“Valval Haldi paana ghalnu / Veggies cooked in coconut milk along with some Fresh Turmeric Leaves” … I gave a simple twist and added on fresh turmeric leaves to our very own amchi valval … And I must say this is the best Valval I have ever had in my life … the aroma and the taste of the turmeric leaves infusion gave the dish such a lift that I ate one full bowl of it like a soup before lunch time … Yummilicious ….
** Valval is a traditional GSB / Saraswat Konkani dish that is prepared cooking vegetables in coconut milk. The coconut milk is obtained from grinding freshly grated coconut and then sieving it through a fine muslin cloth. This dish is semi sweet and is usually prepared during special occasions be it a marriage or festive days. Certain vegetables like red pumpkin, ridge gourd, long yard beans, cashew nuts (tender or otherwise), potatoes, sweet potatoes, gherkins are the most commonly used veggies for preparation of Valval. This dish is similar to stew and can be enjoyed both as it is or with rice. The dish however is not very spicy with only green chillies added in to spicy up the dish. The dish is thickened by thickening agent such as rice flour, maida or cornflour. We Konkani Saraswat’s simply love this dish and I personally have tried and posted two posts on it. Beetroot is something unheard of in preparation of Valval. But I added on the same and got a lovely eye pleasing color for the valval not to mention the awesome taste. So, do give this dish a try, you will like it.
** My hubby always urges me to make innovation recipe and is always ready to give his exact opinion on the same. This time round when there were some excess fresh turmeric leaves at home, he insisted I do some twist with our most loved Amchies ie Konkani Saraswat Cuisine using them. Now he threw it like a challenge on me and I was wondering like … now what am I supposed to do ? Last few days had been hectic with brake failure in car and then having to shift the load to some other transport and then back to office. I was tired like hell, so decided to take the day off, as I had some other commitments to attend too. But the question was ringing at the back of my mind, what can be done ? what would taste great with turmeric leaves infusion. Night is the time when I lie on bed awake my mind runs here and there. The situation was like that of Cinderella, you know, the clock struck twelve and how it changed things for the lady. The same happened to me at 12 O’Clock midnight, it struck me “VALVAL” and then there was no backing out coz. I could even imagine the taste it would give before I even cooked it.
** I was waiting for sunrise so that I could go about this dish, I dug through my fridge to find out what veggies I had, luckily I had Seemebadanekai (Chow Chow), Sweet Potato (kananga), Ridge Gourd (Gosale), Red Pumpkin (Duddhe), and off course fresh turmeric leaves, well that was enough for my dish as too much of veggies too would spoil the taste. After that it was breeze work. The recipe remains the same without any changes except the veggies and addition of fresh turmeric leaves. And trust me the aroma and the taste was simply breathtaking and we loved the dish in my home very much. Do try out this dish if you love valval and turmeric leaves, I am sure you and your family will love it. The original recipe like the once I have posted before required addition of two coconut milk, one thick in texture and the other thinner, but here I have used just the thick coconut milk available readily in stores and it is simply awesome. So this is a sort of short cut recipe that is done in a jiffy. You can check my other two posts and follow the regular traditional method too. Both will give you the same results, so choose that with which you are comfortable.
** Here is my method of preparing “Valval Haldi paana ghalnu / Veggies cooked in coconut milk along with some Fresh Turmeric Leaves” … My style …
** Ingredients :
Seemebadanekai / Chow Chow : one large size say about 300 gms.
Sweet Potato / kananga : One medium sized say about 250 gms.
Ridge Gourd / Gosale : One large sized say about 400 gms.
Red Pumpkin / Duddhe : About 300 gms.
Turmeric Leaves / Haldi paan : 2 medium sized fresh leaves.
Thick Coconut Milk : 200 ml (I used ready made from stores)
Green Chillies / Hirvi Mirchi / Tarni Mirsanga : 6-8
Cornflour : 1 tblsp (Optional)
Salt to taste
** For Tempering :
Oil : 1 tblsp
Mustard Seeds / Rai / Sasam : 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds / Jeera : ½ tsp
Curry Leaves / Kadipatta / Karbevu : 8-10 fresh leaves.
** Scrape / Slice off the ridges of the ridge gourd and cut them into 1.5 inch squares. Wash and keep this ready aside.
** Note : Do not throw away the cut ridges, you can prepare awesome chutney out of it, which we in Konkani call “Gosale shire Chutney”. I have included the chutney and the saar prepared using the shiri / ridges already before in the blog. Please use the search / label option for the recipe and you will find the same.
** Peel off the skin of sweet potato with a peeler and cut them also into 1.5 inch squares. Keep them ready aside soaked in water, so that they do not discolor, as if kept in open they turn brownish black in color.
** Slice off the thick outer skin of the red pumpkin. Also slice off or remove the inner seeds and those fibers attached to the seeds and cut them also into cubes similar to above ie. 1.5 inch sized.
** Note : Do not throw away the pumpkin skin, inner seeds and the fiber attached to it. You can prepare chutney of this too and I have included the same before in the blog. Please do use the search option for the recipes.
** Peel of the outer skin of seemebadanekai (chow chow), also slice off the innermost inedible portion with the seed and discard it. Cut the inner edible portion into 1 inch sized pieces and keep it ready aside
** Important Note : Before you start the cooking of Valval, see to it that the veggies are all cut and kept ready. Also keep the coconut milk, cornflour and all other ingredients ready.
** Bring one liter of water to boiling point, once it comes to a full boil, lower the heat to medium and add in the seemedbadanekayi pieces and cook for 5 minutes. Once they are cooked about 20% add in the sweet potato piece and continue cooking after mixing properly. Again once the sweet potatoes are half done add in the red pumpkin and the ridge gourd and cook till all the vegiies are 60 % done. Add in salt to taste and mix well.
** Now add in the coconut milk, the green chillies slit into two pieces lengthwise and mix well. Bring to a boil on high heat and then lower the heat add in the turmeric leaves cut into 3 inches length of pieces and by slightly crushing them by giving it a twist so that the aroma gets released properly into the curry. Now simmer till the veggies are done. Check the consistency of the curry. If too thick there is absolutely no need of adding the cornflour.
** In case you find the curry thinner in texture mix cornflour with half cup of room temperature water to a smooth mixture without any lumps. Add this to the simmering vegetables and mix well. Keep the heat low. The Valval will start thickening up. Keep mixing till it has thickned well. If too thick you can add in some water again and bring to required consistency.
** Note : Preparing of Coconut Milk at home and using the same technique : I have used thick coconut milk readily available in the market, so I have cooked it in the above method. You can also prepare coconut milk at home and use the same. In which case, Just soak 3 cups of freshly grated coconut in half a liter of hot water for 15-20 minutes covered. Then grind the same in a mixer grinder till very smooth. Strain using a white muslin cloth. The thick milk obtained is the first coconut milk. Put the residue back into the mixer with 2 cups of water and further grind the coconut, strain again just as done before. The milk obtained is the 2nd coconut milk. Cook the veggies in 2nd coconut milk and then once done add in the 1st thick coconut milk. This is the traditional practice of using coconut milk in any dish.
** Note : Using of Thickening Agent for the Curry : Traditionally rice flour or maida (APF) is added as thickening agent, but somehow maida is considered not good for health and is avoided in recent years, while the rice is somehow not liked in my home. Rice taste in valval is not much acceptable to me too and cornflour is the best considering it is just a thickening agent without any flavor of its own and blends well with the curries taste as it is.
** For Tempering : Heat oil in a small kadai, add in jeera and let cook for a while then add in the mustard seeds, when they begin to splutter finally add curry leaves. Fry for a few seconds and pour over the valval kept aside. Cover with a tight lid and keep aside for 15-20 minutes for the flavours to seep in and then its ready to be served.
** “Valval Haldi paana ghalnu / Veggies cooked in coconut milk along with some Fresh Turmeric Leaves” is done and ready to be served. Always serve it piping hot with rice and other dishes or you can really savor this dish as it is too. Many a times a cook this and we relish it like soup with veggies for dinner. It fills the tummy and induces good sleep too. Try this out, this time with the addition of fresh turmeric leaves, you will love it. And yes, do give me a feedback about the dish, it makes me want to do that much a more.
** I am also sharing a common link of Valval below … there are two dishes links posted before, one is the traditional method followed by Konkani Saraswats and the other is the same but with a slight variation in Vegies, I have added beetroot and that one too tastes great …
** An Earnest Request : There are many more recipes of different types in the blog. For all my Recipes, use the search option or the label section in the Blog. If you are still not able to find it or have a query, please leave a message in comment section or mail me the same. I will try my best to get back to you as soon as possible. Do try out various types of dishes included in the Blog and Enjoy them with your family and friends and do give me a feedback if possible. I have also started a food group for by the name "KONKANI DELICACIES" where in you will find many more recipes by members and you too can share some of your own. The link to the group is posted on the left side of the blog page. Do join us in our culinary journey. I strongly believe in Sharing and always endorse that "Sharing Is Caring" … Thank You ….
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