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…
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Cherry Umman – hot, tangy dipping curry (Vegan + Gluten Free)
Whenever we have boiled cassava (see note) for breakfast, my children ask for cherry umman as the side dish. I am only too glad to comply as it takes less than 15 minutes to make this marvelous dipping curry. So I hasten to the acerola cherry bush to look for ripe, red acerola cherries. You can have…
Uppatta Nonche – Traditional Konkani lime pickle (Vegan + Gluten Free)
I was born into a large joint family. My father was one of nine children, and my mother, the eldest of twelve siblings. My dear late father, a jeweler, was the smartest and the most handsome of the lot. He took it upon himself to conduct every marriage or thread ceremony of all my cousins….
Tomato Sauce (Vegan + Gluten Free)
Rows of bottles of tomato sauce line the shelves of every supermarket, every grocery shop. It has become such an indispensable part of our lifestyle in recent years. Whether it is french fries, pizza or fried rice, noodles, gobi manchurian or samosas, tomato sauce is a must. Yet, when one goes through the mandatory list…
Acerola Cherry and Ivy Gourd Pickle (Vegan + Gluten Free)
Konkani people make delicious, tender karonda cherry pickle called karinja nonche in Konkani. It is made using karonda cherries and tender ivy gourds. However, it is a tedious process as the karonda cherries are gummy and need to be processed for days before the pickle can be made. If you substitute the karonda cherries with…
Sweet Taushali – A sweet cucumber pancake (Vegan + Gluten Free)
Sundays are special, because almost everyone in the family is at home. There is no school for children. No compulsions to rush away to work. All can enjoy a delicious, healthy breakfast at leisure. Let this Sunday turn out to be a cucumber breakfast day. Sweet taushali is a traditional Konkani cucumber coconut rice pancake…
Savory Taushali – A savory cucumber pancake (Vegan + Gluten Free)
Three days ago, my husband and I were watering the vegetables in our garden. Suddenly, our hibiscus hedge parted and the smiling face of our tribal neighbor emerged, accompanied by her little grandson. The brought us two presents. A beautiful, freshly plucked pumpkin and a huge, ripe, thorny cucumber (a sort of Kirby cucumber) grown…
Tomata Gojju – A quick and easy tomato curd curry-salad (Gluten Free)
Sometimes, when guests arrive unexpectedly, or when suddenly, friends accompany family members home at mealtimes, and you find that all you have is just a few onions, tomatoes, chilies and some curd, tomata gojju saves the day! You can serve a simple, satisfying, tasty meal of steaming hot rice, tomata gojju, deep-fried curd chilies or…
Pumpkin Olan – A delicious, mild, soupy curry (Vegan + Gluten Free)
Pumpkin is one of my husband’s favorite vegetables. Mine too. So often, I make several pumpkin dishes, no matter whether the pumpkins are tender or mature. I had planted some cowpeas in our garden. This morning, I saw my husband bring in a nice pumpkin. I quickly went out and collected a few cowpea beans. There…
Roasted Garlic Chutney (Vegan + Gluten Free)
Looking for a delicious chutney with a storage life of up to 3 months in room temperature? Seeking a chutney you can truly drool over? Are you an office worker too busy to cook a proper meal? Seeking to enrich your lunchbox with a tasty pinch of a superb chutney? Here’s a delicious traditional Konkani…