Cherupayar Thoran

Cherupayar Thoran

 

Ingredients

• Cherupayar (whole moong beans/green gram) – ¾ cup  [ soak  this in 3 cups  water overnight ]
• Water – 2.5 cups
• Coconut – ½ cup
• Small onion/shallots – 3,sliced
• Chopped garlic – ½ tsp
• Green chilli – 3, chopped
• Pepper powder – ¼ tsp
• Cumin (jeera) – a pinch (optional)
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
• Curry leaves
• Salt
• Oil – I used coconut oil

Instructions

1. drain the water in which the gram soaked. cook in a pressure cooker with 2.5 cups water.  I cooked it for 4 whistles on high flame . Switch off the flame and keep it closed till the pressure drops, 10-15 mins. Open the cooker and drain the excess water.
2. Combine coconut, sliced small onion, chopped garlic and green chilli, pepper powder, cumin (if using), turmeric powder, curry leaves and salt in a bowl. Mix it well using your finger tips .
3. Heat oil in a wide pan and crackle the mustard seeds. Add the coconut mixture and cook for 2-3 mins. Add cooked cherupayar and mix well. You can add 2 tbsp hot water, just to make sure the payar and coconut mixture is well combined. Cover and cook for 2-3 mins on low flame. Switch off the gas and serve hot with Rice or Kanji.

Spiced Eggplant Fry — Vazhuthananga Porichathu

Spiced Eggplant Fry — Vazhuthananga Porichathu

Spiced Eggplant Fry — Vazhuthananga Porichathu

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants (brinjal), thinly sliced

10 dry red chilies

1 tablespoon peppercorns

3 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 chicken stock cube (I used Knorr)

2 sprigs fresh curry leaves

Oil for shallow frying

 

Directions

Rub the eggplant slices with salt and rinse well. Eggplants tend to be bitter and soggy and salting helps drain the bitter juices and also makes the vegetable less permeable before frying.

In a blender, process the chilies, peppercorns, garlic cloves, vinegar and curry leaves to a fine paste. Crumble the stock cube and mix well with the paste. Remember that the stock is well seasoned, so don’t add any extra salt. Tip onto a shallow plate, add the eggplant slices and coat both sides with this mixture. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat. Place the marinated slices in a single layer in the fat and leave for 5-6 minutes to start to crisp. Be careful not to let it burn. Turn over the other side and repeat until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with steamed rice. 

Beetroot Pachadi

Beetroot Pachadi

               Ingredients

• Beetroot - 1 large
• Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Curd -1/2 cup
• Green Chilli - 5 nos
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Dry Red Chilly - 3 nos
• Curry leaves - 1 string

Method

Step 1

Peel the beetroot. Wash and cut it into small cubes. Cut the green chillies lengthwise.

Step 2

Take a pan add beetroot pieces, green chillies, salt and water. Cook for 10 minutes. Switch off the stove when the beetroot becomes soft.

Step 3

In a mixer grinder grind coconut with 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds. Add the grinded mixture and curd to the cooled beetroot.

Step 4

Heat a pan add coconut oil and splutter 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds, dry red chilly and curry leaves. Pour this over the Beetroot pachadi.

Step 5

Tasty beetroot pachadi is ready to be served with rice.

Basic Omlet Recipe

Basic Omlet Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 green Chilli chopped
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

Method

Step 1

Mix well all ingredients together.

Step 2

Heat oil in a non stick pan. Pour the egg mixture into hot pan and cook omelet on one side well.

Step 3

Once one side is cooked flip the omelet to another side and allow to cook for 1 more minute.

Step 4

Now switch off the flame and serve hot omelet with bread or rice.

Avial recipe

Avial recipe

Ingredients

• Carrot - 50 gm
• Yam (chena) - 100 gm
• Cucumber (vellarika) - 100 gm
• Yard long beans (achinga payar) - 50 gm
• Snake gourd (padavalanga) - 100 gm
• Raw banana - 50 gm
• Drumstick (murungakai) - 100gm
• Green chilly - 50 gm
• Green mango - 2 pieces
• Curry leaves - 2 strings
• Coconut grated - 300gm
• Coconut oil - 200gm
• Cumin seed (jeerakam) - 1 tsp
• Curd - 25 ml
• Ash gourd (Kumbalanga) - 100 gm
• Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp
• Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
• Shallots (small onion) - 5 nos
• Water - 1 cup
• Salt to taste

Method

Step 1

Clean and cut all the vegetables lengthwise of 1/2 inch thickness.

Step 2

Take a pan add carrot, chena, cucumber, yard long beans, snake goard, raw banana, drumstick, green mango, ash gourd, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, salt, water and 75 ml of coconut oil. Cook for 7 minutes.

Step 3

Grind coconut, cumin seed, green chillies, shallots in a blender.

Step 4

Add this coconut mixture and curd to the cooked vegetables and cook for 4 minutes.

Step 5

Finally add coconut oil and curry leaves to the vegetable mixture. The delicious kerala avial is ready to be served .

Raw Jackfruit Thoran or Idichakka Thoran

Raw Jackfruit Thoran or Idichakka Thoran

Ingredients

• Raw Jack fruit or Idichakka - 1 small
• Shallots - 5 nos (crushed)
• Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
• Dry red chilly - 5 nos (crushed)
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 string
• Coconut oil - 4 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Water - 1 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/4 tsp

Method

Step 1

Cut the Jackfruit in to small pieces and cut the skin, remove the stem, top portion of the Tender Jackfruit if it is too hard and wash the pieces with salt.

Step 2

Pressure cook the cleaned Jackfruit with little water, salt and 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder for 1-2 whistle.

Step 3

Do not overcook the pieces. When it is done remove from fire, drain it and allow it to cool.

Step 4

Shred the cooked Jackfruit piece by a food processor or mixer.

Step 5

Heat coconut oil in a pan add mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and fry for 2 minutes. Add crushed shallots, crushed dry red chilly and fry for 2 minutes.

Step 6

Add the grated coconut and stir fry till all water is dried. Add the shredded Jackfruit and keep stirring. Cover and cook for 3 minutes in low flame and adjust the salt and remove from the fire.

Step 7

The tasty Raw Jackfruit Thoran is ready. Serve with hot boiled rice.