Olan [ kerala recipe ]

Ingredients:

• Red pumpkin - 1/4 kg. [cut into rectangular pieces after removing the skin and seeds]
• Colocasia [seppankilangu ] - 3 to 4 [ cut into thin round pieces ]
• Green payaru - 50 gms. [ cut into1/2 inch lenth ]
• Whole green gram - 1 hand full [ soak for 1 hour ]
• Green chillies - 2 [ slit lengthwise ]
• Coconut milk - 2 cups
• Curry leaves - little
• Coconut oil - 2 table sp

Method:
Wash the pumpkin, peel the skin, remove the seeds and cut into rectangular pieces. In the same way wash and remove the skin of colocasia and make thin round pieces. Cut the green payaru into 1/2 inch pieces. Soak the whole green gram [ muzu pacha payaru] for an hour and pressure cook adding enough water and keep aside. Then add 1 cup of coconut milk with 1 cup of water to the vegetables. Add curry leaves, salt, slit green chillies and boil till the vegetables are well cooked. Add the cooked whole green gram, mix well and boil for 5 more mins. Check for salt. In the end add the remaining coconut milk, 2 tablespoon coconut oil, and mix well. Remove from the gas before it starts boiling.Your mouth watering easy dish is ready for serving. This dish can be made without adding coconut milk also [use regular cold milk instead of coconut milk]. Serve as a side dish for rice, sambhar, rasam, morkuzhambu, etc.

Paruppu urundai kuzhambu [ dal koftas ]

Ingredients:

• Tuar dal - 1 cup
• Green chillies - 2 to 3
• Red dry chillies - - 2
• Salt - as per taste
• Rice flour - 1 tsp
• Coconut oil - 1 sp
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Tamarind paste - 1 tbls. sp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 sp
• Red chillie powder or
• sambhar powder - 1 1/ 2 sp

For seasoning:

• Coconut oil - 2 table spoon
• Mustard seeds - 1 sp
• Curry leaves - little

Method:
Wash and soak tuar dal in water for half an hour. Wash again and grind with green chillies, red chillies, salt, asafoetida to a fine paste. Mix rice flour, 1 sp of coconut oil  to that and make into round balls and keep aside. Then take one deep bottom vessel and place on the gas. Heat oil in vessel add mustard seeds, bits of curry leaves and saute till mustard seeds crackles, pour some water to that, add tamarind paste, salt, turmeric powder ,red chillie powder, and allow to boil. When the kuzhambu boils well, dip these dal koftas gently. Boil for 10 mints in low flame. When the urundais get boiled and begins to float, the kuzhambu gets ready. The kuahambu can be slightly watery as these urundais thickens the dish. A portion of these urundais [ 2 to 3 ] can also be mashed and added for thickening. Serve with hot rice and other accompaniment like curry, kootu, olan etc.

Vendhaya vendai sambhar

Ingredients:

• Ladies finger - 1/4 kg.
• Onion big - 2
• Thick tamarind extract - 2 to 3 tbl. sps
• Cooked tuar dal - 2 tbl. sps [ heaped ]
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 sp
• Jaggery - small lemon size [ optional ]
• Fresh grated coconut - 1 1/2 tbl. sp.

For seasoning:

• Oil - 1 tbl. sp.
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 sp
• Fenugreek - 1/4 sp
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Curry leaves - little

Grind together:

• Red chillies - 10
• Fenugreek - 1 tsp
• Bengal gram dal - 1 tbl. sp.
• Garlic - 3 flakes
• Small onions - 4 [peeled]
• or big onion - 1/2

Fry the above spices in little oil and grind with 1 1/2 sps. of grated fresh coconut.

Method:
Peel and slice onions length wise. Cut ladies finger into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Then heat little oil and fry onions and ladies finger together for few minutes. Add diluted tamarind extract and cook till vegetable becomes soft. Then add mashed tur dal,salt, ground paste with enough water. Cook till raw smell goes and the gravy becomes thick. Fry the seasonings in oil and mix with sambhar, and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Note: When using fenugreek in any recipe do not over fry since it becomes bitter. Add at the end, after frying other spices.

Home made strawberry ice-cream

Ingredients:

• Whole cream milk - 1 litre
• G. M. S.- 2 1/2 sp
• C. M. C. - 1/4 sp
• Cornflour - 2 1/2 sp
• Sugar - 12 to 15 sps
• Fresh strawberries - 10
• Strawberry essence - few drops
• Pink color - 2 drops
• Fresh cream - 1/2 cup

For basement of icecream:
Take one deep bottom thick vessel. Then pour milk, g.m.s, t.m.c, cornflour, sugar and mix well. Keep on the gas in high flame and stir well till the base becomes thick. Then remove from the gas and allow it to cool. Then pour it in the airtight container or in aluminum vessel, close it and keep in freezer for 8 to 10 hours. This is the basement of  all icecreams.  [Meantime, take the fresh strawberries, cut into small pieces mix with 3 sps of sugar and heat it in high flame till it becomes soft and juicy. Keep aside].

Making strawberry icecream:
Remove from the freezer after 10 hours. Blend in a mixture along with adding fresh cream, essence, food color. Just press the whipper button in the blender for a second or two [otherwise it will turn buttery] Repeat the process two more times after one hour to get good results. Finely mix the fresh strawberries and spread a few on top.Transfer the contents in to an aluminum container or airtight thick plastic box. In the end keep for 3 hrs or till set [in the freezer] Enjoy your home made strawberry icecream.

The vessel inside the freezer should be kept over a plastic sheet.

Thedeer Puleyodarai [Instant]

Ingredients :

Cooked rice- 2 cups [Not basmathi]
Green chillie - 2
Seasame oil - As required
Turmeric powder - 1/2 sp
Red chillie powder - 1 sp
Jaggery - Little
Salt - As per taste
Seasame powder - 1/2 sp
Mustard seed powder - 1/2 sp

[Put green chillies and 2 sps of oil in the cooked rice and keep aside].


For Seasoning :

Mustard seeds - 1 sp
Urad dal - 1sp
Bengal gram dal - 1 sp
Raw peanuts - 10
Curry leaves - Little
Tamarind paste - 1 tbl sp

Method :

Keep one deep bottom vessel on the gas pour some seasame oil heat it and add all the seasoing ingredints to that, when it turns in to golden colour add the tamarind paste, salt, turmeric, red chillie powder, jaggery, and 1 glass of water. Mix well and when its start boiling add seasame powder, mustard seed powder to that. When it comes to thick and dry remove from the gas and mix the cooked rice. Garnish with fresh curry leaves. Your mouth watering puliyotharai is ready to eat. Serve with fried papad.

Kanjeevaram Idli and Chutney

Ingredients :

• Raw rice 2 cups [Heaped]
• Whole black gram [Dehusked] -  2 cups [Levelled]
• Salt - As required
• Oil - 5 tbl sp
• Melted ghee - 4 tsp
• Whole black pepper - 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
• Fresh thick curd - 1/2 litre
• Cooking soda - 1/4 tsp.

Method :

Soak dal and rice together for 2 to 3 hours. Then grind till coarse rawa consistency. [Batter should be thick]. Do not add washed water. Allow to ferment till next day. Before steaming add oil, ghee, pepper, cumin, curd and soda, to the batter. Grease big cooker plates and pour batter for 1 inch thickness. Steam till it is cooked. [Approximately for 30 to 40 mins]. Your kanjeevaram idli is ready. Serve hot along with coconut chutney, or Idli chillie powder [Melagapodi].



                                                    Curd Idli

Ingredients :

• Raw rice - 2 cups [Heaped]
• Black gram - 1 cup [Dehusked]
• Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
• Black pepper - 2 tsp [Whole]
• Bengal gram dal - 1 tbl sp
• Rock salt [Kal uppu] - As required
• Sour thick curd - 2 cups
• Green chillies - 8
• Cooking soda - 1/2 sp
• Oil - 4 tbl sps.

Method :

Soak dhal and rice separately for 2 hours. Grind dhal with just enough water till frothy. Grind rice with green chillies till coarse rawa consistency. Mix both together with sour curds and salt before removing from grinder. Put pepper, cumin seeds, and bengal gram dhal on top of the batter and close with a lid. Allow to ferment for 15 to20 hours. Next day before preparing idlis, pour hot oil and soda, to the batter. Mix well and pour on greased cooker plate, for 1 inch depth. Steam till cooked. [Approximately 1/2 an hour].

Variation :

Finely cut coriander leaves, curry leaves and ginger can be added to the batter before steaming
In all curd based idlis use thick sour curd only for better results.



                                                    Rawa Idli

Ingredients :

• Fine rawa - 2 cups [Heaped]
• [Bombay rawa]
• Oil and ghee - 5 tbl sps
• Green chillies - 6 to 7 [Chopped]
• Sour thick curd - 2 cups
• Finely cut onions-  1/2 cup
• Cut coriander leaves
• and curry leaves  - 2 tbl sps
• Cooked peas - 1/2 cup [Optional]
• Salt - As per taste
• Cooking soda - 1/2 tsp.

For Garnishing :

• Grated carrots - 2 tbl sps
• Grated fresh  coconut - 2 tbl sps

For Seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1/4 sp
• Black gram dhal - 1/2 sp
• Bengal gram dhal - 1 tsp
• Broken cashewnuts - 1 tbl sp.

Method :

Mix roasted rawa with curds without forming lumps.Then heat oil, add seasonings ans finely cut onions.Fry for 2 to 3 mints in medium flame.Pour over curd, rawamixture with salt, chopped chillies, cut coriander leaves, curry leaves, and soda. Then mix well and immediately pour in greased idli plates and steam for 7 to 10 mins till cooked. [To add carrots or coconut, sprinkle it on greased idli plates and then pour rawa mixture on top].

For best results pre heat pressure cooker with water first and then keep idli plates inside.


Variations :

Same measurements can be used for vermicelli [Sameya]. If vermicelli is thick adjust curd level according to that. Both rawa and vermicelli can be mixed equally in the same recipe. Samba wheat rawa can also be used. Use more curd for that, soak in curd for 10 to 15 mins and then steam.

To prevent worms in rawa, dry roast till it becomes luke warm. cool and then preserve in air tight containers.



                                                    Green Gram Dhal Idli


Ingredients :

• Green gram dhal - 1 cup
• Grated fresh coconut - 1  1/2 tbl sps
• Green chillies - 6
• Asafoetida - 2 pinches [Powder]
• Thick sour curd - 1/2 cup
• Cooking sods - 1/2 sp
• Salt - As per taste
• Oil - 1 1/2 tbl sps
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 sp.

Method :

Soak dhal for 2 hours. Then grind coconut, green chillies, asafoetida, and salt to smooth paste. Grind dhal separately without adding water till coarse rawa consistency. Mix both the ground paste together with sour curd. Heat oil and spultter mustard seeds in it and pour over the batter with soda. Mix well and steam idlis in usual way immediately. [No need to ferment this batter].



                                         Bajra Idli [Kambu]

Ingredients :

• Bajra - 2 cups [Heaped]
• Boiled rice - 1 cup
• Red gram dhal [Tuar] - 1 cup
• Rock salt - As per taste
• Oil - 3 tbl sps
• Cooking soda - 3/4 sp.

Method :

Soak bajra and rice together for 6 hours in enough water.soak dhal separately for 1 hour. Grind dhal to smooth frothy paste and bajra- rice mixture to coarse rawa consistency. Mix both together with salt. Allow to ferment for 20 hours. Next day pour hot oil which is seasoned with mustard seeds to the batter along with soda. Mix well and steam idlis as usual. Serve hot with onion chutney.

Pavaka Thoku [Bitter Gourd ]

Ingredients :

• Tender bitter gourd [Pavakai] - 1/4 kg
• Onion  - 3 to 4  [Big cut into very small]
• Green chillies - 4 to 5 [Cut into small pieces]
• Seasame oil [Nalyannai]- As required for frying
• Salt - As per taste
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 sp
• Red chillie powder - 2 sp
• Jaggery - Small lemon size
• Curry leaves - Little.

For Grinding Masala :

• Fresh grated coconut - 2 tbl sp
• Tamarind paste - 1 sp
• Coriander seeds - 1 hand full
• Dry red chillies - 10 to 12.

[Fry coriander seeds, dry red chillies, tamarind paste, in 2 sps of oil in kadai and remove from the gas. In same kadai add the grated coconut and mix well. Then grind in the mixcer and form to a fine paste.]

For Seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 sp
• Urad dal - 1 sp
• Methi seeds - 1 / 2 sp
• Curry leaves - Little
• Seasame oil - As required.

Method :

First take one deep bottom vessel and keep it on the gas. Pour oil to that, add mustard seeds, urad dal, to that, when the mustard seeds splutters and the dal turns in to golden brown, add the tiny cut onions to that. Fry for 10 mins till the onions change into brown colour. Then add the cut bitter gourd to that and fry for some more time. When the bitter gourd change in to light brown colour, add salt, jaggery, red chillie powder and fry for 5 mins. Pour required water and grind masala to that and mix well. Simmer the gas and allow to boil till the gravy becomes thick and dry. Then remove from the gas. Transfer the gravy to other container and allow to become cool. Keep in fridge. Serve with roti, steamed rice, and dosa. Enjoy tasty pavaka thoku.