Tarkari Padartha

Tarkari Padartha is a Mangalorean preparation of vegetables in Cashews and Tomatoes puree finished with Coconut milk. The vegetables used in this dish are smoked giving it different flavour altogether. It can be served with steamed rice or Appams. This being a no onion and no garlic dish, best suited for Jains also. 

Servings: 4 people (along with main course)

Approx. Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
For Tarkari Padartha:
1/2 cup chopped French Beans
1/2 cup Green Peas
1/2 cup Cauliflower Florets
1/2 cup chopped Carrots
1/2 cup boiled Potato cubes (Optional)
3 tbspn Ghee
1 tspn Mustard Seeds
1/2 tspn Asafoetida (Hing)
15-16 Curry leaves
3 Red chillies (broken into pieces)
1/2 cup Cashew Paste
3 cups Tomato Puree
Water as required
1/2 tspn Turmeric Powder
1 tspn Red Chilly Powder
3 tspns Coriander Powder
2 tspns Sugar
Salt to taste
1/2 cup Thick Coconut Milk / Coconut Cream

For Boiling Vegetables:
5-6 cups Water
2 tspns Sugar
1 tspn Salt
A pinch of Soda Bi-carb
Vegetable as above

For Smoking / Dhungar:
1 piece of Charcoal
2 Spinach leaves (I have avoided using a slice of onion)
3-4 Cloves / Clove Powder 
3-4 Black Peppercons / Pepper Powder
1 tspn Ghee

For Garnishing:
Chopped Coriander leaves

To Serve with:
Steam Rice / Coconut Rice
Roti

Pre-Preparation:

1. Soak 1/2 cup Cashews for 1-2 hours in 1/2 cup of water. Blend it into a smooth paste. 

2. Roughly chop 7-8 tomatoes and blend in a grinder to make smooth paste without adding any water. Alternatively, you may use ready made tomato puree. 

Method:
Heat water in a thick bottomed pan. Add salt and sugar to it. Add French Beans, Green peas, Cauliflower florets and chopped Carrots to the boiling water. Then add a pinch of Soda to it so that the colour of vegetables is retained. Once the vegetables are par-boiled, take out the vegetables from hot water and pour chilled water over it. Alternatively, you can place 8-10 ice-cubes on the vegetables so that the cooking process is stopped. 

Next, transfer the parboiled vegetables in a flat plate. Add boiled potato cubes to the vegetables. Make some space in the center and place Spinach leaves. Now place the burning charcoal on the leaves. Put cloves or clove powder, Pepper Cons or Pepper Powder and pour ghee over the burning charcoal and immediately close the lid. Keep the lid on for approximately ten minutes, so that the smoked flavor is absorbed by the vegetables. After ten minutes, remove the charcoal and leaves from vegetables.

After smoking, take another pan and heat ghee in it. Add Mustard Seeds, Asafoetida, Curry Leaves, pieces of Red Chillies and saute. Once it starts crackling, add Cashew paste and Tomato puree into the pan. Add some water and allow the sauce to cook till it oil starts leaving from the sides. Then, add the Turmeric powder, Red Chilly powder, Coriander powder, Sugar and Salt to taste. Mix well. 

Add the smoked vegetables to the Sauce. Ensure that the sauce gets coated evenly on the vegetables. Simmer it for a 2-3 minutes and check the seasoning. Stir in the thick Coconut Milk or Coconut cream. Garnish it with Coriander leaves. Serve hot with Steam Rice / Coconut Rice or Appam.

Notes:

If you want extra smoky flavor to the vegetable, then you may smoke the curry again at the end.

The Curry may be topped with Seasoning (Tadka) of hot oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves. 

Stepwise Pictures:

Sending this entry to Anu's Healthy Kitchen's - South Indian Cooking Series hosted by Nivedhanam