Golli Bajje

Golli Bajje (Mangalore Bajje)

Ingredients:

Maida (refined flour)	2 cups
Besan (gram flour)	2 tbsps
Curds (slightly sour)	3/4 cup
Sugar	2 tsps
Salt	1 tsp
Green chillies (chopped)	2 - 3
Eno / soda-bi-carb	1 sachet or 1tsp
Water	½ cup

Method:

1. Mix refined flour and gram flour together and keep aside.
2. In a bowl add chopped green chilies, salt and sugar and crush it roughly.
3. To this mixture add the curds and mix till the salt and sugar are dissolved.
4. Now add Eno/soda-bi-carb in the curd mixture.
5. To this add the flour mix and prepare a semi-solid batter.
6. If needed you can add a little water so that the batter is not solid.
7. Keep this batter covered for about 1-2 hours when the whole mass rises. Heat oil in a frying pan. Keep it on a medium flame
8. Wet your fingers in water and take about a teaspoon of the batter and drop them in the hot oil and fry them till golden brown.
9. Serve hot with coconut chutney or coriander green chutney.

Note:

Serves 4.
Golli Bajje as it is known in Konkani language can be eaten without chutney. It is crisp on the outside and very soft and spongy on the inside. It is a very tasty snack especially when eaten during rainy season!

Cucumber Idli

My first blog post!! My daughter encouraged me to create this blog and start archiving some of the traditional konkani dishes ( and others). Suggestions and comments would be greatly appreciated.



My mother used to make "Cucumber Muddhe" (Dumplings), which was a traditional konkani evening snack. She also taught me to make "Dahi Idli" (Yoghurt RiceCakes).
I have combined both to create my own recipe. And thus, on a fateful Sunday evening, was born the Cucumber Idli.

Preparation Time: 15-20 min
Cooking Time: 10-12 min

Ingredients

Cucumber	1
Fine Sooji	1 cup
Curds (Slightly sour)	1 cup
Green chilies (chopped)	2
Ginger (chopped)	1” piece
Baking-soda or Eno	1 tsp
Salt	1 tsp or as per taste
Oil (for greasing)	1 tsp

Method

1. Grind roughly the chopped green chilies and ginger along with the salt.
2. Grate the cucumber and keep aside. Discard the seeds if they are not tender.
3. In a vessel mix the grated cucumber and the chilly-ginger-salt mix.
4. To this mixture, add the sour curd and eno/baking soda and mix well.
The mixture will froth slightly.
5. Grease a plate/thali with the oil and pour the mix into it.
6. Steam this in a cooker (without the whistle) for 10-12 mins.
7. When slightly cooled, cut it into pieces. Serve hot.

Notes
Bansi Rawa can be used instead of fine sooji.
Coriander leaves and Curry leaves can also be added to the mixture.
Chutney is optional, the idli should be eaten hot with a dollop of white butter.

This does not keep well for more than a day in tropical climates, refrigerate if you are not consuming it on the same day. To re-heat, place it in a water bath for about 7-8 min.

FYI

My recipe also appeared in the CityPlus Weekly Issue, (Koramangala) Bangalore edition (3rd Apr 2009)

If you don't know some of the Indian ingredients used here, you may find this glossary useful.