Choon

Choon so called in the local Konkani language is basically a mixture of grated coconut and jaggery, preferably palm jaggery over sugarcane jaggery. The palm jaggery is supposed to be good for health and is better for diabetics while the sugarcane jaggery can be harnful. The palm jaggery gives the choon a nice dark brown color while the sugarcane jaggery will give more of a yellowish color. We use more of the plam jaggery and very rarely do we use the sugarcane jaggery but you will find a chikki recipe with it some time soon on my blog.

How to make choon

Ingredients:
1 coconut, grated (taking care to make sure there is no skin)
4 small pyramids of coconut jaggery

Ingredients for choon

Method:

• Pound the jaggery so that it breaks down into a mass.
• Mix with the grated coconut so that there are no individual pieces of jaggery remaining.

Use this in many preparations that you will find on my blog here like the patolleos and many more.

Bhendi Sukkem (Ladyfinger / Okra)

Bhendi also known as ladyfinger or okra is a vegetable that grows easily in Goa. I have used the locally grown bhendi here in this bhendi sukkem recipe. Ladyfinger leaves a bit of slime so one needs to use either vinegar or kokum to eliminate it. In this bhendi sukkem recipe we use kokum.

How to make bhendi sukkem

Ingredients:
10 ladyfingers (preferably locally grown)
1 big onion, chopped fine
1 green chilli, slit
10 pieces dried kokum
3 tbspns grated coconut
salt to taste
pinch of sugar

Method:

• Cut the ladyfingers into slices about 1/2cm thick.
• Put all the ingredients into a non-stick vessel along with 1/2 glass water.

Goan okra preparation

• Cover and cook on simmer till done; the color of the okra will turn an olive green.
• If there is any water left, evaporate the same by keeping the vessel open.
• Take off fire and garnish with grated coconut.

Chitki Mitki Sukkem (Cluster Beans)

The chitki mitki or cluster beans are one of my favourite vegetables and I love this preparation that my mum learned from someone when we were kids. The potato added to this chitki preparation is thought to remove the bitter taste of the cluster beans, but bitter or not I like this cluster bean preparation very much! My aunt used to make this cluster bean preparation for my uncle who was diabetic but she would break the cluster beans into pieces rather than cut them so that the bitterness was not enhanced. She would skip the potato and coconut though.

How to make Chitki Mitki sukkem

Ingredients:
Chitki Mitki (Cluster Beans)
1 onion, cut fine
1 potato, cut into 1 cm cubes
a pinch of sugar
salt to taste
3 tbspns grated coconut

Method:

• Cut the cluster beans or break them into about one inch pieces. 
• Put the cluster bean pieces along with the all the ingredients except the potato and coconut in a pan.
• Add a tbspn or two of water if required.
• Cook on slow fire until almost done.
• Then add the poatato and continue cooking till done.
• Take off fire and garnish with grated coconut.
  

  

  Chitkin Mitki Sukkem Recipe

Veg cutlets

This is a great recipe for veg cutlets. We have been using it for so many years now. These heart shaped vegetable cutlets you see here remind me of my college days when we used to go to the Kamat hotel; it was a once in a blue moon treat but very enjoyable then.

Ingredients:

2 boiled and mashed potatoes

a few French beans, cut into small pieces

3 carrots, cut into small pieces

1 cup cauliflower, cut into small pieces

1/4 tspn turmeric powder

1/2 tspn chilli powder

2-3 green chillies (optional or as per taste)

1 tspn corriander + cumin seeds powder

1/4 tspn aniseed (budishep)

1/2 tspn mustard

1 onion, cut fine

2 slices of bread

1/4 cup semolina or breadcrumbs

salt to taste

corriander leaves, chopped

Oil to fry

Vegetables cut for veg cutlets

Method:

• Heat 1 tbspn of oil in a vessel and add mustard, budishep and turmeric powder.

How to make the veg cutlets

• Add all the vegetables and a pinch of salt and enough water to cook the vegetables.

Cook vegetables to make veg cutlets

• Then add corriander and cumin powder, mashed potato and chopped corriander leaves.

• Take off fire.
• Soak bread slices in water. Squeeze out and add to the mixture.
• Mix well. and shape into balls.

 

• Flatten and roll in semolina or bread crumbs coating both sides. You can use a heart shaped mould here if you prefer the heart shape.

• Shallow fry till golden brown on both sides.

Frying the veg cutlets

• Serve the vegetable cutlets with tomato sauce or chutney; green chutney or white chutney.

Vegetable cutlets served with tomato sauce

Konkon Dudi Sukkem (Bottle Gourd)

I first had this konkon dudi sukkem at a restaurant in Dadar during one of my trips to Bombay. It tasted pretty good, a different way from how we normally cooked the konkon dudi at home. So this was my attempt at making it in a different way. It has become quite popular in the family with many having adopted it so I am sharing this konkon dudi recipe with you here. Hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients:

Konkan Dudi (Bottle Gourd)

1 tspn mustard seeds

1 onion, cut fine

1 tomato, cut fine

1 green chilly, slit

3 tbspns grated coconut to garnish

A pinch of sugar

salt to taste

A pinch of turmeric powder

1 tbspn oil

Method:

• Skin the bottle gourd and chop into 1/2" cubes.
• Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, allow to splutter.
• Add the onion and fry for some time.
• Add the tomato and continue frying for a couple of minutes.
• Next put in the bottle gourd/konkon dudi cubes.
• Add salt, sugar, green chilli and turmeric powder.
• Add 2 tbspns of water if required.
• Cook on simmer till the bottle gourd is done.
• If there is excess water you may evaporate the same as you wish.
• Take off fire and add grated coconut.

Mashed Potato

Mashed potato is used in many of my recipes so I though I would dedicate a post to making it quick.

Ingredients:
Potatoes (as many as you need mash of)
Salt to taste

Method:

• Put the potatoes in a pressure cooker.
• Add enough water so that the potatoes are submerged.
• Add salt if you wish although you do need to add more when the potatoes are mashed.
  
• When the pressure cooker whistles, turn flame to simmer.
• Put off after 10 minutes.
• Let cool for some time.
• While potatoes are still warm, skin them and mask with a fork.
• Add salt to taste.
• Use the mashed potato in recipes like potato chops and vegetable cutlets.