Manoli Kadle - Tindora and Chickpeas Cooked in a Coconut Gravy

Manoli is basically Kovakka or Tindora. Kadle represents the chickpeas. This is a recipe from the Indian town of Mangalore. Mangalore has its unique recipes and flavours. It very closely resembles the Kerala Cuisine due to it border. I have tried a few recipes lately and have loved all of them.

Adapted from here

Carrot Pallya - Stir Fried Carrot

I made a Beans Pallya a few months ago. It was an instant hit in our house. Though the flavours are quite similar to the Thoran we make, there were some small differences which attracted us to this dish.

So I decided to go ahead and make a similar dish with carrots. This was an even bigger hit. Must try recipe!

Aloo Gobi Ghasi

This is a recipe that I learnt from Tarla Dalal. I used to make it often a few years ago and then I stopped making it. I remembered it recently and tried again. We really loved it.



Ingredients

Cauliflower Florets 2-3 cups
Potato 1 big
Peas 1/2 cup
Coconut milk 1 cup

To make paste

Onions 1 big
Coconut 3/4 cup
Red Chillies 2-3
Coriander seeds 2 tsp
Mustard 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds 1/8 tsp
Cumin 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon 1 inch piece
Pepper 4
Clove 2
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Tamarind 1/2 tsp

Oil and salt to taste



Method of Preparation

1. Microwave the cauliflower florets and keep aside.

2. Boil the potatoes or microwave them. Peal and chop. Keep aside.

3. Microwave the frozen peas for a few minutes.

4. Heat oil in a pan. Add the onions. Saute till it becomes translucent.

5. Add the rest of the ingredients except turmeric and tamarind. Saute till it is all roasted well.

6. Add to a mixie along with turmeric and tamarind. Grind into a smooth paste.

7. Add the cauliflower, potatoes and peas to the pan. Add the ground masala, salt and some water (1 cup). Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes.

8. Add the coconut milk and simmer for some more time.

Serve with roti or rice. 

Vali Ambat - Spinach and toor dal in a coconut gravy

My mom prepares spinach with coconut and green chilli gravy with toor dal. In Kerala, it is also prepared as a dry subzi with coconut. I have tried other variations as well.

Hariyali Dal
Spinach with peanuts
Spinach Moong Dal Fry - my favourite

Spinach Kofta

Palak Paneer
Rajma Palak
Aloo Palak

Today I present to you yet another Spinach Dish from the Konkan region.



Recipe from here

Ingredients (Serves 6)

Spinach 500 gm

Onions 1
Tomato 2
Toor Dal 1 cup
Water 4 cups

For paste
Coconut 1.5 cups
Red Chilli 4
Tamarind paste 1 tsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Tempering
Onions 1
Curry leaves few

Method of Preparation



1. Add toor dal directly to a pressure cooker. Add water.

2. Chop the spinach, onions and tomato. Add to the dal. (I switched the gas on after adding onions, tomato and dal. Added spinach in and kept stirring as I was chopping. This way it got wilted a little and I was able to put all the spinach in).

3. Close cooker and pressure cook for a few whistles till everything is cooked (the number basically depends on how quickly your toor dal cooks. Mine needs atleast 5-6 whistles usually. So I did the same number now).

4. In a pan, heat a little oil. Add the red chillies and fry for a minute. Transfer to the mixie.

5. Add coconut, tamarind and turmeric. Grind into a smooth paste adding enough water (little at a time).

6. Add the coconut paste and salt to the cooker. Simmer for some time.

7. In the mean while, in the same pan and oil used to chillies, add the other onions finely chopped along with the curry leaves. Saute till it is nicely browned.

8. Add to the dish at the end.

You can serve this as a soup or with roti or rice.

Runner Beans Pallya

Its quite funny how I ended up making this dish. As you might remember me saying, I have decided to make dishes that I have not eaten before, from other regions of India. On such a quest, I found recipes which are called Pallya from Karnataka. The name kind of sounded cute. I made this. After a couple of days, I met a friend from Karnataka and asked her what exactly is a Pallya. She said Pallya means side dish (Bhaji). I could not believe I just made a dish named Beans Bhaji.. Well, it was not the same as what we make. We totally loved this variation.



Ingredients

Runner Beans (Avarakka) - 750gm
Onions 2 big finely chopped
Mustard 1/2 tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
Curry leaf few
Jaggery 1 tsp

For coarse paste
Coconut 1 cup
Red chilli 3 (more for spicy version)
Tamarind 1 tsp
Turmeric 1 tsp
Mustard 1 tsp

Method of Preparation

1. Chop the beans and add to a microwave safe bowl. Steam for 15-20 min till it is well cooked.

2. Add coconut, red chilli, tamarind, turmeric and mustard to a mixie. Give it a quick pulse to make a coarse paste.

3. In a pan heat some oil. Add the mustard. When it sputters, add urad dal. When it starts to brown, add curry leaves.

4. Add chopped onions and saute till it is nicely browned.

5. Add the ground paste. Mix well. Saute for a couple of minutes.

6. Add the steamed beans, jaggery and salt. Mix well.

7. Cook in a slow flame for a few more minutes.

Serve with warm roti or rice.

Black Eyed Peas Curry - Konkani Style

Black eyed peas is not one of my favourites. I somehow do not like the smell of the lentil. This one was a good dish and I did not quite mind making and eating it.



Ingredients

Urad dal 2 tbsp
Coriander seeds 2 tbsp
Cumin 1/2 tbsp
Coconut 1.5 cups
Red chilli 4
Garlic 8 pods
Tamarind paste 1 tsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Hing a little

Black eyed peas 2 cups (dried)
Onion 1

Oil and salt to taste

Method of preparation

1.  Soak the peas overnight and pressure cook till it is cooked but noy mushy. It cooked in 2 whistles for me.

2. In a pot, add a little oil. Add the urad dal.

3. When it starts to brown add the coriander, cumin, red chilli, garlic and coconut.

4. Roast for a little bit more. Switch off and let it cool.

5. Grind into a smooth paste adding a little water. You can use the cooking water from the peas for this.

6. In the same pot, heat some more oil. Add sliced onions. Sauté till it is slightly browned.

7. Add the ground paste. Sauté for a few minutes.

8. Add the cooked peas and some cooking water (as required).

9. Bring to boil and simmer for some time.

Serve with rice or a side for roti. 

Coastal Indian Channa Masala

Coastal India has a unique blend of spices. Coriander, Cumin, Fenugreek, Red chillies, Curry leaves and Coconut combine to give the dishes its unique taste. I was watching a show the other day and chef Madhur Jaffrey was talking about spices. I totally agree with her about how walking into a kitchen you will know if it is a south indian one or a north indian one. The smell is unique.

I have tried to capture the essence of Coastal South Indian flavours in this dish. Serve it with rice, appam, idiyappam, parota or even rotis.



Ingredients

Coriander seeds (malli) 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds (jeera) 1 tbsp
Dry Red Chillies (Vatta Molaga) 2
Fenugreek seeds (Medayam) 1/2 tsp

Coconut 3/4 cup
Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Onions 2
Tomato 2
Garlic 2 pods
Curry Leaf few

Dry Chickpeas 2 cups

Thick Coconut Milk 1 cup

Method of Preparation

1. Soak Chickpeas overnight and then pressure cook till it is cooked and has its shape.

2. Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin, red chillies and fenugreek seeds. Add to a mixie.

3. Add the coconut and turmeric. Grind into a smooth paste adding enough water. Keep aside.

4. Heat oil in a pan. Add curry leaves, onions and garlic. Saute till the onion browns.

5. Add chopped tomato and cook till it is well cooked. Add a little water if it starts to stick to the bottom.

6. Add the coconut paste and cook for 5 more minutes. Keep stirring.

7. Add the chickpeas along with the cooking water as required to make a thick gravy. Simmer for a few minutes.

8. Add the coconut milk and salt. Mix well and simmer for a couple more minutes.

Serve with roti or rice.