Batate Song/ Potato in rich spicy gravy

The name says it all. Potato in Spicy gravy. Very famous among the konkani's, there are different ways of making this dish. Mine is awfully simple. All u need is a pressure cooker and a few ingredients. Enjoy!

SERVES: 4
COOKING TIME: 15 min

Ingredients:
1 cup of toor dal (yellow Lentils)



4- Potatoes,
2- Tomatoes diced (you substitute this with 1 can diced tomato)
1- Onion chopped
1- spoon of red chilly powder
1/2- spoon of turmeric powder



Method:
1 Heat 4 Tbsp of oil in a pressure cooker and red chilly
powder and turmeric. Add onions to this and fry until
the onions turn soft.



2 Add tomatoes to this and cook till it softens.



3 Now add potatoes and Toor dal and stir it well.
Add salt as per taste and 3 cups of water. Close the
lid of the pressure cooker and let it cook for 3 whistles.



4 Mash the potatoes as desired using a wooden spatula.
Serve with rice.



COOK'S TIP: you can add fresh coriander leaves
just before serving.

Pumpkin Stew (Val -Val)

Val-Val is a traditional Konkani dish that is normally served with rice.

SERVES: 4
COOKING TIME: 20min

Ingredients:
2 cups of vegetables
( cauliflower, beans, peas, carrots, potatoes, ..etc)



1 cup of yellow pumpkin (acorn squash)
2 green chilly



1 can of coconut milk



Method
1 Cut all the vegetables into equal cubes and boil for
about 4 minutes in 1 cup salted water. Cook on low
flame.Add the pumpkin cubes and green chillies.
Continue boiling the vegetables for about 3 minutes.



2 Stir in the coconut milk.



3 Heat oil in a second pan, add mustard and cumin
seeds. When they begin to pop, add curry leaves.



4 Add this seasoning to the cooked stew



5 Serve with white rice and Papad.

Methi- Onion Sannapolo ( Yellow Lentil & Rice-pancakes)

This is a kind of Pancake from South India. It is made up of ground lentils and rice. Can be eated with rice or simply dipped in garlic chutney or sambar. This pancake is ussually cooked on low flame for a longer period or time.

SERVES: 4 (12 pankcakes)
COOKING TIME: 60 min

Ingredients:
1 cup of soaked rice



2 cups of soaked yellow lentil (toor Dal)



1/2 cup of shreded coconut



1 cup of cut fenugreek leaves (methi)
1 Medium sized onion chopped finely



Method:
1 Place the above Ingredients in a food processor
and blend into a coarse paste. Add 1 red chilli
and small piece of tamrind while blending.



2 Stir in salt, chopped onions and fenugreek
leaves



3 Heat the frying pan for a couple of minutes
smear with oil and gently spread the batter.
Each pancake can be about 4-5in dia and about
1/2in thick.



3 Turn over and cook for another minute.
Serve hot with rice or with chutney.



COOK'S TIP: You can add green chillies in step 2
to make it a little more spicy.

Chana/ Chickpeas Masala (Garbanzo in tomato sauce)

Chana Masala, is one of my favorite dishes. Chana/ chick pea's ussually blends in very well and adds to the taste of any curry. This quick and easy recipe can be eaten with rice, or roti's. Even better eaten with Batura - deep fried bread made up of wheat flour.

SERVES: 4
COOKING TIME: 30min

Ingredients:
2 Tomatoes
Handfull of coriander (cilantro) leaves



Garlic Pods, Green chill and Ginger as per taste



1 Onion (chopped)



2 cans of chickpeas or 1 cup of dried chickpeas.
Soak the chickpeas overnight, boil it for about
35 min or Pressure cook it as per instructions.



Method:
1 In a blender add 1/2 the cut tomatoes,
remaining coriender leaves, garlic pods, ginger,
green chilli, and 1/4th cup of cooked chickpeas
and blend it into a paste.



2 In a deep wok heat vegetable oil and fry onions
and a few coriender leaves.



3 Add the paste to the fried onions and keep stiring.
Add the remaining tomatoes. Add salt as per taste.
Pour about 1/2 cup water and bring it to boil on low heat.



4 Add the cooked chickpeas, cover the pan and
let it cook for about 10 min.



5 You can also use this mix in between bread and
make a Chickpeas Sandwich.



COOK'S TIP: You can also add Potatoes to this dish.

Potato Rasam (Batate Paje-upkari)

Potatoes ussually blend very well with any kind of dish and imparts a fabulous flavor. Batate Paje-upkari is yet another South Indian Dish. The name as we call it in Konkani. A good substitute instead of our regular Dal.

SERVES: 4
COOKING TIME: 30min

Ingredients:
3 Potatoes
2 Green Chillies



2 Red chillies
1 spoon full of mustard seeds
few curry leaves



1/2 spoon of Asofedita (hing)



Method:
1 In a deep dish or a large pan, heat oil over medium
heat. When Oil gets hot add red chillies and mustard
seeds. Wait for the mustard seeds to sputter and then
add the curry leaves



2 Mash the boiled potatoes and add this to the
fried spices



3 Add about 2 to 3 cups of water and the Asofidita
to this mix and bring it to boil on reduced heat
for about 10 minutes.



Serve with hot white rice.

COOKS TIP: Pour a spoon full of Butter in step 3
just before serving to enhance the taste

Fenugreek Leaves Roti (Methi Roti)- Method I

Methi Roti is a variation of chapati. Chapati are made out of wholewheat and are cooked on hot girddle. As the name suggests this chapati has Fenugreek leaves as its prime ingredient. A very healthy option for breakfast or lunch.

SERVES: 4
COOKING TIME: 20min

Ingredients:
Bunch of fenugreek leaves
(washed and cut into small pieces)
3/4 cup water
1-1/2 cup wholewheat flour
1/2 spoon of turmeric powder
1/2 spoon red chilli powder
salt as per taste



Method:
1 In a wide bottom bowl add turmeric powder,
red chilli powder, salt and water. To this
liquid add the methi leaves (fenugreek leaves).

2 Stir this with a spoon and slowly add the atta
(whole wheat flour)

3 Keep mixing with your hands to form a dough



4 When the dough is ready, make around 15 small
balls and roll it out flat. Fry these with a little oil on
a dry hot girdle.



Serve with yogurt sauce or spicy pickle.

COOKS TIP: You can add a spoon full of oil in
step 1 to make the roti's a little crispy.

Green Long Beans fry

Curry Leaves and Red chillies are the most important ingredients when you cook south Indian food. This recipe is a simple and a quick one. You can find green long beans in any local Indian store.

SERVES: 4
COOKING TIME: 30min

Ingredients:
1 bundle of Green long beans
1/2 -spoon on mustard
1/2 spoon of oil
1 fried red chillie
few curry leaves



Method:
1 Wash and cut the beans into 1" - 1-1/2" long



2 In a shallow pan, heat oil and fry mustard and
red chilli. Add curry leaves when the mustard
seeds start sputtering.



3 Add the green long beans and salt as per taste
and fry for a few minutes.



Serve with white rice and dal, or roti's

COOKS TIPS: You can add freshly grated coconut
just before serving.