This is a simple and easy to make curry that goes well with steamed rice. It can be eaten along with any stir fried vegetable or pappadam.
Ingredients:
1. Shallots -100gm
2. Tamarind pulp 1- cup
3. Turmeric powder- 1/2tsp
4. Asafoetida powder 1/4 tsp.
5. Sambhar powder- 3tsps
6. Fenugreek powder- 1tsp
7. Mustard seeds- 1tsp
8. Sugar- 2tsps
9. Curry leaves - few
10. Sesame oil - 1tsp.
11. Salt and oil - as required
Method:
Add sugar, salt and two cups of water to the tamarind pulp. Keep it aside.
In a frying pan, heat some oil and add the mustard seeds. When it crackles add the
shallots and fry till it turns brown. Then add the fenugreek powder, asafoetida powder, turmeric powder and the sambhar powder in quick succession. Pour this mixture into the tamarind water. Boil till the shallots are cooked. Check for consistency and salt. Boil again. Garnish with curry leaves and sesame oil.
This is an easy to make pancake that can be had for breakfast. It has vegetables like carrot, capsicum and onion to make it nutritious. Other seasonal vegetables like blanched peas and grated cauliflower can also be added to make this pancake.
Ingredients:
Parboiled rice -1cup
Black gram - 2tsps
Grated carrot - 2tsp
Chopped onion -2tsp
Chopped capsicum -2tsp
Chopped coriander leaves -2tsp
Chopped green chillies -1tsp
Grated coconut - 1tsp (optional)
Salt and oil - As required
other side of the pancake
Method:
Soak the parboiled rice and black gram together for four hours. Grind them to a course paste and ferment it overnight or at least for eight hours.
Mix salt and vegetables to the batter. Check the consistency. It should be in pouring consistency but thicker than dosa batter.
Heat a griddle and grease it well. Pour one ladleful of the batter on it. Spread it out to make a thick pancake. Drizzle little oil on it. Cook on both the sides. Serve with sambhar or tomato sauce.
Banana stem is rich in fiber and is rich in potassium and vitamin B6 just like the fruit. It is believed to have a cooling effect on the body and hence, is recommended in tropical climates.
Ingredients:
1. Banana stem - 400gms
2. Yellow green gram - 1/4cup
3. Turmeric powder -1tsp
4. Grated coconut - 1cup
5. Cumin seeds -2tsps
6. Red chillies - 2
7. Beaten curd -1tsp
8. Sugar - 2tsps
9. Curry leaves - few
10. Mustard seeds - 1tsp
11. Black gram - 1tsp
12. Salt and oil - as required
banana stem
Method:
Grind the grated coconut, cumin seeds and red chillies coarsely. Soak the yellow green gram in water for ten minutes. Cut the banana stem into small cubes. Place them in water to which curd has been added. Swirl the water with a fork for few seconds and remove any strings attached to it. Wash and cook in two cups of water along with yellow green gram and turmeric powder. When it becomes soft, add salt and sugar. Cook for few more seconds. Then, add the ground paste and curry leaves. Simmer till is well blended. Garnish with mustard seeds and black gram tempered in oil.
Nei appam or unni appam is a traditional sweet dish of Kerala. This sweet dumpling fried in clarified butter or oil is an offering to the deity in many temples of Kerala, besides the ISKCON temple. This is also prepared during weddings and festivals like Karthigai deepam.
The basic ingredients for making nei appam are brown sugar, rice and clarified butter. However, other ingredients like yellow plantain, wheat flour, black gram and all-purpose flour are also added to make the appam softer.
A special frying pan made of bell metal is used to make this dish. It is heavy and has deep cups in it, which helps to cook the appam evenly. What is more important is that it cooks slowly and fills the kitchen with its sweet aroma.
Ingredients:
Raw rice -1 cup
Brown sugar -1 cup
Cardamom powder -2tsps
Grated coconut - 2tsps
Clarified butter or oil for frying
Method:
Soak the rice in water for 4 hours. Drain and grind to a smooth paste along with brown sugar. Set it aside for 4 hours. Just before preparing, add the grated coconut and cardamom powder. Check the consistency. It should be in pouring consistency, like dosa batter. Heat the special vessel. When it turns hot pour clarified butter in each of the cup of the vessel. (Fill it lower than the brim of the cup). When the clarified butter reaches near smoking point, reduce the flame to the minimum. Then, pour one ladle of the batter in each cup. Allow it to cook. Turn it and cook on the other side. Pierce it to check if it has cooked in the inside. When it turns golden brown, remove it.
