Duddi Appo

Ingredients : 
1 cup raw rice
1 cup grated coconut
1 cup grated duddi
1/2 cup pova (beaten rice)
100 to 200 gms jaggery
a pinch salt
ghee for frying


Method :
1.Soak the rice for 2 hours.
2.Grind soaked rice and coconut without adding water.
3.Add Jaggery , dudhi  and grind it into smooth  consistency
4. Keep it for 2-3 hours for ferment.
5. Heat the appam griddle on medium flame, add little ghee. Pour the batter in each mould and close with lid.
6. After 2-3 mnts turn up side down with a spoon/blunt knife and cook add some ghee if you prefer.
7. Appo is ready to serve.

Pumpkin- cucurbita pepa ,Dudhe, Kadu,Kumbal kayi,Matthan.

Pumpkin is a fruit of the species cucurbita pepo, it is grown all around the world except Antarctica. Pumpkins are very versatile in their usage for cooking, all parts of this plant is edible from the fleshy fruit, tender leaves, flowers, seeds even the vine are edible.In western countries Pumpkin is very popular traditionally on Halloween & Thanks giving days.Recent studies & research suggest that chemical compound found in Pumpkin is good for diabetic people. It is also known to help in weight loss.The main nutrient in Pumpkin are lutein and both alpha &beta carotenes which generates vitamin A in body.This fruit being rich

in carotenoids help in preventing night blindness and helps retain 20/20 eyesight.Pumpkin seeds are good sources of proteins,zinc & vitamins. Traditionally among Konkani's all most all the celebration including temple feasts Pumpkin is used.
Here are a few recipes,

• MICROWAVE DUDDI BURFI (PUMPKIN BURFI) indian sweet

Ingredients:- for about 9-10 pieces

1cup grated Pumpkin,

1cup milk,

3/4 cup sugar,

1tbs ghee (clarified Butter),

10 -12 cashew nuts (chopped/ fairly large pieces) and fried in a little bit of ghee

Method :-

Microwave Milk and Grated Pumpkin on High settings for about 8 minutes, add sugar and Ghee(Clarified butter) and heat for 6 minutes on High again, then add cashew pieces and heat for about 2 more minutes.Spread this on a ghee coated thali (plate with walls) and cut immediately .Let cool and serve.

Variation:- PUMPKIN HALWA

For Halwa use 1/2 C sugar, and after adding sugar heat only for about 4 minutes instead of 6 and then again 2 minutes after adding cashew pieces. Mix well and serve warm.

Thumba with Potatoes

            

Ingredients; 2 medium sized boiled potatoes,
                    2 tbsp chopped thumba leaves,
                       1-2 tsp chilly powder,
                         1 tsp cumin seeds,
                           1/2 tsp haldi powder,
                               1-2 tsp oil ,salt to taste.

    Method:  Peel and cut boiled potatoes.Heat oil in a kadai add cumin seeds,chilly powder, haldi powder,potatoes, thumba leaves and salt.In a low flame stir it for 2-3 mints.Serve with chapathi ,puri.

Thumbeche Hara Bhara Kabab

Ingredients: 2-3 medium sized boiled potatoes.

                      1 tbsp boiled green peas.

                      1 tbsp chopped thumba leaves. 

                      1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves.    

                     1 tbsp chopped spinach.

                      4-5 green chillies.

                       small piece of ginger.

                      7-8 garlic pods, 1/4 tsp amchur powder, salt to taste.

                       2 tbsp maida or corn flour for binding, 

                        oil for deep fry.                    

Method:

1. Peel & grate boiled potatoes,mash boiled green peas,crush green chillies,ginger & garlic.
2. Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a kadai,add all chopped leaves stir for 2-3 mnts and blanch it.
3.  Mix grated potatoes,peas,blanched leaves,chilly, ginger, garlic,amchur, salt.Add maida for binding
4. Divide the mixture in to equal portion,shape into a ball,press & give it a flat shape like tikki.
5. Deep fry the kababs in hot oil for 2-3 mnts.
6. Serve hot kababs with sauce or ketchup..               

.

Thumba -Leuca Indica

Thumba is a small herb native to southern part of India,mainly Kerala & Karnataka. The whole plant is used for different medicine in Ayurveda.. Thumba is a flower of Kerala ,it signifies purity & simplicity.The flowers has religious importance too.It is believed that Lord Krishna loved this flower.During Onam Thumba flowers are used for floral rangoli(athapo).It is also used as an offering to dead people during special rite called  bali(karkkidaka vavu bali).     

 Remedies:                                 

1. Throat pain or tonsillitis:  Grind some Thumba leaves, few black pepper &  garlic 
2. Fever: 20 gms juice of Thumba leaves&10 gms black pepper powder, take it for 3-4 days             
3. For Jaundices,small foreign bodies in eyes use 2-3 drops of thumba leaves juices
4. Diabetic: Take daily 10 gms thumba juice with 2 black pepper.
5. Throat infection for small children: 1spoon thumba juice with honey

This plant is used for snake poison  also.

This plant which is use full to one and all has some very interesting recipes too which I would like to share with all of you..

•                                  Thumbe  Sukke

                        This recipe is used by our community in Kochi 

Ingredients:  2 cups of chopped thumba leaves

                   2 tbsp coconut gratings

                    2 -3 tsp chilly powder

                      1 tsp turmeric powder

                     2 tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp urad dhal   salt to taste

Method:  Wash & chopped the leaves. Heat oil in a kadai add mustard,urad.when it splutters add other  ingredients within 2-3 minutes healthy sukke is ready to eat. Thumba is slightly bitter in taste (like methi leaves)

   

Tulasi - The queen of herbs

I would like to start  my blog with a brief note on Tulasi. It is the queen of herbs and is  important to one and all. Every Hindu household will have a Tulasi Katte (Konkani word) in front to greet  the guest.

Every part of the plant is useful - both medicinally and religiously. Its aroma is good for our health. The lady of the house starts her day by watering Tulasi plant with devotion and then starts her daily household activities. She lights a diya near the plant in the evening to brighten up her courtyard.

From dry Tulasi plant we can make Tulasi beads for japamala for daily japa or wearing. It has medicinal properties . No ceremony is complete without the leaves of Tulasi in the life of Hindus. Even on the death of a person a Tulasi plant is placed near the body and giving little water with Tulasi leaves washes off the sin.

( Thulasi beads mala about 500 years old)

 For daily usage of Tulasi, I am giving here by a recipe - Herbal Tea:

Ingredients:

Two cups of water

10 - 12 Tulasi leaves

Lemon grass pieces

Small piece of ginger

1 pod cardomom

Method:

Add all these, boil and reduce to one cup. Add 1 teaspoon tea leaves. Boil and switch off the gas, Strain and add milk & sugar.

(Can also make with lemon juice (1/2 tsp) omitting milk.)

A small introduction from me

Born in a small village Muduperar near Mangalore.My father is late Mr.Perar Hariram Kamath.Who had a zest for life and was very much interest in agriculture and books.He had very big hand in the development of our village in all fields,be it the post office,school and health centers. He would experiment in agriculture and had a thirst for knowledge in all fields. My mother is Sunitha Laxmi Kamath from Udayavar Shenoys family residing in Mulki. Very much interested in cooking, stitching,making malas from all types of flowers. She was the typical konkani housewife of yesteryears .Most of the qualities I have inherited from my parents for which I am thankful.

Born in a big family of 7 children, I got married at the tender age of 18 ,am now settled in Kochi, Kerala. My father-in-law late Dr.B.D.Mallya was a renowned Doctor from Tellichery who had settled in Kochi.My husband Dr.Chandrashekar Mallya is also a Physician by profession and have two lovely daughters Sunayana &Supriya. Sunayana a Pharmacist is married and settled in U.S.A with Atul Pai my dear son-in-law. Supriya is doing first year engineering in Mangalore.Both of them have inherited my love for creative arts but need a bit of nudging to pursue this hobby.

My friend Asha helped me in most of my endeavors towards this field. She helped me in editing my contributions to this blog. Mr.Balakrishna Mallya helped me in creating this blog and I am thankful to him.

I dedicated this blog to my dear father & father-in-law whose blessings I will always cherish in my life

I would like to share my knowledge and intend to lap up the contribution of the other bloggers too. Any suggestions and criticism with the same favour is invited.