AI-generated image
Val val
वालवाल (val val): Goan Saraswat mixed vegetables simmered mild in coconut milk with drumsticks
Val val is a gentle Goan Saraswat stew of mixed vegetables in coconut milk, cooked for festive meals at Ganesh Chaturthi, weddings and temple feasts in Ponda and Margao, where it balances hot curries and fried fish-free starters on the plate. Drumsticks, pumpkin, green beans and potato cook in thin coconut milk with green chilli and cumin, then thick coconut milk is stirred in at the end for a creamy, pale, mildly sweet sauce. Eat it with rice, or with puris for a feast. The usual mistake is boiling it after the thick coconut milk goes in, which splits it into oily curds. Chef's tip: grind the cumin with the green chillies and a spoon of coconut milk; it gives a fresh warmth without colouring the white sauce.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 drumsticks (moringa pods)cut into 7 cm pieces
- 7 oz red pumpkinpeeled, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 1 potatopeeled, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 3 ½ oz green beanscut into 4 cm pieces
- 1 ¾ cups thin coconut milkor 200 ml coconut milk plus 200 ml water
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup thick coconut milk
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 sprig curry leaves
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Grind 3 green chillies and 1 tsp cumin seeds with 2 tbsp of the 2 ½ tbsp thin coconut milk to a fine paste.
2 minStep 2: Put 2 drumsticks (moringa pods), 1 potato and the rest of the 1 ½ cups thin coconut milk in a wide pot with the paste and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 8 minutes.
8 minStep 3: Add 7 oz red pumpkin and 3 ½ oz green beans and simmer, covered, for 8–10 minutes until all the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife but not falling apart.
10 minStep 4: Lower the heat to its minimum and stir in ¾ cup thick coconut milk. Heat for 2 minutes until steaming, without letting it bubble.
2 minStep 5: Warm 1 tbsp coconut oil in a ladle, add 1 sprig curry leaves for 10 seconds and pour over the stew. Serve with rice; to eat drumsticks, scrape the soft flesh off the fibrous skin with your teeth.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 17 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does val val take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 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 potato?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of thin coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
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.