Thursday, January 11, 2024

Kulith-Gabbo- Bimbul ghalnu Koddel (Horse Gram- Banana Stem- Tree Sorrel Fruit Curry


“Kulith-Gabbo- Bimbul ghalnu Koddel (Horse Gram- Banana Stem- Tree Sorrel Fruit Curry” … the aromatic garlic seasoned Koddel is a favourite amongst GSB Konkani Saraswat and there are plenty of combinations … Kulith in combination of various types of veggies is one of most common gram used in preparation of koddel … do try this combo of kulith- gabbo and bimbul, it tastes scrumptious served with ukde sheetHa/ red boiled rice .... Yummilicious ...

** Koddel has been posted end number of times as its one of our favorite dishes at home that tastes best served with steamed rice/ ukde sheetHa (red boiled rice). The aromatic garlic flavor imparted to the dish comes from seasoning the dish with garlic. I have posted the dish often in various combinations and this time too though the recipe remains same the difference is addition of gabbo (banana/ plantain stem).

** I will not run into details on benefits of banana stem as most of GSB Konkani Saraswats are aware of the same and do include them in various dishes some of which I have shared while I will share the rest as and when I prepare. For more you can check via the common link shared at the bottom of this recipe which includes all dishes in blog. Do try out this awesome combination and enjoy with your family and friends.

** About bimbul (tree sorrel fruit) too, most GSB Konkani Saraswats are aware especially those living in the southern parts of India. In my hometown Mangalore and in cities in and around plenty of these are available and being tart by nature they are included in curries for that tangy taste. In absence of bimbul, you can always add ambado (hogplum), karmbala (star fruit) or add a small piece of tamarind while grinding masala.

** Here is my recipe for “Kulith-Gabbo- Bimbul ghalnu Koddel (Horse Gram- Banana Stem- Tree Sorrel Fruit Curry” which I learnt from my Amma …..

** Ingredients :
Kulith/ Horse Gram/ Huruli Kalu : 2 cups
Gabbo/ Banana (Plantain) Stem : 2 cups cut pieces
Bimbul/ Bimbli/ Tree Sorrel Fruit : 4-5 large size,

** For Masala to be Ground :
Coconut/ Soyi/ Nariyal : 1 cup heaped
Red dried Kashmiri chillies/ Byadgi Mirchi/ Kumte Mirsanga : 8-10
Salt/ Namak/ Meeta : to taste

** For Tempering/ Seasoning/ Tadka/ Pannaka :
Oil/ Tel/ Tela : 2 tsp
Garlic/ Losun/ Lehsun : 12- 15 cloves


** Clean and pick Kulith/ Horse Gram properly as there are always small stones in them, so be careful and check well. Wash and soak overnight or for 8-10 hours in plenty of water. Drain off and once again wash it well, put it in pressure cooker pan with enough water say about 2 inches above the level of kulith.

** Cut cylindrical length of Gabbo/ Banana Stem horizontally into 3 inch sized pieces. Remove outermost cover that’s inedible and cut innermost part into either triangular or square pieces depending upon the diameter of stem. Soak them in water immediately as you cut them to piece to avoid discoloration of the same.

** If the outer coverings have gone darker or looks spoilt/ inedible they can be easily peeled off and discarded before cutting them. Use only the bright, firm white part for cooking. Use sharp edged knife for cutting as this will give lesser wastage of threads that leaves out through the sides as you cut the stem pieces.

** As you cut the slices, you will find there are threads coming out of cut pieces, these are fibers that should be pulled off and discarded. The final cut pieces should have no loose threads hanging out of them. In all for this soup I have used 2 cups of cut pieces to this curry only, you may add little bit less if desired.

** Add the cleaned, cut, drained banana stem to the kulith in the pressure cooker and pressure cook to 2-3 whistles on medium heat. Remove and keep aside to let pressure fall on its own. When able to open the lid do so and add the cooked ingredients into a thick bottomed stainless steel vessel and keep it aside.

** Masala to be Ground : Add freshly grated coconut into a mixer grinder along with red kashmiri chillies and grind to a very fine paste. You can use the kulith cooked water for grinding the masala which is what I usually do. Do not add excess water while grinding as it is necessary to keep the masala thick and smooth.

** Note : You can add any one of the tart veggies to the curry like ambado (hogplum) or karmbala (starfruit) to the curry to replace bimbul (tree sorrel fruit). At times, I add kokum/ kudumpuli/ raw mango also. However, if none is available then add a small marble sized piece (1 tsp) of tamarind while grinding the masala.

** Add ground masala to the cooked kulith- banana stem in the vessel and mix well. Add bimbul/ tree sorrel fruit after slicing off both edge portions and slicing them into roundels of 1/2 inch in size. Add salt to taste and check the consistency of the gravy, if too thick add in some water to bring to desired gravy texture.

** Bring the curry to a boil on medium heat, stirring in between to avoid it being burnt. Once it boils for 2-3 minutes, lower the heat and simmer until the bimbul is cooked which hardly takes time. Once the curry has been simmered well, remove from heat and keep it aside while we go ahead with preparing the tempering.

** For Tempering/ Seasoning/ Tadka Pannaka : Heat oil in a small pan, when hot, crush the garlic/ losun retaining the skin with a stone or weight and add into the oil and fry till they are evenly light browned in color. Remove and pour this over the curry, cover and keep this aside for 15- 20 minutes for flavors to seep in.

** “Kulith-Gabbo- Bimbul ghalnu Koddel (Horse Gram- Banana Stem- Tree Sorrel Fruit Curry” is done and ready to be served. Kulitha Koddel is a famous and very much loved dish prepared in various combinations and served with ukde sheetHa (red boiled rice) or steamed rice in almost all GSB Konkani Saraswat homes.

** Though this dish tastes best served with rice, in case you do not prefer to do so, you can always relish it with roti/ paratha/ chapati/ phulka/ dosa/ idly/ appo etc. in which case keep the curry slightly thicker in texture/ consistency for better taste. In all a must try combination if banana stem is available in your vicinity.

** Note : Kulith/ Horse gram Saar/ Saaru is prepared by straining cooked horse gram water from before cooking it to curry. In most homes this is followed and I have shared the method in blog which you will find in common link to kulith recipes. However, here I have not done so as I pressured cooked both ingredients together. 

** Sharing common links to "Koddel Recipes", Recipes of Kulith/ Horse Gram", "Recipes with Bimbul" and "Recipes of Gabbo/ Banana Stem” below, do browse through in leisure and try them, they all taste wonderful. Do leave in a feedback if possible and if you have any query too you may leave a comment … Thank you …

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