tomato gojju is ready to serve
Notes :
Better take tomatoes of same size, they will cook at once
You can add more chilli if you can tolerate spicy food or pairing it with some other dish
Ambado/hog plum/amate kaayi is mostly foraged seasonal souring agent which is widely used in ghashi, sukke, gajbaje, bharshi upkari etc. Tender hog plums are called ambadi and used in making pickles. The raw hog plums are brined and used in curries and gojju just like brined mango.
So if you find them in plenty next time after using in the curries do not waste them. Clean them well. Dry and then cook in water till the outer skin becomes soft. Cool them completely and then preserve in salt water for future use.
We had brined some ambado which were plucked and then prepare this gojju which hardly takes 10min. It makes a delicious side dish and a perfect combo for pej/ganji. Below is the simple procedure if you have brined hog plums.
Ingredients required:
Brined hog plums – 4
Green chilly – 4-5
Grated coconut – about 5 spoon
Garlic cloves -7-8
Salt to taste
Method of preparation:
Remove the skin of the garlic cloves
In a mixie take green chilly, grated coconut , garlic cloves and salt
Grind it to coarse paste with little water
Gently wash the hog plums
Transfer the ground paste to a bowl, squeeze the hog plums in this till it’s flesh is well mixed with the paste.
A traditional recipe which is prepared only with potatoes on a normal day and prepared with tender cashew(bibbo) on special occasions. When bibbo is not in season, dry cashew can also be used. A simple no fuss dish which tastes amazing and has a special place in function food as well typically paired with shevei(string hoppers) which is one of the best combos. This dish does not make use of onion or garlic and no tadka too! The Creaminess of coconut, richness of cashews and mild sweetness of potatoes (probably I should call it potatoness 😄 as most people love the taste n no different explanation needed!) Makes this dish unique and favorite of many.
Below is the simple method of preparation:
Ingredients required:
Medium size potato – 1
Cashews – 20-25
Grated coconut – half
Red chilli – 6
Tamarind – gooseberry size
Hing – pinch
Salt
Coconut oil – 1tsp
Method of preparation:
Peel the skin of the potato and cut it into small cubes
Wash the potato and add it to a vessel along with the cashews.
Add little water to this and bring to boil. Then continue to cook on medium flame till potato turns soft. Do not overcook to make it mushy.
Now prepare a masala with grated coconut, fried red chilli and tamarind.
Grind to a fine paste by adding little water
Once potatoes and cashews are cooked, add the masala and the water from cleaning the mixie.
Let the curry be medium thick. Do not add much water.
Add salt and slow cook till the raw smell of the masala goes away.
Take 2 tsp water add hing to it and prepare hing water(hinga udda). Best to use compound hing but you can use the powder as well.
Add this hing, a tsp of coconut water and mix well.
Switch off the flame. Enjoy hot with shevei Or rice.
I like it when the Mangalore buns is dry and pillowy with slight sweetness from sugar and hint of sourness from mysore banana and curd. Even though baking soda is essentially added to it, if it is not in right amount buns tends to become oily and taste salty. So quality and quality of the ingredients play an important role in making the buns perfect.
And how people like to eat buns also varies. Some relish it as it is for evening snack. Some prefer chutney with buns. And others like Sambar to be paired with buns. As I write this I remember the buns and kurma from Hotel Triveni in Udupi which has been consistent in taste n texture over the time.
Few days back when mom prepared and gave me buns dough, I utilized the extra time I got in making an elaborate Sambar which makes one of the best and fulfilling combo. The Sambar recipe here is my moms recipe which I have been following and it never fails. Here is how we prepare it.
Ingredients required-
For Buns :
Banana – 3-4 ( preferably mysore variety)
Sugar – about 5 tsp( can increase if you like it sweet)
Curd – about 10 tsp( I used nandini, if using home made it maybe slightly sour)
Baking soda – 1/4tsp
Salt – a pinch
Maida – about 2-2.5 cup
Gram flour- 3tsp
Jeera – 1/2tsp
Oil – for frying
For Sambar :
Coriander seeds- 1tsp
Jeera – 1 tsp
Chana dal – 2tsp
Urad dal – 2tsp
Red chilly – about 5
Grated Coconut – about 5 tsp
Pepper – 1tsp
Tamarind – gooseberry size
Turmeric – 1/2tsp
Hing – 1/4tsp
MTR sambar powder – 2tsp
Toor dal – 1/2 cup
Onion – 1
Tomato – 1
Potato – 1
Beans – about 10
Carrot – 1
Green chilly -3
Vegetables such as ladies finger, brinjal, drumstick etc
Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Oil -2 tsp
Mustard – 1 tsp
Curry leaves- 1+1 strand
Method of preparation –
Buns :
In a wide vessel take the peeled banana n mash it well.
To this add sugar, salt, curd and baking soda. Mix well.
Now add the gram flour and mix.
Then add the maida and keep mixing till you get the dough consistency.
Kneed it well for about 10min to make a soft dough.
Finally sprinkle jeera and keep it covered over night.
Next morning you can see the dough will be double in size.
Make small balls and roll like poori by dusting maida
Deep fry in oil.
For Sambar :
Roast the coriander, jeera, urad dal, chana dal, red chilly, pepper, turmeric, hing, 1 strand curry leave with a tsp of oil.
Once it turns aromatic add coconut and tamarind.
Grind to prepare a fine paste by adding MTR sambar powder
Cut onion, tomato, potato, beans and carrot into big pieces. Also slit the green chilly.
Wash the toor dal and add to pressure cooker.
Also add the above cut vegetables except onion to the cooker. Add enough water n pressure cook for 3 whistle.
Once pressure is released open the lid, add salt and onion. Also add vegetables such as ladies finger/brinjal/drumstick.
Cook for about 5min and then add the prepared masala along with water to adjust the consistency.
Mix well and allow to boil for about 10min.
Prepare a tadka of mustard and curry leaves in oil or ghee and add at the end.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Note :
You can skip preparing the masala and increase the quantity of sambar powder. This method above makes thick sambar which can be had as a side dish for breakfast and can be paired with rice/roti as well.
Rainy season has started and also demand for fried food for lunch/snacks. Ladies finger is in season and we get tender short ones which are very good for making pakodas. It is important to select tender ones as fully grown ones will be more fibrous and difficult to eat. It is a simple no fuss recipe when made with correct proportions yields crispy pakodas which can be a good accomplishment for lunch/dinner or even a tea time snack. Here is the recipe.
Ingredients required-
Tender ladies finger/okra/bende – 10-15
Besan/gram flour- 8-10tsp
Bombay rawa – 4tsp
Salt to taste
Chilly powder- 3tsp
Asafoetida/hing – 1/2tsp
Ajwain/oma – 1tsp
Water – 1/4 glass
Oil for deep frying
Curry leaves – 2strands
Method of preparation-
Clean and dry the ladies finger and then cut them into 4 pieces by making a horizontal and vertical cut.
Prepare a batter by adding salt, chilly powder, ajwain, hing, rawa. To this add water and mix well.
Now add besan and prepare a thick batter.
Cut curry leaves into pieces and add
Just before frying Sprinkle a pinch of salt on ladies finger pieces and mix well. This is to make sure the inside pieces also get the salt.
Now heat the oil. Dip the pieces in the batter and deep fry.
Once they turn crisp remove and serve hot.
Note –
Add rawa before besan to make sure it does not form lumps and mixes well with other ingredients. It makes the pakodas crispy
Adding curry leaves is optional but it gives a very good taste n texture to the pakodas.
