Dried Grapes ( Raisins ) Gojju

The spotlight for today's post is on the Yummy & Lip-Smacking Ona Drakshi Gojju .
The word Gojju in kannada conjures up images of a Thick & Tangy Tamarind Sauce , which is balanced with Chilly powder, Spices, jaggery & salt. Chosen fruits & vegetables like Tomatoes, pineapple, fresh grapes, star fruit, ladies finger, bitter gourd, green mango find their way into this sauce individually. Usually they keep good for a few days outside the fridge & longer inside.

Pineapple Gojju holds a special place in the traditional menu of weddings & ceremonies of karnataka & is a much sought after item in a meal. They make a good accompaniment with rotis, dosa etc & especially with Curds rice.

The recipe of today is unique in a sense ' cos it uses Ona Drakshi ( Raisins ) , used less often comparatively, in Gojjus. This recipe is adapted from a kannada cookery book called pakadarshi , by Bhoopalam Surykanthamma. I love to try out recipes from this book.

However the rebel in me never sticks to the original model. I have to change something & you bet I did it this time too ! And to my luck it worked out fine. Now this is how it goes...


You will need :

Any variety of Raisins - 100 gms, soaked in warm water for sometime


To toast :

Urad dhal - 2 tsps
Bengal gram dhal - 2 tspns
mustard - a little
Red chillies - 10 nos or as per requirement
Methi ( fenugreek seeds ) - a few, in the end.

Dry Copra, grated - 2 tbspns
Curry leaves - a few

Tamarind - lemon size ball, soaked in water
Jaggery - Equal to tamarind
Salt


To temper:

Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- little
Hing - a pinch
Curry leaves- a few


Procedure

• In a dry pan, toast Urad dhal, Bengal Gram Dhal, Mustard, Red chillies & in the end put in the methi seeds. Now dry grind all this with copra & curry leaves. Add a little water & run the blender again to get a paste.
• To temper, take the oil & when warm add the mustard, Turmeric powder , Hing & curry leaves.
• Tip in the spice paste from the blender. Tamarind extract , Crushed jaggery, Salt can go in at this stage. Add water to adjust the consistency . Bring to boil. In the end add in the soaked raisins & allow to simmer for a few minutes.
• It is hard to be precise with the exact measurements. It is best to adjust flavors to suit your palate.

Sending this to Nithu's - Think beyond the usual Event.