Nariyal Chutney (Coconut Chutney)

I had tried on many occassions to perfect my coconut chutney but was never satisfied with the result. It really wasn’t that bad or unedible but just not as delicious as I had hoped. Then a few years back I inherited a recipe from my friend Sammi’s late grandmother Yenktamma Naidu. Everyone fondly knew her as Awa. Coming from a South Indian I felt like I had been handed a family heirloom and felt mighty proud.😊Since then I have been making my coconut chutney Awa’s way. I will forever be indebted to her for passing her recipe to me. God bless her soul.

Recently I was reminiscing and went straight back into my Fiji flashback.💭It was the weekend, Saturday to be precise, a day I knew I will be allowed to catch up with my school mates and go and show off my “mufti day” clothes. I loved not having to wear my school uniform and letting my hair out which was a change from having to coconut oil it to plait it with ribbons. I wore my best outfit and waited for my friends to turn up so we could just hang out and do a full round walk of our small city. We made sure we walked slowly (not much choice in the heat) so it would take the max time to cover from one end to the other. Yes, that was our Lautoka city small and cute. Then after lunch we would stroll to Marine Drive harbour and sit and watch the ships sail by and throw rocks into the sea.

Most of our weekends were spent watching any and every Bollywood movies at the cinemas. Even better when your parents owned one. It was free VIP entries for us. My parents always knew where to find my missing siblings and I….hiding in the cinema which was our second home. We would snack on fried peas, bhuja mixes and sip soft drink. Soft drinks were luxury items to have those days so you can imagine how much I looked forward to enjoying each sip followed by a burp or two. The downside was watching the actors feeding themselves on screen which made us all more hungry. As soon as it was intermission men darted towards the loo or outside to kill their lungs. Women and children made a quick dash to the takeaway shop to buy hot mutton pies and fish and chips. I would love to hear everyone sigh whenever there was a climax scene and say “saaa” (for ahhh or ohhh) or in sad scenes everyone of them in unison will begin to “tch! tch! tch!” (for awww nooo you poor thing) or in fight sequence there will be a very loud Oilei!! (for what I belive is maybe OMG!). And if the movie stopped or the reel finished in the middle of the most exciting scene of a son reuniting with his mum then itll be a mild hurl of abuses like “oyye operator kani kani” (basically meant operator wake up from your Kava induced sleep). Oh! how I miss all that.

As much as I loved watching movies I absolutely hated the cinema halls. I could never relax once the lights turned off. No, not out of fear from being kicked by smelly tinea ridden feet from behind but from far more dangerous things. The “thing”…the thing that petrified me..the thing that could make your skin crawl…the thing that was brown and had antennaes….yucky and gross cockroaches!!!! And those “malteser suckers” could fly I tell ya! Yikesss I could just die.😱I as an adolescent was traumatised by those evil pests. Anyways I managed to survive to see many more movies and finally when I discovered the cinemas in Australia I was cured…aaaah!

Getting to the point…so as soon as it was Saturday I knew mum will be going to the markets to buy some vegies and freshly cooked Idlis and coconut chutney. I always looked forward to that and it wasn’t often the vendors at the markets sold it. I will never forget how delicious the chutney was. I was recently craving it badly so I decided to make a few in experimental batches and see if I could replicate the taste. Finally I think I did it!! I believe I was very close to it. This chutney is my experimental version inspired by Late Awa’s original recipe with a slight twist.

As you all know I cook the lazy way so I’ve used frozen shredded coconut. I have tried many frozen brands but Vadilal’s is by far the best. Obviously you can’t compromise on the fresh taste of grated coconut but this brand comes quite close to it. It’s moist and fluffy in texture and smells heavenly. Hailing from the tropics I happen to know my coconuts (no pun intended😁). A few years back I did it the old fashioned way by placing the coconut grater (shaped somewhat like a cricket bat with prongs attached to it) on a chair with my butt firmly on it and grate away. This chutney is for those lazy cooks who wants something quick because they’de rather be spending time with their family or enjoying “tutti frutti”.😉

This recipe is a special request by a reader and a friend. Roberta Movick this ones for you.

Ingredients
2 Cups Frozen Shredded Coconut (I have used Vadilal Brand)
1 Tablespoon Tamarind Pulp
1 Small Garlic Clove
1/2 Medium Sized Onion
5-6 Small Red Chillies (adjust to suit level of hotness)
5-6 Curry Leaves
Salt To Taste
Oil For Tempering

Method
• In a bowl of hot water (about a 1/4 cup) soak tamarind pulp. Set aside for water to cool down.
• Once cooled squeeze the pulp with fingers to release flavour into the infused water? Discard squeezed pulp. Set the paste aside.
• Chop onions, garlic and chillies finely.
• Heat oil in a non-stick frypan.
• Throw in the garlic, chillies, onions and saute till translucent.
• Now add curry leaves, shredded defrosted/thawed coconut and salt and cook till lightly browned.
• Set aside to cool and throw it all into the food processor with the tamarind liquid paste.
• If chutney is too dry to grind add a little bit more water to ensure it turns out moist and fine.

This dish is best served as sides with Idlis and Dosas.

Aloo Boda Tarkari (Potato And Cow Peas Curry) – Guest Post For Aahaaram

I have been honoured to do a a guest blog post once again and today that special person is Aruna Panangipally of Aahaaram who I fondly call Ms Gorgeous Smile (she doesn’t know that…..yet😉). I have known Aruna since I first started blogging and have had lots of support and encouragement from her. She has given the kind of support a friend gives to another holding your hand and welcoming you in this blogging world with open arms. Yep! That’s Aruna for you an absolute sweetheart. 😘Recently we took a step further and chatted a little and got to know each other better. Aruna then asked me if I would be willing to do a guest blog post for her and I literally jumped at the chance. I mean how could I not? My fellow bloggers and readers when an experienced Masterchef level blogger requests a lazy blogger like me for a guest post you know you’re good hehehe. 😬

Thank you so much Aruna for giving me this chance, you rock!!! I hope your readers have enjoyed my recipe. While you (my special readers) are peeking in here please do check out Arunas awesome blog http://aahaaram.wordpress.com where you will find a delicious smorgasboard of vegetarian cuisines from regional India.

Today my recipe is all about the humble fresh cow peas or black eyed beans or Boda as we call it in Fiji. Although not an authentic native Fijian dish (as Aruna had requested) this dish is commonly cooked in the Fiji-Indian households. For many years this has also been favored by the natives who love their curries as much as we love their super delicious native dishes like Lovo and Pulsami. Hopefully I will master the art of cooking those as well one day (I’m working on it).

There are many colors and varieties of these peas which also happens to totally differ in taste. Put a few together and you feel like you’re being ogled at by beautiful kajal/kohl adorned eyes (me and my crazy imagination 😬hehe). Combine this with potatoes, eggplant and tomatoes and you get a delicious curry which goes hand in hand with roti or chapati. The variety I have used in todays recipe is light brown in color and my preferred choice. Alternatively I use the creamy colored ones which are also known as Lobia beans in India.

photo credit: IITA Image Library via photopin cc

Ingredients
1 Cup Boda/Cow Peas/Black Eyed Beans
1-2 Medium Sized Potatoes (cubed into bite size)
1 Onion (sliced)
1/2 Eggplant (I have used the large dark purple variety)
1 Medium Sized Tomato
A Tiny Pinch Of Sarso/Mustard and Jeera/Cumin Seeds.
2-4 Methi/Fenugreek Seeds
2-3 Garlic Cloves (crushed)
1/4 Tspn Haldi/Tumeric
1 Tspn Garam Masala
1/4 Tspn Chilli Powder or Fresh Chillies (optional)
4-6 Curry Leaves
1-2 Tbspn Oil
Salt To Taste

Method
• Wash and soak the beans in water and set aside.
• Cut the eggplant into long and medium-thin slices, wash and soak.
• Peel, wash and cut potatoes into bite sized cubes and soak in water. Set aside.
• Meanwhile cut tomato in 4 pieces.
• Slice onions thinly and crush the garlic.
• Now heat oil in a pan and add sarso, jeera and methi. Allow it to splutter a little then add onions and garlic along with curry leaves.
• Saute the onions and garlic until its translucent and the raw smell of garlic has gone.
• Now add the dry spices – chillies, haldi and garam masala and stir for couple of minutes. Add a little warm water to get it paste like.
• Discard the water in which the eggplants, cow peas and potatoes were soaked and add them to the pan. Dry fry for 5 mins on low heat then add about a cup of warm water and cover.
• Let the curry simmer until the potatoes are half cooked (spoon break test required) then throw in your tomato pieces.
• Cover and cook until the potatoes are done. If you find the gravy is thin cook uncovered until the medium thick gravy consistency is reached.
• Finally garnish with chopped coriander/cilantro leaves.

This dish is best served with Roti/Chapati.

Taroi Aloo Tarkari (Sinqua And Potato Curry)

Here’s a special curry for my Valentine Sudhir a wonderful husband and dad to our daughter Mishka because just like L’oreal you’re worth it!!😊

Red the color of love.❤️Ok now I’m not really into this Valentines ritual because when you have been married as long as I have Valentines day just doesn’t exist. Soon after we got hitched and the lovey dovey honeymoon period was over it all flew out the window like a punctured balloon tai tai phissss!!!

My husband likes to believe everyday is Valentines day and he doesn’t feel the need to buy $5 flowers and chocs from the local woolies when he can cook two minute noodles at home for me. He would rather buy me a years worth of cleaning supplies instead hehe. 😄He’s not the least bit romantic and the day he decides to turn up home with a bouquet of red roses I’ll do a double cartwheel from shock! There’s no doubt the next day you will find me rummaging through his pants pockets, and sniffing the collars💋 like a sniffer dog for obvious clues woof!!🐶

Taroi, Turai or Tori in hindi is also known as Chinese okra or Sinqua. It has ridged skin and zucchini/courgettes like texture inside. When buying look for Sinquas which are bit spongy to feel when pressed. If it’s hard it could end up bitter. It should be kind of sweet tasting once cooked.

Image Courtesy Photopin

Why is this a Valentines special curry because it’s turned out a little red..well you know red hearts, red roses, red lipstick, red lingerie, red satin sheets(ooh la la). This dish also has a bit of red..lovely red tomatoes!!🍅

Cook this delicious curry and serve it to your loved one. Throw in a few red chillies and it could get red hot right on the dinner table.😉Enjoy being red! Happy Valentines Day!!

Ingredients
1 Chinese Okra/Sinqua
1 Small Potato
1/2 Onion
1 Medium Tomato
2-3 Garlic Cloves
1-2 Small Green Chillies
4-5 Curry Leaves
Pinch Of Mustard and Cumin Seeds
2-3 Tbspn Oil
Salt To Taste

Method
• Wash and peel Sinqua. Cut it into medium bite sized cubes.
• Wash and peel the potato and cut it into small cubes.
• Crush garlic, chop chillies and tomatoes and slice onions finely.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard and cumin seeds. Once it starts to pop dance add onions, garlic and curry leaves.
• Allow onions to brown then add chopped tomatoes into it and stir for couple of minutes before adding potatoes into it.
• Turn the heat down and cook potatoes until half done (spoon break test required) add a little water if you find its getting too dry.
• Finally add the cubed Sinqua in with the potatoes and cook until done.

This dish is best served with roti/chapati.

Kaddu Tarkari (Pumpkin Curry)

I have a belated Halloween special today..Pumpkin (Kaddu) curry. My mum who is currently visiting cooked this for us. I was craving it for sometime so I decided I’m finally going to learn how to cook it. I was surprised when she told me it was pretty much cooked the same way as most other vegies. The same simple ingredients were used. Sometimes we add dry mango pieces to add a slight variation to the sweet taste of pumpkin.

Ahhh speaking of Mango reminds me of my childhood. So here we go into my flashback…I miss those days where we did absolutely nothing and sleep under the shade of mango trees. We ate mangoes like there was no end to it. It was almost eaten like a meal. We used to have mango picnics with family and friends. It was like a mad obsessive mango gorging session…green mango dipped in sugar, dipped in salt and chilli, mangoes eaten every which way you can think of. Funnily though no one spoke of the after effects of it the next day. ☺️

When I was a kid I was often teased as being a Kaddu (Pumpkin) or for looking like one for the roundness of it I guess. You see I have always been a chubby girl. Of course at that time I used to break out into tears but now I think it’s kind of cute. For some reason being called a Pumpkin in English doesnt sound as bad as being called a Kaddu in Hindi. Why does every derogatory term sound so bad in Hindi…beats me!

Call me whatever you want in English, to my ears that’s music but in Hindi you will wish you hadn’t. 😡 For example saying something like “you are such a witch!” sounds a bit tame…kind of almost decent but try saying it in Hindi…”you are such a chudail!!!!” and it doesnt stop there it ends up with the addition of ghosts, ghouls and demons too. Happy belated Halloween.

Ingredients
1/2 of a Kent/Jap Pumpkin
1 Onion
2-4 Garlic Cloves
3-5 Curry Leaves
1-2 Small Green Chillies
Pinch of Mustard, Cumin and Fenugreek Seeds
1-2 Tbspn Oil
Salt To Taste
Pinch of Sugar (optional)

Method
• Slice onion and crush garlic.
• Wash and peel the hard skin of Pumpkin. Remove the seeds from inside and cut the smooth fleshy bits into small to medium sized cubes.
• Heat oil in pan and add mustard, cumin and fenugreek seeds. Once it starts to splatter add onions, garlic, chillies and curry leaves and brown lightly.
• Now add pumpkin and cook until mushy soft on low heat setting.

This dish is best served with Puri (deep fried bread).