Steamed Basmati Rice, Gajbaje and Sol Kadhi

Ingredients

• 500 g Mixed Vegetables (Use a mix of firm and soft vegetables like yam, raw banana, ash gourd, and drumsticks, cut into 1.5-inch cubes.)
• 1 cup Cooked Chickpeas (Canned (drained and rinsed) or boiled from dry.)
• 1 cup Fresh Grated Coconut (Fresh is preferred, but frozen (thawed) also works.)
• 5 pcs Dried Red Chillies (Byadgi or Kashmiri chillies are recommended for color and mild heat.)
• 1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
• 1 tsp Urad Dal (Split and skinned black gram.)
• 0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Tamarind Paste (Or a lemon-sized ball of tamarind soaked in warm water and pulp extracted.)
• 1 tsp Jaggery (Grated or powdered. Adjust to taste.)
• 1.5 tsp Salt (Adjust to taste.)
• 3 tbsp Coconut Oil (Divided use: 1 tsp for roasting spices and 2 tbsp for tempering.)
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 10 pcs Curry Leaves
• 0.25 tsp Asafoetida (Also known as hing. Use gluten-free if needed.)
• 3 cup Water (Approximately 2.5 cups for cooking vegetables and 0.5 cup for grinding the masala.)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the Vegetables

   • In a large pot, combine the harder vegetables (like yam, raw banana) with 2.5 cups of water and 1 tsp of salt.
   • Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until they are about 50% cooked.
   • Add the softer vegetables (like ash gourd, drumsticks) and continue to cook for another 7-8 minutes until all vegetables are tender but still hold their shape.
   • Gently stir in the cooked chickpeas and reduce the heat to low.
2. 2

   Prepare the Masala Paste

   • Heat 1 tsp of coconut oil in a small pan over low-medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, urad dal, and dried red chillies.
   • Roast for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously, until the dal turns light golden and the spices are fragrant. Be careful not to burn them.
   • Remove from heat and let the roasted spices cool completely.
   • Transfer the cooled spices to a grinder jar. Add the grated coconut, turmeric powder, and tamarind paste.
   • Add 1/2 cup of water and grind to a very smooth, fine paste.
3. 3

Ingredients

• 10 pieces Kokum (Also known as amsul)
• 1 cup Warm Water (For soaking kokum)
• 1.5 cup Fresh Grated Coconut
• 2 cup Water (For extracting coconut milk)
• 2 pieces Green Chili (Adjust to taste)
• 1 inch Ginger (Roughly chopped)
• 2 cloves Garlic Cloves (Roughly chopped)
• 0.75 tsp Salt (Or to taste)
• 1 tsp Coconut Oil (For tempering)
• 0.5 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 0.5 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 0.25 tsp Hing (Asafoetida)
• 6 leaves Curry Leaves
• 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves (Finely chopped, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare Kokum Extract

   • In a medium bowl, soak the kokum pieces in 1 cup of warm water for about 15-20 minutes. This will soften them and help release their flavor.
   • After soaking, use your hands to squeeze the kokum pieces thoroughly in the water to extract all the tangy juice.
   • Strain this liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Discard the squeezed kokum pulp.
2. 2

   Extract Fresh Coconut Milk

   • While the kokum is soaking, add the fresh grated coconut, green chilies, ginger, and garlic to a blender.
   • Pour in 1 cup of water and blend on high for 1-2 minutes until you have a smooth, thick paste.
   • Line a sieve with a muslin cloth and place it over a bowl. Pour the coconut mixture into the cloth and squeeze tightly to extract the thick, first-press coconut milk. Collect this in the bowl.
   • Transfer the leftover coconut pulp back to the blender, add the remaining 1 cup of water, and blend again for 30-40 seconds. Strain this through the same muslin cloth to get the thin, second-press coconut milk.
   • Combine both the thick and thin coconut milk extracts.
3. 3