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Sunday, October 14, 2007

Pavakka Puli Inji


“Pavakka puli inji…huh? Did I hear it rite?” “ Pavakka kondu puliyinjiyo.” “ Sounds really weird…. Never heard before…. How do u make it or rather how does it taste?” These are some of the excerpts of audient feedback whenever I tried to share the intriguing taste of this rather unfamiliar dish with others; leaving me quite mortified as if I’d made something forbidden. Even though all Keralites would be familiar with the beguiling dish called Puli inji (also known as Inji curry in certain areas though I still believe both are not one and the same), there are many who raise an eyebrow to this rather pioneering dish called Pavakka puli inji. Guess it’d really take some mettle to convince those tough conservative minds!!! ;-)

Talking about Puli inji, as you all would know, is really a breath taker, especially when served on your plates as an accompaniment with rice and curd. It also goes really well with spiced rice like biriyanis or pulaos as a side dish along with salad and pappadum. A must in Kerala sadhyas (feasts) as a thottu kootan, it indeed is served in “microscopic” amounts as the name suggests…that too without a second round of helping…literally conveying that thottu koottiyal mathi…adhikam kazhikkanda. :( But the fact remains that its’ luscious taste tempts you to have it in immensity especially if it is homemade. At least it doesn’t necessarily call for a special occasion to have generous helpings. ;) So when made in bulk at home, I usually have it thrice a day, for breakfast with dosas/idlis, for lunch as a side dish and for dinner as well… often finding my Amma (an ardent puli inji lover) murmuring behind me with a frown, “Nee athu muzhuvanum theerkkum” followed by a shout “Kurachu enikku koodi vaikkane”. ;-p Kya kare? Can’t simply resist that gorgeous taste…. A taste that takes you a long way, in fact leaving you yearn for more and more till the whole container is emptied!!! :D

Now though the title suggests the usage of Pavakka, tamarind and ginger, the irony in the recipe is that this dish is infact made without actually using ginger. Basically, this dish follows the same procedure of that of the authentic puli inji. Hence the resultant name with that tag. And a striking feature of this dish is that it in fact blends or assimilates all the taste flavours in it like bitterness thru pavakka, sweetness thru jaggery and the spiciness thru green chillies…all the three in the tangy sauce of tamarind. A classic example of integration of all flavours in one dish thereby making it one of the most outstanding dishes or rather thottu kootan of Kerala cuisine.

Though I’m not too sure about the original mastermind behind this dish, probably a result of some sort of serendipity by my ancestors, I would like to credit this recipe source to my Amma, who makes this pavakka puli inji with utmost poise and precision.

So, this is how this simple and delicious dish goes….

You’d require
A medium sized Pavakka (Bittergourd)
5 – 6 medium sized Green chillies
A lemon sized ball of Tamarind (Puli)
A medium sized ball of Jaggery (Sharkkara)
A pinch of Turmeric powder
Salt – As required

For tempering:-
A tbsp of Coconut oil
A tsp of Mustard seeds
2 – 3 broken Dry red chillies
A few Curry leaves

PS – Do adjust the quantities for green chillies and jaggery accdgly. You can also add a tsp of finely chopped ginger.

Method:-
1) Wash the pavakka well and deseed it.
2) Cut it into thin slices of around 1 cm length.
3) Soak the tamarind in warm water.
4) Heat a tsp of oil in a pan.
5) Sauté the above pavakka pieces and finely chopped or slit green chillies in it along with turmeric powder until the pavakka turns soft and cooked. Do not fry it. Keep it aside when done.
6) Heat a spoon of oil in the same pan.
7) Splutter the mustard seeds and sauté the dry red chillies and curry leaves.
8) Add the sautéed pavakka into it.
9) Squeeze the tamarind well and add that extract along with the water into the pan and mix well.
10) Add the grated jaggery and mix well again.
11) Add salt and let it simmer for sometime until the gravy becomes thick.
12) Check for salt and sweetness and adjust accdgly.

Though I’m sure that even the pavakka haters would highly relish this dish, for all those hard-core pavakka haters, you can follow the same procedure to make Puli inji instead; in which case, simply substitute the pavakka with around 100 gm of finely chopped ginger and sauté it along with 10 odd green chillies.

Absolutely easy to make and light on the ingredients, you can make puli inji with or without pavakka in bulk or in small quantities, refrigerate in a container and take it for use when required.

So, there, you have another absolutely rocking dish from the exotic world of Kerala cuisine, which is sure to slake the tastebuds of those who are looking to have something naadan for lunch. Believe me, this is a must try at all costs…something that’s sure to bring a few navarasas on your face. ;-p

So, on that arty note, happy cooking!!!

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posted by Viji at 9:14 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Pavakka Puli Inji

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Naadan Rasam


Rasam…an aromatic ingestion usually given as a second course serving especially in Sadhyas (feasts) undoubtedly making it another featured and inseparable part of Kerala cuisine. A truly enticing dish served to lighten those crammed tummies after those heavy sumptuous meals…. Popularly tagged as “South Indian soup” around the globe, rasam marks its way as another sparkling example of the South Indian cuisine….

Rasam, in layman’s terms, can be described as a watery or thinned soup like drink spiced with lots of mild spices backed by a few herbs and a few tomatoes or tamarind to add zing to it…. And needless to say about the final garnishing of the coriander leaves that leaves the whole vicinity absolutely aromatic and captivated for a while. Though the basic guiding principles to make a rasam are almost the same universally, the usage of the ingredients and some of the steps varies in each household leaving their own imprint in the world of Rasam recipes.

As cited before, one of the notable features of rasam is that it incorporates lots of spices and herbs…and thereby making it primarily eminent in medicinal values…. A bare intake of plain rasam is highly healthy as it aids in digestion especially after a heavy meal…quite reminding me of the Rasam powder ad shown on TV. :) And not to mention about the Pepper rasam (made with lots of pepper) which is extremely useful to get quick relief from common cold and congestion. Cheapest way to recuperate!!!! :-P

So, here’s my amma-in-law’s version of a simple and naadan rasam made with home made rasam powder.

You’d require
3 – 4 large ripe Tomatoes
A very small cube of Jaggery (Sharkkara)
A piece of Asafoetida/Hing
½ tsp of Turmeric powder
Lots of Curry leaves
Lots of Coriander leaves

To grind:-
A tbsp of Red gram/Toor dhal/Thuvaraparippu
2 tbsp of Coriander seeds
1 tsp of Peppercorns
4 – 5 Dry red chillies
1 tsp of Cumin seeds
5 – 6 Garlic pods

For tempering:-
1 tsp of Mustard seeds
2 – 3 broken Dry chillies
4 - 5 Small onions
A tbsp of Oil

Method:-
1)Chop the tomatoes into fine pieces.
2)Lightly dry roast or heat the ingredients for grinding in a small pan. Pls make sure you don’t roast it too much.
3)Allow it to cool a bit and then grind it to a fine powder.
4)Heat oil in a pan.
5)Splutter the mustard seeds and sauté the broken dry chillies, finely chopped small onions and curry leaves.
6)Add the tomatoes and mix well.
7)Sauté the tomatoes a bit. Pls do not reduce it to pulp. The tomatoes should only be lightly mashed and the chunks should remain as such.
8)Add the turmeric powder and mix well again.
9)Add the required amount of water followed by the crushed powder.
10)Add salt and mix well.
11)Add chopped coriander leaves and asafoetida and simmer it for some time.
12)Add the jaggery piece to it and stir well.
13)When it starts to bubble, switch off the flame.
14)Cover it so as to lock the flavour.
15)Serve warm with rice.

Alternatives available:-
1)You can also add another chopped lot of fresh coriander leaves before serving.
2)You can substitute the tomatoes with a lemon sized tamarind.
3)You can cook the dhal separately and add it instead of grinding to a powder. But grinding is much easier as it saves a lot of time.
4)You can also alter the quantity of garlic, red chillies and pepper accdgly.
5)You can also substitute the ingredients for grinding with their respective powders and give more of a reddish hue to it. However, I suggest this method for best results.
6)Inclusion of jaggery or a tsp of sugar is a must as it tends to stabilize the taste factor.
7)Though I’ve started off the cooking procedure with the tempering, you can skip it if preferred, and start out with sautéing the tomatoes and save the tempering part to the end.

Anyways, at the end of it all, you’ll have a pot of fresh n spicy rasam to be guzzled down for lunch with rice and other trimmings. An absolutely naadan treat for a change!! A must try delicacy which’d definitely leave you all with something to cheer about for lunch.

And a final word to those down with flu, look no further. Have a glass of piping hot rasam and I’m sure you’ll definitely do away with your illness and would be on your way to reinstate your health before long.

So, on that get well note, happy cooking!!!

PS Inspiration for this Blog recipe - My Flu hit family since past one week :-(

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posted by Viji at 5:28 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Naadan Rasam

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Naadan Kappa Puzhukku


Kappa puzhukku…God’s own country’s gift to all the foodies out there and thus leaving its very own mark in the world cuisine overall. Equally appreciated by all, Kappa Puzhukku needs absolutely no intro to those familiar with Kerala cuisine. An extremely popular name in Kerala households, it is one of my personal favourites too. And it seems that this dish has in fact been formulated to suit all palates; irrespective of all ages and class. And so rightly it does!!!

Puzhukku, to a layman, can be basically described as cooked mushy veggies or tubers or fruits in a mildly spiced coconut base. Though the most common puzhukku are the ones made with Kappa (Tapioca) and Jackfruit (Chakka), there’s also a third naadan version of puzhukku made with all the mushy tubers on the special occasion of Thiruvathira popularly known as “Thiruvathira puzhukku”. Kappa puzhukku is relished at its best when served with its finest accompaniment…yes of course…our own naadan fish curry. And for vegans, I believe we have to settle on a small or rather a liberal helping of simple Ulli chammanthi or Kanthari mulaku chammanthi. But no complaints as long as it continues to be heavenly….:-P

So, here’s how the simple recipe for this great dish goes….

You’d require
500 gm Kappa(Tapioca)
3 – 4 nos green chillies
½ cup grated coconut
½ tsp Cumin seeds
½ tsp Turmeric powder
4 – 5 garlic pods
A few curry leaves
Salt – As required
A tbsp of Coconut oil


Method:-
1)Chop kappa into pieces.
2)Cook it along with salt in a pressure cooker, till done.


3)When done, drain off the excess water using a colander/strainer.


4)Grind together grated coconut, cumin seeds, garlic, curry leaves and turmeric powder along with a little water into a coarse form.
5)Heat up a pan or a kadai.
6)Add the cooked and mashed kappa pieces along with the coconut mixture and allow it to cook.
7)Stir well.
8)Check for salt and adjust accdgly.
9)Simmer till all the water gets evaporated and it becomes dry.
10)Top it with coconut oil and a few fresh curry leaves.

Pls note that you can also make it in gravy like consistency, in which case, you need to add a little more water and stir, making sure you don’t make it too dry. And since I don’t like it in a gravy form, I’ve made it quite dry as shown in the pic.


You can also alter the quantity of coconut and garlic accdgly. The procedure for Chakka Puzhukku is almost the same except that you need to cook the jackfruit’s fleshy pieces (Chakka chola) in a pan (not pressure cooker) along with a little turmeric powder and salt; then add the coconut mixture and when done, top it with coconut oil. Your puzhukku is ready within no time to be served with your favourite side dish.

Before wrapping up, I’d like to share with you a small personal episode this dish brought along while penning this recipe. I was taken to the distant past and was reminiscing down those lanes of childhood; in due course was found mirrored with a few vague images of a small incident. A rather poignant scene of my mother serving a generous portion of kappa puzhukku into my plate and looking at me with her affectionate eyes; hoping to see me finishing off the whole thing. And me on the contrary looking at her as she serves that sticky and mushy thing; with a plea in my eyes and hoping that she won’t make me eat the whole thing. And before I cud say anything, she’d say, “Mole, ithu muzhuvanum kazhikkanam, ithu nallathanu” (Dear, you must eat it fully, it’s good for your health). And I wud coy around for a while and then would come a rather stuttering answer, “ Amma…enikku venda. Enikku ithu ishta…malla” (Mom, I don’t want this as I don’t like it). This so-called dialogue cum performance would go on for a while when it’d ultimately reach its optimum…. And then the scenes wud become more dramatic and ferocious; with lots of emotional blackmailing and threatening to tag on and then I'd sheepishly succumb to her desires; quickly gulp down the whole thing, wipe off the plate clean and try hard to hide the utter despair and frown on my face. :P

Since then, around two decades have elapsed. The backdrop still remains the same; but there has been a tiny change in the characters played. Today, it was me who was serving a small portion onto my little one’s plate with love and tender, with a hope and plea in my eyes that he’d have at least a bite of it. And not surprisingly enough, it was now his turn to glare at me with those tiny and meek eyes, which says it all; followed by a threatening look for giving him something he detests... :-( And honestly, I stand there dumbstruck contemplating on my next move; shud I go for blackmail or counter threats or rather replace the dish?? Guess the last one wud be the best choice…. Will definitely save lots of time and energy for both of us…. :D

And the ironical fact is that in both the situations, I was at the receiving end of threats. And strangely enough, my amma who was witnessing the whole episode, had infact come to his rescue immediately, offering him a substitute food. And now it was my turn to glare at her; trying hard to find the reasons for such contradictory actions on her part. And there…she was simply walking off with a chuckle to the kitchen to get something else that’d satisfy her grandson’s appetite…leaving me infact quite perplexed all along. :(

Life can be so funny at times. The attitudes of the people have become so vulnerable to emotions and circumstances. You change as you grow or you grow as you change…. Too confusing? :) Well, I guess all grandparents are like that…. You can never understand them…. Moms are after all moms and can never be like grandmas and grandmas can never be like moms. Rather confusing again…. Maybe, I’ll get the point when I become a grandma myself…. But too long a way to go…. :-)

So, on that elongated note, happy cooking!!!

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posted by Viji at 4:48 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Naadan Kappa Puzhukku

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Soya Chunks Curry Masala


Soya chunks…a synonym for vegetable meat that seems to be gaining immense popularity off late in Indian cuisine. And gone is the past when I just used to abhor this highly nutritious source; quite reminding me and making me feel like biting into those fibrous n chewy chicken n meat pieces…something definitely not too digestible by a hard-core vegan like me. :-) But times have changed literally making me too fall for this highly nutritious meal maker…thx to the innumerable number of fascinating recipes posted in the web world that infact tempted me to try it out for a starter and eventually ended up building a strong liking for it. This strong liking also finally encouraged me to work on them to come up with my own versions of a couple of tasty Soya dishes; of course, keeping in mind a couple of factors like it shud be less laborious and shud take in only a few ingredients without compromising on the taste aspect. And fortunately enough, it worked and has now quite become a frequent accompaniment with rotis for dinner!!!

Soya…as you all know is a high resource of proteins and is considered highly beneficial for health…apparently making it one of the core factors to have it included in your daily diet. However, I’ve seen a few in my family turning their faces off to soya dishes coz of its pungent smell though I feel it could be offset by spicing up the curry more…which finally made me opt for a couple of tbsp of Chicken masala powder instead of the usual dry masala powders. And hey, pls do not misconstrue me for a brand ambassador of Eastern chicken masala (as you’d see it being one of the key ingredients in most of my recipes as a close substitute for dry masala)…. :) And frankly enough, it has quite become a permanent part of my pantry shelf now. The reason why I chose it is coz I simply hate to have to ponder over the kitchen stove on the amount of coriander powder or chilly powder or garam masala powder that “shud” go into the curry…get confused and finally end up putting more of one of those. So, guys out there like me, the best option is to toss in a couple of tbsp of Chicken masala powder and if you wanna make it more spicy, you can add in a tsp of garam masala too.



So, here’s how the simple soya curry masala recipe goes.

You’d require

A cup of Soya chunks
A couple of medium sized Onions
A couple of medium sized Tomatoes
2 – 3 Green chillies
A few garlic pods
A ginger knob
A few Curry leaves
½ tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbsp or as reqd of Eastern Chicken masala powder
Salt – As required
Oil – As required

Method:-
1)Soak the soya chunks in hot water for around 30 minutes or so.
2)Discard the water and squeeze the excess water off the soya chunks and keep it aside. You can also cut it into halves.
3)Thinly slice the onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic.
4)Heat oil in a pan and add the onions, ginger, green chillies, garlic and curry leaves.
5)Sauté till the onions turn brown.
6)Add tomatoes and sauté till it blends well.
7)Add the chicken masala powder and mix well.
8)Stir fry very well for a couple of minutes, till the raw smell leaves.
9)Add the drained soya chunks and mix well.
10)Add sufficient water along with salt and mix well.
11)Add a little chopped coriander leaves (optional).
12)Simmer till the soya chunks are cooked well and the gravy becomes thick.
12)Garnish with coriander leaves.

This is one of the easiest versions to stir up a spicy soya curry with dry masala. An attempt to give a naadan touch to the modern-day cuisine style trend. :) You can also try out variations by throwing in a couple of cooked baby potatoes or other veggies of your choice and making it all the more wholesome. Eat healthy and live healthy!!!

So, again on that healthy note, happy cooking!!!

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posted by Viji at 2:53 AM 4 Comments Links to this post

Soya Chunks Curry Masala

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Kappanga Pulincurry


Pulincurry…another exclusive yet extremely popular dish prevalent even today in Kerala households…. A must try for those getting bored stiff with the habitual taste of Sambhar or Pulissery as the first course with rice…. This is in fact a rather unique dish that u can churn out within minutes and that too with any type of veggies u have in hand…just like I got myself a yummy and absolutely lip-smacking pulincurry for lunch from a leftover papaya…and thankfully didn’t turn out to be a nightmare as expected....:)

For those rather oblivious to this particular dish, Pulincurry can be briefly described as a combination of cooked veggies and puli (tamarind) in a coconut base with a final tempering of spluttered mustard, fenugreek and curry leaves…. And believe me, it’s indeed the aromatic tempering which is the genuine secret behind the palatability exuded by this dish…that wud really leave your taste buds yearning for more…especially to those who love pure naadan food!!!

Since childhood, sambhar has been my first love with rice…in fact I cud have it three times a day…thereby making me quite averted to the variant curries like pulincurries or theeyals n other stuff…. And now, when I’ve started to explore the world of cookery and begun to relish that special taste and feel of other curries that I realized how much I had missed in those days when my Amma used to literally force me to have a taste of these yummy curries. Anyway, fortunately enough, I’ve slowly started to shift gears to include those curries as well for lunch…and thus sambhar slowly getting itself into the backseat…a sporadic change maybe for a day or so…and then it’s back to the good old sambhar… :)

And here’s how the recipe goes…..

You’d require
A medium sized Kappanga(Papaya)
A handful of Red gram (Thuvaraparippu)
A couple of Tomatoes
½ of one Coconut
1 tsp Cumin seeds
A couple of Small Onions (Cheriya ulli) (optional)
½ tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Chilly powder
Salt – As required

For seasoning:-
A tbsp of Coconut Oil
1 tsp of Mustard seeds
½ tsp Fenugreek seeds
A couple of broken Dry red chillies
A few Curry leaves

Method:-
1)Cut kappanga into medium sized chunks.

2)Cook dhal separately and keep it aside.
3)Place kappanga in a vessel along with turmeric powder, chilly powder, a little salt and water and cook till half done.
4)Meanwhile, grind together coconut, cumin seeds and small onions into a fine paste.
5)Add sliced tomatoes along with the coconut paste and cooked dhal into the vessel and mix well.
6)Simmer for sometime till cooked well.

7)Remove from flame.
8)Splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and sauté red chillies and curry leaves in oil in a frying pan. You can also fry chopped small onions at this stage.
9)Add the above tempering into the vessel and mix well.
10)Cover the vessel to lock that ravishing flavour.

Though I’ve used tomatoes here, you can also substitute it with pure black tamarind (Puli) or mangoes accdg to your liking... and accdgly, the colour and the texture of this curry is subject to change. On a personal view, use black tamarind for optimum results.

And here, as the title suggests, I’ve used Kappanga as the main ingredient…something which tops on nutritional fronts too along with adding a sweet factor to the fairly sour curry…. However, you can use other mushy veggies like Vellarikka or Kumbalanga too along with Drumsticks to work up another version….

After all, as u know, recipes are just guidelines that you can improvise upon or simply do a mishmash accdg to your tastes and moods and you'd definitely come up with something…probably something very spectacular and pioneering… something, you can eventually pass on to your offspring to relish on…. All these, if it turns successful of course…:)

So, on that optimistic note, happy cooking!!!!

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posted by Viji at 7:40 AM 2 Comments Links to this post

Kappanga Pulincurry

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Vazhappoo Thoran


It’s generally believed that “Man” is God’s greatest creation. And hence he can be rightly named as the supreme blessing to the whole planet. And if you take into consideration all that our Mother Nature has to offer us, we can definitely call her as His best blessing to mankind. Can u ever imagine a planet without nature taking its' various forms like water, air, trees, fruits, rivers, oceans etc… too difficult to swallow up, rite?? So, let’s give a very big thx to the Almighty and Mother Nature for all their handouts without which, as we know, man wudn’t have existed nor survived…and maybe I wudn’t have been here writing this article….:)

Wondering why this rather unusual intro to a simple recipe…well, coz… amongst all the nature’s wonderful gifts, one such gift to humanity is the Banana tree or a plant rather. Wondering why??? Well, it’s coz a banana plant by itself is a complete medicinal treasure. One of it’s distinguished feature being the fact that each and every part of it is edible except for the leaves which of course serves various other purposes.

The banana flower, blossom, or bud popularly known as Vazhappoo or Kodappan with a deep crimson colour, is infact highly rich in Vitamins and is highly good for women. Similarly, the Vazhathandu popularly known as Pindi when taken as a juice extract, is extremely beneficial for diabetic patients. And of course, the final fruit known as bananas needs no intro and can be taken as itself when ripe or can be had cooked when raw. It simply boosts your energy level apart from aiding in various other health aspects too. High in vitamins and other nutrients, intake of these would do just justice to your body in all respects. Talking about the leaves of the plantain trees, though they are not edible, they are infact used as a serving plate for sadhyas…apart from being used as umbrellas years back….:) They are even used for folding purposes to cover the luscious ela adas (my personal favorite) to initiate that magnificent aroma. Honestly, truly spectacular indeed!!!

Coming back to the consumption of these banana parts, there have been various concoctions tried and experimented by our ancestors…and one of the most commonly used one is in the form of thorans. And believe me, this seems to be the only edible way….mainly coz of the texture and the bitter taste it possesses…. :) So, do try out variations and make thorans with the flower or the stem or the raw plantains along with a suitable coupling like Red oriental beans (Van payar) or Whole green gram (Cherupayar) or Red gram (Thuvaraparippu).

Though the most popular one in the duo is the Green gram or Red gram, I like it with Van payar…though you can change accdg to your tastes, moods and ingredients’ availability….

So, here’s how the recipe goes….

You’d require
1 no Banana flower (Vazhappoo/Kodappan)
½ cup Red oriental beans (Van payar)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
½ of one Coconut
A little Turmeric powder
1 tsp Chilly powder or a few Green chillies
Salt – As required
1 tbsp of Oil
1 tsp of Mustard seeds
2 – 3 broken Dry red chillies
A few Curry leaves

1)Clean the van payar well and get rid of the unwanted stuff from it.
2)Cook it separately with water in a pressure cooker and make sure u don’t overcook it.
3)Remove the first 3 – 4 outer covering of the vazhappoo and chop the rest very finely as u do for thoran.
4)Add coconut oil and turmeric powder into the above chopped kodappan and mix well the whole thing using your hands to remove the kodappan’s serum.
5)Place together the grated coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds and curry leaves in a mixer bowl and run it once to make it into a coarse form.
6)Mix it along with the chopped kodappan mixture.
7)Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and sauté dry red chillies and curry leaves.
8)Add the kodappan mixture and mix well.
9)Cover and cook on a low flame.
10)After sometime, remove the cover and add the cooked van payar into this and mix well.
11)Continue cooking without the lid on, till done, making sure that it doesn’t get mashed.

And your thoran is ready within no time…. Not equally appreciated by all, this recipe infact brings mixed emotions on the dining table…. A frown on the face to show the disappointment for those foodies who like aromatic dishes for lunch/dinner and a big smile for those on a diet and like to have good, healthy food…. :-) An honest confession at this point....I used to be in the first category during my childhood days and now considering the nutritional and medicinal values it offers, a slow transition has occurred to the latter one. No regrets though!!!! As said, eat healthy….be healthy!!!

So, on that note, happy cooking!!!

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posted by Viji at 10:16 AM 1 Comments Links to this post

Vazhappoo Thoran

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Mathanga - Van payar Olan


A personal favorite of mine aging since childhood days, this unique and deadly dish holds a very prominent place in Kerala households. Featuring as an inevitable side dish in Kerala sadhyas, this dish is equally cherished by all irrespective of the age groups…mainly coz of it’s mild sweet taste. And I guess that’s the beauty of Kerala cuisine as most of the dishes are mildly spiced to suit all palettes…

Since the time I started to make this dish, I was always been under this fallacy that olan can be made only with ash gourd or yellow pumpkin and that too the conventional way. Then, unexpectedly, upon googling for a recipe, I bumped into an Olan recipe and found myself with lots of types or versions of it that actually left me quite bemused. Of course, thx to the innovative variations in the dish recipe and the appearance from the north end to the south end of the little State. Little did I realize that Olan comes in all looks and forms you can think of… though basically I was taught that olan is prepared with Ash gourd (Kumbalanga) and Long runner beans (Achinga/Payar) or Black eyed beans (Van payar) cooked along with a few green chillies with coconut milk giving it a thick curry base.

Easy to make and requiring only a limited number of ingredients for preparation, I guess you cannot ask for more from a Kerala recipe.

So, here’s how the recipe goes….

You’d require
A medium sized Yellow pumpkin or Mathanga
(not too ripened)
1 glass Black eyed beans popularly known as Van payar
A couple of carrots (absolutely optional)
1 - 2 cups Thick coconut milk
A few green chillies
Salt - As required
A few curry leaves
A tsp of coconut oil

Method:-
1)Peel the skin off the pumpkin. Slice it into medium sized pieces. Cut carrot into roundels.
2)Cook black eyed beans in a pressure cooker till done.
3)Place the sliced pumpkin along with carrot, chillies, curry leaves, a little salt and 1 - 1½ glass of water in a vessel.
4)Cover the vessel and cook for sometime.
5)When it starts to boil well and the water content starts to reduce, add the cooked van payar along with its retained water.
6)Mix well and cook till the water content is almost reduced.
7)Reduce the flame and add the thick coconut milk.
8)Stir well the whole thing. Do not boil after adding the coconut milk.
9)Check for salt and adjust accdgly.
10)If done, add a few curry leaves and pour a tsp of plain coconut oil onto it.
11)Close the vessel to lock the flavor.

It is ok if the contents get mashed while stirring as pumpkin and carrots are kinda mushy veggies. This tends to make the dish get a thick consistency. So, do keep that in mind while adding coconut milk. Another option is you can also cook the veggies in thin coconut milk or the 2nd extract of coconut milk instead of water which would make it more tastier and sweeter.

Coming back to the diverse variations these dishes are subject to, believe me, I also learnt that olan is prepared without adding coconut milk too in some parts of Kerala…. In which case, the cooked veggies are given a final topping of pure coconut oil and a few curry leaves for flavor. Maybe wud try that one if I run out of coconut milk while making my olan… :)

So, I deduce from this simple example that life has too many options to offer… If you run out of one and if you think that’s the end of it, well then, u r wrong…. When encountered with such a situation, open our eyes and find those alternatives that are available instead of waiting for opportunities to come to us…. And select the best among them and I’m sure you wont be disappointed….:)

So, on that note, happy cooking!!!!

Labels:

posted by Viji at 8:18 AM 6 Comments Links to this post

Mathanga - Van payar Olan

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Kappanga Erissery

Erissery…another regular dish and yet extremely admired one in Kerala households. Distinctively said, it is in fact a combination of any mushy vegetable cooked in a mild coconut mixture with a final deco of a tempering topped with a handful of roasted coconut. And wud u believe the mesmerizing effect it leaves when this dish starts to emanate the extravagant flavor on the dining table…hmmm…absolutely delicious…Well, to be honest, mere words r not sufficient to explain that…and I believe u guys too wud agree with me on that, rite??

Coming to the recipe, basically, erissery can be prepared with any sort of veg though the most popular one is the one with Yellow Pumpkin or Mathanga. Here I have used Papaya or Kappalanga, which simply can’t be taken by me and my little one as raw coz of sheer aversion. And since as you all know that papaya is good for your health for a zillions of reasons, I usually include it in our diet in the form of erissery or thoran depending upon its ripeness or maturity.

So, here’s how the recipe goes….

You’d require
A medium ripened Papaya(Kappanga)

1 cup of Black eyed beans/Red Oriental beans popularly known as Van payar in Malayalam
½ a coconut
1 – 2 small Garlic pods
½ tsp of Cumin seeds
5 – 6 nos Whole black pepper
¼ tsp of Turmeric powder
Salt – As required
A handful of grated coconut for garnishing

For seasoning:-
1 tbsp of Oil
1 tsp of Mustard seeds
A couple of broken dry red chillies
A few Curry leaves

You can also vary the amount of garlic and pepper accdg to ur likes…as well as that of coconut too if you are too health-conscious...:)

Method:-
1)Cook van payar separately in a cooker. Retain the water. Do not drain.
2)Cut the papaya into medium sized pieces. Discard the seeds.
3)Place the papaya along with turmeric powder, a little chilly powder (optional), a few curry leaves and salt in a vessel and keep it on fire.
4)When nearly cooked, add the cooked van payar along with the retained water.
5)Meanwhile, grind together coconut, garlic pods, cumin seeds and black peppercorns into a not so smooth paste. Just make sure it is neither too coarse or too smooth.
6)When the papaya and van payar are nearly done, add the coconut paste and mix well.

7)Allow it to cook for some time, till the excess water is evaporated and it gets semi-thick consistency.
8)Check salt and add accdgly.
9)Heat oil in another pan and splutter mustard seeds and sauté curry leaves and broken red chilies.
10)Add it to the curry and mix well.
11)Add a handful of grated coconut into the same pan and roast till golden brown.
12)Add it too to the curry and mix well.

And there you are…. Erissery is ready to be served as a yummy side dish for your lunch along with curd and pickle. Easy to make and at the same time, delivering luscious results, this dish would definitely leave you all longing for more. And though the basic recipe remains the same, you can try out other variations too by substituting the main veg with any one of the following like Yellow Pumpkin (Mathanga), Kai, a combo of Chena-Kai along with the must coupling with red oriental beans (Van payar)….

Equally appreciated by kids and adults coz of its mild taste, this erissery can be made without too many hassles as evident in the recipe…. though the name suggests otherwise. Yup.. it happened to me when I was busy taking cooking classes before the big day in my life.. yes, u r rite.. marriage of course… And I really considered this as a very tough job while browsing thru the ingredients list and the procedure… But believe me, it hardly took much time to prepare; though the results were quite varying from the authentic erissery I had tasted in sadhyas.….:) Of course, you can understand the countless number of trial and errors undergone by cooking novices… Nevertheless, by now, I’ve relatively mastered myself in making erissery, thx to my amma-in-law who gave me the exact or the authentic recipe… So, maybe all those cooking classes and efforts I took before my marriage have become rather worthless as regards time, energy and money I put into it…. :)

So said, I believe that maybe when you give a look into your past life, you’d end up with lots of things you regret about like this one for instance… But then, I feel that we have this motivating force or rather the stimulating force inside you, which is called the “faith” or “hope”, that really shoves you to probe into what life has to offer in future….Your expectations might turn true or not…but with no regrets, you move on…. And I believe that’s what makes our lives beautiful….to discover the uncertainties of future and just go on and on and on…..no matter what has happened in the past, what is happening in the present and what might happen in the future…. You regret once, you regret all your life…. So, just explore the beauty of life without any regrets or complaints…and make your life joyful and beautiful as ever….thereby making this world a wonderful place to live in as well…. :o)

So, on that note, happy cooking!!!

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posted by Viji at 4:33 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Kappanga Erissery

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Pavakka/Kaippakka Theeyal

A rather exceptional dish, traditional in nature, a theeyal by no means needs an intro to a true Malayalee… It’s just another sample culinary treat from the cosmic and elegant Kerala cuisine, which wud leave you all licking your fingers for sure…. And what more, being under the gravy segment, your lunch is just perfect when it’s served with rice, a simple pickle and curd….and of course, along with a couple of pappadums on the side… Absolutely lip smacking, isn’t it…. ?? And I’m sure your mouths must be watering too just even thinking about it….. :)

Well, to talk about theeyal, it is infact a combo of a few assorted veggies of your choice in a base of fried coconut and dry masala supplemented with the usage of tamarind for the sourness aspect… thereby giving equal credence to sourness and chilly aspects…. And if u r making it with pavakka, u have another facet of bitterness as well. And I’m sure that lots of people who turn their faces off to pavakka would definitely yearn for more of this particular theeyal coz of its marvelous taste…. not highly preferred by kids though.

As for the different combos of theeyal, in fact you can make it with all sorts of veggies. And the most popular being the one with Shallots or Small onions popularly known as Ulli Theeyal…. Another one is with Chena (Elephant yam) and Small onions….my favorite! Another one is a mixed one with chena, muringakka, payar, carrots (optional) and long eggplants (vazhuthananga). So, as you can see, you can add veggies of your choice and availability and make a yummy theeyal for your lunch…

Moving onto the recipe, here’s the authentic way to make a naadan Pavakka theeyal… the original recipe source, of course, credited to my amma-in-law…. :)

You’d require
1 big Bittergourd
A couple of medium sized Onions or around 150 gm Small onions popularly known as Cheriya ulli
¼ tsp of Turmeric powder
1 ½ tbsp of Coriander powder
1 tbsp of Chilly powder
2 – 3 slit Green chillies
A lemon-sized tamarind soaked in a little hot water
½ of one whole coconut
Salt – As required

For seasoning:-
1 tsp of Mustard seeds
2 – 3 broken Dry red chillies
A few Curry leaves
Coconut oil – As required

You can reduce the amount of chilly powder accdg to your tastes though I like it to be hot… And as per the conventional way of making theeyal, u can use the coriander seeds and dry red chillies as whole too… in which case, you’d need only a tbsp of coriander seeds and 2 – 3 nos of dry red chillies. Dry roast them along with coconut and grind it to a very fine and smooth paste. And do use black tamarind to get that dark blackish color for your theeyal. Here, I have used fresh tamarind (the light brown ones) as I had ran out of the old ones, which of course explains the lack of the so called blackish colour quite evident in the image above… :)

Method:-
1)Cut the pavakka into thin, 1 inch pieces.
2)Peel and chop the small onions too into thin slices.
3)Heat oil in a pan.
4)Splutter mustard seeds and sauté broken red chillies and curry leaves.
5)Add the sliced small onions and green chillies and sauté, till the onions turn soft and pink.
6)Add the pavakka pieces and sauté again on a low flame.

7)Meanwhile, dry roast the coconut in a hot pan.
8)When it turns dark brown, switch off the flame and add the powders.
9)Stir well and see to it that it doesn’t get burnt.
10)Allow it to cool and grind it to a smooth fine paste adding sufficient water.
11)Extract the tamarind pulp/juice.
12)When the pavakka is sautéed as well, add the tamarind juice followed by the coconut paste.
13)Add salt and mix well.

14)Simmer till you get the thick gravy consistency.

Pls do note that if you are using Chena and Small onions instead, then you need to cook the chopped chena and onions in water along with a pinch of turmeric and salt until soft instead of sautéing like pavakka. Then follow the rest of the procedure from Step 7 onwards. And finally, add the tempering of spluttered mustard seeds, dry chillies and curry leaves.

So, there you are…just got yourself a yummy theeyal in your hands…. though I too agree that the process is a bit time consuming and probably tedious….but at the end of it, after all, is worth it, rite?? And I always make this only when I have lots of time to spare for cooking. So, for busy cooks, save this one for the weekends and make ur weekend lunch absolutely yummy and wonderful with a naadan curry like Theeyal…. :)

So, on a holiday note, happy cooking!!!

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posted by Viji at 4:49 AM 1 Comments Links to this post

Pavakka/Kaippakka Theeyal

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Idinchakka Thoran


Thoran or to put it in a non-Keralite’s vocab… vegetable stir-fries with coconut can be named as another inseparable “side dish” from the Kerala cuisine… To give it a definition, any finely chopped vegetable mixed with coconut and stir fried until crispier, is branded as a “thoran”. In fact, Kerala’s common lunches simply confine to sambhar, any thoran or mezhukkupuratti, pickle, curd and pappadum…..and mine is no different at all.

The most notable feature about thorans is that it can be made with any veg of your choice, be it cabbage which of course is the most popular….or beans or carrot or snake gourd (padavalanga) or bittergourd(pavakka) and the list just goes on and on….. You can even make a thoran using all your left-over veggies in ur fridge too…I learnt it from my amma-in-law who makes it quite often…and I just help her out by finishing it off…:)

At this point, I would like to share with you a special thoran with Idinchakka otherwise known as Tender Jackfruit. I just love this thoran but coz of its seasonal nature, we do not get to have Idinchakka whenever we want to. So, this time, when I got hold of this one idinchakka, I just cudn’t control myself making this thoran…..and frankly, this is the only dish which I know to make with Idinchakka.

So, here’s how the recipe goes for Idinchakka thoran…..

You’d require
A small Tender Jackfruit (Idinchakka)
½ of one Coconut
1 tsp of Cumin seeds
4 - 5 Garlic pods (unpeeled)
1 - 2 Green chillies (optional)
1 tsp of Turmeric powder
Salt – As required
1 tbsp of Coconut oil
1 tsp of Mustard seeds
1 tbsp of Plain rice
2 – 3 broken Dry red chillies
A few Curry leaves

Method:-
1)Remove the skin off the jackfruit.
2)Cut the fleshy part into chunks.
3)Place it in a vessel along with turmeric powder, salt and a little water and allow it to cook. Pls do make sure that it doesn’t get overcooked or mashed as we need to cook it further. So, keep tht in mind while adding water.


4)When all the water content has evaporated, remove it from fire and allow it to cool.
5)Meanwhile, grind into a coarse form the grated coconut, garlic, green chillies and cumin.
6)When the jackfruit has come down to room temp, place it in a mixer grinder in turns and run it once to get it minced. You can also use a heavy object to crush the cooked fruit….though I prefer using a mixer.
7)Keep the minced jackfruit in a plate.
8)Add the coconut mixture and mix the whole thing with your hands.
9)Heat oil in a pan and fry the plain rice.
10)Splutter mustard seeds followed by dry red chillies and curry leaves.
11)Add the jackfruit-coconut mixture and mix well.

12)Add salt if required and mix well again.
13)Lower the flame and let it remain there for around 10 - 15 minutes.
14)When it gets crispy-like, remove from the flame. Make sure you don’t make it too crispy if you want to retain its nutrients.
15)Serve with rice.

So, coming back to thoran aspect, it is supposed to be the most easiest to prepare of all the Kerala side dishes….the only time you’d need would be for chopping the veg finely…which of course can be made much easier using a food processor…:)

You can follow the same recipe with beetroot too in which case, grate the beetroot and add the same coconut mixture to it. Mix well and stir-fry until crispy. You can use this recipe for Padavalanga (Snake gourd) as well. However, if you want to make Cabbage or Beans or Carrot or Pavakka or Vendakka or Payar or Kovakka thorans, you can omit the inclusion of garlic and substitute it with a couple of finely chopped big onions. And the rest of the procedure is the same.

So, do make yourself a scrumptious lunch with sambhar and a naadan thoran as a side dish….

On that note, happy cooking!!!!

Labels:

posted by Viji at 9:30 AM 1 Comments Links to this post

Idinchakka Thoran

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Ethakkai Mezhukkupuratti

Simpler and effortless recipes r today’s in-things…people are always on the look out for bachelor dishes that can be made in an instant and that too without much ingredients and above all effort. And I’m definitely one of them…as evident in my all blog recipes….:)

Gone r the days when the housewives used to make long standings near the kitchen stoves making food for their family. But now in the present living scenario, workaholic housewives are seen to be indeed depending a lot on such easy and instant recipes; especially stir-fry dishes… And so for those who want something simple and naadan, here is one such recipe…Ethakkai mezhukkupuratti (raw plantain stir-fried)….quite popular in other parts of the country too… obviously with a different name and look... just enough to show the extreme popularity of this dish in South India.

A simple combination of Ethakkai (Raw plantains) sautéed with crushed shallots and dry red chillies is infact the ideal side dish with rice and any curry…. And, I suppose the combo of mezhukkupuratti, mambazha pulissery, pickle and pappadum would just make your lunch absolutely wonderful and filling.….:)

So, here’s the recipe for the kai mezhukkupuratti…

Ethakkai (Raw plantain)
Around 15 - 20 Shallots (Small Onions)
10 – 15 Dry red chillies
Oil – As required
Salt – As required
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Here I have used Njalippovan kai. But, you can use Ethakkai or any other kai accdg to the availability. You can lessen or add to the number of dry chillies too accdg to your mood and tastes….

Method:-

1)Cut the plantains into two vertical halves and then cut them into 1 cm thick pieces.
2)Put them in water along with a little turmeric powder for a little while to get rid of the sticky serum.

3)Place them in a vessel along with turmeric powder and salt and cook, till done and all the water content gets evaporated.

4)Meanwhile, crush the shallots.
5)Grind the dry red chillies in a mixer grinder. You can also use readymade crushed chillies.
6)Heat oil in a pan and add the crushed shallots and sauté along with the crushed red chillies.
7)Add a little salt and sauté till they turn translucent.
Do not fry until brown.

8)Add the cooked kai and mix well.
9)Add more oil, if required and mix well.
10)Sauté till the kai turns crispy.
11)Serve warm with rice and any curry.

Now, for those who find peeling n crushing shallots and grinding red chillies as a tiresome task, you can cook the plantains along with thinly sliced onion (a close substitute) and slit green chillies and when the water content has evaporated, you can add oil and sauté till crispy… This gives another taste to the whole thing….though I prefer crushed shallots and chillies….as the shallots give a bit of sweet touch to it along with the spiciness of the red chillies…all materializing from a simple, effortless job…..

So, on that simplicity note, happy cooking!!!

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posted by Viji at 11:45 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Ethakkai Mezhukkupuratti

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Mambazha Pulissery

Hurray… its mambazha season in Kerala and my mouth is already watering envisaging all those mango treats we shall be savoring from now on. About a month or so earlier, we had to satisfy our palette with those raw mangoes strewn with lots of chilly powder and salt. But now for the time being, it’s goodbye to sourness and an hearty welcome to the sweet and juicy ripe mangoes.

Actually, you can make an array of pulissery with all sorts of veggies but the aroma and the flavor emanated by this one particular Mambazha pulissery just subdues those and hence can be undoubtedly titled, the King of all Pulisseries... To think about its origin, maybe a few people actually got fed up with the consumption of the ripe mangoes as a whole, that they finally decided to make a recipe out of it to slot in the cookery world. And let me tell you, they have certainly not disappointed us as this is one recipe which I believe leaves you all not only enthralled but makes you completely nostalgic too.

So, here’s this absolutely stunning delicacy from the Kerala cuisine which when served with rice along with any thoran or mezhukkupuratti, pickle and pappadum as side dish would leave your tummies absolutely full. And, as like our cuisine feature, this is another terrific dish with the mangoes as the main ingredient and coconut and curd as the base. Not to forget the final tempering given with mustard, chillies and fenugreek which to be honest leaves all captivated for a while…

Here I have used Chandrakkaran mangoes - Nattu manga that smells simply fantastic…. (Sorry.. dunno the botanical or English version of it). And since the availability of those mangoes is restricted to certain areas, you can also substitute those with the usual big ripe ones too.

So, here is the authentic recipe for Mambazha pulissery….

You’d require
3 – 4 Ripe nattu mangoes (popularly known as Chandrakkaran)
Curd – As required (usually ¼ ltr wud be enough)
½ tsp Turmeric powder
½ tsp Chilly powder (optional)
2 – 3 Green chillies (slit)
1 cup of grated coconut
1 tsp of Cumin seeds
Salt – As required
For seasoning:-
1 tsp of Mustard seeds
2 – 3 broken Dry red chillies
1 tbsp Oil
A few Curry leaves
1 tsp of Fenugreek powder

Method:-
1)Peel off the skin of the mangoes and put those skins in water. Squeeze well to extract all the possible juice from those skins. If using big ripe mangoes, just peel off the skin and cut the fleshy parts into four. Discard the skins.
2)Place the retained juice from the skins in a vessel along with the fleshy mangoes.
3)Add a little turmeric powder, salt and chilly powder along with slit green chillies and mix well.

4)Allow it to cook for sometime till the water starts to evaporate and the mangoes are done.
5)Meanwhile, grind together coconut and cumin seeds into a very fine paste.
6)Add the above paste into the vessel and mix well.
7)Cook again for some time.

8)Blend the curd in a mixie.
9)Lower the flame and pour the smooth curd into the vessel.
10)Do not boil. Just heat it through and remove from fire.

11)Heat oil in a small frying pan and splutter mustard seeds and sauté dry red chillies and curry leaves.
12)Add the above seasoning into the curry and mix well.
13)Finally sprinkle the fenugreek powder over the pulissery and the close it with a lid so as to lock the flavour. I usually heat or roast the powder a bit before adding it so that it doesn’t taste raw.

And voila, your pulissery is ready within minutes. Simple and yummy, favorites among all…can be prepared within a trice….. I believe, by the time you have finished reading this recipe, your mouths must be watering. Maybe this just took you back to those days when your mom used to make the scrumptious pulissery… and you sitting behind the table awestruck at the yummy and colorful dish being poured into your plate were still craving for more…… Well, then, do try out this wonderful authentic recipe for pulissery and relive those moments to the max…..

So, on that nostalgic note, happy cooking!!!!

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posted by Viji at 3:23 AM 9 Comments Links to this post

Mambazha Pulissery

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Pineapple Pachadi


Presenting before you another exotic dish straight from the Kerala kitchen….. Illustrating a solid example of the great Kerala culinary skills, this dish goes to show you that Kerala food is not all about chilies & spices, but could also offer something that leaves those taste buds of yours sweetened too….. Pineapple pachadi, forming an unusual combo of pineapple with coconut and curd as the base has been my top favorite since childhood days. And in fact has left me pondering always about its origin. Just imagine, whoever wud have thought of giving such a yummy appearance to a fruit like pineapple…. And so, giving all the due esteem and tribute to the creator of this recipe, let me move forward.

Coz of the abundance of coconuts, almost all the Kerala dishes are made with coconut and curd as a base... And this dish in particular is no exception… Forming an inseparable part of Kerala sadhya, this dish is equally acceptable by adults and kids alike mainly coz of its impressive taste and aroma which has in fact conquered my little one’s taste buds too … thus forming a part of my lunch quite often…. And since it requires neither too much time nor ingredients for preparation, works fine for all workaholic housewives too.

And before proceeding with the recipe details, let me tell you that my amma-in-law makes this wonderful pachadi with much grace and perfection and I wud like to take this opportunity to thank her for actually imparting me the recipe for this delicious dish.

So, here goes the recipe for a sweet pineapple pachadi.

You’d require
½ of a big pineapple
2 big tbsp grated coconut
1 tbsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Chilly powder (optional)
½ tsp Turmeric powder
Salt - As reqd
2 Green chilies
1 glass of sour less thick curd

For seasoning-
1 tsp Mustard seeds
2 nos Dry red chillies (broken)
2 tbsp Coconut oil
A few Curry leaves

Method:-
1)Peel off the skin of the pineapple and cut it into very small pieces.
2)Cook it in a vessel along with chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt and slit green chillies.
3)Grind together coconut and cumin seeds into a smooth paste.
4)When the pineapple gets fully cooked and the water content is almost evaporated, add the ground coconut mixture.
5)Allow the mixture to get cooked. Make sure it doesn’t get too watery as the mixture should be thick.

6)Heat oil in a pan.
7)Splutter mustard seeds and saute dry red chillies and curry leaves.
8)Add the above seasoning into the pineapple mixture and allow it to cool.
9)Add curd and mix well to get the reqd consistency.

Sometimes, if the pineapple might not be sweet enough, you wudn’t get the reqd sweetness. Then, you can add a little sugar and stabilize the sweet factor. A small tip, which I usually do to make the dish sweeter… so that I don’t end up with a khichdi in my hands. At this point, I remember having seen many doubts posed on net as to the difference between a pachadi and a khichadi… Well, accdg to my amma-in-law, a great connoisseur in cooking, the only difference is that in pachadi, you grind only coconut and cumin seeds while in khichdi, you add crushed mustard seeds too along with the coconut-cumin paste. I’m sure there might be differences of opinion in this context as the recipe itself along with its name tag varies from the north end to the south end of the state.…. So to be on the safer side, I’m not exactly vouching on this statement…though wud like to contribute my share of thoughts too…

And as the procedure for his particular pachadi is almost identical in all Kerala households, I don’t think there are any possibilities of trying out variations on the same… though I’m sure this works fine for all…. You can try this even with ripe plantains or otherwise known as Nenthrapazham… Do check out this Pazham Pachadi I made for this Vishu sadhya…


And so to wrap up, once again salutations to the ones who innovated this wonderful recipe with pineapple making it one of the state’s culinary delight on all feasts.

So, on that proud note, happy cooking!!!

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posted by Viji at 12:52 PM 6 Comments Links to this post

Pineapple Pachadi

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Vendakka Khichdi


Khichdi….a household name u r bound to hear anywhere in India….be it in north or south, east or west… this is one dish name which really makes u feel at home…Though it is a common name in the country, the likeness as well as its preparation guidelines are poles contradictory in North and South. While in North India, Khichdi is a combo of mildly spiced rice and lentils prepared as a whole meal especially for convalescents, the khichdi made in South India is more or like a variety of Raitha with curd and coconut as the base. So you see, similar recipe names can often confuse you even if you belong to the same country…

Coming back to South Indian khichdi or kitchadi (however u may want to spell and pronounce it), it indeed forms an integral part of a Kerala Sadhya (feast). Nothing too much to emphasize on the taste and the flavor; it is actually a side dish for rice which can be prepared instantly without any hassles. As said before, khichdi is a combo of cooked veggie with coconut and curd as the base and finally garnished with a tempering and fresh curry leaves. Though the most popular khichdi is made with Vellarikka (Cucumber), it can be prepared with other veggies too like Lady’s finger (Vendakka), Bitter gourd (Pavakka), Tomatoes and even Beetroot. And as for the nutritional value of this dish, there is nothing exceptional to mention as it has only one specific vegetable in a gravy form. And should ur kids be “allergic” to beetroots, well, you can definitely use this to make him have some with rice. You can reduce the usage of chilies accdgly. Now for this recipe that is neither sweet nor spicy or sour yet tastes yummy.

You’d require
250 gm Lady’s finger/Vendakka cut into thin roundels
A handful of grated coconut
½ tsp Cumin seeds
½ tsp Mustard seeds
6 nos Green chilies
1 ½ cups Curd (sour less)

And for seasoning, you require
3 tbsp Coconut oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 – 2 nos Dry red chilies also know as Vattalmulaku
A few Curry leaves

Method:-
1) Grind together coconut, two green chilies and cumin seeds into a fine paste.
2) Add crushed mustard seeds into the above coconut paste. Do make sure you don`t crush the mustard seeds too much as it would make the dish taste bitter.
3) Beat the curd well.
4) Mix well together the beaten curd, ground paste and salt.
5) Heat the oil in a pan.
6) Splutter mustard seeds and sauté red chilies and curry leaves.
7) Add the remaining finely chopped green chilies and vendakka pieces.
8) Fry them until they turn golden brown.
9) Add the curd mixture and heat it through. Do not boil.
10)Remove from the flame and serve as a side dish for rice.

You can try the same recipe with finely chopped Pavakka (Bitter gourd) too. And if you are making this dish with Vellarikka, Tomato or Beetroot, here’s how it goes. Cook the very finely chopped veggie in a little water along with salt. When done, add the ground paste and cook again. Season it with spluttered mustard seeds, dry chilies and curry leaves. When cool, add the curd and reqd salt and mix well.

Though I love the Pavakka/Vendakka khichdi, on nutritional front, I’d rather go with Vellarikka or Beetroot…can definitely avoid a lot of oil which goes into it while deep frying. But when u r celebrating a sadhya at home occasionally and u r making khichdi which is obviously unavoidable, then of course, u can compromise by having a little or so of it. On a philosophical note, compromising on even the minute things in life lays a solid foundation for happiness, which eventually ends up in calling for celebrations. Hope u’d agree with me…

So on that note, Happy cooking!!!!

Labels:

posted by Viji at 8:35 AM 2 Comments Links to this post

Vendakka Khichdi

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Aviyal

Aviyal…What can u say about this remarkable dish…. I don’t think mere words can express the tremendous popularity of this dish in Kerala cuisine…. especially its prominence in Sadhya (feast given on occasions calling for celebrations). Well, can’t even envisage a Sadhya without an aviyal…even it is for a small lunch party at home. Accdg to my mother-in-law, in her times, Keralites used to believe that one’s culinary skills can be judged based on his/her ability to make a good aviyal…can’t rely on that though, right? However, u can definitely rely on her culinary skills, which has been blissfully passed on to me too during such a short span of time. Lucky me!!!!!

Well, coming back to aviyal, this exotic dish is actually a combination of all assorted veggies with a mildly hot n sour coconut curry base. The aroma emitted by the curry leaves n coconut oil is truly mouthwatering and infact leaves you completely fascinated…. honestly, happens to me….all the time when I make this dish…:) And I guess this is one particular dish which is enjoyed equally by all including kids….especially coz it is neither too hot nor too spicy. So I really find it useful to make my little one have all the vegetables which otherwise are not preferred by those taste buds…. Another good thing about this recipe is that this is one of a kind in Kerala cuisine which takes in almost all the vegetables (other than Sambhar) giving you the liberty to add any veggies of your choice and availability and yet make a wonderful aviyal for lunch…. Well here goes my recipe for the naadan veg aviyal….

You would require
1 – 1.5 kg of assorted vegetables (Ash gourd, Cucumber, Drumsticks, Carrot, Long brinjal, Snake gourd, Elephant yam, Raw plantain, French beans, Long runner beans and the list goes on….)
1 – 2 Raw mangoes (peeled or unpeeled)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
3 – 4 Small onions(Shallots)
1 – 2 Green chilies
½ of one Coconut
1 tsp Turmeric powder
Lots of Curry leaves
Coconut oil – As required
Salt – As required

1) Wash all the veggies well and cut them lengthwise into 2-inch pieces. While cutting veggies, make sure to put the yam, plantain and brinjal pieces in water for a few minutes to get rid of the sticky serum. You can use it after that.
2) Heat a vessel/pan on fire… It is better to use Urali to make aviyal as it has enough width and space to mix the curry around with your spatula.
3) Put all the veggies along with turmeric powder, salt, around 2 - 3 glass of water, curry leaves and a tbsp of oil into it. The veggies need not be fully immersed in water. It should be just enough to cook them.

4) Cover the pan/Urali and cook till the veggies are nearly done.



5) Meanwhile, grind together grated coconut, cumin seeds, small onions/shallots, a few curry leaves and green chilies into a coarse form. Do not make it into a paste form adding water. Just a couple of quick runs in the mixer grinder are enough.
6) When the vegetables are nearly cooked, open the lid and add the cut mango pieces. Mix well.
7) Cook again without the lid on.
8) When 90% of the water content has evaporated, add the coconut mixture on top of the veggies and spread it evenly in the vessel. Do not mix everything up for the moment. You can cover the pan so that the coconut too is cooked well.


9) After some time, remove the lid and mix everything well.
10) By this time, all the water would have been evaporated and the aviyal would get a semi-dry consistency. Check for salt and add more if reqd.
11) When done, add fresh curry leaves and 2 – 3 tbsp of coconut oil and close it with a lid to lock the aroma and your aviyal is ready to be served.

If you netsurf for an Aviyal recipe, you’d probably find another hundreds of recipes with variations in ingredients and the one variation in particular would be the usage of raw mangoes, which is often substituted with Tamarind (Vaalan puli), Tomatoes, or even Sour Curd. So, if you would like to go for tamarind pulp or sour curd, add the water in the initial stage accdgly as the tamarind juice and curd would further dilute the aviyal. And if you want your aviyal to be thick or dry which are by and large preferred by people, then, add coconut only after the whole water content has been evaporated…. though both works for me….. You can also add chilly powder instead of green chilies to give that orangish color to the dish though yellow looks yummy too…... Though this one in particular has been one of my all-time favorite recipes, I have tried out other varieties of aviyals too…. And I would definitely share those too with you…

And a final word for those who are considering this dish as highly healthy and nutritious coz of the inclusion of the veggies… let me tell you that this dish is not only nutritious but is infact a Cholesterol factory with a lot of fresh coconut and coconut oil going into it. So, if you do not want to increase that C factor, reduce the oil and amount of coconut accdgly… However, I don’t think Keralites wouldn’t mind compromising on this since they know that an occasional treat of aviyal, sambhar n thoran as a side dish with rice would definitely make their day along with giving them a satisfaction of having something naadan!!!! And it is certainly something to cherish about…..!!!!

Happy cooking!!!!

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posted by Viji at 12:39 PM 4 Comments Links to this post

Aviyal

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Moru Curry


Whenever I have googled for some good naadan recipes, this is one particular recipe that I often come across quite a many times in recipe sites….along with a few variations by the experimenting authors.… Well, I never thought our simple Kerala Moru curry would be so much acknowledged by all taste buds…. Recently, I happen to conduct a small review among my friends on the topic “My favorite dish for lunch or dinner”… And surprisingly enough, most of their answers turned to be the plain rice with simple moru curry and fish fry as accompaniment. Though I was expecting Chinese or continental sort of dishes for an answer, this took me completely by surprise…as I never expected to get this list for an answer…. Even while being a great lover of Sambhar, (wud u believe, I can have it almost everyday)…I too really love the occasional treat of Moru curry and any Mezhukkupuratti served along with rice. Another interesting find from the discussion was that this moru curry is something which you can have alone too besides having with rice or rice gruel… Now I’ve got to try that out for sure….. Moreover, it seems good for your tummy too…. So, friends, for your information, if you are not keeping well, have lost your appetite and are only recovering from your poor health, you can start right away with rice gruel and moru curry….

Now, coming back to the popularity of Moru curry, as said before, there are thousands…no… probably millions of ways in which u can prepare this simple curry…(just an exaggeration)… But somehow, to be frank enough, I’ve never bothered to experiment with those moru curry recipes… maybe coz I’ve got used to this taste my Mom makes or just to say, this effortless version of moru curry simply works for me…:) . And today I would definitely love to share this simple and delicious recipe with you. Believe me, this one is so simple that it can be made in a jiffy… hardly takes any time to make.

For this instant recipe, you would require

Yoghurt/Curd – As much as you want
½ tsp Turmeric powder
½ tsp Cumin powder or crushed Cumin seeds
Salt – As required
Coconut oil – 1 tsp
1 tsp Mustard seeds
½ tsp Fenugreek seeds popularly known as Uluva or Methi seeds
1 - 2 broken Dry red chilies for seasoning
A few curry leaves for seasoning

:- You can also add chilly powder or green chilies to make it hot…. But I don’t usually add chilies as it doesn’t suit my little one’s taste buds... :) You can also add sliced small onions and sauté it while seasoning along with a couple of garlic pods… As said before, these are just variations based on ones’ tastes and preferences.

Method:-
1) Place the yoghurt or buttermilk, turmeric powder, cumin powder or crushed cumin seeds and salt in a mixer blender. Run it once or twice until everything is mixed well.
2) Heat coconut oil in a pan.
3) Splutter mustard seeds followed by fenugreek seeds and dry red chilies.
4) Add curry leaves and sauté.
5) Lower the flame to the minimum and add the buttermilk mixture.
6) Stir well…. Do not allow it to boil…...Just heat it through.
7) When done, remove from flame and transfer it to a serving bowl.
8) Garnish with curry leaves.

So, as you can see, it is that simple to make… So, if you are not well or you are getting late for work and want to make instant lunch…you could definitely do with this simple recipe… or you can even make this if you just feel like having something simple like moru curry for lunch….:) don’t think you’d go for that… But I suppose we have to keep on searching for such instant recipes to keep up with today’s fast moving life. Time is changing… friends…and so are we… :)

So, do enjoy this simple moru curry… Happy cooking!!!!!

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posted by Viji at 1:51 PM 10 Comments Links to this post

Moru Curry