PAZHAM NURUKKU

Pazham nurukku or "ethappazham puzhungiyathu" is usually made by steaming ripe banana with the skin on."There is another easier method which I use for making pazham nurukku for sadya.

INGREDIENTS

1. Ripe banana - 2

2. Ghee - 1 tea spoon

3. Jaggery syrup - 1 table spoon

METHOD

1. Remove skin and cut each banana into 2 or 3

2. Take the banana in a pan with 1-2 cups of water. Cook covered at medium heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and flip the pieces. Cook again till all the water has evaporated.

3. Add ghee and jaggery syrup and switch off heat. Mix carefully so that the banana dosent get mashed.

VELLA NARANGA ACHAR

INGREDIENTS

1. Cheru naranga (lime) - 10
2. Sesame oil - 3 table spoon
3. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
4. Garlic - 8-10 cloves
5. Ginger chopped - 1 table spoon
6. Green chillis - 4 or Kanthari mulaku - 10
7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
8. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
9. Asafoetida - 1/4 tea spoon

METHOD

 Lime can be cooked either by steaming or by stir frying in oil. I have used the second method in this recipe.

1. Heat 1 table spoon oil in a pan and cook the lime on low heat, stirring in between. The skin will become soft and start breaking. Switch off heat and discard the oil (it would have become brown)

2. Wipe each lime with a dry cloth and cut into wedges.

3. Chop garlic and green chillis

4. Heat 2 table spoon oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds followed by fenugreek.

5. Add curry leaves, green chillis, ginger and garlic and saute till garlic starts turning brown.

6. Add lime and salt and 1/4 cup boiled water and cook for 3 minutes.

7. If planning to keep for long, add 1 table spoon of vinegar when cooled. Mix well and transfer to a glass or clay container. Put a cloth soaked in sesame oil below the lid and close tightly. Let it stay like this for a week.

CHENA UPPERI & CHEMBU UPPERI

 

Fried chena (elephant yam) and chembu  are two of the four fries included in the Kerala sadya menu.

INGREDIENTS

1. Chena - 250 gm

2. Sheema Chembu - 250gm 

3. Oil - for frying

4. Salt - 1/2 tea spoon

5. Turmeric - 1/2 tea spoon (optional)

6. Water

METHOD

1. Remove skin and cut yam into thin  long strips or cubes. Keep it in water containing a little turmeric powder and wash well. Drain on paper towel.

2. Heat oil in a pan and fry the strips stirring continuously.

3. Sprinkle some water with salt and turmeric when half done.

4.  Continue frying till done, stirring all the time.

5. Similarly clean and cut the chembu into thin round pieces.

6. Fry in oil stirring continuously, sprinkling  salt water when half done.

Sometimes chena upperi gets soggy if kept for long time. This can be prevented by baking it for 8 -10 minutes in the oven at minimum temperature.

KOOTTU CURRY

Koottu curry is an item on the Kerala sadya menu which is different from "koottu", popular in Tamilnadu. It can be prepared using different combinations of vegetables and grams/dals like "raw banana - chana dal", "elephant yam - black chana", "cucumber, elephant yam, raw banana and black chana"etc.

INGREDIENTS

1. Chena ( elephant yam) cubed - 2 cups

2. Karutha kadala (black chick peas) - 1/2 cup

3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon

4. Chilli powder - 1/2 tea spoon

5. Grated coconut - 1 cup

6. Cumin seeds - 1 pinch

7. Coconut oil - 2 table spoon

8. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon

9. Whole red chillis - 2

10. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

METHOD

1. Soak chick peas overnight and pressure cook for 10 minutes. Add cubed yam, chilli powder and 1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder and pressure cook again. Stop heating after the first whistle.

2. If you are using a pressure pan continue cooking in it. Otherwise transfer the yam - chick peas mixture into a pan.

3. Grind 3/4 cup of coconut coarsely with 1/4 tea spoon turmeric and cumin seeds. Add this to the pan and cover with yam - chick peas mixture. Close with a lid and cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Mix with a spoon.

4. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add red chillis, curry leaves and 1/4 cup coconut and fry well. Add to the koottu curry and mix.

PACHORU

This is my 100th post and I wanted to try some special sweet recipe. Today is September 8th and this date always reminds me of paachoru (nercha paachoru) which our neighbour used to bring after finishing her "Ettu Nombu". It is very much similar to "chakkara pongal" which we make during Navarathri.

INGREDIENTS

1. Raw rice ( I used jeerakasala rice) - 1/2 cup

2. Jaggery - 200 gm

3. Ghee - 1 table spoon

4. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

5. Chukku-jeerakam-elakka podi - 1/2 tea spoon (dry ginger, cumin seeds and cardamom taken in equal amounts and powdered)

6. Chopped coconut - 1 table spoon

7. Kismis - 10-12

8. Cashewnut - 8-10

PREPARATION

1. Heat 6-8 cups of water in a big pan and cook rice well. It should be overcooked.

2. Make jaggery syrup by heating it with 1 cup water and filtering when completely dissolved.

3. Blend the grated coconut well with hand till the milk starts coming.

4. Add jaggery syrup and coconut to the rice and cook again till all the water is gone.

5. Switch off heat, add chukku-jeerakam-elakka powder and mix well.

6. Heat ghee and fry chopped coconut, cashew and kismis. Pour into the paachoru and mix.

JEERA RASAM

I used to make jeera rasam in the same way as pepper rasam until I came across a recipe by Smt. Andal Rangaswamy. I took some tips from that and improvised my original recipe to get a thick gravy which goes well with rice.

INGREDIENTS

1. Tamarind - Lime size

2. Cumin seeds - 1 tea spoon

3. Masoor dal - 1 table spoon

4. Red chilli - 2

5. Rasam powder - 1 tea spoon

6. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon

7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon

8. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

9. Salt

METHOD

1.Soak masoor dal, cumin seeds and 1 red chilli (optional). Grind to a coarse paste.

2. Soak tamarind in a little hot water and extract juice. Dilute it with more water. Add rasam powder and salt and allow to boil .

3. Reduce heat to low and add the dal paste. Cook till the raw smell goes and the rasam thickens, stirring continuously.

4. Heat oil and splutter mustard seeds. Fry red chilli and curry leaves and pour into the rasam.

PAVAKKA PULI INCHI

This recipe is similar to that of  puli inchi , but the taste is different. I think I got the recipe from an old issue of "Vanitha".

Remember to avoid onion if making for a traditional sadya.

INGREDIENTS

1. Bitter gourd (pavakka) , cut into rings - 1 cup

2. Ginger chopped - 1 table spoon

3. Onion chopped - 1/4 cup

4. Green chilli chopped - 1/2 tea spoon

5. Coconut oil

6. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon

7. Fenugreek - 1/4 tea spoon

8. Dry red chillis - 2 (break each into 3)

9. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

10. Corriander powder - 1 tea spoon

11. Chilli powder - 1/2 tea spoon

12. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tea spoon

13.  Cumin seeds - 1 pinch

14. Tamarind - Lime sized ball

15. Chopped coconut - 1 table spoon

16. Salt

17. Jaggery/sugar - To adjust the taste

PREPARATION

1. Fry bitter gourd pieces in oil and keep aside to drain.

2. Soak tamarind in hot water and extract thick juice.

3. Heat 1 1/2 table spoon oil in a pan. (the same oil used to fry bitter gourd can be used) and splutter mustard seeds. To this add fenugreek and cumin seeds followed by red chilli pieces, curry leaves and coconut.

4. When the coconut is fried well add  ginger, onion and green chilli. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat and add the powders. Stir well and add the tamarind extract, salt and bitter gourd.

5. When the gravy thickens add sugar or jaggery to adjust the taste. Switch off stove and allow to cool.

PARIPPU CURRY

This curry, usually referred to as "parippu" is served along with ghee at the beginning of a sadya.

INGREDIENTS

1. Cheru payar parippu (moong dal) - 1 cup

2. Ghee - 1 tea spoon

3. Grated coconut - 1 cup

4. Cumin seeds - 1 pinch

5. Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

6. Green chilli - 1 (optional)

7. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon

8. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

PREPARATION

1. Heat ghee in a pan and stir fry the moong dal till its colour starts changing to  light brown.

2. Pressure cook for 10 minutes with 2 cups of water.

3. Grind coconut, cumin seeds and turmeric to a fine paste. Add crushed green chilli (optional) to it.

4. Mash the cooked dal. Mix in the coconut paste, salt and 1 cup of water. Cook on a low flame for 5-6 minutes.

5. Switch off heat and add coconut oil and curry leaves. Mix well.

GHEE (NEYYU)

Ghee is made by heating butter for about 8 - 10 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

1. Butter

METHOD

1. Heat unsalted butter in a thick pan on medium flame. It melts slowly and starts boiling.

2. Reduce heat to low. A foam will be formed on the top. Keep stirring checking the colour of the solid mass at the bottom occassionally. It will be cream in colour at first.

3. When the solid mass turns light brown stop heating and continue stirring for 1 more minute. By that time it will turn dark brown and the ghee a golden yellow colour.

4. Allow the ghee to cool and filter through a thin cloth.

5. Store in a dry container. There is no need to refrigerate ghee.

6. The dark brown residue can be eaten mixed with a little sugar.