Manga Kootan/Mango Curry

'Manga Kootan' is an important dish on a Vishu day. It can be prepared either with raw mango or with the ripe ones. When using ripe ones you can omit jaggery. The vellarikai from Vishukani can also go into this wonderful dish. But here since the vellarikai is not available, I have used only raw mango.


Ingredients:
Raw mango cut into big chunks - 2 medium sized

Curds - 1 cup
Jaggery - as per taste (Consider the tanginess of the raw mango!)
Mustard - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli - 2
Oil
Curry leaves - 7-8
Salt


To Grind:
Coconut - 1/2
Red chilli - 4-5
Green chilli - 3-4
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp

Method:
Fry the red chilli and fenugreek seeds in a little oil till the fenugreek seeds turn red. Cool and grind with coconut and green chillies. Curds can be used to grind. Keep this aside.

Cook the mangoes in enough water with turmeric powder and salt. When the vegetables are cooked add a small piece of jaggery to balance the tanginess of the mangoes. Add a few curry leaves. Mix the ground paste in the remaining curds and add to the cooked mangoes and boil. Remove from heat.

Now for seasoning, heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds, methi seeds and red chilli cut into small bits. When the mustard crackles, add the curry leaves and pour the tempering into the manga koottan.

Enjoy with hot rice!

Preparation Time: 25 mins
Serves: 8 people

Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu

This is an interesting curry made in most of the tamil Iyers and Iyengars. 'Paruppu Urundai' is nothing but koftas made with toor dal. These koftas are used as a substitute for vegetables. This is a wholesome and healthy curry.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients for Paruppu Urundai:
Toor Dal - 3/4 cup
Red Chilli - 2
Salt
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Chopped Onion (optional) - 1/4 cup
Grated coconut (optional) - 1/4 cup
Chopped green chillies - 2
Rice flour - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Method for Paruppu Urundai:
Clean and soak the dal for 2 hours.
Drain and grind the dal along with red chilli, salt and asafoetida into a coarse firm paste.
Heat a little oil in a pan and allow mustard to splutter. Add green chilli and onions and fry till the onion turns golden brown.
Add the ground dal paste. Stir till it changes color.
It might stick to the pan, but still keep stirring till the raw smell of dal goes.
When done, remove from fire and add grated coconut and rice flour. Mix well and prepare small balls.


Ingredients for Kuzhambu:
Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized
Red chilli - 1
Toor dal - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 4-5 strands
Sambar powder - 2 tbsp
Gingely oil - 2-3 tbsp

Method for Kuzhambu:
Heat oil in a pan, season with mustard, asafoetida and curry leaves. Add red chilli, fenugreek seeds and the dals. Add sambar powder and fry for 5 sec. Immediately add tamarind extract and salt. Allow to boil for 15-20 min. Then slowly drop 2 balls at a time into the boiling gravy. When the balls are cooked, they will float to the top. Boil together for few more min.

Preparation time: 45-50 mins
Serves: 4 people

Lemon Rasam

One of the much sought after Rasam in our home is Lemon Rasam. This rasam may be relished with hot Rice and roasted papad or each sip may be enjoyed like a soup! With winter very much in, this rasam is always relished with a bright smile to lighten up the dark days!

Ingredients:

Cooked Toor dal- 2 cups

Chopped Green chillies- 2

Chopped Ginger- 1 inch peice

Curry leaves - Few

Coriander leaves- Few sprigs

Turmeric powder- A pinch

Salt to taste

Ghee- 2 tsp

Urad dal- 1 tsp

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Red chilly- 1 (Broken into pieces)

Jeera/Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

Hing/Asafoetida- A pinch

Lemon- 1

Method:

Take the cooked dal in a vessel and add Green chillies, Ginger, Curry leaves, Coriander leaves, Turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and bring it to a nice boil. In a small pan, heat ghee. Add Urad dal, Mustard seeds, Red chilly pieces and Jeera. Once the mustard has stopped spluttering, add Hing and pour this tempering to the Rasam. Finally, Before, serving, squeeze a lemon and enjoy!

Note- You may crush some garlic and add to the tempering. Thats a differet experience altogether!

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

Serves: 4 people

Easy Mixed Vegetable Curry

This one is a true life-saver, when we have few unexpected guests :P It is totally my Amma's recipe and I'm just reproducing it the way it is. Its easy to make, achievable in a limited time and is great accompaniment for the Rotis and Poori too. The list of ingredients may be huge but, the method is simple. Do try it, for a change!

Ingredients:
Cooked vegetables- 1 1/2 cup (Carrots, Beans, Green peas, Cauliflower, Potato etc..)Oil- 2 tsp
Jeera/Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Hing/Asafoetida- A pinch
Onion- 1 small chopped (Optional)
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp
Jeera powder/Cumin seed powder- 1/2 tsp
Dhania powder/Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves- For garnish

To grind:


Grated coconut- 1 tbsp
Green chillies- 2-3
Garlic- 2 pods
Ginger- 1 inch piece
Onion- 1 small
Tomato- 1
Poppy seeds- 1 tsp
Cashew nuts- Few
Dates- 4-5
Cardamom- 1
Pepper Corns- Few
Saunf/Fennel seeds- 1 tsp
Bay leaf- 1/2 a leaf
Cinnamon- 1 inch piece
Clove- 1

Method:
Cook and keep aside vegetables of your choice. Grind the above mentioned ingredients to a fine paste and keep aside. In a vessel, heat oil. Add Jeera. When it starts to emit its aroma, add the paste and let it boil well and cook it for about 10 minutes on low heat. Now, add the Turmeric powder, Jeera powder, Dhania powder and Salt to taste. You may add water to adjust the consistency of the gravy as per your choice. Let it boil well and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the cooked vegetables and mix well. Garnish with Coriander leaves. You may add a dash of cream too! Serve with hot Rotis/Pooris!

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes
Serves: 4 people

Parikkai Pitla/ Pavakkai Pitla

Parikkai/pavakkai (Bitter gourd) pitla is one of my favourite dishes.Some people might not like this due to the bitterness of parikkai. But bitter gourd is very good for health. The bitterness comes from a compund called momordicin which supposedly tones the stomach, improving its function and increasing appetite. Parikkai pitla is a wholesome, nutritious curry ... it has the bitterness of parikkai, tanginess of tamarind, sweetness of coconut and spiciness of red chilli.

Here is the recipe ...

Ingredients:
Bitter gourd (sliced into small pieces) - 1 medium sized
Tamarind - lemon sized ball soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Oil (preferably coconut oil) - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 4-5


To Grind:
Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Red chilli - 2
Black pepper corns - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 2 tbsp

For seasoning:
Ghee - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 4-5

Method:
Pressure cook toor dal. Mash well and set aside.
Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan. Fry urad dal, pepper and red chillies in this. Add a pinch of asafoetida and remove the pan from heat.
Once this cools, grind it to a smooth paste along with grated coconut.
Extract the juice from tamarind.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the bitter gourd slices till you get a nice aroma from them.

Then add tamarind water, curry leaves and salt and cook till they become tender.

Now, add the mashed toor dal and boil 4-5 minutes.
Then add the ground mixture and let it boil for another 4-5 mins. You can add more water if the curry is too thick.
Heat the ghee in a seasoning wok. Add mustard seeds and when they splutter add the curry leaves. Pour this over the pitla.
Serve hot with rice, dosa or idli.

Preparation Time: 40 mins
Serves: 2 people

Tomato Rasam/ Thakkali Rasam

I wanted to post this since a very long time. A colleague of 'N' had asked for this recipe and he has promised to become our blog's follower if I post this recipe :).

Rasam is one of the tasty yet simple dishes which I am sure everyone loves. It is one of the staple diets of South India.
This goes to Innovative In-Laws "Garnish the Dish" event.



Ingredients:Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Ripe tomato - 1 medium sized
Tamarind - 1 lemon sized
Green chilli - 1-2
Rasam powder (recipe coming soon) - 2 tsp
Grated coconut - 2-3 tsp
Salt
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Coriander/ Cilantro leaves - a small bunch
Curry leaves - 5-6



Garnish:
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 5-6

Method:
Pressure cook dal with little turmeric, mash well.
Soak tamarind in little water and extract the juice.
Add chopped tomato, curry leaves and some water and boil this till tomato is cooked.
Add the mashed dal and salt. Depending on the consistency you want add more water.
Then add green chilli and let it simmer for some time. The green chilli imparts its flavour to the rasam, giving a nice aroma.
In a seasoning wok, add little ghee and fry the rasam powder for 2-3 sec till you get an aroma. Add hing to this and fry once. Add this to the rasam and let it boil for 1 min.
Now remove from heat and add grated coconut.
In a seasoning wok add the remaining ghee. When its hot add mustard and when it splutter add cumin seeds and then curry leaves. Pour this to the rasam.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice.

Preparation Time: 30 mins
Serves: 2 people

Rasakalan

Kalan is the curd based curry of Kerala which is a must for all big functions like marriages or festivals like Onam. The word 'rasa' in Tamil and Malayalam means 'taste' so Rasakalan means tasty kalan. Rasakalan is the original dish of Namboodiris the native brahmins of Kerala. They were using pepper for the dish but the iyers have modified it by including red chillies instead of pepper.

Vegetables like pumpkin, ash gourd, yellow cucumber, raw mango, yam, drum stick and raw banana goes into this dish. The different vegetables add a unique flavour to the dish and all these vegetables blend together to give this tasty kalan.

This dish can be prepared with only few of the vegetables as well. In my recipe since raw mango which gives sourness to the kalan was not available, I have used tamarind. But if mango is available then its better to use it. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
Diced vegetables like Pumpkin, drum stick, raw banana - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Jaggery - Small piece
Tamarind (Optional)
Yogurt or butter milk - 1 cup


To Grind:
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Dried red chilies - 2
Fenugreek - 3/4 tsp


Garnish:
Coconut oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves

Method:
Use large pieces of diced vegetables. Put all the above vegetables into a pressure cooker with turmeric powder, salt & chili powder & cook for 10 min(till 1-2 whistles). Keep aside.
Heat one teaspoon oil & roast fenugreek & red chilies until they turn brown.
In a blender combine coconut & the above spices & make a fine paste.
Add the coconut paste to the vegetables & continue simmering for a few more minutes.
Add the yogurt or butter milk & mix well. Adjust the liquid by adding more water or buttermilk.It should have good amount of gravy or liquid. Simmer for a few minutes & remove from the stove. Do not boil for long as the yogurt will seperate.
Heat the oil & saute mustard. When the mustard splutters add few grains fenugreek & curry leaves. Garnish the rasakalan with this.
Serve hot with rice.

Preparation Time: 30 min
Serves: 2 people

Jeera-Milagu rasam

Rasam contributes to the basic South Indian Meals. It is prepared with different variations making it taste completely different every time.

Tomato Rasam is one of the most famous form of Rasam. It will be served in all the South Indian Functions and Marriages. Jeera-Milagu rasam made from cumin seeds and Pepper is considered to be medicinal and is usually consumed by people suffering from cold and fever. And of course Pineapple rasam for all those of you who love the fruit.These are some variations of the rasam (there are many more ...).

Rasam is healthy and a great digestive aid. Rasam's main ingredients are tomato and tamarind or lemon juice. It is typically served over white rice, but you could drink it as a soup.

Here is the recipe for Jeera-milagu rasam.

Ingredients:
Toor dal/red gram - 1/2 cup
Chopped tomatoes - 1 medium sized
Lemon - 1/2 piece
Coriander leaves - a small bunch
Curry leaves - 3 to 4
Salt
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

To grind:
Pepper - 3/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp



Seasoning:
Curry leaves - 4
Clarified butter/ ghee - 2 tbsp
Mustard - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp



Method:
Heat a small pan and fry the pepper and cumin seeds till you get a aroma from them. Grind them to a fine powder and keep it aside.
Cook the toor dal and mash it.
Cook the chopped tomatoes adding curry leaves, salt, turmeric powder and enough water. When the tomatoes are cooked, add the mashed dal and the pepper/cumin powder and let it boil for 4-5 mins.
Add lemon juice and adjust salt. Remove from heat
In a seasoning wok/pan add ghee.
When it is hot add mustard seeds. When mustard splutters, add cumin seeds.
Then add hing and curry leaves.
Pour this seasoning to the rasam.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with rice or drink it as a soup.

Preparation Time: About 20 mins
Serves: 2 people

Mathan Erissery

Palakkad is a small but prominent district bordering Kerala and Tamilnadu. This region of Kerala is unique as it has became home to many Tamil Brahmins who migrated centuries ago. As a result the regional cuisine characterized by a harmonious blend of Tamilnadu and Kerala. Erissery is one such speciality.

Erissery is a simple dish made of pumpkin/mathan or raw plantains and Yams sliced and boiled in water with salt. The ground paste here is similar to that of molagootal but the tempering imparts a unique flavour to the dish. It is generally prepared during important occassions like Onam, 'Vishu' (Kerala New Year) or household ceremonies etc. Erissery is best served over plain steamed rice, erisseri has thick gravy consistency.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
Diced Pumpkin - 1 cup
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt

To Grind:
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Red chilli - 2
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Tempering:
Grated Coconut - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 6-7
Broken Red chilli - 1
Mustard - 1 tsp
Coconut oil - 2 tsp

Method:
Grind the coconut, cumin seeds and red chilli adding little water and keep it aside. This paste should not be too watery.
Cook the red pumpkin in enough water to cover it along with salt and turmeric powder till cooked but firm in shape.
Add the ground paste to the cooked pumpkin and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
In a pan heat 1 tsp coconut oil. When it is hot add the mustard, when the mustard splutters add the red chilli and then the curry leaves. Pour this seasoning into the gravy. Now heat the remaining coconut oil and fry the grated coconut till it turns brown. Add this to the erissery.
Serve with hot rice.

Preparation Time: About 25 mins
Serves: 2 people

Sambar

There isnt a week which may pass by without preparing a Sambar in any South-Indian home. Its one of those dishes which is complete in nutrition in itself. This is one of the primary dishes in an Onasadhya too. The sambar in Kerala has an unique aroma and distinction to it. The credit goes to the librerally added Asafoetida/Hing and the well roasted Fenugreek/Methi seeds along with Coriander/Dhania seeds. Its truly mouth-watering and very delicious! This recipe which I'm about to share with you has no Coconut...which apparantly is used in every dish of Kerala!!!

Ingredients:
Medium sized chopped vegetables- 4 cups (Just about all those vegetables which you may find in the market!)
Cooked Toor dal/Split peas- 1 1/2 cup
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves- Few
Tamarind- Lemon sized
Salt to taste
Jaggery- 1 tsp (Optional)

For tempering:
Oil- 3 tsp
Urad Dal/Split Black gram- 1 tsp
Jeera/Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Red Chilly- 1 (Broken into pieces)
Curry leaves- Few
Chopped Onion- 1 large (Optional)

To fry and grind:
Oil- 3 tsp
Methi/Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp
Dhania/Coriander seeds- 1 1/2 tsp
Hing/Asafoetida powder- 2 tsp
Red Chillies- 3-4
Curry leaves- Few [If you have a tree in your garden, please use liberally :), the aroma which it imparts is irreplaceable ]

Method:

In a vessel, heat oil. Add Urad dal, Jeera, Mustard seeds and Red chilly. Once the Mustard sarts to splutter, add the Curry leaves and chopped Onions. Saute them till golden brown. Add all the cubed vegetables. Pour sufficient water for the vegetables to cook. Add Turmeric and Curry leaves and cover with the lid. Let the vegetables cook. Meanwhile, in a pan, heat oil. Add Methi and when they are brown in colour, add Dhania and Red chillies. Fry them for a minute. Now add Hing and the Curry leaves. Fry them well. Grind this into a fine paste. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the Tamarind pulp (extracted in half cup of water), Salt, Jaggery and ground mixture. Let it boil well. Now add the cooked Toor dal and mix well. Let it boil for few minutes. Garnish with Coriander leaves and enjoy this unbeatable taste with hot Rice and Pappadam, Idly or Dosa!

Preparation Time: 45 Minutes
Serves: 4 people

Aviyal

Aviyal is a delightful mix of many vegetables. It is a must for festivals like Onam or wedding sadhya. It can be prepared with thick gravy as a side dish or by adding more curds you can make the gravy thin to mix with rice. This is a very simple and healthy dish.

All vegetables go in it, except perhaps, some mushy vegetables like ladies fingers, tomato, brinjal, beetroot (because of the colour) , cabbage, cauliflower, radish, onion etc. Since a variety of vegetables are used for this, you require only small quantities of each of them.

The wonderful aroma to this dish comes from the coconut oil. So the oil cannot be substituted.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
Vegetables cut lengthwise around 2" pieces - 2 cups
(Vegetables like Yam, Raw banana, Cluster beans, Carrot, Snake gourd, Beans, Drumstick, etc can be used)

Curds (lightly sour)- 3/4 cup
Grated fresh coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 3-4
Coconut oil - 3 tbsp
Curry leaves - 5-6
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt

Method:
Grind the coconut and green chillies using little water and keep aside.
In a vessel put the vegetables and add enough water to just cover the vegetable. Add turmeric and salt and boil the vegetables till just done. The vegetables should not be overcooked.
Add the coconut mixture to the boiling vegetables. Then add the curds. Finally add the curry leaves and coconut oil and toss till the vegetables are coated with the coconut and curds mixture.
As mentioned earlier, if you want the gravy to be thin, you can add more curds. Adjust salt accordingly.
Serve as a side dish for dosa, chappathi or poori or as main dish for rice.

Preparation Time: About 20 mins
Serves: 3-4 people

Onion vethakozhambu

Vethakozhambu or Vathalkozhambu is a spicy gravy prepared in tamil iyer homes. 'Vathal' means sun dried vegetable or berries. Vathals made from Manathakkali/ marthangalikkai (Black nightshade), Kothavarangai(Cluster beans) etc or fresh vegetables like onion, tomato etc can be used for making this. Vathalkozhambu is a wonderfull combination of tangy, spicy and also sweet taste. The tanginess comes from the tamarind which is added in slighlty larger amount. It tastes very good with 'Urulakkazhangu Podimas' (recipe coming soon).

During summer holidays, in the afternoon we cousins would gather in a circle around our patiyamma (grandma). She would place a small quantity of curd rice on our hands and pour a spoofull of vathalkozhambu over it. By the time she moves to the next eager hand, we would be ready for our turn again. Hmm... lovely days.

An easier version of vathakozhambu is prepared by the Palakkad iyers using chundakkai or turkey berry, but the recipe is slightly different.

Traditionaly the spices are fried and powdered freshly before making the kozhambu but to make life easier, the powder can be in large quantities and stored in a air tight container. I normally prepare this fresh every time I am making the vathalkozhambu as it does not take much time to prepare this powder. Also the freshly ground powder is tastier.

In this recipe, I am using onion (vengayam). The recipe is same for other vathals as well.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients for vathakozhambu powder:
Red chilli - 2-3
Coriander seeds - 11/2 tbsp
Chana dal - 3/4 tbsp
White gram - 1 tsp
Fenugreek/Methi seeds - 1 tsp
Pepper - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 4-5
Oil (Preferably gingely) - 1 tsp


Method:
Heat the gingely (or any other oil) in a pan. Fry the ingredients separately. Grind them together to a fine powder.

Note: With the measurements given above vathalkozhambu for 4 people can be made. It can be increased proportionally if you plan to store for long term usage.

Ingredients for vathakozhambu:
Onion chopped - 2 medium sized
Red chilli - 2
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Chana dal - 1 tsp
Mustard - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 5-6
Fenugreek/Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Tamarind - 1 lemon sized
Jaggery - small piece (if you like sweet then you can add more)
Salt
Gingely oil - 1/4 cup
Rice powder - 1-2 tsp


Method:
Soak tamarind in water and squeeze it. Filter and keep the water.
Heat oil in a pan. Add red chilli, coriander seeds, chana dal.
When the dal turns red add mustard. When mustard splutters add cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds and saute till they turn red.
Care should be taken not to burn them as fenugreek burns quiclky.
Add the curry leaves and fry till you get the aroma and then add onions and saute till they turn golden colored.
Now add the tamatind pulp and little turmeric and let it boil till it reduces to half its quantity.
Then add salt and jaggery and stir.
Add vathakuzhambu powderand boil well till raw smell goes.
Keep it in medium flame till it becomes thick in consistency.
If it becomes too watery, mix 1 or 2 tspns of rice flour in little water, add this to vathakuzhambu and allow it to boil till you get the desired consistency.
Dont add too much rice powder and this will make the kozhambu too thick once it cools.

Note: In this recipe I have not used asafoetida as normally when onion is used we do not use asafoetida. But if you are using any other items instead to make the kozhambu, then add 1/2 tsp asafoetida along with the vathal when it boils.

Preparation time: About 30min
Serves: 4 people

Koddel/ Huli

One of the commonly prepared dish is Koddel/Huli/Sambar. There are a variety of Sambar which may be prepared by just varying the spices which are roasted and powdered. This gives the unique taste and aroma to it. It is a best accompaniment to Rice, Idly and Dosas.

Here, this recipe is of a typical Udupi Koddel.

Ingredients :
Chopped Vegetable- 1 cup (Any vegetable)
Cooked Toor dal- 3/4 cup
Turmeric- 1/4 Tsp
Curry leaves- Few
Tamarind- Medium sized lemon
Salt to taste
Jaggery- 1/2 Tsp
Oil- 2 Tsp

To grind:
Methi seeds/Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 Tsp
Dhania seeds/ Coriander seeds- 2 Tsp
Red Chillies- 3
Curry leaves- Few
Grated Coconut- 1 Tbsp

Method:

Cook the vegetable with water, turmeric and few Curry leaves. In a pan, heat oil. To this add Methi seeds. Wwhen they turn brown, add coriander seeds, Red chillies and Curry leaves. Now add grated Coconut and fry for a minute. Grind this to a fine paste. Aadd this to the cooked vegetable. Add the extract of tamarind with half cup water, Jaggery and Salt to taste. Add the cooked Toor dal and let this boil for few minutes. Serve hot.

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes
Serves: 2 People

Kodekyana/Majjige Huli

This is a dish with Coconut and buttermilk giving all the taste to it. It can be prepared with Ash gourd, Marrow (Southekai), Okra, Egg plant, Yam, Taro Root, Jackfruit (Jee gujje), Long beans (Alasande), Mango and the list may go on...

The Coconut we use should be slightly tender so that its milk is still sweet and blends well into the dish, when ground. For the right consistency of the dish, one has to grind the Coconut very well into a fine paste. Also, using freshly prepared Buttermilk will give the best result. In case of non-availability of Buttermilk, we may use normal Yoghurt which may be whipped in the Mixie once.

Ingredients:
Any of the above mentioned vegetable (I have used Brinjal/Egg plant)- 1 Cup
Tamarind- Lemon sized, pulp extracted in a cup of water
Turmeric- 1 tsp
Curry leaves- Few
Buttermilk/Whipped Yoghurt- 1 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Fenugreek/Methi seeds- 1/2 tsp
Urad dal- 1 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Red chilly - 1 (Broken into peices)

To grind:
Grated Coconut- 1 cup
Green chillies- 3


Method:
Cook the vegetable with Tamarind water, Turmeric and Curry leaves. (Note: When using Okra, cook it too in Tamarind water). Grind Coconut with Green chillies to a fine paste. Add this to the cooked vegetable. Let it boil for few minutes. Now add the Buttermilk/Whipped Yoghurt. Allow the dish to build foam but take care not to boil it. In a pan, heat ghee. Add Methi seeds. When it turns Brown, add Urad dal, Mustard seeds and Red chilly. When the Mustard splutters, add Curry leaves. Pour this seasoning to the curry and serve hot with Rice. Its a good side dish for Idly and Dosa too.

Preparation Time: About 30 minutes
Serves: 4 people

Keera Molagootal

Keerai molagootal is a traditional Palakkad Iyer dish. It is simple to prepare yet tasty and nutritious. Keerai means greens. Amma (mom) used to prepare many dishes from the wide variety of keerai available in India at least twice a week. It is very rich in minerals and vitamins.

Keerai molagootal is best when prepared with arai keerai. But since its not available here, I normally use spinach which tastes equally good. It goes great with rice and thogayal (recipe coming soon...)or arachu kalakki.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
Spinach - 1 1/2 cup
Toor dal/red gram - 1/2 cup
Urad dal/black gram - 1 tsp
Red chilli - 1
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt

To grind:
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Pepper - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal/black gram - 1 tsp
Red chilli - 1


Method:
Cook toor dal/red gram, mash it and keep aside.
Wash the spinach and cook it in little water, a pinch of turmeric and little salt.Once its cooked blend it coarsely.
Mix this along with the mashed toor dal/red gram and let it boil for 2 mins.
Meanwhile fry 1 tsp urad dal/black gram without oil.
Grind the fried urad dal/black gram, 1 red chilli, 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1 tsp pepper.
Add this to the boiling mixture and let it boil for another 4-5 mins. Add more salt if required. Adjust the consistency by adding water as per your requirement.
Heat oil in a pan. Add the 1 tsp urad dal and 1 red chilli (broken). When the urad dal turns red add the mustard. When the mustard splutter add the contents to the Keera molagootal.
Serve hot with rice and thogayal or arachu kalakki.

Preparation time: 15 mins
Serves: 2 people

Podi potta sambar

This is one of the simple and easy to prepare sambar. This does not involve any grinding. If you have any unexpected guests and you wish to cook something easy and quick then you can prepare this. Since no coconut is involved in this dish, the usage of toor dal (red gram) is more. As such it is nutritious as well.

Generally any vegetable like ladies finger, pumpkin, potato, etc can be used for this sambar. In this recipe I am using pumpkin. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
Vegetable - 1 cup
Toor dal/Red gram - 1
Tomato - 1 (medium sized)
Green chillies - 2
Red chilli powder - 1 full tsp
Tamarin - small lemon sized
Jaggery (optional) - a small piece
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt
Ghee/clarified butter - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 7 to 8
Asafoetida - a pinch



Method:
Cook the toor dal/red gram, mash and keep aside.
Dice the vegetable into small cubes. Extract tamarind pulp by soaking it in 1/2 cup of water for sometime.
Cook the vegetable in tamarind water adding a pinch of turmeric and salt as required.
If you are using jaggery then it can be added as well.
Once the vegetable is cooked add the mashed toor dal/red gram and red chilli powder.
Let it boil for 5 to 6 mins.
In a separate pan heat the ghee. Add the mustard. Once it splutters add the curry leaves and asafoedtida.
Pour this garnish to the sambar.
Serve hot with rice.

Preparation time: About 15 mins
Serves: 2 people

Tove (Dal)

Tove is a variety of dal prepared from Moong dal at my home. For some strange reason I wasnt so fond of this dish whenever Amma would make this. Now that I have started cooking for my child, I have realised that its one of the healthiest and is a protein rich dish.

Ingredients:
Moong dal- 1/2 cup
Turmeric- 1 tsp
Curry leaves- Few
Coconut milk- 1/2 cup (Extract from a one half of a grated coconut)
Ginger- 1 inch peice; chopped
Green Chillies- 3-4; chopped
Coriander Leaves- Few twigs
Ghee- 1 tsp
Urad dal- 1 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Red chilly - 1 (Broken into peices)
Asafoetida/Hing- A pinch

Method:
Cook Moong dal with 1 1/4 cup of water with Turmeric and Curry leaves. After its cooked, add the Coconut milk, Ginger, Green chillies and Coriander. In a pan, heat ghee. Add Urad dal, Mustard seeds and Red chilly. When the Mustard splutters, add Hing and Curry leaves. Pour this seasoning to the dal and serve hot with Rice.

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes
Serves: 2 People

Molagootal

Molagootal is a typical Palakkad Iyer preparation. It is a mild, thick curry which can be prepared either using any one of the vegetables like white pumpkin, sweet pumpkin, cabbage, yam or amaranth leaves along with red gram lentils. If amaranth leaves are used then it is called Keeria molagootal (recipe will follow later). Molagootal is eaten with puliya kuthi kari or thogayal (recipes coming soon...) as side dish. It is easy to make and healthy.
I have used pumpkin and sweet potato.

Ingredients:
Diced vegetable (White pumpkin, Pumpkin, yam or cabbage)
Toor dal/red gram lentil - 5 to 6 tbsp
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Salt
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 6

To grind:
Coconut - 1 small cup
Pepper - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 3 tsp


Method:
Cook the red gram lentil and keep it aside.
Cook the diced vegetable by adding enough water, salt and little turmeric.
Grind coconut, pepper and cumin seeds together and add it to the cooked vegetables.
Let it boil for 4 to 5 mins.
Heat coconut oil in a separate pan. Add mustard and when it splutter add the curry leaves.
Garnish the molagootal with this.
Serve hot with rice.

Note:
Coconut oil adds a distinc flavour to the dish. If it is not available then any refined oil can also be used.

Preparation time: About 15-20 mins
Serves: 2 people

Pineapple Rasam

Today I was tired to cook. Since I am very fussy about food, going out is not a good option :) I would prefer home cooked south indian meal. During my weekely call to my mom, she mentioned about 'Arachuvitta rasam' which is slightly different from our normal rasam. She also added that we can use pineapple instead of tomato for this rasam. I gave it a try as it is fairly simple and it turned out to be good.

Normaly at home amma (mom) prepares rasam in a Eeya Chombu as it imparts a characteristic flavor to the rasam. Eeyam means lead and eeya chombu means lead vessel. But there is no lead involved in the making of this vessel. It is primarily an alloy of tin and other metals. Care should be taken that the liquid in the vessel should not evaporate. If the vessel is kept on the naked flame without liquid then it will melt. Ofcourse I dont have a 'eeya chombu'. I should be satisfied with my steel vessel.

Here is the recipe hope you all will like it.

Ingredients:
Tamarind - Small lime sized
Coriander leaves - a small bunch
Curry leaves - 6 to 7
Pineapple cube or chopped tomato - 1/2 cup
Mashed toor dal/red gram - 6 to 7 tbsp
Jaggery - small piece
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Clarified butter/ ghee - 2 tbsp
Mustard - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Masala (To grind):
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 2
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Green chillies - 1 to 2
Ginger - 1" piece
Garlic (optional) - 1 clove

Method:
Extract tamarind juice after soaking the tamarind in 1/2 cup water.
Grind the masala ingredients to a fine paste by adding little water.
Take the tamarind extract in a vessel and to this add the chopped pineapple (or tomato), jaggery, salt and pinch of turmeric.
Let it cook for sometime. Then add the mashed toor dal (red gram) and continue cooking over medium heat for 2 to 3 mins.
Then add the paste. Add more water do bring to the desired consistency. Let this boil for 2-3 min.
In a seperate pan, heat ghee. Add the mustard, when it splutters add the cumin seed and then the curry leaves. Add this to the rasam. Garnish the rasam with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rice and pappadam.

Preparation time: About 15 min
Serves: 2 people

Tomato Bajji

If you have many tomatoes been lying around for days and dont know what to do...then here is a simple recipe to do away with them, beautifully! Its a sweet and sour dish and to balance the taste you could throw in a few green chillies. The Tomatoes have to be cooked till they have all mashed up and has gained a uniform consistency. You could use a masher for help too. It tastes good with Dosa, Idly, Chappathi and Rice...especially good a combination with Yoghurt rice!

Ingredients:
Tomato- 4 medium sized (To be finely chopped)
Turmeric- 1 tsp
Tamarind- 1 Tiny lemon sized
Salt to taste
Jaggery- 3 tsp
Oil- 1 tsp
Urad dal- 1 tsp
Mustard- 1/2 tsp
Red Chilly- 1 (Broken into peices)
Asafoetida/Hing- A pinch
Curry leaves- Few
Coriander- Few twigs

Method:
Put the finely chopped Tomatoes into a vessel and add Turmeric. Add 1/4 cup of water and few peices of Curry leavaes. Let the Tomatoes cook till they are mashed up. You could use a masher to just mash them up. Now add 1 Tsp of Tamarind juice, Jaggery and salt. Let it boil for few minutes. In a pan, add oil. When its hot, add Urad Dal, Mustard seeds and Red chilly. When the mustard seeds splutter, add Asafoetida/Hing and the Curry leaves. Pour this seasoning into the dish. Add chopped Coriander leaves and its ready!

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes
Serves: 2 people