Monday, November 11, 2013

Arachuvitta Sambar

This recipe is from Kerala Brahmin's home. very tasty and serve with rice, chapati and dosa/idli.

Prepare time           15 minutes
Cook Time              30 minutes
Serve                       5
Arachuvitta sambar

Ingredients
Dhal (Cooked)                     2 cups
Okra                                    3
Drum Stick                          1             
Pumpkin                              100 gm
Green Pepper                      1
Tamarind paste                   1 tsp
Asafetida                          1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds                  1 tsp           
Turmeric Powder              1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves                     few
Coriander leaves              few
Salt to Taste

To Fry

Red Chili                            6
Coriander leaves              3 tsp
Chana Dhal                       2 tsp
Methi seeds                      1/2 tsp
Grated Coconut                 1/2 cup

Method

First fry the above ingredients and grind them into a paste and keep.
Wash and cut the vegetable into cubes.
Cut the drumstick into 2 ' pieces.
Boil the vegetables in 3 cups of water.
Add turmeric, tamarind asafetida and salt.
When the vegetables are cooked add the cooked dhal and ground paste.
Mix well and boil and remove from the flame..
Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds ad half tsp methi seeds.
When it splutters add to the sambar. 
Add chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Netrankai Upperi

Upperi is a snack served in sadyas. It is banana chips.
Prepare Time                 15 min
Cook Time                     20 min
Serve                               5                

Ingredients
Varutha Upperi

Ethakai upperi is one of the items served in any Kerala sadyas .With out this upperi, Onam sadya is incomplete.

Ingredients
Plantain ( Nentran kai)         3
Coconut oil to fry
Salt to taste
Method

Wash and remove the skin, put them  in water.
Wipe with towel, 
Slice them  thin in round shape
Heat a pan with oil.
When the oil is hot , slide the slices into the oil and fry in medium flame
Add the salt in water and keep.
When the chips are done half, sprinkle the water solution and mix.
When the bubbling stops remove the chips from the oil keep in paper towel

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Badam/ Cashew Nuts Cake

Prepare Time           10 min        
Cook Time                 30 min

Ingredients
Badam / Cashewnuts Burfi

Badam (Almonds)                     1 cup
Cashew Nuts                          1/2 cup
Sugar                                       3cups   
Ghee                                       1/2 cup 
Milk                                           1/2cup
Method
Soak the almonds for 2 hours in warm water.
remove the skin and soak with cashew in half cup of milk.
Grind them to a nice paste. If needed add more milk.
Add sugar and boil it.
Stir continuously , till it becomes thick.
Add ghee in between.
Cook in low to medium flame, till the mixture does not stick to the sides.(we call it poothu varuthu)
Pour it in a greased plate.
If it is loose, do not worry again keep in the pan and cook for some more time.

Friday, November 1, 2013

South Indian Mixture

Prepare Time           10 min
cook Time               20 min

Ingredients

South Indian Mixture

Gram flour(Besan)                 4 cups
Rice Flour                             1 cup
Chili Powder                           3 tsp.
Asafetida (Hing)                    1tsp 
Aval (Puffed Rice)                 2 cups 
Pori Kadalai(Chutney Gram)  one and half cups
Curry Leaves                              few
Butter                                     half stick
Groundnut                              half kg
Cashew Nuts                        quarter cup
Salt to Taste
Oil to fry

Method

Mix besan, salt, chili powder, Hing and melted butter. 
Make a thick smooth dough by adding water as necessary . 
Heat a pan with oil. Take a handful dough place in a sev mold and press carefully over the hot oil . 
Turn and fry the sev until golden and crisp. 
Drain on paper towel. 
Do this till the dough finishes.
Fry the puffed rice(take it out immediately when it becomes fried) porikadalai, groundnuts , cashew nuts and curry leaves in the oil and add to the sev. 
Mix well by adding 1 more spoon chili powder, little salt and Hing.

Diwali Recipes

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Halwa

Ingredients 

All purpose flour (Maida)                 1cup
Sugar                                              11/2 cup
Ghee                                              1/2 cup
Kesari Powder                                1 pinch       
Cashew nuts                                   6
Cardamom Powder                        1/2 tsp           
Method

Add 1cup water with the maida, kesari powder to make a thin batter.
There should be no lumps.
Boil in a low flame till it becomes thick.
Add ghee slowly till it leaves from all the sides.
Add roasted cashew nuts and cardamom powder.
Mix it well and put it in the greased plate.
When it cools cut into squares.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Puli Inchi

Prepare Time          5min
Cook time              10 min
Serve                     15
Ingredients
Green Chilies                           100 gm

Tamarind( imli),                         big lemon size
Inchi(ginger, ginger root)          1 big piece
Hing(Asafetida)                        1 tsp
Turmeric Powder                     1tsp
Mustard seeds                        1 tsp
Urad dhal                                2 tsp
Oil                                               3 tsp           
Salt to Taste



Jalapneo Puli Inchi













    Method.
    Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of warm water and remove the juice.

    Cut the green chilies and ginger into small pieces.
    Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds, urad dhal and Chana dhal and fry. 
    When the dhal become red , add the chilies and ginger. 
    When the chilies fried little add the tamarind water, powdered jaggery Hing, salt, and turmeric.
    When the mixture is thick, cool and pour it into bottle. 
    This is a pickle. You can keep this pickle more than a month.
    Eat with curd rice, chapati and poori.
    Use jalapeno and make this pickle. Fry them well and add little more jaggery.
    It tastes very good.

    Sunday, October 27, 2013

    Aviyal

    Aviyal is a favorite food of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is a dish with all vegetables with coconut and green chilies. It is one of the dish in all festive occasions.




    Ingredients
    Cut Beans                     1 packet
    Capsicum                       1
    Potato                             2
    Cut Drumstick                  6
    Carrot                               2
    Grated Coconut                1cup
    Green Chili                       5
    Curd                             half cup or(you can use tamarind paste 1 tsp)
    Coconut Oil                   2 tsp
    Turmeric                      1/2 tsp
    Few Curry Leaves
    Salt to Taste
    Method.
    Cut capsicum, potato and carrot in julienne (long) pieces to about 2". 
    Boil all the vegetables(capsicum, potato, carrot, cut beans, drumstick)with little water.
    Add turmeric, tamarind (use two tbsp. yogurt instead of tamarind) and salt. Do not add more water
    Grind the coconut and green chilies coarsely.
    When the vegetables are cooked, add the ground coconut and curd. 
    Mix it well . It should be thick. 
    Add curry leaves and coconut oil. (If available, you can add raw banana, yam or snake gourd)

    Wednesday, October 23, 2013

    Tomato Rasam

    Prepare Time          5min
    Cook Time             10 min
    Serve                      5

    Ingredients
    Tomato Rasam

    Cooked Dhal              1cup
    Ripe Tomatoes              3
    Rasam Powder              2tsp
    Tamarind Paste             1/2 tsp
    Asafoetida                     small piece
    Curry Leaves                   few
    Coriander Leaves            few
    Ginger                           small piece
    Jeera                            1/2tsp
    Green Chili                   2
    Salt to taste.
    Method
    Boil the tomatoes, grind coarsely tomato, curry leaves and ginger.
    Heat a pan with water add tamarind paste, rasam powder, asafetida turmeric and salt.
    Boil till the raw tamarind smell goes.
    Add the tomato water to the rasam.
    Sprinkle coriander leaves and heat rasam forms frothy layer at the top
    Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds, jeera and silted green chili.
    Remove from the heat and serve with rice, pappadam and curry.

    Tuesday, October 22, 2013

    Vazhakai Podimas


    Vazhakai Podimas
    • Prepare Time........................5 min
    • Cook Time............................10 min
    • Serve.......................................4
    Ingredients
    • Raw Banana........................6
    • Grated Coconut...................half cup
    • Green Chilies,......................5
    • Chopped Ginger..................2 tsp
    • Curry Leaves.......................few
    • Salt .....................................to taste
    • Mustard Seeds....................1 tsp
    • White Dhal (Urad Dhal).......2 tsp

    • See Kid-Friendly Halloween Desserts
    Method


    • Boil the bananas . When the colour of the banana skin becomes black remove the skin and grate it in grater.
    • Mix the coconut and chillies in a blender (only one round).
    • Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves.
    • When the mustard splutters add the grated banana and coconut. Mix it well.
    • This is a side dish for sambar rice or rasam rice.

    Ada Pradhaman

    Prepare Time                     15 min
    Cook Time                         20 min
    Serve                                  6

    Ingredients For ada
    Fresh Rice Powder                    200gms
    Sugar                                        1/2 cup              
    Ghee                                       1tsp
    Small Plantain Leaves             6   
    Method
    Place the  plantain leaves directly on the gas and make them tender.
    Add rice flour, sugar and ghee make a dough not too thick not too thin.
    Sprinkle the dough with your hand on the leaves.
    Roll the leaves and tie them both sides with thread.
    Drop them in boiling water for 20 minutes.
    Remove them and put them in cold water and keep them in strainer.
    Cut the Adas into small.pieces
    (You can buy in Indian stores)
    Ada Pradhaman

    Ingredients

    Ada              1cup 
    Jaggery                        1/2 kilo
    Coconut                          2
    Cardamom Powder            1tsp
    Coconut Pieces            2tbsp
    Cashew Nuts                 2tbsp.
    Method

    Grate the coconut and extract the milk Melt the jaggery
    Fry the adas by adding ghee for few minutes.
    Add the jaggery to the adas and boil for ten minutes.
    Add the coconut milk and mix it well.
    When the  mixture is about to boil, remove from the flame.
    Add cardamom powder and roasted cashew nuts and coconut pieces.

    Sunday, October 20, 2013

    Chakka koottu (Jack Fruit Curry)

    Prepare time          10 min
    Cook Time              20 min
    Serve                      5

    Ingredients
    Chakka Koottu

    Chakka pieces                  2 cups
    Grated Coconut                1cup
    Red Chili                          2
    Turmeric Powder            1/2 tsp
    Cumin seeds                    1tsp
    Rice                                1tsp
    Mustard Seeds               1tsp
    Urad Dhal                       2 tsp
    Curry Leaves                   few
    Salt to taste.
    Method
    Cut the chakka pieces into small.
    Heat a pan with water add the chakka pieces.
    Add turmeric and salt, cook till it becomes tender.
    Grind the coconut,chili cumin seed and rice into a paste.
    Heat a pan with oil, add mustard, 2 tsp coconut, urad dhal and curry leaves.
    When mustard  crackles add to the koottu and mix well.

    Wednesday, October 9, 2013

    Navaratri Naivedyam Bonda

    Ulundu Bonda
    Snack with fried one
    Bonda

    Ingredients

    Urad dhal                            1 cup
    Green Chili                         1
    Coconut Flakes                 2  tbsp.
    Black Pepper corns            1 tsp
    Rice Flour                            1 tbsp.
    Curry leaves                       few
    Salt to Taste
    Method

    Grind the urad dhal, chili and salt into a fine paste with little water.
    Add pepper and coconut and mix well.
    Heat a pan with oil.
    Take little batter make a ball and drop in the hot oil
    Fry them golden brown.
    I make this for Navaratri as prasadam.

    Saturday, October 5, 2013

    Chakka Eriseri(Traditional Jack Fruit Curry)

    Chakka Eriseri(Traditional Jack Fruit Curry)


    Chakka Koottu

    Prepare Time                  10min         
    Cook time                         10 min
    Serve                                5
     Ingredients
    Chakka                            1/2 kg
    Grated Coco                   1 cup
    Red Chilies                      2
    Jeera(Cumin Seeds         1/2 tsp

    For Seasoning

    Grated Coconut.              2tbsp
    Mustard Seeds                1tsp
    Jeera(Cumin Seeds.)      1/2 tsp
    Curry Leaves few
    Method
    (Raw) jack fruit seed is removed from the thin outer part of chakka.  
    Cut these into small pieces. Boil 3cups of water adding chakka pieces and turmeric and salt.
    Grind the grated coconut. chili and jeera,  
    When the chakka is cooked add the ground paste and stir it well.
    Heat a pan with little oil, add grated coconut, mustard seeds jeera and curry leaves. 
    When the coconut become red add to the chakka eriseri. This curry is very tasty.
    Serve with rice.
    I tried with the frozen raw jack fruit and the chakka eriseri came out very well..

    Tuesday, September 10, 2013

    Olan

    Olan

    Olan is a Kerala recipe. It is very simple recipe. This is one of the curries for festival days in Kerala.
    • Prepare Time.......................10 min
    • Cook time..............................10 min
    • Serve.....................................4
    • Ingredients
    Olan
    • White Pumpkin.(Elavan)Chopped into pieces)...........1cup
    • Yellow pumpkin.(Mathan)Chopped into pieces).........1cup
    • Black Eyed Peas (van Payaru)...................................1/2 cup
    • Green Chilies(Slit).....................................................4
    • Grated Coconut........................................................1/2cup
    • Coconut Oil..............................................................1tbsp
    • Curry Leaves............................................................few
    • Salt to taste
    Method
    • Soak the black eyed peas into water for 5 hours.
    • Extract coconut milk by grinding the grated coconut. (half cup thick milk and half cup thin milk)
    • Boil the vegetables and black eyed peas with thin milk. 
    • When the vegetables are cooked add salt and thick coconut milk,coconut oil and curry leaves.
    • Mix well. 

    Olan

    Olan

    Olan is a Kerala recipe. It is very simple recipe. This is one of the curries for festival days in Kerala.

    Ingredients
    Olan
    .(Elavan)Chopped into pieces)   1cup
    .(Mathan)Chopped into pieces)         1cup
    Black Eyed Peas                    1/2 cup
    Green Chilies(Slit)                   4
    Grated Coconut                       1/2cup
    Coconut Oil                              1tbsp
    Curry Leaves                              Few
    Salt to taste
    Method
    Soak the black eyed peas into water for 5 hours.
    Extract coconut milk by grinding the grated coconut. (half cup thick milk and half cup thin milk)
    Boil the vegetables and black eyed peas with thin milk. 
    When the vegetables are cooked add salt and thick coconut milk,coconut oil and curry leaves.
    Mix well. 

    Monday, September 9, 2013

    Elevan Pachadi ( White Pumpkin Raita)

    Pachadi is an important element of the Sadya and festive occasions (Vishu, Onam, wedding)

     Ingredients
    • Chopped White Pumpkin....................1 cup
    • Yogurt................................................1 cup
    • Mustard seeds....................................1 tsp
    • Red Chili............................................1
    • Grated Coconut...................................1/2 cup
    • Green Chili.............................................2
    Method
    • Boil little water and add the eleven pieces and salt. Remove the water.
    • Grind the  grated coconut with one chili and half tsp mustard seeds.
    • Add this with yogurt and cooked eleven pieces.
    • Heat a pan with ad mustard seeds and broken chili.
    • When it splutters add to the yogurt with cooked eleven pieces.




    Saturday, September 7, 2013

    Potato Bajjias


    • Prepare Time...10 min
    • Cook Time.......10
    • Serve.................5
    A snack with coffee
    Potato Bhajjias
    Ingredients
    • Begal Gram flour.(Besan)......................... 1cup
    • Rice Flour.................................................1tsp
    • Red Chili Powder......................................1tsp
    • Asafetida...................................................a pinch
    • Salt to Taste
    Method
    • Mix the flours chili, asafetida, salt with little water make a thick batter
    • Slice the potao thin
    • Heat a pan with oil, dip the potato slice in the batter and drop in the oil.
    • Deep fry them till golden
    • Serve with chutney

    Wednesday, September 4, 2013

    Pinapple Pachadi

    Pinapple Pachadi
    Sweet Pinappale dish
    Pinappale Pachadi
    • Prepare Time.....................5 min
    • Cook Time.........................5 min
    • Serve...............................3
    Ingredients

    • Ripe Pineapple Pieces.......................2cups
    • Grated Coconut................................1cup
    • Red Chili..........................................4
    • Turmeric Powder..............................1/4tsp
    • Mustard ...........................................1tsp
    • Curry Leaves......................................few
    • Salt to Taste
    Method


    • Boil pineapple, with turmeric and salt in 1/2cup water.
    • Grind coconut with dried 2 chilies to a fine paste.
    • Heat a pan with oil with mustard seeds red chilies (broken and curry leaves.
    • When it splutters add pineapple pieces and coconut paste.
    • The gravy should be thick and cover for 3 minutes in a low flame.
    • This is a sweet side dish.
    • Usually this dish would be one of the items in Sadya

    Tuesday, August 27, 2013

    Elai Vadam ( Vathal)

    Elai vadam is one of favorite things of my grandchild. So I make this vadam very often,

     Ingredients

    Elai Vadam
    • Raw rice..........1 cup
    • Boiled rice......1/cup
    • Salt to taste.
    Method
    • Soak the rice for an hour and grind it into a smooth paste
    • Take the vadam sheets , apply oil and spread one tsp batter.
    • Steam them peel and dry them in shade.

    Sunday, August 25, 2013

    Elavan Koottu (White Pumpkin Koottu)

    Elavan Koottu
    • Prepare Time.........................5min
    • Cook Time................................10 min
    • Serve........................................5
    Ingredients
    • Elavan ( white Pumpkin)............1/2 KG
    • Grated Coconut.....................1 and half cup
    • Chana Dhal...........................1/2 cup
    • Cumin Seed..........................1tsp
    • Red Chili................................2
    • Mustard Seed........................1tsp
    • Urad Dhal..............................2tsp
    • Curry Leaves.........................few
    • Turmeric Powder...................1/2tsp
    • Salt to Taste
    Method
    • Wash, peel the skin and cut the elavan into small pieces.
    • Boil water, add the pieces, chana dhal and turmeric powder.
    • Grind the coconut, cumin seeds and red chili into a paste.
    • When the vegetable is cooked add the coconut paste and salt.
    • Mix them well.Kootu should be thick. 
    • If there is excess water, remove the water before adding the coconut paste.
    • Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds, urad dhal, 3tsp of coconut and curry leaves.
    • When the coconut turns into red , add this to the kootu. 
    • It is very tasty and eat with sambar rice, rasam rice, chapathi or poori

    Potato Podimas


    Potato podimas is a side dish
    Potato Podimas
    













     







    Prepare Time..............5 min
    Cook Time...................10 min
    Serve...........................5

    Ingredients
    • Potato ..............................1 kg
    • Coconut ...........................half cup
    • Green Chilies................... 4
    • Curry Leaves......... ...........few
    • Ginger(Chopped)..... ........1tsp
    • Mustard Seeds................ 1 tsp
    • Chana Dhal........................2 tsp
    • Oil .................................3 tsp
    • Salt to Taste
    Method
    • Boil the potato and remove the skin. Mash them nicely. 
    • Grind coconut and chilies coarsely. 
    • Heat a pan with of oil. Add mustard and chana dhal. 
    • When the dhal becomes red, add the mashed potato, coconut, ginger and salt.
    • Mix well and lastly add the curry leaves

    Wednesday, June 19, 2013

    Tomato Rice

    Tomato rice is the easiest recipe to prepare.I prepare this recipe most of the time.
    • Prepared Time.......15 minutes
    • Cook Time..............20 min
    • Serve ......................5
    Ingredients
    • Cooked Rice....................4cups
    • Turmeric Powder,..............1/2 tsp
    • Tomato.............................2
    • Green Chili.......................5
    • Red Chili Powder............. 1tsp
    • Asafoetida..........................1tsp 
    • Corinader Leaves...............little
    • Sambar Powder................1/2 tsp
    • Mustard Seeds...................1tsp
    • Chana Dhal........................2tsp
    Salt to taste
    Rice with tomatos and spices
    Tomato Rice

    Method

    • Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds and chana dhal.
    • When it crackles add chopped tomatoes, green chili,
    • Add turmeric, red chili powder  and sambar powder.
    • When the tomatoes cooked add the rice, salt and mix.
    • Sprinkle coriander leaves.
    • serve with vadam/ pappadams.