Thaalu thoran is made out of Colocasia stem.  Have you heard of this one before?  I am asking because my friend from Kottayam (my home town) says she has never had this before. You should, if you haven't.  The thaalu and deep friend rice grains together gives this thoran a nice crunchy texture.  I hope I could explain the taste better.

  Everyone at home know how much I like this one.  Not so easily available in the US my sweetest granny made sure I had enough.  She made up for all the missed times.  Oh! she is quite old now and she spoils me.

  Back to the recipe.  It is quite simple.  Though rare you can buy the stems in Chinese super markets in the US.  Exorbitantly priced when the urge hits I indulge.   This used to happen especially when I was carrying my son.  Now, you will agree those are times when you can just let go. I have to say this in closing you need no  excuses to spend on this one.  Once you taste it I guarantee you will go back for more thaalu.



Ingredients:

Stem of colocasia/Taro/thaalu- 4
Cocnut grated- 1/3 cup
Green Chillies- 2-3
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Salt

For seasoning:

Raw rice- 3 Tbsp
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil/Any cooking oil- 1 Tbsp
Shallots- 2-3,chopped finely
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Dried red chillies- 2



Method:

1.Chop the stem finely into slender pieces.Sprinkle a few tablespoons of water and salt over it and squeeze out this completely to remove the juices from the stem that cause itching.This also keeps the thoran dry and crisp rather than mushy.(You could apply some cooking oil on both your palms,or wear some disposable gloves so that it will not make you itchy !)
2.Heat the oil in a pan and do the seasoning starting with mustard seeds.Once they splutter add the rice into it and let it brown slightly. Trow in the shallots and red chillies and saute for a couple of minutes or until the shallots turn brown.Now saute the curry leaves too
3.Meanwhile grind the coconut and green chillies coarsely.
4.Throw in the chopped stem and coconut mixture along with turmeric and salt into the seasoning and cover to cook on low heat. Stir every 2-3 minutes until it is cooked. This won't take more than 5-6 minutes.
5.Keep the pan open and let all the moisture get absorbed.Serve warm with pulissery or sambar .



These pictures of Taro is from my father's vegetable garden.As a child (and also now) I love to see the water droplets on a taro leaf :-)

Contributor: Namitha

        How is it going?  For me, it has been quite a busy day chatting up with my family and friends.  Nevertheless I spun a very tasty, tongue tingling curry.  I have made a variation of this earlier and shared it on the blog.  However,  this one makes me quite excited because its not a usual dish I make and yet it turned out to my taste.

       I am sure you have had a variation or maybe even the same curry before.  It will be interesting to hear from you and know what you call it.  Tart and spicy it goes well with rice.  I am thinking it won't be too bad with rotis either.  Give it a go and tell me how you like it.



Ingredients:
Chembu/Taro - 5 nos

To Fry:
Onion - 1 small size
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Chili powder - 1/2 tbspn
Coriander Powder - 1 Tbspn
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tspn
Oil - 1 tspn

Tamarind - lime sized ball soaked in a cup of water

For Tempering:

Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Shallots - 1 big or 2 small
Red Whole chilies - 2 broken in pieces
Pepper corns - 4
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 1 Tbspn



Method:

1. Pressure cook the chembu, skin on and some salt. Peel once cooked and set aside. It takes about 3 whistles on medium flame in a pressure cooker.

Grinding:
1. Heat oil and fry the chopped onions till translucent
2. Add the coconut and fry till you get the fried coconut aroma. Wait till the color changes from white to light golden hue
3. Add in the three powders and stir cooking the powder and you the raw smell of the ingredients changes to a cooked aroma of the coconut and spice mix
4. Set aside and once it cools some add some water and grind it to a fine paste.

Combine:

1. Take the juice of the soaked tamarind using your fingers and throw away the fiber.
2. Add another cup of water and bring the tamarind juice to a boil in a gravy pot and add the cooked chembu and check for salt.
3. I let this mix boil hoping to let this root get some of the salt and tart taste
4. Finally add the ground gravy and let the curry boil and mix
5. Add the tempering and serve



The reddish brown pot you see in the above picture is 'chatti' the earthen pot used in a lot of cooking in Kerala. When cooked in this over a log fire and coconut oil wherever you are in the world you can taste a little Kerala.

The pot is courtesy a very dear friend. She packed it to the US from Kerala and then had it transported from Chicago to Ohio just for me. It will be cheap to just say thank you because the gesture is priceless. Love you J for who you are and for being so thoughtful and kind! Need to also thank another friend who helped bring this from Chicago. I will write all about it when I can get a better decent picture of the chatti and thavi. Love it!

Contributor: Sunitha

   I keep buying Kale and throwing it out.  Yeah! I love them in soup, so I see fresh Kale and get drawn to it like iron to magnet.  However, the minute they come home all the magnetism is lost so to speak.  The last trip to the store had me doing the same but I sauteed then today.  Its good.  It has a bite to it which is quite interesting.  You might want to cook it on low fire covered to get it well done..  You may also add a couple of spoons of water to soften the leaf while cooking.  Even now my best way of having kale is in a soup but I have been munching on the leaves for a while now as I write and its growing on me.  So here is how I made Kale today.

Ingredients:
Kale - 1 Bunch
Green Chili - 3
Onions - 1/4
Garlic - 2 cloves
Soya Bean Sauce - sprinkle
Oil - 1/2 Tbspn
Salt - to taste
 Method:
1. Tear the leaves off from the stem
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil and once heated add chopped onions and garlic and follow it with the leaves
3. Stir well add some soya bean sauce.  I sprinkled some on maybe about a tspn
4. Close and cook on low fire and stirring in between till done. Check for salt and sprinkle some if needed

Notes:
The leaf is quite chewy and the flavor has a bite to it which I quite liked.  I am sure we could make an Indian style thoran and it will be quite tasty too.

Contributor: Sunitha

  This is one of those dishes that nobody needs a recipe.  Nevertheless for someone out there who needs an idea for a variation from the regular this one is for you.  I like sauteed vegetables and I try them with different sauces.  Alternatively, to have with rice and curd I like to dig my Indian routes and do something closer  home.  That's when I avoid the sauces and add just chilies and enjoy them.  The following recipe with a variation of veggies and addition of soya bean sauce can very well be a Chinese dish.  This one though  is very comforting and enjoyable with rice, curd and pickle.  Love it!




Ingredients:

Beans - 30 nos
Potato - 2 medium size
Carrots - 2 medium size
Dry Red chili - 5 nos
Garlic - 5 pods
Black pepper - to taste
Salt -  to taste
Oil - 1 Tbspn
Water - 1/3rd cup




Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan and add the crushed garlic and red chili and saute for a minute or two till both express cooked aroma
2. Add in all the vegetables sliced small in equal shapes as much as possible
3. Saute a while and add 1/3 cup of water, salt and on a low flame cook till the potato is done
4. Once the potato is done without breaking them stir and add crushed black pepper if you need the saute to be more fiery to taste



Notes: Serve them with rotis or rice.
2. You could avoid the water and saute in only the oil by stirring.  This takes more time and patience but quite tasty
3. If you are not adding water you might need a little more oil
4. You may also add a shallot and curry leaves when you saute the red chili and garlic. 

Contributor: Sunitha

Rasam can be made in several ways.  If you travel to Kerala and eat at a local restaurant your table will always have two or three white jugs filled with rasam, butter milk and another with spiced, warm buttermilk.  These come on all table in spite of a sambar or dhal curry.  I always like the rasam they serve which is watery, tangy and spicy.  I can drink it as it is reminding me of a clear thin soup.  Today, I am sharing this recipe with some tricks shared by a Tamil friend of mine.  She encouraged me to just bring the rasam to boiling point and never over boiling.  I have to agree with her that the taste of the rasam when just brought to boiling point is just right for my taste rather than when its is let to boil for a long time.  I know there will be difference of opinion on this but I like my rasam the best this way.  Again, this is spicy, tangy and lip smacking.

Ingredients:
Tomato (on the vine kind) - 2 medium
Shallots chopped    - 1 Tbspn
Garlic                     - 6-8 cloves (plump)
Curry Leaves         - 1 spring
Dry red chilies        - 5
Green chilies          - 2 (optional)Jeera                      - 1/4 tspn
Mustard                 - 1/2 tspn
Asafoetida             - 1/4 tspn
Methi powder        - 1/4 tspn
Turmeric                - 1/2 tspn
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tspn
Pepper powder      - 1 tspn
Marble size tamarind
Water - 5 cups
Salt - 1 1/2 tspn table salt (Please use your judgment when adding salt)
Oil - 1 Tbspn 

Method:
1. Crush the chopped tomatoes with your hand or a spoon. This can be coarse not a paste
2. Soak the tamarind in about a cup of water
3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and jeera
4. Once the mustard splutters add shallots, green chilies, red chilies and curry leaves and saute
5. When your onions are translucent add the garlic and saute
6. Follow up with all the powders and saute adding the tomato without burning the powders
7. Stir for a minute and add 4 cups of water
8. Mix the tamarind water with your hand making sure you have extracted the tamarind and its mixed in the water
9. Bring the whole mixture to a boil add about a handful of chopped coriander leaves.

Notes:
1. The taste as I have mentioned is when you just bring the rasam to a boil and not over do it.


Contributor: Sunitha

One more mango recipe, from my drafts. I love this sweet and savory pachadi, and the recipe is from my mom in law.  During the mango season we serve this dish for our sadya (feast) as well.  There isn't much else going on but the weather which is most bizarre these days.  It snowed yesterday and foiled my plans of  photographing some yummies yesterday.  I am sitting with my fingers crossed for bluer skies and melting snow.  Hoping you have great weather and fine time today!



Ingredients:

Ripe Mango- 1
Green chilles- 1 or 2
Turmeric Powder- a pinch
Grated coconut- 3 Tbsp
Cumin seeds- 1/3 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Grated jaggery- 1 Tbsp/ to your taste
Yogurt- 1/4 cup

For seasoning:

Coconut oil- 2 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Red chillies- 2
Curry leaves- a sprig

Method:

1.Peel off the skin and cut the mango into big pieces.You could add the seed too into the pachadi.
2.Cook the mango along with enough water,green chillies,turmeric and salt.When it is almost cooked add the jaggery and cook for another 5 minutes.Mash them well.
3.Grind together the coconut and cumin to a fine paste with as little water as possible.
4.Grind the mustard seeds coarsely, preferably using a mortar and pestle.
5.Heat the oil in a pan.Splutter the mustard seeds and saute the red chillies and curry leaves,coarsely ground mustard seeds, then the ground coconut paste.Saute till all the water is absorbed.
6.Spoon out this into the mango mixture and cook for 3-4 minutes, switch off the heat.
7.Blend the yogurt with a spoon and add it to the mango coconut mix and mix well.Serve with rice and other side dishes.



Notes;

1.Normally in Kerala we use the local variety called "nattumanga" for preparations like this and the mango has its own specific flavor.You won't be able to replicate it with store bought mangoes ,but when you have no other choice like me, you could try this.
2.If you are using the above mentioned mango, then just peel off the skin using your hands and add the skin and the seed that has flesh on it for making pachadi/ pulissery.
3.You could add sugar instead of jaggery if you do not have jaggery, but the flavor from the jaggery makes this pachadi perfect .

Contributor: Namitha

     The weekend flew.  Belated Mother's Day wishes to you if you.  Getting past the greetings, I have another 'thoran' for you.  I know that most of the thoran is made the same way and you don't need another recipe yet again.  However, this post is for you who have not yet made beets thoran.  I have to tell you its as good as any green leaf thoran you make and the bonus is the red color.  Please follow our recipe for spinach thoran for tips and tricks to cook the leaves nice and dry.


Ingredients:
Beets Leaf     - 1 Bunch
Coconut        - 1/4 cup
Shallots         - 2 nos
Green Chilies - 4
Mustard         - 1/4 tspn
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Turmeric        - 1/4 tspn
Method:
1. Add a tablespoon of oil and crackle the mustard
2. Add the coconut, shallots and green chilies thinly sliced together with the turmeric
3. Add the chopped leaves and open cook till done
Contributor: Sunitha

  Another mango treat made during this season.  Summer and the raw mango season is fast fading in Kerala, India but without letting you in on how to make mango chammanthi it will not be complete.  Mostly we use the mangoes that fall down from the tree, before they mature,for this chutney.  The sourness of mango soothed over by sweet coconut and then taken a notch up on the spicy scale with green chillies this is all you will need with hot rice.  I have to admit I can eat a plate of rice with just this and some curd. I will not let any other flavors bother this rich, spicy taste.  Give it a shot and let me know what you think     



Ingredients:

Mango slices- 2-3 (2 by 4 inch pieces,preferably the flesh, closest to the seed)
Coconut grated- 1/3 cup
Green chillies- 2 or 3
Shallot- 1
Curry leaves- 2
Salt- to taste

Method:

1.Peel off the skin from mango slices.
2.Grind everything together in the small bowl of a mixie/ on the "ammikkallu" without adding any water.
3.If you are grinding using an "ammikkallu"/arakallu grind the coconut and mango first followed by green chillies, shallot and salt. Finally grind everything together/mix together.
4.Serve with rice,thoran and curd/yogurt.Believe me,if you haven't tried this one yet, it tastes divine :-)



1.I did grind this in a mixie, the presentation is just for the camera ;-)
2.You could add more or less mango slices, according to your sourness level.

Sending this to "Green Gourmet event" hosted by Preeti of Write food.Happy hosting, such a cool event Preeti :-)



Contributor: Namitha

The name drumstick owes to the triangular, long seed-pods of Genus Moringa. Huh?!? I am not convinced with this etymology, but who am I to say! What I am proud of is we call it muringakay which is definitely closer to the scientific name Moringa. Full points to the Indian name of this vegetable!




Did you know that the drumstick tree is said to be one of the most useful trees on earth? Surprised? Me too! Wikipedia says “It is considered one of the world’s most useful trees, as almost every part of the Moringa tree can be used for food or has some other beneficial property.” This is phenomenal. So, let’s not waste any more time, but jump straight in- to learning how to cook this vegetable.



This curry is generally made with drumsticks and mango, where mango gives the tartness.  I did not have any handy, so decided to make it without, and what do you know – not bad!   Obviously the tartness is missing, but the addition of jeera, and a generous amount of cloves, packs the curry with enough flavor. A mango pickle to go with it will be perfect. 




Ingredients:
Drumsticks – 14, 2-inch pieces
Thai Green Chilies – 4
Turmeric – 1/2 tspn
Chili Powder - 1/2 tspn

For Grinding
Coconut – 1 cup
Jeera – 1 tspn
Garlic Cloves - 4

Tempering
Coconut oil – 2 Tbspn
Shallots – 3
Curry Leaves – 1 sprig
Dry red chilies – 2 broken into 4 pieces

Method:
1. Cook drumsticks in 1 cup or enough water to immerse them together with turmeric, ¼ tspn salt and green chilies. Cooked to done but not falling apart. That will be about 10 minutes. Note that I have used frozen drumsticks.
2. Grind coconut, jeera and garlic cloves to a fine paste, and add to the cooked drumsticks. Use water to make a thin or thick gravy to your preference. Take the pan off the heat as soon as the curry heats through. Check for salt and add to taste.
3. Heat coconut oil in a small pan splutter the mustard. Follow it with shallots, red chilies, and curry leaves, and pour over the curry.

Serves: 4
Serve with rice.

     I am quite a South Indian at heart when it comes to food.  I like North Indian cuisine and do enjoy them occasionally but I am not a fan.  However, my husband is huge on North Indian cuisine.  Rotis, parathas, rajma, dal you name it he likes it.  If there is the aroma of a good garam masala in the curry he is a happy camper.  So I put some rajma together to go with rotis for dinner. I will have him eating out of my hands (figuritively) today and I hope you get someone wound around your fingers with this curry too.  If the way to a man's heart is his stomach this dish is a definite means to that end.

Ingredients:
1. Rajma  - 1 cup (soak overnight)
2. Onions - 2 cups finely chopped
3. Tomato - 2 nos finely chopped (best when blanched and pureed)
4. Ginger  - 2 tspn finely chopped
5. Garlic   - 2 tspn finely chopped
6. Coriander powder - 3/4 Tbspn
7. Chili Powder - 1/2 Tbspn
8. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tspn
9. Cummin Powder - 1/2 tspn
10. Garam Masala - 1 tspn
11. Pepper - 1/4 tspn
12. Nutmeg Powder - 1/4 tspn
13. Shahi Jeera (Black Cummin) - 1/4 tspn (I took whole and then crushed them)
14. Canola Oil - 2 Tbspn
15. Coriander Leaves for garnishing optional

Method:
1. Soak a cup of rajma overnight.  Clean and pressure cook in a cup of water and 1/4 tspn salt
2. Heat oil in a pan saute onions till translucent
3. Add chopped ginger and garlic and saute till the onions are golden brown
4. Add all the powders either mixed together in a little water to make a paste or as is.  (Mixing in water to make a paste helps to prevent the powders from being burned off). I crushed shahi jeera and added along with the nutmeg and garam masala
5. Saute till oil leaves the pan.
6. Add chopped tomatoes (if its not pureed then the skin may float so be sure to either chop them fine or use pureed tomato or canned puree) If canned puree, about 2 Tbspn will suffice
7. Saute well and add the cooked rajma
8. Take a heavy ladle or round bottomed big spoon and mash about 1/4 of the rajma.  I like to do this to thicken the gravy as well as blend in the taste
9. Be sure not to mash too many of the rajma the nice blend a little mashed and some whole enhances taste and appearance
Notes:
1. You could add a dollop of fresh cream and chopped cilantro as garnish
2. Addition butter about a Tbspn before taking the curry off the stove butter blends into soothing and taking the curry a notch above the ordinary.
3. Serve with rotis or rice
Contributor: Sunitha

         After torrential rain over the weekend we have a clear blue sky and sunny morning.  These are good reasons to perk up and feel good.  There is no reason to indulge in a carbohydrate fare, release serotonin and  then feel good.  It's celery day.

  I stir fried celery for lunch.  I never thought it will taste good as a thoran.  Celery always brings to mind a strong flavor which goes with Chinese and Continental cooking and I never imagined it to adapt to the Indian cuisine.  When my friend mentioned how they had celery thoran I twisted my lips and made an ugly face, thank god I was on the phone and she didn't see me do that.  I was intrigued nevertheless.  But not enough to try it instantly.  After a year since that conversation, this morning I tried.  Seeing I had piled up celery which were  expediently bought for the purpose of making Chinese stir fry, I decided to give thoran a go.  What do you know, it was pretty good.  I cannot talk flowery language on how ground breaking the taste is but it definitely works well as a thoran.  I am enjoying this new addition to my repertoire of thoran.  Celery.  You will enjoy it too.
Ingredients:
1. Celery - 5-6 stocks (I measured out 3 cups chopped)
2. Onions - 3 Tbspn finely chopped
3. Garlic   - 1 Clove finely chopped
4. Green Chilies - 3 nos finely chopped
5. Mustard - 1/4 tspn
6. Turmeric - 1/4 tspn
7. Coconut - 1/4 cup
8. Canola Oil - 1 Tbspn
9. Salt - a little less than 1/4 tspn (or to taste) table salt

Method:
1. Heat oil in a wok or shallow wide pan and slip in the mustard
2. Once the mustard pops add the chopped onions, garlic and green chilies and saute
3. Follow up with chopped celery and turmeric powder and stir in
4. Add the grated coconut and salt stir to mix well
5. Close with a lid and on low to medium fire or heat cook
6. Celery should express water which aids the cooking but be sure to stir to avoid burning
7. Once cooked which will be in 5 - 6 minutes serve with rotis or rice.

  Contributor: Sunitha

In Kerala, we make use of almost everything from the Jack fruit tree.  Excuse the exaggeration but think about it.  We use the leaf to scoop gruel and in spite of having cutlery we still do it for fun.  We cook the jack-fruit when its raw and eat it with a gravy, when ripe, ofcourse, we eat them as you would any other fruit.  We seldom stop there.  Steamed rice flour topped with jack-fruit, mix of rice flour and fruit pressed between a banana leaf and pan baked are all but a few things variations.  The outer covering cut into small pieces are fed to the cattle.  Now for the seed.  The topic of today's discussion.  Its hard and seems rock like when raw but when cooked powders like baked potato.  Most times it is sauteed with coconut pieces or otherwise made into the scrumptious gravy paired with mangoes like I am sharing with you.  Another summer treat these are some dishes which makes me nostalgic beyond my own comprehension. Hope you will see now that it si no exaggeration when I say we make good use of Jack-fruit tree.



Ingredients:

Raw Mango slices- 1/2 cup (3/4th of a mango)
Jackfruit seeds- 10-12
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Coconut grated- 3-4 Tbsp
Cumin seeds(jeera)- 1/4 tsp
Green chillies- 2
Shallot- 1

For seasoning:
Coconut/ any cooking oil- 2 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Red chillies- 2
Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Method:

1.Slice the mango after removing the skin. Cut each jackfruit seed into 4 pieces.
2.Cook the Mango slices and jack fruit seeds together after adding some salt and turmeric and water in a pressure cooker.
3.Grind together the grated coconut, cumin, green chillies and shallot together.
4.Mix this with the cooked veggies and cover and cook again for 3-4 minutes.
5.In a small pan do the seasoning(heat the oil,splutter the mustard seeds and throw in the red chillies and curry leaves and saute) and pour over the curry. Mix and serve with rice.



Notes:

1.You may want to add or reduce the number of mango slices,depending on its sourness level.Mine was medium sour.
2.If the mango slices are not mashed even after the seeds are cooked, mash them gently.
3.This is not recommended for people who have gastritis problems

I won a giveaway by Gina of Simply life and see what I got. A package of POPCHIPS which had all the 6 flavors, 4 packets each. We all loved it and thanks again Gina :-)





Contributor: Namitha

   Famously know as the yard long bean these are actually only about 1/2 a yard long.  From the cowpea family this is quite common and universally liked in Kerala.  I think we accept it more as our own.  Even when we hesitate to add green beans to some of the traditional preparations, yard long bean or snake bean or Chinese long bean is considered more 'apna.' (hindi word to express a possessive own).

  Like we treat most vegetables in our cuisine we sauteed this beans.  It's safe to say it's universally preferred.  The only flavors we give this dish comes from the coconut oil, coconut pieces and sometimes onions.  The difference of chilis used either green or dry red chili also alters the flavor slightly.  I made some this morning in the most simple way and I we will elaborate on a few more ways of sauteing this vegetable in later posts.    Hope you enjoy this simple dish.  Have a fantastic weekend with the weather ever so beautiful outside. 
Ingredients:
Beans - 1/2 a bunch (about 30)
Thai chili - 6 nos
Oil - 2 Tbspn
Salt - to taste

Method:
1. Snap the beans to small pieces and split the chilies at the ends
2. Heat oil in a pan add the beans stirring intermittently on medium heat saute the beans
3. When half done add salt to taste and stir
4. Cook till done and serve with rice and curry
Contributor: Sunitha

          Mangoes conjure images of a sultry afternoon in India and in the same vein rushes in the image of juicy ambrosial mangoes. In India, the first mangoes of the season appearing in markets are usually from Kerala.  When most states harvest mangoes around June March and April is when the fruits are ripe in Kerala.  This is important to mention here because these months also mark the end of an academic year.  Now you see where I am going with this?  Well, summer holidays rolls in and so does the season of mangoes.  When you put the two together it all locks up and pleasant childhood memories resurface.  Playing with siblings and cousins in our grandparents home, stoning down mangoes from the tree, walking through the yard picking kanni manga etc were all pass times greatly enjoyed.  Lunch time comes and we would be fed some savory dishes made out of mango and when I look back realize mangoes are indeed a integral part of our culture.  With an abundance of it in our state I am not in any doubt as to how someone might have found a way to make a savory dish out of it.  All kinds of things like pickling mangoes when they are raw, drying and powdering them, when ripe drying and eating it as a candy or making a thick shake and drinking it up and finally a savory dish to go with our staple diet rice. Without further ado just want to say mangoes are special as much as they are tasty.  I hope you enjoy this delicious dish and let me know what you think.  You have a nice day.



Ingredients:

Ripe Mango- 1
Yogurt- 1 Cup
Coconut grated - 3 Tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Green chillies- 2
Red chilli powder- a pinch
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt

For seasoning:

Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Fenugrek seeds- 1/4 tsp
Red chillies- 2
Curry leaves -a sprig

Method:

1.Peel and cube the mango and cook them in enough water to immerse them completely after adding turmeric,green chillies,red chilli powder and salt.Cook for 10-12 minutes.
2.Grind the coconut and cumin seeds together to a fine paste.
3.Mix this paste in the cooked mango mix and cook covered for another 3-4 minutes.
4.Meanwhile blend the curd or yogurt using a whisk or hand mixer.
5.Add this into the mixture slowly while stirring with one hand.Adjust the consistency using water.
6.Stir continuously,and when you see the steam starts coming switch off the heat and pour into the serving dish.(This shouldn't take more than 3-4 minutes.If you keep longer it will get curdled)
7.Heat oil in a pan and do the seasoning.(when mustard seeds splutter, add fenugreek seeds, wait for that to splutter and reduce the heat, add red chillies and curry leaves)
8.Pour this seasoning over the pulissery and serve with Rice.



Contributor: Namitha

Artichokes were my perennial curiosity. I would see them on shelves in stores - hold them, ponder about how the hell to cook it, see the price, and walk away. Well, if I am paying all that money, I need to know I can cook it, and what I cook will be edible. Fair enough? A couple of weeks ago I let go of reason, and picked up a few.  After all, the internet is an oasis of information. I was not wrong. I found simply recipes where she beautifully gives step-by-step version of cooking, as well as eating artichokes. I followed her method to a tee.


It is rather simple once you know how to go about it. The taste is difficult to explain, but similar to somewhere around the area of peas, avocado, etc. I think. A rich vegetable protein is the best I can do. You can read about artichokes in wikipedia here


It is described as a perennial thistle, and I couldn't help but smile. My second year in Tennessee, a friend and I drove down to Mississippi on the Natchez Trace. Fantastic times! Both of us being wild flower enthusiasts, we closely looked out for them, and sighed 'oohs and aahs' at every spotting - including dandelions and thistles too.  My friend, Marilyn, would forgive me liking dandelions, but when it came to thistles I had something else coming.  The minute I started photographing them, she would say with fervor - repeatedly, constantly "it is a weed, a farmer's nightmare!" Otherwise excited about stopping for pictures - if my target were thistles, she would not be budged.  Apparently, in her gardening days, she said she had ghastly experiences trying to weed these, and she hated it with passion.  It is kind of a joke between us - how I like thistles, and how she hates them. She now sends me birthday cards with thistle pictures on it :)


  Therefore from thistles to artichokes, it's a love that cannot be explained.  I love the way they look.  I guess it's time to send Marilyn a card picturing an artichoke!   

Ingredients:
Artichoke – 2
Bay Leaf – 1
Garlic – 2- 3 pods
Lemon – 1
Salt – to taste


Method:
1. Chop off the pointed end of artichoke globe and rub lemon juice to avoid blackening while you work on the scales
2. Snip off the pointed edge of each scale and boil it in enough water with bay leaf, garlic, lemon juice and salt
3. Once cooked you can eat the fleshy end of each leaf/scale. When you get to the heart of the globe, the base is covered with hairy choke which should be spooned off before you enjoy the fleshy base.
4. You can dip it in mayonnaise and enjoy.
5. It took me about 45 minutes to cook.

I always get confused between kichadi and pachadi. The only difference I could find is that, for kichadi, you have to fry the veggies and for pachadi, you have to cook them adding water. If any of you know other reasons for calling them by different names do let us know.  These are all simple dishes that goes on our tables everyday and since we have been on a effort to cover exhaustive everyday meals at home here is another one.



Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd- 1
Green chillies- 1 or 2
Coconut Grated- 3Tbsp
Cumin seeds- 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Yogurt- 1/4 cup
Oil-for frying

For seasoning:

Coconut oil- 1Tbsp
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Red chillies -2
Curry leaves- a sprig

Method:

1.Chop the bittergourd and green chillies thin and fine.
2.Heat oil for frying and fry the bitter gourd and chillies till they become crisp, but not overdone.Keep this aside
3.Grind the coconut and cumin together to a fine paste.Crush the mustard seeds.
4.Heat oil in a pan and do the seasoning.Add the coconut mixture and crushed mustards and saute till all the water is absorbed.
5.Take the fried bittergourd in a mixing bowl and crush them a bit.To this add the sauteed coconut mix and yogurt and mix well.



Notes:

I used Japanese Bitter melon for this. As I have mentioned in the Bitter gourd fry post, it's less bitter than the dark green variety.There were many requests for a picture of that and here it is :-)

    The most common vegetable to make erissery is pumpkin and I am not sure if papaya erissery is common or well known. But I (read it, my family) prefer it over the pumpkin, and I mostly end up making erissery with papaya.

    My father is an exceptionally good cook considering in his days it was not common for a man to even help in the kitchen. Territories were definitely marked during his times and the kitchen was not a man's forte. My Father was truly an exception being liberal in his thoughts. He loved to cook and helped my mom in the kitchen every opportunity he had. When I think about it, it was only fair since my mother was employed too.



    Today’s recipe is my Dad's. When it comes to festive dishes or sometimes even the day to day dishes, my father is a better cook in our family. However, my mom would have a hard time cleaning the mess after him, but the food always paid off for the trouble she would say. If you could get my father to say “your dish is fine,” that means “it is fantastic.” Surely, a man of few words it is difficult to get more than that from my Father. I remember eagerly waiting when I started cooking, as a teenager, for a compliment from my Dad. If he even said “its fine” it was enough to make my day. Like I said, he is a man of few words and I knew he was a good cook so any positive comment even a nod was likes receiving an award of accomplishment.

    So, here is a recipe from a great food critic and cook, my father :-)


Ingredients:

Papaya(started to ripen) cut into 1 inch cubes- 2 Cups
Turmeric powder- 1/4Tsp
Salt- To taste

For Grinding:

Coconut(grated)-1/4 cup
Cumin seeds-1/2 Tsp
Shallots-1 big
Green chillies-4-5

For seasoning:

Coconut oil/cooking oil-1 Tbsp
Mustard seeds-1/2 Tsp
Coconut(grated)-2Tbsp
Red chillies-2-3
Curry leaves-1Sprig



Method:

1.Pressure cook the papaya cubes along with turmeric and salt (for 2 whistles- or till it gets cooked really well)
2.Grind the things listed under the label (don't have to grind it smooth)
3.Mash the papaya well and add the coconut mixture into it.
4.Cover and cook for a few minutes on medium heat.
5.Switch off the heat.
6.Heat oil in a pan to do the seasoning.
7.Splutter the mustard seeds and a throw in the red chillies.
8.To this add the grated coconut and fry it till the coconut start turning golden brown color.
9Trow in the curry leaves and saute till you get the golden color for coconut flakes .
10.Mix it into the erissery and serve with rice,yogurt and thoran of your choice.



Notes;
1.it's best when you use the half ripened papaya.But still you could make it with raw ones too.(Have done it many times like that )
2.Just like any other erissery you can add a lentil, preferably soaked red beans along with papaya while cooking.
3.As I have told any erissery, thought it will be nice to share some more erissery ideas to those who are new to this dish. Instead of papaya, add pumpkin, raw banana, elephant foot yam etc for this dish.
4.This erissery is less problematic for the people who have gastritis problems.

Contributor: Namitha

I had no clue about betanin, the dye that gives beetroot the deep red color, when I saw my friend's lunchbox with red rice during my kinder garden days. I went back home and asked my mom to make me red rice.  You should have seen the surprise on her face! From that time on I like this brilliant red color and the vegetable.



Ingredients

Carrot (long thin slices)- 1 1/2 cup
Beetroot(long thin slices)-1 cup
Green chillies (slit into 2)-2-3
Salt-to taste
Cooking Oil-2 Tbsp



Method

1.Heat oil in a pan.
2.Throw in the vegetable slices along with chillies and salt.
3.Cover and cook till the vegetables get tender.
4.Let it get fried keeping the lid open
5.Serve with rice and Sambar .


Contributor: Namitha