Curd Brinjal

INGREDIENTS:-

• 1 Brinjal
• Curry leaves
• Mustard, Fenugreek, Cumin, Kala Jeera and fennel seed
• 250gm of Curd
• 1 tea spoon of Sugar
• Salt to taste
• 2 Green chilies
• Small piece of Ginger
• A pinch of turmeric
• Oil for frying

PREPARATION:-

• Cut brinjal into thin 2-inch long pieces.
• Mix turmeric and salt in brinjal
• Deep fry the brinjal pieces and keep aside.
• Mix yogurt gently with sugar, salt and little water and fried brinjals.
• Heat one table spoon of oil in a pan and put the panch puran and allow them
to splutter. Add green chillies and ginger and fry them and then add curry
leaves.
• Then add it to yogurt

Kerala Fish Moilee

Ingredients

fish - 2 lbs, Tomato - 2 nos, Whole chilli(red) - 10 nos, Onion - 1 big, Garlic - 5 cloves, Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp,
Green chilly - 5 nos, Coconut milk - 1 cup, Salt To taste, Lemon juice - 3 tsp or for taste, Curry leaves - 2 stems, Ginger - 1 inch piece, Oil - 2 tbp

Preparation
Clean the fish and cut into 1 inch pieces. Crush the red chili with garlic and keep aside. Slice the onion thinly. Cut the green chilly lengthwise. Chop the ginger.

Put the oil in a cooking pan and sauté the onion and green chilies for five minutes. Then add the crushed pepper, garlic and ginger. Fry for 3 minutes until the smell of chili comes out. Add the coconut milk, turmeric powder and let it boil. Then add the fish and salt. Cook well and add the tomato pieces. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and curry leaves.

Serve Hot.

Rice Cakes

INGREDIENTS:
• 3 cups rice
• 1 cup skinless urad daal (black gram)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
PREPARATION:
• Wash the rice and lentils separately and soak overnight.
• Grind each separately, into thick pastes (adding a little water at a time) in a blender.
• Mix the pastes together and add salt to taste.
• Keep the batter aside overnight to ferment.
• Grease the moulds on an Idli tray with cooking oil. Pour enough batter in each mould to fill it 3/4 full.
• Put 2 cups of water in a large vessel and heat. Put the Idli tray into the vessel and steam for 20 minutes.
• Check the Idlis by poking with a toothpick. If it comes out clean they are done.
• Serve piping hot with Sambar and coconut Chutney

Sambar

Ingredients:

Tuvar Dal (Red gram) - 1 cup, Red Onion - 1/2, Green chillies slit - 2
Tamarind - ½ lemon sized ball, Oil – as required, Salt to taste

Vegetables (peeled and cut into bite sized pieces )

2 brinjals, 1 small yam, 1 small red pumpkin, 3 french beans, 1 carrot, 1 potato,
2 drumsticks


For Sambar Masala, grind and mix well the following

Red chillies – 5 to 6 , Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp, Fenugreek Seeds – 1 tsp,
Trumeric Powder – 1 tsp, Asafoetida - ½ tsp, Cumin powder -1/4 tsp(Optional)

For tempering

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp, Red chillies - 3, Curry Leaves - a sprig. Oil-as needed
Garlic-3 or 4 cloves

Method:

Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water for sometime,squeeze and take the extract from it. Keep aside. Cook the dal in a pressure cooker,adding required water,salt,1/2 tsp of ghee/oil,sliced onion and green chillies. When the dal is done, remove the lid and add the tamarind extract, stir and simmer for some more time ,so that the dal is mashed well. Now add the cut vegetables into the cooker and cook till they are done, adding the sambar masala and extra water(if required). Once the vegetables are cooked, keep the cooker aside. In a frying pan heat oil, add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add red chillies, curry leaves, and the garlic (just hit them a little to break the skin). Fry for a minute. Add this to the sambhar, mix well and simmer for few more minutes and serve hot.

CHAKKAR PONGAL

Ingredients
• 2 cups long grain rice
• 1 cup moong dal (without skins)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh coconut cut into small pieces or shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup ghee
• 2 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 cardamoms
• 4 tablespoons of raisins and cashews
• 2 cups milk
• 21/2 cups water

Method

• Dry roast the moong dal on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes till it becomes light pink and a nice aroma arises.
• Cook the rice and moong dal in 2 cups milk + 2 1/2 cups water in rice cooker or on stove in a pan.
• In the meantime, while it is cooking melt the 3 tablespoons of ghee and fry the raisins and cashews on medium heat till cashews turn light golden, drain them and and fry coconut pieces or shredded coconut in the same ghee till golden. Set all these seasoning aside. Crush the cardamom to powder.
• When the rice gets cooked remove the rice and place it in a pan large enough to hold it and the sugar. Add sugar, cook on medium heat till all the sugar is absorbed. Stir it often to avoid burning.
• After the sugar has been absorbed add 1/2 cup ghee and turn off the stove.
• Add the fried coconut, cashews, raisins and cardamom powder. Stir it and let it stay on the stove for 2 or 3 minutes.
• Afterwards remove from heat. Serve warm.

CURRIED COCONUT FISH

INGREDIENTS:-

750 gms : Sole/ Bekhti fillets
3 tsp : Red Chillies (fresh)
2 tbs : Cocunut dessicated
2 tsp : Ginger, chopped
6 : Garlic cloves
1 1/2 tbs : White Vinegar
3 tbs : Maida (flour)
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Lemon wedges for garnishing

METHOD:-

Wash the fish fillets and pat dry. Sprinkle maida over fillets and keep aside. Grind togeather,red chillies, cocunut, ginger, garlic, vinegar and just enough water to make fine paste. Add salt and evenly coat fillets with this paste. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry fish till crisp. Serve immediately, accompanied by lemon wedges.

Masala Dosa

Ingredients:

1. Rice -- 4 cups (If possible, add 1cup boiled rice)
2. Urad/gram dal -- 1 Cup
3. Methi Seeds, Chana Dal, powa - 1 and 1/2 tbsp each
4. Salt to taste -- approx 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Soak in water for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Wash and grind little by little until a smooth paste is obtained.
3. Keep outside until it ferments (overnight) . Keep in oven in winter.
4. Heat a skillet (tava). Spread a tsp of oil and pour about a cup of dosa batter using a rounded spoon. When it becomes brown, flip it over.

Note: Dosa is like a pancake and is made similarly. Masala dosa can be made by filling the dosa with potato palya (recipe is below). Serve dosa with chutney and butter. It will be easier to make dosa if you have eaten it earlier or atleast if you know how it looks.

To make Potato Palya: Boil 3 potatoes. Take a tbsp of oil in a pan and heat it. Now, add chopped onions (1 cup) , chopped green chilli (2 to 3) and shredded ginger (1/2 tsp). Fry until the onions start turning brown. Now add turmeric powder(1/2 tsp), salt and a spoon of lemon juice. Finally, add peeled and roughly chopped boiled potato and mix well.