RAJMA MASALA

Ingredients:

Rajma/Kidney beans - 1 cup

Salt - To taste

Tumeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Ginger - 1 tsp (grated)

Onion - 1 medium (chopped)

Tomato - 1 medium (chopped)

Coriander leaf - 1 tbsp (chopped)

Oil - 1 tbsp

Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

Soak rajma/kidney beans overnight. Pressure cook the beans for 4- 5 whistles.

Heat oil in a pan and temper jeera.

Add onion and ginger. Saute till onions are translucent.

Now add tomatoes, salt,red chilli, tumeric and garam masala powder.

Saute till tomatoes are mushy and oil separates.Now add the cooked beans and boil for 5 -10 mins.

Once the gravy reaches required consistency,turn off fire.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

BEETROOT THORAN

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 2 medium(grated)

Salt - To taste

Tumeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Coconut - 2 tbsp (grated)

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Curry leaf - 1 sprig

Method:

Grate the beetroot finely( for juicy thoran) or roughly.

Cook beetroot with salt, tumeric, red chilli powder and water till done.

Heat oil in a pan and temper mustard and urad dal. Add beetroot and saute till all moisture is evaporated.

Add grated coconut and curry leaves.

VEGETABLE MASALA

Ingredients:

Potato - 1 medium sliced

Carrot - 1 small sliced

Cauliflower - 1 cup cut into florets

Greenpeas - 1 cup

Onion - 1 medium chopped

Green chilli - 2-3 nos

Ginger - 1 tbsp grated

Coriander leaf - 2 tbsp chopped

Salt - to taste

Tumeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Channa dal - 1 tsp

Gram flour/besan - 1 tbsp

Method:

Heat oil in pan and saute onions ,green chilli and ginger till onion are transparent.

Add chopped vegetables, salt, tumeric powder and a cup of water. Cover and cook till vegetables are done.

In a bowl mix besan/gram flour and 2 tbsp of water into a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Once veggies are cooked and the besan paste to curry and boil for 3-4 min or till gravy thickens to required consistency.

Transfer to bowl and add coriander leaves.

Heat 1 tsp oil in small kadhai and temper mustard, channa dal . Add tempering to the curry.

Serve with rotis/chappatis.

AVIYAL

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Grated coconut

5 Green chilies

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

3 - 4 tbsp thick curd/yoghurt

1/2cup Yam Thinly sliced into 11/2" length pieces

1/2 Raw bananas sliced into 11/2" length pieces

1/4cup Cucumber Sliced lengthy into 11/2" length pieces

1/4cup Snake gourd Sliced into 11/2" length pieces

1/4 cup Yellow cucumber sliced into 11/2"length pieces

1/4 cup Ashgourd sliced into 11/2" length pieces

1/4 cup Pumpkin sliced into 11/2" length pieces

1/4 cup Carrot Sliced into 11/2" length pieces

1/4 cup Long beans sliced into 11/2" length pieces

1/4 cup Beans sliced into 11/2" length pieces

1/4 cup Tindoora sliced lengthwise

1/8 cup Cluster beans sliced into 11/2" length pieces

1/4 cup Raw mango sliced into 11/2" lenth pieces

2 Drumstick cut into 2" length pieces

Curry leaves

3 tbsp Coconut oil

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Method:

Grind coconut with green chilies,cumin seeds and curd into a paste and keep it aside.

Pressure cook the vegetable with salt,tumeric powder,few drops of cocnut oil and curry leaves for 1-2 whistles.The vegetables should be cooked but not mushy.

When the pressure is released,heat little coconut oil in kadai and add the excess water from vegetables. Boil it till water reduces to half, now add vegetables and coconut paste and stir well.heat for 1-2 mins.

Remove from fire and garnish it with curry leaves.

CHEMBA PUTTU

Puttu is a common breakfast in Kerala. It is usually made out of raw rice flour and is cylindrical in shape.Puttu can also be made of wheat flour, corn flour, ragi flour or Chemba rice flour.Nowadays Instant puttu mix(i.e all the above mentioned flours) is available in grocery stores. Puttu is made with the help of a Puttu maker. Puttu maker is a steamer which is cylindrical in shape. The dish has to be made with lot of coconut. Puttu is served with black-chickpeas curry or green-gram curry. Even white-chickpeas curry or potato stew can also be served as accompaniment.The typical kerala way is puttu with sugar- pappadam- plaintain.

Today I Am blogging chemba puttu recipe.

Ingredients :

2 cups of rose matta rice.

1 cup of coconut

Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the rice for two hours and strain it. Spread the rice in a cloth or a plate and allow them to dry.

Grind the dried rice to a fine powder in the mixer. Heat the powder for 5 minutes.While heating, keep stirring.

Keep the fried powder to cool.

Mix salt in water and add the water little by little to the rice flour and mix it.Using your fingers keep mixing till the flour starts looking like crumbs. If you take a little in your fist and scrunch it up, it should hold its shape when you open your palm. Let the moistened rice powder rest for about 10 minutes.

You should be careful while mixing the water to the rice flour.If you add too little water, the puttu will be dry and uncooked when steamed. If you add too much water, the puttu will be a lumpy mass after steam cooking.It should be in a powdered form wet enough for steaming.

Now add a fistful full of grated coconut in the puttu maker and then add the rice flour till half, then add another handful of coconut. This is done till you reach the top of the cylindrical shape.

Close the lid and steam for 8 - 10 minutes.

Note:

1.Do not press the flour down into either the puttu maker or the puttu will not cook properly since there is no place for the steam to get through the puttu.

2.If you are using instant puttu mix, you just need to add salt and water and mix well.

KALA CHANNA CURRY- II

Ingredients:

Kala channa - 1 cup

Coconut(grated) - 1/2 cup

Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp

Dry red chilli - 3-4

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Curry leaf - 1-2

Method:

Soak kala channa overnight. Wash and pressure cook the channa for 4-5 whistles.

Heat 1 tsp of oil, saute coriander seeds, red chilli. Saute till golden brown.

Grind coconut, coriander seeds, red chilli with few cooked kala channa into a smooth paste.

In a pan add cooked channa, salt and tumeric . Boil the channa until channa absorbs salt.

Add coconut-coriander-redchilli paste and boil for few mins. Turn off heat.

Heat oil in a small pan and add oil. Splutter curryleaf,urad dal and mustard. Add tempering to the curry and serve hot.

CAULIFLOWER STIR-FRY

Ingredients:

Cauliflower(cut into florets) - 1 cup

Potato( cut lengthwise) - 1/4 cup

Carrot (cut lengthwise) - 1/4 cup

Greenpeas - 1/4 cup

Greenchilli(slit) - 2-3

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Tumeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - To taste

Curry leaf - a sprig

Coriander leaf - 1-2 sprig

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Oil -1 tsp

Method:

Cook cauliflower,potato,carrot, greenpeas,greenchilli with salt,tumeric powder, red chilli powder till tender. Vegetables should be tender but not mushy and falling apart.

Add oil to vegetables and saute till golden brown.

Season mustard seeds. Add curry leaf,corianderleaf, mustard seeds and garnish.

Serve hot.

LEMON SEMIYA

Ingredients:

Vermicelli - 2 cups

Lemon juice - 1 large

Roasted peanuts - 3-4 tbsps

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp

Channa dal - 1 tbsp

Dry chillis, tear - 2

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Grated ginger - 1/2 tsp

Green chillis, slit - 2

Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - 8-10

Method:

Bring 5 cups of salted water to a boil. Add the vermicelli and cook for just under 4 mts. Turn off heat and strain. Pour 2 cups of cold water and strain the water completely. Add 2 tsps of oil and combine.

While the vermicelli is cooking in the hot water, prepare the seasoning. Heat oil in a vessel, add the mustard seeds and as they begin to sizzle, add the dals and allow them to turn slightly red, add curry leaves, green chillis, grated ginger, red chillis and stir fry for 30 secs. Add asafoetida and turmeric pwd, roasted peanuts and combine. Turn off heat.

Add salt to taste and lemon juice to the seasoning and combine it well and pour over the vermicelli and mix well.

Taste and if you feel that it needs more tang, add more lemon juice accordingly.

URAD BONDA

Ingredients:

Urad whole(skin removed) - 3/4 cup

Green chilli - 2-3

Salt - To taste

Coconut (finely chopped) - 2 tbsp

Curry leaf(chopped) - 1-2 sprigs

Whole peppercorns - 1/2 tsp

Oil - To deep fry

Method:

Soak urad in water for 1 hr.

Drain out the water and grind with salt & greenchilli to a very thick paste. While grinding add only few drops of water if required.

Transfer the paste to a bowl. Add coconut pieces, peppercorn,curry leaf and fold into the paste with a spatula.

Heat oil in thick-bottomed kadhai or pan on med-high heat.

Once oil heats up, make small round bondas and put in oil. Cook on med heat.

Remove from oil once it is golden brown colour.

Serve hot with chutney.

ALOO GOBI MASALA

Ingredients:

Cauliflower – 1 medium, cut to bite size florets

Potatoes – 2 large, cut to bite size pieces

Frozen Green Peas – 1 cup

Oil – 2 Tbsp

Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – pinch

Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp

Onion – 1 medium, finely chopped

Ginger – 1 inch piece, minced

Garlic – 5 cloves, minced

Tomatoes – 2 large, chopped

Coriander Powder – 2 tsp

Cumin Powder – 1 tsp

Garam Masala – 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder – to taste

Dry Mango Powder (Amchur) – 1/2 tsp

Salt – to taste

Cilantro – 5 sprigs, chopped for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat Oil in a medium non-stick pan.

2. Add Cumin Seeds and allow them to sizzle.

3. Add Asofoetida, Turmeric Powder and Onions - mix well and sautee for 3-4 minutes.

4. Add Ginger and Garlic - mix and sautee until Oil starts to separate from the onions (stir frequently).

5. Add Tomatoes - mix and cook until Oil again separates from the mixture (stir frequently).

6. While tomatoes are cooking, place Potatoes in a microwave safe bowl w/ cover, sprinkle a little salt, add 1/4 cup water and microwave for approx 3-5 minutes (they should be 1/2 cooked).

7. Place washed Cauliflower florets in a microwave safe bowl w/ cover and cook for approx 3-5 minutes (it should be 1/2 cooked). Lightly Salt the Cauliflower while it is still warm.

8. Once Oil has separated from the tomato mixture, add Coriander Powder, Garam Masala, Red Chili Powder, Cumin Powder, Dry Mango Powder and Salt - mix well.

9. Add half-cooked Potatoes, mix well to coat all potatoes, cover and cook for 5 minutes (or until the potatoes are tender but not breaking apart).

10. Add Green Peas and half-cooked Cauliflower and mix well to evenly coat the cauliflower - cover and cook until all veggies are tender but not mushy and falling apart.

11. Garnish with chopped Cilantro Leaves and serve with Chapatti, Paratha or Rice and Daal.