Padavalanga thoran/Snake gourd stir fry with coconut

Ingredients

Snake gourd chopped into small pieces - 250 gm
Coconut shredded - 1/2 cup
Green chilly - 4
Onion small - 1/2 of it
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
salt to taste
Oil - 1 Tbs

How to

Premix chopped snake gourd, chopped onion, sliced green chilly, shredded coconut, turmeric powder, curry leaves and salt together and keep aside.

Heat up oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add the mixture, cook on high flame uncovered with occasional stirring for even cooking. Once the snake gourd is cooked through but still crunchy, turn off the stove.

Cabbage thoran/ Cabbage stir fry with coconut

INGREDIENTS

Cabbage shredded small - 1
Green chilly - 5 sliced
Onion - 1 chopped
Coconut shredded  - 1 cup (tightly filled) or 1/2 coconut
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 Tbs
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt to taste

HOW TO

Heat up oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add onion and curry leaves, fry till it turns transparent, add cabbage, green chilly, coconut and salt, cook on high flame uncovered with occasional stirring for even cooking. Turn off the stove when cabbage is cooked through, still crunchy.but the raw smell and taste is gone.

Vazhakka podimas

Ingredients

Raw plantain - 1 1/2 large

Ginger - 1/2'' piece minced

Onion small -1 chopped

Green chilly - 4 sliced
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida powder - a generous pinch

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dry red chilly - 2, broken into 2 pieces

Uradh dhal - 1 Tbs

Coconut shredded - 3 Tbs

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Lime juice - 1 tsp

How to cook

 Cut the plantain into 2 pieces and cook in a pressure cooker with enough water to cover it. Turn off the stove after 1 whistle. When pressure gets released drain the water and let the plantain to cool down.

Once its cooled down grate the plantain with a cheese grater                                               

Heat up oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add uradh dhal, dry red chillies and curry leaves, fry till uradh dhal turns golden brown.

Add onion, ginger and green chillies, fry till onion turns soft and transparent.

 Now add  turmeric powder and asafoetida powder mix and stir few times.

Add grated plantain and salt, mix well, cook for few minutes and turn off the stove.

Add shredded coconut and lime juice, mix well &  podimas is ready

Chemmeen vazhakkai charu curry/ Prawns with raw plantain curry

Ingredients

Prawns (shelled and deveined) - 15- 20 large ones ( if small increase quantity)
Raw plantain large - 1 1/2 ( if small variety raw banana is using, increase quantity to 6 )
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt to  taste
Kokum (kudam puli ) - 6 small pieces

To grind to a paste
Chilly powder - 1 Tbs
Shallots( kunjully) - 5-6
Garlic - 1
Coconut  shredded - 1 cup ( 1/2 coconut)

To season
Oil - 1 Tbs
Fenugreek seeds - 1 small pinch
Mustard  seeds - 1/4 tsp
Sliced shallots -  1
Dry red chillies - 2
Curry leave - 1 sprig

How to

1) Cut banana into small cubes
2) Wash and drain prawns, cut into 2 pieces if its large
3) Wash and soak kokum in 1/2 cup water
4) Grind together coconut , shallots, garlic and chilly powder to a paste

5) Cook prawns and banana together with turmeric powder and salt with enough water to cover the ingredients.

6) When banana becomes soft but stll hold its shape add the soaked kokum with water to it and boil.
7)  Add the coconut paste and and mix, when it starts boiling turn off stove. Check and adjust salt at this time.
8)  To season  heat up oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add the rest of the ingredients for seasoning in that order, when shallots turn brown pour it over the curry.

Chutta kathirika chammanthi / Roasted eggplant chutney

Ingredients

Medium sized eggplants-  2

Shallots - 5

Dry red chilly or green chilly - 3-4

Ginger - 1'' piece

Tomato - 1 medium size

Curry leaves - 4-5 leaves

Salt to taste

How to make

Apply oil over the eggplants and roast it placing it directly over the flame, Rotate it for even cooking. Once its cooled down, remove the skin.

Roasted eggplant & roasted peeled eggplant

Take all the ingredients  in a mixer/ blender and grind it to a paste. Add enough water to make it to your desired consistency.

Tips :- Instead of tomato you can use a very small piece of tamarind

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Multigrain Puttu

Puttu is steamed cake made of wet flour. Traditionally puttu is made with rice flour, but here I am mixing together five different flours to make it more healthy and nutritious.You can just use any one of the flours and follow the same steps to make puttu. Usually coarsely ground roasted flour is used for it..You need a special vessel called puttu kutti for making it. Alternatively you can spread a cheese cloth in a regular steamer, spread  the flour on top of it and steam it .

Ingredients

Any puttu flours of your choice- 2 cup (I used 1/4 cup brown rice + 1/4 cup wheat flour + 1/4 cup raggi flour + 1/4 cup corn flour + 1/4 cup flax meal)

Shredded coconut - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Water( preferably warm) - approximately 1 cup

How I made it

Mix together all flours except flax meal, salt, 1/2 cup of coconut  and sprinkle water little by little as you keep mixing it with the hand.

The right consistency is when you clasp, the flour will hold together as a lump which can be easily crumbled.

Now add the flax meal to the flour and mix well. You don't want to add flax meal when you are mixing  it with water because flax meal can turn into a sticky mess when get wet and it might ruin the texture of your puttu.

Take some water ( make sure you take enough water to steam your whole batch ) in your puttu kudam or cooker, put on the stove, and boil it . Now start filling the puttu kutti loosely with flour(.Remember to put the perforated round plate first, otherwise all your flour will end up in the kudam) Start and end with a Tbs of shredded coconut and add layers of coconut in between and close the lid. Once steam start coming out of the cooker or kudam, put the kutti on top of it and steam for approximately 3-4 minute.

You will see steam coming out through the holes of the lid after about one minute. Once after 3-4 minute of steaming, take the kutti out and push the cylindrical steam cake out from the tube with the stick gently, taking care of not to crumble the puttu. Enjoy with banana or chickpea curry.

Tips:- Once you mix your flour if you let it stay for 10-15 mts, puttu will be softer.

You can also run the wet flour in a grinder or food processor to remove all the small lumps.

Pavakka pitlai

This is a traditional Tamilian dish, very similar to sambar in taste but thicker in texture.

Ingredients

Bitter gourd cut into small pieces - 250 gm
Tuvar dhal - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Tamarind - a small lemon sized ball
Jaggery - a small piece

To roast
Oil - 2 tsp
Channa dhal - 1 Tbs
Coriander seeds - 1 Tbs
Dry red chillies - 5
Black pepper corns - 1/4 tsp
Shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
Asafoetida(powder) - a pinch

To season
Oil - 1 Tbs
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Dry red chilly  - 2 broken into 2 pieces
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Preparation

Wash and cook tuvar dhal in a pressure cooker with 1 cup water
Soak tamarind in 1 cup water and extract the juice. Discard the pulp.
Cook bitter gourd pieces with turmeric powder and little salt in a regular pot with 1 cup water..

Heat up oil in a pan, add channa dhal, coriander seeds, black pepper corns, dry red chillies, and shredded coconut respectively, Once coconut added stir few times & turn off the stove and then add asafoetida powder.

Once its cooled down grind it to a paste with minimal water added Add this paste and cooked tuvar dhal to the bitter gourd, bring to a boil. Now add tamarind extract and jaggery  and boil again. Adjust the salt  and turn off  the stove.

To season heat up oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add dry red chillies and curry leaves, pour it over the pitlai.

Guacamole

This is a Mexican dip to go with tortilla chips made of avocado

Ingredients

Ripe avocados(pick avocados with little bit of give, not too hard or too soft) - 4
Small onion - 1 minced

lime juice - from 2 lime                                                 
Roma tomato - 2 small chopped
garlic - 2 minced
green chillies - 2 minced
cilantro - 1/4 cup minced
pepper powder - 1 tsp
salt to taste

Preparation

Cut the avocados in half remove the seed and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.Coarsely mash it with a fork.. Add all the other ingredients and mash and mix some more.. There should be some chunks to give it little texture. Now enjoy with your favourite chips.

Tips:- When adding salt and lime juice,  start small and taste as you go.

Vendakka mapass/ Okra in coconut milk gravy

Ingredients

Okra - 250 gm cut into 1'' long pieces
Onion medium size - 2 sliced
Ginger minced - 1 tsp
Green chilly  slit into halves - 4
Tomato diced - 1 large
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1.5 Tbs
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Thin coconut milk - 1 1/4 cup
Semi thick coconut milk - 3/4 cup
Thick coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Curry leaves - 2 sprig
Oil - 3 Tbs
Mustard seeds
Salt to taste

How I made it

Wash and dry the okra with paper towel before cutting it. Cut it into 1'' long pieces.

Heat up 1 tsp oil in a kadai, and fry the okra pieces with little salt in medium high heat,  till you don't see anymore slimy thread forming.. It will be half cooked at this point. Take it out and keep it aside.

Put back the kadai on the stove, add  the remaining oil, splutter mustard seeds, add onion, ginger, green chilly and 1 sprig of curry leaf, then saute till onion is soft and pink.

Add coriander powder, chilly powder, turmeric powder and half of the garam masala and stir till the powders get roasted.

Add tomato sliced, and saute till it gets cooked and mashed

Now add the okra pieces and thin coconut milk, mix well and cook on medium heat with lid on.

Once the okra is cooked welll,  add the semi thick coconut milk and boil,. then add thick coconut milk and turn off the stove. Add the remaining garam masala and garnish with the remaining curry leaves

Tips :- Drying the okra before cutting it and frying it helps reducing the slimness of this vegetable. adding a half tsp vinegar in the end also is helpful.

I used canned coconut milk. For thin cc milk = I cup water + 1/4  cup cc milk
                                           For semi thick = 1/2 cup water + 1/4 cup cc milk
                                           For thick cc milk = undiluted cc milk

After adding thick cc milk, do not boil, it can cause oil to get separated from the coconut milk..

Pavayka thoran / Bitter gourd stir fry with coconut

Bitter gourd is made into thoran like any other thoran, except for a small piece of ginger added to balance the bitterness.

Ingredients

Bitter gourd chopped into small pieces - 750g ( I chopped it in a food processor)
Onion medium size chopped - 1
green chillies chopped - 6
small 1/2'' piece of ginger minced
coconut shredded - 1 cup

Turmeric powder(optional) - 1/4 tsp
curry leaves - 1-2 sprig
cooking oil - 2 Tbs
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
salt to taste

Preparation

Mix well the bittergourd, chopped onion, green chilly, coconut, turmeric powder, salt and curry leaves with hand.

Heat up oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add the bitter gourd mixture and mix well.
Cook on high heat, uncovered with occasional stirring for even cooking.
Cook till the raw taste and smell goes away.
Adjust the salt and turn off the stove.

Padavalanga poriyal

Poriyal is the Tamil version of thoran. Unless like thoran coconut is added last as a dressing.

Ingredients

snake gourd medium size, cut into small pieces - approximately 800 g

onion small, chopped - 1

green chillies, sliced- 5

urad dhal - 2 tsp

curry leaves - 2 sprigs

coconut oil or any other cooking oil - 2 Tbs

dry red chilly split into 2 pieces - 2

mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

coconut shredded 3/4 cup

salt to taste

Preparation

Heat up oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add urad dhal curry leaves and dry red chillies.

Once urad dhal turns brown add chopped onion, green chillies and salt. When onion turns pink add snake gourd and mix.

Cook uncovered on high flame. stir occasionally for even cooking. When stir fry vegetables never overcook vegetables to a mushy mess. The goal should be just to get rid of the raw taste and smell, but to retain its crunchiness.

Now add coconut, mix well and turn off the stove. You may garnish with more curry leaves if you like.

Snake Gourd Dhal currry/ Padavalanga Parippu Curry

Ingredients

Snake Gourd  cut into 1 cm squares - 500 gm
Toor dhal - 1/2  cup
Green chilly slit lengthwise - 5
Onion small  sliced- 1
garlic sliced - 4-5
Turmeric powder. 12 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
salt to taste

To grind
Coconut shredded - 1 cup
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Tempering
Ghee / coconut oil - 1 Tbs
Dry red chilly - 2
Curry leaves - 1-2 sprigs
Shallots - 2

Preparation

Cook toor dhal in a pressure cooker ( soaking in water few hours makes it faster if you are cooking in a regular pot)

Once pressure released, add snake gaurd, onion, garlic, green chillies, chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt. Close the cooker, cook on high heat. Turn off the stove once pressure build up in the cooker, when it is just about to whistle. That way you can avoid overcooking the snake gaurd.

Add the coconut paste to the dhal snake gourd mixture and boil.  Check and adjust salt.

To season heat up oil / ghee in a small pan, splutter mustard seed, add sliced shallots, dry red chilly and curry leaves, once shallots turns brown, pour it over the curry and mix well. Padavalanga parippu curry is ready.

Chicken Curry

This is one of many ways I cook chicken. I used 1 whole young organic chicken.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken skinned, and cut into small pieces - 2 kg (yes 2 kilos !!)

onion  large - 2 sliced
ginger -1  thick 2.5" piece sliced thin
garlic - 12 cloves sliced thin
green chilly - 5 long ones slit into halves
tomatoes - 3 sliced
curry leaves - 2 sprigs
yogurt(curd) - 1/4 cup
turmeric powder - 2 tsp

chilly powder - 2 Tbs
coriander - 1 Tbs
garam masala - 1.5 tsp
coconut oil - 4 Tbs
salt to taste
water - 1 cup

Preparation

Marinate the chicken pieces for an hour with 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 Tbs chilly powder, little salt and yogurt

Heat oil in a pan saute onion, ginger, garlic, green chilly and curry leaves till onion turn soft and transparent.

Now add all the spice powders and fry for a minute or two till you and everybody around you start coughing :) ( don't over do it,  you will burn it)

Add tomatoes and saute till turn soft and cooked

Now  transfer this mixture to a plate and let it cool. Return the pan to the stove and add the marinated chicken to it and cook on high flame stirring occassionally.

Mean time  take the spice mixture once its cooled down, in a blender and grind it to a smooth paste with little water. use the rest of the water to clean up the blender and reserve it to adjust the gravy.Once the chicken is half cooked add this  paste to it. Add more water if you want more gravy and vice versa.

Adjust salt and turn off the stove once chicken is cooked well when meat is soft and easily separated from bone. Garnish with curry leaves.