new vegetables

[mongo_jones]

somewhere in my recently ended blog i posted pictures from a trip to the local indian grocery here in boulder. they carry a large range of vegetables that are used more in south indian and gujarati cooking than in bengali or punjabi cooking (to the best of my knowledge) . since this stuff is available i might as well learn how to use it.

so, let's have it. hit me with recipes for tindora, gongura leaves, dosakai, guvar, torai etc. etc.

[gingerly]

i can't possibly be the only one here cooking some of these veggies (with recipes from various sources)-i'd like some takes on them too.

our cook used to make the most wonderful pakoras with large leaves of that malabar spinach.they're sturdy enough to take a decent coating of batter but fry up into feathery fritters.can't stop at just one...plate

[mongo_jones]

i can't possibly be the only one here cooking some of these veggies (with recipes from various sources)

well let's have some of these recipes; don't be shy gingerly.

[gingerly]

um-remind me what the rules are about posting from books(as most of mine are-yes my mother taught me nothing)-does it help if i don't say which book-thus averting a massive drop in sales,reducing their authors to miserable penury?or does one cunningly tweak or paraphrase the recipe to just this side of copyright violation?or resort to the coy pm?

in case it's the second option it'll be leetle while-not the only one that thinks their spouse is evil-house is dark,pots are cold-you get the picture!

Edited June 21, 2004 by gingerly (log)

[Pan]

By all means, say which book it's from. List the ingredients (ingredients lists can't be copyrighted) and paraphrase the directions. The no-no would be to copy the directions verbatim. The directions are copyrighted.

[gingerly]

thanks Pan!

ok starting with the gongura i covet.i have not cooked either of these but have eaten versions of both.the first is the genteel version from the penguin andhra cookbook by bilkees latif.

ambada gosht(lamb with dill and rozelle leaves)

1. 5 onions finely sliced(i figure an average indian onion is around 160 gms!)

2 . 12 green chillis -chopped

3. half a cup of oil(?!)

4. 1tsp ginger paste

5. 1tsp.garlic paste

6. a pinch of turmeric

7. 1 tsp ground cumin

8. 1tsp red chilli powder

9. 1/2kg breast of lamb cut into 2" cubes

10. 1 bunch dill leaves-optional(i'm guessing around 200 gms or so)

11. 5 large bunches of gongura-stalks removed(not sure about this but i would base the proportions on the volumes given in the following recipe)

salt to taste

seasoning:

1tsp oil

4 dry red chillis

curry leaves

1tsp mustard

fry onions and green chillis in oil.add items 4-8 and fry.add lamb and fry til browned.add 2 cups of water and cook in pressure cooker for 20 min.(or add a little more water and cook on low for longer.)cook the dill and gongura leaves in 1 1/2cups of water with a little salt-about 3-5 min.drain and grind.add to the lamb and cook together for a few min.

season with the mustard seeds,curry,leaves and red chillis fried in 1 tbsp oil.

this one off the net with the garam masala sounds closer to what is found in restaurant versions.

gongura chicken

1. 250 gm chicken

2. 7-8 cups chopped gongura leaves

3. 1tsp ginger and garlic paste

4 .4 onions chopped finely

5 . 7-8 green chillies chopped

6 1 tsp. poppy seeds, powdered

7 . 1 tsp. coriander powder

8. 1 tsp. cumin powder

9 ½ tsp. garam masala

10 ½ tsp. red chilli powder

11. 1/2 cup of oil

Salt to taste

fry the onions and ginger&garlic paste to a golden brown.add the chicken and some salt.cover and cook til done.cook the gongura and green chillis in a little water and grind to a paste.add ingredients 6-10 and cook for a few min.add the gongura paste and cook for another few min.

and here for the vegetarians is dal with gongura!this from a small book on andhra cooking published by jaico.

gongura pulusu

gongura leaves-one bunch

1 onion-chopped

1tsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seed

1/2 tsp urad dal

asafoetida

channa dal1/3 cup

chilli powder 2 tsp

green chillis 2-chopped

salt

cook the leaves in a little water.addthe onion and green chilli along with chilli powder and salt.

boil bengal gram with a little turmeric in a cup of water add to the mix and cook for a few minutes.this dal is meant to be thick.season with asafoetida,mustard and urad dal fried in a little oil.

and now i need to lie down.

[easyguru]

We make both Tindora ( in Maharashtra it is called tondli) and Guvar. Both the recipes are very simple.

TONDLI

1 lb Tondli/ Tindora cut lengthwise

1 Onion sliced lengthwise

Garlic sliced

1 Tsp Mustard Seeds

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tspTurmeric

Salt to taste

Heat the oil and dump mustard and once it starts cracking add green chilies and garlic and fry for a minute. Add the onion and stir till they are half cooked add Tindora, Turmeric and salt and little water and cook till the tindora is soft and all water evaporates.

GUVAR

1 lb Guvar cut in to around 1/2 inch pieces

3-4 Garlic pods

1 tsp mustard

2 tsp oil

Turmeric

Salt

4-5 green chilies.

Heat oil and put mustard in it. Add green chilies and garlic fry for few minutes add Guvar, turmeric and 1/2 cup water and let it cook till tender and very little water is left. Add salt in the final stages as it tends to make the guvar hard to cook if added in the beginning.

[mongo_jones]

thanks a lot easyguru, gingerly!

can you give a sense of what guvar and tindora taste like? (gongura, i know)

would both the guvar and tindora be simmered over low heat? medium?

gingerly, the gongura chicken sounds good--is that just an adaptation of the more classic andhra gongura maans? and would you mind sharing the link to the site you got it off of? and finally the gongura pulusu: you say in an offhand way "boil bengal gram with a little turmeric in a cup of water add to the mix and cook for a few minutes". it is going to take a long time for the dal to cook, right? basically whatever method one uses to get the dal to done-ness for regular channa dal should be fine, right? the rest of the stuff is kind of like a tarka?

[easyguru]

would both the guvar and tindora be simmered over low heat? medium?

Simmered over low heat.

[gingerly]

gingerly, the gongura chicken sounds good--is that just an adaptation of the more classic andhra gongura maans? and would you mind sharing the link to the site you got it off of? and finally the gongura pulusu: you say in an offhand way "boil bengal gram with a little turmeric in a cup of water add to the mix and cook for a few minutes". it is going to take a long time for the dal to cook, right? basically whatever method one uses to get the dal to done-ness for regular channa dal should be fine, right? the rest of the stuff is kind of like a tarka?

mongo,i don't know which came first,the chicken or the lamb?!i guess the lamb given the andhra love of it .i

know that most restaurants that serve the stuff will have both and it seems to be very well established as an 'item' .i generally prefer the chicken version in restaurants.the lamb/mutton versions are somehow more inclined to be over the top .sorry-that dal recipe should read 'pressure cook(not nearly as offhand as the original recipe!lost steam at the end of the post) whatever texture of dal you favour is fine and the rest is a tarka.i also forgot to add that this is good with any greens with some tamarind extract added if they're not a sour variety.

here's the link and if you're inclined try ammas.com for some more takes on gongura .the two i posted are fairly middle of the road spice wise.

maybe you should lie in wait at that grocery store..!

[bague25]

can you give a  sense of what guvar and tindora taste like? (gongura, i know)

Tondli is very much in looks & taste like a tiny cucumber. And unless you cook it to death, it remains crunchy (that's the way I ate it as a child) - like all other veggies in this family, the taste is very mild (cucumber, gourds, melons).

Guvar is a bit like green beans but with some bitterness as an after taste.

It is difficult to describe tastes

I'll post recipes later.

[gingerly]

bague25-do you cook that gourd-can't remember the name right now-but it's the one that loofahs come from.if so would you have any pointers.i'd like to try it but not too keen on a mouthful of scrubbie!

[bague25]

bague25-do you cook that gourd-can't remember the name right now-but it's the one that loofahs come from.if so would you have any pointers.i'd like to try it but not too keen on a mouthful of scrubbie!

Gingerly

You take me back to childhood memories again!!!

Almost all gourds, when put aside for seeds become like loofahs. At the ‘native place’ they grew, rather, overgrew gourds that would be used for seeds for the next season. When these gourds were dried the skins hardened (and made pots – the ones used by sadhus) and the flesh became loofahs and the seeds used for the next crop.

Now, I do not know exactly what the loofah gourd is like but I can bet that when it’s young, it’s not fibrous. Other more enlightened people can surely give a better and more scientific response.

[Spiceroute]

Hello everybody , my first post on this wonderful site which I have just discovered

Gongura and dosakai are used a lot in traditional andhra cooking

here are a couple of simple recipes ( but caution my measures do tend to be approx.)

For traditional Andhra dal I use the same recipe the basic recipe is the same with a few substitutions depending on the vegetable you use

GONGURA DAL

1. toor dal - 1 cup

2. a bunch of gongura leaves

3. haldi- 1/2 tsp

4. green chillies- 2nos.

for tempering

5. mustard seeds - 1tsp

6. oil or ghee - 1tbsp

7. methi- a few seeds

8. jeera- 1tsp

9. hing a pinch

10. urad dal - 1tsp

11. curry leaves a few

12. red chillies - 2nos.

Boil the dal along with gongura , haldi and green chillies ( I usually do this in a pressure cooker and it takes about 10 - 15mins ). Heat oil , add the tempering ingredients , and add to the boiled dal with salt. simmer for few minutes.

Dosakai dal

same as above , boil the dal with dosakai pieces . But once the dal is done , add thin tamarind water and simmer it , and then add the tempering.

there are pickles and chutneys with both and I can add the recipes if anyones interested.

Tondli I think is whats known as kovakai in tamil and dondekai in telugu

Heres a simple recipe with jeera and red chillies

Dondekai- 1/2 kg

oil - 1 tbsp

onion - 1 chopped

jeera - 2 tsp

red chillies - 2 nos or acc to taste

dry roast the jeera the red chillies and powder coarsely. heat oil add onion , once they soften add the tondli ( sliced in circles ) , cover and cook , add little water if reqd. Once cooked add the powder and fry till dry.

[gingerly]

Now, I do not know exactly what the loofah gourd is like but I can bet that when it’s young, it’s not fibrous. Other more enlightened people can surely give a better and more scientific response.

i guess either of these is what i'm thinking of bague.the ones i see do look a bit overgrown so i'm not sure if people are cooking them as veggies or using them in other ways.

hi Spiceroute-have you any gongura chicken/mutton recipes to share?!or a hot/sweet way with dosakai?i like that combination with the wateriness of this veg.

here's my favourite recipe for cluster beans/guar ki phali from the essential delhi cookbook by priti narain.

250gms cluster beans

200ml mustard oil

a pinch of asafoetida

1/2 tsp thyme seed (ajwain)

1tsp chopped ginger

1tsp powdered dried green mango( amchur)

salt

dried red chilli powder

cook the whole beans in boiling( unsalted) water.drain when tender but still firm. (this is when it becomes possible to devein the beans unless what you have is very tender to start with)heat the mustard oil and add the asafoetida,ajwainand ginger.saute for a couple of minutes,then add the beans and cook covered on low til done.remove from the heat and add salt,amchur and red chilli to taste.

very,very good.

food related ways i mean!

Edited June 23, 2004 by gingerly (log)

[jw46]

Now, I do not know exactly what the loofah gourd is like but I can bet that when it’s young, it’s not fibrous. Other more enlightened people can surely give a better and more scientific response.

We tried to raise loofah once, but with our fickle and short growing season up here in Idaho all we got were a few very immature fruit..

We used them as one would use zuccini or any other summer squash...Not much different flavor than zuccini..but nothing that we would grow again....

If it isn't ready in 90 days up here, it ain't gonna make it..

[bague25]

i guess either of these is what i'm thinking of bague.the ones i see do look a bit overgrown so i'm not sure if people are cooking them as veggies or using them in other ways.

The picture of the angled loofah looks very much like Turai (ridge gourd). They are not at all fibrous.

My mother has a generic recipe for all gourds (tindora/tendli included).

I apologize for the in-exactitude of the recipe.

Do a Tarka of mustard, cumin and curry leaves. Add sliced onions, chillies, and peeled, chopped gourd (turai really works well) and chopped tomato. Season to taste (salt and pepper). Cover and cook. Normally the veggies will render juices and there is no need to add water, but you can add some if you wish. When veggies are cooked serve garnished with a lot of fresh grated coconut.

There it is simple and tasty.

[Episure]

Loofah is indeed dried Turai/ridged gourd.

I use steamed Turai in Raitas.

[Spiceroute]

Hi gingerly , i am a veggie but heres a dosakai chutney recipe , which sweet/sour , only make sure the dosakai is tender and not bitter.

chop the dosakai finely. heat oil , season with urad dal , channa dal , mustard , jeera , methi,hing , red chillies , little tamarind . grind into a paste with gur and salt.

mix with dosakai and garnish with coriander. you can even grind the dosakai with the paste , but the paste should be fine , while the dosakai should be coarsely ground. using sesame oil also gives a good flavour.

will try ur guar recipe,it sounds good.

[gingerly]

thanks bague-will venture to try these soon.i'm sure i've eaten them many times without realising what they were!

Spiceroute,that chutney sounds good-is the dosakai uncooked here?and what about the seeds?

[Spiceroute]

gingerly , the dosakai is uncooked and deseeded , so make sure its not bitter and is fresh , the whole idea is that it should be crunchy in the chutney. this recipe is infact served like a salad/chutney , a variation would be adding a paste of roasted jeera , coriander , green chillies and salt to the dosakai .

[gingerly]

thanks!sounds like a good thing with curd rice on a hot summer day.

[gingerly]

i've seen a heap of brown,slim,rooty things at the grocery store-not labelled and the person at the checkout didn't know.they looked like parts of a root system in that the sizes varied quite a bit but the largest bits were about an inch at their thickest and tapering down.any ideas?

[Episure]

i've seen a heap of brown,slim,rooty things at the grocery store-not labelled and the person at the checkout didn't know.they looked like parts of a root system in that the sizes varied quite a bit but the largest bits were about an inch at their thickest and tapering down.any ideas?

Might be Arbi/Arvi/Colocasia.

[bague25]

Was this at an Indian Grocery Store?

If not, then the description sounds like salsify (vegetable oyster )...a google search will give you more details