‘Menaskai’ is a popular dish from Udupi cuisine.  It is an amazing combination of spicy, sweet and tangy flavours. This dish can be made with vegetables like Bittergourd and also with fruits like Pineapple, , raw mango, hog plum (amtekai) and of course cranberry.

If you ever happen to attend any Udupi style function, you will definitely find this in the meal menu 🙂

One day from the grocery store my husband got a bag of these beautiful red cranberries thinking he could eat them as it is. But after tasting,  we realized it is extremely sour. That’s when a li’l idea bulb lit up. I decided to make Menaskai out of cranberries.

Trust me, this recipe is absolutely delicious 🙂 The tartness of the berries, the sweetness of jaggery and the spice blend make this dish a mouthwatering accompaniment with rice:)

Do give it a try ! I am sure fresh cranberries will be added to your grocery list 😉

INGREDIENTS:

Fresh cranberries – 1.5 cups

Jaggery – about 1/2 of lemon size

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Salt – as per taste

To Grind:

Sesame seeds (black or white) – 2 1/2 tbsp

Urad dal – 1 tbsp

Channa dal / split peas / bengal gram dal – 1 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds / methi seeds – 1/2 tbsp

Dry red chillies – 3 nos

Shredded coconut – 1 small cup

For tempering:

Coconut oil – 2 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – few – chopped finely

METHOD:

In a pot, cook the cranberries with 2 cups of water, jaggery, turmeric and salt. This should take between 8-12 minutes.

Turn off the heat and keep it aside. (do not drain the water)

In a pan, dry roast all the ingredients (except coconut) mentioned under ‘to grind’ section separately. Make sure you roast them well. Ensure that the ingredients do not smell raw.

Once cool grind the roasted sesame seeds, channa dal, urad dal, methi seeds, dry red chillies along with coconut and  few cooked cranberries.

While grinding, add half cup of water from the pot of cooked cranberries.

After grinding, add this paste to the cooked cranberries. Add salt and mix well.

Turn on the heat and allow it to boil well.

Once boiled, turn off the heat and prepare the tempering using the ingredients mentioned under the ‘for tempering’ section.

**Using coconut oil for tempering enhances the flavor of this dish but you can use other oil if you do not like the smell of coconut oil in the food.

Add the tempering to the curry. Mix well

Cranberry Menaskai (curry) is ready to be served.

 

Serve hot with steamed plain rice or roti 🙂