Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the local produce. A dish that is made during pancham or on the day of Ganapathi visarjan is kharmate. This dish is supposed to be one of Ganapathi’s favorites and is offered as nevedya to Him on this day. It has all the local vegetables available during this time, cooked in a coconut-based gravy. Serves with vheet (Goan idli), this dish is made a very large vessel to feed the whole family that unites during Chaturthi. It is seldom made during the rest of the year mostly because all the produce is not available.

There are two versions of this dish, the jitem (raw) and bhajillem (fried) kharmate. During Chaturthi, the bhajille kharmate is made. Both varieties use vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potato, arbi/mulyo, plantain, radish, elephant yam/suran, hog plums/aambaade, corn on the cob, drumsticks, drumstick stems, carrots, tapioca, ash gourd, snack gourd, ridge gourd, string beans, cauliflower with leaves, to name a few. At least 21 vegetables are added to this dish. Some ingredients vary in the two varieties but the taste is equally good! I have tried to list the method for making both varieties below! Enjoy!

Bhajillem-What you will need:

How to make it:

• Soak the moong and vatana overnight.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil or ghee. Roast the coconut along with 5 curry leaves until it begins to brown.
• Add the garam masala and turmeric. Switch the flame off and set aside to cool.
• Once cooled, make it into a fine paste in a mixer.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil/ghee in a large vessel. Add asafetida and mustard seeds. Let the seeds splutter. Add the curry leaves.
• To this tadka, add the soaked vatana and moong. Add enough water to cover it and cook until 3/4 way done.
• Wash and cut all the vegetables in large cubes. Add the vegetables into the vatana-moong mixture that is cooking, once it is 3/4 way done.
• Add the coconut paste as well.
• Add tamarind and jaggery along with salt. Add water if needed. 
• Mix well, cover, and let it cook until the vegetables are done.
• Enjoy with vheet.

 

Jitem-What you will need:

How to make it:

• Soak the vatana overnight.
• In a mixer, add coconut, green chilies, and turmeric and grind into a coarse paste. 
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil/ghee in a large vessel. Add asafetida and mustard seeds. Let the seeds splutter. Add the curry leaves.
• To this tadka, add the soaked vatana and the chana dal. Add enough water to cover it and cook until 3/4 way done.
• Wash and cut all the vegetables in large cubes. Add the vegetables into the vatana-chana dal mixture that is cooking, once it is 3/4 way done.
• Add the coconut paste as well.
• Add tamarind and jaggery along with salt. Add water if needed. 
• Coarsely crush the teflam using a mortar and pestle to bring out their flavor. Add to the curry.
• Mix well, cover, and let it cook until the vegetables are done.
• Enjoy with vheet.