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

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.

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.

Olan

Olan doesn't need much spices except for green chillies. You don't need all the vegetables I used, instead you could just use one. Increase the amount of the vegetable to make up for the volume.

Ingredients

Van payar ( red chori) - 1/4 cup
achinga payar (yard long beans)- 10
ash gourd or winter melon ( kumbalanga) - 200 gm
pumpkin - 100 gm
green chillies - 6
thick coconut milk - 1/2 cup
thin coconut milk - 1/4 cup
curry leaves - 2 sprig
coconut oil- 1 Tbs
salt to taste

How I made it

Soak the red chori overnight or for 6-8 hours, and pressure cook high with very little water for 1 whistle and then turn down the heat and cook for 5 minutes, then turn off the stove. It should be cooked well but should hold its shape.

Cut the yard long beans into 1 '' long pieces. Cut the pumpkin and ash gourd or winter melon into thin 1 '' long pieces.

cook the vegetables with thin coconut milk and green chillies on low flame. Add salt and the cooked red chori and boil. Add thick coconut milk and turn off the stove. Now add the curry leaves and coconut oil. Olan is ready.

Erisseri

Erissery is a Keralite dish. I love this dish because of its roasted coconut taste. My mother used to cook erissery with pumpkin, elephant foot yam ( Chena) and Red Chori( vanpayar.) Though there is many variations out there, I cooked it the same way.

Ingredients

Red chori (vanpayar)- 1/2 cup
pumpkin - 2 lbs
Elephant foot yam (chena) - 1 lbs
Coconut grated - 3 cup
Shallots - 5
turmeric powder- 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
pepper powder 1 tsp
chilly powder 2 tsp
coconut oil - 1 Tbs
Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Dry red chilly - 2-3
salt as required

How I made it

Wash and soak the red chori overnight or for at least 6-8 hours.
Cook it in a pressure cooker on high flame for 1 whistle and then turn down to low flame and cook for 5 more minutes and turn off the stove.  It should be soft and hold its shape. There shouldn't be much water left. If there is, use it to grind coconut or to cook pumpkin.

Remove the skin and cut the pumpkin and suran into small cubes.
(I used frozen suran)

Cook pumpkin and yam pieces together in a pressure cooker or in a pot with the turmeric, pepper and chilly powder and salt till soft with 1/2 cup of water( use more water if cooking in a regular pot)Mash it well with a spoon.

Grind 1.5 cup of coconut coarsely with cumin powder and shallots.
Add this mixture along with the cooked red chori to the pumpkin and yam mixture till it boil and turn off stove.

Heat up oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, and then add dry red chilly, curry leaves and the rest of the coconut and fry it on low flame till coconut turns brown.

Add the fried coconut to the erisseri and mix well. The consistency should neither be too dry nor with lots of gravy, but a thick wet mixture of mashed pumpkin and yam.

Long beans stir fry with coconut/ Achingapayar thoran

I usually cook yard long beans to a stir fry with or without coconut. This recipe is the one with coconut.

Ingredients



Long beans - 1 lbs
coconut - 1 cup
green chilly- 6
onion - 1 small      
turmeric powder - 1 tsp
oil- 1Tbs
mustard seeds - 2 tsp
dry red chilly - 2
urad dhal - 1 Tbs
curry leaves- 1-2 sprig
salt as required.

Preparation

Remove both ends and cut the beans into small pieces.
Chop the onion and green chilly.
Mix coconut, onion and green chilly well with hands.
In a pan heat up the oil and splutter mustard seeds, add urad dhal, dry red chilly and curry leaves. When the urad dhal turns brown add the beans to it with salt and turmeric powder, mix and cook covered on a low flame. it takes about 4-5 minute for it to cook. Now add coconut mixture to this, and cook for few more minutes till the raw smell of the mixture goes away. Enjoy with rice.

Plantain & yard long beans stir fry/ vazhakka achinga mezhukkupuratti

This is a simple and easy dish to make. I used the long beans usually available in Kerala but you can  use french beans instead. Mezhukkupuratti tastes better if made with coconut oil and shallots.

Ingredients

plantain - 1 big ( or 2 small)
Yard long beans cut into 1" long pieces - 3 cup
Shallots(kunjulli) - 10
Green chilly - 6
Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1-2 sprig
Coconut oil - 2 Tbs
Salt as required

How I made it

Cut long beans into 1" long pieces
Peel plantain and cut it into 1 " long thin pieces

Cook plantain and beans with turmeric and salt with 3-4 tablespoon water with cover on. Once cooked there shouldn't be any water left. remove the cover and cook for few more minutes if there is any excess water.

Heat up  oil in another pan, put the shallots in saute it till it turns transparent, then add green chilly and curry leaves, saute for a minute or so

Add the cooked plantain and long beans to it and mix well, cook for few more minutes till its done.