Friday, February 2, 2024

Beans- Batate Sukke/ French Beans- Potato Masala Curry.


“Beans- Batate Sukke/ French Beans- Potato Masala Curry” … a simple yet delicious semi dry curry from GSB Konkani Saraswat Cuisine served as side dish during meals with dal/ saar- chawal … Yummilicious …

** Sukke is a traditional semi dry masala side dish prepared in almost every GSB Konkani Saraswats home and is loved by almost all. It goes well served with both Dalitoy/ Saaru- Rice or with chapati/ roti too. I have posted this dish with different combo of veggies many times and each one is loved equally, and I must mention here that the veggie used here imparts a lovely taste to the dish making each one of them taste differently though the masala used is the same. I will not write more about sukke as I have already mentioned about it many times in my Blog before, so will move on to the recipe and share the same below.

** However, I would like to mention here that for this particular recipe I have used only French Beans along with potato, just two veggies, that’s all. French Beans is a very versatile veggie and when added to any dish it tastes wonderful. Simple upkari/ bhaji/ stir fry tastes the best of all and in my home we love it served during meals. The other common dishes it is added to in Konkani homes is sukke, valval and pulav. Addition of potato always helps in blending the dish well especially in sukke which is a semi dry consistency gravy dish. In all when prepared together it makes it that much more appealing in taste.

** Do try out this veggie combination; to the best of my knowledge both beans and potatoes are available almost in every vicinity round the world. I am also sharing a common link at the bottom of this recipe for all sukke recipe shared in my Blog which you can browse through and prepare at home. If you are unaware or have not relished GSB Konkani Saraswat Cuisine then its time you try out our traditional simple to prepare dishes and enjoy them in your home with your family and friends, they are one of the healthiest food you can relish and will definitely not upset your stomach or make you uneasy in any way.

** Here is my simple method of preparing “Beans- Batate Sukke/ French Beans- Potato Masala Curry”... My Style ....

** Ingredients :
French Beans : 300 gms.
Batata/ Potato/ Aloo : 2 medium sized.
Jaggery/ Goda/ Gud : 25-30 gms grated (Optional, I have not added)
Salt/ Namak/ Meeta : to taste

** To be Ground into a Semi Coarse Masala :
Coconut/ Soyi/ Nariyal : 1 heaped cup freshly grated.
Red Kashmiri Chillies/ Byadgi Mirchi / Kumte Mirsanga: 8-10
Tamarind/ Imly/ Chinchama : one small marble sized say about 1 tsp
Urad dal/ Black Gram Dal : 2 tsp
Coriander Seeds/ Kothimbir/ Dhania : 1 tblsp
Methi/ Fenugreek Seeds : ½ tsp (Optional, I have added)
Oil/ Tel/ Tela : 1-2 tsp

** For Tempering/ Seasoning/ Tadka/ Pannaka :
Coconut Oil/ Nariyal Tel/ Narlel Tela : 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds/ Sasam/ Rai : 1 tsp
Curry leaves/ Kadipatta/ Karbevu : 10-12 fresh ones.


** Preparing of French Beans for adding to dishes : Use string method to remove the side string like thread on sides of the beans. Cut off both edge sides of the beans and then cut them into 1.5 inch length pieces. Put in a colander and rinse well under running water and then keep it aside to allow the water to be drained off completely.

** Peel off the outer skin of the potato with peeler and then cut them into 1- 1.5 inch sized cubes. Add them into a bowl with plenty of water and keep it aside for a few minutes for the starch to be released, rinse well and its ready.

** Add both the cut potato and beans pieces into a pressure cooker pan along with water say about to the level of the veggies in the cooker. Pressure cook on medium heat to one whistle only. Remove and let rest for 2-3 minutes, then with the help of tongs release the pressure from cooker by gently lifting the weight. Open the lid and add the cooked ingredients into a thick bottomed kadai/ pan and keep it aside ready.

** Note : I use the pressure cooker method mentioned as above for perfect cooking of veggies. However, the weight of the pressure cooker had to be lifted gently to release excess pressure from cooker so that veggie do not get over cooked. You have to be careful with this method and if not comfortable you can always cook the veggies in pan in which case first add beans let cook to 50% then add the potatoes and further cook until done. Beans needs a little more time than potato, so do use your judgment while cooking.

** To be Ground into a Semi Coarse Masala : Heat oil in a small kadai, add in the urad dal, let fry a bit, when the colour changes slightly reddish add methi seeds, wait for a second and then add coriander seeds and continue to fry. Lastly add Red chillies and fry for a minute and remove from fire. Add the fried ingredients in a mixer grinder along with freshly grated coconut, tamarind and grind to a semi coarse paste. The paste should not be very fine/nor too coarse. You can use the cooked water of the veggies in pan if any in excess too, which is what almost every women in my community does.

** Cooking of Sukke/ Semi Dry Curry : Remove and add ground masala to cooked beans and potato in the kadai along with salt to taste and mix well. Check the consistency of the curry and add in more water only if necessary as this is a semi dry thickness curry. Heat the curry well on medium flame, stirring often until bubbles appear on the surface of the curry. Now, add grated jaggery and mix well (Optional, I have not added). Cook well until jaggery has melted and the masala has been thoroughly heated.

** For Tempering/Seasoning/ Tadka/ Pannaka : When the curry is getting cooked, heat coconut oil in a small pan, when hot add mustard seeds, when they splutter add curry leaves and fry a few seconds. Pour it over the cooking curry mix well. Cover and continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes and then remove from fire and keep it aside covered for a good 20-30 minutes for the flavors to seep in.

** Note : Coconut oil is often used in southern parts of the country especially in Konkani homes. It is not only healthy but aromatic too and over the years it has unnecessarily been branded as the culprit for rising of cholesterol levels. However, if still for any reason you do not wish to use it, you can use any edible oil you prefer.

** “Beans- Batate Sukke/ French Beans- Potato Masala Curry” is done and ready to be served. Tastes best served as side dish during meals along with Dalitoy (Dal) or Tomato Saar with Rice and other dishes as accompaniments. In case you do not prefer rice, you can serve it with roti/ chapati/ parathas too in which case, do keep the consistency of the curry slightly thicker for better taste. A very delicious dish that would be loved by one and all be it young or old, do give it a try and a feedback to me.

** Note : Addition of jaggery is a matter of choice, though a small amount is added on by many in the GSB Konkani Saraswat community. I have not added jaggery as we do not like the sweetish tinge and prefer spicier version. My Amma never added and after marriage my hubby too does not like it, so I prefer to cook it without the same, you can leave it out if in your home sweetness in curries is not preferred.

** Note : Do temper the curry, half way through the dish getting cooked after adding in the masala, it makes this particular curry more flavorful than if tempered initially or later on. Many temper first and then add veggies and cook them, while some add on once the curry is completed. However, I have found that once the masala is added and it is heat well, halfway through if you season it turns out more delicious.

** Note : On resting the curry dries up well, if too dry, you can sprinkle some hot water and mix it up well before serving. The texture usually is as that you see in the picture posted, but at times in many homes they prefer to have a little bit of thick gravy for sukke in which case you can keep the texture slightly thicker too, it is individual choice.

** Do try out this delicious dish and relish the same with your family and friends. Sharing below a common link to "Sukke" items posted in the blog, you can check out for the same and prepare this dish in various other veggie combinations too.

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