vinaya - Vinaya's Culinary Delights

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

Pineapple Pachadi Recipe

Posted on September 1, 2018 by vinaya

The term Pachadi refers to a cold preparation. A variety of Pachadi can be made from vegetables and fruits. Posting a Kerala style Pineapple Pachadi today. The sweet, spicy and tangy flavours will leave you asking for more!

Ingredients :

250 gms Pineapple
2 tbsps Jaggery syrup
7 tbsps grated coconut
1 green chilly
1/4 tsp Mustard
1/4 tsp Jeera/Cumin seeds
A pinch of Haldi /Turmeric
10 tbsps Curds
Salt
1 tbsp Coconut oil
1/2 tsp Mustard
1 dry red chilly
2 sprigs curry leaves

Method :

Chop the pineapple into bite sized pieces. Boil it in a glass of water along with finely chopped green chilly, Turmeric and salt till done. Grind the grated coconut, cumin seeds and 1/4th tsp of mustard to a fine paste. Drop it into the pineapple pieces along with the jaggery syrup and boil thoroughly. Switch off, add the beaten curd to it and mix well. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard and after it splutters add the broken red chilly. Toss. Add the curry leaves, toss and drop the seasoning into the Pachadi. Allow to cool thoroughly before serving.

Kerala Style Fruit Salad Recipe

Posted on September 1, 2018 by vinaya

The usual fruit salad served is of fruits topped with ice cream or custard of one’s choice and a drizzle of honey or a scoop of jelly. Fruit salad in Kerala is so flavourful and rich that it will leave you asking for more!

Ingredients :

250 gms Fresh Pineapple
12 grapes
1/4 of an apple
1 small Banana
A fistful of pomegranate seeds
1/2 tin condensed milk
2 cloves
1 inch piece of cinnamon
A large pinch of Kesar/Saffron
2 tbsps Mango Puree
Juice of half a lemon

Method :

Chop the pineapple into tiny bits. Heat a glass of water in a pan. Add the pineapple pieces and boil them along with the cloves and cinnamon. Once the pieces are cooked, discard these spices and allow the pineapple to cool thoroughly. Chop the apple and banana into tiny bits and halve the Grapes. Tip all these fruits along with pomegranate and the lemon juice into the cooled pineapple and refrigerate for an hour. Add the chilled Mango puree, saffron and condensed milk and mix thoroughly. Allow to chill thoroughly before serving.

Paal payasam / Kerala style Rice Kheer

Posted on August 31, 2018 by vinaya

Paal payasam is a delicious dessert of Red rice cooked in milk and garnished with nuts. I prefer making this Payasam in the pressure cooker as one needn’t constantly keep stirring it and the milk takes on a beautiful pinkish hue. You can garnish it with nuts of your choice roasted in Ghee.

Ingredients :

1.5 litres Milk
250 gms sugar
100 gms Red rice
10 pods Cardamom
10 cashewnuts halved
25 kishmish
1 tbsp Ghee/clarified butter

Method :

Wash the rice and tip it into the pressure cooker along with the milk and sugar. After one whistle, lower heat and allow to cook for 20 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to cool thoroughly before opening the lid. Powder the Cardamom. Tip it into the Payasam. Heat Ghee in a pan. Add the cashewnuts and Kishmish and roast to a golden yellow. Drop it into the Payasam, allow to boil for a minute, cover and keep aside for half an hour for the flavours to infuse before serving.