Bhajji Upkari (Greens)

In Konkani, 'bhajji' means green leafy vegetable and 'upkari' means a side dish prepared just by seasoning any vegetable and no masala (strong spices) added.

Ingredients :

1 bunch of greens

2 small green chillies- slit lengthwise

2 cloves of garlic- chopped

1 tea spoon grated coconut

1 tea spoon oil

Salt to taste

Method :

Separate leaves from the stems and wash the leaves thoroughly. In a shallow pan heat oil and fry the green chillies and chopped garlic till garlic turns brown. Add the greens and mix well. Do not add any water. The water in the greens itself is enough to cook. When the greens are half cooked add salt and grated coconut. Cook covered till most of the water is evaporated.

Serve it with curd rice. The acidic taste of curds enhances the taste of greens. It is very simple side dish to make but very healthy.

PaanpoLe (Rice pancakes)

“PaanpoLe” doesn't exactly translate into rice pancakes. The exact translation goes like this ... In Konkani "paan" means leaf and "poLe" translates to "pancakes". These pancakes are very thin, as thin as leaf. These pancakes make a very tasty and easy breakfast.

Ingredients :

1 cup white rice
1/6 cup fresh grated coconut
salt to taste
1 table spoon ghee
oil for frying

Method :

Soak the rice overnight. Grind the rice and fresh grated coconut together to smooth consistency with sufficient amount of water. Add salt to taste and mix well. Add more water if required. The consistency of the batter should be little thicker than milk.

Mix ghee with oil which you will be using for frying. Heat a round, flat and heavy iron pan (which in Konkani is commonly called as ‘PoLe kayl’). This type of pan is only used for making pancakes. Do not use the non-stick pan for frying these pancakes. Apply the oil-ghee mixture evenly on the heated pan. Pour a big tablespoon full of batter in a swift so that the batter is evenly spread on the pan. Close the lid of the pan and let the pancake cook. When done fold the pancake to half and again so it looks triangular in shape. These pancakes are very soft and hence folding is necessary to remove from the pan.

Do not pile up the pancakes while hot. They stick to each other and serving them will be difficult. Adding more coconut enhances the taste but it makes pancakes so soft that taking them out of pan will become extremely difficult.

Serve hot with coconut chutney. These pancakes are good to eat even without chutney. As they have fresh coconut and fried with a bit of ghee they have a great flavor. It is a good snack for toddlers too because it is not spicy.