Chole Masale ( chickpea masala)

Ingredients

Kabuli Chana  -  1 –cup
(chickpea)

Masoor Dal      -   ¼ cup
(red lentils)
Urad Dal           -   ¼ cup
(skinned black gram)

Green Masala

Green Chilli      -    2

Ginger               -    3 inch

Garlic                  -   4

Coriander Leaves -  1 cup

Garam Masala

Coriander Powder     -   1 tbsp

Chilli Powder             -   ½ tsp

Garam Masala Powder -  ½ tsp

Crushed pepper of        -  10 corns

Crushed green  cardamom -  3

Onion                                 -   1

Oil                                      -   2 tbsp

Salt                                     -   1 tsp

Sugar                                  -  ½ tsp

Preparation

Overnight soak  cabuli chana, urad and masoor dal.

Preasure cook ,  chana and dal. When the pressure is released

Open the cooker and drain the water in separate container.

Make a smooth paste of green chilli, ginger garlic, coriander leaves.

Mix with the cooked chana,  the green masala  paste and the garam masala powder.

Keeping aside the crushed pepper and cardamom powder to

sprinkle last.

In a frying pan , pour oil and fry thinly sliced 1 onion to golden brown. Now add the masala applied chana in the frying pan.

Mix with the brown onion and sauté till dry. Pour the reserved chana
cooked water , salt and sugar.
Sprinkle crushed cardamom and pepper.

Simmer till you  get  the desired   consistency.

Garnish with deep fried small potato cubes and a salad of

Chopped  onion, tomato, coriander leaves and lemon wedges.
Serve hot with battura, chappati,dosa or bread.

Carrot Soup

Ingredients


Carrots chopped   -  2 cups
Massoor Dal          -  2 tbsp
(red lentils)
Water                     -  2 cups
milk                        -  1/2 cup  
sea salt
pepper

Preparation  


In a pressure cooker, put the carrots
washed and chopped along with dal and water.
Pressure cook it  for two whistles.

Pour  the cooked dal and  carrot into a mixer and get a paste consistency.
Transfer it into a sauce pan, pour milk and stir.
Let it simmer to get piping hot soup.

Pour it into soup bowls, 
Sprinkle on top crushed salt and pepper,
if desired, pour drops of cream and some
chopped garlic chives.

Winter is best time for carrot soup. 
This is a nourishing and energising mid day meal for young and old.

Veg Biriyani

Rice   -   2 cup

Curd   -  1 cup

Water   - 3 cups full

Cubed and  fried potato – 1 large

Peas   - 2 tbsp

Onion  fried -  2

Green  chilli    -  2

Ginger garlic paste  - 1 tbsp

Garm masala powder   -  1 tsp

Turmeric powder   -  ½ tsp

Oil     - 1 tbsp

Ghee  - 2 tbsp

Cashew nuts and sultanas  - 2tbsp

Whole spices

Cardamom    -   10

Cloves            -    8

Cinnamon      -       3 inch

Maize of nutmeg  - 1 full

Mint leaves     -  ½ cup

Coriander leaves  - ½  cup

                         On a low flame,  in  a wok pour oil and ghee  add nuts, whole spices, sultanas

fry for a minute,  turn  off  flame and remove a teaspoon of  whole spices to powder

and use in the end. Keep aside.

 In the wok  add washed rice and  sauté  rice on low flame  till dry.

Take out rice and keep aside.

On low flame,  in the wok   pour curd   add ginger garlic paste, turmeric  powder,

garam masala powder, green chilli, a part of fried onion, half of coriander leaves and

mint leaves , salt.  Let   it boil   now add 3 cups of water as it boils add rice.

Now   close the wok   with a lid covered in a kitchen towel.  Cook for 5 minutes on

low flame . Now add fried potato cubes and peas.

 On low flame keep a  frying  pan .

 After   5 minutes take out the wok with

boiling  rice with the lid,  keep on the frying  pan for 5 more minutes.

Open the lid  sprinkle the kept  aside  -  fried onions,  mint, coriander leaves, cashew, currents

And powdered   whole spices   which were kept aside.

Serve  with raita and pappad.

To get fried onion, slice thinly onions and deep fry till golden brown.

And take out.

In  that remaining  oil deep fry the skinned and small  cubed potatoes

Golden.

Chemmeen Puli Thoran

Chemmeen Puli  - 1 cup
Shallots            - 1 cup
grated coconut  - 1/2 cup
Chilli                 - 1 or 2
oil                      - 1 tbsp
mustard              -1tsp
turmeric             - 1/2 tsp
sugar                  - 1/2 tsp
Salt                     - to taste
Water                  - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves

In a bowl, combine thinly sliced chemmeen  puli, shallots, chilli and grated coconut.
On a low flame, in a wok pour oil and crackle mustard seeds.
Add turmeric, water, salt and sugar. As it starts to boil add chemmeen
puli - coconut mixture . Stir and as it changes colour and turns soft
take out from flam,e mix in fresh curry leaves and serve.

This thoran tickles your palate. but this tasty dish
you will never find in a restaurant menu.

Bigger chemeen puli (Irumbanpuli) will be more sore than the tender ones.
Thinly slice only the outer green part of the larger ones for thoran.
Bigger ones can be used to make pickles or to make curry
along with small prawns as its name suggests.

This juicy fruit can not be stored for long
 so you hardly find them in markets.

Karinelika Achar (Black Gooseberry Pickle)

Ingredients

 Nellika  ( amla / gooseberry)  - 3 kg

 Sea Salt                       - 2 cups

Water   -   4 ½  cups

Sesame seed   oil   -  ¾  cup

Asafoetida    -   1 big piece (3 inch)

De-seeded dry   red   chilli  -  12

Mustard   -   ¾  cup

Fenugreek   -    3tsp

Crushed   black pepper   -  4 tbsp

Turmeric   powder  - 1tsp

Red chilli powder  - 3 tbsp

Sugar  -  2 tbsp

Garlic   - 1 cup heap

Julienned   ginger  - 1 tbsp

New  earthen pot 

Preparation

In a saucepan , boil water and add sea salt , stir and let it cool.

Wash and clean the new pot and put the amla in.

Pour salt water and close the pot with banana leaf.

Keep the pot on wood fire.

(as salt water might drip from the pot, the  metal burner stove is likely to

get damaged)

Let it  boil . Stir in between.

As the fire settles, the red hot wood will give steady low heat.

Preferably, next day, repeat the same process  till  the water is fully dried and the amla turns black .

Heat sesame seed oil in a wok  ;  fry asafoetida piece. Take it out and powder it.

(readymade asafoetida powder lacks sharp flavour)

In the same oil, fry red chilli, garlic and ginger and keep aside;

Add turmeric powder in the remaining oil. Now, add mustard and

fenugreek, as it  splutters  ,add  crushed  black pepper and chilli powder.

Finally add fried chilli and all remaining  ingredients and sugar.

Take the pot  from  fire and   let  it cool and then mix in the black  amla.

Store in clean glass jars  or (barani).

As it ages, it is really   YUM.

Even the seed of the amla  tastes  good.

This pickle is worth all the effort put in it.

The fire, the smoke, pepper, asafoetida, mustard ,garlic  all add  taste to the

Sour, sweet  amla.

Brinjal Fry

Ingredients

Long  purple brinjal  - ½
Corn flour  - 1 tbsp
Oil  - 6 tbsp
Garlic –  6
Ginger  -  2 inch
Kashmeri chilli powder – 1 tsp
Sugar  - ½ tsp
Vinegar  - 1 tbsp
Water  -  4 tbsp
Salt
Ginger-garlic paste -  1 tsp
Tomato sauce – 1 tbsp

Preparation

Cut the brinjal ( egg plant / aubergine) length wise half.
On the purple  side make gashes  criss cross .
On the white side poke it with a  fork.
Dust both sides with corn flour.

In a non-stick pan,  pour 2 table  spoon oil and shallow fry one side .
Again pour 2 table spoon of oil and fry the other side.
Cover the pan while frying.
Cook until the brinjal turns soft.
On low flame, in another sauce pan,  pour 2  table spoon of oil,
add chopped garlic and ginger and sauté for two minutes.

Mix in water-chilli powder, salt, sugar, vinegar, tomato sauce a bit of
corn flour, a  teaspoon of ginger- garlic paste . Now add  it to the mixture
and sauté for two minutes.

Spread the sauce on the fried egg plant and serve hot with
Chappathi, puri or any Indian bread.

Veg Fritters

Ingredients

Grated bottle gourd - ½ kg
Chopped coriander leaves - 1 hand full
Green chillies - 2
Mint leaves - 5
Crushed pepper -1tsp
Chik pea flour (besan) - 1 cup
Egg - 1
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Salt --


Preparation

Mix all the ingredients together just before frying.
Do not keep the mix for long time .
Shallow fry it immediately.
Serve with tomato sauce.
Vegetables like carrots, spinach,
spring onions can be used.

Aloo Jeera

Ingredients

Potatoes - 3 large
Mustard oil - 4tbsp
Jeera (cummin seeds) - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Chili powder - ½ tbsp
Salt
Water -3 tbsp
Chopped coriander leaves -2 tbsp
Lemon wedges

Preparation

In a heavy bottomed vessel pour mustard oil.
Add jeera and as it crackles add skinned and
cubed potatoes.
Sauté till it turns golden brown.
Potato shrinks in size.
Add turmeric, chili powder, salt and stir till it is fried
and well coated to the potato.
Pour water and let it simmer on low flame keeping the lid on.
After a couple of minutes when the potatoes are soft and well
coated with the masala squeeze lime about a teaspoon.
Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and serve with raita and hot chappatis.

For this recipe mustard oil cannot be substituted by any other oil.

Softy Sandwich

Ingredients


Bread -4 slices
Hung curd - ½ cup
Coriander leaves - 1 cup
Green chilies - 1
Onion - ½
salt
Grated cucumber – ½ cup
Honey - 2 tbsp
Sweet mango
or
pineapple - ½ cup
Grated carrot – ½ cup
Tomato sauce -2 tbsp

Preparation


Make green chutney with coriander leaves,
Green chilies, onion and salt
Slice cucumber into juliann and keep aside.
Skin and chop mango or pineapple and mix in honey.
Grate carrot and keep aside.
Keep all these in the fridge in different containers.

Just before serving-

On the first sandwich bread, spread tomato sauce and grated carrot.
Top it with second bread which is spread with a teaspoon of curd .
Spoon in mango or pineapple honey on top of the second bread
and place the third bread spread with curd.
Spoon in cucumber and green chutney mixture on top.
Cover this with fourth bread which is spread with curd.
Slice it to get a triangular shape.
A very soft and healthy sandwich is ready.

To make hung curd – in a fine sieve or muslin cloth
Pour curd and keep on a vessel in the fridge for an hour.
The water will collect in the vessel and you
get thick curd to spread.

To make tomato sauce - In a blender put two cut
tomatoes,two garlic,salt,half tsp sugar,half tsp chili powder
and blend it to a fine paste.On medium flame boil till it reduces.
You get fresh tomato sauce without any preservatives.

Shahi Mushroom Curry

Ingredients

Mushroom - 200gm
Oil - 2tbsp
Butter - 2tsp
Onion - 2
Ginger - 2 inch
Garlic - 3
Green chillies - 2
Pepper - 6
Black cardamom - 1 small
Green cardamom - 3
Cinnamon - 3 inch
Mace - ¼ tsp
Nutmeg - ¼ tsp
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Red cashmere chilli - 1
Dry ginger - ½ tsp
Turmeric - ½ tsp
Cashew nuts - 12
Milk - ½ cup
Water - ½ cup
Coriander leaves
Sea Salt

Preparation

Sauté mushroom in oil and butter
and keep aside.
Soak cashew in warm water.

Make a fine paste of ginger,garlic, onion
and green chillies.
Dry roast pepper, both cardamoms, dry ginger,
mace, nutmeg, red chilli,fennel seeds and cinnamon.
In a passel and mortar crush these into a fine powder.
Make a fine paste of cashew nuts in milk.

In the wok add some more oil, butter and sauté
onion, ginger, garlic, chilli paste .
As the paste gets dry, add
the crushed garam masala powder reserving
half a teaspoon of the garam masala to
add later.
Sauté till oil separates.
Now add cashew paste keep stirring.
Add water,salt, sauté mushroom,half teaspoon
garam masala powder and chopped coriander leaves.
Keep stirring on low flame, to get the right consistency
Garnish with juliann ginger and cream if you prefer.

Serve hot with chappati, puri or any Indian bread.

Black cardamom is bigger in size and
has a smoky taste.
Green cardamom has a sweet taste.
As black cardamom has a stronger flavour,
try to use it less.
Green cardamom is grown in Kerala,
so it is widely available in south of India.
Black cardamom is mostly used in North Indian cooking.

Kuruku Kalan

Ingredients

Raw banana - 3
Shallots -- 20
Half coconut grated
Green chilli - 3
Mustard seeds -1 tsp
Fenugreek - ½ tsp
Jeera - ½ tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar - 1 tsp
Curd - 2 cups
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
Dry red chilli - 3
Curry leaves
Pepper corns(optional) – 8

Preparation

Remove the skin of the raw banana, shallots and cut into thin slices.
On a low flame in a vessel put the cut banana, shallots, turmeric, salt
and water. Cook till it is soft.
Mean while in a pan dry roast mustard, jeera, fenugreek. Add this to
Coconut, green chilli, curry leaves and grind into a fine paste.
Add this paste to the cooked banana and simmer till you get
a thick consistency.
Beat curd and pour into the curry.
Keep on stirring slowly.
Add sugar and salt for taste.
Season the kalan with mustard,pepper,red chilli,
curry leaves in coconut oil.

As it cools the kalan gets thicker and tastier.

Dal (Lentil Curry)

Ingredients

Chana dal - 1 ½ cup
(split chick peas)
Masoor dal - ½ cup
(orange coloured lentils)
Water - 5 cups
Oil -1 tsp
Ghee -1tbsp
Mustard -1tsp
Jeera -1tsp
Urad dal -1tsp
(split black gram)
Garlic - 15 pods
Green chillies –3
Coriander leaves -2 stem
Curry leaves - a bunch
Tomatoes - 2 small
Turmeric powder – 2 tsp
Chilli powder -1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Jaggery - 1 tsp
Lemon - ½

preparation

In a bowl, soak chana dal and masoor dal together
for half an hour;
drain out the water and wash twice.

Pressure cook dal by adding five cups of water
and a tsp of turmeric powder .
After three whistles, turn off the flame.

Cut garlic, green chillies, coriander leaves
and tomatoes into small pieces.

In a wok,on low flame pour oil and ghee .
Add mustard, jeera and urad dal.
As it splutters and change colour, add garlic.
As it turns brown, add green chillies,
Coriander leaves and curry leaves.
Keep stirring.
Now add tomatoes, salt and jaggery.
Saute till it is soft.
Put a teaspoon each of
turmeric and chilli powder.
Pour the cooked dal and lemon juice into the wok;
add salt to taste.
Let it simmer for five more minutes.

Serve hot with rice or chappati....

Lentils or dal is very much part of daily diet of an Indian.
For vegetarians, lentils are an excellent source of protein,
a kind of substitute to meat products.
Even for non-vegetarians who suddenly start dieting
and stop taking meat, including dal in their daily diet
helps to keep them fit and healthy.

Bread Fruit Curry (kadachakka curry)

Bread fruit - ½
Onion - 1
Ginger - 3 inch
Green chillies -2
Curry leaves - a bunch
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Chilli powder – ½ tbsp
Garam masala -1 tbsp
(10 pepper corns, 2 cloves,
2 petals of star anise, 4 cardamoms)
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Grated coconut - of 1 full
Oil - 3 tbsp
Mustard - 1tbsp
Shallots - 4
Garlic - 4
Green chillies - 2
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Peel , wash and cut bread fruit into small triangles.
Slice onion ,ginger, green chillies.

Combine these cut vegetables in a vessel with turmeric,
Coriander, red chilli powder, garam masala, salt, curry leaves
and half glass of water. Let it cook covered on low flame till
the bread fruit is soft.
In a blender, pour warm water and grated coconut to extract
thick and thin coconut milk.

Add thin coconut milk to the cooked bread fruit and let it simmer
on low flame for 10 minutes.
Now pour the thick coconut milk, keep on low flame for 5 more minutes.
Pour 1 tbsp of vinegar. Stir and add salt if needed.

In a wok add oil, mustard seeds. As it splutter add sliced- shallots,
Garlic, green chillies and curry leaves . As the green chillies turn
Brighter in colour, turn off the flame and pour on the curry.
Serve hot or cold with rice or chappati.

Though it is called bread fruit , it turns soft as butter when it is cooked.
You can make wafers, erisheri , cutlets etc. with this bread fruit.

Sauteed Bitter gourd (paveka ularthu)

Ingredients
Bitter gourd -1
Tomato - 2
Onion -2
Green chilli -2
Water - ¼ glass
Oil -1 tbsp
Curry leaves
Turmeric powder -1 tsp
Chilli powder -2 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Salt

Preparation
Wash the vegetables thoroughly. Split open the
bitter gourd (karela/ paveka)
and discard the seeds.
Length wise cut into four and slice thinly.
Chop tomatoes, cut onions into cubes and split green chillies.
In a vessel,add the cut vegetables, salt ,
½ tsp turmeric powder,water and let it cook
on low flame till the bitter gourd
and tomatoes are turned soft.

In a wok on low flame, pour oil add curry leaves,
½ tsp turmeric powder,2 tsp chilli powder
and sauté for a minute.
Now, add 1 cup of grated coconut, a pinch of salt
and sauté till the aroma of the fried coconut fills your kitchen.
Mix in the cooked vegetables and stir fry
to serve hot, with rice and moru curry (moru kachiyathu).

Bitter gourd is a very nutritious vegetable rich in iron and vitamins.
In southern part of India we find white bitter gourd which is less bitter.
In north India dark green bitter gourd is available which is more bitter.
There is a smaller variety of bitter gourd with less spikes
and but not bitter at all.
In Delhi markets,this veriety is found very often
We call it yeruma paveka.
Bitter gourd juice is advised for diabetic patients.
It has something like plant-insulin which
helps in lowering sugar level in our body.

Inspiration...
At Shornur railway station there is one restaurant
run by ladies that serve simple hot and fresh lunch.
This recipe is inspired by
the paveka ularthu they served us.
As its inspiration came from Shornur, we at home call it
paveka shornuri.

Our Rivers
Shornur is a small town on the banks of river Bharthapuzha.
Half of the year the river stays almost dry due to the
dams built on it and also due to uncontrolled digging for sand.

A movement to save and revive our rivers is very urgent.
Many small rivers and brooks have disappeared.
In my own native town Tripunithura,there was a rivulet
bodering, the eighth century- built
Karingachira church.
I remember my father narrating his childhood memories
of going for a swim with his friends
to this Karigachirapuzha(rivulet).
Now the rivulet is no longer visible...?

A river is like an artery –a lifeline in the area which
connects people, culture, religion …

Legend and the river....

There is another old story told by my father about
Karingachira river and Poornathrayesha temple, the
main temple of Tripunithura.
During the temple festival, there was an old custom of
offering or gifting a certain volume of coconut oil
to Karingachira church by Poornathrayesha temple.
The Deity- Tripunithura appan on an elephant,
adorned with netipattam(jewellery worn on the forehead of the
elephant)would lead a procession through the main road.
As it reaches the Karingachira church,
offers the usual gift of Coconut oil,
takes a dip in the Karingachirapuzha and returns.

Once, after the procession, as the nettipattam was lowered,
it was noticed that one of the golden dome shaped ornament on
the nettipattam was missing…
It was considered bad omen and the reason for this was enquired.
The answer from Tripunithura appan was-
“You have deviated from
the old tradition of gifting my brother; Correct it and you will
get the jewel back from the Karingachira river”.
The story goes that the temple authorities gifted the coconut oil
and got back the gold ornament from the river.

Jackfruit Erisheri

Jackfruit is a summer fruit very much found in South India
especially in Kerala and Karnataka; in few parts of north
mainly Uttar Pradesh, this fruit is available in plenty.
In the North, people prefer raw jackfruit, kattal,
and mostly use to make curry.
For Malayalees, chakka is nostalgia.
They like it in any form,
raw or ripe. Raw jackfruit is used to make wafers,
thoran and erisheri (chakka vevichathu). Jack fruit seeds
are also used to make thoran, mezhukkupuratti etc .
Halwa made of ripe jackfruit is a delicacy in itself,
but its preparation is extremely time-consuming
and tiresome. Children eagerly wait
for summers to enjoy chakka appam.Cutting jackfruit
is a tough task. Some use sickle or even an axe
to cut huge jackfruits. I have seen
people holding jackfruit on its stem and with a
sharp knife peeling off its thorns like we peel
a pineapple. It is a wonderful sight to see the yellow
jackfruit pods holding on to the stem.
Jackfruit is a healthy fruit with lots of fiber.
Give your children jackfruit every summer,
let them enjoy the true taste of Kerala.



Ingredients

De-seeded raw jackfruit pods - 30
Grated ½ coconut
Green chilies -3 nos
Shallots (sambhar onions) -10 nos
Geera - 1 tsp
Garlic – 4 nos
Curry leaves- 3 sprigs
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Chili powder – 1 tsp

For seasoning
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Dry red chili whole- 5 nos
Curry leaves – 4 sprigs
Grated coconut – 1 tbsp
Shallots- 5 nos
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Chilli powder- ½ tsp
Preparation
Cut the raw jackfruit, de- seed the pods and pressure
cook it with turmeric powder, red chilli, salt and 2 cups of water.
Pressure cook it for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the coconut
paste with grated coconut, geera, shallots, garlic and curry leaves in a mixer.
Open the pressure cooker and add the coconut paste.
Lower the flame and further cook for ten minutes.
Keep on stirring to prevent it from sticking to the base of the vessel.
In another wok (kadai) heat the oil, add mustard seeds,
red chilli, curry leaves, finely chopped shallots and grated coconut.
Let it fry till the coconut becomes brown. Add ½ tsp turmeric
and chilli powder. After a minute add the seasoning to the
jackfruit erisheri and serve hot with fish curry or mango pickle.

Avial (Onam Special )

Yam - 100 gm
Carrot - 100gm
Ash gourd - 100gm
Pumpkin -100gm
Drumsticks - 2
Raw mango - half of a mango
Small onions - 1 ½ cup
(shallots)
water - ½ glass

grated coconut - ½ of a coconut
green chillies - 3
jeera - 1tsp
mustard - ½ tsp
chilli powder -1 tsp
turmeric powder –1tsp
curry leaves -a bunch
oil for seasoning



On a low flame, keep a vessel with ½ a glass of water.
As yam takes a lot of time to cook,
first cut yam into 2 inch pieces,wash twice and
put into the simmering water and close the lid .
Clean and cut the carrots ,
layer on top of the yam and close the lid.
Now goes in, the cut kumbalanga(gourd),
peeled and cut drumsticks ,Pumpkin,
1 cup small onions and cut - pieces of mango.

Add salt , chilli and turmeric powder .
Stir and check in between whether the
vegetables are evenly cooked.

In a chutney grinder put grated coconut,
green chillies, ½ cup sambar onions, jeera, mustard
and 2 tbsp curry leaves from the bunch.
Grind with- out adding water.

In a cheena chatti (wok) on medium flame, pour 2 tbsp of oil (coconut oil preferred ),
put the remaining curry leaves to let it turn crisp and emerald green.
Now add the Coconut mixture and vegetables,
add salt as needed and stir till it is dry.
Serve hot with rice.

Tips: 1. Can use vegetables of your choice, but try to stick to shallots and coconut oil.
2. For a gravy version , curd is used instead-of raw mango.
3. Try to cut vegetables in same length.
4. Before cutting yam, apply oil on your palm . This will reduce itching.

Lauki curry (churakka)

Bottle gourd –1/2kg (churakka1/2kg)
Raw mango –1/2 of a mango
Grated coconut –1/2
Green Chillies –2
Onion -1/2
garlic –4 pods
Jeera –1/2tsp
Water - 1glass
Oil -2tbsp
Small onions -4 (sambar onions)
Red chillies -2
Curry leaves 2
Turmeric ,chilli powder -(just to add colour)
Peal the gourd and mango.Cut mango into small pieces and cut gourd
into one inch pieces.Combine grated coconut ,chillies ,onion, garlic ,jeera
with quater glass of water in a mixer bowl ,and blend it into a fine paste.
Mix the coconut paste,half glass water, mango pieces and churakka with
Some turmeric and salt in a pressure cooker.Keep on fire till a whistle is heard.Take a frying pan pour 2 tbsp of oil ,add mustard seeds, let it splutter.Now add curry leaves as it become crisp add thinly cut small onions.Stir till crisp,fry red chillies and turn off the fire.Now add a pinch of turmeric and chilli powder.Pour this on the curry and can serve with
Rice and fish fry.

Beans mezhukupurati

Tender beans - 1/4kg
Grated coconut - 2tbsp
Onion - 1
Garlic - 5cloves
Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2tsp
Curry leaves
Butter - 1/2tsp

Slit the beans lengthwise,
and then cut into pieces.
Add little water and salt,cook for two minutes with the lid on.
Remove the lid and cook till
it is soft.
See that the beans does not loose its colour.
Crush garlic,cut onions.
Take a frying pan,pour a table spoon of oil
put the crushed garlic,onions,
Curry leaves and stir for two minutes.
Now add turmeric and chilli powder,
then add grated coconut stir for some time.
Finally put the cooked beans and butter.
serve hot.

Kadala Curry (chana masala kerala style)

Ingredients

Kadala - 2cups
Grated Coconut - 1cup
Coriander powder - 1tbsp
Meat masala - 1tbsp
Peper corns - 1tsp
Onion - 1 large, sliced
Green chillies - 2,slit
Ginger - 1 tsp,thinly sliced
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Small onions - 1tbsp,thinly sliced.
Dry red chillies - 2
Curry leaves

Preparation

Soak kadala previous night in water.
Fry coconut in a kadai till golden brown ,add
coriander powder,meat masala
and pepper,grind this mixture to a fine paste.
Mix coconut paste, onions, green chillies,
ginger with kadala in pressure cooker.
Pour enough water to soak this mixture.
keep on high flame for one whistle
and on sim for another two whistle.
keep a kadai on fire, pour oil add
mustard seeds, sliced onions,dry chillies and curry leaves.
Fry till golden brown.
Add a pinch of turmeric and chilli powder for colour.
Mix it with your kadala curry add enough salt and serve hot.

Tips-

Buy small brown kadala(chana), which goes well for this curry.
Puttu and kadala curry can be a good Sunday brunch.
Feeling lazy, can make the masala paste in
advance and store in the fridge.
Sure your hubby will help you Sunday morning.