Konkani Randap : KoLambo | Mixed Vegetable Sambar

Kolambo is a typical Konkani Mixed Vegetable Sambar which tastes great with white rice. Here I have used only 3 vegetables, brinjal, drumsticks and potato as it is the best combination, along with toor dal. But one can use any combination of our choice vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, tinda, beans or frech beans. Restrict the vegetables to 3, other wise the sambar will loose its taste.  It is very healthy sambar as it has all the proteins and vitamins included in it.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Vegetables (of our choice, I have used potato, drumsticks and brinjal)
• ½  cup Toor Dal soaked for about 2 hours
• 1 medium size tomato
• A small lump of tamarind(optional)
• 2 strands of coriander leaves
• 2 table spoon sambar powder
• 2 spoon grated coconut
• 2 table spoon oil
• 1 table spoon mustard seeds
• 2 strands of curry leaves
• A pinch of asafoetida

 Method:

• Cut all the vegetables as shown in picture, don’t make very small pieces.
• Pressure cook all the vegetables along with toor dal.
• Grind grated coconut in a mixer to smooth paste.

• Pour all of them along with tomatoes in a container and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add sambar powder and salt for taste, mix well and cook for another 5 minutes.

• In a separate small non stick pan, add oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafetida one by one.
• Give this seasoning/tadka to the sambar. Mix well.

• Use finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing.
• Yummy sambar is ready. Serve hot with white rice.

  PS:  I have used home made sambar powder here. So adjust the spice according to taste. There is no red chillies in sambar powder so I have used 3-4 red chillies. While cooking drumsticks in cooker, place drumsticks in a separate vessel without water, don’t mix with all the other vegetables.

Konkani Randap : Karathya Rosu | Udid Methi | Raw Mango Coconut Curry

This recipe is one favorite recipe among Konkanis be it any festival or any other ritual. Rosu is a coconut curry with raw mango or  bimbal or ambado(amte kayi in Kannada, hog plum in English) or tamarind if none available and an urad methi temparing. Karathe is a Konkani word for Bitter gourd. It is known as Hagalakayi in Kannada and Karela in Hindi. Here I have used bitter gourd and capsicum, instead one can use a combinatiion any of these vegetables... lady's finger(bhende kai in Kannada), bamboo shoots( Keerlu in Konkani) or  kantola (phagil in Konkani). Use only 2 vegetables at at time, to get a taste of every vegetable.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 small bitter guard
• 1 big capsicum
• Bimbal or ambado (amte kayi) or tamarind or raw mango 2-3 pieces
• 2 table spoon urad dal
• 1 table spoon methi seeds/ fenugreek seeds
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 2 table spoon of coriander seeds
• A pinch of termeric powder
• 3-4 red chillies
• 1 table spoon jaggery
• ½ table spoon mustard seeds
• 4 table spoon oil
• A pinch of asafoetida
• Salt as per taste

  Method:

• Cut bittergaurd leghtwise as shown in picture.
• Add salt, mix well and keep for around 1 hour. After that squeeze out and throw the bitter salt water and wash it nicely. This removes the bitterness of the bittergaurd to some extent. Keep this aside.

• Cut capsicum into big pieces as  shown in picture.
• Heat 2 table spoon oil in non stick pan, fry Urad dal and methi seeds nicely.

• Grind coconut, red chillies, coriander seeds, turmeric powder, tamarind in a mixer. Do not make the masala too fine.

•  Now add urad dal and methi seeds and grind one more round. After adding urad dal and methi seeds don’t grind it more, as these seeds should not become powder.

• Heat 2 table spoon oil in a separate kadai, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add curry leaves and asafetida. Now add bittergaurd pieces and fry to 5 minutes.

• Add capsicum pieces and fry for another 2 minutes.

• Add 1/2 cup water and cook the vegetables for 5 minutes.
• Add ground masala, add salt, jaggery and sufficient water(It should not be too watery).
• Cook for 2-3 minutes.

• Serve hot with rice.

 PS:  Bitter gourd is very good for health because of its bitterness which makes it mandatory in our food at least once a week. This dish is a combination of all the tastes, bitter, sour, spicy, sweet and salty.