Vendakka Mezhukkuparatti~Ladies finger stir fry!

This recipe is actually long overdue..something my brother was asking for quite some time now. So, this one's for you, R! In fact, I actually made this for Onam. Normally, cabbage stir fry is the general stir fry but variety is the spice of life, don't you  agree?? :)

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

• 1/4 kilo ladies finger, cut into quarter inch pieces
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons red chilly powder
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala (all spice) powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons oil (Any type refined oil or coconut oil)
• Curry leaves to garnish

RECIPE

• Heat oil in a frying pan. To this add the onion along with salt and saute.
• Once onion turns translucent, add the ladies finger and fry for about 5-6 minutes or till the stickiness disappears.
• Now add all the powders except for the garam masala.
• Close the pan for about 5 minutes and stir in between to ensure that the ladies finger dont stick to the bottom.
• Finally add the garam masala and garnish with curry leaves.

Easy right? In fact, you dont even need to add onions if you dont want to. So here's the pic...

Till next time, adios amigos!

Naranga Curry ~ Lemon Curry!

O--Ormayude
N--Nanmayude
A--Aghoshangalude
M--Malayaliyude

Onam Varavayi !!!

In simple words, Happy Onam guys!!! . So, I'm sure you are probably busy preparing the sadya, or in my case, eating one..he he!!

My all time must have accompaniment with practically anything has to be pickle. This infact is a pickle too, but not with all the preservatives involved. Nevertheless, it's a must have for an onam sadya. So here we go...
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INGREDIENTS (Serves 6-10 people)

• 1 big lime (vadagapuli naranga) or 2 small lemons, cut into small pieces and remove the seeds
• 2 garlic pods, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons red chilly powder
• 1 teaspoon hing/kayam/asafoeteda
• 2 green chillies finely chopped
• 1 lime sized tamarind ball soaked in 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 teaspoon jaggery (optional)
• Coconut oil/Gingelly oil- 1 tablespoon
• Salt to taste

For garnish

• Mustard seeds- 1 teaspoon
• Dry red chilies- 2
• Curry leaves- 1 or 2 sprigs
• Coconut oil- 1 tablespoon

METHOD

• Heat a tablespoon of oil. To this add the green chilies and lime pieces on a low flame till the juices ooze out from the lime.
• Now add the turmeric, chilly and hing powders and fry for a few seconds.
• Add the tamarind water and salt. Let this boil for a minute.
• Now add the jaggery. This is purely optional, but highly recommended. Boil for another minute and switch off the flame.
• For the garnish, heat a tablespoon of oil and splutter mustard seeds.
• Add the dry red chillies and curry leaves and fry for a minute.
• Switch off the flame, pour this over the lime curry and cover immediately.

Notes

• Always prepare the lime curry a day in advance so that all the flavors set in. 
• This does not need to be kept in the fridge, however, if you do so, ensure that you do not heat  it before serving, else it will get spoilt.
• Normally, people prepare lime curry using gingelly or sesame oil (nalla enna). I did not coz mom told me that it was not necessary. The curry tasted good even after using coconut oil.
• Do not cook the lemon for long, else the curry will turn bitter.

Time for the pics...

And a top view

How does it look? Do let me know your thoughts and feed back. Once again, here's wishing you all the happiness, joy and prosperity this harvest festival brings you!

Onashamsakal!

Ulli sambar!

I know this is going to sound really weird, but this is the sambar that I made for Onam...and it actually turned out good! In fact, this is the very first time I made sambar..ever!!! And I didnt hear too many complaints, in fact I can proudly say that it finished pretty quickly :). The only tough part would be peeling each of the shallots individually, but if they are big enough, it should'nt take too long. I was intending to make the sambar the day before, but mom told me to do it on the day we were serving the sadya because sambar tends to get thick as time flies. So, here we are! This recipe is courtesy Easy Cooking which is now officially one of my all time fave blogs! I have made a few changes though, not too many. Do check out her semiya kheer and pal ada payasam recipes..they are simply the best! For now, please don't ignore poor old me...On to the recipe!

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6-9)

• Shallots/Pearl Onions/Kochu ulli- 1 cup (approximately 25- 30), peeled and slit into 2 or 3 slices through the middle
• Toor dal- 1/2 cup
• Green chillies- 3, slit through the middle
• Tomato- 1 medium sized, chopped roughly into cubes
• Tamarind/Valan puli- 1 lime sized ball soaked in a half cup of hot water for 15 minutes
• Sambar powder- 3 teaspoons
• Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
• Asafoeteda/Hing//Kayam- A pinch
• Jaggery- 1 teaspoon (optional)- I did not use this
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves- For garnish

For tempering

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil/1 tablespoon ghee
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• A pinch of fenugreek seeds/uluva
• 2 dry red chillies
• Curry leaves- A sprig or 2

METHOD

• Add the toor dal along with the tomato, green chilies, a few curry leaves, a few coriander leaves, turmeric powder, salt to taste and a cup of water to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook this for up to 4 whistles.
• Ina  saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons of coconut oil and a teaspoon of ghee. Alternatively, you can use just the oil.
• Saute the shallots for about 5-7 minutes till they start to change color and the raw smell disappears.
• Add the sambar powder, hing and salt and saute fora  few seconds.
• Add the tamarind water and the cooked dal mixture.
• Bring this to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes or till you reach the consistency of your choice.
• If adding jaggery, add at this stage.
• In a separate pan, heat the oil/ghee, splutter mustard seeds followed by the fenugreek seeds, chillies and curry leaves.
• Pour this over the sambar, garnish with coriander leaves and cover immediately. 

Sambar tends to thicken as time passes. Prior to serving the sambar, in case you feel it's too thick, pour some water from the kettle to loosen it a bit. Remember to use only hot water, else the taste changes.

Delicious onion sambar is ready!! Ready for the pics? Here we go...

And another...

So, what do you think? This is an easy breezy sambar with absolutely no veggies, but that is still scrumptious. So do try it out and let me know it turns out.

Onashamsakal!

Kalan~ Raw banana in a yogurt based gravy!

So, my very first Onam recipe for you guys. Kalan is normally made using raw banana and elephant yam, however, here, I have used only raw banana. You can use also use a medium ripe banana to get a  sweeter taste. Incidentally, I made this the night before and did not even keep it in the fridge, coz mom told me not to, and the curry tasted just as good. Am very happy to say that there were no leftovers :P. Not so bad for a first timer, he he..!! It is Onam, I am allowed to blow my own horn. By the way, this was the first dish I made for Onam.

Enough with the chit chat, on to the recipe...

INGREDIENTS (Serves6-9)

• Raw banana (pachha kaya) or medium ripe banana- 1
• Freshly grated coconut- 6 tablespoons
• Curd- 6 tablespoons
• Green chilies- 3, slit through the middle
• Pepper powder- 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin Seeds- 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Ghee- 1 teaspoon
• Hot water- 1/2 cup

For tempering

• Mustard seeds- 1 teaspoon
• Dry red chilies- 2
• Curry leaves- 1 or 2 sprigs
• Shallots- 2 (optional)
• Coconut oil- 1 tablespoon

METHOD

• Cut the raw banana through the middle and then chop into cubes. In order to preserve their color, put them in water to which a pinch of turmeric has been added. If you are going to cook this immediately, avoid this step.
• Cook this with water, turmeric powder and pepper powder. Do not add salt else the vegetable will not get cooked. This should take 15-20 minutes on a low flame.
• In the mean time, grind the coconut, green chilies and cumin with the curd. Do not add any water.
• After the banana is cooked, add the salt and ghee. Ensure that all the water is evaporated.
• Now add the coconut-curd mixture. Ensure this does not boil, just heat it through for a couple of minutes, else the curd will curdle. Switch off the flame once done.
• In a separate pan, heat the oil and splutter mustard seeds, followed by the dry red chilies and curry leaves. 
• Pour this over the kalan and cover it instantly so that it does not lose it's smell or flavor.

Tada, the kalan is ready!! On to\the pictures...

And another one...

Thank you so much Naveen for the lovely clicks..!! So what do you guys think? Do try it out and let me know how it turns out!

Onashamsakal!

Happy Onam~ Onashamsakal!!

Hello darlings!! Here's wishing you all the blessings and happiness that the beautiful festival of Onam bestows upon us! For those of my non Keralite friends, a little bit of background information.

Onam is the "harvest festival" of Kerala, India. During this festival, we celebrate the homecoming of the mythical king, Mahabali. The festival lasts a total of 10 days, and during each of these 10 days, there are different activities and events performed. One of the most significant parts of Onam is the traditional "Pookalam" or the "Flower carpet" that the ladies of the house design in front of their houses, as a welcome to the king.

And of course, another perhaps even more important aspect is the traditional meal, the "Ona sadya". This meal is served on a traditional banana leaf and is made of vegetables freshly harvested.

This Onam was very special to me because for the very first time, together with my sister in law, the 2 of us made a full fledged traditional meal. And trust me, no one had complaints!

 So, I shall be posting the recipes in the next few posts. I know Onam is only on Monday but here's wishing all you advance Onashamsakal!!

God bless!