Kaalan - Onam Sadya Recipe

I am in the collection of Onam Sadya recipes, I have posted few already in the vegetarian menu, still more I am posting to make it complete, one among them is Kaalan. It’s a very famous vegetarian Onam recipe served in the occasion, next after the pulisherry is served or sometimes as first. The recipe is very simple and its made out of just the raw plantain. Whenever you are hurry to make something, this will be the best choice, all you need as the key ingredient as curd.

You can also add some yam/chenna which gives you the extra taste, however if you don’t get it in your place, you can ignore it. Kaalan is most famous in Thrissur and many people may not be very sure about this, so if you have never tasted go far it and I am sure you will add this to your cooking menu once in a while :)
 

Ingredients:

• Raw Plantain-1 Nos (Cut as small cubes)
• Yam/Chenna- ¼ Cup(Optional)
• Curd (Beaten)- 1 Cup
• Chili Powder- 1 Tspn
• Coriander Powder-1 Tspn
• Turmeric Powder- ¼ Tspn
• Pepper Powder- ½ Tspn
• Green chilies- 2 Nos
• Fenugreek Seeds- 1 Tspn
• Mustard Seeds- 1 Tspn
• Dry Red Chilies- 4 Nos
• Coconut Oil- 2 Tspn
• Curry Leaves- few
• Water- 1 Cup

To Grind:

• Coconut Shredded- ½ Cup
• Cumin Seeds- 1 Tspn
• Garlic pods- 2 Nos

 

Method:

• In a pan, pour water,add the yam,plantain,chili,coriander,pepper and turmeric powder and heat in the medium flame until the vegetables cooked well.
• Ground all the ingredients to fine paste under “to grind” and keep aside.
• After the veggies are cooked (do not let all the water to dry up), add the grounded paste to it and mix well.
• Bring down to low flame, add the beaten curd and mix well again, add salt.
• In a separate pan, add the oil when it heats up add the mustard,curry leaves and dry red chilies and fenugreek seeds and give a stir.
• Add this to the curry and stir well and serve hot.

 
Tips:

"While cooking the vegetables make sure the water is not fully dried up.

After adding the curd, don't keep it in the flame as the curd may get separated and doesn’t give a proper taste.

Adding coconut oil is optional,you can add your own choice of oil, however coconut oil gives you the better taste."

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Nadan Kozhi Thoran

This is the perfect and most traditional kerala non vegetarian recipe among everything I posted, This is from the cookbook of my Ammuma, the taste is incredible as she cook this in the traditional way, yes she cooks it with the nadan kozhi,man chatti, ammi kallu grounded and even she uses the water from the well, I bet you may think then it may not be a surprise. Try using the nadan kozhi/village chicken if you get for this recipe as it gives you the awesome taste. I would recommend a mortar and pestle if you don’t have ammi kallu at your home as all the ingredients used in this recipes are crushed and not grinded.  

It’s a classical recipe which is basically blended with lot of coconut, and I enjoy having it when my Amma serves me with hot Kerala big rice :P The best combo for this recipe would be with rice and Moru Curry. I never tried this after marriage as I had a doubt if will get the same taste, however I tried it for the first time today and I just loved it. The making is very simple and if you are really a big time fan of Kerala recipes, I am sure that you gonna fall in love with this recipe!! :)
 

Ingredients:

• Nadan kozhi or broiler chicken- 1.5 Lb/ 1 Kg
• Small Onions (chopped as big size) - half cup
• Ginger crushed- few
• Garlic Crushed –few
• Green chilies crushed- 5 nos
• Turmeric Powder- ¼ Tspn
• Chili Powder- 2 Tspn
• Coriander Powder- 2 Tspn
• Coconut shredded- ¾ Cup
• Salt- To Taste
• Coriander Leaves- Few
• Curry Leaves- Few
• Mustard Oil- 1 Tspn
• Whole Urud Dal- 2 Tspn
• Red Chilies- 2 Nos
• Coconut pieces- 3 Tspn(Cut into small rectangular pieces)
• Coconut Oil- 2 Tspn

Method:

• Clean wash and cut the chicken into pieces,to this add the small onions,crushed ginger,garlic green chilies and curry leaves,turmeric,chili(1 Tspn) and coriander powder(1 Tspn) and mix well.
• Keep the mixed chicken to the medium flame and add 1 cup of water, cook it covered until the chicken is well cooked.
• Crush the coconut (half Cup) with the rest 1 Tspn of chili powder and coriander powder in the mixer, say just for 3 seconds.
• After the chicken is fully cooked and water is evaporated, add the crushed coconut and salt. Give a sit to combine everything. Let it stand for another 5-10 minutes.
• Stir continuously to combine everything, and when it dries up, add the remaining ¼ cup of coconut shredded and give a quick stir.
• In a separate small pan, add the oil,add mustard, coconut pieces,red chilies and urud dal,when it splits up add curry leaves and transfer this to the cooked chicken.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

 

Tips:

"Do not add the crushed coconut until the chicken is fully cooked and the water evaporates as it may lead to watery.

To crush the coconut I used mortar and pestle which gives the complete taste for the recipe however its best choice is the “Ammi Kallu” if you have at home.

Adjust the spice level as per your need, if you still need spicier, you can add some more chili powder when you are stirring after adding ground coconut.

Adding the coconut pieces along with the mustard is optional, but it adds a rich taste to the recipe."

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Paneer Gulab Jamun

I bet anyone who tasted a gulab jamun would fall in love again and again with it and I don’t think I have any more to write here. It’s a fact that most of the housewives makes it for celebrations however only few gets the right texture.Some of the common wrong factors would be like smaller in size, not baked completely at the center of it or the softness. To make perfect jamuns there are two options one,by the readymade gulab jamun mix or with help of homemade paneer. I would take the second choice as my preference because, it tastes great than you prepare with the readymade mix.

Last year, when I posted the Rasa Gulla recipe , I never thought I can make a better paneer gulab jamun too :) My BF is a big time lover of gulab jamuns and I make for him often and its tastes heavenly when you mix it with ice cream too. Every time I make I get the same taste because of the homemade paneer. You can check how to make the homemade paneer at Rasa Gulla. Again, it’s your choice if you like to go with the store bought paneer or a homemade. Here you go with the making.
 

Ingredients:

• Paneer( Kept at room temperature)- 1 cup
• Maida/All-purpose Flour - 2.5 Tspn
• Baking Soda - 1/4 Tspn
• Pistachios or cashews - 1/2 Tspn chopped
• Cardamom Powder- ¼ Tspn
• Milk- 3 Tspn
• Water- As needed
• Ghee/Oil - To deep fry.

 
YOU CAN SKIP ALL THE ABOVE DRY INGREDIENTS IF USING A READY MADE GULAB JAMUN MIX

For the Sugar Syrup:

• Sugar - 1 heaped cup
• Water - 1 cup
• Saffron - few
• Rose Essence - 2 drops

Method:

To Make Sugar Syrup:

• Add the water and sugar and boil at high flame for about 10 minutes, after 10 mins, reduce the flame to medium flame and let it stand in the flame for 10 more minutes.
• Bring it to the texture that it should stick between two fingers firmly.
• Add the rose essence and switch off the flame and let it cool completely.

To Make Jamun:

• Kneed the paneer to fine powder.
• Add the maida or all-purpose flour, baking soda, cardamom powder and kneed gently by adding the milk and sufficient water to make smooth soft dough.
• Cover it and keep it for about 10 minutes for the dough to set.
• Now, make small balls out of the dough with little pressure to prevent breakage.
• In a boiling ghee or oil, add the paneer balls and fry until it becomes golden brown.
• Transfer to a paper towel and set dry.
• After it’s cooled down completely, dip the balls to the cooled sugar syrup.
• Spread the chopped cashews/ Pistachios to it and let it stand for at least an hour.

 
Tips:

"Do not add the jamun immediately to the sugar syrup after you keep deep fry.

While kneading the dough, add adequate water, if the water is not appropriately used it may break.

Do not fry the paneer for more time in the oil as it may turn hard.

Make sure you have adequate sugar syrup for the jamun, as it will absorb immediately.

You can store in the jamun in the refrigerator for a week also.

While kneading the dough, touch your fingers with oil or ghee to prevent sticking."

 

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Kumbakonam Kadappa

I agree the name sounds weird, but it’s a real blend of coconut and fennel seeds with potatoes and moong dal. I have never tried anything with potatoes and moong dal together and this is the first recipe. This recipe is from MIL’s cookbook and this is very favorite in Kumbakonam restaurants and cooked often in families as well, especially with idly/dosa. When I saw the recipe it was just white in color, and I couldn’t imagine having any kurma which is colorless and so I was little confused to taste it for the first time. However after tasting it, I never thought this will be so tasty, may be I would have liked it since its cooked in coconut oil :P, but its your choice if you don’t want to cook with it, you could use any oil.

I guess, most of the housewives’ biggest challenge would be what to cook for idly, dosa as everyone will be bored out of chutneys and sambars, and I am sure often made question from a wife to a husband would be "what to cook for dinner?"(lol).. haha as it happens every time at our home, and my bf says he is bored of hearing this every time :)

so here is the choice.. Kadappa -a simple and tasty side dish.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes- 2 Nos
• Moong Dal- ¼ Cup
• Shredded coconut- Less than a ¼ Cup
• Onion- 1 Medium
• Fennel Seeds- 1 Tspn
• Garlic- a small piece.
• Garam Masala- 1 Tspn
• Lemon Juice- half squeezed.

To Temper:

• Coconut Oil- 2 Tspn
• Mustard- 1 Tspn
• Curry Leaves- few
• Cumin Seeds- ¼ Tspn

Method:

• Grind the coconut, fennel and garlic to a fine paste and keep aside.
• Pressure cook the dal along with the potatoes for 3 whistle and keep aside.
• In a pan, pour oil, add all the ingredients to temper list and add the onions, green chilies and sauté well until it becomes translucent.
• Add garam masala powder and saute for 2 minutes, add the cooked dal and potatoes to it and mix well.
• Now, add the ground coconut paste with required water and mix well.
• Boil it until it becomes little tight. Squeeze the lemon into it and serve hot.

 
Tips:

"After you pressure cook the dal and potatoes smash it with a ladle before adding into the curry.

After you add the ground coconut paste, care should be taken as it will get burnt at the bottom, hence stir occasionally and do not leave it for more time in flame as it will become very tight in texture."

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Sakarai Pongal

Here comes the trademark recipe for Pongal celebration. It doesn’t need anything to describe and no introduction needed. Though the recipe sounds to be a simple one, to get the exact taste is the biggest challenge. Say, the one you get from the temples differs from the one prepared at home. I tried making it several times, however sometimes it doesn’t turns good taste, but this time when I tried I got the best taste and we had a perfect pongal celebration as well.

Though at my home we never celebrated Pongal like how the Tamil people does, my Amma makes pongal at the early morning at the sunrise.. As it’s a day to worship the sun.The one I have presented here is the Temple version, the adding of milk makes the difference. I wish all my readers a very happy pongal :)
 

Ingredients:

• Raw Rice: 1 Cup
• Moong Dal- 4 Tspn
• Jaggery- 1 Cup
• Milk- 1/4 Cup
• Cardamom Powdered- 2 Tspn
• Cashews- few
• Raisins-Few
• Nutmeg Powder- a pinch
• Edible Camphor- a pinch (optional)
• Ghee- 5 Tspn

Method:

• In a pan, add ¼ tspn of ghee , add the moong dal and fry it till golden brown.
• Pressure cook the dal and the rice for 4 whistles along with 3 cups of water and keep aside.
• Add the powdered cardamom,nutmeg powder and mix well with a ladle.
• With medium flame melt the jaggery with little water and make a syrup out of it and keep it separate.
• Pour the jaggery syrup to the rice and mix well
• In a separate pan add ghee roast the cashews,raisins and pour it to the rice and give a stir.

 

Tips:

"Jaggery syrup is not needed to be very thick; if you keep it in the medium flame for 10 minutes will be fine.

Adding milk is optional, however it’s the secret to get the temple version’s pongal :)"

 

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Tomato Thokku

Whenever I have the curd rice, I always wanted something to be spicy to go well with that, and after I got to prepare the tomato thokku, the taste of curd rice itself is changed and turned out to spicy curd rice. Omg! Just believe me the recipe is so simple and easy to make but it has a great taste that anyone will fall in love with it. Goes absolutely well with the variety rice or chappathi/parotta anything you wish. As my Amma always advise me to take out the seeds from the tomatoes if it’s widely used, this time I did the same, as I used around 6 large tomatoes. You can also do the same if you are very health cautious as removing the seeds from the tomatoes are always good. 

After a long time, I am posting something on the vegetarian side, as every time my bf is a non-veg lover. As I said it’s easy to make and so after preparing store it in a glass air tight container to prevent getting spoiled and if it’s used properly you can store and use it up to a month with the same taste which you got on the day you prepared. There are different versions in making this as some uses garlic and peanuts in it. The one I gave is very simple and doesn’t include much ingredients, all you need is just the tomatoes and some masala powders. Here you go with the making :)

 

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes (Big)-6 Nos.
• Sambar Powder- 2 Tspn
• Chilli Powder- 2 Tspn
• Turmeric Powder- ¼ Tspn
• Fenugreek Seeds Roasted and Powdered- 1 Tspn
• Jagery- a little piece
• Salt- As needed

To Temper:

• Sesame Oil- 6 Tspn
• Curry Leaves- Few
• Mustard seeds- few
• Red Chilies- 1

Method:

• Pour oil to the pan and when it becomes hot add all the ingredients under “To Temper” .
• Add the sliced tomatoes to it and keep the flame as medium to avoid burning at the bottom.
• Sauté in between and leave it for 10-12 Minutes until it gets thicken and the water evaporates.
• In-between the 5 minutes add the sambar, turmeric,salt and chili powder to it and sauté well again.
• When it becomes thickening add the roasted ground fenugreek powder and jagery.
• After it’s cooled completely transfer to the air tight jar and store.

Tips:

"You can reduce the chili powder as per your spice level.

For best result always use sesame oil which gives a tasteful flavor as well.

You can also add some peanuts while tempering but its optional."

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Chicken Tikka Dry

This is obviously any non-vegetarians favorite and I have seen many of them orders for it particularly in restaurants and never thought making would be very easy at home, yes believe me it’s very easy to make and tastes great, especially kids love it and mostly served with biriyani or a fried rice or a good choice would be with a soup as a starter.

There are different versions in preparing chicken tikka and I know actually its is called as Chicken Tikka Masala however I don’t want to call it as like that because my recipe is a dry one and doesn’t have any masala in it instead I made sauce for it and that too is not served separate as it is mixed with the chicken.
 

Ingredients:

• Boneless chicken - 1 Lb/ ½ kg
• Chili powder - 1 Tspn
• Black pepper powder - 1 Tspn
• Salt - To Taste
• Corn flour - 3 Tspn
• Egg - 1
• Red color - a pinch
• Oil - for deep frying

For the Sauce:

• Oil - 3 Tspn
• Jeera - 1/2 Tspn
• Sliced green chillies - Few
• Chopped ginger - 2 Tspn
• Chopped garlic - 2 Tspn
• Curry leaves - Few
• Chili paste - 2 Tspn

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients above the sauce ingredients to fine paste and marinate the chicken and keep at least for half an hour.
• Deep fry the chicken pieces in the oil and set into paper towel to remove excess oil.
• In a separate pan, add oil when it becomes hot add the jeera and green chilies,ginger,garlic and curry leaves and the chili paste and sauté well.
• Mix the prepared sauce to the chicken and mix well and serve hot!

 

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