My experiments with cooking

Cabbage Thoran

2008-06-07T01:41:00.000-07:00

Thorans can be made with finely sliced carrots, beans, long runner beans, unripe jackfruit, beetroot and all leafy vegetables like spinach, drumstick leaves etc. Possibilities are endless!

Ingredients :
Grated Cabbage – 11/2 cup
Small Onion – 4
Green Chilly cut into small pieces – 3
Grated Coconut – 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder -1/4 tsp
Coconut oil - 2tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 flake
Cumin seeds - small pinch
Salt - to taste

Method:
Crush the grated coconut, turmeric, cumin, onion, and green chillies together and mix this with gratted cabbage and salt and keep aside. Season the mustard and curry leaves in oil and pour this into the above mixture and cook on a low flame, till done.

Parippu Curry

2008-05-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

One of the most simplest recipes - To make and eat!!!

Ingredients :
Lentils (green gram dal) - 1cup
Water - 3cups
Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
Salt - to taste
Ghee - 2tsp

Method :
Lightly fry the lentils in a pan. Boil 3cups water and add the washed lentils and turmeric powder. When it boils, lower the flame. When the lentil is cooked well, add salt to taste and ghee. Mix well and remove from fire.

Koottucurry

2008-05-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

I was in a mood to experiement and decided to try something which I have never tried. The taste is something which I remember for sure... I googled, I read many versions in my various cook books, called up one of my friends who is a specialist... Finally, I decided to go with my instinct and go ahead...

In kootucurry, a variety of vegetables and Bengal gram(Kadala) is used. The main difference between this curry and 'Aviyal' is addition of tamarind in Avial. So, lets start?

Ingredients
Bengal gram dal - 1/2cup
Pumpkin, snake gourd,
Long runner beans,
yam, Cucumber - 1/4kg (all put together)
Inner flesh of drum stick - 1/2cup
Grated coconut - 1/2cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
Green chillies - 3 (split them into 2)
Salt to taste

Coconut oil - 1/4cup
Mustard - 1tsp
White gram dal - 2dsp
Dried red chillies - 3 (each sliced into 3)
Curry leaves - 2sprigs
Ghee - 1dsp
Grated coconut - 1/4cup

Method :
Cook the bengal gram dal with salt and water to a thick gravy. Clean and cut the vegetables into small pieces. Par boil the vegetables by steaming. Grind 1/2cup grated coconut and mix it with turmeric powder and green chillies.
Heat oil and season mustard, white gram dal, dried red chillies and curry leaves. Add the ground coconut mixture. Saute for sometime, till the water dries. Add the cooked vegetables, salt and bengal gram dal. Saute well.
Heat 1dsp ghee and fry the 1/4cup grated coconut in it till golden brown. Add this to the koottucurry and mix well.

Its ready!

Fish Masala - With Pomfret / Mackarel

2007-10-15T04:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we bought pomfret and I didn't want to fry it nor curry it. I remembered a yummy fish masala my mom makes. I tasted the same thing in a restaurant in Bangalore(Little Home) sometime back. Anyways, my mom's recipe tastes a lot better. I didnt clearly know the recipe. As usual, i remembered the taste and decided boldly to go ahead! Let me share my recipe with you... You can use mackerel also instead of pomfret.

Ingredients:
2 Pomfret
3 thinly sliced onions
2 chopped tomatoes
6 green chillies grounded
8 garlic flakes grounded
1" ginger grounded
1/2 cup coconut milk
Salt as per taste
3 tbsp oil

Grind to a paste:
1/2 tsp corriander seeds
1/2 tsp cummin seeds
5 black pepper
2 cloves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp red chilli powder

Method
Cut the fish into 2 pieces and make 2 thin lines on the fish. Marinate the fish with salt, little pepper, red chilly and turmeric and keep aside for an hour. Heat oil and fry the fish lightly(You can fry it completely also) and keep aside. Those who are worried about oil content can keep the fish on tissue paper to drain more oil. Heat the oil, and fry the onions till golden brown. You can use the same oil which was used for frying. Add ginger-garlic-green chillies paste and stir for a minute. Add tomatoes and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the grounded paste and simmer for 1 minute. Add little water and quarter portion of coconut milk and let it boil for 2 minutes. When it starts boiling add the fish pieces. Again add quarter of coconut milk and little water. Once the masala is kind of dry and the rest of coconut milk and cook till done. Ideally it will be a semi gravy. If yours is not so, transfer the fish pieces without breaking to a serving dish and let the gravy become more dry by keeping it on fire. Once done, you can spread the semi dry gravy on fish pieces. Now you can serve it hot with rice.

Mine came out so well that my husband says that it is better than the restaurant one. I hope it is better than my mom's too;-)

Fish Curry

2007-07-28T01:32:00.000-07:00

I love fish - Let it be curried or fried. Let me share a fish dish with you. It is ideal when served with rice or boiled tapioca.

Ingredients:
Fish - 1/2 Kg
Coconut - Grated 1/2 cup or for straining milk -1
Red Chilli Powder- 2tbsp
Turmeric-1/2tsp
Cocum- 5-6 pieces
Salt to taste
Oil- 2tbsp
Curry Leaves- 1 sprig
Onion- 3-4 pieces

Method of Preparation:
Clean the fish well . Grind coconut well with red chilli powder and turmeric. Mix the fish with the ground masala, cocum, salt and sufficient water. Cook well in medium heat. When the gravy thickens add oil and crushed onions and curry leaves. Remove from fire and serve hot.

Variation:
1. The same can be made with coconut milk instead of ground coconut. Strain first milk (1/2 cup) and second milk (2 cups) from the grated coconut by adding water. Saute crushed onions, ginger (1 small piece), turmeric, red chilly powder in oil (or you can mix all the ingredients in the second milk and bring to a boil) Add the second milk, fish, salt and cocum. Boil on medium heat. When the fish is almost done and the gravy thickens add the first milk and remove from fire.

2. You can use onions and tomatos also if you like it. If so, heat oil and cook onion and tomato fairly well before adding the fish and other ingredients. I prefer cocunut milk rather than ground coconut when i prepare fish curry.

Tips:
Instead of cocum, raw mango pieces can be used. But taste varies. Again, you should remove cocum based on the flavour after cooking / keeping it for sometime.

Kachyamoru or Pulicherry

2007-07-28T01:06:00.000-07:00

Another easy to make dish... But I have yet another easy way to make moru curry which I will share after the typical kerala way of making moru curry.

Ingredients:
· Buttermilk - 4 cups
· Ginger Sliced - 3/4 dsp
· Grated coconut - 4 dsp
· Shallots - 2
· Green chillies - 6
· Turmeric - 1 piece
· Garlic - 2 cloves
· Cummin seeds - 1/4 tsp
· Salt

Seasoning:
· Ghee or oil - 2 dsp
· Sliced shallots - 1 dsp
· Curry leaves - 1 sprig
· Fried and powdered fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
· Mustard seeds and fenugreek - 1/2 tsp each
· Dry chillies - 2
· Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:
Grind the coconut, shallots, garlic and cummin seeds together. Slit the green chillies and cook it along with the ginger in salt solution in which ground turmeric is mixed. When almost dry, remove from fire and mix the buttermilk. Heat the oil, splutter the mustard and fenugreek and the curry leaves, put shallots and broken dry chillies. When the onion is fried remove from fire, put the chilly powder and fenugreek powder. Add the ground coconut put it back on fire and saute the coconut for sometime. Pour buttermilk diluting the coconut paste and stir well. When the butter milk is heated remove from fire and stir till cool.

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My easy way::
This is one dish which my husband is an expert.

1 thinly diced onion / 5 diced shalots
1 diced tomato
3 green chilles sliced
2 cup curd
1 sprig
Cummin seeds
Mustard
Chilly powder
Turmeric powder

Heat the oil, splutter the mustard and the curry leaves, put shallots/ onion, tomato and chillies. When the onion and tomato are properly cooked, put the chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt . Saute for sometime. Pour curd and stir well. When the curd is heated remove from fire and stir till cool.

You can put a little chicken / meat masala powder as well. It gives a nice taste;-)
Try it out!

Fish/ prawn Peera Pattichathu

2007-07-28T01:03:00.000-07:00

This is a semi dry dish made with fish, coconut and cocum. Usually whole small fishes like kozhuva/chooda and small sardines are used to make this preparation. This is a delicious dish if made with the right amount of ingredients.

Ingredients:
Fish - 1kg
Ginger - 1 medium piece
Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
Salt - to taste
Garlic flakes -2
Green Chilli- 1dsp
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Tamarind -Cocum (Kodampuli) - 4-5 pieces
Coconut Oil -2dsp
Onion - cup
Curry leaves

Method of Preparation:

Crush the grated coconut, ginger, turmeric, garlic, salt and Green chillies. Clean the fish well and mix it with the crushed ingredients in mud pot. Add tamarind and a little water and cook until done with most of the water evaporated. Season curry leaves and chopped onions in oil. Then add this mixture to the fish preparation and mix well.

Variation:

Small prawns can also be used to make this dish with the same ingredients. Here prawns are first cooked with 1-2 small pieces of cocum, salt and water. After seasoning, (mustard seeds are also seasoned), add the crushed ingredients to it and sauté for some time. Then add the cooked prawns kept aside to this mixture and keep on fire for some time. Serve hot.

Lady's Finger Kichadi

2007-07-28T00:53:00.000-07:00

Another typical Kerala dish...

Ingredients:
3.5 cup Lady's finger pieces
2 cup Thick Curd from 1/2 litre milk
2 Green chillies
3 Dry Red chillies
1 dsp Mustard
Half cupGrated coconut
2 springs Curry leaves
2 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation:
Slice the ladies finger in small round pieces. Fry lady's finger in oil till crisp. Ground coarsely grated coconut, green chillies and mustard. Season mustard, red chilli and curry leaves in 2 tsp oil. Lower the flame add curd and the ground ingredients. Keep stirring. Add fried ladies finger and salt. Remove from fire when it boils.

You can use Pavakkai (Bitter Gourd) instead of Ladies Finger as a variation.

Kadala Curry

2007-07-11T04:57:00.000-07:00

Kadala curry is another traditional dish of Kerala. Puttu can be accompanied with any savories of your choice, but Kadala Curry is considered to be its better half.

Ingredients:

Black ChickPeas (Kadala) - 1 cup
Sliced Onion - 1 medium
Sliced Green Chillies - 2
Sliced Tomato - 1/2
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Curry Leaves - a few
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
Chopped Coriander Leaves - 1 tbsp
Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
Mustard Seeds -1/2 tsp

Method:

Soak chickpeas overnight. Cook it in a pressure cooker adding enough water, salt, green chillies, half of ginger-garlic paste and half of sliced onion. Heat little oil in a pan and add grated coconut into it. Fry till light brown and remove it from the pan and clean it well. Keep aside to cool. When it is cooled, grind it along with 2 tsp of cooked chickpeas and coriander leaves. Again add oil into the same pan and add mustard seeds into it. When they pop, add the curry leaves and the rest of onion and ginger-garlic paste. Saute till the onion turn brown. Add all the maslas and tomato into it. Saute well. Add cooked chickpeas along with the water into the pan. Mix well and allow it to boil for 5 minutes. Just before switching off add ground mixture into the curry. Stir well and simmer it for 2 more minutes. Serve hot.
This goes well with Appam, Idiappam or Puri as well.

Puttu / Steam cake

2007-07-11T04:15:00.000-07:00

Ingredients :

Puttu powder / Rice flour - 2 Cup
Fresh Grated Coconut - 1 Cup
Salt - As Required
Water - As required

Method :

Mix powder in a bowl, add salt and add water little by little and mix well.The flour should be wet enough for steaming. If you are using rice flour, it is better if you can just warm it for a while in a low flame. Dont let the colour change. If you are using puttu powder,then no need to warm. Be careful while adding water - Add little by little to get the correct consistency.
Keep your puttu maker ready, now layer it with coconut and the flour mix. First layer it with some coconut, then puttu powder, then coconut again and so on.The last and the first layer will be coconut. Steam it for 5 - 8 mins on top of the cooker or the regular puttu maker.
When done serve hot with kadala curry or steamed plantains or mutton/ chicken curry or anything else. It tastes just good with most of the curries.

Note: After cooking it, if you let the vessel stand and cool for a few minutes, the Puttu will come out clean - Inbroken.

Pineapple Pachadi

2007-01-08T01:53:00.000-08:00

I love Hindu Weddings.... and off course sadya that follows... The below is one dish which makes a complete non vegetarian like me to stay back and enjoy a completely vegetarian sadya... Another dish which is a major attraction is palada pradhaman... I will share that recipe some other time.

Ingredients:
2 cups pineapple pieces (approx 1/2")
1/2 cup water
Salt as per taste
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp mustard
1 - 2 red chilli
1 tsp cumin seeds
3/4 cup grated coconut
1/2 cup of thick curd

For Seasoning:
2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
2 green chillies, slit
1/4 tsp urad dal
4-5 curry leaves

Method:
Grind together mustard, chilli and cumin seeds. Grind coconut into fine paste. Mix both and make it into a paste. Boil pineapple pieces in water with turmeric and salt. Cook till the pieces are tender. Add sugar and stir well. Cook till syrupy consistency. Add coconut mixture and remove from fire. Make sure it doesn’t get too watery. The mixture should be thick.

Heat oil. Add urad dal and then mustard seeds. After seeds splutter add green chillies and curry leaves. Put the seasoning in the pineapple mixture. Cook for 1-2 mins. Stir in yogurt and remove from fire. Be careful,not to boil it after adding yogurt. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Aviyal

2006-10-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

Aviyal is another typical kerala dish which has a unique place in a typical Kerala cuisine. It is considered an essential part of the Sadhya.
This is one dish I love with my heart and soul. It sure is an ingenuine way of making kids eat vegetables in a delicious form.

Ingredients:
1 raw banana, peeled and diced
1/2 cup yam peeled and diced
1 brinjal diced
2 carrot
1 tomato
6" piece snake gourd peeled and diced
2 drumsticks peeled and cut in3" pieces
1 medium sized cucumber/white pumkin/ snake gourd diced
5-6 string beans,strung and chopped to 1" pieces
1 large onion peeled and diced
1 cup coconut ground to a paste
2 stalks curry leaves
5 green chillies slit lengthwise
2 tbsp. tamarind pulp or paste as per taste
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
3/4 tsp. red chilli powder
salt to taste
2 tbsp. oil

Method:
Pour 1 cup water in large deep vessel.
Put to boil, add chilli and turmeric powders.
Add yam, banana, drumsticks, snakegourd, stringbeans, carrot.
Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add cucumber, brinjal, onion, tomato cook till tender but not mushy.
Add slit chillies, coconut paste, tamarind paste and simmer for 2 minutes.
Just before taking off fire, season with oil, mustard and curry leaves.
Serve hot with rice....

Suggestions:
The total sliced vegetables should total approximately five cups. When boiling add very little water if the veggies you add are rich in water (cucumber etc.) Add the sliced green chilies to the boiling vegetables if you don't like it too hot, else blend it with the coconut. Add the veggies that take longer to cook like plantain first, then beans etc. You can use tamarind/ curd /lime juice/raw mango for a little sour taste. You can season with mustard seeds if you wish but I prefer not to add any more oil (the coconut has enough of it). This dish can be made into a gravy and eaten with rice or be made into a semi-solid side dish.

Theeyal - Urulakizhangu - Ulli

2006-10-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

Theeyal is a Kerala special which has the typical kerala ingredient - Coconut...
But then theeyal is the only way I like to take bittergourd. The below is the method to make Urulakizhangu(potato) - ulli(onion) theeyal.

Variations: You can make theeyal in the same way with a variety of vegetables like bittergourd, brinjals, bottlegourd, gherkins, zucchini, potatoes etc. An interesting dish can be made the same way using cauliflower or broccoli too.

Ingredients
1/2 cup baby Onions peeled
3 mediun sized potatoes, peeled and diced into small pieces
1 stalk Curry leaves
2 whole Red Chillies
1/2 tsp. Mustard seeds
2-3 pinches Asafoetida
2 tbsp. Tamarind pulp thick
1/2 tsp. Sugar
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. Coconut Oil

For grinding:
1/2 cup Coconut grated
5 whole Red Chillies
1 tbsp. Coriander seeds
1/4 tsp. Cumin seeds
7-8 Peppercorns
1/4 tsp. Turmeric powder
1 tsp. Oil

Preparation
For grinding:
Heat oil in a small pan. Add coconut and roast till light brown. Add all other ingredients except turmeric. Stir-roast till aroma exudes. Add turmeric. Stir and cool. Powder fine. Keep aside.
To proceed:
Heat oil, add seeds, curry leaves, and whole chillies.
Allow to splutter, add asafoetida, potato and onions.
Saute for 4-6 minutes. Add browned spices and stir-cook.
Add 1 1/2 cups water, tamarind pulp, salt, sugar and bring to boil. Check whether potatoes are cooked properly.
Serve hot with plain hot steamed rice / roti.

Note: If you don't have whole red chillies and coriander seeds, Dont worry. You can use the powdered version. Just that you add the powder towards the end of roasting the coconut for grinding. Dont keep it long on. Please make sure that your diced potatoes are thin. This will reduce the cooking time. Another suggestion is about the amount of tamarind to be added. Decide the quantity based on your taste buds.