PACHA THAKKALI CURRY

So here is a curry for rice! When you are not understanding what to make for the lunch you can go for this curry which is quick and very tasty. You can use either green tomatoes or red one. Here I have used green one!

Lets see how to make this traditional curry...

Ingredients:

1. Tomatoes  --  4-5 medium sized cut into cubes
2. Onion  --  1 large cut into cubes
3. Green Chillies  --  2 
4. Coconut grated  --  1 cup
5. Cumin seeds  --  1/2 tsp
6. Red Chilli Powder  --  1 tsp
7. Turmeric powder  --  1 tsp
8. Mustard seed  --  1/2 tsp
9. Dry red chillies   --  1-2 broken
10. Curry Leaves  --  few twigs
11. Coconut Oil  --  1 tablespoon
12. salt to taste

Method:

• First in a deep sauce pan boil chopped tomatoes and onions cube with 1/2 cup water.
• To this add half teaspoon of turmeric and chilli powder and salt.
• While your tomatoes are cooking side by side you can grind the grated coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds, rest of the turmeric and red chilli powder into fine paste.
• When your tomatoes are well cooked and smashed just check whether there is enough water else add a little if needed.
• Now minimize your gas flame and then add the coconut paste.
• Nicely mix in the curry and switch of the flame just as it starts to boil vigorously.
• Adjust salt accordingly.
• Next finally heat coconut oil in a kadai and crackle mustard seeds, dry chillies and curry leaves and pour it into our hot curry. Serve hot with steam rice!

Moru Kuttan(Kallan Kuttan)

I know I have been posting after quite a long time. But believe me I was busy in some other work! I have been waiting each day to post some homely recipes that every one of us would like to have.
So I will try from now to post atleast two recipes a  week. Lets see how much I can do.
Today I will post something which is very common in every hosue in Kerala.
Moru ozhicha kuttan is a curry you usually have with rice. Thicker version of this curry with just a little twist can give you a very delicious recipe called kallan. So here is my style of morru kuttan.

Ingredients:

1. Big Cucumber (Velarikka)  --  1 cup cut into 1inch pieces.
2. Ash Guard (Kumbalanga)  --  1 cup cut into 1 inch pieces.
3. Raw Banana  --  1/2 cup
4. Fresh Coconut grated   --  1 cup
5. Green Chillies  --  2 
6. Cumin seed  --  1/2 tsp
7. Sour Curd  --  1 cup beaten nicely.
8. Turmeric Powder  --  1 tsp
9. Chilli Powder  --  1/2 tsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Methi Seeds  --  1/2 tsp roasted and powdered

For Tmepering:

1. Curry Leaves  --  2 twigs
2. Mustard Seeds  --  1/2 tsp
3. Methi Seeds  -- just a pinch say about 5 seeds
4. Whole Red Chillies  -- 2 
5. Coconut Oil  --  2 tablespoon.

 

Method:

• I an deep sauce pan add all the vegetables with 1 cup of water, salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric.
• Cover the sauce pan and let it cook till the veggies are soft.
• Now side by side grind coconut, cumin seeds , 1/2 tsp turmeric powder , 1/2 tsp chilli powder and green chillies into fine paste.
• When the veggies are cooked nicely add the coconut paste and cook for about 2 minutes.
• Now switch off the flame and add the Curd.
• Switch on the gas and stir continuously. When the curry starts to boil just then quickly switch off the flame and add the powdered methi seeds and curry leaves.
• Now for temper heat some oil when oil is hot add the mustard seeds and when it crackles add the methi seeds and whole red chillies and curry leaves.
• When everything is done well add it to the curry and keep the lid and let the curry rest for a while and release its flavours. 
• Serve hot with rice and Dry Chilly fry.

Kumbalanga Moru Kuttan

A regular curry that could be found in any part of kerala... Its usaully poured over hot steamed rice and the best combination of this curry is a dry chilli fried for vegetarians and fish fry for non veggies.
So I know many of you is familiar with it... but still being a keralite I'm posting this for my non keralite visitors.

You can use ash guard and yam to make this curry.

Ingredients:

1. Ash guard skin removed and chopped in a on inch long peice  --  2 cups
2. Yam  skin removed and chopped in square pices  --  1 cup
3. Turmeric Powder  --  1 tsp
4. Coconut grated  --  1 cup
5. Sour Beaten Curd  --  1 cup
6. Jeera/Cumin Seed  --  1 tsp
7. Green Chillies  --  2
8. Red Chilly Powder  --  1/2 tsp
9. Salt to taste.

For tempering

1. Oil preferably coconut oil  --  1 tablespoon
2. Mustard Seeds  --  1 tsp
3. Methi Seeds  --  1/2 tsp
4. Whole dried Red Chillies  --  2 
5. Curry Leaves

Method:

• In a deep vessel or (sauce pan you can say) put the chopped yam and ash guard along with about 1 glass of water. Mix in turmeric, red chilly powder and put it over flame to cook.
• Once the yam is cooked well add salt and let the vegetables cook for another 5 minutes.
• Note that always add salt only after the yam is cooked or else the yam will not cook fast.
• By the time the veggies are cooking grind together coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds into fine paste.
• Next beat the curd nicely and add little water you can even use a little thick sour buttermilk.
• After your veggies are done add the coconut paste and let it cook for some more time.
• Switch off the flame and then add the beaten curd to the curry.
• Stir in continuously and do not let the curd curdle.
• Now adjust salt and the curry must in quite a thick pouring consistency any how if you want it to be more thinner add hot water or a little thin buttermilk to it.
• For tempering in a small kadai heat some oil. Crackle mustard seeds, add methi seeds and let it become brown in color. Now add the whole red chillies breaking it into halves and at last add the curry leaves.
• Pour this hot sizzling tempering into the beautiful yellowish curry and serve it with steamed hot rice.
• This curry will not get spoiled you can refrigerate it and use next day.

Moru Curry Bachelor's Style

Yes! Exactly the name has it all, its purely bachelors curry made up of thick buttermilk. They are the one of the favorites of those guys who are busy in their daily life and wants something nice tangy and spicy curry to pour over the hot steamed rice and plus the best combination for this will be a piece of fish fry.
So this is a very simple recipe that all of you can make it.

Ingredients:

1. A little sour Curd nicely beaten i.e little thick buttermilk is perfect  --  2 cups
2. Onions sliced  --  1
3. Tomatoes sliced  --  1
4. Ginger and Garlic crushed  --  1 tsp
5. Green Chillies  --  3 sliced
6. Curry Leaves  --  few twigs
7. Turmeric Powder  --  1/2  tsp
8. Red Chilli Powder  --  1/2 tsp
9. Mustard Seeds  --  1 tsp
10. Oil
11. Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds let it crackle. 
• After this add the sliced onions and saute well.
• Add green chillies, and salt so that the onions will cook faster. 
• Add the tomatoes and saute till they are soft.
• Next put in the turmeric, chilli powder and curry leaves and saute till nicely done.
• Now switch off the flame and add the buttermilk and switch on the stove again.
• Stir the curry continuously and as soon as it starts to boil switch off the gas quickly and transfer to another bowl soon or your kadi will curdle.

Muranga Ella Curry (Drumstick Leaves Curry)

Oh! What to say about this lovely delicious curry. Its on of our favorite curry and its best combination is with rice and fish fry. No need to say that its healthy and very delicious. We have a drumstick tree next to our house in garden so its quite simple we can make it whenever you want. You should wash the leaves nicely before using. You can make it in your own style. I have made a recipe out of these leaves with egg stir fried style this time I have made a curry with coconut paste.

Ingredients:

1. Drumstick leaves  --  3 cup
2. Toovar dal  --  1/2 cup
3. Turmeric powder  --  1 tsp
4. Green Chillies  --  3-4 slit
5. Coconut scraped  --  1 cup
6. Jeera  --  1 tsp
7. Garlic  --  2 big cloves
8. Shallots  --  5-6 chopped 
9. Mustard Seeds  --  1 tsp
10. Coconut oil  --  2 tablespoon.

Method:

• Wash the drumstick leaves nicely, remove the stems from the green chillies and slit them.
• In a pressure cooker add the washed tuvar dal with about 1 big glass water. Add about 1 tsp of turmeric powder to the dal and pressure cook it till soft.
• Now grind together ingredients from number 4 to number 7.
• Add this coconut paste to the dal and cook well.
• Now add some salt followed by the cleaned leaves.
• Let it cook well till the leaves are done it will take hardly five minutes.
• For tempering in a small kadai heat coconut oil and then add mustard seeds & let it crackle.
• Add the chopped shallots and fry till nice golden brown.
• Add this tempering to the curry and serve hot with steamed rice.

Punjabi Dal

This dal I had learned from my mother... Side dish is not needed with this dal... a bit heavy on the side... but is just superb! Jeera rice or just plain steamed rice with papad, crushed onion and achar!!! is all that you need....

Ingredients:

1. Maa ki dal / whole black urad dal  -- 1 and 1/2cup
2. Rajma / Kidney Beans  --  1/2 cup
3. Curd  --  1/2 cup
4. Onions  --  2
5. Tomatoes  --  2 small
6. Crushed Ginger Garlic  --  2 tsp
7. Green Chilli  --  2 slit
8. Turmeric powder  -- 1 tsp.
9. Chilli Powder  --  2 tsp
10. Coriander Powder  --  1 tsp
11. Punjabi Garam masala  --  1/2 tsp
12. Cloves  --  2-3 corns
13. Cinnamon  --  2 inch long stick
14. Cumin seed  --  1 tsp
15. Crushed pepper corns  --  1/2 tsp
16. Cardamom seed  --  1
17. Coriander leaves  --  few twigs
18. Salt to taste
19. Oil/ Ghee  --  2 tbsp

Method : 

• Soak both the pulses overnight i.e, at least for 8 hours.
• In a pressure cooker cook together both the pulses along with  a turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder (add half teaspoon of all the three masala powder), cloves, cardamom seed, cinnamon, 1 green chilli slit and salt.
• After 4-5 whistle off the stove let it cool naturally.
• In a kadai heat some oil now add cumin seed and let it crackle. Now add chopped onions, left one slit green chilli and saute well. After it becomes soft add the crushed ginger and  garlic to it and fry well. Now add the chopped tomatoes to the onion mix. When the oil separates add the rest of the masala powder, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander and saute well.
• Now when the masala is nicely done add the dal, curd and nicely mix it. Add salt according to taste. Add the punjabi garam masala to it and you can add water to make correct gravy. At last before serving add the coriander leaves, crushed pepper and butter or ghee to enhance the taste.
• Serve it hot with steam rice.

Okra Masala

This is my dad's recipe. He likes light masala gravy a lot so this is one of his creation.

I must say whatever he makes has a special magic in it... so I thought to share this recipe with you... 

Ingredients:

1. Okra                                        500 gms
2. Onion                                      2
3. Tomatoes                                2
4. Ginger                                    1 inch
5. Garlic                                     5-6 cloves
6. Coconut grated                      1 cup
7. Red Chilli whole                      5-6
8. Whole Coriander                    2 tsp
9. Aniseed                                   1 tsp
10. Turmeric                                1/2 tsp
11. Garam masala                      1 tsp
12. Curry Leaves                        few twigs
13. Salt to taste
14. Oil

Method:

• Clean and dry the okras and cut it into 1 inch long.
• Fry the Okra slightly and keep aside.
• Slice the onions and tomatoes.
• Heat the pan add grated coconut and roast till golden brown, add the whole red chilli and whole coriander and again roast it till they start releasing aroma.
• Now add the aniseed and turn off the stove.
• Now blend together the coconut mixture and ginger, garlic together into fine paste.
• Now in a deep kadai heat some oil and fry the sliced onions till translucent. Adding salt to it will make the onion cook fast.
• After its done add the tomatoes and saute well.
• Now add turmeric powder and also the masala paste to the onions and tomatoes.
• Cook the nicely no need to cook till the oil separates as they are already roasted.
• Now add the fried okras and mix altogether.  You can add water accordingly to make it a gravy. Adjust the salt as per your taste.
• Now garnish with curry leaves or coriander as you wish.
• Serve it with rice or chapatis or dosas.