Timeless Traditions: 3 Recipes from the Goud Saraswat Brahmin Community

Timeless Traditions: 3 Recipes from the Goud Saraswat Brahmin Community

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We bring you three heartwarming and classic dishes from the Goud Saraswat Brahmin Community.

 

1. Bean Hummus with Fresh Coconut

 

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Calorie count: 310 calories (per serving)

 

Ingredients:

1-2 tsp lime juice, or to taste

¼ cup olive oil, to emulsify

2 tbsp fresh coconut, grated

¼ tsp ts turmeric powder

10 curry leaves

4 tbsp onion, chopped

1 tsp mustard seeds

3 tbsp sunflower oil

Salt, to taste

5 cups of water

1 cup dried cowpeas (alsande) or black-eyed peas (chowli), soaked overnight and drained

 

Method:

  1. Simmer the beans with salt and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan on a medium flame for about 20 minutes, until soft.
  2. Take off the flame and allow the beans to cool in the liquid. Strain after cooled, reserving two cups of cooking liquid.
  3. In a large saute pan, heat the sunflower oil in a medium flame. When hot, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. And the chopped onions and sweat until translucent, stirring occasionally.
  4. Lower the flame, and add the curry leaves and all the powders, and cook for two to three minutes. Take off the flame. Add the grated coconut and mix well. Allow to cool.
  5. Toss in the grated coconut and mix well. Allow to cool.
  6. Add the cooked, cooled beans. Mix well.
  7. Blend the mixture on high, adding some of the reserved cooking liquid to aid the blending. Drizzle in the olive oil in a thin stream to give the hummus a luscious texture.
  8. Serve after adding salt and lime juice.

Tip: Serve with toasted wholewheat bread or rice crisps, or use as a vegetable dip or sandwich spread.

 

2. Raw Banana Koftas in Tangy Curry

 

Serves: 4

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Calorie count: 980 calories (per serving)

 

Ingredients:

To prepare the raw banana koftas:

1 cup breadcrumbs

½ cup water

Oil, to deep fry

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

1 tsp fresh green chillies, chopped

½ cup paneer, grated

Salt, to taste

1 tbsp raisins, finely chopped

1 cup raw banana, boiled

To prepare the curry:

2 tbsp fried urad dal, to serve

½ cup loosely-packed baby fenugreek (methi) leaves, washed well and dried, to serve

Salt, to taste

3-4 tbsp tamarind paste

1 cup coconut milk

½ tsp mustard seeds

3 tsp oil

5 tbsp palm jaggery

⅗ cup raw mango, peeled and diced

300 ml plus 1-litre water

5 black peppercorns

½ tsp turmeric powder

20 medium Kashmiri red chillies

 

Method:

  1. To prepare the curry, grind the black peppercorns, turmeric powder, and chillies with 300 ml water to a fine paste. Cook this paste in a heavy-bottomed saucepan for about 20 minutes, until the raw flavour is cooked off. Strain and set aside.
  2. In a separate saucepan, cook the jaggery and raw mango with one litre of water until thick. Take off from the flame and cool. Blend the raw mango mix to a smooth consistency. 
  3. Heat one tablespoon oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Stir in the raw mango paste and the chilli pepper mixture, and cook until reduced to half, stirring occasionally. Add the tamarind paste and coconut milk, and bring to a boil. Season with salt, remove from the flame and set aside to cool.
  4. To make the koftas, mash the raw bananas with salt, coriander leaves, green chillies, paneer and raisins and mix into a dough. Shape into cylinders the size of your index finger. Mix the flour and water to make a slurry. Dip the koftas first in the slurry and then in the breadcrumbs to coat them. Heat the oil in a pan and deep fry the koftas.
  5. To assemble, add the koftas to the curry and heat the dough.
  6. Just before serving, sprinkle the baby fenugreek leaves and fried urad dal.

Tip: The curry is best served with nachni bhakris or jowar, or rice.

 

3. Sweet and Spicy Curry With Dried Green Peas

 

Serves: 4

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Calorie count: 280 calories (per serving)

 

Ingredients:

1 tsp sugar, to taste

1 cup tomato, chopped

4 green chillies, slit on the bias

10 curry leaves

1 tsp brown mustard seeds

2 tbsp garam masala

½ cup coconut, grated

½ tbsp fennel seeds

2 cups onion, sliced

4 tbsp sunflower oil

Salt, to taste

7 cups plus 1 ½ cups water

2 cups dried green peas (watana), soaked overnight and drained

 

Method:

  1. Pressure cook the soaked watana on a low flame with seven cups water and 1 tbsp salt until soft, but not mushy. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
  2. In a small saute pan, heat two tablespoons oil on a medium flame. Add the sliced onions and cook until they caramelise. Remove to a bowl and add the grated coconut, fennel seeds, garam masala, and coriander leaves. Grind to a fine paste with one and a half cups of water.
  3. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat another two tablespoons of oil in a medium flame. Add the mustard seeds, allow them to splutter before adding the green chillies and curry leaves. Finally, add the chopped tomato and cook until the oil separates. Lower the flame, add the masala paste and stir continuously until the paste is cooked. 
  4. Add the boiled watana and five to six cups of the reserved cooking liquid, depending on how thick or thin you want your curry. Bring to a boil, taste, and add sugar and salt. Serve hot.

Tip: Serve with rassa with bhakri, rice, chapatti, and pao.