Beetroot Pachadi

Beetroot has a vegetable has notable amount of sweetness to it.
Both the root and leaves have good nutritional value. It's low in calories and fat. It's a good source of fiber.
In Indian cooking beetroot is seasoned and flavored with different spices.

Here is a recipe making use of both the root and the leaves.

Ingredients

1 - Beetroot with leaves
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
Salt to taste

To grind to a paste

1 cup - Grated coconut
2 - Green chili
1/2 tsp - Mustard
1/4 tsp - jeera1/2 tsp - Ginger or very small piece of ginger
2 cup - Curd/ yogurt ( medium sour )


Seasoning1 tsp - Mustard4- Red chili ( whole )
Curry leaves
Oil



Method

1 ) Chop and dice beetroot and the leaves into small pieces. In a pot add one cup water,turmeric, salt and the chopped beetroot and leaves. Cook till the beetroot is fully cooked.
2 ) Grind the ingredients listed to be ground (except the yogurt) to a paste with water.
3) Add the ground paste to the cooked beetroot and cook for 2 minutes. Take off the stove and cool.
4 ) Whip the yogurt well and mix in with the cooked beetroot.
5 ) Season with mustard, red chili and curry leaves. Add to the beetroot.

Serve with rice.

NoteUse freshly grated coconut.

A variations to this recipe is Dhanya's Beetroot kichadi

Aattirachi Recipes - Mutton Recipes

I found a halal shop, selling fresh cut goat meat yesterday.There was also goat brain available. Goat meat being red meat, we have it once in a way. This is a spicy meat dish, which is flavoured with coconut milk.

Mutton Masala Curry - Aattirachi Curry

Ingredients

500 gm - Mutton / Aattirachi

2 - Green chili, slit in center

1 inch piece - Ginger, chopped

1 sprig - Curry leaves

Roast Ingredients

2 - Cinnamon sticks

4 - Cloves

1 tsp - Fennel seeds / Perumjeerakam

1/2 tsp - Black pepper powder

3 tbsp - Coriander powder

1 tsp - Red chili powder

1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

1 - shallot, diced

To exact Coconut milk

1.5 cup - Grated coconut

Seasoning

1/4 cup - Coconut bits ( Thenga kothu )

5- 6 - Shallots, diced

Salt to taste

Preparation

1 ) Cut and wash mutton pieces. Extract thick coconut milk, by grinding grated coconut in half cup water. Set aside for final garnish. Extract milk second time with 1 cup water. Set aside in another bowel. Take a third extract with 1.5 cup water.

2 ) In little oil, roast shallots then add coriander, red chili, turmeric, pepper, aniseed, cloves, cinnamon. Grind to a fine paste with little water.

Method

1 ) Place mutton in a pressure cooker. Add green chili, ginger, curry leaves and the ground paste. Add the third extract coconut milk, mix well. Add salt to taste.

2 ) Pressure cook the meat for 10-15 minutes on medium heat. Allow the cooker to cool and open.

3 ) In a pan, heat oil and fry the ingredients for seasoning. Add the coconut bits and fry lightly, take off pan and set aside. Then add shallots and fry till light brown.

4 ) Place the cooker back on medium heat after opening. Add the second extract and cook till gravy is thick. Add the seasonings. Adjust the salt as per taste. Add the final thick coconut milk and take off the stove.

Serve hot with kerala porotta's or rice dishes.

Dry Mutton Masala - Aattirachi Varathiyathu

With a slight variation, is another mutton recipe. Here in this recipe coconut milk is not used. This is a dry and spicy dish.

Ingredients

500 gm - Mutton / Aattirachi
2 - Green chili, slit in center
1 inch piece - Ginger, chopped
1 - Tomato, diced

2 sprig - Curry leaves

Salt to taste

Dry Roast & Powder

2 - Cinnamon sticks
4 - Cloves
1 tsp - Aniseed / Perumjeerakam
1/2 tsp - Black pepper powder
3 tbsp - Coriander powder
1 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

Seasoning

1/4 cup - Coconut bits ( Thenga kothu )
5- 6 - Shallots, diced

Method

1) Dry roast all the ingredients listed to roast and powder it.

2 ) Place mutton in a pressure cooker or a heavy bottom pan. Add green chili, ginger, Tomato, curry leaves, roasted powder and salt. Stir and mix well. Add one and half cup water.

3 ) Pressure cook the meat for 10-15 minutes on medium heat. Allow the cooker to cool and open. Or cook in heavy bottom pan, closed with a lid till the mutton is cooked well.

4 ) Heat oil in a pan, add the coconut bits and fry lightly.Take off the pan and set aside. Then add shallots and fry till light brown.

5 ) Place the cooker back on medium heat after opening. Cook till gravy is thick and all the water is used up. Add the seasonings, stir and mix well. Take off the stove.

Serve hot with kerala porotta's or rice dishes.

Brain Fry

This is a delicacy.Very simple recipe to follow and tasty dish to have.

Ingredients

500 gm - Goat Brain
1/2 to 1 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - Black pepper powder
Salt to taste

To fry

1 cup - Shallots, chopped
2 to 4 - Green chili, chopped and minced
1'' piece - Ginger, minced
1 sprig - Curry leaves, chopped

Method

1 ) Heat a pan, add 1/2 th cup water. Add turmeric powder, pepper powder, salt and brain to it. Cover and cook the brain on a low heat.When half cooked,with a spoon cut brain to big pieces, so that the pepper and salt can reach in. Cook till all the water is used up and brain is fully cooked. Take off stove.

2 ) Meanwhile, in a pan fry, green chili, ginger, shallots and curry leaves. Fry till light brown.

3 ) Add the cooked brain to the fried ingredients. Fry on low heat and let the ingredients blend in. Adjust salt as per taste.

Serve hot with chapati or rice.

Homemade Face Masks For Different Skin Types

Raid your pantry for natural ingredients to concoct soothing effective potions, that add new glow and sparkle to your skin. Any mask will leave your skin feeling softer, fresher and smoother. But if the mask feels tight and dry, then it is obvious that particular mask is drying for your skin. Masks which are drying should not be left on for too long, if you have dry skin. Drying effect can be removed by adding vegetable oil, egg yolk, honey, cream, banana and powdered whole milk.

Mayonnaise mask base - This is a starter for any mask. It contains basic good things that any skin will respond to. You can use it on its own or add things to it.

1- egg yolk
1 tsp - Vinegar

Here are some possible additions; honey and grated apple, oatmeal, mashed banana, mashed strawberries and pineapple.


Monsoon Face mask

1 tsp - Moong dal powder
1 tsp - Channa dal powder
1 tsp - Methi / fenugreek powder

Mix with rose water and make a paste. Wash your face with water first and dry it then apply this mask in a upward stroke. Leave it on for 20 minutes and then wash and clean with cold water.

To lighten your complexion -

1 tsp - Lime juice
1 tsp - Cucumber juice
1 tsp - Carrot juice

Mix and apply on the skin. Leave it on for 15 minutes and then wash it off with water.

Egg yolk mask

1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp oatmeal
1 tsp - Vegetable oil
1/2 tsp - Powdered starch
1/4 tsp - Honey
1/2 tsp - Powdered milk

Mix all the ingredients to a smooth paste and apply on the face. Leave it on for 20 minutes and then wash the face with luke warm water, followed by a through splash with cold water.

Exfoliating toning mask - This mask is very good for neglected skin over- exposed to the sun. It has slight bleaching properties and egg white tightens the skin.

1 slice - Pineapple
1 raw egg white

Add a few drops of lemon juice. Blend these ingredients to a paste. If necessary thicken paste with powdered oat meal. Leave on for 20 minutes.

Dairy Mask - Yogurt and fresh or sour cream has valuable cosmetic properties, these can be mixed with honey, peach, banana, pear or grated apple to make excellent masks for drying skin.

Milk Powder Mask - Ideal for improving skin texture. Mix 2 tsp milk powder with little water to a paste and apply. For oily skin - Skim milk is best. For dry skin, use full cream milk, also 1 tsp vegetable oil can be added, if necessary.

Simple dry skin mask

1 egg yolk
2 tsp - Kaolin powder
1 tsp - Vegetable oil

Mix to paste and apply.

Anti- Wrinkle Mask - Egg white beaten to a froth is a very good temporary wrinkle lightener. More so if you add a pinch of alum to it.

For oily face - Scrap / grate one medium size carrot, mix with milk and egg white. Apply on the face.
Boil some neem leaves in water - steam your face. Then cool the neem water and use that to wash your face.

To remove black spots

1 ) Make a paste with white radish and buttermilk. Apply on the face.

For Wrinkles

1 ) Mix sandal wood powder, rose water, glycerin and apply on the face. Wash with cold water when done.

For all skins

Juice of one apple and one tablespoon milk, 1 tbsp fullers earth ( multani mithi ) - Mix and apply on the face.

Toner that can be used after steaming

Use half of a large cucumber, 4 tbs of chopped fresh mint leaves, 1 tbsp of camphor oil - Liquidise cucumber, add the other ingredients and apply on the face.

Murungakai Chemmeen Curry - Drumstick Prawns Curry

This is a nice combination of prawns/shrimps with drumstick. Kodampuli is the tamarind used to bring out the tangy taste to this curry.

Ingredients

500gm -Prawns / Shrimp,cleaned
2 - Drumsticks, cut into pieces
2 - Kodampuli (click to see the pic at the bottom )
2 - Green chili, slit in center
1 inch piece - Ginger,chopped small
3 - Shallots,diced
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder
6 - Curry leaves
1 cup - Water

To grind to a smooth paste

1.5 cup - Grated fresh coconut
1.5 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard
2 - Shallots,diced

Method

1 ) Put Kodumpuli in a small bowel with lukewarm water for 5 to 10 minutes. Clean well in cold water. Set aside.
2 ) In a pot, pour one cup water and add drumstick,kodumpuli, green chili, ginger, shallots, red chili powder and turmeric powder. Bring to a boil and partially cook drumstick, then add prawns and salt. Cook till the prawns and drumstick is well cooked.
3 ) Grind the ingredients listed to be ground to a thick smooth paste with water. Add to the prawns and drumstick. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook for 2 minutes.
4 ) To season, heat oil in a pan and pop mustard. Then add shallots and fry till light brown. Add to the curry.
Serve with rice.

Tip

Instead of kodumpuli, use the regular tamarind (lime size) to make this curry. Use fresh coconut for making the curry. Otherwise canned coconut milk is a substitute......but fresh is the best !

Beans Thoran / Upperi - Seasoned French Beans

Thoran or Upperi as is called in Kerala is a dry preparation of different vegetables, which is seasoned with spices and garnished with coconut. Non-veg thoran with egg and fish are also prepared.

Ingredients

500 gm - French beans, chopped to a medium size
1 small - Onion, diced
1 to 2 tsp - crushed red chili powder
1/2 tsp -Turmeric powder
1/2 cup - Grated coconut
Salt to taste

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
Few curry leaves
oil

Method

1 ) In a kadai or wok heat oil and add mustard. After mustard pops, add curry leaves.

2 ) Add french beans, onion, crushed red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Stir well and mix in the spices.

3 ) Sprinkle some water and close with a lid tightly and cook on a low heat.

4 ) When the beans is cooked, add the grated coconut and mix in well. Cook for 2 more minutes and take off stove.

Serve as a side dish with rice.

Also try making French beans like the Asparagus Thoran recipe.

Cauliflower Bhajji - Fritters

Yet another appetizer. Great with a evening cup of tea with family and friends. This is very easy to make. Just have the following ingredients in hand, to fry the cauliflower and there you have the cauliflower pakoda.

Ingredients

1 medium size - Cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 cup - Besan / channa dal flour/chick peas flour

1/4 tsp - Red chili powder ( add more to make it more spicy)

1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp - Ajwain seeds ( Carom Seeds / Thyme)

Salt to taste

Oil to deep fry

Method

1 ) In a bowl mix besan, red chili powder, turmeric powder, ajwain and salt with enough water to make a thick batter.

2 ) Add the cauliflower florets and coat the batter well on the cauliflower, as in pic below.

3 ) Heat oil in a kadai or wok on medium heat. Carefully add cauliflower, little at a time and fry till crisp and well cooked. Drain on a paper towel.

Serve with tomato ketchup.

Tip

Other vegetables can be used to make pakoda with the same batter. Use sliced onions, potatoes, eggplant, chopped spinach, chilies.

Dahi Vada - Lentil Dumplings in Yogurt

Dahi Vada is a delicious snack, popular in North India. If you are making Uzhunnu vada, make a plain version of uzhunnu vada with just the urad dal paste and use for Dahi vada. This is a great appetizer.

Ingredients

2 cups - Urad dal / black gram dal
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Garnishing with yogurt

2 to 3 cups - Yogurt ( chilled)

1/2 tsp - Jeera / cumin ( dry roast and powder)

1/4 tsp - Red chili powder ( to sprinkle )

1/2 tsp - Chaat masala powder ( to sprinkle )

1 tbsp - Tamarind Chutney

1 tbsp - Coriander leaves, chopped

Salt to taste

Method

1 ) Wash and soak urad dal for 4 to 5 hours. Or overnight.

2 ) Drain and grind urad dal little at a time in a grinder without adding any water. If required add one tablespoon water to make the grinder work. Grind to a thick smooth paste. Add salt and mix well.

3 ) Wet your palms with water, take a small amount and form a ball. Place in the center of the palm. Flatten and make a hole in the center, like a doughnut. As in the pic below....

Or just make round balls and fry as round vada's.Wet the palm when shaping each vada. Water will prevent the paste from sticking to the palm.

4 ) Heat a kadai or a wok with enough oil to deep fry on medium heat. When the oil is hot,carefully slide the vada into the oil and deep fry till crisp and golden brown in colour. Drain excess oil.

5 ) Soak the Vada's in a bowl of luke warm water for 5 minutes and gently press each vada between your palms, to drain off excess water. Set aside

6 )Beat curds well with salt as required in a bowel. Add the vada's and immerse them in the beaten yogurt.

7 ) Garnish - Sprinkle one after the other,red chili powder, roasted jeera powder, chaat masala powder and coriander leaves over the immersed vada's.

Serve the vada in a serving dish with tamarind chutney.

Tip

Vada can be made in advance and stored in refrigetor. When needed......soak them in lukewarm water and follow the above method after soaking in water.

Uzhunnu Vada

Idli and Uzhunnu Vada with sambar and coconut chutney is a hearty South indian breakfast.
On it's own Uzhunnu vada with sambar and coconut chutney is popular snack.

Ingredients

2 cups - Urad dal / black gram dal
4 - Green chilies, finely chopped
1 tsp - Ginger, finely chopped
12 - Curry leaves, sliced
4 tbsp - Coconut bits
1/4 tsp - Baking Soda powder
6 - Black pepper corns ( optional )
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method

1 ) Wash and soak urad dal for 4 to 5 hours. Best to soak over night,so that you can grind fresh in the morning,if you want to have vada for breakfast.
2 ) Drain and grind little at a time in a grinder without adding any water. If required add one tablespoon water to make the grinder work.


Repeat process and grind the rest of the urad dal to a thick smooth paste.
3 ) Add chopped green chilies, ginger, curry leaves, coconut bits, black pepper corns, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
4 ) Wet your palms with water, take a small amount and form a ball. Place in the center of the palm. Flatten and make a hole in the center, just as in the pic below.

Wet the palm when shaping each vada. Water will prevent the paste from sticking to the palm.

5 ) Heat a kadai or a wok with enough oil to deep fry. When the oil is hot,carefully slide the vada into the oil and deep fry till crisp and golden brown in colour.

Serve with coconut chutney.

Parippu Vada - Channa dal Vada

Parippu vada is a popular evening snack to have with tea in kerala. It's crunchy and mildly spicy yummy treat, traditionally made with thuvar dal. Channa dal can also be used instead of thuvar dal/toor dal. Walk into a chaayakkada (teashop) in kerala and you can have these delicacies, to go with your tea in the evening .

Ingredients

2 cups - Thuvar dal or Channa dal ( I have used channa dal )
1 small - Onion, chopped very small
4 - Green chili, finely chopped
1tbsp - Ginger , finely chopped
10 - Curry leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil to deep fry

Method

1 ) Soak dal for 2 - 3 hours. Drain well. There should not be any water.
2 ) In a food processor or blender, add little at a time some soaked dal and grind. The dal should be ground to a coarse paste - even if some dal remains not ground, its okay. As far as possible don't add any water.
3 ) Mix the chopped onion, green chili, ginger, curry leaves and mix well. Add salt to taste.
4 ) Wet your palms and take small amount of the dal mixture and make a ball. Place in the center of the palm and flatten to a round shape.
5 ) Pour oil in a wok or kadai to deep fry. Heat oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot, slide the vada's into the hot oil and fry on both sides to a golden brown colour. Remove from oil and drain.
Serve these crisp parippu vada with tea.

Tilapia Fish Masala Curry - Meen Masala Curry

This is a spicy fish masala curry. Spices like coriander, chili, turmeric and black pepper gives it a distinct flavor. Especially for a fish like Tilapia, this masala goes very well. Other fish to try this recipe is with black pomfret.

Ingredients

3 - whole Tilapia,cut into small pieces

3 - Tomatoes, quartered

5 - Big Shallots, diced

1 inch size - Ginger, cut small

2 - Green chili, slit in center

5 tbsp - Coriander powder

1 to 2 tsp - Red chili powder ( depends on how spicy you want it )

1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp - Black pepper powder

2 cups - Water

Salt to taste

Sesame oil

Seasoning

1 tsp -Mustard seeds

10 - Curry leaves

Method

1 ) In a utensil, heat oil, add mustard. When the mustard pops, add curry leaves, shallots, green chili, ginger and stir for 2 minutes.

2 ) Now add the powders - coriander, red chili, turmeric and black pepper powder. Stir for a minute. Add Tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.

3 ) Add cut fish pieces, salt and water. Cook on medium heat till the fish is cooked and the masala has thickened.

Serve with rice or chapati.

Meen Curry - Fish Curry With Coconut

Sea food is everyday food in my house. As a curry, fried or in thoran/Upperi form. Also as cutlets for snacks. Kerala being a coastal region, is rich in seafood. This makes seafood a part of everyday food in the malayali kitchen.
Fish is a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential fatty acids and is not manufactured by the human body. Here is a spicy fish curry preparation with coconut to try.

Ingredients
500 gm - Fish,cut into small pieces.
2 - Green chili, slit in center
1 inch piece -Ginger
2 - Big shallots
1 lime size - Tamarind
2 tbsp - Coconut oil
Salt to taste

To grind to paste

1 cup - Grated coconut
2 tsp - Red chili powder/Cayenne powder or Kashmiri Chili Powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
10 - curry leaves

Preparation before cooking

1 ) Extract tamarind juice from tamarind. Immerse tamarind in lukewarm water and squeeze to extract juice. Make about 1 to 1.5 cup.
2 ) Grind ingredients listed to be ground and set a side.
3 ) Dice shallots, cut ginger into small pieces and slit green chili in center.

Method

1 ) In a pot add coconut oil, add mustard and curry leaves. Then add the cut and diced ingredients.
2 ) Add tamarind juice and the ground paste. Stir and mix well.
3 ) Add fish and salt as required. Cook to a boil.
4 ) Simmer and cook for 5 minutes and take off the stove.


Serve with rice.

This is a kerala fish curry preparation. Fish curry is prepared in different ways with different spices.

Tip
To reduce spice level use kashmiri chili powder instead of cayenne powder.

Potato Kurma

This is a delicious potato Kurma. It's mildly spicy and yummy. I make this for breakfast, to have with appam, puttu or idiappam. Goes well with chapati, naan or rice dishes.

Ingredients

2 big - Potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 big - Tomato, quartered

To grind to paste

1 cup - Grated coconut
4 - Green chili's
2 - garlic flakes
1 inch piece - Ginger
1 stick - Cinnamon
4 - Cloves
1/4 tsp - Black pepper powder
1/2 tsp - Fennel seeds
1 tsp - Coriander seeds
1 tsp - Poppy seeds/ Khus-Khus
3 tbsp - Yogurt/curds

Garnish and Season

2 - Shallots,diced
1 cup - Coriander leaves, chopped

Method

1) Boil potato and tomato in enough water, till potatoes are cooked well.
2 ) In a pan, fry the 4 green chili's lightly. Now add the fried chili's into a blender/grinder, along with rest of the ingredients listed to be ground. Grind to a smooth paste with water.
3 ) Add to the cooked potato. Add more water to make a thick curry consistency. Add salt to taste. Cook to a boil. Take off the stove.
4 ) In a pan fry the shallots to a light brown colour. Add the chopped coriander and lightly fry. Garnish the potato kurma.

Tip

1 ) Add other vegetables like peas, carrot, cauliflower.....for a mixed vegetable kurma.
2 ) Boil eggs and add to the kurma.