Cranberry Grapes Gojju | Regional Indian Cuisines

Cooking with grapes was unheard of for me until I came across this recipe by Suma. I altered the recipe to use cranberries in place of tamarind and it was so good. This gojju has a lot of complex flavours first sour from the cranberries, then the sweetness from the grapes and finally the spice kick from the chillies. Spooned over a plate of steaming rice, this gojju can really make your day.

Ingredients:
Serves - 3-4
Green Grapes - 1 cup - halved
Fresh Cranberries - 10 - halved
Onion- chopped - 1/2 cup
Asafoetida - a pinch
Oil - 2 tsp
Tempering: -  optional
Curry leaves - a few
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Spice mix / Gojju Pudi:
Chana dhal - 2 tbsp
Urad dhal - 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds / Dhaniya - 1 tsp
White sesame seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - a pinch
Dry Red chillis - 4
Dry Coconut powder - 2 tbsp

Method:
In a pan, dry roast chana dhal and urad dhal until they slightly change color. Add the coriander seeds, sesame seeds, fenugreek and red chillies. Continue roasting for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and add the coconut powder. Mix well and cool. When completely cool, grind to a fine powder in a mixie. Heat oil in a kadai and add the ingredients for tempering and asafoetida. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and saute until it turns soft. Add the halved cranberries and cook for about 2 minutes. Mash them with the back of the ladle as you saute. Now add the grapes and saute for 2 minutes. Add the ground spice powder and mix. Pour 2 to 2-1/2 cups of water and mix. The gojju will be watery at this stage, check for salt and add as desired. When the curry comes to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes. Serve hot over steamed rice.