A classic flatbread from Karnataka Akki is Kannada for rice flour and roti is a flatbread. This is prepared in a similar way to Maharashtra’s Thalipeet.

Ingredients for 5, 5 inch round breads

1 cup rice flour

1 tsp roasted besan flour

1/4 cup peeled and grated carrot or capsicum

2 tbsp very finely chopped white bulb of green onions (scallions)

2 tbsps freshly grated white meat of coconut

1-2 Indian green chillies very finely chopped and mixed with 1 tsp salt

1 tbsp finely chopped dill leaves (sabsige or sepu)

1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger

1 tsp cumin seeds

1.25 tablespoons of ghee plus more for frying

1 banana leaf or equivalent length of butter or wax paper cut into 5 inch squares

Method:

Combine all the ingredients except cumin and ghee in a mixing bowl or parat. Heat ghee and saute the cumin. Cool the spiced ghee then add to the flours in the parat.

Add a half cup of water and started mixing the dough with your fingers. Keep adding water until you have a smooth dough. Knead this dough until smooth and shiny about 2-3 minutes.

Divide it into 5-6 balls of equal size.

Rub your and palms fingers with a little water. Pat one ball between your fingers to flatten it.

Then place it on a 5 inch square of butter paper or banana leaf and using your palm flatten the ball to spread it. Place another 5 inch square of banana leaf or butter paper over it and using a rolling pin roll the top of the banana leaf or butter paper to spread out the Akki roti until it is about 5 inches wide. Remove the top leaf or paper and reserve. Using a fork make a few holes in the Akki roti.

Set a tawa or flat griddle to heat on low heat. Using the banana leaf as a base lift the Akki roti and slap it face down onto the warm tawa. the banana leaf or butter paper should be on top.

Cook on a slow flame until the roti loosens at the bottom and browns slightly. Turn it over and remove the banana leaf. Cook this side in the same way.

Apply a little ghee on both sides and cook till golden and fragrant. Serve warm with podi, chutney, butter, randaayi, ghashi or anything accompaniment of your choice.

A delicacy on the Konkan and Karavalli coast Bombay duck or lizard fish is eaten in different sizes in a variety of ways. This crispy fried Kane is a classic example of how vegetables and seafood are fried along the western coast of India

Ingredients:

Bombay Duck/Bombil – 1 kg (cleaned, central bone remove and. butterflied)

Chilli powder – 2 tsp

Turmeric – 1/2 tsp

Tamarind paste – 1 teaspoon

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp powdered

Salt to taste

Other ingredients –

Semolina (Rava) – 2 cups

Rice flour – 2 tbsp

Vegetable Oil to shallow fry

Method

Wash and wipe the fish. Dust with a teaspoon of salt and toss to spread the salt about as evenly as possible in a cool part of the kitchen. Place the fish one next to the other on a flat surface and weigh down with heavy plates or containers to help squeeze out excess water. Let the fish sit under these weights for an hour.

Stir together red chili powder, turmeric, salt, asafoetida with the tamarind concentrate. Wipe the fish dry again.

Rub the fish with this paste and let rest open in the fridge for 2-3 hours. in a sieve with a bowl underneath for any additional water that is leacehed out of this fish. Before you fry it let it reach room temperature.

Heat a frying pan with 1 inch of vegetable oil on high heat.

Place 2 cups of semolina and stir in the rice flour on a flat surface or a large plate and coat all the fish pieces evenly in semolina. Dredge them and press them down into the semolina so they are evenly encrusted on all sides.

Lower flame to medium. Lay 3-4 pieces of the fish in the hot oil. Do not over crowd the pan.

Fry till the fish until deep golden brown on all sides. Strain with a slotted spoon into a sieve placed over a bowl to allow any extra oil to drain off.

Fry all the remaining pieces of fish in the same way.

Serve hot straight from the pan with line wedges. Curd rice or lentils and rice is a favoured meal with this fried fish.

Gojju in English means pulp and it is generally always a tangy and spicy dish with jaggery and a souring agent such as tamarind or hog plums.

However there are many variations for gojju across the southern states of India. A classic Karnataka dish Gojju can be a mashed eggplant gojju, a soupy onion (eruli) curry, a thick raisin  curry(ona draksha) even a thin tamarind flavoured gravy.To prevent Okra from getting gummy during the cooking process wipe the whole vegetable with a slightly damp cloth and then again with a dry one. Do not wash the okra in running water and cook it immediately after cutting.

Ingredients serves 5

250 Gram tender whole Bhindi (lady finger or okra)

1 1/2 Tbsp Tamarind concentrate

Jaggery and salt to taste

Oil

For dry masala:

1 tsp Fenugreek seeds

1 tsp white sesame seeds

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1 teaspoon split Bengal gram or urad dal

For wet masala paste:

1 Cup Desiccated coconut

1 tsp small black Mustard seeds

1 1/2 tsp Uncooked rice

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

8 Bedgi dried red chillies, stalks and seeds removed

For tadka/tempering:

2 tbsp vegetable Oil

3 Whole dry red Bedgi or Kashmiri chilies

1/2 tsp small black Mustard seeds

Method

Dry masala:

1.In a dry skillet on medium heat dry roast all the ingredients for the dry masala until fragrant. Stir to prevent burning about 2 minutes. Cool completely then grind into a fine powder. Feel it between your fingertips to make sure it is finely ground and doesn’t feel coarse.

Wet masala paste:

1.In a dry skillet roast all the ingredients for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring to prevent burning. Cool then grind to a coarse consistency. Add some water, a tablespoon at a time and keep grinding until you have a smooth chutney like paste. 

For the okra

Wipe okra clean with a slightly damp cloth. Avoid washing it. Once clean wipe with a dry cloth to remove any liquid. Snip a little bit of the end off- just the tip and slice off the head.

Heat 4 tsp of oil in a skillet on high heat (copper clad if you have one as it facilitates quick browning) and saute the whole okra, turning from time to time until golden brown and blistered on all sides.

Add the ground paste, lower heat to medium and stir well about 2-3 minutes to coat the okra and cook the spices. Stir constantly. 

Add 3 cups of water and the ground spices. Stir in tamarind and a teaspoon of jaggery and salt. Cook until gravy has thickened and the okra is tender. If required add more water to ensure okra is cooked.

Adjust for salt and jaggery.

For tempering

In a small skillet heat 2 tsp of vegetable oil, add all the ingredients for tadka/temper and saute for about 30 seconds without burning them.

Pour the tadka over the bhindi and serve hot. Stir well before serving.

G

A classic Mangalore recipe also called Mangalore Bhaji. Some also call it Mysore Bonda but the Mysore Bonda has a couple of versions.

Ingredients

• 3 Green chillies v finely chopped

• 1 tsp Cumin seeds

• 1 tsp julienned Ginger root

• 1 cup water at room temperature

• 1 tablespoon coconut cut into 1/4 inch pieces

• 1 cup plain whole milk Yoghurt(curd)

• 1/4 cup fine rice flour

• 1 cup maida or all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Vegetable oil for frying

Method:

Combine the flours, sugar and baking soda and stir in cumin, coconut, green chilies, ginger and a teaspoon of salt. Whisk curd and water together. Stir into the flour mixture. You should have a thick batter. Cover and let sit for 1 hour. Do not over beat this batter or you will have tough fritters.

Heat oil to fry on high flame in a small wok or kadai. Fashion the batter using two teaspoons into small balls about an inch wide and fry in hot oil, cook on a medium flame. First fry one until golden brown. Taste it and adjust seasonings before you do the rest.It should be cooked through.

Serve them with your choice of coconut chutney.

Randaayi is a curried dish with a soupy gravy and generally contains coconut and red chillies and is a combination of beans and some kind of meaty vegetable like plantain, yam, gourd or pumpkin. Teppal or Tirphal (not to be confused with the herbal medicine Triphala) is an astringent spice belonging to the same family as Mapo or Sichuan berries and is commonly used in cooking along the Konkan coast. It is served with chapatis or rice. It can also be served with a thick dosa to soak up all the gravy.

Ingredients for 4-5 servings

100 gms whole black Bengal gram/kala chana

500 gms bottle gourd or ash gourd, seeds removed, peeled, cut into 1” cubes ½ tsp turmeric powder

4-5 triphala or Sichuan berries, smashed but not powdered or 6-7 cloves garlic, smashed

1-1½ tsp salt or to taste

Spice paste

5-6 dried red Byadgi or Kashmiri chillies, stalks removed

½ cup grated fresh; or frozen, defrosted, unsweetened coconut

1 tsp tamarind paste

1 tsp grated jaggery Tempering

8 fresh green curry leaves torn

Pinch asafoetida

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Method Wash the gram and soak it in excess water overnight. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Pressure-cook the gram with 3 cups of water on high heat for 25 minutes after the cooker reaches full pressure. Alternatively, put the gram in a pan with 5 cups of water, cover tightly and cook on high heat for 35-40 minutes, till tender. Drain and reserve. Toast the red chillies for the spice paste in a dry skillet, till fragrant. Cool and grind the red chillies with coconut, jaggery and tamarind to make a smooth paste. Add a little water to facilitate the grinding. Add the gourd, turmeric powder, teppal or smashed garlic and spice paste to the cooked gram. Heat oil in a small skillet on high heat. Add cumin seeds, then curry leaves and then the asafoetida and cook 30-60 seconds until spices are fragrant and splutter. Pour this over the gourd and stir well. Add 1-2 cups of water to get the desired consistency and simmer, till the gourd is tender. Add salt to taste. Serve with plain, boiled, white or brown rice, neer dosa or paan pole.