Aayi’s Recipes Konkan/Konkani food blog, Indian culinary treasures

It was one of those days, when I had a lot of vegetables in refrigerator which needed to be used. I was exhausted after a busy day at work. So I decided to make a one pot dish packed with vegetables. The mild spices give an amazing aroma. Beetroot gives a touch of sweetness. It was a very filling and delicious pulav. Other vegetables like green beans, carrots etc also can be included in this, but I didn’t want vegetables to totally overpower the pulav. I suggest using all fresh spices and freshly made ginger garlic paste for best results. I served it with a simple raita.

Ingredients:
2 cups basmati rice
1/2 cup sliced onion
1 cup beetroot finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup vegetables – green peas, cauliflower
2 bay leaves
2 cardamom
Ghee/oil
1 tea spn coriander seeds
1 tea spn cumin seeds
4-5 cloves
1″ cinnamon
1 and 1/2 tea spn chilli powder
1 tea spn chopped ginger
1 tea spn chopped garlic
Salt

Method:
Heat oil and add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon. Grind to a smooth paste with ginger and garlic (I use mortar and pestle to make the paste).
Heat a little ghee and add bay leaves, cardamom, onion, spice paste. Fry till onions turn slightly brownish.
Add chopped beetroot, fry for a minute. Pour in about 2 tbl spns water, cover and cook for about 2-3mins (helps in cooking beetroot faster) till water is absorbed.
Now add rice and all other vegetables, spinach and fry for few minutes.
Add salt, chilli powder, about 4 cups water. Mix well. Cover and cook on a medium heat till done.
Serve hot with a cool raita.

Serves : 4-5
Preparation time : 40mins

Aayi has a recipe diary which she had written many years ago. There are many recipes that she has tried many times and some which she just wrote down from different sources. I don’t think she writes in it anymore, but it is one of my favorite things to read. I don’t get bored to go through the same recipes again and again, sometimes I even copy the same recipes into my book. I have tried almost all recipes that have I written down.

This is one such recipe I copied from aayi’s diary. It looked very interesting. According to the original recipe, chicken is cooked first and then all spices are applied to it, cooked again and then rolled in rava(sooji) and shallow fried. This looked very complex, so I changed the method to make it more like fish fry. It came out perfectly crispy and delicious. It can be served as a nice starter. Very simple and delicious.

Use tender chicken breasts to get it evenly cooked. Do not make the pieces too thick, which may make it difficult to cook. I used butterfly opened(ie, cut horizontally) chicken breast. Eat it while it is hot to enjoy crispy chicken.

Ingredients:
1 lb (0.45 kg) boneless, skinless chicken (preferably, tender chicken breasts)
1 tea spn ginger-garlic paste
1-2 tea spns chilli powder
A pinch asafoetida (Hing)
1″ cinnamon (make a smooth powder)
1 tea spn coriander-cumin powder
Sooji (rava)
Oil
Salt

Method:
Apply ginger-garlic paste, salt, chilli powder, cinnamon powder, coriander-cumin powder to the chicken pieces and leave it aside for about 30mins (or more).
Just before serving time, roll the pieces in sooji to get an even coating on the pieces.
Heat tava. Spread some oil. Shallow fry the pieces.
Serve hot.

Serves : 4-5
Preparation time : 20mins

I get many requests for day to day simple recipes. I avoid posting some of my favorite dishes thinking they are way too simple. I have to try and bring these comfort foods to the blog more often.

This is my aayi’s recipe. She is not finding time to post anything these days, so I thought of posting it. The ginger and onion give a great flavor. Please note, it is not the traditional Konkani Talaasani, but made like talaasani, so I mentioned the name. We usually don’t use mustard-curry leaves seasoning when we use onion in a dish. I have added both here as I like the curry leaf aroma. I make this atleast once a week and aayi tells me it is same in her kitchen.

The beans can be cooked separately and then added to onions or they can be directly added to onion and fried till cooked. I make it both ways and both come out really well. By second method, beans can be fried till they become slightly crispy, but it requires more oil.

Ingredients:
2 cups green beans chopped
1/2 cup onions chopped
1 tea spn finely chopped ginger
1 tea spn chilli powder
Oil
1/2 tea spn mustard seeds + 4-5 curry leaves (optional)
Salt

Method:
Heat oil and add mustard seeds, when they start popping, add curry leaves(optional).
Add onions and ginger and fry till they are brownish.
Now add the beans (cooked separately or uncooked). If using uncooked beans, use more oil and fry the beans till beans are cooked.
Add salt, chilli powder. Mix and fry for few more minutes.
Serve hot.

Serves : 2-3
Preparation time : 20mins