South Indian Cuisine - Vinaya's Culinary Delights

Carrot Kismuri /Salad Recipe

Posted on November 12, 2017November 12, 2017 by vinaya

This is a very popular salad which is part of the traditional lunch or part of the buffet during weddings in South India. A no onion garlic recipe, one can add boiled corn or pomegranate seeds as per one’s preference. Here I have posted the traditional one which is delicious and healthy too.

Ingredients :

3 medium sized carrots
1/4 of a medium sized coconut grated
Coriander leaves
3 green chillies
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Salt
2 sprigs Curry leaves
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp oil

Method:

Wash and deskin the carrots. Grate them. Add the grated coconut, finely chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice and mix well. Mince the green chillies and crush them with salt. Tip it into the salad. Heat oil. Add a tsp of mustard and after it splutters add the curry leaves. Toss and drop it into the salad. Mix and serve.

Vellappam and Vegetable Curry Recipe

Posted on November 8, 2017 by vinaya

A very popular breakfast in Southern India, Vellappam is accompanied either by a Stew, Vegetable Curry or Chicken curry. The soft and lacy appams are dipped into the gravy or one can even pour the gravy into the Appam which resembles a miniature basket.

Ingredients:

2 glasses raw rice ( I used the normal kolam rice)
1 glass poha/ flattened rice
Salt
1/4 tsp soda bicarb

Method :
Wash and soak the rice for five hours. Grind to a smooth batter with Poha. Add salt and the soda bi carb and thin down to a batter which is runny but not watery. Allow to ferment for 10-12 hours. Heat the Appam pan. Pour a ladleful of batter in, the center and swirl the pan so that the batter coats the edges of the pan thinly. Drizzle oil, cover and cook. Gently tease the Appam from the pan and place it on a plate. .

Mix vegetable curry

2 potatoes chopped into bite sized pieces
2 onions sliced
15 beans cut into one inch pieces
One bowl of peas
1 large carrot chopped lengthwise
3 large tomatoes
1/2 of a small coconut grated
2 inch piece of ginger
7 green chillies
Salt
Sugar
Coriander leaves

Method :
Boil all the vegetables except the tomatoes with a little salt. Grind the coconut, tomatoes, ginger and green chillies to a smooth paste. Drop it into the boiled vegetables. Adjust salt. Add a pinch of sugar and boil well for a couple of minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Vegetable Stew Recipe

Posted on November 8, 2017November 8, 2017 by vinaya

The Vegetable Stew here is flavoured with ginger and green chillies and it is a fragrant and rich coconut based dish. I have adapted it to cater to the family’s taste.

Ingredients :

3 large potatoes deskinned and sliced thinly
1 bowl of peas boiled
4 tomatoes blanched peeled and chopped
3 onions sliced
7 green chillies slit
2 inch piece of ginger
Milk extracted from one coconut
Coriander leaves
Salt
3 tsps sugar

Method :
Boil the potatoes and onions with salt chopped ginger and chillies till done. Add the boiled peas, chopped tomatoes and sugar. Boil well. Extract coconut milk by grinding the grated coconut to a smooth paste and squeezing out the milk. Strain it. Grind the residue again with a little water and strain the coconut milk. Add the first and the second extract to the stew. Boil and garnish with coriander leaves.

Rava Idli Recipe

Posted on November 6, 2017May 11, 2018 by vinaya

Rava or Semolina idlis are a popular breakfast all over South India. They are generally accompanied by a vegetable Sagoo and chutney. I personally prefer them with the chutney as the flavours are not masked by the spices used in the Sagoo.

Ingredients :

300 gms rava/ semolina
8 green chillies finely chopped
3 sprigs curry leaves minced
Chana sized piece of hing powdered
2 tsps mustard
1 tsp urad dal
A small carrot grated
A small bunch coriander leaves chopped fine
Salt
1/2 tsp soda bi carb
12 cashew nuts halved and roasted in ghee
2 glasses of buttermilk
Water required to adjust consistency
4 tbsps oil

Method :
Heat the oil. Add the mustard. After it crackles add the urad dal. After it turns golden add the chopped chillies, hing and curry leaves. Add the Rava and roast for a couple of minutes. Allow to cool thoroughly. After it has cooled add the butter milk, chopped coriander leaves and salt. Mix well and allow to sit for 5 mnts. The Rava would have absorbed all the butter milk. Add water to make it to the required dropping consistency. Keep the steamer boiling. Grease the idli moulds with ghee. Place a roasted cashew in the centre. Surround it with the grated carrot and then the coriander leaves. Add the soda bi carb to the batter and mix it thoroughly. Pour it into the moulds and immediately place it into the vessel in which the water is boiling. Cover and steam for ten minutes. Remove and allow to cool a bit before separating the idlis from the mould. Serve with coriander chutney.

Chutney

100 gms daalia/ roasted Bengal gram dal
1/4 coconut
5 green chillies
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
Salt
A small bunch of coriander leaves.

Method :

Powder the Dalia first. Add all the remaining ingredients and grind to a smooth paste with as much water as required. This chutney needs no seasoning.

This measurement yields 16 idlis.

Cucumber Dosa Recipe

Posted on November 4, 2017November 8, 2017 by vinaya

One of the variety of ways that the Cucumber can be used to make a delicious and healthy dosa. It can be made either sweet by adding jaggery or savoury by adding green chillies depending upon individual preference.

Ingredients :

250 gms rice
1/2 of a small coconut
1 cucumber
6 green chillies
Coriander leaves
Salt
Oil for roasting

Method :

Soak the rice for about three hours. Grind to a coarse semolina like consistency along with the grated coconut. Deskin and grate the Cucumber. Chop the green chillies fine and crush it well along with the salt. Chop the coriander leaves. Drop the grated cucumber, green chillies, salt and coriander leaves into the batter. Mix well. Heat a skillet. Pour a ladleful of batter and spread it like a thick pancake. Drizzle with oil. Roast. Flip and roast on the other side too. Serve hot with homemade butter.

Continue reading “Cucumber Dosa Recipe” →

Bhindi Ki Subzi Recipe

Posted on October 23, 2017July 20, 2018 by vinaya

Bhindi ki subzi or Okra stir fry goes well with rotis, phulkas or even with Dal rice. This one is a version which is made in almost every Indian home and with hardly any change in the ingredients.

Ingredients :

500 gms bhindi / okra chopped fine
2 tsps chilly powder
2 tbsps coriander powder
1/4 tsp haldi/turmeric
1 heaped tsp mustard
Salt
Grated coconut
Coriander leaves
1/2 lemon
4 tbsps oil

Method :

Heat oil in a pan. Add a heaped tsp of mustard. After it crackles add the Bhindi, chilly powder, haldi, coriander powder salt and lemon juice. Toss and transfer into a microwave safe dish. Sprinkle a little water and microwave till done. Garnish with coconut and coriander leaves. Mix well and serve hot. Alternatively you could cook it the traditional way on the stove by tossing the subzi constantly on a slow fire.

Note :

The subzi serves 3 adults.

Peanut Sunday Recipe

Posted on September 15, 2017November 14, 2017 by vinaya

Peanuts are high in protein and the tender ones that are available during the season are simply delicious either cooked with salt or seasoned and made into a subzi. Posting a Peanut sundal which is made on auspicious occasions and even during weddings in South India.

Ingredients :

250 peanuts
4 green chillies minced
1 broken dry red chilly
Grated coconut
Juice of half a lemon
2 sprigs curry leaves
A few sprigs of coriander
2 tsps oil
1tsp mustard
A large pinch of hing/asafoetida
Salt

Method :

Soak the peanuts overnight. Pressure cook them with salt. Heat oil. Add a spoon of mustard. After it crackles add the dry red chilly and the chopped green chillies. Toss. Add the curry leaves and hing. Sauté and tip in the cooked peanuts. Cook till all the water is absorbed. Add the lemon juice, chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut. Mix well. Serve with rice and dal.

Red Amaranthus Subzi Recipe

Posted on September 15, 2017November 14, 2017 by vinaya

Leafy vegetables are a great source of iron and calcium. Red Amaranthus/LalMath is a personal favourite. Combined with a potato and seasoned with garlic, it is delicious with rice or even with roti.

Ingredients :

One bunch Red Amaranthus , cleaned, washed well and chopped roughly.
A big handful of garlic crushed
One large potato peeled and chopped fine
Dry red chillies as per requirement
Salt
2 tsps Parachute Coconut oil.

Method:
Heat 2 tbsps oil. Drop in the garlic and roast to a golden brown. Add the broken red chilly bits. Toss. Add the chopped red Amaranthus , potato and salt. Mix. Add half a glass of water and cook till done.

Okra tangy and spicy Recipe

Posted on September 4, 2017November 14, 2017 by vinaya

Okra tangy and spicy goes well with rice and dal or even with rotis. The tomatoes and the tamarind paste used do away with the stickiness which is usually associated with Okra.

Ingredients:

10 okra chopped into one inch pieces
2 large onions sliced
1 large tomato chopped fine
1 tsp tamarind paste
2 tbsps Sambhar powder
Salt
Coriander leaves

Method:
Heat 3 tbsps oil. Add a tsp of mustard and after it splutters add the onions and the okra. . Roast till translucent. Add the tomatoes, tamarind paste, salt and the sambhar powder and toss well. Add a glass of water and boil for a couple of minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.