OZHICHAVIYAL

Ozhichaviyal is an improvised version of aviyal which comes under the ozhichu curry/ kuzhambu category.

INGREDIENTS

1. Vegetables cut into thin 3/4"pieces - 2 cups
(Cucumber, drumstick, banana, string beans, elephant yam, brinjal,carrot and snake gourd)
2. Green chillis - 2
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
4. Cumin seeds - 1 pinch
5. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
6. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
7. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon
8. Salt
9. Curd - 1/2 cup

METHOD

1. Cook the vegetables well. (can be pressure cooked with 2 cups of water. Switch off stove after first whistle)

2. Grind the coconut with turmeric powder and cumin seeds to a fine paste. Add this paste, salt and enough water to the vegetables. (consistency should be that of sambar) Cook on low flame. When it starts frothing add buttermilk and stir for 5-6 seconds.

3. Switch off stove and add curry leaves and coconut oil. Cover and keep undisturbed for 10 minutes. Stir before serving.

THENGAI BURFI

INGREDIENTS

1. Grated coconut - 1 cup
2. Sugar - 1 cup
3. Ghee - 1/4 cup
4. Cardamom powder - 1/2 tea spoon
5. Milk - 1/4 cup

METHOD

1. Grind the coconut in a mixie for 10 seconds. Powder the sugar for 2-3 seconds.

2. In a pan heat the milk and sugar. When the sugar is completely dissolved and the solution thickened add coconut ,1 table spoon ghee and cardamom powder. Stir continuously adding the ghee little by little.

3. When the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan and frothes switch off stove and transfer to a greased plate.

4. When it is still hot but safe to touch cut the burfi into pieces. Allow to cool.

DAL CURRY

This is an easy dish that goes well with chapati and roti. Either masoor dal (red lentils) or split peas dal (peas parippu or vada parippu) can be used for making this.

INGREDIENTS

1. Split peas dal   or masoor dal - 1/2  cup
2. Big onion - 1 -chopped
3. Tomato - 1 (cut into 6 or 8)
4. Ginger - 1 cm cube
5. Garlic - 1 clove
6. Green chilli - 1
7. Cilantro (malliyila) - 1 table spoon
8. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
9. Turmeric powder 1/4 tea spoon
10. Coriander powder - 1 tea spoon
11. Chilli powder - 1/2 tea spoon
12. Garam masala powder - 1/2 tea spoon
13. Lime juice - 1 tea spoon
14. Salt
15. Sunflower oil - 1 table spoon

METHOD

1. Cook the dal well. If split peas dal is used pressure cook  with 2 cups of water. ( reduce heat to low after first whistle and cook for 5 minutes). Mix with 2 more cups of water.

2. Heat oil in a kadai. Fry cumin seeds and add ginger (cut like matchsticks), garlic and chilli and saute for 15-20 seconds. Add the onion and  saute till it it is light brown in colour. Add the powders and stir.

3. Add  tomato and stir fry. To this add the dal and salt. When it starts frothing reduce the heat and allow to cook for 5 minutes

4. Switch off the stove, add cilantro and mix well.

5. Add  lime juice and mix.

                                                                            

UPPUMA KOZHUKKATTA

This is a different type of kozhukkatta made with broken rice

INGREDIENTS

1. Raw rice - 1 cup
2. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
3. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon
4. Mustard seeds - 1/2 rea spoon
5. Chana dal - 1 tea spoon
6. Dry red chillis - 2 ( break into 2 or 3 pieces)
7. salt
8. Hot water - 2 1/2 cups

PREPARATION

1. Soak rice for 1 hour. Drain the water completely by spreading on a  towel for some time. Grind in the mixie for 5 seconds. ( the rice shouldnt get powdered. Should look like khus khus)

2. Heat oil in a pan Splutter mustard seeds and fry the dal and chillis. Add the rice and stir fry for 5-6 minutes. Add hot water, salt and coconut. Cover with a lid and cook on low flame . When the water is gone and the rice is cooked , remove from fire.

3. Wait till it is safe to touch the rice. Make lemon sized balls dipping the hand in water in between. Steam for 5-6 minutes. This can be eaten with lime or mango pickle.

MASALA DOSA

I think this is the most popular of all South Indian dishes. I remember my college days  when going to "Saravana Bhavan"every Saturday evening  was almost like a ritual. Walking all the way from the hostel to the town just to have their famous masala dosa was fun which none of us wanted to miss. 

INGREDIENTS

1. Dosa batter
2. Sesame oil
3. Potato - 2 (medium)
4. Carrot - 1
5. Green peas - 1/4 cup
6. Onion - 1

7. Green chillis - 2

8. Ginger - 1/2" cube
9. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
10. Lime -1
11. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon
12. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea sp
13. Urad dal - 1 tea spoon
14. Chana dal- 2 tea sp
15. Cashew nuts - 10-12
16. Maida - 1 tea spoon
17. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
18. salt

PREPARATION

1. Boil the potato and carrot. Skin and crush with hand

2. Dice the onion. Chop ginger and green chillis.

3. Heat coconut oil in a pan. Splutter the mustard seeds. Add chana dal, urad dal and cashew (in this order) and fry.

4. Add onion. Saute and add ginger, chillis and curry leaves. (Green peas can be added now if not already cooked.) Saute again till the onion starts changing colour. Add turmeric powder and enough salt and stir well. Add  maida and1/4 cup of water. Let it thicken.

5. Add the cooked potato and carrot (and the peas if nor already added) and mix well. remove from fire.

6. Add lime juice and mix again.

7. Heat a tava/ dosakkallu . Smear it with sesame oil and spread 1/2 cup dosa batter. The dosa should be thin. Sprinkle a tea spoon of oil on the dosa. Increase heat to medium. There is no need to flip the dosa.

8. Spread the masala on half portion of the dosa and fold. Let it stay like that for 10-15 seconds. Flip and again wait for 10-15 seconds. Transfer the dosa to a plate.

SWEET POTATO PODIMAS

Podimas is an easy dish prepared with potato, sweet potato, vazhakkai (banana) etc. Sweet potato podimas has a different taste since it is sweet and no lime juice is added

 

Podimas goes well with ulli sambar and rice

INGREDIENTS

1. Chakkaravalli kizhangu (sweet potato/ madhura kizhangu) - 2
2. Grated coconut- 1/4 cup
3. Ginger chopped - 1table spoon
4. Green chilli chopped - 1 or 2
5. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
6. Coriander leaves (cilantro) - 1 table spoon
7. Asafoetida - 1 pinch
8. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon
9. Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
10 Uzhunnu parippu (urad dal) - 1 tea spoon
11. Kadala parippu (chana dal) - 1 tea spoon
12. Salt
13. Whole red chillis - 3-4

PREPARATION

1. Boil and peel the sweet potato. (Do not pressure cook) Crush it  with hand. Do not mash

2.Heat oil in a pan. Splutter the mustard seeds. Fry the dals and  red chilly. Add curry leaves, ginger and green chillis. Stir fry for a few seconds.

3. Add asafoetida and a little salt and stir. Add the sweet potato and stir carefully (otherwise the sweet potato will get mashed completely) Make a pit in the middle and add the coconut mixed with salt. Cover and cook for 15-20 seconds Stir well.

4. Switch off the stove and add the cilantro Stir again.

ADA DOSA

There are different versions of ada dosa made with different combinations of ponni rice, raw rice, moong dal, chana dal, toor dal and  urad dal. The ada dosa we make at home is made with raw rice, moong dal, urad dal and chana dal (optional)

INGREDIENTS

1. Raw rice - 1 cup
2. Moong dal (cherupayar parippu) - 1/2 cup
3. Urad dal (uzhunnu parippu) - 1/2 cup
4. Chana dal - 1 table spoon
5. Asafoetida (kaayam) - 1/2 tea spoon
6. Red chillis - 3
7. Sesame oil
8. Salt

METHOD

1. Soak rice, dals and chillis for 1 hour. Blend in the mixie with kaayam, salt and water for a few seconds to get a coarse paste (not a fine paste like that of ordinary dosa).

2. Heat the tava. Wipe the tava with a cloth soaked in sesame oil. Pour half a cup of batter and spread. Sprinkle a tea spoon of oil on it. Increase the heat . Flip when one side is done. Lower the heat and alow to cook for 10-15 seconds. Flip again and fold.

3. Sprinkle some cold water on the tava and wipe dry before making the next dosa.

Ada dosa and avial is a very good combination. It is good with butter and sugar also.

BHATURA

Bhatura is usually made by adding yeast or baking powder and yoghurt to maida. In this recipe I have used only yoghurt and a pinch of Sodium bicarbonate

INGREDIENTS

1. Maida - 2cups
2. Yoghurt - 4 table spoons
3. Oil - 2 tea spoon
4. Sodium bicarbonate - 1 pinch (optional)
5. Salt
6. Oil for frying

METHOD

Mix 1-5 and knead well to get a soft dough. Coat with a little oil and allow to rest for 4-5 hours, covering with a damp cloth. Roll like big puris (thicker) and fry. Remember to fry the bhaturas just before serving.

VAZHATHANDU VADAAM

Vathal, vadaam, karuvadaam all refer to ready to fry crispy snacks which are made from rice, chavvari  (sago) etc. They come in different shapes and can be fried and used like "pappadam".

Vazhathandu vadaam is made from rice and banana stem. I know only one person who makes this vadaam with perfection. That is Bhagyam mami, my sister in law's mother. Every year she makes this in bulk and sends to her daughter. My darling SIL packs half of that for me when we return to Kuwait after vacation. I got the recipe from her and learned by trial and error method. ( the vadaams I make are semicircular in shape whereas the ones mami make have perfect elliptical shape)

INGREDIENTS
1. Raw rice - 1 cup
2. Banana stem (vazhappindi/ vazhathandu) - Thin stem 5" long ( 1 cup when cut)
3. Salt
4. Green chillis - 4
5. Asafoetida - 1/2 tea spoon
6. Water - 6 cups

METHOD

1. Soak the rice in water for 3-4 hours. Grind it well with water (1 cup), salt, green chillis and asafoetida. Keep it  overnight.

2. Cut the banana stem into thin circles simultaneously removing the thread with your index finger. Cut again into very small pieces and put into thin butter milk. (this is to prevent the pieces from turning brown) Wash 4-5 times and cook on a low flame for 5 minutes adding 1/4 cup of water. (in the original recipe the cooking part is omitted. )

3.Add 5 cups of water to the rice paste and stir well. Cook this on a low flame stirring continuously. The solution thickens and finally a shiny porridge like mass is obtained. At this stage add the raw or cooked vazhathandu and mix well.

4. On a clean piece of cloth drop the mix with a spoon or your hand. Dry this in the sun for 3 days. When the vadaam is almost dry sprinkle some water on the other side of the cloth and remove the vadaams from the cloth. Dry it again for 3-4 days. Store in a dry container.

5. Heat oil in a pan and fry the vadaam.

ETHAKKA APPAM

This is a tasty snack made with ripe banana (ethappazham/nenthrappazham). The method is very easy and the preparation takes hardly 10 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

1. Ethappazham - 4 (make sure it is ripe and sweet.)
2. Maida - 1 cup
3. Rice flour (pathiri podi) - 1/4 cup
4. Salt - 1 pinch
5. Sugar - 1 table spoon
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tea spoon
7. Coconut oil - for frying (ghee is best)

METHOD

1. Mix items 2-6 and add enough water to make a loose paste.

2. Remove the skin and cut the banana (lenghtwise) into 2 or 3.

3. Heat oil in a wide pan. Put a drop of the batter to check if the oil is hot enough. Keep the heat at medium. Otherwise the appam will absorb more oil.

4. Coat the banana pieces with the batter and fry in the oil . Flip only once.

MATHANGA ERISSERY

Erissery is an essential item in the Kerala sadya menu. Erissery can be made with pumpkin (mathanga), elephant yam (chena), raw banana (kaaya) etc. Sometimes more than one vegetable or a combination of daal and vegetables or even daal alone is used to make erissery.

INGREDIENTS

1. Mathanga (pumpkin) - 400 gms
2. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
3. Green chilli - 1
4. Scrapped coconut - 1/2 cup
5. Cumin seeds - 1 pinch
6. salt
7. Coconut oil 1 table spoon
8. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
9. Whole red chilli - 2 or 3
10. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

METHOD

1. Cut the pumpkin into cubes. Add water ( 2 cups) and 1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder and cook well.  Mash with a spoon.

2. Grind the coconut, cumin seeds, green chilli and 1/4 tea spoon turmeric in the mixie. Add this to the pumpkin and cook on a low flame. When the coconut starts frothing stir and switch off the stove. Add salt and mix well.

3. Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds.Add the red chillis, curry leaves and coconut one by one stirring. Continue stirring till the coconut is brown Pour over the pumpkin. Mix before serving.