Naranga Curry / Wild Lemon Curry / Vadukapuli Naranga Achar

 

 

Ingredients

1. Karinaranga / vadukapuli  - 1 small, cubed
2. Green chillies - 4 - 5 , sliced to rounds
3. Garlic - 10 - 15, small cloves
4. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
5. Chilly powder - 4 - 5 tsp
6. Fenugreek powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Hing / asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
8. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
9. Salt - To taste
10. Gingelly oil (nallenna) - 1.5 tbsp

Method

 

Heat gingelly oil in a pan and splutter mustards. Add the garlic cloves and saute until they turn light brown. Now add the cubed lemon pieces, green chillies and curry leaves. Give it a stir and add around 1 cup water. Bring it to a boil and add the chilly powder, fenugreek powder, salt and hing. Stir well and cook for a few more minutes. Switch off when the gravy thickens. Cool down and store in a bottle. You can use it right away but remember to use a dry spoon while serving. It will keep for 2 - 3 weeks in a refrigerator.

 

 

Parippu Pradhaman…..it’s time to Celebrate!

    There is a very happy news that I would love to share with you all. Lakshmi is blessed with a baby boy on Oct 22nd. Both the mother and the little one are doing fine. Lakshmi has decided to take some time off to devote herself to her baby boy.....and so you guys would have to wait a few months to get more of the naadan recipes.

    To celebrate this very happy occasion, I am sharing with you a parippu pradhaman recipe. This recipe belongs to one of my friend, Girija. It is soo easy to make and would turn  out to be a nice dessert to a naadan meal. Long back , parippu pradhaman used to be served in sadyas for weddings but now a days its mostly semiya, ada pradhaman, pal payasam, palada, pineapple payasam etc etc. Heres the recipe:

Ingredients

1. Split mung dal /  skinless split green gram /cherrupayar parippu - 3/4 cup
2. Jaggery - 1 - 1.5 cup or to taste
3. Coconut milk - 1/2 can or 1.5 - 2 cup thick coconut milk
4. Milk - 3/4 cup
5. Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Cashew nuts - 10 - 15
8. Coconut bits (thenga kothu) -2 tbsp
9. Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method

1. Heat  ghee in a pressure cooker. Throw in some cashews and fry them until golden brown. Drain them on to a paper towel. Then add the coconut bits and fry until brown. Drain on to a paper towel. Now add the split mung dal and fry for 2-3 minutes until they turn a little golden brown. Now add 3 cups of water and pressure cook for one whistle.

2. Meanwhile melt the jaggery in 1 cup water, at medium heat. Stir until it reaches a light syrupy consistency. It would not take more than 10 - 15 mts. Open the pressure cooker when the pressure releases.  Mash the mung dal really well with the back of a spoon. Add 3/4 cup milk and the jaggery syrup to the pressure cooked mung dal. Mix well and bring to a boil at medium heat.

3. Add the coconut milk. Stir  well until it reaches a thick consistency at medium heat. Now add cumin powder and cardamom powder. Mix well. Finally add the fried cashews, coconut bits and 1/2 tsp ghee (optional). Serve warm or chilled.

Tips:

 

1)  You can add brown sugar instead of jaggery.

2)  Adding milk is completely optional. You can add thin coconut milk (second extraction) instead of milk in step 2.

3) If the payasam is very thick, add hot milk to dilute.

4)  I added chaokah (canned) coconut milk. Fresh coconut milk will taste best. For fresh coconut milk - Add around 1/4 - 1/2 cup warm water to grated coconut and squeeze to extract thick coconut milk(first extraction). Now add more water to the already squeezed coconut and squeeze again to get the second extraction or thin coconut milk. Finally strain the extractions through a fine sieve. You can make this process easier using a mixer. Grind the grated coconut with little warm water in a mixer. Then use a meshed strainer and press down on the coconut for the first extraction. Repeat the same for the second extraction.

 

 

Love

Maya

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.

 

 

Pal Payasam / Kheer

 

 

 

Ingredients ( Makes about 6 - 8 servings)

1. Unnakkalari  / red rice - 1/2 cup
2. Sugar - 1 cup + 2 tbsp
3. Milk -  Around 5 cups (I used low fat milk (2%). If you are using whole milk - use 4 cups of milk and 1 cup water)
4. Cardamom powder - 2 pinches or 2 cardamom pods slightly crushed

Method

In a pressure cooker, add the washed unnakkalari, milk and sugar(You can also add  2 crushed cardamoms along with these ingredients). Close with the lid and cook at medium-low flame. When the steam starts coming out, put the pressure  cooker weight and cook for about 40 mts (without any whistles) at medium-low flame. Switch off. Keep it aside for a minimum  of 1.5 - 2 hrs, before opening. Open the pressure cooker, check the sugar and add 2 pinches cardamom powder (if you did not add crushed cardamoms before) and mix well. If the pal payasam is very thick, dilute it by adding milk. Serve warm or cold.

 

 

Tips : You can replace the red rice with basmati rice or sona masoori rice.

Ada Pradhaman

Ingredients

1. Rice ada / rice flakes - 200 - 250 gm
2. Jaggery - 400 - 500 gm or to taste
3. Coconut milk (thin, randam pal) - 2 - 21/2 cup (You need 3 coconuts for this recipe. Shred the coconuts and extract the thin and thick coconut milk)
4. Coconut milk (thick), onnam pal) - 1 cup
5. Cashews, raisins, fried coconut slices(thenga kothu) - 2 tbsp each or as desired
6. Dry ginger powder(chukku podi) - 1 tsp
7. Cardamom powder - 1tsp
8. Cumin powder -1 tsp
9. Ghee - 1 tbsp or as required

Method

1. Boil water in a pan. Wash ada and cook it in boiling water for around 20 mts or until it becomes soft. Strain and rinse with cold water to prevent further cooking. Meanwhile melt the jaggery in around 2 cups of water and strain it.

2. Heat ghee in an uruli or a deep pan. Fry the raisins, cashews and coconut slices one by one and drain on to a paper towel. Now add the ada and saute in ghee for 3-4 mts adding more ghee if required at medium heat. Add the melted jaggery, cook at medium heat stirring in between. When it thickens, add the thin coconut milk. Bring down the heat to medium-low and cook until it thickens, stirring in between. Now add the thick coconut milk. Mix well and add the dry ginger powder, cardamom and cumin powder. Mix well, cook for 1-2 mts at low heat and switch off. Garnish with the fried cashews, coconut slices and raisins. Close with a lid for at least 15 mts to lock the flavors. Serve hot or cold.

KERALA SADYA VIBHAVANGAL

WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS ONAM

 

Click on the picture to go to the recipe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kaduku Manga Achar / Mango Pickle

Ingredients

1. Raw mango – 1
2. Chilly powder – 1 tbsp
3. Fenugreek powder – ½ tsp
4. Hing – ¼ tsp
5. Salt – To taste
6. Sesame oil – 1 tbsp
7. Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
8. Dry red chillies – 1
9. Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Method

Chop the mango into small pieces. Mix the chopped mango pieces with chilly powder, fenugreek powder, hing and salt in a bowl. Keep it aside for a few hours. In a pan heat sesame oil, splutter mustards, fry dry red chillies and add curry leaves. Add the mango pieces and mix well. Alternatively, you can pour this tadka over the pickle that’s kept aside and mix well. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Tips:

You could add around 2 tbsp yoghurt to 3 tbsp or so of this pickle for an extra taste but consume it within 1-2 days. Add extra salt if needed.

Chenathandu - Cherrupayar Thoran

We, Keralites make thoran with all possible veggie combinations. This is one thoran that is especially made on the day of Onam in our Central Travancore region. Chenathandu (yam stem ) and cherrupayar (green gram)make an awesome combination. Do give it a try.

 

• Ingredients
   
  1. Chopped chenathandu (elephant yam stem) - 1 cup
  2. Cherrupayar (green gram) - 1/4 cup, cooked
  3. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
  4. Green chillies – 1-2
  5. Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
  6. Garlic - 1-2
  7. Cumin seeds- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp
  8. Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  9. Dry red chillies – 1-2
  10. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
  11. Oil - 2 tsp
  12. Salt - To taste
  

Method

1. Peel off the skin of the elephant yam stem. Clean and chop finely.

 

 

 

2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add mustard seeds,  dry red chillies and curry leaves.
3. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the chopped chena thandu, turmeric powder and salt. Stir well.
4. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes.
5. Crush the grated coconut with green chillies, cumin seeds and garlic. Add it to the thoran. Cover the vessel and cook for some more time in low flame. Remove the lid and  add the cooked cherrupayar.

 

6. Stir-fry until dry. Serve hot with rice.