Kerala Sambar Recipe Without Coconut – Easy Onam Sadya Sambar

Last year I shared traditional Kerala Varutharacha sambar recipe during Onam. Recently I came across this easy Onam sadya sambar without coconut using a pressure cooker in Anu’s kitchen YouTube Video. Its the simplified version of varutharacha sambar using Kerala sambar powder. I loved the idea and tried it with some modifications to make it even more easy. As I don’t have Kerala sambar powder, I used my homemade sambar powder, red chilli powder and coriander seeds powder. Still it tasted great with a nice flavor.

For Onam sadya, you may need to cook so many recipes for the feast. I am sure this easy sambar recipe will help you save lots of time when compared with varutharacha sambar with spices and coconut. Of course taste may not be equal to the traditional Kerala sambar still you can give a try. This sambar would be useful especially for bachelors and working women to make a quick & healthy recipe with the goodness of all the vegetables. You don’t need to make any side dish like thoran or mezhukupuratti if you add lots of vegetables. Friends, do try this easy Kerala style Onam sadya sambar and share your feedback with me. Lets see how to make Onam sadya sambar recipe without coconut easily in a pressure cooker with step by step pictures and video !
Do check out my Kerala Ulli Sambar For Idli, Dosa.

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Kerala Moru Curry Recipe With Kumbalanga, Coconut

Kerala style Kumbalanga moru curry recipe also known as Kachiya moru/ moru kachiyathu/moru kootan is nothing but buttermilk seasoned and cooked with vegetables and ground coconut paste. It is commonly prepared in most of the Kerala houses. Many people include this moru curry in Vishu and Onam sadya menu as it helps in digestion. In Tamil nadu, we call it as Mor kuzhambu. This Kerala moru curry can be prepared in various ways. I found recipes with & without coconut, recipes with onion and without vegetables too.

Today I have shared a version of kachiya moru tastes with vegetable. I used Kumbalanga ( ash gourd). We can also use veggies like Cucumber(Vellarika), Winter melon, Lady’s finger(Vendakka) or green papaya. Today I have shared this moru curry recipe with kumbalanga(Vellai poosanikai in Tamil) and coconut. I referred Kothiyavunu for the recipe.  It came out really well. Basically we all love mor kzuhambu so this Kerala moru kachiyathu is no exception to that. Try this easy and yummy moru curry for this Onam festival menu and enjoy ! Lets see how to make Kerala moru curry with step by step pictures.

You can also check my other Onam recipes like Sadya sambar, Tomato rasam, 

Simple Onam sadya menu 1

Onam sadya recipes 2

Onam sadya recipes 3

Onam sadya lunch menu 4

Onam sadya menu 5  and more Onam Sadya recipes !

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Ulli Theeyal Recipe Kerala Style - Small Onion Theeyal /Shallot Curry

Ulli Theeyal is a Kerala special, gravy kind of side dish served for rice. Ulli means onion in Malayalam.Theeyal curry preparation is usually made with pearl onions (Shallot/Small onions) as the main ingredient. For variations, drumstick(Muringakka), Bittergourd(Pavakka) or ladies finger(Vendakka) can also be added along with onion.It is also served in Onam sadya. This gravy tastes similar to Tamilnadu Arachuvitta Puli kuzhambu.Traditional, authentic theeyal recipe calls for roasting coconut along with whole spices like coriander seeds, red chilli whereas I followed an easy and quick version from Marias menu.I have used Dhania powder and red chilli powder along with coconut.It came out really well and finger licking delicious.I am sure I will make this kuzhambu very often in my kitchen.Lets see how to make Kerala style Ulli theeyal recipe with step by step photos !
Check out other Kerala recipes too.

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Kerala Semiya Payasam Recipe – Vermicelli Kheer – Kerala Payasam Recipes

In Kerala, People make varieties of payasam recipes for Onam sadya menu. My neighbor told they make nearly 3-4 different types of payasam with jaggery and sugar.Semiya payasam@vermicelli kheer is one of the most popular and easy Kerala payasam recipe.Some people make it by adding condensed milk (Milkmaid) whereas I prepare in Nadan style with reduced milk following a chef’s recipe from Vanitha magazine.I modified the recipe and prepared in pressure cooker without adding condensed milk to make it quickly. Even though the ingredients of Kerala semiya payasam is very similar to Tamil nadu semiya payasam, its preparation is slightly different from ours. It comes out very rich, tasty and creamy. Do try it for special occasions in your family. I am sure everybody will love it. Lets see how to make Kerala style semiya payasam with step by step photos !
Check out my Kerala Onam sadya feast in this link

Semiya Payasam - Vermicelli Payasam ( Kerala style)

How to make Kerala Special semiya payasam using pressure cooker

Cuisine: Kerala

Category: Sweet

Serves: Serves 2-3

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 25 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Semiya/ Vermicelli - 1/4 cup Full fat Milk - 2 cups Water - 1/2 cup Sugar - 1/4 cup Ghee – 1 tbsp Cardamom powder -1/8 tsp Roasted cashew nuts & Raisins/dry grapes - 2 tbsp

METHOD

In a pressure cooker base, take the milk + water.Allow it to boil in medium flame till it reduces to 1.75 cups( almost 3/4 th). Keep an eye on it to prevent from spilling.Milk becomes slightly thick. In the mean time, heat a kadai with ghee. Roast cashews till golden and remove in a plate leaving the ghee in the pan. Roast raisins( dry grapes) till it turns plumpy. Remove in a plate. In the remaining ghee, add the semiya/vermicelli and roast for few minutes till it turns golden in color. Add the roasted vermicelli to the boiling milk and pressure cook in very low flame for 1 whistle. Remove after the pressure is released by itself. Open the cooker and stir well. Vermicelli would have cooked well in milk.But it should not be mushy. Now add sugar, cardamom powder and boil till sugar melts. Remove and serve warm or chilled by refrigerating the payasam. Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of sugar based on your taste. Use thick milk for best taste. You can even use 3 cups of milk milk, reduce it to half of its quantity before cooking the semiya.

Creamy, delicious Kerala special Vermicelli Payasam is ready to relish !!

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Tomato Rasam Recipe–Kerala Style Thakkali Rasam Without Rasam Powder

In Kerala, Tomato rasam/Thakkali rasam is mostly served in Onam sadya. Basically Kerala style rasam can be done easily with instant rasam powder or with freshly ground spices.I was looking for a simple and easy rasam recipe without rasam powder and found in this blog.It came out super delicious and flavorful.After a long time, myself and Raksha had a plateful of rasam rice along with our favorite side dish papadam.Do try this yummy Kerala Rasam for this Onam sadhya and enjoy like me. Lets see how to make Kerala thakkali rasam without rasam powder.

Check out my other Onam sadya recipes.

Tomato rasam recipe - Kerala style rasam

Kerala style rasam without rasam powder - Kerala tomato rasam for Onam sadya

Cuisine: Kerala

Category: Rasam

Serves: Serves 2

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 25 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

Ripe tomato - 2 nos  Tamarind – medium gooseberry size Red chilli powder – 1/4 tsp Coriander powder/Dhania powder - 1 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp Salt & water - as needed To grind Small onion - 3 nos OR Big onion – 1/2 no Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Garlic cloves – 3 nos To temper Coconut oil or ghee - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Red chilli - 1 no ( Pinched) Green chilli - 1 no ( slit) Curry leaves - few Coriander leaves - to garnish

METHOD

Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water for 20 minutes.Take the extract.Chop tomato into small pieces. Grind onion, pepper corns, cumin seeds,garlic coarsely without adding water. Set aside. Heat oil or ghee in a kadai and splutter mustard seeds,red chilli, curry leaves and green chilli.Saute for few seconds. Now add the coarsely ground paste. Saute for a minute. Add salt, chopped tomato, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and dhania powder. Saute well till tomato turns mushy .Add the tamarind extract. Boil well for 2-3 minutes till rasam becomes frothy. Add chopped coriander leaves and give one boil, switch off the flame. Transfer to a vessel and cover it with a lid. Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.It helps for all the flavor to blend well. Serve with hot rice and papapdam. Enjoy! Adjust the quantity of chilli powder based on your spice level.

Flavorful Kerala style tomato rasam is ready to serve with rice. Enjoy with papad !

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Onam Sadya Recipes – Kerala Onam Sadhya Vibhavangal/ Lunch Menu

I am extremely happy and proud to share my 5th Onam sadya lunch menu with you all.Since 2012, I have been sharing varieties of Onasadhya feast during ThiruOnam festival. Every year I used to attempt some new, authentic Kerala dishes in my Onam sadya. I take this as a chance to learn many Kerala recipes and to express my passion for their food. Moreover Sendhil and myself loves to have feast and treat ourselves with Kerala delicacies.Initially I started with a simple Onam sadhya menu in 2012. Later I started making around 15-20 dishes for the onam feast every year. Onam sadya preparation is the one and only thing that makes me busy in my kitchen and cook continuously for 3-4 hours. Pre Planning and organization is very important to cook a sadhya. So I have shared Onam sadya items list, how to prepare easily, Onam sadya serving order etc according to my knowledge and experience. Please excuse me and correct me if there is anything wrong. Most of the dishes are tried from our fellow food bloggers of Kerala. I have given the links for each recipes. I hope this post would help you plan and prepare Kerala Onam sadya easily and quickly. Lets see how to prepare Onam sadya lunch menu in detail.
Onasadya Serving order : From tip of banana leaf : Salt, Papadam, Nendran banana, chips, upperi, Puli inji, Pickle, Olan, Kalan, Erissery, Puliserry, Avial, Kootu curry, Thoran, Mezhukkupuratti, Pachadi, Kichadi. In the center of leaf : Rice, Parippu curry, ghee, Sambar, Moru curry, ulli theeyal, rasam, Sambaram, Parippu pradhaman, Payasam varieties on the top corner. Refer image below.

Wish all my readers and friends a very happy Onam.”ONAM ASHAMSAKAL” !!

Onam sadya Recipes - Kerala Lunch Menu

Onam sadya lunch menu recipes - Kerala Onam vibhavangal

Cuisine: Kerala

Category: Onam sadya

Serves: Serves 2-3

Prep time: 60 Minutes

Cook time: 180 Minutes

Total time: 4 hours

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

Onam sadya items list for cooking Vegetables I used for this menu ( Yam, Raw banana, Drumstick, Ash gourd/Kumbalanga, Carrot, Potato, Beetroot ) for thoran, Mezhukkupuratti, Pachadi, Olan, Kalan, Kootu curry, erissery, moru curry, sambar Small onions Ginger for Puli inji Moong dal for Parippu curry Curry leaves Tamarind Red chillies Green chillies Cumin seeds Brown chana Black eyed peas/Cow peas Coconut oil Coconut Banana Nendran banana Moong dal for Parippu pradhaman Jaggery Semiya for semiya payasam Sugar Coconut milk Cardamom seeds Dry ginger powder Papad Salt & water Sour Curd for moru curry Buttermilk for Sambaram Mustard seeds + Urad dal + Red chilli - For tempering Onam sadya recipes with links Choru/ Cooked red rice ( 1: 12 - red rice : water ) Papadam, Banana, Upperi, Nendran chips ( store bought) Parippu curry Varutharacha sambar Moru curry Tomato Rasam Ulli theeyal Side dishes Puli inji Naranga achar/Lemon pickle ( store bought) Beetroot pachadi Carrot thoran Potato Mezhukkupuratti Chena/Yam erissery Kootu curry Kurukku Kalan Olan Avial Payasam recipes Semiya payasam Parippu pradhaman Palada payasam Ada pradhaman Chakka pradhaman Paal payasam Sambaram Other recipes ideas for menu Ulli sambar Unniappam Onam Sadya menu Simple Onam sadya 1 Onam sadhya menu 2 Onam sadya menu 3 Onam sadya menu 4

METHOD

Plan the menu, buy the vegetables and other items one day before Onam. Soak the tamarind for sambar, rasam and brown Chana( Kadala) overnight. In the morning, after taking bath, start cooking. Soak the Ada in water for 30 minutes if you are making ada pradhaman. I used 2-3 cookers of 3 liter capacity for making this menu. Last year when I made sadya,I noticed that most of my time was spent in pre preparatory works like grating coconut, extracting coconut milk, grinding masala, chopping vegetables and for cooking dals & vegetables.This year I wanted to make all these works simple and easy. So instead of grating 2 coconuts, I made small slices of it using a ladle edge with thick & blunt handle as u see in the picture.Make sure your mixie blades are in good condition else it may break.Then I dry ground all the coconut slices together and divided them into 2 parts.I used one part for taking coconut milk and the other part for masala.It saved lot of time for me. Take the required amount of coconut for each dish. Most of the dishes call for grinding coconut +green chilli+ jeera to a smooth paste. So grind it by taking a portion of coconut.Keep it and use wherever needed.Use the remaining coconut for taking coconut milk.Add in payasam. To this mashed dal ,Also I dry roasted the moong dal for parippu curry and pressure cooked it along with toor dal for sambar together in my big pressure cooker by placing moong dal in the bottom of cooker and toor dal for sambar in a tiffin box.Please refer the picture.U can even keep a plate of mixed vegetables required for sambar over the toor dal. When the dals are cooking, You can chop the vegetables for sambar, avial or kootu curry, olan, Pulisssery, pachadi, kichadi & inji curry.By this time,steam would be released from the cooker.Remove the toor dal box and mash the dal well.Similarly mash the moong dal too.Add little ground coconut paste and boil well. Parippu curry is ready. For cooking Vanpayar and vegetables for olan,kalan and erissery, i again used my big cooker and cooked them together by keeping one above the other in small bowls and plates.As all these veggies gets cooked in one go,u just have to add them in coconut mixture and boil it.For thoran, I cooked it in my small cooker adding very less water and cooked in high flame for two whistles. After removing this,cook the red rice adding 1:12 water and drain the excess water.Keep the rice aside. Make sambar, rasam and other dishes. Make the payasam at the end using the cookers ! It takes nearly 2-3 hours. Disclaimer: I know these are not the authentic method of cooking Kerala food but to make my job easier, I followed these steps and I hope it would help beginners.Friends,please excuse me . I have planned to make  few posts for the above mentioned recipes with stepwise pictures. Sorry I couldn’t do it now.Thanks for visiting this page. Hope u will try all these recipes and like it.Once again,I wish u all a very happy Onam. Enjoy the feast!

Make a grand Onam spread on Festival day and enjoy with your family members.

Wish you all a very happy Onam

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Parippu Pradhaman–Kerala Cherupayar Parippu Payasam Recipe

Parippu pradhaman @ Cherupayar Parippu payasam is one of the most important Kerala payasam recipes served in Onam sadya. Last year I shared Ada pradhaman and palada payasam recipes. So this year I tried Pasi paruppu pradhaman with moong dal, jaggery and coconut milk. In Malayalam,it is known as Cherupayar Parippu payasam (Moong dal kheer in English).I referred many blogs for this recipe and tried it. It came out very well. This payasam can also be made with Kadala Parippu (Chana dal). In Tamil nadu, we make Paruppu payasam with jaggery and cow’s milk. We add very little quantity of coconut milk at the end whereas this payasam is completely made with coconut milk (Thenga paal) which is the highlight of this dessert recipe. Ok, Now lets see how to make Kerala style Paruppu payasam in detail.
Check out my other Payasam varieties too !

Paruppu pradhaman recipe - Kerala Parippu payasam

Kerala style parippu payasam - Paruppu pradhaman recipe for Onam sadya

Cuisine: Kerala

Category: Sweet

Serves: Serves 4

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 200ml Moong dal/ Pasi paruppu/Cherupayar - 1/4 cup Water – 1 cup ( Use thin coconut milk instead of water) Thin coconut milk – 3/4 - 1 cup Thick coconut milk – 1/2 cup Grated jaggery - 1/3 cup ( Use 1/2 cup for more sweetness) Water - 1/3 cup  ( to melt jaggery) Sliced coconut bits – 2 tbsp Ghee or coconut oil – 1 tbsp Cardamom powder + dry ginger powder – 1/2 tsp

METHOD

Grind 1 cup of grated coconut adding 1/2 cup of water and take the thick coconut milk. Set aside. Again add 1/2 –3/4 cup of water and grind it smooth. Take the thin milk and keep aside. In a pressure cooker base, add ghee or coconut oil and roast the coconut bits.Remove it.In the remaining ghee, roast the moong dal till it turns golden brown. Add water or thin coconut milk and pressure cook for 2 whistles in very low flame. I cooked in water and added thin coconut milk later. You can do as per your wish. After the steam is released, open the cooker and mash the dal well with a ladle or whisk. Melt jaggery in a wide bowl adding enough water and strain the syrup through a metal strainer. If your jaggery is pure, no need to filter it.  Add the jaggery syrup to the cooked dal and mix well.Give a boil and add second coconut milk ( Thin coconut milk). Let it roll boil for few minutes. Once it starts to thicken, add the first coconut milk( thick coconut milk) and give only one boil in low flame. Do not boil for more time because it may curdle. Switch off the flame and add the crushed cardamom+ dry ginger( sukku) powder. Mix well and lastly garnish with fried coconut bits or cashew nuts. Serve hot or warm. This payasam tends to thicken over time.So adjust the consistency by adding little milk as per your need. Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of jaggery as per your taste. As per the original recipe, Dal : jaggery is 1:2. But I added 1:1.5 ratio. Add more thick coconut milk ( first extract) for richness. Do not boil the payasam for long time after adding thick coconut milk. Adding dry ginger powder gives a punch to the dish. So add it if you have in hand. If the payasam is too thin, refrigerate it for a while to thicken. If its too thick, add some plain boiled milk to bring the consistency.

Enjoy this creamy, Kerala style Parippu payasam at home during this Onam festival !

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Varutharacha Sambar Recipe (Kerala style) – Onam Sadya Sambar Recipe

This is the first time I prepared authentic, Kerala style Varutharacha sambar (Thrissur recipe). People call this as Onam sadya sambar. I have already tried Kerala ulli sambar and Varutharacha sambar recipe without coconut for my onam sadya menu earlier. Yesterday I made this thenga aracha sambar for our lunch following this recipe. The smell of roasted spices along with coconut takes this sambar to the next level.  The nice aroma of this sambar while cooking will surely tempt you to have the food quickly.Its a must try sambar recipe for Onam festival. But it needs a resting time of at least 30 minutes for all its flavor to blend well. I have used drumstick/muringa, onion/ulli and ladies finger/vendakkai. For variations, you can also use carrot, potato and even bottle gourd ( Kumbalanga in Malayalam). This sambar can also be made using sambar powder and roasted coconut. I will share that version later.

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Kerala Parippu Curry – Onam Sadya Parippu Curry Recipe

Parippu Curry ( Cherupayar parippu curry in Malayalam, Split green gram dal @ moong dal curry in English) is the most important dish served in Kerala Onam Sadya. Its a very simple dish that can be made with easily available ingredients in a pressure cooker. Authentic Onasadya menu would begin with serving this parippu curry along with rice. I have been following this paruppu curry recipe from Vanitha Magazine since 2012 and prepare it for every Onam sadya. It comes out really well and flavorful. I saw few recipes with toor dal, onion, garlic and even without coconut. But I make it with moong dal adding ground coconut paste and its a no onion no garlic recipe as well. With Puli inji as side dish, it tastes the best when mixed with rice adding few drops of ghee.This is my favorite combo too. Ok, Lets see how to make Kerala Parippu curry with step by step photos !

My last year Onam sadya menu

Kerala Parippu curry recipe

Kerala Parippu curry recipe with moong dal and coconut

Cuisine: Kerala

Category: Main - Dal Recipes

Serves: Serves 3

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 15 Minutes

Total time: 20 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 200ml Moong dal - 1/4 cup Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp Cooking oil - few drops Water - as needed To grind Grated coconut - 2 tbsp Green chilli - 1 no ( big) Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 tsp To temper Coconut oil - 2 tsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Red chilli - 1 no ( pinched ) Curry leaves - few Ghee - few drops while serving

METHOD

In a pressure cooker base or in a kadai, dry roast the moong dal till it emits nice smell. Add 1 cup of water to it, turmeric powder and pressure cook it for 2 whistles in very low flame. Let the pressure release by itself. Open the cooker and mash the dal well. Grind coconut + green chilli + Cumin seeds to a smooth paste adding enough water. Add this paste to the cooked dal. Mix well and add some water if needed. Add salt, check for taste and boil the dal for few minutes. Temper mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chilli in coconut oil and add to the dal.Mix well and serve with rice adding few drops of ghee.Enjoy !

Note

In the original recipe, turmeric powder is not mentioned but I used it. Add more green chilli if you want this dish to be spicy. Some people also use toor dal instead of moong dal. But I guess moong dal gives the best flavor. If you wish, you can add finely chopped onions and garlic while tempering. But its not done in the authentic parippu curry recipe.

Enjoy this delicious Parippu curry mixing with red rice and few drops of ghee!

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