AMBAADAE UDID METHI (HOG PLUM CURRY)

Ambaadae udid methi is a vegetarian curry from the Karwari GSB cuisine. Karwar, a city in Karnataka lies at the mouth of the river Kali. Coconut, jaggery corriander seeds and red dry chillies form the base of most of the gravy dishes in the Karwari GSB cuisine.

One such gravy made commonly in all homes there is udid methi which can be made using raw mangoes too instead of Ambaadae. This sour fruit Ambaadae, is called as Hog plum in English, Pulicha kaal in Tamil and Ambade in Tulu and Konkani. It can be commonly found in South India as it needs humid and tropical climate to grow.

This recipe has been passed down to my mom by her mom. Forwarding it to you all just the way my grandma used to cook it, but with a tiny twist added to it. That is the addition of bitter gourd to this gravy, but in no way does it affect the original taste of this gravy.

INGREDIENTS :

5-6 Medium size Ambaadae

3/4 cup Fresh grated coconut (200ml cup used)

1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder

1 Tbs Corriander seeds

1 Tsp Udid daal (split black lentils)

1 Tsp Raw rice grains

1/4 Tsp Methi (fenugreek seeds)

5-6 Black peppercorns

4 Dry red chillies ( Bedgi)

2 Tbs Jaggery

1 Pinch Irani hing Crystal (Strong Pickle Hing) – optional

1 Small bitter gourd

2 Tsp Oil for tempering

Salt to taste, oil for roasting, mustard seeds and asafoetida for tempering.

METHOD:

1. To make Ambaadae Udid Methi, first scrape away the outer layer of the bitter gourd, clean it from inside and cut into thin rings.
2. Apply 1/4 tsp Salt to it and keep aside for about an hour to do away with it’s bitterness.
3. After an hour wash the chopped bitter gourd thoroughly and keep aside to drain.
4. Use little oil and roast the bitter gourd rings on slow flame till crisp.
5. Peel and clean the Ambaadae.
6. Heat little oil in a kadhai (a few drops each time) and lightly roast the corriander seeds, udid daal, methi seeds, rice grains, peppercorns, asafoetida crystal and dry red chillies (deseeded) separately on low flame.
7. As soon as each ingredient changes colour, remove from flame and keep aside to cool.
8. Grind all these ingredients with the grated coconut using water to form a smooth paste.
9. Add to this paste 1 cup water and mix well to form a semi thick gravy.
10. Now add to it the turmeric powder, ambade, jaggery, roasted bitter gourd rings, salt to taste and keep on high flame stirring occasionally till it reaches boiling point.
11. Once it starts boiling, lower the flame and simmer for about 8-10 minutes till ambade are cooked.
12. If you feel that the gravy has thickened too much by now, just add some water to bring back it’s medium consistency.
13. Check for salt and sweetness now itself and add more salt or jaggery if required.
14. In a kadhai, heat oil for tempering and add mustard seeds and asafoetida (avoid asafoetida if using hing crystal in roasting).
15. Pour this over the prepared udid methi.
16. Serve the delicious Ambaadae Udid Methi with hot steamed rice and some vegetable or fried fish by the side.

NOTE:

The earlier this dish is prepared before having it, the better as by then the sourness of the ambade will have seeped into the gravy giving it the required slightly sour flavour!

Enjoy the Udid methi with hot steamed rice and some Gaajar Flower Taaja Loncha by the side. Also serve some crispy Phodi as a side to the meal!