Ona Drakshi Gojju | Sweet and Spicy Raisins Curry Karnataka style
Ona drakshi gojju is a traditional sweet and spicy curry recipe from Karnataka. This semi-dry curry is very easy to make and goes great with steamed rice, dosa, idli or akki rotti.
Servings 3
Ingredients
To Grind
- 1 tsp cooking oil - , I use sunflower oil
- 1 tsp urad dal (split black gram)
- 1 tsp chana dal (split bengal gram)
- 2 tsps dhaniya (coriander seeds)
- 5-6 nos. methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)
- 8-10 nos. byadagi or kashmiri red chillies
- 1/4 cup fresh grated coconut
- 4-6 nos. curry leaves
To Temper
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 nos. dry red chilly - , any variety
- 3-5 nos. curry leaves
- a pinch of asafoetida
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 cup raisins (ona drakshi / kishmish)
- 1 small gooseberry size tamarind - , soaked in water
- 1 tbsp jaggery powder
- salt - to taste
Instructions
To Grind
- In a small pan, heat a tsp oil. Once it is hot, add in split black gram, split bengal gram, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds. Saute until the lentils turn golden brown in colour.
- Next add curry leaves, dry red chillies (byadagi or kashmiri) and saute until they turn slightly crispy. Remove the pan from heat once done and let it cool. Once cooled transfer them into a mixer jar along with grated coconut and some water. Grind these to a smooth paste. Set aside.
To Temper
- Heat a bigger pan and add oil. Once it turns hot, temper with mustard seeds, dry red chillies, asafoetida, turmeric powder and curry leaves.
- Next, add in the raisins and saute until they all swell up well. Make sure to not burn them. Now transfer the ground masala paste, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup water. Mix everything well and let this start simmering.
- Squeeze and extract tamarind juice out of the soaked tamarind. Strain and transfer the tamarind juice to the simmering curry. Also add in jaggery powder. Mix everything well and let this simmer in medium heat for about 10 minutes. Keep stirring so that it does not get stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- When you see the oil separating, add in salt as per your taste. Mix and simmer again. You will see gojju (curry) getting thick and turning brown in colour. Add some water if it is too thick. Finally, it will turn glossy, non-sticky and start leaving the pan. At this point, it is done.
- This raisin curry is supposed to be semi-dry, but if you like to have a gravy like consistency, you can thin it down by adding water and then switch off the heat. Serve immediately with steamed rice, dosa etc or refrigerate it in an air-tight container.
Notes
- The quantity of raisins can be altered between 3/4 cup to 1 cup.
- Byadagi or Kashmiri red chillies are preferred for a rich brown colour gravy. If you do not have those, you can use guntur or any other spicy variety of dry red chilly. But you will have to decrease the number to around 5.
- Dry red chillies can be directly added to the mixer jar along with coconut without frying.
- Alter the number of dry red chillies as per your taste. Remember jaggery is also used and it is necessary for this. So, do not skip it. If you find the gojju to be a bit sweeter, just add in some red chilly powder while simmering.
- Do not add coriander leaves to this, as it doesn't go well.