Ambate Para – Goose-plum Pickle

Kayapanda Suma Thimmaiah
suma

Kayapanda Suma Thimmaiah from Suntikoppa takes keen interest in her coffee estate activities and she is also an active member of a women’s self-help group and the Coorg Women Coffee Awareness Body.

Ambate Para – Goose-plum Pickle

Ingredients:

Ambate 2 kgs ,

Salt ½ kg ,

Chilli powder ½ kg ,

Mustard powder 200 grams ,

Asafoetida ¼ tsp ,

Method:

Wash and wipe the Ambate with a clean cloth. Put them into a porcelain or glass jar and add salt. Add chilli and mustard powder to Ambate along with asafetida. Mix well.  Keep the jar airtight. Ambate pickle will get ready in a week.

Onnak Meen (Dried Salted Fish)

Bommanda Meena Mohanmeena-photo

Bommanda Meena Mohan is a culinary expert of repute living in Ammathi, Kodagu. Her dishes are in great demand at weddings and other social get-togethers.

Onnak Meen (Dried Salted Fish)

Ingredients:

Dry fish – 1 kg
Onion – 1/4 kg (chopped into pieces)
Green chillies – 6 (slit lengthwise and de-seeded)
Curry leaves – 6
Chilli powder – 2 tsp
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Kaachambuli (Coorg vinegar)  2 – 3 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil – 2 tsp

onaakmeen

Method:

Boil the fish with 5 cups of water after removing the bones.  Once the fish is cooked, drain the water and cut into small pieces. Mix salt, turmeric, chilli powder and Kaachambuli. Marinate for 10minutes.

Heat oil in a pan.  Fry the onions, green chillies, curry leaves till onions turn golden brown. Add the marinated fish and fry for 10 minutes in low flame. You can season it with coriander leaves.

Chekke kuru pajji (Jackfruit seed chutney)

Chettira lathachettira_latha

These two simple and delicious chutney recipes are courtesy the very  talented Chettira Latha of Madikeri. Besides cooking for her own family and friends, she takes catering orders on request from tourists in search of traditional, home cooked Coorg food.

Chekké kuru pajji (Jackfruit seed chutney)

•    1/4 kg boiled or roasted jackfruit seeds, peeled and lightly pounded

•    1 cup grated coconut

•    1 small onion

•    Green chillis to taste, preferably parangi malu (kanthari chilli or bird’s eye pepper)

Grind the above ingredients together. Add salt and a squeeze of chorangé (a local variety of citrus) or lemon juice to taste. Stir to mix and serve with akki otti.

ingredients

Chekké kuru pajji 2

Proceed as above, but instead of the citrus juice, add a tsp of tamarind extract when grinding the mixture.

Seasoning:

•    1 tsp mustard seed

•    2 dry red chillis, broken into large pieces

•    1 small onion, sliced

•    4 – 5 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed

•    4 – 5 curry leaves

•    3 tbsp oil

•    A pinch of turmeric

Heat the oil, sputter the mustard, then add the chilli and curry leaves, followed by the garlic and onions. When the onions and garlic start to brown, pour the hot seasoning over the ground mixture, adding a pinch of turmeric.

NOTES:

•   Latha says this is best if on the tangy side, so check the tartness of your tamarind and adjust the quantities.
•   The same ingredients can make a chekké kuru curry, by adding hot water for the desired consistency. Add the separately ground coconut at the last stage and simmer for a couple of minutes before serving.
•   Remember to keep the jackfruit seeds coarsely ground for the best result.