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



 







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

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

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.

Black Eyed Peas Patties

Black Eyed Peas Patties

Ingredients

• Cooked Black Eyed Peas ............1cup
• Chopped Onion.......................... 1/4 cup
• Green Chili(Chopped)................. 1.tsp
• Scallion. (Chopped).................... 2tbsp.
• Red chili Powder....................... .1/2tsp
• Coriander Powder .......................1/4 tsp
• Maida ..........................................4tbsp
• Salt to Taste 

Method

• Mix above all ingredients and mash nicely with spoon or fork.
• Mix all together make patties. Add little water to the maida and make a batter.
• Dip the patties on the batter and put them on the hot oiled pan and cook both sides till they become brown.(Use these as burgers for sandwich)

Thiruvathirai Festival

Lord nataraja

Thiruvathirai or Arudra darishanam is a festival dedicated to Lord Shiva9Nataraja)All the shiva temple have special event on this occasion.It comes in the month of Margazhi at thiruvathira star/ poorami
There are rudrabhishekam for Lord Shiva in early morning.Onthis day unmarried women and girls take bath early in the mroning, wear  new clothes  sit near the vilakku. We prepare Kali and thalakam with all vegetables, banana, beetle leaves coconut do the naivedyam and seek lord Shivas blessing.

In Kerala they dance thiruvthira kaikottu kali.

Thiruvathira Kali

Thalakam for Thiruvathira Kali

Koottu Curry (Kerala Recipe)

Koottu Curry

Koottu Curry

Prepare Time...........10 min
Cook Time...............20 min
Serve........................4

This dish is very important in Sadyas in Kerala. The aromatic smell tells about the place where the Sadya dishes are prepared.

Ingredients

• Chenai (Yam) cut in small cubes.................1 cup
• Elavan(cut in small cubes)........................1/2 cup
• Chana Dhal ( split chick peas)...................1/2 cup
• Grated Coconut......................................1 1/2cup
• Turmeric Powder....................................1/4 tsp
• Mustard Seeds......................................1 tsp
• Red Chili Powder.....................................2tap
• Powdered Jaggery..................................3tbsp
• Jeera(Cumin Seeds)................................1tsp
• Urad Dhal..............................................2tsp
• Curry leaves...........................................few
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat a pan with 2 cups of water.
• Wash the chana dhal, and add to the water wiht turmeric.
• When the chana dha is half cooked , add the vegetables.
• Add chili powder,salt and jaggery
• Grind one cup of  coconut and jeera into fine paste.
• When the vegetables are cooked, add the ground paste and mix.
• Heat a pan with oil, add mustard, urad dhal,half cup  coconut and curry leaves.
• When the coconut becomes golden add to the curry.

Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi is on 19th September 2012.

Ganesh Chaturthi

We celebrate Ganesh festival on August/September month. Ganesh's birthday is celebrated all over India .This festival is celebrated for 10 days from Ganesh Chaturthi to Anantchaturdashi

People clean and decorate the houses with mandap and garlands.They bring the Ganesh idol on that day with beating drums and music. They install Lord Ganapthi and do puja. Make prasad like Modak and do arathi for ten days

.

There are many public mandals celebrating this festival. People visit many pandals where different Ganapathis are installed during this festival.

Invite relatives and friends to their houses to participate in the function.Ganesh is worshiped for 3 days/5 days or 10 days .On the 11th day, the Idol is taken through the streets in a procession accompanied with dancing, singing, to be immersed in a river or the sea chanting ""Ganapathi Bappa Morya, Puduchya Varshi Laukariya" (O father Ganesha, come fast early next year).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesh_Chaturthi

Naivedyams

• Kozhakattai (Ganesh Chaturthi

• Ellu Kozhakattai and Ulundu KozhakattaiParippu Vada

• Nai Appam ( Sweet Appam) 

• Pasi Parippu Payasam

Mumbai

Taj Mahal On a Rainy Day

Belapur

Peas Kofta Curry

Peas Kofta Curry

Ingredients

• Potatoes..................2
• Besan....................2 tbsp
• Peas........................2 cups
• Green Chilies...........2
• Turmeric Powder.....1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala........1/2 tsp
• Salt to Taste

For Grinding

• Onion...........................2
• Red Chilies...................2
• Coriander Leaves.........2 tsp
• Tomatoes......................2
• Cumin Seeds.................1 tsp

Method

• Boil the potatoes, peel and cut into pieces.
• Grind the peas coarsely add besan chopped chilies salt to make a dough.
• Make small balls and deep fry them.
• Grind onion, tomatoes red chilies and coriander into a paste,
• Heat a pan with oil, add cumin seeds and ground paste.
• Fry till the oil separates.
• Add the garam masala turmeric powder and water.
• When the gravy thickens add the koftas.
• Add little salt since  already added in the koftas.
• Sprinkle coriander leaves,
• Serve hot with rice.

Thakkali Gotsu

Ingredients

Tomatoes                       3
Onion                             1
Green Chilies                 3
Turmeric Powder           .1/4  tsp
Curry leaves                     few
Mustard Seeds                1 tsp
Rice Flour                       1 tsp

Method

Chop the onion  and tomato into small pieces.
Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds.
When they splutter add the chilies and curry leaves and onions.
After sautéing 2 minutes add the tomato.
Add turmeric powder and salt.
Mix well and add water to cook.
Mix the rice flour in half cup of water and mix.
Add it to the mixture and boil.
When it thickens transfer into serving bowl.
Serve with pulav, idli and dosa.