No Cook Sweet and Chewy Snack

Method:

In a bowl mix together rice flakes and grated coconut. Mix well using your fingers. Keep aside for ten minutes.
Add jaggery syrup ( or grated jaggery ), honey and sesame seeds to the rice flake mixture, mix well using a spoon.
If you like the taste of roasted chickpeas, add it. It increases the protein content.
Serve as a snack.

Ingredients:

Rice Flakes / Poha - 1/2 cup
Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
Jaggery / Molasses syrup - 1 1/2 tablespoon OR grated Jaggery - 1/4 cup
Honey - 1/2 tablespoon
Sesame seeds - 1 teaspoon
Roasted split chickpea - 1 tablespoon ( optional )

Cowpea Thoran

The cowpea is also known as the Lobia or blackeyed pea. It is a good source of protien and some minerals. It is widely used in south-indian cuisine. The tender leaves are also edible and can be cooked in a similar way. The cowpea is used to make a variety of dishes and they are tasty too.It cooks well in very little water.

Method:

• Wash the cowpea thoroughly. Chop finely. 
• In a mixer jar pulse ( use the Whip Button ) the green chillies. Add the grated coconut, cumin seeds and garlic cloves. Pulse once more. Do Not grind into a paste. Keep aside.
• Boil 1/2 cup water in a pan, add the chopped cowpeas, cover and cook for 3 - 4 minutes. Remove the lid, add salt, allow the water to dry off on medium flame. When it is almost dry, reduce flame to simmer and add the coconut mixture, mix well. Adjust salt. In another pan heat oil, add the chopped shallots, mustard seeds and red chillies which are broken into 2 or 3 pieces. When the mustard seeds start spluttering, add curry leaves and the cowpea mix into the pan, mix and remove from flame.

Serve with rice.

Ingredients:

Cowpea - 300 grams
Coconut grated - 1/2 cup
Greenchilly - 2
Cumin seeds - 2 pinch
Garlic - 2 cloves
Salt

For seasoning:

Shallots  - 2 thinly sliced
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Whole red chilly - 2
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 2 - 3 teaspoons 




Note: If you are going to use this dish immediately, you may avoid the seasoning.

Beetroot Chutney

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.

This is a sweet chutney. The taste of which enhances with time. 

Method:

Peel and chop the Beetroot and onion.
Grind all the ingredients into a coarse paste. Add little water if needed.
Heat a pan, add oil, mustard seeds, and broken red chillies. When the mustard starts spluttering add curry leaves. Add the ground mixture and cook for a few minutes while stirring.
This chutney is best when used after 2 -3 hrs.
Serve with rice. 

Ingredients: 

Beetroot - 1 medium sized
Onion - 1 small or a few shallots
Ginger - 1" piece
Garlic - 1 - 2 cloves
Green chilly - 2
Dry Red chilly - 2
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Tamarind Pulp - 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste

For Seasoning:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Dry red chilly - 2
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 2 teaspoon 

Puttu and Kadala curry / Steamed cake and Chickpea Curry

Puttu and kadala curry  are a popular breakfast dish in Kerala. A very healthy and wholesome combination. Puttu can be made with rice flour /wheat flour/ tapioca flour/  a mix of rice and ragi flour etc.

Chickpeas also known as Garbanzo beans or bengal gram must be a part of our daily diet. It is so nutritious that one cannot avoid it. It should be a part of the diet of  diabetics and people with high blood pressure. It contains lots of potassium and many other essential minerals which is good for bone health and the heart. Selenium a mineral present in chickpeas prevent tumor growth. 

Method:

Soak the chickpeas overnight.
Peel and chop the shallots coarsely. Pressure cook the soaked chickpea and shallots in 1 cup of water. Keep aside to cool.
Grind together coconut and all the other ingredients together.
Heat a pan. Add the oil, when it starts to boil add the chopped shallots, mustard seeds, dry red chilli pieces and curry leaves. When a good aroma arises, add the ground coconut mix and saute for a minute. Add the cooked chickpeas along with the water. Bring to a boil. Add salt to taste.

NOTE:If you are using coconut cream, add it towards the end. That is, after the whole thing coming to a boil, add the coconut cream, stir well and remove from the stove. No need to boil.

Serve hot with Puttu.

Ingredients:

Chick pea / Kadala ( black ) - 1cup
Coconut grated - 1/2 cup or 1/3 cup coconut cream
Shallots - 10
Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon
Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander Powder - 1 teaspoon
Black pepper - 4
Cardamom - 1
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Cloves - 2
Fennel - 1/2 teaspoon
nut meg - a very small piece
Caraway seeds - 1 pinch ( optional )
Star Aniseed - 1 segment
Salt to taste

For seasoning:

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
shallots ( chopped ) - 2 - 3
Dry red chillies - 2 ( each broken into 2 or 3 pieces )
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 1 tablespoon


Method:

Take 2 cups of flour in a mixing bowl. Add salt and mix well. Sprinkle water on the flour little by little and make a granular mixture. Be careful not to add too much water.

Heat 1cup water in a small pressure cooker. Close the lid. Don't put the weight.OR you can use a Puttu -Maker for the purpose.

Take the Puttu mold, usually bamboo-shaped, place the small steel plate with holes inside it. This will allow the steam to enter the mold without blocking the main inlet. Now add 2 - 3 tablespoon of coconut into the mold and see that it is evenly spread out. Over this fill the flour granules up to half of the mold, again add 2 - 3 tablespoon grated coconut, then again fill the mold to the top with the flour granules. Close with the lid .

 Place this on the steaming pressure cooker and steam cook for 5 - 7 minutes OR wait 2 minutes after you see steam coming out through the lid of the puttu mold. De-mold into a plate.

Repeat the process of filling the mould and steaming the puttu until the whole flour granules are used up.
Serve hot with kadala curry.

Ingredients for Puttu:

Whole wheat flour / Rice flour - 2 cups
Grated coconut - 1 cup
salt to taste
Water

Baked Beans

Preparation:

Soak the Kidney beans overnight. Pressure cook the kidney beans along with the peppercorns in 2 cups of water.
Slice the onions thinly. If you are adding green chillies, slit each chilly and keep aside.

Heat oil in a large pan and and saute the onions till they are transparent. No need to brown.  Add tomato puree and cook on high heat, until oil separates. Stir continuously.  Add the cooked Kidney beans along with the water. Cook on high heat till the sauce thickens. Add the ketchup and vinegar, bring to a boil and remove from stove.

If you are adding green chillies add now.

Ingredients:                                                                                                                 

• Kidney beans - 1 cup                                                                                                                       
• Peppercorns - 10 - 12
• Onion - 1 large
• Tomato puree - 1/2 cup
• Tomato ketchup - 1 tablespoon
• Vinegar - 1 tablespoon
• Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Salt
• Green chilly - 4 (optional)
• Water - 2 cups

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Kothu Paratta

Kothu Paratta /Kothu Parotta is a South Indian street food.

Preparation:
Chop the carrots, capsicum, onions, tomato and ginger into thin, long pieces.
Chop the green chillies finely.
Cook the frozen paratta on a tawa. Flip and cook both sides. When cool tear the parattas into small pieces.

Heat a large pan. Pour oil. Add the mustard seeds. When it starts spluttering, add the onion and curry leaves. Saute until the onions become transparent.
Add ginger and green chillies and stir.
Add the carrot, capsicum, tomato and the whole garlic. Stir and cook until soft.

Add the red chilly powder, garam masala, chaat masala and salt. Mix well.
Add the paratta pieces and stir well for a minute.
Add the coriander leaves, keep aside a table spoon for garnishing.

Break the eggs into the pan directly and stir continuously until the eggs are incorporated thoroughly.
Add the pepper powder and stir well till the wetness disappears. Remove from fire.

Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves/cilantro.

You can eat as it is or you can serve raita along with the Kothu Paratta.

Ingredients:                                                                                Serves 2
Frozen paratta : 3
Carrot- 2 small chopped
Capsicum - 1 small chopped
Onion -1 small chopped
Green chilly - 1 finely chopped
Garlic - 4 - 5 nos.
Ginger - 1 teaspoon grated
Tomato - 1 chopped
Eggs - 2
Red chilly Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Chat masala - 1/4 teaspoon
Black pepper powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coriander leaves - a handful
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon

Parippu Vada

Parippu vada / Masala vada is an easy to make tea-time snack, made with split chickpeas. A very tasty, savoury snack.

Chickpeas also known as Garbanzo beans or bengal gram must be a part of our daily diet. It is so nutritious that one cannot avoid it. It should be a part of the diet of  diabetics and people with high blood pressure. It contains lots of potassium and many other essential minerals which is good for bone health and the heart. Selenium a mineral present in chickpeas prevent tumor growth.

Preparation: 

1. Soak the split chickpea and tuvar dal in water for half an hour.
2. Slice the shallots and cut green chilly into 4 or 5 pieces.
3. Drain the chickpeas and grind it coarsely. It is nice to see some whole split chickpea here and there. So on the safer side you can keep aside a tablespoon of chickpea, before grinding.

4. Mix the chickpea mix with shallots, green chilly, red chilly powder, whole black pepper, fennel seeds, curry leaves, coriander leaves and salt.
5. Divide the mixture into 6 parts. Roll each into a ball. Flatten each ball in the centre of your palms.

6. Heat oil in a pan. Deep fry the vadas on medium flame. Flip so that both the sides are evenly cooked.

Serve hot with hot tea.

Ingredients:               
                                                                                                        Makes 6
Channa Dal / Split Chickpea - 1/2 cup
Yellow lentil / Tuvar Dal - 1 tablespoon
Green Chilly - 1 - 2 nos.
Shallots - 4 - 5
Whole black pepper - 9 - 10
Fennel - 1/4 teaspoon
Red Chilly powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - a few
Coriander leaves - a handful
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying