Pudanlangai Thayir Pachadi | Potlakaya Perugu pachadi | Snake Gourd raita

Snake gourd /padwal(Marathi)/Potlakaaya (Telugu) /Padavalanga (Malayalam) / Padavalkkai (Kannada) .

Call it by any name it has a lot of nutritional value and is a powerhouse of nutrients. Snake gourd belongs to the summer squash family, mostly a summer produce ,it is available all round the year in India.

Rich in dietary fiber , vitamins A and C ,snake gourds help in digestion ,prevent bloating and constipation . Helps in detoxification of the body because of its diuretic properties. Due to water content present in the snake gourd it helps maintain body's hydration.

 Podalangai Thayir pachadi is a new addition to my kitchen and hence it is making it to the blog . 

Amma would make it frequently during summer, but over the years I had totally forgotten about this recipe . As a flash,this recipe occurred to me this morning when I was contemplating what to make with fresh and tender snake gourd that I had just bought. The snake gourds have to be tender. Overly ripe ones taste bitter and become hard and chewy . So while buying, make sure the snake gourd vine is easy to twist and tender to feel. If you find it hard or it easily cracks ,then don't buy that .

Podalangai thayir pachadi is very easy to make and gets done in no time . A tasty paste is made using fresh coconut, ginger,green chillies and curry leaves which is added to thick whipped yogurt and boiled snake gourd is mixed along with this followed by a tempering of mustard, dry red chillies and asafoetida. 

Podalangai thayir pachadi is also made during Amavasya, pithrupaksha and Shraadh cooking in a typical Tamil Brahmin household . Vishu and Onam Sadhyas also feature padavalanga kichadi as one of the Sadhya menu items.

Officially, though it is still winter/spring in India , we are already feeling the warmth in my part of the city. There is hardly any chillness felt and the afternoon sun is at its peak .

As always, with summer setting in; buttermilk,lassi,raita and yogurt based curries make a lot of appearance in my kitchen . Yogurt based curries are light on stomach and easy to digest as well .Most importantly it keeps the body cool during harsh summer and it maintains hydration. 

Some lipsmacking raitas in South Indian flavor 

• Sakkaravalli kizhangu pachadi (sweet potato raita)
• Inji Pachadi (Ginger raita)
• Vendakkai Thayir Kichadi (Lady's finger raita)
• Vellarikaai kichadi (Cucumber raita)
• Vellarikaai Inji pachadi (Cucumber Ginger raita)
• Daangar Pachadi (black gram flour raita)
• Thakali thayir pachadi (Tomato raita)

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Preparation Time - 5 mins

Cooking Time - 8 mins

Serves - 2 to 3 

Complexity - easy 

Ingredients 

1 medium vine snake gourd 

1.5 cups thick yogurt

2 tbsp coconut grated

1 green chilli (optional)

2 to 3 dried red chilli

Few curry leaves  

Small piece ginger 

Salt as needed 

1/2 tsp oil 

1/4 tsp mustard seeds 

1/4 tsp udad dhal /black gram 

Pinch of asafoetida 

Note - if you family tradition doesn't use green chilli for shraadh/Amavasya then replace with dry red chillies.

Method 

• Wash the snake gourd and slit it vertically . Deseed /remove the seeds and chop it into small cubes. 
• Boil half cup water with salt and cook the snake gourd until soft and tender . Drain the water .
• Grind the coconut, green or red chilli ,curry leaves,ginger to a fine paste .
• Beat the curd/yogurt to make it lump free and smooth.
• Mix the ground coconut paste ,whipped curd and boiled snake gourd . Adjust salt if needed.
• Prepare a tempering of mustard seeds , curry leaves ,udad dhall, red chilli,asafoetida and pour it over the raita and mix well. 

Vendakka Kichadi (Pachadi) | Fried ladies finger (okra) in coconut yogurt sauce - Sadhya special

 Kichadi (Pachadi) is an integral part of a festive meal (Sadhya) in Kerala. Kerala style kichadi must not be confused with the North Indian Khichdi which is a rice based main course recipe. 

 Onam and Vishu Sadhya is incomplete without serving a kichadi . Kichadi also known as Pachadi in few regions of Kerala,is a yogurt based side dish often made from various vegetables like Okra/ladies finger ,ginger ,tomato, Cucumbers, ash gourd etc .

Kichadi pairs well with Sambar Rice and a coconut based vegetable stir fry . One can even make it as a part of day to day meal as well. Why wait for a special occasion to savor such a healthy delicacy ? 

Vendakkai Thayir Kichadi/Pachadi   is made from okra/ladies finger . Ladies finger is known as Vendakka or Vendakkai in Malayalam/ Tamil.

Chopped ladies finger is shallow fried in coconut oil and then added to the coconut chilli paste mixed in yogurt. The yogurt must not be spur, else it will ruin the taste of the kichadi /pachadi.

Some recipes call for cooking the coconut chilli paste + yogurt ,but in this recipe I am not cooking the yogurt mixture . I am going to just add the fried Okra to the yogurt mix along with the tempering. 

Some popular kichadi /pachadi served as part of Sadhya 

Inji (Ginger) Thayir  Kichadi 

Thakali (Tomato) Kichadi 

Vellarikai Inji (Cucumber Ginger )Thayir 

Vellarikai (Cucumber) kichadi

This month in our SHHH Secretly Cooking Challenge food group,we are celebrating Sadhya special hosted by me . My fellow bloggers have come up with amazing and authentic Kerala Sadhya recipes . My partner for this month ,Radha Rajagopalan has dished out the traditional Ada Pradhaman ,which is a classic dessert from Kerala. Do check out her recipe for Ada Pradhaman without fail .  

To know more about the dishes served in a typical Sadhya for Onam / Vishu, check out the list soon after the recipe of Vendakkai Kichadi. I am giving you a complete list of authentic recipes.

Preparation Time - 10mins
Cooking Time- 5 mins
Complexity - simple
Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh grated coconut 
2 green chillies
1/2 tsp jeera/cumin
8 to 10 tender ladies finger/okra/vendakkai
200ml  thick yogurt/dahi/thayir
Salt as needed
2 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 dry red chilli
Few curry leaves 

Method

• Wash and dry the ladies finger. Cut into medium sized roundels. 
• Whisk the yogurt well and make it lump free and smooth. 
• Grind the green chillies, coconut,jeera with 1tbsp yogurt and some water  into a smooth paste.
• Add this paste to the yogurt and mix it well with adequate salt.
• In a frying pan,heat 1tsp of coconut oil and roast the ladies finger until it crispy  ,add a little salt to the roasted ladies finger in the end .
• Prepare a tempering of mustard seeds,red chilli and curry leaves in the remaining coconut oil .
• Add the roasted ladies finger ,tempering to the yogurt mixture and mix it well .Delicious and tasty vendakkai kichadi is ready to be served .

Sadhya recipes on the blog. Click on the individual items below to get detailed recipe

• Erissery
• Kootu Curry
• Puli inji 
• Avial 
• Kaalan
• Pulissery
• Maanga Curry (cut mango pickle)
• Cabbage thoran (coconut based curry)
• Beans carrot thoran / Beetroot thoran
• Mambazha Pachadi
• Vellarikaai Pachadi
• Inji Thayir
• Sambar 
• Rasam
• Aval payasam
• Paal payasam
• Chakka Pradhaman (Jackfruit kheer)
• Sambaram / Mor (Buttermilk)
• Nendran Chips
• pappadam , pickle,curd etc

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Vellarikaai Inji Thayir Pachadi | Cucumber Ginger flavored yogurt - No cook recipe

 Cucumbers are my best friend in summer . I love to munch on some juicy Cucumbers as is or use them in salads or raitas .

Raitas or pachadis are a must have in summer as they cool down the body heat and are comforting on our stomach aiding digestion. 

Across the length and breadth of India ,Cucumbers are an integral part of summer meal be it the Khamang Kakdi of Maharashtra ,Southekaai kosambri from Karnataka ,Vellarikai Kichadi of Kerala or Pahadi Raita from Himachal Region . 

Today , I shall be sharing another favorite recipe using cucumber.  Thayir Pachadi is the South Indian version of raita . We can make thayir pachadi with many vegetables like tomatoes,  sweet potatoes,  ladies finger,ginger etc .

• Sweet potato thayir pachadi
• Dangar Pachadi
• Inji (Ginger) Thayir Pachadi 
• Thakali (Tomato) thayir pachadi 

Inji Vellarikaai thayir pachadi ,is very easy to make and is a No cook recipe.  We will need fresh and tender cucumbers to make this raita . Donot use an over ripe cucumbers as the cucumber won't be juicy and also the seeds will be too mature and rough.

Spice level can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the number of chillies used .I prefer to keep the pachadi mild so that the flavor of ginger is lifted up. 

Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time - Nil 
Complexity- easy 
Serves - 3 to 4

Ingredients 

2 small Cucumbers or 1 medium Cucumber
150ml thick yogurt /dahi/curd 
Salt as needed 
Small piece of ginger 
1 small green chilli
Few curry leaves 
2 tsp finely chopped fresh corriander 

1 tsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp udad dhall 

Pinch of asafoetida 

Method 

• Peel the skin of the cucumber.  Finely chop half the quantity of the cucumbers and add it to a mixing bowl.
• Roughly chop the other half of the cucumber and blend it with ginger , chilli, corriander, curryleaves and little salt to a very fine paste.
• Whisk the curd with adequate salt and make it lump free. 
• Mix the cucumber paste , chopped cucumber and the whisked yogurt.  Adjust salt if needed. 
• Prepare a tempering of mustard seeds and udad dhall in hot oil with asafoetida.  Cool it and then add it to the raita . Donot pour hot tempering over the pachadi as the curd may turn sour in the hot weather .
• Delicious thayir pachadi is ready to serve .

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Vellarikaai (cucumber ) Pachadi | Vellarikaai Kichadi (Kerala Sadhya Menu)

 Vellarikaai means cucumber in Tamil and Malayalam.  Any Tamil or Kerala festive spread is incomplete without this delicious and lipsmacking Vellarikaai Pachadi . Vellarikai pachadi is also known as Kichadi in many households .

This Kichadi shouldn't be confused with the North Indian Kichdi which is a rice + dal based preparation.  

In Tamil / Malayalam pachadi or kichadi is the term used to refer to raita and is totally different from the North Indian style raita . Coconut chilli paste is mixed with thick whisked yogurt /dahi and added to the chopped cucumbers .

Bring summer ,cucumbers if included in our regular menu is very beneficial as it cools down the body apt to the idiom "as cool as cucumber". 

This pachadi is really very easy to make and can be paired with the regular menu . Vellarikai pachadi was part of our Sunday lunch which had Aloo Capsicum Sambar , Tomato Rasam , Brinjal Curry and some papads .

On a hot summer night ,I love to have this pachadi with hot fulkas .It is indeed filling and also light on the stomach and Sasmita's cucumber mint lassi will be an icing on the cake to end the day's meal.

Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time - 3 mins
Complexity - simple
Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients 
1 medium size cucumber 
2 cups thick yogurt /dahi
1/4 cup grated coconut 
1 green chilli 
1/2 tsp jeera 
Small piece ginger (skip for jain variant)
Salt to taste 
1/2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds 
Pinch of asafoetida 

Method 

• Grind the coconut, green chilli,jeera,ginger to a fine paste using little water .
• Chop the cucumber into medium sized cubes and cook it with salt and little water until the cucumbers turn soft and the water is all absorbed. Let it cool down.
• Whisk the curd until it is thick and creamy. 
• Add the ground coconut paste to the yogurt  along with the cooked cucumber and mix it . Add salt if required. 
• Prepare a tempering using mustard seeds and asafoetida.  Pour it over the raita and enjoy with your meal. 

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Inji Thayir Pachadi | Ginger yogurt dip | Adraki Raita

 Inji Thayir Pachadi also known as Inji thayir is frequently made in a Tambrahm home and also a part of Sadhya menu in Kerala .  Whenever there is an elaborate festive  spread ,then inji thayir will definitely be a part of the menu.

Thick yogurt /curd is whipped well and to this is added a finely ground paste of ginger,coconut, green chillies and curry leaves  along with salt and tempered with mustard .

Puli Inji is a lipsmacking dip from Kerala cuisine and Inji Karvepillai Thogayal (ginger curry leaves chutney)from Tamil Nadu  compliment the quint essential thayir saadham ( curd rice )  especially during hot summers

Ginger - the Magic Spice

Ginger is widely used in India and world over across cuisines.  We can see that ginger will be a mandatory ingredient as part of cooking be it vegetarian or meat based recipes.  The reason for the wide spread use of ginger /adrak/inji is the refreshing strong flavor and the immense medicinal value it exhibits.

 Ginger is a wonder herb which aids in digestion,  relieves mild colic pain ,immunity booster and aids in improving metabolism. Ginger is also anti inflammatory ,eases cough and cold .Ginger also plays a very major role in Ayurveda .

In North Indian cuisine ginger is used in various types of gravies ,dhalls, sabjis , biryanis and pulao in combination with garlic while in south indian cooking, we use it in chutneys,  thogayals, pachadi a.k.a raita variety.

Ginger Tea flavored with cardamom is a very popular and refreshing drink in India and we all love to sip on it regularly.  

Preparation Time - 5 mins

Cooking Time - nil

Complexity  - easy 

Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup fresh grated coconut 

2 medium green chillies 

1/4 inch of fresh ginger 

Few curry leaves 

Salt to taste

2 cups thick yogurt/dahi/curd 

1 tsp oil 

Few mustard seeds 

Few udad dhall 

1 dry red chilli 

Method 

• Whip the curd in a mixing bowl and keep ready.
• In a blender grind the coconut ,green chillies, ginger and curry leaves to a fine paste with little water.
• Add this paste to the whipped curd and mix well by adding required amount of salt. 
• Prepare a tempering of mustard seeds , udad dhall,  red chillies and curry leaves in hot oil . Once this seasoning cools down ,pour it over the curd .  If you pour hot tempering over the curd,there is a tendency for the curd to get sour if you are not going to eat immediately. 
• Serve this flavorful and delicious inji thayir with your regular meal or even with a spicy biryani or pulao too.

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Thakali Thayir Pachadi | Tomato Yogurt dip - South Indian spl

 Tomato is known as "thakali" in Tamil .  As a part of any South Indian festive spread , a yogurt based dip known as pachadi in Tamil and Malayalam is a must.  It is a vegetable based yogurt dip and most commonly used vegetables are cucumber, tomato ,ladies finger, sweet potato . As it is part of festive meal and is sans onion and garlic , onion is not included which otherwise is the most loved raita by all .

You must try the lipsmacking Sweet Potato Pachadi on my blog .

Pachadi in Andhra cuisine means a chutney type dip sans the yogurt . So please do not confuse the Andhra style spicy Tomato Chutney often called as tomato pachadi with this one .

There is another variant of pachadi made using tamarind concoction which is also a part of the festive menu . Maanga Pachadi (Raw mango dip) is a very popular and lipsmacking dip which is tangy, sweet as well as spicy . Likewise, Pineapple pachadi is also an important recipe for Onam or Vishu Sadhya . It has been on my to do list for quite sometime, hopefully I prepare it at the earliest. 

Today's recipe refers to the Tamil or Kerala style raita using yogurt /curd which is served as a part of Banana leaf meal without fail . This raita goes well even with mildly spiced pulao or even a spicy biryani . Very easy recipe and can be put together in less than 15 mins .  We love to have this pachadi with piping hot Bisi bele baath any day.

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Preparation Time - 10 mins

Cooking Time - 5 mins

Serves- 3 to 4

Complexity - easy 

Ingredients 

2 medium sized tomatoes 

1 green chilli 

3 tablespoon fresh grated coconut 

1/2 tsp jeera /cumin

1 small piece ginger (skip for jain variant) 

3 cups thick yogurt/dahi 

1 tsp oil 

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Salt as needed 

Few fresh curry leaves

Finely chopped corriander 

Pinch of asafoetida (skip for gluten free)

Method 

• Grind the coconut, jeera , green chilli and ginger with a little water to a fine paste .
• Whisk the curd until it creamy and lump free. 
• Add salt and this ground coconut paste to the whisked yogurt and mix it well.
• In a pan , heat the oil and splutter the mustard seeds followed by curry leaves and asafoetida. 
• Saute the chopped tomatoes with a pinch of salt until it turns soft and mushy . Let this cool down completely. 
• Add the sauteed tomato to the curd/yogurt mixture along with freshly chopped corriander and mix it well . Keep it refrigerated till you serve else it might turn sour .

Tips to keep in mind

1. Donot add the tomatoes when they are hot .It will make the pachadi very sour.
2. This stays well for only a day , so use it immediately. 
3. Make sure you keep it refrigerated until you serve if there is a long time gap between preparing and serving.