"Avanasa~Santra~Draksha Sasam/Pineapple~Orange-Grapes Curry" .. a delicious amchi side dish very famous in Konkani Saraswat Cuisine served at many functions ... prepared usually with fruits like ripe mango, pineapple, grapes etc. to which ground masala is added ... served in fruit parfait style to lure children into eating amchi traditional dishes by presenting the way they like it ... now no more excuses I hope ... Mummy bhi khush, bacha party bhi khush ... Enjoy ....
** Sasam is a dish I have posted many times before in different varieties which is prepared both sweet and spicy with different combos. It’s prepared with the addition of curds too which is of medium spice. However, this particular one is prepared generally with fruits, by adding in ground masala and seasoning (Optional). The masala is not cooked and it has to be served maximum within an hour of preparation, as it turns sour and inedible later on. By and large avanasa ambe sasam is the most famous in Amchi (Konkani Saraswats) ie the one prepared with ripe mangoes and pineapple is a famous seasonal delicacy. This is dish served at many functions and also during festive occasions. Today however, I have made some twists and prepared the same with pineapple, orange and black grapes. A delicious side dish that is loved by one and all.
** Coming to the serving part, I would like to mention here of my friend who has a very fussy child and poor lady has to run round the kid to make her eat healthy food. Whenever we chat over phone she always has loads of complaint about how she has to give in to the kids tantrums and allow her to eat the unhealthy fast foods that appeals the child a lot. Though her child loves fruits it has to be given in an appeasing manner. The family being Konkani Saraswats love to have our own routine dishes, but my friend has to make something else for the sake of the child sometimes at wee hours. She had made pineapple sasam a week back while all relished it well in the home, the child was skeptic about eating the same, saying it looked messy. She asked me was there a way out and I said maybe and that I had to think. Well this set me thinking there must be many more mothers with same issues and something had to be thought about it.
** Gone are those days when we disciplined children by either scolding them or giving a rap on their knuckles, today's generation is something entirely different. You need to pacify them to make them understand what is good and bad in a firm but gentle manner. Food is the major issue for parents of such fussy kids that it is sometimes a nightmare to them thinking what and how to deal about it. Visuals are the most appealing ways that a child can be lured into eating that which is healthy. If you present the same common dish in different ways the child happily eats without an iota of thought on what exactly he/she is eating. So you have to include veggies and fruits into those dishes that the child gladly eats without making it too obvious. Children in their own vocabulary would call this cheating, but to a mother it is blessing, so a little bit of deception is fine if it is for the benefit of children or sometimes even teenagers.
** Today as I prepared sasam, I remembered my distressed friend and that set me thinking as to how it could be presented to a child who would maybe eat it without murmur. I spent a good hour thinking many option finally fruit parfait was something that came to my mind. Though I hardly prepare it, I thought why not give it a try. After all the dish was same, it was only the assembling part and if at all the child still refused, no harm all one had to do was just mix it all in a bowl and it was done, nothing elaborate. So once the fruits were prepared and done, I ground the masala too and kept all things in one place, took some wide glasses and assembled the fruits and masala in a parfait ie layer manner. I clicked a snap and sent it to my friend and asked her to show it to her son and just check for his reaction, if yes then it was a blessing, if not well, had to think of more methods. I am sure you would like to know the kid’s reaction, well an embarrassing statement … Aunty knows how to serve is what she said.
** Here is my simple recipe for "Avanasa~Santra~Draksha Sasam/Pineapple~ Orange-Grapes Curry" … My Style ….
** Peel off the skin and separate the orange segments, remove the outer skin and the seeds within and cut them into two pieces. See to it that the oranges are sweet in taste and not bitter or too sour. I have used 2 large sized oranges.
** Wash and wipe dry about 25 large sized black grapes. Cut them into 2 or 3 pieces horizontally and keep them also ready aside separately.
** Boil or Micro wave 1 heaped cup of edible pineapple pieces cut into 1 inch pieces with half a cup of finely grated jaggery (goda) till slightly cooked and the jaggery has melted. They should be firm and not mushy, also do not add much of water while cooking, say just about ¼ cup or so. Let it cool completely.
** Masala to be ground : Grind 1 cup of freshly grated coconut with 3 green chilly and 1-2 red chilly to a very fine paste. When the paste has been ground fine add ½ tsp of mustard seeds (rai / sasam) and grind for another minute of two. They should just be crushed well.
** In a wide bowl add in cooled pineapple pieces along with orange and grapes cut and kept ready. Add in the ground masala to this along with salt to taste and mix well. Check consistency and add water if necessary only. Serve immediately or keep it in the fridge to cool and then serve.
** "Avanasa~Santra~Draksha Sasam/Pineapple~Orange-Grapes Curry" is done and ready to be served. Serve this as a side dish along with other dishes during lunchtime. This is in my community is usually served during celebrations or festive days. Enjoy this dish with your family and friends during parties or potlucks.
** To Serve in Parfait Style : To lure children into eating traditional dishes sometimes we have to go out of our way and serve it to them in a manner that pleases or appeals to them. In a glass add in 2 tblsp of the ground masala, then add in a layer of chopped black grapes, top it with cooked pineapple pieces add in a thin layer of masala with just about a tablespoon of the same and then top it with oranges.
** Today’s generation kids are very imaginative and well knowledged and exposed to lot of information. As a parent one has to see to it that the children eat good healthy food without falling into the trap of fast foods. I have just tried to make something appealing to them in my own way with our own home food. I hope it solves many a mothers problem with fussy children. Try it, there is no loss, if not this maybe we will come up with more ideas.
** Note: If you want to serve the dish after a few hours, it should be kept in the fridge immediately to avoid it turning sour. This dish is not heated except for the fact that the pineapples are slightly cooked. The masala is not heated and will get spoilt if kept at room temperature.
** Note: Seasoning of the dish if Optional and a matter of choice, I have not tempered it as I prefer it as it is, though sometime I do add it on, however you can if you wish to. Just heat a tsp of oil in a small kadai, add half a spoon of sasam (rai), when they splutter add in a few curry leaves and pour this over Sasam / Curry.
** This Sasam is Usually prepared with Pineapple, Ripe Mango and Grapes very famously known in Saraswat community as Avnas Ambe Sasam. However when the same is not in season or if you want to relish this dish other times, you can do so by adding on seasonal veggies that are similar in composition.
** Sharing below two links to sasam recipe prepared using other fruits. Do check out on them for more information. Also one of them is tempered, which will give you a fair idea about it.
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