Parippu Curry

Parippu Curry - Tasty Traditional Recipes

Ingredients
Spilt green gram dal/ cherrupayar parippu/ mung dal – 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Grated coconut – 1/2 – 3/4 cup
Cumin seeds – 1/4 – 1/2 tsp
Garlic – 1 small clove (Optional. You can avoid this if you are making it for Kerala sadya)
Salt – To taste
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Coconut oil or ghee – 2 – 3 tsp

Method

Dry roast the split mung dal in a pan at medium heat for 5-6 mts, stirring continuously.
Cook it in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle adding turmeric powder and sufficient water ( around 1.5 – 2 cups).
(You can cook it in a vessel instead of pressure cooker but it will take  a very long time).
Open the pressure cooker when the steam releases.  Mash the parippu slightly with the back of a spoon (thavi) .
Add enough salt and mix well. If the parippu is very thick in consistency, you can add more water and boil it.

Meanwhile grind the grated coconut along with cumin seeds and garlic to a very fine paste.
Add it to the cooked dal and cook for a few minutes. Finally add curry leaves and 2 – 3 tsp coconut oil / ghee. Switch off.
Serve this delicious parippu curry with hot rice, pappadam and ghee. In Northern Kerala, parippu is made with toor dal/ thuvara parippu.
Tasty Traditional Recipes

Manga/Mango Pickle

Manga/Mango Pickle - Tasty Traditional Recipes

Ingredients
    Raw mango – 1
    Chilly powder – 1 tbsp
    Fenugreek powder – 1/4 tsp
    Hing – 1 – 2 pinches
    Salt – To taste
    Sesame oil – 1 tbsp
    Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
    Dry red chily – 1
    Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Method

Chop the mango into small pieces. Mix the chopped mango pieces with chilly powder, fenugreek powder, hing and salt in a bowl.
Keep it aside for a few hours. In a pan heat sesame oil, splutter mustards, fry dry red chilies and add curry leaves.
Add the mango pieces and mix well. Alternatively, you can pour this tadka over the pickle that’s kept aside and mix well.
Cool and store in an airtight container.

Tips:
Place 3 tbsp  of this pickle in a small bowl and add 2 tbsp yoghurt to it.
Mix well. Taste-check and add salt, if required.
Tasty Traditional Recipes

Naranga/Lemon Pickle

Naranga/Lemon Pickle - Tasty Traditional Recipes

Ingredients

    Karinaranga / vadukapuli  – 1 small, cubed (Though vadukapuli is usually used to make this      pickle, you may replace it with regular lemon/ naranga)
    Green chilies – 4 – 5 , sliced to rounds
    Garlic – 10 – 15, small cloves
    Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
    Chilly powder – 4 – 5 tsp
    Fenugreek powder – 1/4 tsp
    Hing / asafoetida – 1/4 tsp
    Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
    Salt – To taste
    Gingelly oil (nallenna) – 1.5 – 2 tbsp

Method

Karinaranga / Vadukapuli alt

Heat gingelly oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
Add the garlic cloves and saute until they turn light brown.
Now add the cubed lemon pieces, green chilies and curry leaves.
Give it a stir and add around 1 cup water. Bring it to a boil and add the chilly powder, fenugreek powder, salt and hing.
 Stir well and cook for a few more minutes.
Switch off when the gravy thickens. Cool down and store in a clean, dry bottle.
You can use it right away but remember to use a dry spoon while serving.
Tasty Traditional Recipes

Inji/Ginger Pickle

Inji/Ginger Pickle - Tasty Traditional Recipes

Ingredients

    Inji/Ginger – 350 gm (or 3/4 lb) cut into thin slices or finely chopped
    Shallots – 8 chopped fine (Optional. You do not need to use them if you are making it for sadya )
    Green chilies – 4 – 5 chopped fine
    Chilly powder – 3 – 4 tsp (adjust it according to your spice tolerance)
    Fenugreek powder/uluva podi – 1/2 tsp
    Hing/Asafoetida – A pinch (Optional)
    Tamarind/puli – Small lime-sized or to taste
    Jaggery – 2 tbsp or to taste
    Curry leaves – 3 sprigs
    Mustard – 1/2 tsp
    Dry red chilies – 2
    Coconut oil – 1/4 – 1/2 cup ( Or as required to fry ginger)
    Salt – To taste

Method

Fry ginger pieces in oil until brown and crispy.  When it cools down, coarsely grind in a mixie.
Soak the tamarind in warm water(around 1.5 cups) and extract its juice.
Heat oil in a deep pan (use the left-over oil from frying ginger ) and splutter mustard seeds. Add dry red chilies, chopped shallots (if you are using them) and saute until the shallots turn brown. Now add the green chilies, curry leaves and saute for a few more minutes.

Pour the strained tamarind extract to it. Bring it to a boil and add chilly powder, fenugreek powder and hing. Now add the ground ginger and jaggery. Mix well. Check for salt. Bring down the heat to low. Cook for another 10 – 15 minutes stirring in between and switch off. Adjust the gravy according to your consistency. I like to have a medium-thick consistency. You can store it in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks. Use it like a pickle though I have it like a curry :).

Tips:

You could also grate ginger instead of chopping it. Squeeze out the juice, fry and coarsely grind them in a mixier.
Add more green chilies, if you wish to avoid chilly powder.
Tasty Traditional Recipes

Rasam

Rasam - Tasty Traditional Recipes

INGREDIENTS
Tomato - 2
Rasam Powder - 1 tbsp (I used Eastern Rasam Powder)
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Red dry chilly - 1
Coriander leaves - for garnishing
Salt - as required
Water - 2 1/2 cups


METHOD
Blanch tomatoes. Peel skin and mash well.
In a pan add 2 cups water.
Add the tomatoes along with rasam powder and salt for 10 minutes on slow flame.
Once cooked add 1/2 more cup water and continue to cook on slow flame.
Check salt.
When it turns frothy add pepper powder and remove from flame.
Heat ghee in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When it splutters add cumin seeds and dry red chilly.
Pour this over the rasam.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

Pineapple Madhura Pachadi

Pineapple Madhura Pachadi - Tasty Traditional Recipes


INGREDIENTS
Pineapple pieces - 1 cup
Tamarind - Lemon size
Jaggery - 1 inch piece
Coconut (grated) - 1/2 cup
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies(Chopped fine) - 1 tsp
Coconut oil - for seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Red Dry Chilly (Vattal Mulaku) - 2
Salt - to taste
Water- 3/4 cup


METHOD
Chop pineapple into small pieces.
Soak tamarind in 1/4 cup water.
Make a paste of the coconut and chilly.
Pour the tamarind water in a wok/pan. Boil it.
Add chilly powder and salt.
Add the pineapple pieces.
Pour the remaining water. Stir well and cover and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the ground coconut paste.
Add jaggery and mix well.
When thick remove from heat.
To prepare seasoning heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard seeds. When it splutters add red chillies and curry leaves.
Pour the seasoning over the thick pineapple pachadi.


Notes:
Use ripe sweet pineapple.
Cook on medium flame.
Add jaggery as per taste.
As soon as you pour the seasoning cover the dish with a lid to allow the flavours to mix.

Kuttu Curry

Kuttu Curry- Tasty Traditional Recipes

INGREDIENTS
Chick peas/Garbanzo Beans/Kadala - 1 cup (soaked overnight)
Raw Plantain/Pachakkaya - 1
Elephant Yam/ Chena - 1/4 kg
Grated Coconut - 2 cups
Chilly Powder - 1 1/2 tbsp( vary as per spice level)
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Cumin/Jeerakam - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds/Kaduku - 1 tsp
Red Dry Chilly/Kaay Mulaku - 2
Curry Leaves/Kariveppila - 2 sprigs
Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - as required

METHOD
Cook chickpeas in a pressure cooker till soft along with salt, turmeric and chilly powder. Add water almost
1 inch above the chickpeas.
In another pan, fry 1 cup coconut till dark brown and crisp(No oil required). Keep aside.
Chop plantain and yam into small pieces.
Add this to the cooked chickpeas and pressure cook for 1 whistle ( Add 1/4 cup water if required).
Make a  paste of 1 cup grated coconut along with cumin seeds (not very fine paste).
Add the ground paste into the cooker. Do not close the cooker. Let boil and thicken.
When no water remains add the fried coconut.
In a small pan heat coconut oil. Add mustard seeds. When it splutters add dry red chilly and curry leaves.
Pour the seasoning over the koottu-curry.


Notes:
As no green chillies are added check the spice level and add more chilly powder as required. This can be added  when cooking the plantains or yam / add it to coconut when almost fried.
While frying coconut do not add any oil as the oil will come out from the coconut as you fry.
There must be almost 1 inch higher level water after cooking yam and plantain. Else boil water and add.

Olan

Olan - Tasty Traditional Recipes

Ingredients
Pumpkin 4 cups
Cow Peas (Van Payar) 1/2 cup
Green Chilli 4
Coconut milk 2 cups
Curry Leaf few
Coconut Oil 1 tbsp
Salt

Method of Preparation

1. Soak the peas overnight and cook it in pressure cooker. I cooked for only 1 whistle to get a cooked but still not mushy peas. You can also used black eyed peas as a substitute. Drain and keep aside. I save the water and add it back to the curry.

2. Cut the pumpkin into small pieces. Ideally white pumpkin should be used. Yellow can also be used. Some people mix the two in equal quantities. My mom made it with yellow pumpkin.

3. Add the pumpkin and slit green chillies to a pan. Add about a cup of water. Cook in medium flame covered till the pumpkin is cooked, but still retains its shape. Most of the water was drained for me by this time.

4. Add the cooked cow peas, coconut milk and salt. Add the reserved water as needed.

5. Simmer. Do not cook in high heat after coconut milk is added to any dish as it will curdle.

6. Switch off and season. Take a small pan. Add coconut oil. You can use any oil, but the coconut oil gives it its unique taste. Add curry leaves and add to the curry. You can add curry leaves directly with the peas and then finally add the coconut oil just to the top of the curry

Tasty Traditional Recipes

Cabbage Thoran

Cabbage Thoran - Tasty Traditional Recipes

Ingredients
Cabbage (I used half a small cabbage) finely chopped
Onion 1 finely chopped
Coconut 1/2 cup
Green Chillies 3 (adjust as per your need. I just used 2 cause of my son)
Jeera 1 tsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
coriander powder 1/2 tsp
Mustard 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves few
Garlic 1 clove

Salt and Oil to taste

Method 

1. Add coconut, jeera, green chilli, garlic into a mixer and grind into a coarse paste without adding any water (just pulse a little).

2. In a pan, add oil. Add the mustard seeds. Let it sputter. Add the curry leaves and after a few seconds, add the onion and saute till it is slightly browned.

3. Add the cabbage and cook till it is almost done.

4. Add the ground coconut mix, salt, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Cook till the cabbage starts to brown and the raw smell of garlic and coconut is gone.

Serve as a side for rice.

Tasty Traditional Recipes

Sambar

Sambar - Tasty Traditional Recipes 

Ingredients
Toor Dal 1/2 cup
Potato 2
Carrot 1
Vendakka 7
Onions 1
Tomato 2
Green Chillies 1 (add more for a nice spicy sambar)
Tamarind paste 1 tsp
Curry Leaves few
Sambar powder 3 tsp
Hing a little

Oil and Salt to taste

Method 

1. Cook the toor dal with a couple of cups of water in a pressure cooker till is mushed up well.

2. In a pressure cooker, heat some oil. Add onions. Saute for a minute. Add curry leaves and green chillies

3. Add potatoes, carrots, vendakka all cut into big pieces. Saute for another minute

4. Add the tomatoes,  tamarind paste, sambar powder and mix well.

5. Add the cooked dal. If needed add some more water. (I added 1 cup of water).

6. Pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Garnish with coriander leaves (optional). Sambar is ready to be served with rice

Tasty Traditional Recipes

Aviyal

Aviyal - Tasty Traditional Recipes 

Ingredients 
Potato 1
Carrot 1
Beans 10-15
Peas 1/4 cup
Vazhakka 1
Raw Mango 1 very small For Grating
Coconut 1/2
cup Curry Leaves few
Green Chilli 2
Cumin/Jeera 1 tsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Garlic 1 pod
Salt to taste.
Coconut oil a little for dressing (optional)


Method of Preparation 
1. Grind all the ingredients under 'for grating' into a fine paste adding enough water.
2. Cut all the vegetables above into long 2 inch pieces.
3. Add the vegetables to a pot and add just some water. Cook till it is almost cooked.
4. If there is too much water drain it. Otherwise, add the paste and some salt. If needed add a little more water.
5. Cook till the raw smell of the paste is gone and the vegetables are well cooked.

You can add a little coconut oil at the end.
It add a nice taste to it. Of course, it depends on the person.