Ethapazham Pachadi/ Nendra Pazham Pachadi

      Ethapazham is a favourite fruit among all fruits for every Malayali. So using Ethakka or pazham even peel so many recipes are there. This pachadi too is a yummy pachadi with the perfect balance of taste and flavours. The mild sweetness from the banana is balanced with the usage of green chillies in this recipe.

     You wont feel that you are eating ripe banana dish while consuming this dish. So tasty bananas with the coconut and  yogurt sauce. Other than Malayalis too love this dish I am sure. So please try this dish and let me know.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Cuisine: Kerala
Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS:

Nendran Banana, ripen- 1
Green chillies-2
Salt- to taste
Curd/ yogurt,beaten- 1 cup

To grind:
Coconut- 1/4 cup
Green chillies-2
Mustard seeds- 1/4 teaspoon

To temper:
Oil- 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds- 1/4 teaspoon
Dried red chiili- 2
Curry leaves- 2 strand

PROCEDURE:

• Slit the banana from top to deep down and chop them in to small pieces.
• In a pan add the chopped banana pieces, 2 slit green chillies (add red chilli powder if you wish to add), salt and half a cup of water and cook till soft.

• Slightly mash the bananas with the back side of a ladle or spoon.
• Grind coconut, green chillies and mustard seeds as a fine paste.

• Add this ground paste on the banana mixture and cook just for a minute and switch off the gas. Do not cook more the whole lot turns bitter.
• Immediately pour the beaten curd and mix well.

• Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds; then add the dried red chillies and curry leaves fry in that oil for fifteen seconds and pour on top of the pachadi.

• Notes: You can add red chilli powder half a teaspoon while cooking the bananas to get little different taste and colour.

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Naranga Curry/ Naranga Achar/ Indian Curry Lemon Pickle/ Wild Lemon Pickle

       Naranga Curry is also known as Naranga Achar. An instant pickle made out of Indian curry lemon. This can be prepared and served instanly or you can store at room temperature for a week or under refrigerated condition for  month. When days go the peel soften and the pickle's taste increases.

      On an Onam Sadya there are many options for pickles. Mango, Gooseberry, Lemon pickles can be prepared. But this pickle gives an authentic touch to the whole platter. So i always prepare this pickle for Onam sadya.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Cuisine: Kerala
Serves- 8

INGREDIENTS:

Naranga, chopped- 1 big
Ginger, chopped- 1 teaspoon
Green chilli, chopped-1
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli powder- 1 teaspoon
Tamarind- small gooseberry size
Jaggery 1/4 teaspoons
Asafetida- 1/4 teaspoon
Salt-to taste
Fenugreek powder/ Uluva podi- 1/4 teaspoon
Oil- 2 teaspoon

To Temper:
Oil- 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Dried red chilli, broken-1
Curry leaves- 1 strand

PROCEDURE:

• Wash the curry lemon and wipe them to dry. Chop the lemon into small pieces and remove the seeds as much as possible while chopping.
• Heat oil in a pan and add chopped ginger and green chilli. Cook for a minute and add the chopped curry lemon and salt.

• Cook till the flesh starts to become soft.
• Add turmeric and chilli powder. Cook for  minute.
• Soak the tamarind in quarter cup of water and extract the juice.

• Add the tamarind water in to the curry lemon mixture and allow to boil. Add the powdered jaggery; cook till the raw taste of tamarind leaves and slightly thickens.
• Add the Asafetida and cook for a minute and switch off the gas.

• Add the fenugreek seed powder.(Slightly roast some fenugreek seeds and powder if you donot have fenugreek powder at home)
• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds once it splutter add the dried red chilli and curry leaves.

• Add the tempering over the curry lemon pickle.

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Manga Muringaikka Curry/ Mango and Drumstick Curry

       Rice is our staple food. Where ever we stay countries beyond we usually eat rice for lunch. We need pouring curries and also dry curries daily to pair with rice. Usually we make Sambar, Rasam, Moor for pouring curries. This routine makes boring towards when we saw these curries.

       So today i have come up with a yummy alternative for those routine curries. I have taken recipe from a tv show years back. Laksmi Nair popular chef prepared this curry  and i took hints and made this curry years back and it was a super duper hit. From that day on wards i used to prepared this curry quite often. Easy to make tasty curry i am sure you all are going to love this curry.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Coking time: 15 minutes
Cuisine: Kerala
Serves: 4-5

INGREDIENTS:
Raw Mango, cut into bite size pieces-1
Drumstick, cut into 2-3 inch pieces-2
Onion-1 (or) Pearl onion- 10 nos
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Red Chilli powder- 1 ½ teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1½ teaspoon
Coconut, grated- 1 cup

To Temper:
Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds/ methi- 1/4 teaspoon
Cumin/ Jeera- 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves- 1 strand

PROCEDURE:

• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. When the mustard seeds starts splutter and the fenugreek seeds turns dark golden brown colour, add the cumin seeds and curry leaves in that hot oil.

• Add chopped onion and fry in that oil for a minute till transparent. Now add the drumstick and cook in that oil for a minute. 
• Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder and cook for just fifteen seconds. If you cook longer the masalas get burnt.

• Add two cups of water and mango pieces and salt. Close with a lid and cook till the drumstick cooks well. 
• Take coconut extract from the coconut twice thick and a thin extract.(In a blender jar add the coconut add slightly powder the coconut. Then add a cup of water and blend well. Take the extract with hand or passing through a sieve. This is 'Thick extract'. Add the extracted coconut inside the blender and add a cup more water blend for some time and take the extract this is 'Thin extract')

• First pour the thin extract and cook for minute or just the curry starts to boil. Check for salt and add if needed.
• Add the thick extract and switch off the gas when the curry starts to bubble.
• Do not over cook after adding thick coconut extract.

Note: You can use finely ground coconut paste instead of coconut milk.
Or you can take coconut milk only once together and make this curry.

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Raw Mango Rasam/ Mangai Rasam/ Pacha Manga Rasam

       Today i have come up with a different tasty rasam. This rasam is so tasty and flavourful rasam. There are many types of rasams available. This rasam is easy to make and also simple yet delicious. I took this recipe from Vanitha magazine and modified according to my taste.

       I have not tasted this rasam any where but when i saw the recipe i love to try this with the mangoes which i bought from my home town. You can use any variety raw mango which are mature to make this rasam. I made this rasam with Neelam variety mango. Unlike normal rasam the only souring agent used in this rasam is mangoes.

INGREDIENTS:

Toor Dhal- 1/4 cup
Raw Mango, chopped-1 medium sized
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon

To grind:
Pepper corns- 1/2 teaspoon
Jeera/ cumin seeds- 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander seeds- 1/4 teaspoon(optional)
Ginger, chopped- 1/2 inch

To temper:
Oil- 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon
Dried red chilli, broken- 1
Curry leaves- 1 strand
Asafetida- big pinch

PROCEDURE:

• Grind peppercorns, jeera, coriander seeds and ginger in to coarse powder without adding any water. Peel the mango and chop in to medium sized pieces.

• Pressure cook the dhal with a cup of water till soft. Once the steam releases, mash the cooked dhal until mushy with a masher or backside of the ladle.
• Add 3 cups of water with the mashed dhal and allow to boil. Once it starts to boil add the chopped mango pieces and salt.

• Cook the mangoes till glossy and soft. Mash some mangoes with laddle to increase the flavour of the rasam. Check salt and add if needed.

• Add the ground masala and allow the rasam to just become frothy stage in low to medium flame and switch of the gas.

• Immediately do tempering by heating oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds then add the broken dried red chilli and curry leaves. Switch of the gas and add the asafetida powder in this hot oil. Transfer this tempering over the mango rasam and mix well.

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Vanpayar Manga Ozhichu Curry/ Vanpayar Ozhichu Curry/ Red Cow peas Raw Mango Curry

       Rice is our staple food and we prepare plain rice almost every day for our lunch. We have so many options for dry curries/ side dish like Thoran, Mezhukkupuratti, Erissery, Pulissery. But for pouring curries/ ozhichu curries we always prepare sambar, dhal, rasam, moru curry. But we have more healthier and tastier options too for pouring curries.

       This yummy curry is an easy to prepare curry can be prepared within minutes. I am sure you are really going to love this curry. Slightly tangy and mildly spicy; perfect balance of taste and flavours. Try this curry at home and let me know the results.

INGREDIENTS:

Red Cow peas/ Black eyed beans/ Vanpayar- 1 cup
Raw Mango- 1medium sized (I used Neelam variety)
Salt- to taste
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli powder- 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Sugar- 1/2 teaspoon

To grind:
Coconut, grated- 3/4 cup
Pearl onion/ small onion-4
Peppercorns/ powder- 1/2 teaspoon

To temper:
Oil- 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Pearl onion/ small onion, chopped- 1
Dried red chilli, broken-1
Curry leaves- 1 strand

PROCEDURE:

• Soak the cowpeas over night or minimum 5-6 hours in water. Cut the mangoes in to big chunks.
• Pressure cook the cow peas and cut mangoes with salt, turmeric powder and one and half a cup of water till the cow peas get cooked. It should not become mushy, cook around three whistles over medium heat.

• Once the pressure releases from pressure cooker open the lid and turn on the heat, add chilli powder and coriander powder and mix well.
• Grind coconut, pearl onion and peppercorns together as a fine paste.
• Once the vanpayar curry starts to boil add this coconut mixture and mix well.

• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and chopped pearl onion once the mustard seeds starts to splutter add thedried broken red chilli and curry leaves allow to fry for a second and switch off the gas.

• When the curry starts to bubble add the sugar and tempering; mix well and switch of the gas.

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Chakkakuru Manga Murigaikka Curry/ Jack Fruit Seeds Mango Drumstick Curry

       Daily we eat Rice for lunch and for dry curries we have so many options. For pouring Curries we have very limitted options like Sambar, Dhal curry, Rasam, Mooru Curry. This curry is a Kerala Special creamy tasty curry with well balance of taste and flavours. Entirely a different curry from rest of the curries.

       Easy to make curry with simple ingredients which are easily available. Try this easy to make curry and make your family members happy and relish your taste buds. Same curry can be made as non vegetable version with fresh prawns or with dried prawns too.

INGREDIENTS:

Chakka kuru/ Jack Fruit seeds- 15
Manga/ Mango- 1/2 big
Muringaikka/ Drumstick- 1 big
Green chilli, slit-1-2
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli powder 1 teaspoon
Salt-to taste

To grind as paste:
Coconut- 1/2 cup
Jeera- 1/4 teaspoon
Pearl onion/ small onion- 2
Garlic- 1 clove

To temper:
Oil- 2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds- 1/4 teaspoon
Pearl onion, chopped-1
Dried Red chilli- 1
Curry leaves- 1 strand

PROCEDURE:

• Peel the Jack seeds and scrape the brown layer as much you can and chop them in to lengthwise 3 to 4 pieces.
• Cut the Mangoes into medium sized pieces. Cut the Drumstick also in to pieces.
• In a deep pan add Jack seeds, Mangoes, Drumstick and Green chillies and add a cup of water and salt close with a lid and cook till the jack seeds becomes slightly soft.

• Add the turmeric and chilli powder and mix well and allow to cook for a minute.
• Grind coconut, jeera, pearl onion, garlic as a fine paste in a blender.
• Add this ground paste and add enough water to dilute the curry.

• Allow this curry to just get the boiling stage and switch off the gas.
• In a separate pan add oil and splutter the mustard seeds, chopped pearl onion when the mustard seeds starts to splutter add the dried red chiili and curry leaves.

• Add this tempering over the curry and mix well.

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Murugaikai Sambar/ Drumstick Sambar/ Murungakkai Sambar

       Murungaikai Sambar is a famous sambar belons to Tamil Cuisine. Easy to prepare sambar as it include only one veggie. You can save the timing in cutting of vegetables. Simple yet deliciouis sambar. Suits for tiffin like Idli and dosa and also for lunch.

       I love single vegetable sambar because the taste of one vegetable dominates in the sambar. In this sambar taste of drumstick dominates. You could replace chilli powder and coriander powder with a tablespoon of sambar powder if you wish.

INGREDIENTS:
Toor Dhal/ tuvaram paruppu- 1 cup
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Oil- 2 teaspoon
Drumstick/ Murungaikai-2
Peral Onion/ small Onion- 15
Garlic- 2 cloves
Tomato- 2 small
Tamarind - small gooseberry size
Chilli powder- 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1 1/2 teaspoon
coriander leaves- handfull

To temper:
Oil- 2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds- 1/4 teaspoon
Fenugreek/ Methi seeds- 1/4 teaspoon
Cumin/ jeera- 1/4 teaspon
Curry leaves- 1 strand
Dried red chilli- 1
Asafetida- big pinch

PROCEDURE:

• Pressure cook toor dhal with 2-3 cups of water and turmeric powder till mushy.
• Using back side of the ladle or masher mash the dhal and and keep aside.
• In a deep pan heat two teaspoons of oil and add the pearl onion, garlic once the colour starts to change add the tomatoes and cook till soft.

• Add the cut drumstick pieces and salt fry in that oil for two minutes on medium flame.
• Add a cup of water and close with a lid and cook the drumstick till soft.
• Add the tamarind water and masala powders chilli powder, coriander powder and mix well and cook till the raw smell of masala and tamarind leaves.

• Add the mashed toor dhal and mix well. Add a cup or more water till you get the desired consistency of sambar.
• In another pan heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds. Then add the fenugreek seeds and fry them till light brown colour.
• Now add the jeera and dried red chilli and curry leaves and fry for fifteen seconds. Atlast switch off the gas and immediately add a big pinch of asafetida on the hot oil.

• Pour the tempering over the sambar and allow to boil once. Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves and swich off the gas.

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