Thakkali Pachadi/ Tomato in Yogurt

Recipe No: 296
This is not a traditional Pachadi recipe, but it is something like a Pachadi and a very easy recipe that goes well with warm Rice.

Ingredients                            Serves 3

• Oil…………………….....1 ½ Tablespoons
• Mustard Seeds…......1/4 Teaspoon
• Onion……………….....1/4 Cup (Cut into thin 2 cm. long slices)
• Ginger………………….1/4 Teaspoon (chopped fine)
• Green Chilly………….1 small (sliced thin; around ½ Teaspoon)
• Curry Leaves…………1 Sprig
• Red Chilly Powder…1/2 Teaspoon
• Coriander Powder….1/2 Teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder…..a Pinch (Optional)
• Tomato…………………1/3 Cup (cut into cubes)
• Curd/ Yogurt………...1/2 Cup
• Salt and Sugar to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Heat Oil in a pan on medium heat and splutter the Mustard Seeds.
2. Add the Onion, Ginger, Green Chilly, Curry Leaves and Salt; saute till the Onion is wilted. (Don’t let it brown.)
3. Reduce the flame to low and add Red Chilly Powder, Coriander Powder and Turmeric Powder; fry for a few seconds till the raw smell is gone.
4. Add the Tomato and saute till it starts to mash. (Don’t let it mash too much.)
5. Switch off the heat and let it cool down completely.
6. Beat the Curd so that it is smooth and add the cooled Onion- Tomato mixture. Check for the Salt and add more if needed.
7. Mix in a pinch of Sugar so that the taste is balanced. (You will need a good pinch of Sugar if the Curd is too sour.)
8. Serve it with warm Rice.

Notes:

• Let the Tomato mixture cool thoroughly before mixing with the Yogurt or the Yogurt may separate spoiling the whole dish.
• The balance of sourness, sweetness and saltiness is the beauty of this dish and adding a pinch of Sugar in the end brings all of them together. Please adjust the amount of Sugar depending on the sourness of the Yogurt and your taste.

 






Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…

Pazham/ Banana Varattiyathu – Nurukku Gothambu/ Broken Wheat Pradhaman

Recipe No: 281
Jack fruit or Chakka Varattiya Pradhaman is one of my favorites (I had this Pradhaman more than one time from a friend of ours at Indianapolis) and as Jack fruit is not available in this part of the world (my friend used to bring Chakka Varattiyathu from Kerala), I settle with Pazham/ Banana instead of Jack fruit. Along with its tempting an addictive taste, this is a good way to use the overripe Bananas (with black/ dotted skin) that most of your family members may ignore. This Pradhaman should be thick so that it can be easily poured on to a Banana leaf without running for a traditional Sadhya/ Feast.

Ingredients                                       Serves 6-8

• Broken Wheat……......1/4 Cup (Nurukku Gothambu)
• Jaggery………………....1 ½ Cups (broken into small pieces)
• Mashed Banana……..2 Cups (4 large ones)
• Ghee……………………...3 Tablespoons
• Cashew nuts…………..2 Tablespoons (broken into small pieces)
• Raisins…………………..2 Tablespoons
• Milk……………………….1 Cup
• Cardamom Powder…1/4 Teaspoon (homemade; if not, add a bit more)

Method of Preparation

1. Add a cup of Water to the washed Broken Wheat and cook till soft. If you are doing this in a regular pan let it boil on high heat; reduce the heat to minimum and let it cook covered (There are chances of boiling over if this is allowed to boil at high temperature for a longer time.). If you are using Pressure cooker, cook it for one whistle. (I used a regular pan method.)
2. Melt Jaggery in ½ Cup Water on a medium flame and strain it twice to remove the impurities.
3. Heat Ghee in a pan on medium heat and fry the Cashew pieces till it starts to brown along the edges. Add the Raisins to the Ghee along with the Cashews and fry till plump. Remove this from the Ghee and keep aside till ready to be used.
4. To the remaining Ghee and the Mashed Banana and the strained Jaggery and cook till most of the Water is absorbed.

Add the cooked Broken Wheat (I add the remaining Water too as it was only a little.) and most of the Cashews and Raisins (keep some for garnish); cook till the mixture starts to leave the sides. Stir occasionally to avoid burning at the bottom. Once the mixture starts to reduce considerably, do stir almost continuously. (Please refer the picture to know the stage at which you can proceed to the next stage).
Add the Milk and let it start to simmer along the edges. 
Add Cardamom Powder and switch off the heat. Mix well and serve hot or cold.

Notes:

• This Pradhaman is on the sweeter side; but it is meant to be eaten only in very less amounts. If you wish to make it less sweet, do reduce the amount of Jaggery. (Well I don't prefer that at all...)
• I used the most commonly available (in US) Robusta type banana (Not plantains) for this preparation and only 4 of them. If you are using small variety Banana, you should mash at least 8 of them to make 2 cups of mashed Banana.
• I used the dark Kerala style Jaggery and hence the dark color. The color of the dish will be a bit on the lighter side if lighter colored Jaggery is used.
• If you are using already roasted Cashews, add both Cashews and Raisins together to the Ghee. But if you have to settle with raw Cashews, do give it a head start.
• Don't let the milk boil vigorously in the Pradhaman or it may separate. Also do stir continuously at this stage.
• I like this Pradhaman on the thick side; if you want it thin, add a bit more of Milk. But I don’t recommend adding too much Milk in order to preserve the uniqueness of this Pradhaman.

 






Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…

Palpayasam and Boli

Recipe No: 238
Palpayasam

This is a very easy Pressure Cooker version of Palpayasam, with dominating Milk flavor. The emphasis should be on the color and consistency of the Milk portion that is slightly pink, which is attained when Milk is reduced slowly. There is no Ghee or fried fruits or Nuts in this version, but still extremely tasty. Traditionally during Sadhya this is served over Boli.

Ingredients                                         Serves 8

• White Rice……...1/3 Cup (Pachari/ White long grain Rice)
• Sugar…………….1 Cup
• Milk……………...1 Liter (4 ½ Cups)
• Cardamom…….6 whole pods cracked open (No need to powder)

Method of Preparation

1. Put all the ingredients together in a clean pressure cooker; stir well (yes, it is important to stir or the bottom of the Cooker will be a mess when you open.) and put on medium high heat.
2. Just before the first whistle (at the time when pressure starts to escape slightly with a small noise) lower the temperature to the possible minimum and cook for 45 minutes.
3. After 45 minutes, off the pressure cooker and let it stay closed for 30-40 minutes.
4. Open it and serve the Palpayasam hot, warm or cold.

Notes:

• One very important thing to be mentioned here is the cleanliness of the Pressure Cooker, especially if you use the same cooker to cook everything. Slightest presence of Salt or other debris from the last cooking will curdle the Milk. So the safest way  is to use the cooker to make Rice before making Palpayasam, which will clean the cooker. If you don’t use Rice that has to be cooked in a cooker, please cook Rice without putting the weight or at least boil some Water to get the cooker clean.
• The thickness of the Milk deserves mentioning. In US the Milk is thicker than in India. So I used 500 ml regular Milk and 500 ml. low fat/2% Milk. If you don’t have 2% Milk take out ½ cup Milk form the quantity mentioned and add Water (1/2 cup) instead.
• If your Pressure cooker is new with its maximum power, do open the Pressure cooker as soon as the pressure is gone. By this time if the Milk is still very runny do boil it to reduce the liquid portion. Otherwise the Rice will be overcooked to a mushy consistency.
• If in case  the consistency of the Milk is a bit loose when you open the cooker, do let it boil some more to attain the consistency you need, stirring constantly. (Don’t let the skin form on top.)  But take into consideration that the Palpayasam will thicken as it sits.
• Don't let the pressure cooker whistle if possible; but by chance if it does once or twice that will not be a problem.
• Do try to use fresh Milk as possible to reduce the chances of curdling.
• Light Pink color is a characteristic of this Palpayasam and even though the pictures are not so good, do take a look at the Payasam plated on a white plate to see the color difference.
• My favorite way to serve this is with Boli .

 





Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love...

Boli

This recipe is a modified version of what Dr. Lekshmi Nair presented in her show ‘Magic Oven’. As the amount given there was too much, I reduced it a lot and converted it into standard cup measurements. Here are the amounts and please follow the link to know the method of Preparation.

Ingredients                                    Makes 12-15
For the filling

• Channa Dal…………………......1 Cup
• Sugar………………………….......3/4 Cup
• Nutmeg Powder………...........1/8 Teaspoon
• Cardamom Powder…….........1/4 Teaspoon
• Yellow Food Color……….......a pinch or a few drops

For Making Bolis

• All Purpose Flour/ Maida….3/4 Cup
• Yellow Food Color…………….a pinch or a few drops
• Oil……………………………………3 Tablespoons
• Salt a pinch
• Water as needed
• Ghee as needed
• Rice Flour as needed

Method of Preparation
To make the Filling

1. Wash Channa Dal and cook it with 3 cups of Water in a pressure cooker. (Cook on high till one whistle; then lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes and then crank up the heat till one whistle.)
2. Once the pressure is gone, drain the excess Water in the Dal thoroughly.
3. Cook the Dal together with the Sugar and Yellow food color on medium heat till the melted Sugar (the Sugar will melt when it hits the heat) is all dried up.
4. Add Nutmeg Powder and Cardamom Powder; mix well and switch off the heat.
5. Let it cool down completely before grinding it thoroughly without any pieces in a food processor. Keep it aside till ready to be used.

To make the dough for the covering

1. Mix together Flour, Salt and Yellow Food Color and make a soft dough using enough Water. (The dough should be really soft; softer than a Poori dough)
2. Keep it in a bowl and cover it with Oil (3 Tablespoons will be enough). The dough should be covered completely with the Oil. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

To make the Bolis

1. Divide the filling into 12-15 equally sized balls. (Lemon sized)
2. Take a small portion (the size of a marble) of the dough; flatten it in your palm; place a Dal filling in the middle and cover it with the dough.
3. Flatten the balls and keep it aside on Rice flour and repeat with all the other portions.
4. Roll out each Dal filled dough into 7 inch circles with the help of Rice flour to avoid sticking.
5. Heat a thawa/ flat pan on medium heat and cook the Boli on both sides till it starts to change the color here and there. Do brush a small amount of Ghee on both sides while cooking.
6. Serve with Palpayasam.

Notes:

• While Pressure cooking Dal it not be mashed as it absorbs more Water when mashed. Water content is an enemy in this dish.
• The prepared dough should be covered in Oil. This together with the resting time gives elasticity to the dough which is very essential.
• The original recipe calls for Nallenna/ Sesame Oil to soak the dough in, but I used Vegetable Oil which didn't make much difference from the original.
• This Boli is only very lightly sweetened and when it combines with sweet Palpayasam, both of them  compliments each other.
• The Bolis will stay good at room temperature for 2-4 days.

Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…

Kadala Parippu Pradhaman (Channa Dal Kheer with Jaggery)

Recipe No: 222

Ingredients                                           Serves 6

• Channa Dal………………..3/4 Cup (Dry Split Chick Pea/ Kadala Parippu)
• Ghee………………………….2 Tablespoons
• Coconut Pieces…………..1 Tablespoon (sliced into very small pieces)
• Cashew Nuts……………...12 (split into two)
• Raisins/ Kismis...……….1 Tablespoon
• Jaggery…………………….1 heaped cup (cut into small pieces)
• Tapioca Pearls………….2 Tablespoons (Chavvari/ Sabudhana)
• Thin Coconut Milk….....1 Cup (I used diluted low fat Milk)
• Thick Coconut Milk……3/4 – 1 Cup (I used low fat Milk)
• Cardamom Powder…….1/2 Teaspoon
• Dry Ginger Powder…….1/4 Teaspoon (Chukku Podi)

Method of Preparation

1. Wash and drain the Channa Dal; keep aside till ready to be used.
2. Heat Ghee in a pan (pan of the pressure Cooker) on medium heat and fry the Coconut pieces. When it starts to brown, add the Cashew pieces and let it brown along the edges before adding the Raisins.
3. When the Raisins plump up, remove everything from the Ghee and keep it aside till ready to be used. Leave the extra Ghee in the pan itself.
4. To the remaining Ghee, add the Channa Dal and fry for 3-4 minutes.
5. Switch off the heat; pour 2 1/4 cups Water and let the Dal soak for 30 minutes.
6. Transfer it into a pressure cooker and cook till done. (I kept the cooker on high till 1 whistle and then lowered the heat to medium low and cooked for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, raised the heat back to high for 2 whistles and switched off the heat)
7. In another small pan boil Tapioca Pearls/ Chavvari. Once boiled, off the heat and keep it covered till ready to be used.
8. In a big pan melt Jaggery with ½ cup Water. Once melted, strain it and pour it back to the pan on high heat.
9. To the Jaggery on high heat add cooked Channa Dal and let it cook together for 6-8 minutes. At first stir only now and then, but as the Water content reduces, stir often. Continue this until the Water is almost absorbed and the Dal is nicely cooked with Jaggery.
10. Add thin Coconut Milk (diluted regular Milk), fried Coconut Cashew mixture and the Tapioca Pearls (along with the cooking liquid); reduce the heat to medium and let it boil for 5 minutes stirring constantly.
11. Add thick Coconut Milk (or regular Milk), Dry Ginger Powder and Cardamom Powder; mix well and let it start to boil along the edges.
12. Switch off the heat and keep the pan covered for 30 minutes before serving.

Notes:

• The Channa Dal should be cooked until a semi mashed stage. Once it is added to the Jaggery it will not mash up. So I prefer it to cook well. If it is not mashed when you open the cooker please mash it a bit with a spatula. But take care not to puree it!!! There should be some whole pieces, some half mashed pieces and some mashed pieces.
• If you are making fresh Dry Ginger Powder, you may not need the amount given in the recipe. So adjust it accordingly.
• As per this recipe the sweetness will be moderate (In my opinion that is optimum). So add more Jaggery if you need more sweetness.
• If you use light brown Jaggery, then you may not get the traditional dark color for your Pradhaman.
• I feel that the light brown Jaggery has let sweetness when compared to the darker variety. So adjust the amount accordingly. If in case your Pradhaman  is short on sweetness (according to your preference), do add some brown Sugar or regular Sugar at the end to compensate.
• The 30 minutes resting time is very essential in this recipe. At the end of this time the Sabudhana/ Tapioca Pearls will swell and float to the top. It is also the time for 'Pathrapakam' which the elders refers to as the time the dish should sit in the pan it cooks to attain the maximum taste.

 




Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…

Vazhuthananga Theeyal/ Brinjal/ Egg Plant in Roasted Coconut Gravy

Recipe No: 154

This recipe is a bit on the easy side to make. Whole Dry Red Chilly and Whole Coriander Seeds are traditional for Theeyal but in foreign  places many of us may not be having these whole spices. So making it with the spice powders will make it easy. Another difference in this recipe is that I made it with dry desiccated Coconut which is available in most of the stores. It will attain the characteristic brown color much faster than that of fresh or frozen  grated Coconut (you can use this same recipe for fresh Coconut too) which will be a great help for those people who have only very less time for cooking. So enjoy…

Ingredients                                       Serves 6

• Dry desiccated Coconut…..1/2 Cup(If using fresh or frozen grated Coconut, use ¾ Cup)
• Red Chilly Powder……….…1 Teaspoon
• Coriander Powder……….…1 ½ Teaspoons
• Brinjal/ Egg plant sliced.…1 Cup (Slice into long, thin pieces)
• Shallots sliced………….……1/2 Cup
• Indian Green Chilly……….2 Sliced
• Turmeric Powder…………..1/4 Teaspoon
• Water……………………….….1/2 Cup
• Salt………………………………as needed
• Tamarind……………………...one small piece(soak and squeeze out the pulp in hot water)

For Seasoning

• Coconut Oil………………….1 Tablespoon
• Mustard Seeds……………..1/2 Teaspoon
• Dry Red Chilly……………..2 (tear into two)
• Shallots sliced thin……….1
• Curry Leaves……………….1 Sprig

Method of Preparation

1. In a dry pan on medium heat, roast the grated Coconut until it attains a brown color, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
2. Once it attains the color, off the heat; add Red Chilly Powder and Coriander Powder and stir for a minute. (This will slightly roast the dry spices too and stirring will prevent it from burning)
3. Once this roasted mixture is slightly cooled, grind it into a smooth paste using minimum amount of water and keep it aside till ready to be used.
4. In a ‘Chatti’ (an earthen cooking vessel) or a pan add Brinjal, Shallots, Green Chilly, Turmeric Powder, Salt and ½ cup water and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
5. Add the Roasted Coconut paste, close the pan and cook on low flame till it attains the desired thickness and Oil floats on top. (This Oil is from the roasted Coconut) Adjust the Salt.
6. Add the Tamarind Water and mix well. (I will mix little by little, mixing in between until a desired taste is attained.) Once boiled switch off the heat, close the pan and let it sit.
7. In another pan, heat Coconut Oil and splutter the Mustard Seeds.
8. Add Dry Red Chilly, Shallots and Curry Leaves and fry till the Shallots are golden brown in color.
9. Add this to the prepared Theeyal, mix well and serve hot with Rice.

Notes:

• After slicing the Brinjal wash it under running Water in a Colander (The vessel with holes in the bottom and on the sides that is used to strain cooked rice) squeezing. This will release all the seeds which will escape through the holes, leaving only the Brinjal pieces inside.

 





Make it, enjoy the deliciousness 
and serve it to your family with love…

Pazham(Banana) Pradhaman (Ripe Banana-Jaggery Dessert)

Recipe No: 150
Some days before when I posted Banana Halwa, I mentioned about a friend who, at times, calls me and to ask about what to do with the overripe Bananas.This is one other  dish that I make to save them. Once you try this, I am sure that you will buy extra Bananas just to make this!!!!

Ingredients                       Serves 6

• Ripe Banana chopped…….....3 cups (heaped)
• Shredded Jaggery………….....1 ½ cups loosely packed (small pieces will do, but don't pack)
• Tapioca Pearls/ Chavvari…..2 tablespoons
• Ghee……………………………….  1 ½ tablespoons
• Cashew nuts and Raisins…..2 tablespoons each
• Milk…………………………….....1 ¼- 1 ½ cups (Use according to the thickness you want)
• Cardamom Powder…………..3/4 teaspoon (freshly made is better)
• Dry Ginger Powder…………1/3-1/2 teaspoon (Chukkupodi. Add 1/4 teaspoon and then increase if needed depending on your taste.)

Method of Preparation

1. Heat Jaggery with ½ cup Water till it is melted. Strain and keep it aside.
2. Heat Tapioca pearls together with ½ cup Water till boiled and keep it aside covered, till ready to be used.
3. Melt Ghee on medium high heat and fry Cashew nuts till it starts to brown along the edges and add the Raisins. Fry  them together till the Raisins plump up. Remove them from the Ghee and keep them aside till ready to be used.
4. To the remaining Ghee, add cubed Bananas and cook for 3 minutes on high heat stirring now and then. By now, some of the Banana pieces will be mashed and some remain as pieces and a lot of liquid will be oozed out.
5. Add the strained Jaggery, Tapioca Pearls along with the cooking liquid, Cashew nuts and Raisins.
6. Lower the heat to medium  and cook for 10 minutes stirring often. By this time the liquid content will be reduced considerably.
7. Add Milk and let it boil along the edges.
8. Add Cardamom Powder and Dry Ginger Powder; mix well and switch off the heat.
9. Cover the pan and let it sit for 30 minutes before serving warm or cold.

Notes:

• Raw Cashew nuts need some extra time to fry than Raisins, so add Raisins only a bit later. But if you are using roasted Cashews, fry both of them together.
• After pouring the Milk don’t let it boil thoroughly as it may separate. Don’t forget to stir constantly after pouring the Milk.
• The Bananas that are very common is US is the Robusta type Banana, which is used in this recipe too. Don't confuse it with Plantains (Ethakka).
• I used lighter colored Jaggery and so this dish is lightly colored. But if you are using darker colored Jaggery then this dish will also become darker (I prefer the darker variety but for now I have to be satisfied with the lighter version.) 
• The thickness of this Pradaman is good to be poured on a Banana leaf for traditional Kerala Sadhya (feast).

 







Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…