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.