Raw Papaya Morkuzhambu

Hi friends,

 

I think this might sound awww on seeing Raw papaya. But it tasted yummy. We are forced to cut down our papaya tree two days back. I was left with no option other to nod my head :( . I felt very sad on that day as it was associated with me from seed stage. It gave us plenty of fruits for last three years and even at the last day of it survival. There were many raw papayas. Hence decided to try it in Morkuzhambu.

 

Here is my recipe

 

Ingredients:

• Diced papaya - 1 cup 
• Sour curd - 1 cup
• Small onion  - 6 nos (chopped finely)
• Tomato chopped - 3 tbsp

To Grind:

• Coconut - 2 tbsp
• Ginger - 1/4 inch
• Toor dhal - 1 tbsp (soaked for 20 mins)
• Green Chili - 1 No
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Pepper corn - 2 Nos

To Saute:

• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1 pinch
• Bengal gram - 1/2 tsp
• Dry chilli - 2 nos
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• hing / Asafoetida - a pinch
• Curry leaves - 1 twig

 

Method:

1. Pressure the papaya with a pinch of tumeric powder and  salt.
2. Grind all the items given for grinding in to smooth paste.
3. Mix the grounded paste with the curd and beat well and add water as required and keep it as side.
4. Heat the oil in a pan, add the items under To Saute one by one and fry
5. To this add chopped onion and fry till it is slender and tomato, cooked papaya and salt to it and allow it to cook for 2 minutes.
6. Now add the curd mix to it and when the bubbles starts appearing, switch it off and add few curry leaves to it.

Goes well with rice.

 

 

 

Thanks for visiting.

Peas kachori with Spicy Dum Aloo

Hi friends,

This month's treat from SNC challenge for South team is Peas kachori with Dum aloo.  This was hosted by Sanoli- a great cook. I have not prepared or tasted this food in my life. I got a chance to prepare myself and taste. I really heaven. All in my family is now addicted to this dish. thanks sanoli and specially Divya Pramil for announcing this event. Here goes my recipe.

Ingredients:

For Dum Aloo:

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 200 gm (since i didn't get baby potatoes, i used the normal one)
• Green peas(boil this for 10 mins) - 100 gm
• Ginger chopped - 1/2 tbsp
• Tomato - 1 finely chopped
• chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Fresh garam masala(roasted & powder)- 1 clove,1 small piece of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Hing / asfoetida - a pinch
• Plain Yoghurt - 1/2 cup
• Salt - to taste
• Sugar - 1/2 tbsp

To Saute:

• Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Bay leaf - a small piece
• Cinnamon - a small piece
• Oil - few

Method:

• Pressure cook potatoes and peel the skin and dice it into small cubes and keep it aside.
• Now heat 3 tbsp of oil and add the diced potatoes and fry til it becomes brown colour.
• Remove the potatoes and keep it aside.
• Now add two tbsp in the same kadai and add fennel seeds,bay leaf and cinnamon.
• Add chopped ginger and hing and saute well.
• Now add tomato and fry till it becomes slender.
• Add green peas,turmeric powder,cumin powder,chilli powder,garam masala,sugar and salt.saute them well.
• Add fried potatoes and add little to it and allow it to cook for few minutes.
• Finally add yoghurt to it and stir well for two minutes.
• Now switch off the flame. Spicy Dum aloo is ready.

 

To Prepare Kachoris:

For Dough:

• Maida - 200 gm
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp

For stuffing:

• Green peas - 100 gm
• Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger - 1/2 inch
• Fennel & Cumin seeds (dry roasted)- 1/2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Sugar - 1/4 tbsp

To saute:

• oil - 1 tbsp
• Hing / asfoetida - 1 pinch

Method:

• Mix maida ,salt and oil.Add water little by little and knead well. Dough should be like the dough made for chapatis.
• Now grind coarsely the ingredients listed under for stuffing.Add little water while grinding
• In a kadai, heat 1 tbsp of oil ghee and add hing and then the grounded paste. Stir well until the raw smell goes off and once it gets non sticky to the pan and switch off the flame.
• Now make small balls out of dough and gently press it to make a cup shape and take a spoon of green peas mixture and place it to the centre of it .
• Cover all the sides to make ball shape.Now roll the stuffed ball into a small poori.
• Follow the above steps to make rest of the balls.
• In a kadai heat the oil for deep frying and fry the pooris and drain using tissue paper.
• Green peas kachori is ready.

Brinjal Kosthu / Chutney

 Ingredients

Brinjal -4 Nos
Potato -1 nos
Tomato -2 nos
Chopped onion - 1 cup
Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Sambhar powder - 1/2 tbsp

For Seasoning:
Oil -1 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Hing - a pinch
For garnishing - Few curry leaves & Corriander leaves

Method:

1. Chop the Veggies and onion and tomato.
2. Pressure all the veggies, onion, tomato and all the powders to together.
3. Allow it to cook for 2 whistle or for 10 mins.
4. Now open the lid add salt, curry leaves and corrinader leaves to it and mash it coarsely with a masher.
5. In a pan heat 1 tbsp of oil and add mustard to it and allow it to splutter and then add hing and then add this to the mashed kosthu.
6. Brinjal kosthu is ready. Serve it with hot idli's and Dosa's.

Variation:
You can 1/2 cup of cooked moong dhal to it and it will be a good side dish for chappati / rotis.

Thandu Keerai Poriyal

Ingredients:

Thandu Keerai-2 bunch
Big Onion-1
Salt to taste
Coarsely powdered Peanut Powder-2tsp

For Seasoning:
Oil-4tsp
Mustard-1tsp
Urad dhal-1/2tsp
Bengal gram dhal - 1/2 tsp
Red chilles-2 Nos

Method:

1.Wash & chop the greens .
2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the ingredients under seasoning. Then add onion & saute till brown.
3. Add the Keerai and cook it untill it done.
4. Before removing from fire add powdered peanut and allow it to cook for 2 minutes
5. Serve with hot rice and ghee, tastes good.

 

Coconut Thuvayal

Ingredients:

Grated Coconut – 1/2 cup
Urad dhal – 1tsp
Red chillies – 2 Nos
Tamarind – a small cherry size
Hing – a pinch
Oil – 1tbsp

Salt - To taste

 

For Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1/4tsp

Curry leaves - a few

Method:
1. Heat 1tsp of oil in a pan. Add hing and fry the red chillies, urad dhal for 2 minutes.
2. Grind it coarsely with the tamarind & salt by adding very little water.
3. Season it with the mustard seeds and curry leaves
4. Goes well with Idli, Dosa, Chappati and Rice.

 

 

Keerai Kuzhumbu / Gravy

Ingredients:
Keerai (Any green) - chopped finely one cup
Toor dhal - 1/2 cup
Tamarind - small lemon size
Sambar powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - ¼ teaspoon
Salt – to taste

For seasoning:
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard – ½ tsp
Fenugreek seed – ¼ tsp
Asafoetida – a pinch
Curry leaves – few
Small onion – 6 Nos
Tomato – 1 (Chopped finely)

Method:

1. Wash toor dhal and add two cups of water along with a pinch of turmeric powder and pressure cook it along with chopped greens.
2. Soak tamarind in water and squeeze out the juice adding required water to make one cups of tamarind water.
3. In a kadai put the oil and when it is hot, add mustard. When it pops up, add fenugreek seeds and asafoetida and sauté it for a second and add onion and until it turns to golden colour. Now add chopped tomato to it and cook till it mashed well.
4. Add cooked dhal & greens along with salt and stir well. When it starts boiling, add tamarind water along with sambar powder and stir well. Allow to boil for 3 to 5 minutes.
5. It is ready to serve with Ragi balls, Chappati & rice.

Thanks for visiting.

 

Banana Stir fry

Ingredients:
Raw banana - 1 No
Chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3 tbsp
Asafoetida - a pinch

Method:

1.Wash & cut the bananas into thin slices.
2.Mix it with chilli powder, Asafoetida and salt and allow it to marinate for 15 mins.
3.In a pan, heat the oil and fry the banana until it is cooked.
4.Tasty banana fry is ready

Thanks for visiting.

Keerai Milagootal

Milagootal is one of the traditional dish of Kerala. It is less spicy and good for all. It can be made with mixed keerai, cabbage and mixed veggies(raw banana, pumpkin, chenna). The below recipe is my version of milagootal with Keerai(spinach).

Ingredients:
Keerai/ spinach – 1 bunch(i used chirukeerai)
Toor dal – ¾ cup
Turmeric powder – ¼ tbsp
Hing/ Asafoetida – a pinch
Salt to taste

To grind:
Grated coconut - ½ cup
Urad dhal –1 ½ tbsp (roasted in oil)
Red chillies – 2 Nos(roasted in oil)
Jeera – ½ tbsp
Pepper corns – 3 Nos

For seasoning:
Oil – 1 tbsp(I used coconut oil)
Mustard – ½ tbsp
Currey leaves – a few

Method:

1. Wash, then drain and chop the spinach/ keerai and pressure cook for a whistle and keep it aside.
2. Pressure cook the dhal with turmeric powder & hing and keep it aside.
3. Heat a few drops of oil in a pan and fry the urad dhal and 2 broken red chillies until the dhal turn light brown colour. Now grind it along with coconut,jeera and pepper corns into a smooth paste.
4. Smash the cooked greens and mix it with cooked dhal, grounded masala and salt and allow it to boil for 5 minutes (add enough water to get pouring consistency).
5. Switch off the flame.
6. Now heat the remaining oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds when they splutter, add the curry leaves, pour into the keerai milagootal.
7. It can be served along with rice, chappati, dosa and idli or simply have it like a soup.

For Childrens:
Add a spoon of ghee with milagootal with hot rice.

Coconut milk gravy

Ingredients:
Small Potato - 1/4 kg(peel the outer skin)
Beans - 6 Nos (chop into 1 inch size)
Coconut milk - extract milk from 1 coconut(keep the 1st & 2nd milk separately)
Moong dhal - 100 gm
Small onion - a handful
Tomato - 1 No
Salt - as required
Oil - 2 tbsp

To grind:
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Poppy seeds - 2 tbsp
Cashews - 8 Nos
Green chillis - 4 Nos

For Seasoning:
Cloves - 2 Nos
Cinnamon  - 1/2 inch
Curry Leaves - a few

Method:

1. Pressure cook the moong dhal along with potatoes and beans for two whistle.
2. In a pan, heat the oil,add the item under for seasoning and saute. Add small onions and fry till it becomes translucent and now add tomatoes and cook for a while.
3. Now add the 2nd coconut milk and salt.Once it comes to boil,add the cooked dal along with vegetables.
4. Alow it to boil for 2 minutes and add grinded masala to it and cook for 5 mins.
5. Once the raw smell goes off, add the 1st coconut milk & coriander leaves.Once the gravy comes to boil,switch off the flame.
6. This can served along with hot rice and chappatis.

How to extract coconut milk:
First grind the Coconut with 100ml water(approx) and extract the coconut milk from it (1st coconut milk).After extraction,again grind the same coconut with 100ml water(approx) and extract the coconut milk once again(2nd coconut milk).

Potato fry

Potato fry - best accomplishment for everything(Rice varieties, chappati, etc). It might everyone's favourite. Here goes my recipe...

Ingredients :
Potatoes - 2 Nos
Sambhar powder - 1 teaspoon
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Crushed garlic pods - 3 Nos
Oil - 3 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Chop the potatoes in to small pieces.
2. In a pan heat oil, add mustard. When the it splutters , add chopped potatoes, sambhar powder and salt. Fry in a medium or low flame for 10 15 min till the potatoes are cooked.
3. Tasty Potato fry is ready.

Spinach / Keerai Masiyal & Spinach Rice

Keerai / Greens  -  It is necessary for kids. Since it rich in iron and protein, it is good to consume it atleast once in a week.
Kids may not like it if you give them in poriyal form. Hence try my keerai Masiyal recipe. Certainly they will love to eat.

Ingredients:

Spinach / Palak - 1 Bunch

Small onion - 5 Nos

Tomato - 1 No(small in size)

Salt - To Taste

Sugar - a pinch

For Seasoning:

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Urdhal - 1 teaspoon

Red chilli - 1 No

Method:

1. Clean & wash the spinach and then finely chop it.
2. In a pan, add 1/2 tbsp of oil and fry the onions & tomato separately and keep it aside.
3. In the same pan add spinach,salt and cook it till it becomes soft.
4. Now grind the cooked spinach in a mixer along with onion and tomato.(You can just pulse it for 2)
5. In a separate pan, add oil and once it becomes hot, add mustard seeds and allow it to sputter and then add urad dhal.
6. Now add broken chillis to it and fry for a while and add this to the grounded spinach and mix it well.

Yummy Spinach / keerai masiyal is ready.

For Keerai Sadham for kids:

Method:

1. Add the keerai masiyal along with spoon of ghee to hot plain rice and mix it well.
2. Keerai sadham /Spinach rice is ready.

Idli Sambhar & Soft Idlis

Ingredients:

Carrot - 1 No

Beans - 5 No

Tomato - 1 No

Brinjal - 1 No

Potato - 1 No

 

Green Chilli - 1

Tamarind - 1 gooseberry size

Salt - To Taste

Moon Dal - 1/2 Cup

Sambar Powder - 1 1/2 tbsp

 

 

For Seasoning:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Curry leaves - few

 

For Garnishing:
Coriander leaves - few

Method:

1. Pressure cook the moong Dal and smash it and keep it aside.
2. Soak the tamarind in water for sometime and extract the juice and keep it aside.
3. Clean the vegetables and chop into 2" pieces.
4. Cut the green chilli lengthwise.
5. Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and wait till it sputter, now add curry leaves, greenchilli and vegetables and fry for a while.
6. Add water to this and allow the veggies to cook.
7. When the vegetables are almost cooked, add the tamarind extract, sambhar powder and salt.
8. When the sambar starts to boil add the smashed Dal and stir well
9. Garnish with coriander leaves.

 

    The mouth-watering Idly Sambar(Gotsu) is ready.

 

How can i miss the recipe of making soft idlis. Making of soft idli is really a skill. For many it won't come properly. I will tell you the secret of making soft idlis and here it goes..

 

Ingredients:

Boiled rice-4 cups

Raw rice-1 cup

Urad dhal-1 cup (Urad dhal with skin makes the idlis more soft - only after soaking for hours,the outer skin will come out )

Fenugreek seeds-1 to 1 1/2 tbsp

Salt - as required

 

 

Method:

1. Soak the boiled rice and the raw rice together for 4 to 5 hours.
2. Soak the black gram separately with fenugreek seeds. (Duration can be upto 1 hour)
3. Grind the black gram first, till the batter is very soft and frothy. Add water in intervals little by little. Now take it out in a container and keep aside.
4. Now grind the rice very finely. Mix both batters well with enough salt by using your hand.
5. The batter should not be either very thick or very watery. Water should not be added the next day. Then the idlies will not be very soft. The batter should be kept in a large container so that there is enough space for the batter to rise. Allow the batter to ferment for at least 8 hours.(this step is very important)
6.  In the morning, mix well the batter, pour in greased idli plates and steam for 12 minutes.

Softy idlis are ready..

 

 

Kadala curry

Kadala curry is one of the traditional dishes of Kerala. It goes well with Puttu, Appam, Dosa, Idly and Chapattis.

Ingredients:

Black Channa - 2 cup
Big onion - 2 No
Shredded coconut - 1 cup
Garlic - 2 pods
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Roasted gram: 1 tbsp
Dhania powder: 1 tbsp
Cumin : 1/2 tbsp
Chilli Powder: 1/2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - as required

For seasoning:

Mustard: 1/4 tbsp
Cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch
Fennel seeds - a pinch
Chopped onion - 2 tbsp

For Garnishing:
Curry leaves & corriander leaves

Method

1. Pressure-cook the black channa with salt.
2. In a kadai saute the cumin, coriander, roasted gram, ginger, garlic, onion and coconut. Then add dhania & chilli powders to it. Allow it to cool and grind the mixture in to a fine paste.
3. Now pour 1 tbsp of oil and saute mustard, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds and onions. Saute until the onions turn brown. Add the ground masala and saute it for 2 minutes. Then add the cooked black channa and ½ cup of water and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add salt for taste.

Garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Vatral Kuzhambu

Ingredients:
Manathakkali / Sundakkai vatral- 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tbsp
Sambhar Powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
Tamarind- a big lime size
Salt to taste

To Saute:
Gingelly oil- 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds- 1/2 sp
Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tbsp
Asafoetida- 1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves- 10 leaves
Bengal gram- 1 1/2 tbsp
Red chillies-3

Method:
1.Soak the tamarind in warm water for 15 Mins and extract its juice.
2. Heat a pan and pour the 2 tbsp of gingelly oil.
3. Add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the cumin and fenugreek seeds
4. When they start to turn to light brown colour add the Bengal gram, red chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida along with the vatral. Fry them for few minutes
5.Add the tamarind juice with the sambar powder and salt
6.Let it boil for a few minutes
7.When the gravy is thickened, pour the remaining oil and wait for a minute and turn off the flame

Serve this with hot rice, ghee, pappads!

Kathirikai ketti Kuzhambu

Ingredients:Brinjal (small size)- 6 Nos(cut into 4 half portions and soak in tumeric mixed water)
Tamariand paste - 4 tbsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt to tasteTo Grind:Big Onion - 2 Nos
Tomato - 2 Nos
Coconut Grated - 3 tbsp
poppy seeds - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Sambhar powder - 1/2 tbsp
Jeera - a pinch
Cashew - 4 NosTo Saute:Gingely Oil - 3 tbsp
Mustard - 1/2 tbsp
curry leaves - a few

Method:
1. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a kadai and fry onions untill it becomes slender. then add tomatoes to it and fry for a minute. To this add all powders and saute for a minute and put off the flame.
2. Allow it to cool for some time and grind along with the ingredients mentioned in to grind.
3. Heat the rest oil in a kadai, add mustard, asafoetida, curry leaves and brinjals. Close it with a lid. after 5 mins open the lid and add tamarind paste to it. Wait untill the brinjals get cooked.
4. Now add the grinded paste and mix well.
5. close the lid and let it boil for 5 mins.
6. Cook untill the oil separates.
7. Switch off the flame. The tangy brinjal ketti kuzhambu is ready
It goes well with Idli, Dosa, Rice and chappati

Tomato Kurma

Ingredients:

Tomatoes -4 (Chopped)
Onion-1 (sliced)
Split green chillies-4
Bay leaves-2
Cardamom-2
Cinnamon-1/2 inch
Finely chopped coriander-2 tbsp
Fennel seeds- a pinch
Oil- 3 tbsp
Salt to taste

To Grind:

Shredded coconut- a handful
Cashew nuts-4 Nos
Fennel seeds - 1/4 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Put some oil in a pan and heat it.
2. To the above, add the cardamoms, cinnamon, bay leaves and the fennel seeds.
3. When they start to splutter add green chillies and onion and fry them till onion turn to slender.
4. Add the tomatoes and salt and cook them until the oil floats on the surface.
5.Grind the coconut with the cashew nuts to a fine paste and add this to the tomato mixture.
6. Add enough salt and water and boil them for a few minutes up to desired consistency.

The delicious kuruma is ready now. Goes well with chappathi, idli.

Variation: You can use a tbsp of fried gram instead of cashew nut