Uppumanga / Salted Mango Chammanthi - Two Versions

 

Ingredients

1. Uppumanga - 1-2 slices
2. Grated Coconut - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
3. Pearl onions - 2 - 3
4. Green chillies - 2
5. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method

Grind all the ingredients together in a mixer. There is no need to add salt as the mangoes are already salty. Serve with rice / kanji.

UPPUMANGA CHAMMANTHI VERSION 2

Ingredients

1. Uppumanga (salted mango) - 1.5 small
2. Pearl onions - 6 - 7
3. Green chillies - 2
4. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
5. Coconut oil - 2 tsp

Method

Crush / grind all the ingredients together in a mixer. Then transfer to a bowl and add the coconut oil. (Traditionally it is crushed using a mortar and pestle. Crush the pearl onions, green chillies and curry leaves. Now add the chopped uppu manga pieces and slightly crush everything together. Finally pour the coconut oil and mix well). There is no need to add salt since the mangoes are already salty. Serve with rice / kanji.

 

Uppumanga / Salted Mangoes

Ingredients

1. Whole mangoes (Naattu Manga) - Around 20 - 25
2. Salt - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
3. Water - As required
4. Kanthari mulaku (bird’s eye chilli) - 1/2 cup
5. Gingelly oil /nallenna - 2 tbsp (optional)
6. Mustard - 1/2 tsp (Optional)
7. Dry red chillies - 2 (Optional)
8. Dry turmeric - 1 piece, crushed

Method

 

1. Wash the mangoes and pat dry. Use only fresh mangoes for uppumanga. Wash the birsd’s eye chillies and pat dry.Take off their stem part (njeduppu) and slightly crush their ends (attam pottikuka) or make a small slit.

2. Boil enough water in a vessel. Allow it to to cool down.

3. Clean a ceramic jar (bharani) and put the mangoes inside. Now pour the cooled water over the mangoes. The water level should be just above the level of mangoes. Add around 1/2 - 3/4 cup salt and 1/2 cup bird’s eye chillies.

4. In a pan add 2 tbsp gingelly oil, splutter mustards and fry dry red chillies. Pour it over the mangoes. This is done for an extra flavor and is completely optional.

5. Add a piece of slightly crushed dry turmeric piece to into the jar. This is to prevent any fungal growth. Cover the jar with its lid. Place a heavy weight on top of the lid to make it air-tight. You can tie some sand (charalum mannalum) in a cloth and place on top of the bharani. Keep the bharani in a cool, dark place for at least 2 months before using them. You can store them for more than a year.

 

 

 

Unnakka Kappa ( Dry Tapioca) Puzhukku

 

   Unnakka kappa / dry tapioca is basically tapioca that has been washed, cleaned, sliced / diced and dried in the sun. This will keep for years without going bad. Soak them in water for at least 6 - 8 hrs to make them soft, when you need to use them. Puzhukku, tapioca chips and puttu are some of the dishes that can be prepared with dry tapioca. Dry tapioca puzhukku is prepared in the same way as fresh kappa but the taste differs a lot. It has a unique taste of its own and goes really well with fish curry / kanthari mulaku chammanthi or any other spicy chutney/curry of your choice.

Ingredients

1. Unnakka Kappa / Dry tapioca pieces - 1/4 kg 
2. Grated coconut - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
3. Green chilly - 2 - 3
4. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
5. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
6. Garlic - 1
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Wash the unnakka kappa pieces well and soak them overnight in enough water. If you are using dry tapioca that has been cut lengthwise, break it down to cubes with your hands. Crush grated coconut with garlic, green chilly, turmeric and curry leaves. You can pulse 2-3 times in a mixer. Keep aside.

 

2. Cook the tapioca pieces in a pressure cooker for 2 -3 whistles(or until soft) adding enough water (around 3-4 cups). When the pressure releases, open the pressure cooker and drain the water. Add the crushed coconut-green chilli mixture, few curry leaves and salt to the cooked unnakka kappa. Mix well and mash the tapioca. Cook for a few minutes. Check for salt. You can add 1-2 tsp of coconut oil if you wish.

 

 

Tips:

You can season it with mustards and dry red chilly if you wish.

Pappaya/Omakka Thoran - Two Versions

 

 

    We know that we have been posting lots of thoran recipes in our space. But the thing is, we Keralites have a strong attraction towards thoran, that it finds a place in our menu almost every day. A typical Keralites’ normal lunch is not complete without rice, a yoghurt or coconut-based gravy, thoran, mezhukkupuratti and some non-veg dish. Each thoran is prepared in a different way with different veggie combinations, spices or different seasonings to bring out their best flavors. The unavoidable ingredient in all these thorans is coconut.  Both the papapya thoran recipes that we have shared today tastes very different. The first version which tastes like cabbage thoran uses grated papaya and the preparation method is also exactly like that of cabbage thoran that we have have posted here. The second version calls for   pappaya that is chopped finely and seasoned with urad dal along with mustards, dry red chillies etc which gives it a nutty and unique taste. My mother used to make the grated pappaya thoran for my brother who hated pappaya and was a lover of cabbage. He  never even realized the difference. Try it and see..

 

Ingredients

 

1. Pappaya - Half medium sized
2. Onion - 1/2, chopped fine
3. Geen chillies - 4 - 5, sliced diagonally 
4. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
5. Grated coconut - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Mustards - 1/2 tsp
8. Dry red chillies - 1-2
9. Salt - To taste
10. Oil- As required

 

Method

 

1. Grate the pappaya. I grated it in a food processor.

 

 

2. Crush the grated pappaya, grated coconut, chopped onion, green chillies, curry leaves, turmeric powder and salt with your hands (njeruduka).

 

 

 

3. Heat oil in a deep pan. Splutter mustards and brown dry red chillies. Now add the grated pappaya-coconut mixture. Mix well and cover for a few minutes. Then open the lid and stir fry until dry. The whole method wont take more than 10 - 15 mts. Serve hot with rice.

 

SECOND VERSION

 

 

Ingredients

 

1. Pappaya - Half medium sized
2. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
3. Grated coconut - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
6. Garlic - 1-2 crushed (chathachathu)
7. Mustards - 1/2 tsp
8. Urad dal (uzhunnu parippu) - 2 tsp
9. Dry red chillies - 1-2
10. Salt - To taste
11. Oil- As required

 

Method

 

1. Chop the pappaya finely(kothi ariyuka). I chopped it in a food processor.  Crush grated coconut with garlic, turmeric powder and chilly powder(njeruduka). Alternatively, you can crush or pulse it in a mixer. Keep aside.

 

 

2. Heat 2 tsp in a deep pan. Splutter mustards, add dry red chillies, urad dal and brown them. Now add the chopped pappaya, curry leaves and the crushed coconut mixture. Mix well. Cover and cook at low heat for a few minutes. Now open the lid and stir fry until dry. Serve hot with rice.

 

 

 

 

Tips:

 

Vanpayar / Cherrupayar  - pappaya is a great combination. You can add around 1/2 - 3/4 cup cooked vanpayar / cherrupayar to this thoran.

Kallappam

Ingredients
1. Idli rice or any raw rice – 2 cups (Soak it in water for at least 5- 6 hrs)
2. Cooked rice – 1 cup
3. Thick coconut Milk – 1/2 cup or grated coconut - 3/4 cup(I used chaokoh coconut milk)
4. Grated coconut - 1/4 - 1/2 cup
5. Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
6. Shallots – 3-4
7. Yeast – 1/2 tsp (You can use around 1/2 glass toddy instead of yeast)
8. Sugar – 1 tbsp
9. Salt – To taste


Method

1. Combine 1 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp yeast in around 1/4 cup of luke warm water and keep it aside for 5-10 mts.

2. Grind the idli rice in a mixer. When it is half-ground, add the cooked rice, coconut milk(or grated coconut if you are using it)and grind everything together to make a very smooth paste. Add little water if needed. Transfer it to a large bowl. Mix in yeast mixture, stir well and allow it to ferment for 6 - 8 hrs. You can keep it in the oven after heating it for 15-20 seconds. During summer, it won't take more than 4 hrs to ferment.

3. The batter would have fermented to almost double size after 6 - 8 hrs. Take it out.

4. Grind 1/4 - 1/2 cup grated coconut with 3 - 4 shallots and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds. Just before preparing the appams, add the crushed coconut-cumin mixture and enough salt to the batter. Mix well. If the batter is very thick you can add either milk or coconut milk. The consistency of the batter should be similar to that of an idli batter.

5. Heat a non-stick pan or tawa. Apply a little oil on the tawa (you do not need to apply oil if you are using a non-stick pan). Pour a ladle(thavi) full of batter into the tawa. The batter will spread by itself. Flip over to the other side after a minute or two. Cook until it turns light brown. Serve hot with any curry of your choice. This recipe yields around 20 - 25 kallappams.

Vazhakoombu / Banana Flower Cutlet

 

Ingredients

1. Vazhakoombu/ Banana flower - 1 small or 1 cup, chopped fine
2. Potato - 2 large
3. Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
4. Ginger - 1/2 inch, chopped fine
5. Garlic - 8 - 10, chopped fine
6. Green chillies - 5-6, finely chopped
7. Curry leaves - 2 sprig, chopped
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
10. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
11. Coriander leaves - 2 tsp, chopped
12. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
13. Egg white - of 1-2 eggs
14. Bread crumbs - 1/4 - 1/2 cup
15. Salt - To taste
16. Oil - For deep-frying

Method

1. Remove 3-4 outer layers of the banana bud and chop it really fine into a vessel with water, salt, oil and turmeric powder. After 15 mts drain and squeeze out the extra water.

2. Cook the potatoes and mash them well with salt and turmeric powder.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onion. Sauté until light brown. Add the chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes. Then add chopped vazhakoombu and salt. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Open the lid and stir fry until dry. Now add the turmeric powder, chilly powder, pepper powder and garam masala. Stir for a few seconds and add the lemon juice, mashed potato, curry leaves.  Stir at low flame until all the moisture content is completely gone. Check for salt and pepper powder. When it is cooled, make small balls out of it.

4. Beat the egg white adding little salt. Flatten the balls to desired shapes. Dip them in the egg-white and then in the bread crumbs. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the cutlets (you can also shallow fry it). Drain on to paper towels. Serve hot with tomato sauce.

 

 

 

Tips:

1. You can refrigerate the flattened balls dipped in egg white and bread crumbs for 2 days or can even freeze them.
2. You can add more bread crumbs/ maida  if the cutlet breaks while frying or if it doesn’t hold shape.
3. You can also use store bought mashed potatoes.

Prawn Fry - Two versions

Today we have two prawn recipes to share with you all. The first one is from Nitha’s Amateur Perceptions where the prawns are first fried and then mixed with sautéed onion, ginger-garlic paste etc. The second one is our version where the onion, g-g paste are sautéed first to which the marinated prawns are added and cooked. Both the dishes tasted awesome with rice and chapatis. Hope you will enjoy them as much as we did!! Thanks to Nitha for the recipe.

Ingredients

1. Prawns  -  1/4 - 1/2 kg or around 30 - 35 (I used jumbo prawns)
2. Onion -  1 medium sized, sliced thin
3. Ginger-garlic Paste -  2 tsp
4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Chilly powder -   2 tsp or as required
6. Pepper powder -  1 tsp
7. Curry leaves -  3 sprigs
8. Coconut slices - 1-2 tbsp ( I didn’t use them)
9. Oil - 2 tbsp
10. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Marinate the prawns with the turmeric powder, chilly powder, pepper powder, ginger garlic paste and salt, at least for 30 mts.  Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add the marinated prawns. Stir fry them in oil until they are just cooked and drain on to a paper towel.

2. Add more oil in the pan, if required and add the thinly sliced coconut pieces. Fry until they are light brown in color. Now add the thinly sliced onions and curry leaves. Saute until the onions are light brown. Add the fried prawns, mix well and serve hot.

PRAWN FRY - VERSION 2

 

Ingredients

1. Prawns  - 1/4 -  1/2 kg or around 30 - 35
2. Onion -  2 medium sized, sliced
3. Ginger-garlic Paste -  3 tsp
4. Tomatoes - 2, pureed (De-seed them and blend in a mixer)
5. Curry leaves -  2-3 sprigs
6. Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
7. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
8. Fennel powder - 1 tsp
9. Oil - As required
10. Salt - To taste

Marinade

1. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
2. Pepper powder -  1 tsp
3. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
4. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
5. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Marinate the prawns using the ingredients under marinade.

2. Heat oil in a deep pan. Add the sliced onion, little salt and ginger-garlic paste. Saute until the onions are slightly browned. Now add the tomato puree. Cook until the oil separates, then add the turmeric powder and chilly powder. Saute for a few seconds, then add the marinated prawns and curry leaves. Mix well. Cover and cook until the prawns are done, at medium-low heat. It wont take more than 10 - 15 mts.

3. Open the lid, add  1 tsp fennel powder and a few curry leaves. Stir fry for a few minutes at medium heat. Check for salt and pepper powder. Switch off.