Pappadam

Ingredients (Yields 20 - 25 based on size):

       Urad Dal whole        -  1 cup
       Baking soda             -  ½ tsp
       Salt                           -  1½ - 2 tsp    
       Oil                            -   2 - 3 tsp
       Water                        -  ½ cup

       All purpose flour      -  as required, while rolling

Preparation:

       Grind the urad dal into a fine powder. Sieve it using a strainer/sieve with small holes.

       Add the baking soda and salt to the urad flour. Give a quick mix. Add oil and start mixing to just incorporate the oil into the flour.

       Add water and mix well to form a thick rough dough. At this stage add more oil if needed, not more than a teaspoon.

       Transfer the dough onto a clean chopping board / counter top / any clean hard surface. Use a pestle to pound the dough. I actually started with the base of the mortar first and as the dough became softer, used the pestle to pound it better. This step takes approximately 15 - 20 minutes of continuous pounding.(Yes thats a good workout for your arms.) The dough would be now soft to handle.

        Roll the dough into a log, approximately half inch diameter. I divided the dough into two before I rolled. Using a knife cut the log into approximately an inch pieces.

        Roll each portion into small rounds, dusting with all purpose flour. Using a cookie cutter, or any round lid, cut the rolled ones into perfect rounds. I used a small lid and hence my pappadoms were a bit smaller than the regular size ones. However, size doesnt matter.

         Spread the pappadoms on a clean cookie sheet and let it dry under sun for 10 - 15 minutes. Flip them in 10 minutes to have it completely dry. Do not dry it too much as it might get stiff. It should still be pliable.

         Fry the pappadoms in hot oil. We fried all of it right then and hence not sure about the shelf life.

Recipe Courtesy: Ria's Collection / Story telling camera

Aval Payasam

Ingredients (Serves 3 - 4):

Aval / poha  --  ½ cup
Milk                 --  2 - 3 cups
Sugar              --  ¼ cup
Cashews        --  5 - 6 broken
Raisins           --  5 - 6
Cardamom powder -- a small pinch
Ghee                -- 1 tbsp

Preparation:

In a pan with relatively high walls, heat the ghee. Fry the cashews until golden, drain and keep aside. Then add the raisins and fry until it bloats up.Drain and keep it along with the fried cashews.

To the same pan, add aval/poha and fry for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Add milk and sugar to the pan and let it boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the fried poha and let it cook. Add more milk, if the consistency is too thick.

Switch off the flame and add the fried cashews, raisins and cardamom powder.

Serve hot or cold.

Snow Peas Stir Fry

Ingredients (Serves 3 - 4):

Snow Peas                            --   250gm
Turmeric Powder             --   ¼ tsp
Green chillies                     --   2, slit lengthwise
Shallots                                 --   2 - 3
Mustard seeds                    --   1 tsp
Red chillies                          --   2
Curry Leaves                      --   1 sprig
Oil                                            --   2 tbsp ,  I use coconut oil
Salt                                          --   as required

Preparation:

Clean and cut the snow peas.

Heat oil in another pan. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the curry leaves and broken dry red chillies. Add the chopped shallots,and saute until the shallots are light brown.

Add the turmeric powder, green chillies and cut peas and mix well. Keep it on a low flame and let it cook with the lid on.

Serve hot with rice.

Vegetable Stew

Ingredients (Serves 4 - 5):

Potato                               --   3 - 4 medium size
Carrot                               --   1 medium size
Red Onion                       --   1 medium size
Ginger                               --   2 tbsp,thinly sliced
Garlic                                --   2 tbsp,thinly sliced
Green Chillies                --   2-3
Cardamom                      --   1
Cloves                               --   2
Cinnamon                       --   1" piece
Curry leaves                  --   1 sprig
Thick Coconut Milk     --   1 cup
Thin Coconut Milk       --   1 cup
Black Pepper powder --   1 tbsp, freshly made preferably
Coriander leaves          --   2 - 3 sprigs
Oil                                       --   2 tbsp, preferably coconut oil
Salt                                     --   as required

Preparation :

For the coconut milk: We need half of a coconut grated. Thick milk is usually extracted by squeezing coconut with your hands, or pulsing in a blender couple of times, adding a quarter cup of hot water. For thin coconut milk, add about ¾ cups of water to the squeezed coconut and blend it in the mixer. Strain it.

I used canned coconut milk. 1 cup of thick coconut milk = ¾ cup of canned milk + ¼ cup of water. 1 cup of thin coconut milk = ½ cup of canned milk + ½ cup of water.

In a pressure cooker heat oil and add the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and sauté for a minute.

Add the finely chopped onions, ginger, garlic and slit green chilies and saute until the onions turn translucent.

Add the diced potatoes, diced carrots (You can also add green peas, cauliflower soya chunks etc, but I like them with just these two) and curry leaves and saute for few minutes until the water is completely evaporated. Add the thin coconut milk and pressure cook until the veggies are cooked.

Now add the thick coconut milk. As soon as the mixture starts to boil take it off from the stove. Garnish with pepper powder.and chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with appam / bread / upma. Have you tried this with upma? Most of my friends hadnt, but believe me thats a wonderful combo.

Vellarikka Pachadi

Ingredients (Serves 8 - 10):

Vellarikka/ Lemon Cucumber --  250 gms, 1 cup chopped
Green chillies           --   4  
Ginger                         --   a small piece, 1 tsp julienned
Shredded coconut --   ½ cup
Yogurt                        --   2 cups
Mustard seeds         --    1 tbsp
Curry leaves             --   4 - 5 leaves
Red chillies               --   2 nos
Oil                                 --   1 tbsp
Salt                                --   as required

Preparation:

Cook chopped cucumber and 2 green chillies in water along with salt.

We can also use green cucumber. We don’t need to cook that, instead just mix the chopped cucumber with salt and keep aside. Continue with the following steps.

Grind the coconut and the remaining green chillies to a fine paste and then add half the mustard seeds and crush it just pulsing in the mixer

Add this to the cooked cucumber.Let it boil and turn off the stove.

Beat the yogurt and add it to the cooled cucumber mixture and mix well.

Heat oil in a pan.Add mustard seeds and red chillies and let it splutter. Add curry leaves and saute for few seconds.

Pour the seasoning over the pachadi.

Serve with rice.

Recipe Courtesy: Amma

Varutharacha Sambar

 

Ingredients (Serves 10 - 12):

Toor dal                    --   1 cup
Hing / asafoetida  --   ¼ tsp / ¼ inch piece

Tamarind                 --    a lime - sized ball.

Turmeric powder --   ¼ tsp
Potato                       --   2 medium sized
Winter melon         --   a small piece,½ cup cubed
Carrot                       --   1 medium sized
Brinjal                       --   1 large
Drumstick               --   1
Lady's finger          --   6
Green chilies         --   2
Tomato                    --   2 medium sized, well ripen

Coriander leaves --  4 - 5 sprigs, chopped into big pieces
Salt                            --  To taste

To roast and grind:

Gingelly oil            --   1 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds --   ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds         --    ¼ tsp
Split urad dal        --   1 tsp
Coriander seeds  --   2 tsp
Whole pepper      --   ½ tsp
Dry red chilies     --  7 - 8, medium spice level, adjust the nos according to the spice level
Pearl onions         --   2 , slit
Garlic cloves        --   6 - 8 medium size cloves, with skin
Curry leaves        --   1 sprig

Grated coconut --   ½ cup

For seasoning:

Coconut oil -- 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds --  ½ tsp
Dry red chilies --  3
Curry leaves --  1 sprig

Preparation:

Heat the gingelly oil in a skillet. Reduce the flame to low. Add all the ingredients except the coconut and roast for few minutes until they turn light brown. Make sure they are not burnt. Add the coconut at this stage and fry until the coconut is dark brown in colour. Keep stirring to fry the coconut evenly and make sure the flame is low. Keep aside and let it cool. Grind this into a smooth paste. Try not to add water, but if your mixer takes a long time, add water little by little until the mixture is smooth.
 
Soak the tamarind in 1 cup warm water and extract its juice.

Wash the toor dal in water twice or thrice. Add the dal, turmeric and hing to the pressure cooker and cook(2 - 3 whistles) adding enough water. If using solid hing, fry it in a tsp of oil for couple of minutes before adding it to the cooker.

Meanwhile chop the veggies; Cube the potatoes, carrots, winter melon, brinjal. Cut the drumstick into 2 inch pieces and the lady's finger into 1 inch pieces. Cube the tomatoes. Keep aside the lady's finger and the tomatoes.

When the pressure is completely released, open the cooker and add the cut veggies. First add the potatoes and when they are half cooked add the carrot, brinjal, wintermelon and drumstick. Add water if required and let it cook. This need not be pressure cooked, the veggies might get over cooked.

Meanwhile saute the lady's finger pieces in little oil until they are a bit firm.

Add salt and the fried lady's finger pieces.

Add the ground mixture to the tamarind extract and add to the sambar. Add more water if required.Bring it to a boil. When it starts boiling add the cubed tomatoes.(If the tomatoes are not well ripen, add them along with other veggies.)

Let it boil for 2 - 3 minutes.Add the chopped coriander leaves.

Heat coconut oil in a small pan.  Splutter mustard seeds and fry dry red chilies the curry leaves. Pour over the prepared sambar.

Serve hot with rice / idly / dosa.

Recipe Courtesy: Amma

Parippu Pradhaman / Parippu Payasam

Ingredients:

Cherupayar Parippu               --    250gm
Jaggery                                        --   300gm
Thick coconut milk                  --   1½ cups
Medium thick coconut milk --   4 cups
Light coconut milk                   --   4 cups
Ghee                                                --   2-3 tbsp
Cashew nut/Coconut pieces --   a handful

Preparation of Payasam:

Fry the parippu without oil for few minutes on a medium - low flame, until they are golden in colour. Also when you try to bite, it should be hard and not chewy.

    

Let it cool completely. Once cooled, wash it well and cook with 2 cups of water and 1 cup of light coconut milk. I used a pressure cooker and it took me 2 whistles to cook it well.

Meanwhile, melt the jaggery by adding 1 cup water. Let it cool slightly.

Strain and add the melted jaggery to the well cooked parippu and stir well. On a medium flame, let it cook until the parippu - jaggery mixture is thick.

Add the remaining light coconut milk and keep stirring until it thickens. Then add the medium thick coconut milk. Keep stirring and let it reduce to almost 2/3rd or half. Now add the thick coconut milk and stir for couple of minutes and switch of the flame. Leave it on the stove for another 5 - 10 minutes and keep stirring.

In a pan, heat the ghee and fry the cashew nuts/coconut pieces and pour it into the payasam. Serve hot.

Recipe Courtesy: Amma 

Mambhazha Pulissery (Ripe Mango in yogurt gravy)

Ingredients:

Ripe mangoes         --   3-4 nos,
Green chilly             --   1 - 2
Curry leaves            --   1-2 sprigs
Chilly powder         --   ½ tsp
Turmeric powder  --   ¼ ts
Curd                            --   1 cup
Grated coconut      --   ½ cup
Cumin seeds             --   ¼ tsp
Mustard seeds         --   ½ tsp
Dry red chilly          --   2 nos
Coconut oil               --   2 tbsp
Salt                               --   as required

Preparation of mambhazha pulissery:

Wash and peel the mangoes. Usually whole small mangoes are used. I used 2 big ones cut into pieces.

Add chopped green chillies, curry leaves, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt. Add water if required - it depends upon how juicy the mangoes are. If more juice comes out, then you dont have to add water. Cook on a medium - low flame until the mangoes are tender. Mash them using the back of a spoon.

     

Grind the grated coconut and cumin seeds to a fine paste.Add this to the mashed mangoes and mix well. Switch off the flame when it just begins to bubble/boil.

Let it remain on the stove itself. Beat the yogurt and add it to the mango mixture. Mix well and close the pot with a tight lid and keep it for 5 - 10 mins.

In another pan, heat the coconut oil.Splutter mustard seeds and fry the dry red chillies. Add this to the prepared pulissery.

Serve hot with steaming rice, pickle and pappadam.

Semiya Payasam

Ingredients:

Roasted Semiya / Vermicelli  --   200 gm
Milk                                                   --    5 – 6 cups
Sugar                                                --   1 cup  / more depending upon your level of sweetness
Cashew Nuts                                  --   10 - 15
Raisins                                             --   10 - 15
Ghee                                                 --    3 tbsp

Preparation:

Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a deep pan. Add the raisins and let it puff up. Remove it and keep aside. Add the nuts and fry until light brown. Remove and keep aside.

Add the remaining ghee into the pan. Break the vermicelli into small - 1 inch pieces. Fry the vermicelli in it for a couple of mins. In case you are not using already roasted ones, add more ghee and fry the vermicelli until they are light brown in colour.Remove it and keep aside.

                        

Add milk and sugar and let it boil. Add the fried vermicelli to it and let it cook. Keep stirring until the required consistency is reached. The payasam will thicken as it cools. So make sure you leave enough liquid. Add the fried cashews and raisins. Switch off the flame. Stir it every 5 - 10 mins for half an hour after switching off the flame. This helps to avoid the cream formation on the top.

If you haven't ever tried out the thin vermicelli – You should definitely not miss it. The ones we get here is some Pakistani / Afghani brand.

Recipe Courtesy: Amma

Beetroot Pachadi

Ingredients:

Beetroot               --   1 no medium size
Grated coconut --   ¼ cup
Ginger                   --   a small piece
Green chillies     --   2 nos
Thick curd           --   ½ cup
Red chilly            --   1 big
Curry leaves       --   3 - 4 leaves
Mustard seeds   --   1 tsp
Salt                         --   to taste
Oil                           --   1 tbsp, preferably coconut oil.

Preparation:

Peel and grate the beetroot. Add one slit green chilly, salt and a little water to the grated beet and cook until the water is absorbed.

Meanwhile coarsely grind grated coconut, ginger, ½ tsp mustard seeds, remaining green chilly and curry leaves.

Add ground coconut mixture to the cooked beetroot and let it just come to a boil. Remove it from the flame and keep aside. Slightly beat the thick yogurt and add to the beetroot mixture. Mix well.

Heat oil in a kadai or small pan, add the remaining mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add dry red chillies and switch off the flame. Fry it for few seconds and pour this over the pachadi.

Serve with hot rice.

Recipe Courtesy: Amma

Cabbage & Carrot Thoran / Stir fry

Ingredients: (Serves 4 - 6)

Carrot                          --   1 small
Cabbage                      --   ¼ of a small cabbage
Green chillies           --   3 - 4
Shallots                       --   2
Shredded coconut  --   ½ cup
Turmeric powder    --   ¼ tsp
Curry leaves              --   1 sprig
Mustard seeds          --   1 tsp
Urad dal                      --   1 tsp
Red chillies                --   1
Salt                                --   as required
Oil                                  --   as required.

Preparation:

Grate the carrot in the medium size of the grater. Chop the cabbage into thin slices. Chop the shallots and slit the green chillies. In a big bowl, add the grated carrots, chopped cabbage,shallots,green chillies, curry leaves,turmeric powder, shredded coconut and salt. Mix well, preferably with your hand.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the urad dal and the red chillies and saute for a minute. Add the above mixture, close and cook on a low flame. Make sure to saute every 2 -3 minutes to avoid burning at the bottom. Cook until done. It should not take more than 15 minutes. Serve with rice.

Instead of the combination of carrot & cabbage you can also prepare it with just one of those. I usually do the combo when I have both left over.

Recipe Courtesy: Amma

Kurukku Kaalan

 

Ingredients:

Kaaya/Raw Plantain     --   1
Turmeric Powder           --   ½ tsp
Pepper Powder               --   ½ tsp
Ghee                                    --   1 tbsp
Salt                                       --   as required
Water                                  --   1 cup
Shredded Coconut         --   ½ cup
Cumin Seeds                     --   ½ tsp
Green Chillies                   --   2 - 3
Coconut Oil                       --   2 tbsp
Curry Leaves                    --   1 sprig
Red Chillies                       --   2 - 3
Mustard Seeds                 --   ½ tsp
Thick Yogurt                    --   2 - 3 cups
Fenugreek Powder         --   ½ tsp

Preparation of kalan:

Skin off the raw plantain and cut into cubes. Add turmeric powder, pepper, ghee and salt to the raw plantain and cook it in required water until soft. Let the water dry completely. If there is excess water drain it.

Grind the coconut with cumin seeds and green chillies until smooth, adding a little water. Add this to the cooked plantain and mix well. Make sure you dont break the plantain cubes. Add the yogurt and cook for a minute or until the gravy thickens. Switch of the flame and sprinkle the fenugreek powder.

   

For the seasoning, heat the coconut oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the red chillies and curry leaves and fry for few seconds.Pour this over the prepared kaalan and close it with a lid for few minutes.

Serve with hot rice

 

Recipe Courtesy:  YummyoYummy

Palada Pradhaman–Pressure Cooker version

Ingredients (Serves 10 – 15):

Rice Ada   --   1 cup (I prefer the brands Priya or Ambika – the smaller and sharper, the better taste)
Milk            --   6 - 7 cups
Sugar         --   1 ½ cups
Cashews   --   a handful
Ghee          --    1 tbsp
Butter        --   1 tbsp, preferably unsalted

Preparation of Pradhaman / Payasam:

Wash and drain the ada and keep it in a heat proof bowl. Boil 2 – 3 cups of water and pour it over the washed ada. Let it rest for 20 mins.

In a pressure cooker (5 ltr capacity), add the milk and sugar and let it start to boil. Add the ada in it and close with the lid of the cooker and keep the “weight” on the pressure cooker. Simmer the flame to low.

Let it cook for 45 minutes.

Keep an eye on it. Make sure that it does not whistle to release the pressure. If it tends to, then remove the cooker from the stove and keep it aside and keep it back once the pressure is reduced.

After 45 minutes, switch off the flame and let it cool down until the whole pressure is released.

If the payasam does not reach the required consistency and colour, stir it for few minutes on high flame. If the payasam is too thick for you, add some milk and boil.  This depends upon the pressure cooker and hence cannot be predicted. In most cases, you should get it right J.

Add the butter to the hot payasam and stir occasionally to avoid cream getting formed on the top.

Heat the ghee and fry the cashews until light brown .Add them to the payasam and serve hot.

I love the cold version as well  J

Recipe Courtesy:  Mummy(My father's sister - I call her Mummy :) 

Unniappam

Ingredients(Makes 25-30 based on the size of the pan):

Rice Flour             --   1 cup
Ripe bananas      --   2 small ones/cherupazham - If using yellow robesta, use 1 ripe banana.
Jaggery                 --   300 gm
Maida / APF        --   2 tbsp
Baking Powder     --   ¼ tsp
Sesame seeds      --  1 tbsp
Coconut bits        --  1 tbsp (I used cashew nuts in bite size)
Ghee                        --  2 tbsp
Oil                            --  As required for deep frying - preferably coconut oil or ghee

Preparation of unniappams:

Melt jaggery with ¼ cup of water. Strain to remove any impurities and keep aside.Let it cool to a slight warm temperature.

Meanwhile mash the bananas and keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a pan and fry the coconut pieces/nuts until slight brown. Add the sesame seeds and switch off the flame. Sesame seeds gets fried in the hot pan. Keep it aside.

  

    

Add the flours and baking soda to the warm jaggery syrup and mix well without any lumps. Hand works better here in place of ladles and spoons.Add the mashed banana and mix well. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of ghee and the fried coconut/nuts and the sesame seeds.

The batter should be in the consistency of dosa batter or condensed milk. You should be able to continuously pour it without breaking the line.

Add water / milk to adjust the batter to reach the above consistency. It is always better to add water / milk little by little to make sure you do not over do.

Keep it aside for 1 hour (optional). This helps to make the appams softer.

Place the unniappam pan on the stove and pour coconut oil into each rounds until they are half full. Heat the oil on a high flame and then reduce it to medium before you pour the batter.

 

    

Pour batter in a round until it is ¾ full. Remember, the batter should flow into one round without any breaks in between. Take a break and go to the next round.

Let it cook on one side and once the appams are firm turn around with the a metal/wooden skewer to cook the other side to a golden colour. Once it gets browned on both the sides remove it from the pan using a fork / skewer / spoon.

  

Here comes my moms trick to drain the oil. Keep a steel plate in a slanting position and place the appams on the higher part when removed from the pan. You can see oil flowing down. Once they are cool, transfer it on to a kitched towel to drain completely.  When preparing in large junks, my mom reuses the oil flowing down the unniappams.

Pour oil in the rounds whenever you feel necessary.

Snack anytime - be it breakfast or evening tea or let it be a dessert after a great lunch / dinner :). It stays good for 2 - 3 days @ room temperature and for a week or more in the refrigerator. If you store in the refrigerator, heat in a microwave for few seconds before you serve to get the soft unniappams.

Recipe Courtesy: Amma