Pavakkai Fry | Bittergourd Fry!

I love Pavakkai/Bittergourd, mostly I prepare Curry or Pitala with it, I had posted previously Pavakkai Urulai Curry. Then I remembered when I was working in ITC Office, they used to do this fry in the canteen, its so crispy and just perfect for Rasam or curd rice.

Ingredients
Pavakkai/Karela/Hagalkayi/Bittergourd - 4nos
Rice flour -2 tablespoons
Corn flour - 1 tablespoon
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tablespoon
Peringayam/Hing/Asafotida - 1/4 tspn
Salt


Oil for shallow fry or deep fry.


Preparation Method
Wash and slice pavakkai (refer other names above) into circles, remove seeds or you can keep it.
Sprinkly rice flour, corn flour, red chilli powder, hing and salt. Sprinkle little water and  leave it for 10 mins.
Heat oil in a wok/Kadai, when its hot, drop them and deep fry till crispy golden brown.
Remove on a tissue paper and store in air tight container when its cool.
 Enjoy Pavakkai Fry with Samabar/Rasam or Curd Rice. You can also just munch with Coffee/Tea.

Tomato Mutter Paneer!

Its been long time I posted Paneer recipe. Tomato Mutter Paneer is simple and delicious gravy. I have already posted Mutter Paneer previously and my Paneer recipes here. I always pickup the fresh red tomatoes from Little India market.

Ingredients

Tomato - 5nos(Big and deseeded)
Onion - 1no
Frozen Peas - 1 cup
Paneer - 10 pieces(for Homemade Paneer click here)
Ginger Garlic - 2 tspns
Spices - cinamon, cardamom, cloves ; 1 or 2 each
Kasoori Methi - 1/2 tspn
Tomato Ketchup - 1 tablespoon
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn
Channa Masala - 1/2 tspn
Milk - 1 cup
Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon
Ghee or Butter - 1 tspn
Cream - 2 tspns(Optional)
Sugar - 1/2 tspn

Preparation Method

Chop onion and tomato to medium size cubes.

In a Kadai, put little oil and spices, half the chopped onion, ginger, garlic and all the tomato saute till its soft. Allow it to cool and grind to a fine paste.

In the same Kadai, put little ghee/butter, oil, spices and fry for a minute. Add onion , saute, kasoori methi for 2 mins.(see notes below)

 

• Add tomato paste with little water. Add salt to taste. Keep it in low flame. Keep Stirring.
• Once its cooked well, tomato puree and allow one boil. Then add milk, mix and boil it.

Add green peas, garam masala and red chilli powder mix well. Keep it in low flame.

Once its boiled, check for salt and add paneer and mix well. It should be not too thick or too runny. Just semi gravy and blend well. Add sugar and stir well. You can also add a pinch of kasoori methi. Allow it to boil once and off the stove.

Top it up with cream if you like or serve just like that.

Tomato Mutter Paneer is ready to serve. This can be a side dish for Chapathi, Naan, Kulcha and Rotis (Indian Breads) or Ghee rice.

Notes - You can also use Garam Masala instead of Channa Masala.

If you want tomato bites, you can add 1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes.
When it cools, the gravy will become slight thick.
If you feel you dont want more tomatoes you can reduce 1 no and add more ketchup.

This recipe is going to CC Dish for Loved ones by Sravani.

Brinjal Masala Curry !

Brinjal Masala Curry is a simple and tasty for rice and chapathi. One of the recipes learnt by my Father-in-law. Actually me and my hubby dont like brinjal and now both started eating:-)

Ingredients
Brinjal - 250 gms
Onion - 1 no
Tomato - 1no
Ginger  - 1 tspn
Garlic - 1 tspn
Grated coconut - 1 tspn
Bengal gram - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1 tspn
Turmeric - 1/4 tspn
Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste) 
Coriander powder - 1/2 tspn
Jeera powder - 1/4 tspn
Curry leaves - 6 nos
Oil - 4 tspns
Salt to taste

Preparation Method
Wash, clean and pat dry brinjal.
Chop it into small pieces and put in water to avoid change in colour.
Chop onion, tomato, ginger and garlic.
Heat a pan, put oil add mustard once it splutters, add Bengal gram and wait till its brown.
Add onion, ginger, garlic and saute till brown.
Add tomato and saute. Add brinjal and sprinkle little water for it to cook.
Add all the powders above one by one and saute.
Cook under low flame once its cooked add finely chopped coriander and grated coconut.
Mix well and cook for 5mins.
Now its ready to serve.


Delicious Brinjal Masala Curry is ready to serve. Serve hot with chapathis or rasam rice. This can also be good for Lunchbox.

Don't forget to send in your entries to ongoing event Cooking with Love Grandmom here.

Beans Paruppu Usli!

Beans Paruppu Usli is very healthy and nice sidedish combi for sambar rice, vatha kolambu and Mor kolambu. It is popular in Tamilnadu.

Ingredients
Beans/French beans - 1/2 kg
Kadalai Paruppu/Channa Dal - 1 cup
Tavaram Paruppu/Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Dry Red Chilli - 2nos(Adjust as per your spice taste)
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 1/2 cup
Mustard -  1/2 tspn
Jeera - a pinch
Asafotida/hing - a pinch
Turmeric - 1/4 tspn
Salt
Coconut oil - 1 tspn(optional)

Preparation Method
Wash and soak the dals in water for 2 hours. 
Cut the ends and chop beans into small pieces. Pressure cook with little water, salt and turmeric for 2 whistles.
Grind the dals with chilli to a coarse paste in a mixie or blender.
Heat a kadai, add oil, mustard wait till it pops, then add jeera, hing, curry leaves. saute for a min.
Add the grounded dal mix and cook well until it changes the colour. If required add little oil.
Add the steamed beans without water and mix well. Adjust salt..
Let it cook for few mins. Off the stove. Add 1 tspn coconut oil and mix for flavour.

Beans Paruppu Usli is ready to serve. Enjoy this with sambar rice, rasam rice, vatha kolambu, curd rice and Mor kolambu. I like to mix it with hot steamed rice. You can also eat hot as it is for tea time.

Mathan Pachadi | Sweet Yellow Pumpkin | Authentic Kerala Recipe!

Mathan/ Sweet Yellow Pumpkin Pachadi is an authentic Kerala Recipe.

Ingredients
Mathan Sweet Yellow Pumpkin - 250gms
Tamarind water - 1 cup
Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Green chilli - 1 no(as per your taste)
Coconut oil - 1/2 tspn
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Fenugreek seeds/Venthayam - 1/4 tspn
Dry red chilli - 1 no
Curry leaves - few
Salt

Preparation Method
Wash, deseed, remove skin and cut into cubes.
Heat a vessel, add the mathan, tamarind water, turmeric and salt. Let it cook.
Grind grated coconut, green chilli and mustard with little water to fine paste.(Can also add 1/4 tspn rice while grinding)
Once the pumpkin is cooked, add the paste and mix.
You can mash the pumpkin if you want and allow it to boil.
Season it with1/2 tspn coconut oil, mustard and fenugreek seeds/venthayam, 1 dry red chilli and curry leaves.

Mathan /Sweet Yellow Pumpkin Pachadi is ready is serve. This is a sidedish for Kootu rice. Click here for Kootu recipes.

Lemon Pickle

This has been lying in my drafts since long time....Pickles time....My in laws like pickles a lot, so this Lemon Pickle is for them. Even though I don't eat pickles, I have stock for my family.

Ingredients
Lemon - 20 nos(Nice yellow in colour)
Red Chilli Powder - 2 tablespoons(As per your taste)
Oil - 1/2 cup (any cooking oil I use Gingely Oil/Nalla Yennai or Olive Oil)
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Hing - 1/4 tspn
Venthayam podi/Fenugreek seeds powder - 1/2 tspn
Salt as required


Preparation Method
Wash, wipe and cut lemon into small squares. In a glass bowl or porcelein bowl, add lemon, salt and red chilli powder. Mix and leave it for 1 to 2 hours.
Then season it with oil, mustard wait till it splutters. Off the stove add Hing(Asafotida) and venthaya podi.
Mix well and leave it for a day. Keep mixing in intervals with a wooden or plastic spoon.

Yummy Lemon Pickle is ready. A perfect for curd rice/Kootu rice.

Notes: - For longer shelf life store in refridgerator. - If you are using steal spoon, do not leave it in the box as it will rust.

Chowchow Kadale Paruppu Kootu!!!

Chow chow kadale paruppu kootu is a traditional authentic Kerala and Tamil Brahmin recipe. This is prepared for festivals and occastions. I prepared this for Avani Avittam Festival on Saturday. I have posted previously one more version of Chow chow kootu here.

Ingredients
Chow Chow/Chayote - 1 no
Kadale Paruppu/Channa Dal - 1/2 cup
Fresh Scraped coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chilli - 1 no(As per your taste)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn

Talipu/Seasoning
Coconut oil - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Urad dal - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - few

Preparation Method
Wash remove, skin, seed and chop into small pieces. (You can use the skin for Thogaiyal/Chutney here.)
Pressure cook chow chow, kadale paruppu with turmeric and a pinch of salt upto 3 whistles.
Grind coconut and green chilli to fine paste with very little water.
When the pressure cooker steam is gone. Mix the vegetable and the grounded mixture in a vessel, add salt, tumeric. Mix well and allow it to boil in low flame.It should be thick in consistency.
Season it with the above mentioned and off the stove.

Chow Chow Kootu is ready to serve in the platter as sidedish or mix it with hot steamed rice.

Notes- - You can also prepare this kootu with Pooshinikayi/White Pumpkin. - You can use any cooking oil instead of coconut oil.

Tofu Masala!!!

Tofu is a cheese from Soya Milk. I tasted tofu for the first time and liked it. This is also good for people having cholestrol who cannot eat Paneer. This has no cholestrol.

Serves 2 persons
Ingredients
Silken Tofu - 100gms (at room temperature)
Onion - 1no
Tomato - 2nos
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tspn
Garam Masala - 1/2 tspn
Red chilli Powder - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste)
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Milk - 1/2 cup(Slim)
Kasoori Methi - a pinch
Olive Oil - 1/2 tspn
Salt
Sugar - a pinch(Optional)

Preparation Method
Chop onion and tomato into small pieces. Save around 1 tablespoon of each for later use.
Grind Onion, tomato, ginger garlic, turmeric powder, red chilli powder in a blender or mixer into fine paste with little water.
Heat a Kadai/wok, add oil, add onion, tomato and saute till its soft. 
Add the grounded mixture and allow it to boil.
Add garam masala, kasoori methi and mix well.
Add milk and allow it to boil. When its going to be thick.
Cut tofu into small pieces and add it. Just boil once and off the stove.

Serve it with hot chapathis or rotis.

Notes - You can use coriander leaves if you dont have kasoori methi.

Spinach Potato Brocolli Curry

Palak Potato Brocolli Curry is very different and tasty sidedish for sambar rice, rasam rice or curd rice or even chapathi.

Ingredients
Spinach/Palak or any greens - 1 bunch chopped.
Brocolli - 1/2 no florets
Potato -  1no chopped to med size
Onion -  1no chopped
Ginger garlic - 1 tspn chopped
Grated coconut  2 tspns(Optional)
Green or Dry Red chilli - 2nos
Turmeric powder - 2 pinches
Curry leaves - few
Salt
Oil - 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Jeera - a pinch

Preparation Method
Put Brocolli in hot water and leave it for 5 mins.
In a kadai, heat oil, add mustard and wait till it splutters. Add jeera and fry for  a minute.Add chillies and curry leaves and saute.
Add onion, ginger, garlic, a pinch of salt and fry till transparant.
Now add potato and mix. Let it cook. Close a lid.
When its almost done add palak and mix let it cook.
Once done add brocolli, salt, turmeric and sprinkle little water.
Let everything cook well and when its done, off the stove and add grated coconut if you are using.

Mix and serve. I prepared with and without coconut.

This recipe is going to  Healthbox Ideas Brocolli by Kalyani and Vardhini.

Olan

Olan is a traditional Kerala dish. This is a traditional sidedish in Kerala. It is also prepared for weddings. Its pending in my drafts when I prepared last time and I made it yesterday. It is non spicy. Easy and tasty.

Ingredients
Pooshanikai/Grey Pumpkin - 1 cup(chopped into squares)
Karamani/Black eyed beans(white or brown) - 1/2 cup
Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup(thick)
Coconut oil - 1 Tablespoon
Curry leaves -  few
Green Chilli - 1 or 2 nos slit.
Salt

Preparation Method
Pressure cook karamani with water upto 3-4 whistles.
In a wide vessel, cook pooshanikai with water, green chilli, salt and a pinch of turmeric.
Once its done, add the boiled karamani and coconut milk.
Just let it bubble up and dont over boil.
Off the stove add coconut oil and curry leaves.
Mix well.

Serve with sambar rice as sidedish.

I am back with Holige/Obattu Saaru/Rasam!!!

I was away from blogging for a while and was enjoying with my sis-in-law in town for holidays. Hope you all are doing good. I will be visiting your blogs soon. Since my inlaws are here, I will posting few authentic and traditional Tamil and Kerala Recipes soon.

A sweet and tangy rasam, prepared with hoorna. This is prepared for Ugadi generally after making Holige/Boli. Checkout my recipe for Obattu/Boli here.

Ingredients
Leftover Hoorna/Poornam water.(checkout recipe here)
Sambar/Rasam Powder - 1 tspn
Tamarind water - 1 cup
Salt

Seasoning
Ghee - 1/2 tspn
Oil - 1/2 tspn
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Grated coconut - 1 tspn 


Preparation Method
Mix all the ingredients in a vessel and boil well in medium flame.
Season it except coconut and garnish with coconut.

Tasty Obattu Saaru is ready to serve. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Pepper Paneer!!!

Happy Holi!!!

Pepper Paneer is a dish I tried since I wanted to make something different. My family liked it a lot. You can have it with chapathi or rotis.

Ingredients
Paneer cubed - 2 cups(store bought/homemade)
Pepper powder(coarse/fine) - 1 tspn(As per your taste)
Onion - 2 tspns(finely chopped)
Oil - 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Asafotida - a pinch
Curry leaves - few (optional)
Salt

Preparation Method
Heat a  kadai, add oil mustard, wait till it splutters, then add asafotida, curry leaves, onion and saute till transparant.
Add paneer and mix well.
Sprinkle pepper powder and salt.
Saute for few minutes and off the stove.

Pepper Paneer is ready to serve. Serve hot with chapathis or enjoy as it is.

You can also try my previous Paneer Recipes click here.

Cucumber Raitha Restuarant Style

Cucumber is very cooling and crunchy.

Ingredients
Cucumber - 1/2 no(Deseeded and chopped)
Plain curd/yogurt - 1 cup
Chaat Masala - 2 pinches
Red Chilli Powder - 2 pinches(As per your taste)
Salt

Preparation Method
In a bowl, mix all the above ingredients and Serve.

Cucumber Raitha is a very good combination for Vegetable Pulav/Biryani.

Notes - Since chaat masala has salt in it, check and add salt if required.

Vazhai Thandu/Banana Tree Stem Kootu

Vazhai Thandu/Banana Tree Stem is very good for health. Its raw juice is good for Kidney stones and for kidney related problems.

Ingredients
Vazhai Thandu/Banana Tree Stem - 1 no
Pasi Paruppu/Moong Dal/Split green gram - 1 cup (soaked in water for 1 hour)
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Green Chilli  3 nos (As per your taste)
Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1 tspn
Black Peppercons - 4-5 nos(Optional)
Salt
Buttermilk - 1/2 cup
Water as required
A broken Wooden stick piece to stir and remove string like.

Seasoning/Talipu
Coconut Oil or any cooking oil -2 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Hing/Asafotida - a pinch
Curry leaves - few

Preparation Method
Remove 2-3 layers of the stem or till you get tender stem.
Wash cut Vazhai Thandu into round thin slices, in between you will be getting Naaru/ string like keep removing them.
Cut into small pieces.
In a bowl, add water and butter milk. Add the chopped pieces.
Take the broken wooden stick piece and keep mixing. You will see the naaru/strings coming keep removing them.
The tender ones can be cooked as it is.
In a wide kadai/wok, add the chopped vazhai thandu and paasi paruppu. Add water and cook well.
Grind coconut, jeera and green chilli to fine paste.
Mix it with the cooked vazhai thandu and boil it.
Add salt and season it with the above ingredients.

This is good combination for chapathi or steamed rice.

Kaduli Keerai/Sawi Dal

Hope you had great Christmas:) Hearing for the first time, I brought this greens by mistake thinking its Spinach/Palak. After trying this it was slightly bitter. Landed up making Dal and Mixed Rice.


Posting Dal recipe for the Only Greens Event here guest hosted by me and started by Pari. Actually wanted to post for Jagruti's CMT but deadline is over-(

Ingredients
Kaduli Keerai/Sawi - 1/2 bunch
Toor Dal - 1 cup
Onion - 2 nos
Tomato - 1no
Sambar powder - 1 tspn(As per your taste)
Coriander leaves - 2 tspns
Oil  -1 tspn
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Jeera - 1/2 tspn
Green chilli -1no
Salt.

Preparation Method
Wash, remove stem and chop the greens into small pieces.
Pressure cook toor dal with water upto 3-4 whistles. 
Heat a kadai/wok, add oil, add mustard and wait till it splutters. Add jeera and wait to crackle. Slit a green chilli and add. Saute for a minute. Keep in low flame.
Add onions and a pinch of salt. Saute till transparant.
Add tomatoes and cook till its soft.
Add the greens and saute till raw smell goes.
Add cooked dal and salt. Mix well.
Add 1 tspn sambar powder and mix.
Add little water if required. Let it boil well.


Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.


Serve hot with Chapathis/Phulkas/Roti.


Dont forget to send in your entries to Sugarless Sweets Event here.

Babycorn Capsicum Curry

Pic courtesy - My friend Rekha

Ingredients
Babycorn - 6 nos
Capsicum - 1no
Onion - 1no
Tomato - 1no
Ginger - 1 tspn
Garlic - 1/2 tspn
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tspn
Red Chill powder - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste)
Jeera/Cumin powder - 1/4 tspn
Dhaniya/Coriander powder - 1/2 tspn/
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Olive oil - 1 tspn
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tspn
Jeera/Cumin seed - a pinch
Salt to taste

Preparation Method

Cut all the vegetables into medium big pieces.
Slice babycorn into thin slices.
Heat a kadai/wok, add oil, mustard, wait till it splutters. Add jeera and saute till its splutters.
Add onion and a pinch of salt. Saute till transparant.
Add ginger garlic paste or chopped.
Add tomatoes and saute till soft.
Add capsicum and babycorn and saute till soft.
Add turmeric, salt and masala powders. Mix well and cook till raw smell goes and blends well.
Saute in low flame.


Serve with hot chapathis or puris. You can also wrap with chapathis.

Puli Inji(Ginger Tamarind mix)

Puli Inji is a very spicy and tangy sidedish for Kootu rice. It can also be mixed with hot steamed rice and ghee or oil. This is my MIL speciality and she taught me. Puli Inji is also one of the dish in Palakad Iyer/Tamil Brahmin wedding menu.

Ingredients
Ginger/Inji - 1/2 cup(chopped or thinly sliced)
Green Chilli - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Tamarind water - 2 cups
Turmeric - a pinch
White Sesame powder/Ellu Podi - 1 tspn
Gingely Oil/Nalla Yennai - 2-3 tspns
Jaggery/Vellam - a small lemon size
Salt

Preparation Method
Heat a kadai/wok, add oil,  add ginger, green chilli and a pinch of salt. Saute till the raw smell goes.
Then add tamarind water, turmeric and boil well till the water becomes thick and condense.
Finally add jaggery and sesame powder and boil till the jaggery dissolves or its dry.

Puli Inji is ready to serve. This can also be sidedish for chapathi.

Notes - This can be stored in air tight container for 14-20days in refridgerator.

Paneer Bhurji!!!

Paneer Bhurji is a simple and very tasty side dish.

Ingredients
Paneer/Paal Katti/Indian Cottage Cheese - 1 cup grated or scrumbled(For homemade paneer click here)
Onion - 1 cup (chopped)
Tomato - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Capsicum - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Garlic - 1 no(Chopped)
Garam Masala - 1/2 tspn
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn
Turmeric - a pinch
Oil - 2 tspns
Salt

Preparation Method
In a kadai/wok, heat oil add onion, garlic and saute till transperant.
Add tomato and cook till its soft. Then add capsicum and saute for 5mins.
Add garam masala, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and mix well.
Finally add grated or scrambled paneer. I scrumbled it.

Cook for few mins and off the stove.

Paneer Bhurji is ready. This can be a perfect combination for chapathi/roti/naan. Sometimes I even stuff on sandwich too.

This can also be great sidedish for picnic or lunch box if you plan to carry chapathi.

Paneer Bhurji is going off to Letz Relish Paneer by Jay.

Murungakai Vatha Kuzhambu/Kolambu

Murungakai Vatha Kozhambu is a gravy prepared with tamarind and spice. This is popular in South India.

Ingredients
Murungakai/Drumstick - 2 nos
Chinna Vengayam/Small onions - 10 nos
Nalla Yennai/Gingely Oil - 4 tspns
Kadag/Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Toor Dal - 1/2 tspn
Methi seeds - a pinch
Sambar Powder - 2 tspns(As per your taste)
Dhaniya Powder - 1/2 tspn
Vellam/Jaggery - a small piece
Manjal/Karuvepillai - few
Tamarind water - 3 cups
Salt

Preparation Method
In a Kadai, heat oil, add mustard wait till it splutters. Then add toor dal, methi seeds and curry leaves.
Add onion and fry till its brown and transparent.
Add Drumsticks and tamarind water.
Add salt, turmeric and boil well till the raw smell goes.
Add masala powders and boil well.
It has to condense a bit and become thick.
Finally add jaggery and boil for 5 mins.

Serve hot with steamed rice and chapathi.


Tip - If it becomes too watery,mix 1tspn of rice flour in 1/4 cup water, make a paste and add. This will make the dish slightly thick. 

Mixed Veg. Curry

I chose these veggie for our Independence Day Celebration by Akila. This curry was very tasty with steamed rice. I dedicate this to everyone fighting for our Country.

Ingredients
Carrot - 1no
Cabbage - a quarter piece
Beans - 10 nos
Peas - a handful
Oil - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Urad dal - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Bisibelebath/Vangibath powder - 2-3 tspns
Hing - a pinch
Turmeric - 1/4tspn
Salt

Preparation Method

Wash and cut all veggie into small pieces. Put frozen peas in water.

In a Kadai, heat oil add mustard and hing. Then add urad dal and curry leaves. When dal is brown. Add all veggie, salt, turmeric  and mix. Add water to cook the veggie well.

Press a Carrot and check when its cooked. Add the masala powder and mix.

Cook for 5 mins till the raw smell goes.

If you wish you can mix it with rice or serve as it is.

Serve with hot steamed rice or chapathi. This is also a perfect one for lunch box.

This is also going to Show me your Curry by Divya.