Erissery – Pumpkin Curry with Black Eyed Peas
Erissery is an authentic dish from Kerala and one of the important dishes prepared for Onam Sadya. You can prepare this dish with pumpkin or chenai (yam) or raw plantain. The cow peas or the red beans added to this dish makes it more nutritious and healthy. Serve this delicious curry with rice or roti. Preparation time: 40 minutes No. of servings: 4 Spice level: 2.5 out of 5 Ingredients: 1″ Cubed Pumpkin – 2 cups Cow peas or Van payar or Red beans – 1/3 cup Curry leaves – one sprig Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Coconut oil – 1 tsp Turmeric powder – a pinch Salt to taste To Grind: Shredded coconut – 1/4 cup Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Green chili – 2 Method of Preparation: Grind coconut, cumin and green chilies to a fine paste with...
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Olan Recipe – Winter Melon Coconut Stew
Olan is a traditional dish from Kerala Cuisine. It is made for special occasions such as Onam, weddings, etc. It is one of the most simplest dish you can make. It has winter melon, red cowpeas, coconut milk which is flavored with green chili, coconut oil and curry leaves. You can serve this dish as a side with rice and sambar/rasam or any variety rice. Preparation time: 30 minutes No. of servings: 3 Spice level: 2 out of 5 Ingredients: Cubed winter melon – 1 cup Cooked red cowpeas (karamani or vanpayar) – 1/4 cup Green chili – 1 or 2 (adjust to taste) Thick coconut milk – 1 cup Salt to taste Coconut oil – 1 tsp Method of Preparation: Peel the skin and chop winter melon into small cubes. Wash and pressure cook cowpeas with 3/4 cup...
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Kootu Curry (Onam Special)
Kootu Curry is a delicious coconut based curry from Kerala cuisine. I made it for the Onam Sadya feast and it has become one of my favorite dish. It is a simple and fabulous curry made with plantain and chenai (yam). You can serve this dish with rice or roti. Preparation time: 30 minutes No. of servings: 5 to 6 Spice level: 3 out of 5 Ingredients: Black chickpea (kadala) – 1/2 cup Cubed chenai or suran (yam) – 1/2 cup Cubed plantain – 1 cup Cubed Winter melon or Elavan or Pusanikkai – 1/2 cup Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Red chili powder – 1/4 tsp Salt to taste For Grinding: Grated coconut – 1/2 cup Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp Green chili – 2 Shallot or small onion – 1 Grated ginger – 1/2 tsp For Seasoning: Oil...
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Kalan – Onam Sadya Special
Kalan or Kaalan is a traditional dish from Kerala, South India. It is a creamy dish made with plantain, yam and coconut spice mixture. Coconut plays an important part in Kerala cuisine. Most of the dishes calls for coconut in some way or the other. I made this dish for the Onam festival and it came out very well. Though the recipe is simple the flavors are amazing. If you carefully follow the steps you will achieve the right taste. You can serve it with rice and papad or any thoran/poriyal. I like to eat it with even rotis. Give this recipe a try and you will love it. Preparation time: 30 minutes No. of servings: 5 Spice level: 2.5 out of 5 Ingredients: Raw plantain (Vazhakkai) – 1 Cubed Yam (Chenai or Suran) – 1 cup Black pepper...
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Rasavangi (Step by Step Instructions)
I was planning to do this Rasavangi from a long time. This Rasavangi is almost similar to Arachuvitta Sambar except for 1 or 2 ingredients. This is very simple to make and is different from usual sambar or any other Kuzhambu. Time of Preparation : 30 minutes No of Servings : 2 to 3 Soice level : 3 out of 5 Ingredients: Brinjal – 4 (cut lengthwise) Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Salt – to taste Tamarind – Gooseberry size Toor dhal – 1/4 cup Chickpeas – 1/4 cup (soaked overnight or soaked in hot water for 2 hours) Asafoetida – a pinch Masala to Grind: Oil – 1 tsp Red chillies – 5 Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp Channa dhal – 1/2 tbsp Black pepper – 5 to 8 Coconut – 3 tbsp (grated) For Seasoning: Oil –...
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Elavan Mathan Pachadi – Pumpkin and Melon Curry
Elavan Mathan Pachadi is again a simple and traditional Palakad dish which is generally served with rice and Milagootal. Winter Melon (ash gourd) and Pumpkin are known as “Elavan or Kumbalanga” and “Mathan or Mathanga” respectively in Malayalam. This pachadi can also be served with any type of rice or roti. Both pumpkin and ash gourd are nutritious vegetables. So this is a perfect way to add these vegetables to your daily diet. Preparation time: 30 minutes No. of servings: 6 Spice level: 3 out of 6 Ingredients: Elavan (winter melon) – 1 cup Mathan or parangikkai – 1 cup Whole tamarind – small lemon size Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Shredded coconut – 1/4 cup Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Green chilies – 1 Oil – 1 tsp Dried chili – 1 A few curry leaves Salt to...
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Keerai Milagootal
Keerai Milagootal is a Palakad dish made from greens and toor dal. You can use spinach, amaranth leaves or otheYou can serve this with rice or roti. It is easy to make and a healthy dish with lots of protein and other nutrients. My mother in law is here and I am learning a lot of Palakad (Kerala) dishes from her. I really like the simple and flavorful dishes that she cooks. Keep posted for more traditional and tasty dishes… Preparation time: 30 minutes No. of servings: 4 Spice level: 2.5 out of 5 Ingredients: Spinach – 250 gram Urad dal – 1 tsp Dried red chilies – 2 Cumin seeds – 1 tsp Shredded coconut – 3 tbsp Toor dal – 1/2 cup Oil – 2 tsp Mustard seeds and urad dal – 1 tsp each Method of...
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Mambazha Pulissery – Ripe Mango in a Yogurt Curry
Mambazha Pulissery is an authentic Kerala style curry in which ripe mangoes are cooked in a yogurt and coconut based spicy curry. It is sweet, sour, spicy and a little tangy. It is a tradition to make this dish on Vishu and Onam festival. It tastes more like Mor Kootan or Mor Kuzhambu except for being a little sweet. Mango season is here, so try this delicious curry and serve as a side to chapathis, rice and also as raitha to pulao or biryani. Ingredients: Ripe mango – 1 Grated coconut – 3 tbsp Dried red chilies – 2 Fenugreek seeds (methi) – 1/2 tsp Thick buttermilk – 1.5 cups Oil – 2 tsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp A few curry leaves Salt to taste Method of Preparation: Peel the skin and cut mango into big pieces. Boil it...
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Kathirikkai Avarakkai Murungakkai Sambar – Mixed Vegetable Sambar
Kathirikkai, avarakkai and murungakkai (brinjal, broad beans, drumstick) is one of the popular combination for making sambar. I made this sambar using freshly ground sambar powder which makes it more tastier. It is a perfect combination with rice as well as idi/dosa. For those who doesn’t know about sambar: Sambar is a staple food in the Southern parts of India. Vegetables are cooked with lentils and spices and served with boiled rice or idli/dosa. Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Spice level: 3.5 out of 5 Ingredients: Broad beans (avarakkai) – 1 cup Brinjal (kathirikkai) – 4 2″ long drumstick (murungakkai) pieces – 7 or 8 Toor dal – 2/3 cup (133 gram) Tamarind juice – 1 cup (from a small lime sized tamarind ball) Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Roast and grind: Oil – 3/4 tsp...
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Beans Poricha Kootu – Green Beans and Lentil Curry
Poricha Kootu is one of the popular dishes in South India especially in Tamilnadu. It’s more popular in the Tanjore region of Tamilnadu. It’s a slightly different version of regular Kootu. Kootu is one of my favorite dishes and it’s always easy and comforting to make and eat with Vathal kuzhambhu and rice. Poricha Kootu can be made with any vegetables. I’ve never tried poricha kootu with green beans and this is the first time I tried it. It tasted really delicious and was a great side dish with Kara kuzhambhu. Preparation Time : 45 minutes No of Servings : 3-4 Spice Level : 3 out of 5 Ingredients: Beans : 2 cup (cut into pieces) Moong dal : 1/2 cup or you can also use Chana dal Oil : 2 tbsp Mustard Seeds : 1 tsp Urad dal...
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Channa Dal Curry / Kadalai Paruppu Kuzhambu
My bro-in-law Ashwanth called me and asked for a recipe without any veggies. This Channa Dal Kuzhambu came into my mind and I told him the recipe. Then I also prepared the same dish. This is a very easy recipe and if there is nothing to cook we can make this Kuzhambu. This curry will be good both with rice and Chappati. Time of Preparation : 40 minutes No of Servings : 3 to 4 Spice Level – 3 Ingredients: Channa Dal – 1/2 cup Onion (medium size) – 1 (finely chopped) Tomato – 1 (finely chopped) Ginger – 1 tsp (grated) Garlic – 1 tsp (grated) Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp Asafoetida – a pinch Green Chillies – 3 (slitted lengthwise) Sambar powder – 2 tsp Grated coconut – 3 tbsp Fennel seeds – 1 tsp Garlic –...
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Chayote and Lima Beans Lentil Curry- Chowchow Mochakottai Kootu
I bought some frozen lima beans after studying about its nutrition facts and benefits. I made a South Indian lentil curry with chayote and lima beans which is a traditional dish. Chayote is called chowchow or seemai kathirikkai in tamil, lima beans also known as Butter beans is called mochakottai in tamil. Lima beans are available in different colors. They are rich in dietary fibers which reduces blood cholesterol level and the risks of cancer. They are also rich in protein, folate, vitamin B6 and B12, antioxidants, iron, manganese, calcium, potassium and more. I don’t think we need more reason to add this to our diet…;) Enjoy this nutrition rich food with rice or roti or as a side with rice and rasam/kuzhambu. Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes No. of servings: 5 to 6 Spice level:...
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Mulai Keerai (Thotakura) Kootu – Amaranth Greens and Lentils Curry
Amaranth greens, a nutritious leafy vegetable is popular in Indian cuisine. They are a good source of vitamin A and C, folate, thiamine, niacin and other dietary minerals including calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, copper, and manganese. It is called mulai keerai in Tamil, thotakura in Telugu. In this dish, I have cooked Amaranth leaves in a spicy lentil curry. This can be served with steamed rice or roti (Indian bread). Ingredients: A bunch of amaranth leaves (about 3 to 4 cups tightly packed) Shallots (small red onions) – 10 (peeled and cut into small pieces) Ginger – 1″ piece Moong dal – 1/3 cup Toor dal – 3 tbsp Garlic pods – 2 One medium size tomato Green chili – 1 Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp A pinch of asafoetida Salt to taste Oil – 1 tsp For Masala: Oil...
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Parangikkai Karamani Kootu – Butternut Squash and Lentil Curry
Butternut Squash is a type of winter squash which is pear shaped, has a yellow skin and an orange flesh inside. It has a sweet and nutty taste. It contains many important nutrients such as vitamin A and C, potassium, fibre, iron and magnesium. Since it has a sweeter taste, generally many of us don’t use this vegetable often in Indian recipes. But when it is not ripe it is not that sweet and can be used in making Sambar (Lentil Soup) and Kootu (South Indian Curry) or other dishes. It has a thick skin and it is generally peeled, stalks and seeds are removed before cooking. Their seeds are edible and contains oil and protein. You can serve them toasted as a healthy snack. Coming to Azuki beans (karamani or red chori), it is a good source of...
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Pavakkai Pitlai (Bitter Gourd Sambar)
Bitter Gourd or Bitter Melon (known as Pavakkai in Tamil and Karela in Hindi), as the name indicates is a bitter vegetable with lots of precious nutrients and less calories. It is an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, and B3, C, magnesium, folic acid, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, and has high dietary fiber. It is rich in iron, beta-carotene, calcium and potassium. It is known for its medicinal values. My mom always force me to eat karela saying it purifies your blood and is good for your heart. I should thank her for making me eat this vegetable. Now it has grown on me and I don’t hate to eat it anymore. On the contrary, my husband loves it. So I try incorporate it in my cooking as much as possible. It is popular in Indian cuisine. In South...
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Cauliflower Soup
This cauliflower soup is a nice substitute for rasam. When we feel bored of having rasam, we can have this dal soup. This is very simple and to make and can be served as regular soup with crushed pepper. Time of preparation : 30 minutes No of servings : 2 to 3 Spice level : 3 Ingredients: Cauliflower florets (washed and cut)- 1/2 cup Toor dal – 1/3 cup Water – 2 cups Onion (finely chopped) – 1/3 cup Tomato (chopped) – 1/2 Green chillies – 4 (according to spice level) Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp Salt – to taste Oil – 1 tbsp For Seasoning: Cinnamon stick – 1/2″ Cloves – 2 Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp Garlic – 4 (crushed) Curry leaves – a few Asafoetida – a pinch Method of Preparation:...
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Tomato Dal – Lentil and Tomato Soup
Tomato dal is a simple and tasty lentil dish popular in South India. It is a healthy, gluten free and protein rich dish and complements roti and rice. Also, Wish you all a Happy Thiruvathirai and Arudhra Darshan… You can check the recipe for Thiruvathirai Kali, which is the traditional dish for today. Ingredients: Toor dal – 1 cup Asafoetida – a pinch Oil – 1 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Urad dal – 1 tsp Cumin seeds – 1 tsp Curry leaves – 5 to 6 Dry red chilies – 2 Garlic cloves – 5 Chopped ginger – 1 tsp Green chilies – 4 Finely chopped onions – 1/2 cup Large tomatoes – 2 Method of preparation: Pressure cook dal with a tsp of oil, a pinch of asafoetida and salt until cooked and slightly mashed. Heat oil in...
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Vazhakkai Kootu – Plantain Curry
Plantain or Vazhakkai is used widely in South Indian cuisine. The raw vegetable is used from preparing fritters to curries. Today I am going to share a wonderful recipe for preparing Vazhakkai kootu, which is a curry made of lentils, plantain and spices. You can serve it with white rice and rasam with papad or just with white rice. Try this and let me know your comments. Ingredients: Raw plantain – 2 Tamarind juice – 1 cup Toor dal – 1/4 cup Chana dal – 1/4 cup Oil – 1 tsp Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp Chana dal – 1 tbsp Urad dal – 1tsp Dry red chilies – 6 Asafoetida – a pinch Frozen or fresh shredded coconut – 3 tbsp Turmeric powder – 1 tsp Salt to taste For seasoning – Oil, mustard seeds, urad dal –...
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