Mango Coconut Fudge Recipe

Mango is one of the most loved fruit in India and one can find many delicacies made out of this Summer delight apart from relishing it as a whole fruit. One such dessert is the Mango Coconut Fudge. Nariyal Burfi / Fresh Coconut Fudge or Khopra pak is my all time favourite. A tasty variation to it is the addition of Mango pulp to it. The barfi or fudge made from this classic combo is simply irresistible. 

I always wanted to try out this fudge , even tried once or twice but was not satisfied with the results. Then a few days back, i happened to taste a perfect mango coconut fudge at my Sister -in -law's place. Took down the recipe from her and here i am with a soft and melt in mouth fudge. 

 The barfi is crumbly yet soft and delicate and the best part is that it does not become hard after setting. Have used fresh scrapped coconut and Alphonso pulp in this recipe. Addition of fresh cream  makes the fudge soft and rich and Cardamom powder compliments it very well. The recipe requires little efforts but believe me the end results are worth it. This fudge can be had as a fasting food ( food for Vrat). The fudge remains good at room temperature for about a week , provided a little is spared until then ( mine got over within 2 days ). Lets quickly look at the ingredients and the method to follow.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups scrapped Coconut
• 1 1/4 Cup Alphonso Pulp ( have used fresh )
• 1/2 cup fresh cream ( i have used homemade)
• 1 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 tbsp Ghee / clarified Butter
• 1 tsp Cardamom powder.

Method:

1.  Grease or line the tray to be used for setting the fudge , keep aside. In a non stick wok, or a heavy bottom pan, heat up 1 tbsp ghee and add the scrapped Coconut to it. Stir fry the Coconut in the ghee on a low to medium flame until it dries up and we get a nice aroma.

  2. Now add the fresh cream and mix well and cook the mixture until the scrapped Coconut soaks up all the cream and dries again. I have used the cream i separate at home from the full cream milk. 

  3. Take 3 tbsp sugar and grind it to powder.Keep aside. Add remaining sugar and Alphonso pulp to the Coconut mixture and mix well.(I have made the pulp from fresh Alphonso and pureed in a grinder. You may use store bought pulp either)Cook the mixture on medium flame. As the sugar starts to melt, the mixture will become thin .

  5.  Cook this mixture on medium flame with continuous stirring for about 20-25 minutes or until the mixture reduces and leaves the pan.

  6. Add Cardamom powder to the fudge mixture. Mix well and put off the flame. Now add the reserved powdered sugar ( from step 3) and mix it evenly with the fudge mixture. 

  7. Quickly plate the fudge mixture into the greased tray and spread evenly with the back of a greased flat bowl .  The fudge sets within no time. So cut the fudge into desired shape ( squares or diamonds ) and allow to cool down.

  8. The above ingredients yield 18-20 medium sized barfi ( fudge) pieces. Store the fudge in dry air tight container . Enjoy the delicious , melt in mouth Mango Coconut fudge with your loved ones !

  I hope you would love to give this recipe a try. Do not forget to give your valuable feedback. For more mango recipes, do check my posts on,

• Aamras
• Mango Ice cream
• Mango Halwa
• Soft Mango Bites
• Amrakhand - Mango Shrikhand

Dal Fry Recipe

Dal Fry is a popular Indian lentil dish . It is a spicy Punjabi recipe made generally from Yellow Pigeon Peas / Toovar dal ( also known as Arhar dal) .This simple yet flavorful and aromatic dal preparation is a treat to the taste buds. Almost all the roadside eateries ( Dhabas) and global Indian Restaurants serve this delicacy . Dal fry tastes best with Jeera Rice though it goes well even with phulka, or paratha.

The recipe to this flavorful dish is very simple and easy to follow. The Toovar dal is first boiled in a pressure cooker till it is soft and completely cooked . Then onions , tomatoes and Indian curry spices are sauteed in pure ghee to make the base to which this mashed and cooked dal is added and simmered further till the dal gets all the flavours of spices and herbs from the base mixture. This also gives the Dal fry the desired thick consistency. Though Dal fry is generally made using , Toovar dal , it can also be made using a mix of moomg dal , arhar dal , Massor dal , Chana dal.

  Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Toovar dal / Yellow Pigeon Peas
• 2-3 tbsp pure Ghee / clarified Butter
• 2 Whole red Chilies , deseeded
• 2 green chilies , finely chopped or slit
• 7-8 cloves of Garlic
• 1/2 inch piece of root Ginger
• 1 medium sized Onion , finely chopped
• 1 medium sized Tomato , finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds 
• 1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds / Jeera
• 1-2 pinch of Asafoetida / Hing
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red Chilly powder
• 1 tsp Kasuri Methi
• 1-2 tbsp of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method:

1. Wash the Toovar dal thoroughly under running water. Soak the dal in 1 cup water for 20 minutes. Though soaking is not compulsory, but this saves the cooking time and gas and ensures the dal gets completely cooked. 

  2.  Take the soaked dal along with the water in which it was soaked, plus 1 cup more water in a pressure cooker. Add a pinch of Asafoetida , Turmeric powder and few drops of ghee to the dal. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook the dal for 3-4 whistles or until the dal is soft and completely cooked. Mash the cooked dal and keep aside.

  3. In another sauce pan, heat up ghee and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter add the cumin seeds.

  4. Once a crackling sound is heard, add the finely chopped garlic and ginger. Saute until the raw smell goes. Now add the red and green chilies followed by finely chopped onions. saute the onions until they turn translucent.

  5. At this stage add hing , turmeric powder, red chilly powder and mix well. To this spice mix add the finely chopped tomatoes and saute till the mixture starts leaving ghee.

  6. Add the mashed and cooked dal to this ready onion, tomato and spice base. Stir well. Add 1 cup hot water and let the dal boil. You may adjust the water as per the consistency you wish to keep, but adding more water will dilute the dal and make it less flavorful. Dal fry has a slightly thick consistency.

  7.  Now add salt to the dal . Mix well and simmer it for another 2-3 minutes, so that all the flavours of spices get mixed well with the dal.  Take kasuri methi and rub it between the palms and add to the ready dal followed by the addition of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves. Put off the flame after 1 -2 minutes. 

  8. Serve the dal hot with Jeera Rice. You may squeeze out a juice of 1 lemon and add to the dal before serving or top it with some pure ghee. 

  I hope you would like to give this recipe a try. Do not forget to give your valuable feed back.

For more North Indian curries and dal recipes, do check my posts on

• Pindi Chole
• Dal Makhani
• Methi Matar Malai
• Palak Paneer
• Mushroom Masala
• Matar Paneer
• Baingan Bharta
• Chane Ka Saag
• Kadhai Paneer

Cluster Beans Curry Recipe / Gavar Phalli ki Sabji

Cluster bean also known as Gawar ki phalli is higly nutritious and very healthy for our body. It should be included in our diet as it is beneficial for cardio health, great for diabetes , make bone strong, help in better blood circulation, good during pregnancy and manage blood pressure. 

Cluster beans can be easily cooked as a curry which goes well as a side dish with chapati or rice. There are slight variations in the cooking method in different parts of India. It is paired with potato and a curry with tomato base is prepared in Gujarati style. Today i am sharing the Maharashtrian style of cooking the cluster beans curry. 

The recipe for Gavar chi bhaji as called in Marathi , calls for use of roasted peanut powder which gives a nice nutty flavour and desired thickness to the curry. This is my mum's onion garlic free recipe and requires minimal ingredients .

Ingredients:

• 250 grams Cluster beans / Gavar phalli
• 2 tbsp roasted Peanut powder
• 3-4 tbsp milk
• 1/4 tsp Carom seeds / Ajwain
• Pinch of Asafoetida / Hing
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 -2 tsp Red chilly powder ( depending upon the desired spice level)
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Choose tender cluster beans for the recipe. Trim the top and bottom part of the beans and break the bean to 2-3 inch pieces using hand. Mature beans are a bit hard and fibrous and need the removal of fibrous thread (stringing). Wash the beans thoroughly under running water.

  2.  In a pan, heat the oil on a medium flame. Add Carom seeds. Once they sizzle, add Asafoetida , roasted peanut powder followed by turmeric and red chilly powder. Lower the heat while adding the spices or put off the flame to avoid burning of spice powders. 

  3. Now add the cluster beans and mix well. Add milk and give a quick stir. Addition of milk is optional but it gives a nice creamy texture to the curry.

  4.  Now add around 1 cup hot water water or more depending upon the consistency we wish to keep. Add salt and cover cook the curry for 5-7 minutes or until the beans are cooked. Keep stirring in between and check if more water is needed to cook the curry.

  5. Serve the delicious cluster beans curry with chapati and enjoy !

   I hope you would love to give this recipe a try. Do not forget to give your valuable feed back.

For more such recipes, do check my posts on

• Beetroot Stir Fry
• Pindi Chole
• Broccoli Stir Fry
• Besan wali Bhindi
• Karela Stir Fry
• Vegetable Korma
• Microwave Bharwa Bhindi
• Bell Pepper Stir Fry
• Spicy Drumstick Curry

Kothambir Vadi / Maharashtrian Coriander Fritters

Kothambir Vadi is a popular and classic Maharashtrian snack. It is basically crispy savory coriander fritter made from fresh coriander leaves, chickpea flour and spices. The batter so made is first steamed and then cut into pieces and either deep or shallow fried as per choice. Kothambir means coriander in Marathi and vadi meansslices, veges or cubes hence the name of the dish. Kothambir Vadi is crispy from outside and delicious and soft from inside and very flavorful. It can be served as a side dish with meals or as an evening tea-time snack. This is my Mum's onion-garlic-free ,vegan recipe. It tastes great with Dates and Tamarind Chutney but you can serve it with any sauce of your choice. The steamed pieces of Kothambir vadi can be made ahead of time and kept in the zip lock bags in the deep freezer and then deep or shallow fried as per need. 

Belonging to a typical Maharashtrian family, i make Kothambir Vadi quite often specially during winters when Coriander is in abundance in markets. Kothambir wadi is essentially a part of a typical Maharashtrian Thali.  Though there is no specific time or season to relish on this fritters, yet they are my family favorite during monsoons with a cup of masala chai! Apart from Kothambir vadi and Coriander Chutney, i often make the flavorful Coriander Rice whenever i get hold of fresh coriander. Flavorful Peruvian green rice can also be made using fresh coriander.

                              

What goes into my Kothambir Vadi ?

Kothambir vadi is a savory crispy coriander snack from Maharashtrian Cuisine. It is basically a fritter, but to cut down the calories and to make it a guilt-free affair, i have shallow fried it instead of deep frying. Lets see at the ingredients one by one to make Kothambir vadi.

• Coriander : The first and obvious ingredient of this Kothambir vadi is coriander. Select fresh green , blemish free coriander to make Kothambir vadi. You may also use thin, tender stems of coriander. The coriander is washed and pat dried with kitchen towel. This stage is crucial as we do not want a soggy dough.
• Besan/Chickpea flour: Chickpea flour serves as the base for this kothambir vadi which binds the coriander and spices together. 
• Rice flour: Little quantity of rice flour is added to the chickpea flour which make the fritters crisp.
• Sesame Seeds: Added toasted til or sesame seeds give a lovely nutty flavor to the fritters apart from increasing the nutritional value.
• Green chilies and ginger paste is uses to spice up the fritters.
• Spices : Red chili powder, turmeric powder, Carom seeds, Coriander Cumin powder and asafoetida are the spices that flavor the kothambir vadi. If you skip adding asafoetida, them this recipe cane be gluten-free.
• Oil : Any neutral oil can be used. I have used only 2 tablespoon oil to make this Kothambir vadi. Half of it is used to make the dough and the other half to shallow fry the fritters.
• Baking soda. I have used only a small pinch of soda here. You may completely skip it.

                                            

Health Benefits of Coriander:

Before moving ahead with the recipe, lets have a look at the health benefits of Coriander. Coriander or cilantro is a flavorful herb used extensively In Indian cooking in soups, salads, rasams, curries, dals. It not only lends an eye appealing vibrant green color and gives pleasant aroma to the dishes but also has multiple health benefits. Coriander is a wonderful source of dietary fiber, manganese, iron and magnesium. It's leaves are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K and protein. They also contain small amounts of calcium, phosphorous, potassium, thiamin, niacin and carotene. Coriander helps in regulating blood sugar levels, it protects the liver and kidney and provide useful antioxidant properties.

Related Event:

                                        

This is an old post that I had published in 2016 during my initial blogging days. I have updated this post today with the new final images and written content of this recipe. I have many such old posts where the photography is dull and the recipe is not up to the mark. Such posts need to be updated with new pictures and written content. Thanks to Renu, my dear friend, and a fellow blogger who came up with a Facebook group, Foodies_Redoing Old Posts as an initiative, where we bloggers can update our old posts with either new pictures or written content  or both every two weeks. This is my 17th entry into this event (15th May 2020). The pic below is my old pic of Kothambir vadi. Meanwhile, do check out Renu's blog for some healthy delicious recipes like Rajasthani Paush Bada, an onion-garlic free crunchy snack using lentils and spinach which is on my to-do list.

                               

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 1 1/2 dozen Kothambir vadi

Ingredients: Measurements used 1 cup = 240 ml

• 1 cup chickpea flour / Besan
• 2-3 tablespoon rice flour
• 2 cups finely chopped fresh coriander leaves / hara dhania
• 2 green chilies
• 1/2 inch ginger piece / adrak
• 2 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds/til
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon red chilly powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin coriander powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon carom seeds/ajwain
• Small pinch baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi
• 1/4 teaspoon Asafoetida/Hing
• Salt to taste

Method:

1.  In a mixing bowl sift the chickpea flour and rice flour. Grind the green chilies and ginger together and add it to the flour. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, hing, carom seeds, cumin-coriander powder along with toasted sesame seeds, pinch of baking soda and salt. Add 1 tablespoon oil and mix the flour and spices very well.

  2. Clean and wash the coriander leaves and tender stem and pat it try using a clean kitchen towel. Now finely chop the coriander and add to the flour and spice mix. Add very little water and knead the flour into a dough. The dough will be sticky but do not worry. Do a taste test at this stage and add more salt or spices if required. Scrap the sides, grease your hands with oil and divide the dough into 3 portions and roll out each portion into log shape.

  3. Grease the plate or container to be kept in a steamer or cooker. Keep the prepared kothambir vadi logs in it and steam for 10-15 minutes in a cooker.

                           

  4. Insert a toothpick or knife to check the doneness of the kothambir vadi. If it comes out clean, it means it is cooked well. Let the logs cool down . Now cut them into roundels and either deep fry or shallow fry.

  5. I have shallow fried the Kothambir vadi using remaining 1 tablespoon oil on a non stick skillet. Keep the flame low to medium and shallow fry the kothambir vadis until golden brown and crisp from both sides.

                               

                                

  6. Serve the Kothambir Vadi hot with Dates and Tamarind Chutney or any sauce of your choice and enjoy this delicious tea time snacks with your loved ones !!

Recipe Notes:

• If you skip adding Asafoetida/ Hing, the recipe can be gluten-free.
• You may skip adding green chilies if serving to kids.
• Make sure the coriander is dry when you add it to the flour as too wet coriander will make the dough soggy and sticky.
• Steamed Kothambari vadi can be consumed on its own without being shallow fried. In fact, i love the steamed version more than the shallow fried one.
• The steamed pieces of Kothambir vadi can be made ahead of time and kept in the zip lock bags in the deep freezer and then deep or shallow fried as per need. 

I hope a few of you would love to try out this recipe. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the comment section below this post. All your suggestions are also more than welcome. If you like my work and feel it is worth following, do hit the follow button at the top right corner of this blog. Your appreciation means a lot to me. For more recipes and new updates follow us on social media.

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