URULAKKIZHANGU CURRY

INGREDIENTS

1. Potato (urulakkizhangu) - 2

2. Big onion - 1(thinly sliced)

3. Garlic - 2 cloves

4. Ginger - 1/2" cube

5. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

6. Tomato - 1(quartered)

7. Coconut oil - 1 1/2 table spoon

8. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon

9. Turmeric powder - 1/4 + 1/4 tea spoon

10. Corriander powder - 1 1/2 tea spoon

11. Garam masala powder - 1/4 + 3/4 tea spoon

12. Chilli powder - 1/2 tea spoon

13. Split green chillis - 2

14. Thick coconut milk - 1 cup

15. Thin coconut milk - 1 cup

METHOD

1. Peel skin, wash and cube the potaoes. Add 1 cup water, 1/4 tea sp turmeric powder, 1/4 tea sp garam masala powder and a little salt and cook till almost done.

2. Cut the garlic and ginger lenghwise.

3. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Saute the onion for a minute. Add ginger, garlic, chillis and curry leaves and saute till the onion turns light brown.

4. Add the powders and stir for a minute. Add tomato and stir fry.

5. Add thin coconut milk, salt and  potato and cook on low fire till the gravy thickens. Add thick coconut milk slowly stirring well. Switch off stove and continue stirring for a minute to avoid curdling.

This curry goes well with idiyappam, palappam, vellayappam, kozhukkatta etc.

OLAN

Olan is an essential item on the Kerala sadya menu. It can be prepared with ash gourd (kumbalanga) alone or with ash gourd and red gram (van payar) or with ash gourd, pumpkin and string beans. Raw banana also is added to olan in some parts of North Kerala.

 INGREDIENTS

1. Ash gourd - 400 gm
2. Red gram - 1/4 cup
3. Grated coconut - 1 cup
4. Green chillis - 2
5. Salt
6. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
7. coconut oil - 2 tea sp

METHOD

1. Remove skin and seeds and cut ash gourd into 1"squares (2 mm thick). Add 1/4 cup water and split green chillis and cook.

2. Extract thick coconut (onnaam pal) milk by adding 1/2 cup water to the coconut and running in the mixie for 5 seconds. Repeat the process to get thin coconut milk (randaam pal).

3. Pressure cook red gram for 10 minutes.

4. When the ash gourd is almost done add thin coconut milk, cook for some time,  add red gram and cook again.

5. Add salt and thick coconut milk. Stir and remove from fire.

6. Add coconut oil and curry leaves. Keep covered for 10 minutes. Mix gently.

ETHAKKA THOLI THORAN

Ethakka tholi (raw banana skin) which is usually thrown away can be made into delicious thoran, mezhukku puratti or koottu. Whenever I make banana chips the peeled skin is kept in the fridge for making thoran or koottu next day

INGREDIENTS

1. Ethakka tholi chopped - 1 cup

2. Butter milk - 1 table spoon

3. Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

4. Green chilli chopped - 1

5. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tea sp

6. Coconut oil - 1 table sp

7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea sp

8. Urad dal - 1 tea sp

9. Curry leaves

METHOD

1. Wash the chopped ethakka tholi in water and butter milk. 

2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.   Add urad dal and fry. To this add green chilli and curry leaves and saute for 2 minutes.

3. Add turmeric powder, stir and add ethakka tholi. Mix well, close with a lid and cook till soft.

4. Add grated coconut and salt and cook on low flame for 3-4 minutes. Stir well.

MADHURA PACHADI

I make 2 versions of this curry, one with pumpkin, banana, pineapple and grapes and the other with mango, banana, grapes and pineapple.

INGREDIENTS

1. Ethappazham (ripe banana) - 1(cubed)

2. Diced pineapple - 1/2 cup

3. Black grapes - 5-6

4. Ripe mango - 1(cubed)

5. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tea spoon (optional)

6. Red chilli powder - 1/4 tea sp

7. Green chillis - 2

8. Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

9. Beaten curd - 1/4 cup

10. Cumin seeds - 1 pinch

11. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea sp

12. Jaggery - 1 table sp

13. Fenugreek - 1 pinch

14. Red chillis - 2

15. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

16. Coconut oil - 1 table sp

METHOD

1. Cook the pineapple, banana and mango with chilli powder, salt, jaggery, a little turmeric powder and 1/4 cup water.

2. Make a fine paste of coconut with the remaining turmeric powder and cumin seeds. Crush 1/4 tea sp mustard seeds in a mortar. 

3. When the fruits are cooked add coconut paste and crushed mustard seeds and cook on a low flame. Add grapes. When it starts frothing, add curd, stir and switch off the stove. Continue stirring for a minute.

4. Heat oil in a pan and splutter 1/4 tea sp mustard seeds. Fry fenugreek seeds, whole red chillis and curry leaves and pour into the curry.

AVIYAL

INGREDIENTS

1. Vellarikka (cucumber), raw banana, elephant yam (chena), carrot, brinjal(vazhuthinanga), drum stick (muringakka), string beans(achinga payar), snake gourd (padavalanga) - 2 cups when cut
2. Turmeric powder - 3/4 tea sp
3. Salt
4. Green chillis - 4
5. Red chilli - 1
6. Cumin seeds - 1 pinch
7. Grated coconut - 3/4 cup
8. Thick tamarind extract - 1 table spoon
9. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon + 1/2 tea spoon
10. Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
11. Small onions - 2 (optional)

METHOD

1. Clean and cut the vegetables into thin 1" long pieces(muringakka should be cut into 2''long pieces)

2. Smear the inside of a pan with 1/2 tea spoon oil. Add 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tea spoon turmeric and 1/2 tea spoon salt and mix. To this add the vegetables and cook till almost done .

3. Add tamarind extract and salt if needed and cook again.

4. Make a coarse paste of coconut, red chilly, 1/4 tea sp turmeric , a little salt and cumin seeds without adding water. Crush the onion and 4-5 curry leaves and mix in the paste. Add this to the vegetables and cook on a low flame for 3-4 minutes.

5. Switch off stove and add the remaining oil and curry leaves. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes. Mix well without mashing the vegetables.

ETHAKKA UPPERI (BANANA CHIPS)

Ethakka upperi or kaaya varuthathu is a snack item which has a place in the heart of every Malayali. In addition to this it forms an integral part of the traditional sadya menu. The preparation is simple and can be stored for even months if kept in an air tight container.

INGREDIENTS

1. Raw bananas - 5 (Should not be sweet. Chips can be made using sweet bananas as well, but it is a different item.)
2. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
3. Salt - 1/2 tea spoon
4. Oil - for frying
5. Water - 2 table spoon

METHOD

1. Wash and wipe the bananas. Cut both ends. Using the tip of the knife cut the skin vertically at 3-4 places. Remove 1 portion with the knife. The rest can easily be peeled with hand.

2. Cut the banana into thin round pieces. Thickness should be uniform. (my mother cuts the banana holding it above the hot oil letting the pieces fall directly , a trick I havent mastered yet. I need a cutting board)

3. Dissolve salt and turmeric powder in water.

4. Heat oil in a big frying pan or "uruli". The heat should be medium high. (chips will be oily if heat is low.Test check the temperature by putting 1 piece of banana.) Put the banana pieces in the hot oil and stir gently with a slotted spoon. Once they are half fried sprinkle a little turmeric water stirring well. (this step is optional. The chips are tasty even without salt) Continue stirring and once the sound of chips colliding with the side of the pan is heard and the colour is bright yellow transfer to a wide plate or "muram" lined with kitchen towel. Allow to cool.

MAMPAZHA KALAN

Kalan is an essential item on the Kerala sadya menu. For Vishu sadya I make mampazha kalan with the sweet mangoes kept for kani. For making mampazha kalan a special type of small mango called chandrakkaran/nattu manga is used. It is very sweet and the smell is just divine. The mangoes I have used had the same smell but not very sweet. I had to add more jaggery to make the curry sweet.

It is best to use a "mann chatti"(clay pan) or "kal (stone)chatti"for making kalan.

INGREDIENTS

1. Ripe mango - 6 (if chandrakkaran mango is not available use 3 big mangoes)

2. Turmeric powder - 1 tea sp

3.Pepper powder - 1/2 tea sp

4. Green chilli - 3-4

5. Salt

6. Jaggery - 1 table spoon

7. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

8. Cumin seeds - 1 pinch

9. Chilli powder - 1/2 tea sp (optional)

10. Fenugreek - 1/2 tea sp

11. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon

12. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea sp

13. Dried red chilli - 2 or 3

14. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs 

15. Sour curd - 1 cup

METHOD

1. Wash mangoes and peel the skin. Squeeze juice from the skin into a pan. Discard the skin. To this add mango, 1 cup water, 1/2 tea sp turmeric powder, pepper powder, chilli powder and split green chillis and cook. Towards the end add a little salt and jaggery.

2. Grind the coconut to a fine paste with cumin seeds and 1/2 tea sp turmeric powder.

3. Heat oil in a small pan and fry the fenugreek seeds. Drain and grind this in a mortar.

4. Beat the curd

5. Add the coconut paste to the mango and cook on a low flame. When it starts frothing add the curd and heat again for a minute stirring continuously. Do not let it boil. Remove from fire, add fenugreek powder and stir again for 2-3 minutes. Check for salt and add more if needed.

6. Heat the oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add whole red chillis and curry leaves and fry. Pour this into the curry.