The Konkani people usually have beautiful, smooth, glowing skin. The secret lies in the copious use of coconuts and vegetables in their diet. Did you know that rinsing one’s face with a teaspoonful of coconut water three or four times a day can rid one of pimples and acne? Massaging your body once daily with coconut water can give you smooth, healthy skin. Coconuts help the body keep its immune system in peak condition. Traditionally, the sick and the convalescents were administered tender coconut water for a quicker recovery and rejuvenation. Just imagine the benefits of cooking an array of vegetables in coconut milk and the joy of enjoying delicious valval!
Valval
This mild Konkani soup (or should I call it curry?) is the favorite dish of children and adults alike and is served invariably at every marriage feast on banana leaf plates. Enjoy!
| Prep Time | 90 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 minutes |
| Passive Time | 2 hours |
| Servings | servings |
- 350 gm ash gourd (peeled)
- 150 gm pumpkin (peeled)
- 50 gm carrot (peeled)
- 100 gm potato (peeled)
- 100 gm raw nendran banana (peeled)
- 150 gm elephant foot yam (peeled)
- 25 gm fresh cowpea seeds
- 25 gm fresh cowpea beans
- 35 gm mild green chilies
- 500 ml thick coconut milk (to make coconut milk, see note)
- 500 ml thin coconut milk (to make coconut milk, see note)
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 gm asafoetida powder
- 10 gm corn flour (or rice flour)
- 15 gm salt
Ingredients
| |
- Dice the vegetables, except the chilies and the cowpea beans, to roughly 3 cm x 3 cm x 1 cm (1-inch x 1-inch x 1/3-inch) sized chunks.
- Transfer them into your pressure cooker.
- Tip in the cowpea seeds.
- Slit the green chilies lengthwise along one side and tip them in.
- Break the cowpea beans into 6 cm (2-inch) long pieces and put them in.
- Add the salt and the thin coconut milk. Put on the lid and set the cooker on high heat.
- As soon as you hear the first whistle, lower the heat and let cook for 5 minutes.
- Now switch off the heat and let cool till the steam subsides naturally.
- Open the lid of the cooker and transfer the contents to a curry vessel or a soup pan.
- In a separate vessel, add the corn flour (or the rice flour) to the thick coconut milk and mix thoroughly. Pour it into the soup / curry.
- Pull the curry leaves off their sprigs and throw them in.
- Set the soup / curry vessel on high heat. Stir continuously.
- Soon, it will start to boil. The soup will thicken in 2 minutes.
- Now sprinkle the asafoetida powder, stir well and switch off the heat. Cover with a lid and let rest for at least 2 hours.
- Your delicious valval is now ready to enjoy! Serve warm. Bon appétit!
- If you wish to make your own fresh coconut milk, just grind 250 gm. of grated coconut using 500 ml. of water (in two batches if necessary) in the wet grind jar of your food processor for a few minutes. Use a large, stainless steel close-meshed strainer to sieve out the juice, while squeezing and pressing the pulp with your hands. Collect the thick coconut milk and set aside. Put the pomace (fibrous matter) in 500 ml. of water, mix well and strain again likewise to collect the thin coconut milk.
- If you are using canned coconut milk, you can make thin coconut milk by diluting the thick coconut milk with an equal quantity of water.
- Valval tastes even better the second day, but please take care to heat up the soup and keep covered with a lid. Warm up before serving.
The winter season is almost here and so is season of soups.. and this one looks to be a healthy one
So it is! Thank you deeps!
Cow pea is it red chowli? what is it called in Konkani. Thanks
Thank you for asking, Lara. Cowpea beans are called alsandho in Konkani. Cowpea seeds are called alsandhya bee. Dried cowpea beans are also called chevli. Fresh cowpea beans and seeds are used in cooking Valval. If you use dry seeds, you’ll have to cook them first. They may not taste as good as fresh ones, though.