“Tarni TambadeBee Kooka Karmbala Hinga Randai/ Hummana (Fresh Rajma Chinese Potato Starr Fruit Curry)” … a delicious medium spiced curry from Konkani Saraswat Cuisine served with rice and other dishes for lunch ... a great dish that can be prepared on fasting/ auspicious/ festive days when addition of onion or garlic is avoided … tastes excellent served with ukde sheetHa (red boiled rice)/ or any steamed rice ...... Yummilicious ....
** A common curry from Saraswat Community prepared largely on auspicious days or otherwise one wants to avoid onion and garlic be it in curry or as seasoning. You can use either fresh or dried rajma beans for this curry, while the fresh ones can be cooked right away, the dried ones need to be soaked overnight. The variety used in southern parts of India is usually not the dark red ones, but the lighter shaded ones. These not only cook well, but take lesser time in doing so and are easier for digestion too. The dark shaded ones are somehow difficult to even pressure cook, so I hardly use them.
** These are available fresh pods during winter season just like green peas/ pigeon peas and they just need to be shelled and used. During the same period we also get kooka ie Chinese potato another tuber variety loved by saraswats, so dishes are prepared using them both in combination, luckily we do get them in Mumbai too. In case it is not available in your vicinity, you can prepare adding any one of these like kadgi (raw jackfruit), suran (yam), keerlu (bamboo shoots) or batato (potato) too. The curry tastes flavorful and delicious with addition of any veggies along with the rajma.
** Addition of Bimbul (tree sorrel), karmbala (star fruit) or ambado (hogplum) is a matter of choice as and when available as many a times or in many places these are not available. If none of them are available you can always add tamarind to the masala while grinding, so no issues there. Though I like adding on bimbul, I have no access to them, nevertheless I am overwhelmed to have come across a veggie vendor on outskirts who sells karmbala/ karmbola/ starfruit most of the time. I love these much more than bimbul as they are tastier, so I add them on to curries these days whenever I get them.
** Again as mentioned on title this is medium spiced curry that tastes actually best when served with ukde sheetHa (red boiled rice). In my home I prepare this curry at least 6 to 8 times round the year as we love it. the seasoning to this curry is usually done with hing (asafoetida) thought garlic seasoning also can be done and it tastes great. As during fasting/ auspicious/ festive days we avoid onion and garlic, this curry or any with hing comes in handy. I have shared this years back where I had added bimbul, this time I have added karmabala, so sharing the recipe again though the recipe remains same.
** Here is my simple recipe for “Tarni TambadeBee Kooka Karmbala Hinga Randai/ Hummana (Fresh Rajma Chinese Potato Starr Fruit Curry)” from Konkani Saraswat Cuisine …
** Peel fresh pods of TambadeBee’/ Rajma to get about 2 cups of beans (these are available during season only). Wash, drain and add into pressure cooker pan with sufficient water, say about an inch above the level of layered beans and cook on medium heat to 1 whistle.
** Allow the pressure to fall on its own and then remove and check if done, if not, cook for another whistle and pour then pour it into a vessel. Strain the water and put it back into the pressure cooker pan to cook the kooka in same water.
** Note : I cook rajma and kooka separately as though both get cooked in one whistle, sometimes rajma beans need 2 whistles to get perfectly done, which then overcooks the kooka, so, it is best to cook them separately but using same water.
** Note : Both pictures in collage below are of fresh tambadebee'/ rajma bought at different time, the color varies at times, so also does on clicks, however they are reddish white tinged, sometimes though light purple, when cooked turn light red in color.
** Clean 8-10 large sized Kooka/ Chinese Potato by peeling off its muddy skin and washing it in plenty of water. Cut them into two pieces and three if large. Add it into pressure cooker and cook to one whistle only, remove and add it to the cooked rajma.
** Note : You can cook the kooka in vessel too if needed, if you feel it may get overcooked if done in pressure cooker, however, do use the same water from cooked rajma to avoid using excess water while cooking to maintain curry thickness.
** For the masala to be Ground : Add 1 cup of freshly grated coconut (soyi/ nariyal) with 6-8 Kashmiri red chillies (kumte mirsanga/ byadgi mirchi) to a very fine and smooth paste. Use the same cooked veggie water if there is excess.
** Note : If not adding in Bimbul (tree sorrel), karmbala (star fruit) or ambado (hogplum) to curry, then add a small marble sized piece of tamarind (chinchama/ imly) while grinding the masala to bring in tartness to the curry.
** Wash and scrap a little bit of the edges of 2 large sized star fruits/ kambala/ carmbola. Now cut them into rings of say about ¼ inch thickness. Add it to the cooked rajma, kooka, ground masala into a vessel along with salt (namak/ meeta) to taste.
** Mix all the ingredients in the vessel well adding in water as is necessary to bring the curry to a semi thick gravy consistency. Bring all to a boiling point on medium heat stirring often to avoid it getting burnt at the bottom for a few minutes.
** Once it boils well, lower the heat and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes, so that the karmbala added later gets cooked, but does not turn too soft. Check consistency and add in more water if necessary depending upon desired texture.
** Lastly add in a tblsp of hinga uddaka (prepared hing water), 1 tblsp of raw coconut oil (narlel tela/ nariyal tel) to the curry. Remove the curry from fire and keep it aside covered for the flavors to seep in for about 20-30 minutes before serving.
** Note : If you do not have hinga uddaka (prepared hing water) which is prepared using gummy hing, then heat 1 tblsp of coconut oil (narlele tela/ nariyal tel) (or any oil) in a pan, when hot add 1 tsp of hing (asafoetida) powder and pour over the curry.
** “Tarni TambadeBee Kooka Karmbala Hinga Randai/ Hummana (Fresh Rajma Chinese Potato Starr Fruit Curry)” is done and ready to be served. Tastes best served with ukde sheetHa (red boiled rice) or any other white rice along with other dishes.
** A tasty dish with strong aroma of hing which rules the curry takes the taste to another level. In some parts this dish is also called bendi, however that dish is usually spicier than this one, but then what’s in a name, it’s the taste that matters.
** If you want to serve this dish with roti/ chapati, then be careful with addition of water while cooking and keep the gravy thicker textured and it serves the purpose well. You can serve it during auspicious event when you need to avoid garlic and onions.
** I am sharing the link to my previous post of “Tarni TambadeBee Kooka Bimbula Hinga Randai/ Hummana (Fresh Rajma Chinese Potato Tree Sorrel Curry)” for reference, it’s a very old post, devoid of notes, though recipe is the same, but with bimbul ….
** For Preparing of Hing / Asafoetida Water From Gummy Hing : Hing water is prepared by putting a small marble sized gummy hing (available in South Indian Stores) into a glass bottle and adding about a small cup of boiled and cooled water to it. Within a few hours the hing will slowly melt and you will get a thick whitish liquid. This is hing water. You can keep this in the fridge and use sparingly as and when needed. We GSB / Saraswat Konkani people usually prepare the same and keep it in the fridge always and use the same for dal, patrado or any other hummana etc. If you do not have the gummy hing, no issues, you can add hing / asafoetida powder in which case always add it into the hot oil while tempering to get a good aroma.
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