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
There are some food items which tastes best when someone prepares it. Even though we follow the same procedure when they prepare it, it is different. This one curry is my sisters recipe – it is a combination of bombay chutney and zunka with slight modifications. We simply call it tomato piyava randayi. We pair it with neer dosa, chapati, buns, pav etc. Basically easy gravy with great taste.
Ingredients required:
Jeera – 1/4tsp
Garlic – 5-6
Medium onion -2
Tomato – 3
Green chilli – 2
Coriander leaves
Gram flour -4tsp
Chilli powder – 1tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4tsp
Oil – 4tsp
Salt to taste
Method of preparation:
Cut the onion, tomato n green chili into small pieces
Take a pan add oil. Once it is hot add jeera. Let it splutter
Next add garlic n fry till golden. Now add finely chopped green chilli n fry well. Then add onion and fry till golden brown.
Then add tomatoes and cook till they turn mushy.
Now add salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder. Chilli powder quantity can be varied as per spicy level needed.
Mix everything very well till it looks like masala. Now add gram flour and fry along with the masala. This step is very important otherwise a raw taste of gram flour might come.
Once done add little water and dissolve the mixture. Do not add more water as it may create lumps. Once everything is dissolved add about 1.5cup water or more to get the desired consistency.
At this point we add 123 noodles masala to get a tangy taste. You may add pav bhaji masala, chole masala, maggi magic masala etc or completely avoid if you don’t like it.
Finally add chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
Note : capsicum can also be added along with onion and tomatoes.
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.
Paneer dishes are always favorite at home. So when I decided to make something special this time decided to try my hands on matar paneer. It turned out delicious and with paneer and matar it is nutritious too. Here is how I prepared it.
Ingredients required:
Onion -1
Tomato – 3
Ginger – small piece
Garlic – 8-10 cloves
Green chilli – 2
Coriander leaves
Fresh green peas – half cup
Paneer cubes – 1 cup
Milk – half cup
MTR matar paneer powder
Oil – 4tsp
Method of preparation:
First cut the onion, green chilli, ginger, garlic and coriander leaves as shown in the pic.
Puree the tomatoes
Take a kadai, add oil. Once it is hot add ginger, garlic, green chilli. You can use ginger garlic paste as well.
Once they are fried well, add the onion.
Once onion turns golden brown, add the tomato puree, little water from cleaning the mixie.
Mix well, bring it to boil. Then simmer the gas and cook for about 5min till it thickens.
Then add the salt, matar paneer masala, milk and mix very well.
Again cover and cook for 2-3min on medium flame till flavors are combined.
Now add fresh green peas, paneer cubes and mix.
Cook for another 2min and finally add coriander leaves.
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.
