|
Cooking
Aviyal
I
1 or 2 green chillies
one teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
raw coconut or coconut powder (1/2 cup)
salt to taste (one teaspoon)
3 Tablespoons yogurt or 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or 1/3 cup sliced
raw mango fresh curry leaves or pre-soaked dry curry leaves.
5 cups mixed vegetables (kumbalanga, kathirikka, padavallanga
or padaval, muringakka, raw plantain, carrots (1 or 2 only, else
it becomes too sweet), Japanese or any variety long eggplant,
long beans or French beans, cucumber, potatoes, zucchini other
kinds of squash, and canned drumsticks.
If using plantain or
raw banana, cut into long strips (2 inches x half inch x .25 inches
approx.) and mix with some yogurt (2 tablespoons) and keep aside
for 10 minutes. Rinse well before boiling. If using canned drumsticks,
add only at the very end. Also reduce the salt you add.
Boil the veggies with
water (say 1/2 cup), salt and turmeric powder. When boiling add
very little water if the veggies you add are rich in water (cucumber,
cumbalanga etc.) Add the sliced green chillies to the boiling
vegetables if you don't like it too hot. Else blend it with the
coconut. And the veggies that take longer to cook like plantain
first, then beans etc. Meanwhile, blend the coconut to a smooth
or semi-smooth paste with the green chillies or half the green
chillies, and cumin.
When the veggies are almost cooked, add this blended paste and
curry leaves cook for a few minutes. Finally add the yogurt/lime
juice/raw mango and mix it in. You can season with mustard seeds
if you wish, but it is preferred not to add any more oil (the
coconut has enough of it). Serve the above with rice, pappadums
and plantain chips.
Back to cooking
main page
Aviyal
II
1c. grated coconut
1/4tsp. Turmeric
1/4tsp. red chilli powder
salt
mustard seeds
oil
3 or 4 Tbs. Yogurt
1/4c. water
2 or 3 Tomato, cut into long pieces
1 medium onion, cut it into long slices
2 to 4 Green chilies, according to how hot you want; cut it into
pieces
1 or 2 Potato or Carrot
2 or 3 Cucumber
1 Zucchini squash
1 Chokko squash
1/2 raw (green) banana
10 or 12 green beans (or long green beans)
Cut all vegetables into long pieces, 1 inch long, and 0.5 cm (approx.)
thick.
Note: You can avoid either
or both squash if you like to; also banana if it is too gluggy.
But you need all the others. You can add chena, padavalam, muringakkaya,
etc. if you can get them. Cut them all in the same way (except
Drumsticks, cut it into 1.5" long pieces and split into half),
same length and thickness as others.
Put them in a pot in
layers, beans and carrots at the bottom, then chokko, then banana,
then potato, then zucchini, then add the onion slices, cut green
chillies and curry leaves, then put the coconut, turmeric and
chilli powder (spread it on the top, all three), then put tomato
slices, and then cucumber on the top.
Then pour water, cover
with a lid and cook in low-medium flame. When it is cooked, add
salt, and then stir well, careful not to break the vegetable pieces.
If there is plenty water, keep it for a while to be dried up.
Heat the oil, add mustard seeds, and curry leaves, add it to the
above mix. Then add the yogurt and stir well, adding enough salt
to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Note: After adding the
yogurt, don't heat it up, as it will get watery then. So if you
want to put some in the refrigerator for the next day, take it
first and add yogurt to the rest. You can add yogurt to the other
when you are going to have it, after warming it up first. Hope
you enjoy.
Back to cooking
main page
Theeyal
Shallots or pearl onions
- one cup
large onions - 2
garlic cloves - 2
grated coconut - 1 cup
coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon
methi seeds - 1 teaspoon
tamarind extract - 1 tablespoon
chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
oil - 2 teaspoons
salt to taste
curry leaves - a few
Peel and chop the large
onions fine. Heat one teaspoon of the oil in a frying pan and
add 1/2 cup of the chopped onions. Sauté well and when browned,
add the curry leaves, coriander seeds and methi seeds. Stir for
a few more minutes and remove and keep aside. Wipe the pan and
add the coconut. On a low heat, dry roast the coconut till brown
(not burned). When it is cool, blend the coconut with the onion
mixture adding a half cup of water. Heat the remaining oil in
a saucepan and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the curry
leaves and remaining onions and shallots and stir till browned.
Add the tamarind extract and 1/2 cup water and salt. When it starts
to simmer, add the blended paste and cook on a low fire for 20
- 30 minutes.
Back to cooking
main page
Pulinkari
Pumpkin or squash or
zucchini (cut into one inch cubes) - 2 cups
coconut - 2 tablespoon
chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon
methi seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
tuar dal - 1 tablespoon
urad dal - 1 tablespoon
tamarind extract - 1 tablespoon
hing powder - 1 teaspoon
curry leaves - a few
dry red chillies - 2
salt to taste
oil - 1 teaspoon
In a frying pan, roast
the coconut with the coriander, methi, urad dal and tuar dal until
brown (use low heat). Grind the mixture into a paste when cool.
Cook the pumpkin with the chilli powder and turmeric powder and
salt. Add the tamarind extract and simmer for a few minutes. Add
the coconut paste, hing powder and the curry leaves. Heat the
oil in a frying pan and pop mustard seeds and dry red chillies
and add to the mixture.
Pumpkin or squash or
zucchini (cut into one inch cubes) - 2 cups
coconut - 2 tablespoon
chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon
methi seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
tuar dal - 1 tablespoon
urad dal - 1 tablespoon
tamarind extract - 1 tablespoon
hing powder - 1 teaspoon
curry leaves - a few
dry red chillies - 2
salt to taste
oil - 1 teaspoon
In a frying pan, roast
the coconut with the coriander, methi, urad dal and tuar dal until
brown (use low heat). Grind the mixture into a paste when cool.
Cook the pumpkin with the chilli powder and turmeric powder and
salt. Add the tamarind extract and simmer for a few minutes. Add
the coconut paste, hing powder and the curry leaves. Heat the
oil in a frying pan and pop mustard seeds and dry red chillies
and add to the mixture.
Back to cooking
main page
Pulisseri
(Yogurt Curry)
1/2 Onion, cut into small
pieces
2 or 3 Green chillies, cut long
1/4 tsp. Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. chilli powder
1/4 tsp. methi (uluva/fenugreek) powder
1/4 tsp. cumin (jeerakam) powder
oil
salt
mustard seeds
curry leaves
1 or 2 zuchini squash/chayote squash/green apple (grannysmith),
cut into pieces
2 c. Yogurt (wholemilk one is better), whipped well.
Heat oil, fry mustard
seeds, then add onion, green chilli and stir for a while. Then
add curry leaves (optional), and then all the powders and salt.
Stir for a few seconds, then add the vegetale pieces, and a cup
of water. Cover it and cook. When cooked, take it off the stove,
and after a while (when cooled down a bit) add the yogurt to it,
stir well. And it is ready! Note: (You can use ripe mango instead
of squash/apple if you like. Also, you can add coriander leaves
if you like.)
Back to cooking
main page
Pachadi
(Mango and Yogurt Curry)
1 or 2 Raw mango, cucumber,
chayote squash, cut into small cubical pieces
1/2 onion, cut into small pieces
2/or 3 green chillies, cut round, 1 cm thick
2 tsp. Dessicated or shredded coconut, or 7 oz. coconut milk
1/4 tsp. fenugreek powder
1 shallot, cut into round, thin slices
1 red whole chilli, cut into round pieces, 2 cm thick (optional)
oil
salt
mustard seeds
Curry leaves (optional)
Yogurt - you need to add only if you are using cucumber or squash;
if using mango, don't add yogurt.
Put veg., onion, green
chilli, coconut, coconut milk, fenugreek powder, and salt in a
vessel, add a cup of water, stir well, cover it and cook in a
medium flame, until it is well cooked. Heat oil in a pan, fry
mustard seeds, then add shallots and red whole chilli and curry
leaves, and add to the above mixture when shallots turn brown
and chilli is well fried. Whip the yogurt well and add that too.
Stir well, and pachadi is ready !
Back to cooking
main page
Varutharachu (Breadfruit Curry)
1 lb. Potato or kadachakka
(bread fruit), cut into small cubes
1/2 tsp. chilli powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. garam masala
3 oz. coconut milk (optional)
1/3 onion, cut into small pieces
2 green chilli (optional), cut long
oil, salt, mustard seeds
Curry leaves (optional)
Heat oil, fry mustard
seeds, add onion, green chilli and curry leaves, stir until it
turns light brown. Then add salt, all the powders and masala,
stir until it turns brown, then add coconut milk and veg., stir
well, cover it and cook until well cooked. (If not adding coconut
milk, add a cup of water instead). It is ready to serve! (In fact,
it should be made by roasting coconut and all the spices, and
blending them very nicely.
Back to cooking
main page
Olan
Brown peas or black eyed
peas (canned is O.K.) - 1 cup
white pumpkin - cubed - 1 cup
yellow pumpkin - cubed - 1 cup
green chillies - 2 or 3, sliced
coconut milk - 1 can (1 1/2 cups)
curry leaves - a few
salt to taste
Cook the peas (if using
dry variety). Add the pumpkins to the peas with some water and
salt and simmer on a low fire. Add the green chillies. Finally
add the coconut milk and curry leaves, heat for a minute and remove
from fire.
Back to cooking
main page
|
Chat Room 
