Vegetarian on Kamath's Kitchen

Gabbe Assi - Tender Banana Stem Salad

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 15:31:57 +0000

This Sunday we had to remove few banana plant in our backyard. So I got some banana stem from them. Why waste this delicious part of the plant when we can make some good salad with it. This salad or if I can call it Raita goes well with afternoon meal. It has a crunchy texture to it. You can also control the spiciness according to the main course. The fibrous stem of the banana plant is also good for the digestion. So lets see how to make this delicious salad.

Ingredients

Tender Banana Stems - 2-3 pieces (5-6 inches long)
Green Chillies as per taste (6-7)
Yoghurt - 1/2 Kilograms
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 twigs
Coconut Oil - 1 1/2 tsp (Any cooking oil is okay except mustard and sesame oil)
Ginger - 1/2 -1 inch
Salt to taste

Method

Wash and finely chop the banana stems. Sometime you will get stem fibers while cutting the stem, pull them and remove them slowly then throw them away.

Karambala Nonche - Carambola (Star Fruit) Pickle

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 11:01:48 +0000

We make a lots of pickles at home depending on the seasonal availability of the ingredients. I shared the instant Jackfruit pickle last time, which had a bit short shelf life. Now it is time for something which can be savoured for a bit more longer. Around October star fruits start to appear in the local market. I stumbled upon these gorgeous fruits and immediately thought of pickling them. We already had Bilimbi pickle which is another favorite pickle amongst everyone in the house.

Ingredients

ingredients

ingredients2

Start fruit - 11 to 12
Red Dried Chillies - Guntur and Round variety - 100gm (50 gm each)
Mustard Seeds - 25 gms
Sea Salt - 50 gms
Fenugreek Seeds - 1 - 1 1/2 Tsp
Dried Turmeric Root - 1/4 inch ( or Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp )
Asafoetida (Hing) 1/4 tsp
Sesame Oil to be used preservative - 1/4 cup

Method

Wash and then dry the star fruit. Remove all water and make sure there is no moisture on it.
Boil the oil in a kadhai and keep it aside to cool.
Cut and remove the ridges slightly as shown in the below picture. Then slice them so that the star shape is retained. Some people cut these into long slices but we keep them in star shape.

karambal-01

Taikile Ambado (Dangar) - Tora leaves fritters

Sat, 12 Aug 2023 14:52:49 +0000

At the onset of monsoon many local plants become available in South of India which can be made in into delicious dishes . One such plant is Senna Tora or “Taikilo” as we call it in Konkani language. We use the young leaves of the plant and make fritters or “ambado” from them.

The recipe is really simple to prepare. We take all the ingredient grind and make a batter, then deep fry the Tora leaves by making small bite sized balls mixed in the batter. These go well with tea or coffee.

The leaves should be plucked from young plants well before the flowering starts. Once the flowering starts the leaves do not taste well.

Photo of young Tora plant by Nikitakamka . License – CC-BY-SA

leaves

Vaali Bendi - Malabar Spinach curry

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 12:16:00 +0530

This is an authentic curry prepared in a typical GSB household, made from Malabar spinach. Malabar spinach is a tropical edible vine found here in the subcontinent. The curry can be made quickly in half an hours time. My mother used to say that this vine aids in digestion relation problems.

Ingredients

1 bunch of Malabar Spinach
Half of a coconut, grated.
10 Dried Red Chillies (Madrasi variant)
1 bulb of medium garlic.
2 Tbsp Oil
1 Small lime sized ball of Tamarind.
1cup black bean (Can be substituted with Horse gram, Black eyed beans or red beans)
Salt as per taste.

Method

Wash and clean the Malabar Spinach thoroughly. Then cut them in 2-3 inch long pieces along with the leaf.
Take a pressure cooker and put adequate water so that the spinach and the beans will get submerged. Add some salt. Cook until you hear two whistles.

Keerlu Ambade Gashi - Bamboo Shoot & Hog Plum curry

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 12:00:00 +0530

This curry is a favourite in family, my husband used to love this curry very much. Bamboo shoots are not available around the the year hence we preserve the shoots in brine and use them when needed. We mainly cook this dish in monsoon. The sourness is added by using Hog plum, which was introduced to south Asia by the Portuguese.

Ingredients

Bamboo shoots 1/2 kilogram.
4-5 whole Hog Plums (Can be substituted by Tamarind)
Half of a coconut, grated.
10 Dried Red Chillies (Madrasi variant)
1 Tbsp coriander seeds.
1 Tbsp Urad Dal (split black gram)
1/2 Tsp Turmeric

For Tempering the curry

1/2 Tsp Mustard Seed
1 twig of curry leaves.
2 Tbsp of Coconut oil.

Method

Wash and clean the Bamboo shoots. Then cut them in 2-3 inch cubes. Soak them into the water to remove excess salt that the bamboo have absorbed from the brine.

Alsande Randai - Yardlong beans curry

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 12:56:00 +0530

This is a very quick and simple coconut based curry made from yardlong beans. We call it Alsande Randai in Konkani. Alsande means yard-long beans or snake beans and randai means curry. This goes well with rice and is generally served in lunch and dinner.

Ingredients for the base masala

1 Cup freshly grated Coconut
7-8 Dry red chillies (Byadgi chillies)
1 tbsp Urad Dal (split black gram)
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1⁄4 tsp fenugreek seeds
Pinch of turmeric
Small gooseberry sized tamarind

Ingredients for the curry

500 grams yard-long beans.
3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves
1/2 tsp jaggery.
salt to taste

Method

Let us prepare the base masala for this curry. This masala can be used as the base for other curries too like okra curry, ivy gourd curry, etc.

Take the oil in a pan and fry the dried red chilies, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, and urad dal until it gets light brown. Keep aside and let it cool.
Put some warm water in a bowl and add the tamarind to it, so that it melts and turns into a liquid paste.
Grind the fried spices with grated coconut and tamarind water into a fine paste.
After washing cut the yard-long beans into 1 inch long pieces, bring it to boil in a curry pot. This curry is not thick so use about 1 liter of water.

Patrado - Steamed Colocasia leaves

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 12:56:00 +0530

This is one of the favorite dishes of G.S.B’s, It is also prepared in Gujarat where it is called as Patra. This dish can be served along with main course and also can be eaten separately as a snack.

Let us begin with noting down the ingredients to make this dish.

Ingredients

1 Cup freshly grated Coconut.
25 pcs of Red Chilies.
40 grams of Tamarind.
1/2 tsp Asofoetida.
1/2 cup of Rice (Sonamasoori).
1/2 cup Moong Beans.
15 colocasia leaves.
Salt to taste.

Method:

First soak the rice and moong beans in water for about 4 hours. Drain the water and keep aside.
Take the grated coconut, tamarind and red chilies in a blender and make a fine paste.
Now add the Rice and moong beans to the blender and make coarse paste.

Ekpani (Centella) Chutney

Tue, 21 Mar 2017 17:25:00 +0530

Ekpani (‘One Leaf’ in Konkani) or Indian Pennywort or Centella is a nutritious herb found in parts of Asia and Indian subcontinent. It mostly grows in fields with water available in plenty. You can also plant it in your home garden, you must water it regularly. Plant it in a rectangular container which has enough space for it to spread. It will fill the container and you can then harvest the leaves according to your needs.

I have planted it some two three months back and it has already filled the container.

Cut the leaves just above the roots, don’t uproot whole cluster, new leaves will grow in place the harvested ones.

Now Lets get to the chutney :)

Ingredients

A hand-full of Centella or Ekpani
½ coconut grated.
8 Green Chillies (add more if you want it more spicy).
1 gooseberry sized seedless Tamarind.
¾ Inch Ginger.
Pinch of Jaggery.
Salt to taste.

Kadgi Chakko

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:07:00 +0530

After the kadgi Adgai, it’s time for kadgi chakko like I promised in my earlier post. Kadgi chakko is a Konkani side dish just like sukka masala or any other dry dish. It is often served along with rice and daal (daali toy).

Let’s get started with the ingredients for this dish:

Ingredients

One small jackfruit.
Half coconut (grated).
Fried red chillies - 15.
Lemon sized tamarind.
Small piece of jaggery.
White lentil (Urad daal) - 1 tsp.
Coriander - 3 tsp.
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp.
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Few curry leaves.
Salt to taste.

Method

Clean and cut the jackfruit in to medium sized pieces. (As I have already mentioned in my previous post you should apply oil to your hands or else the sticky latex will be hard to wash.)

Arvi Tikki

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:56:00 +0530

I love to make tikkis and experiment with them; while I was chatting about tikkis with my neighbour she told me about Arvi (Eddoe or colocasia tuber) tikki. I tried this recipe and it turned out to be excellent. I have prepared it some 8 to 9 times and my kids finished it instantly. I read about serving this dish with peanut curd chutney which I am going to share in future.

Eddoe or arvi is a simple tropical vegetable, rich in vitamin C, E and fibres. These tubers are also used to make chips.

So without wasting any time get your pen or paper and note down the following ingredients, lets rock and make this dish today. I am pretty sure everyone in your family will love this dish.

Ingredients

Peeled Eddoes or Arvi - ½ kg.
Peeled Potatoes - 4 medium sized.
Finely chopped green chillies.
Coriander leaves - ¼ cup.
Peanuts crushed - 1 tbsp.
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp.
Corn flour - 1 tbsp.
Salt to taste.
Bread crumbs. - 1 cup.
Oil to fry.

Easy And Simple Kadhi With Carrot Salad

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:40:00 +0530

Today I am going to share recipes for kadhi and carrot salad that I mentioned in the corn and herb pulao recipe. These are very simple recipes and won’t require special expertise to prepare.

Kadhi is a simple north Indian dish. North Indian kadhi is generally thick; I am preparing the kadhi with buttermilk where as in north India it is prepared with yoghurt making it thicker. You may experiment by putting vegetables like fried (bhindi) okra or brinjal. This curry is generally served with boiled rice. I am keeping it simple because I am serving it with the corn and herb pulao.

First I’ll tell you how to prepare the kadhi and then we will move on to the carrot salad.

Ingredients for Kadhi

Buttermilk – ½ litre.
Besan (Chickpea flour) –1 cup.
Jeera (Cumin seeds) – 1 tsp.
Pinch of Asafoetida.
Red chilli flakes – 1 tsp.
Turmeric–¼ tsp.
Black Pepper – 1 tsp.
Ginger – 1 inch.
Green Chillies – 3 to 4 pieces.
Sunflower oil – 1 tsp.
Salt to taste.

Well if you have the above ingredients ready we can start preparing the kadhi. Here comes my step by step method:

Kuvale Sasam (Ash Gourd Gravy)

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 09:43:00 +0530

Ash gourd, winter melon or white gourd is a very healthy fruit (eaten as vegetable) in south Asia. It has been in the menu for over 2000 years. It has many health benefits; it is used to cure kidney stones, digestive problems and is an excellent diet for diabetic patients. It is also used to cure acidity and intestinal worms. It is also called Petha in Hindi, Boodugumbala in Kannada, Kohla in Marathi and Neer Poosanikai in Tamil.

We will need 30-45 minutes to cook this yummy gravy. So let’s get started with the ingredients:

Ingredients

Ash gourd – ½ Kg.
Small coconut 1.
Dried red chillies 15. (Gundu Molzuka Chillies or fat chillies)
Lemon sized tamarind.
Pinch of turmeric.
Mustard seeds 1½ tsp.
Curry leaves 1 stalk.
Salt to taste.
Coconut oil 3 tsp.

Kuvale Saali Ani Kooka Upkari

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 12:19:00 +0530

Chinese potato (kooka-konkani, koorka-malayalam, sambrali-kannada) is a seasonal and very rare vegetable mostly available in South India. Unlike normal potato it is small and black in colour. Its black colour is due to the soil and dirt sticking on it. It is very tedious process to clean this vegetable, but you can really do that easily with a simple trick.

We are also using ash-gourd skin that is by product of other dish (kuvale sasam). Ash gourd is also called winter melon, it is actually a fruit but it is eaten as a vegetable. Ash gourd skin or peels are very low in calories; it is good for diabetic patients. It helps to improve digestive system, and it is very helpful cure for tapeworm.

Together this dish is packed with nutrition and lots of health benefits, let’s start cooking then.

Corn & Herb Pulao with Paneer

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 12:24:00 +0530

Today I am going to share a winter special dish; it is called Corn & herb Pulao with Paneer, This recipe highly nutritive with all the herbs and corn in it, Corn contains folic acid,Vitamin C,and insoluble fibre, along with Ajwain it helps us to tackle some common digestive problems,this recipe contains vitamin a and vitamin c , minerals such as iron, copper and calcium.

We will also put some dry fruits to make it super healthy :) . As the name says it also contains herbs like Ajwain mint etc. You’ll need roughly about 50 minutes to make this dish.

So what are we waiting for lets get started. The ingredients we will require for this dish are listed below :

Ingredients

Basmati Rice – 2 Cups (soaked for 30 minutes - this is important see note below )
Sweet corn kernels - 1/2 cup,
matar (shelled peas) - 1/2 cup,
raisin –15,
fresh Ajwain leaves two or three,
5 cashews (halves),
fresh mint leaves two or three,
Curry leaves (kadi-patta) – 10 leaves
green chillies – 6
ginger – 1 inch piece
Curd – 1 tbsp.
ghee – 2tsp.
coriander leaves 1/2 cup – chop these finely
coconut scraped – 2 cup,
1 whole lemon juice,
Garam masala powder – 1/4,
Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp.
Green Chutney – 1 tsp.
Paneer – 1/2 cup
cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp.
mustard seeds 1/2 tsp.
salt to taste

Kele Salli Upkari

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 11:38:00 +0530

This is my first post. I am beginning this journey by sharing a simple quick and easy recipe. It is called kele salli upkari in Konkani language, It means banana peel dish. This recipe is made from the by-product of banana (plantain). Yes!! This recipe is made out of banana peels.

Plantains are common in South Indian dishes. The peels contain fibrous substances that boost our digestive system. So in future instead of throwing away the peels, you can prepare this 15 minutes dish, I’m sure everyone will love this one.

So let’s get started with the ingredients:

Ingredients

Banana (plantain) peels(I am using peels of 6 bananas)
Water – 1 tbsp.
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp.
Urad daal (white Lentils) – 1 tsp.
3 Dried red chillies (we will be using the flakes).
One curry leaf.
Coconut oil – 3 tsp.
Salt to taste.

Method:

Wash the banana peels and cut them into small pieces.