Muringakka Thakkali Curry / Drumstick & Tomatoes in Ground Coconut Sauce

I was thinking of making traditional "Muringakkai Manga curry" when I saw both drumstick and green mangoes sitting in the fridge. I clean & cut the drumsticks , next I get onto the green mangoes..but they had gone bad!! Now what do I do? I thought..green mango gives tanginess to the curry, so why not add tomato instead? So I went ahead, added drumstick, tomato, chillies and also a small potato along with the traditional arachukalakki (ground coconut mixture)..alas..it turned out to be a yummy chaarucurry.



Ingredients

Drumsticks - 2
Tomato - 1 big
Green chilly - 2
Potato - 1 small (optional)
Salt - as per taste

To be ground to paste
Coconut - 3/4 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Green chilly - 1 or Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp (as per your spice levels)
Garlic - 1 clove

For Tempering
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Small onions - 2
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Dried chilly - 1



Method
1. Wash, clean and cut the drumsticks to 2 inch pieces.
2. In a manchatti or kadai, add the drumsticks, roughly chopped tomatoes & potato. Add enough water and boil the same.
3. Meanwhile, in the small jar of mixer, add all ingredients mentioned under "To be ground to paste" and grind to a smooth paste. If needed, add some water.
4. Once the veggies are cooked, add the coconut mixture to the manchatti and mix well. The consistency should not be too thick or too thin. Adjust salt. Cook till the mixture starts to boil (it should not be allowed to boil too much). Switch off the stove and keep covered.
5. In a small pan, add coconut oil. Splutter the mustard seeds, add the thinly sliced small onions, curry leaves and dried chilly. Saute till the onions turn brown and crisp. Add them immediately to the gravy and keep it closed for sometime for the flavors to set in.

Vazhuthananga Theeyal / Brinjals in Roasted Coconut Gravy

One of the few forms in which my hubby can eat brinjal...

Ingredients

Brinjal / Eggplant / Vazhuthananga - 4

Small onions, sliced - 1/2 cup

Tamarind extract - extract from tamarind the size of a lemon

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Salt - as needed

For Roasting and Grinding

Small onion, sliced - 1/2 cup

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Fengreek powder - a pinch

Peppercorns - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

For Tempering

Coconut oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 3-4

Dried Red Chilly - 2

Method

Roasting and Grinding

1. Heat a non-stick pan, add  tbsp of coconut oil. When its hot enough, add the half cup sliced onions. When they are transparent, add the grated coconut. You need to keep stirring from this point. Stir till the coconut exudes a nice aroma of roasted coconut (light brown shade). Add the turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder, fenugreek powder, peppercorns and saute for a minute. Switch off the flame, and let it cool. Then grind it to a paste adding very little water.

Sauting the eggplant

2. In the same pan or chatti, add another tbsp of coconut oil. When hot enough, add half cup sliced small onions. After a minute, add the sliced brinjals/eggplant and saute (on low flame) till the brinjals are cooked. Sprinkle some salt. Add the tamarind extract, mix well.

3. Add the ground roasted coconut mixture and mix well. Let the whole thing boil together till they reach the consistency of a thick sauce. Adjust the salt. Add asafoetida, mix well and switch off the stove.

Tempering

4. Heat a small pan, add about a tsp of coconut oil. Splutter the mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and dried chilly. Add it to the prepared theeyal and mix well.

Payyoli Chicken

Payyoli chicken...We have had this tasty starter only from the Calicut Paragon restaurants. Never knew it was so easy to make..until I got the recipe during my usual blog-hopping.

Ingredients

Chicken - 500g

Kashmiri chilly powder - 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Vinegar - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 2 sprig

Salt - to taste

Crushed ginger - 1 tbsp

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Coconut oil - 3 tbsp + 1 tbsp

Green chilly - 2, whole

Method

1. Marinate the chicken with 1 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric powder, 1 sprig of curry leaves, salt, vinegar and crushed ginger. Let it rest for atleast 30 min.

2. Mix the grated coconut with the remaining 1 tbsp of kashmiri chilli powder and keep aside.

3. Heat 3 tbsp of coconut oil in a kadai or manchatti. Add the curry leaves and marinated chicken. Saute well on high heat for about 2 min.

4. After that reduce the heat, cover the pot and cook till the chicken is almost done.

5. Now open the lid and add the grated coconut-chilly powder mixture. Cook till all the water is evaporated and mixture turns semi-dry.

6. Move the chicken mixture to the sides of the pan and make a small well in the middle of the pan, add the remaining oil. When its hot enough, add the remaining sprig of curry leaves and green chilly. Mix entire mixture and let it dry up. 

7. Serve hot!!

Pazham Nirachathu / Stuffed Banana

Another rich and delicious snack from the Malabar Coast..

Ingredients

Ripe banana (nenthrapazham) - 2 nos

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Cashew (unsalted, not-roasted) - handful

Raisins - 1/4 cup

Cardomom powder - 1/4 tsp

Sugar - 2 tbsp

Maida or Atta - 1/2 cup

Water - as needed

Ghee / oil - for shallow frying

Method

1. In a non-stick pan, heat about 1 tsp of ghee. 

2. Break the cashew nuts into smaller pieces and fry them in this ghee. Drain and keep aside.

3. Fry the raisins too in the same ghee. When they have swollen, drain and keep aside.

4. In the remaining ghee in pan, roast the grated coconut until they turn light brown and start releasing a nice aroma. Remove from the pan and keep aside. Mix all the three roasted items together

5. Make a thick paste of maida/atta with little water.

6. Now take the bananas, one at a time, and make long narrow incision as shown in the pic.

7. Place about 2 tbsp of roasted mixture in this incision, slowly pushing them inside with both your thumb, to allow more place for the mixture.

8. Now close the incision with the maida/atta mixture. You can coat the entire banana also with the same batter, but thinner version.

9. Repeat, till you are done with all the bananas.

10. In the same non-stick pan, add more ghee/oil and shallow fry these bananas with the incision side down first. Later overturn it and cook the other side too. If you are coating the entire banana with flour paste, then you'll need more oil for frying.