Palada / Palada Pradhaman / Ada Payasam

Ingredients

• Rice ada (readymade) - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Milk - 1 litre
• Water - 1 cup
• Ghee - 2 teaspoons

Preparation

• Par boil the ada in boiling water for about 4 minutes and drain the water. Keep it aside.
• Heat a wide bottomed vessel and add ghee. When the ghee heats up, add one cup of water. When the water boils, add the milk and let it boil.
• Let the milk boil for some time and reduce by around 20% or until it turns a light pink. Getting light pink color is very hard, but worth a try :)
• Once  it is reduced , add the ada.
• Let it boil in low flame for some more time.
• Now add the sugar and let it cook till the milk reduces to around 50%.
• Check for the required consistency. When you take a little payasam in a ladle and draw a line, there should be a clear line drawn without the payasam joining back. Waiting for that line to appear was fun. You need a lot of patience for that :)
• In the traditional method, as far as I have seen, there is no elaichi or dry fruits added. But I had to add in the dry fruits as my kid will not eat without cashew and dry grapes. 
• Yummy palada payasam is ready.
• Serve it warm or cold.

Kerala Olan

Kerala olan is an extremely easy side dish used in onasadya. Pumpkin and coconut milk are the main ingredients, with little of white pumpkin(ash gourd) and black eyed beans. There are so many variations in preparing olan. My mom-in-law makes it with slightly raw or tender pumpkin. Try out this recipe for this onam. You will get one more variety to add to sadya in just 10 minutes. :)

Ingredients

• Pumpkin ( Mathan cut into small cubes) - 1 cup 
• White Pumpkin (Ash Gourd cut into small cubes) - 1/2 cup
• Soaked and par-boiled black eyed beans - 1/2 cup
• Green Chilli - 3 (slit lengthwise)
• Thin Coconut milk - 1 cup
• Thick coconut milk - 1/2 cup
• salt - to taste
• coconut oil - 1 tablespoon
• curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Preparation

•  Add the cut vegetables, par-boiled black eyed beans with salt, green chillies and thin coconut milk and let it cook.
• Make sure the vegetables are just done. Do not let it get mashed.
• Once the vegetables are cooked, put the stove in low flame and add the thick coconut milk.
• Just heat it through and put off the stove and transfer it to the serving dish.
• Drizzle the coconut oil and add the curry leaves.
• Close and keep it till you serve.
• Just before serving, mix it well and serve it with steamed rice. 

Beetroot Pachadi (Beetroot with yoghurt)

I usually prepare pineapple pachadi for any sadya. Thats because, I think, it is exotic to have a pineapple dish when you invite people over for sadya. But today I am presenting you with beetroot pachadi. Till I made this, I did not think it to be a good candidate for guests. But after making it, I really feel it is very delicious and as different as pineapple pachadi :) . So, decided to add this to the menu of my next sadya.

Ingredients

• Beetroot - 1 medium sized
• thick curd - 1/2 cup
• coconut grated - 1/2 cup
• cumin seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• green chilli - 3
• ginger - 1/2 inch piece
• salt - as per taste
• turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

For tempering:

• Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• Red chilli - 2 
• Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
• Coconut Oil - 1 teaspoon

Preparation

• Grate the beetroot.
• Take the grated beetroot in a bowl with very little water, add turmeric powder and salt and let it cook.
• Grind coconut , green chili, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and ginger with very little water  into a fine thick paste.
• Once the beetroot is cooked, keep it in very low flame and add the coconut mixture.
• Keep on stirring it in low flame  and let it cook for 5 minutes.
• Now, add the beaten curd and stir it continuously. Do not allow it to boil.
• Once it is heated throughly, transfer it to a serving bowl.
• Keep a kadai in stove and add coconut oil. Once the oil is heated, add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
• Then, add whole red chilliesand curry leaves. 
• Add this to the pachadi.
• Mix and serve it with steamed rice.

Kalan / Kaalan

Kalan is an important item in Onam sadhya. It is so simple to make and very delicious. Now that Onam is coming in few days, I am all excited to cook a feast and do the Pookalam. Now let us see how to make kaalan .

Ingredients

Raw Banana - 1 ( cut into small cubes)

Yam - 1 small piece ( cut into small cubes)

Coconut - 1/2 shell ( grated)

thick curd - 1 cup

Green chilli - 1 or 2

Cumin seeds - 1/4 teaspoon

Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon

Methi seeds (uluva) - 1/4 teaspoon

curry leaves - 3 sprigs

coconut oil - 1 tablespoon

Red chilli - 4

Preparation

Take the banana and yam pieces in a bowl with little water and let it cook.

Add turmeric powder and pepper powder along with the vegetables.

Grind coconut , green chili and cumin seeds with very little water  into a fine thick paste.

Mix the coconut paste with the beaten curd.The mixture should be thick.

Once the vegetables are cooked, keep it in very low flame and add the coconut and curd mixture.

Keep on stirring it in low flame  and let it cook for 5 minutes.

Transfer it to a serving bowl.

Keep a kadai in stove and add coconut oil. Once the oil is heated, add mustard seeds and let it splutter.

Then, add whole red chillies , curry leaves and methi seeds. 

Add this to the kaalan. 

Stir it while serving and have it with steamed rice.

Unniappam / Neyappam

This is, as usual, an easy and instant unniappam recipe using rice flour. In case you want to do the traditional way , you need to use raw rice and soak it overnight and then grind it. I will add that version of unniappam very soon . But I liked this way, it came out perfectly well. The main thing to note is how much water to add to the flour.

Ingredients

• Rice Flour - 1 cup
• Jaggery (powdered) - 1 cup
•  Ripe banana - 3 small ( mash it or blend it very well )
• Baking Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Oil - As required
• water - 1 cup
• cardamom(powdered) - 1/4 teaspoon
• Coconut (cut into tiny pieces) - 2 inch piece

Preparation

                        

• Melt the jaggery adding 1 cup of water and strain it.
• Fry the coconut pieces in a little ghee.
• Take the rice flour, baking powder, cardamom and mashed bananas in a bowl and mix it.
• Pour the melted jaggery little by little and mix the flour well making sure there are no lumps.
• Mix the coconut pieces.
• Heat the appam or paniyaara pan in the stove. Add oil liberally in each of the hole in the pan.
• Fill 3/4 th of each hole with the batter.
• Let it cook in low flame. Once it becomes brown in color, flip it over and let the other side get cooked well.
• Once both sides turn brown, remove from pan and drain it a paper towel.
• Yummy and delicious unniappams are ready to be devoured :)

Instant Mango Pickle

Mango Pickle

This recipe is from my mom-in-law. I was just clicking away photos while she was preparing it.Oh! It is so good to just click photos and blog for a change rather than do it all by myself ;) .

Ingredients:

• Raw Mango - 1
• Salt - 1 teaspoon (or as per taste)
• Chilly Powder - 2 teaspoons
• Asafoetida - 1/2 teaspoon
• Fenugreek Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Oil - 2 teaspoons

For tempering/tadka:

• Oil - 2 teaspoons
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Curry leaves - 6
• Asafoetida powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Fenugreek powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Preparation:

• Cut the mango into very small pieces.
• Add salt
• Add chilly powder
• Add asafoetida powder and fenugreek powder
• Add oil.
• Mix all of them together.
• Keep it covered for 2 hours.

• Heat a pan and add oil.
• Once oil is heated, add mustard seeds
• Once the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves, asafoetida powder and fenugreek powder.
• Stir it for few seconds and then put off the stove.
• Once this cools, add the mango pieces and mix well.
• Store it in an airtight container.

This pickle is very yummy and goes very well with sambhar rice , curd rice, dal rice etc..

Mango Pickle

Parippu Pradhaman

Ingredients:

Split yellow moong dal - 1 cup

Jaggery - 3/4 cup

Ghee - 2 teaspoons

Cashewnuts - 1 handful ( cut into small pieces)

Raisins - 1 handful

Coconut Milk - 400 ml can (around 1 and 1/2 cups)

Dried coconut - 1 inch piece (optional)

Preparation:

• Roast the moong dal in a little ghee till it becomes light brown in color.
• Let it cool.
• Fry the cashew nuts and raisins in ghee and keep them aside.
• Wash the cooled moong dal and cook it in pressure cooker for one whistle.
• Once the pressure subsides, open the cooker and transfer it to heavy bottomed pan.
• Melt the jaggery in another pan with a little water and filter it.
• Add the filtered jaggery to the dal and cook it in low flame for 5 minutes.
• Add half of the coconut milk mixed with half cup water to the dal.
• Let it come to a boil. Stir it well and cook it in low flame for around 10 minutes.
• Now add the remaining coconut milk and bring it to a boil.
• Add the fried cashew nuts and raisins and mix them well.
• Cut the dried coconut into small pieces and fry in ghee and add it
• Put off the flame and serve it warm or at room temperature.

Aviyal

There has been lot of requests from my friends for this recipe and has been in my list of recipes to post, for a long long time.Finally I got the chance to post this Aviyal recipe. I just love this dish because of its simplicity(except for the unlimited number of veggies to cut) and that particular taste of all veggies mixed together with coconut.I really love love love this. And of course it is very very healthy.You can go on eating this without any guilt.

I always used to admire the uniformity in which all the vegetables are cut for this recipe during any sadhya. All veggies will be almost of the same length , breadth and width (all other dimensions) and yet all cooked so perfect.

Ingredients:

Drumstick - 1 (cut into 1 inch pieces)

Raw Banana - 1 (cut into 1 inch pieces)

White Pumpkin (cut into 1 inch pieces) - 1 cup

Cluster Beans (Kothavaraikkai) (cut into 1 inch pieces) - 1 cup

Yam (cut into 1 inch pieces) - 1 cup (optional)

Carrot - 2 (cut into 1 inch pieces)

Raw Mango - 1/2 (cut into 1 inch pieces) (optional)

Green chillies - 2 (slit lengthwise)

curd - 1/4 cup

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon ( optional)

coconut oil - 1 tablespoon

salt - as per taste

curry leaves - 2 sprigs

To Grind:

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Preparation:

• Cook all vegetables with water , salt and turmeric powder(if using).
• Cook the vegetables as per their cooking time. Add the carrot, cluster beans and drumsticks first.LEt them cook till they are half done.Add other vegetables at this stage. Let all the vegetables get just cooked enough.They should not get mushy.
• If the veggies are cooked and lot of water is remaining, just remove the extra water. You can use up that water by adding to dal / sambhar etc. Just make sure that there is no extra water in the veggies.
• Grind the coconut and cumin seeds and green chillies together.Do not add more water.It should be a dry coarse paste.
• Add this coconut mixture into the vegetables and stir well.
• Once coconut is cooked, add the beaten curd and mix it couple of times.
• Then add coconut oil and curry leaves and mix well.
• Put off the flame.

Note:

• I did not add turmeric powder as I wanted white color aviyal. You can add if you wish to.
• I did not add yam and raw mangos in the aviyal that I made.

Mathan Erissery / Yellow Pumpkin Erissery

Mathan (Pumpkin) Erissery is a simple dish which goes well with steamed rice.I like it because it is very easy to make and at the same time, you get the satisfaction of eating an healthy meal.

Ingredients required for Mathan Erissery:

• Mathan (Pumpkin) - 200 grams
• Cocount - 1 cup grated
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

For seasoning:

• Oil - 1 tablespoon (preferably coconut oil)
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• Curry leaves - few sprigs
• Red Chillies - 2

Preparation of Mathan Erissery:

• Cut pumpkin into 1 inch pieces and boil them in 2 cups of water by adding salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
• Once it is cooked, mash it a little.
• In the meantime, grind grated coconut along with cumin seeds to a fine paste.
• Add this coconut mixture to the pumpkin and boil it for around 10 minutes in low heat.Stir it frequently.

• Put off the flame.
• In a pan, heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds , cumin seeds , curry leaves and red chillies.
• Add the seasoning to the pumpkin erissery after transferring it to the serving bowl.
• Mix well and serve it with hot steamed rice, pappad and pickle.

Notes:

• You can add green chillies along with coconut and grind it instead of using red chilli powder.
• You can use raw banana , yam etc for making this erissery.

Cabbage Thoran

Wondering why it is "thoran" instead of "poriyal"? :)  Its because I am making it in my hubby's country!!! (God's own country :) ) style.

Ingredients:

 Cabbage - 1 small
Grated coconut - 2 tablespoons
Green chillies - 2 (or) As per taste
Curry leaves - few
salt to taste
mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
cumin seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
pearl onion - 3 (Can substitute with a small piece of big onion)
Oil - 1 tablespoon.


Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds , cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add finely chopped onion, green chillies (slit lengthwise), curry leaves and sitr for few minutes. Once the onions turn transparent in color, add the chopped and washed cabbage, salt and close it and cook it for a few minutes.After couple of miutes, remove the lid and stir the cabbage for few minutes.If you add more water, the cabbage will turn soggy. So, cook it only by sprinkling a very little water if required. Once it has cooked and the water has dried up, add the grated coconut and stir it till it is mixed well.
You can add turmeric powder in case you like yellow colored cabbage.

Sambhar

Sambhar - This is like the mom of the house. Always taken for granted :). But there is nothing else that makes a dish tastier like sambhar ;). Be it idli , dosa , vada , pongal , upma , rice etc etc. Even curd rice tastes better when a little sambhar is added to it :) . These dishes are not complete without sambhar.

A lot of vegetables can be added to sambhar. Some examples are Brinjal(Egg plant) , Drumsticks , white pumpkin, sambhar cucumber, radish, potato, beans, carrot etc.

From my personal experience brinjal and drumsticks sambhar is the best tasting sambhar. No matter what vegetable you add to the sambhar, just add one drumstick(cut into finger size) in that. The sambhar will dramatically taste a lot better.

In US, getting fresh drumsticks is not possible. SO I always keep a frozen bag of drumsticks.Whenever I make sambhar, I just thaw a few pieces of drumstick and add them to the vegetables.

Ingredients:
Tour dal - 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
garlic - 3 pods
Onion - few pearl onions or 1/2 big onion
Tomato - 1 large
Vegetables - one or more of the given vegetables cut into 1 inch pieces.
Drumstick - 1 (cut into finger sized pieces)
sambhar powder - 1 heaped teaspoon
chilli powder - 1/4 teaspoon(optional)
salt - as per taste
tamarind - 1 level teaspoon paste or 1 big goosebery size ball.

For seasoning:
mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
curry leaves - 1 sprig
asafoetida powder - 1/4 teaspoon
coriander leaves for garnishing  - few

Preparation:

1. Pressure cook dal with the turmeric powder and garlic.
2. Mash the dal and keep it aside. 
3. Cut big onion into slices. If the pearl onions are very big, then you might have to cut them into two.
4. Cut tomato into chunks.
5. In a sauce pan, add onions, tomato , vegetables.Add 1 cup of water, salt and sambhar powder.Add chilli powder if you are using. I do not use chilli powder as the sambhar powder I use has enough spice in it.
6. Let it cook for few minutes. Once the vegetables are half cooked, add the mashed dal, mix it well and add the tamarind water or paste.Add little more water if required.
7. Let it boil in medium heat. Let the vegetables cook thoroughly.
8. It will take around 20 minutes(depending on the veggies) for it to be done.
9. Once the vegetables are cooked and soft, put off the flame.
10. In a kadai, heat some oil and add mustard seeds,asafoetida powder,curry leaves.
11. Stir them and add to the sambhar.
12. Then add freshly chopped coriander leaves on top for garnishing.
13. Mix it with hot steamed rice and ghee(optional) and enjoy it.

Notes:

• Adding garlic while cooking dal is supposed to remove the gas from the dal.
• Double check while adding tamarind water. Add a little, taste and then add more if required.
• I use Sakthi sambhar powder.

Raw banana fry

Ingredients:

Raw banana - 2 Nos

Small Onion(Pearl Onion) - 4 Nos

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

salt to taste

Green chillies - 2

Turmeric Powder - a pinch

Remove the skin of the raw banana and cut them into small pieces.Soak them in water so that it doesn't turn black. 

Peel and cut the pearl onions into small pieces.You can substitute pearl onions with big onion in case you cannot find pearl onions.

Slit the green chillies length wise.

Heat the pan and add oil.Once the oil is heated, add mustard seeds, then cumin seeds.Add cut onions, green chillies and curry leaves and stir them a little.Add a pinch of salt for the onions.Once the onions turn transparent, add in the cut banana pieces.Add the turmeric powder.Stir it for a minute and cover and cook for few minutes until they are soft. Do not add water. Remove the cover and stir them for one more minute. You can make it a little crispy if you like it.

Yogurt/Buttermilk Curry

Yogurt is one of the things which is always there at our home - no matter what. When I do not have the mood to cook elaborate, I make this simple curry as this can be done in 10 minutes. There are two versions of this curry. One is the authentic curry with coconut paste. The other improvised(!! aka lazy :) ) version with no coconut. I will give the recipe for no coconut version here.

Ingredients:

1. white pumpkin or round cucumber(sambhar cucumber)
2. salt to taste
3. turmeric powder
4. chilli powder
5. curd - 1 cup

For seasoning:

1. Oil (coconut oil will be tastier)
2. Mustard seeds
3. Fenugreek(Methi) seeds
4. Red chilli - 3
4. Curry leaves


Cut the white pumpkin into small pieces. Add water, turmeric powder , chilli powder and salt to the pumpkin pieces and let it cook till the pieces become soft.Let it cool down a little.
Whisk the curd. Make sure you add only a very little water to the curd.The whisked curd needs to be thick and smooth. Add the curd to the cooked white pumpkin keeping the pan in very low heat. Keep on stirring till the curd gets nicely mixed and heated through. Do not let the curry to boil.Put off the flame. Add oil to a pan, once the oil is heated well, add mustard seeds, methi seeds, red chillies and few curry leaves and let them splutter. Pour the seasoning on top of the curry. Coconut oil adds a very nice aroma and flavor.