Pachadi

Cucumber(vellarica)-1 small
1/2 of a coconut
green chllies-3
cumin-1tsp
yogurt – ½ cup
mustard-1 tsp

1.take 1/2 of a cucumber (vellarika) and cut very finely.
2.Add enough water and cook it thoroughly with a spring of curry leaves, until the cucumber is soft.
3.Add arappu to this(roughly grinded 1/2 of a coconut,3 green chllies,1tsp cumin)
4.Crush 1 tsp mustard roughly(i recommend not to grind it as it will add bitterness).If no other go, grind it roughly.and add to the curry.
5.Cook it for 4-5 minutes in low flame.
6.Move to a serving dish.

Cabbage Thoran (Cabbage Stir Fry)

1.Chop 1/2 cabbage very finely. You may use a veg chopper for doing it fast.
2.Chop 3 green chillies and 3-4 shallots and Add to cabbage
3.Add 1 tsp of turmeric powder,1 tsp of salt, 1/2 of a coconut and a spring of curry leave to it.
4.Mix all these well with your hand.
5.Heat oil in a pan ,add oil.
6.Splutter mustard seeds.
7.Add the ingedients to it,add 2-3 tbsp of water,
8.Cook it covered in low flame.
9.After-5-6 minuts remove the cover.
10.Stirr it occationly.Till the cabbage is done.

Erisseri

Pumpkin- 1/4th of a small one.
Red moong beans(van payar)-- 1 cup
Chilly powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder-1tsp
Green chilies- 3-4
Grated coconut -1/2
Cumin- 1 tsp
Curry leaves- 1 spring

1.Mix the pumpkin and dry beans together with water to cover this.
2.Add 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder,1 tsp of chilly powder and curry leaves to it and cook it till done(If using a pressure cooker, wait till 2 whistles)
3.When it is done add the arappu(1/2 coconut, 1/2 tsp cumin,1 tsp salt and 3 green chillies roughly grinded).Check the salt and add more if needed
4.Add the seasoning.( . Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard. Add the shallots and curry leaves, Sauté till shallots turn brown add the broken dried chilies and saute for 1 more minute.)

Kaalan

Raw Plantain- 1
Yellow Yam- 1 piece
Grated Coconut – ½ of one
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Chilly powder-1 tsp
Yogurt-1 cup
Green Chillies-5-6
Cumin Seeds-11/2 tsp

1. One row plantian cut into byte size pieces.
2. Same amount of yellow yam cut into same size pieces.
3. Cook both together by adding 1 tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of chilly powder. Keep Aside
4. Grind smoothly 1/2 of a coconut with 6 green chilies and 1 1/2 tsp of cumin and 1 tsp of salt.
5. Add it to the cooked yam plantain mix.
6. Add 1 cup of yogurt to it and keep in simmer for 5-10 minutes (Dont allow it to boil)
7. Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard. Add some fenugreek seeds. Add the shallots and curry leaves, Saute till shallots turn brown add the broken dried chilles and saute for 1 more minute.
8.Add this seasoning to the curry.

Puli Inji

Ginger-100 gram
Green Chilli-2-3
Jaggery- 1 small lime size
Curry leaves- 1 spring

1.Chop 100 gram ginger very finely.
2.Chop 2-3 tsp of green chilly.
3.Take a gooseberry size jaggery and melt it in water and filter out the impurities. Keep aside.
4.Add oil in a pan and fry chopped ginger until it is brown in color.
5.Add green chillies ,jaggeri and curry leaves and enough salt.
6.Cook till the jaggery is thicken to a soup like consistency.
7.Keep in an air tight container once it is cool. You may keep it for a week.

Shrimp Curry

Spicy tangy shrimp curry with coconut milk.

Ingredients:

Shrimp- 1 lb

Onion-1

Tomato-1

Coconut milk-1/2 cup

Gingergarlic paste- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Fish Masala-1/2 tsp
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Green chillies-2
Kokum-2

Method:
1.Clean and wash the shrimp
2.Marinate the shrimp with chilly powder, turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste and salt.
3.Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
4.Add chopped onions and sauté onion till oil separates.
5.Add fish masala and sauté for a minute more.
6.Add chopped tomato ,curry leaves and sauté till they are mushy.
7.Add ½ cup of water and kokum.
8.When the water boils add the marinated shrimp
9.Check the salt and add more if needed.
10.When the shrimp is done(it will take around 15 -20 minutes)reduce the flame and add coconut milk and wait for 5 more minutes.
11.Serve hot

Spinach Chicken (Palak Chicken)

This is one way I include leaves in my diet ;)
In india you can get palak in almost all vegetable markets. In US you can buy it from an Asian market or a Mexican store. If you don’t find palak no worries, use baby spinach.

(Btw, a quick question: Do you know which bollywood song the palak chicken sings? See answer below this recipe)

Ingredients:

Chicken -1 lb

Palak 1 bunch/baby spinach - 1 small packet

Onion-1 big

Tomato -1 big/ 3-4 tbsp yogurt.

Ginger garlic paste-1 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder-1 tsp
Green chillies-4
Garam masala-1 tsp
Cloves-4
Cardamom-2
Cinnamon-1 inch piece.
Lemon Juice-1/2 of a lemon

Method:
1.Wash and cut the chicken into small pieces.(Preferably boneless)
2.Saute the spinach in a pan without oil, until it reduces its size and becomes a dark green color(roughly 6-7 minutes)
3.Grind the spinach to a paste.
4.Add oil to a pan. When it heats add the whole spices(clove, cardamom, cinnamon) and saute for a minute.
5.Add the finely chopped onion and saute until it slightly turns to brown.
6.Add the turmeric and coriander powder and saute for a minute.
7.Add tomatoes and chopped green chillies. Saute until the tomatoes are mushy.
8.Add garam masala and saute for a minute.
9.Add chicken and 1 cup of water. Cook it for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is done.
10.Add ground spinach and cook it for another 5 minutes or until the gravy is of your desired consistency.
11.Squeeze 1/2 of a lemon to it to add a fresh lemony taste to it.

Tips:
1.You may grind the fried whole spices along with spinach, if you like
2.You may use yogurt instead of tomatoes. If using yogurt, add it when you add chicken.

(Ans: Humpe yeh kisi ne hara rang dala.....maar daala...(Devdas))

Nadan Kozhi Curry (Chicken Curry with Potatos and Coconut milk)

This is the way nadan kozhi curry is made at my husand's place(Trichur).


Ingredients:
Chicken- 1 lb
Potato-1
Coconut milk- 1/2 cup
Onion- 1

Ginger-1/2 inch piece chopped finely
Garlic-3-4 chopped finely
Green chillies-4  Ch fi
Curry leaves-1 spring
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Bay leaves-2
Salt- as per taste
Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp

To grind:
Cinnamon- 1 inch piece
Cardamom-2
Clove-5
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Coriander seeds-1 tsp
Fennel seeds(perum jeerakam)-1/2 tsp

Method:

1.Clean and cut the chicken into medium side pieces.

2.Peel and cut the potato into medium size cubes.
3.Dry roast the ingredients for grinding and grind it.
4.Add oil to a pan splutter mustard seeds and saute the chopped onion, bay leaves, ginger and garlic until onion turns slightly brown in color.
5.Add curry leaves and chopped green chilies and saute for a minute more.
6.Add the ground ingredients ,turmeric powder and saute for 1 more minute.
7.Add the chicken to it along with 3/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of coconut milk. Add enough salt.
8.When chicken is half done add the potatoes to it.
:-If you are NOT using nadan chicken add chicken and potatoes together. As nadan chicken need more time to cook.
9.Once the chicken is done, simmer the flame and add rest of the coconut milk. Check the salt and add more if needed.
10.Cook fore few more minutes. Serve hot.

Payar Mezhukkupuratti(Long Beans Stir Fry)

Ingredients:

LongBean- 1 bunch

Onion-1/2 of one

Green chillies-3-4

Mustard seeds- ½ tsp

Curry Leaves- 1 spring

Coconut Chips-few.

Salt-for taste

Oil -1 tbsp

Method:

1.Wash long beans and cut into 1 inch pieces.

2.Add oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.

3.Add chopped onions, coconut chips and sauté for 1-2 minutes.

4.Add cut long beans, curry leaves and salt.

5.Reduce the fire and cook it covered.

6.Once the long beans change its color and become darker remove the cover.

7.Stir gently and cook for some more time untill it is fried to the consistency you like.

Fish Curry

Ingredients:

Fish – 1 lb
Onion-1 big

Tomato – 1 big

Kokum(kudam puli)-2-3 /Tamarind – 1 lime size

Ginger-2 inch piece

Garlic-4-5

Green chilly-2-3

Chilly powder-2tsp
Turmeric powder-1 tsp
Coriander powder -1 pinch
Roasted fenugreek powder-2-3 pinch
Curry leaves – 1 spring

For Seasoning:
Shallots-2-3
Dry red chiies-2-3
Curry leaves- 1 spring

Method:
1.Clean and cut the fish
2.Crush the ginger, garlic and green chillies. (You may even chop them finely)
3.Heat oil in a pan
4.When it is heated add onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes
5.Add crushed-ginger-garlic-green chilly mix, curry leaves and sauté.
6.Once the onion starts turning its color to brown, add chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, fenugreek powder and sauté till a good aroma comes.
7.Add chopped tomato to it and cook till the tomatoes soften.
8.Add water and kokum to it. Add salt for taste
:Add kokum for the traditional taste. If you are ran out of stock, soak a lime size tamarind in water and use the juice.
9.When the water boils add fish pieces to it. Water level should be just enough to the cover the fish pieces.
10.It is not recommended to stir the dish after the fish pieces are added, instead just swirl the plate.
11.Cook it until fish is done.
12. Heat oil in a pan. Add the shallots and curry leaves, saute till shallots turn brown add the broken dried chilles and saute for 1 more minutes
13.Add this into the fish.
14.Serve hot with rice or kappa.