#Happy Ganesh Chaturthi (Gowri Ganesh Festival Special)

Happy Gowri Ganesh festival to you in advance.I am going to be really busy for the next few days making preparations for the festival puja and bringing together all that is needed to cook this delicious festive lunch.
Here is what I cook on Ganesh festival day every year.

If you wish to cook any of these dishes for #ganeshchaturthi, please click on the names of the dishes to go to the recipes.

• Phagila Phodi
• Alasande Upkari
• Bhenda Sagle
• Jeev Kadgi Bajo
• Batate Phodi
• Pathrode
• White Rice
• Dalithoy
• Tomato Saaru
• Go'd Phovu
• Madgane'
• Patholi

I will be posting recipe "Tomato Saaru" soon.

Anantha Chaturdashi Special - "Alvatthi" or Hot n Sour Colocasia leaves

"Alvatthi" is a traditional Konkani dish or should I say delicacy made especially today, ie on the festival day of "Anantha Chaturdashi" ie the last day of the Hindu festival of Ganeshotsav.
It is generally the tenth or eleventh day after Ganesh Chaturthi.
I have always eaten this dish in the traditional meal at our mutt/temple on this day but never really made it.
I also had this dish several times cooked by my Co-Sister, and got this recipe too from her.
The taste of this dish, lies in the leaves ie Colocasia leaves which we also use to make Pathrode.
Its a fairly simple dish to make, although until now I thought it was difficult to make mainly due to difficult the pronunciation of the dish.
Try making this dish, am sure you will love it too!
I know its not so easy to find colocasia leaves, but the solution is simple, grow them in your own garden or balcony.
In India and parts of Asia it is known as "Colocasia" and is a food crop.
But in other parts of the world like USA, Canada and Australia it is also known as "Elephant Ear" and is an ornamental plant.
Do buy the bulbs and plant them at home, you will be able to make these new dishes very easily.
Make sure to use enough tamarind in your dish to get rid of the itchiness.
However, these leaves are available in so called "Mangalore/Indian stores" everywhere.

Sukkal sungta kosambari/dry prawn salad

Dry prawn salad or "sukkal sungta kosambari" is a Mangalorean konkani side-dish...
this dish is not as popular like the Goan version of Dry prawn Kismur but i love it equally...

Ready in a jiffy...is the ideal side-dish when there is less time to cook but you still cannot manage without seafood...

"Bangude Ghassi" - Mackerel fish curry - Mangalore style

Mackerel is one of the highly recommended oily fish for a healthy diet. It is rich in essential oils, vitamins and minerals. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids occur in high quantities in this fish. It contains vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E and K. Various minerals also occur richly in the fish. The fish also contains protein and the antioxidant Coenzyme Q10 that helps to eliminate cancerous agents from afflicted cells. Mackerel fortifies the immune system. It supports the functions of organs that have been weakened by sickness. Omega-3 fatty acids act as an anti-inflammatory agent. They help in the management of arthritis. Inclusion of oily fish in the diet improves the condition of the blood. This promotes better heart health. 
Mackerel fish is also known as "Bangude" in Mangalore's local language.
On my recent trip to Mangalore, I learnt to make this curry from my cousin...and everyone at home here in Bangalore loved it...
I'm sure you will love it too...

Thunder Mushrooms in Spicy Gravy (GudGud Alambe Phannaupkari)

"Gud Gud Alambe" as it is called in Konkani, is nothing but wild mushrooms that grow in the hills near the coastal region of Mangalore only during the start of the monsoon when there is lot of thunder and lightning.
Like many other Indian communties, the Konkani community is also famous for hunting all kinds of wild but edible fruits, leaves, barks, stems, flowers and roots and cooking mouth watering delicacies out of them.
The "GudGud Alambe Phannaupkari" is one such dish.
"Gud Gud" means thunder in Konkani, hence this mushroom can be called as "Thunder mushrooms".
They are little different from the regular mushrooms in that they do not have any stem and they are totally round in shape.

There is also another difference, these mushrooms have a outer covering which needs to be removed to actually get the edible soft and white mushroom inside.

Also some peeled mushrooms maybe blackish in color, those need to be discarded before cooking.
The peeling takes some time like 1 kg could take about 30-45 minutes to peel, but the peeled mushrooms take just about 5-7 minutes to cook, but believe me the mushrooms are so tasty, that the long peeling time would be forgotten once you have eaten the curry.
This curry is best served with Poori but can also be eaten as a side-dish with rice and dal.
There are 2 variations, in the spicy gravy category.
One would be to make the Tomato Phannaupkari or All purpose Tomato curry already published in my blog and boil it for 5-7 minutes after adding these white peeled mushrooms.
The other variation is fully Chilly based which is given below.



Serves 3
Ingredients :
GudGud Alambe or Thunder mushrooms - 1 kg - cleaned and peeled.
Onion - 2
Red Chilli powder - 2 tbsp or as per taste or Red Chilly paste 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Optional :
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Method :
Finely chop the onions and keep aside.
Take a deep frying pan, put it on medium heat, add oil, and when its slightly hot add the chopped onions and fry till golden light brown. 
Then add red chilli powder or paste, fry lightly ( do not allow to burn ), ideal time should be less than 3-5 secs.
Immediately add the tamarind paste, salt and the mushrooms and bring to boil for about 5 mins.
The Alambe Phannaupkari is ready.
Serve it with Poori any kind of bread or rice.
Optionally you could garnish with coriander leaves.

Marwai Sukka (Clams Dry Masala)

Here is a very popular sea-food dish from the coastal region, made from Clams.

This is the Mangalorean style dish called "Marwai Sukka"  or "Clams in Dry Masala".

If you are getting tired of eating oily fish each week to meet recommendations of Omega-3 fatty acids, add clams to your recipe rotation a few times a month. Clams contains more Omega-3 fatty acids compared to other seafood.

Clams are surprisingly high in iron.Some individuals, especially women, have a difficult time getting enough iron each day, resulting in anemia if not treated. If you suffer from low iron, eating clams occasionally will help maintain your iron stores.Clams are also a good source of phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium.

Clams qualify as a lean protein and have more than 20 grams of protein and less than two grams of fat in a three-ounce serving. It makes nutritional sense to choose clam chowder over cream of chicken soup!

So try making this easy dish at home.

Alsande Upkari/Palya (Stir fried long Beans - Mangalore Style)

Long beans also known as "Alasando" in Konkani or "Alasande" in Kannada, is a very popular vegetable not just used in Mangalore coastal cuisine, but also used extensively in Malaysian and Chinese cuisine.

Long Bean is considered as an energy food. It is a low calorie vegetable and hence can be consumed by those on weight loss. It has good amounts of Vitamin A as well as fair amounts of Vitamin C. It is rich in anti oxidants, thus plays an important role in fighting cancer and delays aging. 

They offer cardiovascular protection and help lower blood pressure. They have anti inflammatory effects and relieve inflammation in arthritis and asthma.

Here is a very quick and easy side-dish made from Long Beans. This dish is one of the ways of cooking long beans in the Konkani cuisine. 

This dish is very simple and maybe most of you already know how to make it, but this recipe is for those friends who would like to learn how to make the Mangalore style Upkari or Palya.

Kulitha Saaru (Horsegram Rasam Mangalore style)

Horsegram is one of the lesser known beans. It is consumed as a whole seed, as sprouts, or as whole meal by a large population in rural areas of southern India.
Horse Gram is a plant that produces a lentil related crop that has many health benefits.
Horse Gram is full of great antioxidants and also hemagluttinin, which is found in antibodies, and other immune factors and contains a lot of polyphenols. Thus Horse Gram boosts your immune system helping you to ward off disease and have vitality.

This is a very old recipe which my Mom learnt from our neighbor and a very good friend in Mangalore.

I made this for my family and they loved it so thought of putting it on my blog.

Am sure you'll love it too. 

Garlic Chutney (Konkani Style)

Garlic has many health benefits, such as treating allergies, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and toothaches.
This version of Garlic Chutney is the Mangalore Konkani version which uses fresh or desiccated coconut.
This chutney is a very good accompaniment with dosas and chapatis.
It can also be used as a side dish with rice and dal/rasam.
And tastes good as a sandwich spread too.
If the coconut and garlic are roasted well before preparation it can last for a few days without refrigeration and hence can be used during long journeys.

Crab Curry (Chilli based - Mangalore Konkani style)

Fish and seafood are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and eating fish and seafood is linked to lower rates of heart disease. Even though crabs are low in total fat, they are still a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. A three-ounce portion of cooked crab has about 300-500 milligrams of the healthy fats. That's about the daily amount recommended for healthy people. Crabs are also a lean protein source. And although they do contain cholesterol, crabs are very low in saturated fat, which is more important than cholesterol for maintaining healthy blood lipids.
Here is a dish made using blue crabs, which I learnt from my Mom and aunt.
A favourite among all of us especially kids.
Use the non-spicy red chilli powder if required, and a point to note, since crab meat is sweet and so are the red onions, the dish will not be as spicy as it looks.