Kadala Curry

This curry made of Black chana is famous in Kerala. It is simple to make if u have the ingredients ready as major part of the cooking is done in pressure cooker.

It is actually served with puttu, appam or idiyappam but it goes well with Idly/Dosa also.



Ingredients:

Black chana - 1 cup (soak overnight)
coarsely Onion - 1
finely chopped onion - 1/2
Tomato - 1/2
curry powder - 1.5 tsp (or use red chilly powder - 1 tsp & coriander powder - 1 tsp)
garlic - 2 pods
coconut powder - 1/2 cup or coconut milk - 1/2 cup
coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
oil - 1 tbsp
salt


How to make the curry:

I'll split the procedure in 3 parts. Pressure cooking, grinding and cooking

Pressure cooking:
1. Add little oil in a pan and saute the onions (coarsely chopped), tomatoes, crushed garlic for 1 min.

2. To this add the soaked and washed black chana and the curry powder

3. Add salt to this and pressure cook. cook for 5 whistles so that the black chana gets cooked well


Grinding:
1. In another pan dry fry the coconut powder till dry and it turns light brown (desiccated coconut)

2. Grind the desiccated coconut, a tbsp of cooked black chana and coriander leaves to a smooth paste. (u can also use coconut milk instead of desiccated coconut and grind
it the same way)

Making of the final Curry:
1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to splutter. After that add the finely chopped onions and saute till it turns transparent. This dish needs onions to be blended. so saute well.

2. Add the cooked chana mix. check salt

3. Once it boils add the grinded coconut mix and let it boil for 2 mins. Garnish with some coriander leaves.


Serve with Puttu, Appam, Idiyappam or Dosa.

Prawn(Shrimp) thokku

This is one of my favorites as my family loves prawns and a simple one to prepare (I din't accounted the cleaning part). We had stopped buying prawns for a long time after I failed for the first time when We got the cooked prawns and overcooked them which made them rubbery. But now we buy only fresh prawns either with or without skin. Now I've learned to peel the skin and devein them too. If you need help on the cleaning part please click here.

This dish goes very well with Rice, Idly, Dosa and Chapatti.


Ingredients:

Prawn - 1 lb (around 1/2 kg)
Big Onions - 2 chopped
Big Tomato - 1 chopped
Oil - 3 tbsp
Curry powder - 4 tsp (mix of chilly and coriander powder in ratio 1:2)
salt


Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan

2. Saute onions and tomatoes one by one and fry well

3. Add salt and curry powder. Add some water and cook covered on medium flame.

4. After 5 mins add the cleaned prawns. If needed add some more water and cook covered. Keep stirring frequently as it may stick to the bottom

5. Cook for 10 mins. check if the prawns are cooked well and keep on high flame till the gravy thickens

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Rava Dhokla

Ingredients:

•1 cup Rava
•1 cup yogurt
•1/4 cup water as needed
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•2 teaspoon lemon juice
•Pinch of turmeric (haldi)
•1 green chili finely chopped
•2 tablespoon fine chopped cilantro (hara dhania)
•1 teaspoon Eno’s fruit salt (Sodium Bicarbonate and Citric Acid)

For seasoning:

•2 tablespoons of oil
•1/2 teaspoon black mustard seed
•2 green peppers chopped into about 1/4 inch pieces


Method:

1.Mix the rava, yogurt, salt, lemon juice, green chili, and cilantro together in a bowl and make a smooth batter; add more water if needed.
2.Mix well so that no lumps are formed and the batter is of pouring consistency.
3.Allow batter to rest for an hour.
4.Grease the pan for steaming and set aside.
5.Add fruit salt (Eno) to the batter, and mix well. The batter will foam up.
6.Quickly pour batter into a greased pan for steam.
7.Steam for about 10 minutes on medium heat.
8.Check Dhokla with a knife. If the knife comes out clean, dhokla is ready.
9.Turn of the heat and let it cool to room temperature, then cut into triangle or square shapes.

Prepare the seasoning:

1.Heat the oil in a small pan on medium heat.
2.Add mustard seeds after seeds cracke add green chili stir for few seconds.
3.Pour seasoning over the Dhokla. Serve with green chutney.

Ginger Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Fresh Ginger - 1 long pieces
Butter - 1 tbsp
Whole cardamom - 1 (crush little)
Cashew Nuts - 10 Nos
Raisins - 10
Saffron colour - little (mix in little milk)
salt


Procedure:

1. Boil chopped ginger and crushed cardamom in a pot with 2 cups of water. Allow it to reduce to half of its quantity. Strain it and keep the water.

2. Heat butter in a pan and fry cashews and raisins

3. To this add sliced onions till they turn golden brown.

4. Add the washed rice and mix well.

5. To this add salt, saffron colored milk and ginger juice (1 cup). Add 3/4th cup of water (Rice: water -- 1: 1 3/4)

6.Cook in rice cooker or pressure cooker (2-3 whistles).

7. Mix well and serve hot with raita or any gravy.

Capsicum rice

A simple form of fried rice having simple ingrediens that can be made even with leftover rice. Roast and grind the masala ahead and u can make this rice in notime.

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup (cook ahead and cool down)
Capsicum - 1 (cut as thin long slices)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Chana Dal - 2 tsp
Roasted Peanuts - 2 tsp
Cahews - 2 tsp
Salt
Oil - 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves

To roast and grind:
cumin - 2 tsp
coriander seeds - 2 tsp
red chillies - 2
orid dal - 1 tsp
chana dal - 1 tsp

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, chana dal, peanuts and cashewnuts one after another
2. Add sliced capsicum and sautee for 2 mins until cooked. Add salt to this
3. Now add cooked rice and grounded masala powder and mix well on low flame
4. Turn off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves
5. Serve hot with Potato curry