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.

CHEERA THORAN

Cheera (spinnach), cabbage, mathayila (pumpkin leaves) or any other leafy vegetable thoran can be prepared by this method.

INGREDIENTS

1. Cheera - 1 small bunch (1 1/2 cup when cut)
2. Puzhukkalari - 1 table spoon
3.Chopped onion - 2 table spoons
4. Green chillis - 2
5. Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
6. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon
7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
8. Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
9. Salt

METHOD

1. Wash and drain the spinnach. Cut the stem and leaves seperately. Split the chillis.

2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds. Fry the rice.

3. Saute the onion and chillis for 3-4 minutes. Add the stem pieces and stir fry.

4. Add salt and turmeric powder.  Add the cut leaves and stir well. Close and cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame.

5. Add grated coconut, cover with the spinnach , close and cook again for 2-3 minutes (add 1 table spoon water if needed)

6. Remove the lid. Stir well and cook for 1 more minute.

KAPPA PUZHUKKU&CHAMMANTHI

This is one of my favourites. I dont mind having this for breakfast lunch and dinner. Unfortunately my husband and daughter dont consider this as a main dish. For them kappa puzhukku is another side dish like thoran and mezhukku puratti. 

When I came to Kuwait in 1998 it was very difficult to get fresh tapioca. Tapioca doesnt stay fresh for more than a day and those available in the Indian stores were either brown or black having taken 3 -4 days to reach Kuwait from India. 

The problem was solved with the arrival of frozen tapioca and I always have at least 1 packet of "Nilamel's Frozen Tapioca"in my fridge.

INGREDIENTS

1. Kappa (tapioca/maracheeni/ poolakkizhangu/kollikkizhangu) - 1 Kg

2. Grated coconut - 1 cup
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
4. Cumin seeds - 1 pinch
5. Green chillis - 2
6. Small onions - 2
7. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
8. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
9. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon
10. Salt


PREPARATION

1. Cut the tapioca into small pieces

2. Boil water in a big pan  (water should be upto 3/4 of the pan). Add tapioca pieces and close with a lid.

3. When the tapioca is 90% cooked, drain the water.

4. Dissolve 1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder in 1/4 cup of ware and pour into the tapioca Mix and cook for 1-2 minutes,

5. Grind coconut, 1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder, cumin seeds and chillis in a mixie for 10-15 seconds. add this to the tapioca. Cover and cook on low flame for 3-4 minutes. Mix with a spoon.

6. Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds. Fry thinly sliced onion and curry leaves . Pour into the tapioca and mix well.

FOR CHAMMANTHI

INGREDIENTS

1. Red chillis - 5 or 6

2. Small onions - 10-12

3. Salt

4. Tamarind - 1 tea spoon

5. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon

6. Curd - 2 table spoon

METHOD

1. Fry or dry roast the red chillis

2. Crush onion and chillis in a mortar. Add salt and mix. Keep half of this aside

3. Add tamaring and grind into the onion- chilli mix. add coconut oil. One chammanthi is ready

4. To the other portion add curd and mix.

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.

VAZHACHUNDU THORAN

Vazzhaippoo, vazhakkoombu, vazhachundu, kudappan all refer to banana flower which is used to make thoran, vada, koottu etc.Eventhough all types of banana flowers are used to make thoran, Palayamkodan vazhachundu is the tastiest.

INGREDIENTS

1. Vaazhachundu - 1
2. shallots (small onion) - 5-6 (optional)
3. Green chilly - 2
4. curry leaves - 2 sprigs
5. Coconut scraped - 1/2 cup
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
7. Salt
8. Coconut oil - 1 1/2 table spoon
9. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
10. Uzhunu parippu (urad daal) or par boiled rice - 1 table spoon

PREPARATION

Discard 3-4 outer petals of the banana flower. Cut the flower into very small pieces directly into a bowl of water. Wash it 3-4 times and add 1 tea spoon of oil. Stir with your index finger in one direction for 15- 20 seconds The black threads along with some pieces will stick to the finger. Discard that. Repeat 3-4 times

Cut the shallots and green chillies

In a pan heat oil. Splutter the mustard seeda and add urad daal/ rice When it turns light brown add the shallots, chilly and curry leaves Saute for 1 minute. Add turmeric powder and salt, srir and add the cut banana flower. Stir well, close and allow to cook on a low flame ( add a little water if needed) When it is almost cooked  add the coconut and cover with the flower pieces. Close with a lid and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes.  remove the lid, stir well and keep on very low flame for some more time.

VEGETABLE STEW (KOTTAYAM SPECIAL)

INGREDIENTS

1. Potato - 1 (medium sized)
2. Carrot - 1
3. Cauli flower - 5 or 6 florets
4. Green peas - 1/4 cup
5. Big onion - 1
6. Garlic - 1-2 cloves
7. Tomato - 1
8. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
9. Green chilly - 3
10. Coconut milk (thin) - 1/2 cup
11. Coconut milk (thick) - 1 cup
12. Maida - 1 table spoon
13. Coconut oil 1 1/2 table spoon
14. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
15. Black pepper corns-1 tea spoon, cardamom - 3, cloves - 3, cinnamon small piece, bay leaf - 1

METHOD OF PREPARATION

Dice the potato and carrot. Add a cup of water and cook till half done. Add the cauli flower and peas and cook till the veggies are soft. ( Do not over cook)

Crush the whole masalas (except bay leaf) lightly. Mix with the thin coconut milk and maida

Heat 1/2 table spoon oil in apan and saute the onions (thinly sliced) , garlic and split green chillies. When the onion is translucent add the masala- coconut milk mixture. Sir and heat till the gravy thickens. Add the vegetables and salt and cook for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to minimum and add the thick coconut milk. Stir continuously for 10-15 seconds and remove from fire Keep on stirring for 2-3 minutes.

Heat 1 table spoon oil in an other pan and splutter the mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and tomato (cut into 4 or 6) Stir fry and pour into the stew.

This stew is usually served with paalappam, velleppam and idiyappam