Mixed vegetable pulao

This is a unique pulao which combines English vegetables with Indian ones - a real treat! Kids really love this.

Ingredients:

Brocolli stems (reserve the florets for the salad) - 1 cup

Carrots - diced into 1/4" cubes - 1 cup

Peas - 1/2 cup

Beans - cut into 1/4" long pieces - 1 cup

3 Onions - cut into 1/2" long strips

Yellow capsicum - 1/4 - cut into 1/4" long pieces

Red capsicum - 1/4 - cut into 1/4" long pieces

Green capsicum - 1/4 - cut into 1/4" long pieces

Fresh mint leaves - 1/2 cup

Coconut milk - 2 cups

Rice (Basmati long grained) - 3 cups

Salt - to taste

Cumin / jeera seeds - 2 tsp

Cloves - 3

Cinnamon - 3 sticks of 1/2" each

Cardamom - 3

Cooking oil - 1 tbsp

Ghee - 2 tsp

Method:

• Wash all the vegetables and cut them.
• Wash and soak the rice for 1/2 hour.
• In a deep bottomed pan, heat cooking oil. Add cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon.
• When they turn red add onions and saute them till they turn translucent.
• Add carrots, peas and beans. Saute for 5 minutes.
• Add brocolli stems and green capsicum. Saute for 2 minutes.
• Add soaked rice and fry until lightly roasted.
• Add coconut milk and 2 cups water.
• Add salt. Cover the vessel and cook until rice is done.
• Cut mint leaves and add to the rice. Stir well.
• Add cut yellow and red capsicum, turn off the flame, stir and keep covered for 5 minutes.
• Serve hot with raita of your choice.

Pullayar kozhakattai

Ingredients:
For the filling (purnam):

• Coconut - 1
• Jaggery (finely powdered) - 1 cup
• Water - 1/2 cup

For the covering:

• Raw rice - 2 cups
• Salt - 1/4 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Milk - 1/2 cup

Method:

For the filling:

• Grate coconut finely.
• In a pan add jaggery and water and let it boil until it reaches a two string consistency.
• Add coconut and stir well. Let it thicken. It is done if you can make balls easily without the mixture sticking to your hands.

For the cover:

• Wash and soak raw rice in water for 10 minutes. Strain in a collander. Let stand for half an hour.
• Powder in a mixie and sieve until you get a fine powder. 2 cups raw rice will normally yield about 4 cups of powder.
• In a vessel add water and rice powder and stir until it reaches dosa batter consistency. Keep aside.
• In a thick bottomed pan add 1 cup water, 1/2 cup milk, salt and 1 tbsp oil.
• When the mixure boils, add the rice batter slowly while stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
• When the mixture becomes thick, remove from fire and keep aside.
• Cool.

For the Kozhakattai

• Make small balls out of the filling.
• Make a small ball out of the rice mixture and flatten it between the palms of your hand.
• Grease your fingers with a little oil and flatten the ball with your fingers working from the centre to the outer edges until a thin cup is formed.
• Insert the coconut ball inside and cover leaving a small tip on the top.
• Arrange this on a idli plate and steam.
• When the kozhakattai's are done, the outer cover will look glossy.
• Remove from fire, sprinkle little cold water with your fingers.
• Serve when cool.

Dal Dhokli

Ingredients:

For Dhokli

• Wheat flour - 1 1/2 cups
• Salt to taste
• Water as required

For Dal

• Moong dal (with or without skin) - 1 1/2 cups
• Ghee - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
• Jeera / cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Green chillies - 2
• Ginger - 1" piece
• Red chilli powder (optional) - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - a few
• Dhania powder - 1 1/2 tsp
• Jeera powder - 1 1/2 tsp
• Lemon - 1
• Chopped coriander - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash and pressure cook the dal until it is well done.
• In a bowl, take wheat flour and salt, add water little by little and make a dough of chapatti dough consistency. Set aside for atleast 1/2 hour.
• Make chapattis out of the dough and cut the chapatti into 1 1/2" squares.
• Boil water in a vessel. Add a little oil to the water. When the water begins to boil, add the cut chapatti pieces into it and cook until soft. Drain in a collander. Pour cold water over it and keep aside.
• In a thick pan, pour 1 tsp oil and add mustard seeds and jeera seeds. When they splutter, add turmeric powder and asafoetida. Add curry leaves along with finely ground ginger and chilli paste.
• Mash the dal well, mix with 5 cups of water and add to the pan. Add salt, dhania and jeera powder.
• Let the dal boil for 5 - 10 minutes. Add chilli powder and the dhokli pieces. Boil for another 2 - 3 minutes.
• Remove from flame. Add lemon juice, ghee and chopped coriander.
• Serve hot.

Rawa Dhokla

Ingredients:

• Rawa (semolina) - 1 1/2 cups
• Sour buttermilk - 3 cups
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger - 1" piece
• Green chillies - 4
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - a few
• Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
• Sesame seeds (white) - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
• Eno fruit salt - 10 gms
• Chopped coriander - 1 tbsp
• Water as required

Method:

• Grind 2 chillies and ginger into a fine paste.
• In a bowl, mix rawa, buttermilk, salt, turmeric powder and the ground chilli - ginger paste. Mix well until it is of dosa batter consistency. If required, add some water.
• Keep aside for an hour.
• In a deep bottomed pan, add some water and bring to a boil. Place a small bowl in the centre so that it acts as a stand. Grease a deep plate.
• When the water is boiled and the vapour starts to rise, add the eno fruit salt to the prepared dhokla batter and immediately pour into the greased plate.
• Put the plate on the bowl in the deep bottomed pan and cover with a lid / big plate so that the steam does not escape.
• Let it cook on medium flame for about 10 minutes. Poke a knife into the dhoklas. If the batter does not stick to the knife, the dhoklas are done.
• Remove them from the fire and cool. Cut into squares.
• In a pan add oil, mustard seeds, sesame seeds. When they splutter, add asafoetida, curry leaves and finely chopped chillies. Add 1/4 cup water. (If you like the dhoklas sweet, you can add 1 tsp sugar along with the water).
• Pour this onto the dhokla plate. Garnish with chopped coriander.
• Serve with spicy mint chutney and sweet dates chutney.

Parikkai (Bitter Gourd) pickle

My mother in law used to make this frequently when she was alive. Since bitter gourd is not widely relished, this dish has become a rarity even within my own family. But for bitter gourd lovers, this is a must try recipe.....

Ingredients:

• Bitter Gourd - 3 tender
• Sesame seed oil - 3 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - 2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 3 tsp
• Fenugreek / Methi powder - 1 tsp
• Jaggery - as per taste
• Salt to taste
• Tamarind - 1 gooseberry sized ball
• Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
• Urad dal - 2 tsp
• Chana dal - 2 tsp

Method:

• Wash, deseed and cut the bitter gourd into small cubes - about 1/2 cm in size.
• Pour oil in a thick bottomed pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal and chana dal. When the mustard seeds splutter and the dal turns red, add turmeric powder and asafoetida.
• Add cut bitter gourd pieces and fry for about 5 minutes on medium flame.
• Extract pulp from the tamarind (use very little water) and add this to the bitter gourd.
• Add salt. Boil the bitter gourd in the tamarind extract until the tamarind extract is absorbed completely.
• Add chilli powder and methi powder. Add required amount of jaggery.
• Cool and store in airtight container.
• This can be used for more than a month if refrigerated.
• Serve with chapatti or curd rice.
  

Rice Sevai

Thanks to these modern days of instant sevai, this recipe is almost lost. Hardly anyone every makes this except the old puritans who insist that this is better both in terms of texture and taste.

Ingredients

• Salem boiled rice - 3 cups
• Water
• Salt - as per taste
• Sesame seed oil - 1 tbsp

Method

• Wash and soak rice overnight.
• Grind into a fine watery paste.
• In a pan, pour 1 cup water, sesame seed oil and salt. When it boils, pour the batter into it and stir continuously until it becomes a thick paste. Take care to avoid lumps.
• Cool. Make egg shaped balls as shown in the picture and place in the idli plate for steaming.
• Steam for about 20 - 25 minutes. The balls are done if they are not sticky.
• When hot, put into the sevai press and make the sevai.
• Put 1 tsp oil over it and cool.
• When completely cool, they can be cut into smaller strings and used for making coconut sevai, lemon sevai, curd sevai, tomato sevai, puli sevai, etc (refer recipes in the blog).

Tomato soup

This is a south Indian version of the popular tomato soup - tastes yummy and different from the ones that are normally available.

Ingredients:

• Ripe tomatoes - 6
• Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Sugar - to taste
• Cornflour or barley powder - 1 tsp
• Chopped coriander - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Ghee - 1 tsp

Method:

• Put washed tomatoes in a little boiling water. Keep covered. After sometime the skin will split. Grind this into a fine paste.
• Add pepper powder, salt and sugar.
• Mix the cornflour or barley powder in water and add.
• Boil the mixture.
• In a pan, add ghee, mustard seeds and jeera. When they splutter, pour this into the soup.
• Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot.

Variation - 1 tsp sambar powder can be added if you like a little more spice...

Uppadan

This is a traditional Keralite recipe which has had a slow death over the years. Very few households continue to make this dish today.

Ingredients:

• Tamarind - 1 lemon sized ball
• Raw rice - 1 tbsp
• Fenugreek / Methi seeds - 1 tsp
• Red chillies - 4
• Ladysfinger - 1/4 kg
• Mustard seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - a few
• Green chillies - 3
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Water as required

Method:

• Dry roast rice, methi seeds and red chillies until brown. Grind into powder (not very fine nor very coarse).
• Extract tamarind pulp.
• Wash and cut the ladysfinger into 2 cm thick pieces.
• Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter add ladysfinger and green chillies (slit in the middle). Fry well.
• Add turmeric powder, asafoetida and curry leaves.
• Add tamarind extract and salt.
• Add 3 cups water. When it boils, add the powder. Bring to a boil.
• Serve hot with rice and vadams or with mazhikkuvaratti.

Variation - Bitter gourd or fresh marathangalikkai can be used instead of ladysfinger in this recipe

Thengai sevai (rice noodles)

Ingredients:



Ready made sevai - 1 pkt or sevai made at home as per recipe published in this blog

Mustard seeds - 2 tsp

Urad dal - 2 tsp

Chana dal - 1 tsp

Red chillies / Moru molagai - 4 (refer recipe of moru molagai published in this blog)

Curry leaves - a few

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Asafoetida - 2 tsp

Green chillies - 2

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tsp


Method:

• Pour oil in a deep bottomed pan, add mustard seeds, curd chillies, urad dal and chana dal. When the mustard seeds splutter, the curd chillies are done and the urad dal and chana dal turn red, add finely chopped green chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida.
• Add the cooked sevai and grated coconut.
• Mix well and serve

Urulaikizhangu (Potato) podimas

Another mouth watering recipe considered as a perfect accompaniment to vengaya (rose onion) sambar!

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 1 kg
• Turmeric powder (optional) - 1 tsp
• Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
• Green chillies - 3
• Lemon - 1 big
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
• Urad dal - 2 tsp
• Curry leaves - a few
• Asafoetida - 1 1/2 tsp

Method:

• Boil the potatoes whole in a pressure cooker.
• Cool, remove their skins and mash the potatoes finely.
• Pour oil in a thick bottomed pan, add mustard seeds and urad dal. When the mustard seeds splutter and the dal turns red, add curry leaves, turmeric powder and asafoetida.
• Add mashed potatoes and salt.
• Mix well.
• Coarsely grind the coconut and green chillies in a mixie and add to the potatoes.
• Remove from flame, add juice of 1 lemon and mix well.
• Serve with rice and sambar.

Cashew Burfi

Ingredients:

Cashew nuts - 1 cup
Maida - 2 cups
Sugar - 2 cups
Ghee - 1 cup
Cardamom powder (optional)- 1 tsp or rose essence (optional) - 1 tsp
Water - 1 cup

Method:

• Heat the cashew nuts slightly so that they can be powdered easily. Crush into a fine powder in a mixie.
• Pour 3/4 cup ghee in a thick bottomed pan, add maida and roast until it emits an aroma.
• Remove from fire and keep aside.
• Add sugar in the pan along with water.
• Boil until the sugar syrup is of one thread consistency.
• Add maida and cashew powder to the sugar syrup and stir for 5 minutes.
• Remove from fire and keep stirring until the mixture does not stick to the sides of the pan.
• Add cardamom powder / essence.
• Pour onto a greased plate and cool for 5 minutes.
• Cut into small squares and allow it to cool well.
• Turn the plate upside down when completely cool and remove the pieces.
• Store in air tight container.

Mysore rasam

Ingredients:

• Tamarind - 1 lemon sized ball
• Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds / Jeera - 2 1/2 tsp
• Pepper - 1 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli - 1
• Chana dal - 2 tsp
• Curry leaves - a few
• Grated Coconut (optional) - 3 tsp
• Tomato - 2 medium sized
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Water as required.

Method:

• Soak tamarind and extract pulp. Add turmeric powder, salt, asafoetida.
• Dice tomato into 1" thick cubes and add to the tamarind extract.
• Boil the extract.
• In the meantime, pour 1 tsp oil in a deep bottomed pan and roast chana dal, coconut, coriander, pepper, 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, curry leaves and red chilli until red.
• Grind this into a smooth paste along with a little water.
• Mix this paste with 5 glasses of water and strain.
• Add this to the boiled tamarind extract.
• Boil until bubbles are formed.
• Pour oil into a deep bottomed pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. When they splutter add a few curry leaves and add to the rasam.
• Serve hot with rice.

Parikkai vettal (sun dried bitter gourd)

Ingredients:

• Bitter Gourd - 3 kg
• Turmeric powder - 3 tsp
• Salt - 1 tbsp (or to taste)

Method:

• Cut the bitter gourd into 1 cm thick rounds. (If the rounds are too thick, they will not dry / fry properly; if they are too thin, they will break during the cooking / drying process). Hence, cutting right is the most important thing here.
• Remove the seeds.
• Boil water in a vessel. Add turmeric powder and salt. Add bitter gourd pieces. Cover and cook until the bitter gourd pieces are tender. Take care that they are not overcooked. Remove from flame as soon as they are tender.
• Drain and cool.
• Spread the pieces evenly onto a plastic sheet and let dry in the hot sun.
• The pieces will take 2 days to dry.
• Cool and store in airtight containers.
• When required, deep fry them in oil and serve as a snack or as an accompaniment to a meal with rice and rasam / sambar or curd rice.
• This can also be used for making other dishes. Keep watching this blog for more recipes on using sun dried bitter gourd.

Vazhathandu (banana stem) poduthuval

Ingredients:

• Banana stem - 1 long piece
• Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
• Green chillies - 3
• Curry leaves - a few
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Moong dal - 1 cup
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
• Butter milk - 1 tbsp

Method:

• Take water in a vessel, add 1 tsp turmeric powder and 1 tbsp buttermilk to it.
• Remove the outer skin of the banana stem. Cut the inner portion into thin rounds and further cut it finely into small cubes.
• Put the cut banana stem pieces into the buttermilk and turmeric water immediately. This prevents the stem from turning black.
• Wash and soak the moong dal for 1/2 hour.
• Put the cut banana stem pieces in a thick bottomed vessel, add enough water to cover the pieces, add 1 tsp turmeric powder and salt to taste. Cover the vessel and let cook for 5 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• When the banana stem turns tender, remove from fire and drain. Keep aside.
• In the same vessel cook the moong dal until it is tender and drain. Add to the cooked banana stem.
• Pour oil into a deep bottomed pan, add mustard seeds and urad dal. When the mustard seeds splutter and the dal turns red, add curry leaves. Add the cooked banana stems and moong dal. Stir.
• Coarsely grind coconut and green chillies in a mixie. Add this to the cooked banana stem.
• Mix well and serve hot with rice and rasam / sambar / moru kootan.

Ragi Roti

Being in Karnataka for a long time has slowly made me a fan of this wonderful grain - ragi. I think "Appearances are deceptive" would be apt to describe this. Though ragi dishes may not look appealing, they are rich in iron content, fibre and are a great low calorie food for young and old alike.

Ingredients:

• Ragi powder (easily available in shops now a days) - 3 cups
• Onions - 3 medium sized (finely chopped)
• Salt to taste
• Coriander - finely chopped - 1 tbsp
• Grated coconut (optional) - 1 tbsp
• Green chillies - 2 (finely chopped)
• Asafoetida - 1 tsp
• Jeera (cumin) seeds - 2 tsp
• Sour Buttermilk - 1 cup
• Water as required
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

• Add onion, green chillies, coriander, cumin seeds, asafoetida, salt and grated coconut to the ragi powder and mix well.
• Add sour buttermilk and knead. Add water little by little and continue to knead until the mixture reaches the consistency of chapatti dough.
• Cover and keep aside for a couple of hours.
• On a cold tava, apply a little oil evenly. Take a handful of dough, put it in the middle of the tava. wet your hands and flatten the dough working from the inside to the outer edges of the tava. Once the dough has been spread evenly into a roti of not more than 1 cm thickness, put it on the stove.
• Add a little oil to the sides of the roti and cover with a plate.
• Let it cook for 3 - 4 minutes. Turn the roti, apply little more oil and cook for another 3 - 4 minutes.
• Serve hot with butter and chutney powder / chutney and curd.

Ash Gourd (White pumpkin) molagootal

A wholesome, popular tamil iyer dish. This is usually served with rice along with rasam and pickle, salad, thogayal or puli ingi.

Ingredients:

• White pumpkin - 1/2 kg
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Green Gram (moong)dal - 1 cup
• Grated coconut - 1 cup
• Cumin / Jeera seeds - 2 tsp
• Red chillies - 1
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaves - a few
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

• Wash and cut the white pumpkin into 1" thick pieces.
• Cook the green gram (moong) dal in a pressure cooker until it is cooked well.
• Transfer the pumpkin pieces into a thick bottomed vessel, add turmeric powder and water to cover the pumpkin pieces.
• Cover and cook until the pumpkin pieces become translucent and tender.
• Grind coconut, cumin seeds and red chillies into a paste in a mixie.
• Add the paste and salt to the pumpkin pieces.
• Bring to a boil. Add cooked moong dal, stir and bring to a boil again.
• In a separate pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds and urad dal. When the mustard seeds splutter and the urad dal turns red, add curry leaves and pour this onto the pumpkin mixture.
• Stir and serve hot with rice.

Variation - This can be made with a variety of vegetables like sweet pumpkin, bottle gourd, cabbage, cauliflower, banana stem, etc.

Instead of moong dal, toor dal can be used to give out a different flavour.

Vendakkai (Ladysfinger) Poduthuval

Ingredients:

• Tender ladysfinger - 1/2 kg
• Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
• Green Chillies - 3
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - a few
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash, dry and cut the ladysfinger into 1" long pieces.
• Pour oil in a deep bottomed pan and add mustard seeds and urad dal. When the mustard seeds splutter and the urad dal turns red, add asafoetida and curry leaves.
• Add cut ladysfinger pieces and salt. Cover the vessel and cook on medium flame until the ladysfinger is tender.
• Grind grated coconut and green chillies into a coarse paste in a mixie.
• Add it to the ladysfinger, stir and remove from stove.
• Serve hot with chapattis or rice and rasam / sambar.

Mangai vettal (sun dried mango)

Ingredients:

• Large mangoes - 4 (preferably the "omelette" mango variety)
• Salt - 1 cup for every 4 cups of cut mango pieces

Method:

• Wash and cut the mangoes into 1" thick pieces.
• Measure the mango pieces using a cup and add 1 cup salt for every 4 cups of cut mangoes.
• Stir and keep aside for 2 days stirring occasionally.
• After two days, dry the mango pieces on a plastic sheet in the hot sun.
• The mango pieces will take about 4 - 5 days to dry completely.
• Cool and store in air tight container.
• This can be used instead of tamarind in many recipes.

Tropical summer delight (salad)

This amazing low calorie dish brings together a variety of colour and natural flavours. This is ideal for weight watches and a wonderful way to beat the summer heat!


Ingredients:
(all cut into 1" long pieces of thickness 1 cm)

• Purple cabbage - 50 gms
• Pink water apples - 10
• Carrots - 2 medium sized
• Thin long cucumbers - 2
• Red Capsicum - 1/2
• Yellow Capsicum - 1/2
• Tomatoes (de seeded) - 2 medium sized
• Brocolli - 50 gms
• Raw Mango (preferably of the totapuri variety) - 1/2
• Green Chillies - 3
• Olive oil - 1 tbsp
• Black pepper powder - 2 tsp
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Mix all the vegetables together.
• In a separate bowl, add olive oil, black pepper powder and salt. Whisk well and pour over the vegetables.
• Stir and serve fresh.

Variation - 1. A tbsp of yellow mustard paste can be added.

2. Another variation would be to add hung curd instead of olive oil. A tsp of chat masala added to this will give out a very Indian flavour.

Chadachadayam / Coconut and jaggery payasam

Ingredients:

• Raw Rice - 1 glass
• Coconut - 1 big
• Jaggery - 2 1/2 cups
• Dry Ginger powder - 1 tsp
• Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:

• Clean and cook the rice in a pressure cooker.
• Grate coconut, add 1 glass hot water and grind in mixie. Strain and take out the milk extract (this will be thick) and keep aside.
• Add 2 glasses water to the ground coconut and grind again in the mixie. Strain and keep this second extract separately.
• Similarly add 2 more glasses of water and take out a third extract of coconut milk.
• Put the rice and the third extract of coconut milk into a thick bottomed vessel and boil for 10 minutes.
• Add jaggery and boil for another 10 minutes.
• Add second extract of coconut milk, boil for 5 minutes.
• Add first extract of coconut milk and take off the gas immediately.
• Add dry ginger powder and cardamom powder.
• Heat ghee and add to the payasam.
• Serve hot or cold.

Optional - you can add banana pieces to the payasam while serving.

Potato Kara curry

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - Peeled and cut into 1/2" thick pieces - 1/2 kg
• Chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Fenugreek / Methi powder (roasted and powdered) - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida powder - 1 tsp


• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - a few
• Mustard seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
  

Method:

• Boil the potato until it is 3/4 cooked. Drain.
• Pour oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter add turmeric powder, asafoetida, curry leaves and the potatoes. Mix.
• Add chilli powder, fenugreek / methi powder and salt.
• Fry till crisp.
• Serve hot with rice and rasam.

Molagai Vadai

Ingredients:

• Thick avil / poha - 1/2 kg


• Urad dal - 1 tbsp


• Green Chillies - 1/2 kg
• Fenugreek / Methi seeds - 2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 3 tsp
• Sago rice - 3 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Soak sago rice overnight.
• Add a little salt to it in the morning and cook it with lots of water until it is of dosa batter consistency.
• Soak beaten rice / poha in water for 1 hour.
• Soak urad dal and Methi seeds for 1/2 hour.
• Grind geen chillies into a coarse paste and keep aside.
• Grind urad dal and Methi seeds into a fine paste.
• In a big vessel, add soaked poha, green chillies, the urad dal and methi paste, salt, asafoetida and stir well.
• Add sago rice batter little by little until the paste is thick and can be lifted easily in a spoon.
• Make round flat discs on plastic sheets and dry in the sun for 2 - 3 days or until it is dried completely.
• Store in air tight containers. This can be stored for 2 - 3 years.
• When required, deep fry in oil on low flame.

Sago rice vadam

Ingredients:

Sago rice - 2 cups

Green chillies - 6

Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp

Asafoetida - 1 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash sago rice once and add 5 cups of water. Let it soak overnight.
• In the morning, put the sago rice directly in the pressure cooker and add water so that there is 6" water above the sago rice.
• Add salt, asafoetida and finely ground chilli paste to the sago rice.
• Pressure cook until 1 whistle on high flame. Cook for a further 15 minutes on low flame.
• Cool.
• Using a ladle make small discs on a plastic sheet and let dry in the sun.
• When it is half dry, remove from the sheet and turn the vadams over.
• Dry well and store in air tight containers.
• Deep fry in oil and serve.

Mambhazha Kootan

Ingredients:

• Mangalore cucumber or white pumpkin - 1/4 kg
• Ripe Mangoes - 2
• Green chillies - 4
• Red chillies - 3
• Fenugreek / Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Sour curd - 1 cup
• Jaggery - to taste
• Salt - to taste
• Coconut - 1 small
• Curry leaves - a few
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

• Cut pumpkin / cucumber into 1" cubes. Cook them with water, turmeric powder and salt.
• When they are well cooked, add beaten curd.
• Roast fenugreek seeds and 2 red chillies with very little oil. Add grated coconut and green chillies. Grind this mixture with a little water into a fine paste.
• Add the ground paste to the pumpkin and curd.
• Extract mango pulp. Add this along with jaggery to the pumpkin.
• In a thick pan, add oil, mustard seeds, a few fenugreek seeds and red chilli. When they splutter, add curry leaves.
• Pour this seasoning into the pumpkin, curd mixture.
• Serve with rice, dosa or adai.

Brinjal Fry

Ingredients:

• Long green brinjals - 1 kg
• Sesame seed oil - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - a few
• Asafoetida - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Channa dal, toor dal and urad dal - 1 tsp each
• Red chillies - 3

Method:

• Wash and cut the brinjals into 2" long pieces with about 1/2" thickness.
• In a non stick pan, pour oil and add mustard seeds and urad dal. When the mustard seeds splutter and the dal turns red, add curry leaves, turmeric powder and asafoetida.
• Add the cut brinjals and salt.
• Cover and cook on low flame.
• In the meantime, dry roast the chana dal, urad dal and toor dal along with red chillies until the dals turn brown. Powder them coarsely in a mixie.
• Once the brinjals are cooked, add the powder and fry them on medium flame until they are nicely roasted.
• Serve hot with chapattis or rice and rasam / sambar / moru kootan.

Muthusaram

Ingredients:

• Raw rice powder - 3 cups
• Moong dal - 1 cup
• Chana dal - 1 cup
• Sesame seeds (white) - 50 gms
• Asafoetida - 2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Butter (if required) - 1 lemon sized ball
• Water as required
• Oil for deep frying
  

Method

• Dry roast Moong dal and chana dal separately until it gives off an aroma. Powder them together finely in a mixie.
• Add 1 cup of the moong and chana dal powder to 3 cups of rice powder.
• Add sesame seeds, salt and asafoetida powder. Heat 3 tbsp of oil or the butter and add to the powder.
• Add water little by little and knead until it reaches chapathi dough consistency.
• In a frying pan, heat oil on medium flame.
• Put a star shaped plate in the press, insert a little dough and press directly into the oil.
• Let cook for some time and turn over. When the bubbles in the oil subside remove and transfer into a plate covered with tissue / news paper.
• Cool and store in airtight container.
• Serve with tea / coffee.

Narthangai pickle

Ingredients:


Narthangai - 6 nos
Turmeric sticks - 2
Salt - 1 cup for every 4 cups of narthangai
Fenugreek / Methi seeds - 4 tsp

Method:

• Heat the turmeric sticks and grind them into a coarse powder.
• Roast methi seeds until deep red and grind into a coarse powder.
• Cut the Narthangai into 4 pieces and then cut into 1/2" triangles. Remove seeds.
• For every 4 cups of Narthangai pieces, add 1 cup salt, add the fenugreek and turmeric powder.
• Mix these well and keep aside.
• Stir every day for 2 - 3 days.
• Store in air tight containers.
• Serve with curd rice.

Variation - 4 tsp chilli powder and 2 tsp asafoetida can be added. After 2 days, it can be dried in the sun on a plastic sheet until dry and then stored in air tight containers. This can be used for a year.

Vadigapulli Narthanga pickle

Ingredients:

Vadugapulli Narthanga - 1

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Green Chillies - 8

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - 2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Sesame oil - 1 tsp

Method

• Cut the narthangai into 1/2 " cubes.
• For 4 cups of cut narthangai, add 1 cup of salt.
• Pour oil in a deep bottomed pan, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add finely chopped green chillies, turmeric powder and asafoetida.
• Add this to the salted narthangai and keep aside for 2 - 3 days.
• When soft, store in the refrigerator.
• Serve with curd rice.

Mahani pickle

Ingredients

Tender Mahani roots - 1 kg

Red chilli powder (preferably Kashmiri or Byedige)

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 3 tbsp

Lemon - 6 big sized

Curd - 1/2 cup

Salt

Method:

• Peel the skin and remove the thick inner roots.
• Soak them in water for an hour.
• In a vessel, add water, curd and turmeric powder.
• Cut the roots into small cubes - 1 mm size and put them into the water to which curd and turmeric powder were added.
• Wash the mahani roots well.
• Take 1 cup chilli powder and 1 cup of salt for every 6 cups of cut mahani roots.
• Dry roast the mustard seeds lightly and grind to a fine powder.
• Mix mustard powder, chilli powder with a little boiled and cooled water and grind in the mixie. Add to the mahani roots. Add salt and mix well.
• Squeeze the lemon juice into the mahani.
• Keep aside for 2 - 3 days until little soft.
• Add a little boiled and cooled water if required.
• Store in refrigerator in air tight containers.
• Serve with dosa or curd rice.

Sambar powder

Ingredients:

• Urad dal - 2 tbsp

Toor dal - 3 tbsp

• Chana dal - 3 tbsp


• Cumin seeds / Jeera - 1 tbsp


• Fenugreek / Methi seeds - 2 tbsp


• Coriander seeds - 3 cups


• Mustard seeds - 2 tsp


• red chilli powder

• black pepper - 2 tbsp


• Curry leaves - 2 tbsp
  

Method

• Wash and dry the curry leaves.
• Dry roast all ingredients except red chilli powder until the dal turns deep red.
• Grind into a fine powder.
• Add 1 cup red chilli powder for 3 cups of the ground powder.
• Mix well and store in air tight container.

Tomato chutney (thokku)

Ingredients:

• Ripe tomatoes - 1 kg
• Tamarind - 1 gooseberry sized ball
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 3 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Jaggery - to taste
• Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
• Red chillies - 3
• Asafoetida - 2 tsp
• Oil - 4 tsp

Method:

• Wash the tomatoes and put them in boiling water. Peel and deseed the tomatoes. Grind the pulp into a fine paste.
• Extract the tamarind pulp and add to the tomato paste.
• Heat 2 tsp oil in a thick bottomed pan, add mustard seeds and red chillies broken into halves. When the seeds splutter add turmeric powder and the tomato and tamarind extract.
• Cook on low flame in a covered vessel for 30 - 45 mins until it becomes a thick paste and the oil starts leaving the sides of the pan.
• Add salt, chilli powder, jaggery, asafoetida and the remaining oil.
• Simmer on low flame for another 5 - 10 mins.
• Cool and store in air tight container. This can be used for a month if refrigerated.
• Serve with dosa, rice, idli or chapatti

Variation:

1. One tsp of fenugreek (methi) powder can also be added along with chilli powder.
2. Finely chopped onions can also be fried until translucent and added to the tomato paste.

Rice and Chana dal payasam

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1/2 cup

Jaggery - 1 1/2 cups

• Chana dal - 1 tbsp
• Black Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
• Milk - 2 cups
• Cashew pieces - a few
• Ghee - 1 tsp

Method:

• Dry roast the chana dal until red.
• Mix the chana dal with washed rice, 1 cup milk and 1 1/2 cups water and cook in a pressure cooker until 1 whistle. Lower the flame and let cook for another 10 minutes.
• In a pan add jaggery and 1 cup water. Strain the syrup to remove dust / dirt.
• Boil the jaggery syrup and add the cooked rice and chana dal.
• Once it boils and becomes thick, add the remaining milk.
• Roast the cashews in ghee and add.
• Add cardamom powder and serve hot or cold.

Thengai mangai Chammandi (Mango / Coconut chutney)

Ingredients:

• Raw mango (preferably Totapuri / Kilimooku) - 1 peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
• Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Green chillies - 4 - 5
• Salt - to taste
• Jaggery - to taste
• Curry leaves - 4 - 5
• Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Cooking oil - 1 tsp

Method:

• Grind mango pieces, coconut, green chillies, salt and jaggery into a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan, add mustard seeds and urad dal. When the mustard seeds splutter and the dal turns red add curry leaves and asafoetida powder.
• Pour this onto the ground chutney and stir.
• Serve with plain rice / rice and molagootal.
  

Keerai Thandu (Spinach stem) Puzhukku

This is again a delicacy from God's own Country "Kerala". A traditional meal is considered incomplete without this delectable.


Ingredients:

• Spinach stem (washed and cut into 1/2 cm pieces) - 1 cup
• Whole green moong - 1/2 cup
• Red Chilli - 1
• Grated coconut - 2 tsp
• Curry leaves - a few
• Salt - to taste
• Jaggery - to taste
• Coconut oil - 2 tsp

Method:

• Dry roast the moong in a thick bottomed pan until it turns a deep red. Then soak this in water for 1/2 hour. Pressure cook the roasted, soaked moong.
• Cook the spinach stems with a little water in an open vessel until tender.
• Add salt, jaggery, cooked moong to the spinach stems and bring to a boil.
• Add the red chilli, curry leaves, grated coconut and turn off the stove.
• Add coconut oil and mix well.
• Serve hot with rice and rasam.

Variations:

1. Red chick peas or horse gram can be used instead of whole moong.

2. Spinach stems could be substituted with raw jackfruit, banana stem or raw bananas.

Coconut Powder / Thengai podi

Ingredients:

1 coconut - grated
Urad dal - 50 gms
Channa dal - 25 gms
Red chillies - 15 (vary as per taste)
Asafoetida - 2 tsp
Sesame seeds / Til (white) - 50 gms
Cooking oil - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method

• Dry roast the coconut in a deep bottomed pan until it turns a deep red. Set aside.
• Pour oil in the deep bottomed pan and add urad dal, channa dal and red chillies. Roast until it turns a deep red. Set aside.
• Roast sesame seeds separately until deep red and set aside.
• In a mixie, first grind roasted coconut into a coarse powder.
• Next grind roasted urad dal, channa dal and red chillies.
• Then add roasted sesame seeds, salt, asafoetida and grind coarsely.
• Mix and store the powder in airtight container in the refrigerator. This can be stored for more than a month.
• Serve with hot rice. Add oil to the rice if required.

Curry leaves (Karugapallai) powder

Ingredients:

Curry leaves (washed and dried in microwave) - 1 vessel of 1 ltr quantity

• Peppercorns - 4 tsp
• Cumin seeds / Jeera - 3 tsp
• Red Chillies - 2
• Asafoetida - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Urad dal - 2 tbsp

Method:

• Powder the curry leaves finely in a mixie.
• Dry roast all the other ingredients until the dal turns deep brown and grind into a coarse powder.
• Mix this powder with the curry leaves.
• Store in air tight containers. This can be stored for a couple of months without refrigeration.
• Serve with hot rice and ghee.

Idiappam

This is a traditional Keralite breakfast recipe.

Ingredients:

• Rice flour - 1 cup
• Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
• Coconut oil - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Water - as required

Method:

• Dry roast the rice flour in a thick bottomed pan until it starts changing colour. If you are able to make rangoli / kolam designs with the powder, it is done.
• Add salt and boiling water and mix with a ladle until it becomes a thick dough (chapatti dough consistency). Add coconut oil and stir.
• Put this dough in a idiappam press and make small rounds in an idli plate.
• Steam for 5 - 7 mins until the idiappam is cooked.
• Transfer to a serving plate, garnish with grated coconut and serve hot with vegetable stew.

Water apple (Chambakkai) pickle

Ingredients:

• Water apples - 20 - 25
• Red chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek (Methi) powder - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1/2 tsp

Method

• Clean and cut the water apples into 1/2 cm pieces.
• Pour oil in a thick bottomed pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add asafoetida, chilli and methi powder. Pour this onto the cut water apples.
• Add salt and stir.
• This can be served with curd rice / roti.

Puli Ingi

Ingredients:

• 1 ball tamarind (size of a sweet lime)
• Ginger - 25 gms
• Green Chillies - 10
• Urad dal - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
• Chana dal - 2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Sesame seeds / til - 1 tbsp
• Jaggery - as per taste
• Sesame seed oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method

• Extract pulp from tamarind.
• Pour oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add mustard seeds, urad dal and chana dal. When the seeds splutter and the dal turns brown add finely chopped ginger and green chillies.
• Fry for a minute. Add tamarind extract.
• When it boils add turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt.
• Let boil for 5 - 10 minutes.
• Dry roast sesame seeds and powder it.
• Add Jaggery to the tamarind extract and let boil for a few more minutes until the jaggery has blended well.
• Add sesame powder and immediately take the extract off the stove.
• Cool and store in airtight containers for 10 - 15 days.
• This can be served with rice / dosa.

Mixed vegetable Paneer subzi

Ingredients:

• Carrots - 2
• Potato - 1 big or 8 small round ones
• Peas - 100 gms
• Sweet corn kernels - 100 gms
• Tomatoes - 2 (deseeded)
• Capsicum - 1
• Onions - 2 small
• Paneer - 100 gms (crumbled)
• Sambar powder - 1 tsp
• Dania powder - 2 tsp
• Jeera powder - 1 tsp
• Kasuri methi - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Chopped Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp
• Cumin / Jeera seeds - 1 tsp
• Oil - 2 tsp

Method

• Clean and chop all vegetables into 1" cubes.
• Cook carrots, potatoes, peas and corn kernels in the microwave for 8 minutes.
• Pour oil in a thick bottomed pan and when hot add jeera. Add onions and fry till they become translucent.
• Add capsicum and fry till they are slightly tender. Add tomatoes pieces. Cover and cook on low flame for 2 minutes. If required add a little water.
• Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, sambar powder, salt and the remaining boiled vegetables. Cover and cook for 3 minutes on low flame.
• Add dania powder, jeera powder, kasuri methi and crumbled paneer. Stir well on medium flame for a minute.
• Add chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with chapattis.

Pulikuthi upperi - 1

This is a simple delicious recipe handed over to me by my mother. The main ingredient is raw bananas.

Ingredients:

Raw Bananas - 3

• Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized ball
• Raw Rice - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Red Chillies - 4 - 5
• Fenugreek / Methi seeds - 1 tsp
• Buttermilk - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida powder - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - a few
• Oil - 1 tsp

Method

• Wash the bananas, peel the skin, cut them into 2" long pieces with around 1/2 cm thickness.
• Take water in a vessel, add buttermilk and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Soak the raw banana pieces in this mixture.
• Dry roast raw rice, red chillies and methi seeds in a pan until the rice turns a deep brown.
• Cool and coarsely powder in a mixie.
• Extract the pulp from the tamarind and set aside.
• Strain and put the banana pieces into a thick bottomed pan. Pour tamarind extract and enough water to cover the bananas. Add turmeric powder and the prepared rice powder. Stir. Cook on a low flame.
• When the bananas are tender, pour oil in another pan, add mustard seeds and urad dal. when the mustard seeds splutter and the dal turns brown, add curry leaves. Pour this on the cooked banana and mix well.
• Serve hot with rasam / keerai molagootal.

There are different versions of pulikuthi upperi. Keep watching this space for the other versions.

Baingan Bharta

Ingredients:
1 large purple brinjal
2 large tomatoes
2 medium onions
1 tbsp curd
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
1 tbsp chopped coriander
Salt to taste
2 tsp oil

Method:

• Clean and dry the brinjal. Smear some oil on the skin of the brinjal and roast on a gas stove until the skin is charred. If you do not like the charred smell, put in the microwave for 3 - 4 mins.
• When the skin is charred and the brinjal cooked from the inside remove and set it aside to cool.
• In the meantime, puree the tomatoes and finely chop the onions.
• In a thick bottomed pan, pour some oil and when hot add the onions. Fry till light brown, add ginger paste, turmeric powder and the tomato puree.
• Bring to a boil. Remove the skin of the brinjal and mash the insides. Add to the pan. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Add chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt to taste.
• Beat the curd to remove lumps and add this to the cooked mixture. Let it simmer for a minute and remove from heat. Add chopped coriander and serve hot with chapatti or rice.

Venkazha (Onion) Karuvadam

Ingredients:

• Raw rice - 3 cups
• Sago rice - 1 cup
• Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• Asafoetida - 3 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Onion - 1/2 kg finely chopped
• Water - as required

Method:

• Soak sago rice overnight or for 8 - 10 hours.
• Clean and soak raw rice for 4 - 5 hours.
• Once the rice is soaked, grind into a fine paste in mixie / grinder. Add salt, chilli powder and asafoetida. Keep aside for 2 - 3 hours.
• Boil some water in a thick bottomed pan and add sago rice to it.
• Cook until it becomes transparent.
• When done, add the ground rice mixture little by little while stirring continuously. This needs to be done carefully to ensure that lumps are not formed.
• Continue stirring continuously for some time, adding more water if the mixture is too thick.
• Remove from the stove when the mixture acquires a shiny look and a thick paste like consistency.
• When cool add the finely cut onions and mix well.
• Lay this mixture on plastic sheets / mats in the shape of irregular balls (size of a gooseberry) and let it dry in the sun. It may take 2 - 3 days to dry completely.
• Store in airtight containers. This can be stored for a couple of years.
• When required, deep fry in oil and serve as starters or with rice and sambar / rasam.

Tip: Plan a day in advance. Soak sago and raw rice in the morning. Grind rice by noon. At night cook the mixture and set aside to cool over night. Add onions in the morning and dry in the sun.

Moru molagai

Ingredients:

• Green chillies (small bell shaped variety that are not very pungent) - 500 gms
• Curd
• Urad dal - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Fenugreek / Methi seeds - 1 tsp
• Salt

Method

• Wash the chillies thoroughly, trim their stalks (do not remove them completely, just cut the extra long ones) and slit them in the middle.
• Measure the chillies with a bowl. For every 3 bowls of chillies add 1 bowl of salt.
• Add curd until the chillies are completely soaked.
• Soak urad dal and methi seeds for 2 - 3 hours or until they are soft. Coarsely grind them and add to the chillies and curd.
• Stir the mixture and keep aside for 2 - 3 days stirring once or twice a day.
• Once they are soaked and the green colour changes to a light brown, dry them in the sun throughout the day.
• In the evening put them back into the remaining curd.
• Repeat this daily until the curd is completely soaked in by the chillies.
• Dry them nicely and store in airtight containers.
• When required, deep fry them in oil and serve with curd rice or dosa. They can also be added to coconut avil (poha), kara appam or kozhakattai instead of red chillies.

Mangai curry

A popular summer special that celebrates the beginning of the mango season!

Ingredients:

• Raw Mango - 1 (this can be made with any variety but the totapuri (also known as kilimooku) variety would taste best)
• Chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Fenugreek powder / menthya powder - 1/2 tsp (dry roast methi seeds till brown and powder)
• Asafoetida - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

• Cut the mango into small long pieces (as shown above).
• Heat the oil in a pan, add mustard seeds.
• When they splutter, add asafoetida, chilli powder, methi powder.
• Add this to the mango pieces.
• Add salt and stir.
• This can be stored in the refrigerator for about 10 days. Serve with rice, chapatti or dosa.