BREAD UPMA

Bread is used in many ways in different countries. We can toast it, make a sandwich or even have it fresh with butter & jam. Here i have used bread in a typical Indian style dish.

Preparation Time: 10 mts Cooking Time: 10 mts Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Bread - 1 small loaf ( app. 350 gms )

Big onions - 2 nos

Tomato - 1 no

Green chilies - 3 nos

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Broken urud dal - 3/4 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

Cut the bread in to small cubes. Sprinkle some water, mix it & keep it covered for sometime. Chop the onions, tomato & green chilies in to small pieces. Heat oil in a pan & fry the mustard seeds. Add the urud dal & fry for sometime. Add the chopped green chilies & onions. Fry till the onions become pale in colour. Then add the tomato pieces & fry for some time. Add the turmeric powder & enough salt. Then add the soaked bread pieces & mix it all well & fry for sometime. Bread upma is ready.

Variations:

We can skip the tomato in the upma. Instead we can add finely chopped vegetables like beans , carrots, peas & potatoes to the upma.

Tips:

1. Always use non-sweetened bread for the upma. For those who like it a little sweet, you can use sweet bread & make it.
2. While sprinkling the bread with water, make sure that all pieces of bread are completely soaked but don't over soak it.
3. Add the salt to the vegetables & mix it well before adding the bread so that the salt spreads evenly.

Taste it & enjoy.

AVARAKKAI PORIYAL (BROAD BEANS FRY )

Avarakkai is called amarappayaru in Malayalam. It is also known as Broad beans in English. This green vegetable is full of fiber & is highly recommended by doctors as a zero calorie food. There are two varieties of avarakkai - broad & narrow beans. Here i have used the broad variety.

Preparation Time: 10 mts Cooking Time: 10 mts Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Avarakkai - 250 gms

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Red chilies - 2 nos

Refined oil - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

Wash the avarakkai & remove the fiber from both sides. Cut it in to small pieces. Heat oil in a pan & fry the mustard seeds. Add the red chilies & fry for a few seconds. Then add the chopped avarakkai & salt & mix well. Cook it in low fire till the avarakkai becomes soft. If needed sprinkle little water & cook it. Avarakkai poriyal is ready.

Variations:

We can do this poriyal with onions also. Chop & fry the onions & then add the avarakkai & cook it. We can also use coconut scrapping to the poriyal. Add it after the avarakkai is cooked & mix it all well for a few seconds.

Tips:

1. To retain the green colour, add a pinch of soda-bi-carb to the chopped avarakkai.
2. Instead of adding coconut scrapping as it is, run it in the mixer for a few seconds along with the red chilies & add it to the poriyal. This will give it a better taste. Those who like the smell of garlic can add 2 pods of garlic along with the red chilies.
3. Always choose tender avarakkai for the best taste.
   
   
   

Taste it & enjoy.

ULLI THEEYAL

Theeyal is a typical Kerala dish. Ulli in Malayalam means small onions. Just like the Tamilians, Keralites also use a lot of small onions in their cuisine. This gravy dish is a great success in all the restaurants here.

Preparation Time: 20 mts Cooking Time: 20 mts Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

Small onions (pearl onions) - 250 gms

Coconut scrapping - 3/4 cup

Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

Red chilies - 5 nos

Refined oil - 2 tsps

Curry leaves - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Tamarind - 1 small lemon size

Salt - to taste

Method:

Peel & clean the small onions. Squeeze the tamarind in 2 cups of water & keep it ready. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan. Fry the coriander seeds, red chilies, coconut scrapping & curry leaves. Take 3-4 small onions & fry it also along with the other ingredients. The coconut should brown nicely. Grind it all to a nice paste. Heat the balance oil in the pan & fry the mustard seeds. Then add cleaned small onions & fry well till they are transparent. Add the tamarind water & salt. Boil it well till the raw smell goes off. Then add the ground masala & boil it well. Add some curry leaves on top & switch off the heat. Theeyal is ready.

Variations:

Theeyal can be made with vegetables like bitter gourd, potato, yam, mushroom etc. For the non-vegetarians this can be made with prawns too.

Tips:

1. The trick lies in the masala. The coconut has to be fried nicely in to a deep brown colour. That is what gives the taste to the theeyal.
2. We can make the theeyal in coconut oil to give it a nice Kerala taste.

Taste it & enjoy.

PARANGIKKAI PAALKOOTU (RED PUMPKIN KOOTU)

Preparation Time: 10 mts Cooking Time: 20 mts Serves: 2

There are two types of pumpkins in India - green & red. Red pumpkin is grown all over the world & is used in a variety of dishes. Red pumpkin has nutrients like beta-carotene, carbohydrates, potassium & magnesium. In the United States it is used to make pie for Thanksgiving. It is also used as candle holder during Halloween day. This kootu was taught to me by my Mother-in-law.

Ingredients:

Red pumpkin - 250 gms

Green gram dal (paasi paruppu) - 25 gms

Milk - 1/2 cup

Green chilies - 2 nos

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Method:



Slice the red pumpkin in to 2 inch square pieces. Fry the dal slightly in a kadai & boil in the pressure cooker with enough water. Slit the green chilies. Place the cut pumpkin pieces & the chilies in a vessel. Add enough water & salt. Cook it till the pumpkin is tender. Mash it with the back of a spoon or ladle. Mash the dal & add it to the pumpkin & let it boil. Mix the milk in to it. Switch off the heat & add the curry leaves & coconut oil. Parangikkai paalkootu is ready. This kootu will have a mild sweetness to it & can be eaten as it is or as a side dish with sambar rice & chapathis.

Variations:

People staying abroad can do this kootu with the squash available there.

Tips:

1. This kootu will have mild sweetness to it. Those who need more sweetness can add a little sugar to the kootu.


2. Add coconut milk instead of plain milk. This will give the kootu a rich taste.

Taste it & enjoy.

CARROT SOUP

Carrot is a root vegetable grown all over India. It is high in beta-carotene. It is also high in anti-oxidants & fibers. The carrot available in South India is orange in colour but the Delhi carrot is red in colour. These days we get mini or baby carrots which are consumed in their raw form. Carrots can be used in salads, cakes & lot of other dishes. Here is the recipe for carrot soup.




Preparation Time: 10 mts Cooking Time: 20 mts Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Carrots - 250 gms

Big onion - 1 no

Potato - 1 no

Garlic - 2-3 pods

Black pepper - 1 tsp

Fresh cream - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

Cut the carrots, potato & onion in to cubes. In a pressure cooker place all these vegetables with 2 cups of water, salt & pepper. Pressure it for 1 whistle or for 15 mts. When it is cold, drain the water & keep it aside. Put the boiled vegetables in a mixer, add the water slowly & puree it well. Strain it through a sieve. Add some more water if the soup is very thick. Bring it to a boil. Delicious tasting carrot soup is ready. Serve it in a soup bowl with a swirl of fresh cream.

Variations:

We can make this soup without adding garlic. Potato is used here as a thickening agent. So instead of potato, we can use some corn flour paste to thicken the soup.

Tips:

1. Add enough pepper while cooking the carrots so that the soup absorbs all the spice.

Taste it & enjoy.

RAW BANANA PODIMAS (VAZHAKKAI PODIMAS)

Kerala is famous for its Plantain trees & Coconut palms. Each house will have at least a couple of these trees in their backyard. Kerala is famous for its special variety - Nendran Vazhai. But this recipe is made with the other variety ( ponthan kai)which is available in Tamil nadu.

Preparation Time: 10 mts Cooking Time: 20 mts Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Raw banana - 3 nos

Green chilies - 2 nos

Lemon - 1 no

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Black gram dal (ulundu paruppu) - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp

Refined oil - 2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

Cut the bananas in to two. Keep it in a bowl of water & boil till it is soft. Allow it to cool down & grate it using a grater. Chop the chilies in to small pieces. Heat oil in a pan & fry the mustard seeds. Add the black gram dal & asafoetida powder & fry well. Then add the cut green chilies & fry for sometime. Add the grated banana. Sprinkle the salt & stir it well. Squeeze the lemon on top & mix well . Vazhakkai podimas is ready.

Variations:

We can add coconut scrapings to the podimas. If coconut is used, then lemon juice is not needed. We can also fry a sliced onion before adding the grated banana. Again lemon juice can be omitted in this.

Tips:

1. The bananas should be cooked to the right consistency. The moment it starts to get soft, remove it from the heat & allow it to cool. This way, the gratings will come out nicely. If it gets overcooked, then the banana will become mushy while grating.
2. Add the salt while boiling the bananas. This way the salt will spread evenly.
3. We can also add the salt to the grated banana, mix it well & prepare the dish.
   
   

Taste it & enjoy.

PUDALANGAI KOOTU (SNAKE GOURD KOOTU)

Pudalangai is a versatile vegetable which can be cooked in many ways.

Preparation Time: 10 mts Cooking Time: 30 mts Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Pudalangai - 250 gms

Bengal gram dal (kadalai paruppu) - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Black gram dal (ulundu paruppu) - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 tsp

Refined oil - 1 tbsp

To grind:

Coconut scrapings - 1/2 cup

Green chilies - 3 nos

Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Grind the coconut & other ingredients to a smooth paste. Soak the kadalai paruppu in a little water. Cut the pudalangai in to small pieces. Put the chopped pudalangai & the soaked dal in a pan. Add enough water, turmeric powder & salt. Cook it on low heat till it gets cooked. Add the ground paste & mix well. Let it simmer for sometime till the raw smell goes off. Heat oil in a pan & fry the mustard seeds. Add the urud dal & fry till it becomes brown in colour & add the asafoetida powder & curry leaves. Pour it on top of the pudalangai & mix it well. Pudalangai kootu is ready. This kootu will be good with sambar & rasam as a side dish.

Variations:

This kootu can be made with pumpkin, chow-chow, cabbage, broad beans, string beans etc. We can use red chilies instead of green chilies.

Tips:

1. While boiling the pudalangai, add just enough water to soak the vegetable. This kootu is thick in consistency because it is a side dish.
2. Heap the kadalai paruppu in the center & cover it with the pudalangai & boil it.
3. If the kootu becomes watery, add a little rice flour to thicken it.

Taste it & enjoy.

SNAKE GOURD FRY (PUDALANGAI PORIAL)

Snake gourd is a tropical creeper which is grown all over India. There are two varieties of snake gourd - long & short ones. It is full of fiber & water content is also high. It also has iron, calcium & carotene. Snake gourd is called as Pudalangai in Tamil & Pudavalangai in Malayalam.

Preparation Time: 10 mts Cooking Time: 10 mts Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Pudalangai - 250 gms

Green gram dal (pasi paruppu ) - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Red chilies - 2 nos

Refined oil - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

Soak the pasi paruppu in little water. Cut the pudalangai in to half lengthwise & cut in to thin slices. Heat the oil in a frying pan & add the mustard seeds. When it is fried, add the red chilies & fry for sometime. Add the chopped pudalangai. Drain the water from the dal & add it to the pudalagai. Sprinkle enough salt, close the pan & cook it on low fire till the pudalangai is cooked. Mix it all together & pudalangai porial is ready.

Variations:

Instead of pasi paruppu, we can add coconut scrapings & make it. Pudalangai can be made plain without either pasi paruppu or coconut. We can also make it with just salt & pepper powder. For this we have to fry the mustard in ghee instead of oil.

Tips:

1. Don't add water to boil it, because pudalangai will give out water when salt is added to it.
2. Make a well in the centre & add the pasi paruppu & cover it with the pudalangai. This way the dal will get cooked fast.

Taste it & enjoy.

PAV BHAJI

Pav bhaji is a North Indian dish, which has lot of fans in South India. It is a very easy & tasty dish to make.

Preparation Time: 10 mts Cooking Time: 30 mts Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Pav bun - 2 nos

Potato - 250 gms

Big onions - 1 no

Tomato - 1 no

Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Dhania powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1/4 tsp

Pav bhaji masala - 1/2 tsp

Refined oil - 2 tsp

Ghee - 2 tsp

Coriander leaves - 2 tsps

Salt - to taste



Method:

Boil the potatoes, mash it & keep it aside. Slice the onions & chop the tomatoes in to small pieces. Heat oil in a pan & fry the jeera. Add the sliced onions & saute till it is brown in colour. Add the tomato & fry well. When the tomatoes are mashed well, add the ginger garlic paste & fry till the raw smell goes off. Then add the turmeric, chili, coriander & cumin powders & saute well. Then add the mashed potatoes & mix it all well. Add enough water & bring it to a boil. Then add the pav bhaji masala & let it simmer for a few minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves & masala is ready.

To serve:

Heat a tawa. Slice the pav bun in to half & open it up. Put a little ghee in to that & roast it in the tawa. Turn it on the other side & repeat the same step. Let both the sides become a little brown. In a plate, keep the pav bun, little masala, little chopped onions & a small piece of lemon & serve it with a spoon.

Variations:

We can add grated carrots &boiled peas to the potato masala.

Taste it & enjoy.

SEMIA BAHALBATH (VERMICILLI IN CURD)

Bahalabath generally means curd rice. People normally make curd rice or curd sevai. Here i have made curd semia. It has a special taste & texture. I am sure you will all enjoy it.

Preparation Time: 10 mts Cooking Time: 20 mts Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Semia ( vermicelli ) - 100 gms

Milk - 1 cup

Curd - 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves - 1 tsp (chopped)

Green chilies - 1 no

Refined oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

Boil plenty of water in a pan. When it boils, add the semia & let it boil till it is soft. Remove it from fire & drain in a sieve. Wash it under running water & allow to drain. Let it cool for sometime. Then add salt, milk & curd & mix it all together. Heat oil in a pan & fry the mustard seeds & finely chopped green chilies. Pour it on top if the semia & mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Semia bahalabath is ready to eat.

Variations:

The only variation i can think of is substituting semia with rice or rice vermicelli (sevai).

Tips:

1. While boiling the semia, use plenty of water. Add a little oil in the water. This will make the semia non-sticky.
2. While making bahalabath always use more milk. It will be better if the milk & curd proportion is 3:1.
3. Always make sure that the semia cools down well before adding the milk. Otherwise it will absorb a lot of milk.
4. We can also add fruits like green grapes (seedless), raisins etc. We can fry some cashew nuts to add richness to the taste. We can also add some finely chopped cucumber & carrots to the bahalabath.

Taste it & enjoy.

DOSA MILAGAI PODI ( CHUTNEY POWDER )

South India is famous for its breakfast items like idli, dosa etc. These breakfasts are not complete without the milagai podi. This podi comes in handy when we have sudden guests. It is also ideal to carry with us while travelling. Each of the Southern states has its own version of milagai podi. My recipe is from Tamil Nadu.

Preparation Time: 10 mts Cooking Time: 20 mts

Ingredients:

Broken urud dal (black gram dal) - 1 cup

Channa dal (kadalai paruppu/ bengal gram dal) - 1 cup

Dried red chilies - 1 1/2 cups

Refined oil - 1 tsp

Asafoetida powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

Heat a pan & dry fry the urud dal & channa dal separately, till they are brown in colour. Pour the oil & fry the asafoetida powder. Add the red chilies & fry till it turns brown. Allow it all to cool down. Then powder it all together in a mixer adding enough salt. Milagai podi is ready. We can have it with dosai, idli, adai etc. Store it in an air tight container & use it when needed. This podi can be stored for a long time.

Variations:

We can fry a little raw rice & powder it along with the dals. We can also add some Til (ellu) to the powder. Wash & fry the til till the water evaporates. Add it finally to the ground dals & powder it. For the above mentioned ingredients we can add 1 tbsp of til.

Tips:

1. While powdering the dals, powder the red chilies first. Then add the channa dal & when it is half ground, add the urud dal & grind.
2. Before adding the salt, dry fry it in the pan so that the moisture evaporates & then add it to the powder. This will help to keep the podi crisp.

Taste it & enjoy.

POMEGRANATE RAITHA

Pomegranate is a fruit with a thick skin on the exterior & small individual pods with seeds in them. Pomegranate originated from Iran and came to India through the Persian travelers. It is used widely in Ayurvedic medicine. The juice & the outer shell of the fruit are used to treat diarrhoea. It is also high in anti oxidants. Pomegranate is known as Madhulampazham in Tamil & Anar in Hindi.

Preparation Time: 10 mts Cooking Time: nil Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

Pomegranate seeds - 3/4 cup

Thick curd - 1 cup

Rock salt (kala namak ) - 1 tsp

Jeera powder (cumin seed) - 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves - 1 tsp

Method:

Cut open & remove the seeds from the pomegranate fruit. Put it in a bowl, add the rock salt & jeera powder. Beat the curd & add it to the seeds. Mix it all together. Add more rock salt if needed. Garnish with coriander leaves. Pomegranate raitha is ready. A very simple but delicious raitha.

Variations:

Pomegranate raitha can be made using just salt & green chilies. It can then be seasoned with mustard seeds & jeera.

Tips:

1. To remove the seeds in a easy way, cut the pomegranate horizontally. Then place it upside down in a dish & tap the outer shell. The seeds will come out easily.


2. We can also add a little coriander powder or chat masala to the raitha.

Taste it & enjoy.

ASHTAMUDI LAKE

This week we took time off to go on a holiday. This time we chose to go to a lake resort near Kollam known as Ashtamudi Lake. Ashtamudi in Malayalam means 8 branches. This is a huge lake with eight branches or channels spreading over a vast expanse. This water body connects to all other backwaters in & around that place. Kollam is the most important city on its banks. We stayed in Mahindra Resorts which is right on the banks of the lake. It is in a beautiful setting & we had a wonderful time there. Monsoon also added to the beauty of the place. We opted to stay in the floating cottage there. Floating cottages are made using hollow concrete slabs as their base. Since the cottage is literally on the lake, the whole experience was wonderful. The banks are adorned with Chinese fishing nets which have over the years become the symbol of Kerala. The shore is dotted with coconut palms all around. The lake serves as the main waterway for the fishermen living in its proximity. So we can see them rowing around in their small canoe, doing their daily chores. It was raining most of the time & the whole atmosphere was very romantic. I would highly recommend this place for those who want to visit Kerala.

BITTER GOURD PICKLE (PAVAKKAI PICKLE )

Bitter gourd belongs to the melon family. It is a creeper & grows in warm climate. Bitter gourd is grown in India, Africa & most parts of Asia. It is known as Pavakkai in Tamil, Kaipakkai in Malayalam & Karela in Hindi. Bitter gourd has very low calories but is rich in folic acid, magnesium, zinc & vitamins. Its juice is very good for diabetic people because of its low glycemic properties.

Preparation Time: 20 mts Cooking Time: 5 mts Serves: 3 -4

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd (pavakkai) - 250 gms

Green chilies - 3 nos

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Refined oil - 2 tsp

White vinegar - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

Cut the pavakkai in to halves. Remove the seeds & chop it in to thin slices. Sprinkle some salt in to this & mix it well. Keep it in a plate & tilt the plate so that the water comes out of the pavakkai. This will take 10 mts. Then boil it in water with enough salt. When it is boiled, drain the water. Add the vinegar to the boiled pavakkai. Chop the green chilies in to small pieces. Heat oil in a pan & fry the mustard seeds & chopped chilies. Pour it on top of the pavakkai & mix it all together. Keep it like this for a day. The pavakkai pickle will be ready the next day. We can keep it in the refrigerator & use it for 4 - 5 days.

Variations:

We can make pickle in the same way using other vegetables like cauliflower, carrot & cabbage.

Tips:

Always make sure to squeeze the water from the pavakkai. This will help to remove the bitter taste from the pavakkai.

Keep it in room temperature for a day & then store it in the refrigerator. It will stay for at least a week.

Taste it & enjoy.

KOTHUKADALAI PULAO (CHICKPEAS PULAO )

Black chickpeas or kothukadalai as it is known in Tamil, is a widely available pulse which is full of proteins. It is used in various different ways in South Indian cooking. This recipe was taught to me by my aunt who is an expert cook. Even though it is slightly time consuming, the taste is 'yummy'.

Preparation Time: 20 mts Cooking Time: 20 mts Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

Kothukadalai (black chickpeas ) - 1 cup

Raw rice / basmathi rice - 1 cup

Big onions - 3 nos

Biryani leaf (tej patha/ biriyani elai ) - 1

Cloves - 2 nos

Cinnamon - 1 inch piece

Black cardamom - 1 no

Refined oil - 2 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

To grind into a paste:

Big onions - 2 nos

Garlic pods - 2 nos

Mint leaves (pudhina ) - 1 cup

Coriander leaves - 1 cup

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chili powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Method:

Soak the kothukadali for 10 hrs. Pressure cook in a cooker with enough salt & keep it aside. Grind all the ingredients for masala in to a fine paste. Wash the rice, drain the water & keep it ready. Chop the onions in to fine pieces. Heat oil & ghee in a pan & fry the biriyani leaf, cloves, cinnamon & cardamom. Add the chopped onions & fry well. Then add the ground masala & fry well till the raw smell goes off. Add the rice & fry till all the water from the rice evaporates & it leaves the sides of the pan. Then add the boiled kothukadalai, salt & enough water. Cook it in a pressure cooker or a rice cooker. Kothukadalai pulao is ready. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves. This pulao will taste good with onion raitha.

Variations:

We can make this pulao with kabuli channa instead of black chick peas. We can skip the coconut while grinding the ingredients for the masala.

Tips:

1. We can make the kothukadalai masala separate & cook the rice separate & mix them all together. This will ensure that the pulao doesn't lump up.
2. Instead of grinding the coconut, we can use equal quantities of water & coconut milk. This will give a rich taste to the rice.

Taste it & enjoy.