September, 2018 - Vinaya's Culinary Delights

Kerala style Okra fry/Vendakka Mezhukupuratti Recipe

Posted on September 1, 2018July 5, 2020 by vinaya

This stir fry goes well with Rice as well as Roti because of the generous use of onions in this recipe. Simple but flavourful. I have tried making it without the onions too, but prefer the ones with the fragrance of lightly sautéed onions.

Ingredients :

200 gms Okra/Bhindi/Vendakka
2 large onions
1 tbsp Kashmiri Chilly powder
1/4 tsp Haldi/Turmeric powder
2 cloves garlic crushed
Salt
2 tbsps oil
1 tsp Mustard
1 sprig curry leaves
2 tbsps grated coconut

Method :

Wash and, pat dry the Okra. Snip off ends and chop fine. Slice the onions thinly. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard and after it splutters add the onions, garlic, curry leaves and salt. Roast till the onions turn translucent. Add the chilly and turmeric powders. Sauté for a few seconds. Add the Okra and stir fry till done on a gentle flame. Garnish with coconut and serve hot.

Raw Banana Fritters Recipe

Posted on September 1, 2018September 1, 2018 by vinaya

Fritters are a dish common to all the states of India. Posting Raw Banana Fritters the Kerala way today. Each state has their own way of making them. The people in the North use a batter of Chickpeas to dip the veggies in, some use all purpose flour, in Karnataka it is a mixture of Chickpea and rice. In Kerala only rice flour is used. Each has its own unique taste.

Ingredients :

2 Raw Bananas
100 gms Rice flour
3 tsps Kashmiri Chilly powder
1/2 tsp Hing/asafoetida
Salt
Oil to fry the fritters

Method :

Deskin the Raw bananas and slice them. Wash them thoroughly under running water. Tip the rice flour, salt, chilly powder and Asafoetida in a bowl. Add enough water to make a batter of pouring consistency. Heat oil in a pan. Dip the slices in the batter and gently slide them into the hot oil. Fry till crisp. Drain on tissue paper and serve hot.

Kootu Curry/ Chickpeas, Raw Banana and Yam in Coconut Masala Recipe

Posted on September 1, 2018 by vinaya

Kootu Curry is an essential part of feasts in Kerala. One may use vegetables of choice along with Black Chickpea though generally Yam and Raw Banana are vegetables of choice. Kootu Curry is a coconut based dish which also calls for a garnish of roasted coconut.

Ingredients :

100 gms Chana/Black Chickpeas
100 gms Yam
1 small raw Banana
1/2 coconut grated
1/2 tsp Chilly powder
1/2 tsp Haldi /Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp Jeera/Cumin powder
2 green chillies
1 tbsp Coconut oil
1 tsp mustard
1 dry red chilly
2 sprigs curry leaves
4 tbsps grated coconut
Salt

Method :

Wash and soak the Chickpeas for 8 hours. Pressure cook with salt till done. Deskin Yam and Raw Banana. Wash and cube them. Boil them in water along with chilly and turmeric powder till done. Grind together coconut, green chillies, pepper and Cumin powder. Tip it into the cooked vegetables along with the cooked Chickpeas. Boil well. Dry roast four tbsps of coconut to a rich brown. Drop it into the Kootu Curry. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard and after it splutters add the dry red chilly. Toss. Drop in the curry leaves. Toss and pour the seasoning into the Kootu curry. Heat well till all the flavours are infused for about ten minutes.

French Beans Thoran/Stir Fry Recipe

Posted on September 1, 2018 by vinaya

Thoran is essentially a Keralite synonym for a stir fry. A dash of coconut oil is used to season the vegetable. Ginger and onion may or may not be used in the seasoning depending on one’s preference. It is usually garnished with coconut.

Ingredients :

200 gms French Beans
1 inch piece of ginger
2 green chillies
1 tsp Coconut oil
1 tsp Mustard
1 sprig curry leaves
Salt
2 tbsps Coconut

Method :

String the French Beans and wash them. Chop them into desired size. Mince the chillies and grate the ginger. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard and after it splutters add the green chillies, curry leaves and ginger. Toss. Add the French Beans and salt. Mix well. Sprinkle a little water and stir fry on a gentle flame till done. Garnish with coconut.

Bittergourd Fritters Recipe

Posted on September 1, 2018September 1, 2018 by vinaya

Bittergourd Fritters are a cultivated taste. Most do not like the bitterness, hence avoid making it. This is one preparation which is made quite often at home because all of us love any dish made of this vegetable. A simple meal of Dal, Rice and Bittergourd Fritters is sheer bliss!

Ingredients :

2 medium sized Bittergourd
150 gms Rice flour
2 tbsps Kashmiri chilly powder
1 tsp Hing/asafoetida
Salt
Water
Oil for frying the fritters

Method :

Wash and slice the Bittergourd into roundels. Tip in the Rice flour, chilly powder, Asafoetida and salt into a bowl. Add enough water to make a batter of pouring consistency. Heat oil in a pan. Dip the Bittergourd slices in the batter and gently slide them into the hot oil. Deep fry till crisp. Drain on tissue paper and serve hot.

Inji Thair/Ginger and Yoghurt Dip Recipe

Posted on September 1, 2018 by vinaya

Inji Thair literally translates to Ginger Curd or Ginger Yoghurt. This is a dish specially prepared during feasts. Since Ginger is a digestive and Yoghurt is a probiotic, it helps in digestion. An easy to prepare and simple dish which if leftover can be watered down to make Buttermilk. Green chilly is generally not added, but since I like to pour the Inji Thair over rice, I prefer to add a tiny green chilly to add zing to it!

Ingredients :

250 ml thick Curd/Yoghurt
1 inch piece of ginger
1 small green chilly
(optional)
Salt

Method :

Whisk the curd well. Mince the green chilly. Grate the ginger. Add salt to the minced chilly and ginger and crush it with your fingers. Tip it into the curd. Mix well. Serve chilled.

Kerala Style Rasam Recipe

Posted on September 1, 2018 by vinaya

Raw garlic and a generous amount of Pepper adds to the flavour of this Rasam. It can be served as an appetizer, over rice and is a good prophylactic against coughs and colds.

Ingredients :

1 tbsp Coriander seeds
1/2 tsp Jeera/Cumin seeds
10 seeds Methi/Fenugreek
25 pepper corns
12 cloves Garlic
A large pinch of Haldi/Turmeric powder
4 dry red chillies
1 tbsp Tamarind paste
2 tomatoes
1 litre water
2 sprigs Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp Mustard
Salt

Method :

Chop the tomatoes into tiny pieces and tip them into a litre of water. Crush the garlic well. Add the tamarind paste, crushed garlic, salt and Turmeric powder and allow to boil. Meanwhile, heat a pan. Dry roast the Coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek and pepper corns for a couple of minutes. Add the dry red chillies and roast for a minute. Powder the spices and tip it into the boiling Rasam. Gently simmer till the flavours get infused. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard and after it splutters add the curry leaves. Drop the seasoning into the Rasam. Switch off. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and cover and keep aside for ten minutes before serving.

Carrot Thoran/Stir Fry Recipe

Posted on September 1, 2018 by vinaya

Stir fries are a common accompaniment to Rice in South India. They are known as Upkari, Thoran, Poriyal and Vepadu depending on the region where they come from. This is a simple and delicious Stir Fry made of Carrots which is called Thoran in Kerala.

Ingredients :

200 gms Carrot
3 tbsps grated Coconut
2 green chillies
1 small onion
1 tsp Coconut oil
1 tsp Mustard
1 sprig Curry leaves
Salt

Method :

Peel the Carrot, wash and grate it. Mince the green chillies. Chop onions fine. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard and after it splutters add the chillies, onion and curry leaves. Roast till the onions are translucent. Add the grated carrot, salt and coconut . Toss on a high flame for a minute and serve immediately.

Kurukku Kalan Recipe

Posted on September 1, 2018 by vinaya

Kurukku Kaalan differs from the regular Kaalan based on its consistency. It is much thicker than the Kaalan which is of pouring consistency. Prepared in temples and during ‘Sadhya’/feast, it makes use of a generous amount of Curds which is flavoured with roasted Fenugreek seeds and a seasoning of curry leaves, broken red chilly and mustard in Coconut oil.

Ingredients :

1 cup Raw Banana pieces
1 cup Yam/Suran pieces
1 tsp pepper powder
1 tsp Haldi/Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Chilly powder
500 ml thick curds
1/2 of a small coconut grated
5 green chillies
1/2 tsp Jeera/Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Methi/Fenugreek seeds
3 sprigs curry leaves
1 broken dry red chilly
1 tbsp Coconut oil
1 tsp Mustard
Salt

Method :

Deskin the Yam and the Raw Banana. Wash thoroughly and cube them. Cook them in a glass of water with Pepper powder, Turmeric, salt, chilly powder and a sprig of curry leaves. Grind the coconut, green chillies, Jeera to a smooth paste and pour it into the cooked vegetables. Boil well. Whisk the Curds and drop it into the boiling Kaalan. Dry roast the Methi seeds and powder them. Tip them into the Kaalan. Mix well and keep aside. Heat the Coconut oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and after they splutter add a few Methi seeds and the dry red chilly. Toss. Add the remaining curry leaves. Toss and pour the seasoning into the Kaalan. Cover and keep aside for ten minutes for the flavours to infuse before serving.

Appam and Stew Recipe

Posted on September 1, 2018 by vinaya

Adding cooked rice is a tradition while making Vellappam to lend it softness. Some add yeast. I have posted a Vellappam using Poha/Flattened Rice and Rice earlier. Today posting an Appam made with Rice, Coconut and a pinch of soda bicarb.

Ingredients :

250 gms Rice
1/2 of a small coconut grated
A pinch of soda bicarb
Salt

Method :

Wash and, soak the rice for three hours. Grind to a fine paste along with the coconut adding just enough water to make a batter of pouring, consistency. Add salt and the soda bicarb, mix and allow to ferment for ten hours. Heat the Appam pan. Pour a ladleful of batter in the centre of the pan and gently rotate the pan so that the sides too get coated thinly. Cover and cook for a minute or two. The centre is soft and fluffy and the sides crisp. Serve it hot with Vegetable Stew. The recipe link to the Stew is mentioned below.

Vegetable Stew Recipe