It is an eclectic culinary adventure to relish a typical konkani food while slurping this soothing beverage of Konkan Solkadhi that would cool your body, mind and soul in one go.. Cherish the goodness of konkani cuisine starting with this Solkadhi on a hot summer noon and beat the heat with multiple gulps of satiating Solkadhi...
Table Of Contents:
1. Konkan Special Solkadhi
2.An overview Of The Konkan History
3. Konkani Food- Malvani, Karwari And Konkanastha
4. A Brief Note On Solkadhi
5. A Glimpse Of Kokum
6. Ingredients Needed To Make Solkadhi
7. Step wise Instructions To Make Typical Konkan Solkadhi
8. Some Useful Observations
9. Nutritional Value
10. Faqs
11. Interesting Facts Of Solkadhi
12. Suitable Main Course Menu
13. Ideas You May like
Solkadhi is an authentic Konkan delicacy that originated from the Konkani Cuisine of India, which comes with a classic gastronomical combination of Karnatakan, Goan and the Maharashtrian Cuisines. With its typical konkani style, this appetizer Solkadhi would make you go bonkers.
An Overview Of The Konkan History:
The word konkan originated in India, and it is of remarkable antiquity and comprises of the west coast of India. It has a long and primitive history of international trade owing to its exemplary ports and flourishing land. Many forts that mark the history of the Marathas and the Portugese stand as greatest tourist attraction in konkan apart from the sand beaches and monuments.
Caves and carvings that portray the cultures of Hinduism and Buddhism mark the foundation of intricate archeological research and attract scientists from all across the globe.There are a lot of sculptural depictions carved out, depicting the culture of medieval life of the Konkan.This includes their food and lifestyle that has traversed a long way in its historical journey.
Konkani Food:
The two predominant styles of konkani cuisine are the Malvani and Karwari both of which are equally competent to each other. With its stunning sea foods to delectable delicacies these styles would take us aback with its innumerable varieties. Karwari style has a lot of coconut base whereas the malvani style is primarily non-vegetarian.
A wide range of sea food, chicken and vegetables comprises the Malvani cuisine whilst the karwari cusine is mostly rice- based, and uses coconut, fish and vegetables on a larger scale. Both have piquant flavors and stunning seasonings that makes the overall konkani cuisine impressive and outstanding. Konkanastha is yet another style which is purely vegetarian.
Solkadhi: A Brief Note
Solkadhi in an intrinsic part of a konkani Thali, offered at all restaurants in Konkan, whether it is karawari, Malvani or the konkanastha. A chilled probiotic beverage, taken both as an appetizer and also as a dessert, is quite popular in the west coast regions of India. The terrific hot spicy sea food is perfectly matched with the soothing Solkadhi and gives a perfect finish to the sumptuous Konkani thali.
It is basically a kokum kadhi made of coconut milk and it is tempered with regular Indian spices. The combination of kokum with coconut milk is absolutely cooling and therapeutic which could do a lot of healing in the body. Goans used to beat the summer heat with this Solkadhi and they make it as often as they could to keep themselves cool during hot summers. It can be taken as an appetizer, or can be taken during the main course as a beverage and finally can also be taken as a post meal drink.
A Glimpse of Kokum:
kokum is a plant native to India and its scientific name is Garcinia Indica, and it grows widely in the western parts of Maharashtra and Goa. Kokum fruit is used as a flavoring agent in dishes and kokum syrup and kokum sharbet are very popular across the country. The processed rind of kokum is used as a spice in sea foods mostly, as it offers unique taste and flavor to the dish and also a wonderful replacement for tamarind. It eases digestion and cures acidity and relieves gastric problems. Any cool drink with the essence of kokum proves best to beat the heat during summer in any part of the country. Usually dried kokum is used to make recipes like Solkadhi.
Check out this simple recipe of solkadhi and chill yourself with the dual ingredients coconut milk and kokum:
Ingredients Needed To Make Solkadhi:
1. Grated Coconut- A cup of fresh grated coconut to extract milk that forms the base of this solkadhi.
2. Green Chil - A slit green chili to make it a bit spicy.
3. Kokum - some six or seven shreds of kokum to extract its juice as it is the key ingredient here.
4. Garlic - Just one or two crushed garlic cloves to bring out the a nice flavor.
5. Cumin Powder- A teaspoon of cumin powder to enhance digestion.
6. Kaala namak - a pinch of kala namak to get the perfect taste of solgadhi.
7. coriander leaves - a spill of fresh coriander leaves to garnish.
8. Rock salt - to add taste
Step By Step Instructions To Make Perfect Konkani Solgadhi:
Extract Milk From Coconut: Add a cup of water to the grated coconut and blend it in a mixer jar. Squeeze out the blended coconut and extract the milk out of it. Repeat the process two or three times to get a moderate consistency of coconut milk.
Drop in a chili: Drop a green chili to the milk.
- Add ginger and garlic: Also add a bit of ginger and one or two garlic cloves to it.
- Add Cumin: Strew in some cumin powder with a pinch of rock salt and a pinch of black salt to it.
- Blend Altogether: Now blitz the whole mixture for one or two pulses.
- Strain it: Strain it using a filter.
- Soak kokum and Extract It: Soak kokum in hot water for a few minutes and mash it over s strainer to get its essence.
- Add Kokum essence: Add three teaspoons of kokum essence to the coconut milk with a nice stir.
- Add Coriander: Spill in some finely chopped coriander leaves.
- Add ice Cubes: Plunk in some ice cubes and serve chill.
Special Tip: If you want to get the restaurant purplish color of Solkadhi just add a piece of beetroot while blending instead of adding artificial food color. Adding some pomegranate pearls is yet another interesting way to bring in the color.
Add a cup of freshly grated coconut to a blender and pour in two cups of hot water to it. Blend it well and squeeze out the coconut milk using a strainer. Repeat the process twice or thrice by adding some more water and collect the milk.
Soak ten kokum shreds in hot water and let it rest for about ten minutes approximately. Just after a while, squeeze out the kokum in a tea filter and take out the extract out of it. Now add this kokum extract to the coconut milk and stir in.
Tip in a green chili, grated ginger, minced garlic, black salt and a little cumin powder into the coconut milk and pour everything in the blender again and blitz for one or two pulses along with a little rock salt. Strain the coconut milk transfer it to a glass jar.
Plop in one or two ice cubes and sprinkle some coriander leaves. Serve it chill on a hot summer noon.
Some Useful Observations:
1. Using hot water gives a nice coconut extract than cold water and use a muslin cloth to squeeze out the coconut milk.
2. Using kokum gives a light brown color and if you wish to get the pink color offered in restaurants just adding a slice of beetroot will do. As much as possible go natural without adding any food color. Here, I have added one large slice of fresh dark beetroot.
3. In some versions, they add a little sugar which is optional.
4. Dried kokum is available at all Indian stores and supermarkets starting from a pack of 100gms.
5. Adding tadka with mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida powder prevails in some regions of konkan and you can try that way too.
Faqs:
1. What is the difference between Solkadhi and North Indian Chaas?
In chaas, we add buttermilk tempered with spices and in solkadhi we add coconut milk and kokum. so they are totally different though both have cooling effects on our body.
2. Can we make solkadhi with store bought coconut milk?
Usually in konkan they have plenty of coconuts in their backyards and therefore doing it with fresh coconut is the custom generally. In case if you cannot get fresh coconut, you can have it as the last option. But if you want to enjoy the solkadhi at its best make only when you have fresh coconut at hand.
Interesting Facts of Solkadhi:
1. Attractive purplish color
2. liquid consistency
3. topped up with green bits of coriander and attractive tadka
4. soothing smell
5. cooling effect on our palates and whole body
6. mildly spiced and flavored
7. kokan's summer special drink with kokum
Suitable main course menu:
1. Bombli fry
2. clams gravy
3. steamed rice
4. dalithoy
5. madagane
6. solkadhi
Ideas You May Like:
Since this Solkadhi is a konkan drink you may match it up with a typical konkan thali that includes a lot of crabs, lobsters and prawns with a bevy of dips. If you plan for a midday lunch, then arrange the party at your back yard where you have a lot of plants and trees around. The raised platform at the cozy verandah at the entrance will be an apt spot for kids to eat and play. You can fix a table near the well for elders so that you have some water body to recreate the beach effect of a typical konkan ambience. In case, if you live in an apartment, you can make this set up in a farmhouse where you have swimming pool and lots of greenery and flowering garden.
Ingredients
Directions
Add a cup of freshly grated coconut to a blender and pour in two cups of hot water to it. Blend it well and squeeze out the coconut milk using a strainer. Repeat the process twice or thrice by adding some more water and collect the milk.
Soak ten kokum shreds in hot water and let it rest for about ten minutes approximately. Just after a while, squeeze out the kokum in a tea filter and take out the extract out of it. Now add this kokum extract to the coconut milk and stir in.
Tip in a green chili, grated ginger, minced garlic, black salt and a little cumin powder into the coconut milk and pour everything in the blender again and blitz for one or two pulses along with a little rock salt. Strain the coconut milk transfer it to a glass jar.
Plop in one or two ice cubes and sprinkle some coriander leaves. Serve it chill on a hot summer noon.
