Showing posts with label kerala. Show all posts

Friday, July 3, 2020

Nei Payasam | Aravana Payasam

Nei Payasam, a traditional sweet of South India made from rice, jaggery and ghee. It's one of the common sweets served in many temples across South India. Nei Payasam is actually sakkarai pongal without dal and the term "Nei payasam" is quite commonly used in Kerala cuisine more than Tamil cuisine.

In our home, we always make sakkarai pongal without dal and still we used to call it "Sakkarai pongal" . So I guess the names are easily interchangeable in South Tamilnadu.

When i was new to the blogging world, really wondered about all the sakkarai pongal recipe available online because each recipe would call for dal, so that time when i asked Amma why we didn't use dal in sakkarai pongal in our family, her answer was "adding dal would make them spoil easily".

Guess, may be in those days, sakkarai pongal was made only for pongal & other temple festivals in large quantities. So in order to keep it good for a longer time, dal would be omitted and in later days dal was added in the sakkarai pongal recipe in some parts of Tamilnadu.

Still remember that the leftover sakkarai pongal made on pongal festival was consumed by the elders in the family on the next day and used to say that the taste gets better on the next day. But in those days, I would run away from the leftover foods and haven't had the experience of tasting it.

Through blogging and food as a medium I have learnt a lot about other cultures. Most of the food that i grew up eating is easily tagged under "Kerala Cuisine" now and even i can see how much our family cooking is so similar to kerala cuisine more than tamilnadu cuisine based on the common overview of cuisine.

But people have their way of cooking even before the state separation, right? So all the categories we have are not comprehensive, it's just to give the idea of what most people in that region eat, that's all.

Coming back to the recipe, kerala raw rice/ unakalari rice is commonly used for Nei Payasam. I have had a small amount of leftover kerala raw rice from the pongal purchase and used that for this recipe. Back home also, Amma uses the same rice for making both savory and sweet pongal on Pongal festival.

It gives nice texture and flavor to the payasam. And for that vibrant color of payasam, I have used an equal amount of dark and light colored jaggery. Now let's check out how to make this lip smacking Nei payasam.

Nei Payasam | Aravana Payasam

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 25 mins | Serves : 2
Recipe Category: Sweet | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients
Unakalari Rice / Kerala Raw Rice - 1/2 cup
Water - 3/4 cup + 1/2 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup(heaped)
Cardamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Coconut bits - 1 tbsp
Cashew - 1 tsp

Procedure

In a pressure cooker , add the washed rice and add 3/4 cup of water and cook it for 3 whistle.

The cooked rice should be soft and not mushy. In a kadai add the jaggery & water and bring into boil.

Once the jaggery melts completely, strain it and add again into the kadai along with cooked rice . Mix it all well.

Cook till it became thick and then add the cardamom powder and half of the ghee.

In an another pan, heat the remaining ghee & add the coconut bits and cashews.

Roast till they are golden brown and add into the payasam. Mix it well.

Delicious Nei Payasam is ready.

Related: How to make Javvarisi Semiya Payasam

Notes:

Instead of kerala raw rice, you can use the regular raw rice too
I have used equal amount of dark and light colored jaggery.
Adding coconut bits truly enhance the taste, so highly recommend to add it.
Instead of coconut bits, you can use grated coconut also.

Monday, September 9, 2019

Moru Curry | Moru Kachiyathu | Pulissery | Onam Sadya Recipe

Mor Curry, a tasty and traditional curry made from butter milk and seasoned with indian spices. Mor Curry is also known as Mor Kachiyathu or Pulissery in Kerala, India. It's such a simple curry to make in no time, but you have to be careful otherwise it will be curdled easily.

I had my share of experience in curdling the buttermilk in making this curry😜, so you're a beginner or first time trying to make this recipe, make sure to read the notes section also before trying.If you're looking for other curd/buttermilk based curry here they are
Mathanga Pulissery
Pineapple Pulissery
And also for whole Onam Sadya recipe collection, check here. Now let's check out the recipe for Mor curry.

Moru Curry | Moru Kachiyathu | Pulissery

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 10 mins | Serves : 2
Recipe Category: Curry | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients
Curd - 1 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt -to taste
To Temper
Pearl Onion -2
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Green chili - 1
Coconut Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard & urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seed - 1/8 tsp
Red chili - 1

Procedure

First take the curd in a bowl, add water and whisk into smooth buttermilk without any lumps.

Cut the onion, ginger and green chili into small pieces. Heat the pan with coconut oil, add the ingredients listed under ""To Temper" and saute it in low flame.

Once the onions became slightly brown, keep the flame in low and add the curd mixture and turmeric powder.

Next add the salt and mix it a good mix. Keep the flame in medium and let it warm it up & switch off the flame.No need to bring to boil.

Tasty & simple Moru Curry is ready. Serve it with rice and your favorite accompaniment. We had with cherupayar thoran, inji puli and parippu curry.

Related : How to make chakka prathaman / jackfruit payasam

Notes:

Sour curd tastes good for this curry.
Instead of curd, you can use butter milk without adding any additional water.
Make sure that the curd is at room temperature and tempering at low flame when you pour the butter milk into the seasoning.Otherwise the curd would be curdled.
Don't bring into boil, switch off the flame when you see the steam coming from the curd. If you're using induction stove top, immediately remove from the stove top, because the residual heat from the induction top make it curdle.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Kerala Parippu Curry | Moong Dal Curry | Onam Sadya Recipes

Kerala Parippu Curry,a delicious and comforting dal curry made from moong dal. It's one of the main dish in sadya menu during onam festival.

In our home, we make something similar with toor dal and call it as "Katti Paruppu" and to me, that's one of the most comforting dish in the world. Haven't shared that recipe so far here, will try to update here soon.

When i first came to know about this parippu curry, i loved the flavors goes into the curry and immediately gave it a try, since then it's one of the common dish in our home. It's so simple to make and taste so delicious with rice or with breakfast too.Now let's out how to make this delicious parippu curry.

Kerala Parippu Curry | Moong Dal Curry

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves : 2
Recipe Category: Curry | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients
Moong Dal - 1/4 cup
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Asafoetida Powder - 1/4 tsp

To grind

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Peal onion - 1 nos

Garlic pods-1(small)

Cumin seed- 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 2 pinch
To Temper
Coconut oil - 1 tsp
Mustard & urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Pearl onion -1 (finely chopped)
Red chili -1
Curry leaves- few

Procedure

First wash the moong dal and add into the pressure cooker along with enough water and asafoetida powder and cook it for 3 whistle.

In the mean time, grind the ingredients listed under "To grind" into fine paste and keep it ready.

Once the pressure is released from the pressure cooker automatically, open the cooker and add red chili powder, salt and grounded masala along with required water to your preferred consistency.Bring into boil & cook till the raw smell leaves.

Next temper the ingredients listed under "To Temper" and add into the curry.

Tasty and comfort Parippu Curry is ready.Serve it with rice and accompaniment. Interested in other curry recipe, check out here.

Notes:

Dal should be cooked well for this parippu curry.
Coconut oil gives great flavor to this curry.
Adjust red chili powder as per your taste.

Friday, September 6, 2019

Cherupayaru Thoran | Pachai Payaru Thoran | Onam Sadya Recipe

Cherupayaru Thoran, a delicious and easy to make healthy accompaniment from green moong dal. Green moong dal is know by various names in South India like "Pachai Payaru","Siru Payaru" & "Cherupayaru" and it's commonly made as accompaniment for breakfast in south tamilnadu & kerala along with puttu,kali & kanji varieties.

Recently when i search for onam recipes, i came to know that this cherupayaru is also served as one of the sadya menu in Onam festival. Though it sounds so simple, it tastes so awesome with wonderful coconut flavor. If you haven't tried this recipe before, do give it a try, it can even be served as snacks for the evening time too like the sundal. Now let's check out the recipe.

Cherupayaru Thoran | Pachai Payaru Thoran

Preparation Time : 6 hrs | Cooking Time : 15 mins | Serves : 2-3
Recipe Category: Accompaniment | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients
Green Moong Dal -1/2 cup
Salt - to taste

To grind

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Peal onion - 1 nos

Garlic pods-1(small)

Cumin seed- 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 2 pinch
To Temper
Coconut oil - 1 tsp
Mustard & urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Red chili -1
Curry leaves- few

Procedure

First soak the green moong dal for 6 hrs, then discard the soaked water and add into the pressure cooker along with fresh water.

Add salt enough for dal and pressure cook it for 2 whistle.

Add all the ingredients listed under "To grind" into mixie jar and grind into coarse mixture.Heat the pan with coconut oil and temper the ingredients listed under "To Temper".

Then add the grounded coconut mixture and saute it in the oil for 3-4 mins, then add the cooked moong dal.

Mix it well with the tempering and let it set in the flame for few more mins and then switch off the flame.

Tasty and healthy Pachai Payaru Thoran is ready. Serve it as the accompaniment for breakfast or lunch. We had it with Ragi Puttu.

Notes:

If you soaked the moong dal for overnight, then one whistle is enough for pressure cooking the moong dal.
To want more spice, add a green chili along with "To grind" ingredients and grind it.
Coconut oil gives great flavor to this thoran.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Inji Puli | Ginger Pickle | Onam Sadya Recipe

Inji Puli, a delicious,tangy and spicy pickle made from ginger. It's one of the must dish in the sadya menu of onam festival.

Two years back, when we were in Houston, one of our friend invite us for onam feast at their home. That was my first onam feast, i was literally mind blown by the varieties of food that they offered on that day. From her only i came to know about this puli inji and beetroot pachadi.

Both are my absolute favorite and often make them at home as the accompaniment of our meal.

In our home, we make inji pachadi as the side dish of sothi kulambu, for me, this inji puli sounds so similar to that pachadi. Elders in our family always recommend to make and serve inji pachadi with sothi kulambu,since sothi kulambu has lot of coconut in it, the inji pachadi helps to aid digestion well.

Guess in sadya menu also, this inji puli is served for the same reason since sadya menu has so many varieties. Always wonder about how wise our ancestors are, the food and the combinations are not only tasty, they act as medicine for many times. Ok, with that thought, will check out the recipe for inji puli.

Inji Puli | Ginger Pickle

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves : 4
Recipe Category: Condiments | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients
Ginger - 1/4 cup
Tamarind - a lemon size
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chili - 4
Jaggery - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
To Temper
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard & urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Red chili - 1

Procedure

First peel the ginger and cut into small pieces.

Next cut the green chili into small pieces.

Soak the tamarind in water for 20 mins. Heat the pan with coconut oil.

Add the ingredients listed under "To Temper" one by one, let the mustard splutter, then add the ginger and green chili.

Saute in the oil for 5 mins, then extract the tamarind juice from the soaked tamarind and add into the pan. Add turmeric and chili powder.

Next add the salt, mix it well and let it bring into boil. Once it starts to boil, lower the flame and let it simmer for 10-15 mins.

Finally add the jaggery and keep it in the flame for few more mins. Once the oil separates on the sides and the pickle thickens, switch off the flame.

Tasty Puli Inji is ready.

Related: How to make Inji Pachadi

Notes:

Adjust the chili powder and chilies as per your preferred taste. The given quantity has mild spice level
My green chili has very mild spice level.
Using coconut oil gives great flavor to this recipe. But you can also use sesame seed oil.
Like hot spices, you can add more or less of jaggery as per your liking. Adding jaggery helps to balance the tanginess and hotness of the pickle.

Instant Unniyappam | Kerala Unni Appam | Onam Sadya Recipe

Unniyappam/ Unni appam, a delicious sweet balls made from the rice flour, jaggery & banana and flavored with coconut, cardamom and sesame seeds. Though it's one of the traditional sweet from Kerala, India, we often make them at our home as snack.

Unni appam is a variation from neiyappam recipe. In unni appam, mashed banana is added additionally and it gives such a nice aroma and taste to this recipe. Unni appam can be prepared by either deep frying or just like me, you can use the appe pan to control the over use of ghee/ oil.

Whenever i have well ripened bananas in hand, this unni appam or wheat flour appam or banana bread would be my chance to finish off the banana without wasting them. Though I often make this unni appam at home, i'm wondering why I haven't posted the recipe here.

As onam festival is near by, I thought it would be the right time to post this unniappam (it's one of the dishes on the sadya menu) and made this as a snack for yesterday evening and here i'm with the post. Let's check out how to make this yummy sweet.

Related : How to make Rava Maida Paniyaram

Instant Unniyappam | Kerala Unni Appam

Preparation Time : 30 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves : 18 small appam
Recipe Category: Sweet | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Banana - 1/2
Jaggery - 1/4 cup
Cardamon - 2
Baking soda - 2 pinch
Coconut bits - 1 tbsp
Sesame seed - 1 tsp
Ghee - as needed

Procedure

First add the banana into mixie jar and make it as puree and transfer into the bowl.

Next add the jaggery in a pan with couple of spoon of water. Heat the mixture and let the jaggery melts completely.

Once the jaggery is melted, strain the impurities and add into the banana puree, mix it well.

In a pan, heat 1/2 tsp of ghee and add the coconut bits, roast till it starts to change its color, remove from the heat and transfer into banana jaggery mixture.

In the same pan, roast the sesame seeds until it starts to pop up and add into the banana jaggery mixture.

Then add the rice flour into it and mix it all well together.

If needed add the water and make it as thick batter like idly batter.

Let it rest for 30-40 mins and then add the cardamom powder and baking powder and mix it well.

Heat the paniyaram pan and fill half of it with ghee, then pour the batter in each hole. Let it cook on low flame for 3-4 mins and then gently flip on to the other side.

Cook till they are golden brown on both sides and remove it from the heat. Do the same for the remaining batter.

Yummy Unniappam is ready to serve.

Related : How to make MuttaiKose/ Vettu Cake

Related : How to make Madagascar bread using appe pan

Notes:

Here i'm using big variety of banana, so i have added only 1/2. If you're using small variety, you can add one whole banana.
Make sure that the banana is ripen well.
Instead of completely using ghee, you can use mixture of ghee and oil or just oil too.
If you have time, let the batter rest for 4 -6 hrs, it ferments well then, so no need to add baking powder.

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Friday, July 3, 2020