Tur Daal and Drumstick Curry

This recipe has been sitting in my drafts for way too long. I remember, when my mum lived with me, every morning post breakfast she and I got into a huddle of sorts in an effort to plan the meal for the day. During those days, at least most week days we cooked a vegetarian meal and stocked the fridge accordingly. On this particular day, the fridge seemed bare, and the only vegetable there was drumsticks. There was absolutely nothing else. I was dreading the thought of making lunch that only had drumsticks. But my mother's knack for making a curry out of anything amazes me. I guess that's what mothers are all about. Waving their invisible wands and cooking with the most mundane ingredients and turning them into a delicious meal.

Drumstick and Tur daal (aka pigeon pea) curry (Saango ani daalechi kadhi) is a tasty treat that goes well with steamed rice and a pickle or fried fish. This is a traditional Mangalorean curry with coconut and spices. In fact there are many such unheard of combinations that are a regular feature in a Mangalorean household. You can make a similar curry with brinjals or eggplant instead of drumstick, other vegetable curries include different types of pulses, winter melon, bottle gourd, cauliflower etc that can be cooked with coconut, red chilly and other spices. More recipes on that later. For now I'd say, this is a must try for people who like coconut based curries.

Recipe credit: Cecilia Sequeira

Ingredients:

1. Drumstick - 3 nos
2. Tur Daal (pigeon peas) - 1/2 cup
3. Tomatoes - 2 medium

Grind the below mentioned ingredients with water:

1. Coconut - 1 cup, grated
2. Onion - 1 small (roughly chopped)
3. Garlic - 2 flakes
4. Kashmiri red chillies - 3 nos
5. Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1/2 tsp
6. Mustard seeds (rai) - 1/2 tsp
7. Coriander seeds (dhania) - 1 tbsp
8. Tamarind - 1 small lime sized ball
9. Turmeric powder(haldi) - 1/2 tsp

Tempering:

1. Oil - 2 tbsp
2. Curry leaves - 10 -15 nos
3. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Cook the daal and tomatoes in an pan with 2 cups of water. If using a pressure cooker, let it cook for two whistles and switch off the flame.
2. Once the daal is cooked, add the ground masala, drumsticks and salt to the pan. Let it come to a boil and then add water as per the desired consistency. Let it cook for about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. For tempering, use a small pan, pour oil, when the oil is hot add the mustard seeds, when they stop crackling, put off the gas flame and add curry leaves.
4. Put this oil immediately into the pan containing the curry.
5. You can temper the curry just before or after you put off the gas flame.

Plain red coconut curry - Bachelor curry

Goan and Mangalorean fish curries are famous and quite popular amongst foodies. Though I don't eat a lot of fish, I grew up in a house where fish curry and rice was a staple diet. My mum refused to cook separately for me, this was my mother's idea of tough love. :-) I learnt to eat the rice and curry without touching the fish. A strange but workable solution for all. Till date I enjoy fish curry and rice, minus the fish.

After I met Alex, I learnt to cook the plain red coconut curry from his dad. I was so happy to discover a curry that was so close to a fish curry, but minus the fish, unheard of in my mum's house.This curry uses all the same spices and instead of fish, you add a stock cube for the flavor. It is also known as the bachelor curry in Mangaloren cuisine. For picky fish eaters like me who love the coconut curry and prefer fried fish to curry fish, this is a super combo. Add a simple vegetable like cabbage or beans foogath,on the menu and you have a wholesome and delicious meal.

Recipe credit : Cyril Coutinho (Alex's dad)

Ingredients:

1. Onion (small) - 1 no
2. Tomato (small) - 1 no
3. Stock cube - 3 nos

For the masala:

1. Coconut - 200 grams
2. Kashmiri red chillies - 7 nos
3. Garlic - 7 cloves
4. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
5. Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Peppercorn - 1/2 tsp
8. Onion (small) - 1 nos
9. Tamarind - a marble sized ball 

Method:

1. Slice the onion and tomato. Add salt to the onion and mix and keep aside.
2. Grind to a fine paste all ingredients mentioned under, for the masala.
3. In a pan, place the salted onion, sliced tomato and the masala, bring this to a boil. Add about two cups of water, and cook on low flame for about 25 to 30 mins.
4. Add the stock cube five minutes before putting off the stove.
5. You may add drumsticks for additional flavor.

Mangalorean Coconut Beef

Mangalore is located on the west coast in the state of Karnataka. Mangalorean cuisine is unmistakably influenced by the diverse communities that live there, for instance the Tulu speaking - Bunt community, the Christian community, and the Muslim community. Most dishes are prepared with coconut and I guess cooking without coconuts is unimaginable in South India.

The beef recipe mentioned below is spicy and has the delicate flavor of the coconut, giving your taste buds a delightful experience. This dish is my mum's specialty and my husband and I love it. Its best eaten with sannas (rice cake), pan pole (neer dosa), or pau.

Ingredients:

1. Beef - 1 kg
2. Onions - 2 nos
3. Garlic - 1 pod (medium)
4. Ginger - 1 inch piece
5. Tamarind - 1 small lball (soaked in warm water)
6. Vinegar - use if needed
7. Coconut - 1 medium, try and use only the white part.

Dry roast and powder the below spices:

1. Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
2. Jeera - 3/4 tsp
3. Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp
4. Cloves - 6 nos
5. Cinnamon - 1 and half inch piece
6. Kashmiri red chillies - 8 nos
7. Peppercorns - 8 nos

     8.  Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp (roast, powder and keep aside)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions, fry well, add chopped garlic, ginger and green chillies.
2. Add the meat and tamarind extract and the powdered ingredients.
3. Mix well and let it cook. Take one whistle in the cooker and put the gas slow and cook for 20 mins. The time taken to cook beef usually varies depending on how tender the meat is. Use your judgment.
4. Once the meat is cooked, add the grated coconut and methi powder. Check for seasoning and taste. If you think you'd like dash of vinegar you may add about 1 tbsp. 
5. Give it a nice stir so that everything is mixed well and switch off the flame after about 2 mins. And coconut beef is ready to be served.

Pork Bafad

Pork is a favorite amongst the Christians; Goans, Mangaloreans or East Indians love their pork preparations with a gusto that one can say is borderline crazy. Cholestrol can go take a hike, we love our "dukramaas". There can't be any celebration that is complete without pork preparartion. Well "Pork bafad" is a Mangalorean pork preparartion that has its own place of honor. No roce, wedding, christmas, birthday (you get the drift ;-)) can be celebrated without pork bafad. Atleast that's how it is done in my family. Infact my husband is amazed at how much pork my family and I can gorge in one go ;-), he thinks we ought to get a prize just for that.

I'm sure others enjoy it too, but there are no definite statistics to prove that :-). There are many variations to the recipe I have share below. Some prefer too many onions - this adds to the gravy and make it a bit sweet. Others prefer too much spice. I've tried various recipes and this won the most votes in my family. So this recipe is a family recipe now. This recipe was printed in my parish bulletin and was shared by a senior citizen, whose name unfortunately I did not capture. But God bless her, its an awesome recipe and if you do try it and like it you know who to thank !

Ingredients:

1. Pork - 1 kg
2. Onions - 3 nos medium (Cubed)
3. Ginger - 1 inch (chopped finely)
4. Garlic - 1 pod (chopped finely)
5. Green chillies - 3 nos (slit)
6. Cloves - 6 nos
7. Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
8. Bay leaves - 2 -3 nos
9. Vinegar - to taste
10. Salt - to taste

The below ingredients to be ground:

1. Kashmiri chillies - 15 nos
2. Peppercorns - 10 nos
3. Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
4. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
5. Tamarind - 1/2 a lemon sized ball (soaked in warm water)

Grind the above using water.

Method:

1. Cut the pork into 1 inch cubes. Wash well and drain excess water.
2. In a pan large enough to hold all ingredients, put the pork, add the ground masala and all ingredients. Mix well and switch on the gas.
3. Use water to clean the mixie jar. Do not use any more water than that for the preparation.
4. Bring the meat to a boil, lower the flame and let it cook for 25 -30 minutes.
5. Continue cooking till dissolved fat appears on top or until the meat is tender. This could take anywhere between 45 mins to an hour.
6. Check for spice and salt.
7. Tastes best with Sannas or pau.

* Note: Pork tastes best when the preparation is allowed to rest atleast for a couple of hours, better still for a day.