Palak Paratha

Ingredients:
Filling
Half a bunch- Palak (Washed and drained)
2- Boiled Potatoes

Tempering:
1/2 tsp- Hing (asafoetida)
1/4 tsp- red chilli powder
1 tsp- coriander powder
2 tsp- oil

Masala paste :
2 tsp- Cumin seeds
1 inch- Ginger
3-4 - Green chillies (according to spice levels)
1 inch- cinnamom
3-4 - cloves
2 - cardamoms
salt to taste

Paratha
2 cups- whole wheat flour
3 tbsp- oil
Sufficient amount of water to knead the flour into a smooth dough

Process:
Make the paratha dough just like the way you would for making roti. For the roti recipe, click here.
Knead it really well for 15-20 mins into a smooth dough. The Paratha dough has to be really soft with good elasticity. Smear the dough with 3 tbsp of oil and allow it to sit for minimum 30 mins.


Pictoral

1. Boil the spinach and squeeze out the water. Make it into a fine paste.
Meantime boil the potatoes separately, remove the skin and smash them.
Heat oil in a small pan, add the tempering ingredients.Then the ground paste of masalas. Fry them for 2 mins until the raw flavor of the spices goes away. Now add the spinach paste and saute them until the moisture content gets evaporated. Add this to the smashed potatoes. Give it a good mix and make small spinach balls out of it.

2. Make equal number of small dough balls of the paratha.

3. Roll out the dough ball to a small radius enough to cover the spinach filling.

4. Cover the spinach filling without any tear.

5. Dust the roll with enough flour.

6. Spread it out evenly in thickness with your hand. This prevent from tear and spill out.








7. Then use a rolling pin to roll it out big and thin.

8. Place the paratha on a heated tava. Flip it after a couple of seconds.

Wait until both the sides of the paratha are cooked and apply ghee. Serve it hot with fresh cream or yogurt.

Pazham (Banana) Pachaddi

"Don't let another good banana go bad" was the through line for all of "chiquita" brand of bananas ad campaign. When their campaign was all about promoting their brand of bananas, this pazham pachaddi recipe is all about saving those bad bananas from going waste and converting them into one yummy dish.

Most often, this humble fruit is overlooked when it comes to providing nutritional value, gets over ripe in our kitchen shelf and find their way to the garbage can. Now here's what you can do with them,

Ingredients:

1-2- Ripe bananas

3-4 tablespoon- yogurt

1 tsp- Mustard

2-3 -Slit green chillies

2- Dried red chilli

2 tsp- oil

Salt to taste

Servings: 3-4

Process:

1. Heat oil and add the mustard seeds.

2. Once the seeds crackle, add and fry the green and dried red chillies.

3. Smash the ripe bananas and add it to this seasoning. 

4. Saute them for a minute.

5.Add yogurt and salt to it and give it a good mix.

6. Allow it to simmer on low flame for a minute and switch off the heat.

Sweet and spicy banana pachaddi is ready to be served with rice or chapathi.

Pineapple Rasam

I know, it's been quite a long time since I actually got down to update my blog. The reason being obvious. People like me who live in places to holiday, end up holidaying at home. Yes, I had been to India and my loving home. The anguish of 22 hours flight vanished on gulping down two of my mom made dosa's. And thats what you exactly call "Heaven". More on my India trip and  new recipes will follow in the blogs to come. But for now, here's an authentic South Indian recipe with a fruit twist from my friend's (Deivanai) kitty- Pineapple Rasam.

You might call it a sweet and sour soup, a tangy rasam, a new fusion..whatever..it is definitely one of a kind. So unique and so different.

Ingredients:

Half cut ripe pineapple- pureed (Blend it after cutting it into pieces)

1- tomato

2 tablespoon- Boiled toor dal

2 tsp- Rasam powder 

1 tsp- Red chilli powder

1/2 tsp- turmeric powder

1/4 tsp- tamarind paste

3 cups- water

Salt to taste

For tempering:

1 tsp- Mustard seeds

1 tsp- Cumin seeds

5-6- Curry leaves

1/4 tsp- Hing (asafoetida)

1 tablespoon- Oil

chopped cilantro/ coriander leaves for garnishing

Process:

1. Pour oil and add the tempering ingredients. 

2. Once they splutter, add the diced tomatoes and pineapple puree. 

3. Pour 2-3 cups of water. Add the boiled toor dal and give it a mix.

4. Add all the above said spice powder- rasam, red chilli and turmeric. 

5. Add the tamarind paste and salt and bring it to a good boil. Adjust water as per the desired consistency level.

6. Bring down the heat to low and allow the rasam to simmer for 15- 20 mins. 

7. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve it with hot rice and ghee.

Coriander Rice/ Kothamalli sadham

I am an ardent fan of this herb- Coriander/ Cilantro. May it be for garnishing or any chutney variety or even rice, coriander gives a distinguished flavor to the dish.

Coriander rice is normally made the traditional South Indian style using the tempering ingredients like mustard, urud dal, dried red chilli, channa dal etc. Here, however I have tried it in a whole different way. For which you will need:

Ingredients:
1 cup- long grain/ Basmati rice
2 cup- Water

1 tsp- jeera/ cumin seeds

2- Bay leaf

4- cloves

1- small cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp- turmeric powder

1/4 tsp- asafoetida/ hing

2 tsp- lemon juice (optional)

salt to taste

Oil

For grinding
1 bunch- coriander leaves (cilantro)
1 large- tomato
4- Green chillies
1" piece - ginger

Servings- 2-3

Process:
1. Boil and cook the rice in 2 cups of water. Fluff them up and keep it aside
2. Cut the cilantro, tomatoes, ginger and green chillies and grind it by adding sufficient water to make it into a fine paste.
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok/ pan and add the hing and jeera and allow it to crackle.
4. Add the whole garam masala ingredients and fry them for a minute.
5. Now add the ground coriander paste, turmeric powder and salt and saute them until it starts leaving oil to the sides.
6. Add the cooked rice and give it a good mix.
7. Pour lemon juice. This is optional.

Serve it with yogurt or vegetables.

Plantain bajji/ vazhakkai bajji

An irresistible party snack item which is a favorite among all age groups.  Hot bajjis are a must during  rainy days with a smoking hot cup of tea.

Ingredients:
2- plantain/ vazhakkai
1 cup- Besan
1/4 cup- Rice flour or maida
1/2 tsp- red chilli podwer
1/4 tsp- asafoetida (hing)
1/4 tsp- turmeric powder
2 pinches of baking soda
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry
Enough water to make the batter thick

Servings: 6-8

Process:
1. Peel the skin of the plantain and slice them into thin (not extremely thin) pieces length wise.
2. Make a batter with the above said ingredients in water sufficient enough to make it into a thick one.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in medium flame.
4. Once the oil is hot enough, dip the plantain slices in the batter, coat them with it and drop them in oil one by one.
5. Fry them until they are cooked or turn into golden brown in color.
6. Transfer them into a paper towel to remove the excess oil.

Serve them with green chutney or  tomato sauce.

Cabbage Kofta curry in tomato, yogurt and cashew sauce

Even those who don't care for cabbage will enjoy it making it this way. koftas are always an all time favorite for many and a must for Indian parties. 

Ingredients: 
For Koftas
1 cup- finely chopped or thinly shredded cabbage
2-3 tsp- boiled channa dal 
1-2 green chillies finely chopped
1 tsp- jeera
a pinch of turmeric and red chilli powder
1 tsp- Besan for binding
Salt to taste


For the gravy
2 medium size tomatoes
1 tsp- jeera
1 tsp- ginger paste
1/4 tsp- turmeric powder
1/4 tsp- asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp- red chilli powder
11/2- coriander powder
1 tsp- cumin powder
2 tbsp- cashew powder
1 cup- beaten yogurt
Coriander leaves (cilantro) for garnishing
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking


Servings: 4-6


Process:

Baked Kofta might not get the actual fried shape

1. Boil some water in a pan,then add the finely chopped cabbage.Boil the chana daal till its 70% done.
2. Add this channa to the cabbage and cover and cook until the cabbage is soft and completely cooked.

3. when the channa dal and cabbage are well done,put them in a muslin cloth and and squeeze out the excess water. You can reserve this water for cooking the curry.
4. Transfer the cabbage and channa to a bowl, add rest of the kofta ingredients and knead it well and make small balls out of it. 
5.You can either fry or bake the Koftas.


For Baking: Pre-heat the oven at 400 F and   grease the baking dish with some oil. Place the kofta balls on the dish and pour some oil on top of each one of them, Bake it for 30 - 40 mins or until they are cooked.
For frying: Heat enough oil in a pan and drop the kofta balls in it and fry them in medium heat until they turn golden brown in color and set them aside.


Curry
1. Heat some oil in pan, add jeera and asafoetida and allow the jeera to crackle. 
2. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, ginger paste and the spice powders (turmeric, red chilli, coriander and cumin) cover and cook the tomatoes until they turn soft.
3. Add the water we had reserved from cooking the cabbage to it and allow it to simmer for 2-3 mins.
4. Add the beaten curd to it and bring it to a nice boil til the gravy is cooked and thickens.
5. Now, add the powdered cashew powder which will further thicken and add richness to the gravy.
6. When ready to serve, drop the kofta balls in this gravy and garnish it with chopped coriander leaves. 


Serve it with roti or any rice variety. 

Stuffed Masala Bhindi/ Stuffed Okra (lady finger)

Okra, bhindi or otherwise sweetly called lady finger is a versatile vegetable. Its healthy a vegetable as long as you retain the nutrition value without over frying or slicing them small. Well, now thats tricky as okra tastes best when deep fried. Here's the solution that not just brings out the taste of this vegetable but also retains its nutrition and is easy to make. Great as party food!

Ingredients:

1 pound okra washed and dried

1 tsp- Besan/ Bengal gram powder

1 tsp- amchur powder/ dry mango powder (available at all India grocery stores)

2 tbsp- Ready made sambhar masala powder  (If you are running out of sambhar masala, you can substitute it by making  a mix of 1 tsp- red chilli powder, 1/8 tsp- hing, 3/4 tsp- coriander powder, 1/4 tsp- turmeric powder)

Salt to taste

Oil 

Servings- 7-8

Process:

1. Wash and dry the okra. Cut the stalk of okra and make a lengthwise slit.

2. Make a mix of the sambhar masala, amchur powder, besan and salt. Amchur is for the tangy taste and besan is the binding agent)

3. Now stuff each okra with this mixture (handle the okras delicately while stuffing them- this is the only time consuming part of the preparation)

4. Meanwhile preheat your oven at 400 F.

5. Grease your baking tray with some oil and place the okras on the tray.

6. Spray oil on top of the okras. (This is to get the deep oil fry effect)

7. Place the tray in oven and allow it to bake for 30 mins or until the okras get cooked.

8. Switch of the oven and turn the sides (flip) of the okras and allow it to be in the oven for another 20-30 mins.

Now instead of baking, you can do the traditional way of frying the okras in oil. You can also saute some green peppers (capsicum) and mix with this baked/ fried okras for more flavor. 

Serve it with rice or roti or just snack it away!

Bottle gourd in milk gravy

This is a simple and different dish made from bottle gourd (dhoodhi / Sorakaya/ lauki). A wonderful recipe gifted by one of my old neighbor aunty.So, this takes me back to India and home! And here's what you need for this nostalgic dish :)

Ingredients:

A medium size bottle gourd or half of it cut bite size

3/4 cup- Milk

1 tsp- cumin seeds (jeera)

1/4 tsp- turmeric powder

3-4- slit green chillies

4-5- curry leaves

2 tsp- oil (coconut oil preferred)

Salt to taste

Servings: 3-4

Process:

1. Heat oil and crackle jeera. I use coconut oil as it gives a very distinctive taste and aroma to the whole dish.

2. Then add the curry leaves and slit green chillies and fry them for couple of seconds. 

3. Add the cut bottle gourd. Add salt and turmeric to it and give it a good mix.

4. Now pour the milk and little bit of water to adjust the consistency of the gravy and boil the bottle gourd in it  until it gets cooked. 

5. Mix it occasionally while the vegetable is getting cooked and the milk gravy thickens. 

Serve it with rice and add a dash of more coconut oil on top of the gravy for that extra richness. 

 

Semiya Upma/ Vermicelli

Ingredients:

1 Cup- Vermicelli (semiya)

1 tsp- Ghee

1 1/2 - 2 cups- water

1 tsp- mustard seeds

1tsp- channa dal

1/ 2 tsp- urud dal

4-5- curry leaves

4- finely chopped green chillies

1 tsp- chopped ginger

1- small tomato

1 cup- mixed vegetables (optional)

1/2 tsp- turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Servings- 2

Process:

1. Heat the ghee and add the vermicelli and fry them in medium heat until they turn into light brown in color and keep them aside.

2. Heat oil in another pan and crackle mustard seeds, add curry leaves, channa dal and urud dal and saute them until they turn pink. Then add ginger and chopped green chillies and sute them for a minute more. 

3. Add diced tomatoes, turmeric and salt and saute them until tomatoes turn soft. 

4. To increase the nutrition value, add some mixed veggies like french beans, peas, carrots etc and fry them until they are cooked. (This step is optional)

5. Now add water to this and allow it to boil. 

6. Once the water starts boiling, add the fried vermicelli bit by bit with your right hand and simultaneously stir the mixture with your left hand.

7. If you think the water is all gone and vermicelli is still uncooked, add more water accordingly.

8. Give it good stir until the vermicelli is cooked completely.

Serve it hot with coconut or coriander chutney.

Spicy Kadala Curry/ black chickpea curry

Ingredients:

1 cup- Black Chickpeas soaked overnight or for minimum 8 hours

1 tsp- Turmeric powder

1 1/2 tsp- Red chilli powder

2 tsp- Coriander powder

1/2 tsp- Garam masala

1 tsp- shredded ginger

4- Green chili

1 tsp- jeera

1/2 cup- shredded coconut

2 - Dried red chilli

2- medium size tomatoes

1/2 tsp- hing/ asafoetida 

1 tbsp- oil

Salt to taste

Finely chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) for garnishing

Servings- 5

Process:

1. Pressure cook black chickpeas in 2 cups of water along with the first 6 ingredients, 2 green chillies and salt for 5 whistles and allow the pressure to go down on its own.

2. Meanwhile dry roast coconut and dried red chillies and blend them into a smooth paste in a mixer.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add hing and jeera, after jeera crackles, add the remaining green chillies and cut tomatoes and saute them until tomatoes turn soft and it starts leaving oil.
4. Now add the entire cooked black chickpeas and the coconut paste.
5. Add salt. cover and cook the gravy for 5-6 mins.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve it with roti, rice or any other kerala food like dosa and puttu. 

Kerala Sambhar (Vegetable and lentil soup)

Ingredients:
2 cup- vegetables of your choice (brinjal, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin, okra etc)
1 cup- toor dal
1 tsp- asafoetida
1 tsp- turmeric powder
1tsp- red chilli powder
1 tsp- coriander powder
1tsp- tamarind paste/ soaked tamarind water (lemon size)
4- 5 cups- water
salt to taste

Sambhar Masala:
3tbsp- Coriander seeds
3 tsp- channa dal
1 tsp- fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
5-6 - dried red chilli
7-8- curry leaves
1/4 cup- shredded coconut

Seasoning:
2 tsp- oil
1 tsp- mustard seeds
4-5 - curry leaves

Servings: 6-8

Process:
1. Pressure cook toor dal in 3 cups of water with pinch of asafoetida (hing), turmeric and salt added to it, approx for 4-5 whistles. Let the pressure go on its own and give the boiled dal a good mix.
2. Cut the vegetables bite size and boil them them in 2-3 cups of water with turmeric, red chilli and coriander powder and salt until they get soft.
3. Meanwhile in another pan, pour a bit of oil to fry all the masala ingredients. Once oil is hot, add the ingredients one by one and sauté them for couple of mins. Add the coconut to the end and fry them until they turn brown. After its cooled down, blend them pouring enough water to make it into a fine paste.
4. Pour dal and the sambhar masala paste to the vegetables and allow it to simmer for couple of mins.
5. Add tamarind paste/ soaked tamarind water, cover and cook for another 2-3 mins and switch off the stove.
6. Separately in another pan, heat oil, splutter mustard and then add curry leaves and asafoetida (hing) .Add this seasoning to the sambhar.

Serve hot with rice and ghee.

                                                        

Soy Chunks Masala

Soy Chunks is a versatile substance made from defatted Soy flour. It's quick to cook and full of proteins and contains no fat.

 Ingredients:
1 Cup- Soya chunks (Soak it in warm water for 30 mins )
1- Large Potato
1- Medium size green pepper (Capsicum)
2- medium size tomatoes
1 tsp- red chilli powder
1 tsp- cumin powder
1/2 tsp- turmeric powder
1tsp- jeera
1/2  tsp- asafoetida (hing)
1 tbsp- Dried fenugreek leaves (Kasoori methi)
1tsp- garam masala
1/2 a cup milk or fresh cream (Vegans can use plain soy milk)
1 tbsp- oil
1 tsp- lemon juice (optional)

Servings: 4-5

Process:
1. After the soy chunks are soaked in water, squeeze out the excess water from them.
2. Cut the potatoes and pepper bite size.
3. Heat the oil, add asafoetida (hing) and jeera.
4. After jeera crackles, add the tomatoes and the spice powders- turmeric, cumin, red chilli and salt.
5. Add the potatoes after the tomatoes get thoroughly cooked in the spice powders.
6.Cover and cook the potatoes.
7. When the potatoes are almost cooked, add the green peppers, cover and cook it again until the peppers turn soft.
8. Now add the dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) and garam masala.
9 Pour water according to desired consistency of the gravy and allow it to simmer for couple of mins.
10. Pour milk and cook for another 2 mins or until the gravy thickens.

Add lemon juice if required. Serve it with roti or any indian bread or rice.

Sabudhana Kichidi

Ingredients:

1 cup- Sabudhana

1cup- water

1tsp- turmeric powder

1 tsp- jeera

2 tbsp- Roasted and powdered peanut powder

4- slit green chillies

Servings- 3-4

Process:

1. Soak the Sabudhana overnight or for minimum 5 hours in water
2. After that, pour the excess water if any
3. Heat oil, then add the jeera.
4. After the jeera crackles, add the curry leaves, slit green chillies and saute it for 30 seconds
5. Add the soaked sabudhana and tumeric powder and fry the sabudhana until they turn pearly in texture.
6. Sprinkle water if required.
7. Add the roasted peanut powder and salt andgive it a good mix
8. Add the lemon juice.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves

Baked plantain/ vazhakai

Ingredients:

1. 3- Raw Plantain
2. 1 tsp- Red chilli powder
3. 1 tsp- salt
4. ½ a tsp- turmeric powder
5. 1 tbsp- oil

Process:

1. Slice the plantains thin after peeling the skin
2. Add turmeric, red chilli, salt and a teaspoon of oil on to the sliced plantains and coat them well with the spices.
3. Meanwhile, preheat your oven at 370 and spray oil on the baking dish.
4. Place the plantain slices on the baking dish and bake it in the oven to 20-30 mins (This time entirely depends from oven to oven) The idea is to bake the plantain slices until they are crispy yet soft.

   

   After getting baked

   A traditional way of cooking them would be deep frying the plantain slices in oil instead of baking them. Can be eaten as sacks or with yogurt and rice.

Indian Cucumber and Yogurt Curry (Vellarika Moorukootan)

Indian Cucumber

Also known as Khera, these white vegetables are crisp and tender with the aroma and taste of cucumbers. 

Ingredients:

Indian Cucumber

1- Indian Cucumber small or medium size

1tsp- Red chilli powder

½ a tsp- turmeric powder

3 cups- Water

salt to taste

½ a cup- Dried or fresh grated coconut

3- green chillies

2 tsp- jeera

2 tsp- raw rice

½ a tsp- mustard seeds

½ a cup- yogurt

For seasoning:

1 tbsp- oil

1 tsp- mustard seeds

4-5- curry leaves

Servings- 5-6

Process:

1. Cut the cucumbers into bite size after peeling the skin and removing the seeds.
2. Boil them in water with turmeric, red chilli powder and salt.
3. Meanwhile make a fine paste of coconut, jeera, green chillies, raw rice and mustard using a half a cup of water.
4. Once the cucumbers have boiled, add the paste and allow it cook for couple of mins covered.
5. Beat the yogurt in a blender for 2 seconds and add it to the cucumber.
6. Switch off the stove after a minute.
7. Heat oil in a another pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves and allow the mustard seeds to crackle before pouring on to the gravy.

Serve hot with rice.