PINEAPPLE PACHADI

Pineapples are sweet, juicy, delicious and most popular tropical fruits found in the world. They are packed with vitamins and minerals and are good for bones and gums.

Pineapple pachadi is a part of traditional kerala sadhya. It is easy to prepare. Coconut and curd are the other main ingredients used in making pachadi.

INGREDIENTS

Pineapple cut in small cubes 2 cups
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

FOR WET GRINDING
Thick curd/ yoghurt 1/2 cup
Coconut 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Green chilly 2 no.s

FOR SEASONING
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Oil 2 tsp
Red chilly broken 1 no.
Curry leaf 1sprig

METHOD

Peel the pineapple and cut in small cubes.  Cook the  pineapples in very little water till they turn very soft. Add turmeric and salt.

Add the ground mixture and cook in low flame for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Heat oil in another pan add mustard seeds, curry leaves, chilly and once the mustard splutters add to the pineapple gravy.

Serve with hot steamed rice/ roti/ flatbreads.

EGG MASALA CURRY( South Indian )

Eggs are consumed all over the world and it is a rich source of protein. Hard boiled eggs are good for bones and eyes. Eggs can be prepared in many ways.

I like my egg curry with appams, they are great combination. The recipe given below is hard boiled eggs are cooked in Indian spices with grated coconut. The shallots in the seasoning gives a distinct flavour to the egg curry.


INGREDIENTS

Hard Boiled eggs 2 no.s
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste



FOR WET GRIND 

Onion 1 medium
Garlic 4-5 no.
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Cinnamon 1 small piece
Cardamom 2 no.
Cloves 2 no.
Coconut grated 1/4 cup
Oil 2 tsp


FOR SEASONING
Mustard 1/4 tsp
Shallots 4 - 5 finely diced
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Broken red chilly 1
Coconut oil 1 tsp

METHOD

Heat oil in a pan / kadai add onions and garlic and fry  till they  turn slightly brown . On low heat add coriander powder and saute till the raw smell disappears (for few seconds). Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and saute for few seconds on low heat.

Add coconut and on low heat saute till they turn slightly brown. Keep it aside to cool, after it cools down grind by adding little water into a smooth paste.













Take another pan and on low heat add the ground paste , add 1 cup water (as required consistency) , add turmeric and salt and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the boiled eggs ( after peeling them cut in half) to the gravy and simmer for 5 minutes. Switch off the stove.

Take another pan heat oil , add mustard, red chilly, when it splutters add shallots and curry leaves fry till onions are slightly brown. Add the seasoning to the egg curry.

Serve with appams / roti/ flat breads / rice

JACKFRUIT (RAW) THORAN

Jack fruits are packed with nutrients like vitamin, minerals, electrolytes, fiber, protein, phyt nutirents, carbohydrate. They are sweet and delicious and is cultivated in the tropical regions of Indian subcontinent.

The main ingredient used in this recipe is tender jackfruit. Jackfruit thoran is a very popular dish of Kerala. The tender jackfruit is cooked then shredded and stir fried.  Coconut is added to it with other indian spices.

INGREDIENTS

Jackfruit 400 gms
Coconut 1/4 cup grated
Chilly powder 1 tsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Red chilly broken 2
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Onion small 1 no.
Toor dal 1 tsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Coconut oil 1tbsp
Salt to taste

METHOD

 Peel the jackfruit skin and cut it in cubes and boil or pressure cook the raw jackfruit with little water. Add chilly powder, salt and turmeric. Drain the water and  smash the jackfruit pieces with a pestle.(do not over cook).

 

Heat oil in a deep Pan/ kadai , add mustard seeds and toor dal, curry leaves , when the mustard splutters add onions. When it turns colour add coconut and saute for a minute.

Add the shredded jack fruit into the pan and cover it and cook on low heat  for till it is done. Check salt if needed add it as it was added while cooking the jack fruit earlier.

Serve hot with rice/ roti.

JACK FRUIT PULLINGARY/SAMBAR KERALA STYLE

INGREDIENTS

Jackfruit 400 gms 2 cups
Arhar dal/ split red gram 1/2 cup
Turmeric 1/4 ts
Tamarind 1/2 lemon size
Oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

FOR WET GRIND
Shallots 5 no.s
Corriander powder 1 tsp
Red chilly 3
Fenugreek 1/2 tsp

FOR SEASONING
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
shallots 3-4 finely diced
Curry leaves 1 sprig

Coriander leaves for garnishing

METHOD

Heat 2 tsp oil and add fenugreek and saute for a second add the red chillies, shallots and fry till the shallots turn golden brown. Add the coriander powder and fry for few seconds. Turn off the heat. When it cools down blend it in a smooth paste. keep it aside.












In half cup warm water soak the tamarind and after 10 minutes take out the pulp and keep it aside.

In a pan add water, turmeric and add the raw jackfruit pieces. Cook it it becomes tender. Add salt

.



Pressure cook the 1/2 dal  in 1 1/2 cup water, once the dal is cooked smash and put it with the jackfruit. Cook for 2-3 minutes.Add the tamarind pulp and the ground paste and cook for 10 minutes on low flame.












Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice.

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.

TANGY MANGO CHUTNEY

Mangoes are called the King of fruits. They are very delicious, juicy and are available in summers. They are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

There are lot of dishes you can prepare from mangoes. Here I am using raw mango to make a tangy chutney. It is sweet ,tangy and the flavour from roasted jeera makes it a unique chutney.

INGREDIENTS

Raw Mango grated 1 no

Jaggery 1 cup

Water 1 cup

Jeera/cumin 3/4 tsp

Turmeric a pinch

Salt to taste

METHOD

Grate the mango and keep it aside

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

Take a deep pan add the grated mangoes, jaggery syrup, turmeric, salt and cook on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes till it becomes thick and changes colour. Stir continuously.

After it reaches a thick consistency switch off the gas and add roasted jeera/ cumin into it and stir nicely. Tangy mango chutney is ready.

Serve as a spread on roti/ bread

Note: To made roasted jeera , heat a pan add jeera and roast on low flame for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the gas, let it cool down then dry grind it.

ADIPOLLI PALAKKAD AVIAL

INGREDIENTS

Beans cut 2 inch long               1 cup
Carrot cut 2 " long                    1 cup
Drumstick cut 2 " long            1
White pumpkin cut 2"long   1 cup
Yam cut 2 "long                         1 cup
Broad beans ,cut 2 "long       1 cup
Mango cut 2"long                    1 cup
Bitter gaurd  cut 2"long        1/2 cup
Curry leaves
Coconut oil                                1 tbsp
Turmeric                                    1/2tsp
Salt to taste

FOR GRINDING

Jeera                      2tsp
Coconut                1 cup
Green chillies     3no,s
Curd                      1 cup

METHOD
Grind coconut, cumin seeds and green chillies to a nice paste and keep it aside.

Take a vessel add all the vegetables, add water enough to cook the vegetables and cook till they are tender . Then add salt and the ground coconut and boil for 10 minutes .Add the beaten curd and simmer for some time and pour it into a serving dish.

Add coconut oil and curry leaves.

This dish is very popular in kerala and tamil nadu. It is a mixed vegetable dish and is served during festivals and feasts. Roti(indian bread) and avail go well together , can have with rice too.