Inji Curry

 

Ingredients

Ginger – 100gm

Tamarind – lemon size
Jaggery – 2 tbsp
Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric  – ½ tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Fenugreek powder/seed – ½ tsp
Green chilli – 2 finally chopped
Curry leaves – 1 spring
Whole red chilli – 2
Hing/ Asefatadia – ¼ tsp
Coconut oil – 3 tbsp
Salt to taste

  

Method

1.  Clean the ginger and cut them into small pieces.
2.  In a medium heat, fry them in oil till it becomes light brown.
3.  Crush or grind the fried ginger coarsely when it is cool.
4.  Make tamarind pulp.  Soak the tamarind in 1cup of water for 15min. mix well and strain the pulp.
5.  In a kadhai/deep cooking pan heat the oil ( oil remaining after frying ginger can be used).
6.  Add the mustard and let it crackle, then add the curry leafs and whole red chilli.
7.  Switch of the flame and then add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, fenugreek seed powder.
8.  Then add the tamarind pulp and mix well.
9.  Now start the flame and bring the pulp to boil.
10.  Add the crushed ginger, mix well and lower the flame and cook for some 1 min.
12.  Now add the jaggrey, salt & hing. At this point if you want to add water to adjust the consistency. Cook for 5 min.
13.  Note : The consistency will thicken when it cools down.

Earchi Achar / Meat Pickle

This is my favorite pickle. And the recipe is a family recipe passed from my mother to me. I love eating it with hot rice or paratha.  Always a saver when there is not nonveg at home.

 

Ingredients

Tender beef/mutton - 1 kg (cut in small pieces and washed)

Ginger – 1 tbsp. (cut lengthwise)

Garlic – 15  (cut lengthwise)

Mustard seed – 2tsp cup

Fenugreek seed – 1 ½ tsp

Turmeric powder – 1tsp

Red chilli powder – ½ cup

Vinegar – approx 1 ½ cup

Salt as per taste

Curry leaves – about 20 leaves

Oil for frying -

Method

1.     Pressure Cook meat along with 2 tbsp of vinegar, 1tsp salt and ½ tsp turmeric powder for 1 whistle and 5 min.  remove the access water after it cools.

2.     Heat about 1 cup oil in and pan and fry the meat still it is crisp brown from outside. 
3.     Dry roast mustard seed and fenugreek seed.
4.     Coarsely grind the roasted mustard & fenugreek seed.
5.     Heat 2 tbsp. oil. To this add ginger & garlic and fry till is light brown. Add curry leaves and saute. 
6.     Remove the pan from the heat and add turmeric powder, red chilly powder, salt, ground mustard and fenugreek.  Mix well.
7.     Get the pan back to heat, add the fried meat pieces and mix well.
8.     Now add ½ to 1 cup of vinegar (according to the thickness of the gravy you want).
9.     Boil the mixture for 2 min.
10.    Remove from fire, cool and bottle it.

Jaathikka Chammanthi / Nutmeg Fruit Chutney

Pleasantly aromatic, nutmeg is actually seed kernel of fruit-nutmeg.  We always use the nut and the mace of this fruit.  In my childhood my grandfather’s house had an old Jaathi (nutmeg tree) near the family well. I would tag along with him every morning  to collect the fallen nutmeg fruits. During these walks I have tasted the fruit but never liked it.  These are few of the summer vacation memories I have.

I never knew that we could make such taste chuttney out the nutmeg fruit. Thanks to my cousin's husband who mentioned it and i went hunting for the recipe.  So, this year’s visit to Kerala taught me this new recipe. It’s my Grandmothers special recipe. Thanks to her I have found one more traditional recipe.

So now try to find this fruit and make this chammanthi and ENJOY!

 Ingredients

Jaathikka fruit/Nutmeg fruit – 2

Grated coconut – 1 cup

Green chilli – 2 – 3 (according to your taste)

(Note : I prefer kandari chilli / birds eye chilli if it is readily available)

Shallots/ sambar onions – 5

Ginger – small piece

Garlic – 3 piece

Salt – according to your tast

Curry leave – 10 finely cut

  Method

1.     Break the Jaathikka into half and remove the red inner coat (mace) and the nut.

2.     Now roast the fruit directly on the gas flame/stove till the out layer burns and the inside cooks. ( authentically it done in a hearth/chulha)

3.     Peel of the burnt outer skin, clean  the remaining with a dry towel and cut it into small piece

4.     Grind all the ingredient except the curry leave into a smooth paste.

5.     Mix the finely cut curry leaves.

6.     It’s ready to serve.

Bharwan Lal Mirch Achar / Stuffed Red chilly Pickle

The big red chillies are in abundance during winter season. And we get it only during this season.  The vibrant color of it really attracts me, and thus end up buying it without knowing what to do with it.  But this time I was sure I wanted to make this pickle when I was buying it.  I browsed through the internet, found many variation of the recipe.  So did some mix and match and came out with this recipe.  

So, please try it and put in your suggestion.  

Ingredient

Long red Chilly – 10

Oil – approx. 1 cup

For the spice stuffing

Sauf/ Fennel seeds – 2tbsp

Jeera / Cumin Seeds – 2tbsp

Methi dhana/  Fenugreek seeds – 1tbsp

Rai / mustard seeds – 2tbsp

Kalonji / Nigella seeds – ½ tbsp.

Amchur powder / Dry mango powder – 2tbsp

Sea Salt – 3 tbsp

Haldi / Turmeric powder – 1tsp

Hing / Asafetida – ½ tsp

Vegetable oil – 2tbsp

Method

To prepare the spice filling

1.  In a pan dry roast on low heat the Sauf, jeera, methi, Rai and kalonji till a nice aroma come i.e about 3 to 4 min.

2.   Remove it to a clean plate and let it cool.

3.   Coarsely grind this roasted spice along with haldi, amchur, salt and hing. Don’t  grinding into a fine paste or powder. 

4.   Transfer this into a dry bowl add 2 tbsp of oil and mix well.  The stuffing is ready.

To prepare the red chilli pickle 

5.   Wash the chilli in water and dry it completely on a kitchen towel. There should be no moisture left.
6.    Now cut the stem of all the chilli.
7.    This is the most important part.  Slit the chilli right through the center lengthwise, making sure that the ends are intact.
8.    Remove the seed.  ( you can add these seeds with the  spice filling – optional)
9.    Stuff the chilli with the spice mixture. The stuffy should be filled completely.
10.   When all the chillies are filled, place the chilli vertically in a clean dry glass jar with the stem side on the top.
11.  Pore 1 cup of oil on top of the stuffed chilli.
12.  Place this bottle where there is direct sunlight for 5day.
13.  It is ready to eat.

Gooseberry Pickle / Amla Achar

This is an instant gooseberry pickle.  As I am very bad with pickle but I love to make it. So this time I am made it with readymade pickle masala.  There are lots of pickle masalas available; I prefer the South Indian brands like Nirapara pickle masala or Melam pickle masala.

Ingredient

Gooseberry – 1 kg

Salt – 2 tsp.
Pickle masala – 3tbsp
Oil – 250gm
 

Method

1.   In a pan add the gooseberry and cover it with water. Put it into heat.  When the water starts boiling, put off the heat.  Keep it covered for half an hour.

2.   Remove the gooseberry and strain and let it dry for an hr.

3.   Now, cut into wedges and remove the seeds.

4.   Mix the salt and pickle masala to the gooseberry wedges and mix well.

5.   Heat the oil in a kadai ( to test if it is hot, put a few mustard seeds it should crackle). Put of the heat and let it cook for 10 min.

6.   Now add the gooseberry mixture to the oil, mix it well.

7.   Cook it on low flame for 2 min.

8.   It is ready to eat.

Kanthari Molagu Chammanthi

This is one of my favorite chutneys. The chutney is very very hot.  The chiily used for this chutney is called kanthari molagu, extremely pungent. The English name is Bird’s eye chili.  It is small and thin but still very hot. So, in Kerala a slang word used for small sharp person is kanthari.   I sometimes call my little one Kanthari. Its best had with boiled kappa/ tapioca.

If you don’t have kanthari molagu you can replace it with regular green chilli.

Ingredient

Kanthari chili – 10

Small onion/ sambar onion – 10
Coconut oil – 1tsp
Salt – as per taste

 Method

1.  Coarsely crush the small onion, chilli in a pestle.

2.  Transfer into a bowl.

3.  Mix oil, salt and 2tsp of water. 

4.  Serve immediately.

Pavakka Theeyal / Bitter gourd pickle

This is my mother’s special recipe. This is a recipe which I found in her cooking dairy.    I always keep this as a pickle in all our get-togethers. It is one recipe of bitter gourd which everyone wants to try. My brother, who doesn’t touch bitter gourd, like this recipe. Try making it once and please comment.

Ingredient

Bitter gourd -  250gm

Garlic – 5 pod  (cut lengthwise)
Ginger – 1” piece ( cut into small pieces)
Jaggery – 25gm
Tamarind - 1 lemon size
Jeera powder – ½ tsp
Methi powder – ½ tsp
Chilli powder – 2 tsp
Mustard seed – 1 tsp
Hing – ¼ tsp
Salt as per taste
Oil – as required

Method

1.      Cut the bitter gourd at around 1” length wise, deseed and cut into long strips.

2.       Mix salt and leave it for half an hour, now squeeze of the excess water.

3.       Fry the bitter gourd to medium dry. Remove from oil and keep it aside.

4.      Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of water for half an hour. Mix well and remove the water pulp. Strain off the seeds and hard skin.

5.      Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan .

6.      When it heats add mustard seeds , ginger, garlic and fry.

7.      Remove the pan from the heat.

8.      Add jeera, methi, chilli and hing powder and mix.

9.      Now add the tamarind pulp and keep it to boil.

10.  Now add the fried bitter gourd and salt and continue boiling for 2 min.

11.  Remove from fire and add the jaggery and mix well. 
 

Vellarikka Kichadi

This again is an Onam Sadya recipe. I am trying it for the first time. I have always had this on all my Sadyas.  And I liked the nice pungent taste of it and use to wonder the ingredient behind this take. And now I know the mystery behind this taste. It is the strong flavor of mustard seed that gets grinded with the coconut paste.  It’s a nice and fast accomplishment. Should try. 

Ingredient

Ashgourd /Vellerikka  - 2 cup finely cut

Grated coconut – ½ cup
Cumin seed /jeera – ½ tsp
Mustard seed – ½ tsp
Curd – 1 cup
Green chillies – 2 cut into small pieces
Salt – as per taste

For seasoning

Oil – 1tsp
Mustard seed – ½ tsp
Curry leaf - few

Method

Preparation

1.      Cut the ashgourd from the center and de-seed it.  Now cut it finely, approximate 2 cups.

2.      Grind together coconut, jeera and mustard seed to make a paste .

3.      Whisk the curd nicely and keep it ready. 

Cooking

4.      Cook the ashgourd in ½ cup of water for about 5 min or till the pieces cook well, it should not be mushy.

5.      Now add salt and green chillies, cook for a min.

6.      To this add the coconut paste already made, mix well and cook for one more min.

7.       Remove from the heat and add curd and mix nicely. 

Seasoning

8.      Heat a pan and add oil.

9.      Add the mustard seed and let it crackle

10.  Now add the curry leaves and remove from the heat.

11.  Add this mixture to the cooked Ashgroud.

Hummus

Hummus is part of the Arabic Cuisine.  It’s a dip or spread made of chickpeas.  In the original recipe chickpeas are blended with tahini, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil.  Though tahini is a major component of Hummus, I am omitted it as I was not able to get it. Tahini is a form of roasted sesame seed paste,   I will try to make it again with home make sesame paste.  But as of now it is without tahini. This recipe should need a luxurious toss of virgin olive oil.

This dip was introduced to me by a friend of mine who is a major admirer of Lebanese food like falafel, Shawarma, pita bread etc., and hummus comes as add-ons with these.
    

The first time I tried to make, the major mistake I did was with the sourness of the dish. You have to be careful while putting lemon juice as sometimes it become sour and ruins the taste.  What I do now is to put the lemon juice little by little, mix and taste. It should have a tint of sourness (the beginning of sourness).

I make it once in a week and store it in the refrigerator.  Whenever my kids are hunger especially after they playing session, they just spread in on breads or rotis and have it.  This type of food comes very handy as a working mother.   Try making it once and I am sure it would be there always as an emergency dip in your refrigerator.
 

Ingredients

Chickpeas/chole  - 1 cup

Garlic – 5 pods
Lemon juice – 1 tsp
Olive oil – 2 tbsp
Salt – as per taste
Black olive – few to garnish

Method

1.         Sock the chickpeas in water for 6 or 7 hrs. and boil till it is properly cooked ( pressure cook for 5 whistle).

2.         In a blender or mixer, blend boiled chickpea, garlic, 1 table spoon olive oil, lemon juice and salt to a paste.  

3.         Take this paste into a serving bowl, add the remaining oil and top it with olive oil.

 

Plum Chutney

Plum is a red colour fruit. It has a sweet and sour taste.  Plum in Hindi is called Allu-bukhara.  You get this in North India during May to August.  It’s a very healthy fruit. Dried plums in general known as prunes.

Now days I see it everywhere and I get tempted to buy it.  I like to eat it with a pinch of salt. Yummmmmmmmmy.  I love the colour, especially when it is cooked it gives a bright red colour, it is gorgeous.

I have always eaten it raw, saw thought of making something out of it. Here is chutney make out of plum. Very simple and tasty.  Try replaceing this with  Imli chutney for Dhai Wada.
 

Ingredients

Plum – 6 to 7

Honey – 4tbsp
Apple vinegar – 3tbsp (or any fruit vinegar)
Red Chili flakes – 1tsp
Salt – as per taste

Method

 

1.      Clean the plum, deseed it and cut it into small pieces.
2.      Heat a pan, add plum, honey, vinegar and chilly flakes.
3.      Bring it to boil, add salt as per taste.
4.      Now lower the flame and cook till the plum becomes soft, for about 5-10min.
5.      Stop the heat and let it cool. ( you can use the chutney at this level)
6.      Now make a paste in a mixer
7.      Again put it back in the pan and cook it till a thick consistency is formed.

Note : - prefer to us fruit vinegar as synthetic vinegar will give a very sour taste and dominates the flavor