Gajbaje or Monsoon Vegetables Curry

This is a side dish made during fast as it does not contain any onion and garlic.
And also is made from the seasonally vegetables found in the coastal regions during monsoon.
Very easy to make and goes well with the "Rulava Idli" or "Semolina Idli"

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.

Kiddies Meal Combo 9 - Aloo Tikki & Paneer Roll

Tips for lunch box:
1. Make the Potato mix the previous day and keep in fridge.
2. Make Chapati or Roti dough the previous day.

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.

Five-Spice Battered Prawns (Chinese Style)

An easy to make starter and loved by all who like seafood, Five-Spice battered prawns in one of the most popular chinese starters.
Five-spice powder encompasses all five flavors - sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and salty.
Five-Spice powder is easily available in all super markets but incase you cannot find it, I have given the steps to make 5-spice powder at the end of the recipe.

Roasted Egg Plant Salad

Research has proved that the fiber found in eggplant is a useful tool for people who are trying to lose weight. Fiber is a relatively “bulky” food, meaning that is takes up a lot of room in the stomach. Therefore, by eating eggplant in a salad or appetizer before a meal, dieters are likely to have a greater feeling of satiety, and generally eat fewer calories.

After knowing is fact about egg plant, I have been thinking of ways to make an eggplant salad, which is not just nutritious but also tasty and appealing to the eye. And finally I created this salad and my family loved it.