Hatvan is a famous traditional Konkani recipe which is given to postpartum mother (aka बाळांती ) along with ghee, to regain the energy and strengthen the bones. It tastes like Chyawanprash. Even normal people [including men :)] can have one spoon  of Hatvan daily  with ghee. For 500 gm of hatvan you need. Ingredients: Dry ginger/सूंठी -250 gm Poppy seeds/खस्खासो -100 gm Withania somnifera/अश्वगंधा -50 gm White or black sesame seed  (काळो तीळू )-25 gm  Small Caltrops/नेगीळ  मुल्ळू...

Karate stands for  bitter gourd in Konkani language and sassam stands for curry made form coconut and mustard seeds. The good part about Karate sassam is that the vegetable does not taste bitter at all, due to use of ghee. Ingredients: Bitter gourd/ karate-1 Mustard seeds (सास्सम)-2 tsp Ghee or Cocunut oil (Ghee is strongly recommended) -3 tsp Red chili-1 green chili-3 Shredded coconut-1 cup Salt -As per taste Tamarind piece -3 cm or tamarind extract-1 tsp Water-1/4 cup Preparation: Green chili masala:...

"Tikshe" means spicy in Konkani language and "phovu" means flattened rice. The spicy flattened rice is usually had as breakfast or evening snack and is a good combination with upma. It is very easy to prepare. I assume that you have the phova masala ready as well.  Ingredients: Thin Flattened rice (पात्तळ फोवू )-2 cup Shredded coconut - half -cup Jaggery -half cup Salt -As per taste Phova masala -3 tsp Method: Take shredded coconut,jaggery , phova masala in a container, and mix it throughly . Add salt as...

Phova Masala is very handy masala, which can be  mixed with flattened rice [phovu] and puffed rice [Churmuro or mandakki]. The masala is readily available in Uttar Kannada district areas like Kumta and Honnavar. My mother-in-law generally prepares and stores this masala once in 6 months. I thought of writing about it in my blog as it is very useful for preparing time-pass food items and curries as well. You can store it for long time (6 months - 2 years), if u keep it in a dry place. Ingredients: For 1 cup of powder...

> Aappes are a traditional recipe of south India and made of shredded rice. In Konkani Kabbu means sugarcane and rossue means juice, so these aapes are made with sugarcane juice to sweeten them. My mother in- law  told  me that there are two types of sugar cane: one which is used for  raw-sugar  preparation, then other one is for jaggery preparation. I have used the juice which we get in the city. The aappe made with this cane juice are light brown, while those made from jaggery cane are...

In Konkani , pitto means powder. This powder is prepared out of dried coconut with spices added in, so that shelf life is long. This is a good spicy compliment with idli, dosas and pancakes. Ingredients: Shredded coconut or desiccated coconut-1 cup Tamarind piece of 5 cm Curry leaves-2 skits Fried gram-1/2 cup roasted and grinded into fine powder. Ground nut-1/2 cup roasted, peeled and grinded into powder. Red chilli powder-1/2 cup or as per spice tolerance Asofoetida/hing- 1 cm Cumin-1 tsp roasted Sesame -2 tsp  roasted Method: Take...

Dudh Miri (Pepper Milk) In Konkani Dudh means milk and miri is black pepper. This is drink mainly given during  postpartum period for mother [ aka Balanti] (Mainly on 5th day). It has been traditional belief that if mother drinks dudh miri, the lactation efficiency improves. For 1 glass of Dudh miri you need: Ingredients: Pepper-1/2 tsp(Miryakana) Turmaric finger-5 cm or Turmeric powder : half tsp Clove-1 Cardamom -1 pod Nutmeg, shelled -as small as mustered seeds Ghee (clarified butter)- 2 tsp Ghud...