Vinaya's Culinary Delights - Authentic Vegetarian Cuisine

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.

Kerala Sambhar Recipe

Posted on August 31, 2018August 31, 2018 by vinaya

This recipe calls for all the ingredients to be roasted afresh and ground together with coconut and curry leaves. The whole house is filled with the aroma of ground spices.!

Ingredients for the Spice Powder:

2 tbsps Coriander seeds
1/2 tbsp Chana Dal/Bengal Gram Dal
1/2 tbsp Urad Dal/Black gram Dal
1tsp Jeera/Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Methi/Fenugreek seeds
10 pepper corns
2 sprigs Curry leaves
2 heaped, tbsps Coconut
9 dry red chillies ( you can use as per your spice level)
A pea sized piece of Hing /asafoetida
1 tbsp oil

Method :

Heat oil in a pan and roast all the ingredients except the curry leaves and coconut to a golden yellow. Drop in the curry leaves and coconut. Roast to a golden brown. Dry grind to a fine powder and keep aside.

Ingredients for the Sambhar :

125 gms Arhar Dal/Split Pigeon peas
1 tbsp Tamarind paste
1 Carrot
1 Drumstick
2 Onions
1 Potato
A small piece of Pumpkin
Salt
2 tbsps Ghee/clarified butter
1tsp Mustard
3 sprigs Curry leaves.

Method :

Wash and pressure cook the Arhar Dal in three glasses of water till done. Deskin the potato, Pumpkin and carrot. Chop them into bite sized pieces. Slice the onions roughly. Chop the drumstick into two inch pieces. Grind the Powdered spices with tamarind paste and water to a Chutney like consistency. Keep aside. Once the Dal is cooked, churn it well. Heat two glasses of water and cook the potato, onion and carrot with salt. When they are three fourth done add the Drumstick. When the Drumstick is three fourth cooked add the Pumpkin pieces and boil for a few minutes till they are done but firm. Drop the churned Dal and the spice paste into the cooked vegetables. Adjust salt and boil well. Heat Ghee in a pan. Drop in the mustard and after it splutters add the curry leaves. Pour the seasoning into the boiling Sambhar. Switch off and keep aside for about fifteen minutes to allow the flavours to infuse before serving.

Mathan Eriserry/Pumpkin and Cowpeas in Coconut gravy Recipe

Posted on August 31, 2018August 31, 2018 by vinaya

Another delicacy from Kerala where Pumpkin and Cowpeas cooked in coconut gravy along with other condiments uses grated coconut in the seasoning to enhance the flavour of the Curry. Though one can use oil of one’s choice, authentic Kerala cuisine calls for the use of fragrant Coconut oil!

Ingredients :

300 gms Pumpkin
100 gms Cowpeas
2 green chillies
1/2 of a small coconut grated
1/2 tsp Chilly powder
A pinch of Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Jeera/Cumin seeds
Salt
1 tbsp Coconut oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 dried red chilly
1 tbsp grated coconut

Method :

Deskin the Pumpkin and remove the seeds. Wash and chop into one inch by one inch pieces. Boil in a glass of water with a little salt till soft, but firm to touch. Pressure cook the Cowpeas with salt in two glasses of water till done. Grind the grated coconut, green chillies, red chilly powder and Jeera to a smooth paste. Pour it into the cooked Pumpkin and Cowpeas mixture. Add the turmeric powder, adjust salt and boil well. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and after they splutter drop in the dry red chilly. Toss. Add the grated coconut and curry leaves and roast till the coconut changes colour. Drop the seasoning into the boiling Eriserry. Switch off and keep aside for fifteen minutes for the flavours to infuse before serving.

Olan/ Vegetables in Coconut Milk Recipe

Posted on August 31, 2018August 31, 2018 by vinaya

Olan is a traditional Keralite preparation. Kerala the Southern most state of India, known as God’s own Country with its beautiful back waters, beaches, swaying palms and a host of other tourist attractions uses coconuts in plenty in their cuisine. Olan is a must during auspicious ocassions. Vegetables cooked in coconut milk, flavoured with green chillies, curry leaves and ginger, drizzled with Coconut oil, make it so fragrant, that one can make a meal of it!

Ingredients :

200 gms Ashgourd
100 gms Cowpeas /Lobhia
1 small Coconut grated
4 green chillies
1 inch piece of ginger
2 sprigs curry leaves
Salt
3 tsps Coconut oil

Method :

Deskin the Ashgourd, remove the seeds and chop it into bite sized pieces. Wash and pressure cook to one whistle in a glass of water with salt. Drain the water and keep it aside. Pressure cook the Cowpeas with a little salt in two glasses of water till done. Drain the water and keep this aside too. Chop the green chillies, grate the ginger and drop it into the cooked Ashgourd and Cowpeas mixture. Use the drained water to grind the coconut to a smooth paste. Strain the extract through a thin cloth. Keep it aside. Similarly, extract coconut milk twice, till the residue is devoid of any coconut milk. Pour the second and third extract into the Ashgourd and Cowpeas mixture. Adjust salt. Add the curry leaves and boil well for five minutes. Now add the first extract and after it has come to a boil allow it to simmer for a minute. Switch off and drizzle with coconut oil. Keep aside for fifteen minutes for the flavours to infuse before serving.