Xacuti

Xacuti

Food Blogging Marathon from 2/9/2013 to 30/9/2013. 

Each day a new alphabet. 4 categories. 

Regional Food, 

Baked Dishes, 

International Flavors / Fusion flavors, 

Street Food / Condiments / Misc / Recipe less Posts on Food

I wanted to Xacuti for a long time. Somehow it was not happening for many reasons. Whenever I said I am making it, I was discouraged by saying you can only make non vegetarian Xacuti. I cook non vegetarian food but don't eat and since it is just my husband and I that I will be cooking for, it becomes difficult to cook non veg and veg the same day. I was searching for some other recipes with X when I happened to chance upon some vegetarian version of it. 

Actually I had got one very nice recipe using drumsticks called Xengo Temperado, from one of my old cook books but unfortunately I did not have drumsticks so I had to make Xacuti. 

I have used the masala that my neighbour had told me about many years back. There are many ingredients and many steps involved in making Xacuti but it is worth the effort. 

Though the spelling is Xacuti it is pronounced as Shaguti or Shagoti. Because I was given the Masala recipe for 1 kilo of chicken I am giving you the same. But I only made the with about 250 gms of vegetable reserving the masala to be used on another day.

Ingredients: 

1 kg vegetables, I used mix of medium size potatoes, small onions and small brinjals. Peel and make two pieces of the potatoes. Peel and keep onions whole. Remove the stalk and cut the brinjals into two pieces vertically. Keep potatoes and brinjals in water till needed.

For the Masala: 

1 cup grated/scrapped coconut

1 big onion peeled and sliced thin

10 to 12 Dried Kashmiri chillies*

1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds

2 tblsp dhane/coriander seeds

1 tblsp khuskhus/poppy seeds

6 to 8 kali miri/black pepper corns

2" piece of dalchini/cinamon

6 lavang/cloves

1 badiyan/star anise

2 tsp badishep/ Fennel seeds

1/2 tsp haldi/turmeric powder

* I have used red chilli powder made of kashmiri chillies as I did not have whole kashmiri chillies.

other ingredients: 

1/2 cup thick coconut milk

2 cups thin coconut milk

1 big onion sliced thin

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

3 to 4 pieces of kokum

4 tblsp oil

salt to taste

Lemon juice to taste

1 tblsp coconut oil (optional)

Method: 

First make the masala. To make if first heat a iron or any thick kadhai/pan and and on medium heat roast the scrapped coconut till golden brown. Remove and keep aside. 

Now add 1 tblsp oil and fry the dry kashmiri chillies for a few seconds or till they are coated with oil. Drain and remove and keep aside.

Now in the same kadhai/pan roast  cumin seeds, coriander seeds, poppy seeds, black pepper corns, cinamon, cloves, star anise,

fennel seeds for a few minutes on low heat. Do not let the spices burn. They should be just fragrant and crisp. Cool
When the spices  cold grind it to a smooth paste along with coconut, Kashmiri chillies  and turmeric powder. Use a little water. The paste has to be smooth. 
Now in a pan heat oil and add kokum and saute for a few seconds and add sliced onions and saute till onions are translucent. 
Add ginger garlic pastes and saute further for a few minutes or till the raw smell goes. 
Add the vegetables and give it a good stir so that all the vegetables will be coated with oil. Cover and cook on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes stirring  once. 
Add the masala and mix well. Add the thin coconut milk and let it come to a simmer and lower the heat and let cook till the vegetables are cooked. The thin coconut milk will have reduced to almost nothing. Now add the thick coconut milk, salt and lemon juice. 



Switch off heat and pour the coconut oil, if using.   









Serve hot with rice 











or chapati/roti. 

This is my 7th regional recipe and it comes from Goa. 

Logo by Preeti.

Sol Kadhi

Sol Kadhi

Food Blogging Marathon from 2/9/2013 to 30/9/2013. 

Each day a new alphabet. 4 categories. 

Regional Food, 

Baked Dishes, 

International Flavors / Fusion flavors, 

Street Food / Condiments / Misc / Recipe less Posts on Food

Sol  pronounced  सोल or  सोलं . SOL  being the skin of a fruit called  "Raataambaa"  in Marathi . It is abundantly found in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. It belongs to Mangosteen family. It is tomato shaped fruit, maroon in colour. It is also called as "KOKUM" . Pulp is used to make delicious drink and the skin is dried and used as a souring agent in most Maharashtrian and Goan cuisine. It also imparts a beautiful pink colour. Oil of the seed is a very good moisturiser and we used it on our cracked heels in winter. It is extensively used in cosmetic industry. The fruit and the skin are very cooling and help in regulating the "Pitta Dosha". 

                                                      
                                                              
Kokum fruit on tree    Ripe Kokum with white pulp hiding the seeds   The dried skin called Sol or
                                                                                                                        Aamsool or kokum

Photographs are from wiki and you will find more information on this wonder fruit here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garcinia_indica

This is served as an appetiser. It is also served with rice. There is nothing better than having a glass full of cold solkadhi before meal, with meal or even after meal.
As is the case with any Indian cuisine or recipes every family will have a slight variation of the same recipe and each one will vouch for its authenticity.
I am giving you three different ways I make this wonderful drink.
One is the way my neighbour in Dadar, Mumbai use to make. Fiery hot with a wonderful orange red colour to it. This to be strictly eaten with plain rice. Thank you Shirke Kaku for this recipe.

Sol Kadhi # 1 

8 to10 aamsool/kokum
3 to 4 kashmiri chillies
3 to 4 dried red chillies which are hot or as per your taste
1 whole fresh coconut scraped or grated
3 to 4 garlic
a few black pepper corns (optional)
salt to taste.
Method:
Pour 1/4 cup hot water on the coconut and add garlic, Kashmiri red chillies and the dried  red chillies and blend in a blender for 5 minutes. Extract coconut milk. It should be about one cup. In a steel or glass bowl add a few whole black pepper corns, kokum/aamsool and salt. Pour the thick coconut milk over this and let it steep for 1/2 an hour. Keep covred in a cool place without moving it. after 1/2 an hour stir and gently squeeze the kokum and let it steep again for another 1/2 an hour.


Now  remove the kokum and your firey hot Sol Kadhi is ready to be eaten with hot rice.





 Firey hot Sol Kadhi with hot rice








In Goa this along with a piece of fried fish is a special meal. For vegetarians roast or fry a papad to go with the Sol Kadhi and rice.




Sol Kadhi # 2

1 fresh coconut scrapped or grated

 1 cup warm water
6 to 8 aamsool/kokum
2 green chillies
4 to 6 garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
salt to taste
Method:
In 1/4 cup water add 2 kokum and let it steep for at least 15-20 minutes. Add warm water to coconut and add green chillies, salt and rest of the kokum and let steep for 10 minutes and then blend to extract first thick coconut milk. 











Add 1 cup water again to the residue and blend once more to extract the second coconut milk. Adjust salt. Add chopped coriander leaves adn let cool in the fridge for 1/2 an hour before serving as an appetiser or to drink with meal or to finish off meal with kokum Kadhi as a digestive.


   


Sol Kadhi # 3 

1/4 cup dahi/curd/yogurt
1/2 cup water
salt to taste
3 to 4 kokum steeped in 1/4 cup water
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
a pinch of asefotida/hing powder

Method:

Squeeze out all the extract from the steeped kokum and add it to the dahi/curd/yougurt. Add water 1/2 cup water and blend to make it smooth. Heat the oil and add cumin seeds and hing and pour it in the blended dahi/curds/yogurt. add salt and chill before serving. You can also steep kokum in buttermilk/chhaas for 15 to 20 minutes and then strain and temper with jeera/ cumin seeds and add salt. This can be served chilled or at room temperature. 





 Sol Kadhi with Tempering.










This is my 6th and final recipe in the Miscellaneous category.