Arachuvitta Sambar

Arachuvitta Sambar

Sambar is vital part of any South Indian meal. It is prepared in so many different ways in every region of the southern states. Some sambars just for idlis and dosas and some for rice. It is an easy preparation but a slight change in the process can make it a complete disaster. It is an elaborate process of blending lentils and vegetables with tamarind and spices. It is rich in flavor and ingredients while being healthy too.

Keralites just love to add coconut in anything and thus Arachuvitta sambar came in existence. It is mostly prepared in Palghat brahmin households and is a part of most feasts or sadhyas. Any vegetable can be used like drumstick, potatoes, brinjal, carrots, capsicum, ladies finger etc. If you are making karela/bittergourd or muli/radish sambar or small onion / shallots sambar they generally don't add other vegetables with it.

Recipe:

2 tbsp Coriander Seeds, 1/4 tspn Methi Seeds, 1/2 cup grated coconut, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp ural dal, 5 red chillies. Roast these ingredients with a little oil and grind them to a paste.
2/3 cup toor dal, 1/3 cup pasiparuppu / split moong dal ( A combination of dals give the sambar a little more flavor to it ).
2 cups of vegetables - potatoes, drumstick, ladies finger, yam etc,.
Tamarind pulp.
Asofoetida, turmeric, salt, mustard seeds, curry leaves, coriander leaves.
Onions - optional.

Pressure cook the dals with a little turmeric, salt, few curry leaves and few drops of oil. Boil the tamarind pulp with vegetables and 1 tsp of the ground paste. When they are partially cooked add half of the cooked dal and rest of the paste. More chilly pwd maybe added if it is not spicy enough. When it comes to a boil and all vegetables are tender switch the stove off. Heat a spoonful of oil and let the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves and asofoetida and garnish the sambar with this mixtures and coriander leaves.

Potato Stew

Potato Stew

Stews are common in most countries. It is vegetables or meat slow cooked in water or any stock. Irish stew, Gumbo from America, Peperonata an Italian stew, Nikujaga a Japanese stew, Jjigae a Korean stew.

Potato stew is common with appam another Keralite breakfast delicacy. Well, the stew is also made with nothing but coconut milk.

Recipe:

grated coconut, potatoes, onions, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves.
Grind the coconut with water and extract the milk from it.
Boil potatoes and cube them. Heat oil, saute onions, chillies, grated ginger and curry leaves. Add potatoes and salt, coconut milk & little water. Boil them in low heat until it has reached required consistency. Garnish with curry leaves.

Goes great with appam.

Tamilnadu Cuisine

TamilNadu is famous for its cuisine all over the country. The idlis, dosas, sambars are enjoyed everywhere. The state is known for its variety of cuisine in different regions. Madurai, Karaikudi, Kumbakonam have dishes authentic to its region. Rice is main course and dals are used in different forms in everyday meal. The meal consists of sambar, rasam, podimas, appalam, payasam.

Hotel Sambar
 

Tamilnadu is known for different kinds of sambar. Hotel sambar, kumbakonam sambar, brahmin sambar etc,. Some go well with rice and some with tiffin items.

Recipe:

1/2 cup toor dal, 1 cup of small onions/shallots, green chillies, 2 tbsps roasted grated coconut, 2 tbps sambar pwd, 2 tsp tamarind paste or 1/2 cup tamarind water, curry leaves.

Cook 1/2 cup tur dal till done & mash well.Grind together 2 tbps sambar pwd, 2 tbsps roasted grated coconut & few curry leaves to a smooth paste. Heat tamarind water with salt and turmeric. Add sambar onions, 2 green chillies, & few curry leaves. Cook till the onions are soft and raw smell goes off. Add the mashed dal & the ground paste & a little more water if required & bring to boil. Heat 1 tsp oil in a kadai & season with 1/2 tsp each of mustard and urad dal & a sprig of curry leaves and garnish the sambar with it.

Rasam

Recipe:

Tuvar Dal - 1/2 cup, Tomatoes - 2 (ripe), Turmeric pd. - 1/4 tsp, Salt - as per taste, Tamarind pulp - 1 cup
Dry paste: (raw) Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp, Methi (fenugreek) seeds - 1/2 tsp, Mustard - a pinch, Garlic - 2 cloves (optional), Black peppercorns - 3/4 tsp, Coriander leaves - a handful (with stem), Curry leaves - a few, Hing - a pinch, Dry red chillis - 1, Cumin (jeera) - 1/4 tsp
Seasoning: Oil or Ghee - 2 tbsp, Mustard - 1 tsp, Curry leaves - a few

Pressure cook dal. In a vessel take 6 cups water. Add crushed tomatoes (cook the tomatoes in microwave for 2 minutes with a little water and then add it to the water), turmeric powder, tamarind pulp and salt. Bring to a boil. Grind all the dry ingredients to a rough powder. Then add the other ingredients (leaves and garlic) and blend. It has to be a rough grind. Blending for a few seconds till it all comes together would be fine. In a kadai take some oil or ghee add the mustard. When it splutters, put in all the other ingredients reqd for seasoning. Immediately add the roughly ground paste and saute for about 10 seconds or till the aroma comes. Pour the tamarind-tomato extract which was boiled into the kadai or vice versa. Also add the cooked dal and boil for 1 minute. You can add a small piece of jaggery to bring out all the flavors. Garnish with coriander/cilantro leaves.

Millagu Rasam

For the powder : 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tbsp jeera, 1 tsp dhania

Rasam : 1/2 cup cooked Tur dal, 3-4 medium sized tomatoes, 1/2 tsp tamarind paste (or to taste)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder, Salt to taste

Seasoning: oil 2 tsp, Mustard, Curry leaves, Coriander leaves

Take a drop of ghee and roast the black pepper, jeera and dhania, separately until they give a nice aroma. Dry grind the dhaniya first to a smooth powder and then add pepper and jeera and grind very coarsely. Cook toor dal with tomatoes, turmeric pwd, tamarind paste and salt. Add enough water and make it to rasam consistency. Once it starts boiling, add about 2tsp of the spice powder and boil for 5 more mins and take off heat. Make sure you don't boil the rasam too much, it will loose all the flavors. Season with mustard, curry and coriander leaves and asafoetida.

Thogayal

Thogayal is common in most SouthIndian households specially when you need something tasty and need it fast. You can make thogayal with dals, coconut, vegetables like cabbage, peerkangai ( ridgegourd ), vellarikai (cucumber), brinjal etc,. They are similar to Kerala's chammandi/chutney but ingredients in thogayal are mostly roasted and ground.

Dal - Paruppu thogayal

Toor Dal 1 cup, Dried red chillies - few, Pepper - few, Salt to taste, asafoetida, Grated Coconut 2 table spoons, Oil 1/2 tsp, garlic - few (optional)

Heat oil in a kadai , put all ingredients except salt and coconut and roast well. Add a little water and allow them to sit for sometime. Grind them with coconut and salt. Serve with hot rice and ghee. If you are using garlic, try both roasting it and raw they give different flavors.

Peerkangai Thogayal / Ridgegourd thogayal

2 ridge gourds - peel the ridges and chop,dry red chillies, 1 tbsp chana dal, 1 tbsp udad dal, 1/2 tsp fenugreek, asafoetida, tamarind paste or a small ball soaked in water, 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds, pinch of turmeric, salt, 1 tsp oil

Heat the oil. Add the fenugreek seeds and the dals. Roast them then add the red chillies, turmeric, gourd slices, tamarind and saute for 2 min. Add the salt, saute and cook few minutes on a low flame.

Cool and grind to a fine paste. Serve with hot rice and ghee / clarified butter.

Variation : Use just the ridgegourd peels instead of the whole gourd, it tastes great too. You can alsways use the left-over gourd for kootu.

Cabbage Thogayal

1/2 cup grated coconut, 1/4 cup chopped green cabbage, 2 tsp urad dal, 1 tsp oil, few curry leaves, 3/4 tsp tamarind paste/large marble-sized piece of seedless dried tamarind, dried red chillies, Salt

Heat the oil in a small pan and fry the urad dal, red chillies and curry leaves till the dal turns golden red. Add cabbage and roast for sometime on a low flame. Cool and grind to a paste with coconut and tamarind. Serve with hot rice.

Brinjal Kotsu - Kathirikai Kotsu

Kotsu is a delicious preparation which accompanies Ven Pongal and idli. It is common in Chettinad cuisine and parts of Chidambaram.

5 brinjal / eggplants finely chopped, 1 Onion or 10 pearl onions finely chopped, 1 tomato finely chopped, 4-5 green chillies, 1/2 bunch kothamalli / cilantro / coriander leaves, few curry leaves, turmeric pwd, salt

Pressure cook all the ingredients with a little water for 2 whistles. Heat oil add mustard seeds and curry leaves and garnish the kotsu. You can also cook on low flame in a sauce pan until done.

Serve hot with idly, dosa or pongal.

Variation : Add a little grated ginger. You can also add a few chopped potatoes. Some add a little tamarind paste too.

Ven Pongal

Ven pongal is made in most of the SouthIndian households but seem to be more of a TamilNadu preparation. It is an essential part of Pongal festival celebrated to mark the harvest season in Tamilnadu. The dessert version Chakkarai pongal is also a very tasty dish and is mostly prepared as neivedhyam (offering to God).


1 cup rice ( jeera samba rice is suitable, but you may use any short grain rice), 1/2 cup moong dal, 1 tsp jeera, 1 tsp pepper, 3 green chillies chopped, grated ginger, salt, curry leaves, ghee/oil.


Roast rice and dal on low flame. Crush jeera and pepper coarsely in a mortar. Wash and pressure cook with 4 1/2 cups water and the rest of the ingredients for 2 whistles. Heat a little ghee or oil and saute jeera and curry leaves and mix in the cooked rice mixture. Serve with Kotsu or chutney.


Variation : You can add a combination of milk and water to cook the rice mixture.

Chakkarai Pongal / Sweet Pongal

Chakkarai pongal is mostly used as neivedhyam - offering to God. A mix of jaggery, rice and dal makes it really tasty. People who avoid sugar due to health reasons like this dessert as jaggery makes it healthier than refined sugar.


1 cup rice (jeera samba or any short grained rice), 1/2 cup moong dal, 1 1/2 cups jaggery syrup, few pods of cardamom, ghee, raisins, cashews.


Syrup : Heat sauce pan, add grated jaggery / small pieces of jaggery with little water. Stir until is dissolves. Strain and keep aside.


Roast rice and dal. Wash and pressure cook until soft. Heat a sauce pan and mix both rice and syrup on low heat, add atleast 5-8 tbsp of ghee little by little until well blended. Garnish with toasted raisins and cashews. The more the ghee the tastier it is but, it is a personal choice.




Mooru kozhambu

Moru kozhambu is common in TamilNadu and Kerala, just the method of preparation varies in different parts of the states. Moru kozhambu is soothing and a light preparation. In Kerala it is mostly made with yams like colocasia, elephant yam, pavakkai/karela/bittergourd. In TamilNadu you can find pumpkin, ladies finger, sundakai/dry turkey berry ( it is used to make vathal kuzhambu ).
Chopped pumpkin or ladies finger or sundakai, 1 1/2 cups curd or yoghurt blended with a little water, 1/2 cup grated coconut, 2tsp jeera, 4-5 green chillies, turmeric powder, curry leaves, mustard, dry red chillies.
optional : garlic to grind with coconut.


Blend the curd with a little water with your hand mixer and bring to thick lassi/buttermilk consistency. Grind coconut with green chillies and jeera well.
Heat oil in a pan and fry mustard seeds, curry leaves and chillies. Add vegetable, turmeric pwd fry for some time. Add the coconut paste and little water and salt to taste. Boil till the vegetables are cooked. Leave it to cool a little, when it is almost cold keep it on low heat and mix the curd. Take it off the heat immediately before the curd separates. The hint is not to boil the curd, the mixture just needs to blend in warm temperature.
Serve with rice and some applams.

Madras Sambar

Sambar is almost synonymous with Tamilnadu cuisine. It is seen in different flavors in various parts of South India maintaining the basic toor dal - tamarind - vegetables blend. It goes best with idli and rice.


1/2 cup toor dal, a handful of moong dal, 1/2 cup tamarind juice from a small lemon sized tamarind or 3/4tsp paste, vegetables like potato, carrot, brinjal, drumstick, cut in cubes, 1 large tomato, turmeric pwd, 4-5 tsp sambar pwd (any store brand you like), coriander leaves, curry leaves, mustard seeds, asafoetida/perungayam and salt.


Pressure cook dals with tomatoes, turmeric pwd, 2tsp sambar pwd, salt.
Boil water add turmeric pwd a little with all the vegetables. When the vegetables are half cooked add tamarind juice and sambar pwd, cook well. Add dal mixture and cook till you get the sambar consistency but don't boil more than needed (maybe 4-8min), it loses its flavor and the dal becomes too mushy. Season with mustard, perungayam, curry leaves. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.


Variation : You can make onion sambar with the same process, just saute the small onions with a little oil before adding them to tamarind water.

Vadai Curry / Lentil Balls Curry

Idli - Vadai Curry is a classic combo and very delicious. Vadai curry used to be made with left over dal/paruppu vadas. But it sure is worth making them just to prepare this curry. People who worry about the deep frying can simply use steamed vadas.

Soak 1/2 cup channa dal/kadalai paruppu with 1tsp of rice for an hour.
Coarse grind them with a few curry leaves, green chillies, cumin, sombu, salt. Use very little water.
Mix with finely chopped onions and coriander leaves. Deep fry flat discs of this mixture or steam the discs.
Use your idli cooker and steam like idlis for 15min.

For the Gravy:

1 Onion finely chopped, 1 tomato chopped, 2tsp ginger garlic paste, few green chillies finely chopped
curry leaves, cumin and saunf/perunjeerakam/sombu for saute, chilly pwd, sombu pwd, turmeric pwd, salt, 2 tbs curd/yoghurt, saunf pwd 1tsp to garnish.

Heat a tsp of oil. Saute curry leaves, cumin, sombu. Add onions, green chillies and tomatoes. When they amost done add ginger garlic paste. Fry some more. Add all the powders. Now break the steamed vadas into pieces and add them. Fry on medium heat. Add some water and let all of them blend well. When it comes to the consistency you like add curd mix and garnish with coriander leaves. Enjoy with hot steaming idlis and dosas too.

You can prepare the vada dough and keep it in the fridge for a week and use it whenever needed.

Variation : People who like garlic can saute finely chopped garlic with onions.

Aval Dosai

Dosas are enjoyed by most people and are made with different combinations of different grains and each of them have their own unique taste. This dosa is soft and spongy, kids would love it.

The fermentation for this dosa has to be done for 8-12hrs definitely.

Raw rice 3 cups, Curds 2 cups, Thick poha(aval) 1 cup, Green chillies 5-6, Ginger 2 ‘’, Salt
Finely chopped onions 1 cup, To temper in 1 tsp oil:, Mustard seeds 1tsp.

Wash rice and poha well and soak together in curds for 3 hours. Then grind it very fine adding a little water if necessary. Add salt and ferment for atleast 12 hrs. Before making the dosas add minced green chillies and ginger with tempered mustard seeds and onions. You can add a little bit of cooking soda or Eno if you live in a cold place. Heat dosa pan and do not spread the batter, it spreads itself. Drizzle 1 tsp oil around it & cook it covered. You can avoid the onions or even use onions to sprinkle on the dosa without mixing it with the batter. Do not turn over. Remove & serve hot & spongy with any chutney or sambar.

Kal Dosai

This dosai is traditionally done on a thick iron pan or kal chatti . It is the soft variety of dosa and is great for a trip, specially for kids or people who don't eat hotel food. This dosa does not need any oil.

Boied rice - 1 cup Raw rice - 1 cup Urad dhal - ½ cup Wash & soak everything together for 6 hrs. Grind to a fine paste. Ferment for 12 hrs & add salt and make dosai.

Heat the kal chatti and pour the batter, don't spread it too much. Cook on both sides.

Variation : You can sprinkle idli molagai podi while it is cooking on a low flame and roll it for a perfect picnic or travel food.

Iyengar Rasam

Rasam is made in different ways in different places for that matter the taste differs in every household even though the procedures are quite the same. Iyengar rasam has a unique flavor and they even make rasam with unique herbs/roots like thippili ( I haven't found the English name for it yet).

1 tsp jeera, 1 tsp pepper, 2-3 red chillies, 1 tsp toor dal soaked in water for few minutes, 5 cherry tomatoes or 1 big tomato, coriander leaves, curry leaves, mustard seeds, tamarind juice 1 cup, turmeric pwd, salt.

Grind jeera, pepper, red chillies, toor dal, a few tomato slices and few coriander leaves. Heat tamarind water with a little salt, tomato and turmeric pwd. When it comes to a boil add the paste and wait for it to come to a rolling boil and shut the stove off. Do not over cook. Now saute the mustard seeds and curry leaves and pour it on the rasam. Garnish with some chopped corainder leaves.

Variation : You can add 1/2 cup of toor dal water to the rasam. You can also add half of tamarind water and half of tomato paste of juice. They all give out different flavors.

Punjabi Cuisine

Punjabi food is simple and yet delicious. Sarson ka sag, panner, parathas, chole to name a few. Like most North Indian dishes, it mainly consists of rotis and vegetables cooked in rich gravy with cashew, khus-khus etc,. Ghee or clarified butter is used widely to prepare most curries.

Sarson Ka Sag / Mustard Leaves Curry

Sarson or mustard is cultivated in Punjab, India and hence might have triggered this dish. They have beautiful yellow flowers and the fields in full bloom look breathtaking. It is mostly had with makki ki roti or corn flour roti much like tortillas.

Recipe:

1 cup sarson/mustard greens, 1 cup spinach, 1 onion sliced thin , 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
4 green chillies, 1 tbsp. grated paneer (optional), 1/2 lemon juice, salt to taste, 1/2 tsp garam masala

Wash and chop greens, set aside. You can pressure cook or cook directly in a kadai/wok.
Heat oil, add both greens, green chillies & saute. Add ginger-garlic paste. Sprinkle little water, cook.
Once it is done well, mash well. Heat oil or ghee in a pan, add onion, saute till brown then add masala and mashed greens. Stir well and cook till oil separates. You can sprinkle little grated paneer before serving.

Shahi Paneer

Shahi paneer is a curry/gravy made with paneer or indian cottage cheese. It is served with parathas or rotis. Paneer is a kind of indian cheese made by curdling milk and filtering the whey you get in the process. It does taste like tofu but is a lot richer in calories.

Recipe:

1 cup paneer, cubed; 1 onion chopped; 1 tomato chopped; ginger and garlic paste; few green chillies; 1 cup beaten curd; 1/2 cup milk; few cardomoms, cinnamon, cloves; red chilly powder; coriander powder; garam masala.

Heat oil or ghee. Saute spices, onions, ginger garlic paste and green chillies. Add tomatoes, saute until the oil comes out. Add all the spice powders, salt and fry a little and then with the stove on warm or low heat mix in the beaten curd. Add a little water and milk and let them cook on low heat. When it is thick enough add paneer cubes and cook well. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Makki ki roti / Maize/Corn flour Roti

Makki is maize and the roti or flat bread is made with maize flour. This roti is thin and is much like tortillas. Since maize or corn does not have proteins like gluten it lacks elasticity and all purpose flour or maida is used with it for ease of rolling rotis.

Recipe:

Equal amounts of maize flour and maida or all purpose flour, salt, water, oil.

Mix all ingredients together except oil to make a firm dough. Roll out thin rotis or circles. Heat griddle and cook rotis on each side until done. Brush a little oil on both sides. Serve with Sarson Ka Sag. Traditionally, it is served with curry, raw, sliced onion and lemon.

Gujrati Cuisine

Gujrati cuisine is rich in everything from butter to sugar to spice. The harmony of salt, sugar and spice is felt in every dish. The use of butter or ghee (clarified butter) is tremendous. Kadhi, dhokla and shrikand surely shows the amazing blend of flavors.

Karnataka Cuisine

Cuisine of Karnataka has unique blend of flavors. Like all the other cuisine in India it has some of its authentic flavors and some inspired from its neighboring states. Udupi food is delicious inspite of the fact it does not contain onions and garlic, the masala dosa, sambar, rasam, chutney surely does not need any garlic to make it tasty. Then there is Manglorean cuisine which has tastes that are similar to the Keralite cuisine. The varieties of dosas and rotis made from rice to wheat to jowar are very familiar to this state's cuisine.


Mysore Masala Dosa

Mysore Masala Dosa is known for its spicy flavor. The crispy dosa with the potatoes and chutney makes it a delicious tiffin / breakfast.

Dosa batter : There are different combinations for dosa preparation. Use the one that you are comfortable with. The combination I use is 3 cup rice : 1 cup urad dal, few fenugreek or vendhayam. Soak them in water for 3-5 hrs. Grind them to a fine paste and let them ferment overnight or 8 hrs.

Red chutney : Red chilli powder 1 tsp, 1 Onion chopped, 2-3 garlic cloves (optional ), tamarind 1/4 tsp paste or 1/2 lemon size ball, salt.

Variation : Instead of the chutney you can also use idli molagai podi / spicy gram dal powder

Potato Masala : 2 Cooked potatoes - mashed, grated ginger 1 tsp, 3-5 green chillies chopped fine, mustard seeds, turmeric pwd, salt.
Heat oil. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add ginger, chillies, turmeric powder, saute. Add potatoes, salt and mix well. Cook for few minutes.

Heat the tawa on low flame. Pour a laddle or 1/2 cup of dosa batter and start spreading it around the tawa in a cirlcular motion. Once it half done spread a spoon of red chutney all around the dosa and cook. Drizzle a little oil around the dosa. Just before taking it off the tawa add a spoon of potato masala in the middle and roll it. Serve hot with coconut chutney and sambar.

Kosumbari / Dal Salad

This salad is delicious and very healthy.

Moong dal (yellow split dal) a handful, Grated carrot 1/4 cup, Grated or finely chopped Cucumber 1/4 cup, Green chillies 1-2, coriander chopped 2tbsp, Salt to taste, Grated coconut 1tbsp, Lemon Juice 2 tbsp

Soak the Moong dal for an hour or two. Remove the water and mix the grated carrot cucumber, chopped green chillies, chopped coriander leaves, grated coconut. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Add a little salt before serving.

Cabbage Palya

Palya is a dry curry which is prepared with vegetables like cabbage, brinjal, beans, bottlegourd etc,. Serve with chappathi or rice. It is similar to TamilNadu's poriyal and Kerala's thoran and subji or stir fried vegetables.

Finely chopped cabbage - 2 cups, Green chillies, finely chopped - 8 to 10, Salt to taste, Grated coconut - 1/2 cup, chopped coriander leaves, Oil , mustard seeds, gram dal - 2 tsp, urad dal - 1 tsp
curry leaves

Heat the oil in a pan. add mustard and allow to splutter. Add curry leaves, the dals and green chillies and saute for a minute. Add the cabbage and mix well. Cover the pan and cook on a medium heat. Sprinkle water in between. When the cabbage is well done add grated coconut mix and finally add the chopped coriander leaves.

Bisi Bele Bhath

Just the name would suffice to make mouths melt. It is basically sambar rice and yet a lot more than that.

Rice 1 cup, Toor Dal 1/2cup, vegetables like potato, carrot, beans, shallots or small onions, capsicum chopped, tamarind size of a lemon, Salt to taste.
Roast & Grind : Coconut 1/2 cup, Coriander seeds - 1 and 1/2 tsp, gram dal 1 tsp, urad dal 1tsp, Jeera(cumin seed) 1 tsp, Red chillies 5-10 according to taste, Pepper few, Cinnammon 1 inch, Cloves few, fenugreek.
Variation : You can add raw grated coconut and roast the rest and grind to paste.

Season with Mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Cook dal with a little water and turmeric powder. Extract tamarind juice, add the masala paste to it and bring it to boil. Add the vegetables and cook. Add the dal and rice and mix well. Now add salt, enough water and simmer and cook well. Once it reaches the gooey consistency season with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Variation : Once the vegetables are cooked you can add dal and rice and pressure cook with enough water.

Telugu Cuisine

Andhra cuisine is famous for its hot and and spicy food. Mughlai influence in food is seen in many preparations like Bahara Baingan, Mirch ka salan. Its Avakkai, pesarratu and gongura chutney is known for its hot and unique flavors.


Mirch Ka Salan

Andhra chillies - few (you can use any long chilly which is not too spicy other than jalapeños or habrenaro ) , Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp , some tamarind water, Chilli powder - 1 tsp, Oil , Salt, turmeric, jaggery, 2 onions chopped, ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp
Roast dry & grind to a paste: white sesame seeds ( til) - 2 tbsp, Peanuts - 2 tbsp, coriander seeds/Dhaniya - 1 tbsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp, cumin/Jeera - 1 tsp, Cinnamon - 1”, Cloves - 3, cilantro / coriander leaves.

Wash, slit, deseed & soak chillies in thin tamarind water for half hour. Drain completely. Mix roasted & ground paste, salt, turmeric & chilli powder. Stuff the chillies with the paste. Keep the rest. Mix tamarind paste with 1 cup of water. Heat oil, add cinnamon, cloves fry, then add onions, add ginger-garlic paste, fry. Add the left over roasted sesame paste. Now add the stiffed chillies, salt & jaggery. Add tamarind water. When the mixture starts boiling, simmer till chillies become soft. Remove & serve hot. Garnish with coriander leaves/cilantro.

Mango Pulihodhara

1 cup of rice cooked just right, make sure they don't stick together. Cook in pressure cooker with double the water and lay it out on a tray or big bowl and cool in the refrigerator for 1/2 hr. You can use regular boiled rice or basmati rice.

Make a paste of the following: 1 medium sized green unripe mango - peeled and cubed small or grated, ½ cup of finely chopped fresh coconut, green chillies

Roast ¼ cup of peanuts to golden brown color and remove.

Heat oil or ghee and season with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, few pieces of dried red chillies and curry leaves.

Add mango-coconut-chilli paste, 1 teaspoon of turmeric and salt.

Stir and sauté this mixture. Stir in the toasted peanuts. Once the rice and mango thokku/gravy has cooled down mix the required quantity with rice.

Kerala Cuisine

Cuisine in Kerala is diversified like its people. Coconut plays an important part be it in food or medicinal or beauty products. Keralities do find a way to add its favorite fruit in all its preparations. Spices are found in abundance in this state and hence its lavish usage in most non-vegetarian dishes. Kerala is famous for its Aviyal, Olan, Kalan, appam, papadums, Ada pradhaman etc,.

Potato Stew

Stews are common in most countries. It is vegetables or meat slow cooked in water or any stock. Irish stew, Gumbo from America, Peperonata an Italian stew, Nikujaga a Japanese stew, Jjigae a Korean stew.

Potato stew is common with appam another Keralite breakfast delicacy. Well, the stew is also made with nothing but coconut milk.

Recipe:

grated coconut, potatoes, onions, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves.
Grind the coconut with water and extract the milk from it.
Boil potatoes and cube them. Heat oil, saute onions, chillies, grated ginger and curry leaves. Add potatoes and salt, coconut milk & little water. Boil them in low heat until it has reached required consistency. Garnish with curry leaves.

Goes great with appam.

Arachuvitta Sambar

Sambar is vital part of any South Indian meal. It is prepared in so many different ways in every region of the southern states. Some sambars just for idlis and dosas and some for rice. It is an easy preparation but a slight change in the process can make it a complete disaster. It is an elaborate process of blending lentils and vegetables with tamarind and spices. It is rich in flavor and ingredients while being healthy too.

Keralites just love to add coconut in anything and thus Arachuvitta sambar came in existence. It is mostly prepared in Palghat brahmin households and is a part of most feasts or sadhyas. Any vegetable can be used like drumstick, potatoes, brinjal, carrots, capsicum, ladies finger etc. If you are making karela/bittergourd or muli/radish sambar or small onion / shallots sambar they generally don't add other vegetables with it.

Recipe:

2 tbsp Coriander Seeds, 1/4 tspn Methi Seeds, 1/2 cup grated coconut, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp ural dal, 5 red chillies. Roast these ingredients with a little oil and grind them to a paste.
2/3 cup toor dal, 1/3 cup pasiparuppu / split moong dal ( A combination of dals give the sambar a little more flavor to it ).
2 cups of vegetables - potatoes, drumstick, ladies finger, yam etc,.
Tamarind pulp.
Asofoetida, turmeric, salt, mustard seeds, curry leaves, coriander leaves.
Onions - optional.

Pressure cook the dals with a little turmeric, salt, few curry leaves and few drops of oil. Boil the tamarind pulp with vegetables and 1 tsp of the ground paste. When they are partially cooked add half of the cooked dal and rest of the paste. More chilly pwd maybe added if it is not spicy enough. When it comes to a boil and all vegetables are tender switch the stove off. Heat a spoonful of oil and let the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves and asofoetida and garnish the sambar with this mixtures and coriander leaves.

Aviyal

Aviyal is a major dish in Kerala, it is vital in any 'sadhya' or feast. It is said that Bheema of the Pandava brothers created this dish. It is prepared in different ways in different communities. It is basically a mixture of vegetables cooked in coconut gravy.

Recipe:
equal amounts of raw banana, beans, long beans / karamani, carrots, potatoes, drumstick, pumpkin, yam / sennai.
grated coconut 1 cup, green chillies, jeera, turmeric pwd, salt, curry leaves, coconut oil 1 tsp.

Grind coconut with jeera and green chillies.
Boil vegetables with a little water and turmeric pwd. When they are partially cooked add the paste. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Garnish with coconut oil and curry leaves .



Theeyal

Theeyal is made with vegetables like brinjal, drumstick, potato, small onions or shallots.

We can use the same preparation for shrimp or chicken. Shallot theeyal is really special to most people.

Recipe:

Shallots or vegetables of your choice, 1 cup grated coconut, 3 tbs coriander seeds, red chillies, turmeric, tamarind pulp, mustard seeds, curry leaves.

Roast coconut, coriander seeds, red chillies, few curry leaves. Some prefer to roast the coconut and coriander seeds separately, some roast them all together. Grind them with little water to a fine paste. Cook vegetables with little water, tamarind water, turmeric and salt, half way through the process add the paste and cook until vegetables are soft. garnish with sauted mustard seeds and curry leaves.


Puli Inji

Puli Inji is part of any meal (sadhya) in Kerala. It is a ginger based pickle like curry which can be stored for many weeks. It is good for digestion specially after a heavy meal.

Finely chopped tender ginger pieces 1 cup, Chopped Green Chilli pieces 1/4 cup, Tamarind (lemon size) soaked in 1 cup of water, Jaggery (gooseberry size), Salt to taste, Hing
for tempering: Oil (Gingely Oil), Mustard Seeds, fenugreek seeds, Curry Leaves, Dry Red Chillies

Heat Oil in a wok / kadai and temper Mustard Seeds, fenugreek seeds, Curry leaves and Red Chillies. Add Chopped Ginger and Green Chilli pieces for a fry for few minutes. Add thick Tamarind extract, Jaggery, Salt and Hing. Cook on low flame till oil floats on top. Store in a cool place.


Moru Kozhambu

Moru kozhambu is common in TamilNadu and Kerala, just the method of preparation varies in different parts of the states. Moru kozhambu is soothing and a light preparation. In Kerala it is mostly made with yams like colocasia, elephant yam, pavakkai/karela/bittergourd. In TamilNadu you can find pumpkin, ladies finger, sundakai/dry turkey berry ( it is used to make vathal kuzhambu ).

Cooked chopped colocasia, 1 1/2 cups curd or yoghurt blended with a little water, 1/2 cup grated coconut, 2tsp jeera, 4-5 green chillies, turmeric powder, curry leaves, mustard, dry red chillies.
optional : garlic to grind with coconut.

Blend the curd with a little water with your hand mixer and bring to thick lassi/buttermilk consistency. Grind coconut with green chillies and jeera well.
Heat oil in a pan and fry mustard seeds, curry leaves and chillies. Add vegetable, turmeric pwd fry for some time. Add the coconut paste and little water and salt to taste. Boil till the vegetables are cooked. Leave it to cool a little, when it is almost cold keep it on low heat and mix the curd. Take it off the heat immediately before the curd separates. The hint is not to boil the curd, the mixture just needs to blend in warm temperature.
Serve with rice and some applams.