Malwani Kala Watana Amti (Traditional black peas curry)

'Kala Watana' or black peas is my favorite vegetarian delicacy from Malwan - a coastal town in Maharashtra. It is a roasted coconut based mildly spiced curry typically had with 'amboli' - a thick slightly sour pancake made out of rice flour.

Black peas are not to be confused with black chickpeas that are easily available in the indian grocery stores in the US. Till date, I have not found these in any of the regular or specialty stores that I have been to. But being a fan, I always get black peas from India.
That being said, who is to say that you cannot make this dish if you don't have access to black peas. Go ahead and make these with any beans that hold shape really well, like black or green chickpeas.

'Kala watana' are much harder than your regular peas and hence hold shape really well even when cooked for longer periods.
The masala (Bhajani) I use in this recipe is the traditional malwani masala that we usually use in our meat curries at home. The addition of cashewnuts is again very authentic to this curry, so try not to skip these. I am sure you will love it!

Let us get to the recipe...
I have divided this recipe into three parts for easier reference. First part is the pre-preparation, then details on how to go about making your masala and the last part discusses the curry preparation.

Source: Aai
Level: Medium
Serves: 5 - 6 people

Ingredients:
Part 1 - Pre-preparation:
1.5 cups black peas
4 cups water

Method:
Step 1 - Wash the black peas thoroughly under running water. Soak these under 4 cups of water or till the black peas are well submerged and leave them to plump up for a good 6 - 7 hours. Once done, drain the black peas and use them in your curry or keep them in a vacuum sealed box in your refrigerator if you do not plan to use it immediately. They stay well for 2 - 3 days.

Part 2 - Bhajani (1 portion)
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut OR 1/4 cup dry grated coconut
3/4 cup onions, roughly chopped
7 peppercorns
4 cloves
1.5 inch cinnamon stick
2 tsp coriander seeds
1.5 tsp poppy seeds
1 tblsp oil

Method:
Step 1 - In a flat pan, on medium heat add  the peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds and poppy seeds. Dry roast these spices till the coriander seeds and poppy seeds turn brownish. Take them off the pan and place them in a plate to cool off.

Step 2 - In the same pan, heat 1 tblsp oil. Add the onions and stir fry continuously on medium-high heat till they turn brown all over.

Step 3 - Once the onions get properly browned, turn the heat down to medium and add the grated coconut and saute continuously till the whole mixture gets a deep brown color. Do not let this mixture burn. Add the spices from Step 1. Mix everything together for a minute and remove this mixture onto a plate to cool down.

Step 4 - Grind this mixture in a blender with as little water as needed to form a smooth paste.

This is your basic 'Bhajani' or Coastal Masala !

Tips: The color of your curry is dependent on the color of this bhajani mixture. So make sure you roast the ingredients really well.

Ingredients:
Part 3 - Black peas curry:
Soaked black peas (instructions above)
1 portion Bhajani (recipe above)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tblsp broken cashewnuts
1.5 tblsp oil
3/4 tsp mustard seeds
2 pinches asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilly powder, or to taste
3/4 tsp jaggery
1 tsp concentrated tamarind pulp
Salt to taste
Coriander to decorate

Method:
Step 1 - Heat oil in a pressure pan. Add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the asafoetida, turmeric powder, cashewnuts and onions. Saute till the onions turn transparent.

Step 2 - Add the red chilly powder. Saute well. As we have used less oil, your spices might start burning. Sprinkle some water into your pan if needed, to prevent the burning.

Step 3 - Add the soaked black peas, bhajani paste and 3/4 cup of water. Mix well and saute for 5 - 6 mins. Add the jaggery and tamarind pulp. Mix again. Then add enough water till all the peas are a just below the liquid. Mix well and pressure cook for 2 whistles or till the peas are well cooked. Do not overcook the peas. The peas should be easy to crush when pressed, but should not break easily when you just stir them around a little. Adjust the taste and consistency as desired at this point. The curry needs to be spicy with a very slight hint of sweet (jaggery) and sour (tamarind). Decorate with coriander leaves.

Serve piping hot with some 'ambolis' or steamed rice. Heaven!
I usually make pancakes (thick dosas) using store bought idli batter to make pseudo 'ambolis'. They serve the purpose well.

Hope this recipe brings a little Malwan into your homes.

Sol Kadhi

'Sol kadhi bhaat and bazlela masa' - 'sol kadhi' rice with fried fish, is a dream menu of mine. Needless to say, it a regular at my home. A must have when I visit my parents back home. 

'Sol kadhi' is a digestive drink with it's roots in coastal Maharashtra. Quick to make, 'sol kadhi' is a perfect appetizer for those hot summer days.

'Sol' refers to 'Kokum' or 'Amsool'. It comes from a fruit bearing tree called Garcinia indica. The fruit from this tree is dried in the sun to get 'kokum'. It is used as the primary souring agent in Maharashtrian coastal foods. Tamarind, though not so common even now, is a recent replacement.

You really have to taste an authentic 'sol kadhi' before you try this recipe out. You cannot jump in blind here as every ingredient is to taste and has different levels of flavor in different regions. 

It is easy to get your hands on fresh coconut and 'kokum' in India. Making 'sol kadhi' is always convenient there. But trust me you can make an almost authentic 'sol kadhi', even when you do not have access to a few fresh ingredients. Let me make this simpler.. If you get your hands on some dry 'kokum', you are good to go.

Before we start, even if you think the 'sol kadhi' that we make in India is a little more tedious and time consuming, remember that there is a reason why it tastes so great! So do take that little extra effort in straining fresh coconut milk. The color of the 'sol kadhi' depends on the 'kokum' quality. Poor quality will give you a fainter pink. Do not fuss too much over it. It will still taste the same. 

Let me share my secrets to making a great 'sol kadhi' in India and beyond!

Source: My family

Level: Easy

Serves: 2 - 3 people

Ingredients (When NOT in India):

250 ml coconut milk, details below

10 - 12 dry kokum, details below

1 cup water, or as required.

5 - 6 garlic cloves

2 green chillies

Salt to taste

Coriander for decoration

Method:

Step 1 - In a small pot, add 3/4 cup of water and the dry kokum. Start heating the pot and let this mixture boil for a good 5 - 6 mins. Turn off heat and leave it aside to cool. 

Step 2 - Drain the water and keep this water for later use. Also, grind the cooked kokums till they form a rough paste. Keep this aside too.

Step 3 - Grind together the garlic cloves and green chillies with a little water till it forms a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Step 4 -  Now we are all set. In a larger bowl, pour in the coconut milk. Pour in the kokum water from step 2, garlic-green chilly paste and salt. Mix well. Start tasting the kadhi. If you find your sol kadhi a little less sour, start adding the ground kokums from step 2. Keep adding and mixing till you get your desired sourness. Always remember that the kokums will keep making your kadhi more sour over time. So do not add too much if you plan to consume the sol kadhi at a later time.

Step 5 - Once all the flavor is adjusted, strain the sol kadhi. Decorate with chopped coriander and refrigerate till you want to serve it. If you plan to indulge with rice, I would suggest getting the sol kadhi down to room temparature.

Tips: 
Sol Kadhi is usually of a very thin watery consistency. So adjust water as desired.

Coconut milk - Usually we do not have access to freshly grated coconut outside India. Using frozen freshly grated coconut according to me, compromises the taste. I found Aroy-D to be the only brand from all those I have tried, which claims to be 100% pure coconut milk (no preservatives). You should easily find these in the Asian markets. That being said, I have made sol kadhi with canned coconut milk and also with coconut milk powder before I met Aroy-D. Small compromises on the taste.

Kokum - These quantities are for the not-so-great kokums we get in Indian stores in the US. 

Now, moving on to perfection...

Ingredients (When IN India):

1 small coconut, freshly grated

5 - 6 kokum, details below

Water as needed

5 - 6 garlic cloves

2 green chillies

Salt to taste

Coriander for decoration

Method:

Step 1 - In a large blender bowl, grind together the coconut, garlic and green chillies. Add 1.5 cups of warm water. Grind for a good 3 - 4 mins. Strain the coconut through a fine mesh and squeeze out the fresh coconut milk. Keep this thick coconut milk aside. This will be your first extract.

Step 2 - Now for the second extract, add back the squeezed out coconut into the blender bowl. Add 3/4 cup warm water and grind it for 2 - 3 mins. Strain the coconut again through a fine mesh to squeeze out the coconut milk. Add this to the thicker coconut milk from step 1.

Step 3 - To the coconut milk, add salt and decorate with coriander. Refrigerate till you want to serve. If you plan to indulge with rice, I would suggest getting the sol kadhi down to room temperature before you serve it.

Tips: 
Sol Kadhi is usually of a very thin watery consistency. So adjust water as desired.

The kokum used here is the good quality kokum that you get in India. 

Indulge by itself or with some hot steamed rice!
Hope you enjoy making this recipe.  Happy cooking everyone!

Notes:
I have heard of people giving a cumin seeds tadka to the prepared sol kadhi before serving. Feel free to try that, but that is not how any of my family members prepare this drink. Just sayin...

Adding a little food color into the sol kadhi to look glamorous..is according to me an absolute NO NO! Authentic sol kadhi has no ingredients that will make it look shocking pink like it does in restaurants!

Batata Kaalvan (Potato Curry) CKP Style

For everybody who do not understand why fish curries rock!

As my husband does not eat fish and I can't stop eating them, we are almost always in a fix as we have to prepare two separate meals whenever I get my hands on some fresh fish. I also do feel a little bad that he misses out on the amazing curries that fish are cooked in.
The recipe I am sharing today is exactly how fish curry is made at my husband's home. We just replace the fish with potatoes, so 'anti-fishitarians' can have a good time, while we gobble down on our fishy meals.

Do give it a try on a cold winter night, cuddled up in a comfy chair with a large bowl of some hot steamed rice and this amazingly flavorful curry. Trust me this recipe is a keeper.

So here is how we make it!

Level: Easy
Serves: 4 people
Source: MIL (Nita Pradhan)

Ingredients:
3 large potatoes
4 - 5 garlic cloves, crushed
3 pinches asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1.5 tsp red chilly powder
1.5 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tsp tamarind pulp (or to taste)
1/2 cup fresh coconut
4 tsp oil
Water as required
Salt to taste
Coriander to decorate

Method:
Step 1 - Cut the potatoes into even thin slices and then cut them into medium pieces. Place the cut potatoes in water till you are ready to use them. This will prevent discoloration. Grind the coconut with 1/4 cup water to form a smooth paste.

Step 2 - Heat oil in a pot and add crushed garlic in it. Saute till the garlic turns golden. Add the asafoetida and stir it for a few seconds.

Step 3 - Add the drained sliced potatoes and stir them well till all the potatoes are coated with the garlic oil. Add the turmeric powder, red chilly powder and ginger garlic paste. Stir well for 5 - 10 mins till you see oil in the sides of the pot.

Step 4 - Add enough water till it is 1/4 inch above the potatoes. Stir for a minute. Cover the pot with a lid and let the potatoes cook on medium-low heat for 5 - 7 mins till they are almost done. Keep stirring occasionally.

Step 5 - When the potatoes are 90% cooked, add salt, tamarind pulp and coconut paste from Step 1. Adjust the taste of the curry as per your liking (mostly for red chilly powder and tamarind pulp). Boil the curry for 2 more minutes till the potatoes are cooked through. Decorate with coriander and we are done!

Serve hot with some steamed rice. Indulge!

Tips:
You can chop the potatoes in any shape you prefer. Just make sure they are even, so they all cook at the same time.

Do not add tamarind pulp until the potatoes are almost cooked. Adding tamarind to uncooked potatoes prolongs the cooking time.

CKP Ambat Varan

'Daals' have been an integral part of all Indian homes. But isn't it boring to have the same daals over and over again? Even slight variations can do wonders in brightening up simple meals. Over time my friends have been kind enough to share their family recipes with me. But before I share many of their exciting variations, let me share a few family recipes I haven't yet shared with all of you.

Having shared our basic daal - 'Varan' and my mom's version of 'Ambat Varan', it was about time I shared my MIL's version of the 'Ambat Varan'.
As my husband's job keeps him on the road for days at a time, he is always welcomed home to this ambat varan and a simple sabzi. Even if he reaches home at 2am or 3am in the morning, this is what he will eat before going to bed. Needless to say, this is his favorite 'daal' of all times (as he would put it).

Just like most of the daals, this one is ready really quickly and has a lovely garlic flavor. So for all you garlic lovers out there, this one will hit all the right spots!

Level: Easy
Serves: 4 people
Source: MIL - Nita Pradhan

Ingredients:
1 cup tur dal
2 pinch asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3/4 tsp red chilly powder
1.5 tsp jaggery
1 tsp tamarind pulp
1/2 cup coriander, lightly packed and chopped
1.5 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
6 - 8 garlic pods, chopped
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:
Step 1 - In a pressure pan, Add the washed tur dal and 2 cups of water. Add a pinch of asafoetida, turmeric powder and red chilly powder. Pressure cook for 3 - 4 whistles or till the dal is overcooked and completely mashable.

Step 2 - Once the pressure is released, open the pressure pan and mash all the dal till it is smooth and pasty. Add water till the dal reaches a watery consistency. Add jaggery, tamarind pulp and half of the chopped coriander. Bring the mixture to a boil on medium heat. Let it boil for a good 10 - 12 minutes or till it reaches your desired thickness. If you want to, this would be the right time to adjust the red chilly powder, jaggery and tamarind based on your personal preference.

Step 3 - Heat oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add another pinch of asafoetida and the garlic pods. Saute the garlic till they turn brown. Pour this flavored oil into your boiling dal and let everything boil together for 3 - 4 more minutes.

Sprinkle the remaining coriander just before serving. Serve piping hot with some steamed rice and a dollop of ghee. Perfect!

Brahmani Ambat Varan (Tangy Dal)

Time flies! The little sister in law who was always excitedly helping me with my cooking experiments is living on her own away from home. Now she has requested me to put up some simple recipes for her on my blog so she and her friends can have some fun cooking them! So the next few posts are a few of her favorite things that I will be sharing with all of you.

One of the simplest things I know she likes is this daal I make very regularly at home. Whenever she comes down to spend time with us or when we visit my in-laws back in India, it is imperative that I make this daal in large quantities. She will then devour it like she was not fed for weeks! 

Every Maharashtrian family has their version of 'Ambat Varan'. This is my mom's version.

To give you a background of this daal, 'Ambat Varan' is a very simple daal to make. I have grown up with this recipe as it was a regular at my home when we were kids. The tamarind, green chillies and the fenugreek seeds gives this daal it's unique flavor. 

The goda masala/kala masala used is a very typical Maharashtrian addition in this dish. Very few Indian stores carry this spice mix with them. If you don't find it anywhere, it is time to make some Maharashtrian friends!

Now let us get to the recipe..

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 people

Source: Aai

Ingredients:

3/4 cup toor dal

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

3/4 tsp tamarind pulp 

1 tblsp jaggery

3/4 tblsp goda masala/kala masala

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/8 tsp asafoetida

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds

4 curry leaves

2 green chillies, finely chopped

Water as required

2 tsp oil

Salt to taste

Coriander to decorate

1 tsp ghee/clarified butter (optional)

Method:

Step 1 - Soak toor dal for 15-30 mins in 1.5 cups of water. Add salt and turmeric powder to the soaked dal. Stir will a spoon and pressure cook this daal for 3 whistles or till it is completed cooked.

Step 2 - Once the pressure is released take out the daal from the pressure pan and while the daal is still warm, add the tamarind pulp, jaggery and goda masala. Mix well. Taste this daal. At this point the daal should taste of the goda masala and the tamarind. Do not worry if it tastes of raw spices. We are going to boil this daal till all the raw flavors disappear. Keep aside.

Step 3 - Heat oil in a large pot. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the asafoetida and cumin seeds. Stir for a few seconds till the cumin changes it's color to dark brown. Add the curry leaves and fenugreek seeds. Immediately add in the green chillies and saute till they wilt down.

Step 4 - Add in the daal from Step 2 into the oil. Be careful as it will splatter all over. Add water till the daal reaches the consistency you desire. Cover the pot and let the daal boil for 10 - 12 mins. Keep stirring occasionally. Adjust the salt content and also check for the flavors. You might need to adjust the tang (tamarind) or the sweetness (jaggery) as per your liking.

Decorate it with coriander and spoon in a little ghee if you like. Serve piping hot with some steamed rice.

My mom and I have a weird way of enjoying Ambat Varan. We take the daal in a large bowl. Tear off some hot chapatis and start adding it to the daal till it thickens up and then eat it with a spoon like porridge. That is our little randomness which we enjoy when both of us are alone at home and need to spend most of our time catching up on gossips!

Hope you enjoy making this simple Ambat Varan.

Tips:

Tamarind can be exchanged for kokum in this preparation too. If you cannot find both you could squeeze some lime into the daal just before serving to take care of the tangy flavor.

Substituting sugar instead of jaggery really spoils the flavor of this daal. So I do not recommend it.

Leftover Varan makes for a great Ambat Varan recipe.

Traditional Anda Curry (Egg Curry)

Every family has it's own take on this delightful preparation. The recipe I am sharing today is my absolute favorite. It has a perfect balance of spice and tang. Not the simplest recipes for egg curry around, but definitely worth all the efforts.
The masala that I use in this curry, is a very traditional coastal masala (Bhajani) that we use at home to prepare chicken or mutton curries. So you can imagine how awesome these simple eggs are going to taste.

I am going to simplify this recipe by breaking it down into two parts. The first part will show you how we make a typical 'Bhajani' at home and the second part will show you how the curry is made using this 'Bhajani'.

These cold winter days make this dish even more desirable. So get your aprons on and dive in!

Level: Medium
Serves: 4 to 6 people
Source: Aai

Ingredients:
Bhajani (1 portion)
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut OR 1/4 cup dry grated coconut
3/4 cup onions, roughly chopped
7 peppercorns
4 cloves
1.5 inch cinnamon stick
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tblsp oil

Method:
Step 1 - In a flat pan, heat the oil on medium power. Add the peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick and coriander seeds. Saute these spices till the coriander seeds turn brownish. Take them out of the oil and place them in a plate to cool off.

Step 2 - In the same oil, add the onions and stir fry continuously on medium-high heat till they turn brown all over.

Step 3 - Once the onions get properly browned, turn the heat down to medium and add the grated coconut and saute continously till the whole mixture gets a deep brown color. Do not let this mixture burn. Add the spices from Step 1. Mix everything together for a minute and remove this mixture onto a plate to cool down.

Step 4 - Grind this mixture in a blender with as little water as needed to form a smooth paste.

This is your basic 'Bhajani' or Coastal Masala !

Tips: The color of your curry is dependent on the color of this bhajani mixture. So make sure you roast the ingredients really well.

Ingredients:
Anda Curry:
4 hard boiled eggs, slit vertically into two
1 portion Bhajani (recipe above)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1.5 tblsp oil
3/4 tsp mustard seeds
2 pinch asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilly powder, or to taste
3/4 tsp jaggery
1 tsp tamarind pulp
Salt to taste
Coriander to decorate

Method:
Step 1 - Heat oil in a large flat pot. Add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the asafoetida, turmeric powder and onions. Saute till the onions turn light brown.

Step 2 - Add the red chilly powder, jaggery and tamarind pulp. Saute well. As we have used less oil, your spices might start burning. Sprinkle some water into your pan to prevent burning.

Step 3 - Add the bhajani paste and 1/2 cup of water. Mix well and saute for 5 - 6 mins. At this point the mixture will start oozing out oil. Add 2.5 cups of water. The curry will be very thin now. Turn the heat to low and let this curry boil for 10-12 mins or till it thickens to your desired consistency. Adjust the taste at this point. The curry needs to be spicy with a very slight hint of sweet (jaggery) and sour (tamarind).

Step 4 - Just before serving, slide in the hard boiled eggs and sprinkle some chopped coriander.

Serve hot with some Indian paav or steamed rice.

If this doesn't warm up your cold winter nights, I don't know what will !

Daalichi Amti (Malwan Style)

The smell of this 'Daalichi Amti' gets me instantly home sick!
Aai used to make this a lot of times to go with fried fish. Best combination EVER!
And then all of a sudden, new recipes came in the picture. 'Daalichi Amti' took a back seat and everyone forgot about it.
Then a few days back I got a request from my friend to help her with some Daal recipes! My mind started travelling back in time, as I wanted her to experience the traditional daal recipes, rather than try some of my not-so-awesome experiments. So I called my mom and we were discussing which maharashtrian daals would be blog worthy! Yea, I just said that..
We picked a few traditional ones, Ambat Varan (tangy daal) Kudal-deshkar style, Brahmin style and CKP style. Then we jotted down, some quick moong daal recipes and then she said, I should start with Malwani Daal! I was confused. What was she talking about? She told me the recipe and me not being a seasoned cook, had no recollection of the flavors she was talking about. She gave me many instances of having tried it as a child with fried fish and my mind was completely blank. Finally I took the recipe and decided to try it and post it on my blog if I enjoy it as much as she claimed I would. It was when I was half way through, the aroma in the kitchen made me nostalgic! It got back every memory and instance of enjoying this daal and I called Aai immediately and told her that I finally understood why she was so excited about this!

So here is the 'Malwani Daalichi Amti' recipe that has been passed on through generations in my family.
Hope you enjoy it!

Level: Easy
Serves: 4 to 6 people

Ingredients:
1 cup toor daal
5 - 6 drumsticks
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 pinches asafoetida
4 - 5 kokum
2 - 3 green chillies
8 - 10 fresh curry leaves
3/4 tsp mustard seeds
3/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 marble size piece of jaggery
Coriander to decorate
Salt to taste
Oil

To be ground:
2 tblsp fresh coconut
3 tblsp chopped onions
8 - 10 black peppercorns

Method:
Step 1 - Pressure cook the toor daal, turmeric powder, asafoetida, onions, 1/2 tsp salt and drumsticks for 2 whistles or till the daal is cooked well.

Step 2 - Grind the fresh coconut, onions and black peppercorns to a fine paste. Try to grind it without water, but if you do not have a high quality grinder, which I don't, you might have to add in a little water to make the ingredients move.

Step 3 - Take a large pot. Add the pressure cooked daal and the ground mixture. Add some water to make this mixture a little liquidy. Bring it to a boil on medium heat.

Step 4 - Once the daal begins to boil, add in the kokum and jaggery. Adjust salt and water to your desired consistency and let the daal boil for a good 8 - 10 mins on medium-low heat.

Step 5 - Take a small pan. Heat 1 tblsp oil. Add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the cumin seeds. Stir till they slightly change color. Add the curry leaves and asafoetida. Saute for a few seconds. Pour this into your boiling daal. Decorate with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with some steamed rice and fried fish!
If you know me, don't forget to invite me when you try this recipe at home!

Tips:
Drumsticks give this daal the typical Malwani flavor. If you skip adding this, you will end up with a tasty daal, but not with Malwani Daalichi Amti.

Fresh drumsticks are ideal, but I have made this daal with frozen drumsticks too, when I could not find any fresh drumsticks around. Slight difference in flavor, but it works.

"Malwani cuisine" is the standard cuisine of the Konkan region of Maharashtra and Goa and some northern parts of West Karnataka. Altough Malwani cuisine is predominantly non-vegetarian, there are many vegetarian delicacies. Altought it is an independant cuisine, it overlaps Maharashtra cuisine and Goan cuisine.
Malwan is a town in the Sindhudurg district on the west coast of India.
Malwan being a coastal area in Konkan, has it's own distinct way of cooking food. It uses coconut liberally in various forms such as grated, dry grated, fried, coconut paste and coconut milk.
To know some more, head here.

Moogha Gathi - Goan Style (Sprouted Moong Curry)

Bean Sprouts are a storehouse of a number of vitamins and minerals.
Did you know that the sprouting process of beans, not only increases the nutritive value of beans but also reduces its calorific value?
Sprouted beans increase the digestive enzymes, which facilitates the digestion process of your body. But before indulging into the sprouting process, make sure you allow appropriate amount of humidity and warmth which are needed for proper sprouting, else you might end up growing harmful bacteria.

If you want to know how I sprout these moong beans, go right below to the Tips section.

Getting to the Star of this post...
This Goan style curry is my favorite way of using moong bean sprouts. A mild yet flavorful coconut paste added to this curry, takes this dish to a whole new level. As far as I am concerned, I don't think I need to hunt for any other moong curry recipes after I found this one, as it just somehow feels like it can't get any better.

This curry does not involve the use of onions, ginger and garlic. This makes it an ideal dish to cook during Hindu festivals like Ganpati when people generally refrain from using these ingredients.

Don't miss out on the tips section..

Level: Easy
Serves: 4 to 6 people
Adapted from: Tuka Mhane

Ingredients:
2 cups sprouted moong
3/4 cup fresh coconut (I use thawed frozen shredded coconut)
6 to 8 curry leaves
2 green chillies
6 - 8 black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp jaggery
3 pieces kokum/2 tblsp lime juice
2 pinches asafoetida
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 cup water
Salt to taste
3 tblsp oil

Method:
Step 1 - Heat 2 tblsp oil in a pan. Add green chillies. Fry for a minute till they get slightly charred and brown. Drain them onto a paper towel. To the same oil add the black peppercorns and coriander seeds. Saute them till the coriander seeds turn brown in color. Drain these onto your paper towel too.

Step 3 - In a mixer bowl, pour in the fried green chillies, black peppercorns and coriander seeds. Add the coconut and turmeric powder. Grind with little water to form a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Step 4 - In a large pot, add the sprouted moong and the coconut paste from Step 3. Mix well. Add 1 cup of water or as per your desired consistency. Turn on the heat and let this mixture start boiling on medium heat. Adjust flavors to your liking. It should have all the 3 flavors: spice (red chilly powder), sour (kokum) and sweet (jaggery).

Step 5 - In a small pan, take your remaining 1 tblsp oil. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the asafoetida and curry leaves. Pour this tadka into your boiling dal from Step 4. Mix and boil for 2 more mins. till the moong sprouts are completely cooked and all the flavors mix in well.

Serve hot with chapatis or over hot steamed rice.
Hope you enjoyed this as much as we did!

Tips:
Generally this curry is made with a lot of oil. Once cooked, there is a layer of oil on top of the curry. This is the authentic way of having this curry. Personally, I can live without it. Moreover, a layer of oil on top of my curries is a total turn-off for me. But if you would like to indulge in the authentic experience, do feel free to increase the oil quantity in Step 5.

To quicken this recipe, while making your masala preparation, you can steam your moong upto 80% cooked and keep them ready for Step 4. Then you need to boil this curry for just 5 to 7 minutes.

Kokum gives this curry a very specific tangy coastal flavor. Tamarind makes this curry really dark and somehow results in a weird flavor. So replace kokum with lime juice for the tangy flavor, if you cannot get your hands on some kokum.

I do not over-sprout moong for curries. Feels like thread in my mouth when I eat them. Here is how I sprout them:
Day 1 (nighttime): Rinse the moong beans thoroughly. Keep them in a vessel with a lid. Keep the vessel in your oven (oven should not be turned on), which is the warmest place in your house. If you live in a hot weather place, you can just keep this vessel on your kitchen counter.
Day 2 (morning): Drain out the water. The moong beans should have plumped up now. Rinse again. They are ready to use at this stage.But if you have time to sprout them, which increases it's nutritional value, rinse the plumped up beans again. Close the lid and again place the pot in the oven (oven should not be turned on). This time, if you think your day is really cold, turn on your oven light. The heat from the light, should make the oven a warm and cosy place for your beans to sprout.
Day 2 (evening): Use. If you don't plan to use it right away, rinse the sprouts thoroughly. Do not over handle them, else the sprouts will break off. Place them in a zip lock bag or in an air tight container and put them in your refrigerator to halt the sprouting process. This stays good for upto 3 to 4 days in your refrigerator and upto a month in your freezer.

To know more about the sprouting process go here. It has more information than what you will possibly need.

Varan

After a lot of requests for typical Maharashtrian Daals and Amtis, I thought I should start from the basics.
Moreover if I don't include "Varan" in the Soul Food tab, the whole concept of "Soul Food" gets challenged..:)

Varan is a real basic maharashtrian style daal. It is always a part of a traditional maharashtrian thali. Any offering given to God, has to have Varan in it's menu. It is also a regular in traditional maharashtrian style weddings. (Lagnachi pangat).

The most authentic way to eat this Varan is "Varan-Bhaat-Tuup-Limbu". Which translates to "Varan-rice-clarified butter(ghee)-lime".
So you take some hot fresh rice on your plate. Laddle in some Varan. Add about a teaspoon (or more if you dare) of ghee and squeeze a little lime. Mix it all together and gobble away.
The most important step to remember is to eat this while it is hot!

Level: Easy
Serves: 4 - 6 people

Ingredients:
1 cup tur daal
3 pinch asafoetida (hing)
3/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 large marble sized jaggery (or to taste)
Water as required

Method:
Step 1 - In a pressure cooker safe bowl, add the tur dal and wash well till the water runs clear.

Step 2 - Add 2 cups of water to the bowl, the asafoetida, turmeric powder and 3/4th tsp of salt. Pressure cook for 3 whistles or for as much time your pressure pan takes to cook lentils. You want to overcook the lentils here. They should all just mash and blend in together.

Step 3 - Once the pressure is all released, take out the bowl carefully from the pressure pan and mash the daal to a smooth puree like consistency. You could use a masher or a whisk here. The lentils being over cooked don't take long to break down.

Step 4 - Pour this puree into a larger pot and start heating it again. Add water till it reaches the consistency you desire. Generally Varan is supposed to have a thicker consistency. But you can add water based on your personal preferences. Add the jaggery and adjust salt. Boil for just 5 more mins.

Serve hot with some rice, tuup and limes.

Perfect!

Tips:
Varan is supposed to have a thicker consistency than the other maharashtrian daals you will come across.

When you are pressure cooking the tur daal in the pressure cooker/pan, make sure you cover the bowl. You don't want the daal to boil over and mess up the entire pressure pan.

Some families like to have a bit of tur daal in the varan and do not enjoy it completely pureed. In this case do not overcook the lentils and just slightly mix them together once they cook.

Rack your brains:
In India split pigeon peas (tur daal/toor daal) is one of  the most popular pulses.
They are an important source of protein in a mostly vegetarian diet.

Along with high levels of proteins, they also contain the important amino acids methionine, lysine and tryptophan.

Gujarati Kadhi

After an awesome weekend getaway...which always turns out to be really heavy on the tummy!!...all of us really wanted something light to eat the next day...
My MIL and I were in no mood to slog in the kitchen..nor did we feel like eating out again...
So we decided on some nice light khichdi with some gujarati kadhi. It cant get anymore awesome than this on a tired day...:)

Heres how I made it..,

Level: Easy
Serves: 7 - 8 people
Adapted from: Tarla Dalal's "Exciting Vegetarian Cooking" cookbook

Ingredients:
3 tblsp gram flour
3 cups yogurt
4.5 cups water
2 tsp ginger-chilly paste
4 curry leaves
4 tblsp sugar, or as desired
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander leaves

For tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
2 dry red chillies. broken
3 tsp clarified butter/ghee

Method:
Step 1 - Beat the yogurt and gram flour together. To avoid lumps, add yogurt slowly to the flour and keep beating till smooth at every stage, till all the yogurt is used up and is lump free.

Step 2 - Add in the water, curry leaves, ginger-chilly paste, sugar and salt and mix everything well. Keep it to boil stirring regularly.

Step 3 - In another small pan, heat the clarified butter. Add in mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add in cumin seeds and let it brown. Add in the asafoetida and dry red chillies. Stir in for a couple of seconds and pour this over the boiled yogurt kadhi.

Step 4 - Let it boil for 5 more mins so the flavours incorporate well. Add in the chopped coriander.

Serve piping hot with some soft khichdi.

Do not boil the kadhi on a high flame, it could boil over.
Do not leave the yogurt mixture unattended as it could curdle.

Happy cooking!