VELLARIKKA PULISHERRY

“VELLARIKKA PULISHERRY” – One of the likes that I share with my Acha.

Ingredients:-

1)     Cucumber             – A small one (500 gms) cut into small cubes

2)      Green Chillies       – 6 to 8

(if Thai pepper is used the quantity to be used may vary depending on how hot the chilli is)

3)      Shallots                – 4 to 5

4)      Cumin seeds         – ½ tsp

5)      Grated coconut     – 1 cup

6)      Curd                    – 2 cups

7)      Turmeric powder  – ½ tsp

8)      Curry leaves         – 2 tbsp

9)      Mustard seeds       – 1 tsp

10)   Fenugreek seeds   – ¼ tsp

11)   Dry red chillies     – 2 to 3

12)   Black grams          – 1 tsp

13)   Coconut oil           – 1 tbsp

14)   Salt                     – to taste

15)   Water                  – 2 cups

Method:-

1)      In an earthen pot cook the cucumber pieces along with the ¼ tsp turmeric powder, salt and the water.

2)      Grind the grated coconut with the cumin seeds, 2 to 3 shallots, the green chillies into a fine paste.

3)      Add the coconut mixture into the cooked cucumber pieces and cook well. Once cooked, let it cool for some time.

4)      Mix the curd with ¼ tsp of turmeric powder, salt and a little water.

5)      Add the curd mixture to the now warm, cooked cucumber.

6)      Heat the cocnut oil in a small pan, add 2 sliced shallots, crack the black grams, mustard seeds, dry red chillies and the curry leaves and pour into the pot.

Your  vellarikka pulisherry is ready.

TOMATO CHUTNEY

Chutney or ‘Chammanthi’ as we Keralites call it, is a magical dish that can be served with almost all Indian Cuisine items. It adds the ‘X’ factor to anything from ‘Kanji’ to ‘Idli’, ‘Chappathi’ to ‘Dosa’. But for my taste buds only Kerala style chutneys are acceptable. Even then I have never liked tomato chutney until my kitchen help – Sujatha chechi made it for me. So I thought I will share it with everyone, just so that you guys can understand my helpless in having to control my diet, when something like this is put on the dining table.

INGREDIENTS

1)    Tomato (Chopped)– 2 nos (Medium Size, Ripe and Red)

2)    Grated coconut – 1 cup full

3)    Onion(Chopped) – 1 no (Make it 2 if medium to small size and preferably red ones)

4)    Green Chilly(sliced) – 3 – 4 nos

5)    Curry leaves – 6 – 10 nos (Just to add the flavour)

6)    Chilly Powder – 1 tsp

7)    Coconut oil – 1 tbsp

8)    Salt – to taste

Method:-

1)    Heat the coconut oil in a tava, add the chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves. Saute well till the onions are golden and then add the chopped tomatoes. Saute till oil starts to separate and then add the chilly powder. Mix well and add the grated coconut. Mix well, take the tava off the burner and let it settle.

2)    Wait till the mixture is cool (a little warmth is fine), and then mix well into a paste in a mixer. Make it into a ball and serve.

If the whole mixture is ground well on a traditional ‘ammikkallu’ (see photo below) when it is still hot, the taste increases further.

"Chemmen Theeyal/ Konchu Theeyal"

Konchu or prawns form an integral part of a Malayalee's non vegetarian cuisine. The konchu/ prawns theeyal is a mouth watering spicy curry with lots of gravy and can be mixed with rice or chappathi or bread or dosa or idli or kappa/tapioca or appam.. etc. The recipe that follows is how we used to make konchu theeyal at our home.

Some of you may find this method different from how it was made in your homes. In that case please share your tips, so that all of us can make a better theeyal next time.

Ingredients:-

1) Prawns - 500 gms (medium sized or small prawns are more tasty for theeyal)

2) Coconut oil - 3 tbsp
3) Small Onion/ Shallots - 12 to 15 no:s (medium sized- cut into small slices)
4) Green Chillies - 5 to 6 no:s
5) Dry red chillies - 2 no:s
6) Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
7) Fenugreek seeds (Dried) - 2 pinches
8) Curry leaves - 1 tbsp full
9) Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10 Coriander powder - 2 tsp full
11) Red Chilly powder - 2 tsp full
12) Kudam Puli/ Malabar Tamarind - 3 to 4 no:s
13) Water - 3 cups
14) Salt - to taste
15) Grated coconut - 1 cup full

Method:-

1) Making the fried coconut paste - Stir fry the grated coconut in a non stick frying pan with 2 to 3 shallots until the coconut is golden brown and then add the turmeric powder, coriander powder and chilly powder and keep stirring till the whole mixture turns real brown (Also the raw smell of the powders will no longer be there). The let the mixture cool. Make a smooth paste of the mixture without adding water.

2) Heat the coconut oil in an earthen dish(manchatti) and crack the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and dry red chillies and then add the curry leaves. Now add the slices of shallots and green chillies into the oil and stir fry with salt, till the whole mixture starts turning into a golden colour. Once the colour starts to show add the prawns and keep stirring. Next, add the coconut paste and and water cover the vessel. Wait till the curry boils, then add the malabar tamarind pieces. Simmer with the dish open and the konchu theeyal can be served once a top layer of oil starts forming.

"Madhya Thiruvathancore" Fish Curry

Kerala is famous for its different types of fish curry, especially the red colored one. So I will try to put it in a most easy way. But remember to serve it with love and it will be more tasty.

Ingredients:-

1) Fish (anything from King fish to Mackerel) - 1 kg
2) Coconut oil - 3 tbsp
3) Small/ Sambhar Onion - 5 to 6 no:s
4) Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tsp full
5) Green Chillies - 5 to 6 no:s
6) Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
7) Fenugreek seeds (Dried) - 2 pinches
8) Curry leaves - 1 tbsp full
9) Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10 Coriander powder - 1 tsp full
11) Red Chilly powder - 3 tsp full
12) Kudam Puli/ Malabar Tamarind - 3 to 4 no:s
13) Water - 4 cups
14) Salt - to taste

Method:-

Heat the coconut oil in an earthen dish(manchatti) and add ingredients 6,7 and 8. When they start popping add a paste made of ingredients 3,4 and 5 saute them thoroughly. Once they turn into golden color, add ingredients 9, 10 and 11. Mix well and add the water and the malabar tamarind pieces along with salt to taste. Wait till it boils and then add the fish. Simmer with the dish open and the fish curry can be served once a top layer of oil starts forming.

SAMBHAR made easy

Whenever we think of making Sambhar we think of all the preparations needed, or we simply rely on Sambhar powder. So what I am going to give you is an easy sambhar without using ready made powder.

Ingredients:

1) Potato - 2 (big size)
2) Onion - 1 (medium size)
3) Carrot - 2 (medium size)
4) Tomato - 2 (medium size)
5) Green Chillies - 10 to 12
6) Sambhar onion - 12 - 15 (big size)
7) Drum sticks - 2 (medium size)
8) Toor Dal - 3/4rth of a cup
9) Optional Vegetables - You can add anything like, Brinjal or lady's finger or cucumber or pumpkin or raw plantains etc, but that may take time, so it will be easier to stick to the above 7 ingredients.


Spices:

1) Hing (kayam / asafoetida) powder - 2 tsp
2) Chilli powder (Kashmiri) - 2 tsp full
3) Coriander powder - 2 tsp full
4) Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5) Curry leaves - 12 - 15 leaves
6) tamarind - made into a ball the size of a small key lime (Cheru Naranga)
7) Salt - to taste
8) Coconut oil - 3 tbsp
9) Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
10) Fenu greek seeds - a pinch
11) Dry red chillies - 2

Method:

1) Cut potato, onion, tomato and carrot in small cubes, green chillies in long strips, sambhar onion in two pieces and drum sticks in 2 inch pieces split in two.
2) Cook the vegetables, Toor dal, 1 tsp asafoetida, turmeric powder and salt with one cup water in a pressure cooker till two - three whistles.
3) Heat the coconut oil in a hard bottomed vessel ( preferably a kadai with copper bottom), big enough to contain the whole sambhar. Add mustard and fenugreek seeds. when they start popping add dry red chillies and curry leaves and lower the flame.
4) Then add the coriander powder and chilli powder, mix well and add the mixture from the pressure cooker. Then add half a cup of tamarind water made from the tamarind and add the rest of the asafoetida powder.
5) Add water to reach the desired consistency and stir well. If required add some more salt.
6) Boil well and take of from the stove and while serving garnish with coriander leaves(optional).
7) This quantity of sambhar will serve for 7 to 10.