Madgane

Madgane (Pronounced as ‘Mad - ga - ne’) is a traditional dessert from Konkan region of Indian prepared during festivals like Ugadi / Gudi Padva. The main ingredient used in the preparation of this recipe is Split Chickpeas / Chana Dal. Hence the name Chana Dal Kheer or Payasam. Other ingredients used are Jaggery for sweetness and Coconut Milk for extra richness. Many people use Semolina or Rice flour for adjusting the thickness of the kheer. However I have tried using whole rice instead. This is how my recipe turned out to be little different from other recipe writers.

Check out the complete list of ingredients.

INGREDIENTS :

(1) 125 gms of  Chana dal / Split Chickpeas 

(2) 85 gms of Rice (I used fragrant Basmati rice, can use regular rice)

(3) 100 gms of Grated Jaggery (Depending on sweetness required)

(4) Coconut Milk powder (Of Maggi brand)

(5) 1/4 teaspoon of Cardamom powder 

(6) Cashews

(7) Raisins

(8) Ghee / Clarified butter

Gathered together all the ingredients for Madgane

Cuisine : Konkani, South Indian

Serves : 4 persons

Time : 40 minutes

METHOD :

(1) Wash the chana dal, drain water and keep aside.

Washed Chana dal

(2) Take 1 tablespoon of ghee / clarified butter in a pressure cooker. 

Add 1 tablespoon of ghee into the pressure cooker

Add the washed chana dal and rice to the warm ghee and roast for 5 minutes or till it gives a good aroma. You can first add chana dal roast it for two minutes and then add rice and roast together for another 3 minutes, which is what I did.

Add washed Chana dal to the warm melted ghee

Roast the Chana dal in the ghee

Add washed Rice to the ghee and chana dal

Roast the Rice and Chana dal together in ghee

Roasted Chana dal and Rice for 5 minutes

(3) After roasting, add 2 glasses of water to it and cook it in a pressure cooker for 4 whistles or until dal is cooked but not mushy (Dal should not lose its shape). Allow the pressure cooker to release its pressure on  its own.

Add 2 glasses of water to the roasted Chana dal and Rice

Pressure cook Chana dal and Rice for 4 whistles

(4) After opening the lid of the pressure cooker as most of the water had dried up while cooking and the resulting mixture of cooked chana dal and rice was dry, I added 2 more glasses of water.

Added 2 glasses of water

(5) Now again turn on the gas and add grated Jaggery. Keep stirring constantly.

(6) Once the Jaggery melts, prepare Coconut Milk using the readymade Coconut milk powder. Add the Coconut Milk powder to half a glass of water and mix well.

(7) Add this Coconut Milk to the kheer and mix well.

(8) Then add 1/4 teaspoon of Cardamom powder and mix well again.

(9) Bring the entire mixture to a boil until a desired consistency is reached.

(10) Take 1 teaspoon of ghee in a tempering ladle. Add slit cashews to the warm ghee and slightly fry for few seconds. Make sure it should be golden brown and not too dark. Then add some raisins and quickly turn off the gas stove. 

Take ghee in a tempering ladle

Add Cashews to ghee

Roast the Cashews in ghee for few seconds till they turn golden brown in colour

Add Raisins too

Mix well

Turn off gas flame

(11) Add the fried dry fruits to the Chana dal kheer.

Mix well.

(12) Our sweet dish, Madgane is ready.

(13)  Serve hot, it is the best way to enjoy this dessert.

NOTE: This payasam tends to thicken up as time passes by. You can add little water to adjust the consistency and adjust the sweetness if required.

Vaali Sukke / Malabar Spinach cooked in Coconut based dry masala

Vaali refers to Malabar Spinach and Sukke means dry in Konkani. Hence, Vaali Sukke means Coconut based side dish prepared using Malabar Spinach. Vaali Sukke along with Rice Dalithoy or Rice Curd makes a delicious combo.

Malabar Spinach is a popular tropical leafy green vegetable commonly grown as backyard herb in the home gardens.

Vaali climber grown in a pot in my balcony.

Malabar Spinach / Vaali

Here is the recipe to make healthy, spicy and delicious Vaali Sukke.

INGREDIENTS :

(1) Vaali / Indian Spinach - 1 big bunch

(2) Jack fruit seeds (8-10 sufficient, although I used 30 as I love eating it)

(3) Raw Papaya (Peeled and chopped into bite sized cubes)

(4) Grated Coconut - 1 whole coconut

(5) Roasted dry red chillies, about 5

(6) Urad Dal -  2 tablespoons

(7) Tamarind - 1 inch sized piece

(8) Turmeric powder - Half teaspoon

(9) Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon

(10) Cooking oil - 4 tablespoons

(11) Mustard seeds - Half teaspoon

(12) Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Cuisine - Konkani, South Indian

Serves - 2 to 3  persons

Time - 40 minutes

METHOD :

(1) Pluck the Malabar Spinach leaves off its stem, wash them well, chop them and keep them aside. Cut the tender stems into 1 inch sized pieces and keep aside too.

Malabar Spinach leaves

Malabar Spinach stems

Chopped leaves

(2) Grate a whole coconut and keep aside.

(3) Peel and chop a raw Papaya into bite sized cubes.

Raw Papaya

Peeled and chopped raw Papaya

(4) Peel the skin of the Jackfruit seeds, boil / cook them with little amount of salt in a pressure cooker and keep aside.

Jackfruit seeds peeled and boiled

(5) Heat a tablespoon of oil in a tempering pan, add 2 teaspoons of Urad dal and dried red chillies and fry them for two minutes. Fry until you get the aroma of the fried Urad dal and dried red chillies. 

Remove them off the heat and allow them to cool completely. 

Fried dry red chillies and urad dal

(6) Grind grated coconut, fried red chillies, tamarind together to form a smooth paste.  

Once a smooth paste is formed,  add fried Urad dal and coarsely grind it for one round.  Keep this ground masala aside.

(7) Take 4 tablespoons of cooking oil in a wok / kadhai. Add half teaspoon of Mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. 

Add Curry leaves too.

(8) Then Add the cut stems of Malabar Spinach. Pour a glass of water. Cover the lid and cook the stems till they are tender.

Open the lid and add the chopped Malabar Spinach, cut raw Papaya cubes and the cooked Jackfruit seeds one by one.

Add another glass of water and mix well.

Allow them to cook till the Papaya and the Malabar Spinach is half cooked.

(9) Add the coconut masala to the cooked veggies and boil well till well blended. Add salt as per taste required.

After mixing, 

(10) Add Turmeric powder, Coriander powder and mix well.

Simmer for 5 more minutes and switch off the gas stove.

Add Coriander powder

Add Turmeric powder

(11) Serve Vaali Sukke hot and with a bowl of steaming hot Rice and Dalithoy (Daal is called Dalithoy in Konkani).