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.

KOVAKKAI ROAST

Kovakkai as it is called in Tamil is also known as Coccinia in English. It is tindora, tinda or parval in hindi & dhondakai in Telugu. It is grown in most backyards as a creeper in the fence. It is high in beta-carotene. It is mainly made up of water & is very low in calories. It also contains carbohydrates & folic acid.

Preparation Time: 10 mts Cooking Time: 20 mts Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

Kovakkai - 250 gms

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Chili powder - 3/4 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp

Refined oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

Wash & cut the top & bottom of the kovakkai. Then cut it in to 4 pieces lengthwise. Heat oil in a frying pan & add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the kovakkai, turmeric powder, chili powder, asafoetida & salt. Mix it all well. Reduce the heat & close the pan with a lid. Allow it to cook in its own juices. Cook it in low heat till the kovakkai is cooked. Remove the lid & fry it in low heat till it gets roasted nicely. Kovakkai roast is ready.

Variations:

We can cut the kovakkai in to small round slices & roast it. Adding some onions while frying will give a nice flavour. For those who love masala smell, we can add some garam masala powder also.

Tips:

1. Start off with just 1 tsp. of oil. Add oil gradually as & when needed.
2. Be careful not to over fry the kovakkai. Remove it from the fire when it starts to brown.
   
   
   

Taste it & enjoy.