An Healthy Curryveppila koottaan / Curry, a kerala dish

This curry veppila koottan / Curry  is a very friendly dish and a healthy one at that, for stomach. Curry leaves are known for its health benefits and nutritions.  So try to have this curry at least for one meal in a week.

Ingredients needed for Curryveppila Curry
1 cup curry leaves, cleaned nicely
2 tbsps coriander seeds
1 tbsp bengal gram
1 tbsp blackgram
1 tsp cuminseeds
5-6 red chillies
1 tsp blackpepper
tamarind 1 lemon size
a pinch asafoetida
salt to taste
2 pinches turmeric powder
2 tbsps grated coconut ( optional )
2 tsp grated jaggery / one marble size

For tempering
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp Chundaikka vathal
1/2 tsp fenugreek
Instead of Chundaikkai Vathal, 6-8 flakes of Garlic chopped,  can also be added.

How to prepare Curryveppila Curry 
Heat oil in a fry pan, fry  red chillies, coriander seeds, bengal gram, black gram, cumin seeds, black pepper to gether to a golden brown.
Add curry leaves  and saute till they turn crispy. Let cool.
Ground the fried masalas with grated coconut and tamarind pieces to a smooth paste.
Add salt to taste, jaggery and a cup of water. Keep aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the fry pan, splutter mustard seeds  and add chopped garlic if you are using them.
Add the ground masala paste to this and saute till the oil starts oozing out on the sides.
If you are using Chundaikka Vathal leave out Garlic and add separately fried Chundaikka Vathal after the curry is ready.
Remove and serve it with hot steaming rice.

Points to Note
You can store this curryveppila curry in the refrigeratore for more than a week
If you like a thinner consistency as an Ozhichu koottan, add a little more water and bring it to boil.

Sesame / Ellu Pachadi, a Kerala style recipe

Ingredients needed for Ellu Pachadi
2 cups of Vendaikka / Lady's finger cut small pieces 2 cups
2 tsps thick tamarind extract
2 pinches turmeric powder
salt to taste
oil
1 tbsp seasame seeds
4 red chillies
1 tbsp raw rice
2 tsps grated jaggery (optional)

Ingredients for tempering
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 red chilli broken into bits
Handful curry leaves

How to prepare Ellu Pachadi?
Roast sesame seeds, powder and keep aside.
Roast raw rice, red chilli, powder and keep aside.
Now take a vessel / a saucepan,  pour tamarind water, turmeric powder and salt to taste.
As it comes to boil add ladies finger pieces, cook until soft. Now add grated jaggery if you like.
Add chilli, rice powder and mix well. Let it boil for a minute.
In the end add sesame powder and mix well.
Temper with mustard seeds, broken pieces of red chilli and curry leaves.

Points to Note: 
Usually in Pachadis curds get added as the main ingredient but in this recipe tamarind pulp is used instead. Even though this is of a different combination the taste comes out delicious.
Since Ellu / sesame seeds and Lady'sfingers are very nutritious this can be considered as an Healthy recipe too.

Mushroom / Croon stew, a Kerala style recipe

Ingredients needed for Mushroom / Croon stew
250 grams mushrooms
1 onion sliced fine
1 piece ginger chopped
5 green  chillies slit
1/2 tsp coriander powder
2 flakes garlic
1 tsp garam Masala (cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and pepper  altogether crushed )
Handful coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp coconut oil
2 cups coconut milk
2 stalks curry leaves
salt to taste

How to prepare Mushroom stew?
Take a fry pan, add 1/2 a cup each of coconut milk and water.
Add onions, ginger, garlic, coriander powder, coriander leaves, green chillies, whole garam masala crushed, coconut oil and  the cleaned cleaned mushrooms. Cook till the mushrooms are cooked.
Add the rest of the coconut milk, and curry leaves. As it starts boiling, remove from fire.
Garnish with a little more chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Chena Theeyal, a traditional Kerala Curry Recipe

Ingredients needed for Chena / Yam Theeyal
1 cup of cubed yam / chena pieces
6 green chillies  slit
1/4 cup small onions sliced
2 tsps coconut oil
2 tbsps tamarind paste
salt to taste
1 pinch of grated jaggery
1 cup grated coconut
6 small onions
1 1/2 tsps chilli powder
1 tsp Dhaniya powder
curry leaves
1 tsp ghee
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
curry leaves and 2 broken red chillis

How to prepare Chena Theeyal?
Heat 2 tsps of coconut oil, saute the chopped onions and slit green chillies.
Add the chena pieces, mix well for a minute. Add water, salt to taste and cook well.
In a fry pan heat a little oil, add the fresh grated coconut and small onions rill they are golden coloured. Add curry leaves, chilli powder, coriander powder, mix well.  Fry till the raw smell goes and remove.
Grind the masala to a paste.
Add the tamarind paste to the cooked yam pieces. Let it boil and simmer for a minute.
Add ground coconut paste  and bring the gravy to the right consistency as per your taste, by adding water.
Check for salt.
As the gravy starts boiling , remove from fire. Temper with ghee, mustard, red chilli and curry leaves. pourover the Theeyal and serve hot with plain rice.

Palak Paruppu Curry, a Kerala Style Recipe

Ingredients needed for the Palak Paruppu Curry
1 big bunch palak leaves
1/2 cup tur dal
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Grind to a coarse paste
1 cup grated coconut
1 tsp red chilli powder

Seasoning
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds and Urad dal
2 red chillies broken into bits

How to prepare Palak Paruppu Curry
Cut Palak into one inch sized pieces. Add salt and turmeric powder with a littke water and cook the leaves tender.
Cook Tuar dal separately with a little salt. Add the dal to the palak mixture.
Grind coconut and the chilli powder to a coarse paste  and add to the palak dal mixture.
Heat oil, add the seasoning ingredients ,pour over the dal and bring it to boil.
As it starts boiling remove from fire.

Recipe for Muringaila and Papaya Erissery, Kerala Style

Ingredients needed for Muringaila and Papaya Erissery
 4 cups of Drumstick leaves
2 cups of papaya / Omaikka
Salt to taste
1/4 cup cooked tuar dal
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Grind to a paste
1 cup Grated coconut
1 tsp red chilli powder
10 garlic flakes

Seasoning
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp grated coconut roasted to a golden colour
1/2 tsp mustard seeds and Urad dal
1 red chilli
curry leaves

How to prepare Muringaila and Papaya Erissery :
Cook papaya pieces and the drum stick leaves with salt and turmeric powder till tender.
Grind the ingredients mentioned above into a coarse paste.
Add the cococnut paste and the cooked Tuar dal to the cooked vegetables  and bring to boil.
Simmer for a few minutes and season the curry using the seasoning ingredients.
Roast the coconut nicely to golden colour and pour over the Erissery.

Lady's finger / Vendaikka Roast, a kerala style recipe

Ingredients needed for the Vendakka Roast Recipe 
250 grams Tender lady's finger / Vendakka
1 tsp Chilly powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Oil as required

How to prepare Vendakka / Lady's finger Roast
Wash the ladies fingers, dry  them with a towel.
Slit each lady's finger to the end without separating them.
Mix  a mixture chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste.
Apply the mix  at the center of the Lady's fingers, keep aside  for 30 minutes.
Then deep fry in hot oil till they are golden. Remove  and drain on a kitchen towel.
Serve with hot steaming rice / Paranthas.

Malakkari / Pachakari Kootu of Kerala

Malakari or Pachakari means just vegetables in malayalam. In some parts of Kerala vegetables are called as Malakari and in other parts as pachakari.  the meaning of both the words are same.

This Kootu is actually a dish made from Mixed vegetables and some pulses. This can be taken as a side dish with rice.


Ingredients needed for the pachakari kootu / Mixed Vegetable Kootu
1/2 cup each of Dry Beans and black Channa
2 Kathirikka / Brinjals
2 potatoes
4 tomatoes
1 small ball tamarind
10 small onions
Salt to taste
1/2  sp mustards
3 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp malli podi
1 pinch jeeraga podi

How to prepare the Pachakari Kootu:
Soak channa and the beanbs overnight. Cook them separately till they get tender.
Cut all the vegetables, brinjals, tomatoes, potatoes etc into small cubes
 Mix all the vegetables and  steam /cook for a minute or two.
Heat oil in a frying pan.
Splutter mustard, and saute chopped onions and saute for a minute.
Add chilli powder. turmeeric powder and coriander powder with salt and a pinch of jeeraga podi.
Mix in the vegetables and cooked channa and the beans .
Cover till all the ingredients blend well amd the masala also gets well cooked.
The gravy should be thick enough to take with Kanji.

Koova Kanji Recipe of Kerala

Ingredients for Koova Kanji
1 cup Koova podi
1 cup podiyari
1 cup curds
Salt to taste

How to prepare Koova Kanji:
Cook podiyari separately, keep aside.
Mix Koova podi in water. be careful to see that there are no lumps in the mix.
Then add cooked Podiyari to the mix. Bring it to boil till the kanji thickens and the koova podi gets cooked.
Add beaten curds and salt to taste .
Serve with malakkari / pachakari  Kootu  ( Vegetable Kootu)

Palak Cheera Pulissery

Palak Cheera  Pulissery is a healthy and tasty recipe, which is less spiced curry which can be eaten with rice.
You will have to serve a salad or a vegetable dish like Thoran / Upperi along with Pulissery and rice.

Ingredients needed for the Palak Cheera Pulissery
2 cups Palak leaves, chopped
1/2 cup vellarikka, cut into small cubes ( Malabar Cucumber)
1 small green mango cut into small pieces
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 cups grated fresh coconut
1 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp cumin seeds / jeeragam
1 small onion
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds
1 red chilli broken into bits

How to prepare Palk Cheera Pulissery: 
Cook chopped leaves, vellarikka pieces and the mangopieces with salt and turmeric powder till they are tender and cooked.
Grind coconut, red chilli powder, cumin seeds and small onion to a very smooth paste.
Add the paste to the vegetables  and bring it to the curry consistency.
Heat coconut oil in a vessel. splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds, add red chilli and curry leaves.
Pour the vegetables and coconut mix in to this and mix well.
As the pulissery comes to boil remove from fire.
Stir continuously till the heat goes off from the pulissery or it might curdle.

Points to Note
Instead of vellarikka / Malabar Cucuber you can use Ashgourd pieces also for the Palak Cheera Pulissery
You can add beaten curds about half a cup instead of the raw mango.  Follow the similar method except that you have to mix in the curds when you add the ground coconut paste to the vegetables.
Always remember not to let Pulissery or Moru curry boil while seasoning them. They will curdle and the gravy will neither taste nor look right.

Kadala Pachakkaya Kootucurry

Ingredients needed for the Kadala Pachakaya Kootucurry
1 cup kadala soaked overnight and cooked till soft
salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ginger chopped
3 green chillies chopped
This Kadala and Pachakkaya that is Channa or the Bengal Gram  with raw or green  Plantains / Bananas  is a tasty curry dish and a very healthy one too.

Ingredients needed for the Kadala Pachakaya Kootucurry
3 cups raw bananas chopped

Ingredients needed  to Grind to a paste
1 1/2 cups grated coconut
a pinch cumin seeds
4 small onions chopped
3 red chillies
curry leaves

To temper the Kootu curry
oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 red chillies
curry leaves
2 tsps grated coconut

How to prepare the Kadala Pachakaya Kootucurry:
Take a vessel, add cooked channa, salt to taste, turmeric powder, chopped raw bananas and ginger with just enough water to cook till the bananas get soft.
Grind the ingredients for the paste into a somewhat smooth paste.
Add the paste to the cooked vegetables and mix well. Simmer and cook till theb gravy gets thick.
Heat oil in a fry pan, splutter mustard. Add red chillies broken into bits, grated coconut and curry leaves . When they get browned pour over the curry.
Serve with rice and side dishes.

Points to Note while making the kootucurry:
Pachakaya is raw plantain / raw Banana as it is called.  can be used both varities of plantains Monthankaya / bonthankaya and nendrankaya /  kerala plantains.
Chopped raw plantains should be steeped in water with a little turmeric powder. If not the plantains will get darker and will not look right .

Potato and Carrot Aviyal

Ingredients needed for Potato Carrot Aviyal
1 potato
1 carrot
1 beetroot
4 avaraikka
1/2 cup soaked van payaru
1 small piece chna / yam
4 gr ch slit
salt and turmeric
1/2 tsp chillipd
2 sp coconut oil
1 1/2 sp  curds
2 stalk curry leaves
1 cup grated coconut
a pinch jeeragam

How to prepare Potato and Carrot Aviyal
Cut the vegetables about an inch long thin pieces. Cook with salt and turmeric till the vegetables are cooked soft but not very soft that they get smashed while stirring.
Grind to a smooth paste cococnut, jeeragam and red chillies.
Mix well. Bring it to boil and remove from fire
Add curds, curry leaves and coconut oil.
Serve hot with plain rice, sambar etc.

Vellarikka Aviyal Recipe

Ingredients needed for Kerala Cucumber Aviyal
Vellarikka - sliced thn just like for aviyal  1 1/2 cups
1 drumstick cut into pieces
1/4 cup Chena
 1/4  cup neelan pacha payaru / karamani
1/4 cup raw papaya
1/4 cup Kumbalanga
 4 green chillies
1/4 tsp chilli powder
a pinch jeeragam
1/2 cup grated coconut
1/2 cup fresh curds
curry leaves,
oil

How to prepare vellarikka aviyal?
Put in all the vegetables togther with chilli powder, turmeric powder, a spoon oil, salt to taste and cook till tender add water only if needed. The water coming in from the cucumber and the Kumbalanga should be enough for the vegetables to cook
Grind coconut and jeera to a smooth paste , add to the cooked vegetables and bring it toboil.
Remove from fire , add beaten curds and the remaining coconut oil, curry leaves etc. Mix well.

Other Aviyal Recipes
Aviyal Recipe

Kadala Pachakaaya Kootu Curry / Channa Plantain Kootu curry

Ingredients needed for the Kadala Pachakaya Kootucurry
1 cup kadala soaked overnight and cooked till soft
salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ginger chopped
3 green chillies chopped
3 cups raw bananas chopped

Ingredients needed  to Grind to a paste
1 1/2 cups grated coconut
a pinch cumin seeds
4 small onions chopped
3 red chillies
curry leaves

To temper the Kootu curry
oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 red chillies
curry leaves
2 tsps grated coconut

How to prepare the Kadala Pachakaya Kootucurry:
Take a vessel, add cooked channa, salt to taste, turmeric powder, chopped raw bananas and ginger with just enough water to cook till the bananas get soft.
Grind the ingredients for the paste into a somewhat smooth paste.
Add the paste to the cooked vegetables and mix well. Simmer and cook till theb gravy gets thick.
Heat oil in a fry pan, splutter mustard. Add red chillies broken into bits, grated coconut and curry leaves . When they get browned pour over the curry.
Serve with rice and side dishes.

Points to Note while making the kootucurry:
Pachakaya is raw plantain / raw Banana as it is called.  can be used both varities of plantains Monthankaya / bonthankaya and nendrankaya /  kerala plantains.
Chopped raw plantains should be steeped in water with a little turmeric powder. If not the plantains will get darker and will not look right .

Sauteed Tomato Masala Recipe

Ingredients needed for Sauteed Tomato Masala Recipe
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard
1 tbsp small onions chopped
3 cups tomatoes cut into thin rounds
1 cup onion ( savala ) minced / chopped
3 green chillies cut into rounds
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp pepper powder
2 tbsps sugar ( reduce if you don't like this much )
Salt to taste
1 tsp vinegar

How to prepare the recipe Sauteed Tomato Masala 
Heat oil in a  fry pan / Kadai, splutter mustard seeds. Add chopped small onions, saute for a minute or two.
When the onions turn golden, add cut tomatoes, minced onions and  chopped green chillies.  Stir well, cover and cook till they get pulpy.
Add chilli powder, pepper powder, sugar and salt to taste.
Keep stirring till the gravy dries up and the masala thickens considerably.
Add the spoon of vinegar to the boiling gravy and remove from fire.
You can serve this dish with rice, chappathies  etc as a side dish.

Karikku Appam / Ilaneer Appam, a Kerala Recipe

Karikku / Ilaneer is the malayalam word for the tender coconut, which are very nutritious. You can use the little flesh the coconuts have with the water while grinding the rice for the recipe.


Ingredients needed for Karikku Appam /Ilaneer appam
1 tender coconut
1 cup raw rice
2 tsps sugar
1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
Salt to taste
water as required (optional)

How to prepare Karikku Appam
Clean, wash and soak rice for 4 hours.
Grind the flesh of the tender coconut and the water to gether  in a mixer.  Add sugar to it and blend well.
Add soaked rice to this mixture in thr grinder bowl little by little.
If needed you can add a little water also.
Keep the mix aside for about 6 hours with out mixing or moving the batter.
After that add salt to taste and the green cardamom powder.
Heat a Dosa tava, pour a ladle of the batter on the tava and spread it a little. The Appam should be slightly thicker than the Dosa.
Cover and cook for a minute. Remove when done and serve with a spicy curry.

Points to Note:
You can grind the thin flesh of the tender coconut while grinding for the batter.
Extra water will not be necessary since you are using the tender coconut water.
If the coconutwater is not enough and the batter is very thick you can add a little plain water.

Potato Brown Stew

Ingredients needed for Potato Brown Stew :
2 medium sized Potatoes cubed
1 medium sized onion cut into cubed
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsps coriander powder
1 green chilli slit
1 small piece ginger crushed
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 cups coconut milk
Salt to taste
2 tsps coconut oil
3-4 small onions chopped
2 stalks curry leaves

How to prepare Potato Brown Stew?
In a sauce pan put in potatoes, onions, green chilli, crushed ginger, turmeric powder and salt to taste.
Add 1cup each of coconut milk and water.
Cook till the potatoes are tender. Remove from fire and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan, fry the chopped small onions and curry leaves till golden add the chilli powder and coriander powder mix till the raw smell goes.
Pour over the cooked vegetables and put it on fire. When it comes to boil, simmer for a minute or two. Remove.

Points to Note:
It goes well with Chappathies, Idli & dosas or hot steaming rice.
If you like garam masala taste, you can add that also. Add 1 tsp garam masala powder when you fry the chilli and coriander powders and follow the recipe.

Other Potato Recipes
Potato Masala Recipe For Masala Dosa
Potato Masala

Jeeraga Kanji of Kerala

In Kerala, Kanji or the Rice gruel as it is known is a typical food for the supper. This Kanji can be had even in the mornings too. This Kanji is very light on the stomach, easily digestible  and is very healthy. This can also be given to the convalescence period after the illness

Ingredients for the Jeeraga Kanji Kerala Recipe     
1 cup rice
5 cups of water
Salt to taste

Grind to a smooth paste 
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
1 small onion
a pinch turmeric powder
1/2 tsp jeera / cumin seeds
a flake or two of garlic (optional )

How to prepare the Jeeraga Kanji Kerala Recipe
Bring the water to boil and add the cleaned and washed rice.  Presure cook for two whistles and remove from fire.
Open the cooker and bring the pan to boil. Add salt to taste and the ground coconut jeera paste.  Bring it to boil and simmer for a minute or two.

Points to Note while making Kanji
You can use the rice you have at home  and add double the amount of water you usually  use for cooking.
 If you like the Kanji to be either thicker /thinner adjust water content accordingly.
As the vessel cools the kanji will get a little thicker. Adjust accordingly

Moru Kachiyathu an easy recipe

Moru Kachiyathu ( An easy recipe)
Moru Kachiyathu is a very easy recipe one could have when you feel very lazy to cook particularly in summer. Hot steaming rice and moru kachiyathu will go very well with pickles, particularly fried curd chillies or salted lemon wedges or mangoes. Try it at least once. This is easily digestible and can be given to the patients who are convalescing after severe illness.

Ingredients needed for Moru Kachiyathu
1 cup not very sour curds
1 green chilli
1 small piece ginger
a stalk or two curry leaves
a pinch turmeric powder
salt to taste

For tempering Moru kachiyathu
1 tsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 red chilli broken into 2 or 3 pieces
1/2 tsp split urad dal
a pinch asafoetida

How to prepare Moru kachiyathu
Beat the curds, so that Lumps are not there. Add 1 cup water to it and mix well.
Add chopped green chilli, ginger and pinched curry leaves to it.
Add salt and a pinch of turmeric powder. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a fry pan, splutter mustard seeds and urad dal. Add asafoetida and the red chilli bits to the pan.
when the red chillies get browned, simmer the flame and  pour the buttermilk mixture into the fry pan.
As and when it starts bubbling on the sides, remove from fire.
Stir once in a while till it cools down a bit, otherwise it will curdle.

Thakkali / Tomato Theeyal

Ingredients needed for Thakkali Theeyal
2 cups tomatoes, cut into pieces
1/4 cup chopped onions
5 green chillies slit
2 tbsps coconut oil
1 cup fresh grated coconut
4 red chillies
handful curry leaves
1 tsp chilli powder
Tamarind  as per taste and that too optional

How to prepare Thakkali / Tomato Theeyal
Heat about 1 tablespoon oil in a fry pan. Add chopped onions, tomatoes cut into small, slit green chillies to the pan and saute till they are done. Remove and keep aside.
In the remaining oil, fry coconut, red chillies and curry leaves till the coconut gets uniformly browned. When it gets cooled, grind to a smooth paste and keep aside.
Mix enough water to the paste to bring the gravy to the right consistency, add the fried ingredients, and enough salt as per your taste.
Bring it to boil, simmer till a nice aroma comes from the boiling curry.
If you need extra sourness add tamarind, if not leave it.
Serve with rice and a vegetable as a side dish.