AVARO BATATE HUMMAN 

One of the favourite dishes in my family from our traditional Konkani cuisine is called Avaro Batate Humman. The name of the dish comes from the two principal ingredients  "Avaro" being Hyacinth Beans and "Batato" being Potatoes in Konkani, my mother tongue:.

We make this whenever Hyacinth Beans (called Avarekalu in Kannada, Mochakottai in Tamil and Surti Papdi in Hindi)  are available. 

Also, please note that this does not call for the use of onion and garlic. It is therefore made on days when you may want to avoid using these two ingredients. 

Elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for other dishes made with hyacinth beans, such as:

•  Avarekalu Saagu, 
• Avarekalu Menthya Akki Rotti,
• Avarekalu Uppitu.

Ingredients:- 

                                                                             Peeled Avaro

• Avaro ( Hyacinth Beans):  1 and 1/2 cups
• Potatoes, medium-sized, 2
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Roasted Byadgi Red Chillies, 7
• Tamarind, a small marble sized piece
• Hing (Asafoetida), 1/4 tsp
• Coconut Oil, 1 tbsp
• Salt, to taste

Method:

Peel and wash the hyacinth beans 

Wash, peel and cube the potatoes

Place the hyacinth beans and cubed potatoes in a vessel in the pressure cooker. Add adequate water and a little salt  

Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles or till they are done

Once the cooker cools, remove the cooked hyacinth beans and potatoes. Keep aside.

To prepare the masala: Grind fresh coconut gratings, along with roasted Byadgi red chillies, tamarind and 1 tsp of raw rice,  adding water as required to get a smooth paste (masala) 

Add this masala to the cooked hyacinth beans and potatoes. Mix well. 
Adjust the consistency by adding water as required. Bring this to a boil then lower the heat and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes 
Now add the asafoetida. 
Check for salt and add more if required
Switch off the gas 

Finally, add the coconut oil and mix well

Transfer to a serving bowl

Serve the Avaro Batate Humman as a side dish with hot steamed rice and dal

 SOUTHEKAYI TAMBULI

Today's recipe gets its name from the principal ingredient - Southekayi - which is what Cucumber is called in Kannada. As you know, cucumber is widely used all over India and is called Kakdi in Hindi, Dosekaya in Telugu and Vellarikka in Tamil

'Tambuli" is again from Kannada and comes from two words "Thampu" meaning "cool" and "Huli" meaning a curry like dish made with buttermilk and greens/vegetables.This is traditionally made during the hot summers where it has a cooling effect. 

Yesterday, I came across some tender cucumbers in our grocery store and was tempted to make this dish.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with cucumber such as:-

• Khamang Kakdi 
• Southekayi Hasi Majjige Huli 
• Cucumber Idli 

For today's Southekayi Tambuli it is preferable that you use a tender cucumber which does not have any  seeds. Also it is important that the buttermilk you use is fresh and not sour.

We love this dish! Do try it out and let me know how it was ! 

Ingredients:-

• Southekayi (Cucumber), 1 
• Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Green Chilli, 1
• Buttermilk, 1 cup 
• Salt, to taste 

Method:

Wash, peel and chop the cucumber

In a mixer jar, grind together the chopped cucumber, coconut gratings, and green chill to a smooth paste with just the required amount of water  ( as cucumber releases it's own juice)

Remove from the mixer to a bowl

Add the buttermilk and salt to taste and mix well 

Heat coconut oil in a small seasoning pan  and on medium heat add the mustard seeds

When they splutter add the urad dal and saute till it changes colour

Then add the white sesame seeds, broken red chilli and curry leaves and saute for a few seconds

Finally, add the turmeric powder and saute for a few seconds

Pour this seasoning to the Southekayi Tambuli 

Serve as an accompaniment to hot steamed rice 

 GULLA MASHINGASAANGA SAGLE

Today's recipe is from our own GSB Konkani cuisine and is called Gulla Mashingasaanga Sagle. The name comes from the two principal ingredients: the first is Matti Gulla, ( a special type of brinjal available in the Udupi area of my Home State of Karnataka). Tradition has it that the first crop of Matti Gulla ( named after a place called Matti, near Udupi) is offered at the Udupi Sri Krishna Temple.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with Matti Gulla such as:- 

• Matti Gulla Podi
• Matti Gulla Huli

Gulla Mashingasaanga Sagle can be made with or without using onions. I prefer using onions as I feel they enhance the taste of this dish.  This is generally served with our traditional meal of rice and dal. It also goes well with rotis/chapatis too. 

We love this dish and if you able to get hold of Gullas, I hope you will try it out sometime. 

Ingredients:-

• Gulla, 2, about 350-375 gms
• Mashingasaang, (Drumsticks), 2
• Onions, medium-sized, 2 
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 5
• Coriander Seeds, 2 tsp
• Methi ( Fenugreek) Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Tamarind, size of a small marble
• Coconut Oil, 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste

 AMATEKAI (INDIAN HOG PLUM) GOJJU

The Indian Hog Plum is called Amatekai in Kannada. We call this Ambado in my mother tongue, Konkani. The Indian Hog Plum is used in curries as also in making chutneys and pickles. This is found in plenty in the Mangaluru- Udupi region of my Home State of Karnataka. 

Recently I got some Amatekai/Ambado in the nearby Mangalore Stores and immediately tried out Amatekai Gojju, from the website of Swayampaaka.

Please note how sweet or spicy the dish will be depends on the quality of the amatekai used. You have to adjust the quantity of jaggery you use accordingly. 

We loved this with hot steamed rice. When kept refrigerated it can last for a week or so.

Ingredients:-

• Amatekai ( Indian Hog Plum), 8-10 
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 3/4 cup
• Jaggery, 4 tbsp, or to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Coriander Leaves, chopped, for garnish

• Channa Dal,  1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal,  1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek ( Methi) Seeds,  1/2 tsp
• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds (Jeera),  1/2 tsp
• Coriander Seeds, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 8
• Oil, 1/4 tsp 

 MENTHYA MATVADI PALYA

Today's recipe is for a dish made with Fenugreek Leaves- which are called Menthe Soppu in Kannada- and lentils.We cook the fenugreek leaves with a ground paste of Bengal Gram/Channa Dal and spices. This dish is popular in my Home State of Karnataka. 

As you know, Fenugreek Leaves have numerous health benefits as detailed in this article in HealthifyMe,

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with Fenugreek Leaves, such as:-

• Menthi Kura Pappu from Andhra Pradesh
• Vendhaya Keerai Sambar from Tamilnadu
• Methiwali Arhar Ki Dal from North India
• Fenugreek Leaves Rolls a snack

By the way, we do not use onions or garlic in making this dish, which makes it popular amongst those who don't use these ingredients in their cooking. 

It is easy to make and is rich in proteins making it a good food choice for diabetics in particular.

Please do try it out and let me know how you liked the Menthya Matvadi Palya.

Ingredients:-

• Menthe Soppu/ Fenugreek Leaves/ Methi Leaves, 3 cups today
• Kadalebele/Bengal Gram/ Chana Dal, 1 cup
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Ginger, 1 " piece
• Green Chillies, 5
• Lime Juice, 1 tsp 
• Salt, to taste

For Seasoning:-

• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Urad Dal/ Black Gram, 1 tsp
• Chana Dal/Bengal Gram,  1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Hing/ Asafoetida, 1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a few
• Red Chilli, broken int halves, 1
• Oil, 3 tbsp

Method:- 

Remove the fenugreek leaves from their stalks, wash thoroughly and chop them. Keep aside

Wash and soak the chana dal for 2-3 hours

Discard the water and transfer to mixer jar

Peel and chop the ginger

In a mixer jar, grind together the chana dal, fresh coconut gratings, chopped ginger, and green chillies to a coarse paste without adding any water

Transfer the ground paste from the mixer to a flat, round plate and add the chopped fenugreek leaves

Add salt to taste and mix well

Keep this plate in a steamer with adequate water and steam for about 20 minutes on medium heat

Switch off the gas and allow the steamer to cool 

Remove the steamed mixture of dal and fenugreek leaves and crumble/ break it into small pieces using a fork

Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadhai and on medium heat add the mustard seeds

When they splutter add the chana dal and urad dal and saute till they change colour

Next add the turmeric powder, asafoetida, curry leaves, and broken red chilli

Saute for a few seconds

To this add the steamed and crumbled mixture of dal and fenugreek leaves and mix well

On medium heat cook this for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, till the raw smell goes and the Matvadi Palya gets well roasted

Switch off the gas

Finally, squeeze the lime juice on the Matvadi Palya and mix well

Transfer to serving bowl

Serve hot as a side dish with hot steamed rice and saaru

 BEETROOT SASIVE

In my house over the years my family has got used to hearing me say that people don't dislike particular veggies, they dislike how they are cooked!! A case in point is my husband's old dislike for beetroot. He used to hate beetroots years ago but now eats them quite cheerfully! 

I must mention that beetroot is really good for health as detailed in this article,  " The Benefits of Beets" in the Mayo Clinic website.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with the good-for-health beetroots, such as:-

• Beetroot Soup, 
• Beetroot Poriyal
• Beetroot Halwa. 

This dish does not call for the use of onion or garlic so can be made as a Satvik dish on days when you don't want to use onion or garlic. 

Do try this out for yourself and let me know what you thought of it. 

Ingredients:-

• Beetroots, 350-400 gms  
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp 
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 4
• Salt, to taste

For Seasoning:

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli, 1 ( broken into halves) 
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Coconut Oil, 2 tsp 

Method:-

Wash the beetroots thoroughly. Snip off the crown

Peel and grate the beetroots

Take the grated beetroot in a thick bottomed kadhai, add  1 cup of water, turmeric powder and salt

Mix well  and cook covered on medium heat  till it gets done. Take care that it does not get overcooked as beetroot tends to get cooked fast.

In a mixer jar, grind together the coconut gratings, Byadgi red chillies and mustard seeds to a smooth paste adding just the required amount of water

Add the freshly ground masala to the cooked beetroot, mix well and bring to a boil

Check for salt and add only if required

Heat coconut oil in a small pan and on medium heat add the mustard seeds, when they splutter add the broken red chilli and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds

Pour this seasoning on to the Beetroot Sasive

Transfer to a serving bowl

Serve the Beetroot Sasive along with hot steamed rice

 BLACK POMFRET CURRY 

We are back home in India after a few months in the United States. It feels good to be back in my kitchen. I wanted to make a fish dish and decided to try this one made with black pomfret- which is called Kappu Maanji/Paplet/Halwa. 

Apart from being very tasty, one of the biggest benefits of the pomfret is that it is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and has numerous health benefits. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with pomfret, such as:-

• Paplet Masaledar 
• Maanji Pulimunchi

Often, I just like to shallow fry the pomfret.  Today, I went in for a curry which pairs superbly with simple hot steamed rice!! This recipe has been adapted from Mangalore Recipes .

We loved it and I am sure you will too! 

Ingredients:-

• Black Pomfret, about 500-600 gms
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp 
• Coriander Seeds, 3 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds, 1/8 tsp
• Mustard Seeds,1/8 tsp 
• Peppercorns, 1/4 tsp
• Raw Rice, 1/8 tsp 
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 8
• Short Chillies, 4
• Small sized Onion, 1 + 1 
• Tamarind, size of a small lemon 
• Garlic Cloves, 6-8 
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Ginger, 1 and 1/2 "
• Green Chillies, 3-5 ( less spicy variety) 
• Salt, to taste
• Coconut Oil, 1 tsp + 1 tbsp

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: VIK'S AT BERKELEY, CA

Recently we had lunch at Vik's -a popular eating place on 4th Street in Berkeley, Ca. Vik's Chaat  has been around for long. Adjacent to the restaurant is a grocery store which the elderly lady at the counter told us proudly was started over 40 years ago. The person behind this venture is Mr Amod Chopra who came to the US in the 1980s from present day Mumbai ( then called Bombay). 

The business started in smaller rented premises in a warehouse back in the day and they moved as they prospered. The shift to the present and more spacious location took place in 2009.  You do get good stuff in the grocery store. I am sure the lady at the store is right when she says this is the best place for Indian groceries in the East Bay Area.

However, I was told that it is tough to get a table during the weekends when most people visit Vik's.  Of course, not everyone eats here. A large section of their clients order "take outs"so that they don't waste time waiting for a place to sit . They can take the food home or elsewhere and eat it at their leisure.

While we ate I noticed they had a streamlined system. You first placed your order and paid for it. There were different sections for Dosa, Chaat etc, probably six in all. When your order was ready, the staff would call out your name and you would then go and get the food you ordered. I don't think there is any concept of reserving a table here. It works on a first come first served kind of system. . 

We enjoyed the chicken curry. The size of the helpings was just right.  My husband's cousin who took us to Vik's had Masala Dosa served with sambar and chutney, which he said was very tasty. 

Along with our meal, we had cool refreshing Salted Lassi and Rose Lassi which complemented the food.

On our way out, we bought some samosas for the evening. This came with usual accompaniments of imli chutney and green chutney. 

Overall, we enjoyed our dining experience at Vik's Chaat. If you happen to be in the area, do try it out for yourself. 

 PEET'S COFFEE: BERKELEY, CA

Some years ago, during one of our earliest trips to San Francisco, we took a bus wanting to visit Chinatown. We had, in those days, a Clipper Pass which enabled you to go by bus, BART, ferry on any route. We were too distracted talking about something or the other and we ended up in Fishermen's Wharf. After walking for a long time admiring the sights around us, we yearned for a hot cup of coffee. That's when we saw Peet's Coffee on Jefferson Street. We loved the fresh brewed coffee there and that was our  introduction to Peet's Coffee.

Later,  when we visited San Diego our relative, an aficionado  of coffees (  and one who would typically drive miles only to haunt a particular Peets)  took us to his favourite Peet's near his house. Here too we enjoyed the rich brew of the dark roasted coffee. 

With this as background, you can imagine our delight when in our current vacation in Oakland, Ca  we got to visit the first ever Peet's Coffee shop! Tommy told us one day that he would take us to a place in Berkeley that we would find interesting. We parked the car and walked to the corner of Vine and Walnut near UC Berkeley and there we were- in the very place that Alfred Peet founded the firm way back in 1966. 

We got a sense of history in this charming place. It was fascinating to see an old world museum here of memorabilia  and interesting snippets about how the Peets chain of stores- started right here - grew to have  over 200 locations all over the United States.

Interestingly, the three University of San Francisco students who started Starbucks as young entrepreneurs in Seattle in 1971 were mentored by Alfred Peet himself. 

In due course of time Alfred Peet sold his original business -in 1979 though he remained connected with the world of coffee trading and brewing. Peet's changed hands a few times after that retaining its original name. Ironically, today it is owned by Starbucks, the biggest chain of coffee shops in the world, whose founders were guided by Alfred Peets himself! 

For more on the various types of coffee and the numerous ways of drinking it, do check out the blog in Peet's. Very interesting and informative! 

 RICE KRISPIE TREATS: GUEST POST BY KATIE HAYES

As you know, we are visiting the United States on vacation and enjoying our stay in Oakland, Ca. Recently, we invited our friends Peter and Katie Hayes over and Katie brought for us her home made Rice Krispie Treats. This was something we were tasting for the first time.! They were so delicious that I requested her to share her recipe as a guest post in my blog. 

While these Rice Krispie Treats can be made with any rice cereal, the product is traditionally associated with Kellogg's, the US food products giant which had 2022 sales of $15 .3 billion through their products like breakfast cereals, snacks, frozen foods and noodles. It was interesting for me to find out that the history of Kelloggs' Rice Krispies goes way back to 1928! 

Readers in India will be glad to know that Kelloggs Rice Krispies are available in India from Amazon.in In making the Rice Krispie Treats, do remember that in the US, 1 cup is equal to 240 ml. 

Ingredients:-

• Butter, 3 tbsp
• Marshmallows, large-sized , 40 OR Mini Marshmallows, 5 and 1/2 cups 
• Rice Krispies Cereal, 6 cups ( Kelloggs or generic brand)
• Chocolate Chips, 2 cups 

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: SHEF- HOME COOKED FOOD AT YOUR DOORSTEP

These days it has become very common to order food home from restaurants. We do this once in a while. However, during our visit to the US we came across this interesting platform called Shef recently. Here too you can order in food of your choice from various cuisines but the difference is that the food you order is not from a restaurant but from someone's home. Yes, you get a home cooked meal delivered at your doorstep and you have considerable choice by way of cuisine- ranging from Indian, Chinese, Japanese to American cuisine. 

Within the category of Indian for example, there are again numerous choices you can make such as South Indian, Gujarati, Rajasthani, Chettinad and so on. The name Shef, I gather, comes from "She" and " Chef" as 85 % of the home cooked food providers are women. Apparently, 85 % of them are coloured and they represent 85 countries! Quite fascinating, isn't it?

While in Oakland, Ca, we were scouting this platform for Indian food when Rajasthani food caught our attention. The home chef had commendable ratings and after some thought we decided not to order a few items but to opt for the Rajasthani Thali.

I must mention here that since these orders are executed by ladies who have homes to run Shef is not the place where you can get order delivered within a couple of hours as you would get from a pizza place or from most restaurants. here you need to give a few days notice, so order from Shef only when you have time on your hands  and can plan for a meal of your choice after a couple of days.

Our order was delivered on time. The items were well -packed and came in a large Shef bag. We were impressed by the order execution process and the portions sent were fairly generous. We came to know that the lady who had cooked this home made meal was Ms Radhika. 

More importantly, the food too was pretty tasty. We had the usual items one would associate with a Rajasthani thali: Daal Bhatti, Churma, Gatte ka Pulao, Gatte ka Subzi, Meethe Chawal, Garlic Chutney and Daal with the meal being rounded off with Ghevar. The last named came as a complimentary possibly because we had ordered several thalis that day.

For the uninitiated, let me describe my understanding of the dishes. Daal Bhatti is a dish made with lentils ( Dal) and Bhatti ( hard bun like rolls made with wheat)), while Churma which accompanies this is made with wheat flour, semolina, powdered sugar, cardamom, ghee and fried nuts.  Gatte ke Subzi has chickpea flour as the main ingredient for the Gatte while the curry has different spices and yogurt. The Garlic Chutney looked fiery red in colour and is quite hot. 

Meethe Chawal, as the name suggests is a mildly sweet flavoured rice. Here basmati rice and sugar syrup are the main ingredients with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and kesar to add to the flavours. Ghevar is the traditional Rajasthani dessert made with maida and sugar syrup and has a distinctive porous appearance. 

We thoroughly enjoyed the meal. 

Will we try the Shef platform again? Yes, we would and I would recommend you give it a shot too. All the Home Chefs are certified and like in any other platform you can see the reviews and ratings before making your selections. 

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE; COAST KITCHEN, JENNER, CA. 

We recently enjoyed 4 relaxing and quiet days in the scenic Timber Cove Resort on the Sonoma Coast for which the nearest small town is Jenner, Ca. We chose this place in particular as they are a pet-friendly resort and we could take our Goldie, Buster with us. The restaurant in this resort is called the Coast Kitchen and is a popular restaurant  in the Sonoma Coast.

The place was beautiful with superb views of the waters of the Pacific Ocean. We enjoyed seeing the different shades of colour in the ocean - from sun rise to sun set!

Through this post, I will share something about a few of the dishes we liked very much from the Coast Kitchen. 

For breakfast one day, I had Avocado Toast. As we discovered during our earlier trips to California, the Avocado fruit is a "must have" in these parts. It is considered to be one of the best foods for overall health. Check out more information on why avocados are considered a superfood here. 

Prem (my husband and partner in this blog) chose the "Eggs Any Style". He chose to have an omelette which was served with breakfast sausages and roasted potatoes. Of course, toasts with butter and jam were there as well. This has been- and always will be-  one of his favourite breakfast spreads. 

To complete our breakfast, we had hot cups of Cappuccino, which we prefer amongst the ever so many types of coffee one gets in this part of the world. I have found that most Americans seem to love their coffee! This article elaborates on the many types of coffee beans available. Apparently, in the US 400 million cups of coffee are consumed per day!! 

Another dish that caught our attention was the Artisan Cheese Board. This was made up of three different types of local cheese along with  Truffle Honey, Fruit Mostarda, ( a fruit and mustard syrup), Mixed Olives, Grapes, Crackers, and Grilled Ciabatta. 

We also ordered a Romain Caesar Salad to go with the Artisan Cheese Board. This had Rosemary Caesar Dressing, Parmesan Cheese, and Croutons. 

The lunch was made complete with a Fort Point KSA Kolsch Beer, This is based on a German pale ale and is brewed in San Francisco  by the Fort Point Beer Company. 

iWe wondered whether the Grilled Chicken Sandwich on offer would be filling. On tasting it, we can confirm it was both very yummy and quite filling! The was a Brioche Bun  which had Chicken, Jalapeno Aioli, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Bacon, and Avocado accompanied with a generous helping of French Fries. 

This post cannot be complete without my writing about the Smoked Oak Cod Rillettes- the secret of the recipe apparently is to perfectly smoke the cod  which is then served with Fresno Pepper Sauce, Radish, and Grilled Ciabatta. 

Here we are enjoying some white wine- this one is a '21 Saini Sauvignon Blanc from Saini Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley in California. 

We ended one of our dinners with a dessert that we simply loved! This was the Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl - presented in an appealing, eye catchigng manner. This cheesecake came with Strawberry Sauce and Graham Crumble. Truly delicious!! 

 THAI COOKING CLASS AT BITE UNITE SF 

My husband and I were quite excited when we were told there was a culinary related surprise awaiting us on April 29. We wondered what it could be. Perhaps a visit to a new restaurant like our dining at Copra recently? Perhaps a visit to a winery? Of course, we had done that in our last visit and enjoyed the wine tasting experience. Different possibilities engaged our mind till we were told a few hours before the event that we had been signed on for a class in Thai Cooking!! 

This was a dining experience with a difference! We ate what we cooked ourselves!!

This was at BiteUnite at the corner of 17th Street and South Van Ness in San Francisco. The two hour culinary experience was held on the terrace of their building from where we got a nice view of downtown San Francisco.

I must say that something truly amazing happened that day! My husband cooked something on his own  for the first time in his life! Obviously making tea doesn't count as cooking. He jumped into the event with more enthusiasm than I imagined and we had great fun over the two hours that the class lasted.

Each of us were assigned a cooking station with a gas burner set up in front of us and different ingredients required for the first dish kept out in front of each station. Our instructor, Patta, told us something about the dish and then gave instructions for the first step. She would go around and look at how people were faring, then give the instruction for the next step and so on. For each step she mentioned a prescribed time as well.

We got to make three dishes. The first was Pad Kra Pao Gai - this is a popular Thai dish made with minced chicken, chillies, garlic, onions and Thai Basil, served with rice. Apart from the chicken which was minced and given to us, we had to slice, dice, the other ingredients like garlic, onions, chilli, and the like. After sauteeing the garlic, onions, chilli, we added the minced chicken and cooked it, and at the end added Thai Basil, different sauces and the cooked Jasmine Rice that was given to us. We loved the experience more than anything else. We were told the done thing was for me to taste- not the dish I cooked but the one cooked by my husband and vice versa!! This was accompanied by Thai tea of two types- one made with milk and the other without! 

Likewise we cooked the second dish- which was Pad See Eew. This is a stir fried soy sauce noodles also called Drunken Noodles. Here we used Sen Yai rice noodles, minced chicken, fried egg, shrimps, garlic and Chinese broccoli, amongst other ingredients. The best part of making this dish was covering the egg with the cooked noodles- chicken mixture and flipping  the contents of the griddle on to a plate and garnishing this with roasted nuts, sugar, and chilli flakes. The final dish tasted really delicious.

The session closed with a dessert- Khao Niaow Ma Muang or as we popularly know it- Mango Sticky Rice! Here we used a different kind of rice from the one used for the Pad Kra Pao Gai. This one had to be soaked for 4 hours then steamed and allowed to rest for 1 hour. Today it was given to us in a cooked state along with fresh ripe mangoes which we had to dice and garnish with coconut milk and sugar syrup. The dessert was quite yummy! 

Time flew past as we- and 16 others in our class- enjoyed the culinary experience. It was soon 1.00 pm amd time to close. 

Overall, it was a very interesting, fun-filled experience for us as we were trying this out for the first time! 

So when you next in San Francisco and if you are keen on enjoying this culinary experience, please check out BiteUnite and book a seat in their next cooking class! 

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE- "COPRA " IN SAN FRANCISCO

Knowing that we are foodies, whenever we visit him in the US, my son makes it a point  to take us out to interesting restaurants wherever we happen to be.  He mentioned a new Indian restaurant called Copra that had received many rave reviews in the press and on social media.

It is located at 1700 Filmore, by co-incidence the very same location as the old "Dosa" which we had visited a few years ago. We naturally were excited at the thought of dining here and he made the reservations for us. Make sure you reserve well in advance to enjoy dining here. I was told that when it first opened the reservations were booked for the first 30 days!! 

The decor is striking! Quite different as you would imagine from most restaurants in the US. There is the Indian touch in the choice of artefacts and the ambience. 

This restaurant is the brain child of two people:  Executive Chef Srijith "Sri" Gopinathan and the other, co-owner Ayesha Thapar, a restauranteur. Sri is a two star Michelin Chef and has worked earlier in the Taj Group of Hotels, cutting his teeth in the Taj at Bengaluru. He later  spent many years in the Taj Campton in San Francisco. He and Ayesha started a venture Ettan in Palo Alto, Ca. in February 2020 which became- and continues to be - quite popular. 

Our dining experience at Copra recently was most enjoyable. 

We started by ordering drinks. I opted for the  Ramacham Manhattan ( Ramacham, Black Cardamom, Sweet Vermouth, and Bourbon) which was quite delicious and something new for me. 

Served with our drinks were Pappadoms and Quinoa Crisps with a Chutney Palette comprising four very different types of chutneys: Wild Gooseberry, Burnt Chilli-Tamarind; Coconut Green Sambal; and Ghost Chili Chutney. All of them were lip-smacking. My favourite amongst these had to be the Burnt Chilli-Tamarind chutney.

Next came the starters-called Kadi ( after the Malayalam word for "Bites") here. We had Oysters with Fermented Chilies, Tamarind, and White Soy. I loved the way this dish was presented. We enjoyed the luscious oysters by scooping them out with a spoon.  

We also had the exotic-sounding Shinko Pear Sundal made with Black Chickpea, Raw Mango, Persian Cucumber, Red Onion and Nasturtium. The ingredients for the Sundal were brought to the table and like in a salad were mixed in a bowl for our enjoyment. 

In the next course, 'Light" in Copra speak, we asked for an innovative Thayir Vadai Chaat. This has Madras Mixture, Green Grapes, Citrus, Chili Cashew nuts and Date Chutney. Though the Thayir Vadai tasted just the same as it would in India, the combination of ingredients complementing it made it that much more appealing. 

For the main course we were torn between many options that sounded delectable. Finally we chose three dishes.  The first was the Black Cod Pollichatu- supposed to be one of the Chef's personal favourites. This came wrapped in banana leaves. It had shallot crust, had been cooked on cast iron and was served with red Matta rice and Moilee Broth. 

The second was the Konkan Crab Curry. This had crabs simmered in roasted coconut, coriander, tamarind, and red onion. It came with the Kerala favourite Appam with an egg in the centre. As you might know, eating crab can be a messy affair but is totally worth the effort. Our friends expertly wielded the crab cracker for us.  

                               Egg Appam with Chutney Palette in the background

 In my opinion, and that of the majority of our group that evening, the stand out dish was the Black Cod Pollichatu. 

Naturally we had to close the delicious meal with a dessert. We had the Palkova and Pear Toast made with jaggery, nutmeg, and grated milk.

Overall, we loved the decor, service and last but not the least- the food. Highly recommended for Indian food- especially if you like dishes from the South Indian States of Kerala and Tamilnadu. 

 DODKA (RIDGE GOURD) BHAJI

Ridge gourd is called Ghosale in my mother tongue, Konkani. It is called Dodka in Marathi, Turai in Hindi and Heerekayi  in Kannada. We use ridge gourd at home from time to time as it has various properties that make it good for health. 

I have adapted today's recipe from Turai ki Subzi from the well-known cookery website, Veg Recipes of India.

Tip: It is essential  to first taste the ridge gourd and make sure it is not bitter before using it in any dish. 

We tried out this easy to make dish recently and I must say it tasted great. 

Ingredients:-

• Dodka (Ridge Gourd), 250-300 gms 
• Moong Dal, 2 tbsp
• Medium-sized Onion, 1
• Green Chilli, 2
• Garlic Cloves, 4
• Turmeric Powder, 1/8 tsp
• Asafoetida, (Hing), 1/8 tsp
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/4 cup
• Coriander Leaves, 2 tbsp
• Oil, 1 and 1/2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste

 RAW BANANA CURRY

Today's dish is made using Raw Bananas- which are also called Green Bananas. They are called "Kachcha Kela" in Hindi, "Balekayi" in Kannada, and  "Vazhakkai" in Tamil.

I frequently make dishes using raw/green bananas as they have numerous health benefits .

We enjoyed this yummy side dish with hot steamed rice. 

Ingredients:-

• Raw Bananas, 2
• Turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp
• Tamarind Juice, 2 tbsp
• Jaggery, 1 tsp
• Hot Water, 1 cup 
• Salt, to taste

• Byadgi Red Chillies, 6
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Methi Seeds, 10-15
• Urad Dal, 1 tbsp
• Oil, 1/2 tsp 
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/3 cup (* Not to be roasted) 

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, 8-10
• Oil, 1 tbsp

MALABAR SPINACH SAMBAR 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with Malabar Spinach such as:-

• Basale Soppina Tambuli
• Malabar Spinach Dal
• Vaali Ambat

Today's dish is popular in my Home State of Karnataka where it is usually served with hot steamed rice. This is an easy to make dish which is both tasty and good for health.  

I have adapted this from Basale Soppina Sambar from Swayam Paaka. 

Do try this out and I am sure you will like this dish. 

Ingredients:-

• Malabar Spinach (Basale Soppu/Vaali), a big bunch -to yield 3 cups when chopped 
• Toor Dal, 1/2 cup
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Oil, 1/2 tsp
• Jaggery, 1-2 tsp
• Onion, 1
• Tamarind, side of small lemon
• Salt, to taste

 CARROT & PEANUT SALAD

Today's recipe is for an easy to make yet tasty salad made with carrots and peanuts. This is a refreshing addition to the lunch menu for a summer day.

Carrots have numerous health benefits including having a wealth of anti-oxidants and being rich in beta-carotene,

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find other recipes made with carrots, such as:-

• Carrot Methi Pachadi
• Carrot Chutney
• Gajar ka Halwa
• Tomato and Carrot Soup

The addition of peanuts ( commonly called Groundnuts in India) adds to the crunch and the taste of today's salad.

Ingredients:-

• Carrots, 3 or about 250 gms
• Peanuts, 1/4 cup
• Small- sized Onion, 1 
• Green Chillies, 2
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 2 tbsp
• Coriander Leaves, 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Juice of 1/2 a Lemon 

 GULLA PUDDI SAGLE 

Today's recipe is from our own GSB Konkani cuisine and is called Gulla Puddi Sagle. It is a side dish generally served with our traditional meal of rice and dal. It also goes well with rotis.

For this dish, I have used Matti Gulla which is a special type of brinjal available in the Udupi area of my Home State of Karnataka. Tradition has it that the first crop of Matti Gulla ( named after a place called Matti, near Udupi) is offered at the Udupi Sri Krishna Temple.

Brinjals  are strong in antioxidants and Vitamin A and C and have numerous health benefits.  They are available in different sizes and forms, ranging from the cute baby brinjal to the voluminous balloon brinjal.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for different dishes made with brinjals, such as:-

• Bharli Vaangi : made with baby brinjals
• Roasted Brinjal Chutney: made with large balloon brinjals 
• Kathirikai Rasavangi : made with the regular brinjals  
• Matti Gula Podi: made with a special type of brinjal available in the Udupi area of Karnataka
• Matti Gulla Huli