AI-generated image
Tondak
Tondak: Goan Saraswat mixed beans and cashews in a roasted coconut-chilli gravy
Tondak is a Goan Saraswat dish cooked in homes around Ponda and Margao for festivals, weddings and Sunday lunches: mixed beans and plump cashews in a gravy of roasted coconut, red chillies and coriander seeds. The beans soften into the reddish-brown sauce while the cashews stay buttery, making it filling and rich in protein. Serve it with a little rice or a millet bhakri and a vegetable side. It is suitable as part of a balanced diet. About 380 kcal and 34 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is grinding raw coconut; it must be roasted to a deep golden brown first or the gravy tastes flat. Chef's tip: dried kidney beans must be soaked overnight and boiled hard for 10 minutes before they simmer, so do this even if you then use a slow cooker or pressure cooker.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the beans
- 3 ½ oz dried red kidney beanssoaked overnight and drained
- 3 ½ oz dried black-eyed beanssoaked overnight and drained
- 2 ⅛ oz raw cashewssoaked in warm water for 30 minutes
- 5 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
For the masala
- 1 ½ tbsp coconut oil
- 2 ⅛ oz fresh grated coconut
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 tsp tamarind pulp
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 3 ½ oz dried red kidney beans and 3 ½ oz dried black-eyed beans in a large pot with 5 cups water. Bring to the boil and boil hard, uncovered, for 10 minutes; this is needed to make kidney beans safe.
12 minStep 2: Lower the heat and simmer partly covered for 30–35 minutes, until both beans are soft and crush easily between your fingers (or pressure-cook for 12 minutes after the hard boil). Add 1 tsp salt at the end.
35 minStep 3: Meanwhile, heat ½ tbsp coconut oil in a pan over a medium-low heat. Roast 2 ⅛ oz fresh grated coconut, 4 dried Kashmiri red chillies, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds and 6 black peppercorns for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until the coconut is deep golden.
8 minStep 4: Grind the roasted mixture with ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp tamarind pulp and 150 ml water to a smooth paste.
3 minStep 5: Heat the rest of the 1 tbsp coconut oil in a pan and fry 1 onion for 6 minutes until golden, then add the paste and cook for 3 minutes until it smells toasty.
9 minStep 6: Tip the masala into the beans with their cooking liquid and the drained 2 ⅛ oz raw cashews. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the gravy is thick and the cashews are soft. Serve hot.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 11 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tondak take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of coriander seeds?
- Ground coriander, same amount (add it later in the cooking; it burns faster).
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sayur lodeh
Sayur lodeh is everyday cooking in Central Java, made in big pots in Solo and Semarang kitchens and ladled over rice, with lontong rice cakes at Lebaran, or alongside opor and sambal goreng on festive tables. It's soupy rather than thick: a fragrant broth of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf that carries chunks of aubergine, long beans, chayote and sweetcorn, plus tempeh and tofu to make it a meal. The flavour is mellow and slightly sweet, so the heat comes from sambal on the side. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in and stir now and then — a rolling boil splits the coconut milk into oily curds.
Indonesian
Masala khakhra
Khakhra are thin chapaties roasted slowly on a griddle until they turn crisp, like a cracker. This masala version adds gram flour, fresh fenugreek, turmeric and chilli to the wheat dough. They are a light Gujarati breakfast or tea-time snack, and lovely with pickle, chutney or a smear of butter. You can also make them in a roti maker.
Sabudana khichdi
Sabudana khichdi is the dish that sees Maharashtra through every vrat (fast), from Navratri to Ekadashi, but it's so good that people eat it any day of the week. Soaked sago pearls are tossed in a pan with crushed roasted peanuts, cubes of potato, cumin and green chilli until each pearl turns glassy and separate, then finished with lemon and coriander. It's soft, chewy, nutty and gently hot. Fasting rules vary from family to family, so check yours; this version uses rock salt and no asafoetida, onion or garlic. Traditionally it's cooked in ghee; use ghee instead of oil if you aren't keeping it vegan. Chef's tip: soak the sago in just enough water to cover by the height of the pearls themselves, no more; too much water is the reason khichdi turns into one sticky lump.