Moru Kachiyathu / Seasoned Buttermilk

Ingredients

1. Curd - 1/2 litre (Blend the curd with enough water in a mixer)
2. Ginger - 1/4 inch, chopped
3. Pearl onions - 3 - 4, sliced
4. Garlic - 2, chopped
5. Green chillies - 2 - 3, slit
6. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp or 1-2 pinches of fenugreek powder
10. Dry red chillies - 2
11. Salt - To taste
12. Coconut / vegetable oil - 2 tsp

Method

Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Splutter mustards, fry dry red chillies and lightly brown the fenugreek seeds. Now add ginger, garlic and pearl onions. Fry until they get lightly browned and then add the green chillies and curry leaves. Stir for a minute. Turn the flame to low. Add turmeric powder and chilly powder. Immediately add the butter milk and mix well. Stir continuously until it is heated through and steam starts coming out. Do not let it boil. Add 1-2 pinches of fenugreek powder(if you did not add fenugreek seeds before). Taste check for salt. Remove from fire. Serve with hot rice.

Mushroom Rice

Ingredients

1. Basmati Rice - 2 cups
2. Mushroom - 300 gm
3. Onion - 1/2 medium, chopped
4. Tomato - 1 small, pureed
5. Green chillies - 2, seeded and slit
6. Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tsp
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
9. Garam masala - 3/4 tsp
10. Whole garam masala - Cardamom - 2, Cloves - 6 - 7,  Cinnamon stick - 1 inch, Bay leaves - 1-2
11. Salt - To taste
12. Oil / ghee / butter - 1 tbsp

Method

1. Wash the mushroom slices and chop them.

   Wash the rice and soak for at least 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

2. Heat oil / ghee at medium heat and add whole spices. Stir for a few seconds and add ginger-garlic paste, chopped onion and little salt. Stir-fry until onion turns light brown. Add tomato puree, saute until oil separates. Add the masala powders, enough salt and chopped mushrooms. Water will ooze out from the mushrooms. Stir-fry until the water evaporates. It takes about 6 - 8 minutes at medium heat.

3. Now add the rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes.

 

 

4. Add 4 cups of warm / hot water to the rice-mushroom mixture. Add enough salt. Bring it to a boil and cook covered at medium-low heat until water is absorbed and rice is fully done. OR You can transfer this mixture to a rice cooker and cook. Gently fluff the rice using a fork and transfer to a serving dish.

Pressure Cooker Method

Pressure cooker procedure - Transfer the whole mixture to a pressure cooker after step 3 and add 4 cups of warm/hot water to it. Add enough salt. Give it a mix. Let the mixture come to a boil. Close the pressure cooker with its lid and cook at medium heat. When steam starts coming out continuously and profusely from the vent, put the pressure cooker weight and switch off the stove. Open the pressure cooker when the pressure releases or after 15 - 20 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and transfer it to a serving bowl. Enjoy this delicious mushroom rice with raita and pickle.

 

Green Peas Curry

 

Ingredients

 

1. Green peas - 1.5 cup, dried
2. Onion - 1 small, thinly sliced
3. Tomato - 1 small, chopped
4. Green chillies - 2, seeded
5. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
6. Grated coconut - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
7. Cumin seeds - 1 - 2 pinches
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
11. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
12. Salt - To taste
13. Oil - 2 tsp

 

Method

 

1) Soak green peas in water for at least 6 - 7 hrs. Drain and keep aside.

 

2) Grind the grated coconut with cumin seeds to a very smooth paste.

 

3) Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add sliced onions and green chillies. Saute until transparent and add the turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Saute for a few seconds and add tomatoes and curry leaves. Cook for a minute and add enough water to cook the green peas. Add enough salt. Bring it to a boil and add the soaked green peas. Cook for 1 whistle or until the green peas is done. The cooking time and number of whistles totally depends on the type of pressure cooker you use. Open the pressure cooker and add the ground coconut paste. Bring it to a boil, taste check for salt and switch off. Serve hot with appam/ idiyappam / chapatis / parottas.

 

 

Tips:

You can substitute grated coconut with thick coconut milk ( around 1/2 cup).

Vanpayar Mezhukkupuratti / Red Gram Stir-fry

Ingredients

1. Vanpayar / Red cow peas / Red gram / Red chori  -1 cup
2. Pearl onions - 6 - 7, crushed or chopped (Optional)
3. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
4. Red chilly powder  or crushed dry red chillies - 3 /4 tsp
5. Coriander powder - 3/4 tsp  (Optional)
6. Pepper powder or crushed whole pepper - 1/2 tsp
7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
8. Dry red chilly - 1
9. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
10. Salt - To taste
11. Coconut oil - 2 - 3 tsp

Method

1) Cook vanpayar in enough water (at least 3 - 3.5  cups or as required) and salt for 5 whistles or until it is soft and fully cooked. When the pressure releases or after 15 minutes, drain the water completely and set aside. If you want a slightly mashed up mezhukkupuratti, you can overcook the vanpayar.

2) Heat oil in a pan at medium heat. Splutter 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and fry the dry red chilly. Now add a few curry leaves and pearl onions. Fry until the pearl onions turn light brown. Now add the spice powders except pepper powder. Stir for 1 - 2 seconds and add the cooked vanpayar. Check for salt. Season with pepper powder. Stir fry for a few minutes and switch off. Serve with rice / kanji.

 

 

Tips:

1) You can substitute vanpayar with cherrupayar / green gram.

Bottle Gourd (Lauki) Dal

 

 

  Dal is one of the most important staples in Indian diet. There are many different types of dal in India and it is regularly cooked in one form or the other in almost every homes. Dal recipes are really easy to prepare.  As a protein source eaten with a starchy food like bread or rice and a milk product like yoghurt, dal is a key part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. In this recipe, chana dal (split chick peas, Bengal gram) is combined with bottle gourd ( doodhi, lauki) to give a lightly spiced, nutritious and tasty dish that goes well with chapatis and even rice.

 

Ingredients  (Serves 4 - 5)

1. Lauki / Bottle Gourd - 1 medium-sized, cubed
2. Chana Dal /Bengal gram / kadala parippu - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
3. Ginger - garlic paste -1 tsp 
4. Green chillies - 2, finely chopped
5. Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
6. Cumin seeds - 1 /4 tsp
7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
9. Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
10. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
11. Cilantro - 1 tbsp, to garnish
12. Salt - To taste
13. Oil - 2 tsp

Method

1. Soak chana dal in water for at least 1 -2 hrs. Cook chana dal in enough salt, turmeric powder and water till they are soft and cooked but not mushy. It takes around 20 - 25 minutes.

2.Wash the lauki and peel off its skin. Cut it to cubes. Cook them with little turmeric powder and salt in a pressure cooker, for two whistles or until soft.  You can also cook them covered in a vessel with some water until it gets soft. Mash them lightly with the back of a rounded spoon.

 

3. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds and add the ginger-garlic paste. Sauté for a minute until the raw smell is gone and add the green chillies. Sauté for a few seconds and add  1/4 tsp chilly powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder and chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes get mashed up and then add the cooked lauki along with the water in which they were cooked. Boil for a few minutes and add the cooked chana dal. Mix everything well, cook for a few minutes stirring occasionally and switch off. Garnish with cilantro. If you want more gravy, you can add more water and reheat. The gravy tends to get thick after a little while. Serve hot with chapatis or rice.

 

 

 

Tips:

You can cook the chana dal and lauki together in a vessel or a pressure cooker ( for about 1 whistle or until they get soft but not mushy) adding enough salt, water and turmeric powder.

 

Recipe Courtesy - Biji Krishna

Bhindi / Okra / Vendakka Masala

 

 

Bhindi masala is one of my most favorite veggie dish. The okras are stir-fried with an onion-tomato masala mixture to make a very tasty side dish for chapatis and rice.

 

Ingredients (Serves 3)

1. Vendakka / Okra / Bhindi - 25 - 30 
2. Onion - 1 medium, sliced and chopped
3. Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
4. Green chillies - 1 small
5. Garlic - 1 tbsp, finely chopped
6. Ginger - 1 tbsp, finely chopped
7. Green chillies - 2 - 3, finely chopped
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Coriander powder - 2 tsp
11. Garam masala - 1/2 - 3/4 tsp
12. Amchur powder - 1/4 tsp
13. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
14. Salt - To taste
15. Oil - As required

Method

1.  Wash the okras well and pat dry. Cut the okra to half lengthwise and then slice each halves again. Keep aside.

 

2. Heat 2 tsp oil in a non-stick pan. Stir in the okra slices and stir-fry until they are done (this is done to prevent them from getting slimy. You can skip this step and add them after step 3 ).  It would not take more than 10 - 12 minutes at medium heat. Transfer to a plate and keep aside.

3. Heat 2 tsp oil in the same pan at medium heat. Splutter cumin seeds and add ginger, garlic and green chillies. Stir for a minute and add sliced onion and little salt. Stir-fry until the onions turn lightly brown. Now add the chopped tomatoes. Cook for two minutes. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala and amchur powder.

4. Stir in the cooked okra. Mix everything well and stir-fry for a few minutes until dry. Switch off. You can garnish it with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve hot with chapatis or plain rice.

 

 

Roasted Asparagus

 

 

 

Ingredients

1. Asparagus spears -  15 - 20
2. Pepper powder - 1/2 - 3/4 tsp
3. Garlic - 1 -2 cloves minced
4. Olive oil - 2 tsp
5. Lemon juice - To taste
6. Salt - To taste ( I used garlic salt)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.

2. Wash the asparagus and trim off their hard woody ends. Pat with a paper towel. Spread them on an aluminium foil in a baking sheet. Rub them with olive oil, pepper powder, garlic and  salt.

3. Bake at 425 F for 12 - 14 mts turning them over in between, until lightly browned and tender. Adjust the seasonings. Sprinkle a little lemon juice and serve.

 

Mathappoo Thoran / Pumpkin Flower Stir fry

 

  We can prepare delicious thoran with flowers too!! For example muringappoo (drum stick flowers), banana flower, yam flower, pumpkin flower etc. All these thorans are highly nutritious, healthy and tasty. They have lots of medicinal values as well. Here is the recipe for mathappoo thoran:

 

Ingredients

• 1. Pumpkin Flowers (Mathappoo) –  10 - 12
• 2. Grated coconut – 1 tbsp 
• 3. Turmeric powder - A pinch
• 4. Pepper powder - 1-2 pinches
• 5. Oil - 1 tsp
  6. Mustard – 1 tsp
  7. Curry leaves – A few
  8. Dry red chilly – 1
• 9. Salt - As required

Method

1. Wash and chop the pumpkin flowers finely.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustards. When it splutters, fry the dry red chillies, then add the chopped pumpkin flowers, pepper powder, turmeric powder and coconut. Stir fry until cooked. It would take only a few minutes. Serve hot with rice.

 

Bottle Gourd (Lauki/Churakka ) Curry

 

  I am trying to incorporate more veggies into our daily menu these days. We usually have chapatis for dinner so I am always on the lookout for different vegetarian side-dishes for chapatis. Bottle gourd has become one of my favorite veggies recently. Though I had seen this veggie in the Indian stores before, I had no idea how to cook them. Recently I had a lauki thoran which I really loved, that made me search for more dishes with this veggie. I will be posting the recipes for lauki-dry prawn curry and lauki dal soon. Today I would love to share my friend Reshmi’s lauki curry recipe. It is a simple yet delicious curry that does not take more than 15 - 20 minutes to cook as it is cooked in a pressure cooker. You could also prepare it the regular way but that will take more time. Moreover cooking in a pressure cooker helps to achieve a thicker gravy consistency and makes the lauki really soft. The juice of lauki is considered to have many medicinal properties and is very good for health. It also aids digestion and is excellent for people who are on diet. So why don’t you try this healthy and tasty dish?

 

Ingredients

1. Lauki - 1 medium sized, peeled and chopped to small cubes ( Remove the spongy middle portion of the lauki that has seeds)
2. Ginger - 1/2 inch, chopped
3. Garlic - 3 pods, finely chopped
4. Red Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
5. Green chillies - 2 slit, seeded
6. Tomato - 2 medium, chopped
7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Chilli powder - 1tsp
9. Coriander powder - 2 tsp
10. Garam masala -1 tsp
11. Cilantro - 2 tbsp, chopped
12. Salt - To taste
13. Oil - 2 - 3 tsp

Method

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker or a deep pan. Add the chopped ginger, garlic, green chillies, chopped red onion. and little salt. Saute until oil starts to separate. Then add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Saute for a few seconds and add the chopped tomatoes. Again saute for a few seconds and add the lauki cubes.

2. Saute for a few seconds and add around 1/4 - 1/2 cup water. Adjust the salt. Cover the pressure cooker with its lid and cook for two whistles. When the pressure is released, open the pressure cooker and throw in the chopped cilantro. Mix well and check for salt. Serve hot with chapatis.

 

Sweet Potato Puzhungiyathu with Thenga and Mulaku Chammanthi

 

 

 

  Have you guys tasted sweet potato before? I never knew these light orange colored starchy sweeties were this tasty, until I ate them recently. I used to buy them from the stores thinking that I will use them to make different cakes, scones and other baked goods but it never ever made it into my oven as I could never imagine tasting a cake or any other bake with sweet potatoes! Poor sweet potatoes, every time I look at them they would have grown older and older and would end up sprouting, making its way to the trash :-(. But something changed after I had this sweet potato puzhungiyathu and thenga chammanthi at my friend Manju’s place. I really loved the sweet and spicy combination and the next day itself I went for shopping these beauties and prepared the same.  My hubby too liked it and you know what, its one of our regular evening snacks these days. These chutneys goes really well with kappa puzhungiyathu/ kappa puzhukku also and they tastes best only when fresh. Sweet potato is one of the most nutritious vegetables around with loads of antioxidants. That gives you one more reason to try this recipe. Check out its health benefits here.Try and enjoy!!

 

Sweet Potato Puzhungiyathu

 

 

Wash and trim both the ends of the sweet potato and cut them into two. Steam them in an idli maker or in a rice cooker. It would not take more than 15 - 20 minutes. Peel off the skin. Serve hot or warm with thenga or mulaku chammanthi.

 

 

 

Thenga Chammanthi

1. Coconut - 1/4 - 1/2 cup
2. Pearl onion - 2
3. Green chillies or kanthari mulaku (birds eye chilli) - 2 - 3
4. Curry leaves - 2 - 3
5. Salt - To taste

Coarsely grind all the above ingredients in a mixer.

Mulaku Chammanthi

1. Pearl onion - 5 - 6
2. Green chillies or kanthari mulaku - 5 - 6 , seeded ( I usually seed the green chillies. The hottest part of a chilli is the white membrane that connects the seeds to the flesh. Removing the seeds and membrane before cooking gives a milder flavour.)
3. Curry leaves - 2
4. Coconut oil - 2 tsp
5. Salt - To taste

Crush all the ingredients except coconut oil and salt in a mortar and pestle or a mixer. Traditionally it is crushed in a mortar and pestle. If you are using a mixer, add green chillies first. Give it a pulse and then add the pearl onions and curry leaves. Pulse it again, do not grind the mixture, just crush it. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl. Add enough salt and coconut oil. It tastes best only when fresh.

 

Tomato Rasam

 

Ingredients

1. Ripe Tomatoes - 2, chopped
2. Pearl onion - 5 - 6, chopped
3. Garlic - 6 - 7 pods
4. Green chillies - 2 - 3, slit
5. Whole pepper corns - 15 - 20
6. Tamarind - Goose-berry sized or to taste
7. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
10. Fenugreek powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Hing / asafoetida - 2 pinches
12. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
13. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
14. Dry red chillies - 2 - 3
15. Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, chopped
16. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Crush the whole pepper corns, garlic, 3 -  4 curry leaves and cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle or mixer. Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract its juice.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds and fry dry red chillies. Then add the chopped pearl onion, crushed garlic, pepper corn and cumin seed mixture. Saute for a minute, add the green chillies and chopped tomato. Mix well and cook for 2 - 3 minutes stirring occasionally, at medium heat. Now add the turmeric powder, chilly powder, fenugreek powder and hing. Mix well and add the tamarind extract and around 2.5 - 3 cup water. Add enough salt.  Bring to a boil, then lower the flame and simmer for 8 - 10 mts. Add the chopped coriander leaves and a  few curry leaves. Finally add a pinch each of fenugreek powder and hing. Close the pan with its  lid. Keep aside for at least 10 mts for the flavors to set. Serve hot with rice or have it as a soup.

 

 

Tomato and Dry Red Chilly Chutney

  If you are in search for a spicy and tangy chutney, this fits the bill. This is my mom’s recipe. Her basic dry red chilly chammanthi, made using crushed, fried dry red chillies, pearl onions, salt and oil, was too spicy for us kids. So she used to grind tomatoes along with the other ingredients to make it favorable to us. That way the chutney tastes tangy too. Tomatoes can be substituted with tamarind. This chutney is at its best when paired with idlis/ dosa.

Ingredients

1. Dry red chillies - 6 - 7  (You can adjust it according to your spice tolerance)
2. Pearl onions - 8 - 10
3. Tomato - 1 , seeded and chopped
4. Curry leaves - 4 - 5
5. Salt - To taste
6. Oil - 1 tsp  + 2 tsp
   

Method

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Fry the dry red chillies until they turn crispy and brown. Leave aside to cool.

2. Crush the dry red chillies in a mixer. Add the pearl onions and crush them. Finally add the chopped tomatoes and grind everything together.

3. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Add the above ground mixture and a few curry leaves to it. Stir the mixture at medium heat until the oil separates. It won’t take more than 6 - 8 minutes. Serve with idli/ dosa. It will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

 

 

Tip:

 

You can temper this chutney with 1/4 tsp mustards, 1 dry red chilly and a few curry leaves. You can add more chopped tomatoes, pearl onions to make it less spicy.