Rontas and Thoy | Rice-flour Pooris and Lenthils | Konkani Dish

One of my favourite dishes while growing up is Rontas and Thoy. This delicious pairing made in food heaven belongs to the Konkani cuisine. Its probably the Konkani counter part of Poori Sagu.

Rontas is a crisp flat bread made of rice flour that is deep fried. And Thoy is a deliciously thick and flavoursome side made of toor dal. The crisp Rontas when dunked into the thick dal, is simply divine!

On my recent visit to my parent's place, I asked my mother to make these for me. It was yum, as usual and I savored every bite :)

Rontas, made of rice flour and is not rolled out like we do pooris and rotis. There is a technique to do this. I haven't tried making this by myself! I wanted to document it and blog the recipe so as to help me as well as you all recreate this magic at home.

So, I asked mum if she would help me with the details and she willingly obliged. She patiently let me click pics as she made the Rontas. So here are some detailed step-wise pics of mum in action making and shaping rontas!

Enjoy the yumminess! :)

Vaingana Sagle | Stuffed Brinjal in Coconut Gravy | Konkani Dish

'Brinjal' translates to Vaingan in Konkani. and Sagle means 'whole'. So as you have guessed, Vaingana Sagle means Whole Brinjals! This is a very popular dish in Konkani cuisine and is served as a side for rice and dal. The brinjals used in this dish are usually the tiny purple variety which easily cook as a whole. These baby brinjals are stuffed and cooked in a gravy which is a blend of coconut, spices, roasted dal or peanuts. The curry paste is customized in every household to suit their preferences.

I have grown up savouring on my mum's preparation and now recently I got to taste my sister-in-law's variant. Both have different sets of ingredients for making their curry pastes and also the method of cooking the brinjals. My mum deep-fried the brinjals prior to stuffing and cooking them while my sis-in-law stuffed them while raw and steamed them. My mum used peanuts as a main ingredient to make her curry paste, while my sis-in-law used urid dal! 

These variations give a new dimension to the dishes and both taste wonderfully different from the other, each yummy in its own way!

So, this is my take on this dish with main influence from my sis-in-law's method of preparation. I customised the curry paste to suit my liking. Don't these cute little purple binjals look pretty in the beautifully coloured gravy? Oh well... they tasted YUM! :)

Pan-fried Sweet Potato | Kananga Phodi | Konkani Dish

Once you fall off your routine, its hard to get back on track. Isn't it? 

Well, at least for me it is! And when I do go off track, I have to bring all the forces of the earth together to motivate myself to get back to my routine and continue doing what I used to before the break....
phew!

But to give this thought a twist, if you follow a routine day in and day out, life gets monotonous doesn't it?! Well again, for me it does! And blogging for me is definitely not a part of routine I would like to strictly follow... it is a hobby and not something I should feel tied down about. Come on... hobbies are fun I thought!   

So yeah, I was just busy juggling with various other aspects of my life that this little bloggy of mine had to sit and wait patiently for me to get back here and feed him with something to post out to the wold! So here I am! :)

Cooking has been going on as usual... No, I wasn't on a vacation on that front! :P. Its the plating, clicking, writing and posting that seemed like daunting tasks the last few weeks. The brownie point here is, I have used up the time to mentally keep track of some very interesting yums that I would like to feature here and so you shall be given a treat of all those yummies soon!! (....errr.... I hope! unless your highness decides to go on another hiatus! :D 

To kick start my non-blogging slumber, I am sharing this super easy dish made of sweet potatoes. Is it a starter or a serve along... I cannot decide! Its great both ways. It is a typical Konkani dish called Kananga Phodi. I hope you all like it! :)

Batata Song | Potato in Tangy Onion-Tamarind Gravy | Konkani Dish

It amazes me how even though the Konkani community is not as large as some of the bigger communities in India  its cuisine is no less diverse than the rest. In fact the flavours and preparations varies within the community itself! Konkanis are from Kerala have a distinct style of cooking while their counterparts from Mangalore and Goa have an equally different yet distinct style of preparations. Local ingredients find their way into Konkani food prepared in different parts of the country.

My family is from Cochin while my husband's is from Mangalore. This makes way for a very interesting line up of Konkani cuisine each different and new to both of us as the food is influenced from the two different coastal regions. Recently I learnt of this particular dish called Batata Song, the name itself caught my attention and the fact that it has been my husband's childhood favourite made my interest rise a little more for this dish. An interesting combination of coconut oil, jaggery and chilli powder goes into this to give potatoes a unique flavour. Coconut oil is commonly used in several Konkani preparations lending its distinct flavour to the dish it is added into.

I had a quick foodie chat with my ma-in-law and figured this dish is a song to make, literally! :D Simple ingredients, simple preparations and simply yummy flavours! Oh, I just loved this dish to bits :) 

The joy of re-creating husband's childhood favourite and being certified that it tasted very close to (if not equally good or better!! :P) his mum's preparation... is a yoo-hoo moment! :D Sure all you wifeys would agree with me here!! :) 

Batata song can be served as a side with chapathis or with rice and dal. Both tasting equally divine. 

Caramelized Kerala Banana | Nandarbale Kele Bhajile | Konkani Dessert

 

 

The flavoursome bananas from Kerala, locally called as Nendram pazham are so versatile, that they taste yum just as is and also can be transformed into several scrumptious desserts. The Kerala Banana Fry Halwa is my favourite variation while this simple to put together pan fried or caramelised version comes a very close second. 

 

Well, there is not much of a recipe here really, but I realised this is a simple dessert that we Konkanis prepare and I felt it is simply too good and so easy that it has to be shared to others as well.

 

 

 

 

This calls for the banana to be pan-fried and uses very little ghee.. thus making it a healthy dessert option. And if like, you can even cut out the sugar from it, but hey.. what is a dessert with no sugar eh?! So that much indulgence is allowed :) Tastes best right off the stove while the banana is still warm and soft while the sugar is crunchy. As it cools the sugar may get syrupy, which I personally do not prefer. But again its up to individual preferences. So, here is how you can make yourself some Caramelises Kerala Banana :)

 

 



Kerala Banana Fry Halwa | Nandarbale Kela Thalolo Halwo | Konkani Dessert

This Banana Halwa is a popular Konkani dessert made out of a special variety of banana which is grown in Kerala. This variety is also available in other states and is popularly called Kerala Banana or Nendrampazham (Malayalam/Tamil)  / Nandarbale Kele (Konkani). It is longer and slightly thicker than the regular banana. The peel is a deep yellow colour while the fruit itself is also a creamy yellow colour as compared to the creamy white colour of the regular banana. With a unique flavour of its own, this Kerala Banana is used to make several sweet dishes one of which is the dish we are talking about today. 

This is my favourite preparation of the fruit. It is simple and easy to make and the taste... oh yum, deliciously flavourful. The best suited banana for this sweet dish are the perfectly ripe ones... not raw, not too ripe. My mum is visiting me and this is her preparation that I am sharing today.

Cabbage-aa Undi - Konkani Delicacy | Cabbage, Coconut & Rice Dumplings - Guest Post by Deepa Shenoy



Konkani cuisine has some interesting flavours and variations. The use of coconut is very eminent in most dishes, be it in freshly grated form, added in as pieces to thicken the gravy or even coconut oil for that matter is used in some of the authentic Konkani dishes.

So, today I have here, one such delectable and absolutely healthy Konkani dish that is traditionally called Cabbage-aa Undi, which is basically steamed dumplings made of a delicious combination of rice, coconut and cabbage. These mildly spiced dumplings are steamed in a cooker using Idly plates and are served warm.



I have a very enterprising person here, sharing this recipe with us. She is my sister-in-law, a cousin brother's wife, who has some varied creative interests. Being a non-blogger, she shared some totally tempting pictures of her kitchen yums on her FB page, which was what made me request her to share an authentic Konkani dish for my blog page and this was the dish we decided upon :) Over to her :

"Here is a guest post for an awesome and a lovely blog :) Nanz, ur blog is simply superb..:)

Cabbage-aa Undi is a typical konkani dish usually taken for breakfast or as a snack. It is both nutritious and tasty as cabbage is used in the batter.  Here goes the recipe:"

 

Colocasia Fry | Mandya Upkari | Konkani Dish

If you love potatoes, you will definitely like Colocasia. Not as popular as its root-veggie counterpart, but is equally if not more delicious than potatoes when cooked the right way. I like my colocasia (or 'Mandey' as it is called in Konkani) roasted and well spiced like in this dish. It goes so well with rice and sambar or even with chapathis.

This root vegetable is easy to cook with, when they are right out of the cooker, boiled. Pressure cooking them makes it easy to peel off their skin and if this is done when they are still warm, all the more easier! This is the simplest recipe using Colocasia, that I prepare.

They do well with just some tempering and spices and need not be teamed with any other veggie, but again cooking is all about creativity... so go ahead and try teaming it up with any other veggie of your choice :)

Godda Appo | Sweet mini Rice Pancakes | Konkani Dessert

Jaggery is said to be way healthier than sugar and is a popular substitute used to make several sweet delicacies all over India. Come festive season, and you would find every home smelling of the aromatic sweetness of jaggery. My home was no exception, godda as jaggery is known as in Konkani is commonly used in Konkani cuisine... be it Godda Payasu to Godda Phovu to this popular delicacy called the Godda Appo. As it needs not much cooking, jaggery is an easy ingredient to work with. 

Frankly, the flavour of jaggery is not one of my personal favorites, but do not mind occasional indulgence in desserts made out of jaggery. As part of the Magic Mingle challenge given my Sizzling Tastebuds this month, I was forced to create a dish out of jaggery and sesame seeds and chose to make these sweet mini pan-cakes and gave them a little makeover by adding in sesame seeds and some cashew nuts for decoration :) I am actually glad the way they turned out, not bad for a first attempt huh!? :) 

A similar dessert, called the Sweet Paniyaram is a similar dish popular in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. 

Bun Puri | Sweet Puris | Konkani Dessert

I have very beautiful memories of my childhood, school days in particular, when my brother and I returned from school all exhausted but bubbling with anticipation and excitement of what goodie awaits us at the dining table! Mum used to make yummies for us every evening to recharge our batteries and that itself was an event I used to look forward to. 

Junk food hardly had any space in mum's menu but that did not stop her from making the usual boring healthy dishes taste yummy. These Bun Puris featured quite often in her menu and were much loved by us all. Quick and easy to make, she would prepare these just before serving and we would devour them hot! Mildly flavoured, these soft sweet puris were quite filling and healthy too. 

After my wedding, I learnt of a similar looking and tasting sweet dish prepared by my Ma-in-law called the Mangalore Buns. This apparently is a famous sweet dish of Mangalore. The preparation of Bun Puris is simpler compared to their Mangalore cousins, owing to the lesser number of ingredients these use.

Phenori | Sugar-coated Spiral Crispies | Konkani Dessert

My childhood days are laced with fond memories of the four of us sitting around together during tea time, chatting away and munching on yummy home-made snacks. The flavour of these snacks was as diverse as our conversations! Mum used to offer us such variety in yums, without much ado, tending to our petty demands, cravings and fusses. Looking back now, I realise how much I had taken her for granted!

Well, as I have said before here, it is only when we step in into someone’s shoes do we truly admire them for what they are! Lately I have been stepping into mum's shoes a lot! And yesterday was yet another occasion. After a surprise discovery of a 'Mangalore store' near our home, I was reminded of this Konkani dessert, Phenori. Frankly speaking it wasn't one of my favorites back then, but now I was craving for my mum's version of this sweet that I just HAD to recreate it, in my kitchen! A quick phone call, some quick instructions and an hour later, I had this inviting bowl of sweet crispies in my hand :) As I munched on them, I was transported back in time :)

Kela Sassam | Banana in Sweetened Yogurt | Konkani Dessert

This is the only sweet dish I have come across that uses curry leaves as a flavouring agent! Yes, curry leaves in a dessert! A very simple to make, quick and delectable recipe, Kela Sassam is a Konkani delicacy which has been a favorite of mine since childhood.

An ideal dessert to make while in a rush and when you have guests coming over at short notice. Preparation time is just about 15 minutes with very basic ingredients you are most certain to find around in your kitchen. Also, when you have over ripe bananas and do not feel like eating them plain, you can just give them a make over and create this yummy-in-the-tummy goodie :)

Not to forget, this is a highly nutritious dish too.

So, whats holding you back?! Indulge in this dessert and feel the goodness of it's simplicity take over! :)

Lauki in Peppered Moong Dal and Coconut gravy | Lauki Ghasshi | Konkani Dish

Food blogging has become a cherished hobby of mine and last few weeks have been spent browsing through fellow blogger's blog pages, getting inspired by innovative recipes, participating in foodie events, learning about food photography and well just about anything and everything to do with it!

Last week, I bumped into very interesting event called Magic Mingle, hosted by Kalyani from Sizzling Tastebuds. Two ingredients are chosen every month and participants are to churn out dish(es) with these two ingredients featured as major ingredients. 

This month's ingredients: Moong Dal and Pepper. 

I loved this concept. Already an experimental cook, this spiced up my interest to be even more creative. I was eager to be a part of it. And being a keen follower of Master Chef Australia, this event sort of gave me the feel of experiencing an Innovation Test :) 

This dish was actually made by merging ideas from two different dishes my mum makes using lauki, coconut and moong dal. In addition, in order to meet this event's requirements, I used pepper pods as the spicing agent.

I am quiet thrilled by the final product, as it came out just how I had envisioned it. And watching hubby gleefully lick his fingers at the end of lunch today, made me feel like a Master Chef winner! :D