A Goan vegetarian stew recipe that is made from local vegetables and spices.
An ultimate delight for the vegetarian palate. A Goan delicacy Khatkhate is especially popular now, during the month of Shravan when a lot of Hindus stay off chicken and fish for a whole month! Learn how to make it. Follow the step-by-step pictures and video below.
This recipe is a Goan Vegetarian dish and pairs well with steamed rice and chapatis, Ridge Gourd Slices, Kanda Bhajji Recipe or simple Chawali chi Pale Bhaji, Instant Carrot Pickle Indian Style. I will love to include Goan Usali Recipe also to my menu. My dessert will be Sakhar Bhat.
Khatkhate literally means “to boil.” It is the homey sound the stew makes when it’s cooking. It is actually an extremely popular vegetarian dish for many Hindu festivals and celebrations. A Pooja needs Panchamrut for Abhishek adding the link for easy reference and tips and tricks.
As a stew, it gives you a lot of range to try mixing ingredients and flavours, I can assure you, each time you taste this, you find a delightful new twist to it!
Tired of choosing between tasty or healthy meals? No more! Here at the Mad Scientist’s Kitchen, I experiment with flavours and cuisines that are as nutritional as they are delicious.
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Contents:
- Khatkhate and me
- Why the MSK recipe?
- How to Make Goan Khatkhate?
- For Your Question
- Some Popular Goan Recipes you will love
- Recipe Card
- Pin for later
Khatkhate and me
I happened across Khatkhate quite by accident. It was something my mother-in-law made one random day. Unfortunately for her, it was not a popular prep in the house. As a newbie to the household, where every flavour was unfamiliar, I was not keen on trying the vegetable either.
Eventually, I gathered my courage and gave it a taste. It was amazing! In a few days, our neighbour, Kaki, offered me her prep for this recipe. It tasted even better. Of course, there is much to be said about individual preferences.
When I asked her about it, she told me she used local ‘trephala” which my MIL did not. Trephala or teffal is Sichuan pepper. It is a popular ingredient in Goan food. We also have an incredible dal made using these pods.
Do not bite into a trephala discard it, believe me, it is not something you enjoy!
My guides for making this recipe are Vidya and Shanta.
For my pescatarians, this tastes great in fish curries, especially the Goan mackerel curry.
Why the MSK recipe?
This Khatkhate recipe is rich in nutrients and fibre while actually meeting many different dietary restrictions or lifestyle choices. This is an oil-free and gluten-free recipe. It is vegan, with the bonus of being onion and garlic free!
How to Make Goan Khatkhate?
Ingredients
Though raw banana, yam, ridge gourd, carrots, cucumber, tender green jackfruit, radish, drumsticks, cauliflower, peas are the norm, you can use any vegetable you have.
Remember that the quantity increases as you cook, so if you feel like you don’t have enough ingredients, you really do.
The most popular vegetable in it is Amado or hog plums. These sour fruits are added to the stew. Now if you cannot get them use tamarind while grinding. Avoid leafy vegetables, brinjal, ladyfinger, ash gourd, and bottle gourd.
Here is what I have used and see recipe card for quantities.
Vegetables
- Dehydrated Peas
- Jackfruit seeds
- Potatoes
- Corn
- French beans
- Pumpkin
- Radish
- Hog plums or Amado
- Taro roots or Colocasia roots
Masala ingredients:
- Freshly grated coconut
- Haldi/turmeric
- Coriander seeds
- Red chilli
Other Ingredients:
- Sichuan pepper
- Salt
- Water
Substitutes
- In place of dried peas use pegion pea lentil or toor dal. For 1 cup dehydrated peas use ¼ cup toor dal.
- If you don’t have Ammado or hog plums, use tamarind. 1 marble-sized ball of tamarind will do.
- Use a piece of jaggery for sweetening if you wish.
Method
- Soak the dehydrated peas overnight.
- Pressure cook the jackfruit seeds if using.
- Chop your veggies into even-sized pieces. Peel the hog plums or ammado set aside.
- Grind the ingredients for the masala with water to a very fine paste. Set aside.
- In a big pan add water, soaked peas, boiled jackfruit seeds, taro roots. Let them come to a boil and half cook.
- Add the corn and salt.
- Once the peas are half cooked add the potatoes and mix.
- Add water if needed (about 1 cup) add the hog plum, radish and cook. The colour of the veggies will change as they cook.
- Add the pumpkin,french beans, carrots and the ground paste to the cooked veggies and mix. Rinse the mixer and add the water to the boiling pot.
- Meanwhile, wash the Tefal or schuan pepper and pound them coarsely. Remove the seeds if any and add to the gravy. Cook on low flame for 5 minutes.
- Switch off the flame and cover and let the flavours marinate.
How to serve
- Serve warm over steamed rice, batata kappa, and kissmore.
- Tastes great with chapati too.
Storage
- Since the quantity that Khatkhate,the stew becomes fnally you need to sttore it well.
- Remember not to stir the vegetable too much that causes spoilage not to mention breakage of the vegetables.
- Store in air-tight contatiner and finish it in 2 days maximum. (Tastes better the second day).
- Never have I tried freezing Khakhate but if you do I think microwaving it will be a good idea. If you do try let me know so that I can update here.
For Your Questions
Protips
- I usually let it stay a bit watery as the stew will thicken over time.
- When serving the gravy should neither be too dry nor too watery.
Frequently asked questions:
-
What is the difference between Avial and Khatkhate?
Both these recipes Avial made in Kerla and Khatkhate made in Goa are similar but not added in Khatkhate curds or yoghurt.
-
What are the ingredients to avoid in Khatkhate?
Basically, you can add any ingredient that holds shape after cooking. But the veggies avoided are bitter gourd, brinjal, okra, ash gourd, amla and leafy vegetables. Onion and garlic to are not added to this stew. It is considered a pure vegetarian item served for occasions.
-
Is Teffal berry, teffal fruit or Schezwan pepper a must for this curry?
With some spices, once you taste them you cannot go back to not having them. So I will say Sichuan pepper is a must and without this, the dish is incomplete but can be made without it.
Some Popular Goan Recipes you will love:
Recipe Card:
Khatkhate Recipe, A Goan Vegan Delicacy
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
- Saucepan
- Spoons and Ladles
Ingredients
Vegetables:
- ¼ cup white peas soaked overnight
- ½ cup potatoes chopped into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ cup pumpkin peeled, chopped into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ cup radish chopped into 1-inch cubes
- ½ cup taro roots or colocasia, cut into equal pieces
- ¼ cup french beans chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 1 corn cut in 5-6 small pieces
- 6-7 hog plum peeled
- ¼ cup jackfruit seeds boiled peeled and cut in 2 (optional)
For the masala:
- 2 cups coconut grated
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2-3 dried red chillies
- salt to taste
- 10 teffal berries or Sichuan pepper
- ⅛ pinch cooking soda optional
- 1 teaspoon jaggery optional
Instructions
Prep your ingredients:
- Soak the dehydrated green peas overnight.
- In the morning drain and rinse the peas, and set aside.
- In another bowl add the jackfruit seeds and water to cover the seeds. Pressure cook and cook for 4-5 whistles. Let the pressure drop naturally.
- Meanwhile, chop the vegetables into even-sized pieces. Keep them separately. Peel the hog plums even if they are tender like mine here.
To make the Masala:
- In a mixer jar or blender, add grated coconut, chillies, coriander seeds, turmeric powder.
- If you are not using Ammado or the hog plum add the tamarind.
- Grind to a fine paste. Use water as needed. Set aside.
Making your Khatkhate:
- Add water to a big pan and add the peas and the boiled jack fruit seeds.
- After the water comes to a rolling boil add taro roots or Colocasia roots.
- When the veggies are half cooked add the softer veggies like corn, pumpkin, French beans and hog plum. Cook till they become soft.
- Add the ground paste to the cooked veggies and mix. Be gentle.
- Add salt and let the mix come to a boil.
- Meanwhile, wash the Tefal and crush them. Remove the seeds if any and add to the gravy. Cook on low flame for 5 minutes.
- Switch off the flame and cover and let the flavours marinate.
- I usually let it stay a bit watery as the stew will thicken over time.
- When serving the gravy should neither be too dry nor too watery.
Video
Notes
- I usually let it stay a bit watery as the stew will thicken over time.
- When serving the gravy should neither be too dry nor too watery.
- What is the difference between Avial and Khatkhate?
- What are the ingredients to avoid in Khatkhate?
- Is Teffal berry, teffal fruit or Schezwan pepper a must for this curry?
Pin for Later:
Preeti Shridhar says
Archana , such a wonderful recipe you have shared. I have to now look for shezwan peppers to try it. We love avial so this will be a nice change. Looking forward to your other recipes for the theme
ArchanaPotdar says
😀 thanks Preeti you can get the peppers on Urban platter.
Maria says
What a delightful recipe, Archana! It feels like a celebration of vegetables! I must confess, vegetarian side of Goan cuisine is something totally new for me. Thank you for introducing me to it.
ArchanaPotdar says
😀 Thanks Maria. Was it not for you this recipe would not see the light of the day.
Mayuri Patel says
This is definitely an interesting and healthy stew. With Sichuan pepper and coconut this khatkhate must be so flavourful. I don't get hog plums and will have to try it with tamarind.
ArchanaPotdar says
Hog plums are seasonal even in Goa they are off the menu sometimes.
Shobha Keshwani says
Khatkhate looks very delicious. I love coconut based gravy dishes. They pair well with plain rice. I have heard the name Khatkhate for the first time.
ArchanaPotdar says
😀 thanks,Shobha.
Chef Mireille says
So interesting that the Schezuan pepper is used there. I thought it was only used in Chinese cooking. Also have no idea about hog plum. Definitely something for the foodie in me to look into. This is such a great veg preparation I will make as it can go with any meal.
ArchanaPotdar says
Mir in place of hog plums use tamarind. That is the substitute for the times they are not available.