Soyi Bajilli Gasshi

This is a Konkani vegetarian side dish made by preparing a spicy coconut masala paste called "Massolu". It is also an inevitable side dish served during temple feasts, marriages etc.. Though the basic coconut masala remains same, because of the various vegetables used to prepare it, its known by various names with the last word always Gasshi. I gave the name Soyi (grated coconut) Bajilli (roasted) Gasshi because I wanted to give the basic name of this dish.
The various veggies used in Gasshi are:

1.Potato
2.Dark Brown Chickpeas
3.Yam (Suran)
4.Carrot (this is not added as a main vegetable in Gasshi, but only as a extra vegetable)
5.Lima bean pulses
6. Pattani (dry peas)


I made it using combination of Lima beans and Potato. I had posted my Mangalorean friend's similar recipe a long time back. You may refer that too.

Ingredients:

Lima beans (soaked overnight): 1 cup
Water and little salt to cook Lima beans separately
Potato (cooked and cut in cubes): 1 big
Salt: as per taste
Water for gravy

For the "Massolu"
Grated coconut: 1 cup
Red Chilli: 4
Coriander powder: 2 teaspoons
Garlic (optional, I add it because I love it): 1 small piece

For tampering:

Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves: 3-4




How I made it:

1. Dry roast the ingredient , starting with grated coconut, red chilly and then at the end coriander powder. Roast on medium flame, be careful to not burn the grated coconut. Roast until the mixture turns a little dark brown. Switch off flame and let this paste cool.

After cooling, grind it without any water in a mixie, in small intervals until the paste starts becoming oily. In a separate deep pan boil 3 cups water. Add the cooked Lima beans, Potato, a little more salt, reduce fire to medium, and stir to mash the cooked Lima beans and Potato until it is mashed very very lightly. Dont mash the entire thing as a little Lima beans and Potato left as it is here and there is the proper way to prepare Gasshi. Then add the "Massolu" and lower fire and stir well to combine everything. Increase fire if needed until the gravy thickens and leaves the edges of the pan. Tamper with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Serve along with rice, dip with dosa,idli :)

Arusuvai Friendship surprise and my first perfect Coconut chutney !

Hi friends,

Recently I received the Arusuvai Friendship surprise ingredients from Trupti of "Recipe Center" . She send me two packets along with a handwritten letter (I must say , you have very nice handwriting Trupti :) . The packets were numbered 1 and 2 and she gave a hint about the ingredients. I guessed the number 1 packet, which was Garam Masala. The brighter number two powder packet seemed very familiar when I tasted a pinch of that powder. It had the taste of Garlic and I came to the conclusion that it is similar to the Dry Garlic Chutney powder (in Indian stores they sell it by the name "Thechaa" which me and V buy often). I e-mailed Trupti and she told me the answer
Number 1: Maharashtrian Garam Masala
Number 2: Kandyacha Masala (Goda/Black Masala with Onion and Garlic)


Please click the above link to visit Trupti's blog for the recipe to prepare these. I loved the taste of the number 2 powder, though it exceeded my spicy-meter to the extend that I kept running to the fridge and back to taste the powder again and back to the fridge :D That's what my love for spice does to me :) Trupti writes in her blog that , this powder can be added as a masala in various curries and can also be smeared with oil and had along with chapathi. Guess I didn't add the oil to it the first time I had it just like that ! But I had fun!

Anyways with all this happening, I decided to use these spice powders in various curries. I used it in the following dishes:

1)Chilly Chicken (dry and gravy version)
2)Soyi bhajjilli Ghassi (post in progress)
3)Along with Dosa as a dip (used the Kandyacha Masala smeared in oil) [refer pic in this post]

Now coming to the experimental part with my Preethi mixie:

It was purchased it from Perfect Peninsula and was delivered within few days. I am still following the instructions to clean the Mixie when its used , by using water and soap and running it for few seconds. Its like caring for a baby :) No rough handling , very careful while using it:)

I made the coconut chutney of my dreams with it. It was then V also realized what we were missing all this while with Dosa. Coming to Dosa/Idli, I am now making much better Dosa/Idli batter which ferments better than before and I use the proportion of Rice:Urad as 3:1 .

Here is the coconut chutney recipe (I was an expert in making these chutneys before marriage and now I proudly made it after a long gap) The coconut chutney I like is finely ground grated coconut, thick, very less watery:

Grated coconut: 1 cup
Green Chillies: 3 numbers
Ginger: 2 big slices
Curry leaves: 3-4 leaves
Coriander leaves: 2-3 strands with leaves
Salt as per taste
1 tablespoon chopped onion (optional if you don't like its taste in coconut chutney)

For tampering:

Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
Oil: 1 teaspoon



How I made it:

Add the ingredients starting from bottom to top excluding the ingredients for tampering. This is to make coconut grating as the last ingredient going inside the Mixie. Add 1/4 cup water or as required to properly grind the coconut. Grind the ingredients together until it forms a very finely ground chutney.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil and add Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, wait until both splutter and then pour it over the coconut chutney. Serve chutney as dipping along with Dosa, Adai dosa (yes you should try that combination , refer the pic above for that :) ], Idli.

Got a Indian Mixie and joined the Great Cooks Blogroll :)

Hi friends, finally I got what I was eagerly buttering V for all these days, my new Preethi Indian Mixie. I was so happy when the delivery man came to our door with the Mixie, that I greeted him with "Thank You" instead of "Hello":D .......So now I am busy preparing all the chutneys I can find and think of !

I also joined the :"Great Cooks Blogroll" community which is also a growing food blogger's community. You may visit "Simple Daily Recipes" for more information about "Great Cooks Blogroll" .