Sol Kadhi

Sol Kadhi (kokam in coconut milk) is a well known dish from the Konkan area of Maharashtra. It is a cooling drinking and acts as an appitizer. It is also good for digestion and is traditionally served with steamed rice.  If served as an appetizer, you can avoid tempering. Tempering brings in additional flavor when this dish is served with main course. This dish is also known as 'Kokam Kadhi'.

Ingredients :
For Sol Kadhi
12-15 Kokam /Aamsula (Garcinia Indica)
2 cups Thin Coconut Milk
1 tspn Green Chili paste (for finely chopped green chilly)
1 tspn Garlic paste (or finely chopped garlic)
1 tbspn Sugar
2-3 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
Salt to taste

For Tempering :
1 tspn Ghee
1/2 tspn Cumin seeds
1/4 tspn Asafoetida
6-7 curry leaves

Method :
For tempering :
Heat ghee in a small kadai. Add cumin seeds and saute till it crackles. Lastly, add curry leaves and asafoetida. Turn off the gas and allow it to cool. 

To make Sol Kadhi :
Soak Kokam in hot water (about cupful) for about half an hour. Alternatively, it can be soaked for 5-6 hours in normal water. Squeeze the soaked kokam to extract juice out of it. Pass it through a strainer. Now add green chilly paste, garlic paste, salt and sugar to it. Mix it well.

Then, add coconut milk and stir it in the kokam mixture. Then, add chopped corriander leaves.  Lastly, pour the tempering over it. Serve at room temperature or chilled. 

Notes :

1. I have used ready made coconut milk. However it tastes divine with freshly extracted coconut milk. In that case grind three cups of freshly grated coconut with green chillies, garlic and water in a grinder and pass it through siever. More coconut milk can be extracted by repeating the process for the remaining coconut paste.

2. If you want to avoid the tempering, then you may add dry roasted crushed cumin to this kadhi

3. Do not heat the Sol kadhi as it gets curdled on overheating.

Stepwise Pictures :