Green Tomato Majjige Huli or Kai/Kayi Huli Recipe: Green Tomatoes in Coconut-Yogurt Gravy

Green Tomato Majjige Huli or Kai/Kayi Huli

They say your life is never going to be the same after having a baby. ~ I agree!

They say life revolves only around your baby. ~ I mostly agree!

They say all other relationships take a back bench when baby comes into picture. ~ I partially agree!

They say life and time is only limited to your baby and you don’t have any time to do and enjoy what you loved anymore. ~ Now that one, I disagree!

Agreed that your life is never going to be the same when a tiny little life totally depends on you and trusts you to make every single decision on their behalf. The responsibility of looking after the well being on your child is huge! Agreed that the child hogs up most of the lime light and you spend very less time talking to your friends and family as mere 24 hours a day feels like 24 seconds! But there is more to a life than washing your kid’s bottom and wiping the snot! Your life needn’t come to complete standstill just because there is new member in your family! It takes a while for any new mother to learn to live a life of her own, even if it means just for few minutes or, if you are lucky, for few hours! When baby grows, he/she finally realises that they are individuals and not an extension of their mother or father!!! With baby steps, they learn to be independent and start enjoying the new found freedom. They slowly understand the meaning of being their own and doing what they love. They learn to pick the toys or books of their liking and not just play with the ones that their parents kept in front of them. They discover the joy of exploring new things instead of clinging to their parents! They learn to see things differently and not just the things shown by their parents! The joy, the fun and the experience of their new found independence makes it one exciting phase of their life. And I think we parents are no different!

After having my lil dumpling attached to my hips, arms, lap, heart for so many months, it was difficult to let him walk alone on a path of new world, new adventures and new beginnings of his life. Just like my lil dumpling, I too took one small baby step gingerly, little wobbly and little unsure, but with new eagerness and enthusiasm! After having dedicated to every waking hour, minutes and seconds to lil dumpling and his needs, I had almost forgotten how it feels to have some time for myself, to spend it the way I like. All of a sudden I had few free hours in my hand and I was lost! Literally lost!!! I looked at the hands that only knew to wipe tears, caress cheeks, wash snoot or bottom, feed little mouth, and hold lil dumpling close to heart and for a moment or two, I didn’t know what else to do with them!!! If hands had eyes (eeeeks!!!), I swear, they would have started back at me!

And then someone clicked the bulb on my head and I decided to try my ‘hands’ at gardening again! No, it’s not because I suddenly grew some green fingers. I had done my usual share of grumbling when I failed miserably with gardening every year faithfully and you my readers have lent your ears and shoulders when I cried non-stop for unable to grow any decent edible things in our garden! With not much hope but with new found enthusiasm, I decided to try my hands at gardening again. And this time it was more to do with growing our own vegetables in our tiny patch of so called garden. My inspiration for growing our own was lil dumpling and his love for fruits and vegetables. So bravely I planted few vegetables plants along with 5 different varieties of tomatoes as lil dumpling adores them. With few little prayers, crossed fingers and talking to plants every now and then and weeding whenever required, I now can proudly say we have managed not to kill any plants and have bumper crops of tomatoes in all size, shape and colours!!! ~wohooooooo~

With the bumper crop came bumper problem of thinking how to make best use of home grown tomatoes. While the cherry tomatoes went into making salads after salads after truck loads of salads, juicy, ripe red varieties went into zillion jars of preserves, pickles and jams. And yet there were few more growing, few more ripening and few more overripe ones left. I have used tomatoes in different stages of their life, from unripe green tomatoes to over-ripe red ones! So don’t be surprised if you see this blog raining with tomatoes in next few weeks.

Green Tomato Majjige Huli or Kai/Kayi Huli

Today’s recipe uses unripe, green tomatoes as I am sharing my Amma’s very famous Green Tomato Majjige Huli or Kayi/Kai Huli recipe with you all. This is one of the most loved recipes from Udupi-Managlore region and has sweet and tangy coconut-yogurt gravy. The tart green tomatoes cooked and then dunked in coconut- yogurt gravy is unbelievably tasty and tingles the taste buds. You can also add a green bell pepper or capsicum which takes this Green Tomato Majjige Huli to another level. I skipped using capsicum as lil dumpling is not too keen on them and gets little heartburn. This creamy, tangy Green Tomato Majjige Huli is every food lovers delight, especially if you like sweet and sour curries like me. Serve this Green Tomato Majjige Huli or Kai/Kayi Huli with plain rice or Kerala Matta/Rosematta rice with tender mango pickle and I’ll be slave for lifetime!!!

Green Tomatoes for Green Tomato Majjige Huli or Kai/Kayi Huli

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Green Tomato Majjige Huli or Kai/Kayi Huli (A traditional dish from Karnataka, a southern Indian state, where tangy Green Tomatoes cooked in a Coconut and Buttermilk/Yogurt Gravy)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Spice Level: Mild to Medium

Recipe Level: Easy/Beginner

Serves: 3-4 people

Shelf Life: 2-3 days when refrigerated

Recipe Source: Amma

Serving Suggestion: With Rosematta or plain rice and pickles

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Ingredients:
4-5 medium Green Tomatoes, quartered
1 cup Sour Yogurt or 1½ cups Sour Buttermilk
Salt to taste

For Coconut Paste:
¾ packed cup grated Coconut, fresh or frozen
1 tbsp Roasted Gram/Channa Dal (Optional)
2-3 Green Chillies (Adjust acc to taste)
½ tsp Jeera (Optional)

For Tadka/Tempering:
¼ tsp Methi/Fenugreek Seeds
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
2 dry Red Chillies, broken
Small pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
Few Curry leaves
1 tbsp Oil, preferably Coconut Oil

Ground coconut Paste for Green Tomato Majjige Huli or Kai/Kayi Huli

Green Tomato Majjige Huli or Kai/Kayi Huli

Method:

Cook green tomatoes in about 2½ cups of water with salt to taste about 5-7 minutes. You can add a small piece of tamarind pulp only if the buttermilk/yogurt is not sour enough.

Mean while, grind grated fresh/frozen coconut with green chillies, roasted gram and jeera by adding little water to make a smooth paste. Keep aside till needed.

Next add this ground paste to cooked green tomatoes and mix well. Add little more water if you find the gravy too thick for your liking and bring it to boil.

Beat yogurt by adding little water at a time to get buttermilk consistency and add it to the curry and mix well.

Cook it for further 1-2 minutes in low flame and turn off the gas immediately when the gravy comes to gentle boil.

Heat coconut oil in a tadka pan and add fenugreek seeds. Roast it till for half a minute and then add mustard, hing, broken red chilli and curry leaves. When mustard starts to pop and sputter transfer the tadka to Green Tomato Majjige Huli or Kai/Kayi Huli and mix well.

let this delicious creamy Green Tomato Majjige Huli or Kai/Kayi Huli rest for at least 10 minutes before serving it with rice and pickle of your choice.

Green Tomato Majjige Huli or Kai/Kayi Huli

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Sia’s Notes:

• Please don’t skip adding methi/fenugreek seeds in tadka or tempering as it lends great flavour and aroma.
• Never boil the Majjige Huli for long after adding yogurt or buttermilk as it will curdle and loose its creamy texture.

Green Tomato Majjige Huli or Kai/Kayi Huli

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Reminder:

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