Happy new year 2014

Happy new year to all my friends and relatives. May this new bring lots of happiness, luck and good health to all.

Green gram-spinach gravy

Green gram-spinach gravy is high on fibre, low on calorie and is packed with lots of nutrition. This spicy gravy goes well with flat breads and rice.

Green gram is a high fibre legume rich in potassium and digestive enzymes. The capsaicin compound in chilli pepper which gives it a pungent flavour has anti-bacterial, analgesic and anti-diabetic properties. Spinach, which is known as palak in Hindi is rich in fibre besides vitamin A and C.

Green chilli pepper

Ingredients;
Green chilli pepper (sliced) - 7
Green gram - 100gm
Spinach (chopped) - 2cups
Onion -2 (chopped finely)
Garlic paste -2tsps
Ginger paste -1tsp
Cumin seeds -2tsps
Turmeric powder -2tsps
Curry powder/sambhar powder -2tps
Oil and salt - as required
Chopped coriander leaves -2tsps

Method:
Soak the green gram for 12 hours or overnight. Cook it in a pressure cook till done. In a frying pan, heat cumin seeds and one teaspoon of oil. When it splutters add the onions and sauté. Once the onions turn transparent stir in the pastes first and then all the powders. Add the spinach and one cup of water.  Cook over a low flame. Once the spinach is done add the cooked green gram and green chilli peppers. Boil for few seconds and remove from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves before serving.

Note: Sprouted green gram can be used to make this gravy. 

Strawberry preserve

I found the vegetable and fruits market flooded with strawberries, which is also my favourite fruit. So I thought I can make a preserve out of it.
This preserve is made without using any preservative, artificial colour and essence. It is simple to make and can be stored in the refrigerator for nearly a month.
Strawberry preserve can be used as a spread for bread and flat breads. It can be added to cold milk to make milk shake, or to curd to make strawberry lassi. It can also be used while making plum cake.

Ingredients:
Crushed strawberry - 3cups
Sugar - 2 cups
Lemon juice - 4tsp

Method:
Mix the strawberry and the sugar in a thick bottom pan.

Place it on the stove and stir continuously. When it starts to thicken, reduce the heat and add the lemon juice. Allow it to thicken to the consistency of jam. Cool and store it in refrigerator.
Note: Crush the strawberries with a fork to get some pieces in the preserve. Orange rind can also be added along with lemon juice to give a tangy flavour.

Quick Lady's finger

This is a very simple and easy to make vegetable. It goes well with flat breads as well as with any variety rice.

Ingredients:
Lady's finger -250gms
Onion -1
Turmeric powder -1/2tsp
Curry powder/Garam masala -1tsp
Salt and oil - as required

Method:
Cut the onions into big pieces. Keep it aside.
Wash and cut the lady's finger into one inch length pieces.
Heat two teaspoons of oil in a frying pan. Add the lady's finger and fry till it changes colour.
Remove and keep aside.
In the same pan fry the onion till it turns transparent. Add the curry powder, turmeric and salt. Sauté till it releases nice aroma.
Then add the lady's finger and two teaspoons of water. Toss everything. Cover and cook till done.

Chennai’s changing sky

Currently, Chennai is experiencing a cool weather. It can neither be called winter nor summer. Occasionally, it rains with surface winds being very high. However, it is nice to view the sky that keeps changing by the hour. In fact, the weather is unpredictable. One cannot say anything by even watching the changing sky.


Here is a picture of Chennai with dark skies in the morning and another one with a rainbow in the afternoon.

My tryst with real people

 

After a long gap I have started painting again. I wanted to do a painting of  real people in my life.

This time I have done a painting of my niece.

In the left side is a picture of my niece. The right side is her painting. The painting is in oil on paper.

Myna talk

Simple veg brownie

This is a light and easy to make cake.  It requires very little ingredients. It can be served plain or with a glazing.  It is an ideal accompaniment for tea as it is not very sweet. I generally serve it as a dessert after dinner.

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour (maida) -1/2 cup
Cocoa powder -1/2cup
Castor sugar -3/4 cup
Beaten curd -1/cup
Instant coffee -6gm
Dark chocolate -50gms (chopped finely)
Baking powder -1tsp
Refined oil -100gms


Method:
Mix the cocoa powder, flour and baking powder together. Sieve it twice. Keep aside.
Mix the curd, instant coffee and sugar. Slowly add the oil. Then add the mixed flour and the chopped chocolate. Mix well.
Pour it in a greased pan dusted with some plain flour.
Bake it in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 to 25 minutes.

Notes:
I have used 2 small sachets of Bru instant coffee and ¾ bar of Bournville dark chocolate. I have also applied dark chocolate glazing on the the brownie.

For Chocolate glazing

Ingredients:
Dark Chocolate - 1/4 cup
Clarified butter - 1tbsp
Milk – 4tbls
Sugar – 6tbls

Method:

Mix milk and sugar. Then add the clarified butter.  Heat it on a low flame. Then slowly add the Dark Chocolate. Keep stirring it, till it thickens. Remove from flame and cool it before well before applying it over the cake.

Rustic beauty

Here is a painting to take you down the memory lane of backyard sights and sounds that is simply non-existent in the city.

This is an oil painting on canvas board.

Busy bele bath

Busy busy bath comes handy when you want to cook something that is tasty and wholesome on a busy day. This is my version of Bisi bele bath, which is famous in Karnataka.

This mixed rice tastes like sambhar rice as it contains lentils and coconut and some spices common to sambhar. However, the key ingredient for busy busy bath is long pepper .

Ingredients:
Cooked rice -3cups
Shallots -1/2 cup
Split chick pea -3tbls
Tamarind paste -1tsp
Sugar -1tsp
Turmeric powder -1/2tsp
Mixed vegetable -1/2 cup
Grated coconut -4tbls
Mustard seeds -1tsp
Curry leaves -few
Salt and oil - as required
Spice powder -3tbls


Ingredients for spice powder:
Coriander seeds -2tsps
Cumin seeds -1tsp
Cardamom -3
Cloves -2
Long pepper -1tsp
Red chillies -6

Dry toast all the ingredients for spice powder and grind it to a fine powder.

Method to make busy bath:

Heat the mustard seeds and oil in a frying pan. When the mustard crackles, add the shallots, coconut and curry leaves. Fry till the coconut turns brown. Keep it aside.

Cook the split chick pea and the vegetables in a cup of water along with turmeric powder and salt. Add the tamarind paste, sugar, the spice powder and one more cup of water. Boil for few minutes, and then add the cooked rice.
Stir well and garnish with fried coconut mix.

Kaarthigai Deepam

 Kaarthigai Deepam is all about decorating the house with various types of lamps and eating sweets made of various puffed rice besides appam. This festival falls on the full moon day of the Tamil month of Kaarthigai.  It is also about strengthening the relation between brothers and sisters.

Chow-Chow Thogayal (Chayote Chutney)

Chayote is the English name for Bangalore kathirikkai in Tamil and Chow-Chow in Hindi. This squash is generally used for making Sāmbhar, kootu and even rasams. Its thick skin is edible and used along with the flesh to make soups.

https://youtu.be/pvpB43hOF-M

Ingredients: 

Chow-Chow -250gms
Split chickpea - 1/2 cup
Red chillies -5 to 6
Tamarind - lemon size
Jaggery - little (optional)
Chopped coriander leaves - 1cup 
Oil and salt as required

Method:
Skin and cube the Chow-Chow. Cook in one cup of water along with salt. Cool and keep aside.
Fry the split chick pea and red chillies separately with some oil. Cool and grind it to a fine powder. Then add the cooked Chow-Chow, sugar, tamarind and coriander leaves. Beat it in a blender to a smooth paste.
This chutney goes well with adai, dosa and idli. 

Sambhar's many avatars

Sambhar is a South Indian specialty, that comes as an accompaniment for tiffin items like idli, vada, dosa etc. It is also an item in the South Indian main course meals.

Most Indians and particularly South Indians know to make sambhar.  However, the method of making it differs in different regions. There is the palaght sambhar that tastes completely different from the Chettinad sambhar.

There are also a variety of sambhars depending on the vegetables used to make it. For instance, drumstick sambhar uses drumstick, lady's finger sambhar uses lady's finger while onion sambhar uses shallots.

Sometimes a combination of seasonal vegetables are also used to make sambhar. However, care must be taken to choose the right kind of vegetables to get the right   flavour of sambhar. Vegetables like onion, lady's finger and potato can be combined, while brinjal with potato make for a bad combination.

Coconut is a key ingredient in sambhars and the one without coconut is called podi sambhar.I make instant sambhar by adding coconut scrapping to ready-made sambhar powder.

Sambhar for tiffin should be like dal and hence should have less tamarind while sambhar for meals can be little sour.

Recipe for Onion Drumstick Sambhar

1 Coriander seeds (dhania) 4tsps
2 Fenugreek seeds (methi seeds) 1tsp
3 Red chillies 7 numbers or as required.
4 Cumin seeds (jeera) 1tsp
5 Asafoetida powder(hing) 1tsp.
6 Coconut scraping 2tsp.
7 Madras onion/shallots 200gm
8 Tamarind water 1 cup (from lemon sized tamarind)
9 Turmeric powder (haldi) 1tsp
10 Mustard seeds 1tsp
11 oil as required
12 Brown sugar 2tsp
13 salt to taste
14 Few curry leaves
15 Chopped coriander leaves 1tsp
16 Cooked and mashed pigeon pea/toor dal  2cups

Method:

Roast 1,2,3,4 & 5 separately with little oil. Add coconut scrapping and grind to a smooth paste. Keep it aside.Fry the shallots and drumstick in little oil. Add to the tamarind water along with salt, turmeric powder and brown sugar. Cook it well. Then, add the ground paste and mashed pigeon pea. Check for salt and consistency. Bring it to a boil. Temper mustard seeds in little oil and add to the sambhar. Garnish with curry leaves & coriander leaves.

Kanchipuram idli

There are many types of idlis. For instance, vegetable idlis incorporate vegetables, while green gram idlis forgo rice completely. The latter is preferred by diabetics as it has a low glycemic index.

Kanchipuram idli, which is also known as Kudalai idli is famous in Kanchipuram district of Tamilnadu. These are usually steamed in Lotus leaf cups, which are known as donnai in Tamil language. Donnais lend a beautiful aroma to this idlis.

This idli is reported to have been made first in Sri Varadarajaperumal Temple of Kanchipuram district. The temple still continues the tradition of making and offering this idli to the lord.

I prepare this idli from left over idli batter that has become very sour. Then it is spiced up with ginger and pepper to give that extra pungency to the idli.

Ingredient:

Idli batter -2 cups
Ginger paste -1tsp
Green chilli paste -1tsp
Eating soda -1/4tsp
Black pepper powder -1tsp
Mustard seeds -1tsp
Asafoetida powder- 1/2tsp
Oil -2tsps

Method:

Mix the pastes and eating soda to the idli batter. Keep aside.
In a frying heat some oil and mustard seeds. When it crackles add the asafoetida powder. Fry for few seconds and pour it into the batter.
Mix the batter and pour it on a greased plate or flat pan. Sprinkle the pepper powder on top. Steam it till done. Cool and cut it into small pieces.

 

Mathan kootu (pumpkin in fried coconut)

This famous side dish of Kerala is little sweet and drenched in fried coconut. It goes well with sambhar or any kuzhambu of your choice.

Ingredients:
Pumpkin -200gms (cubed)
Chilli powder- 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder- 1tsp
Grated coconut- 1/4cup
Mustard seeds- 1tsp
Black gram- 1tsp
Curry leaves- few
Sugar- 1tsp
Salt and oil- as required

Heat some oil in a frying pan. Add the mustard seeds. When it starts to crackle add the black gram and fry. Then add the coconut and fry till it turns brown. Keep aside.

In another pan cook the pumpkin pieces in one cup of water along with turmeric powder, chilli powder, sugar and salt. When the pumpkin turns tender, stir in the fried coconut. Switch of the flame and garnish with curry leaves.

Happy Diwali

Deepavali is a sanskrit word which means a row of lights. Light symbolises god, truth and wisdom. This festival, which is celebrated on the darkest night of the year, enhances the beauty of light, signifying the victory of brightness over darkness.

Diwali is celebrated for different reasons. In North India it is a celebration of the return of Lord Rama after a 14-year exile. In South India Diwali is celebrated as a victory over Asura Naraka.

Happy Diwali to all the readers. May this Diwali bring lots of good luck, happiness and success to all. I hope the celebration is also pollution free.

Masala Dosa (mashed potatoes filled pancake)

This is a dosa that has a filling of mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes filling can be prepared in many ways. It can be prepared with onion, without onion, with garlic, without garlic, with tomatoes and without tomatoes.
Generally, a dosa is named depending on the filling used. For instance, a filling of stir fried cauliflower becomes cauliflower dosa. A filling of spicy cottage cheese becomes paneer dosa. A filling of cheddar cheese and green chillies becomes chilli-cheese dosa. Fusion dosa has a filling of fried noodles drizzled in hot and sweet sour sauce. So the choices of filling are endless.
I have presented here the simple masala dosa with onion.

Ingredients:
Dosa batter -2 cup
Boiled and mashed potatoes -2 cup
Onion -2 (finely chopped)
Green chilly- 3 (finely chopped) 
Crushed ginger -1 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves -2 tsp
Curry leaves -few
Mustard seeds -1 tsp
Split black gram -1 tsp
Salt and oil- as required

Method:
Heat some oil in a frying pan. Add the mustard seeds. When it to crackles, add the black gram and fry till it turns brown. Then add the onions, green chilly, ginger and curry leaves. Fry for five minutes. Then add the coriander leaves, mashed potatoes, salt and one cup of water. Cook till everything is blended well. This is the filling.

Next, heat a griddle and pour one ladle of the dosa batter and spread it round to make a thin pancake. Drizzle some oil on top and cook on both the sides.
Then place a spoonful of the filling in the center of the dosa and roll it.

 Serve hot with chutney and sambhar.

Diwali discount

 

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                                       http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FGK6WXI

The price of print editions of both these books have been slashed for this festive season. Even the price of kindle version is lowered. Both the books are made more affordable. In India the kindle version of both the books is below Rs 100. Go get them here... http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EXHYS6S
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Podi dosa (Gun powder crepe)

Podi dosa is a thin crispy crepe smeared with idli/dosa chutney powder and fried onions. Podi in Tamil language means powder. Podi dosa is made of milaga podi, which is nothing but idli/dosa chutney powder. Idli/dosa chutney powder is usually mixed with sesame oil or clarified butter and in the process it loses some of its pungency. Hence it is deliberately made with good quantities of chillies to retain that heat.  For this reason it is also known as South Indian gun powder.

Ingredients for Idli/Dosa podi

Black gram (urad dal) -1cup
Split chick pea (channa dal) -1/2cup
Red chillies -1/2 cup
Asafoetida powder -1tsp
Coriander seeds -1tsp
Horse gram -3tblsps (optional)

Dry toast all the ingredients separately. Combine everything and grind to a smooth powder. Add salt to taste. Store it an air tight jar.
This powder can be used for dosa, idli and for making stir fried vegetables.

Podi dosa

Dosa batter -1 cup
Idli/dosa podi -2tsps
Shallots -few (finely chopped)
Chopped coriander leaves -1tsp
Sesame oil - as required

Method:
Fry the shallots with one teaspoon of oil. When it turns brown, remove from heat and mix the idli/dosa podi and coriander leaves. Keep it aside.
Heat a griddle and pour one ladle of the batter and spread it round to make a thin crepe. Drizzle some oil on top and cook. When it starts lifting from the edges, smear the dosa podi mixture and serve hot.

Note:
Using clarified butter to fry the shallots will give a rich flavour to the dosa.

Green dosa

This is a dosa (rice pancake) made with green vegetables.

Ingredients:

Dosa batter -2cups
Green chillies -2(chopped finely)
Green capsicum -1/2(chopped finely)
Shallots -few (finely chopped)
Finely chopped spring onion green -1tbsp
Chopped coriander leaves -2tsp
Oil and salt - as required

Method:

Mix everything except oil. Heat a griddle and pour one ladle of the batter and spread it round to make a pancake. Drizzle some oil on top and cook on both the sides. Serve hot with Sambhar.

Diyas for diwali

Diwali is a festival of lights. So make colourful diyas using your imagination. Here are some tips to convert the plain clay diyas available in the market into beautiful pieces.

You will require plain clay diyas, a box of fabric paint and a lot of imagination. Dab on the desired paint directly from the bottle without diluting it. Allow it to dry and apply another coat. You can also superimpose your designs on it.
Here I have used different colours on each diya to highlight its shape. Note: To one diya I have given basket design to its interior.
I would recommend the use of candles to light the diya instead of wick and oil.

Manoharam

 

Want to make a new sweet this Diwali, then try out manoharam. This is a kind of sev coated with jaggery. It is comparatively a healthier sweet as it incorporates green gram, rice and jaggery. This is generally prepared during south Indian brahmin weddings.


Ingredients:

Rice flour -2cups
Green gram flour -2cups
Butter -1tsp
Oil for frying
Powered jaggery -1cup
Dry ginger powder -1/4tsp

Note : To make sev you will need a mould which has different perforated sheets at its base to give different designs to the sev. Manoharam sev is prepared using a sheet that has several smooth holes (not the thorny one).

Method:

Dry roast both the flours separately. Combine together and sieve it. Mix the flour with the butter. Then add warm water little by little to make a stiff batter.
Heat oil in a frying pan. Place a ball of batter into the mould and press it out into the oil. Fry the sev till it is crispy. Remove and keep it aside.
Then heat the jaggery with few teaspoons of water in another pan. Boil and thicken it to one string consistency. Remove from heat and mix the sev. Stir thoroughly till the entire sev is coated with the jaggery syrup.

Festive discount.

The price of this book on kindle version has been slashed for this festive season. Gift it to someone you love.

Onion carrot pancake

Breakfast can be made more filling and nutritious with vegetables. Here is one easy recipe that uses carrot and onion.


Ingredients:
Dosa batter -2 cup
Grated carrot -1/2 cup
Onion -1 (finely chopped)
Chilli flakes 1/2 tsp
Sesame oil and salt  - as required

For the dosa batter:
Soak the parboiled rice and black gram for four hours. Grind them to a smooth paste and add salt. Ferment it overnight or at least for eight hours.

Method:

Mix the vegetables, chilli flakes and salt to the batter. Grease a hot griddle and pour one ladle of the batter on it. Spread it round to make a pancake. Drizzle some sesame oil over it and cook on both the sides.

Festive discount

The price of this book in kindle version has been slashed for this festive season. So go grab it.

Carrot and apple rice

I have prepared this rice with carrot and apple. However, other vegetables and fruits like green peas, cauliflower, pineapple and mango can also be used to make this rice. 

Ingredients:
Cooked long/basmati rice -2cups
Apple -1/2(cubed)
Grated carrot - 1/2cup
Onion -1(chopped finely)
Cashew nuts -50gms
Raisins -50gms
Black pepper powder -1/4tsp
Chilli flakes -1/4tsp
Sugar -1/2tsp
Oil and salt as required

Method:
Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the cashew nuts and raisins. Remove and keep it aside. In the same frying pan, fry the apple pieces with some salt and oil. Remove and keep it aside. Similarly fry the carrot pieces and keep it aside.

In the same pan fry the onions along with sugar. When it turns brown add all the powders, vegetables, salt and rice. Sauté till everything is blended well. Cover and cook for few seconds. Garnish with cashew nuts and raisins.

Pumpkin curry

Pumpkins are rich in beta carotene, which gets converted into vitamin A in the body.

Ingredients:

Pumpkin 200gm (cubed)
Onion -1(chopped finely)
Tomato -1(pureed)
Coriander powder -1/2tsp
Cumin powder -1/2tsp
Red chilli powder -1/2tsp
Turmeric powder -1/2tsp
Chopped coriander leaves -1tsp
Sugar -1/2tsp
Oil and salt - as required

Method:

Fry the onions in some oil. When it turns brown, add all the powders in quick succession. Sauté  for a while. (Take care not to burn the mixture). Then add the pumpkin pieces, tomato puree, salt, sugar and little water. Cook for five minutes till the pumpkin turns tender. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Shades of green

Green bee eater is a beautifully coloured slender bird. It has one elongated tail that adds further beauty to it. It is also a photographer’s delight who capture them in frames.

I like this bird for its colour and often see them in flocks of two and three. During the monsoon season, you simply cannot miss them, when insects, wasps and dragonflies are dominant.

These birds have been my subjects for painting for a long time. Here is an oil painting on canvas board.

Green sandwich

This is a very tasty sandwich that is easy to make. It is made with whole wheat bread, green chutney and cucumber.  
Ingredients:

Whole wheat bread -8 slices
Cucumber -1(cut into round slices)
Green chutney -1/2 cup

Make the green chutney by grinding the following ingredients to a smooth paste.

1. Green chillies -3 to 4
2. Crushed ginger -1/2 tsp
3. Crushed garlic -1/2 tsp (optional)
4. Chopped coriander leaves -1 cup
5. Sugar -1/4 tsp
6. Lemon juice -1/4 tsp
7. Salt to taste

Method:

Spread the green chutney on one side of a slice. Arrange the cucumber pieces over the chutney spread. Take another slice and spread the green chutney on one side and place it on top of the cucumber spread with chutney side facing down. Press it down a little and toast it on a griddle.

Arsi kozhukattai (rice dumpling)

 


Mention kozhukattai and it is immediately related to Chathruti Kozhukattai, which is a dumpling with sweet fillings made from grated coconut and jaggery. In northern India it is referred to as modak.
However, there are many other salt kozhukattais that are prepared without any fillings. Arsi kozhukattai is one of them. It is prepared with raw rice flour and a combination of lentils.

Ingredients:
Coarse raw rice flour -1 cup
Split chick pea (channa dal) -2 tblsp
Black gram (urad dal) -3 tblsp
Green chillies - 4
Asafoetida powder -1/4 tsp
Grated coconut -4 tblsp
Mustard seeds -1 tsp
Curry leaves -few
Oil and salt - As required

Method:
Grind coarsely the lentils/dals, green chillies and curry leaves. Keep it aside.
Heat some oil in a frying pan and add the mustard seeds. When it crackles, add the asafoetida powder, ground paste and one cup of water. Cook for five minutes. Then add another one cup of water. When it begins to boil, add the rice flour slowly, stirring continuously. Then, add the grated coconut and cook for another few seconds. Cool it and make oblong shape balls and steam it till done.

Split chick pea sundal

Sundal is an offering to the gods during the nine days of navarathri celebration in South India. In Tamilnadu dolls are arranged in odd number of steps and every evening sundal is distributed to ladies and kids along with betel leaves and areca nuts.

Sundal is a dry dish made of pulses or lentils with mild flavourings of coconut, green chillies and curry leaves and seasoned with fried mustard seeds.

Sundal can be made with chick pea (channa), split chick pea (chanan dal), green gram (green moong dal), Cow pea (lobia), groundnut etc.


Here is a recipe for Split chick pea sundal.

Ingredients:

1. Split chick pea -2cups (soaked for 8hrs)
2. Grated coconut -2tsps
3. Curry leaves -few
4. Chopped coriander leaves -2tsps
5. Green chillies -1(finely chopped)
6. Ginger -1/inch piece (finely chopped)
7. Mustard seeds -1tsp
8. Salt and oil as required

Method:

Cook the split chick pea in a pressure cooker without adding water or salt.
Remove from the cooker and add items 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Mix well. Season it with mustard seeds fried in oil.

Date roll

In this roll, crushed dates are stuffed with toasted nuts that are drizzled in honey.
Dates are high on dietary fibre and when mixed with different nuts its nutritional content also increases.This is an ideal offering for festivals like Dussehra and Diwali as it requires very little cooking time.

Ingredients:
De-seeded dates -100gms
Almonds -50gms
Cashew -50gms
Pistachio nuts -25gms 
Raisins -25gms
Honey 3tblsps
Coconut powder -4tblsps
Ghee/Clarified butter -1tsp
Aluminum foil - 1sheet

Method:
Toast all the nuts in one teaspoon of ghee and crush it coarsely. Mix the raisins and honey and keep it aside. Crush the dates in a blender. Spread it on an aluminum foil. Place the nut mixer on the dates lengthwise. Fold both ends of the foil lengthwise such that it is looks like a rolling pin. Seal the edges and set it in the refrigerator. After one hour take it out of the fridge and roll it in the coconut powder. Cut it into round circles.

Keerai masiyal

Keerai masiyal is a famous side dish of South India which can be prepared in different methods. It is easy to make and tastes delicious.  It is generally prepared with Arai keerai. (Botanical name of Arai keerai is Amaranthus dubius).

Ingredients:

1. Arai keerai/amarnath -1 bunch
2. Asafoetida powder -1/4tsp
3. Mustard seeds -1tsp
4. Black gram - 1/2tsp
5. Rice flour -1tsp
6. Red chillies - 3
7. Coconut oil or clarified butter -2tsps

Wash and chop the keerai finely. Add salt and cook it in a cup of water. Cool and puree it using a blender. Mix the rice flour. Add more water if required. Bring it to a boil. Season it with mustard seeds, red chillies, black gram and asafoetida powder fried in oil.

Unnakaya (Stuffed banana fry)

Unnakaya is a special fried snack of the malabar region. This is prepared by filling sweetened coconut in mashed half ripe kerala bananas. I learned this during my stay in Tellicherry.

Ingredients:

1. Half ripe kerala bananas/nenthra pazham -2
2. Grated coconut -1/2cup
3. Sugar -5tblsps
4. Cardamom powder -1tsp
5. Oil for frying

Method:

Heat the coconut and sugar together in a frying pan. Allow it to blend well. Mix the cardamom powder. Keep it aside.
Next, steam the nenthra pazham/bananas with the skin. Cool and skin it. Mash it in a blender. Make equal balls out of it.
Then grease the palm with oil and flatten one ball. Put one spoonful of the prepared coconut and seal it. It must be shaped oblong and fit inside the palm. Fill all the balls in this method.
Heat oil in a frying pan and fry them in batches till they turn brown.

Avial Kuzhambu

While avial is a side dish for sambhar, avial kuzhambu is a curry which is mixed with cooked rice and eaten. It is in pouring consistency like sambhar.

Ingredients:

Ash gourd -100gm
Elephant yam -50gm
Drumstick -1
Tamarind pulp -3tblsps
Turmeric powder -1tsp
Grated coconut -1cup
Green chillies -4
Cumin seeds -1tsp
Curry leaves -few
Coconut oil -2tsps
Sugar -1tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Grind the grated coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds into a smooth paste.
Dilute the tamarind pulp with one cup of water.
Cut all the vegetables into two inch lengths.
Cook the vegetables in tamarind water along with turmeric powder and salt. Mix the ground paste, sugar and curry leaves. Check the consistency. Bring it to a boil. Garnish with coconut oil.

Pazham adai (banana pancake)

This pancake is usually prepared in kerala Iyer homes, using the locally available ingredients like nenthra pazham and coconut.
A sweet version of this adai uses jaggery and clarified butter instead of salt and oil.

Ingredients:

Kerala banana/nenthra pazham -1(chopped finely)
Par boiled rice -2cups (soaked in water for 3 hours)
Cumin seeds -1tsp
Black pepper -2tsps
Grated coconut -1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Gingely oil for toasting

Method:

Grind the rice coarsely along with cumin seeds and black pepper. Mix the banana pieces and grated coconut. Add some water to bring it to dosa batter consistency. In a non-stick tava pour a ladle full of this batter and spread it out like dosa. Toast on both sides with 2 to 3 teaspoons of oil.