Ananasache Jam (Pineapple Jam)

Ananas (i.e., Pineapple) Jam is a side that always used to be available at my aunt's home. As kids, we used to relish this with Chapathi. When my mom recreated this for me, it took me back to my childhood relish. A very simple recipe which you'll definitely love!

Recipe:

Ingredients:
Pineapple - 1 (Medium size)
Sugar - 2 cups (Indian teacup size)
Cardamom Powder - 8 (powdered)

Preparation:

1. Cut pineapple into very small pieces. Mix sugar and keep aside for 10 mins.
2. Put the mixture on the stove and keep mixing every now and then in between so that it does not stick to the pan.
3. When the sugar becomes syrupy and the pineapple is cooked very well, add the cardamom powder, mix well and switch off the stove.

Pineapple Jam is ready and can be eaten with Chapathi.

Kadgi Suki Bhaji (Raw Jackfruit dry curry)

Raw Jackfruit (Kadgi) is widely used in Konkan cuisines. They call it the vegetarian version of Chicken. This is my mom-in-law's speciality and it goes great with Chapathi or even rice.

Here is the recipe for this yummy and simple dish.

Recipe:
Ingredients:

Raw Jackfruit (Kadgi) - 1
Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Tamarind water - (soak a small ball in 1/2 cup warm water)
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Oil - 3 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Hing - pinch
Red Chilly -1
Curry Leaves - 8
Jaggery - 1 tsp
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup


Preparation:

1. Cut the raw jackfruit into small pieces and boil it in the cooker for 3 whistles.
2. Crush it with hand once its cooled, then add red chilly powder, salt, tamarind water, garam masala and mix it well. Keep it aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Once heated, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add hing, red chilly, curry leaves and put the above raw jackfruit mix to this.
4. Then adjust the salt and add jaggery and mix well. It should cook on low flame.
5. Finally add grated coconut and serve.

Kadgi suki bhaji is ready to be served with Chapathi.

Ragi Seviya Upma

Ragi vermicelli is available in most of the India grocery stores and is a very healthy choice for breakfast. When stumbled upon this very healthy ingredient in one of the stores, my mom & mom-in-law picked it up for breakfast and made this amazing Ragi Seviya Upma. Here is the recipe that my mom shared of this dish. Hope you find this yummy.

Recipe:
Ingredients:

Ragi Vermicelli- 1 small packet
Oil - 3 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Curry Leaves - 5
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) - pinch
Onion - 1
Green Peas - 1 cup
Green Chilly - 4 (slit)
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp
Ghee - 4 tsp
Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup
Grated Coconut - 1 cup (1/2 packet )

Preparation:

1. Add Ragi Vermicelli to warm water and mix well. Remove immediately and keep it aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
3. Then add curry leaves, cumin seeds, asafoetida (hing) and let it fry.
4. Next add onion, green peas and fry it well.
5. Add slit green chillies, ragi vermicelli, turmeric powder, salt, sugar and ghee. Mix well 
6. Add coriander leaves and grated coconut and mix well.

Ragi Seviya is ready to eat.

Homemade Remedies

I believe in curing common illnesses naturally via Ayurveda remedies instead of allopathy. Here are some of the homemade remedies for some of the problems that has been passed down from generation to generation. Hope you all find them useful.

Remedy for Diarrhea:

• Drinking arrowroot powder mixed in 1 glass of water. (or)
• Mix Arrowroot powder in curd and add a pinch of salt. (or)
• Add hing to buttermilk and drink. (or)
• Add lemon to Tea liquor and drink.

Remedy for Stomach ache:

• Extract juice from ginger and add a pinch of salt and drink.

Fasting Food:

• Add arrowroot powder (Kathre Pitto) to milk and some water and drink it.

Remedy for toothache:

• Put cloves between the affected area and keep it there. The clove juice helps cure the gum infection and relieves you of toothache. This has worked for me every time.

Ale Kande Ambat

Ale Kande Ambat (Ginger Onion Curry) is a popular Konkani seafood curry. This is the gravy for most fish curries in the konkan cuisines. My mom makes a vegetarian version of this with small diced potatoes since I love this curry a lot.

For all the seafood lovers, just use fish instead of potatoes.

Here's the vegetarian version of my mom's famous fish curry.

Recipe:
Ingredients:

Oil - 3 tsp
Byadgi Red Chilly - 4 (for spice)
Kashmiri Red Chilly - 4 (for color)
Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp
Grated Coconut - 1 cup (1/2 packet)
Tamarind - a small ball
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Potato - 1
Onion (small) - 1
Ginger - 2 in
Green Chilly - 3
Salt - to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add red chillies, coriander seeds, grated coconut, tamarind, turmeric powder and let it all fry.
2. Next grind the above into a fine paste.
3. Meanwhile, boil a potato separately, cut into small pieces and keep it aside.
4. In another pan, heat oil, add onion, ginger cut into very small pieces and green chilly and fry it well.
5. Add the grinded paste to this and potato and let it come to a boil.
6. Adjust the salt as per your taste.

Ale Kande Ambat is ready to be served with rice.

Methi Miryakan Ghalnu Ambat

Methi Miryakan Ghalnu Ambat (translates to "Curry made with fenugreek seeds and pepper balls") is a very popular konkani curry prepared when making Konkan style prawn curry (Jeeve sungta Ambat). I love this curry so much that my mom used to take some out before adding fish or shrimp to it.

For all the seafood lovers, you can follow this recipe with the only addition of adding fish or prawns in the end and boiling.

Here goes my mom's amazing curry.

Recipe:
Ingredients:

Oil - 3 tsp
Coriander Seeds - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Byadgi Red Chilly (for spice) - 4
Kashmiri Red Chilly (for color) - 4
Grated Coconut - 1 cup (If using frozen, put 1/2 packet)
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Tamarind - 1 small ball
Fenugreek seeds (Methi seeds) - 1/2 tsp
Pepper balls - 8
Onion - 2
Salt - to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add coriander seeds and fry well.
2. Next add cumin seeds, red chillies, grated coconut, turmeric powder, tamarind and fry it. Switch off the flame.
3. Grind the above mixture into a fine paste.
4. In another pan, heat oil, add fenugreek and pepper balls and let it fry.
5. Add it to the paste above and grind it.
6. Next heat oil in a pan and add the onions. Let it fry. Then add the grinded paste, salt and mix well.
7. Let it boil well till you see bubbles coming and then turn off the flame.

Curry is ready to be served with rice.

Kathre Pitto Dudalli

Dudalli is a Konkani dessert that has a jelly like texture and is made with either Kathre Pitto (Arrowroot Powder) or Ragi Flour which makes it very nutritious and rich.

Kathre Pitto (Arrowroot Powder) has many health benefits. Consuming this flour helps cure Diarrhea (loose motions) and helps improve the digestion. It also cools down the body. So if you have pimples, you know what to eat!!

Here is my mom's recipe of this yummy dessert.

Recipe:
Ingredients:

Arrowroot Powder (Kathre Pitto) - 1/2 cup
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Grated Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp
Water - 3/4 cup
Cashews - 1/4 cup

Preparation:

1. Take arrowroot powder in a bowl and add water. Mix well and make sure the powder completely dissolves.
2. Add the cashews, coconut milk, jaggery, cardamom powder.
3. Next put it on stove and mix continuously till it thickens. Arrowroot powder acts as a thickening agent. You should mix continuously, else lumps will form.
4. Once the above mixture thickens, switch off the flame. Take another pan, coat it with ghee and pour the mixture. Let it cool down and then cut it into desired shape.

Dudalli is ready to be served.