Monthly Archives: April 2026

KARVANDA PICKLE 2 METHODS INSTANT vs TRADITIONAL


Karvanda, Karonda, Natal Plum, Bengal Currant, Carissa carandas,

Karvanda Pickle

Karvandas are in season now until May for the raw very sour fruit. So grab some and make these 2 delicious pickles and enjoy throughout the year. June to July the fruit ripen and turn deep purple with a sweet sour taste.

One fruit, two flavors!   

Karvanda Pickle two ways.” The ‘Instant’ Spicy Zesty Garlic Version” vs. “The Traditional Methi Saunf Hing Version.”

Karvanda Pickle

Instant – Method 1

Ingredients

1/2 kg. Green Karvandas

1 cup oil

1 tbsp. Salt

½ tsp. turmeric

Grind to a paste

1” pc. Ginger

10 flakes garlic

1 tbsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

6 red chillis

Method

Soak the Karvandas in ample water for an hour or so to loosen any dirt.  Wash well, drain and pick any stems, etc.  Transfer to a cooking vessel.  Add 1 cup water, 1 tbsp. salt and ½ tsp. turmeric, mix and cook till it just comes to a boil.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Grind the masala to a smooth paste.  Boil the oil in a vessel, when hot add ground masala and fry the masala well.  Add the the semi cooked karvanda and cook on medium flame 2 to 3 minutes till oil surfaces.  Check seasoning and add salt if required.  Take off the fire and bottle when cool.

Karvanda Pickle

Traditional – Method 2

Ingredients

500 gms, Green Karvandas, washed & halved

2 tbsp. Fennel seed (Saunf)

1 tbsp. Fenugreek seeds (Methi)

1 tbsp. Nigella seeds (Kalonji)

2 tbsp. Kashmiri chili powder

½ tsp. Turmeric powder

½ tsp. Hing

1 cup Mustard oil (or anyother oil of choice)

Salt to taste

Toss the halved karvandas with 1 tbsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder.  Mix well and dry in the sun for about 4 hours to remove moisture.

Dry roast the fennel and fenugreek and grind to a coarse powder when cool.

Heat the oil to smoking.  Turn off the heat and when slightly cool, stir in the ground masala, nigella seeds, chili powder and hing.  Add the sun-dried karvandas to the warm spiced oil and mix thoroughly.  Leave aside to cool and transfer to a glass or ceramic jar and leave to mature for atleast a week.  Enjoy!!

Alu Knots curry


Alu knots curry
What you’ll learn in this video:
​How to clean and prep Taro (Alu) leaves.
​The trick to tying perfect, secure knots.
​Making the signature tangy masala base.

Alu knots curry. Traditional recipe/village cooking.  Fresh tender Taro leaves, these Alu knots are a labor of love.  Have you tried them this way?

Making “Knots” (called ghatte) out of the leaves is a traditional technique used to ensure the leaves don’t just disintegrate, giving you a meaty, satisfying texture in every bite.
A traditional monsoon delicacy from the konkan/Mangalorean region, featuring tender colocasia leaves tied into beautiful knots and cooked in a tangy, spicy & slightly sweet gravy. If you love authentic Indian flavors, this recipe is a must-try!”


Ingredients:
12-15 Tender Alu (Colocasia) leaves,
Stems removed, washed and wiped clean.
15 Jackfruit seeds, white skin removed, halved.
1 tsp. Tamarind paste (tanginess is key).  If not using raw mango, use 1 tbsp. Tamarind paste.
1 Raw mango, washed, peeled and cut into wedges
1 tbsp Jaggery.
4 green chilies, chopped
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp. Cumin seeds
4-5 Garlic cloves

Grind to a paste:
6 Kashmiri chillis
4 flakes garlic
1 small onion
1/2   tsp. Turmeric
1 tsp. Mustard seeds

Instructions:
Prep: Wash and peel the white skin off the jackfruit seeds and chop them in half.
TIP: Wash the jackfruit seeds and dry in the sun for 2 to 4 hrs.  The skin drys out and becomes easier to peel.

Clean the alu leaves, fold each leaf into half, roll tightly into a thin compact roll and form into a knot.  Set aside.

Wash and peel the mango and cut into wedges. Set aside.

Boil: In a pressure cooker, add the alu knots, jackfruit seeds, raw mango, tamarind paste, jaggery, turmeric and salt. Add enough water (about 1 cup) and pressure cook for 1-2 whistles until tender. For 5 minutes in a nutripot.

Tempering (Tadka): In a kadai, heat oil. Add mustard seeds, when they stop spluttering add the cumin seeds, then garlic, chopped green chillis, and saute until fragrant.

Add the cooked mixture to the tempering.

Finish: Add the ground masala paste and simmer for 5–10 minutes until the flavors meld together, and fat surfaces.

Serve: Serve hot with rice, chapati, or any bread of your choice.

Tips:
Always use enough tamarind to balance the oxalates in the leaves. An alternative to tamarind and raw mango is Ambade (hog plums), do use if available.
 
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