Pazha Norukku / Pazha Nurukku

Pazha Norukku / Nurukku is one of the servings done for Ona Sadhya. A sweet dish made out of the special banana of Kerala 'Nendram Pazham' that is fully ripe.  It is also prepared on ordinary days as a snack and served along with salted accompaniments like fried kerala papad or banana chips.

The dish is very simple to prepare.

You will need :- (4-5 pieces)

1. Nendram Pazham (Etha pazham) - 1 No. (big)
2. Jaggery (shredded)  - 1.5 tbsp
3. Salt - a pinch
4. Water to boil the banana
5. Ghee - 1 tsp (optional)

Procedure :-

• Wash the nendram banana and wipe it dry.

• Cut the banana into equal pieces (4 ot 5 pieces) with skin

• Boil water, add jaggery, a pinch of salt and the cut banana (with skin)

• Cook till the banana is done and the water reudces and the Melted jaggery syrup coat the bananas like a glazy sauce. 

• Add ghee, gently mix without breaking the bananas.

• Pazha Norukku / Pazha nurukku is ready!

• It is served with papadam (kerala fried papad) or Kai varathadhu (Banana chips). A bite of salty papadam / chip, a bite of the sweet pazha nurkku... what a combo!

Kurukku Kaalan

A tongue tickling recipe from God's Own Country which will make you crave for more and  more. This is one of the items served during a Onam Feast. Sour curd is used and it is boiled and reduced till thick. Hence the name kurukku  kaalan (kurukku - reduced). Whether it is milk or curd / buttermilk, when reduced they make the dish even more aromatic and interesting in taste.

In the olden days, left over curd is collected in a separate vessel which turns sour and then used for this recipe.  Kachchati (veseel made out of stone) is used to prepare it. The love & care our mothers & grandmas took in preparing it gives it a heavenly taste. That taste is unbeatable and is missing in today's kaalan made on stove top using stainless steel vessels mm....................Mira going nostalgic!

The way the Kaalan making process was described by the elders in the family always make my mouth water and crave to have some immediately right from my childhood days!

Let's get into kaalan making!

Vegetables that can be used for this recipe :- Raw Banana, Elephant Yam, Ashgourd (Kachcha kela / suran / white bhopla) [Vazhakka, Chenai, Elavan] . You may use any one or combo of all. I used Elephant yam for this recipe.

Ingredients :-

1. Elephant Yam - 1 cup
2. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
3. Sour Beaten curd - 2.5 cup
4. Grated coconut - 3/4 cup
5. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
6. Peppercorn - 1 tsp
7. Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
8. Green chillies - 2 nos (or as preferred)
9. Dried Red Chillies - 2 Nos.
10. Curry Leaves - two sprigs
11. Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
12. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Procedure :

• Peel and cut the yam into cubes

•  Wash well to remove any sand particle that may remain 

• Transfer to a thick bottomed cooking vessel

•  Beat the sour curd well and keep ready

• Dry roast fenugreek seeds tilll they release nice aroma. 

• Cut the dry red chillies into two (or you may retain it whole)

•  Grind together Grated Coconut, roasted fenugreek seeds, Green Chillies, Black Peppercorns and 6-7 nos. curry leaves together into a nice & thick paste adding little water. 

• Use medium to slow flame in the cooking process which will give good taste to the dish.

• To the yam, add turmeric powder, salt and water that is enough to submerge the yam cubes and cook till the water dries up.

• Now add the beaten curd and cook on low flame and keep stirring in between. Cook till the curd level is reduced and the gravy becomes thick.

• At this stage, add the ground coconut masala, adjust the salt and mix well. Bring to boil till foam forms on top.

• Remove from heat.

• Tempering :- Heat coconut oil, add Mustard seeds. When the seeds starts spluttering, add dried red chillies, 8 nos. curry leaves and add this to the prepared kurukku kaalan.

 Yummy kurkku Kaalan is ready!

This is served as a side dish for feasts (sadhya) but can also be mixed with plain rice and had. I enjoy it even with dosai and chapathis. So why wait for special feast time, make and enjoy it at any time of the year like me :-)

No season or reason for a foodie to enjoy good food!

Banana Chips (nendran kaai varathadu)

Crispy Chips always give you a good company whether you chat or watching your favourite programme in TV.  An all time favourite to one and all.

Made some crispy chips using raw banana (nendran variety) - big kela.

The speciaility of this chip is it is made using a special banana called 'nendran' (big kela), bright yellow in colour and fried in coconut oil which makes it even more attractive, flavourful & tasty which makes you crave for more, more and more...........

Ingredients :

1. Raw banana - 4 nos
2. Water - 1/4 cup
3. Salt - 1.5 tsp
4. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Oil for frying

Procedure :-

• Wash and pat dry the banana. Peel (preserve this as we can make a nice & yummy dry subzi / Thoran out of it)

• Dissolve Turmeric Powder and Salt in 1/4 cup water

• Make thin round slices using a chips grater. the pieces will stick to each other. separate them and keep 10 - 15 pieces ready for each batch to fry or you can put them in water, then drain, spread on a clean kitchen towel, let it dry and then fry them.

• Heat coconut oil (don;t take it to smoking point)

• spread kitchen towel or newspaper into a basin & keep ready

• Keep in medium flame & deep fry the grated bananas when they turn 1/2 crisp, sprinkle some turmeric water into it and fry till water evaporates completely & chips becomes crisp and put them over the kitchen towel for the excess oil to get absorbed into the towel.

• Yummy banana chips is ready! Store it in an air tight container by spreading a piece of paper at the bottom.

Now sit back, relax and enjoy the crispy chips that melts into your mouth :D

Mampazha Pulissery - Ripe Mango Khadi

The aroma, sweetness & royal colour of mango blended with spices, coconut oil & sour curd makes it the king of all dishes. Aboslutely royal and stunning dish from God's Own Country the greener of green India - Kerala!

Ingredients :

1. Ripe Mango - 3 Nos (flavourful & sweet mango variety of your region)
2. Sour thick buttermilk - 1 cup
3. Grated coconut - 1 cup
4. Red chillies - 4 nos
5. Peppercorns - 1 tsp
6. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
7. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
8. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Salt to taste
10. Sugar - 3 tsp (or to taste)

Tempering :-

1. Coconut Oil - 1 & 1/2 tbsp 
2. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
3. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Procedure :-

• Slice the mangoes with skin. Remove skin from few pieces and keep it aside. this we are going to use at the finishing stage of the dish for garnishing.

• Boil mango pieces with skin (this will emit complete flavour of mango) adding 2 and 1/2 tea cups of water, salt and turmeric powder. Once cooked, remove skin from the mango pieces and let it cool separately.

• Dry roast Fenugreek (methi) seeds till they turn light brown in colour, powder it using mortar & pestle (or prepare and powder it in large quantity & store in an air tight container to use in khadis & other preparations)

• In a small pan, heat 1/2 tsp coconut oil and roast the red chillies (this will give nice flavour to the dish)

• Grind coconut, Cumin seeds, Red Chillies, Peppercorns together adding water to a smooth paste (you can use the water in which mango is boiled)

• Mash the boiled mango pieces and add the ground masala paste to it, add sugar, roasted fenugreek seed powder and boil

• Add the thick & sour buttermilk & cook on medium flame  stirring continuosly for 4 min or till foam forms on top.

• Remove from flame and temper with mustard seeds & curry leaves in coconut oil and add to the dish.

•  Now add the saved ripe mango pieces to garnish the dish.

• Tounge tickling royal pulissery is ready to make you drool :p

Mezhukupirati / mezhukuvarati is the best side dish for this. Fried Kerala Urad Papad is added bonus!

 

Puli Inji - tounge tickling side dish

Puli inji or inji puli AKA Pulikachal takes its place on a feast menu. The toungue tickler serves a good aid for digestion after a heavy meal. Goes well traditional main course rice dishes, curd rice, chapathi, dosa, etc

Ginger : Root Spice gives fragrance to any dish it is added to. Used in western as well as in Asian Cuisine.  Helps control lipids and free radicals.  Helps ease muscle pain, when had with a combination of hot water & lime it helps in weightloss as well as control blood cholestrol....helps to control nauseas, gas etc. however, it should be avoided while having acidity.

Tamarind: sour & slightly sweet fruit aids digestion. It is used around the world for various medicinal purposes. Anything in excess is not good. So eat it moderately. Always buy old tamarind which are dark in colour and will act friendly on your stomach. Its toungue tickling taste will make you crave for more....

Ingredients :

1. 2 Cups - Tamarind Extract (thick)
2. 1/3 cup - Jaggery (grated)
3. 1/4 cup - Finely chopped Ginger
4. 3 tbsp - Gingely Oil
5. 1 tsp  - Asafoetida
6. 1/2 tsp - Turmeric Powder
7. 2 Nos. - Green Chillies
8. 1/2 tsp - Red Chilli Powder
9. Salt to taste
10. 1 spring - Curry leaves
11. 1 tsp - Mustard seeds
12. 1/2 tsp - Chana dal  

Procedure :-

• Finely chop ginger and green chillies. Grate Jaggery.
• Heat oil in a wok, add mustard seeds. When they start crackling add chana dal.
• When dal turns golden colour, add curry leaves, green chillies and ginger pieces
• saute for 1 minute

• Add the Tamarind extract, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, grated jaggery, Asagfoetida, Salt to taste, Mix well.

• When it starts boiling, simmer the flame and let it cook for 20 minutes or till the oil separate and a thick consitency is formed. stir in between occasionally. [the aroma it spreads across the air will make everyone go gastronomic]

• Mouthwatering inji puli recipe is ready to kindle the intestinal juices.

easy mango curry - pickle (manga kari)

Sharing an easy pickle with you. It don't require any tempering and use few simple ingredients. It comes handy when you want an instant pickle for quick use.

It makes an excellent accompaniment for the curd rice & add twist in taste in feasts. One of my favourite. It tastes the best using coconut oil as it the important flavouring ingredient other than mango.

This is low shelf life. So refrigerate & consume within 3 days.

Ingredients :-

1. Raw Mango - 1 no (thothapuri / kilimooku mangai are the best)
2. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (or as per taste)
3. salt to taste
4. Coconut oil - 1.5 tbsp

Procedure :- 

• Cut the raw mango into small cubes
• Mix in salt, red chilli powder, coconut oil to it. 
• Easy simple pickle is ready to eat.

You can use other variety of raw mangoes too but Less sour ones suits best for this recipe.

You can even use the partially ripen mango as it tickles the toungue with a combination of the slight sweet taste.

Milk Kheer / Paal Paayasam/ Paalada Pradhaman

A simple sweet dish which suits any occasions using milk, sugar, white rice / rice ada.

The speciality of the dish is the aroma, colour and taste which arises during the process of caramelising the milk  in a pressure cooker / stove top. Stove top demands continuous stirring. You can save your labour and time yet get the same tasty payasam using pressure cooking method.

To avoid spillage inside the cooker, put a heavy bowl inside the payasam.

It takes some time to make this dish to perfection but the taste and appreciation is worth all the sweat you have put in with love and dedication.

Rice ada (you get in all kerala stores), boil water, put off flame, wash ada and put it into the hot water, keep it covered for 10 minutes. Drain, wash in cold water, leave it to drain.

Ingridients : 

1. Milk - 1 litre
2. Rice Ada - 1 cup (or white rice)
3. Sugar - 3 tea cups sugar or more as per your preference
4. Water

Procedure :-

•  Prepare the rice or rice ada as mentioned above.

• In a pressure cooker,  keep the vessel of milk, put a heavy katori / bowl / spoon (should be heavy) inside to prevent spilling. put the weight. When pressure builds up, lower the flame and cook for 25 minutes.

• this slow cooking process will help the milk caramelise. This saves your labour of stirring continuously which is must when cooked on a stove top.

• When the pressure comes down, open the cooker, take out the vessel. Now the milk would have turned into pink colour.

• To that Add the prepared rice or ada, cook on stove top stirring frequently (to prevent getting burnt) on low flame for 15 more minutes as the ada or rice added should become transparent and be seen through the pink coloured milk. [don't think it is labourious. you are spending only 15 min]

• then put off the flame. sit comfortably under a fan, and keep stirring for another 10 minutes [this work you can give it to your children or your husband ;-) ] At this time, you can even adjust the sugar level if you prefer more sweet.

• Then to prevent malai (paaledu) forming on top, take a big kadai, pour normal water in it, keep the vessel with kheer inside (partially immersed) for another 10 minutes which will reduce the heat further thus prevent the malai formation and also brings it to the temeperature fit to consume.

• Your yummy paal paayasam / milk kheer is ready. 

Note :

• This kind of kheer don't require tempering of nuts & raisins in ghee
• It will not get spoilt easily
• If served chilled - makes a very very yummy dessert

Variety of payasams that we can make using this caramelising method is Rice, Semiya (seviyan) and Sabudana.

If you are using semiya, cook the milk separately in the pressure cooker as per the method mentioned below and cook semiya separately. finally remove from stove, add milk, semiya, sugar, cardamom powder together and mix.

If you use rice, cook white rice separately (grains should be separate). I use draining method.

Now to the economy part. How you can utilise the less quantity of milk wisely when you have more fans?

Follow the same process. After you pressure cook it slowly, before adding the rice or ada, dilute it by adding water (not too much), say 3 tea cups of water for 1 litre milk, then dissolve some corn starch (this you have to measure as per the consistency required. I advise 1 tbsp for 2 cups of water). boil well then add the cooked rice or ada and boil till the ada or the rice becomes transparent.

Cornflour (corn starch) will not spoil the taste but give you right consistency (thickness) to the kheer thus balance the water you added into the reduced milk preserving its taste and aroma.

Olan - (using ashgourd/ilavan)

Olan is a very simple watery vegetable preparation which can be used as a side dish or can be mixed with rice for a main course if you want keep your cooking simple. Sharing with you the olan that is made using ashgourd (poosani / bhopla / ilavan). Can also be prepared using Pumpkin (parangikai / manjal poosani / kadhdhu)

Ashgourd helps in weight reduction.

Video Recipe is here :- https://youtu.be/kAR31hmJGGY

Ingridients :

1. Ashgourd - 1 Cup (sliced)
2. cow peas - 1 tbsp (black eyed beans / chawli)
3. Salt to taste
4. Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp
5. Coconu Milk - 2 tbsp
6. Sugar - 1/4 tsp
7. Green chilli - 2 nos
8. Water to cook the vegetable

Procedure :

• Thinly slice the ashgourd, Pour water to cover it.
• Add salt, vertically sliced green chilli, sugar to it and cook
• Pressure cook the cow peas till they become tender
• Add the cooked cow peas to the pumpkin preparation.
• When the pumpkin pieces turn transparent & tender, add coconut oil,  coconut milk and mix well. cook for 30 seconds and remove from fire

Variations :

1. Instead of coocnut milk, regular cow milk can also be used but to be added only after removing from fire.
2. Instead of adding oil directly, you can heat little oil, add curry leaves and then add it as a tempering to the prepared dish and add the milk.
3. you can drink it as soup by without adding or reducing oil & milk.
4. If you keep it little thick, use as a side dish, if made watery, use it as a main dish to be eaten with plain rice.
5. Adding cow peas is optional