Category: Side Dish

Categories
Breakfast drycurry healthybreakfast paneer Side Dish

Paneer Burji using Homemade Paneer

In last couple of weeks there were 2 instances where milk got spoilt. In the first case I made butter milk out of it. But then next week again when milk was spoilt, I had a good stock of buttermilk since we were sick n did not consume buttermilk regularly! There was about half ltr of milk and looking at the work I had, decided to throw it with heavy heart. But did not do it immediately.

After sometime when I returned to kitchen got this idea of preparing paneer from this milk. I went through couple of blogs, which spoke about making paneer from scratch. Since I was already halfway through the process and the milk was warm, took a thin cloth and strained the milk. Discarded all the water. Poured some cold water on it to remove any traces of milk that might have remained. Tied it and hung/rested for about 2hr for any water to come out. After that when I opened the knot n transfered to a bowl n refrigerared for a day. I was still in doubt about using this. Next day I could see crumbled texture and was very happy. Decided to use it in paneer burji the following morning n results were very satisfying.

Hone made Paneer

Finally I am happy for not wasting food and making best use of it n discovering something new(only to myself). If you want to know how I made burji here is the recipe.

Ingredients required:

  1. Onion – 1
  2. Tomato- 1
  3. Capsicum- 1
  4. Coriander leaves – few
  5. Green chilly- 2
  6. Oil – 3tsp
  7. Cumin- 1/4tsp
  8. Chilly powder- 1tsp
  9. Salt to taste
  10. Garam masala- 1tsp
  11. Turmeric powder- 1/2tsp
Paneer Burji

Method of preparation-

  • Firstly chop onion, tomato, capsicum into small pieces. I have taken all of them big sized ones. If you want you can use more or less
  • Also chop green chilly n coriander leaves into tiny pieces
  • Take a pan, add oil, jeera. Once spluttered add onion and fry till golden brown.
  • Next add tomatoes n continue to fry. Once tomatoes turn mushy add salt, garam masala n chilly powder, turmeric powder.
  • Fry for few min. Then add capsicum, cover n cook for 5min.
  • Once done add crumbled paneer and coriander leaves. Cook for 2min.
  • Serve with roti, dosa or rice.
Paneer burji served with chapati
Categories
konkanirecipe Lunch phodi seasonal Side Dish Snacks

Bhenda bajo/Tender Okra Pakoda

Bhenda Bajo/Tender ladies finger Pakoda

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-

  1. Tender ladies finger/okra/bende – 10-15
  2. Besan/gram flour- 8-10tsp
  3. Bombay rawa – 4tsp
  4. Salt to taste
  5. Chilly powder- 3tsp
  6. Asafoetida/hing – 1/2tsp
  7. Ajwain/oma – 1tsp
  8. Water – 1/4 glass
  9. Oil for deep frying
  10. 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.
Categories
konkanirecipe Lunch pickle Side Dish

Karate God Nonche(Bittergourd sweet pickle)

Karate God nonche (Bittergourd sweet pickle)

A pickle which has sweet, salt, bitterness, sourness, crunchiness combined together. A very good way to include Bittergourd even if you don’t like it much. This one is my husband’s favorite as it is prepared in temple for samaradhan. This is the 2nd time I prepared it and throughout the process I was amazed to observe how every taste combines with other and becomes one to be this wonderful dish! Below is the recipe of this pickle.

Ingredients required-

  1. Bittergourd- 2 (small)
  2. Jaggery- 1/2 cup
  3. Tamarind- lemon sized
  4. Coriander seeds – 2tsp
  5. Urad dal – 2tsp+1tsp
  6. Methi seeds- 1/2tsp
  7. Red chilly- 5-6
  8. Salt to taste
  9. Oil- 3tsp
  10. Mustard seeds-1tsp
  11. Curry leaves-1 strand

Method of preparation-

  • Wash the Bittergourd and cut it into tiny pieces
  • Cook it in a pan with very little water till it turns soft
  • Now add the jaggery and continue to cook. Cook 9n medium flame till jaggery melts and starts thickening.
  • Now extract the tamarind juice by adding very little water and add it to the pan.
  • Continue cooking till raw smell of tamarind vanishes.
  • I had roasted coriander seeds, urad dal and methi seeds with little oil in the beggining itself in the same pan before cooking the Bittergourd.
  • Now to the cooled mixture add roasted red chilles or you can simply add them at the end while roasting other things if you don’t have roasted chilly.
  • Powder them all in a mixie jar. Let it be fine powder.
  • Now add this powder and salt to taste to the Bittergourd mixture.
  • Mix everything very well and cook for 2-3min more. Make sure to have flame on medium throughout the process.
  • Cool and store it in air tight container for couple of days.
Categories
chutney konkanirecipe Lunch Side Dish thali

Ambuli/Maavinakayi/Raw mango Chutney

Ambuli / Maavinakayi / Raw mango Chutney

My favorite pass time during summer is collecting the fallen tender mangoes and use them in pickles, chutney, pachodi etc. Since the mango trees bear the fruits once in 2 years we did not get any mangoes last year. So this year when we started getting mangoes we decided to make best use of it. Also I am amazed to see how many dishes can be made using those tender fallen mangoes. This one mango Chutney has been constant at home and it is prepared in 2 ways. On regular days it is made using garlic. And the days when we don’t eat garlic it is made using hing. Sharing both the recipes here. Make sure mango used is sour in taste. Ours is local variety mango(kaat ambo).

Raw mango Chutney with Garlic –

Ingredients required-

  1. Tender Raw mango – 1 small cup(we have very small ones, about 4 mangoes)
  2. Grated coconut- about 5tsp
  3. Green chilly- 2
  4. Garlic pods – about 8-10
  5. Salt to taste

Method of preparation-

  • Cut the mango into tiny pieces. Remove the seed.
  • Add everything listed above into a mixie jar. Do not add water first.
  • Grind them coarsely. If required add little water.

Raw mango Chutney with hing-

Ingredients required-

  1. Tender Raw mango – 1 small cup(we have very small ones, about 4 mangoes)
  2. Grated coconut- about 5tsp
  3. Green chilly- 2
  4. Hing – 1/2tsp(can use compound hing as well)
  5. Salt to taste

Method of preparation-

  • Cut the mango into tiny pieces. Remove the seed.
  • Add everything listed above into a mixie jar. Do not add water first.
  • Grind them coarsely. If required add little water.

Both the ways the taste will vary slightly. But both are unique.

The raw mango / ambuli used in this recipe

Categories
konkanirecipe Lunch Side Dish thali

Ghar dudde Saung

Ghar dudde(bottle gourd) Saung

Bottle gourd is in season. We usually prepare halwa, payasam or a simple stir fry(upkari) using it. I was discussing with mom for some spicy curry ideas using this vegetable. She suggested this recipe. I usually do not like one dish to other but I this one tasted like alambe phanna upkari. So if you see people selling this super summer veggie on the road side, do buy and try different recipes or you can even prepare juice.

Ingredients required-

  1. Coriander seeds – 1tsp
  2. Grated coconut- a little more than 1/4th
  3. Tamarind- gooseberry sized
  4. Red chilly- 5-6
  5. Bottle gourd (ghar dudde) – 1 big cup
  6. Oil – 2tsp
  7. Garlic cloves – 10-12
  8. Onion – 1
  9. Salt to taste

Method of preparation-

  • Clean and peel the skin of bottle gourd. Also remove the skin. Cut it into tiny pieces
  • Roast the coriander seeds and red chilly with 1/2tsp oil
  • After cooling grind the coriander seeds, red chilly, tamarind and grated coconut into a fine masala paste
  • Take a pan and add the oil. Add the crushed garlic after removing skin.
  • Fry it till golden. Then add onion and fry well.
  • Once onion is fried add bottle gourd. Mix it well and add very little water. Cover and cook it for about 10min or till bottle gourd is cooked. Don’t cook it till mushy.
  • Now add the masala and salt to taste. You can also add the water from cleaning mixie.
  • Mix well and cook for about 10min.