Side dishes Archives - Page 2 of 19

Kohlrabi sidedish(Navalkola sukke)

30 Comments / Konkani Recipes, Side dishes / By Shilpa

Kohlrabi is called as ‘Navalkol’ in Konkani and ‘Navil Kosu’ or ‘kosu gadde’ in Kannada. ‘Sukke’ is usually a side dish prepared with some kind of vegetable or sea food and coconut masala. This dish has a sweetish and spicy taste because of the jaggery and red chilies in it. This is one of my all time favourite dishes.

When I was a kid, I had grown these in my neighbour’s fields. Our neighbour(fondly called as mami) grows lot of different vegetables in their field. As I had the “madness” of growing vegetables for a short period of time, she allowed me to grow all kinds of vegetables along with her in her garden. Ofcourse, she used to nurse my plants. I only watered those plants and claimed they are mine whenever we went to the field :).

Pictorial:
Fry the coriander seeds, urad dal in oil and grind with chillies, coconut.

Fry onions. Add cooked kohlrabi pieces along with jaggery and salt.

Add ground paste and cook till it becomes kind of dry.

Kohlrabi sidedish(Navalkola sukke)

A sweetish spicy kohlrabi cooked in a coconut masala.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings 3 -4

Ingredients

3 cups Kohlrabi Navalkolu/navilkosu(cut into small pieces)
1/2 cup onion cut into small pieces
3/4 cup coconut fresh or frozen
4-5 red chilies
1/2 tea spn coriander seeds
1/2 tea spn urad dal
1/2 tea spn tamarind
1/2 tea spn jaggery
Oil
Salt

Instructions

Cut Kohlrabi in small pieces. If the skin is thick and hard, peel it, otherwise use with skin.
Cook Kohlrabi in cooker.
Heat 1/2 tea spn of oil and fry coriander seeds and urad dal.
Grind them with coconut, red chillies and tamarind by adding just sufficient water(do not make the masala too watery).
Heat remaining oil and fry onion.
Add cooked kohlrabi and ground masala, jaggery.
Add salt and cook till masala is done and the dish becomes almost dry.
Serve as a side dish with rice and dal/gravy or with chapati.

Updated on 9/10/2017 with details and pictures.

Spring Onion Vada (Kande Patti Vade)

15 Comments / Konkani Recipes, Side dishes / By Shilpa

Green onions or scallions or spring onions or Kande patti is a seasonal and loved delicacy in my hometown. My dad loved it a lot and aayi would make kande tambli whenever we found this in market. Few years back, I sat down with V’s grandmom to collect some of her signature recipes. Kande patti vade was one of the recipes she shared with me. She passed away two years back and I am grateful for the few recipes I saved from her. I loved her enthusiasm in cooking even during the old age when she couldn’t move from her place, let alone cook. I rarely buy kade patti but this dish kept popping in my head and I thought of finally making it. The vadas turned out to be delicious and even 7 year old loved it.

Pictorial:

Soak toor dal and rice in water.

Cut spring onions. Fry coriander seeds and red chillies.

Grind with coconut, dal and rice. Then mix spring onions.

Make small balls and roll in rava.

Shallow fry on a hot tava.

Spring Onion Vada (Kande Patti Vade)

Spicy delicious vadas with a coconut and spring onions.

4.75 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings 6 -7

Ingredients

1 bunch spring onions kande patti (1 cup chopped approx)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen coconut
1 tea spn coriandder seeds
3-4 red chillies
1 tbl spn rice
1 tbl spn toor dal
A small piece tamarind
Oil
1 cup rava/sooji
Salt

Instructions

Chop spring onions into small pieces.
Soak rice and toor dal in water for about 30 mins.
Heat a little oil and fry coriander seeds, red chillies.
Grind them with coconut, tamarind, toor dal, rice without adding too much water. The paste does not have to get very smooth.
To the paste, add chopped spring onions, salt and mix.
Make small balls, roll them in rava to completely cover it.
Heat tava, spread some oil and fry the vadas on a medium low heat.
Serve hot.

Methi Paneer

6 Comments / Side dishes, Simple and Easy / By Shilpa

Methi or fenugreek is one of the things I did not care much when I was a kid. But now it has become my most favorite green. I try to include it in curries, dal, pulavs. It gives a very nice aroma and taste to any dish. This methi paneer is one of my favorite things to make with these delicious greens. Cashew paste gives it a creaminess. My kids love it. I sometimes add almond paste instead of cashew. Marinating the paneer cubes in spices and frying them gives a great taste to paneer cubes.

Pictorial:
Add spices and a little salt to paneer pieces and leave it around for sometime.

Heat a little oil and fry the paneer pieces. Take them out.
Heat oil, add cumin seeds. Then add onions and ginger-garlic paste. When they are translucent, add garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder.

Add tomatoes, salt and fry till tomatoes are mushy. Then add chopped methi leaves.

Add the fried paneer and cook for 7-8mins.

Soak cashews in a little hot water. Make a paste and add it to the curry. Cook for 4-5 mins. Serve hot.

Methi Paneer

A creamy curry cooked in a thick tomato paste, flavored with fresh methi leaves and spices.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Ingredients

2 cups paneer cubes
1 cup chopped methi fenugreek leaves
1/2 cup onions
1/2 cup tomatoes
1 tea spn ginger-garlic paste
1 tea spn chilli powder
1/2 tea spn garam masala
1/2 tea spn cumin powder
1/2 tea spn coriander powder
A pinch turmeric
2 tbl spn cashews
Oil
Salt

Instructions

Add 1/2 tea spn chilli powder, turmeric, salt to paneer pieces and keep aside for 15-20mins.
Heat a little oil and fry paneer for sometime. Take them off the pan.
Heat oil, add cumin seeds. Then add ginger-garlic paste, onions.
When onions turn translucent, add garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder and fry for few mins.
Then add tomatoes and fry till they are mushy.
Add methi leaves fry very well.
Then add paneer, a little water and cook.
Soak cashews in hot water. Make a smooth paste.
Add the paste to curry and cook well.
Serve hot with chapatis or rice.

Black Chickpeas in Green Masasla(Kala Chana Hara Masala)

15 Comments / Gravy (Curry and daals), Side dishes, Simple and Easy / By Shilpa

Few months back when my parents were here, my friend had invited us for dinner. She is one of the few Konkani friends I have here in KS and we always have a great time when we meet. Our kids love to play with each other while we talk about everything under the sun. She made a delicious spread for us and there was one dish – this black chana hara masala, (which is what I have named it by the way) that my aayi particularly liked a lot. She even got the recipe from my friend.

Then in January, my entire family was down with flu and my friend brought me a few dishes as care package. This dish was one of the 4 dishes she brought. That was the week we all had lost our sense of taste because of fever and we did not like anything we ate. But then my husband, who does not care much for any beans/chickpeas, really enjoyed this. I asked my friend for the recipe again and I have made it few times since then.

Also try chane ghashi, chane-kele upkari, chana chaat.

Pictorial:
Cook soaked chana with a pinch of turmeric. Then make the spice paste.

Black Chickpeas in Green Masasla(Black Chana Hara Masala)

4.25 from 8 votes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings 3 -4

Ingredients

1 cup black chickpeas
A pinch turmeric
1/2 cup onion
1 tea spn garam masala optional
Oil
Salt
For the paste:
1/2 cup coriander leaves Along with thick stems
3 green chillies
1 tea spn ginger pieces
3-4 cloves
1/2 tea spn cumin seeds
1 tbl spn dried or desiccated coconut
1/2 cup tomato optional

Instructions

Soak chickpeas in water for 6-8hrs.
Pressure cook them with a pinch of turmeric (about 4 whistles).
Make a paste of coriander leaves, ginger, green chillies, cloves, cumin seeds, coconut, tomato(optional).
Heat a little oil in the pressure cooked pan and fry onions.
When they are translucent, add chana, garam masala and the paste, salt.
Mix everything well and pressure cook again for 2 whistles.
Serve with rice or chapatis.

Notes

If you want to keep the color of gravy green, avoid tomatoes and use lemon juice instead.
You could mix the paste with chickpeas and pressure cook once instead of pressure cooking twice. I thought the paste would loose some of the aroma by doing that.
Pressure cooking second time is not really necessary. I feel it helps in chickpeas soaking the masala well, so I did it.

Nutty Green Beans

7 Comments / Side dishes, Simple and Easy / By Shilpa

My kids love shenga chutney pitto, probably that is the only way they eat peanuts without a fuss. So I have been thinking to use similar combination with vegetables. I have seen my Marathi friends adding a peanut powder to raitas, green beans and some other vegetables. So I prepared this nutty green beans last week and it was received pretty well, the two year old was pretty excited to (atleast) try the green beans.

A complete thali with ambat(dal), rice, fish fry, buttermilk chilli, spiced buttermilk

The roasted peanuts gave a nutty sweetish taste to otherwise spicy dish. The ginger gave a very good flavor to the beans. I am so used to adding potatoes to green beans, I feel potatoes pair really well with them. Today when I prepared the same dish, I added some chutney pitto to it instead of making the peanut-coconut powder. This was a good way to get some vegetables and also protein into the little tummies.

Pictorial:
Dry roast peanuts and coconut and make a powder.

Heat oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal followed by curry leaves, ginger, onion.

Add green beans, potatoes and spices. When cooked, add the nut powder.

Nutty Green Beans

Green beans and potatoes cooked till they are soft and flavored with peanuts and coconut to give a sweetish spicy taste.

4.67 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings 3 -4

Ingredients

2 cups green beans use tender beans
1 cup peeled and chopped potatoes optional
2 tbl spns peanuts
1 tbl spn dry coconut
1 tea spn grated ginger
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tea spn red chilli powder
A pinch turmeric
1/2 tea spn coriander powder
1/2 tea spn mustard seeds
1/2 tea spn urad dal
5-6 curry leaves
Oil
Salt

Instructions

Dry roast peanut till they are brownish and then add dry coconut(or dessicated coconut).
Roast till coconut is brownish.
Grind them to a coarse powder and keep it aside.
Heat oil and add mustard seeds.
When they start popping, add urad dal.
Fry for a min and then add curry leaves, ginger.
Then add onion and fry till brownish.
Add green beans, potatoes, chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder and salt.
Mix everything well.
Cover and cook on a medium-low flame till the beans and potatoes are cooked.
Make sure to cook on low heat, since there is no water added, it will get burnt if cooked on high.
Add the peanut-coconut powder and mix well.
Cook for another 1-2mins.
Take off heat and serve hot as a sidedish with rice or chapati.

Notes: Roast a big batch of peanuts and make a coarse powder. Use this in various dishes like this to save time
Instead of using dry coconut, use freshly grated coconut in the recipe

Stuffed okra (Bharil bhende)

27 Comments / Konkani Recipes, Side dishes / By Shilpa

‘Bharile’ in Konkani means stuffed. Okra is called Bhende. Stuffed okra or bharil bhende is one of my favorites from childhood. The okra available at our native is parrot-green in color and longer than the okra available here in US. Aayi uses the tender okras for this. She cuts the okra into 2-3 pieces (each piece is of the size of okra available here). She stuffs them and then ties them with a thread so that the stuffed doesn’t come out. These taste amazingly delicious. Only tender okra should be used for this dish. The dish requires a bit of patience to stuff and then fry them on a very low flame.

Updated on 12/4/2016:
Making this dish after a long time. So I decided to update the post with new pictures. Aayi prepared some stuffing for me and saved it. Making the stuffed bhindi was quite easy then.

Pictorial:
Stuff the bhindi and keep them on a hot tava with oil and fry on a low flame.

Stuffed okra (Bharil bhende)

Spicy okra stuffed with a spiced coconut powder.

4.50 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings 2 -3

Ingredients

10 Okra Bhindi
3/4 cup Dry coconut Khobra or kopra
1 tea spn Coriander powder
1/2 tea spn Cumin Jeera powder
3/4 tea spn Sugar
1 tea spn Chili powder
1 tea spn Besan chick pea flour
Oil
Salt

Instructions

Dry roast the coconut.
Powder it(powder should not be too smooth).
Mix all the remaining ingredients (except okra).
Remove the head (I didn't get a proper word here, so mentioned as 'head') of okra.
Put some slits keeping the other side intact.
Stuff them with the powder.
Heat oil in a nonstick or cast iron tava.
Keep the bhindis on it and fry on a very low flame.

Paneer and Vegetable Curry

4 Comments / Side dishes / By Shilpa

It is getting a bit harder for me to cook elaborate meals on weekdays. So many times I make one dish filled with vegetables and some protein. This paneer and vegetable curry is one such dish that is full in flavor and had loads of vegetables. I made it like Konkani bhajis with coriander-cumin-garam masala-coconut paste. I served it with plain basmati rice. It made a wonderful dinner and lunch next day.

Pictorial:
Heat oil and add coriander seeds, cumin seeds. Add onions, ginger-garlic, green chillies.

Add tomatoes, onion, coconut, spices. Grind to a paste. Heat oil and fry vegetables.

Add paneer, ground paste, cook till done.

Paneer and Vegetable Curry

Spicy paneer and vegetables curry with a coconut base, can be served with rice or chapatis

3.50 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings 3 -4

Ingredients

15-20 pieces of paneer
3 cups vegetables - cauliflower cabbage, green peas, carrots
2 tbl spns dessicated coconut
1/2 cup onions
1/2 cup tomatoes
1 tea spn garam masala
3-4 green chillies
1 tbl spn chopped ginger and garlic
1 tea spn coriander seeds
1 tea spn cumin seeds
Oil
Salt

Instructions

Heat oil and fry coriander seeds, cumin seeds.
Now add garlic, ginger, green chillies, onions.
Fry for few minutes and add tomatoes.
When they are bit mushy, add coconut, garam masala,salt.
Make a smooth paste and keep it aside.
Heat a little oil in a pan and add vegetables.
Fry them for few minutes, then add the ground paste, paneer.
Cook till vegetables are done.
Serve hot with rice or chapatis.

Mushroom in Coconut Paste (Almbe Sukke)

3 Comments / Konkani Recipes, Side dishes / By Shilpa

Sukke is a classic Konkani dish where some vegetable or sea food is cooked in spicy coconut paste. Mushroom or almbe sukke is one such dish which I prepared after a very long time. As I have mentioned before, the artificially grown mushrooms are no comparison to the wild mushrooms that we get in my hometown. The grated ginger gives an amazing aroma to the dish. Make it as spicy as you can handle. Serve it as a side dish with rice and dal.

Pictorial:
Fry coriander seeds, red chillies. Grind with coconut and tamarind. Fry onions and ginger.

Add mushrooms and fry.

Add the masala and cook.

Mushroom in Coconut Paste (Almbe Sukke)

A Konkani classic spicy mushrooms cooked in a coconut-red chilli paste flavored with ginger

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings 3 -4

Ingredients

2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 cup grated/fresh coconut
4-5 red chillies
1 tea spn tamarind paste or 3-4 pieces of tamarind
1 tea spn freshly grated ginger
1 tea spn coriander seeds
1/2 cup onion
A pinch turmeric
Oil
Salt

Instructions

Heat oil and fry coriander seeds and red chillies.
Grind them with coconut, tamarind to a smooth paste with little water.
Heat oil and fry onions till translucent.
Add grated ginger and fry for few minutes.
Now add chopped mushrooms, turmeric, fry and let them cook for few minutes by covering the lid.
When they are almost half cooked, add the coconut paste, salt.
Cover the lid and cook till mushrooms and coconut paste is cooked.
Serve hot as a side dish with rice.

Green Moong – Paneer Masala

3 Comments / Gravy (Curry and daals), Side dishes, Simple and Easy / By Shilpa

Being from southern part of India, we were introduced to paneer quite late compared to my north Indian friends. Most of my family still do not like this Indian cheese. I have started using it more regularly (once in 15days or so) in recent years to get some protein in our diet. Few days back I had soaked some green moong and I wanted to use up a block of paneer from freezer, so I decided to combine both to make this green moong – paneer masala. I made it a bit tangy and spicy, tasted great with chapatis.

Pictorial:
Heat oil and add whole spices. Add onion, ginger-garlic.

Add all spices, followed by tomatoes.

Add moong, paneer, water and cook till done.

Green Moong - Paneer Masala

A spicy and tangy sprouted green moong and paneer masala gravy that goes well with chapatis or rice.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings 3 -4

Ingredients

2 cups sprouted green moong
1 cup onion
1 tea spn ginger paste
1 tea spn garlic paste
1/2 cup tomatoes
15-20 pieces of paneer
2 cloves
2 " cinnamon
2 bay leaves
2 green cardamom
1/2 tea spn amchoor powder
1 tea spn chilli powder
A pinch turmeric
1/2 tea spn garam masala or goda masala
1/2 tea spn coriander powder
1/2 tea spn cumin powder
Oil
Salt

Instructions

In a thick bottomed pan or directly in pressure cooker, heat a little oil and add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf.
Then add onion, ginger-garlic paste and fry for few mins.
When the onions are translucent, add chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala(or goda masala), coriander-cumin powder.
Fry till a nice aroma comes out.
Add tomatoes and fry till they are mushy.
Add the moong, paneer, 1 cup water, salt and cook till done.
I cooked the mixture of 2 whistles. The paneer became quite soft(It was quite hard to begin with). So if you have a soft paneer, I suggest adding it at the end after the moong is cooked.
Serve hot with roti/chapati or rice.

Okra Sidedish (Bhende Upkari)

3 Comments / Healthy Options, Konkani Recipes, Side dishes, Simple and Easy / By Shilpa

Upkaris are the integral part of Konkani cuisine. We make upkaris with almost all the vegetables and they are a must in any Konkani meal. The vegetables are very lightly spiced to bring out the unique flavor of it. Bhende upkari is one such dish loved by all. Okra(bhende) is cooked in very minimum spices and then garnished with fresh coconut.

When I was a kid, my granddad used to grow a lot of vegetables in out garden. Okra was one such vegetable that was grown. The taste of freshly plucked and cooked okra used to be divine. I feel there is a huge taste difference between the okra that I grew up eating and the one we get in Indian store here in USA. But still it is one the vegetables we love the most.

Pictorial:
Apply salt and turmeric to the cut okra and keep aside. Cook okra in the seasoning. Garnish with coconut.

Okra Sidedish (Bhende Upkari)

Bhende upkari is a Konkani classic dish prepared by cooking okra in minimum spices and garnished with coconut.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings 3 -4

Ingredients

1 lb 1/2 kg apprx okra(bhende) cut into long pieces
1 tea spn mustard seeds
A pinch asafoetida
A pinch turmeric
3-4 green chillies
4-5 curry leaves optional
1 tbl spn fresh/frozen coconut
Oil
Salt

Instructions

Cut okra into long pieces.
Apply some salt and turmeric to it and set aside. (This step reduces the sliminess of okra when cooked).
Heat oil and add mustard seeds.
When they start popping, add asafoetida, curry leaves(optional), green chillies slit into halves.
Add the okra and mix well.
Fry for 2-3 mins and then close the lid and let it cook on medium heat.
When it is cooked, sprinkle the fresh coconut on top and take off the heat.
Serve hot as a side with rice or chapatis.