Kaju Shahlyachi Usal

Kaju Shahlyachi Usal

Goan Traditional Marathi Vegetables

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Kaju Shahlyachi Usal (Tender Cashew & Tender Coconut Curry) is a popular curry made by Saraswat Brahmins (GSB). The Saraswat Brahmin cuisine is rich with uniquely flavoured dishes. Their curries use a lot of fresh Coconut, Jaggery, tamarind, curry leaves and last but not the least Coconut Oil, which adds a distinct flavour to the dishes.  

Approx. Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients:
For the paste:
1 tspn Oil
2 tspns Coriander Seeds (Dhana)
2 tspns Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
3 dried Red Chillies
8-10 Black Peppercons
1 cup Sauteed Onions
4-5 fried Garlic Pods
1 cup roasted scrapped Coconut (fresh)
Water as required

For the Usal:
1 tbspn Oil
1 tspn Mustard Seeds
1/3 tspn Asafoetida (Hing)
10-12 Curry Leaves
1/2 cup chopped Onions
Coconut-Onion Paste (As above)
2 cups Coconut Water (Shahlyache Pani)
1 tbspn Tamarind Paste 
2 tspns Malwani Masala
1 tbspn Jaggery
1 cup Tender Coconut Flesh (Shahlyachi Malai)
250 gm tender Cashews (Ole Kaju)
1/4 cup chopped Coriander leaves
Salt to taste

For Garnishing:
Cashews
Chopped Coriander leaves
Tender Coconut flesh (Malai)

Pre-Preparations:

1. Roughly chop four onions and saute it in a tablespoon of oil till it is brown in colour. Four onions yield one cup of sauteed onions.

2. Remove peel of garlic pods and saute it in a teaspoon of oil. 

3. Cut the tender coconut flesh into an inch strips

4. Dry roast the scrapped fresh Coconut till it becomes dry and starts changing its colour. Roasted Coconut gives a nice aroma to the Curry.

Method:

To make Paste:

Heat Oil in a pan. Add Coriander Seeds, Cumin Sedds, Red Chillies, Black Peppercons and saute it for approx. 4-5 minutes or till the Coriander Seeds becomes slightly pink in colour. Remove it from heat and let it cool. After cooling transfer it into a blender. Add the dry roasted Coconut and grind it into a fine powder. In that powder add Garlic and sauteed Onion. Add some water and blend it into a smooth paste.  Set it aside for using it in the Curry.

To make Curry (Usal):

Heat Oil in a pan. Add Mustard Seeds, Asafoetida, Curry Leaves and saute. Then add Onions and fry till the Onion changes its colour to pink. Then add the Coconut-Onion paste and saute. Then add half of the Coconut Water and mix. Thereafter, add the Tamarind Paste, Malwani Masala, Jaggery and Salt to taste. Mix well and add the Tender Coconut Flesh and Tender Cashews. Mix well and add the balance Coconut water to the Curry. Simmer it for approx. ten minutes or till the gravy thickens. Check and adjust the seasoning. Finish the curry with chopped Coriander leaves. 

Garnish it with chopped Coriander leaves, Cashews and Tender Coconut Flesh (Malai). Serve hot with Pav or Roti. 

Notes:

1. In case of non availability of Tender Cashews, you may soak regular dried cashews for one hour in lukewarm water. 

2. In case of non availablity of Malwani Masala, you may use Garam Masala. 

Stepwise Pictures:

Ambat Batata

Ambat Batata

Goan Traditional Marathi Vegetables

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Ambat Batata literally means Tangy Potato. This is again a GSB (Saraswat Brahmin) recipe that is made during festivities. This recipe can be made in two to three different ways or methods. The given recipe has been taken from an old book that belongs to my late grandmother. My friend told me that in GSB households they keep more sauce / gravy, however since my source recipe was silent on the quantity of water, my curry became a bit dry. 

Servings: Approx. 3-4 people
Time: Approx. 45 mins including cooking time

Ingredients:
For the Paste:
1 and half cup fresh scrapped Coconut
1 tspn Mustard Seeds
1/4 tspn Fenugreek Seeds
3-4 dried Red Chillies
1 tspn Tamarind Pulp
1/4 cup water (Approx.)

For the Curry:
1 tbspn Coconut Oil
1/2 tspn Mustard Seeds
8-10 Nos. Fenugreek Seeds
1/4 tspn Asafoetida (Hing)
1/2 tspn Turmeric Powder
8-10 Curry leaves
5 medium sized Potatoes, cut into wedges
Paste, as above
Water, as required
Salt to taste
1 tspn Jaggery
1/2 cup chopped Coriander leaves

For Garnishing:
Fresh Scrapped Coconut
Chopped Coriander leaves

Pre-preparation:
Remove peel of potatoes and soak it in water.  Cut it into wedges. Keep it in water till actual usage. 

Method:

To make Paste:

Mix scrapped Coconut, Mustard Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, Red Chillies, Tamarind Pulp and water in Mixer Jar and blend it into a smooth paste.Add some water if required and set it aside for using it in the Curry.

To make Curry:

Heat Coconut oil in a pan. Add the Mustard Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, Asafoetida, Turmeric Powder and Curry leaves. Once the tempering starts popping, add the potato wedges and saute. Then mix in the Coconut paste, Salt and saute. Add enough water to cook the potatoes by covering the pan. Cook it for 20-30 minutes or till the potatoes are completely cooked. At this stage, add some water if required. Check the seasoning and add Jaggery. Simmer it for a while. Finish it with chopped Coriander leaves.

Garnish the Curry with fresh scrapped Coconut and chopped Coriander leaves. Serve hot with Roti.

Notes:

1. You may dry roast the Fenugreek Seeds, Mustard Seeds and Red Chillies to make the sauce more aromatic.

2. Instead of raw potatoes, you may use pressure cooked potatoes to save time. 

3. In GSB homes, the consistency of Ambat Batata is kept as thin. So you may adjust the water accordingly.

Stepwise Pictures: