Disco pumpkin payasam with maggie coconut milk powder

Ingredients :

1. Disco pumpkin - 1 (you can use any kind of pumpkin , disco pumpkins are miniature pumpkins that yields about 3 cups of cubed cleaned pumpkin)
2. Maggie coconut milk powder - 8 tbsp
3. jaggery - 2 cups melted and strained (approximately 400 gms)
4. ghee - 3 tbsp
5. cashewnuts - 10
6. raisins - 10
7. coconut slices - 2 tbsp
8. cardamom - 2 powdered with 1 tsp sugar
9. salt - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Add the pumpkin and 1/2 cup water with salt to a pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistles .
Allow to cool and then open the cooker .
Heat ghee in a pan and fry the cashews until golden and keep aside .
fry the raisins until plump and keep aside .
fry the coconut slices until golden and keep aside .
Into the remaining ghee  add the cooked pumpkin and saute until it starts changing color to a bright orange and all the water content leaves the pumpkin puree .
add in the melted strained jaggery and mix well and cook for another 5 minutes .
mix 4 tbsp coconut milk powder in 3 cups of warm water and add to the pumpkin mixture and mix well.
simmer this on a medium flame until it starts to reduce slightly and becomes thick.
mix in the remaining 4 tbsp coconut milk powder in 1 cup of warm water and keep aside .
add in the cardamom powder and taste for sweetness , if you prefer it sweeter add in more jaggery syrup or sugar and mix well.
reduce the flame to low and add in the thick coconut milk and mix well - do not boil after this step
mix until the payasam gets heated through.
turn the flame off and add the fried nuts and raisins .
serve hot or cold

Note : Cooking times are approximate and depends on how thick you like the end product .

Vadukapuli Achar - white

Ingredients :

1. Vadukapuli - 2 medium sized 
2. Garlic - 2 pods peeled
3. Green chilly - 10 cut into rings 
4. ginger - 2 tbsp chopped
5. curry leaves - 2 springs
6. Vinegar - 4 tbsp
7. salt - to taste
8. mustart seeds - 1 tsp
9. fenugreek seeds/methi/uluva - 1/2 tsp
10. Asafoteda /Hing - 1 tsp
11. Oil (Gingely is best) - 4 tbsp
12. sugar - 1 tbsp 

Method: 

Place a large pan of water on the stove and add the whole vadukapuli to it , add some salt and bring to a boil.simmer for 2 minutes .turn the flame off and pick the lime from the water and keep aside to cool down.
Once it has cooled down , wipe it dry with a clean cloth and cut into small pieces along with the outer skin. you can discard the seeds.
Heat oil in a pan , splutter the mustard and methi seeds.
add the green chilly,ginger,garlic, curry leaves and hing and fry for 2 minutes.
turn the flame off.
Add the vinegar and sugar and salt to taste.
Add the chopped lime pieces and mix well.
transfer into clean dry bottles when cool.
make sure that there is a thin layer of oil on top of the pickle  before you store it .
This will say fresh for 4 weeks at room temperature if the oil layer is retained on top and you use a clean dry spoon to mix and serve .
Serve with rice . Taste best after about 1 week.

Kootucurry (Plantain,pumpkin,achinga & ash gourd)

Ingredients:

1. Black chana/Kadala - 1 cup
2. Grated coconut - 3/4 cup (divide into 1/2 and 1/4 cup)
3. coconut slices/thenga kothu - 2 tbsp (optional)
4. Ashgourd - 1/2 cup cubed
5. Pumpkin - 1/2 cup cubed
6. Raw banana/plantain - 1/2 cup cubed
7. Achinga payar/yard long beans - 1/2 cup cut into inch long pieces
8. green chillies - 5
9. shallots - 2
10. coarse pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Garlic - 2 cloves
12. curry leaves - 2 springs
13. Dry red chillies - 2
14.  salt - to taste
15. Sugar/Jaggery - 1 tsp (optional)
16. Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
Soak the black chana/chickpeas overnight and pressure cook until soft and keep aside.
Grind 1/2 cup of coconut , green chillies, garlic and shallots into a coarse paste and keep aside.
Add the pumpkin,ashgourd,raw plantain and longbeans to a pan and add 1/2 cup water and salt to taste and cover and cook.
When the vegetables are 1/2 cooked add in the cooked chana and continue cooking until the vegetables are soft.
Add the ground coconut paste to the cooked vegetable and mix well.
Add in the pepper powder and jaggery/sugar and mix and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add the curry leaves,dry red chillies  ,1/4 cup grated coconut  and coconut slices and fry on medium flame until the coconut is browned. Turn the flame off.
Add this fried coconut mixture into the curry and mix well.
NOTE: You can add other vegetables like potato,carrot,yam etc to kootu curry depending on what you have.

Happy Onam!

Sharkkara varatti

Onam sadhya is not complete without Banana chips and Sharkkara varatti.Sharkkara varatti is a sweet jaggery-coated version of banana chips . It is called sharkkara upperi and Kaya vilayichathu in some parts of Kerala.This was my first time trying this at home so I made very little and it came out perfect. I am very happy with the results .

Ingredients:

1. Green Plantain/ Raw plantain - 2
2. Vellam - 6 pieces
3. Dry ginger/ chukku and cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp powdered
4. Cardamom powdered - 1/4 tsp
5. Vegetable Oil - To deep fry

Method:
Peel off the plantain skin and cut each plantain into half lengthwise.
Cut these into 1/2 cm thick pieces and keep aside.
Heat oil in a frying pan at medium high flame.
When the oil is hot add the Plantain pieces and fry on a medium flame stirring occassionally until the banana pieces are crisp.It will take at least 30 minutes to fry a batch.
The chips are fried when the oil stops bubbling and calms down and also you can feel the crispness of the chips when you stir them around.
Take the chips out of the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel and let it cool down.
Melt the jaggery adding 2 tbsp of water to it and if there are impurities strain the jaggery and use it.
It is very important for the jaggery syrup to be of the right consistency - otherwise you will get chips that are sticky.
Add the ginger,cardamon and cumin powder to the jaggery syrup and bring to a boil stirring continuously.
The jaggery should be on 1 string consistency ie if you pour it down from a spoon held high - it should not pour down like water rather it should drop sown like honey in a thin viscous form.
To check the consistency you can add one drop of the boiling jaggery on to a cold place and see it harden  up.
When you have the syrup in the right consistency lower the heat and add the fried banana pieces. Mix well and stir continuously.
You have to Mix and stir well in order to prevent the chips from sticking to each other.
Once cool store in a dry container.

Banana Chips

I have always thought that it was difficult to make the perfect Kozhikodan chips at home...But believe me it is very very easy...and once you try the home made chips the bakery ones don't taste that good anymore .




Ingredients:

1. you need unripe plantains(not bananas).
2. a little water mixed with turmeric powder and salt.
3. Oil to fry the chips in.

Method:

The chips are directly sliced into the hot oil using the slicer option on one of those grating tools.
While peeling the plantain skin wear gloves :) unless you want your hands stained .
Okay now to make chips , heat the oil until really hot , then you reduce the flame and bring down the temperature slightly and during this time slice the chips into thin rounds into the oil (careful - hot oil causes bad burns).
Mix this around with a slotted spoon so that they don't stick to each other.
when 3/4'th done pour in 1 spoon of the turmeric/salt water and mix well .
Fry until all the water is gone.
You will know when the chips are ready to come out of the oil when the sizzle in the oil dies down and the chips feel kind of firm and crispy.
Take the chips out and drain on paper towel.
After the first batch you would know if you need to add more or less of the salt water according to taste.

Achinga payar/Neenda payar Patichularthiyathu.

Ingredients:

1. Achinga payar/Yard long beans - 1 bunch (approx 1.5 lb)
2. Coconut slices - 1/2 cup
3. Onion - 1 small sliced.
4. Shallots - 3 sliced
5. Green chillies - 2 slit
6. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
7. turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
9. curry leaves - 2 springs
10. Oil - 2 tbsp
11. salt - to taste.

Method:
snap the tender long beans into 1/2 inch long pieces and use the pods from the mature beans.
Add the beans, coconut slices, turmeric,chilly powder, salt,green chillies and onion into a pan and sprinkle with 2 tbsp water and cover and cook until the beans are tender and the water is evaporated. You can sprinkle more water as needed during the cooking process.
Heat oil in a frying pan and add the mustard seeds.
When it splutters add the curry leaves and shallots and stirfry until light brown.
Add in the coked beans mixture and stir fry on medium flame for 10 minutes.
Serve with rice.

Eastern Rasam

Ingredients

1. Tomatoes - 3 medium sized chopped
2. Toor dal - 1 handful
3. Tamarind - lime sized ball soaked in water and pulp squeezed out
4. Water - 6 cups
5. Garlic - 5 cloves crushed
6. Eastern Rasam powder - 4 tbsp
7. Dry red chillies - 2 broken
8. Curry leaves - 2 springs
9. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
10. whole pepper - 1 tsp coarsely crushed
11. Cilantro/ coriander leaves - 5 tbsp chopped
12. Jaggery / sugar - 1/2 tsp
13. salt - to taste
14. Oil - 1 tbsp

 Method :
Pressure cook tomatoes, dhal and garlic in 6 teacups of water until it is broken down.
Add the tamarind juice and Rasam powder to this and bring to a boil.
Heat oil in a small pan and season with mustard, red chillies , crushed pepper and curry leaves .
Pour this over the rasam and sprinkle coriander leaves on top. Turn the flame off and add the sugar/jaggery .
Serve with rice.

Pineapple Pachadi

Ingredients :

1. Pineapple peeled and cut into small pieces - 2 cups
2. Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
3. Yogurt - 2 cups
4. Onion - 1 medium chopped
5. Green chillies - 6 cut into rings
6. Curry leaves - 2 springs
7. Dry red chillies - 2
8. salt - to taste
9. turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
10. Oil - 1 tbsp
    

Method:
Grind the grated coconut to a paste and keep aside
Cook the pineapple,onions ,turmeric powder and green chillies in 1/2 cup of water and keep aside.
Add the ground coconut to the cooked pineapple while it is still hot.
Heat oil in a nonstick pan and splutter the mustard seeds.
Add in the dry red chillies and curry leaves and fry it ,turn the flame off.
When the pan cools down a bit add in the cooked pineapple mixture and yogurt and mix well.

KachiMoru / Seasoned Buttermilk

Kachimoru , Moru Kachiyathu , Pulissery, kachiya moru ..known by different names in different parts of Kerala is a staple in most households ,something that a Malayalee has everyday with rice.Curd or buttermilk is seasoned with Turmeric,ginger,garlic,shallots,green chillies,red chillies,mustard seeds,fenugreek seeds and cumin to prepare this gravy.


Ingredients:

1. sour curd or buttermilk - 4 cups (beat well with a fork if using curd add some water to thin it out a bit)
2. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
3. Shallots - 4 sliced thin
4. Green chillies - 2 slit
5. Dry red chillies - 2 broken
6. Ginger - 1/2 tsp chopped fine
7. Garlic - 4 cloves chopped fine
8. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp crushed
9. Curry leaves - 2 springs
10. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
11. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4'th tsp
12. Oil - 1 tbsp
13. salt - to taste

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds,when it starts spluttering add in the fenugreek seeds.
Add in the dry red chillies and sliced shallots and stir fry until it starts browning slightly.
Add in the curry leaves and chopped ginger,garlic and green chillies.
Stir fry for a minute
Add in the crushed cumin and turmeric powder and stir fry for a minute.
Turn the flame off ,when the pan cools down add in the beaten curd and stir well.
Put the mixture back on the flame and warm it well stirring continuously.
Do not let it boil or the curd will break.

Pavakka Pachadi / Bittergourd in Yogurt Gravy

Ingredients:

1. Bitter gourd - 2 seeds removed and chopped into small pieces.
2. Green chillies - 5 cut into rings
3. Sour curd/yogurt - 2 cups
4. Onion - 1 medium cut into small pieces
5. Curry leaves - 2 springs
6. salt - to taste
7. Oil - 5 tbsp
8. mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a small frying pan and add in the chopped bitter gourd and salt to taste and stir fry until it is brown (This may take up to 15 minutes).
Drain the oil and keep the bitter gourd aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in another frying pan and add in the mustard seeds.
Add in the chopped onion,curry leaves and green chillies and fry for 2 minutes.
add in the fried bitter gourd and stir well.
Turn the flame off and pour the beaten curd in and mix well.
Serve with rice.

Easy Parippu curry

Ingredients:

1. Toor Dal - 1 cup
2. Tomatoes - 1 cut into chunks
3. Onion - 1 medium cut into chunks
4. Green chillies - 2 slit
5. Turmeric powder - 1/4'th tsp
6. Curry leaves - 2 springs
7. Shallots - 3 sliced fine
8. Dry red chillies - 2 broken
9. Salt - to taste
10. Oil - 1 tbsp
11. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Add the washed Dal, onion , tomatoes , turmeric powder , salt and green chillies into a pressure cooker and add enough water to cover the dal plus 1 inch above the dal leavel.
Cook for 3 whistles and then turn the flame off.
Let the pressure escape by itself .Open the cooker after 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a large frying pan and add the mustard seeds.
When it splutters add the sliced shallots and curry leaves and broken dry chillies.
Fry until the shallots are golden brown.
Lower the flame and add the contents from the pressure cooker into the frying pan and mix well.
Bring to a simmer and turn the flame off.
Serve with rice ,chappathi or Poori.

NOTE : I am not sure why but it always seems to taste better when you pour the curry into the frying pan and mixing it there rather than pouring the tadka into the cooked dal :)

Cabbage Thoran

Ingredients:

1. Cabbage - 1 medium sliced thin
2. Green chillies - 8 cut into rings
3. Shallots - 5 sliced
4. curry leaves - 1 spring
5. grated coconut - 1 cup
6. Oil - 1 tsp
7. mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Mix all the ingredients (1 -5) other than Oil and mustard seeds together with salt to taste.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds .
When it splutters add the cabbage mixture and stir in the open pan for 2 minutes.
Cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked.
Some varieties of cabbage will give out water - if this happens stir fry on high heat without covering until water evaporates.

Cherupayaru Parippu Payasam

Ingredients :
Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Melted strained jaggery syrup - 1 cup
Coconut milk - 3 cups
Cashews - 2 tbsp
Sliced coconut pieces - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 3 tsp
Cardamom - 3 crushed

Method:
Dry roast the Moong dal until it is light brown in colour .
Add 1.5 cups of water to this roasted dal and pressure cook until it is very soft.
Mash this with the back of a spoon and keep aside.
To melt the jaggery add a little water and boil it for few minutes - strain this syrup since it may contain tiny stones and impurities.
Add the jaggery to the cooked dal and boil until it thickens and is almost dry add in a tsp of ghee while cooking this.
At this stage add in 1 cup of coconut milk and stir well and bring to a simmer.
Add the remaining coconut milk and bring to a simmer .
Heat Ghee in a small pan and fry the coconut slices until light brown , then add in the cashews and fry until light brown. Pour this into the payasam and stir well.
Add in the crushed cardamom.

This payasam is usually made with fresh coconut milk - In that case you would need to add the thinnest milk first and cook it until the payasam thickens , then add in the thicker milk and cook. I have used canned coconut milk , and coconut cream - instead of the thin coconut milk and thick coconut milk.

Kootu Curry / Yam and chickpeas curry

Ingredients:

1. Black Chickpeas cooked- 1 cup
2. Yam/Suran/chena diced – 2.5 cups
3. you can use a mixture of raw banana and Chena- I did not have raw banana so used frozen yam instead.
4. Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
5. Red Chilly Powder – 1/4 tsp
6. Grated Coconut – 1/2 cup
7. dry Red Chillies – 2
8. shallots sliced - 1
9. Jeera Seeds – 1/4 th tsp
10. Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
11. Curry Leaves – 1 sprig
12. Coconut Oil – 1 tbsp
13. salt – to taste
14. Grated jaggery – 1/2 tsp

Method:
Add the yam pieces, turmeric powder,salt to taste and chilly powder into the cooked chickpeas and pressure cook for 1 whistle.
Grind the grated coconut and cumin seeds to a coarse paste.
Add this ground paste into the cooked veggies and stir well.
Switch off the flame and add the jaggery and mix well.
Heat oil in a pan add the the mustard seeds, curry leaves and dry red chillies and fry until browned.
Pour this over the kootu curry.

Mathanga Cherupayar erissery / Pumpkin and green gram curry

Ingredients:

1. Pumpkin cut into cubes - 3 cups.
2. Green gram dal - 1/2 cup.
3. Coconut grated - 1/2 cup.
4. Jeera/cummin seeds- 1/4'th tsp.
5. turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
6. Green chillies - 5 or 6 slit .
7. Shallots - 3 sliced.
8. Curry leaves - 2 springs
   
9. mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
   
10. oil - 1 tbsp
11. dry red chilly - 2 broken

Method:
Pressure cook the Green gram dal until it is 34/th cooked. Add the pumpkin and green chillies and pressure cook for one more whistle.
Grind the coconut,jeera and turmeric powder to a fine paste with some water.
Add this ground paste to the cooked dal/pumpkin mix and bring to a simmer.
Make a tadka of mustard seeds,dry red chillies,sliced shallots and curry leaves and pour into the simmering curry .
Turn the flame off and cover the dish and keep for 30 minutes.

Puli Ingi / Sweet and sour Ginger chutney

Puli Inji has a very important place in the Sadhya . The main ingredient in this dish is ginger. Along with ginger jaggery ,tamarind , and chillies are used.Ginger has medicinal properties and aids digestion. Puli inji is sweet , sour and spicy at the same time.

Ingredients:

1. ginger - 2 big pieces chopped very fine
2. green chillies - 3
3. tamarind - gooseberry sized ball( soak in water and get the juice)
4. chili powder - 1/2 tsp
5. asofoetida (hing/kayam) - a pinch
6. jaggery grated - to taste
7. salt - to taste
8. Oil - 2 tbsp
9. curry leaves - 1 spring
10. Dry red chillies - 2 broken
11. Mustard seeds - 1/4 th tsp

Method:

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non stick pan and add the chopped ginger and fry this until light brown.Remove the ginger pieces with a slotted spoon and keep aside. Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the mustard seeds.When it splutters add in the dry red chillies and curry leaves and stir fry. Reduce the flame and add the green chillies and chilly powder and pinch of hing .It should not get burnt. Add in the tamarind water and jaggery and the fried ginger pieces and bring to a simmer .Cook on a low flame until it thickens slightly.

Wish you all a Very Happy Onam

Semia Payasam / Vermecilli Kheer

Ingredients:

1. Semia /Vermecilli - 1 cup
2. Milk - 2 cups
3. Sugar - 1/2 cup
4. cashews - 15
5. Raisins - 20
6. Ghee/clarified butter - 2 tbsp
7. cardamom - 1 crushed

Method:
Heat the clarified butter and fry the cashews and raisins until golden brown.
Add the vermecilli and fry until light brown.
Add in the milk ,cardamom and sugar and bring to a boil.
Cook for few minutes until the semia is cooked but not mushy.

TIP:If you leave the semia in hot milk after it has cooked to desired consistency it will continue to cook in the heat ,to prevent this you can add in some cold milk to stop the cooking process. Otherwise turn the flame off when the semia is 3/4'th cooked ,it will continue cooking with the heat after the flame is turned off.

You can add a few tsp of condensed milk to make it tastier and richer.

Aviyal

According to ancient mythology Aviyal is supposed to have been invented by Bheema (one of the Pandava brothers) during his agnaathavaasa. According to the legend, Ballav (Bheem's name during this time) when he assumed his duties as the cook in the kitchen of Virata, did not know how to cook. One of the first things he did was to chop up many different vegetables, boil them together and top the dish with grated coconut.

Aviyal holds a very important place in a sadhy and helps you to get your recommended 5 servings of vegetable a day in an enjoyable way.It is a good dish to prepare at the end of the week with all the left over vegetables dressed up in a tangy coconut sauce.Vegetables commonly used in aviyal are yam, plantain, pumpkin, ash gourd,drumstick,long beans,tarro root,carrots etc.Any vegetable other than beetroot and Bittergourd can be used.Some people use raw mango as the souring agent whereas others use tamarind,sour curd ,raw tomato etc.I use curd.

Ingredients:

1. Mixed vegetables cut into long pieces - 4 to 5 cups
2. Grated coconut - 1 cup
3. Green chillies - 6
4. garlic - 1 clove
5. Cumin/Jeera - 1/4'th tsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Yogurt/curd - 1/2 cup
8. shallot - 1
   
9. curry leaves - 2 springs
10. Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Cook the vegetables with salt and a pinch of turmeric powder .

you might need to add a fourth of a cup of water to cook it.

make a coarse paste of coconut,cumin seeds,green chillies,shallot and turmeric powder.

Once the vegetables are cooked and most of the water is gone add the coconut paste and mix well and cover and cook for 2 minutes..

Turn the flame off and then add the curd/yogurt and curry leaves and pour the coconut oil in it and mix well and cover and keep aside for flavours to blend.