vankaya pachi pulysu

Ingredients 

1. Bhaigan (vankaya) - 1 lb (about 6 to 7)
2. Green chillies - about 8 (decrease or increase according to taste)
3. Salt - as required
4. Tamarind - medium lemon sized ball
5. Coriander leaves - few
6. Oil - 2 tbsp
7. Seasoning - 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp of jeera, pinch of hing, few curry leaves and red chilli pieces

Method: 

1. Soak tamarind in water for some time and extract juice (pulusu) from it and keep it aside.
2. Wash and cut the bhaigan into pieces. Also slit the green chillies.
3. Heat 1 1/2 tbsp of oil in a pan, add bhaigan, green chillies and cook covered until soft.
4. When cool, grind to a paste.
5. Chop onions into small pieces.
6. Add tamarind extract to the grounded bhaigan. Add chopped onions, salt and mix well.
7. Heat remaining oil in a pan and add the seasoning, when mustard starts to splutter add to the above pulusu.

home made khova

Get the milk boiling, ensure you keep an eye on the milk not spilling over!

Keep stirring.....

After about 45 mins or so, you better simmer the gas to low, but continue to stir. If you have somebody to take in your place, it is good if they can continue to stir! (I know it is hard not to miss the fun at FB, Twitter both of which has that irresistible question .Whats on your mind!or What are you doing? I typed eagerly "Stirring pot of milk!)


Finally the result of hard work or rather sweat, the milk is reduced to khova.

Of course, when I did Palkova in Microwave, it was much simpler as I added the sugar and ghee and stirred constantly. Whereas here it is just milk. And getting the right consistency is more important here as your end result depends on the making of Khova.

Since the secret is out of the bag, I might as well confess that I was embarking on the mission of making Gulab Jamun at home. So water content or the softness of the khova is very important. Do not over cook it after it got reduced.

Remove once you see the milk solids become dense. The khova should be soft and not very hard or crumbly


Homemade Khova or Mava (Unsweetened Mawa)

You need:

Milk - 1 & 1/2 litres
Thick bottom kadai or non - stick pan

Yields - 1 & 1/2 cup or more of Khova


This can be used for Gulab Jamun, Palkova, Carrot Halwa and many more sweets.

basic

Garam Masala Powder

4-5 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
7 peppercorns
1 bayleaf
4 cloves
Ghee

Roast each of the above till they turn aromatic.

Powder to a fine powder using a coffee grinder and use as required.

This will keep well for months in a airtight container.

You can make a larger quantity of this by using the above ingredients in the same ratio.

Chaat Masala Powder

4 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ajwain (thymol) seeds
2-3 whole dry red chillies
3 tbsp black salt crystals1/2 tsp citric acid
1 tbsp dry mango powder (amchoor)
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp white/black pepper (optional)

Roast the first 3 ingredients seperately and powder them with the chillies, black salt and citric acid.

Mix in the remaining ingredients.

Store in an airtight container.

poha konkani

What you need to have:

1. Thin Beaten rice – 1 and 1/2 cup
2. Fresh grated coconut – 1 cup
3. Green chillies – 2
4. Dhania-Jeera powder (fresh) – 2 Teaspoon
5. Lemon juice – 1 Teaspoon
6. Sugar – 1 Teaspoon
7. Salt – as per taste
Ingredients of Seasoning:
1. Mustard seeds – 1 Teaspoon
2. Turmeric powder – 1/2 Teaspoon
3. Curry leaves – 2-3 Strands

Ingredients of Konkani Poha

What you do with what you have:

1. Clean poha and keep it aside. Wash and chop green chillies fine and grate coconut as well and keep aside as shown in image 1.
2. In a wide bowl crush well both the chopped green chillies and salt well and to it add grated coconut from step 1. Also add sugar and mix all the ingredients well with your hands so that it is mixed well the whole mixture turns damp.
3. Place a spatula with 2 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on medium flame. When heated add mustard seeds to it. Once it splutters add turmeric powder, curry leaves and turn off the flame.

Seasoning in progress

4. Pour this seasoning to the coconut mixture from step 3 to it and mix well with your hands so that it releases juice and a nice aroma of all ingredients.

Seasoning added to the coconut mix

5. Finally add required quantity of poha from step 1 to it. Mix well and is ready to serve.

Ready to serve Poha

6. Decorate it with chopped coriander leaves and chopped onions as well which is my all time favorite. One can even enjoy it with any mixture of your choice. Some people enjoy it with curds but without onions !

Ready to serve poha being garnished with onions & coriander leaves

How long it takes: 15 minutes
Number of servings: 2

Good to remember:

1. Please use quality coconut for this dish or else it becomes damp.
2. Please do not use water to make the coconut mix damp. Squeeze the mix well with your hands to mix poha in it.
3. On adding the seasoning to coconut mix one will be able to to squeeze it well since the oil content will help you to crush it well.
4. Adding sugar is a must since it will enhance the flavour of the dish.
5. One can even use tamarind pulp in place of lemon juice. Using tamarind will change the colour of the dish.