MyMusingsSangSpeak-Pet Puja- SolKadhi

Solkadhi

Solkadhi, rather Soulkadhi is a tasty, tangy, digestive recipe of Konkan and Goan coastal cuisine. It is made of fruit of Kokum plant(Garcinia Indica), indigenous species of Western Ghats, India. Kokum is called Ratamba in Marathi. This recipe is an essential side dish of vegetarian as well as non vegetarian platter and tastes very well with fish recipes specially. Kokum fruit is extremely sour and has medicinal as well as digestive properties. The kokum fruit is available in the market in its fresh or dried form. Fresh kokum is available only during a particular season. You also get pure kokum extract and a sweetened extract as well. I am using dried kokum for my recipe of solkadhi. The kokum are dried along with salt as preservative so you need to keep a watch while adding salt.  Cumin powder addition is my variation.

Ingredients

Dried Kokum – 15-20 nos

Fresh coconut (grated) – 2 cups

Garlic cloves – 10-12 nos

Cumin Powder – 1 teaspoon

Green Chillies – 2-3 nos

Salt – As per taste

Water – As per requirement

Corinader leaves – 1 teaspoon

Method

Soak Kokum in about a cup of warm water. Blend the fresh grated coconut in a blender with water and extract coconut milk by straining through a strainer. You can get about 5 cups of coconut milk from 2 cups grated coconut. Grind the chillies and garlic and add to the coconut milk. Crush the soaked kokum with hands and strain the liquid thorugh a strainer. Mix it with coconut milk. Add cumin powder and salt. Finally garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve solkadhi slightly chilled. This is uncooked recipe and hence needs to be consumed fresh and cannot be stored for long.

Note
You can use tinned coconut milk that is readily available nowadays. Dry coconut milk powder is also available which can be rehydrated and used, but, the taste of fresh coconut milk is unbeatable.