Parippu vada/ Masala vadai

I'm going to a friend's house for a potluck dinner, she wanted some finger foods. I though these hot and spicy vadas would be a good option, as it's very cold in Denver right now.

Makes about 30 vadas

1 cup Chana Dal

1/2 cup Tuar Dal

2 tbsp Udad dal

4 Red chillies

Soak all of the above for 2 hours, then drain for an hour.

1 jalapeno chilli/ 3 green chillies

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 inch ginger

1/4 tsp hing

1 1/2 tsp salt/ or to taste

Add all the above ingredients to the blender and a ladle of the soaked dal.

Grind the dals in small quantities adding a couple of teaspoons of water if required.

It should be a coarse consistency with a few whole dals still visible.

1 red onion

a handful coriander leaves

Mince red onions and coriander leaves add to the ground mixture. Mix everything really well.

Heat oil. Add 1 tbsp of the hot oil in the ground mixture to make the vadas crispy.

Take a tbsp of the mixture and flatten it into a disc in the palm of your hand.

Carefully slip it into the hot oil, I fried about four or five at a time.

Fry till golden brown and crisp.

Drain on a rack with a cookie sheet tin under it.

This will prevent it from getting soggy, as it cools.

Don't grind the onion into the vada mixture this makes it watery.

Aloo Dum

I have been craving some good restaurant food, and there is not a lot of choice or variety in Denver compared to the California or Dallas. We don't eat out a lot, so it had to be something that I could cook, and wanted something spicy and comforting. Here I was surfing the blogworld to see if there was anything exciting that I could cook, and chanced upon Bong Mom's Cookbook and the aloo dum recipe.

That was it, I was going to have Aloo Dum for dinner, so here is my recipe hot with puris.

10 round baby potatoes

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 green cardamom

1 inch cinnamon

2 cloves

1/4 tsp saunf

2 red chillies

1 onion chopped

1 tomato chopped

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp garlic

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tbsp plain yogurt

1/4 tsp hing

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp sugar

salt to taste

1 tbsp cream

1 tbsp cilantro leaves chpped

4 tbsp oil

Method:

Peel the potatoes and cut into big cubes.

Heat 2 tbsp oil fry onion chopped, ginger, garlic once browned add coriander seeds, black pepper, cuminseeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and saunf.

Add tomatoes abd chilli powder and let it cook down.

Add yogurt cook till well combined.

Remove from heat.

Blend in a blender, till smooth.

Heat the remaining oil add hing and turmeic add the potatoes and fry till they are browned

Add the blended sauce, salt, and sugar and put it in a pressure cooker and cook for one whistle. Add cream and cilantro leaves.

Serve with puris.

Container Gardening

mint

red spinach
curry leaves
green chillies
green chillies

Sundal

Brown ChickPeas Salad, that's what I call them when I take it to work for lunch, sounds very exotic right!!!

Brown chickpeas/kala chana 1 cup soaked in the morning if you want to use them in the evening, so almost 6 hrs of soaking. (Use canned chickpeas if this is too much work)

Oil 1 tsp

Mustard seeds 1tsp

Urad dal 1/2 tsp

Red chilli dry 1

Hing a smidgen

Curry leaves

Green chilli & ginger paste

Sambar pwd 1/2 tsp

Onion pwd 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Fresh coconut grated 2 tbsps

lemon juice 1/2 tsp

Method:

Cook the chickpeas in the pressure cooker for about 15 minutes under pressure.

Let it cool then open the cooker.

Heat oil add mustard seeds let it spultter, add urad dal, red chilli, hing and curry leaves.

Add green chilli and ginger paste, add the chickpeas and whatever water was left in the pan and the salt..

Cook till almost semi-dry, add sambar masala and onion pwd. Stir for a few minutes and add grated coconut.

Take off heat add lemon juice.

Serve at room temperature.

Once cooled add chopped tomatoes, onions and cucumbers and voila, you have a salad.

Potato Cutlet

These potato cutlets are really yummy, with a crisp exterior and soft center, I like eating them with ketchup or just between two slices of bread.


5 medium potatoes(I used Yukon gold)

2 tbsp cornflour powder

1 tsp ginger & green chilli paste

1 tbsp grated onion

1 tbsp cilantro leaves chopped

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp chilli pwd

1/2 tsp cumin seeds pwd

1/2 tsp salt

oil for pan frying

4 tbsps rice flour for coating the cutlets





Method:



Boil potatoes either in a pressure coker for 3 whistles or peel and cut them into cubes and cook them for 15 minutes or so till fork tender.

Mash the potatoes, I like mine smooth, you can leave it chunky if you like.

Add the cornflour, ginger & green chilli paste, grated onion, cilantro leaves, garam masala pwd, chilli pwd, cumin seeds pwd and salt. Mix well till blended.

Divide into ten portions and shape into rounds about 2" in diameter.

Roll in rice flour.

Heat oil add three cutlets at a time and fry till golden and crisp.

Serve with green chutney or ketchup.

Pongal

Yellow Moong dal - 1/2 cup

Rice - 1 cup

Ginger grated - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 3

Cumin seeds - 2 tbsps

Peppercorns- 1 tbsp

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Ghee - 2 tbsps

Salt - 2 tsps or to taste

Dry roast moong dal in a pressure pan till a nice aroma comes off.

Add the rice and wash and rinse both.

Add 5 cups of water and cook for 1 whistle on pressure.

Meanwhile dry roast the cumin seeds and peppercorns and powder.

Heat 1 tbsp of ghee, add ginger and curry leaves stir.

Add hing, cumin seeds and pepper powder, stir.

Add one and a half cups of water to this mixture.

Let it boil add to the rice and dal mixture

Add salt mix well.

Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Parippu Pradhaman

This was the prize winning recipe at the Colorado Keralites, Onam function. I was surprised that I won the first prize. For the onam sadhya each member brings a dish for about 20 people, so 4 members might bring Aviyal for 20 people and so forth. I was asked to bring payasam as they did not have enough volunteeers signed up for this dish. When I took the payasam for the sadhya, that's when I realized that there was a payasam competition. I didn't think much of it because I never win anything, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear Vinod call out my name as the winner. Anyway I think I have blabbered enough here is the recipe. Onam by the way was in the beginning of Sept our community celebrated it today due to other commitments and time constraints.

The quantities are more as this was for a sadhya for about 20 people, you can halve it if cooking for a smaller group or triple it if need be.

Recipe:

Yellow moong dal - 2 cups

Jaggery - 2 lbs

Coconut milk canned- 2

Cardamon pods - 11 peeled and powdered

Ginger powder-1/4 tsp

Cashews chopped- 1 cup

Raisins - 1 cup

Fresh coconut slivered into small pieces - 1/4 cup

Ghee- 4 tbsps

Dry roast the moong dal in a pressure cooker pan, till a nice aroma comes out.

Wash and rinse the moong dal.

Add 5 cups water and cook the dal under pressure for 1 whistle.

Meanwhile cook Jaggery with 3 cups of water.

Add the cooked dal to this mixture and cook till well blended.

Add the coconut milk to the above mixture, and spice powders, cook on medium heat.

Keep stirring for about 10 minutes or so tll you see a low boil then remove from heat.

Heat ghee add coconut slices, and fry till golden, then fry the cashews and raisins separately add to payasam.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Paal Payasam

12 cups milk
½ cup rice
¾ cup sugar
½ tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp cashews unsalted
2 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp ghee (browned butter)

Cook milk in a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat till milk is reduced to half its quantity, this takes almost an hour.
Add rice and cook till rice is tender, maybe another hour.
Add sugar and cardamom powder, and take off heat.
Heat the browned butter or ghee, add cashews and raisins fry till golden add to pudding.
Serve hot or at room temperature.

Pudina Paratha/ Mint Flatbread

Pudina Paratha, a whole wheat layered unleavened flatbread cooked in a skillet.
I have pudina(mint) growing profusely in my garden, I just harvested a lot of the leaves, and froze them. I have been making pudina paratha, pudina chutney, and pudina rice, can't think of anything else to make with it.
This paratha has mint powder freshly made from the frozen leaves, one can use fresh leaves to make the powder too. Don't forget to check out the link for mint leaves powder, I have a nifty way of making this aromatic powder.
This paratha again travels well. I'm have been racking my brain thinking of dishes I can take on our road trip to Grand Canyon. We will be travelling from Denver to Grand Canyon to Las Vegas and back, about four days of being on the road. I have to really stock up enough desi khana, or we are going to be in trouble.
Anyway here is my recipe for Pudina Paratha, very simple and tasty.




2 cups wheat flour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

Mint powder

oil



Mix the wheat flour and salt, add milk and water if needed to make a soft dough.

Keep it aside for 10 minutes.

Divide into equal parts about 6, and roll into balls.

Flatten the ball with the rolling pin, apply oil and sprinkle mint pwd.

Roll into a cylinderical shape.

Press and roll to make the shape longer.

Starting from the short end roll into a sperical shape like a peda or a circle.

Press sprinkle some flour and roll it about 6 inches in size.

Cook on a tawa, apply oil or ghee till golden brown on bothe sides.

Serve with any vegetable, raita and pickle for a very satisfying meal.

Mint Leaves Powder/Drying Herbs

The microwave can be your best friend in the kitchen. Drying herbs in the microwave is a very simple process. This works for any kind of leaves or herb. The pretty color it retains when dried in a microwave is one of the greatest advantages.

Take about a cup of pudina or mint leaves, spread them on a microwave safe plate.

Start with 30 second increments and keep checking to see if the leaves are dry.

Once dry they should crumble easily to a fine powder.

Remember to keep checking every 30 secs until done.

Baingan Achaari/Eggplant Pickle

Eggplants are such a versatile vegetable, and it can take on any avatar, and still tastes great. They have a special place in every cuisine of India as well as internationally.

Eggplant is one vegetable which absorbs a lot of oil, I wanted to make the Achaari Baingan without a lot of oil. So instead of frying it directly nuking it in the microwave seemed to work well. Here is my contribution to JFI event for July hosted by Sangeeta from Ghar ka Khana.

6 small brinjals

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp kalonji(onion seeds)

1/2 tsp hing

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tsp chilli pwd

1/4 tsp fenugreek pwd

2 tomatoes pureed

1/4 tsp sugar

salt to taste

gingelly oil

2 green chillies slit

1 tbsp coriander leaves

Slit the baingan into four keeping them whole.

Sprinkle salt on the baingan and microwave them for about 5 minutes.

Heat 1 tsp oil and fry the baingan till light brown.

Heat another 2 tsp oil, add mustard seeds, fennel seeds, kalonji seeds, hing, and turmeric.

Stir well add garlic, stir lightly add chilli pwd and fenugreek pwd.

Add tomato puree, sugar and salt.

Keep stirring till thick add baingan and green chillies. Cook till a thickish gravy clings to baingan. Add coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Sooji Dhokla from Trupti's - The spice who loved me

I love Trupti's blog, I made the Sooji Dhokla, but wanted it without the crispness. I followed Trupti's recipe exactly, I used 1/2 cup yogurt and about half cup water, and steamed it in a 8 inch round cake tin. Then did the tadka with mustard seeds and green chilli. Here are the pics, Thanks Trupti. They came out really soft and were very easy to make.

Mango Pickle/ Manga curry

Remember the unripe mango from Sunnyvale, well one was made into thokku, the other one is becoming a pickle, an instant pickle actually. I love this pickle have been eating this from the time I was a kid, I think every Malayali knows how to make this. Just remember to store it in the fridge as it does not stay well after two weeks, if it lasts till then. That's the reason I make it in small quantities.

1 unripe mango

2 tbsp gingelly oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

salt to taste

2 tsp chilli pwd

1/2 tsp hing

1/2 tsp fenugreek pwd

Cut the mango into small cubes with the skin. Add salt chilli pwd,hing, and fenugreek pwd, dont' mix just sprinkle these spices on the mango and keep aside.

Now heat oil add mustard seeds, once they splutter pour over the spices and mangoes. Stir well till combined, Check for salt.

Once cool transfer to a sterlized bottle. Keep at room temperature for one day for the flavors to blend, then store in the fridge. Yummo!!! Goes well as a spread on chapati, bread or with rice.

Mango Thokku/ Mango Chutney

I was in Caifornia last week visiting my sis-in-law, who had come from India. I tasted the mango thokku there, it was awesome, I even bought two mangoes from the Farmer's market in Sunnyvale. The storebought version tastes like nothing compared to the homemade one. It's such a easy recipe, especially if you use a microwave, it cuts your cooking time into half. These go well with my Dal Parathas, just had one for breakfast from yesterday. Here's my sis-in-law's recipe.

1 raw mango peeled and grated

2 tbsps gingelly oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp hing

1/2 tsp turmeric pwd

1/2 tsp jaggery

1 tsp chilli pwd

1/2 tsp fenugreek pwd

Heat oil add mustard seeds and hing, once they splutter add turmeric pwd stir.

Then add the grated mango salt and jaggery, and stir till well combined.

Remove this mixture to microwave safe dish and cook for about five minutes in the microwave till the mango reduces and you see the oil coming out, or cook it on the stovetop.

Add chilli powder and fenugreek powder and cook for another minute or so.

You will know it is done when the whole thing gets a nice color and gets all mushy and sticks together.

Mango thokku is ready, cool and transfer to a sterlized container, keeps well in the fridge. Now wasn't that easy, I'm never buying Thokku from the store again.

Dal Paratha/Lentil Flatbread

I had eaten this Paratha way back in Bangalore , must have been in 1997 or 1998, in a West Indian restaurant, I think it was called Sue's. I wonder if it's still there, this was a small joint near Indiranagar, and one would have to wait during weekends to get in. I still remember the taste of those Dal Parathas. It was kind of strange eating an Indian staple in a Caribbean restaurant. I was thinking of a breakfast dish to contribute for the WBB event and came up with my version of Dal Paratha.

These by the way taste delicious even cold the next day. So a great travel food for us Indians especially while we are on the road, I get tired of eating from all the fast food joints, and start craving for some nice Indian Spicy food. Maybe somebody needs to write a series of foods that travel well.

This breakfast/brunch dish is my contribution to Trupti's Weekend Breakfast Blogging event WBB#12

Dal Paratha (Makes about 8 to 10)

Filling

1 cup yellow spilt moong dal

3 cups water

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp hing

1 tbsp ginger grated/paste

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chili pwd

1 tsp coriander pwd

2 tsp amchur(mango powder)

1 tsp garam masala pwd

salt to taste

1 tbsp minced coriander leaves

Dough

3 cups wheat flour

1 tbsp oil

salt to taste

Soak the dal for 2 hours.

Heat oil add cumin seeds, and hing.

Then add ginger, turmeric pwd, chilli pwd and coriander pwd.

Add dal and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil.

Cook covered on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes until dal is soft but not mushy. Don't forget to keep stirring while the dal is cooking.

There should be absolutely no water. Add the amchur pwd, garam masala pwd, salt and coriander leaves and leave it to cool. I usually grind the filling in the food processor so it looks like puran poli filling and can be made into a ball. The grinding is optional. I like the texture better and you can put more filling this way.

Meanwhile make the dough, by mixing wheat flour, oil, salt and add water as needed, to make a paratha dough. Keep the dough for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Then divide and roll into balls. Add the filling and roll into about 5 to 6 inches in diameter.

Cook on a tawa or skillet by adding oil on both sides and cook till brown.

Serve hot or cold with pickles and yogurt, hot or cold. I had mine with mango thokku(recipe to follow). This paratha is very filling I couldn't eat more than one. A great idea for brunch as they can be made in advance. I make my filling and dough the previous night, and leave it in the fridge, and make the parathas fresh in the morning or for brunch as the case might be.

Vegetarian Shami Kababs/Lentil Kababs

An extemely popular appetizer and usually made with minced meat. The word kabab is derived from the Persian (aab means water and kum means less - it is a dish cooked with less water). I had tasted the vegetarian version when I purchased the frozen kababs from the Indian grocery store. I decide to experiment and used beans instead of the meat. One can use the canned variety of beans for convenience. I have made these with kala chana too and they turned out great. These can be cooked and frozen and can be use as patties for burgers if made bigger in size.

Makes about 10-12 kababs

1/2 cup red beans/adzuki beans/chori

1/4 cup chana dal

1/2 of a small onion chopped

1 tsp ginger grated

1 green chilli minced

1 clove garlic chopped

1/2 tsp chilli pwd

1/2 tsp garam masala

salt to taste

1 small potato boiled and grated

2 slices bread soaked, squeezed and crumbled

1 tbsp chopped mint leaves

1 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves

Oil for frying

All-purpose Flour

Soak the red chori(or any lentil/beans of your choice)and chana dal separately for an hour.

Cook in a pressure cooker in separate containers.

For the red beans add half cup water, place another container on top of the red beans for the chana dal, add 1 tbsp water, and chopped onion, ginger, green chilli, garlic, chilli pwd, and garam masala pwd. Cook for 2 whistles.

If not using the pressure cooker just cook both separately till tender.

Drain the water completely from the red beans and mash or crush using a rolling pin or potato masher. Drain the water from the chana dal mixture if any, process in the food processor.

Mix the mashed red beans, ground chana dal mixture, grated potato, crumbled bread, salt, mint and cilantro leaves, till well combined.

Divide into equal portions and shape into round kababs. Heat 2 tbsps oil.

Roll in a little flour and shallow fry the kababs a few at a time till golden brown.

Serve hot or cold with green chutney, lemon slice and onion rings. Delish!!!!!

Dosa

Dosa for breakfast today, from yesterday's idli batter.

Chamanthi, gun powder/mulgapodi and yummy dosa

Olan

Olan is one of the simplest and tastiest dishes I have ever come across, just green chillies and coconut oil to flavor the whole dish. My mom would make it using coconut milk, but I like it just plain and without the richness of the coconut milk. When I use to cut the pumpkin for my mom she would always remind me to cut them into flat squares and not cubes. She had all these rules about how each vegetable should be cut for each dish, and these rules I think are followed by most Keralites. Because when I got married my husband and his family had the same vegetable cutting rules. I usually serve this with something sour like rasam or tomato dal , just to offset the blandness and balance the meal. Indian meals are all about balancing different flavors.

1 cup white pumpkin

1/2 cup yellow pumpkin

1/4 cup little red beans/chori/adzuki beans

3 green chilies

1 sprig curry leaves

1 tbsp coconut oil

salt to taste

Slice the pumpkins into flat squares(not cubes) about one inch in size.

Cook the beans in a pressure cooker for one whistle.

Cook the pumpkin and beans in 1 cup water, with salt and green chillies till tender.

Once cooked take off heat, add curry leaves and coconut oil.

Serve as a side-dish with a sour based curry(tomato dal, sambar, rasam etc) and rice.

Tomato dal mixed with rice and Olan

Kuruku Kalan

From the top Vazhaka mezhuvaratti(Raw plantain fry), Muringa ela kootan(Drumstickleaves curry), Kuruku kalan, and Rice

I had a lot of sour curds in the fridge, and what else can a Mallu make with sour curds but kuruku kalan. I could also make moru curry or puliserry,but I was feeling nostalgic, and kuruku kalan would be the perfect remedy for my homesickness. In this recipe the curds are cooked and evaporated till it reduces to almost half and can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time. I usually make it with 2 cups of curd, so I have enough evaporated curd to make kalan twice. I learned to make this dish from my mother-in-law, who is from Puthcode. This curry is very different from Moru kootan where raw curds are added to the dish and then cooke. Whereas in kuruku kalan the curd is cooked and exaporated first and then added to the dish and cooked again. This is the traditional way it is made for sadyas, weddings or festivals.


To make the kuruku or evaporated curds
2 cups sour curds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp black pepper powder
1/4 tsp salt

Kuruku or evaporated curds

Cook this down to 1 cup on medium heat, keep stirring ocassionally. It will look like yellow cottage cheese. Store this in the fridge till you are ready to make the kalan. you could make more kuruku just increase the quantity of sour curds. I sometimes microwave the whole thing it take about 15 minutes. Keep cooking it at 5 minute increments till it reduces to half.

To make the kalan:
1/2 cup of the kuruku from the above recipe
1/4 cup white pumpkin
1/4 cup chena/yam
1/4 cup raw plantain
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp mehti powder
salt to taste

Grind to a paste
1 cup coconut
6 green chillies if using jalapenos use 1 or 2
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 cup water

Seasoning
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp mehti seeds
1 red chilli
4 curry leaves

Cut the vegetables into one inch cubes.
Cook with a cup of water and salt and turmeric.
Grind the ingredients for the paste.
Add to the cooked vegetables.
Add the kuruku or evaporated curd to this mixture.
Once it boils and thickens, add mehti powder.
Remove from heat and keep aside.
To season heat oil add mustard seeds, once they splutter add red chilli mehti seeds, and stir.
Add curry leaves, pour over kalan.
Serve as a side dish with rice and muringa ela kootan or any dal based curry.

Idli and Thenga Chamanthi

Idli and chamanthi reminds me of the lazy summer mornings in Kerala eating b'fast on small banana leaves. In those days I could devour ten of these and not worry about where it was going to show. Anyway today's b'fast was idli and thenga chamanthi(coconut chutney). I'm enjoying my spring break and cooking up a frenzy of long forgotten dishes. My idli recipe is simple, and I use just regular Sona masuri rice to make the idlis. I use the same batter to make dosas or uthappams the next day. It's usually idlis the first day, then dosas the next day, and if any batter is left uthappams. I soak the rice and dal on Friday morning and grind it in the evening in my Oster blender. Leave it in the oven to ferment overnight with the pilot light on, and the batter is ready on Saturday morning for idlis.

Idlis

3 cups sona masuri rice

1 cup udad dal

1/2 cup cooked rice

2 tsp salt

Wash and soak separately for atleast six hours. Grind udad dal with water till very smooth.

Grind rice with water and cooked rice till smooth.

Mix both batters well add salt and leave to ferment in the oven with the light on.

When the batter rises usually takes about 8 hours or more depending on where you live, pour into idli mould and steam idlis for 10 minutes after the steam starts coming.

Serve with chamanthi.

Chamanthi

1 cup fresh grated coconut

3 red chillies

1/4 tsp tamarind paste

salt to taste

Seasoning:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 red chilli

3 curry leaves

1 shallot(cheri ulli/ sambar onion) finely minced

Roast the red chillies till crisp.

Grind the coconut, red chillies, tamarind paste, and salt till smooth adding a little water.

Heat oil for seasoning, add mustard seeds, add red chillies, once they splutter add curry leaves and shallots.

Fry till the shallots are brown add the coconut mixture, let it warm through on medium heat.

Serve with idlis.

Easter Bunny is here!!!

Isn't this bunny cute, found him in my backyard, looking for food. We fed him carrots. By the end of the week he would come and eat the carrot out of our hands. Good timing I thought with Easter around the corner.

Bhindi Fry

This is one of my favorite dishes, from my childhood. It is such a simple dish and so easy to make. Another reason I like it is because it does not have a lot of masalas in it. Enjoy!!

1 cup chopped into slice tender bhindi/okra/lady's finger

1/2 medium onion chopped

3 green chilles minced

1 garlic clove minced

3 curry leaves

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

a pinch hing

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp pepper pwd

Heat oil, add mustard seeds, once they splutter add hing, turmeric, and pepper pwd.

Add onions, green chillies, garlic, and curry leaves.

Saute till translucent, add bhindi, stir well.

Cook till on low heat till tender, add salt, and remove from heat after another five minutes.

Serve with rotis or rice.