GOTHAMBU (BROKEN/CRACKED WHEAT) PAYASAM

GOTHAMBU (BROKEN/CRACKED WHEAT) PAYASAM


INGREDIENTS
Broken wheat - 1 cup
Water - 4 cups
Jaggery - 500 gms
Water - ½ cup
Medium thick coconut milk - 3  ½ cups
Thick coconut milk - 1 cup
Crushed Cardamom - 3
Ghee - 3 tsp
Cashew nuts- ¼ cup
Raisins - ¼ cup
Thengakothu (bite size coconut pieces) - ½ cup


INSTRUCTIONS
Pressure cook the cleaned broken wheat with 4 cups of water. I cooked it on high flame for around 6-7 whistles. Keep it closed for 15 mins. Drain if there is any excess water. Meanwhile melt the jaggery with ½ cup water. Strain the melted jaggery. Combine the melted jaggery & cooked wheat. Add 2 tsp of ghee to this. Cook this mixture, till the melted jaggery is completely dried. Add medium thick coconut milk to this & combine well. Let it boil. When it attains a thick consistency, add thick coconut milk. Give a good stir & mix well. Add crushed cardamom also. Let it cook for 5 more minutes on low flame & remove from fire. Keep in mind that the payasam tends to thicken as it cools.
Heat 1 tsp ghee in a small pan & fry the bite size coconut pieces first, when it starts changing colour, add cashews & raisins also & fry it. Garnish the hot payasam with fried coconut pieces,raisins & cashews. Serve hot.

CHENA MEZHUKKUPERATTY

CHENA MEZHUKKUPERATTY

INGREDIENTS
Chena/Suran (Elephant Foot Yam) - 400gms, cut into bite size pieces (measured after cleaning)
Whole small onion - ½ cup
Whole garlic - 3, big cloves
Red chilli powder - 2-21/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Pepper powder - ½ tsp
Fennel (perumjeerakam) powder - a pinch
Hot water - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - ¼ -1/2 tsp
Salt
Curry leaves
Coconut oil


INSTRUCTIONS
Cook the cleaned chena pieces with salt till it's tender (refer notes). Make sure you dont overcook them. It should retain a crunchy texture.
Crush together the whole garlic and whole small onion using a mortar and pestle. Keep it aside. Heat oil in a pan and crackle the mustard seeds. Add the crushed small onion and garlic and curry leaves. Fry it till it turns golden brown.
Add chilli,turmeric, pepper and fennel powder and salt. Fry it till the raw smell goes, about 2 mins. Add hot water and mix well. Add cooked chena and mix well. Make sure the chena pieces are coated well with masala.
Continue to cook on low flame for 5-10 mins, stirring in between,till it is roasted well. Remove from fire and serve hot with rice.

MOTTA THORAN (SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH COCONUT)

MOTTA THORAN (SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH COCONUT)

INGREDIENTS
Eggs - 5 (refer notes)
Onion - I medium, chopped
Green chilli - 2-3, chopped
Coconut - ½ cup
Cumin (jeera) - a pinch
Turmeric powder - ¼ - ½ tsp
Crushed pepper - ½ tsp
Curry leaves
Salt
Oil (I used coconut oil)


INSTRUCTIONS
Beat the eggs well and keep it aside.
Combine coconut and cumin, using your hands. Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onion and green chilli.
When onions become soft (no need to brown), add turmeric powder, salt and curry leaves. Mix well. Add beaten eggs and scramble them.
When the eggs are half cooked add coconut and jeera. Mix well. Cook for 3-4 mins on low flame. Add ½ tsp crushed pepper and mix well. Serve hot with rice, toast, chapathi etc;

Cheera Thoran/Poriyal

Cheera Thoran

Cheera/Spinach chopped fine – 5 cups
Grated coconut – 3/4 to 1 cup
Shallots chopped – 4 or 5
Green chillies chopped – 4
Garlic chopped – 1/2 tsp
Jeera – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – a sprig
Salt – to taste
Oil – as needed

Method:-

Grind grated coconut,turmeric powder,green chillies,jeera seeds and garlic into a coarse paste and keep aside.Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds into it.Allow it to splutter,then add curry leaves,stir and add the chopped spinach.Stir for few minutes and mix in the ground paste.Add salt,stir and cook until all the water evaporates and thoran becomes dry.Serve with rice.

Potato Thoran

Ingredients

Potato-2

Grated Coconut-1/4 of 1

Cumin seeds -15 nos

Small Onion-2(sliced)

Garlic-1 pod

Turmeric Powder-1/4tsp

Curry Leaves-

Chilly Powder-1/4tsp

Oil-2tsp

Mustard Seeds-1/4tsp

Method

Peel the potatoes and cut into small pieces..Take a pressure and add the potato pieces along with 1 cup of water and salt..Cook it well (3 whistle)..When the whistle settle down open the cooker and drain the potato and mash them …

In a blender grind grated coconut ,cumin seeds,garlic ,small onion(1),turmeric powder and chilly powder to a semi medium paste …Then heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds.After that add curry leaves and sliced onion and saute it ..Then add the paste and salt …Mix them and saute it well…Saute at-least 5 mins and then add mashed potato and mix ….Stir well for 2 min..Now the potato poriyal is ready to serve ..

BEEF CURRY (THATTUKADA STYLE)

INGREDIENTS
Beef - ½ kg, cut into small pieces
For Masala
Ginger - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 10 cloves
Pepper - ½ tsp
Chili powder - ½ tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Fennel (perumjeerakam) -1/2 tsp
Cardamom - 2
Star anise (thakolam) - 1
Cinnamon - 1 small piece
Cloves - 2
Onion - 2, sliced finely
Ginger - 1 small piece
Green chili - 2
Salt
Curry leaves
Coconut oil


INSTRUCTIONS
Grind together ginger, garlic, pepper,chilli, coriander, turmeric powders,fennel, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise and cloves. Heat the oil in a pan/pressure cooker. Add onion, ginger, green chilli, curry leaves and salt and saute. When the onions become soft add ground masala & fry till the oil starts appearing. Add the beef and 1 cup of water. Cook the beef till it becomes tender and the gravy is thick.
It tastes great with parotta, roti, puttu.