Benda Gojju (Okra in Yogurt)

Benda Gojju is a simple Konkani dish. In konkani, byanda means Okra/ lady's finger. I found this recipe in a cook book (by Jaya V Shenoy) and was amazed at its simplicity. I had never heard of such a dish. Hence thought of trying it. It tasted very good. I am sure the yogurt lovers will love this.

Ingredients:

• Okra/Lady's Finger, small sized- 20
• Curd/ Yogurt- 2/3 cup
• Cilantro/ Coriander leaves- 3-4 sprigs
• Green chilli- 1-2
• Oil- 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves- Few
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Wash Okras and pat dry them completely using a cloth or paper towel. Then trim off its edges and chop it into small pieces (1.5- 2cm long).

Then heat oil in a kadai and then add mustard seeds. Once it starts spluttering, add curry leaves and then chopped okras and give a good stir.

Then fry it for 10 minutes or until it gets crispy and brown (till then don't add salt. Don't close it with a lid as well. This is because it makes okras slimy). Once the okras looks done, add salt and turn off the heat.

Now take a mixing bowl and add curd, chopped green chillies, cilantro and salt. Mix well. Add water as required to get the desired consistency (curd used by me was very thick). Then finally at the time of serving, mix in the fried okras n the yogurt mixture and mix well. Benda Gojju is ready!!

Serve it as a side dish to rice and any curry of your choice. I served it with rice and dalitoy. Above measurement serves two people.

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Karathe Kismuri (Coconut based Bitter gourd Dry Curry)

Karathe Kismuri is a delicious dry curry. I got this recipe from my mother. In konkani, karathe means bitter gourd.
I know many of you may be thinking that "I don't want to try this recipe as I don't like bitter gourd". Yes..even I think the same. It is very bitter, it is not tasty..blah blah..But still if I start thinking of the benefits of bitter gourd then I feel like 'why am I not using it on a regular basis?' So got this pretty green veggie and made Kismuri. Trust me it tasted so good. It didn't taste bitter at all!! We enjoyed it with dal and rice. You can also try my other recipe for kismuri using raw banana- Kyane Kismuri.

Ingredients:

• Bitter gourd*, medium sized- 1
• Finely chopped Onion- A handful
• Grated Coconut, Fresh/ Frozen- 2/3 cup
• Roasted Red chillies- 3-4
• Tamarind- A small piece
• Coriander seeds- 1 tsp
• Oil- 2-3 tsp 
• Salt- To taste

*you can substitute bitter gourd with ivy gourd (tendle), Indian yam (suran) or bamboo shoots.

Procedure:

Wash bitter gourd. Chop off the ends and then cut it open to remove the seeds.

Then chop it into small cubes.

Then put the chopped bitter gourd in a bowl and add salt to it. Keep it for half an hour. After half an hour, squeeze out the extra moisture (bitterness) from the bitter gourd pieces and then keep it aside.

Now heat 2-3 tsp of oil in a kadai and then add chopped bitter gourd pieces and fry them until they turn crispy and brown.

The browning process of bitter gourd takes around 10- 12 minutes on medium heat. During that time prepare the masala.

For the masala: Grind grated coconut along with red chillies, tamarind and coriander seeds to get a coarse mixture (don't add water). Masala is ready.

Once the bitter gourd pieces turns brown and crisp, add the ground masala and mix well. Let the masala fry for two minutes (check for salt at this point). Then turn off the heat.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and then add chopped onion and mix well. 

Karathe Kismuri is ready!!

Serve it as a side dish to rice, dalitoy. Above measurement serves two people.

Note: You can as well fry the onions separately (if you don't like raw onion) and then finally mix it with the mixture.

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Tomato Rice

Tomato Rice is a simple rice. This dish requires only few basic ingredients and the final result is yum. I got this recipe from my mother. She has been making this rice for years. You can as well take this rice for your lunch box.

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice- 2/3 cup
• Onion, small sized- 1
• Tomato, medium sized-1
• Garlic pods- 2-3
• Green Chilli- 2-3
• Ghee- 3 tsp
• Cinnamon- 1 inch
• Cloves- 3
• Cardamom- 2
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Wash and soak the rice for 15-20 minutes. Then chop garlic, green chilli, onion and tomato.

Now start heating ghee (a non stick pan works great for this dish). 

Once hot, add cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom and fry for few seconds. 

Then add chopped green chill, garlic and onion. Stir well and let it fry for couple of minutes until it turns translucent (you can add salt. this helps the onion to get cooked faster).

Then add chopped tomato and cook it for 2-3 minutes.  

Then finally add the soaked rice and water (double the amount of rice taken i.e twice in 2/3 cup. but I added little less than that as there was enough moisture from tomato as well).

Finally check for salt and then bring it to a boil. 

Once it comes to a boil, close the lid and make the heat to minimum and let it cook for 10-15 minutes and then turn off the heat (don't open the lid in between). 

Once you turn off the heat let it sit for 10 minutes with the lid still closed. After 10 minutes it is ready to serve. Tomato Rice is ready!!

Serve it hot with raita or any side dish of your choice. Above measurement serves 1-2 people.

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Tandla Pitta Bhakri (Rice Flour Flat Bread)

Tandla Pitta Bhakri is a quick and easy recipe. In Konkani, tandla peeta means rice flour. I found this recipe in a cook book (by Jaya V Shenoy). I varied the measurements slightly and it turned to be very tasty. The addition of curd and coconut makes it unique in taste. Try making it and enjoy!!

Ingredients:

• Rice Flour- 1 cup
• Grated Coconut, Fresh/ frozen- 3-4 Tbsp
• Yogurt (Curd)- 1/4 cup
• Green Chilli- 1-2
• Salt- To taste
• Oil/Ghee- For greasing and frying

Procedure:

Chop the green chilli and then mix all the ingredients mentioned above under 'Ingredients'. Then add water as required, to form a semi- firm dough.

Now divide the dough into 3 or 4 equal sized balls.
To make Bhakris: Bhakris are usually made by patting method, as rice flour has no gluten. You can follow two methods. 
Method 1- Take a dough ball and place it on a well greased aluminum foil or banana leaf.

Then Start spreading it to form a bhakri of 1/2 inch thick (dip your hand in a bowl of water, to ease the process of making bhakri).

Then place the bhakri along with the foil on the hot tawa (foil should face you). Once the bhakri cooks on one side, you can peel off the foil and cook the other side until it gets golden brown spots.

Method 2- Here we make the bhakris directly on the heated tawa. The ball of dough is placed on the heated tawa and it is tapped into 1/2 inch thick bhakri, occasionally dipping hands in water. But in this method you have to be really quick while spreading the dough (as the griddle is hot).

Flip the other side so that both the sides get golden brown spots.

Transfer it to a plate. Tandla Pitta Bhakri is ready!!

Serve it hot with chutney or any spicy curry of your choice. I enjoyed it without any curry. Above measurement makes 3-4 bhakris (serves 1-2 people).

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Laaye Pitta Undo (Popped Rice Ladoo)

Laaye Pitta Undo is a very tasty, jaggery based ladoo. I got this recipe from my mother. In Konkani, laaye pitto means coarse powder of popped rice and undo means ladoo. This ladoo is commonly prepared as a naivedya for Lord Krishna. Hence as a kid, I would eagerly wait for Krishna Janmashtami. I would sit by the side of my mother, watching her make ladoos. This is one of my favorite ladoo. (I got the coarse powder of popped rice from India).

Ingredients:

• Peanut/ Ground nut- 1/4 cup
• Laaye Pitto/Popped rice (Coarse powder variety)- 2 cups
• Dark Jaggery/ Antu Bella- 3/4 cup
• Black Sesame seeds- 2 tsp
• Cardamom Powder- 1/2 tsp
• Ghee- 1 tsp+ extra for greasing 

Procedure:

The coarse powder of Popped rice looks like this.

Take a kadai and start frying the peanuts on a medium flame.

Once it turns slight brown, turn off the heat and allow it to cool.

Now remove the peel and break open the peanuts using your hands. The peanuts are ready to use.

In the same way dry roast the sesame seeds in the same pan until it starts to splutter. Then transfer it to a plate.

Next step is to melt the jaggery. The jaggery I used looked like this (This jaggery is very soft and is specially used to make ladoos, burfi, chikkis. This jaggery gives good binding and has a distinct taste).

Now start heating the jaggery on a medium flame along with 4-5 Tbsp of water. The jaggery begins to melt and starts to boil.

Continue heating till the end point. To know the end point, add 1-2 drops of melted jaggery in a small bowl containing water. The jaggery should form a firm drop and it should turn little hard.
Once this consistency is reached, add the roasted split peanuts, sesame seeds, cardamom powder, ghee and mix quickly.

Then add the coarse powder of popped rice and give a good mix until everything comes together. Allow the mixture to cool (until you can handle the heat). Remember that the mixture hardens as it cools. So it has to be formed into ladoos as soon as possible.

Once it is ready to handle, take a small amount of the ladoo mixture in your greased hands and make a ladoo. Repeat the same for the rest of the mixture. I made a total of 14 ladoos.
Laaye Pitta Undo is ready!!

Store them in an air tight container. It stays good for more than a week.

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Benda Kolmbo (Spicy Okra Curry)

Benda Kolmbo is a spicy side dish. I came across this recipe in a Konkani Cook book (By Jaya V Shenoy). I was amazed at the simplicity of this dish but was little doubtful about its taste as coconut is not added to it. Generally most of the Konkani recipes has a touch of coconut and spices but in this recipe, the spices gives a kick and the rice gives the thickness to the dish. Try it out yourself!

Ingredients:

• Okra/ Lady's Finger, chopped- 2 cups
• Tamarind*- A small ball (gooseberry sized)
• Salt- To taste
• Oil- 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves- Few

*Vary the amount of tamarind depending upon how hot the red chillies are.

For Spice Powder:

• Coriander seeds- 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds/ Jeera- 1 tsp
• Raw rice- 3 tsp
• Dry Red chill- 4-6

Procedure:

Wash Okras and pat dry them completely using a cloth or paper towel. Then trim off its edges and chop it into small pieces (1.5- 2cm long).

Then soak the tamarind in warm water and extract the pulp from it.

Take the chopped Okra in a cooking pot and add the tamarind pulp and mix well. 

Then add salt and little water (enough to cook the Okras) and start heating it. Cook until the Okras turn soft. Then turn off the heat. 

To prepare Spice Powder: Dry roast all the ingredients mentioned under 'For Spice Powder'. Roast them separately until you get a nice aroma (You needn't roast till they turn brown). Allow them to cool.

Then make a fine powder of the roasted spices.

Now take a kadai and heat 2 teaspoon of oil. 

When hot, add mustard seeds. 

Once it starts spluttering, add curry leaves and spice powder. Mix well.

Then add cooked Okra and mix well. Add water if the mixture becomes too thick (the rice powder starts to absorb all the moisture. Hence more water will be required). 

Close the lid and let it cook for 2-3 more minutes. Once the okras absorbs the flavor of spices, turn off the heat (the final consistency was not too thick/thin). Benda Kolmbo is ready!!

Serve it hot as a side dish to rice, dosa etc. Above measurement serves 2-3 people.

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Godu Phovu (Sweetened Rice Flakes)

Godu Phovu is a simple sweet dish. It is commonly made as Naivedya or also a snack. In Konkani, god means jaggery (yes it is! ) and phovu means rice flakes (beaten rice). I learnt making this, from my mother. Try making this simple jaggery based dish.

Ingredients:

• Rice Flakes- 1 1/4 cup (adjust accordingly)
• Jaggery- 1/2 cup
• Grated Coconut, fresh/ frozen- 1/2 cup
• Black sesame seeds- 3/4 tsp (optional)
• Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
• Ghee- 1 tsp (optional)

Procedure:

Dry roast the sesame seeds until it starts to splutter. Then transfer it to a small bowl. 

Then take a kadai and add jaggery along with few teaspoons of water. Once the jaggery completely melts and comes to a boil, add grated coconut and mix well. Heat it further for 2-3 minutes and then turn off the heat. Now add sesame seeds, cardamom powder, ghee and mix well. Allow it to cool. This is the base of this dish and it is called Churnu.

Once Churnu cools completely, start adding rice flakes (beaten rice) in small amounts until a homogeneous mixture is got.If the final mixture is too soft and sweet, add small amount of rice flakes. Godu Phovu is ready!!

Serve it as an offering to god (Naivedya) or as a snack.

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