2 cups fresh beans or 1 cup dried beans, soaked overnight and drained
1 cup green/French beans, cut into 1” lengths
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder, or to taste
Salt to taste
Put the soaked or fresh beans in a deep pan along with the garlic, cover with 1’’ of water and bring to a boil. Skim off any froth that rises. When 3/4 cooked, drop in the green beans and cook until they are just tender. Stir in the remaining spices and salt. Cover and set aside.
Tempering
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 – 3 green chillis, slit
1 small sprig of curry leaves
I medium onion, finely sliced
5 – 6 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed
Heat the oil and sputter the mustard seed, followed by the curry leaves and garlic. When the garlic has begun to brown, add the green chillis and onions. Sauté until the onions are soft and beginning to brown. Add to the cooked beans and bring to a gentle simmer.cook for 4 – 5 minutes.
Grind together
1 cup grated coconut
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp thick tamarind extract
Add the ground coconut paste to the simmering beans and cook for 5 minutes. Remove and eat with steamed or ghee rice.
A simple curry that allows the flavour of wild mushrooms to shine through.
1/2 kg mushrooms, cleaned and sliced ( oyster mushrooms and crimini work well here )
2 medium onions, finely sliced
3 – 4 green chillis ,slit
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp lime juice
Salt to taste
Grind together to a smooth paste:
1 cup grated coconut
½ tsp cumin, lightly roasted and powdered
Heat the oil in a deep pan, kadhai or wok and put in the mustard. When it sputters, add the onions and green chillis. Fry until the onions are soft and just beginning to brown. Add the mushrooms along with the remaining spices. Sauté briefly, then add one cup of hot water and salt to taste. Simmer for five minutes, then add the ground coconut and cumin. Cook on low for two more minutes. Remove from heat and add lime juice.
If you don’t have wild mushrooms, here are a couple of ways to make even dull supermarket mushrooms take a walk on the wild side.
Drying mushrooms intensifies their flavour and can be done quite easily at home. A friend remembers her grandmother stringing mushrooms on lengths of twine and hanging them to dry above the wood stove in her kitchen in rural Coorg. They had the added cachet of being smoked too!Slice button mushrooms thinly and separate oyster mushrooms into 1 – 2” clumps. Dry in the oven on very low heat or in the direct sun until they are darkened,shriveled and leathery. Store in airtight containers. Soak them in hot water to rehydrate. Use these dried mushrooms and their soaking liquid to make your curry and see if it doesn’t taste just that much better.
Chutta kummu (roasted mushrooms)
•A favorite snack of my maternal grandfather, a lucky treat for any child who happened to be hanging about him at the right time!There were times when the land below the hedgerows in the field behind my grandparents’ home would turn white with a carpet of mostly edible mushrooms. One of my fondest memories is of scrambling up the muddy slope to gather them in the company of a young maid who knew which ones were safe to pick. The early morning chill and soaking grass just whetted the appetite for Akki ottis and kummu curry which were certainly on the menu on those days!This is the most delicious way I know of preparing a freshly picked, wild mushroom.Slice nethale kummu or oyster mushrooms into large pieces. Have ready some lime wedges and a little freshly roasted and coarsely ground chilli powder with a little salt mixed in. A not too hot variety of chilli like byadgi would be good. Pick up the pieces of mushroom with tongs and roast very briefly on hot coals or an open flame. Working fast, singe all the pieces and sprinkle over quickly with a little chilli powder, salt and a good squeeze of lime. Eat immediately. Mop up any juices with a slice of bread or akki otti
1 kg pumpkin, diced in 1″-2″ cubes (peeling is optional and I prefer to leave the skins on)
2 large onions, finely sliced
5-6 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
3-4 green chillies, slit
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp black or brown mustard seed
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt to taste
1 tbsp dark jaggery, or to taste
A few sprigs of fresh coriander, finely chopped (optional)
2-3 tbsp oil
Heat the oil in a deep pan, kadhai or wok and sputter the mustard. Then add the curry leaves and garlic. Saute until the garlic begins to change colour. Then add the onions and green chillies and fry until the onions soften and begin to brown
Mix the remaining spices with the pumpkin and add to the pot. Stir to mix and add 2 or three cups of hot water and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low until the pumpkin is tender. Stir in the jaggery. Just before removing from the heat, mix in the chopped coriander.
A popular way to eat akki otti and kumbala curry is to tear up the flatbread into a little mound of bite sized pieces and then ladle on the curry , very like a dish of pasta and sauce, only eaten with your hands! A dollop of fresh butter or ghee tops this off nicely.
•or the equivalent amount of fine thari, soaked for 1 hour
•You can also use suji/rava (or try cream of wheat or a soft wheat semolina) but the texture will be more grainy than that of kulae puttu made with soaked and ground rice
500 gms jackfruit pulp or ripe banana pulp
1/2 coconut – 1/4 to be grated and the rest sliced into thin slivers about 1 cm long
1/4 tsp baking soda (optional). It makes for a less dense cake, but I prefer the version without
200 gms jaggery or to taste (check how sweet the jackfruit or banana is before adding more)
If you’re using banana pulp, add a little ground cardamom to the mixture
A pinch of salt
25 pieces of banana leaf, of about 8″x 6″
Banana leaves need to be heated briefly to soften them and make them flexible enough to fold without breaking. This can be done by pressing them on a heated griddle, passing them gently over a flame, or, as I do, tossing them in a hot oven briefly!
Grind the soaked rice to a smooth paste with a little water.
•Combine the ground rice with the jaggery, jackfruit pulp, coconut, salt, and baking soda if you’re using it. Mix thoroughly. You should have a soft, moist batter that is thick enough to spoon into the banana leaves without being too runny.
•Place two tablespoons of the batter in the centre of a banana leaf wrapper and fold gently into a rectangular parcel. Have your sekala ready with water at a simmer and layer the parcels in as you prepare them. When they’re all done, cover and steam on medium-high for about 30 minutes.
•Remove the lid of the steamer and allow them to cool a little before tucking in. Kulae puttu tastes wonderful with a dab of fresh butter or ghee. Day old kulae puttu tastes delicious seared in a little ghee and dished up for breakfast or as a teatime treat.
My thanks to Mrs Ranu Appanna and her daughter, Vindhya Somaiah, for sharing this recipe. This version uses very little coconut and has a warm, deliciously nutty flavour from the roasted spice mix. The garlic in the tempering complements this perfectly.
Kootu curry
3/4 kilo mixed vegetables
Choose from the following or make your own medley:
Green beans and their fresh seeds, if available. (Any fresh beans will do. Borlotti beans are delicious made this way)
Potatoes
Kholrabhi
Carrots
Cauliflower
Fresh green peas
A small tomato or two
3/4 cup of Toor Dal
Slice the green beans and cut all the vegetables into large chunks. Bring 3 – 4 cups of water to a boil and add the vegetables, starting with the slower cooking ones. Add the quick cooking vegetables to the pot at a later stage to ensure they don’t get overcooked.
Cook the toor dal separately, with as little water as possible.
The Masala:
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp coriander seed
4-5 dry red chillies
3 tbsp fresh,grated coconut
2 tbsp uncooked rice
1/2 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp chana dal
1 tsp ghee (or oil)
1 tbsp thick tamarind extract
Heat a few drops of ghee or oil in a heavy skillet and gently roast the above ingredients except the tamarind. When they’re all roasted, put them back in the heated skillet together and add:
1/2 tsp turmeric1/8 tsp asafoetida (roast separately if you’re using the lump form)
This way, you avoid the risk of scorching these ingredients
Grind them all together into a fine paste, with a little water and the tamarind extract. Mix the ground masala, vegetables, dal, salt to taste and bring to a simmer.
Temper the stew with:
1 – 2 tbsp ghee (or oil)
1 small sprig curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seed
4 – 5 small garlic cloves, crushed with the skin on
Heat the ghee or oil in a small pan, then add the mustard. When the seeds sputter, add the curry leaves and the crushed garlic and sauté until the garlic begins to turn golden brown. Pour over the vegetable stew.
Kaipuli, or bitter orange, with its tart flesh and beguiling bitter-sweet fragrance, is a star in the Kodava culinary repertoire.
Kaipuli is prepared in various ways, using the juice, pulp and also the whole fruit. The most popular ways to prepare kaipuli are in kaipuli pajji, which incorporates the fresh pulp in a yogurt base; chutta kaipuli pajji, a cooked chutney made from the pulp of roasted kaipuli; and pulikuul paaka, another cooked pickle made using the juice of kaipuli. The fruit is also pickled with salt, chilli powder and spices.
Kaipuli juice, mixed with equal parts by volume of sugar and left in the intense sun for a few days will soon develop into a marvellously refreshing concentrateT.
Three chutney recipes follow, but let’s begin with how to prep the fruit.
For kaipuli pajji, you’ll need peeled and deseeded segments.
Using a small, sharp knife, slice off the peel and pith on the top and bottom of the fruit, then cut away the skin, pith and outer membrane in vertical slices to reveal the inner juicy flesh. Slice out inner segments between the membrane. Save any juice that spills out. Remove any seeds that come away with the fruit.
For chutta kaipuli pajji, you need the cooked inner flesh of fruit that has been roasted.
Wash the fruit and wipe it dry. Arrange on glowing embers and roast gently, turning the fruit to cook evenly. It’s ready when the entire fruit is blackened and soft. This takes at least 15-20 minutes on embers, less if you’re doing it over a gas flame.Place each roasted fruit gently in a bowl of cold water to cool and and wash off the soot, ashes and any charred portions of peel. Slice into quarters and scoop out the pulp into a bowl, taking care to remove all the seeds.
For pulikuul paaka, only the juice is needed. Extract this the way you would juice oranges.
Substituting Seville oranges for kaipuli
In my experience, Seville oranges tend to be more tart, and less juicy than kaipuli, so substitution of one for the other requires a little tweaking. The most important flavour here lies in the rind, so incorporating that into the recipe is important. The simplest way to go about this is to make pulp of the seville oranges, to be used in suitable proportions in the following recipes.
Seville orange pulp
Wash and dry your Seville oranges. If using frozen, thaw them completely before cooking.
Wipe the surface of each orange with a few drops of oil, then wrap each one loosely in foil, place on a tray and bake at 375 C for about 35-40 minutes, or until the fruit is tender but still holding its shape.
Place these baked oranges under the broiler at 525 C for as long as it takes to roast the outsides to a dark brown-black. Make sure they are on a non-reactive tray that will contain any juice that escapes.
Since the peel will be used in the recipes, you can decide to what degree you wish to roast the fruit. I like my Seville orange on the smoky side, so usually allow for more charred bits!
Let the fruit cool, then cut into wedges and carefully remove all the seeds to a bowl. Add the juice of a few lemons to the seeds to help remove the pulp that clings to them. Strain the seeds out, put the extracted pulp and chopped peel in the food processor and grind to a coarse paste.
Your kaipuli substitute is ready for use, or ready to freeze for use on another day.
Recipes
Fresh kaipuli pajji
3 cups thick yogurt, lightly whipped
2 1/2 cups of peeled and deseeded segments of ripe kaipuli
•or
1 tbsp Seville orange pulp and peeled and deseeded segments of grapefruit or pomelo
Put the fruit and juice in a bowl along with salt and sugar to taste.
Grind together:
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
2-3 hot green chillis
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 small bunch of fresh coriander
1 tsp mustard seed (for version 1) powdered separately if your grinder won’t do the job
Seasoning:
1-2 tbsp oil (use a little more for version 3)
I tsp mustard seed (for versions 2 and 3)
1 small sprig of curry leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
2 red chillis, broken into large pieces
Heat the oil and sputter the mustard, add the red chillis and curry leaves, then the shallots and fry till lightly browned.
There are several ways in which to interpret this recipe:
In the first version, the ground coconut paste is added to the yogurt and combined with the kaipuli. The seasoning is then poured over. The masala remains raw, so if you have trouble dealing with garlic in its uncooked form, this is not for you!
In this version, the ground coconut paste is added to the seasoning after the shallots are browned and cooked briefly to take the raw edge off the garlic. Then all the ingredients are combined.
The third version involves starting off with the seasoning step, then adding the ground coconut masala (see the notes about mustard and oil in the recipe above) followed by the yogurt. The whole mixture is heated through gently, then combined with the fruit.
Kaipuli pajji makes a delicious accompaniment to a rich pulao, though I find it hard to resist eating this on its own.
Serves 6-8 as a side dish.
Chutta kaipuli pajji
A cooked chutney made with the flesh of roasted kaipuli.
1 cup of roasted kaipuli pulp
•or
1 cup Seville orange pulp and 1/2 cup lemon juice (The orange pulp is much drier than kaipuli, so the lemon juice adds moisture)
1 cup of fresh grated coconut, gently toasted to a golden brown
12-15 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp mustard seed
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
5-6 red chillis
1 tbsp thick tamarind extract (you may add a little more if using the sweeter thai variety)
150 gms powdered jaggery
2 1/2 tbsp rock salt, or to taste
Seasoning:
1/3 cup raw sesame oil
1 tsp mustard
2-3 red chillis, broken into large bits
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Mix the salt into the kaipuli pulp and set aside.
Dry roast the cumin, mustard, pepper and chillis separately. Grind the spices together before combining with the garlic and coconut and grind to a rough paste.
Heat the oil in a non-reactive pan and sputter the mustard. Then add the curry leaves and broken red chillis, followed by the chopped onion. When the onions start to brown, add the ground spice paste and fry on low heat for a few minutes until the garlic no longer smells raw.
Add the tamarind and jaggery and continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes or until the oil begins to separate from the mixture.
Cool and bottle.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
The smoky, hot-sour sweetness of this chutney combines wonderfully with lots of things. Try it with grilled pork chops, salmon, or in a cheese and chutney sandwich!
Pulikuul Paaka
1 1/2 cups kaipuli juice
•or
1/4 cup seville orange pulp, ground to a fine paste, and enough lemon juice to make up the remaining volume
5-6 green chillis, or to taste
12 cloves of garlic
75-100 gms powdered jaggery , or to taste
2 cups fresh grated coconut, lightly toasted to a golden brown
1 tbsp thick tamarind paste
2 tbsp rock salt, or to taste
Lightly roast and powder together:
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/4 tsp fenugreek seed
Grind all of the above ingredients together to a smooth paste.
Seasoning;
1-2 red chillis, deseeded and broken into large pieces
1/2 tbsp channa dal (soaked for 20 minutes and drained)
2 tbsp roasted , skinned peanuts
1 sprig curry leaves
4-5 tbsp raw sesame oil
In a shallow, non-reactive an, heat the oil, then add the curry leaves and red chillis, followed by the channa dal and the peanuts. Saute until the the dal turns golden brown. Pour in the ground mixture , taking care to avoid the spattering that ensues when liquid hit hot oil!
Cook on medium low, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to thicken and the oil begins to separate. This may take about 10-15 minutes.
Remove from heat, cool, and bottle.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Mix Pulikuul paaka into freshly cooked rice for a Kodava version of puliyogare, or just eat it as a pickle on the side. Or any way you like!
Optional: a few curry leaves or 1 – 2 cloves for the poaching liquid
Grind together:
5 green chillis (or to taste)
1/2 tbsp fresh ginger paste
1/2 tbsp fresh garlic paste
1/2 cup packed fresh coriander
3 tbsp fresh,grated coconut, ground to a fine paste
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp salt or to taste
Very lightly roast and powder:
1” stick of cassia or cinnamon
5 cloves
5 – 6 black peppercorns
Knead all the above ingredients together thoroughly.
To finish:
2 – 3 tbsp ghee
Combine all the ingredients and knead together. Form into small balls – you should be able to make approx 20 – 22 pcs from this mixture.
In a wide, shallow pan, bring 2 – 3 cups of water to a gentle simmer and put the meatballs in. If using curry leaves or cloves, add them to the water now. Poach the meatballs in the simmering water, turning to cook evenly.
When they are cooked through, remove the meatballs to a plate and boil off any remaining liquid. Discard the cloves/curry leaves. Add the ghee to the pan and sauté the meatballs to a rich golden brown.
Soft, steamed rice balls – the perfect foil for a spicy pork curry.
2 cups thari, soaked for 20 minutes and drained
4 cups water
A pinch of salt
Bring the water to a boil in a deep pan and add the thari and salt. Once the rice has begun to soften, lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan constantly. Cook the mixture to a firm dough (about 7 – 8 minutes) then remove from the heat and cover with a clean cloth to keep the steam in.
When the mixture has cooled enough to handle, form the dough into balls a little smaller than a golf ball (or smaller if you prefer) and arrange in a chekala* or steamer lined with cheesecloth. Keep a bowl of warm water with a few drops of ghee in it handy to moisten your palms when forming the kadambuttus.
Steam on medium-high for approximately 20 minutes and remove from the heat. Allow to cool in the steamer.
Makes approximately16 to 18 pieces.
*A voluminous steamer, the chekala, or sekala, is an essential piece of equipment in a Coorg kitchen.A reasonable substitute is a large pressure cooker, used without the weight. A bamboo steamer will do as well, but the cooking may take a little longer.
◦ (If wild mangoes are not available, try this curry with any mango you like. If the mango is very sweet , add a little tamarind extract to provide the sour element)
Prepare the mangoes by washing them free of any resin and slicing off a small section where the stem is attached. Make two cuts on either side of the kernel to make three pieces of each mango. If the mango has an unusually large seed that doesn’t allow for slicing, peel the mango and reserve the skins. Add some water to the collected skins and squeeze out as much juice as you can. Strain and use the liquid in the curry.
2 medium onions, finely sliced
3-4 green chillies, slit
3-4 cloves garlic,lightly crushed
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilli powder, or to taste
1 tsp mustard seeds
One sprig curry leaves
Salt to taste
3-4 tbsp jaggery, or to taste (add more or less, depending on how sour the mangoes are)
3-4 tbsp oil
Grind together
1 tbsp dark roasted coriander seed
1 tsp dark roasted cumin
1 tsp mustard, roasted until it sputters
A few peppercorns, lightly roasted
Heat the oil in a deep pan, kadhai or wok and sputter the mustard. Put in the garlic and when it begins to brown, add the curry leaves and green chillies. Saute’ briefly, then add the onions and fry till they soften and just start to brown.
Add the mangoes, turmeric, chilli powder and the ground roasted spices and stir to mix. Add 2 cups of hot water (or enough to cover the mangoes) and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add salt and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the mangoes are tender.
Add the jaggery and simmer for a few more minutes. Check the sweet/sour balance.
A sheet of génoise cake, or whatever you would typically use for a swiss or jelly roll. (If you have a friendly neighbourhood baker who will make this for you, so much the better)
Heavy whipping cream
Lighty toasted cashew or pistachio nuts, coarsely crushed
Pouring cream and/or thin custard
Lots of honey
Take your sponge cake (preferably still warm*) so that it rolls the way swiss rolls are meant to.
Roll the sponge gently into a spiral, and let it sit until the cake is cool. Not very long, really.
Gently unroll the cake.
Whip the whipping cream until it stands in gentle peaks. Stop short of churning it into butter.
Spread that whipped cream generously over the surface of the cake, staying about an inch from the border all around.
Drizzle the surface with a a decent amount of honey. Do not ask me for quantities here.
Top the cream and honeyed surface with a generous sprinkling of nuts.
Gently, very gently, roll that cake back up, trying not to squeeze out the filling.
Set the rolled cake on a platter, allow to rest for a while, then slice, and serve with more cream and nuts and honey.
*If it isn’t warm, wrap it in a clean, slightly dampened dishcloth and pop it in a warm oven for a few minutes. It will comply, in less time than it takes to say “riiicolaaa”, about 15 times.
This is a very forgiving recipe. If your génoise or sponge refuses to co-operate in the rolling up, think “trifle”, and just slice, or dice it up and layer it. In its original form, this cake was served very moist, drenched in thin custard and chilled.
