KOCHI: Google’s recent ‘Year in Search’ report reveals an interesting mix when it comes to what Indian foodies looked up in 2024. Leading the list is the Porn Star Martini cocktail.
The lineup also includes simple dishes such as chammanthi, kanji (not the gruel), and mango pickle to Bhutan’s national dish Ema Datshi, which gained popularity after Deepika Padukone mentioned it in an interview. TNIE presents some interesting recipes.
Ugadi Pachadi
Ingredients
Raw mango, peeled and finely chopped - 1
Tamarind - 1 lemon-sized piece
Jaggery - 3 to 4 tbsp
Neem flower - 1.5 tbsp
Green chilli, finely chopped - 2
Salt - To taste
Water - As needed
Method: Soak the tamarind in water for 10 minutes and extract the juice by squeezing it. Pour the tamarind juice into a bowl and add the finely chopped raw mango, jaggery, neem flower, green chilli, and salt. Mix everything well. Taste and adjust the sweetness and salt as needed. Chill for a few hours before serving.
Porn Star Martini
Ingredients
Vanilla vodka - 1 1/2 ounces
Passion fruit liqueur - 1/2 ounce
Passion fruit puree - 1 ounce
Lime juice, freshly squeezed - 1/2 ounce
Vanilla simple syrup - 1/2 ounce
Sparkling wine, chilled - 2 ounces
Garnish: Fresh passion fruit half
Method: Add vanilla vodka, passion fruit liqueur, passion fruit puree, lime juice, and vanilla simple syrup into a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a fresh passion fruit half. Serve with a sidecar of sparkling wine.
Dhaniya Panjiri
Ingredients
Coriander seeds (dhania) - 1/2 cup
Mixed nuts (almonds, cashew nuts) - 1/4 cup
Makhana (fox nuts) - 1/4 cup
Melon seeds - 2 tbsp
Grated dry coconut - 2 tbsp
Jaggery powder - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 3 tbsp
Green cardamom - 1-2 (optional)
Method: Dry roast coriander seeds until aromatic and brown. Transfer to a plate and let them cool. Add 3 tbsp ghee to a pan and roast makhana until crisp. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, roast mixed nuts (almonds and cashew nuts) followed by melon seeds and grated dry coconut. Let all roasted ingredients cool completely.
Coarsely grind the coriander seeds (add green cardamom if using), fox nuts, almonds, and cashew nuts separately. Add roasted coconut, melon seeds, and jaggery powder to the grinder jar. Pulse once to lightly grind and mix the melon seeds and coconut. Combine all the ingredients thoroughly and store the mixture in an airtight container.
Panchamrita/ Charnamrit
Ingredients
Milk - 1/2 cup
Fresh curd (dahi) - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1/4 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tbsp
Honey - 1/2 tsp
Tulsi leaves - For garnish
Method
Combine milk, fresh curd, ghee, sugar, and honey in a deep bowl. Mix well until fully blended. Garnish with tulsi leaves and serve.
Mango Pickle
Ingredients
Raw mango, cut into small cubes (skin on) - 2 cups
Salt - 2 tbsp (adjust to taste)
Cooking oil - 1/4 cup
Black mustard seeds - 2.5 tsp, plus some extra
Fenugreek seeds (uluva, methi) - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - A few
Chilli powder - 2-3 tsp (adjust to taste)
White vinegar (optional) - 2 tsp
Method
Add 2 tbsp salt to 2 cups of raw mango pieces, mix well, and set aside for 30 minutes. Coarsely powder 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds and 2.5 tsp black mustard seeds. Heat 1/4 cup oil and add some mustard seeds. When they pop, add the powdered fenugreek-mustard mixture and turn off the heat. Immediately add 2-3 tsp chilli powder and a few curry leaves, stirring vigorously for 5 seconds to prevent burning. Add the salted mango pieces and mix well. Adjust salt as needed and add 2 tsp white vinegar, if using. The mixture will come together with the residual heat of the pan, so no further cooking is necessary. Let it cool completely in the pan before transferring to a dry, airtight glass jar.
Kanji
Ingredients
Black carrot (or substituted with beetroot): 1.5 kg
Water: 2 l
Ground yellow mustard seeds: 2.5 tbsp
Kashmiri chilli powder: 1 tbsp
Salt- 1 tbsp
Method
Wash, peel, and cut the carrots or beetroot into thin finger-sized pieces. Heat 2 litres of water and warm the carrots/beetroot without bringing it to a boil. After cooling, add ground mustard seeds, Kashmiri chilli powder and salt. Now, transfer the mixture into a clay jar and seal it properly. Place the jar in the sun for 3-4 days without disturbing or stirring it. After 3-4 days, taste the kanji, adjust the seasoning if needed, and continue to let it ferment for another day in the sun. By the fifth day, the health-boosting kanji will be ready.
Shankarpali
Ingredients
Milk- 1 cup
Sugar- 1½ cup
Salt (or to taste)- ¼ tsp
Ghee - ¾ cup
lain Flour (Maida): Around 800g - 1kg or as needed -
Oil- As needed
Method
Heat milk, sugar, salt and ghee in a pan on a medium setting. Mix occasionally till sugar and ghee dissolve. Let it cool. Make sure to continue the mixing. After it cools down, add plain flour as needed (a little at a time) and mix to form a medium-consistency dough. Take some dough and shape it into a ball form. Roll it into a chapati that is neither too thick nor too thin. With the help of a pastry wheel make diamond or square shape pieces. Heat oil on low setting and fry Shankarpali till golden. Do not fry till the colour darkens as Shankarpali will continue to darken as it cools down. Store in an airtight container after the snack cools down completely.
Ema Datshi
Ingredients
Jalapeños (quartered): 220 g
Green chillies (slit): 6 g
Onions (sliced): 70 g
Garlic (roughly chopped): 15 g
Tomatoes (diced): 50 g
Cheese (grated): 75 g
Butter: 15 g
Vegetable oil: 7 g
Salt: 5 g
Water: 250 g
Method
Remove the stalks off the chilli peppers and cut them in quarters lengthwise. Also, slit the green chillies, slice the onions, roughly chop the garlic, and dice the tomatoes. Add all these ingredients to the pan along with the salt, oil, and 250 g water. Turn on the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Allow everything to boil on medium heat for 15 minutes until the peppers have softened. Turn off the heat and add the butter and grated cheese. Stir these in until the cheese has melted. Serve hot with boiled rice.
Top 10
Porn Star Martini: This cocktail blending passion fruit, vanilla, and sparkling wine was a party staple of 2024
Mango Pickle: Interestingly, this traditional Indian tangy delight wasn’t just a local hit, the magic of achaar even bagged the fourth spot globally as per the Google’s Year Search Report.
Dhaniya Panjiri: This festive offering is a common item particularly during Janmashtami, as it is offered to Lord Krishna as ‘prasad’
Ugadi Pachadi: Ugadi/Yugadi is the New Year’s Day celebrated in the South Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The dish Ugadi Pachadi incorporates six flavours which represent different aspects of life.
Charnamrit: Often served at religious festivals like janmashtami and Guru Purnima.
Ema Datshi: Bhutan’s spicy chilli-and-cheese dish is recognised as the national dish. Here, chillies aren’t just a seasoning, they are the main ingredient.
Flat White: Flat white coffee, a popular espresso-based beverage, gained attention this year when Google unveiled a doodle of the drink on its home page.
Kanji: North Indian fermented beverage made with carrots, beetroot, and mustard seeds.
Shankarpali: A sweet snack made primarily during Diwali celebrations
Chammanthi: The dry coconut chutney packed with spices, tamarind, chilli, ginger
Compiled by Mahima Anna Jacob and Parvana K B