Panak/ Jaggery Drink

Panak is usually prepared during Ram Navami. But can quench your thirst during any hot day. I made this during Ganapati Festival and completely missed to post the recipe. 

When I look back the memories I have with this panak is going to Ram Navami Puja at Rama Mandir in Thirthahalli with all my cousins in the evening. After the puja a very simple phalahar was served. Cucumber Pachadi, Sakre Bale Hannu and Panak. This was served any number of time one wants. Mouth watering dishes. All are my favorite.

Upkari

Upkari in konkani is typically stir fry. A very simple stir fry made with few ingredients and practically with any veggies makes upkari very unique. Basic ingredients remains the same but what enhances the flavor in this dish is the vegetable. Mix and match vegetables or just make it with only one. My husband is a big fan of any upkari and so am I. Our daughter does not like spicy food so upkari and dalithoy keeps her happy too :-) My non-konkani friends have wondered always how can only red chillies, mustard seeds and curry leaves make a stir fry tasty. I guess it's our inherited konkani specific tastebuds. Same reaction goes to even dalithoy ! But we have few friends who are a fan of dalithoy and call it as comfort food !

But sometimes I make a little bit of changes when I make brussel sprouts or broccoli. I have posted the recipes for each of the upkari separately too.

Choodi Puja - A GSB Tradition

A very unique and beautiful tradition of GSB community is Choodi Pooja. Celebrated by all married girls along with all other married family members in the month of Shravana Maasa. Shravana Maasa for Year 2015 started on 08/16/2015. Shravana Maasa by itself is considered a very auspicious month lined up with festivals. Starting with Naga Panchami (Nag Panchami) until Nopi (Ananta Chaturdashi) this month is filled with relatives, festivals and of course yummy food :-). But for women of GSB Community the festival of Shravana Maasa starts on Chudi Pooja.

It's widely known fact that a tulsi plant has medicinal properties capable of purifying the surroundings.Chudis are the tiny bouquets of flowers like red Ratnagandhi and yellow Mithayi flowers with durva grass. While praying,Surya is also prayed. This is typically a puja of both Tulsi and Surya.  There are no mantras and no shlokas but the married ladies alone can perform this pooja.

Chudi Pooja is observed on every Friday and Sunday. The tradition which we follow on Fridays is after taking bath (hair washing is a must), lighting diya at the pooja room, performing tulsi puja.  We can have breakfast only after the pooja is done. strictly no onion no garlic for the entire day and Sundays are lenient. Hair wash, onion, garlic are completely personal choice but pooja before eating food remains the same.

Panchakajjaya or mere jaggery and poha, hurikadale can be offered as Naivedyam. Once the puja is over, the chudis will be given to married ladies, seeking blessings from elderly women.  Among the married ladies, those who are close in relation but live in a different city are remembered and chudi will be sent by mail with a little kumkum. The recipient will send a similar chudi with her blessings.

During the first year of marriage this is usually celebrated both at in-laws and also at mom’s place inviting the closest relatives. This tradition is a link between younger and older generation people.

Chudi is a tiny bouquet of herbal and wild flowers tied with yarn of plantain tree called vaayu. Traditionally the flowers used in preparing chudis are :

Rathnagandhi (which is also known as Sanjeevini)

Chirdo
Rathaphool
Kanagani phool
Mithaiphool
Shankpushp
Dibrankur (Durva grass)

But  due to non availability of these flowers the ladies in the Gowd Saraswath Brahmin community do scout for local varieties of flowers. Women make nine chudis and gives it to the other women in her family or locality.

Poddale Beeye Sanna Polo

I recently posted a recipe for Poddale Dalithoy. The poddale was so fresh and tender I saved the seeds to make sanna polo. I wonder how people of our ancient generation made use of all most everything in a vegetable. This sanna polo is called Poddale Beeye Sanna Polo.

A very unique to konkani community sanna polo is a spicy dosa which is eaten as a side dish with rice and gravy. This dosa can be made with kirlu, cabbage, onion, poddale seeds etc. To make this dosa you need to have tender (tarne in konkani) snake gourd. The seeds have to be slightly crushed in mortar and pestle.

The seeds being tender is a must in this process. To check and make sure the seeds are tender just deseed them and hold it at one end and press it. The seed should easily get mashed. If the seed is not tender it will pop out from the other side.

If you see my picture closely, you will notice greenish seeds in it. That's how the texture should be of seeds in batter. This will give a crunchy taste to both seeds and dosa when you fry it on tava. Completely mashing the seeds in mixer with batter may not make the dosa taste different.

Sponge Dosa

This dosa is very similar to Surnali. Fluffy and Spongy. The look is very similar to set dosa. I have tried to get the recipe for very authentic set dosa which we get in Bangalore but I have still not got satisfactory results.

This dosa has to been taken thick like surnali and if the batter is fermented well, the dosa comes out very soft. I have used laayi or malar is what it is called. It is one form of popped rice which is widely used in coastal India. This is typically used in making prasads during any pujas. Sweet popped rice and spicy popped rice are always prepared on Krishna Janmashtami at my mum's place. That reminds me I need to post about choodi puja :-) I was always looking for malar in Sunnyvale but never found it until my recent visit to Coconut Hill. We don't visit that store regularly but if I need anything very specific to coastal specifc I surely check that store. Henceforth I know I will stop by that store frequently to buy malar. What I liked the most is the quantity. The pack I picked up is of 2 Lbs and a perfect quantity for my usage.

Poddale Dalithoy/ Snake Gourd Dal

The main source of protein in our diet is from Dal or lenthils. The go to dal for me is Toor Dal which is also called as Pigeon Dal. It not only is nutritious but also enhances the flavor even when I make authentic Dalithoy. Any Konkani Food Blogger will feel their blog incomplete if they do not post the recipe for Dalithoy. Mine is incomplete too :-)

Whenever I go to India I scribble down recipes in a book from my in-laws and aunts. This recipe is from my Aunt and I made a note of this may be more than 3 years back. She served me this dal when we went to have dinner at her place. I immediately asked her for the recipe. 

The best part of this dal is this will serve as a gravy for rice and also will have poddale pieces in it. So any lazy day I honestly prefer making this. I will not have to feel guilty I havent served my family veggies. Lastly this is delicious too !

Ponasa Patholi

One of the delicacy and very unique during jackfruit season. Jackfruit ground with rice and then steamed in turmeric leaves has a fantastic taste ! I did not have turmeric leaves so I steamed it in banana leaves. Let be turmeric or banana leaves we enjoyed it. First time for my daughter and she loved it :-)

Patholi is a delicacy in Konkan and Goan Communities. Konkani, Goan and Kerala people use coconut in almost all their food preparation. These places are located at coastal regions where coconut is grown in abundance. This is prepared without jackfruit too.

My maternal Uncle loved to have this with ghee on top and dip it into honey. I love it with honey too!

Urad - Moong Dosa/ Udid-Mooga Polo

Recently I wrote a brief note on upvasa khana. This recipe is my first contribution to that new section.


I prepared this dosa last month on Ekadashi day. This is a simple dosa to prepare as the batter does not need fermenting. Serve it with butter or homemade fresh "loni" with any simple chutney. 

Gowri/Ganapathi Festival

Happy Gowri Ganapathi to all my readers!

We dont have the tradition of Gowri/Ganapathi at my in-laws. We of course celebrate it but the tradition of vaina (gowri) and getting ganapathi home is not followed. But my maternal grandmother's house still follows both the days. They observe Gowri at home and Ganapathi with family as a whole in one of the konkani temple in Thirthahalli. I enjoyed both the days all my childhood. Buying new glass bangles for Gowri was so exciting. But unfortunately never tried to jot down about the steps or take any pictures. Thanks to Whatsapp by uncle shared few pictures this time.

Adgai/ Young (Green) Jackfruit Pickle

Adgai is a pickle prepared with young jackfruit or green jackfruit. We call green jackfruit as Kadgi in Konkani. There are many dishes which we make with young jackfruit like kadgi uppat, kadgi phodi, kadgi upkari, kadgi chakko etc. Out of all chakko is yummylicious !

Adgai is unlike other traditional pickle. Adgai does not have a very long shelf life. Though there is no coconut used in it it wont last longer than 2-3 weeks only if refrigerated. The initial step to make this pickle to boil raw mangoes and green jackfruit in boiling water. I am assuming the water content is what makes the shelf life shorter. However this is a very tasty pickle and our friends really loved it. Goes very well sheeth, dalithoy or even panna polo. 

Though raw mango definitely adds flavor I have made it without mangoes when mangoes are not in season. The key is to put right amount of spices and also frying it without letting it burn. The only pickle I prepared so far is adgai :-)...the other two were raw mango and also lime but I just bought the ready powder and mixed it according to steps mentioned. So I really wont say i have made pickles at home !

Steamed Jackfruit Idly/Ponasa Muddo

This year we have been very regular in buying fresh jackfruit from Ranch. They were very sweet and fresh. My husband being a very big fan of jackfruit we totally relish it every time we get it. For Sutta Punav I had to make something for dessert and I decided to go with Ponasa Muddo.

I have prepared these before but when I was new to this place I was not aware Ranch carries fresh jackfruits in season. I always got canned ones. Though it came out very well the taste we get when we make with fresh ones is different.

With the same batter we can make  mulik. Mulik is a deep fried version. But because we like muddo more I make it more often than mulik. Because I do not have the traditional pedavena, I steam these in my idly cooker. Except for the shape there was no difference.

Sutta Punav

Sutta Punav one of the very important and auspicious day for Konkani Community is on August 29 2015. On this day all the men at home who have had Brahmopadesham (thread ceremony) will have to change their thread and wear a new one. This can be done at temple or even at home in front of family deity. It is a renewal of sacred thread and the thread is called Jannuve in Konkani.

I have read its a misconception that only Brahmins wear thread. Even Kshatriyas and Vysyas wear it. I came across a very interesting article which mentioned "Ancient scriptures say: “The sacrificial thread of a Brahmin must be made of cotton, so as to be put on over his head in three strings; that of a Kshatriya of sana thread only; that of a Vaisya of woollen thread.”

Usually unmarried men wear one with three threads in it and married men wear two with three threads in each. I recently learnt one is for wife. I was surprised to read in ancient days even women wore it and did sandhya rites. I am not sure why women had to stop this practice. This needs to be worn on left shoulder which hangs towards right.

Kashi Halwa - Winter Melon Sweet

Sinfully delicious is what I would say for this dessert ! So easy to prepare. Just a few grated melons is what we need. Rest of the ingredients will be easily available in your pantry. Both my husband and I are so addicted to this dish. 

This dish is originated from Karnataka and I am still not very sure why is it named as Kashi Halwa.This is a must in ceremonies at Mangalore, usually served for breakfast. This is the third time in row I have made for any occasion which calls a dessert or sweet dish. My ninja food processor does a wonderful job in grating the melons and it's a cakewalk for me to make this. The only drawback of this is (which I truly dislike) is the quantity shrinks greatly. Two large pieces of melon is what I used today and the final dish can be served to 3-4 people. Must say the serving portion can not be generous if you want to squeeze in more people for this quantity. 

The version I have made is with sugar. But I very clearly remember my grandmother making it with jaggery and would call it a healthier version. I really did not understand at that age jaggery is better than sugar. However I like both the version and next time I make it with jaggery I will surely post the pictures.

I have not added any color. I do not add colors to food, I can say I do not have any at all. The golden color is due to continuous stirring on very low setting and kesar (saffron). I love the golden color it gives to halwa or even kesari bath.

Nagarapanchami

Nagarpanchami can be considered as a second festival of Shravana Maasa. I am considering Chudi Puja as the first one. Though it is celebrated for the whole of this month when done with family members its no less than a festival.

From what I have understood from my in laws and of course through google, Nagarapanchami usually falls on the 5th day of Shravana Maasa. Due to difference in Panchang people may celebrate on two different days. To avoid any confusion I have made a practice to follow on the same day as at my in laws in Mangalore.

It is believed that Nagadevu  should be worshipped in the traditional place of worship. So devotees offer worship before the stone images of the Nag Devtha in temples.I grew up watching this puja done to particular stone image which was placed under a tree behind our house. When asked why that Nagadevu can not be brought home, my grandmother told me we can not keep Nagadevu stone image at home.

On this day serpent god is worshipped with ghee, milk, sugar, honey, and tender coconut. On this day the serpents are expected to come out of thier holes. Worshipping them with milk, tender coconut, turmeric, flowers, and honey are considered good. My mother in law has always made the puja by offering tender coconut.

Places such as Subrahmanya in Sullia, Kudupi in Mangalore, Kalavar in Kundapur, and Manjeshwar in Kasargod attract a large number of devotees on Nag Panchami. Kudupi in Mangalore is a place we dont miss visiting whenever we visit India.

Though Nagarpanchami puja is done in temples there are certain rituals followed at home. Obviously avoiding onion and garlic is on top of the list. We do not make a tadka of chillies. It is believed the spice created from hot oil and chillies are not good for nagadevu. We typically make something grinding red chillies and a tadka of only mustard seeds and curry leaves. Or make something which does not need any tadka. I usually prefer making batata hinga udda or ghashi which calls for simple tadka. Chappi Kheeri and patoli is made religiously on this day back home. Unfortunately I have never found turmeric leaves here. The ones in my pot are still sprouting. So I decided to make khashi halwa ( kuvvale in konkani and winter melon in english).

Its been ages I have not been present in my hometown Thirthahalli or in Mangalore during this festival and thus I do not have any picture for this day. I still wanted to write about this as a record of what our ancestor Sampradaya’s are. There are tons of recipes and also rituals which are forgotten. This is my humble effort of jotting down of our tradition.

Konkani Sampradaya/Tradition

Until I completed my 12th grade or 2nd PUC is what it used to be, I grew up in a joint family. A very big and 70 year old house with 14 people living in it is how I remember my childhood. Memories of my maternal grandmother, 3 uncles and their families, then 3rd generation (which I belong to) are a lifetime treasure to me. In the midst of love affection and complexity of living in such a big family I have enjoyed every festival of our community. My grandmother, a woman with such a beautiful heart though not very rigid with tradition, celebrated, rather I would say kept all our tradition/sampradaya alive for many years. Blame it to my childhood, innocence or ignorance I did not record any of what was done at our house. When I got married I stepped into a house, where everyone are equally traditional yet modern people. All the festivals are celebrated with no compulsion. 

Tamarind Gojju

Its been few weeks I posted the recipe for Huggi. Huggi is incomplete without this tamarind gojju. Its very tangy with a touch of jaggery and is a must accompaniment for rice dish like huggi or pongal. Huggi is very similar to pongal and I grew up eating it with sprinkling coconut oil on top and couple of tablespoons of this gojju. We would not eat huggi without this gojju. When I first made this for my husband he loved it. 

Wheat Flour Halwa

Let me warn you this is rich both in ghee and sugar. It is very appetising to me. I have always relished it to the fullest. I have seen people in love with it like myself, my mom and daughter ! You can call it heridity ;) and my husband just not a fan of this halwa. During our recent trip to India I learnt my cousin does not like it either. So there are few who may not like the amount of ghee it calls for.

My aunt is an expert in cooking and this was her go to "instant sweet" when we craved for dessert as kids. I wonder how could she make this as her "go to" dish. May be this is what is passion. According to me this is time consuming and need a lot of patience. I wont deny I have thoroughly enjoyed cooking and eating this. I was always told this sweet dish orginated from a very famous hotel called Taj Mahal in Karkala Town. There are different versions or may be same as this all over India but for me this will always be "karakala halwa". 

Huggi

This is my grandmother's signature dish. I can probably never match the taste with what she prepared during my childhood.

This is very similar to pongal which is prepared in Bangalore/Tamil Nadu with moong dal and rice. A one pot meal. Can be served with tamarind chutney. Thats how I grew up eating and even now its a must for my husband. He will not eat Huggi without the chutney. Tangy taste with a tinge of jaggery makes it drool worthy.

Surnali / Dosa

Surnali is a very simple dosa. With just very few ingredients you can have spongy dosas for breakfast. I feel this is a very versatile batter. We can add jaggery and make sweet dosas or just make regular ones and serve with chutney. You can even add cucumber or magge (mangalore sautekayi) to it. If you are adding cucumber it is better to avoid adding poha. Adding both will make the dosa too soft.

Magge is a special cucumber which is called as Mangalore Sautekayi in Bangalore. I am not sure if this is used across India or if this is a South Indian specific vegetable. I remember my Uncle growing this in his farm. This has a longer shelf life and we use this only in different types of gravy and dosas. We do not eat this raw.

Bamboo Shoot in Coconut Paste/Kirla Sukke

We used to often have bamboo shoot while in Thirthahalli. After I moved to Bangalore it drastically decreased. I don't remember seeing any store which had bamboo shoot. When I saw this in Japanese market I was really very happy and the very thought of eating it was just mouth watering ;). I immediately bought few of them and prepared couple of items. We call it as Kirlu in konkani. Try it out with rice and dalitoy. Simply amazing !

Fresh bamboo shoot are available from late November to May. But canned once are way too handy and is available during anytime of the year and in various sizes and shapes. When I bought fresh ones, I peeled them, cut and store it in a air tight container with salt. But I omit this process when I buy canned. Usually canned vegetables are already pickled, soft and tender. Adjust salt according to which bamboo shoot you use.