Jeera Rice

Ingredients

Rice (small kolam or basmati) - 3 cups
Jeera (cumin seed) - 1 tablespoon
Cardamom - 2-3
Cloves - 2-3
Cinnamon - 2-3 small sticks
Saffron - 1 small pinch
Boiled water - 4 1/2 cups
Ghee - 1 1/2 tablespoon
Salt for taste

Method

Clean, wash and drain the rice. Heat Ghee in a thick bottomed pressure cooker and put jeera and splutter add all other masalas and add the drained rice and fry well. After 2-3 minutes slow the flame and pour the boiled water and salt. Mix well and pressure cook till 2 whistles. Put off the flame and keep till all the pressure reduce. Serve hot along with Tharavu mappas or chicken curry.

Tharavu (Duck) Mappas

Ingredients to marinate

Duck pieces - 1Kg
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1/2 teaspoon
Ginger Garlic paste 1/2 teaspoon
Coconut oil - 1 teaspoon
Salt for taste

Other ingredients

Onion Sliced - 3 Medium size
Green chillies slit - 3
Tomatoes cut - 2 medium size
Curry leaves - 2 strands
Fresh Coconut scraped - 3 cups
*Coriander, saunf paste - 3 tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1/2 teaspoon
Coconut oil - 2 tablespoon
Salt for taste

Method

Clean the duck and apply ginger garlic paste, pepper powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and marinate for 1/2 an hour. In a pressure cooker cook the marinated duck till 5-6 whistle. Remove the pieces and keep the stock for use.

Extract fresh (first) milk and second milk from the coconut scrapping and keep separately.

Heat an earthen pot (chatti) and pour coconut oil. Splutter mustard seeds. Add grated garlic and ginger and fry for a minute. Add sliced onions and fry. Add green chillies and curry leaves. When onions become light brown add tomatoes and fry. Fry till the tomatoes become soft. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander paste and garam masala and fry. Add the cooked duck and stock. Close lid and cook for 5-6 minutes. Now add second extract coconut milk and cook. Finally add the first extract coconut milk and keep on slow flame. Put little fresh coconut oil and serve hot with steamed rice, jeera rice or chappatti

* to make coriander saunf paste, wash and soak whole coriander and saunf in luke warm wate for around 2 hours and grind in grinder.

Konchu Muringaka Theeyal

Ingredients

Konchu (prawns) - 250 gms (cleaned)
Drumstick split and cut - 2 Nos
Shallots (Kochulli) whole - 15-20
Green chilli slit - 2-3
Ginger cut small - 1 teaspoon
Garlic cloves whole - 5-6
Tomatoes thinly sliced - 1
Tomatoes cut lengthwise -1
Curry leaves - 2
Coconut oil - 2 1/2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Coconut paste (fried golden colour and ground) - 4 tablespoon
Chilli powder - 1 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tablespoon
Meenpuli (Cocum) - 3-4 pieces (Washed and socked in water)

Method

Heat an earthen pot (chatti), pour 1 1/2 table spoon coconut oil. Splutter mustard seeds and add fenugreek seeds. When the fenugreek seeds become little brown colour add ginger and garlic and fry. Now add shallots, green chillies and saute. Add turmeric, chilli powder and coriander powder and fry. Add thinly sliced tomatoes and cook. When it become soft, add the prawns, drumstick and cook. Now add the coconut paste. Add meen puli and cook till the gravy thickens. Finally add the tomatoes cut long, curry leaves and 1 tabelspoon fresh coconut oil and serve hot with steamed rice.

Easy Tomato Curry

Ingredients

Ripe Tomatoes (thinly sliced)- 1/2 Kg
Onion (Thinly sliced) - 1/4 Kg
Green Chillies (Tender) - 3 Nos
Red chilly powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Mustards Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 2 stalks
Coconut Oil - 2 tablespoon
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Salt for taste

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds. Put onion, curry leaves and green chiliies and saute till the onions become transparent. Add salt and red chilly powder. Now add tomatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes. Cover and cook on medium flame for 5 minutes. Remove lid and add water and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame for 8 - 10 minutes or till the gravy becomes thick. Serve hot with chapattis.

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

Spinach - 2 bunch
Tomato - 3
Paneer -200gms
Onion (grated) - 2
Garlic (grated) - 2 tbsp
Ginger (grated) - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Water - 2/3 cups
Ghee - 2tbs
Butter - 10 gms
Salt - to taste

Method:

Wash and boil spinach. Grind spinach when it is cool. Cut paneer in to pieces and fry little in ghee and keep aside. Heat the ghee in a pan, saute onion till it becomes brown, add ginger, garlic and fry. Add chilli powder, tomatoes, turmeric, salt and cook for a few minutes. Add spinach, water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Now add paneer paneer and garam masala. Simmer for a few more minutes till it is done. Add butter before serving. Serve hot with chappatti.

Simple Potato Curry

Ingredients

Potatoes - 4 medium
Onions - 2 medium
Tomatoes - 2 medium
Green chilly- 2 cut
Garlics cut small - 2 big
Curry leaves
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tspn
Red chillies broken - 2
Milk -1/2 cup
Salt for taste
Oil - 1 tbspn

Methods

Peel and cut potatoes and wash well. Onions peel and cut. Tomatoes cut small. In a pressure cooker mix potatoes, onions, tomatoes, green chillies, turmeric powder and salt. Pressure cook till 3 whistles. Remove from fire and let is cool. Open the cooker and mash lightly the vegetables. Now add the milk and bring to boil. In a pan heat oil add cumin seeds, broken chillies and curry leave and fry. Add to potato curry and mix well. Serve with chappatti.

Ladies finger fry

Ingredients

Ladies finger - 1/2 Kg
Garlics - 4-5 big cloves
Green chilly - 3
Tomatoes cut small - 2 medium
Coriander leaves cut - 1 bunch
Refined oil - for frying
Cocum -3-4 piece
Salt for taste

Method

Wash and wipe ladies finger with towel. Slice all ladies fingers. Crush garlics, green chillies, and coriander leaves and keep aside. Heat 1 1/2 tbspn oil in a nonstick pan and fry the vegetable along with cocum. When the ladies finger will become dry and not sticky remove from fire and transfer to a vessel. Remove the cocum piece. In the same pan heat 1 1/2 tablespoon oil and fry the crushed garlics chilly mix till the aroma comes. Add tomatoes, salt and fry. Add the ladies finger and fry for 2-3 minutes. Serve with chappaties.

Pulisseri/Kachimoru

Ingredients

Curd - 1/2 Kg
Shallots - 2 tbspn. cut small
Garlics - 1 tbspn. cut small
Ginger - 1 tbspn. cut small
Red chilly - 2 broken
Curry leaves - 2 stalk
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tspn
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tspn
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tspn
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
Fenugreek powder - 1/4 tspn (previously roasted and ground)
Coconut oil - 1 tbspn
Salt for taste.

Method

Make thick buttermilk of the curd by adding 2 1/2 cups water. Add salt and keep aside. In a pan heat coconut oil, put mustard seeds, cumin seeds and broken red chilly and splutter. Add the cut ginger, garlic and shallots and fry on slow fire till it become golden colour and crispy. Add curry leaves. Put off the fire and immediately add the chilly powder, turmeric powder and fenugreek powder and mix well. Put the fried ingredients to the buttermilk and mix well. Heat the buttermilk mixture on low flame stirring continuously till it become hot but not boiling. Remove from fire and stir for few more minutes. Serve with steamed rice. This kachimoru will remain fresh for 2-3 days.

Cauliflower Fry

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 250 gms
Onions grated - ³/₄ cup
Tomatoes grated - ³/₄ cup
Olive oil - 5 tbspn
Slit green chillies - 3
salt for taste
Fried cumin seed powder - ¹/₂ tspn
Maida - 3 tbspn
Turmeric powder - ¹/₂ tspn
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tbspn
Coriander leaves

Method:

Cut cauliflower medium size and wash in luke warm water. Boil water with turmeric and salt. Put the flowerlets. Drain it well. Spread the flour on a paper, put the flowerlets on it and shake till all the pieces are coated. In a nonstick pan heat oil and fry the flowerlets and remove them. Pour the remaining oil. Fry the the onions,ginger garlic paste, then add the green chillies and fry. Now add the tomatoes and the fried cauliflower and salt and stir well. When the flowerlets are coated, sprinkle the cummin seed powder, mix it and remove from fire. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Theeyal

Ingredients

1 cup shallots peeled and cut
2-3 green chillies slit
1 stalk curry leaves
2 whole red chillies
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
2 tbsp. tamarind pulp thick
salt to taste
2 tbsp. coconut oil

For grinding:
1 cup coconut grated
3 whole red chillies
2 tbsp. coriander seeds
7-8 peppercorns
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. oil

Method

Heat little oil in a pan. Add coconut and roast till light brown. Add red chillies and coriander,peppercorns and fry. Add turmeric. Stir and cool. Powder fine. Keep aside.

Heat oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, and 2 red chillies broken. Allow to splutter, add green chillies and onions. Saute for 5 minutes. Add browned spices and stir-cook. Add 1 1/2 cups water, tamarind pulp, salt and bring to boil.

Serve hot with plain hot steamed rice.

Aviyal

Ingredients:

2 raw banana, peeled and cut long size
1/2 cup yam peeled and cut long size
1 brinjal cut long size
6" piece snake gourd peeled and cut long size
2 drumsticks peeled and cut in 3" pieces
1 cucumber cut long size
5-6 string beans, strung and chopped to 1" pieces
1 large onion peeled and sliced thick
2 medium potatoes cut long size
1 1/2 cup coconut
2 stalks curry leaves
3 green chillies slit lengthwise
2 green tomatoes cut lengthwise
3 medium red tomatoes cut lengthwise
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
3/4 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1teaspoon cumin seeds
2-3 shallots salt to taste
3 tbsp. coconut oil

Method:

Put chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder in a large thick bottomed deep vessel along with 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, salt and bring to boil. Add yam, banana, drumsticks, snakegaurd, string beans. Mix well. Cover and cook on a medium flame for 5-7 minutes. Add cucumber, brinjal, onion, slit chillies and tomatoes and cook till the vegetables are tender. Grind coconut along with cumin seeds and shallots. Add the coconut paste to the cooked vegetable and simmer for 2 minutes and add remaining coconut oil and curry leaves. Serve hot with hot rice.

Easy Cabbage Thoran

Ingredients:

1 medium cabbage cut into thin strips
2 onions finely sliced
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 cup fresh coconut grated
2-3 green chillies cut long
1 small piece ginger grated
2 tbsp. coconut oil
3-4 curry leaves
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a small pan, mustard seeds.Allow to splutter, add chillies, curry leaves. grated ginger and onions.When onions are transparent, put coconut and turmeric powder and fry for a while. Now add cabbage, salt and sprinkle little water. cover the pan and cook on slow fire. when cooked spread thoran in the pan and stirring gently, till all water is evaporated. Serve hot with rice, chappati, etc.

Erussery

Ingredients:-

Fresh raw Plantains(Vazhakkaya) remove the skin cut into medium pieces - 1 cup
Yam/Suran(Chena) cut into medium pieces - 1 cup
Moong dal -1/2 cup
Grated coconut -1 and 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Black Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds(Jeerakam) - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
shallots sliced - 2 tablespoon
Red chillies whole - 2
Curry leaves - a sprig
Salt - to taste
Coconut Oil - 3 tablespoon

Method:-

Mix together plantain pieces, yam pieces, cleaned and washed moong dal, chilly powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, 1 table spoon coconut oil and salt and cook them in a pan or a pressure cooker adding just enough water. When they are cooked well, mash it lightly with the back of a spoon and keep aside.

Now grind together 1 cup coconut, and cumin seeds into a coarse paste and add this paste into the vegetables. Add 1 cup water and boil it until it reaches a thick consistency.Turn off the heat and let the erissery rest for a while.

Now heat oil in another pan and pop mustard seeds. Add whole red chillies, shallots, curry leaves and the rest of the grated coconut into it and fry until coconut reaches a golden brown color and the aroma comes. Pour the seasoning over the erissery. Mix well and serve hot with rice alongwith fried papads.