Vendakka Pachadi / Okra raitha / Bhindi Raitha

This is a very easy recipe which uses okra. Okra is a popular vegetable rich in dietary fiber. It contains Vitamin A, C, K and antioxidants. It is a good source of folates. It is low in calories. Helps in controlling cholesterol. 

Preparation: 

•  Wash and dry the okra using a clean towel. 
• Slit each okra into four lengthwise. Then chop it into small pieces. 
• Cut the green chilly into 2 or 3 pieces. 
• Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, whole dry red chilly and curry leaves. When the mustards start spluttering add the okra and fry it. Stir continuously, on medium - low flame.
• When the gooeyness disappears, add 2 - 3 pinches salt and the green chilly pieces. Fry until crisp on low flame, so the green color remains intact. 
• Remove from flame and allow to cool. 
• Beat/ whip the curd/yogurt lightly. Add salt to taste. 
• Add the fried okra into the curd and mix well. 
• Serve as a side dish with rice. 

Ingredients: 

Okra - 12 - 15 nos.

Curd/ Yogurt - 3/4 - 1 cup 

Green chilly - 1 - 2 nos.

Salt 

For seasoning: 

Oil -1 - 11/2 tablespoons 

Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon 

Dry Red chilly - 1 (broken into 2 or 3 pieces) 

Curry leaves - a few 

Pineapple Kesari

Kesari is a sweet semolina dish, popular in India. In the South it is Kesari and in the North it is called Halwa. A very easy dish. Here it is done with a twist, a pineapple twist. I prepared the dish during Navarathri.

Preparation: 

• Chop the pineapple into small pieces.
• Cook the pineapple pieces in water for 5 minutes on medium flame. Add a pinch of yellow food color and bring to a boil. 
• Meanwhile fry the cashew nuts and raisins in 2 teaspoons ghee, one after the other, separately. Remove the nuts and raisins from ghee and keep aside. 
• Add the semolina to the same pan and fry it in the remaining little ghee. The color of the semolina must not change. Stir continuously on medium heat for 2 - 3 minutes. 
• When the semolina is roasted, carefully add the boiling pineapple water mix. On a low flame, stir continuously so that no lumps are formed. 
• Add the sugar and stir. Again the mixture will become gooey.  
• Add 2 tablespoons of ghee and keep stirring until the mixture becomes thick. Add 2 teaspoons of ghee and transfer to another vessel.
• Garnish with fried raisins and nuts and a few strands of saffron (optional). 
• Serve hot or warm.
• Note : Add sugar only after the semolina is cooked. 

Ingredients: 

Semolina/Rava - 1/2 cup 

Pineapple - 1/3 cup, chopped 

Sugar - 3/4 cup 

Water - 11/2 cups 

Yellow food color - a pinch 

Ghee  - 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons 

Cashew nuts - 1/2 tablespoon, chopped finely 

Raisins - 2 tablespoons 

Ghee - 1/2 tablespoon for frying the nuts and raisins

Easy Rice Laddu / Ari unda

Ari Unda is a very popular snack in Kerala. This is an easy version of the traditional Ari unda. With just  three  ingredients. 

Preparation: 

• Wash and soak the rice in water for an hour. Use any boiled variety of rice. 
• Drain the rice. Allow it to drain thoroughly. 
• Heat a thick bottomed pan in medium flame. Add the drained rice into the hot pan and dry roast it, Stir continuously. After some time the rice grains will start popping. Continue roasting until the popping sound comes down to a minimum. Remove from fire. Transfer to another bowl and allow to cool.
• Grind the cooled roasted rice in a mixer bowl. Do not grind to a fine powder. The ground powder should have the consistency of semolina.  
• You can do this step in advance. The roasted rice powder has great shelf life. Preserve in an air-tight container. 
• Grate the jaggery. 
• Grate fresh coconut. 
• In a mixing bowl add the rice powder. Add the grated coconut little by little and mix using your hand, then add the grated jaggery little by little and mix well until you can roll it into a ball like the chappati dough. 
• Take a little mix and roll into lemon  sized ball. Continue this until the whole dough is converted to lemon sized laddus.
• After a day, if any laddu i left over, you can refrigerate. Stays for a week. 

Ingredients: 

With the ingredients given below, i made 21 laddus. 

*Boiled Rice - 1 cup 

Jaggery - 1 cup 

Coconut - 1 cup 

*I used store bought Red Matta Rice. 

Below is the link to the Traditional AriUnda which has great shelf life.
http://ashasnairrajesh.blogspot.com/2016/05/ari-unda-rice-laddu.html 

Sago Idly and Tomato chutney

Sago / Sabudaana is extracted from the spongy center of the sago palm stems. It is also known as tapioca pearls. It is a wholesome diet of starch and carbohydrates. It is used as an easily digestible, non-irritating baby food. Sago is a source of pure carbohydrates, with very little protein, vitamin C, calcium and minerals. 

Preparation: 

• Mix sago, Rice rava, curd and salt. Add a cup of water and mix thoroughly. Sago needs lots of water to soften. Leave the mixture over-night. 
• Finely chop the green chilly and ginger. Grate the carrot. 
• Heat oil, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal.When he mustard seeds start spluttering, add the green chilly, ginger and curry leaves. When the raw smell is gone, remove from fire and add a pinch of asafeotida. Pour this into the batter.
• Add the grated carrot also into the batter. Mix well. Add salt if needed. 
• Lightly oil the idly molds. Pour the batter into the molds and  steam for 30 minutes  or until cooked, on medium flame. 
• Allow the molds to cool, then de-mold the idlies. If the molds aren't cooled well, idlies might break while demolding.  
• Serve with tomato chutney. 

Ingredients: 

Sago - 1 cup  
Rice Rava - 3/4 cup 

Curd - 1 cup 

Salt 

Green chilly - 2 small ones 

Ginger - 2 inch piece 

Carrot grated - 1/3 cup  

Oil - 1 table spoon 

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon 

Urad dal (Split black gram) - 2 teaspoons 

Channa dal (Split Bengal gram)- 1 tablespoon 
Cashew nuts (small pieces) - 1 Tablespoon (optional)

Curry leaves- 1 sprig  

Tomato Chutney 

Preparation:

• Peel and chop/slice onions coarsely. 
• Chop the tomatoes coarsely.
• Heat coconut oil in a pan, add the whole dry red chillies and onions. Saute on medium flame for a minute. Then add the tomatoes and saute for a 3 minutes. Add salt to taste. Switch off the stove and allow the mixture to cool. 
• Grind it coarsely in the chutney bowl of a mixer. 
• Transfer to a serving bowl. 
• Heat coconut oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds. When it starts spluttering add the curry leaves. Switch off the stove. 
• Pour the seasoning over the tomato chutney and mix well.
• Serve along with Sago idly. 

Ingredients: 

Onion (medium size) - 2 

Tomato ( medium size) - 3 

Dry whole red chilly - 5 

Coconut oil -  11/2 tablespoons 

Salt to taste 

For seasoning:

Coconut oil -1 teaspoon 

Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon 

Curry leaves - a few 

• Note: Bigger sago pearls takes longer to cook. I used them. 
• Carrot and cashew nuts are optional. I added them. 
• If you prefer, you can avoid the seasoning of the tomato chutney. Chutney tastes good even without seasoning.

Brown Peas Fritter

Brown Peas are obtained from cowpeas (Lobia). It is sold as Red Lobia /Lobia in markets. In malayalam it is known as Vanpayar. 
It contains high protein and high fiber. So when consumed it keeps hunger pangs away. Hence good for weight loss. It contains antioxidants and flavanoids. So it has anti-aging properties and is also good for the health of the heart. It will keep your cholesterol under check. Good for pregnant women as it contains iron, folate and protiens. Consumption of lobia by the pregnant mothers prevents birth defects in babies. Good for the digestive system as it contains high fiber. Good for diabetics. 

Preparation: 

• Soak the brown peas in water for an hour. 
• Grind the soaked brown peas, ginger- garlic paste, fennel seeds, fish masala, chopped onion, red chilly powder and garam masala into a coarse mixture. 
• Take a piece of banana leaf / Aluminium foil of dimension 6'' X 12". Wash and dry the banana leaf with a towel. Apply oil on the leaf lightly. 
• Spread out the ground mix evenly over the leaf or aluminium foil  and fold in half. 
• Steam this for 20 minutes. 
• Allow to cool. Remove the leaf /foil.
• Cut this into small or big pieces, according to your preference. 
• Keep a flat tawa on the flame. Pour little oil and spread it out. 
• Shallow fry the pieces till crispy, on both sides.(If you like, you can apply fish fry masala on the pieces before shallow frying.) 
• If you want it crispier, dip the pieces in bread crumbs and deep fry. I just shallow fried and it was crispy enough for me. 
• Serve as snack with a dip of your choice or as a side dish with rice.  

Ingredients: 

Brown peas (dry) - 1/2 cup 

Ginger-garlic paste - 3 teaspoons 

Fennel seeds - 1/2 tablespoon  

Fish masala - 3 teaspoons 

Red chilly powder - 1 - 2 teaspoons (or according to ones preference)

Garam masala - 1 teaspoon 

Onion - 1 small 

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Fish fry masala - 2 teaspoons (optional) 

Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup (optional)

Oil - 11/2 - 2 cups (for deep frying) (optional)

*Note : No salt is required in this recipe. 

Pumpkin Curry / Mathenga Pulingary

Pumpkin is a very common backyard vegetable. The greatest  plus-point of pumpkin is that it is a low calorie food item. Our humble pumpkin is very rich in vitamins, especially vitamin A, antioxidants and minerals like calcium, potassium etc. 

Pumpkin is a great cholesterol controller. It is also recommended for those who are trying to reduce their weight. Pumpkin has anti-cancerous properties too. Pumpkin seeds are a great source of fibre and it is good for the heart as it contains mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA).

As far as cooks are concerned pumpkins can be converted into different variety of dishes. One can make curries, soups and desserts. Every part of the pumpkin vine can be cooked and consumed - leaves, fruits, flowers and seeds. 

Preparation: 

• Remove skin and seeds of the pumpkin. Wash and cut it into medium sized cubes. Peel, wash and slice the shallots. Wash and chop the tomato; wash and cut each green chilly into 3 or 4 pieces. 
• Soak lime sized ball of tamarind in half cup warm water. If using tamarind pulp avoid this step. 
• Pressure cook the pumpkin pieces along with turmeric powder, tamarind, salt and 11/2 cups of water, if you are using tamarind pulp. If you are using tamarind water use only 1 cup of water. After the first whistle remove from the stove and set aside to cool. 
• Heat oil in a pan, add the shallot pieces and saute for a minute. Now add the green chilly pieces and tomato pieces. Stir for a minute. Cover and cook on medium flame until the vegetables are well cooked. Remove the lid and saute till the water content goes. Lower the flame, add the red chilly powder, coriander powder, fenugreek powder and the asafeotida powder. Stir a few seconds or until the raw smell goes. 
• Add the cooked pumpkin along with the water into the pan. Stir gently and add salt if needed. Add the jaggery. Boil on medium flame for 5 minutes. Remove from the stove and pour into a serving bowl.
• Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and dry red chilly pieces, When the mustard splutters, lower the flame. add the curry leaves and asafeotida. Switch off the stove. Pour it over the pumpkin curry. Keep the bowl covered for 10 minutes. Tasty Pumpkin Pulingary is ready. Stir and serve along with rice. 

Ingredients: 

Pumpkin cubes - 1 cup 

Shallots - 8 nos. 

Tomato - 1 small 

Green chilly - 2 nos 

Tamarind pulp - 1 teaspoon 

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon 

Salt to taste 

Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon 

Fenugreek powder - 1 pinch 

Asafeotida - 2 pinches

Red chilly powder - 1 teaspoon (half teaspoon each of Kashmiri red chilly powder and regular chilly powder.) 

Coconut oil - 1 - 2 tablespoons 

Jaggery grated - 1/4 teaspoon 

For Seasoning: 

Coconut oil - 1 - 2 teaspoons 

Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon 

Dry red chilly - 2 nos 

Curry leaves - 1 sprig 

Asafeotida - 1 pinch 

Ela Ada / Ila Ada

Ela ada is a traditional Kerala recipe prepared with rice flour, grated coconut and jaggery. It can be served as breakfast or an  evening snack. Rice flour can be replaced with wheat flour or ragi - rice flour mix or multi-grain flour. 

Preparation: 

• Boil water, add little salt. 
• Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the boiling water and mix with a spoon or wooden spatula. Cover and keep aside to cool. When cool, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of coconut oil or ghee and knead into a stiff dough. 
• Grate coconut. Grate jaggery. Mix them together with a spoon. Mix a pinch of cardamom powder to the coconut mix. 
• Tear the banana leaves into rectangle pieces. Fresh banana leaves should be exposed to flame for a second or two to make it flexible. Mine had started yellowing as they were a few days old. So it was naturally flexible. 
• Clean the leaves with water. Dry it and smear lightly with coconut oil / ghee. 
• Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Divide the coconut mix also into 6 parts. 
• Take one part of the dough place it on an oiled leaf piece and flatten it evenly along the length and breadth of the leaf, using your fingers. 
• Place a part of the filling on one half of the flattened dough and fold the other half , along with the leaf over it. Raise the leaf slightly and seal the edges, on all three sides, with a little water. If you don't seal the edges the filling will leak while steaming and all the sweetness of the jaggery will be lost. Repeat the same process. 
• Steam for 20 minutes or until cooked. 
• 
  

Ingredients:  for 6 pieces

Rice flour (store bought) - 11/3 cups 

Fresh coconut (grated) - 1 cup 

Jaggery (grated) - 100 grams 

Cardamom powder - 1 pinch 

Boilng water - 11/3 cups or as needed

Salt  - to taste or 1/4 teaspoon  

Coconut oil/ ghee - 2 teaspoons 

Note: If banana leaves are not available, use aluminium foil. Cut rectangle pieces of dimension 6 "X 10"

Aviyal /Avial

Aviyal is an integral part of Kerala sadya (feast). It is a mixture of different vegetables and ground coconut cooked together. The word aviyal means something cooked or boiled in water. Many stories are there behind the origin of this dish. 

Traditionally aviyal is prepared with elephant yam, plantain, pumpkin, cucumber, drumstick, snake gourd, cluster beans, eggplants, carrots, beans etc. One can use all the vegetables mentioned or whatever is available among them. In North Kerala even bitter gourd is added. Curd / green mango / Tamarind is added to ensure mild sourness. 

Preparation: 

• Peel and wash all the vegetables. 
• Soak a small lime sized tamarind in water. 
• Grate coconut.
• Slice and cut all the vegetables into 21/2 inch long pieces. Cut plantain and eggplants in the end, as it will get discolored on prolonged exposure. 
• Pour 100 ml of water into into a 3 liter pressure cooker. Add all the vegetables and the tamarind. Close and cook for one whistle. Remove from the flame. Keep aside.  Do not overcook. 
• Meanwhile coarsely grind the coconut along with cumin, turmeric, shallots and green chilly. 
• Open the cooker when the pressure is released naturally. Add the coconut mixture and salt, Mix carefully. Add curry leaves. Cover and cook on medium flame for a minute. Then remove the lid and cook until all the water is absorbed. Remove from the stove. Add coconut oil. Avial is ready to be served. Serves 6

Ingredients: 

Cut vegetables - 21/2 cups 

Grated coconut - 1 cup 

Tamarind pulp - 1/2 teaspoon 

Water - 100 ml 

Cumin powder - 1/4 teaspoon 

Green chilly - 3 

Turmeric- a pinch 

Shallots - 4  OR  1 - 2 tablespoons chopped onion 

Salt to taste

Curry leaves - 1 - 2 sprigs 

Coconut oil - 2 teaspoons 

• Note: If you are soaking the tamarind, add 2 teaspoons thick tamarind juice to the vegetables.
• Instead of tamarind if you are using raw mango,add four or five pieces of the mango cut in a similar fashion, and cook along with the vegetables. 
• And if you are using curd, maybe 1/4 cup, add and cook for a minute before adding the coconut mixture.

Carrot Semia Payasam

Carrots contain lots of beta-carotene and dietary fiber. Great source of Vitamin A, C, K and B8. Rich in pantothenic acid, folate, potassium, iron, copper and manganese. It is a super food. You can munch it, juice it and cook it. Choice is yours. Here carrot is being added to the regular vermicelli / semia payasam to give it a healthy twist. 

Preparation: 

• Scrape, wash and grate the carrot. Steam the grated carrot. Keep aside. I cooked the carrot with little water in low flame,stirring occasionally, until all the water was absorbed. Do which ever process is easy for you.
• Heat 2tbsp ghee in a pan, fry the cashew nuts and raisins. Remove and keep them aside. To the remaining ghee in the pan add the vermicelli / semia and fry till it changes the color, in low flame. Do not fry it brown. 
• Add water and cook on low flame, until all the water is absorbed. Remove from stove and keep aside.
• Heat 2 tbsp ghee in another pan and saute the grated carrot in the ghee for 2 minutes or until all the water content is gone. 
• Add the milk, bring it to boil. Reduce the flame to low-medium and add the cooked semia. Stir occasionally.
• When the mixture starts simmering add the condensed milk and stir well.
• Add sugar, only if needed. Stir well.
• Add the cardamom powder.Stir and remove from stove.
• Garnish with fried cashew nuts and raisins.
• Serve warm or cold. Serves 6

Ingredients: 

Vermicelli / Semia - 1/2 cup

Water - 1 cup

Carrot -  1 medium sized

Milk - 3/4 liter or 750 ml

Condensed milk - 1/2 tin

Ghee - 4 tablespoon

Cashew nuts - 12 nos.

Raisins -  12 nos.

Cardamom - 1/2 teaspoon powder or crush 3 or 4 cardamoms and add. 

Sugar - to taste. Add sugar after checking the taste. 

Inji Puli /Puli Inji /Ginger Curry

Inji puli or Puli inji is a traditional instant pickle served in Kerala for sadyas (feasts). It is sweet, sour, and spicy at the same time. A mouth-watering dish that is a must in all sadyas. No sadya is complete without it. Inji is malayalam for ginger, and puli is the malayalam equivalent for sour taste, as well as tamarind, which is a main ingredient.

 Preparation: 

• Wash and scrape the ginger. Wash again. Slice into thin pieces and chop finely. 
• Soak (a small lime-sized) tamarind in little warm water for 10 minutes and extract thick juice. I used the tamarind pulp available in the stores. 
• Chop the onion/shallots.
• Cut the green chilly into small pieces. 
• Heat a pan on the stove. Add oil, mustard seeds, dry red chilly pieces and finally curry leaves. 
• When the mustard seeds start spluttering add the chopped onion and saute for a few seconds. Onion can be avoided, its your preference.
• Now add the chopped ginger and green chilly pieces. Saute on low flame until the ginger just starts changing colour. Do not allow to burn. 
• Add the turmeric powder, red chilly powder and fenugreek powder. Saute for a few seconds.
• Now add tamarind paste along with three-fourth cup (180 ml. approximately) water. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil.
• Add the jaggery. Simmer for a few minutes in low flame or until it reaches the right consistency - not thick or too watery. 
• The sweetness is predominant in the dish, then the sourness and finally the mild hotness of the chilly. 

Ingredients:

Ginger - 50 grams or 6 tablespoons, chopped finely  

Onion/shallots - 2 tablespoons, chopped (optional) 

Green chilly - 1 or 2 nos. 

Tamarind pulp - 2 teaspoons 

Jaggery syrup - 2 tablespoons or 3-4 tablespoons of grated jaggery 

Water - 180 ml. 

Salt to taste 

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon 

Red chilly powder - 1 teaspoon 

Fenugreek powder - 1 pinch 

For seasoning: 

Oil - 1 - 11/2 tablespoons 

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon 

Dry red chilly - 2 nos. each cut into 3 pieces 

Curry leaves - 1 sprig 

Falafel

Falafel is a fried legume fritter, which had its origin in Egypt. It is traditionally an Arabic food, served along with hummus and tahini sauce or stuffed into pita along with vegetables, pickles, hummus etc.

Preparation: 

• Soak dry Garbanzo beans or Chickpeas in water with a teaspoon of baking soda. Do not use canned chickpeas. Soak overnight. 
• Drain and grind coarsely along with the chopped onions, parsley, all the spices and salt. Do not add water. 
• Remove the mix from the food processor into a bowl. Mix well. Remove the chickpeas which are still whole. 
• Refrigerate the mix for an hour. 
• Roll into lime-sized balls and deep fry. 
• Drain on a paper towel. 
• Allow to cool. Now it is ready to be served. 

Ingredients: 

Dry Chickpeas (kabuli channa) - 500 grams 

Baking soda - 1 tsp 

Coriander powder - 1 tsp 

Cumin powder - 1 tsp 

Black pepper (whole) - 1/4 tsp 

Red chilly powder - 1/4 tsp 

Salt -1/2 tsp 

Garlic cloves (roasted) - 5 

Onion - 1 small, chopped

Parsley leaves chopped - 3 - 4 tablespoons 

• Note: If you are unable to roll the coarsely ground mix into balls. Add  one or two tablespoon of flour and mix thoroughly.
• You can also use equal quantities of chickpeas and green gram (moong) instead of using chickpeas alone.

Crispy Medhu Vada

Vada is a common term used for fried savoury snacks, in India. The medhu vada is made primarily of black lentils (urad dal) batter. Black lentils or black gram is a key ingredient in the famous Idly and Dosa. 
Black gram is very nutritious as it contains high levels of protein, potassium, calcium, iron, niacin, thiamine and riboflavin.Black gram complements the essential amino acids provided by cereals and plays an important part in the diets of the people of India and Nepal. Black gram is useful in mitigating elevated cholesterol levels. Like other pulses black gram is also recommended for diabetics. 

Preparation: 

• Soak the black gram in water for 4 hours. 
• Roast one tablespoon each of black gram and raw rice, separately. Cool. Then grind to a powder, not too fine. 
• After 4 hours drain off the water and grind the black gram little by little at a time, along with cooked rice and little salt. Since you are grinding in small portions there is no need to add water while grinding. (I divided the soaked black gram into three portions before grinding). Grind to a smooth paste. 
• Add baking soda to the ground paste, mix well and keep aside for 1 - 2 hours. 
• Chop finely the shallots, green chilly, ginger and curry leaves. 
• After 1 or 2 hours add the chopped vegetables and black pepper into the batter, stir well. Finally mix the roasted gram - rice powder into the batter. 
• Wet your hands (So the batter won't stick to your hands). Take a small lime size ball of batter in your hands, make small hole in the center, drop gently into hot oil and deep fry in medium flame. Flip and cook on both sides till golden brown. I could make 11 medhu vadas with the amount of ingredients given below. 
• Serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato sauce. 

Ingredients: 

Black gram - 1/2 cup 

Cooked rice - 3 tablespoons 

Salt to taste 

Baking soda - 1/4 teaspoon  

Black gram - 1 tablespoon 

Raw rice - 1 tablespoon  

Shallots - 6 

green chilly - 1 

ginger  - 1 very small piece 

Curry leaves - a few 

Black pepper - 6 (whole) 

Hummus - A Mediterranean Dip

I came across Hummus during my sojourn in Israel. I first had it along with Pita, Felafel and veggies. First time itself i found it very tasty. Then i got hold of the recipe. 
The word hummus is arabic for chickpeas. The dish hummus is called hummus bi tahina in arabic. The name itself is very revealing - the dish is a mixture of chickpea and tahini paste. 
Hummus is generally used as dip or appetizer, and most usually along with pita and felafel. 
The place of origin of hummus is Egypt, Levant (Mediterranean lands east of Italy).

Preparation: 

• Soak the chickpeas overnight. 
• Pressure cook the chickpeas along with salt.
• Allow to cool to room temperature. 
• Drain the chickpeas. Don't throw away the water.
• Lightly roast and grind the sesame seeds. 
• Now add all the other ingredients except the olive oil into the mixer bowl and grind to a smooth paste. Use a little of the water in which the chickpea was cooked to grind. Be careful not to add too much water. 
• When it is well ground, transfer to a serving bowl and pour the olive oil over it. 
• Serve garnished with paprika powder. (optional) 

Ingredients:

Chickpeas - 1/2 cup 

Sesame seeds - 4 tablespoons 

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon 

Garlic (minced) - 1 teaspoon 

Lemon juice -1/2 tablespoon 

Salt to taste 

Garnish:

Olive oil - 1 Tablespoon 

Red Paprika powder - 1/4 teaspoon (optional) 

Note: If you have tahini paste with you, add it instead of sesame seeds.

Raw Banana/Plantain Fritters / Bajjhi

Raw or Green banana contains Resistant Starch which does not breakdown like regular starch, so it passes through the intestines like insoluble fiber. Resistant starch and high fiber increases satiety and thus low consumption. Increases the rate of fat burning.Good for dieters and diabetics. Resistant starch is food for the good probiotic bacteria in the intestine. So bananas can prevent diarrhea and reduce the risk of colon cancer. It helps in the absorption of nutrients, especially calcium. Raw and ripe bananas contain Vitamins B6 ,C and potassium. 

Preparation : 

• Wash the banana/Plantain, Peel it lightly. Do not remove all the skin. Set aside.
• Take the besan/Chickpea flour in a small bowl. Add salt to taste, then add the chilly powder, cumin seeds, asafeotida and baking soda. Add water little by little and make a very thick batter. Keep aside for 5 minutes.
• Cut the banana into 3 or 4 equal parts. Then slice each piece into 3 or 4 pieces. 
• Heat oil in a pan. Dip each piece in the batter and deep fry. 
• Spread out on absorbent paper to remove excess oil. 
• Serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato sauce. 

Ingredients:

Raw Plantain - 1 

Besan / Chickpea Flour - 1/2 cup 

Salt to taste 

Red chilly powder - 1/2 Teaspoon 

Cumin seeds - 1/4 teaspoon 

Asafeotida -a pinch 

Baking soda - 2 pinches 

Water 

Spicy Buttermilk

Buttermilk is a probiotic food. Buttermilk is also a great source of calcium, phosphorus, potassium and B12 . Buttermilk improves digestion. It is useful in the treatment of digestive disorders, gastro-intestinal disorders, lack of appetite, anaemia, spleen disorders and inflammation. Little or no fat buttermilk is highly beneficial in Winter. Curd and full-fat buttermilk have cooling effect, so they are beneficial in Summer. 

Preparation: 

• Beat the curd/yogurt. I used home made curd. Add an equal quantity of cool water and salt to taste. Beat well. You can add more water if you like it thinner. I add more water.
• Crush the ginger, shallot, green chilly and curry leaves. Add this to the buttermilk. Stir well. If you have fresh lime/lemon leaves tear it and add it to the butter milk for added flavor. 
• If you want you can pass this drink through a sieve before serving. Otherwise also it is very good.
• Enjoy this refreshing drink on a hot summer day. 

*Ingredients: 

Curd/ Yogurt - 1/2 cup 

Cool water - 1/2 cup + more 

Salt to taste 

Green chilly - 1 small or cut a one inch piece from a bigger one. 

Ginger - 1/4 inch piece 

Shallot -1 

Curry leaves - 2 or 3 leaves 

Lime/ lemon leaves - 1 (optional) 

*For a Single serving 

Shallot Chutney and Wheat flour Dosa

Shallots are part and parcel of Kerala cuisine. They contain more anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals than onion and garlic. Shallots contain proteins, dietary fiber, Vitamin C, A, B6, potassium, folate and manganese. They are rich in flavanoids and polyphenolic compounds.

Preparation:

• Soak red chillies in hot water for 15 minutes.
• Grind the red chillies, shallots, tamarind and salt. At first it will appear coarse. Add water little by little and grind until you get a smooth paste. 
• Transfer to a bowl. Adjust the salt. 
• Add the coconut oil. Mix.
• Serve with idly/dosa/ boiled tapioca, sweet potato etc. 

Ingredients: 

Dry red chilly - 5 - 6 (less hot variety preferably) 

Shallots - 6 - 7 peeled 

Tamarind - Half inch square piece/1/2 teaspoon 

Salt to taste 

Coconut oil - 1 tablespoon 

Wheat Flour Dosa 

• Add the wheat flour into a deep bowl. Add the salt and water. Using a spoon, mix into smooth batter. Set aside for 15 minutes. 
• Heat a tawa on medium flame. Smear it with a very thin film of oil. If there is too much oil it will be difficult to spread out the dosa. Pour a spoon full of batter and spread it out, not too thin. Allow to cook on medium-low flame. Once one side is cooked well, flip and cook the other side. Be patient. 
• Serve wheat flour dosa, hot/warm/cold. It is a very soft dosa.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 11/2 cups 

Water - 2 cups (+ little more, if needed ) 

Salt to taste 

Oil - little, for smearing on the tawa 

Ari Unda / Rice Laddu

Ari Unda or Rice Laddu is a traditional snack of Kerala. It is made of rice, jaggery and grated coconut. The Ari unda which i am going to prepare now has very long shelf life. There is another easy ari unda recipe which i will publish later 

Preparation: 

• Melt the jaggery with half cup of water. Sieve and remove the impurities. Transfer the liquid jaggery into a a large, heavy pan. 
• Add the rice flour and fresh coconut into a large bowl. Knead the coconut and rice flour with your hands. Just the rice flour and coconut. Knead well. Roast this mixture on medium flame. Stir continuously. Roast until the mixture changes color and a good aroma arises. The important point is the removal of moisture from the mix. Remove from fire and keep aside. 
• Place the pan of jaggery on medium flame. Stir occasionally. Allow it to thicken. Check the consistency in between. Take a little jaggery in a spoon, wait a few seconds so the heat becomes bearable, take the jaggery in your index finger and thumb and stick the two fingers together and then pull apart, if a single string is formed between your fingers, its time to add the rice mixture into the jaggery syrup. Add the powdered cardamom also. Mix well on low flame. I like the one string consistency because the laddus will remain soft. If you want it harder you can allow the jaggery to thicken to 2 string consistency. Remove the mixture from flame and allow it to cool down to bearable heat. Using your hands make lemon sized laddus. Roll the laddus in a plate of rice flour, so that they won't stick together.
•  If the mixture cools down and you are unable to make balls, keep it on fire again and heat it up a bit. 
• Cool the laddus and store in air tight containers. 
• Serve Ari unda with tea. 

Ingredients: 

Rice Flour - 500 grams (Available in stores) 

Fresh coconut grated - 300 grams 

Jaggery - 800 grams 

Cardamom crushed/ powdered - 10 

Rice flour - 1 cup 

Neyyappam

Neyyappam is a sweet fried snack popular in Kerala, similar to donut. The ingredients are almost similar to that of Unniyappam. The main difference is unniyappam is fried in a mould (Appam patra or Appa karai). Neyyappam batter is directly poured into the hot ghee and deep fried. Ney means ghee in malayalam. The name neyyappam came to existence because it was fried in ghee. You can fry it in ghee or oil.

Preparation: 

• Wash and soak the raw rice for 4 hours. Melt the jaggery in half cup of water. Sieve and remove the impurities. Thicken the cleaned jaggery solution on low flame. (Add more jaggery if you want it sweeter.) 
• Fry the fresh coconut bits in ghee to golden brown. Keep aside. 
• Grind the rice well. But not too finely. Add the jaggery into the rice batter in the mixer bowl and mix it well. You add mashed banana now. But mashed banana reduces the shelf life. So it is optional. 
• Transfer the batter to another bowl. The batter must be neither  very very thick nor runny. Idli batter consistency. 
• Add the sesame seeds, fried coconut bits and a pinch of salt. (Other things which come under optional category may be added now). Set aside for a minimum of one hour, 4 - 5 hours is best. 
• Heat oil in a deep pan. When the oil is hot reduce heat to low. Scoop the batter in a deep spoon and pour into the hot oil. Flip and fry both sides, till deep brown. If cooked in high flame the insides will remain raw. 
• Drain on a paper towel. Serve with tea. 

Ingredients: 

Raw rice - 250 grams 

Jaggery  - 175 grams 

Fresh coconut bits - 50 grams 

Sesame seeds - 1 1/2 tablespoons 

Cardamom powder - 1/4 teaspoon OR 2 cardamoms powdered 

Salt - 1 or 2 pinches

Ghee - 2 teaspoons 

Oil or Ghee for deep frying

Water as needed 

Maida (flour) - 2 tablespoons (optional) 

Sodium bicarbonate - 2 pinches (optional)

 OR

Banana (mashed) - 1 (optional)

Mysore Bonda

Preparation: 

• Soak the urad dal (Black gram) for two hours, and grind well with very little water. Add salt to taste.
• Add the coconut bits, chopped green chilly and pepper corns. 
• Heat oil. When it starts boiling, wet your hands in water and take a little batter, roll into a ball and deep fry to golden brown. Repeat the process until the batter is over. 
• Serve with tomato sauce or coconut chutney. You can even have it as such. 

Ingredients:  *

Urad dal - 1 cup 

Green chilly - 1 chopped finely 

Black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon 

Coconut bits - 1 - 2 tablespoons 

Salt to taste 

Oil - 1 - 2 cups (depending on the size of the deep-fry pan) 




* Makes 28 mysore bondas.

Rava Dosa and Easy Chutney

Rava dosa is an easy breakfast recipe. This recipe doesn't use curd. Made with ingredients available at hand. 

Preparation: 

• Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add enough water and make a very thick batter. Start with 350 ml water. Add salt to taste. Set aside for an hour, minimum. 
• After one hour, stir the batter, if it is too thick add little water and loosen it. Be careful not to add too much water.  
• Heat a flat tawa, non-stick or otherwise, Smear a thin layer of oil, lower the flame, pour a spoonful of the thick batter in the center of the tawa and gently push the batter from the center, outward gently in circular motion, till the batter is evenly spread out. You can also do the same by taking off the hot tawa from the flame and putting it back on the flame after spreading the batter on it. Cook on medium flame. Add a few drops of oil around the sides of the dosa. When one side is cooked flip ad cook the other side. OR Use a dome-shaped lid to cover the dosa while cooking, so you don't have to flip. 
• Serve hot with chutney. An easy chutney recipe is given below. Yo can also serve the rava dosa with a chutney of your choice.
• If you like, you can add a pinch of asafeotida/hing, half a teaspoon of jeera, one finely chopped greenchilly and 3 or 4 tablespoons of finely chopped onion into the batter. Mix well and make dosa. 

Ingredients: 

Semolina/Bombay rava (Fine) - 1 cup 

Rice flour - 1/4 cup 

Maida (Flour)/Whole wheat flour* - 1/4 cup 

Salt to taste 

Water 

Oil - 2 -3 teaspoons 

Easy Chutney 

Ingredients: 

Onion chopped finely - 1 large 

Red chilly powder - 2 teaspoons 

Salt to taste 

Coconut oil  - 1  or 2 tablespoons 

Method: 

Mix all the ingredients together. Your chutney is ready. 

*Note: i used whole wheat flour. So the color.

Mix the batter well, each time, before pouring the batter on the tawa. 

Beetroot Curd Salad

Beetroots are a powerhouse of nutrients. It contains more Vitamin C than spinach. The nitrates in beetroot helps in lowering the blood pressure. It increases your stamina. A certain constituent in beetroot prevents birth-defects, so pregnant women must include it in their diet. The pigment that gives crimson color to beetroots can  prevent cancer. Beetroot detoxifies your body.

Preparation: 

• Wash the beetroot and cook it in its jacket, in a pressure cooker for 5 - 6 whistles. Don't forget to add one and a half cups of water in the pressure cooker before cooking. The beetroot should be partly immersed in water. Vary the amount of water according to the size of the cooker. Keep aside to cool. You can also cook and store the beetroot in the refrigerator, a day before. 
• Chop the beetroot finely. 
• Chop the onion finely. 
• Cut the green chilly into 3 or 4 pieces. 
• Beat the curd/yogurt. 
• Mix all the cut vegetables together in a bowl. Add the beaten curd and salt. Mix thoroughly. Your beetroot salad is ready. Sprinkle a pinch of cumin powder, but it is optional. 
• Serve with rice. You can also eat it as such. 

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 1 big 

Onion - 1/3 cup chopped 

Green chilly - 2 

Curd - 300 ml 

Salt to taste 

Cumin powder - 1 pinch (optional) 

Vegan Mayonnaise

Preparation: 

• Grind together the cashew nuts, onion and garlic to a fine paste with little water. 
• Add the lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Add water to get the required consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.Your raw vegan mayonnaise is ready. 

Ingredients: 

Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup soaked 

Onion - 2 tablespoon chopped 

Garlic - 1 - 2 cloves 

Lemon juice - from 1/2 lemon 

Salt and pepper powder to taste


                                                                             courtesy Google

Mushroom Stir Fry

Mushrooms are a storehouse of essential nutrients. They increase the level of Vitamin D in our body. Mushrooms are low-sodium, low -calorie, cholesterol-free, fat-free and gluten free. They are a good source of protein and dietary fibre. Also provides Vitamin C, folate, iron, zinc etc etc. Contains  potassium. List doesn't end.

Always take care to buy organically grown mushrooms.

Preparation: 

• Wash and slice the mushrooms. Wash and slice the bell pepper. 
• Wash and soak the gambooge in half cup of luke warm water. 
• Slice the onions and chop the garlic.
• Heat oil, add the cumin seeds. When it splutters, add garlic and saute for a minute. 
• Add the sliced onions and saute till translucent. 
• Add the red chilly flakes and pepper powder, mix well and stir for a few seconds. 
• Now add the mushrooms, bell pepper and a little salt. Mix well. 
• Remove the water and add the gambooge pieces. Mix well and stir fry till the mushrooms are golden brown. (Do not add water). 
• Add the soya sauce and stir fry for 1 or 2 minutes. Remove from flame.
• Serve hot with Roti or Rice. 

Ingredients: 

Button mushroom - 250 grams (fresh/canned) 

Bell pepper - 1 big 

Onion - 2 medium 

Garlic - 2 tablespoons chopped 

Gambooge (Kudampuli) - 1 or 2 pieces 

Red chilly flakes - 1/2 teaspoon 

Black pepper powder - 1 teaspoon 

Soya sauce - 1 tablespoon 

Salt to taste 

Cumin seeds - 1 Teaspoon 

Oil - 3 tablespoon 

Suresh Palayil Recipe

Garlic Chutney

Garlic contains anti-oxidants that protects us from cell damage and aging. Consumption of garlic reduces cholesterol and blood pressure. All the above said properties reduces the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's. Good for heart health. Garlic also boosts our immune system. Good for bone health. It can detoxify heavy metals in the body. Increases longevity. Reduces fatigue and enhances work capacity. 


Preparation: 

• Soak the red chillies in hot water. Allow it to soak for 15 minutes. 
• After 15 minutes, grind together red chillies, garlic, tamarind and little salt. The mixture will look coarse. Add water little by little, and go on grinding until you get a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl. Adjust the salt.
• Heat oil and pour it on the chutney. Mix well. Do not reduce the quantity of the oil. 
• Serve with idly /dosa. Especially good while travelling.
• Can be refrigerated for a week. 

Ingredients: 

Garlic cloves - 5 nos. 

Dry red chilly - 5 

Tamarind - 1/2 teaspoon 

Salt to taste 

Gingelly / Sesame oil - 1/2 tablespoon 

Sharmi's recipe