Mullangi Paruppu Kulambu / Radish in daal curry

Glad to present you all my 100th Post from Minu's Kitchen

I know how you may feel after reading the title, because even I was confused when I heard the recipe from my MIL. But when I tried it, really it came out well than I expected. It’s very easy to cook and here is a new recipe for you when you want to try something different with little time and effort. This is one of my BF’s favourite recipe and often he just want it cooked whenever he feels having something in a vegetarian food.
 

The main key ingredient for making this curry would be just the daal and the radish and you are all set. So, try for it!

Ingredients:

• Moong Dal- ½ Cup
• Radish sliced- 1 Cup
• Turmeric Powder- ¼ Tspn
• Green Chilies- 5 Nos (sliced vertically)
• Small onion- few (as whole)
• Salt- To Taste.

To Temper:

• Asafetida – ¼ Tspn
• Oil- 2 Tspn
• Mustard – 1Tspn
• Curry Leaves- few
• Red Dry Chilies- few
• Cumin Seeds- ½ Tspn

Method:

• Pressure cookers the dal for 3 whistles and set aside.
• In a separate pan, add all the items under “To temper” and when it splits up, add the onion and green chilies and sauté until it becomes soft.
• Now add the turmeric powder and salt and sauté again for a minute.
• Add the radish to it and sauté again for a minute and add a little water to it and cook covering it until the radish is baked well.
• Add the cooked dal to this and mix well.
• Let it boil for a minute and serve hot.

Tips:

"You can add a tspn of chili powder if you want the curry little spicier."

Read More

Keerai Sambar / Spinach Sambar

At times, we all are in some difficulty in cooking a healthy recipe with good taste. One among them is the” spinach”. I believe there is no necessity to brief the nutritious facts in Spinach. There are lot of spinach variety exist. Whenever the spell the word the word spinach I remember the cartoon character Popeye the Sailor Man is portrayed as having a strong affinity for spinach, becoming physically stronger after consuming it. It may look funny however there is a hidden truth in it. Yes, not just for the Popeye in cartoon, but it have wide nutritious facts to make anyone physically strong.
 

Cooking the spinach as a normal poriyal(Tamil) or Thoran(Malayalam) is always boring, and so this is my new adventure “Keerai Sambar/Spinach Sambar”. This recipe really tastes good as it has a combination of daal and spinach in it with all masala powders.I used the Malabar spinach for this recipe, you could replace it with any spinach of your choice. Before getting into the recipe here comes few nutritious facts as you are in the Healthy Menu.

Few Nutritious Facts:

• Rich in vitamins such as vitamin A, C, E, K
• Highly contains the source of calcium and potassium.
• Good source of Folic acid and protein.
• Excellent source of Iron

Ingredients:

• Spinach- a Bunch.
• Green chilies- 3 sliced vertically.
• Small onion- few sliced
• Tomato- 1 Sliced
• Turmeric powder- ¼ Tspn
• Sambar Powder- 2 Tspn
• Tamarind Extract- ¼ Cup
• Toor Dal- ½ Cup.
• Ghee- ¼ Tspn
• Salt- To Taste

To Temper:

• Oil- 1 Tspn
• Mustard- ½ Tspn
• Curry Leaves- Few
• Fenugreek seeds- ¼ Tspn
• Asafetida- ½ Tspn

Method:

• In a pressure cooker, cook the toor dal for 3 whistles and set aside.
• In a pan, add all the items under “To Temper” and add the small onions, green chilies and sauté until the onions turns soft.
• Add the tomatoes to it and sauté again until it becomes soft.
• Add the turmeric and sambar powder and sauté well until the masala smell goes off from it.
• Add the spinach to it and sauté for a minute just to mix up with the masala.
• Now, transfer the content to the cooker which has the cooked toor dal and close the lid and pressure cook again for 1 whistle.
• After the whistle goes off, open it and add the tamarind extract and salt and boil for a minute.
• Mix the ghee to it and serve hot with white rice or chappathi.

Read More

Chicken Urundai Kuzhambu / Chicken Balls with Curry

I really love the Urundai Kulambu the ultimate curry for vegetarians, but often I use to wonder why not a non vegetarian recipe doesn’t have such kind of variety, and I was surprised when my MIL gave this recipe, Yes here comes the chicken urundai kulambu for non vegetarians. Hope you all would have enjoyed the Chicken Urundai Recipe.
 

So, here comes yet another gravy to make with those cute little balls. Its rich and spicy and best when served with hot white rice or even with biriyani. But be sure on one thing, after you drop the balls in the curry, let it stay in it for some time before you serve, so that it tastes great as the balls will observe the gravy completely inside it as well.

To Grind:

• Small onion - chopped
• Coconut – ¼ Cup
• Fennel seeds- 1 Tspn
• Kasa Kasa- ½ Tspn
• Cloves- 2

For Curry:

• Chicken balls- few( See Chicken balls/vada recipe)
• Onion - 1 finely chopped
• Turmeric powder – ¼ Tspn
• Green Chilies- 2 Chopped
• Garlic- Few Sliced
• Red chili powder- 1 Tspn
• Coriander powder- ½ Tspn
• Garam Masala- ½ Tspn
• Salt- to taste
• Mustard seeds- 1 Tspn
• Curry leaves- 10

Method:

• In a pan add oil, add mustard and curry leaves, green chilies and garlic and sauté well.
• Add all the items under “To Grind” and grind to a fine paste and keep aside.
• Add the sliced onions, tomatoes and sauté well until it becomes mushy.
• Add the red chili, coriander, garam masala powder and sauté well.
• Now add the ground coconut paste to it and cook well until the masala smell goes off from it.
• When the curry starts thickening, the oil will floats on the top, add the cooked chicken balls

Tips:

"Do not stir after you add the balls to the curry.

For best taste you could use, sesame oil for the curry."

Read More

Chicken Balls / Chicken Vada

Chicken balls, sounds like a different recipe isn’t it. Of coarse yes, the making is also very simple, only tedious part is shredding the chicken however if you get the shredded chicken from shops then your job becomes easy. It’s a delicious non vegetarian starter or a snack and you can have it as it is or with any kind of dipping sauce. It’s another recipe which clicks in every non vegetarian next to Kola Urundai. (I’ll post it soon :) )
 

The method is very similar of how you make a masala vada. But always remember to wash it well the shredded chicken if you get it from shop and sauté separately before you mix to the batter so that it tastes better and doesn’t have the raw smell in it. you can also mix up with rice flour and corn flour if you want the balls a little crispy as well. Here you go with the making.

Ingredients:

• Shredded Chicken – 1 Lb
• Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
• Coconut grated- 2 Tspn
• Roasted gram/ Channa Dal- 1 Cup (Marinate for half an hour and grind coarsely)
• Ginger-garlic paste- ½ Tspn
• Coriander Leaves- Few Chopped
• Fennel seeds – 1 Tspn
• Cumin Seeds- 1 Tspn
• Dry red chilies- 5 Nos
• Salt - To Taste
• Cloves - 2
• Curry leaves (Sliced)- Few

Method:

• Grind the channa dal coarsely (like grinding for vada) after marinating it at least for half an hour.
• In a pan, pour little oil, add the shredded chicken and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the raw smell goes off completely from it.
• Mix all the ingredients with the ground channa dal and cooked shredded chicken and mix well with hand.
• Make small balls and drop it in hot oil, flip sides and cook until it turns brown.

Tips:

"It’s always better to sauté the shredded chicken so that it’s cooked well, so that it will be good to taste.

You can add an egg to the batter which gives an extra taste to the balls."

Read More

Paruppu Kanji with coconut chammanthi/chutney

When we fall sick at times, we may feel like having some food which is tasty and nutritious as well especially foods like kanji, is prepared at home to serve some one falling sick say fever or so. Such kind of recipe is the paruppu kanji. This is a real simple yet nutritious recipe which has green gram and rice in it. Green gram is widely used in many Indian recipes. Its mostly used among vegetarians since it contains a lot of proteins and fiber in it and it helps in digestion and controls cholesterol content in our body as well.
 

This is again from my Amma’s cookbook and I just tried it through her instruction and obviously it turned great. This is best to serve for diabetic patients and those who are trying to loss weight. The best combination to serve with the kanji is coconut chutney/Chamanthi/Thogaiyal. We call Chammanthi in Malayalam and Thovaiyal in Tamil. Before getting into the recipe, I found few amazing nutritious facts about green gram, here for you too.

Few Nutritious Facts:

• Rich in Vitamin C and potassium.
• Rich in carbohydrates and Proteins.
• Improves liver health, hair and nail fragility
• Reduces heart problems and best for constipation.
• Reduces cholesterol and helps in skin anti aging as it has Phytoestrogens an enzyme helps in the secretion of collagen and elastin which helps in enhancing the skin tone
• Best for Diabetics and prevents breast cancer.

Ingredients:

• Green Gram- 1/2 Cup
• Rice- ½ Cup
• Salt- To Taste
• Ghee- 1 Tspn(Optional)
• Water- 2 ½ Cup

Grind:

• Coconut Shredded- 3 Tspn
• Garlic pods- 4 Nos
• Cumin Seeds- 1 Tspn

 

Method:

• Grind the items under “To Grind” coarsely and keep aside.
• Wash rice and green gram and pressure cooker it for 4 whistles.
• Open the lid, and smash the rice, dal finely to make it loose in texture.
• Add the ground coconut and salt and mix well again.
• Add ghee and stir again. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Coconut Chammanthi:

Ingredients:

• Grated coconut – 1/2 cup
• Ginger – a small piece
• Dried Red Chilies (unakka mulagu) – 5
• Tamarind– a medium size piece
• Curry leaves – a few
• Salt – as needed

Method:

• Grind all these together sprinkling little water in between. Serve with Kanji.

Read More

Kara Kuzhambu

Kara Kuzhambu, yet another vegetarians special from Tamil nadu, Its rich in spicy and taste, the best thing about this kuzhambu is you don’t want to cook an extra side dish,as you can grab it if you have just a papad along to have with rice. Its excellent when served with hot rice and papad. You could make it by adding brinjal, drumstick or with any one of them.

Using coconut in the kuzhambu is also not a must, but it will thicken the curry and gives you a good taste as well. It’s one of my Bf’s most favorable vegetable curry and I make this when ever we both feel like to grab something spicy vegetarian curries especially when at times I prepare vegetarian feast for any pooja days at home and now it has become my favorite too :)

 

Ingredients:

• Small Onions- few
• Tamarind Extract- 1 Cup
• Brinjal- 4 Nos
• Green chilies- 2
• Tomato- 1
• Garlic- 5 pods
• Drumstick- 1
• Red Chili Powder- 2 Tspn
• Coriander Powder- 1 Tspn
• Turmeric Powder- ¼ Tspn
• Mustard- 1 Tspn
• Sesame Oil- 2 Tspn
• Curry Leaves-Few

 

Grind:

• Coconut shredded- ¼ Cup
• Garlic- 2 Pods
• Cumin Seeds- 1 Tspn

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard and curry leaves, after it splits add the small onions and sauté until it becomes translucent.
• Add the sliced tomatoes, green chilies, brinjal and drumstick and sauté again, until the veggies are cooked well.
• Add the red chili, turmeric and coriander powder and sauté again until the masala smell goes off from it.
• Add the tamarind extract and cook for a while.
• Add the grounded coconut paste when the curry starts thickening, let it boil until it becomes more thick.

 

Tips:

" You can add any other vegetables in the curry as per your choice.

Instead of using all the powder you could just use the sambar powder."

Read More

Malabar Chicken Curry

Malabar Chicken, doesn’t need any further description to complete the recipe as the name itself suffice. Here comes yet another recipe from my Amma’s cookbook. There are specific cuisines which are prepared in specific parts of kerala,it may vary in south and north kerala. Before getting into the recipe, would like to share some interesting fact.

As the name Malabar is thought to be derived from the Malayalam word Mala (hill) and puram(region) .And as everyone knows its rich in spices, Malabar recipes are all time favorite as it comprises good taste as well as rich in spice as well. There is lot of dishes cooked especially in north Malabar, one among them is the Malabar Chicken. You can make it as a curry or a semi gravy kind like how I made and it is served proudly with parotta or Biriyani for Non-Vegeterians..Its easy to make and tasty as well.

Ingredients:

• Chicken- Half Kg /1 Lb
• Onion- ¼ Cup Sliced
• Tomato- 1 Sliced
• Green Chilies- 4 Nos
• Turmeric Powder- ¼ Tspn
• Chili Powder- 1 Tspn(If needed)
• Garam Masala- ¼ Tspn
• Mustard- 1 Tspn

To Grind:

• Cloves- few
• Cinamon-1 small piece
• Bay leaves- 1 small
• Cardamom- 1 or 2
• Onion – Half Cup Sliced
• Curry Leaves – Few
• Coriander Seeds – 2 tbsp
• Dry Red Chillies – 4
• Fennel Seeds- 1 Tspn
• Garlic Cloves – few
• Ginger – small piece
• Shredded Coconut – ¼ Cup

 

Method:

• In a pan, pour little oil, add all the items under “To Grind” one after one and sauté until the coconut turns brown.
• Switch off the flame, and after it becomes cool, grind to a fine paste by adding water and keep aside.
• In a separate pan, pour 1 tspn of oil add all the spices, add the onion sauté until it becomes translucent. Add tomatoes, green chilies and sauté again for a minute, add turmeric, garam masala and chili powder and sauté well, until the masala smell goes off from it.
• Add the chicken pieces to it and cook covered until the chicken bakes well.
• When it becomes half baked, add the ground paste and salt and cook uncovered until it cooked well.
• Cook as per your requirement for gravy in it.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tips:

" Adjust the chili powder as per your spice level.

Use coconut oil for best taste."

Read More

Home Made Raspberry Jam

No wonder that everyone loves to have Jam with bread, but don’t you think its boring for you to taste the same jam which you are getting it from shops?? Why not try it at home?.. It may sound tedious but it’s absolutely not. Make a try and it’s a best way to surprise your family by making Raspberry jams at home. It’s very quick to do, say less than 15 minutes to get a perfect Raspberry Jam. It’s great to have with shortbreads, cookies, tarts, pancakes and waffles. All you need is the key ingredient I,e Pectin. For some of them I know it’s a new term but it’s available in most super markets and grocery shops where you could get baking items.
 

It can be either as like bottle below or can also be available in packets; this is used to thicken the jam. It is naturally found in fruits but since the amount can vary depending on the fruit we are using it here, also it would need a acid combined with it and hence we are using lemon juice but in tern it gives a nice flavor as well to the jam. And the most interesting fact is Raspberry jams are widely used in making many cookies and cakes, that is also one of a reason why I wanted to post this for my readers :)
 

Ingredients:

• Fresh Raspberries or Frozen Raspberries- 2 Cups
• Sugar- 1 1/2 Cups
• Pectin-1 ¼ Tspn
• Lemon Juice- 1 Tspn

Method:

• In medium heat, cook the raspberries and add the sugar, pectin to it and stir continuously, in few minutes it will start melting for about 5 to 10 minutes.
• You will notice large bubbles and the jam will start thickening.
• After boiling for another 5 more minutes, the color of the jam will also start darkening.
• You can remove now from heat and add the squeezed lemon to it and let it cool completely.
• After the jam gets cooled down, refrigerate for a day and you can start using it a day after it.

Tips:

"You can filter the jam after its made if you don't want the seed in it, however with seed it will give you the exact taste of the jam

You can replace the raspberry with any other berries as well say with strawberry also you can make it with the same process"

Read More