Roasted Vanpayar Curry

Roasted vanpayar / red gram curry makes a delicious curry to have along with rice. In conversation with my father, he recollected a vanpayar curry that his mother used to make. Along with my father i cooked this vanpayar curry and we enjoyed a good meal.

Ingredients

1 cup - Brown vanpayar

To grind

1/2 shell - Coconut, grated
6 - Shallots / small onion
1/2 tsp - Jeera / Cumin seeds
5 -  Dry red chilli Or 1 tsp -  Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
4 - shallots, sliced
4 - Dry red chili
2 tbsp - Grated coconut
2 to 4 sprigs - Curry leaves

Method

1 ) Wash the vanpayar well and drain off the water. In a big pan dry roast the payar, on low flame, till you get the roasted smell. Cool the payar. Then transfer the payar into a blender and pulse, two to three times to crush it. Do not powder it, just have to get it crushed and split.

2 ) In a pressure cooker, add two cups of water and make it warm. When warm, add the crushed payar to it. Close the lid and pressure cook. After the first whistle, simmer and cook for 3 more whistles. Turn off the cooker.

3 ) Grind in a blender the ingredients listed to be ground with enough water. Open the cooker and add ground paste. Add enough water to get a thick gravy. Add salt to taste and bring to a boil. Simmer for two to three minutes and turn off the stove.

4 ) In a pan heat 2 to 3 tbsp coconut oil. Add mustard, then dry chili, then shallots and fry it to light brown color. Then add the grated coconut and fry it to a light brown color. Add curry leaves and pour this seasoning on top of the payar curry. Cover with lid.

Serve along with rice to make a delicious meal.

Vishu Katta ~ Vishu ashamsakal

This year i tried my hands on making vishu katta that is very popular in thrissur. Vishu katta is a part of vishu in thrissur. This is served for breakfast  along with tender cashew nut curry  or jaggery syrup. Also can be served along with chicken / mutton curry or stew.

I started off getting unakkalari, which was labelled red raw rice on the packet. Now you have to soak this rice for half an hour or more before you start cooking. It's a rich coconut milk flavored rice preparation with a dash of cumin and dry ginger powder to enhance the taste.

 Now to make this, you need ample amount of coconut milk. So extract coconut milk from two medium size coconut in three extracts.  1 cup - first extract , 2 cups - second extract , 3 cups - third extract. Keep the extract ready before you start.

Ingredients

1 cup - Unakkalari ( red raw rice )

2 medium size - coconut, to extract milk

1/2 tsp - Cumin /jeera, crushed

1/2 tsp - Dry ginger powder

Salt to taste

Method

1 ) Soak the rice in water for half an hour or more. Extract coconut milk, three times. First, second and third extract.

2 ) In a big kadai or uruli, pour 3 cups third extracted coconut milk and bring it to a slight boil. Stir occasionally. Add the washed and soaked rice, close with a lid, simmer and cook till all the coconut milk is used up.

3 ) Now pour in the second extract, stir and cook the rice on simmer. When the rice is half cooked add salt to taste. Now when all the second extract is used up and rice is 3/4 th cooked up add first extract with jeera powder and dry ginger powder. Stir and cook till the rice thickens and oil comes out.

4 ) Transfer and pour on to a plate or banana leave. Spread evenly with a spoon and cool. When fully cooled cut into pieces to serve.

Serve along with tender cashewnut curry / jaggery syrup or chicken/ mutton curry.

Wishing every one a Happy Vishu !

Kadachakka Varutharacha Curry - Breadfruit Masala Curry

There is one fine kadachakka tree in the backyard of the tharavadu veedu in kerala. Playing around the trees and climbing it was a favorite thing to do as a kid. I am not sure if the tree still remains, but then the dishes made with the kadachakka were delicious. Varuthu aracha masala curry made with kadachakka tastes like a meat curry and goes so well with rice.

Ingredients

3 cups - Breadfruit/ kadachakka, chopped
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 medium - Tomato, chopped
2 - Green chili, slit in center
1'' piece - ginger, finely chopped
2 sprigs - Curry leaves
Salt to taste

To roast & grind

3/4 cup - Freshly grated coconut
2 big - shallots, chopped
4 big flake - Garlic
2 small - Cinnamon sticks
2 to 3 - Cloves
1 - Star anise
1/2 tsp - Perumjeera/Fennel seeds
2 tbsp - Coriander powder
3/4 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

Seasoning

1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
4 to 5 big - Shallots, chopped
2 sprigs - Curry leaves
Coconut oil

Method

1 ) Cook kadachakka pieces in a pressure cooker along with, turmeric powder, tomato, green chili, ginger, curry leaves and salt taste. Add 2 cups of water to cook the vegetable. Bring the pressure cooker to full pressure and cook for one whistle. Turn off the stove and open the cooker when the pressure is fully released.

2 ) Mean while in a pan roast - Coconut, cinnamon, clove, star anise, fennel seeds, shallots and garlic on low heat. Add little coconut oil when roasting. When the coconut turns golden in color, add coriander powder, turmeric power, red chili powder and lightly roast for few for seconds. Turn off the stove and cool.

3 ) Grind the roasted ingredients to a smooth paste with enough water in a blender/ grinder. Add this ground paste to the cooked kadachakka. Add enough water for the gravy. Bring to a boil, simmer. Adjust salt to taste.

4 ) To a pan add coconut oil, splutter the mustard seeds, then add shallots and curry leaves. Fry till the shallots are light brown in color. Pour this seasoning on top of the kadachakka curry.

Serve with rice. Makes a yummy meal with rice and pappad.

Manthanga/ Pumpkin Curry

Usually pumpkin is not in my grocery list, since it imparts a sweet taste to the curry. But when the grocery shopping was done by my better half, there comes the pumpkin to my kitchen. I had this recipe with me, which i had not tried. So tried it and it was not so bad.

Ingredients

2 cups - Pumpkin, chopped to small pieces
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder
Few curry leaves
Salt to taste

To grind

1/2 cup - Freshly grated coconut
3 to 4 - Big shallots/ small onion

To crush & powder

4 to 5 - Big garlic flakes, crushed
1/4 tsp - Perumjeerakam / Fennel seeds, powdered

Season

1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
3 to 4 - Big shallots, chopped
2 tbsp - Grated coconut
2 - Dry red chili
Coconut oil

Method

1 ) Cook chopped pumpkin in enough water ( 1 to 1.5 cup ) along with turmeric powder, red chili powder, curry leaves and salt to taste. Cook till pumpkin is well cooked.

2 ) Grind the coconut and shallot without adding any water. If needed add 1 or 2 tbsp water and grind - but not to very smooth paste. It can be slightly coarse.

3 ) Add the ground paste to the pumpkin pan and bring to a boil. Add little water, if only it is necessary. The gravy should not be watery. When it is starting to boil, add crushed garlic and perumjeerakam powder. Adjust salt to taste and bring to a boil. Take off the stove.

4 ) Heat a pan with coconut oil. Add mustard seeds and pop it, then add shallots, red chili and coconut. Fry till the shallot and coconut turns lightly brown. Pour this seasoning over the pumpkin curry and cover with a lid.

Serve as a side dish with steamed white rice and to complete the menu have something spicy like a fried fish and pappad.

Bottle gourd Khichadi

Bottle gourd is an easily available and common vegetable. It's got many beneficial values, when consumed cooked or uncooked. Here is a khichadi, just like a pachadi made out of this vegetable.

Ingredients

1 Medium size - Bottle gourd,peeled & chopped to small pieces
1 cup - Thick creamy & sour yogurt/curds
Salt to taste

Grind to a paste

3/4 to 1 cup - Freshly grated Coconut
4 - Green chili
4 to 5 - Garlic flakes
1'' piece - Ginger
1/2 tsp - Jeera
1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds

Seasoning

1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
2 to 3 - Dry red chili
1 to 2 sprigs - Curry leaves

Method

1 ) First boil chopped bottle gourd pieces in enough water, till it's well cooked.

2 ) Grind coconut, green chili, ginger, garlic and jeera to a smooth paste with little water. Then add mustard seeds and pulse 2 to 3 times to crush the mustard seeds.

3 ) Add the paste to the cooked bottle gourd. Bring to a a slight boil on medium heat. Add salt to taste. Turn off the stove. Then add yogurt ( beat/ blend yogurt well and then add )

4 ) Heat a pan with little sesame oil. Add mustard seeds and pop it. Then add red chili and curry leaves. Fry for second and then pour this seasoning on top of the cooked khichadi. Cover with a lid immediately.


Serve with rice as a side dish.

Elephant Yam - Chena Masala Curry

Wonder how this vegetable got the name elephant yam. Now this is called chena in Malayalam. A very naadan taste is achieved in this recipe, where masala ingredients are roasted and ground. Replace yam with potato and make a potato masala curry.

Ingredients

400 gm - Chena/ suran/ elephant yam, cut to smaller cubes

3 to 4 - Green chili, slit in center

2''piece - Ginger, finely chopped

2 medium size - Tomato, chopped

Roast & Grind to smooth paste

3/4 cup - Freshly grated coconut

1 piece - Cinnamon stick

4 to 6 - Clove

1 - Star anise

5 to 6 big - Garlic

4 to 5 - Shallots / small onions

4 to 5 - Whole dry red chili

2 tbsp - Coriander powder

1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

Garnish

1 tsp - Mustard seeds

1/2 cup - Shallots/ small onions, chopped

1/4 cup - Coconut chopped, thenga kottu

3 to 4 sprigs - Curry leaves

Method

1 ) Pressure cook chena with ginger, green chili, tomato and salt to taste, adding enough water. Pressure cook for one whistle.

2 ) In a kadai, fry & roast grated coconut, on medium to low heat. Add cinnamon, clove, star anise, dry red chili, garlic and shallots. Add little coconut oil in between roasting, for good taste and flavor. Fry till the coconut turns light to medium brown in color. Now add coriander powder and turmeric powder. Further fry till the powders changes color to a slight darker shade. Take off the stove and cool.

3 ) When cool, grind to a smooth paste with enough water. Now add this coconut paste to the cooked chena. Add enough water for the gravy. Add salt to taste and some curry leaves. Bring to a boil and take off the stove.

4 ) Meanwhile, in a kadai, add coconut oil and pop the mustard seeds. Then add, coconut bits, small onion and fry to a light brown color. Add rest of the curry leaves and fry for a second. Garnish the curry with this and stir in. Serve hot with rice. Serve as a side dish with rice or roti.

Vishu and a Koottu Curry

The Malayalam new year, Vishu is celebrated on the first day of medam masam (Malayalam month ) It generally falls on 14th or 15th of April. This year it's on April 15th. Very early in the morning, i woke to light the lamp and then woke rest of the family to see the auspicious Vishukkani.

Later in the day starts preparation for a small sadhya. This koottu curry is a combination of vegetables and chana dal, that when seasoned is delicious and will be a good add to the sadhya dishes.

Ingredients

1 cup - Chana dal

1 and 1/4 cup - Chena /suran/yam, cut to small cubes.

1 and 1/4 cup - White pumpkin, cut to small cubes

1 and 1/4 cup - Red pumpkin, cut to small cubes

1 - Raw banana, cut to small cubes

Salt to taste

To roast and grind

1 tbsp - Coriander seeds

1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

8 - Whole dry red chili

3 - Pepper corn

1 tsp - Urad dal

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds

2 to 4 - Dry red chili, broken into two

8 - Shallots, sliced

3 sprigs - Curry leaves

1/2 cup - Freshly grated coconut

Coconut oil

Method

1 ) Soak chana dal for 2 hours in enough water. Transfer the dal to a pressure cooker, add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 5 minutes. Now turn off the stove and cool. Then open the cooker and add the vegetables. Add salt to taste and again pressure cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the stove and cool.

2 ) Meanwhile, roast the ingredients listed to roast in little coconut oil. Then powder and grind to a smooth paste with little water.

3 ) Add this masala paste to the cooked dal and veggies. Simmer and bring to a boil. Adjust salt to taste.

4 ) Now heat a pan with coconut oil to season. Add mustard seeds and let it pop. Then add dry red chili and fry it for a second then add onion and curry leaves. Let the onion light brown in color. Then add the grated coconut and fry the coconut to a light brown color. Add more coconut oil, if necessary. Pour this seasoning on top of the cooked dal and veggies and mix in. Close with a lid immediately to capture the aroma inside the pan.

Serve as a side dish with rice. Wishing every one a Happy Vishu !

Check out the malabar style koottu curry preparation here

Kumbalanga / Ash Gourd Moru Curry

Trying to recapture a favorite moru curry that my amma prepares, that i used to love having with some fish fry and rice. It's a lovely combination of flavors. Every time i buy Ash gourd, i call up my amma to ask for all the ingredients she puts in, for that special taste. Then i forget the ingredients, the next time i buy a Kumbalam. So this time i thought it's best to blog this recipe and save it. Green chili adds special taste to this moru curry.Here is a moru curry i grew up having and hopefully anyone trying this recipe enjoys it too.

Ingredients

2 cups - Kumbalanga, diced to small pieces

1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp - Red chili powder

Salt to taste

Grind to a paste

3/4 cup - Freshly grated coconut

6 to 8 - Indian green chili ( or as to taste )

1/4 tsp - Jeera /cumin seeds

1 cup - Thick creamy & sour yogurt

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp - Fenugreek /Uluva/ methi seeds

4 to 5 - Dry red chili

3 to 4 sprigs - Curry leaves

Method

1 ) In an utensil, bring to a boil about 1.5 cup water. Add kumbalam pieces, turmeric, chili powder and salt to taste. Cook on medium heat till the pieces are cooked.

2 ) Grind coconut, green chili and jeera in a blender. Then add curd and grind to a smooth paste.

3 ) Add the ground paste / mixture to the cooked pumpkin. Adjust salt to taste. Bring the curry- just to a boil and immediately turn off the stove.

4 ) Heat a pan with sesame oil. Add mustard and fenugreek seeds. Let the mustard pop and fenugreek seeds brown. Once done, add dry chili, curry leaves and fry lightly. Pour this seasoning over the moru curry and immediately close with a lid so that all the aroma stays in the curry.

Serve hot with rice, pappad and fish fry.

Vazha Pindi Thoran - Banana Stem Stir Fry

Banana plant is one plant, whose all parts are used either to eat or to serve food / wrap food. On the whole this plants fruit, flower and stem has natural benefits and curative properties. The plant is chopped off once it bears fruit. Mostly the stem is discarded. But then this stem is rich in fibre.Banana stem when peeled, the inner creamy core is edible and can be used to make delicious dishes.
Banana stem - cut and chopped to small pieces, in picture.
Cut the stem in round, slowly move the knife away, you will see fibre. Clean the fiber off the stem on each round cut and then chop to small pieces. Put the chopped stem into water to stop discoloration.


Ingredients

4 cups - Vazha pindi, chopped
1/4 cup - Toor dal ( soak for one hour )
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Coarsely Crush

1/2 cup - Freshly grated Coconut
2 to 3 - Green chili

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
1 tsp - Urad dal
3 to 4 sprigs - Curry leaves
Coconut oil

Method
1 ) Chop the banana stem to small pieces. To a pan add chopped banana stem, toor dal, turmeric powder, salt to taste and about 1.5 cup water. Cover and cook on low heat till the dal and banana stem is cooked and tender. Alternatively, you can pressure cook banana stem and dal in little water for 1 to 2 whistles. If pressure cooking, you do not have to soak toor dal.

2 ) Heat coconut oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds and urad dal. Pop the mustard seeds and lightly brown the urad dal. Then add curry leaves and the cooked banana stem and dal. To this add the coarsely ground coconut and green chili. Stir and mix all the ingredients. Now stir and dry off any excess water. Add little coconut oil towards the end, stir and fry for a minute. Take off the stove and serve.

Serve with rice as a side dish.

Puli Inji / Inji Puli

Inji puli or puli inji as it is called, is part and parcel of onam sadya. A thick sauce that is sweet, spicy and tangy in taste.

Ingredients

Cut very finely

8 - Green chili

2'' to 3'' piece - Ginger

1 cup - Shallot or 2 - Onions

To roast & powder

1 tsp - Raw rice

1 tsp - Jeera /cumin

1/2 tsp - Pepper corns

Masala powders to be roasted

3 tsp - Coriander powder

1.5 tsp - Chili powder

1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

Other ingredients

1 fist full - Tamarind

1 small cube size - Jaggery

Salt to taste

Seasoning

1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds

2 - Dry red chili, split into two

Few curry leaves

Method

1 ) Extract thick tamarind juice, from tamarind, adding about 1.5 to 2 cups of water to the tamarind. Roast the ingredients listed above.

2 ) Heat a kadai /wok with little coconut oil, Add mustard seeds and let it pop. Then add dry red chili, curry leaves and fry for a few seconds. Then add finely chopped, green chili, ginger and onion. Fry on medium heat very well till the raw smell goes and the ingredients get fried to a medium brown color. Add more coconut oil as required.

3 ) Now add the roasted masala powders, mix and stir. Now pour in the tamarind juice, salt to taste, stir and cook till the sauce thicken up. Then add jaggery and let it blend in with the sauce. Now sprinkle the powdered, rice,jeera and pepper. Stir and mix and cook for a minute. Take off the stove and let it cool.

Serve inji puli for a grand onam sadya meal.

Cabbage Thoran ~ Stir Fried Cabbage

Cabbage stir fried with coconut, shallot, garlic, ginger and spices gives it a unique taste that is so good with cooked red rice.

Ingredients

3 cups - Cabbage, chopped

Coarsely grind

1/2 cup - Freshly grated coconut

1/4 tsp - Jeera / Cumin

3 to 4 - Green chili

A very small piece - Ginger

2 flakes - Garlic

1 big - Shallot

1 sprig - Curry leaves

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds

5 to 6 big - Shallots, chopped

2 sprigs - Curry leaves

Method

1 ) Mix shredded and chopped cabbage with the coarsely ground coconut mixture. With hand mix in very well. Sprinkle salt to taste and mix with hand well.

2 ) Heat a kadai /wok with coconut oil, add mustard and pop it. Then add shallots and curry leaves and fry lightly. Then add the cabbage mixture and stir in. Close with a lid and cook on low heat for 4 to 5 minutes. In between just give a quick stir. Let the cabbage cook in it's steam. Do not over cook the cabbage. Let it have a bit of crunchiness. Take off the heat and serve.

This is my usual side dish with some kerala fish curry and rice.

Muringya Ela Thoran / Drumstick Leaf Stir-Fry

In kerala a drumstick tree in the backyard of a house is a common sight. There is one our back yard too. This gives a good supply of drumsticks and leaves to cook when ever you desire for a dish made out of it. Now to make this drumstick leaves upperi / thoran, pick on young drumstick leaves. Older leaves tend to be more bitter. Pick just the leaves off the stem and then clean them well.

Ingredients

2 to 3 cups - Drumstick leaves,washed

1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder

1/2 cup - Shallot/ small onion, chopped

Coarsely grind

1/2 cup - Freshly grated coconut

1/4 tsp - Jeera

1 big - Shallot / small onion

2 - Green chili

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

Method

1 ) Heat a wok or kadai with coconut oil, add mustard seeds and pop it in medium heat. Then add the shallots and fry till lightly browned. Then add turmeric powder and salt to taste and stir in.

2 ) Now add the drumstick leaves, stir and then close with a lid and cook on low heat till the leaves get wilted. Then add the coarsely ground coconut mixture, stir, close with a lid and further cook on low heat for few more minutes till done. The leaves will get cooked in it's moisture. Take care to see that the leaves don't stick to the bottom of the pan and start burning from lack of moisture.

Serve hot as a side dish with rice.

Variation - When the quantity of the leaves are less or even otherwise if you need a variation, add little par- cooked toor dal, and cook with the drumstick leaves. following the same recipe.

Mushroom Theeyal

Theeyal prepared with different types of veggies and even non-veg like prawns theeyal is a typical kerala dish, were coconut and spices are roasted to a brown color and cooked along with tamarind juice. I guess i didn't roast the coconut enough to attain that typical theeyal deep brown color. None the less, theeyal was tasty when cooked with mushrooms and went so well with rice. Adding a teaspoon of cornflour in water, makes cleaning mushrooms easy. The dirty surfaces to the top quickly.

Ingredients

200 to 250 grams - Button mushrooms
10 big - Shallots, chopped
2 - Green chili, slit in center
2 to 4 big flakes - Garlic, chopped
A marble size - Tamarind

To roast & grind

1 cup - Freshly grated coconut
4 to 6 - Dry red chili
1 tbsp - Coriander seeds
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
6 - Black pepper corns
A pinch - Fenugreek seeds

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
3 to 4 sprigs - Curry leaves

Method

1 ) Cut cleaned mushrooms in halves. Add 1/2 cup water to tamarind and extract juice. Heat a pan, add little coconut oil, then add coconut, fenugreek seeds, red chili, coriander seeds, peppercorns stir and roast on low heat till it becomes golden brown in color. Then add turmeric powder and further brown the coconut to a deep brown color without burning it. Take off stove and cool. Transfer to a blender/ grinder and grind to a smooth paste adding very little water.

2 ) Heat little coconut oil in a pan, add mustard seeds,let it pop then add curry leaves ( you can do the seasoning in the last if you like and skip doing it in this step ) Then add green chili, shallots and garlic and fry for a minute. Then add mushroom and saute for a minute or two. Now add salt to taste, one cup of water and cook till the mushroom is well cooked.

3 ) Now add the ground coconut paste, wash the blender well with little water and add to the pan. Close with a lid and cook. Then add tamarind juice and bring to a boil. Adjust salt to taste. Now if you skipped seasoning, in step 2, you can finally season with mustard and curry leaves in the end.

Serve with rice and you may not need any non-veg curry for this meal.

Ethakka / Ripe Plantain Pachadi

A sweet and sour pachadi with ripe plantain will be a good addition to your sadhya. There is similarities in taste with mambazha pulissery , though this is a pachadi.

Ingredients

2 - Very ripe plantain, chop very finely
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp - Red chili powder
Salt to taste

Grind to a smooth paste

1/2 cup - Grated coconut
1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
1 to 2 - Green chili
1/2 cup - Medium sour curds/ yogurt

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
2 sprigs - Curry leaves
2 - Whole dry red chili

Method

1 ) Cook plantain in little water with red chili and turmeric powder along with salt to taste. cook till plantain is a bit mashed.

2 ) Add ground ingredients to cooked plantain, add little water just enough for a thick gravy and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook for 2 minutes. Adjust salt to taste. Add beaten curds, mix in and when about to boil, take off the stove.

3 ) In a pan heat oil, add mustard seeds and pop it. Add curry leaves and dry red chili. Fry for a minute and pour over the pachadi.

Serve with rice.

Spinach Pachadi

Spinach is cooked frequently at my place in different ways and with all its goodness and health benefits is a power food. Pachadi with spinach is a quick preparation, that a friend thought of, to make in a hurry one day. Tried this out today and it was perfect with rice.

Ingredients

1 bunch - Spinach, washed well
1 to 2 - Green chili, chopped
Salt to taste

Grind to a smooth paste

1/2 cup - Coconut
1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/2 cup - Medium sour creamy yogurt

Seasoning

1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
2 - Dry whole red chili
2 sprigs - Curry leaves

Method

1 ) In a pan cook spinach in very little water with green chili and salt to taste, covered with a lid. Once cooked, take off the stove and cool. Transfer to a blender / grinder and plus two times to get a coarse texture.

2 ) Transfer spinach to a pan. Grind coconut and mustard to a smooth paste, with little water. Add this coconut- mustard paste to the pan with spinach and mix. Heat the stove, place the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add beaten yogurt and adjust salt to taste. After adding yogurt, don't cook for long. Just before it comes to a boil, take off the stove.

3 ) Heat oil in another pan. Add mustard seeds and pop. Add dry red chili and curry leaves. Fry for a second and pour this seasoning on the pachadi. Stir and mix in.


Serve as a side dish with rice.

Okra / Lady's Finger Masala Fry and Curry

Vendakka masala, which can be made as a masala fry or as a curry by adding coconut milk.

Ingredients to make masala fry

1/2 lb - Okra / Vendakka
5 big - Shallots, chopped
3 - Green chili, slit in center
4 big - Garlic flakes, crushed & minced
1/2 '' piece - Ginger, grated
1 medium - Tomato, chopped
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
2 tsp - Coriander powder
1 sprigs - Curry leaves
Oil, preferably coconut oil

Method

1 ) Wash and dry okra. Trim off the top and bottom. Slit in center and cut to two parts and cut each part into two and set aside.

2 ) Heat oil in a pan, add okra in small batches and fry very lightly. Don't have to brown it. Take out of the oil and drain.

3 ) After okra is done, add curry leaves, shallot, green chili, garlic and ginger. Fry in oil for 2 minutes in simmer. Add tomato and fry for a minute.Then add red chili, turmeric and coriander powder. Fry the powders, then add fried okra, salt to taste and mix with the masala. Stir and cook okra in the masala for 2 minutes. Let the masala coat the okra well. Take off the stove and serve.

Serve as a side dish with rice or roti.

To make this masala fry into a curry: Add 1 cup to 1.5 cup coconut milk and bring to a boil. Cook for minute and take off the stove. Coconut milk depends on how much of gravy you want.


Serve with steamed white rice.

Kaipakka / Pavakka Kondattam - Bitter Gourd Crisps

Kondattam's are dried vegetables, marinated in spices, sun dried and then fried in oil. When you have limitations to sun dry, then other methods come in use. Microwaving the marinated bitter gourd is a easy and fast way to make these kondattam's.

Ingredients

1 medium size - Bitter gourd
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
2 to 3 tbsp - Yogurt / thick curds
A pinch of - Hing
Oil and salt to taste

Method

1 ) Cut bitter gourd to thin round rings.

2 ) Mix red chili powder, turmeric powder, hing, yogurt, little oil and salt in moderation. Apply this paste on each bitter gourd ring. Marinate for 1/2 hour.

3 ) Grease a microwave safe plate. Arrange bitter gourd on the plate in a single layer. You will need to microwave for 10 to 11 minutes. Don't cook for 10 minutes at one go. Cook for 2 minutes, stop, stir the rings and repeat for 2 minutes till the cooking time is total of 10 minutes. Then cook for 1 minute more, give a resting time for 2-3 minutes and then check if you need to make it more crisp. If you do, just microwave for 50 seconds more.

Great with rice, curds and pappad.

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"Vegetable of the week" ( VoW ) is an event hosted by Pooja of "creative Pooja" . "Vegetable of the week" is a monthly event now and she has chosen "Bitter Gourd/Karela" as her vegetable for this month. Bitter gourd crisps is my contribution to this event.

Kalan

Kalan, a yogurt based thick gravy preparation with vegetable like plantain and yam is a popular traditional dish in kerala. Yam used here is suran or also known as elephant foot yam.

Ingredients

1 - Plantain, cut with skin to 1/2 '' pieces
1 cup - Yam / Suran, cut to 3/4 '' pieces
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
salt to taste

Grind to a paste

3/4 cup - Grated coconut
3 to 4 - Green chili
1/2 tsp - Jeera / Cumin seeds
1.5 to 2 cups - Medium sour yogurt / Curds

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp - Fenugreek seeds / Uluva / Methi
2 sprigs - Curry leaves
2 - Whole dry red chili
Coconut oil

Method

1 ) Cook plantain and yam in enough water along with red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste, till vegetables are well cooked. You can pressure cook the veggie for faster cooking.

2 ) Grind to a smooth paste coconut, green chili and jeera with very little water. Beat yogurt well and set aside.

3 ) Add ground coconut paste to cooked vegetable and mix in with the stock in the vegetable. If there is no stock, add little water. Bring to a boil. Adjust salt to taste. Now add the beaten yogurt and just bring to a boil. Take off the stove immediately, so that the yogurt does not curdle.

4 ) Heat a pan with oil. Pop the mustard, then add fenugreek seeds and fry till brown on low heat. Add red chili and curry leaves. Season the cooked kalan with this and mix in.


Serve with rice.

RCI: Regional cuisine of india, is an event based on different regional cuisines. It's the brainchild of LakshmiK. RCI kerala is hosted by Jyothsna of currybazaar and this traditional dish from kerala is send as an entry for this event.

This will make a good addition to Onam sadhya.