(More recipes from the archive of malabaronline published Aug.2000)
Chilli Chutney
10 fresh red New Mexico chillies, roasted, peeled, seeded and stemmed 10-12 almonds or cashews
1 lump tamarind pulp about the size of a small lime
1 1/2 Tbs. raisins
1 tsp salt
1 small onion, minced
Method: Grind the first five ingredients together, preferably to a fine paste, and store in a jar for a week. When about to use, add the minced onion and mix well. Yield: 1-2 cups. Delicious with rice dishes.
This chutney, from one of India’s southernmost states, taste better once it has been stored a week.
Coconut Chutney (Curry of Excellence)
1 1/2 fresh shredded coconut (not sweetened)
1 tsp. channa dhal (roast until golden brown)
2-3 green chillies, split and seeded
1 inch fresh, peeled ginger
2-3 tsps cumin powder
1/2 tsp tamarind concentrate (or lemon juice)
salt to taste
Grind above in a blender. Season with asafoetida, fried mustard seeds, and curry leaves.
Chutney variant …grind 2 bunches coriander leaves for lip-smacking ‘coriander chutney’
Manga Kari (Mango Pickle I)
green mango – 1
medium chilli powder – 2 tablespoon
mustard seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
methi seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
hing powder – 1 teaspoon
curry leaves (fresh)
Method: Cut the mango into small pieces. In a pan, add the oil and pop the mustard seeds. Add the mangoes and sauté for a few minutes. Roast the methi seeds and grind to a powder (this acts as a preservative). Add this to the manga and also add the rest of the stuff. hint: Mix the chopped mango with salt and store it in a glass jar for a couple of days before this curry is made.
Mango Achar (Mango Pickle II)
Mangoes – 2 Cut into small square pieces
chilli powder – 4 T
salt – 3 T
Asafoetida – 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric pwd – 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
Oil – 1 T
Method: Heat oil in a pan. To that add mustard seeds. When it pops reduce heat to low and add chilli powder, salt, asafoetida, turmeric and stir fry about 3 min. Turn off the heat. Let it cool for a while. Add this mixture to the cut mangoes and mix thoroughly. Keep this for 7-8 days for the flavour to seep into mangoes. You can add a little bit of distilled vinegar if you like. It will help to keep the freshness.
Sambar I (Curry of Excellence)
1/2 cup (heaped) tuar dal
2 Tbs. coconut gratings
1 Tbs. bengal gram dal
2 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp. mustard seeds
tamarind lump (the size of a marble)
2 tsp. (heaped) coriander seeds
2 Tbs. oil
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 bunch coriander leaves
1/2 tsp. fenugreek
seeds salt to taste
8 pepper corns
chunks of vegetables (tomato, turmeric, onion, squash, potato, asafoetida (ingua) okra, raw banana, 6 red chillies.
Method: Wash tuar dal thoroughly. Boil 1 litre of water. Drop dal in boiling water. Cook until soft. Take a little oil in a frying pan on another flame. Roast mustard, coriander, fenugreek, cumin, pepper, turmeric, red chillies, asafoetida, bengal gram dal, coconut gratings and 1 spring of curry leaves – all in the same sequence, until brown. Grind all the roasted ingredients with tamarind to a fairly smooth paste. To the cooked tuar dal, add vegetable pieces and a few coriander leaves. Cook until tender. Then add salt along with ground masala (paste made above) and some water. Boil well. When done, remove from flame. Garnish with bits of coriander leaves. This is usually served with idli.
Sambar II
half cup tuar dal or yellow split peas
2 onions
10 or 12 medium okra – (fresh or frozen)
3 large tomatoes (optional),
quartered tamarind extract
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder (as per your taste)
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon methi powder
1/2 teaspoon hing powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon methi seeds
1/4 teaspoon veg. Oil
1 tablespoon salt to taste
4 tablespoons coriander leaves, chopped a few curry leaves
Method: Cook the dal with chopped onions, turmeric powder, chilli powder and sufficient water. Cut the okra in two inch pieces and sauté them in a frying pan with one teaspoon oil till dry and slightly browned. Mash the cooked dal with a wooden spoon and add the salt, coriander powder, methi powder, hing and the tamarind extract. Simmer for a few minutes and add the tomatoes and okra and half of the coriander leaves. When the vegetables are cooked, heat oil in a fry pan with a splatter screen or a lid and pop the mustard seeds. Remove pan from the fire, add the curry leaves and methi seeds. Add this seasoning to the sambar and garnish with the rest of the coriander leaves. Hint: Other vegetables that can be added to sambar are potatoes (which do not freeze well), shallots, pearl onions (available frozen), cucumber, Indian or oriental eggplant (baingan), beans, carrots, lima beans or squash.
Idli
1 cup black gram (urad) dal
1 teaspoon methi seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups cream of rice
spray oil or ghee for greasing cups
Method: Lightly wash urad, and cover with chlorine-free water. Grind methi and mix with urad, along with salt, and allow to soak uncovered for 3 hours. Soften the cream of rice by soaking for the final 15 minutes. Without washing, grind urad in food processor to a fine paste. Add cream of rice to paste, and grind again until mixed well. Place in ceramic bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place until double in bulk. The amount of time this will take depends on the temperature. The batter will double in 8 hours if the temperature is over 85 degrees, and at lower temperatures it can take as long as 30 hours. If the batter doesn’t rise, don’t despair, just find a warmer place. A small microwave oven, with the door open just enough to turn on the light, works well, as does a cold oven with the light on.
The fermentation process depends on the presence of wild yeast, which appears to stick well to the urad and to the methi. Soaking the dal uncovered allows you to “catch” additional yeast from the air. Don’t use baking soda, baking powder, yeast, or yogurt to “help” fermentation. Methi outperforms them. Baking soda, baking powder, and yogurt retard fermentation.
After your batter has gone nuts, you are ready to make idlis. Stir (don’t beat) the batter slightly, just enough to evenly distribute the bubbles and not enough to make it subside. Grease idli cups (you can use egg poachers if you want) with spray- on oil or butter, and fill them (almost full) with the idli batter and steam in an idli vessel (basically, a big steamer) for about 15-20 minutes.
The same idli batter can be used to make Sannan. Pour the batter in the container of a pressure cooker (previously greased with oil) about 3/4 full and steam for 15-20 minutes as above. Take out and cut into pieces with a spatula.
Rasam
tuar dal – 1/4 cup
masoor dal – 1/4 cup
tomatoes – 1 16 oz. can or 4 large tomatoes
tamarind extract – 1/2 teaspoon
black pepper powder – 1/2 teaspoon
saunf – 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
whole red pepper (dry red chili) – 2 or 3
chili powder – 1/2 teaspoon
turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
hing powder – 1/2 teaspoon
methi seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
garlic cloves – 3 cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
coriander and curry leaves – a bunch salt to taste
Method: Cook the dal well with sufficient water. Add the tomatoes, salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder and tamarind extract. Crush the cumin and garlic and add to the rasam with the black pepper. Simmer for a few minutes and add the hing powder. Heat a little oil in a fry pan and pop the mustard seeds. Add the methi seeds saunf and curry leaves after removing the heat source and add to the rasam. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Parippu Curry
moong dal – 1 cup
turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
cumin seeds, crushed – 1 teaspoon
garlic clove, crushed – 1 (optional)
dessicated coconut – 1/2 cup
(optional) curry leaves – a few
salt to taste
Method: Dry roast the moong dal on medium heat for ten minutes. Cook it with sufficient water and turmeric. Grind the coconut with a little water and cumin seeds. Add to the boiling dal along with the curry leaves and salt.
Erissery
Green bananas or plantains (nenthrakkay) – cubed
turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
mustard seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
urad dal – 1/4 teaspoon
coconut, grated – 1/2 cup (may substitute des. coconut)
coconut for garnish – 1 tablespoon
black pepper – 1/4 teaspoon
curry leaves – a few
salt to taste
oil – 1 teaspoon
Method: Soak the cut plantains in warm water mixed with half teaspoon turmeric for ten minutes. Drain and cook the plantains with the remaining turmeric and salt. Grind the coconut well with cumin and add to the cooked plantains. Let it simmer. Meanwhile, heat the oil and pop the mustard seeds. Add the urad dal and the coconut reserved for garnish and stir till browned. Add this mixture to the eriserry and mix in the curry leaves.
Cabbage Thoran
Chopped cabbage – 3 cups
turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
green chillies – 2 or 3
des. or fresh coconut – 1/2 cup
garlic cloves – 3
onion – 1 small (optional)
urad dal – 1 teaspoon
mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
oil – 1 teaspoon
salt to taste
Method: Chop the onion. Heat the oil on medium heat and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the urad dal and curry leaves. Then add the onions and sauté till browned. Now add the cabbage, turmeric powder and salt. Stir for a while, lower the heat and cook covered for five minutes. Crush the garlic and cumin seeds and add to the cabbage along with the green chillies and the coconut. Stir for a few more minutes and remove from heat.
Mizhukku Puratti (Vegetable Fry)
green beans – 1 inch length – 2 cups
plantains or green bananas – cubed – 1 cup
salt to taste
oil 3 teaspoons
Method: Soak the plantains in warm water and turmeric. Drain well and cook with salt. Cook the beans separately in a little water. (Zap it to save time – add a half cup of water and salt, cover and microwave it at high for 4 to 6 minutes). Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the beans (drain off any water left), stir for a minute and then add the plantains. Stir till nice and browned. Hint: This curry may be made with any cooked vegetable.
Fish Moilly (Fish Stew)
About 1 1/4 tsp. salt.
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 lb (450g) fish steaks or fillets, cut into 2 inch cubes
4 Tbs. coconut oil or vegetable oil
1 medium large red onion finely sliced
6 fresh hot green chillies finely sliced
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely shredded
About 30 fresh curry leaves, if available
7 fl oz (1 cup) coconut milk, well stirred from a can or fresh
3 Tbs. lime juice
Method: Mix 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the turmeric together. Rub over the fish. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large wide, non-stick pan or work over a medium heat. When hot, add the onion, chillies and ginger. Stir once or twice. Add the curry leaves. Stir and fry for three to four minutes until the onion is soft.
Add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and 5 fl oz (3/4 cup) water. Mix well. When the mixture boils add the fish. Spoon the sauce over the fish. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt. Turn the heat down. Cover and simmer for four to five minutes, spooning the sauce over the fish and shaking the pan gently to prevent sticking. Add the coconut milk, shake pan and add more salt if needed. Cover and simmer for a further three to four minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Add the lime juice. Shake again and remove from the heat, then serve.
Kazhikutta (Kerala Coconut Dumplings)
Mix together:
4 Tbs. shredded unsweetened coconut
1 Tbs. sugar or jaggery (brown sugar)
1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. water
Method: In separate bowl, mix 1 c. rice flour. Enough water to form a dough (about 3/4 c.). Form a dough from the rice flour and water. When formed, coat your hand with extra flour to prevent sticking, and take a ping-pong sized ball of dough and flatten. Place about a marble-sized amount of the coconut mixture in the middle of the dough. Close the dough around the coconut to form a ball. Roll in hand until well formed. Repeat the above until all of the rice flour dough is used. Steam the dumplings for 10 minutes. Delicious for breakfast or with afternoon tea. It is a speciality of Kerala, and in Malayalam it is called “kazhikutta.”
Thoran (Vegetables Simmered in Coconut Milk)
1/2 lb. Beans/Carrot/Yellow or Mexican Squash/Beetroot
note: If using Carrot or Beetroot, grate them. If others, cut them into small pieces (cubes). You can also use carrot and beans together, then cut carrots too into small cubes.
1/2 tsp. chile powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 c. dessicated/shredded coconut
1/3 onion cut into small pieces
oil
salt
mustard seeds
curry leaves (optional).
Method: Heat oil, fry mustard seeds, then add onion, and stir until it turns light brown. Then add salt, then chilli and turmeric, and stir well. Add coconut, stir well for while, and then add the veg. Cover it and cook on a low flame. Give a stir once a while between a coup le of minutes, until it is cooked. Thoran ready! (You can add cumin powder [a pinch] too if you like.)
Upperi (Mezhukkupuratti)
3/4 lb. Beans/Carrot/Snow peas/Asparagus/potato/etc
note: Cut them into small pieces (grate carrot/beetroot – optional)
1/3 onion cut into small pieces
3/4 tsp. crushed red chili
oil
salt
mustard seeds
curry leaves (optional)
garlic (if you like; crush them)
Method: Heat oil, add mustard seeds (if you are using it), then add onion (and garlic if you are using it), stir until it turns light brown, add salt, and then crushed chilli; stir well for a while until the chilli is well fried. Then add vegetables stir well, cover it and cook in a low flame, and it is ready! (You can cook parippu, cherupayar, vanpayar, kadala, etc. too the same way. First you have to cook (boil) them, and add salt to it when cooked. Also to the split peas and cherupayar, you can add 1/2 cup of shredded coconut, after frying curshed chilli, if you like. When cooking kadala, you can add a teaspoon of garam masala too if you like, after adding crushed chilly.)
Katti Parippu (Beans without Flavor)
1 – 2 c. yellow mung dal or yellow split peas
1 potato (optional), cut into cubes
1/4 onion, cut long
2 or 3 green chile, cut long
1 shallot, cut into small thin pieces
oil
salt
crushed chilli or red whole chilli
Mustard seeds and curry leaves are optional
Method: Cook parippu with onion, green chilli, potato, and a few drops of oil. When cooked, add salt, stir well. Smash the potato pieces well. Heat oil, fry mustard seeds, add shallots, then red chilli and curry leaves, add it to the parippu when the shallots turn brown. Stir well, and it is ready!
Potato Fry
2 or 3 Potato, cut into round slices, 5mm thick
1 tsp. Chilly powder
1/4 tsp. plain flour
oil, salt
Method: Mix the potato slice s with chilli powder, plain flour, and salt. And then heat the oil and fry them (like you fry fish) in low flame.
from the archive of malabaronline Aug.2000