Spicy Kara Boondi

INGREDIENTS:-

BESAN | KADALAI MAAVU| GRAM FLOUR	1 CUP
RICE FLOUR	3 TBLSP
RED CHILLI POWDER	1 TSP
SALT	AS NEEDED
BAKING SODA	A PINCH
OIL	FOR DEEP FRYING
CURRY LEAVES	FEW
ASAFOETIDA	2 PINCHES
CASHEW NUTS	7-8 NO(OPTIONAL)
PEANUTS	FEW(OPTIONAL)

METHOD:

• Combine both the flour in a bowl. Add salt, asafoetida, and red chilli powder to this.
• Add water to this to make this into a dosa batter consistency.
• Add the baking soda and mix well.
• While adding water to the besan , first add a small amount of water and make it into a thick paste. The amount of water depends upon the texture of besan. 

• Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying. when the oil becomes hot, just pour 2 tblsp of hot oil to the batter and mix well.

• To check whether the  consistency is right for the batter, take a spoon and with the back of the spoon mix the batter well and just hold it on the top of the hot oil.
• If this forms a nice round ball then the consistency if perfect, else it gives a tail you need to add little extra water. Add 1 tblsp and check again.
• If this forms a very thin roundels then the water is more, just add one tblsp of besan to this and check again.
• Now the batter is ready for boondis.
• You need 2 perforated ladle for making this. The ladle with small holes to make boondi and another one to take out the boondis from oil. 
• Pour a ladle of batter to the perforated ladle ,keeping the ladle on the top of the oil and  let the boondis falls into the oil.  

• Fry till the oil sound subsides. Then only we can get crispy boondis. 

• Take out from oil and drain it in a kitchen towel.

• Repeat this for rest of the batter.
• Wipe of the ladle every time when you pour the batter.
• When it is done transfer everything to a wide bowl and deep fry the curry leaves , cashew nuts and peanuts(if adding) in the hot oil till the cashew turn into a nice golden brown color. Fry everything separately.
• Mix well.

• Transfer it to a air tight container.

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.

Spicy Pasta Noodles

Ingredients:-

• Penne Pasta – 1 Pkt
• Noodles – 1
• Cooked Mixed Veggies – 1 Cup (I used carrot,Peas,Potato,Beans)
• Soya Sauce – 1 Tbsp.
• Chilly Sauce – 1 Tbsp.
• Tomato Sauce – 1 Tbsp.
• Onion – 1
• Tomato – 1
• Salt – As needed
• Oil – 2 Tbsp.

Masala Items:-

• Turmeric Powder/Manjal Podi – ¼ Tsp.
• Dhaniya powder/Malli Podi – ¼ Tsp.
• Chilly powder/Mulak Podi – ¼ Tsp.
• Garam Masala – ¼ Tsp.

To Temper:-

• Mustard – 1 Tsp
• Curry Leaves – As needed

Method:-

• Throw in the pasta and Noodles into a Container filled with water.
• Add salt and Oil to it.
• Allow it to boil vigorously till pasta and Noodles becomes Soft
• Transfer the same into a colander and show it under cold tap water
• Heat a kadai and add 1 Tbsp. of Oil.
• Throw in the mustard seeds and allow it to burst.
• Add in the curry leaves along with mixed veggies.
• Throw in the Masala Items along with 2 Tbsp. of water.
• Allow it to boil so that Masala gets coated well to the veggies.
• Add the cooked Noodles Pasta and give it a nice stir.
• Add the Sauce items and Leave it to cool for 5 Mts.
• Delicious Noodles Pasta is ready!!! 

Kanji Payar Pappadam with Chammandhi

This is a traditional kerala recepie and i love the heavenly combination a lot!!! its  alip smacking dinner item... Off to the recepie!!

Ingredients:-

• Rice - 1 Cup.
• Green Moong Dal/Pachha Payar - 1/2 Cup
• Scraped Cocnut - 1/4 Cup.
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 Tsp
• Ghee - 1Tbsp

Method:-

• Transfer the Rice and Green Gram Dal to a pressure cooker.
• Add double the water of it.
• *Cook the rice combo for 4 Whistles and lower the flame for 10 mts.
• Switch off the stove and leave it aside.
• Take ghee in a pan and add the cumin seeds.
• Allow the bursting to finish and transfer the same to kanji.
• Add the scraped coconut and your delicious Kanji is ready

 You can have this with either Coconut Chutney or Raw Onion Chutney

Raw Onion Chutney

How many of you like raw Onions? I am sure that there would be a mixed bunch of people who likes it and who do not like it. I like to eat a slice or two of raw onions along with rice for my lunch or in salads. Raw onions taste best with podi varieties and pacchadi varieties when mixed with rice, it is a must to add raw onions to the pacchadi varieties like Chintakaya Pacchadi , Gongura Pacchadi etc. I make this Ulli Karam to go with Idli and Dosa varieties  The key taste for this chutney is in the way it is ground, it tastes nice when prepared chunky instead of smooth paste.This chutney tastes best when it is made super spicy and also one needs to add liberal amount of sesame oil or melted ghee to it. You can even spread this chutney in dosa once it is done, it tastes delicious too.

Ingredients:

• 20-25 small Shallots or 2 Onions
• 4-5 Green Chillies
• 1/2 cup tightly packed Coriander leaves
• 1 tsp Tamarind Pulp
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 tbsp Sesame Oil/ melted Ghee

Method:

• Cut the ends of shallots and soak them in a bowl of water for 10 mins. This will make the process of peeling the skin of onions easier. Peel the skins and keep them ready, if the shallots are big cut them into 2-3 pieces. If you are using large onions peel and cut them into chunks roughly.
• Wash and remove the hard stems of coriander and roughly chop the coriander and green chillies.
• In a blender add shallots, chopped green chillies, coriander, tamarind pulp and salt and pulse it in whipper mode to get a coarse chutney. Do not grind it longer, just pulse it until you get chunky chutney as shown. You do not require any water, if required add a tbsp of water while grinding.
• Remove the chutney to a bowl and add sesame oil or melted ghee and mix it nicely.
• Serve it with Idli and Dosa varieties along with Sambar. You can even spread this chutney in the dosa once it is done, it tastes delicious too!!

Custard Powder Ice Cream

And regarding this recipe, I have never tried making icecream at home and never thought also. I dont have a label Ice cream in my blog. Now, I am creating one :) and hope I could try some in the future.

 INGREDIENTS:-

• Custard Powder - 1 1/2 Spoon
• Sugar - 2 Tbsp
• Milk - 2 Cups
• Cream - 2 Tbsp
• Granulated Cherry - 2-3 Tbsp

Method:-

• Boil the milk in a saucepan, reserving 3 tblsps of milk aside.
• Mix the custard powder in the 3 tblsp of milk into a smooth paste without any lumps.
• Add this custard mixture to the boiled milk and keep the flame low. Stir it continuously for 2 minutes. The mixture will give a thick custard. Let it be like a dosa batter consistency.
• Add sugar to it and put off the flame.
• Allow this custard to cool down completely.
• When done, add cream to this ( i used the Nestle cream) and whip in the mixer for a minute.

• Pour this mixture in a freezer safe box and freeze it for an hour.
• After that take out and whip it again for a minute. Repeat this step 2 times . this is to avoid the formation of Ice and to get a creamy texture.
• After doing the whipping process for 3 times, add the granulated cherry and freeze the mixture for 5-6 hours.

• Your vanilla custard powder ice cream is done.
• I served it with a Cherry Topping, as Cherry is my Babys Favourite.

Creamy Tomato Macoroni

This happens to be my Baby's all time favourite.

Ingredients:-

• Macorani - 1/2 Cup
• Tomato - 2, medium Sized
• Pepper - As Needed
• Cream - 1 Tbsp

Method:-

• Boil Macorani as per packet instructions (with salt).
• Immerse tomatoes in hot water for a minute and peel off the skin.
• Puree the tomato. Heat a pan and add both the tomato puree.Cook until the raw smell goes off
• Add pepper, fry for a minute until you get nice aroma and then add the cooked pasta
• Mix well and Add parmesan cheese.
• Mix well and add water to loosen the pasta.
• Lastly add sour cream and switch off the stove.
• Mix well to get a creamy texture and sprinkle the pepper.

Rava Idli

Ingredients:-

• Rava/Sooji - 1 Cup
• Sour Curd - 1/2 Cup
• Baking Soda - 1/2 Tbsp
• Green Chilly (Chopped or grind into fine paste) - 4
• Curry/Corriander Leaves - 1 Tbsp
• Water,Salt - As Needed

To Temper:-

• Mustard - 1 Tbsp
• Urad Dal - 1 Tbsp
• Chanan Dal - 1 Tbsp
• Cashews - as Needed
• Oil and Ghee - 1 Tbsp

Method:-

• Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a non-stick pan. Add semolina and sauté, stirring, on low heat till it turns a light brown. 
• Transfer it into a bowl and allow to cool. Add yogurt and mix well. 
• Chop coriander leaves and green chillies and add. 
• Heat 2 tbsps ghee in a small pan and add mustard seeds and add broken cashewnuts. Put the pan back on heat and sauté till the cashewnuts are golden. 
• Switch off the heat and add curry leaves. 
• Stir and add this tempering to the idli mixture and mix. 
• Add salt and water, little by little, to make an idli batter of dropping consistency. 
• Add Baking Soda to the batter and mix well. 
• Keep aside the whole for half an hour, so that the batter raises well..

• Grease the idli moulds with Oil and keep a cashew upside down in the center. 

 

• Heat water in a steamer.
• Pour the batter into the idli moulds and steam for 10 minutes. 

• Unmould and serve hot with any chutney.

I served it with Coconut chutney.

Bread Paneer Jamun

Gulab Jamuns are my absolute favorites!!! If you have a horrible sweet craving and need something sweet instantly you can whip up this goodness..It is so simple to make and of course no hard to eat..This is made with bread, you can use up any leftover bread slices to make this yummy jamuns…You can make this for parties or for kids, this hardly take us anytime to make but the result is pretty impressive..

Ingredients:

Bread - 6 slices

Paneer - 5-6 grated

Milk - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Water - 1/2 cup

Method:

Cut off the rims of the bread pieces and dip them in milk. Squeeze off the excess and put it in a blender along with grated paneer.

Pulse it for few times so that it is lump free. Now make small balls out of it and fry them in hot oil in a low flame..

                         

Fry till golden, don't fry it so much or else it wont absorb the syrup. Remove this to a paper towel..

Make sugar syrup by taking sugar, cardamom and water in a sauec pan and bring it to boil.

Boil it for 5 mins untill it reaches sticky stage..

Now pour the  hot syrup over the fried jamuns and cover it with a plate or plastic wrap. Let it rest for atleast 3-4 hours before serving.

Serve with icecream or on its own.

A closer look!!!!

Aloo Paratha

Ingredients:-

For The Dough

• Whole Wheat Flour - 2 1/2 Cups

• Salt - As needed

• Ghee - 2 Tbsp

For The Stuffing 

• Boiled potatoes - 4 

• Chopped onion - 1 

• Chopped coriander - 1 Tbsp 

• Green chillies - 4 chopped 

• Chilli powder - 1/2 Tbsp 

• Salt -  to taste

Method:-

For the Flour:-

• Sieve the flours with the salt. 

• Add the ghee and mix well. Add enough water and make a semi-soft dough. Keep aside. 

For the stuffing

• Mash the potatoes coarsely or cut into very small pieces. Keep aside. 

• Heat the ghee in a vessel, add the cumin seeds and onion; and fry for at least 3 minutes.For the dough 

• Add the green chillies and fry again for 1 minute. 

• Add the potatoes, salt, coriander, chilli powder. Mix well and cook for 1 minute. 

• Cook the mixture. Keep aside.

How to proceed

1. Knead the dough and divide into 10 portions.
2. Roll out one portion of the dough into a circle.
3. Place one portion of the prepared filling in the center of the dough circle.
4. Bring together all the sides in the center and seal tightly.
5. Roll out again into a circle with the help of a little flour.
6. Cook the paratha on a tava (griddle), using a little ghee until both sides are golden brown.
7. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make more parathas.
8. Serve hot

Baby Aloo Toast

I had some Baby Aloo remaining in my Tray, which happens to be there after i made my Baby Aloo Biriyani. So i decided to make Baby Aloo  Toast as a side dish for Biriyani.

Ingredients:-

• Baby Aloo - 25
• Turmeric Powder - A Pinch
• Chilly Powder - 1 Tsp
• Oil - 2 Tbsp

Method:-

• Boil the Potatoes in Water until they are 3/4th cooked.
• Show the boiled potatoes in Running Tap Water, so that they do not turn Mushy.
• Take a wide Mouthed Vessel.
• Add the Turmeric Powder, Chilly Powder, and Oil. Mix them well. If needed 1 Tbsp of water can be added.
• Throw in the boiled potatoes to it.
• Give it a nice Turn, so that the masala fits well into the Potatoes.
• Leave it aisde like that for 1/2 to 1 Hour.
• Take a Kadai and pour 2 Tbsp of Oil.
• Throw in the Marinated Potatoes.
• Keep the stove in Low flame and switch off the stove, when the potatoes turn deep brown in color.

 

Pepper Noodles

Ingredients:-

• Noodles - 1 Pkt ( I used Hakka Noodles)
• Salt - As needed
• Oil - 2 Tbsp
• Pepper - As needed

Method:-

• Take a Bowl with 3/4th of water.
• Throw in the noodles to it and allow it to boil
• Add 2 Tbsp of Oil preferring Gingely Oil.

                 

• When the noodles start boiling and its 3/4th cooked, switch off the stove
• Transfer the same to a siever and show it in Cold Water.
• Take a kadai and pour some Oil.
• Transfer the noodles to it.
• Add salt, and pepper to the same.
• Delicious Pepper Noodles is ready!!!

                  

Notes:-

1. Gingely Oil is added to prevent the noodles from Sticking
2. You can add Tomato sauce and Soya sauce to the same. I din because my Baby doesn't like the taste, as this noodles happens to be her all time favorite.

Idiappam - String Hopers

Idiyappam or sevai is a regular breakfast in our home in Kerala. In fact, steamed rice-based dishes are the most common and until I moved out and started cooking on my own, I never realised what a luxury it was to eat the hot, healthy, and delicious breakfasts that seemed to waltz effortlessly out of my mom's kitchen. The most common breakfast items at home are idli, dosa, idiyappam, puttu, appam, adai, kozhukkattai, chapati, and on rare occasions, toast with homemade butter. See what I mean? Among many other things in life, I believe that a hearty and healthy breakfast is a dying thing. It's definitely mourned in the home that I've set up now which sees idli or dosa on the best days for breakfast, but rarely anything more elaborate. I try to compensate with a hearty brunch or lunch but it's just not the same thing.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups of rice flour
• 2 to 2.5 cups of water (more or less)
• To taste: salt
• 3-4 tbsp of grated coconut

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Mix the rice flour and salt together. Heat the water until bubbles start appearing at the bottom of the pan. When the water is just about boiling, add to the rice flour a cup at a time.

• Start mixing vigorously with the back of a spatula until the rice flour is coming together to form a moist dough. Add more rice flour if your dough is too watery and sticky and add more water if it's too dry.

• The dough should be just moist and you should be able to form a small ball easily without it sticking to your fingers.

• Working quickly while the dough is still warm, Take a fistful of it and form into a log.

• Place firmly into your idiyappam press or mould.

• Start pressing the idiyappam onto the tray in a concentric circle

         

•  Make sure it's not too thick otherwise it won't steam properly. PS: you can totally use your idli mould for this. The idiyappam pieces will just be much smaller

• Place on streamer.

• Steam for about 10 mins.

• Open, unmould, and enjoy hot with some Kadala Curry,Veg Kurma,Pulisseri

                   

Notes:

1. All measurements for this recipe are approximate. Please take care while mixing the dough, that's the trickiest part and takes a little bit of practice
2. Don't use boiling water since that will cook the rice flour and make it hard to press. The water just needs to be very hot
3. If the idiyappam dough is too dry, it won't be easy to press
4. Use regular rice flour or those marked as idiyappam flour. If the rice flour is too glutinous, the idiyappam won't taste good
5. Sprinkle more coconut on top before serving if that makes you happy

Putt- Steamed Rice Cake

Puttu – steamed rice cake layered with coconut is the traditional breakfast item in Kerala, Southern most state of India. Puttu can be otherwise explained as steamed cylinders of rice powder layered with coconut.
There are a variety of side dish combination for Puttu. Puttu & Banana, Puttu & Kadala (chick pea curry),  Puttu, Cherupayar Thoran (Green Gram Stir Fry) & Pappad etc
The beauty of the dish is not only in its taste but also the easiness to prepare!To steam Puttu in a cylindrical shape you need a Puttu maker or Puttu Kutti. Now a days you get Chiratta Put Maker also.

The Puttu Maker has 2 parts: Puttu Kudam (Pot in which water is boiled) and Puttu Kutti (cylindrical steamer kept over the pot)

Chiratta Putt Kutti is something which is similar to the above, but we assemble the chiratta Putt Kutti in a Cooker.
                                  

 

Ingredients:-

Raw Rice(Pachari) - 1/2 kg
Coconut - 1/2 of one
Water - to sprinkle
Salt - As reqd

Method:-

• Soak rice in water for 4 hrs.
• Leave it to drain and grind it to make fine powder.
• Heat the powder for 5 minutes. While heating it, keep on stirring.
• Keep the fried powder to cool.
• Mix salt with water and sprinkle this to the powdered rice just to make the powder wet(do not put a lot of water).
• For making puttu, use PUTTUKUTTI. Put a handful of grated coconut in the puttu kutty and then put rice powder till half followed by another handful of grated coconut. This is done till the top. Close the lid and steam it for 2 minutes.

Note :  

• Instead of making puttu powder, you can use rice flour (1 cup) instead and follow the same procedure to make it.
• Serve puttu hot.
• Best combination for puttu is with Kadala Curry

 

Kadala Curry

Ingredients:-

Kadala (Whiten Channa) – 1 cup(soaked in water overnight atleast for 8 hours)
Shallots(Chinna Vengayam) – a handful
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste

To roast and grind:

Grated Coconut – 2 Tbsp
Shallots(Chinna Vengayam) – 6 cut into half
Coriander Seeds – 1 tbsp
Dried Red Chilies – 2
Cinnamon – a small piece
Cloves - 2
Bay Leaf - half a Leaf
Tomato - 1
Porikadala - 1/2 a cup

To temper:

Coconut Oil – 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves –few
Thinly Sliced Onion - 1

Method:-

• Pressure cook channa with water(till immersing level) until soft,don't drain water... keep aside

• Heat a pan , dry roast all the ingredients listed under 'to roast and grind' till slightly golden brown.

                          

• Transfer to a mixer and grind it to a fine paste, Set aside. 

                                     

• Heat oil in a kadai - add the items listed under 'to temper'.  
• Add shallots and fry till golden brown then add tomato and saute till mushy and raw smell leaves. 
• Add the coconut paste along with red chilli powder and coriander powder.Add required salt.  
• Mix well , saute for 3mins then add cooked Channa along with water.Allow it to boil.  
• Once the curry is thick and oil starts separating and required curry stage is reached, switch off.   

Notes:-

• Make sure you dry roast the ingredients listed to nice dark brown.
• You can even skip small onion while tempering.
• Pressure cooking chana along with the masala gives a great blend and flavour too.But if you dont prefer pressure cooking then allow it  to boil for 5mins then go to the next step

 

Beans Usuli Thoran

Paruppu Usili is a very popular South Indian side dish known by various names. Prepared using vegetables like French Beans, Cluster Beans, Flat Beans, Banana Blossom etc and steamed lentils, this dry side dish is one of my favorites.

I prefer this over the regular thorans. I especially love the spiced steamed lentils. Whenever I prepare usili, I soak a little extra dal, so that I get a little more of the steamed lentil cakes. I enjoy eating these as such.

Since this is a dry curry and is very filling due to the addition of lentils, it is perfect with white rice and rasam. This is of course my preference, but it is a great accompaniment to Sambar and Mor Kuzhambu as well.

 

What you’ll need

1. Beans – 5 cups (finely chopped)
2. Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
3. Asafoetida – a generous pinch
4. Curry Leaves – few sprigs
5. Salt to taste

For soaking

1. Bengal Gram Dal/Kadala Paruppu – ¼ cup
2. Tuvar Dal – ¼ cup
3. Dried Red Chilly – 2

For Tempering

1. Oil – 1 tbsp
2. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
3. Broken Urad Dal – ½ tsp

Method

1. Wash the dals in 2 or 3 exchanges of water and soak along with red chillies for 30 minutes.
2. Drain completely and grind the dals along with red chillies, asafoetida, salt to taste and curry leaves into a coarse paste. Do not add water while grinding.
3. Grease an idly mould, take a lemon sized ball of the ground mixture and pat into the idly grooves.
4. Steam for 6 to 7 minutes.
5. Let this cool then pulse it in the mixie again, so that it becomes a fine powder. Keep aside.
6. In the meanwhile, heat a kadai with oil splutter with mustard seeds and urad dal.
7. Once the dal turns golden, add the chopped beans, turmeric powder, and salt to taste. Mix well and cook covered, without adding water.
8. Keep stirring once in a while. 
9. Once the beans is done, add the ground dal powder and roast for 6 to 7 minutes on low heat.

         

 

Veg Kurma

Kurma is a medley of vegetables, flavored with spices and simmered in rich gravy of coconut and cashews. It is an excellent side dish for Chapathis, Puris, Parotas, Vellai Appam and Idiyappams. So here is the recipe for Kurma, my way:

Ingredients:-

1. Mixed Vegetables – 2 Cups (Potato, Carrot, Beans, Chow Chow)
2. Onion – 3 Medium Sized
3. Tomatoes – 4 Medium Sized
4. Ginger – a small piece
5. Garlic – 1 or 2 cloves
6. Turmeric Powder – 1 pinch
7. Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
8. Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
9. Coriander Leaves – a few sprigs

To Grind
1. Cashew nuts – 6 to 7
2. Fennel Seeds – ¾ tsp
3. Scraped Fresh Coconut – 2 tblsp

For Tempering

1. Clove – 1
2. Elaichi – 1
3. Cinnamon – a small piece
4. Fennel Seeds – ½ tsp
5. Oil – 2 tblsp

Method

• Chop the vegetables into small cubes. 
• Also, finely chop the onions, garlic and tomatoes. Grate Ginger.

• Pressure cook the vegetables for about 2 whistles.
• Grind Cashews, fennel seeds and coconut into a fine paste adding little water.
• Heat a Kadai with oil. Temper with cloves, elaichi, cinnamon, and fennel seeds.
• Now add the chopped onions and sauté for a minute.
• Next add the ginger and garlic and fry till the onions turn brown. 
• Now add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and dhaniya powder and fry for a minute. 
• Next add the chopped tomatoes fry till they turn mushy and oil separates. 
• Now add the cashew and coconut paste and fry for another minute. 
• Now add the cooked vegetables and salt to taste. 
• Stir well and cook covered for about 3 to 4 minutes in low flame till all the flavors get blended.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. 

          

• Serve hot with Chapati, Parota or Puris.

Potato Podimaas

Potato is a very versatile vegetable, with lovers world wide. It is one vegetable that is loved by kids and adults alike. My family for one loves potatoes in any form, be it a spicy curry, gravy or some crispy fritters. My younger daughter, just can't wait till the curry gets ready. As soon the potatoes are cooked and out of the cooker, she will be ready for her share. She loves eating plain boiled potatoes. 

Potato podimas or mashed potatoes - Indian style, is a very simple dish, that can be prepared in a jiffy if you have boiled potatoes ready in hand. A very flavorful and delicious curry, that pairs beautifully with plain rice and rasam. The Combo of Curd Rice+Potato podimaas+Mavudoo is a heavenly combination...

This is my Hubby's and Appa's favourite.. So obviously dedicating this to them!!!!!

Ingredients:-

1. Potato – 4 to 5 Medium sized
2. Onion - 2-3
3. Oil – 3 tsp
4. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
5. Spilt Urad Dal – ½ tsp
6. Channa dal – 1 tsp
7. Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
8. Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 Tbsp
9. Salt to taste

Method

1. Pressure cook the potatoes. Cool, remove skin and mash them coarsely.
2. Heat a Kadai with oil, splutter mustard seeds, channa dal and urad dal. Once the dals turn golden add, chopped onion and curry leaves. Fry for a minute.
3. Add turmeric powder,chi;l;y powder and then add the mashed potatoes and salt.
4. Mix well and cook uncoverd for 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Mix and serve hot with rice and rasam.

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.