Paruppu Urundai Kulambu - Chettinad Style Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu Recipe

I got this Chettinad paruppu urundai kuzhambu recipe from Aval vikatan’s supplementary. It is also known as Kola urundai kuzhambu. This recipe was given by “Mrs. Revathy shanmugam”. So I tried it confidently. I had already tried milagu kuzhambu/pepper kuzhambu from that book and it was a hit in my home. Usually paruppu urundai kuzhambu is made by cooking lentil balls in tamarind sauce adding sambar powder and other spices. This recipe is also very similar but it has chettinad touch. I’ve used soambu/saunf/ fennel seeds here. 

In Chettinad, people call this paruppu urundai as veg kola urundai. For variations, you can always omit the saunf, use cumin seeds and try it. There will not be much difference in taste & flavor. We loved the urundai a lot. It was soft yet firm. This gravy tastes great when mixed with plain rice adding ghee. I made the gravy slightly thick. Adjust the consistency as per your need.. Do try and let me know how you liked it. Here is my Iyengar style paruppu urundai kulambu.

INGREDIENTS

For paruppu urundai/Lentil balls : 1 cup - 250ml Toor dal – 1/2 cup Red chilli – 2-3 nos Asafetida/ Hing – 1/4 tsp Jeera  or fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves – few (finely chopped) Small onion/big onion – 10/1 no (finely chopped) Garlic cloves – 4 nos (-do-) Coriander leaves – few (-do-) Rice flour – 1 tsp Cooking soda / baking soda - a pinch Salt – as needed

For gravy Tamarind – Medium lemon size Tomatoes – 2 nos Onion – 1/4 cup (finely chopped) Garlic cloves – 8 nos (-do-) Curry leaves – few Sambar powder – 1 tbsp (OR) Red chilli powder – 2 tsp & dhania powder – 1 tsp Rice flour – 1 tsp Salt & water –as needed To grind Grated coconut – 3 tbsp Big onion – 1 no Fennel seeds  or cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp ( optional) To temper Cooking oil – 2 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Methi seeds – 1/4 tsp Jeera – 1/2 tsp

HOW TO MAKE PARUPPU URUNDAI KUZHAMBU - METHOD

Wash & soak the dal for 2 hours. Drain all the water & set aside. In a mixie jar, grind the red chillies, hing, salt, saunf or cumin seeeds & coconut coarsely. Now add the dal & grind it to a coarse, thick paste without adding water. Grind Coconut, fennel seeds, big onion to a smooth paste and set aside. To that paste , add finely chopped onions , garlic cloves , curry leaves, rice flour and coriander leaves. Add a pinch of cookings soda. Mix well and make big gooseberry sized balls out of it. You can either steam the balls in an idli plate for 15 minutes OR you can cook in the tamarind extract as I did. Beginners please choose the steaming method. If you steaming the balls in idli plate, you should add it the end i.e after adding ground coconut paste. In  a kadai , heat oil and splutter mustard seeds ,methi seeds , jeera. Then add the finely chopped garlic cloves & onions. Saute well for a minute. Now add the chopped tomatoes & saute till mushy. Add turmeric & sambar powder. Mix well , boil for a minute in low flame. Then add the tamarind extract , salt with 2 cups of water.Allow it to roll boil for 5 minutes. Now drop the lentil balls one by one into the gravy. Do not stir immediately. Let the gravy boil for 2-3 minutes in low flame. Now stir the gravy carefully so that the balls are not broken. Cover & cook it in medium flame for 5-8 minutes till the balls get cooked & float on top.Take a ball, break it & see whether it is cooked completely. Now add the ground coconut paste , stir well & allow it to boil for 5 minutes. This gravy thickens as time proceeds. So add water accordingly.. Transfer to the serving bowl & enjoy with plain rice adding a drop of ghee !

NOTE

For variations, you can add  1/4 tsp of jeera instead of fennel seeds while grinding along with coconut. Beginners who dont want to cook the lentil balls directly in the tamarind sauce can steam the balls in an idli pot and add them at the end.

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DRUMSTICK SAMBAR | MURUNGAKKAI SAMBAR FOR RICE – TAMILNADU STYLE LUNCH RECIPES

This is my MIL’s method of making Tamilnadu style drumstick sambar/ murungakkai sambar for rice. My MIl’s sambar is very easy when compared with my mom’s version. There is no grinding job. A tsp of sambar powder is enough to make this yummy sambar. After many attempts , I got hooked to this measurement. I usually add my MIL’s home made sambar powder for this sambar but you can use store bought sambar powder too. My in-laws are here in my place. I made this sambar last week and it was tasting great. My in-laws loved it. Here I have given the measurements for 4 people.

 

U can either half the quantity for two people or make the same quantity and use it for lunch & dinner. This sambar can be converted to idli sambar by adding a powder which I have given in “notes” section. We usually do this with leftover sambar.

 

It tastes similar to hotel sambar. Do try this sambar & let me know your feedback friends.

Drumstick sambar / Murungakkai sambar recipe for rice

Drumstick sambar / Murungakkai sambar recipe for rice

 

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Category: Side dish

Serves: 4

Prep time: 20 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 40 Minutes

 

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

To pressure cook Toor dal – 1/3 cup Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Asafetida/hing – A pinch Cooking Oil – a drop Water – as needed To soak in water: Tamarind – Big gooseberry size To add in drumstick water Drumstick – 2 nos (medium sized) Sambar powder – 1 tsp Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Hing / asafetida – 2 pinches Salt – as needed Curry leaves - few To temper & saute Cooking oil - 1 tbsp Methi seeds – 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Red chilli– 2 (pinched) Green chilli – 2  Big onion – 1 no Curry leaves – few Coriander leaves – to garnish

How to make drumstick sambar

1. Wash and pressure cook toor dal adding hing, turmeric powder and a drop of oil in required water for 2 whistles in low flame. Mash and set aside.
2. Soak tamarind in warm water, take extract using 3 cups of water.
3. Add sambar powder, salt, turmeric powder, hing and curry leaves.
4. Cut drumstick into finger size pieces. Heat oil in a kadai. Add methi seeds, mustard seeds, chilli, onion and curry leaves.
5. Add drumstick pieces, some water, salt and cook well. Add tamarind extract.
6. Boil till raw smell goes off. Lastly add the cooked toor dal. Mix well.
7. Boil for few minutes, switch off the flame.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves. Enjoy with rice.

    

HOW TO MAKE DRUMSTICK SAMBAR FOR RICE - METHOD

Pressure cook toor dal adding turmeric powder, required water, hing and a drop of oil. Cook for 1 to 2 whistles in low flame. After the steam is released, open the lid, mash well and set aside. Soak tamarind in warm water and take the extract using 3 cups of water. To this extract add sambar  powder, salt,  turmeric powder, hing & raw curry leaves.. Cut the drumstick into finger size pieces. Slit them half the way. In a wide kadai  heat oil and add the methi seeds. When it starts to splutter add the mustard seeds and let it splutter completely. Then add the pinched red chilli, green chilli, sliced big onion and curry leaves. Saute well. Now add the tamarind extract & drumstick pieces. Cover and cook in medium flame. Allow it to boil till the drumstick is cooked well. To check if it is cooked, take a piece of drumstick, open & remove the seeds. If it comes out easily, it is done. Finally add the cooked and mashed dal, some water if needed and allow it to roll boil twice. Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Add a tsp of ghee while serving. Mix with plain rice and enjoy !!

NOTE

How to convert this sambar to idli sambar For converting this sambar into idli sambar, add the below powder & allow it to boil. Add lots of coriander leaves & serve hot with idli, dosa. U can also saute & add small / big onions & one tomato to get additional flavour. For sambar powder: Methi seeds – 1/2 tsp Dhania – 1.5 tsp Chana dal –  2 tsp Red chilli – 2 nos Hing – A big pinch Method: Roast all the above ingredients in a drop of oil till you get a nice smell. Powder them nicely and add this to sambar. In a kadai, add a tsp of oil and saute the onions & tomatoes. Add 1/2 cup of water and cook them. Then add the sambar. Allow it boil. Garnish with coriander leaves & serve hot adding a tsp of ghee !!

Try this easy, yummy Murungakkai sambar for rice  and enjoy !

 

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MULLANGI SAMBAR | RADISH SAMBAR - SAMBAR RECIPE FOR LUNCH

This is my MIL's basic sambar recipe for rice. I make this sambar adding one of these vegetables like radish/ mullangi, drumstick,  ladies finger, brinjal , broad beans and cluster beans. I adjust the quantity of tamarind & chilli based on the vegetables you use. But the other ingredients are same. For radish , we should use little less tamarind than the usual quantity because radish has a tendency to absorb the tanginess of tamarind and it spoils the taste of sambar.

 

Usually I pressure cook radish with toor dal and make sambar. One of my aunties suggested me to saute radish in little oil because it helps to suppress the raw smell of radish and also adds a nice smell to sambar. So I started preparing that way. If you like the smell of radish  you don't have to saute it. Lets see how to prepare Mullangi sambar !

Mullangi sambar / Radish sambar recipe

Mullangi sambar / Radish sambar recipe for rice

 

Cuisine: Tamil nadu

Category: Side dish

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

 

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Tamarind – Big gooseberry size Sambar powder – 1 tsp Big onion or sambar onion – 1 no/ 10 nos Tomato – 1 no (optional) Green chilli – 3 nos Red chilli – 2 nos Hing / Asafetida – 2-3 generous pinches Jaggery – a pinch To pressure cook Toor dal – 1/2 cup Radish – 1 no (big - 250 gms) Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp To temper Cooking oil – 1 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Methi seeds – 1/4 tsp Curry leaves- few Red chilli -1 no ( pinched into 2) Coriander leaves – to garnish Ghee – 2 tsp (for flavour)

HOW TO MAKE RADISH SAMBAR

1. Wash and peel radish and cut into roundels. Saute in a tbsp of oil.
2. Pressure cook toor dal adding radish. Mash dal and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard, methi seeds and red chilli.
4. Saute onion, curry leaves and green chilli. Saute till transparent.
5. Add tamarind extract, sambar powder, turmeric and salt.
6. Boil for few minutes. Lastly add mashed dal along with radish.
7. Adjust water and boil sambar for few minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.
8. Serve with plain rice adding ghee.
   

HOW TO MAKE MULLANGI SAMBAR - METHOD

Peel the skin of radish and cut into 1/2 inch round slices. Saute them in a tbsp of oil. Peel and roughly chop the onions, slit the green chilli , pinch the red chilli and set aside. Soak tamarind in water and take the extract. Pressure cook the toor dal and sautéed radish adding turmeric powder and the required water. Cook for 1-2 whistle in low flame. Open the cooker and mash the dal well along with radish. Radish won’t dissolve.   In a pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds & methi seeds. Methi seeds should not be burnt, take care..Then add the onions , curry leaves , green chilli , red chilli and saute well till onion turns transparent. If you are using tomato, chop and add it now. Saute till mushy. Then add the tamarind extract , sambar powder , turmeric powder ,salt. Allow it to boil. When it starts to roll boil, add pinched raw curry leaves , 2-3 generous pinches of hing & jaggery. Let it boil for few minutes. Now add the mashed dal with mullangi and some water if necessary. Check for salt and let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Finally add the coriander leaves, give a boil and switch off the flame. Transfer the sambar to a bowl and add 2 tsp of ghee. Cover it with a lid.

Enjoy this yummy Radish sambar with rice adding few drops of ghee !

 

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KARUNAI KIZHANGU KUZHAMBU | PIDI KARUNAI KIZHANGU KULAMBU RECIPE

I learnt this Karunai kizhangu kuzhambu / Karunai kizhangu gravy from my MIL. Pidi Karunai kizhangu is called as Taro root in English. Some people name it as Yam as well. I made this pidi karunai kizhangu kuzhambu along with drumstick – mango poricha kuzhambu and banana stem pachadi for our lunch today.. It can be called as karunai kizhangu masiyal too.  But we call this kuzhambu as "Karunai kizhangu chutney". This chutney tastes the best when mixed with plain rice. We can make this chutney with pumpkin , ridge gourd, brinjal and potato too. Procedure is the same but the quantity of tamarind and green chilies differ based on the vegetable..Do try this easy kuzhambu recipe for lunch. U’ll like it.. Pictures are taken in my mobile as I dint bring my camera to Salem. Soon I’ll update the pictures ..

INGREDIENTS

Yam / Pidi karunai kizhangu – 4 nos Tamarind – A big gooseberry size Big onion – 1 no Green chillies – 6 nos Salt & water – As needed To temper Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Urad dal – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves – few Hing / Asafetida – 2-3 generous pinches Coriander leaves – few

METHOD

Chop the big onions finely and slit the green chillies into four halves.. Wash and pressure cook yam . Remove the skin and mash it well or grind in a mixie to smooth paste . Add the tamarind extract and set aside. In a kadai , temper mustard seeds , urad dal and hing. Then add the onions , green chillies and curry leaves. Saute well.. Now add the mashed yam with tamarind extract , salt and the required water, add 2-3 big pinches of hing again. Let it boil for few minutes , garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with plain rice !! Addition of hing is the highlight for this kuzhambu. It helps to give nice flavor. So do not skip it.

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KEERAI SAMBAR & RAW BANANA PORIYAL– LUNCH RECIPES

I learnt both keerai sambar & raw banana curry recipes from my MIL. Its a nice combination. I usually make this sambar once in a week as its healthy. We love this combo. My MIL says , keerai sambar needs less tamarind and more dal. This sambar should be little bit thicker than our usual sambar. I used Arai keerai ( Amaranthus) here.U can try Mulai keerai & siru keerai , karisilankanni keerai too..If u r using siru keerai or karisilankanni keerai  add little more tamarind as those leaves tastes slighlty bitter..

INGREDIENTS

Arai keerai (Amaranthus) – 1 cup Tamarind – Big gooseberry size Toor dal – 1/2 cup Green chillies – 2 nos Sambar powder – 2 tsp Sambar onions – 12 nos ( use whole onions, no need to chop) Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp Hing – 1/2 tsp Salt & water – As needed To temper: Oil – 2 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Methi seeds –3/4 tsp Urad dal – 1/2 tsp Red chilli – 1 no ( pinch & add)

METHOD

Wash & chop the keerai ( use the stem too ) roughly. Pressure cook toor dal along with greens , 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder & a drop of oil till the dal is nicely mashed and set aside. You can also pressure cook dal & keerai separately.  Extract the juice from the tamarind and set aside. Now in a kadai ,heat oil and all the tempering items one by one  in the same order. Add the sambar onions & green chillies and saute till it turns transparent. Now add the tamarind extract , 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder ,sambar powder , salt & hing. Let it boil well for few minutes with a nice aroma. Then add the mashed dal & greens mixture.Add little water if the sambar is too thick. Boil for 3 –4 minutes and serve hot.

NOTE: Greens can be cooked in the tamarind extract instead of  cooking with dal. But I follow this  method to reduce the cooking time.Sometimes my MIL adds only red chillies .
Adding sambar onions is a must for this sambar. This gives a great smell & taste. If u dont have sambar onions in hand, u can use roughly chopped big onions too..

RAW BANANA PORIYAL / VAZHAKAI PORIYAL

INGREDIENTS

Raw banana – 1 no ( big)  OR 2 nos ( if very small) Sambar powder – 1 – 1.5 tsp Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Tamarind – Berry sized ( less than small gooseberry size) Salt – as needed To grind Grated coconut – 3 tbsp Big onion – 1 no Jeera – 1 tsp To temper Oil – 2 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Urad dal – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves – few

METHOD

Wash , peel the skin and chop the raw banana in circles and soak in water. ( to avoid color change) In a vessel, cover cook the raw banana along with salt , a piece of tamarind, sambar powder , turmeric powder , salt with required water.Cook for 5 mins & check the banana is done.Do not over cook them.. Now drain the excess water & set aside.Grind the coconut in a mixie, then add the big onion & jeera and run the mixie once or twice to crush the onions.( Onion pieces will be visible) In a kadai , temper all the items given above and add the cooked raw banana pieces & the coarsely ground coconut- onion mixture..Saute in a low flame till u get nice aroma and the golden brown layer forms at the bottom.Add oil if needed.. While sauting make sure u don’t break the banana pieces and becomes mushy. Serve with sambar rice !

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ARACHUVITTA SAMBAR | TAMIL BRAHMIN RECIPES

Last weekend I was searching for Tamil brahmins recipes in some blogs and websites, I found arachuvitta sambar and urulaikilangu curry ( potato curry) as the simple sunday lunch menu mentioned by many of them. So I prepared the same at home for our lunch. 

Actually my MOM & MIL makes a similar kind of  idli sambar. Keeping that recipe in my mind , I prepared this araichuvitta sambar for lunch. One of my brahmin friends told me about this recipe long back which I noted down in my diary. 

By referring that recipe and the other recipes which I came across , I prepared this sambar. It was too good , fresh and flavourful. We loved it a lot. My friend told this sambar is usually made with small onions. I used drumstick and sambar onions. Do try this version for your sunday lunch & let me know friends !

INGREDIENTS

For 4 people ( 1 cup - 250ml)

Tamarind – Big gooseberry size Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Salt & water – as needed Drumstick – 1 no (chopped length wise of pointer finger size) To pressure cook: Toor dal – 1/3 cup Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Cooking Oil – a drop Hing – 1/4 tsp Water – As needed To roast & grind: Cooking oil – 2 tsp Fenugreek seeds – 1/8 tsp Dhania / coriander seeds - 1 tbsp Chana dal – 1/2 tbsp Urad dal - 1 tsp Red chillies -  5 nos (adjust as per your taste. Use upto 7 ) Raw Rice – 1/4 tsp  Hing – 1/4 tsp Grated coconut – 1 tbsp To saute: Cooking oil – 2 tbsp Small onions/ sambar onion – 1/2 cup ( 10 - 15 nos) Tomato – 1 no (optional) ( I dint use) Curry leaves – a few Sambar powder - 1/2 tsp (optional, its not used in Brahmin style) To temper: Ghee – 1 tsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Jeera / cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Red chillies – 2 no (pinched into two) Curry leaves - few To garnish: Coriander leaves – few chopped finely.

METHOD

Pressure cook toor dal adding turmeric powder , hing and a drop of oil. In a kadai , add 2 tsp of oil and roast all the ingredients given under “ to roast n grind” in the same order. Make sure nothing gets burnt.. Roast under medium flame till nice aroma rises. Add grated coconut at the end , mix well and switch off the flame.It will get roasted in that heat itself. Grind to a paste in a mixie. Set aside. In a wide mouthed kadai, heat oil, saute the small onions, curry leaves .. Onions should be sauteed very well with a nice aroma. ( you can also add a tomato & saute with onion if you like) After it is sautéed , add the tamarind extract,  drumstick pieces , turmeric powder & salt.. Add some raw curry leaves  & a pinch of hing when it boils. Cover & cook till the drumstick is done. Now open the pressure cooked dal and mash it well. It should be well mashed. After adding the dal, add the freshly ground paste. Mix well without forming lumps. Let it boil for few minutes. Sambar thickens. So add more water if necessary. Check for salt. Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Last but not the least , temper all the ingredients given under “ to temper” in ghee & add to sambar. Cover it with a lid to retain the aroma. Serve after 15 – 30 mins.. Enjoy with rice , potato curry and papad !! Note : You can use vegetables like chow chow, radish, brinjal, potato, carrot, beans, turnip to make this sambar. You can also make it with small onions alone which is known as Vengaya arachuvitta sambar.  Some people add 2 small onions while sauting the masala. But I din't use it.

NOTES

Please check this link for Brahmin style potato curry recipe. Chopped tomato can be used along with onions. Saute it till its mushy and then add tamarind extract. Instead of adding the spices along with dal, you can saute the ground spices before adding tamarind extract which gives additional flavour. Adjust the red chillies according to your taste. Dal should be mashed well. U can also use vegetables like carrots, potatoes, chow chow, brinjal along with drumstick.

Do try this and let me know ur comments..Catch u all in my next post ..

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Simple Onam Sadya Recipes - Kerala Onam Dishes

As Onam is nearing, I see lot of posts featuring Kerala onam recipes in blogosphere. After trying the andhra lunch thali successfully, I wanted to try a simple and easy Kerala lunch menu keeping onam festival in mind. When I was thinking about it, my neighbour showed me “Vanitha” magazine which was flooded with onam special recipes of “Pazhayidam Mohanan Namboothiri”. There were many ideas for onam sadya dishes including payasam. As the recipes were given by a popular chef, I tried everything confidently. 

My neighbour Mrs. Prema read all the recipes and translated everything patiently. Thanks a ton to her. Among those recipes, I picked some easy to make, simple dishes and prepared it. I reduced the given quantity as per my need and tried them. So I have mentioned the quantity what I used. We had a great onam lunch. Now after having my preparation, I really want to taste the authentic Onam sadya in Kerala..Wish I could get a chance. When you want to prepare onam special dishes, the choices are endless. My neighbour told they serve nearly 60 side dishes. Wow..!!.I started drooling!!..

Do check out my Onam sadya menu - 2 

I wanted to fill the banana leaf but I couldn’t. I should have kept Pazham, pappadam and nendhran chips which are the highlight in their menu. I was not able to do it. As this is my first Onam sadya post, I am not aware of the serving order. So I kept the dishes as I wished. Please excuse me. I dint prepare Avial as we used to make it regularly. U can see the recipe here. I wanted to try popular dishes which are new to me.They were really awesome in taste.. We loved it. 

Coconut oil and coconut are used as the main ingredients in their food. Even then the food was easily digestible .Yesterday my kitchen was filled with nice aroma of coconut oil. I have bookmarked some more recipes from that book. I’ll try everything and post it soon.
Coming to the recipes ,let me start with the sweet dishes.

SEMIYA PAYASAM

This Kerala style semiya payasam is very simple to make. The taste was excellent. My hubby who doesn’t like this payasam loved it a lot.. It can be served hot or cold. For variations, you can add badam powder at the end to give a kheer taste..

INGREDIENTS (1 cup - 250ml)

For 2- 3 people Semiya / Vermicelli – 1/4 cup Sugar – 4 tbsp  ( adjust) Milk – 1/2 ltr Water – 1/2 cup Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp(optional) Ghee – 1 tbsp Cashews and dry grapes - few

METHOD

In a wide mouthed Kadai , add half tbsp of ghee and roast the vermicelli till it turns golden brown with a nice aroma. In a pressure cooker base , take the milk and water . Let it boil till it reduces to half in quantity.. Then add the roasted vermicelli and close the cooker. Leave it for a whistle and the semiya gets cooked well. (Semiya should not be mushy) Open the lid and add the sugar. Mix well. Add more milk if its too thick.Check for taste and add more sugar if required. Finally add the cardamom powder.. Boil for sometime. In a small kadai , take the remaining ghee and roast the cashews and dry grapes. Add on top of the payasam and garnish !! Serve hot or cold !

NOTE:

Cardamom powder is optional. It is not given in the actual recipe but I used it. U can add saffron threads soaked in warm milk which gives a nice color too.. My neighbour adds instant badam mix at the end which also tastes the best..

ELANEER PAYASAM / TENDER COCONUT PAYASAM

This elaneer should be watery in consistency. Usually the pulp of tender coconut should be grinded coarsely along with its water and prepared. But I just cut the pulp into small pieces as given in the book . I also added jaggery instead of sugar as mentioned in the book. But please add very less jaggery as we are adding condensed milk, honey and coconut milk at the end.

INGREDIENTS

Tender coconut -  2 nos ( take the pulp and water) Jaggery –  2-3 tbsp ( please add lesser quantity) Grated coconut – 1/2 cup ( to extract milk) Condensed milk – 2 tsp Honey – 1 tsp (optional)  ( i added a tsp) Water – Little Cardamom powder – A pinch (optional)

METHOD

Take the jaggery and melt to make a syrup by adding water just to cover it. Strain and remove the impurities. After it starts to boil, add the pulp of tender coconut ( I cut into bite sized pieces.. U can also use by grinding it coarsely).. U can even cook the pulp separately and add to jaggery. Let it boil for sometime. In the mean time , grind the grated coconut with water to extract the first milk. Set aside. Similarly take the second and third milk. Now add the third milk to the boiling jaggery mixture. After few seconds, add the second milk. Give a boil. Switch off the flame and add the first thick coconut milk. Mix well and allow it to cool down completely. Finally add the condensed milk and honey. Mix well and enjoy..

Note:

The color of this payasam varies according to the jaggery color. Mine was white in color as my jaggery was light yellow in color. Always add jaggery in lesser quantity. If sweet is less, you can add more syrup later. Condensed milk and honey should be added after the mixture cools down completely.

MEZHUKKUPURATTI / MIXED VEG STIR FRY

Mezhukkupuratti is a simple stir fry which can be made in minutes yet tastes delicious.

INGREDIENTS

Yam – 1/4 cup Plantain / Raw banana – 1/ 4 cup Carrot – 1/4 cup Turmeric powder – 1 Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves – few Red chillies – 2 nos Green chillies – 2nos Salt & water – As needed

METHOD

Cut all the veggies uniformly of small square shaped pieces. Cook yam in pressure cooker.cook plantain and carrot together. Make sure everything is not over cooked and mushy. Now in a kadai , take the coconut oil and add the mustard seeds , cut chillies and few curry leaves. Add the veggies finally and toss well by adding the required salt.

MIXED VEGETABLE THORAN

INGREDIENTS

Grated Cabbage – 1/4 cup Carrot – 1/4 cup Big onion – 1 no Half cooked toor dal – 1/4 cup Ginger – 1/2 inch piece Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp Salt – as needed Grated coconut – 3 tbsp To temper Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Green chilly – 1 no ( slit cut) Urad dal – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves – few

METHOD

Pressure cook toor dal for one whistle by keeping high flame. The dals gets half cooked. Grate the cabbage and cut carrot into small pieces. In a kadai, heat the coconut oil and temper with mustard seeds and urad dal. Then add the onion pieces. Saute well and add the ginger pieces , green chilly and curry leaves. Now add the cut vegetables , toor dal and mix well. Add all the powders one by one and mix well. Sprinkle little water and cover cook for sometime. Run the grated coconut once in mixie and add it at the end. Mix well and serve hot !!

PULI INJI / INJI CURRY

Among all these dishes, Puli inji secures the first rank.. We loved it a lot. It was very tasty. One can have a plate full of Dal rice or curd rice with this puli inji. Usually its very thick in consistency. But I made it little thin to suit our taste.  Please make it according to ur taste buds. But in the book, it was mentioned to make it thick. It stays good for more than a week. Use a clean spatula every time.

INGREDIENTS

Tamarind – A big gooseberry size Ginger – 2 finger size ( chop finely) Jaggery – 1 tbsp ( add more if reqd) Salt & water – as needed.. Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp Hing – 1/4 tsp To temper Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Pinched red chilly – 1 no Green chilly – 1 no (finely chopped ) Curry leaves – a few To dry roast & grind: Methi seeds – 1/2 tsp

METHOD

Soak tamarind in warm water for take the extract. Add chilli powder , jaggery and give a boil till it reduces to half in  quantity. In a kadai , add coconut oil and temper the items given above.. Add the finely chopped ginger pieces and saute well for few mins. U’ll get a nice aroma, Finally add everything to the tamarind mixture and allow it to roll boil . **In the mean time , dry roast methi seeds and powder it. When the tamarind mixture starts to thicken , switch off the flame and add the methi powder. Mix well & Close it with a lid Serve with dal rice / curd rice.. !

NOTE

• Puli inji is a spicy accompaniment. A tsp of it is sufficient for a plate of meals. It also aids digestion. Make sure this puli inji is in your menu if you plan to make kerala food..

KALAN

Kaalan tasted similar to mor kuzhambu. We mixed it in plain rice and enjoyed it.

INGREDIENTS

Sour curd – 1 cup Pepper powder – 1 tsp Yam – 1/4 cup ( chopped roughly) Green chilly –2 nos Curry leaves – a few Ghee – a tsp Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp **Dry roasted methi powder – 1/2 tsp Salt & water – as needed To grind: Grated coconut – 1/4 cup Green chillies – 2 no Jeera – 1/2 tsp To temper Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Pinched red chilly – 1 no

METHOD

In  a pressure cooker , add the yam pieces, pepper powder, green chilly pieces and a tsp of ghee. Cook well. After opening the cooker, add the whipped curd, turmeric powder and salt. Let it boil. In the mean time, grind the items under “ to grind” to make a paste by adding little water. When the mixture reduces to half, add the ground paste. Boil well. Temper the mentioned items and mix to kalan. Switch off the flame and add the methi powder finally. It would be in the consistency of kootu / aviyal. Mix well and close with a lid to retain the aroma.

ASH GOURD KHICHDI / POOSANIKAI THAYIR PACHADI

Ashgourd pachadi simple and tasty accompaniment for dal rice.

INGREDIENTS

Ash gourd – 1/ 4 cup ( chop finely) Salt & water  - as needed Thick fresh curd – 1/2 cup To grind Grated coconut – 2 tsbp Green chillies – 2 nos To temper Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp Urad dal – 1/4 tsp Hing – a pinch Pinched red chilly – 1 no Curry leaves - few

METHOD

Cook the ash gourd pieces with the required water and squeeze them well to remove its water content.Set aside Now in a kadai , temper all the items given above. Grind the coconut & green chillies to make a paste. In a bowl , take the ground coconut paste , tempered items , squeezed ash gourd pieces and the required salt. Mix well .. add the fresh , thich curd just before serving . Enjoy with paruppu sadam ..

ERISSERY

 Erissery is a semi dry , rice accompaniment which has lots of coconut. Adding more coconut gives a nice flavour for this dish. 

INGREDIENTS

Yam/ Chena – 1/4 cup Raw banana – 1/4 cup Pepper powder – 1 / 2 tsp Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Salt & water – as needed. To grind Grated coconut – 1/4 cup Jeera – 1 / 2 tsp To temper: Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Urad dal –1/2 tsp Jeera – 1/2 tsp Grated coconut – 1/2 cup Curry leaves - few

Please note I have put grated coconut twice here. Use accordingly..

METHOD

Chop & cook the yam and banana pieces separately. Heat oil in a a kadai and shallow fry the cooked vegetables. Grind the items given above with little water to make a paste. After shallow frying the veggies , add the ground paste followed by chilli, pepper and turmeric powders. Mix well and allow it to boil sometime. In a kadai , heat coconut oil and temper with urad dal, jeera , curry leaves and grated coconut. Roast them well and add it to the boiling mixture. Mix well and switch off the flame..Enjoy !

KERALA SAMBAR / MIXED VEG SAMBAR

INGREDIENTS

Toor dal – 1/2 cup Potato – 1no Big onion – 1 /2 no Lady’s finger – 1/4 cup Drum stick – 1 no Turmeric powder – 1 / 4 tsp Chilli powder – 1.5 tsp Coriander seeds powder – 2 tsp Salt –  as needed Tamarind –  Small lemon size Dry roasted methi seeds powder – 1/2 tsp To temper Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Pinched red chilly – 1 no coriander leaves – to garnish

METHOD

Pressure cook dal and potato. Set aside.. Reserve the dal water for making rasam.. Soak tamarind in water and take the extract. In a kadai , heat coconut oil and saute the lady’s finger and drum stick pieces. Add all the powders.Saute quickly without burning. Immediately add tamarind extract, Cover and cook well. After the veggies are cooked add the cooked dal and boil well for few mins. Finally temper the items and add the methi powder. switch off the flame.. Garnish with coriander leaves.. In the serving bowl , place a banana leaf and pour the sambar. Close for sometime and then serve. This is the additional tip given in the book..

KERALA RASAM

INGREDIENTS

Cooked toor dal water – 1 cup Tamarind extract – 1 tsp Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp Hing – 1/4 tsp Water – 1/4 cup Jeera – 1/4 tsp Methi seeds –1 / 4 tsp Tomato – 2 nos Curry leaves – few To dry roast and powder Dhania – 1 tsp Pepper corns – 1 tsp to temper Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Pinched red chilly – 1 no Coriander leaves – to garnish

METHOD

In a kadai , dry roast dhania and pepper corns & powder them. Take the tamarind extract , chilli powder , 1 tomato ( crushed) , jeera , hing and methi seeds along with little water. Boil everything till it reduces to half. Then add the dal water , remaining 1 tomato(finely chopped) , rasam powder and the required salt. Boil for few mins. Remove and temper with mustard seeds and pinched red chillies. Garnish with coriander leaves..

KERALA PARIPPU CURRY

INGREDIENTS

Moong dal – 1/2 cup Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp Red chilly – 1 no ( pinched ) Water & salt –as needed To grind Grated coconut – 2 tbsp Jeera – 1/4 tsp Green chilli - 1 no To temper Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Mustard seeds –1 /2 tsp & ginger pieces ( optional ) Pinched red chilly – 1 no Curry leaves – few

METHOD

Roast dal till raw smell emanates. Pressure cook the roasted dal with water , turmeric powder and a pinched red chilly.. Grind the coconut,chilli and jeera to make a paste. Mix it to the cooked dal and boil till it thickens. Remove and temper with the above items. Serve adding ghee !!

AVIAL

Please click on the picture to see the recipe for avial.

Do check out my Onam sadya menu - 2 

Easy Chakka pradhaman recipe

Kerala Paal payasam recipe

HAPPY ONAM TO ALL MY BLOGGERS AND FRIENDS. DO TRY THESE RECIPES AND HAVE A GREAT CELEBRATION !!

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