The Simple Dal Curry

Dal can be made in a variety of ways and with minimum ingredients too. Yet this simple dish can be very tasty, homely and healthy too. Once we tried this dish at a Five Star hotel and was lost in wonder at the cost for a small dish of the same! How did this simple dal end up so costly! Anyway, the dal I make for rice is different from the one for chappathi or the Indian bread. The color changed depending on the dal I use.

Dal Curry

Ingredients

1. Dal (Toor dal or Whole Green Dal) - 1 1/2 Cup
2. Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
3. Cumin Seed - 1 tspn
4. Garlic - 2 cloves
5. Green Chilly - 3 nos.
6. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tspn
7. Small onions - 3 chopped finely
8. Red chilly - 1 broken into pieces
10. Coconut to fry - 1 tspn
11. Curry leaves - few leaves
12. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn

Toor Dal Curry

Green Dal Curry

Method

Boil the dal with turmeric, salt and green chilly in a pressure cooker. 3 whistles will do. Grind items 2 - 4 well. Pour the mixture into the boiled dal and check for water. If the curry is too thick, one can add more water. Let it boil. Switch off the fire.

Take a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add the red chilly, curry leaves and onion. Let them brown. Finally add the coconut and let it brown too.  Now add this to the waiting curry and enjoy!

Puri and an Easy Potato Curry

It is not everyday that I let my household indulge in puri. But it is a favourite and the easiest curry that you can make with it is the potato curry.

Now if one asks me which is the best puri that you have indulged in, then there is one answer.. those from the Indian Coffee House! Ahh... how many of you have tasted it? As children, during our long trips to Mavelikara or Trivandrum, a stop at Changanacherry Coffee House was a must. Recently I relived the memories by stopping at Ponkunnam Coffee House. The potato curry still tastes the same. The one I make at home "almost" tastes similar but without the beetroot, the riot of color is missing. I learned this recipe from my MIL who picked it up during her stay in the once thriving township of Gwalior Rayons at Mavoor, Calicut. The township housed Indians from all over the country and hence there was variety in the cuisine. Since it tasted similar to the one at the Indian Coffee House and was an easy one, I have never tried the one my Mother makes at home. She always makes the drier version which is also similar to the Masala Dosa filling. This potato curry is very easy. All you need is to chop, chop, chop and put, put, put everything into a vessel with enough water. There is no sauteing and meanwhile you can prepare the puri for frying.

Since Puri Recipe is common, I am only going to give you a link to another site.

Potato Curry

Ingredients

1. Potato - 4 medium ones, chopped into pieces
2. Big onions - 2 Nos. - finely chopped
3. Green Chilly - 3 or 4 depending on your taste, sliced lengthwise
4. Ginger - 1/2 inch - finely chopped
5. Tomato - 2 nos. - chopped into small pieces
6. Mustard - 1/2 tspn
7. Small Onions - 4-5 finely sliced
8. Red Chilly - 1
9. Curry leaves - a few
10. Coriander leaves - a small bunch

Method

Put all the items from 1-5 into a vessel and pour enough water to cover the potatoes. Once it starts boiling, add enough salt and lower the flame. When potato is cooked, add the coriander leaves and lightly mash a few pieces of potato to make the curry thick. Switch off the flame and in another pan splutter mustard seeds in 2 tbspn of oil. Add the red chilly, onions and curry leaves and fry until the onions are browned. Pour this over the curry and enjoy!

Upuma

Upuma became notorious in Kerala when it got served in government schools as part of the mid-day meals.          The midday meals first started in year 1941 with rice/Kanji. While the upuma was loved by many, it was also hated by those who craved for a meal with rice. How can a Keralite forgo rice? At present I hear that a full course meal is being supplied. Anyway, coming back to the recipe, Upama is the easiest but a nutritious breakfast that one can prepare in a jiffy. It can be prepared in a variety of ways and not only with semolina. One can add vegetables to make it even more healthy. The following is the Upama I cooked this morning.

Upuma

Ingredient

1. Semolina - 2 Cups
2. Green Chilly  - 2 Nos. - chopped
3. Ginger - a small piece - chopped
4. Onion - 1 Nos. chopped finely
5. Coconut - 2 Tbspn - scraped
6. Red chilly - 1 Nos. - broken
7. Mustard - 1/2 tspn
8. Curry leaves - a few
9. Coriander leaves - a small bunch
10. Water - 4 cups or a little more

Method

One needs to roast the semolina first. These days you get the roasted semolina from the market so no pain. But depending on your taste, one may have to roast it further if you want the upama not to be mushy. The more it is roasted, the more dry it will be. I make both ways since the kids love it mushy; easy to gulp!

Heat 2 tbspn of oil and let the mustard splutter. Add the red chilly and after a few seconds add the chopped onion. Let it brown. Now add the chopped ginger, green chilly & curry leaves and fry them for a while. Add water and scraped coconut. At this time one can also add chopped vegetable if you are making vegetable upuma. Wait for it to boil well. Add coriander leaves. Reduce the flame and slowly add the roasted semolina. Stir it well and close the lid to let the semolina absorb water. Enjoy!

Ellunda or Sesame Balls with Dates

Ellunda / Sesame Balls with Dates 

 My experiment with Ellunda, the traditional sweet of Kerala, started off with a purchase of the same from the supermarket. It had been years since I had tasted it and I relished it tremendously; which meant that it disappeared fast too. This made me try my hand at it but I realized that the recipe that I used did not produce the desired effect. The Ellunda begged for more jaggery. This is when I realized that I have some dates pending recipes and out came the dates. Voila! The ellunda was made even more nutritious and tasty but sans the crunchiness.  This recipe is not for those who love the crunchiness of Ellunda.

I also realized that sesame seeds have tremendous health benefits and combined with dates, it offers more nutrition.  Right now I am munching one to keep off that hunger which bothers one, in between meals. 

I Have listed the benefit at the end of the post. Now for the recipe:

Ellunda or Sesame seeds and dates balls

Ingredients

1.       2 cups  - Lightly roasted sesame seeds
2.       1 cups – deseeded dates
3.       ¼ cups – mix of nuts
4.       5-6 pcs – Cardamom (grind)
5.       100 gms – jaggery (optional)

 Method

Lightly roast the sesame seeds. If you are using jaggery, heat 1 tbspn of water and jaggery until the jaggery dissolves. Test it by pouring a drop of jaggery into cold water. If the jaggery does not dissolve but form into a ball, it is ready. Mix the sesame seeds,  nuts, cardamom well. Add jaggery and dates. Mix well with your hands and make into small balls. 

Health benefits of sesame seeds

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/sesame-seeds.html

§  Delicious, crunchy sesame seeds are widely considered healthful foods. They are high in energy but contain many health benefiting nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins that are essential for wellness.

§  The seeds are especially rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acid oleic acid, which comprise up to 50% fatty acids in them. Oleic acid helps to lower LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increase HDL or "good cholesterol" in the blood. Research studies suggest that Mediterranean diet which is rich in mono-unsaturated fats help to prevent coronary artery disease and stroke by favoring healthy lipid profile.

§  The seeds are also very good source of dietary proteins with fine quality amino acids that are essential for growth, especially in children. Just 100 g of seeds provide about 18 g of protein (32% of daily-recommended values).

§  In addition, sesame seeds contain many health benefiting compounds such as sesamol (3, 4-methylene-dioxyphenol), sesaminol, furyl-methanthiol, guajacol (2-methoxyphenol), phenylethanthiol and furaneol, vinylguacol and decadienal. Sesamol and sesaminol are phenolic anti-oxidants. Together, these compounds help stave off harmful free radicals from the body.

§  Sesame is amongst the seeds rich in quality vitamins and minerals. They are very good sources of B-complex vitamins such as niacin, folic acid, thiamin (vitamin B1), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), and riboflavin.

§  100 g of sesame contains 97 mcg of folic acid, about 25% of recommended daily intake. Folic acid is essential for DNA synthesis. When given in expectant mothers during peri-conception period, it may prevent neural tube defects in the baby.

§  Niacin is another B-complex vitamin found abundantly in sesame. About 4.5 mg or 28% of daily-required levels of niacin is provided by just 100 g of seeds. Niacin help reduce LDL-cholesterol levels in the blood. In addition, it enhances GABA activity inside the brain, which in turn helps reduce anxiety and neurosis.

§  The seeds are incredibly rich sources of many essential minerals. Calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and copper are especially concentrated in sesame seeds. Many of these minerals have vital role in bone mineralization, red blood cell production, enzyme synthesis, hormone production, as well as regulation of cardiac and skeletal muscle activities.

Just a hand full of sesame a day provides enough recommended levels of phenolic anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins and protein.

Health benefits of dates

§  Wonderfully delicious, dates are one of the most popular fruits packed with an impressive list of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are required for normal growth, development and overall well-being.

§  Fresh dates compose of soft, easily digestible flesh and simple sugars like fructose and dextrose. When eaten, they replenish energy and revitalize the body instantly. For these qualities, they are being used to break the fast during Ramadan month since ancient times.

§  The fruit is rich in dietary fiber, which prevents LDL cholesterol absorption in the gut. Additionally, the fiber works as a bulk laxative. It, thus, helps to protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time and as well as binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon.

§  They contain health benefiting flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants known as tannins. Tannins are known to possess anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hemorrhagic (prevent easy bleeding tendencies) properties.

§  They are moderate sources of vitamin-A (contains 149 IU per 100 g), which is known to have antioxidant properties and essential for vision. Additionally, it is also required maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin A is known to help to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

§  They compose antioxidant flavonoids such as ß-carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin. These antioxidants found to have the ability to protect cells and other structures in the body from harmful effects of oxygen-free radicals. Thus, eating dates found to offer some protection from colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers. 

§  Zea-xanthin is an important dietary carotenoid that selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea, where it thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions. It thus offers protection against age-related macular degeneration, especially in elderly populations.

§  Dates are an excellent source of iron, contains 0.90 mg/100 g of fruits (about 11% of RDI). Iron, being a component of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, determines the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

§  Further, they are very good in potassium. 100 g contains 696 mg or 16% of daily-recommended levels of this electrolyte. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help controlling heart rate and blood pressure. They, thus, offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases.

§  They are also rich in minerals like calcium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. Calcium is an important mineral that is an essential constituent of bone and teeth, and required by the body for muscle contraction, blood clotting, and nerve impulse conduction. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required for the production of red blood cells. Magnesium is essential for bone growth.

§  Further, the fruit has adequate levels of B-complex group of vitamins as well as vitamin K. It contains very good amounts of pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), niacin, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin. These vitamins are acting as cofactors help body metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Vitamin K is essential for many coagulant factors in the blood as well as in bone metabolism.

Cabbage Thoran or Cabbage Stir Fry

Here come a vegetable that can be eaten raw in salads as well be made into tasty dishes. My MIL's cooks a very tasty curry out of this and I shall soon post it here.

I realized that a purple cabbage has been sitting inside my fridge since some days; looking at me and hoping to be picked up. Finally I did!

Cabbage Thoran or Stir Fry

What a lovely colour!

Ingredients

1. Cabbage - 2 cups finely sliced (I used my food processor)
2. Green Chilly - 2 Nos.
3. Turmeric - 1/2 Tspn
4. Coconut - 1/4 to 1/2 cup
5. Garlic - 2 cloves
6. Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
7. Dry red chilly - 2 nos.
8. Small onions - 5 nos.

Method

If you are using your food processor, cut the cabbage into small pieces and process this along with the garlic, green chilly, 3 small onions and coconut until very finely sliced. Take a pan and add 2 tbspn of oil and splutter the mustards. Add the red chilly. After a few seconds add thinly sliced onions and curry leaves. Fry until the onions are brown. Now add the processed cabbage. Mix it well and let everything be cooked under a slow fire. Turn in occasionally until you feel that the cabbage has cooked as per your taste. It is better to leave it crunchy.

Puttu or Steamed Rice Cake

Puttu or Kerala’s own steamed rice cake is easy to make. All you need is roasted rice powder and a bit of scraped coconut. 

My memory of puttu making takes me yet again to Trivandrum and to my maternal grandmother. Until the end of 80’s most middle class families in Kerala were self sufficient when it came to milk, egg and vegetables. Each family had one or two cows, a few hens and a vegetable garden. At my grandmother’s place, if it was puttu for breakfast, she could be seen supervising the milking man and her maid while her hand would be busy kneading the puttu dough. She had no time to spare so wherever she went, the vessel accompanied her. She would exchange a bit of gossip with the milking man who comes early in the morning, scold her maid and also try to coax my grandfather to get some fresh fish. Oh! how I miss her still! 

I tried my hand at puttu making only after I got married. All along I thought the secret of a good puttu was to make the dough lump free but that was laid to rest by my FIL. He taught me another secret too, while trying to eat the dry puttu that I had painstakingly made for him. He said it does not have enough water and the secret to gauge it is to take the dough in your palm and press it. If it stays together, then it is done, else you need to add water. Thank you Achaya!

But here in Kuwait all I need is my food processor and the right amount of water. My hands don’t even have to touch the rice powder! Anyway, here’s my puttu made with the smallest puttu maker. More common is the longer ones. Earlier they used to be made with bamboo too.

Puttu or Steamed Rice Cake

Ingredients

1.      Lightly Roasted Rice – 2 cups

2.      Water – ¾ cup

3.      Salt – ½ tspn

4.      Coconut – as per your taste

Knead the dough by adding water in small quantities. Don’t forget to add salt! As I said earlier, you can test the dough by pressing it in your palms. Try to get rid of as much as the lumps to get a smooth puttu or else it will turn out like the puttu provided in school and college hostels! One would need lots of curries or tea to swallow the puttu.

Method

Take the puttu steamer and out a Tspn of coconut. Fill the dough until the brim and top it with more coconut. Once the steam starts coming from the top, wait for 2 minutes and transfer it into a plate. 

Continue this process until you finish the dough. Puttu can be eaten with banana or with curries like black channa or egg roast.

Kerala's Puttu is similar to Assam's Pitha. If you don't have the puttu maker you can steam puttu using a good cloth which is steamed over a narrow necked vessel. Hop over to the following blog to get a better look!

Red Fish Curry

This is one curry which can tickle the palate even before it reaches your mouth. Show me one person who has experienced this curry and not felt this tickling the next time he/she encounters this curry. This curry is unique to central Kerala and every girl from this part of the world learns to cook this curry at least to taste it again. I learned it from my maternal grandmother who was an expert. Most of us have learned cooking from our grandmothers instead of our mothers since we were busy growing up and cooking was the last item in our to-do list. I did it during our yearly vacation at Trivandrum. One can cook any fish this way and if not the fish, the curry would be enough to accompany the rice. Even the fish head cooked this way tastes heavenly. Since fresh water fish is abundant around this area, the “vala” or the fresh water shark’s head is a delicacy. It is told that one would not part with this fish head even to your brother-in-law (Aliyan). Brother-in-laws were once revered, so it seems J. There are many toddy shops which cook this huge head and it was during one of our vacation that I got a chance to taste it. No, I did not go to the toddy shop. This dish was bought home along with a couple of toddy bottles. Unlike the red curry this would be blackish red more so because of the curry leaves that is used abundantly. At my paternal grandmother’s place at Mavelikara, this curry along with other items would be hung on the 3 tiered baskets in the kitchen. This was done to keep the rodents and cats away. This was before the fridge became a necessary item in all kitchens. I am sure my grandmother would have shunned such gadgets since everything was made fresh.

Also, this curry would get that special taste if it is cooked in a mud/clay pot and kept overnight.

Red Fish Curry

Ingredients

1.      Fish - 1/2 kg (Wash well and use lime juice to rid it off any odour)

2.      Shallots/Small onion - 1/4 cup

3.      Garlic - 6-7 cloves

4.      Ginger - 1 inch piece

5.      Chili powder - 2 table spoon

6.      Coriander powder – 1 tspn (optional since coriander powder will not give the curry a longer shelf life)

7.      Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

8.      Fenugreek powder  - 1/2 tspn

9.      Kudampuli/Kokum- 2 (wash and soak in 2 cups of water)

10.  Curry leaves - a handful

11.  Mustard seeds - 1 tspn

12.  Coconut Oil or any oil 

Method

Take a pan and sputter mustard seeds in 2 Tbspn of oil. Fry crushed or thinly sliced Ginger, Garlic and Small onions. You can also grind ¼ inch of ginger and a few garlic cloves along with the powders to give the curry a little thickness. Add this powder mix. Please make sure that you don’t add the powders straight into the oil but atleast mix it with a little water to avoid burning. Once oil starts leaving the mix, pour 2 cups of water along with salt, kokum and curry leaves. Let this mixture boil. When it boils well, add the fish. If the fish needs a little jostling, don’t use a spoon but swish the pot gently. This is to avoid breaking the fish. Reduce the flame and boil until the gravy thickens.

Enjoy!

Ladies Finger (Okra) Pickle

Ladies finger is one vegetable which has not much takers in most household. Mostly because it is slushy in curries. But  it does have a lot of benefits.

Healthbenefits of Okra

• The pods are among the very low calorie vegetables. They provide just 30 calories per 100 g besides containing no saturated fats or cholesterol. Nonetheless, they are rich sources of dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins; often recommended by nutritionists in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs.
  
• The rich fiber and mucilaginous content in okra pods help in smooth peristalsis of digested food particles and relieve constipation condition.
  
• The pods contain healthy amounts of vitamin A, and flavonoid anti-oxidants such as beta carotenes, xanthin and lutein. It is one of the green vegetables with highest levels of these anti-oxidants. These compounds are known to have antioxidant properties and are essential for vision. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural vegetables and fruits rich in flavonoids helps to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
  
• Fresh pods are the good source of folates; provide about 22% of RDA per 100 g. Consumption of foods rich in folates, especially during the pre-conception period helps decrease the incidence of neural tube defects in the offspring.
  
• The gumbo pods are also an excellent source of anti-oxidant vitamin, vitamin-C, providing about 36% of daily-recommended levels. Research suggests that consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop immunity against infectious agents, reduce episodes of cold and cough and protect the body from harmful free radicals.
  
• The veggies are rich in B-complex group of vitamins like niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin and pantothenic acid. The pods also contain good amounts of vitamin K.  Vitamin K is a co-factor for blood clotting enzymes and is required for strengthening of bones.
  
• The pods are an also good source of many important minerals such as iron, calcium, manganese and magnesium.
  

Ladies Finger (Okra) Pickle

 

Ingredients

 

1.      Ladies Finger – 10 Nos.

2.      Big Onions – 4 Nos.

3.      Lemon juice –2 Tbspn

4.      Vinegar – 4 Tbspn

5.      Chilly Powder – 2 Tbspn (adjust according to your taste and the chilly. Use Kashmiri chilly for less heat and more colour)

6.      Asafoetida – a pinch

7.      Fenugreek Powder – ½ Tspn

8.      Salt to taste

Method

Cut onions and ladies finger into thin slices. Add 1 tbspn of oil and fry this mix until slightly brown. Stir frequently to avoid the mixture from sticking to the vessel. When it is sufficiently fried, add all the powders. Fry further. Now add salt, vinegar and lime juice. Test the sourness and add more vinegar if necessary. You can finish at this stage by adding 2 more tbspn of oil or use this oil to fry 1 tbspn each of ginger and garlic along with mustard.

Enjoy!

Tip:

To remove the mushiness one can fry the okra with a little butter milk.

Tapioca and Chutney

Tapioca is a staple food in some regions and is used worldwide as a thickening agent, mainly in foods. Tapioca is gluten-free, almost completely protein-free, and contains practically no vitamins but it does contain a few minerals: mainly calcium and iron.The word tapioca comes from the Brazilian Tupi word "tipi'oca." Ty means "juice," pya, means "heart," and oca, means "remove." Removing the heart and juice of the root is how tapioca is extracted.

I am sure tapioca is one item which cannot be resisted by any Keralite. It is cooked in many ways but the easiest is to boil it and let the accompanying chutneys add extra flavour.

So if you have boiled tapioca at hand, the following are the choice of chutneys that I recommend. Here in Kuwait we get frozen tapioca and all one need to do is boil it. 

The chutney can be red or white.

Red Chutney

Either crush or slice finely small onions. Add a teaspoon of red chilly powder and a small ball of tamarind and enough salt. Knead it well with hand. You can also add a little water. Now add a tablespoon of coconut oil and it is ready to be served.

White Chutney

Finely slice small onions and green chilly. Add enough salt. Add 2 or 3 tablespoon of curd. Mix well and serve.

Not so spicy Chicken Curry

Yes, sometimes I do make non-spicy chicken curry. What I cooked the other day had a mix of many ingredients that made this curry very tasty.

Not so spicy Chicken Curry

Ingredients

 1.      Chicken – 1 Kg

2.      Curd – 2 Tbspn

3.      Coriander Powder – 3 Tspn

4.      Chilly Powder – 2 Tspn

5.      Cumin – 2 ½ Tspn

6.      Turmeric – ½ Tspn

7.      Garam Masala – ½ Tspn

8.      Tomato – 2 Nos.

9.      Coriander leaves – a bunch

10.  Mint leaves – a few

11.  Onion – 2 medium

12.  Ginger and garlic minced – 1 Tbspn each

Method

Cut the chicken into small pieces. Fry chopped onions until lightly brown. Add ginger/garlic and fry until the raw smell leaves. Add all the powders and sauté for a while. Now add the chicken and fry for a while. Mash the tomatoes well in a grinder and add this along with the curd. Leave it in simmer until the chicken is cooked. When the chicken is cooked, add the coriander and mint leaves and switch off the fire after a minute or so. The chicken curry is ready to be had with rice/Chappathi or any kind of bread.

Oroti

Oroti could be the cousin of the more popular Akki Roti. Akki Roti is spicier but the method used for both is similar.

Ingredient

1.      Rice Powder – 2 cups

2.      Boiling Water – 2 Cups

3.      Shredded Coconut – ¼ Cup

4.      Salt to taste

 

Method

 Pour the boiling water over the rice flour and add salt and coconut. Mix it with a spoon and let it cool down enough so that it can be kneaded with the hands. Divide the dough into equal balls and press each down on an oiled surface.

It can also be pressed down on the tava itself. Wet your hands occasionally to make it easier. Place each roti on the tava and close it with a lid. Wait for a few minutes and turn it over. Close it with the lid again.

After a few minutes you can take the lid off and let it get crispy. Since this will take some time, one can have more tava’s if you can spare.


You can have this roti with no accompaniments or like me you can have it with an egg roast.