Chembu / Taro Moru Curry

Taro is extensively used in South Asia. In Kerala state, it is used as a staple food, as a side dish, or as a component in various side dishes. As a staple food it is steamed, and eaten with a chutney of green pepper and shallot onions. The leaves and stems of certain varieties of taro are used as a vegetable in Kerala.

Taro is consumed in most of the regions of South Asia. It is called chembu in Malayalam, arvi in Hindi, kesu or kesuvinagadde in Kannada, aalu (अळू)

or arukudya in Marathi, alvamande in Konkani, chamagadda or chamadumpa in Telugu, chembu or cheppankizhangu in Tamil, saruwada in Oriya, and kochu in Bengali.Taro is so widely available in India and Bangladesh that its Bengali name kochu can also mean "worthless thing" or "nothing" in sayings. [ Source - Wikipedia ]

This moru curry's main ingredient is Chembu / Taro. A meal with chemu moru curry, meat masala fry along with rice is a great combination. The combination is irresistible for me. Curry tastes even better once it cools and sits for a while.

Ingredients

6 - Chembu / Taro, cut to small pieces
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder

Salt to taste

Grind to a paste with yogurt

1 cup - Coconut
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp - Jeera / Cumin

1 - Green chili
2 - 3 flakes - Garlic
1/2 inch - Ginger
1 cup - Yogurt / Curds

Seasoning

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

Method

1 ) Boil taro in enough water with red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Cook till taro is well cooked.

2 ) Meanwhile grind ingredients listed to be ground to a thick paste.

3 ) Add ground paste to cooked taro. Add little water to make a thick gravy. Adjust salt as to taste. Cook on low heat till it comes to a boil. Take off the stove.

4 ) In a pan heat oil and pop mustards. Then add fenugreek seeds, whole red chili, curry leaves. Season chembu moru curry.

Serve with rice as a side dish.

Peanut Chikki

Kadala mithai as peanut chikki is known in malayalam, is a favorite sweet treat in our house. It's a simple recipe to follow.

Ingredients

1 cup - Roasted peanuts
1 cup - Jaggery
Little ghee

Method

1 ) Dissolve jaggery in little water, filter to remove any impurities.

2 ) Boil jaggery on medium heat, till jaggery thickens a bit. To check if the jaggery syrup is cooked enough to add peanuts; just drop some syrup drops in cold water. Take the drops, to test if it forms like a ball. If it is like a string, it needs to be cooked a bit more, till it forms like a ball.

3 ) Once the syrup is ready, add a little ghee to the syrup and also the roasted peanuts. Stir and mix for a minute. Keep ready a plate, that is greased with ghee. Transfer the peanuts to the plate and spread.

4 ) Cool for a while. Then you can apply a little ghee in your hands and make small balls of this peanut chikki. Otherwise you can cut into squares and break it up when cool.

Crunch on some chikki's and enjoy the flavour and taste of peanuts and jaggery.

Ela Ada - Steamed Sweet Dumpling

Ela Ada is a traditional kerala dish, which makes a great breakfast or a evening snack. Ela in malayalam means leaf and the leaf used in making this Ada is banana leaves. Before using banana leaves to make ada, the banana leaves has to be mildly wilted. By holding the banana leaf on top of a low flame for a few seconds, this can be done.Then cut the leaf to small desired pieces.
This is my first shot at making ela ada and i am satisfied with the outcome. I have tried with rice dough and ragi dough.

Ingredients for rice dough

1 cup - Rice flour, lightly roasted
1.5 cup - Water
1 tbsp - Oil
Salt to taste

Ingredients for ragi dough

1 cup - Ragi powder
1/4 cup - Rice flour
Salt to taste

For filling

1.5 cup - Grated coconut, fresh
150 gm - Jaggery
2 - Cardamom, powdered
3 - Ripe plantain, cut to small pieces
1 cup - Beaten rice / Aval / Poha

For wrapping

Banana leaves

Method

1 ) To make rice dough - Boil water in a pan, add salt and oil.To boiling water add rice flour, put off the flame, stir and mix the flour very well. Close with a lid and set aside for a while. When the dough cools, but still slightly warm, knead the dough well and then make balls out of the dough.

2 ) To make ragi dough - Use enough cold water and mix all the ingredients listed for ragi dough.

2 ) To make filling - Boil little water & jaggery in a pan. Once the jaggery has dissolved, filter it and remove any dust particles. Then again boil melted jaggery to a thick syrup. Add coconut, beaten rice, Cardamom powder & banana pieces. Mix all ingredients well and cook till the filling is thick. Take off the stove.

3 ) On a small piece of banana leaf, place one rice dough ball, press and spread out on the leaf. Dipping your fingers in water will make it easy to spread the rice dough on the leaf.
Make small balls of ragi dough and spread out like the rice dough was done.

4 ) Spread the filling in the center, like in the picture. You can even just use grated coconut as a filling.

5 ) Now after the filling is done, fold the leaf in half and then press. Press the sides as well, so that the filling will not come out.

6 ) Place the prepared banana wraps in steaming vessel and steam for 10 to 15 minutes, till it is fully cooked.

7 ) Take the steamed ada out of the banana leaf wrap and serve.

Enjoy this delicious Ela Ada for breakfast or as a sweet treat.

If banana leaves are not available then parchment paper is used to make this ada. Check out Surya's Healthy N spicy and Priya's Kitchen to make with parchment paper.
Ammupatti's thoughts have displayed in a video, how traditionally elai adai is made.

Broccoli Masoor Dal Sabzi

Today it's broccoli and masoor dal sabzi with garlic naan, for lunch. I thought i will share my lunch with every one, in the cyber way of sharing.

Ingredients

1 cup - Masoor dal
2 cup - Broccoli, chopped
1 - Tomato, diced
1/2 inch piece - Ginger, grated
1 pinch - Asafoetida / Hing
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 tsp - Crushed red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Jeera powder/ Cumin seed powder
1/2 tsp - Garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Corn oil

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
2 - Shallots, chopped

Method

1 ) In a saucepan, cook masoor dal with turmeric powder, crushed red chili powder, hing, jeera, garam masala powder, ginger, tomato, salt to taste and little oil. Add enough water to cook the dal.

2 ) When the dal is cooking, in another pan, heat some oil and pop mustard in it. Add shallots, brown lightly, then add broccoli and stir fry. Cook on low heat. Don't over cook broccoli.

3 ) Once the dal is cooked, add broccoli , mix in well. Adjust salt to taste. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes. Take off the stove and serve

Serve hot with rice or roti.

Avalum Sharkarum - Beaten Rice with Jaggery

A simple sweetened snack made with beaten rice, jaggery, coconut and ripe plantain.

Ingredients

3 cups - Beaten rice / poha/ Aval
1/2 cup - Freshly grated coconut
3/4 cup - Jaggery syrup
2 pods - Cardamom, powdered
1 - Ripe plantain, chopped to small pieces



Method

1 ) Wet the beaten rice with little water. If you have freshly opened sweet coconut water, use that to wet the beaten rice.

2 ) Mix all the ingredients listed with beaten rice.

Serve as a snack and enjoy this jaggery sweetened Aval.

Peanut Masala

Snack on some crunchy masala peanuts and enjoy this savoury snack. A friend of mine told me, how to make this snack in the microwave. This is like a instant snack you can make, when you feel like it or you have a guest come by.

Ingredients

1 cup - Besan / Bengal gram dal flour
1 cup - Peanuts
1/2 to 3/4 tsp - Red chili powder
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 big pinch - Asafoetida / Hing
2 to 3 big flakes - Garlic, grated
3 tbsp - Oil
1/2 cup - Water
Few curry leaves
Salt to taste

Method

1 ) In a microwave safe plate, put all the ingredients together, except the oil and water. See in picture.


2 ) Then add oil, mix and rub together all the ingredients well. Little by Little add water as needed and mix all the ingredients and coat the peanuts well, as in picture.



3 ) Place the plate in the microwave. Microwave for 2 minutes. Take the plate out from microwave and with a fork crumble and break the peanuts apart. Add little more oil, if you feel the mixture needs it. Mix oil well into the mixture.

4 ) Place the plate back into the microwave and cook for 1 minute. Take the plate out and with a fork stir the peanuts. Again place the plate back into the microwave and cook for 1 minute.

5 ) Repeat for 2 - 3 times. Each time cooking for 1 minute, then take the plate out and stir the peanuts. Repeat till peanuts are crunchy and cooked.

Note: Watch when cooking in microwave, as the peanuts can burn up very fast and also the plate might crack. So take the plate out and cool for a minute, check if peanut is crunchy enough. Toward the end if you need just little more cooking , then just microwave for 50 seconds and see if it is crunchy.

Serve with a cup of hot tea or coffee.

Chana Fry

Chana also know as garbanzo beans, chickpeas is full of health benefits. You can read the health benefits of this legume here.

Now this is a simple and mildly spiced chana fry. This can be a very good snack or as a side dish.

Ingredients

2 cups - Cooked chana or 1 tin of cooked Garbanzo beans

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
1 sprig - Curry leaves
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - Black pepper powder ( add more if you like it spicy and like peppery flavour )
1/4 cup - Freshly grated coconut

Salt to taste

Method

1 ) When using dry chana, soak chana overnight and pressure cook in 3-4 whistles . When using cooked & canned chana, drain all the water and wash well. Set aside.

2 ) Heat oil in a kadai or wok. Add mustard, then curry leaves, turmeric powder and black pepper powder. Fry for minute on low heat.

3 ) Add the cooked chana to the spices, stir and fry on low heat. Add grated coconut, stir and mix. Take off the stove and serve.

This same recipe is followed in making :
kadala (malayalam), kala chana ( Hindi )

In picture : Kadala / kala chana

Brinjal Mooru Kootan

Today is April Fools day and did some of you have a good time making a fool of the other ? It was really funny in the school days to be silly and try all your stunts to make a fool of your friends. That's some good memories.
Today my taste buds are craving for something tangy. I had some green brinjals in hand and thought why not experiment with them. So this recipe is the result of that experiment. If you like tangy taste, you will like/love, but not dislike this curry. Green brinjals are fried and cooked in yogurt gravy.

Ingredients

8 - Green round brinjal, chopped lengthwise
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Asafeotida/ hing

For Yogurt gravy

1. 5 cup - Sour thick Yogurt / curds
1 big flake - Garlic, chopped
1/2 inch - Ginger, chopped
1/2 tsp - Cumin powder / Jeera powder
Salt to taste

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
1 sprig - Curry leaves
2 -3 - Whole red chili
Corn Oil

Method

1 ) Heat oil in a pan, add turmeric powder, red chili powder and hing. Fry for a minute. Then add chopped brinjal, Stir and fry till brinjal is browned. Do not add salt now. Brinjal should not get mashed up.

2 ) Meanwhile, grind and blend ingredients for yogurt gravy in a blender. Add this to the fried brinjal. Add salt to taste and bring to a boil on low heat. Take off the stove.

3 ) Heat oil in a pan, pop mustard seeds, then add curry leaves and whole red chili. Fry for a minute. Add this seasoning to the brinjal yogurt curry.

Serve this delicious brinjal yogurt curry with plain rice.

Peas Peda

From a long time i wanted to try and make peas halwa and today is the day. When i started to make it, i was having doubts, will it taste like a halwa. Now the final taste is more like a milk peda. So i think peas peda will be a proper name.

Ingredients

1 lb - Frozen Sweet peas ( Defrost )
One 12 fl oz can - Evaporated milk
3/4 cup - Mawa powder
10 - Almonds
1 1/2 cup - Sugar
4 - Cardamom, powdered
1/4 to 1/2 cup - Ghee
Pinch of salt

Method

1 ) In a blender, grind peas to a paste. Put almonds in hot water and remove the skin. Chop the almonds a keep aside.
2 ) Heat a heavy bottom pan, add evaporated milk and the peas paste. Mix and stir well. Cook the peas on low heat for 5 minutes. Then add sugar, cardamom powder and mawa powder. Keep stirring till it thickens up.
3 ) Add the chopped almonds, pinch of salt and ghee. Stir till it has thickened and forms like a ball, leaving the sides of the pan.
4 ) Grease a plate with ghee. Transfer the contents to the plate and spread. Once cool you can shape it round or any shape you like.

Serve as a dessert.

What is Mawa or Khoya

Mawa or khoya is a dairy product used in making Indian sweets. Ready made khoya or mawa is available in indian stores. I found mawa powder instead of the solidified milk.

Tomato Rice

Tomatoes are packed with a lot of health benefits. Bright red tomatoes are the best to get good amount of lycopene, vitamins C, K & A, potassium, and fiber. Tomatoes does not lose it's nutritional benefits by cooking. Is tomato a vegetable or a fruit ? Tomato is actually a fruit, but considered a vegetable.

Here is a recipe to cook tomatoes and get the benefits of this fruit / Vegetable.

Ingredients

1 cup - Basmati rice

5 - Tomatoes, chopped

2 inch - Ginger, paste

5 flakes - Garlic, paste

10 - shallots , chopped

1 - Green chili, chopped

1/4 tsp - Jeera / Cumin

1/4 tsp - Fennel seeds / Perumjeerakam

2 sprigs - Curry leaves

Sesame oil

Salt to taste

Method

1 ) Heat oil in pan. Add curry leaves, jeera, fennel seeds and fry for a minute. Then add green chili, paste of ginger - garlic. Fry till lighlty brown.

2 ) Add chopped shallots and lightly brown them. Add chopped tomatoes, fry and cook till tomotoes are a bit mashed. Add salt to taste.

3 ) Add 1.5 cup water and bring it to a boil. Add washed rice, bring to a boil and then simmer. Close with a lid and cook till the rice is fully cooked. Take off the stove. Open the lid only after, it has cooled down a bit.

Serve hot and enjoy this tomato rice.

This is my entry for the Jihva for tomatoes, hosted by RP of My workshop.

Kallumakai Pickle - Mussel Pickle

Spicy and tangy Kallumakai pickle. Pickling mussels is done in North malabar region, with the abundance of mussels available in the area. This is not any traditional recipe from that area, but some ingredients i put together.

Ingredients

1 lb - Mussels / Kallumakai

2 tsp - Red chili powder

1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

Sesame oil

Salt to taste

Ground to a paste

2 tsp - Mustard seeds

2 tsp - red chili powder

1/4 tsp - Fenugreek powder / Methi powder

1/4 cup - Vinegar

Seasoning

3 sprig - Curry leaves

2 inch - Ginger, minced

10 flakes - Garlic, chopped

5 - Green chili, slit and chopped ( Optional )

Method

1 ) Clean mussels and then marinate it with red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt for 10 minutes.

2 ) Place marinated mussels in a pan, cover and cook it on a low heat. Mussel will cook in it's juice. Once cooked, add oil and fry it well. Transfer the mussels to a plate.

3 ) Add more oil to the pan. Then add curry leaves, green chili , ginger, garlic to the oil and fry till light brown. Add the fried mussels, stir and fry.

4 ) Grind mustard seeds, red chili powder, fenugreek with little vinegar. Add this ground paste to the pan, stir ad cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Add salt to taste. Add rest of the vinegar to the pickle. Add some oil to cut the sharp taste of vinegar. Take off the stove and cool.

Once cool transfer to a sterilized container. Can use after a day. Since vinegar is a good preservative you can store outside for some days. Then refrigerate it.

Some pointer to note when pickling

• Always use well wiped and dried utensils to store pickle in. Moisture will spoil the pickle.
• Deep frying meat pickle will make it stay longer to use.
• Oil acts as a preservative, so use good amount of oil in making pickle.

Puran Poli

Puran poli is a sweet, prepared and served as a snack or a dessert in different parts of India for different occasions. Different stuffing's are used in making poli. I came up with a stuffing with Tapioca, coconut, groundnut and jaggery.

Ingredients

For dough

I cup - Whole wheat flour
1 cup - Maida / all purpose flour
Pinch of salt
Water

For stuffing

1 cup - Cooked Tapioca
1/2 cup - Sweetened coconut flakes or grated coconut
1/2 cup - Roasted groundnut powder
1 cup - Jaggery ( thick syrup )
2 - Cardamom , powdered
Ghee or oil

Preparation

1 ) Cook tapioca in water with little turmeric powder. When well cooked drain off all the water. Mash and make a smooth dough. Set aside.

2 ) Roast groundnut lightly and powder it.

Method

1 ) First make the stuffing.

In a utensil, add mashed tapioca, grated coconut, groundnut powder, cardamom powder and jaggery. Mix in all the ingredients well and make small size balls of it, like in the picture below. If the mixture has more liquid content, then add little roasted rice powder to make thick mixture dough.


Secondly make the dough, like chapati dough.

2 ) Add enough water to make dough, by mix all the ingredients listed. Make small balls of the dough equal to the number of stuffing balls.

3 ) Roll the dough and then place a stuffing ball in center, like the picture below.

4 )Wrap and cover the stuffing ball with the dough fully.

5 ) Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, as thin as possible.

6 ) Heat a pan and place the rolled out poli in the pan. Cook on both sides. Smear some ghee or oil on both sides. Take off the pan and serve in a serving plate.

Enjoy this puran poli as a snack.

Check out the recipe at Neivedyam for puran poli with a different stuffing.

Pazham Pori - Ripe Plantain Fritters

This snack is very popular in kerala. Quick and easy to make.

Ingredients

3 - Ripe plantains
1 cup - Rice flour
3 tbsp - Maida / all purpose flour
3 tbsp - Sugar
a pinch or two - Turmeric powder
a pinch - salt
oil to fry

Method

1) Peel the skin off the ripe plantain and cut into two parts. Then cut each part into 3- 4 slices,lengthwise.

2 )Mix rice powder, maida, sugar, turmeric powder and salt. Make a thick batter.

3) Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Dip the sliced plantains in the batter and deep fry till golden brown in colour.

Serve with evening tea.

Variation

With the sliced ripe plantain....Heat ghee or butter in a non-stick pan. Fry the slices on both side till light brown in colour.Drain and place on a serving plate. Sprinkle some sugar on the fried plantains and serve.

Also try pazham pori in slightly different batter. Check the recipe here