ISHTU OR POTATO STEW(KERALA STYLE)

Kerala style ishtu or stew made of coconut milk with potatoes, onion and ginger is very popular in Kerala. This side dish is a breakfast dish and is usually served with idli, dosa, appam and even it goes well with bread.

My mom's ishtu is so mouth watering and it is quite easy to make. I have made no variations in this recipe.

INGREDIENTS 










Potato 1 medium
Onion 1 medium
Ginger 1' piece grated
Coconut grated 1cup
Green chillies 2 no.
Coconut oil 1 tsp
Rice/ cornflour 2 tsp
Curry leaf 1 sprig
Salt to taste


METHOD

Heat kadai / pan and put  diced onion, potato, slit green chillies, grate the ginger and salt with enough water to cook them or put all these into a pressure cooker and cook for 1 whistle.

Grind the grated coconut, rice with little water and strain it to get a thick coconut milk (onampal or first milk).Again grind the coconut with little water and strain to  get a thinner coconut milk ( randam pal or second milk).

If rice is not added while grinding, mix  1 tsp cornflour each with first and second  coconut milk .Pour in the second milk to the cooked vegetables and allow it to  boil on low fire. Add the first milk and when it starts bubbling remove from fire. Do not let it boil or it will curdle.

Add coconut oil and curry leaves.Serve it hot with Idli, appam, dosa, bread etc
.

Note: Rice is added with grated coconut while grinding to thicken the gravy or if you are not adding rice add cornflour to the coconut milk and then cook.

INJI PULI / SPICY TAMARIND GINGER PICKLE

Inji puli is a traditional and popular dish prepared in Kerala. During festivals, marriages and special occasions when feasts are prepared it is incomplete without inji pulli. Inji pulli has got lot of flavours from chillies, ginger, tamarind, jaggery. It just hits your taste buds with spiciness from ginger, tartness from tamarind, sweetness from ginger, heat from chillies and salt. It is a special pickle dish of Kerala.

I am following my mom's recipe. It is very tasty and delicious.


INGREDIENTS

Tamarind 2 small lemon size
Ginger 1/2 cup finely diced
Green chilly 1/2 cup finely diced
Curry leaf 1 sprig
Jaggery 1/4 cup
Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil 2 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste












METHOD

Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of water.After 10-15 minutes take out the pulp and keep it aside.

Heat 1/2  cup water add the jaggery and dissolve in it , strain and keep it aside.

Heat coconut oil in a pan add mustard seeds when it splutters add the finely chopped ginger, finely chopped green chillies, curry leaves,turmeric and fry for 5 minutes.

Add the tamarind pulp, jaggery syrup and salt. Simmer and cook on low flame for 8 - 10 minutes until gravy becomes thick.

Note: Once it cools down the gravy becomes even more thicker, so switch off accordingly.
The sweetness of jaggery can be adjusted.
Oil should float on top then the pickle will not get spoiled easily.
Refrigerate and keep. It will stay for a week.

CRISPY URAD VADAS

ahaaafood

Vadas are made from urad dal( black gram). It is a traditional snack prepared in South India, which is eaten as breakfast with idli and sambar. Chopped onions, green chilies, curry leaves, crushed pepper corns and cumin seeds are added into the coarsely ground bengal gram batter and deep fried into golden brown.

Urad dal is best source of protein,iron, folic acid, calcium,potassium, Vitamin B. It contains lesser amount of fat and is good for hair growth.

INGREDIENTS

• Urad dal (Bengal gram).          1 cup
• Cumin seeds                                 1 tsp
• Onion finely chopped               1medium
• Green chilly finely chopped   2 no.
• Curry leaves finely chopped  1 sprig
• Pepper corns crushed.             1 tsp
• Sunflower oil for deep fry
• Salt to taste

METHOD

Rinse the urad dal two three times in water. Soak urad dal for 4-5 hours.   Drain the water completely. Add salt and blend it in a blender but add a tbsp  water (just enough to grind)  into a smooth fluffy paste. Put the ground batter into a large bowl..

Add finely chopped onions, green chilies, curry leaves, crushed pepper corns and cumin seeds into the ground batter and mix it well. Check for salt.Heat oil in a kadai / deep pan for deep fry.

 

Wet your palms with water and take a tbsp batter in your left palm, shape it round with your right palm. Wet your right finger and make a hole in the centre of the batter. Flip to your right fingers and gently slide into hot oil on medium heat.

When the vada turns golden brown turn the other side and cook it. Take it out and drain out the excess oil in a kitchen towel. Repeat the same procedure with test of vadas. You can fry in batches.

Serve hot with sambar or coconut chutney.

TOMATO RICE

Tomatoes are sweet, juicy and delicious. They are fat free, low in calories and and have Vitamin C. They protect the body from variety of cancers. Fresh tomatoes help to lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Garlic has antiviral, anti-fungal, antioxidant  and antibacterial properties.

Tomato rice or thakkali (tomato) sadam(rice in Tamil) is a easy recipe to make. If you have time constraint you can prepare this dish with left over rice and serve with raita,/pickle/pappad. This dish can be taken for lunch and makes great tiffin box.

INGREDIENTS

Tomato                                     3
Onion                                         1
Green gram sprouts             3/4 tea cup
Garlic                                         3-4
Ginger                                        1 inch piece
Turmeric powder                 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida                                1 tsp
Green chillies                          2-3 OR
Chilli powder                          1-2 tsp
Cumin powder                       1 tsp
Cooked rice                             2 tea cup
Refined oil/ olive oil           2 tsp
Salt to taste

METHOD  

Heat oil in a large kadai/skillet add the onions and garlic - ginger paste. Saute till raw smell of garlic disappears.Add turmeric powder and asafoetida, saute for a second.

Blend the tomatoes in a blender and add it to the onions. Cook on medium flame till the tomatoes reduces to a thick consistency. Stir occasionally.

Add the cooked rice and the sprouts, nicely mix the rice with the tomatoes. Season with salt,cumin powder and chilli powder/green chilles.

Serve hot with any accompaniment of your choice.