Vellarikka Pulissery

A quick ozhichukoottan (curry, liquidy side-dish) for those busy days..



Ingredients

Vellarikka, chopped into chunks - 1 cup
Green chillies - 2, slit lengthwise
Salt - as needed

To grind to coarse paste
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Small onions - 3
Turmeric powder - 2 pinches

Curd - 2 cups (medium consistency)

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

Method

1. Heat a manchatti. Add the vellarikka pieces along with half cup water, slit chillies and some salt. Let the pieces get cooked well (they become transparent once cooked).
2. Meanwhile grind the ingredients mentioned into a coarse paste.
3. Once the vellarikka is cooked, add the ground coconut paste into this mixture and let it steam through.
4. Add the beaten curd into it and stir continuously (ensure its in low heat, or it will curdle). Once steam comes through, immediately switch off the stove. Keep stirring for some more time, to cool it down a bit.
5. In a separate pan, add oil. Splutter mustard seeds. Then add the curry leaves and dried chillies till they become crisp. Add it along with the oil to the curd mixture. Stir well.

Mathanga Erissery / Pumpkins in Ground Coconut Sauce - Sadya item

Another hearty recipe from the God's own land! Unavoidable item in the sadya menu!

Ingredients

Pumpkin (cut into chunks) - 3 cups

Red cow peas - 1/2 cup, cooked

Grind to coarse paste

Grated Coconut - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Green chilly - 2 (as per your taste)

Garlic - 2 cloves

Small onion - 3

For Tempering

Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

Dried red chilly - 2

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Grated coconut - 1 tbsp

Method

1. Heat a mud pot (manchatti), place the pumpkin chunks in it. Add water just to cover the pieces and cook the pumpkin till its done.

2. When the pumpkins are 3/4th done, add the cooked red cowpeas and cook them along with the pumpkin.

3. Meanwhile grind the items under "To grind to coarse paste" to a coarse paste.

4. Once the pumpkin is cooked well (there shouldn't be too much water at this stage), add the ground coconut mixture and cook till steam comes through. Switch off the stove. Keep it covered.

5. In a separate pan, heat coconut oil. Once hot, add dried chilly, curry leaves and grated coconut. Stir continuously till the coconut is roasted and a nice aroma is spread. Immediately transfer this to the pumpkin mixture and give a good mix. Keep it closed for 10 min to allow the flavors to set.

  

Semiya Payasam

Onam is not complete without this payasam!! Normally in sadya, we'll have atleast 2 paysams - one white (prepared with sugar) and other brown (with jaggery). Mostly the sugar / white one will be the semiya payasam..which is kids' favorite.

My li'l girl is a big time payasam lover (one of the few things she eats with enthusiasm). The boy likes it too...and the big boy likes anything sweet.. so clearly its everyone's favorite!



Ingredients

Vermicelli - 1 small packet, about 1 cup
Milk - 2 1/2 cups
Sugar - 1/2 - 3/4 cup (as per your taste)
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Optional
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Cashew (unsalted) - 5-6
Raisins - 1 tbsp



Method

1. Boil the milk in a thick bottom bowl. Allow it to boil in low-medium flame.
2. Meanwhile roast the vermicelli in little ghee till its lightly brown.
3. When the milk boils, add the roasted vermicelli and let it cook again on low-medium flame till the vermicelli is cooked well. Stir in between.
4. Once vermicelli is cooked well and payasam has thickened (medium thick consistency) add sugar. Stir well so that sugar dissolves. Switch off the stove
5. Sprinkle cardamom powder.
6. In a separate pan, add 1 tbsp ghee. Once hot add the cashew nuts. Stir and roast well. Once its starts to brown, add the raisins and allow to puff up. Switch off the stove and add the whole thing (ghee + cashew + raisins) to the payasam. Mix well.

Note - The payasam tend to thicken as it sits. So do not allow the payasam to thicken too much on stove while cooking. If the payasam is thick when you are about to serve, then add little milk and heat it so that the payasam loosen up.

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.

Olan (Ashgourd & Red cow pea in coconut milk)

This is one sadya dish that has amazed me with its subtle yet beautiful flavour and the minimum ingredients that goes into its preparation. If you ask me which is my favorite sadya item, without any hesitation I would say it's Olan. It's not too spicy, but rich due to the addition of coconut milk. I somehow feel that the pictures haven't done justice to its wonderful taste. So please don't go by the looks...yeah..looks can be deceiving!

Ingredients

Red cow peas - 1/2 cup, cooked with little salt
Ashgourd - 1 cup, thinly sliced to 1 inch pieces
Green chilly - 2
Thick coconut milk - 1 cup
Thin coconut milk - 2 cups
Coconut oil - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste

Tempering (optional, you can serve the olan with the tempering as well)
Small onions - 1 tbsp, thinly sliced
Curry leaves - 4-5 leaves
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp



Method

1. Pressure cook the red cow peas with little salt and water for 4-5 whistles. Wait till the pressure gets released. Donot add too much water.
2. In a manchatti or kadai, add the cooked cow peas along with its water, add the sliced ash gourd and green chillies too. Add the thin coconut milk and half cup water. Cook them together till the ashgourd is cooked well. At this stage the curry should not be too thin, it should be starting to thicken.
3. Now add the thick coconut milk, stir well to combine. Check for salt at this stage and add as needed. Let it be on low heat till steam starts coming. (The curry should not be allowed to boil after adding thick coconut milk). Switch off the stove, add coconut oil, give a good stir and close the vessel with a lid (this will allow for the flavours to set in, and olan should sit for atleast half hour before serving)
4. Heat a small pan and add the coconut oil. Add the curry leaves and thin slices of small onion. Saute till onions turn very light brown. Add them along with the oil to the olan and close with a lid.

Serve with kutharichoru.

Rasam

The unavoidable item in sadya...something that comes to rescue during cold wintery nights...when you have a bad cold or you are struggling to breathe due to a blocked nose..



I still use store-bought (Brahmin's) rasam powder for making rasams. I have tried a couple of times to make it entirely from scratch, but it didn't give me complete satisfaction, nor could I find happy faces at dinner table. So till I get a proper recipe, I will continue my trust in Brahmin's.

Ingredients

Water - 4 cups
Tamarind - size of a lemon, soaked in water
Rasam powder - 2 tbsp, heaped
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Dried chilly - 3
Tomato - 2, medium, roughly chopped
Coriander leaves - 2 strands

  

Method

Squeeze the juice out of tamarind, add it to the water and bring it to boil. Add the rasam powder and let it boil until it thickens slightly. Switch off the stove. In a non-stick pan, add oil. Once its hot, crackle the mustard seeds. Add curry leaves, dried chilly and saute for half a minute. Now add the chopped tomatoes and saute for another minute. Add this to the rasam along with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with hot rice.

Beetroot thoran

An easy, quick and healthy side dish for rice...



Ingredients

Grated or chopped beetroot - 2 cups
Grated coconut -  3/4 cup
Small onions - 6, crushed
Garlic - 1 pod, crushed
Salt - as per taste
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Green chilly - 2, slit lengthwise
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coconut oil (or any other oil) - 1 tbsp

Method

Heat a kadai and add oil. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Add curry leaves, crushed small onions and garlic and the slit green chilly. Saute for a minute. Then add the grated beetroot along with grated coconut and mix well. Cover and cook. No need to add water. Stir in between. Once the beetroot is almost cooked, sprinkle salt and pepper powder. Mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes with the lid removed. Switch off the stove.

Nurukku Gothambu Payasam / Broken Wheat Payasam

Before marriage, I had tasted only white (made using sugar) payasams. It was my MIL who introduced me to this wonderful payasam, and ever since I am in love with it. Even my hubby, who dislikes anything else with broken wheat, loves this dish.





Ingredients

Broken wheat - 1 cup, soaked for atleast 4 hrs
Melted jaggery - 2 cups
Thick coconut milk - 1 cup
Thin coconut milk - 1 (randampaal) - 2 cups
Think coconut milk - 2 (munnampaal) - 4 cups
Salt - a pinch
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Cashewnuts - 10
Sliced coconut - 1/2 cup



Method

Cook the soaked broken wheat in 2 cups of water until its cooked very well. If you haven't soaked the wheat, then you may need to pressure cook the broken wheat. Once the wheat is well cooked, add the jaggery syrup. Bring it to boil.

(Tip - If the jaggery is added before the wheat is cooked well, then wheat will harden and won't taste good

For the jaggery syrup, melt 2 cups of grated jaggery in less than 1/2 cup water. Heat it till the jaggery completely melts. Switch off the stove. Once cold, sieve the syrup to remove the impurities from jaggery.

How to extract coconut milk - Grate 1 coconut. Add it to the big jar of mixer and add 1/2 cup water to it, grind well. Then sieve it to extract the thick coconut milk or thani paal. Take the residual grated coconut and add to mixer with 1 cups of water. Grind and extract the milk. This is the thin coconut milk-1 or randaampaal. Again take the residual coconut to the mixer and add 2 cups of water. Grind it and then sieve, extract the milk. This makes the moonnampaal or thin coconut milk-2).

Now add the thin coconut milk - 2 (moonnampaal) and bring the whole thing to boil. Keep the flame on sim and let it boil for sometime till the mixture slightly thickens. Then add the think coconut milk-2 (randampaal), let it boil for atleast 10-15 minutes till the mixture thickens or reaches your desired consistency. Now add the thick coconut milk. Before it boils, switch off the stove.

In a pan, heat ghee. Once hot, add thinly sliced coconut pieces and roast them till they are nicely brown. Drain ghee and add the roasted pieces to the prepared payasam. Now in the remaining ghee, add cashewnuts and roast them till brown. Add these also to the payasam. Serve warm!

Beans-carrot thoran

One of sadya items and regular side dish at home mostly along with sambar

Ingredients

Beans - 12 - 15, cleaned and chopped
Carrot - 1 - cleaned, peeled and diced
Grated coconut - half cup
Salt - as per taste
Green chilly - 1, slit or as per your taste and tolerance level
Garlic - 1 small clove , crushed
Small onions - 3-4, crushed or thinly sliced
Curry leaved - 3-4
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp














Method 1

Heat a kadai, and add 1 tsp of oil. Once hot, crackle the mustard seeds. Now add curry leaves, sliced onions, chilly, crushed garlic. Let it get sauted for half a minute. Then add the chopped vegetables along with salt and grated coconut. Mix well, sprinkle some water and close the lid. Stir every now and then, to ensure that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the kadai. Sprinkle more water if required. Care should be taken not to add more water, you shouldn't be using more than 1/4 cups of water. Once the veggies are almost cooked, open the lid and cook for some more time to remove extra water content. Serve with hot rice.

Method 2 - Oil-less 

Put all the ingredients except mustard seeds in a kadai and mix gently with hand. Keep it aside for not less than 15 minutes. After that, keep it on a low flame, sprinkle some water and let it get cooked.

Sambar

This is one of the regular and popular curry in our house. We enjoy it with rice, idli, dosa and even with chapathis. My husband says sambar should be renamed as vegetable soup. Sambar mixed curd and rice makes a super combo. Similarly we also love Kuthari choru + sambar + mathi fry...

Ingredients

Toor daal - 1 cup

Vegetables (cleaned, washed & cut in desired shape) - 2 cups

Sambar powder - 3 tbsp (I use Brahmin's)

Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

Tamarind - size of a lemon (soaked in some water for 10 min and extract the juice)

Salt - as per taste

Turmeric powder -  a pinch

Small onions - 3-4

Tomato - 2 (cleaned and diced)

For tempering

Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp

Dried chilly - 2

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Sambar powder - 1 tsp

Method

Wash and clean toor daal under running water. Pressure the cleaned dal with 3 cups of water, a pinch of turmeric powder and salt. Cook till its done (I normally cook for 1 whistle on high flame, and 4 whistles on low flame). Let the pressure gets released. After that, open the lid and smash the dal.

Meanwhile clean and cut all the veggies. Heat a kadai, add 1 tbsp of oil. Once hot, add the small onion and the veggies. Let is saute for a while. Sprinkle some salt. Now add 2 tbsp sambar powder and saute till a nice aroma comes. Add the tamarind extract and the diced tomatoes. Saute till tomatoes starts to lose its shape. Now add the sauteed veggies to the cooked dal, add some more water if required. Let it boil. After that, reduce the flame and let the veggies get cooked well.

Tempering

Once sambar is cooked well, take another pan and heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Once hot, crackle mustard seeds. Add dried chilly, curry leaves and saute for a while. Now sprinkle the sambar powder & asafoetida powder and immediately switch off the stove. Stir in this to the sambar mixture. Keep it closed for sometime for the flavours to set in.