Document

Kaalan
Ingredients

1 cup grated coconut
25 gm pepper
10 gm jeera
1 kg yam cut into 1 inch cubes
100 gm plain yoghurt
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp coconut oil
4-5 red chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds
4-5 curry leaves

Method

Grind the coconut, pepper and jeera into a fine paste.
In an aluminium vessel, heat two glasses of water.
Add the yam cubes and turmeric. Cook it on slow fire for about 10 mins or more till the cubes become tender.
Add the finely ground coconut paste and stir well. Cook it on slow fire for about a minute.
Beat the yoghurt well to avoid lumps and add it to the above mixture.
Continue cooking on slow fire for about two to three mins.
For garnishing, in a separate pan, heat one tbsp coconut oil.
Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chillies and saute.
Add this to the main preparation and serve hot with rice or roti.

Rasam
Ingredients

1 cup tomatoes chopped
2 cup tomato puree
1 cup tamarind pulp
1 tbsp garlic chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper crushed
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp refined oil
A pinch of asafetida
12 to 15 curry leaves
10 coriander leaves (for garnish)
Salt to taste

Method

In a thick bottom pan, heat the oil and crackle cumin seeds.
Add curry leaves and chopped garlic.
Sautee; garlic till slightly brown.
Add the chopped tomatoes, saute till it is fully cooked and oil oozes out.
Add dry spices -- turmeric, red chilli powder and coriander powder, a large pinch of salt and asafoetida.
Saute well to get a nice aroma and add tomato puree.
Add approximately one litre water and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 mins. Add crushed peppercorns.
Strain with a thick sieve to remove most of the coarse and large particles.
Check seasoning and serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Sambar
Ingredients:

250 gm toor dal
3 drumsticks
250 gm white pumpkin
100 gm red pumpkin
100 gm okra (ladyfingers)
2 potatoes
2 brinjals
2 tomatoes
50 gm tamarind paste
1 pinch asafoetida
25 gm coriander seeds
10 red chillies
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
50 gm shallots
50 gm onion
1/2 cup grated coconut
5 bay leaves

Method:

Pressure cook toor dal with salt till it's completely cooked.
In a frying pan, heat two tbsp of cooking oil.
Fry the grated coconut, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chillies, shallots and onions separately and keep aside to cool.
Grind the above ingredients into a mixture of semi-thick consistency.
Dice all vegetables (pumpkins, okra, potatoes, brinjal) except the tomatoes and empty them into a vessel.
Add two cups of water, salt and turmeric and cook the vegetables for 5-7 mins.
When they are semi-cooked, add the chopped tomatoes.
After awhile, add tamarind paste.
When it comes to a boil, add the toor dal and mix well.
Next, add the ground paste of grated coconut, chillies and onions.
Stir well and wait till it comes to a boil. Simmer the flame.
To garnish, in a separate pan heat some coconut oil, add mustard seeds and bay leaves. Add sambar and serve hot with idlis, dosas or rice.

Avial
Ingredients:

250 gm white pumpkin
250 gm red pumpkin
100 gm pointed gourd (parwal)
100 gm beans
100 gm carrot
100 gm yams
100 gm raw banana (medium-sized)
100 gm black-eyed peas
2 drumsticks
2 cups grated coconut
10 green chillies
1 tsp turmeric
4 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup curd
Salt to taste
Curry leaves

Method:

First grind the grated coconut and green chillies into a coarse mixture. Keep this aside.
Now cut all vegetables (drumsticks, beans, carrot, pumpkins, yam, raw banana, padval) along their length into one and a half inch pieces.
In a deep vessel, pour two cups of water and steam-cook the vegetables along with the peas.
Add turmeric powder and salt to taste.
When the vegetables are half-cooked, add curd.
When the mixture comes to a boil, add the coarsely ground paste of grated coconut and green chillies and cook for 2 mins. Mix well.
To garnish, in a small pan, heat two tablespoons of coconut oil and add the bay leaves.
Garnish the curry with bay leaves and add two tbsp of coconut oil.
Serve hot with rice.

Narangya Curry (Lime Pickle)
Ingredients

1/2 kg big sized lemon 1/2 inch diced
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp chilli powder
1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp asafoetida

Method

In a pan, heat asafoetida and fenugreek seeds on a low flame for about two mins.
Grind it well in a grinder and keep it aside.
In a glass bowl, take the lemon and season it with salt and keep aside for about 5-10 mins.
Add turmeric and chilly powder and mix them well.
Add the ground mixture of asafoetida and fenugreek seeds and mix well.
Garnish it with a tadka of mustard seeds and red chillies.
Serve with rice, dosa, idli or roti.

Olan
Ingredients:

100 gm black-eyed peas
250 gm white pumpkin
250 gm red pumpkin (optional)
Green chillies
1 cup coconut milk

Method:

Pre-soak the black eyed peas in water for six hours.
Add salt and steam-cook. Keep aside.
Cut the green chillies along their length.
Slice the white pumpkin and red pumpkin into small squares of one inch each
In a pan, add coconut milk, salt and cook the pumpkin pieces.
Add the pre-cooked black-eyed peas and mix well.
Garnish with a generous tbsp of coconut oil and serve hot/cold.

Kootu
Ingredients:

250 gm chana dal
1 raw banana (large)
100 gm yams
100 gm white pumpkin
2 cups grated coconut
8 red chillies
1/2 tsp pepper
Curry leaves
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the chana dal in water one hour in advance.
Steam-cook with salt and keep aside.
Grind one and a half cups of coconut, pepper, six red chillies and bay leaves and keep aside.
Cut raw banana, yams and white pumpkin into small dices.
Steam-cook the above vegetables in a pan with minimal water.
Add salt. Also add the ground paste of coconut, pepper, red chillies and bay leaves.
Two minutes later, add the pre-cooked chana dal and mix well.
Garnish with coconut oil and serve hot with rice/roti/dosa.

Parippu Payasam
Ingredients:

250 gm moong dal
50 gm basmati rice
20 gm coconut, finely chopped
20 gm raisins
750 gm jaggery
2 cups coconut milk (first extract)
4 cups coconut milk (second extract)

Method:
To extract coconut milk:

Grate 300 gm of coconut and squeeze thoroughly to extract milk. Keep this aside as your first extract.
Now, to the same coconut, add two cups of hot water and mix well.
Squeeze the mixture to get a lesser consistency of coconut milk. This will be your second extract.

For the payasam:

In a pan, heat some ghee and fry the moong dal.
In a vessel, pour four cups of coconut milk
Add basmati rice and moong dal and stir for 10 mins till it gets semi-cooked.
Meanwhile, in another pan, heat two tablespoons of ghee.
Add half cup of water and jaggery to this pan and heat well till the jaggery liquefies.
Sieve this mixture through a muslin cloth to clear of impurities.
Add the liquefied jaggery to the above mixture and stir well.
When it comes to a boil, add the two cups of coconut milk with thick consistency.
Stir and simmer. Ensure that you don't allow it to boil.
To garnish, in a separate pan, heat one tbsp of ghee. Add the chopped coconut and dry fruits and fry till golden brown.
Garnish and serve hot/cold.

Ada Pradhaman

Ingredients:

500 gm ada
4l milk
1 kg sugar
10 cashewnuts
10 raisins

Method:

Wash ada thoroughly and soak in hot water for half an hour.
In a deep vessel, heat a litre of the milk and add ada to it.
Cook the ada for about 40-45 minutes.
Keep stirring from time to time to avoid formation of lumps.
As the ada gets cooked, the consistency will get thicker. Add milk and keep stirring till the ada is cooked.
Once the ada is fully cooked, add sugar.
Add the rest of the milk and stir well till colour of milk changes to pale yellow.
Add cardamom powder and simmer the flame.
In a separate pan, heat some ghee and fry the dry fruits.
Garnish the payasam with dry fruits and serve hot.

Inji Puli
Ingredients

100 gm ginger, finely sliced
A lime sized tamarind ball
2 tsp chilli powder
3 tsp coriander powder
Jaggery (size of a gooseberry)
1 tsp mustard seeds
A few curry leaves
Salt as required
1 tsp fenugreek powder
Coconut oil

Method

Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add ginger.
Crush the fried ginger with a mortar and pestle. Keep aside.
Add 1 tbsp of water to tamarind and make a pulp.
Add chilli powder, coriander powder, jaggery and salt.
Mix well and add crushed ginger.
Add 1/2 cup of water and mix well.
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Add curry leaves and the tamarind, jaggery mixture. Allow it to boil till it becomes thick.
Add fenugreek powder and mix well.

Sambaram (Spiced Buttermilk)

Ingredients:

1 cup thick yogurt, chilled
¾ cup water, chilled
Dash of salt
1 tsp grated ginger
1 green chilly, cut length wise, seeds removed
7-8 curry leaves
1 lemon, juice of, seeds removed

Method:

Mix the yogurt with water and whisk.
Add the salt, ginger, green chilly, lemon and curry leaves. Stir.
Let it sit 15-20 minutes.
Strain the curry leaves, chilly and ginger. Serve cold.

Cucumber Pachadi

Ingredients:

1 Kerala cucumber or vellarikkai, chopped into cubes
1 tsp cumin seeds or jeera, roasted
1 tsp fenugreek seeds or methi, roasted
1 tsp mustard seeds
Pinch of hing
7-8 curry leaves
1 ½ cups thick yogurt, chilled
Dash of salt
Little oil for seasoning

Method:

Steam the cucumber lightly and cool.
Grind the jeera and methi to a powder.
Whisk the yogurt with a splash of chilled water so yogurt is pachadi consistent.
Mix together the yogurt, methi-jeera powder, salt and cucumber.
Heat the oil, pop the mustard seeds and then add the hing and curry leaves. Add this seasoning to the raita.

Bhindi Pachadi
Ingredients:

¼ kg okra or lady’s fingers, sliced thin
1 cup thick yogurt, chilled
1 tsp mustard seeds
A pinch of hing
5-7 curry leaves
4 tbsp grated coconut
Dash of chilly powder
Dash of salt
Little oil for seasoning

Method:

Pan fry the lady's fingers with a little oil till crisp. Alternately deep fry.
Drain, pat off the oil with tissue, sprinkle chilly powder, keep aside and keep crisp in a tair-tight container.
Meanwhile whisk the yogurt, with a splash of chilled water, so it becomes pachadi consistency.
Add the salt and coconut.
Season with mustard popped in heated oil along with the hing and curry leaves. Before serving add the still-crisp lady’s finger.

Beetroot Thoran

Ingredients:

2 cups beetroot, grated
1/2 cups coconut, grated
1 tsp cumin or jeera seeds
2 to 3 shallots (red small sambar onion), peeled and chopped
2-4 dried red chillies
¼ tsp turmeric or haldi powder
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp split urad
5 to 6 curry leaves
1 tbsp vegetable oil for the seasoning
1 tbsp coconut oil
Salt

Method:

In a kadhai, heat the oil for seasoning. Add the urad dal and stir. Then add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add curry leaves. Add the shallots and red chillies. Add turmeric and salt. Mix well.
When the shallots become tender, add the beetroot. Mix well.
Cover and cook on slow flame for 5-7 minutes.
When cooked, garnish with grated coconut and sprinkle some coconut oil on top. Serve warm.