Palak with Tori dal (Spinach with Pigeon peas)

I love the simplicity of this dish. A good friend of mine made this for an event and I loved the taste. When I got the recipe, I loved it even more since it was healthy and so easy to cook! This dish was done in 15 mins and goes well with rice/ roti/ bread.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup frozen tori (pigeon peas)
1- 10 oz box frozen palak (spinach)
1 small onion, chopped fine
Marble size tamarind (I substitued with 2 green tomatoes)
2 green chillies, slit
1"ginger, chopped fine
1/4 cup toor dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 dried red chillies
oil
salt to taste

How it's made:

Wash toor dal. In a pressure cooker pan, add pigeon peas, spinach, toor dal, green chillies, ginger, onions & tamarind. Pressure cook 10 minutes.
In a "Phanna davlo"or frying pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds. Once it splutters add hing, garlic and red chillies. Add seasoning to the cooked dal/palak. Boil. Adjust salt to taste.

Serves: 4

Peanut Masala(Peanut with spices)

Ingredients:

1 cup peanuts
1 spring curry leaves
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
1/4-1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp haldi (turmeric powder)
1 medium red onion, chopped fine
1/2 tsp lemon juice
oil
salt to taste

How it's made:

Soak peanuts for 3-4 hrs. Drain water & pressure cook - 2 whistles.
In oil, add mustard seeds & jeera. Once mustard splutters, add hing, chilli powder, haldi and curry leaves. Fry for a few seconds. Add cooked peanuts (donot add water), lemon juice and salt to taste. Cover and cook for a minute. Lastly add onions and cook for a minute. (Adding onions at the end gives a little crunch to the dish).

Serves : 4

Sungta Human/ Sungta Hinga Udka Randayi/ Shrimp Curry

Bapama (grandmother in Konkani), who is my inspiration behind many things was always at her best. Her charming, energetic, generous, kind-hearted, lovable  affectionate personality was loved by one and all. There are innumerable ways to describe her and she is one of my most favorite person. Bapama's house was always open with countless visitors visiting the family every year but she always treated everyone equally. She remembered everyone's favorite food and spent substantial time cooking with a lot of passion.

One summer break when I stayed with her, she treated me with the most amazing dishes. Draped in pure cotton saree and a white blouse, she had a towel on her shoulder to wipe out the sweat in her little, dim lit kitchen. She never asked for a fan or extra ventilation. One of my favorite dish was "Sungta Human" and Bapama made sure she made with fresh grated coconut and good quality shrimp. I could tell the love that went into making the dish with jumbo size shrimp - you had to taste to believe it!  That was the one and only year I got to try the gigantic sized shrimp and I was overwhelmed with the size. The thought of asking for the recipe never came to my mind. It was my summer break & I was too busy having fun. Good company, good food, no studying, no routine, what more can one ask for at a young youthful age? Listening to music, watching movies, chit-chatting and giggling was all that we did. (Hanging around would be a better term as addressed by current generation).

Mid morning, Bapama would bring us a glass of freshly squeezed lemon juice with a pinch of saffron - an extraordinary drink! Followed by lunch, evening snack & a line- up of fabulous dishes for dinner. When we sat back late at night watching TV & playing cards, she would walk down the hallway from her bedroom to the living room with her red rectangular flashlight politely reminding that we had to wake up early the next morning to eat breakfast and I did (unwillingly). But I made sure, I never disappointed her.

I don't think I valued the effort she put in but I did realize a few years ago the pain & execution it takes to entertain and cook. Every time when we have guests at home, I always remember her and reminiscing those memories, reminds me to put in my best. Bapama, you are the BEST and this one's for you.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 cup fresh grated coconut
6 dried red chillies,roasted
marble sized tamarind
1/2 tsp hing (asafoetida)
1 tsp coconut oil
salt to taste

How it's made:

Grind coconut, red chillies and tamarind to a fine paste with a little warm water. In a pan cook shrimp for 2 mins, then add ground masala. Boil for a few mins, approximately 5-8 mins. Do not over cook. Shrimp tends to get chewy if overcooked. Add salt to taste and asafoetida. Drizzle with coconut oil. Serve with white rice. [I substituted with instant Shevai (Rice Noodles)].

Some people avoid using coconut oil due to health reasons. Canola oil can be substituted but coconut oil gives a very distinctive taste & aroma.
Bapama used to add one small chopped tomato. I've tried Bapama's way (which I call Bapama's Sungta Randayi), it gives a divine flavor to the curry.

Serves: 4

Mangalore Banana Buns

Buns is a popular food item amongst Konkani community. For us it was an after school snack when we were young. I remember breaking buns in half & consuming the soft white cotton like texture on the inside. Amma used to avoid fried food but she made it when we had one over ripe banana left behind which no one would eat. Once the bananas had several black spots on them, it was either buns or "half banana halwa".

Buns is served at most local Mangalorean restaurants under breakfast menu. Some people like it with chutney & some with Dalitoy (which I have yet to try). 

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
1 cup sugar
soda bi carb - a pinch
2-3 cups maida (flour) + a few tbsps
oil for deep frying

How it's made:

Sieve 1 cup maida & soda bicarb so that they mix well together. Set aside.
Mash banana to a smooth paste. Add in yogurt , jeera and whisk well. Add sugar. (Since I like it medium sweet, I use 1 cup sugar). Add maida little at a time to make a dough a little softer than making roti/chapati. Set aside for 4-5 hours.

Roll out a lemon size ball of dough to about 1/4" thick. You can dust some flour on surface to make rolling easier.
Deep fry one at a time to golden brown in color on medium high flame.

Makes approx. 30 buns