Vendakka Pachadi

Ingredients:-

• Ladies Finger - 5/7
• Turmeric Powder - A Pinch
• Jaggaery - A Pinch
• Tamarind Pulp - 1/2 a Cup
• Salt - As Needed
• Oil - 1 Tbsp

To Grind:-

• Coconut - 5/7 Tbsp.
• Mustard - 1 Tsp
• Dry Red Chilly - 2

To Temper:-

• Mustard - 1 Tbsp
• Fenugreek/Uluva/Mendhayam - 1 Tsp

Method:-

• Wash and Clean the Ladies Finger.Cut it into round shape.
• Extract the Juice form the Tamarind.
• Heat a Kadai and add the Oil.
• When Oil is hot, add the To Temper items.
• Throw in the Ladies Finger and fry it for 2 Mts
• Pour the Tamarind juice to the Ladies Finger
• Add the turmeric powder,salt and jaggery.
• Allow the Mix to boil till Ladies FInger is cooked.
• Grind to a Nice paste the To Grind items.
• When the Ladies Finger is ccoked, add the grinded paste.
• Allow it to Boil and Simmer it till it reaches a good consistency.

Cabbage Molakoottal

Molakootal is a popular Palakkad Iyer dish. It is basically vegetables and lentils simmered with ground coconut. Molakootals can be prepared using different vegetables. The most common ones being Ashgourd and Yam, or Keerai (Spinach). Molakootal is more like a kootu but a little more runnier. It is is well liked by kids as it is not spicy. Molakootal is one of my favorite kootans and I can have it with just some pickle. Usually it is served with either Pachadi or thogayal.

Ingredients:- 

1.      Cabbage – 4 Cups, finely chopped

2.      Pasi Paruppu/Split Yellow Moong Dal – ¼ cup

3.      Scraped Coconut – ½ cup

4.      Broken Urad Dal – 1 tsp

5.      Dry Red Chilly – 1

6.      Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp

7.      Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp

8.      Salt to taste

For Tempering

1.      Coconut oil/Any Refined Oil – 1 tsp

2.      Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp

3.      Curry Leaves – few

Method

1.      Pressure cook the dal,along with chopped cabbage, with salt and turmeric powder and about 2 cup of water.Mash lightly and keep aside..

2.      Heat a small frying pan with little oil, roast the urad dal and red chillies until the dal turns red. Take care not to burn the dal.

3.      Grind the coconut, fried urad dal, red chilly and cumin seeds into a smooth paste by adding little water.

4.      Add the ground coconut paste, to the cooked Dal-Cabbage and mix well. Add about a cup of water to adjust the consistency.

5.      Check for seasoning and let it start boiling.

6.      Remove from heat.

7.      Heat a frying pan with oil, temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Pour this tempering over the Molakootal.

Mull Thenkuzhal

Ingredients

• Besan (chickpea flour) 2 cups
• Rice Flour 1/2 cup
• Chilli powder 2 tsp
• Salt 1 tsp
• Hing a little
• Butter 3 Tbsp

Method of Preparation

Take all the ingredients in a bowl

Mix by adding water little at a time to make dough like chappati

Make a small ball with it and put it in the Nazhi (the equipment) with the correct chip.

Heat oil in a Kadai and press down the dough into the oil.
Gently break down the thenkozhal and cook till it is slightly browned. You will get deeper colour if you are using a lot of chilli powder.

Yummy Mullu Thenkozhal is ready to serve. 

Idichakka Thoran

Jackfruit is a seasonal fruit available from Mid March to May. In the beginning of the season you get the really small jackfruits or tender jackfruits called iddichakka in Malayalam. As days progress the jackfruit grows in size; you start getting the huge chakkas, which have beautiful golden yellow bulbs inside them. Jackfruit trees are a common sight in the backyards of Kerala homes. Come, Jackfruit season (summer), and the menu would be anything from iddichakka thoran, Chakka Chips, Chakka Curry, to Elai adai or Chakka Pradaman. Jackfruit jam or Chakka varrati is another delicacy. This way, it would be preserved for the whole year and Chakka Pradhaman or Elai Adai can be prepared at any time of the year.

Cutting the jackfruit is a really time consuming and tedious task, but the results are very sweet. Oil your palms and the knife with coconut oil since sticky gum oozes out of the fruit when you cut it open. Usually the Jackfruit is cut into a half and those into further halves. For the tender Jackfruit, only the prickly thick outer skin needs to be removed and the rest can be cut into pieces just like any other fruit or vegetable. For the ripe ones, the yellow bulbs have to be separated and the seeds have to be removed.

Idichakka Thoran is made out of fresh tender jackfruits, mildly spiced and flavored with fresh coconut. Thoran refers to any kind of dry curry. Here I am sharing the traditional Palakkad recipe. Though I’ve seen many of my Malayalee friends would add some onions and garlic too but we at home make it this way sans onions and garlic.

Ingredients

1. Small tender Jackfruit or Idichakka – 1
2. Fresh Grated Coconut – ½ cup
3. Green Chillies – 2
4. Turmeric Powder – a pinch
5. Salt to Taste

For seasoning

1. Coconut oil – 1 tblsp
2. Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
3. Urad Dal – 1 tsp
4. Dried Red Chillies – 1 or 2
5. A few curry leaves

Method

Spread a newspaper on the counter, Oil your palms and the knife with coconut oil. Cut the jackfruit into half and then again into further halves, until they are of manageable size. Then remove the thick out skin and cut into pieces.
Cook these pieces with turmeric powder and little water for about 2 whistles in a pressure cooker.

Once cool, remove and pound the pieces with a pestle or use the back of a wooden spoon or a masher to get some shredded jackfruit. You could blend it in the processor too, but make sure the jackfruit pieces don’t become a paste. Grind the grated coconut and green chillies without adding any water. Keep aside.

Now, heat a Kadai with coconut oil, add the mustard seeds, once they splutter, add the urad dal and red chillies and curry leaves. Once, the dal changes color, add the shredded jackfruit pieces and sauté. Add salt to taste and fry for few minutes in medium flame. Then add the ground coconut and green chillies. Mix well. Finally drizzle about 2 tsps of coconut oil over the thoran.

Relish this yummy thoran with steaming hot rice and Moru Kootan or Sambar.

Chena Erisseri

What you’ll need

1. Yam/Chena – 2 ½ cups, peeled and cut into big cubes
2. Fresh Scraped Coconut – 1 cup
3. Black Pepper Powder – ½ tsp
4. Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
5. Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
6. Salt to taste

For Tempering

1. Fresh scraped coconut – ½ cup
2. Urad Dal – 1 tsp
3. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
4. Dried Red Chilly – 1
5. Curry Leaves – 8 to 10 leaves
6. Coconut Oil – 1 tbsp

Method

1. Wash the yam pieces well and transfer into a kadai.
2. Add about 3 cups of water, turmeric powder, pepper powder and salt to taste. Mix well.
3. Cook partially covered on medium heat till the yam pieces are cooked.
4. In the meanwhile, grind the coconut and cumin into a fine paste adding some water.
5. Pour this ground paste into the yam pieces once they are cooked. Mix well and bring to boil.
6. Remove from heat after about 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Heat another kadai with coconut oil.
8. Add mustard seeds, once they splutter add urad dal. Add the scraped coconut once the dal starts changing color.
9. Fry the coconut till it becomes nice and brown. Add curry leaves and pour this tempering over the prepared erissery. Mix well.

Kott Curry with kadala Paripp

Kootu curry is another popular Kearla dish, which has found its way into the Palakkad Iyer Kitchens. It is an important part of sadhyas or feasts. Traditionally, yam and plantains are cooked along with brown channa or cowpeas and simmered in a coconut cumin paste, finally tempered with a flavourful tempering of fried coconut and curry leaves.

The recipe I am sharing today is slightly different. This is my mother’s recipe. She uses Bengal gram dal instead of the channa and also she doesn’t use plantains and uses ash gourd.

What you’ll need

1. Ash Gourd – 2 cups, peeled and diced into small cubes
2. Yam – 1 cup, peeled and diced into small cubes
3. Channa Dal/Kadala Paruppu – 3 tbsp
4. Grated Fresh Coconut – ½ cup
5. Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
6. Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
7. Chilly Powder – ½ tsp
8. Powdered Jaggery – 1 tsp
9. Salt to taste

For tempering

1. Coconut oil – 1 tbsp
2. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
3. White broken urad dal – 1 tsp
4. Scraped Fresh Coconut – ½ cup
5. Curry Leaves – few sprigs

Method

1. Soak the Kadala paruppu for about 30 minutes and pressure cook it without making it mushy.
2. Pressure cook the vegetables with turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt, adding about ½ cup of water, for 2 whistles.
3. Grind ½ cup of coconut with cumin seeds into a smooth paste adding a little water.
4. In a vessel combine the cooked vegetables, cooked dal and the ground paste and jaggery. Mix well, check seasoning and bring to boil.
5. In the meanwhile, heat another kadai with oil.
6. Temper with mustard seeds then add the urad dal, as soon as the dal starts changing color, add the coconut and fry till brown. Also add few curry leaves in this.
7. Pour this tempering over the prepared vegetable dal mixture and mix well.

Vendakkai Kichadi

I prefer Lady’s finger pachadi over the numerous varieties of thayir pachadis. So I thought of opening this category with my favourite choice.

The title should have rightly been Venkakkai Kichadi – as curd based pachadis are known as Kichadi and form an important part of the Sadhya or feast. But in our house we just refer to them as Thayir pachadi so I stuck with that name. You could use other veggies, like cooked ashgourd pieces, or banana stem pieces as well instead of lady’s finger. Tastes best as an accompaniment with rice and Molagootal.

What you’ll need

1. Lady’s Finger /Vendakkai – 200 gms
2. Green Chillies – 1 or 2
3. Fresh Grated Coconut – ½ cup
4. Fresh Thick Curd – 2 Cups
5. Mustard Seeds –1/4 tsp
6. Curry Leaves – few
7. Salt to taste
8. Oil – 2 tsp

For Tempering

1. Oil – 1 tsp
2. Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Method

1. Wash and pat dry the lady’s finger. Cut into small pieces.
2. Heat a kadai with oil. Add the lady’s finger pieces, cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Remove the lid and fry for another 5 to 10 minutes, on low heat, stirring every now and then.
4. Once the lady’s finger is fried well, add salt and mix well.
5. Remove from heat. And let it cool.
6. In the meanwhile, grind coconut, green chillies, mustard seeds and curry leaves to a smooth paste adding a little water.
7. Beat the curd well, add the coconut paste and fried lady’s finger. Mix well and check for seasoning.
8. Heat a small frying pan with a tsp of oil. Add mustard seeds. Once they splutter pour the seasoning over the pachadi.

Kadachakka Thoran

What you’ll need

1. Kada Chakka – 1, medium
2. Grated Coconut – 3 tbsp
3. Green Chilly – 1 or 2
4. Curry Leaves – few
5. Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
6. Salt to taste

For Tempering

1. Oil – 2 tsp
2. Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
3. Urad Dal – 1 tsp

Method

1. Peel the skin of the bread fruit and chop into medium sized cubes.
2. Steam cook the bread fruit pieces in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Do not add any water to the pieces while cooking.
3. Heat a kadai with oil, add mustard seeds and urad dal. Once the mustard splutters and urad dal turns light brown, add the steamed bread fruit pieces. Add turmeric powder and salt to taste. Mix well. Fry on medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. In the meanwhile, grind coconut, green chilly and curry leaves to a coarse paste, without adding water.
5. Add this ground paste to the bread fruit pieces and mix well. 
6. Remove from heat.

Serve as an accompaniment to rice and Sambar or Rasam.

Vazhathand Thoran

Did you know that all the parts of the banana plant are good for health? Right from the flower, raw banana, ripe banana to its stem.  

Banana stem or Vazhathandu as it’s called in Tamil is a wonder vegetable. It has many nutritive and health benefits. It is a rich source of dietary fibre, and minerals like potassium. It is also rich in vitamin B6, which helps in production of haemoglobin. It helps in lowering blood pressure and also helps in weight loss.

However, the cutting the banana stem is cumbersome and time consuming. The outer flesh is removed and then the stem is sliced into thin roundels. These roundels are then finely chopped and added to a bowl of water in which a few drops of buttermilk or curd is added. This is done to prevent discoloration.

Here is a simple, healthy and delicious recipe for a stir fry that tastes yum when served in accompaniment Sambar or rasam and rice.

What you’ll need

1. Vazhathandu/ Banana Stem – 1 medium
2. Tuar Dal – 4 tbsp
3. Fresh Grated Coconut – ½ cup
4. Green Chilly – 1
5. Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
6. Salt to taste

For tempering

1. Oil – 2 tsp
2. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
3. Urad Dal – 1 tsp
4. Curry Leaves – 5 or 6

Method

1. Wash and soak the tuar dal in water for 20 minutes.
2. Finely chop the banana stem and put it in a bowl of water with a few drops of buttermilk added to it.
3. Heat a Kadai, add half the chopped banana stem, then add drained and soaked dal, again add the remaining banana stem.
4. Add turmeric powder and ¼ cup of water, cover and cook on medium flame, till the dal and vegetable is done. The dal should not turn mushy.
5. Add salt to taste, cook uncovered for a few minutes or till all the moisture is absorbed.
6. Grind coconut and green chilly, without adding water.
7. Add this to the cooked vegetable and mix well.
8. Heat a frying pan with oil. Add mustard seeds, once they splutter add urad dal. Fry till the dal turn golden brown then add the curry leaves.
9. Pour this tempering over the cooked vegetable and mix well.

Healthy and delicious Banana Stem Thoran is ready. Serve as an accompaniment with plain rice, and Sambar or Rasam.

Note:

1. While selecting the banana stem, look for a white stem, which indicates that it is fresh.

Manga Chammanthi

This is a traditional Kerala dish. It is a real quickie and can get ready in less than 15 minutes. This spicy and tangy chammanthi goes very well with Molagootal, Molagushyam, and curd rice. It is also an excellent combination for Dosa and Idly, but apart from all these it is best had with Kanji. So here is the recipe for this summer special Manga Chammanthi.

What you will need:

1. Raw sour mangoes – (cut into pieces) 1 cup
2. Grated fresh coconut – 1 cup
3. Asfoetida – a small piece
4. Dry Red Chillies – 5 – 6
5. Salt to taste
6. Jaggery – a little (optional)
7. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
8. Oil – 1 tsp

Method:

Heat a small frying pan with ½ tsp of oil. Fry the asfoetida and red chillies. Now grind the raw mangoes, grated coconuts, asfoetida, red chillies and salt into a thick paste adding very little water. Add a little jaggery and pulse for a few seconds more. Transfer into a bowl. Heat a little oil, add mustard seeds. Once they splutter pour over the ground paste. Mangai Chammanthi is ready.

ArachKalakki

Arachukalaki is a distinctive side dish of Palakkad Iyers. It is a curd based side dish for our mild kootans like Molagootal and Mulagutiam. You could call it maybe a Palakkad Raita. The name arachu kalaki exactly translates to the procedure of how this dish is made: Arachu meaning grind and kalaki meaning mix. This is a really simple dish.
In olden days, seasonal fruits like gooseberries or nellikai in Tamil, mangoes or mangai in Tamil etc would be preserved in brine in large bharanis (big porcelain vessels) for the entire year. Whenever one felt like having a nellikai or mangai – there it was always available. My Amma still follows the tradition. So this winter when the gooseberries/Maangai were readily available in the market, she bought a Kg of them and preserved it in brine. Today we made arachukalaki out of these preserved Mangai. So, here’s how arachukalaki is made:

Ingredients

1. Fresh or Preserved Maangai – 2 big
2. Grated Coconut – 2 tblsps
3. Sour curd – 2 to 3 tblsps
4. Dried Red Chillies – 3 – 4
5. Methi seeds – ¼ tsp
6. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp k
7. Curry Leaves a few
8. Coconut oil – 1 tsp
9. Salt to taste


Method


Heat a small pan with ½ tsp of oil, fry the methi seeds and red chillies. Deseed the Maangai. Grind the Maangai pieces, grated coconut, fried, methi seeds and red chillies into a fine paste. Add little sour curd to get a smooth paste. Add salt to taste. Transfer the ground pastes into a bowl. Now, adjust consistency by adding some more curd. Mix well. Arachukalaki should not be very thick like thogayal, it should be like pachadi or raita. Heat a small frying pan with the remaining oil, add the mustard seeds, when the splutter pour it on top of the arachukalaki. Garnish with a few sprigs of curry leaves.
Nellikai Arachukalaki is ready to be served with rice and molagootal. You can also relish the taste of this arachukalaki with idly or dosai.

Parupp Thogayal

This is a very easy and healthy dish. Paruppu Thogayal and Vatha Kuzhambu is an excellent combination. Try this blend of moong dal, fresh coconut and red chillies and you are bound to have your fingers licking. Though it can be prepared using tuar dal but I prefer moong dal.

Ingredients                      

1.      Split yellow moong dal – 1 cup

2.      Fresh grated coconut – 1 cup

3.      Dried Red Chillies – 1

Method

Heat a pan and dry roast the moong dal on medium flame till the dal turns slightly red. Wash and drain the dal. Soak dal with red chillies for about 30 mins in water. Drain all the water and grind the dal, chillies and coconut with salt into a thick paste adding little water. Serve as accompaniment with white rice and vathakuzhambu.

Keerai Masiyal

Spinach and all greens are a real powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. Rich in iron, calcium and folic acid. It is recommended that we eat greens on daily basis: - at least a small portion.

Here’s a very simple recipe, which can be prepared within 10 minutes time. Most of the Keerai Masiyal recipes incorporate garlic, onions and tomatoes. The recipe that I am posting today is a typical Brahmin recipe in which the taste of the keerai is dominant.

Ingredients

1.       Spinach or any other greens – 1 big bunch

2.       Dried red chillies – 2

3.       Urad Dal – 1 tsp

4.       Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

5.       Coconut Oil – 1 tsp

6.       Salt to taste

Method

Wash the greens very well. Drain out excess water. Chop them roughly.

Heat a pan, add the greens. (No need to add water if you are using Spinach i.e. palak. For other varieties like Ara keerai, mula keerai etc add a little water) Cook covered till the greens are soft.

Allow to cool. Grind it for a just about 30 seconds. Take care that it does not become a very fine paste.

Transfer into a bowl. Add salt to taste and mix well.

Heat coconut oil, add mustard seeds, urad dal and red chillies. Once the mustard splutters and the dal turns red pour this on the Spinach Paste.

Keerai Masiyal is ready. Can be served as an accompaniment to Sambar or Mor Kootan. Or you can simple mix the Masiyal with rice and have it.

Poricha kuzhambu

Poricha Kuzhambu better known as Porichozhambu in the Palakkad circles is a tangy tamarind and vegetables based dish served with steamed white rice. It is another variation of the Pitlai. Naadan vegetables like raw bananas, yam, ash gourd broad beans (Avarakkai) are generally used. You can also used carrots, potatoes and peas in addition to the above mentioned vegetables. So if you are bored of having Sambar every other day for lunch, try is variation.

Ingredients

Mixed Vegetables like Yam,Ash Gourd, Pumpkin etc - 2 Cups
Tamarind – gooseberry sized ball
Turmeric Powder – 1 pinch
Salt – to taste

For the spice paste

Urad Dal – 1/2 tsp
Channa dal – 1 tsp
Black Pepper – a few
Dried Red Chillies – 4
Asfoetida – a small piece
Fresh Grated Coconut – 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Coconut oil – 1 tsp

For the seasoning

Coconut oil – 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
Curry leaves a few

Method

Cut all the vegetables into small cubes. Soak tamarind in hot water for 10 mins. Squeeze and extract tamarind juice in a vessel.
Pressure cook the vegetables with turmeric and salt and 1 cup of water.
Also pressure cook the Karamani.
Heat a tsp of oil in a Kadai, add a piece of asafoetida, after its bloats, add the dals and fry finally add the peppercorns and red chillies. Once all these are fried, grind them with the coconut into a smooth paste adding a little water.
Take the tamarind extract in a vessel, add turmeric powder and salt and boil it for 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the cooked vegetables to the tamarind water.
Bring to boil and simmer for about 2 -3 mins. Finally add the ground paste. Check for salt and consistency. If the curry is too thick add a little water and adjust the consistency. Simmer for a 3 – 4 mins.
Heat a tsp of oil in a pan; add mustard seeds, once they crackle pour over the kuzhambu. Garnish with curry leaves.
Tasty Porichozhambu is ready to serve.
A good accompaniment for this would be the not so spicy Paruppu Thogayal.

Maangai Koottan

What you’ll need:

1. Raw Mango – 1 Medium size
2. Beaten Curds – 2 cups
3. Jaggery – 1 Tbsp
4. Turmeric Powder – a pinch
5. Salt to taste

To grind

1. Fresh scraped coconut – 1 cup
2. Fenugreek Seeds/ Methi – ½ tsp
3. Dried Red Chillies – 3 to 4

For Tempering

1. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
2. Curry Leaves a few
3. Coconut oil – 1 tsp

Method

Wash, peel and cut the mango into medium sized pieces. In a vessel, cook the mango pieces with salt, turmeric powder and enough water (about 1 to 1 ½ cups). Once the mangoes are half done, add the jaggery. And stir well. Let it boil till the mangoes are fully done.
In the meanwhile, heat a small frying pan, and fry the methi seeds and red chillies taking care not to burn the methi seeds. Allow to cool. Then grind these with the coconut adding little water, into a fine smooth paste.

Once the mangoes are done, add the ground paste to it and let it boil for about 2 minutes. Finally, reduce the heat to low and slowly add the whisked curds and blend well. Check for salt and add it if required. Simmer for about a minute or till the gravy just starts foaming. Remove from heat. Garnish with curry leaves. Temper with mustard seeds.

Yummy Manga Kootan is ready. Serve with steaming rice and any stir fry of your choice.

Notes:

1. If mangoes are not sour, you will have to use sour curds else a day old curd will do.
2. Adjust quantity of jaggery according to sourness.
3. Do not boil, after adding the whisked curds else, the curds will split. ( you can turn off the heat and add it too)
4. If you want to reduce the quantity of coconut, add a tsp of raw rice while grinding the paste.
5. Make sure the methi seeds are fried will but not burnt, else the kootan will turn bitter.

Keerai Molakkoottal

Adapted from palakkadcooking.blogspot.in

Molagootal is a distinctive palakkad Brahmin dish. Molagootal is a mildly spiced dish made of a combination of vegetables, lentils and coconut. Since it is lightly spiced it is an instant hit with adults and kids alike. Keerai molagootal can be prepared using any of the greens like ara keerai, thanda keerai or palak keerai. Keerai molagootal can be served with steaming hot white rice and some side dish like Thenga Thuvayal, Vendakai Pachadi, or Pulikuthi Upperi. This is the masterpiece of my Amma... She makes this damn superbly that i use to drink this molakkoottal whenever am at home. And now also When my lunch bag is there with keerai Molakkoottal, I get Hungry sssooonnn!!!!!!!!

Ingredients        

• Spinanch - 1 Bunch
• Toor Dal/Thuvara Parupp - 1 Cup
• Turmeric Powder - A Pinch

To Temper:-

• Mustard - 1 Tbsp
• Dry Red CHilly - 2

To Grind:-

• Coconut - 1/2 Cup
• Urad Dal/Uzhunnu Parupp - 1 Tbsp
• Dry Red Chilly - 2
• Cumin/Jeerakam - 1 Tsp

Method:-

• Pressure cook the dal.
• Clean and wash the Spinach very well. Chop it roughly.
• Boil the spinach in very little water for about 5 mins. Allow to cool.
• Run the cooked spinach in a mixer for just a few seconds.
• Transfer the ground spinach into a vessel.
• In a small pan, heat a tsp of oil fry the urad dal and red chilly (Given Under To Grind) till dal turns light brown.
• Grind this along with coconut and cumin seeds into a paste using little water.
• Mash the dal well and add the ground coconut paste to the dal.
• Add salt to taste. Bring this mixture to boil for 2 mins stirring constantly. 
• Add the ground Spinach. Check the consistency.Molagootal is neither very thick nor thin.
• Simmer for 2 to 3 mins. 
• Heat a tsp of coconut oil, add the To Temper Items.Once it starts spluttering add it to the molagootal.
• Keerai molagootal is ready to serve.

Thiruvathirai Poduthual

Thiruvadhirai is celebrated in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, though the rituals in both the states are very different. In Tamil Nadu, people generally, wake up very early, take a bath and prepare the offerings of Kali (a sweet rice pudding) and poduthuval (curried vegetables). I don’t know how our ancestors came up with this unusual combination of sweet and savoryJ.

Thiruvadhirai Poduthuval/thoran or kootu is a side dish that is served alsong with Kali. Every household has their own way of preparing it. Some prepare like how it like a dry curry. Some prepare like a kootu and still others prepare something like a Sambar with 5 or 7 different vegetables

 I am posting the way my mother prepares it. A special vegetable called Kaavathu is an important part of this thoran. It does not matter how much you add, even a very small piece of it would do. But according to mom, kaavathu is important. But if you don’t find it in your neighborhood, use the other vegetables and prepare this thoran.

 What you’ll need

1. Pumpkin – 1.5 cup, cut into medium sized cubes
2. Broad Beans/Avarakkai – 8 Nos, cut into 1inch pieces
3. Green Peas – 1/2 cup
4. Kaavathu – ½ cup, cut into cubes
5. Fresh scraped coconut – ¼ cup
6. Green Chilly – 1 or 2
7. Salt to taste
8. Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp

For tempering

1. Coconut oil – 1 tbsp
2. Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
3. Urad Dal – ½ tsp
4.  Curry Leaves – 8 to 10 leaves, torn

Method

1. Wash all the vegetables well.
2. Toss the vegetables with salt and turmeric powder and place them in a steamer and cook till the vegetables are done. (If you do not have a steamer, place the vegetables in a vessel, toss with turmeric and salt and cook in a pressure cooker for one whistle. Do not add water to the vegetables)
3. Once the vegetables are done, remove and allow to cool.
4. In the meanwhile, grind the coconut and green chilly into a coarse paste without adding water.
5. Heat a Kadai with coconut oil, add mustard seeds, once they splutter add the urad dal.
6. After the dal become golden, add the curry leaves and cooked vegetables and mix carefully, taking care not to break the pieces. Let everything get heated up well, i.e for about 4 to 5 minutes.
7. Finally add the crushed coconut and green chillies and mix carefully. Remove from heat after 3 to 4 minutes.

Thiruvadhirai Poduthuval is ready.

Paavakkai Pitla

Bittergourd – definitely not well liked by most children and even adults. Thanks to its bitter taste. I am also not a great fan of this vegetable, but have grown to like its taste over the years. Bittergourd is a excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, and B3, C, magnesium, folic acid, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, and has high dietary fiber. It is also rich in iron. A great vegetable for the diabetics. Keeping all its health benefits in mind I make sure to have it atleast once in 10 days.
Pavakkai Pitali, another Palakkad Special. Pavakkai (the Malayalam and Tamil name for bitter gourd) Pitlai is a nutritious, curry that integrates a lot of flavors. The taste of ground spices, tangy tamarind and sweet jaggery compensates for the bitterness of the gourd. So here’s presenting Pavakkai Pitlai:

Ingredients

                                                                        

1.       Bitter gourd – 1 big

2.       Tamarind – Lemon sized ball

3.       Tuar Dal – 3 tblsps

4.       Jaggery – 1 tblsp

5.       Turmeric  Powder – ½ tsp

To be roasted and ground

1.       Asfoetida – small piece

2.       Channa Dal – 1 tsp

3.       Black pepper – ¼ tsp

4.       Dried Red Chillies – 3- 4

5.       Grated Coconut – ½ cup

For Seasoning

1.       Coconut Oil – 1 tsp

2.       Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

3.       Curry leaves – a few

Method

Soak tamarind in hot water for about 10 mins. Squeeze and extract tamarind juice. Keep aside.  Pressure cook tuar dal. Once cooked mash it well and keep aside. Cut bitter gourd into small pieces. In a pan, add a tsp of oil and fry the bitter gourd pieces with a little salt for about 5 – 7 mins. (This is done to diminish the bitterness of the gourd).  In a vessel pour the tamarind extract; add the fried bitter gourd pieces, turmeric powder, salt and jaggery. Allow this to boil till the raw smell of tamarind goes and the vegetable is cooked.

For the spice paste:

Heat a tsp of oil, add asfoetida, allow it to fry, then add channa dal fry for a minute then add the pepper and finally add the chillies. Fry this till the Channa dal turns a nice golden color. Take this out in a plate. Fry the grated coconut for a few mins. Grind the spices with coconut to a smooth paste by adding little water.

Once the vegetable is cooked add the mashed dal and stir well. Bring to boil. Then add the spice paste and allow to boil for about 2 mins. Add water by checking for consistency. Remove from heat.

Heat a tsp of coconut oil. Add mustard seeds. Once the seed start spluttering pour it on top of the Pitlai and garnish with curry leaves.

Nutritious Pavakkai Pitalai is ready. Goes well with steaming hot rice and some vegetable curry. Also try it as an accompaniment with Idly, Dosa or even Adai.

Morukoottan/Pulisseri

Moru Kootan – My husband’s favorite dish. He simply loves this curry made out of sour curd and ground coconut. This can be made with vegetables like Ash gourd, Pumpkin, Raw bananas, Carrots, Yam, or Colocassia (Chembu). Today I am doing a post on Elavan moru kootan i.e. Ash gourd along with potatoes and chemb

Ingredients                                        

• Elavan (Ash gourd) cut into big cubes/Potato/ – 1 cup
• Chemb-3
• Thick Curd (sour) – 1.5 cups
• Grated Coconut – 1 cup
• Green Chilies – 2 or 3
• Turmeric Powder – a pinch
• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
• Dried Red Chillies - 1
• Methi seeds  - ¼ tsp
• Coconut Oil – 1 tsp
• Curry leaves

Method

• In a vessel add the chopped ashgourd and about 1.5 cups of water. 
• Add turmeric powder and salt and boil until the vegetable pieces are cooked. 
• Grind coconut with green chillies into a paste. Use a little of the curd for grinding instead of water. 
• Add the ground paste to the cooked ashgourd. 
• Mix well. 
• Now whisk the sour curd without any lumps and add to the coconut veg mixture. Check for consistency and salt. 
• Simmer until the kootan froths up. Do not boil after adding curd. Remove from heat. 
• Temper with Mustard, Red Chillies and Methi seeds. Garnish with curry leaves. 

Molakoottal

Think Palakkad Chamayal and the first thing that comes to my mind is Molakoottal. One of the easiest dishes to make. Now let's come back to the present and see how to make this quick and really simple dish of lentils and veggies and ground coconut.

Ingredients

Mixed Veggies like White Pumpkin, Yellow Pumpkin, Raw Banana, Carrots, Yam, Potato, Green peas etc. diced into small cubes. - 1 Cup

* Tuvar Dal 3 Tblsps
* 1/2 cup grated cococut
* A pinch - Turmeric Powder
* 1 tsp - Chilli Powder
* 1 tsp - Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
* 1 Tsp oil for Tempering
* 1 Tsp - Mustard Seeds
* 1 Tsp - Urad Dal
* Few Curry Leaves
* Salt to Taste

Preparation

Pressure cook vegetables with a pinch of turmeric powder and chilli powder. Also pressure cook the dal, mash it without lumps and keep aside.

Grind grated coconut with jeera to a fine paste adding little water.

Now in a separate vessel, add the cooked veggies, dal, and salt. Mix well and boil for 2 minutes. Now pour the coconut paste and adjust consistency by adding water. Allow to simmer for a few minutes. Add Curry leaves. Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds and urad dal. Pour over the Molagutal. Serve hot with rice and some pickle of your choice.