Gojju Podi | Spice Mix/Masala From Karnataka Cuisine

 

Hi all!!

Sharing another important spice mix used in Karnataka cuisine. This podi/spice mix/masala is used to make a traditional preparation called Gojju which is spicy-sweet-sour curry made using a select few vegetables and fruits. The most commonly used veggies and fruits are Okra, bittergourd, pineapple, mango, onion, tomato etc.

The freshly ground masala adds a better flavour to the gojju which tastes best with steamed rice.

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Avarekaalu Saaru- Another recipe with these marvelous beans

Hello everyone! I am posting once again my DH S’s favorite. Now you might say what’s new in that? So true, for people who read my blog regularly this is not at all a new thing. But the new thing is is that S had to really wait and pester me to make this Saaru for him. So on his birthday I treated him with this along with the Aloo Posto. What a weird combo one would say! I agree indeed, as both the recipes have extremely contradictory tastes. If the saaru is from south the Posto is from Bengal. The saaru is spicy and the posto has subtle flavors. The saaru asks for lot of coconut and the other asks for mustard… But the common thing in between both the recipes is that they taste good with hot steamed rice. Suits me!!!! Saves my time in the kitchen and the the DH gets his favorites.

This Saaru is a hot favorite in S’s family, I mean my in laws side. It frequents the kitchen when in season. When we had visited Bangalore recently my MIL had made this for lunch. I asked her the recipe that time but I forgot by the time I actually wanted to cook this. So on the D day I conveniently called up my MIL and asked her all proportions once again. She is a sweetheart and is ever ready to teach me her kind of stuff…especially when she knows it’s to pamper her son. LOL

The recipe is very simple and can be cooked very fast if the rasam podi/saaru podi is ready. It needs very basic ingredients readily available in the kitchen except for the avarekaalu/mochai/surati lilva/lima beans.

Ingredients for Rasam Powder/ Saaru Podi

Coriander seeds-3/4 cup

Bedagi Red chilies-2 cups

Cumin-1 tbsp

Mustard and Fenugreek seeds- 1/2tsp each

roast all the ingredients in a teaspoon of oil and grind together.

Ingredients for Saaru

1. 1-1/2 cups of boiled Avarekaalu

2. a cup of grated fresh coconut

3. a tsp of cumin seeds

4. 2-3 tbsp coriander seeds

5. a tbsp of tamarind pulp

6. 3-4 tbsp saaru podi

for tempering-

2 tsp oil

a tsp of mustard seeds

a sprig of curry leaves

Method

Boil the avarekaalu with some salt till cooked.

Grind together ingredients 2-6 along with 2 tbsp of boiled avarekaalu.

Mix this with the boiled avarekaalu, add water to adjust consistency and season with salt.

Put it on flame and bring it to a boil then temper it with the ingredients given under Tempering. Cook it for few more minutes and then serve it with rice and a dash of ghee.

Sending this to MLLE-18 hosted by Srivalli and is the brainchild of Susan.

The Sour and Spicy Bendekayi Gojju ( a hot and sour Okra)

I am posting yet another recipe from Karnataka and obviously taught by my MIL . Now 'S' being a Kannadiga loves it and will over eat the minute he realises it's something spicy and tangy. So when I told him I am making Gojju for the lunch, he was all set to come for it which he normally avoids in this heat.

Coming to the preparation, the header of the recipe itself explains that the dish is spicy and sour.To my understanding the Gojjus can be prepared in two ways, the first being the sour and spicy and the other version is slightly sweet and sour. Basically the Gojju could be sweet /spicy but it has to be very sour. The word Gojju means a sauce...a spicy tamarind sauce, this explains why the Gojju has to be sour.

This particular preparation demands for the 'Palya pudi' (masala for vegetables) which is readily available in a kannadiga's kitchen. If the Palya pudi is already made and vegetable chopped, it takes no time to make this Gojju. This particular Gojju can also be made using baingan (egg plant). It tastes best when served with hot rice and ghee.

Ingredients

For Palya Pudi

1/2 cup guntur chilli

1- 1/2 cup bedagi chilli

1/2 cup coriander seeds

1/2 cup bengal gram (chana dal)

1/2 cup split bengal gram (urad dal)

2 cloves

4 big sticks of cinnamon (dalchini)

1 cup grated dry coconut

2 tsp oil

Method of making Palya Pudi

• Heat 2 tsp oil and add cloves and cinnamon followed by both the dals. Roast them to a nice pink colour/ till they release an aroma.
• Add the coriander seeds and roast till they are nicely crisp, now add chillies and coconut and roast for a few more minutes. Switch off the flame and keep turning the ingredients with a spoon for another minute.
• While roasting be careful that no ingredient gets burnt in this process.

Ingredients For Bendekayi Gojju

1/2 kg of Okra/ Lady's Finger/ Bhindi/ भिंडी ( washed and wiped dry)

5-6 tbsp tamarind pulp

4-5 tbsp Palya pudi

1 tsp turmeric pwd

1 1/2 - 2 tsp rice powder

few curry leaves ( optional)

2 dry red chillies

a pinch of asafoetida(hing) - optional

oil for cooking

1 tsp mustsrd seeds

salt to taste

Method of cooking Bendekayi Gojju

• Heat oil add mustard seeds, followed by turmeric and bendekayi (Okra). Mix and add salt and tamerind pulp and cook till half done.
• Add Palya pudi, rice powder and mix properly. Add about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Rice pwd helps bring a consistency of a gravy.
• Cook till done, if required add more water if the gravy becomes too thick.
• In a small pan heat a spoon of oil and add curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetida and 2 red chillies and pour this tempering over the gravy.Serve the Gojju with hot rice.

This is my entry to RCI Udupi & Mangalore , hosted by Sia of Monsoon Spice. This event has been originally started by Lakshmi of Veggiecuisine .

Bissi Bele Bhaath and Karnataka Style Sambhar Masala

The first time I had visited S's family when we were getting engaged my MIL had asked my father what would he like her to cook. My dad very gladly had said Bissi bele bhaath. During his short stint in Bangalore he had started liking Bissibele Bhaath , Pesarattu, Vaangi Bhaath and many more... So for him it was like a wish come true . And the bhaath was superb. So when I got married I grabbed the first opportunity that I got to learn the recipe.

When my MIL taught me how to cook the Bhaath in the Karnataka style, I could not believe how simple it was and yet so tasty and healthy. As explained by her Bissi means 'hot' bele means 'daal' and anna means 'Rice" so it actually means " hot rice and daal cooked together".

As the name indicates it requires very basic ingredients readily available in the kitchen and if all the chopping is done it takes no time to cook. It can be an ideal meal if you are expecting guests for lunch/dinner....keep all the veggies chopped and refrigerate. Just cook the Bhath an hour before the guests are to arrive.

The only difficulty I feel with the Bhaath is that you should have a bed ready for slumbers as the Bhaath sits tight in your stomach and makes you feel very drowsy, so as a caution I do not make it on week days.

The best way to serve the Bhaath is with a dollop of ghee on top along with plain Potato wafers (crispies) and raita.

Before I tell you how I made the Bhaath and Raita it's important to know how the Sambhar Masala is made in my kitchen ( Kannara version) as the masala gives the main flavor to the Bhaath. This Sambhar Masala again is my MIL's recipe .












Ingredients for the Sambhar Masala



2 cups red chilies ( I used bedagi and guntur)

1 cup Coriander seeds

1/4 cup Bengal Gram ( Chana Daal)

1 tsp Fenugreek seeds ( Methidana)

2 sticks cinnamon ( dalchini)

3/4 cup grated coconut(dry)

2 tsp oil







Method for Sambhar Masala

• Heat oil and add Fenugreek and Cinnamon followed by the daal.
• Roast on a medium flame for a few minutes till the daal turns pink then add the coriander seeds and roast.
• Add the chilies and roast for a few minutes till they become lightly crisp.
• Now add the coconut and roast for a minute and switch off the flame. Let the contents be there in the pan and keep stirring till the pan cools a bit.(This avoids burning)
• Cool the ingredients and then grind it to fine powder in a coffee grinder.

The final product(Sambhar Masala) looks like this


Ingredients For Bissi Bele Bhaath

1 1/2 cups rice

1 cup tuvar daal (yellow lentils)

4 medium size potatoes (cubed)

3 medium sized onions (sliced)
1 large carrot ( cubed )

3/4 cup peas

15- 20 spinach leaves roughly chopped(can be omitted)

10-15 french beans cut into 1inch pieces

tamarind pulp as per your taste

salt as per your taste

about 1 - 11/2 tsp cinnamon pwd

1/2 tsp clove powder (I add this my MIL does not)

1 tsp turmeric pwd

4 tbsp sambhar masala

a few sprigs curry and coriander leaves

2-3 dry red chilies

oil for cooking

mustard seeds 2 tsp



Method of making Bhaath

• Heat oil and add mustard seeds , curry leaves and red chilies.
• Add sliced onions followed by all vegetables and saute.
• Add tamarind pulp, turmeric, sambhar masala, cinnamon and clove pwd, and mix properly.
• Now add the washed rice and daal and mix it properly.

• To the mix add about 12 cups of water and chopped coriander (I added 13 cups as I like eating the Bhaath in a semi liquid state).
• Pressure cook till 4 whistles.
• Serve the bhaath hot with a spoon of ghee along with some raita and crispies.
• The addition of cinnamon and clove pwd provide an exquisite flavor to the Bhaath.

Ingredients For The Vegetable Raita

1 small onion finely chopped

1 large tomato finely chopped

1 cucumber finely chopped

2 green chilies finely chopped

2-3 tsp coriander finely chopped

1 cup thick curds

1/2 tsp sugar

salt to taste

3/4 tsp roasted cumin pwd



For the Tempering

A spoon of oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

a spoon of chana and urad dal mixed


Method of Making Raita

• Mix all the ingredients of Raita and adjust the consistency by adding water.
• Heat oil and mustard seeds and the urad-chana daal mix. Let the daals turn
  golden brown and pour it on the Raita. Mix and chill for an hour before serving.