Pan Grilled Raw Banana | Vazhakkai Tawa roast | Artikaya Roast

 Raw bananas are relished in many ways and mostly enjoyed by all . I am sure banana chips will top everyone's list if asked in what way they like to have raw banana .  Let me tell you, if you try this recipe of grilling raw banana slices you will keep asking for more and someone who doesn't like raw bananas will also start loving it . 

These marinated slices of raw banana pair well with sambar rice ,rasam rice,  milagakuzhambu and the evergreen curd rice . My blogger friend Preethi's blog has a traditional andhra recipe Palak Koora Pappu with which this artikaaya roast will be a classic combo .

Not only as an accompaniment, you may even serve these are starters along with some tomato chutney and they will be a hit at your parties or get togethers. 

A little time consuming as we need to have a lot of patience for the slices to be perfectly grilled ,but the end result is soulful and satisfying. 

Some more interesting recipes using vazhakkai/raw banana on my blog for you to try 

Nendran Chips (kerala style) 

Vazhakkai Puli Kootu

Vazhakkai Podimaas

Vazhakkai Chips 

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Preparation Time - 20 mins
Cooking Time - 20 mins
Complexity - easy
Serves - 2 to 3

Ingredients 

2 medium sized raw bananas 
1tsp red chilli powder 
2 tsp rice flour
1/2 tsp turmeric 
Salt as needed 
Pinch of asafoetida 
Fresh curry leaves
3 to 4 tbsp cooking oil

Method 

• In a mixing bowl make a thick slurry of rice flour, red chilli powder, turmeric, salt and asafoetida using very little water. 
• Peel the raw bananas and make slightly thick slices using the slicer or you may cut with a knife too. (Refer to 2nd image in the above picture)
• Marinate the banana slices in the slurry until each and every slice is coated well with the marinade. Let it rest for 10 mins 
• Spread about 1 tbsp oil on the grill pan and heat it . Once it is mildly heated, arrange the banana slices carefully on the pan and let it roast on medium flame .
• After 2 or 3 mins slowly and carefully flip the banana slices to the other side and continue to roast on medium flame .
• Once the slices turn crisp on both sides , spread 1/2 tsp oil with few curry leaves and toss it well for 1 or 2 mins . 
• Transfer to a serving bowl and serve .

Tips

If you don't have a grill pan ,you may you use nonstick or iron tawa /griddle and follow the same steps .

South Indian Lunch - Thali #5

 A wholesome and piping hot lunch is always a pure bliss on a weekend day. 

Today's menu is a family favorite and no one will fuss over any item and I also don't have to think of different options to please everyone at home .

I got some really fresh and tender veggies delivered through Deep Rooted Co , an online app and I was excited and tempted to use all the veggies especially the Spinach which was just too good . I am very happy to get such tasty vegetables and the best part was the Spinach was so clean and I dint have to spend a lot of time cleaning the roots and removing weeds. This is not a sponsored post ,but if you are looking for farms fresh vegetables and fruits to be delivered at door step,pls do try this app.

So the lunch menu was planned in  the best possible way to include all our family favorite vegetables

Peerthangai Paruppu | Ridge gourd lentil curry 

Kos Pattani Poriyal | Cabbage Peas Stir fry

Keerai Masiyal / Blanched & mashed Spinach 

Tomato Rasam  served with  piping hot rice and  usual accompaniment of curd or buttermilk.

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Maangai Pisaral | Instant Mango Pickle | Maanga Oorgai

 The very name of raw mango is enough to salivate our taste buds and make us drool . Such is the power of the tanginess and unique taste that a raw mango exuberates . 

Today , I shall be sharing a quick and instant recipe of a tasty mango pickle which doesn't need any elaborate ingredients or pre and post processing . 

Known  by various names ; Maanga pisaral , Maangai thundam , Maanga Keeru , Maamidikaya pachadi , kalyana Manga oorga etc etc .. this pickle doesn't have a very long shelf life but tastes very heavenly and is served in almost all  South indian weddings during summer.  Usually the thothapuri /kilimooku mango variety is used to prepare this instant mango pickle

Offlate most of us are shying away from eating pickles for various health reasons.  As much as I agree on the health part of it , at times I love to take a bite of some spicy and tangy mango pickle and enjoy it with some chilled curd rice on a hot sunny afternoon.

For a South Indian, no meal is complete without the creamy curd rice and specially in summers  curd rice is  soothing and divine when served with some fresh manga pisaral.

Maanga pisaral is totally vegan and you can make it even Gluten free by skipping the asafoetida used for tempering. 

 Mangai thundam tastes heavenly and very flavorful when prepared using gingelly oil for the tempering, but you can use any other edible cooking oil too. I would highly recommend using only Gingelly/Sesame/Til oil to get the authentic flavor and taste. 

Preparation Time - 5 mins
Cooking Time - nil 
Serves - 2 to 3 
Complexity - easy 

Ingredients 

1 medium sized raw thothapuri mango /kilimooku maanga  or any variety raw mango .
1.5 tsp red chilli powder 
1/2 tsp turmeric/haldi 
Salt as needed 
1tbsp sesame oil/til oil 

1tsp mustard seeds 
Pinch of asafoetida (skip for GF)

Method 

• Wash and peel the mango . Chop into small cubes and transfer into a dry mixing bowl .
• Add the chilli powder, salt, turmeric to the chopped mango and mix it well.
• Heat the gingelly oil in a pan , splutter the mustard seeds ,turn off the stove and add the asafoetida if using and the gently pour it over the mango mix.
• Gently mix it such that the tempered oil coats the mango mixture evenly . Rest it for 20 mins for the flavors to steep in and then serve .
• Store it in the fridge and consume within 2 days as this is an instant version and has a low shelf life unlike the processed pickles .

Some other lipsmacking recipes using Raw Mango which you can try this summer !! 

Maangai Thogayal / Mango chutney 

Maangai Thokku 

Maangai Pachadi/ Tangy Mango dip

Maangai Saadham / Mango Rice

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Maanga Thogayal | Maangai Thuvayal | Raw Mango Chutney- Vegan South Indian delicacy

 Come summer , the markets are flooded with raw mangoes of different varities followed by ripe mangoes .

As much as we eagerly wait for luscious and sweet ripe mangoes , raw mangoes have their own charm and can be widely used in a lot of recipes. 

I do use raw mango in my cooking during the season .  A sweet and tangy dip Maangai Pachadi - an essential recipe for Tamil New year's eve in April is a sought after recipe with raw mango in my home  .

 We are a family who don't like to gorge on mango pickles ,so I make a close cousin of pickle called as Thokku in Tamil.  Maangai Thokku tastes delectable and can be used as a side dish for parathas , dosas ,theplas and chilled curd rice.

 I prepare a delicious Mavinkaai Chithranna/ Maangai Saadham (Raw mango flavored rice) using the Mango Thokku .

Of course Aam panna is another delicacy which is prepared and bottled up to enjoy during the season . 

If you have reminisced your childhood watching the advertisement " Mango frooti...fresh and juicy " and love to sip on this delicious drink , then you must try this Home made Frooti recipe on my blog .

 In our group Shhh cooking secretly challenge,for February it was my turn to suggest the theme and I chose  " CHUTNEYS " . There is no dearth of chutney varities in our Indian cuisine.  My idea was to bring out some unique ,traditional and family specific chutney recipes and as always my fellow bloggers have dished out some amazing and lipsmacking chutneys with exotic ingredients .

I was paired with the talented cook and classic  writer Jayashree Rao ji who blogs on Evergreen Dishes and has a few cook books to her credits. Do check her blog and order your copy of her cookbook right away!!  

I was given turmeric and urad dhall (black de husked lentil) by Jayshree ji as secret ingredients while I gave her curry leaves and tamarind with which a delicious and lipsmacking curry leaves chutney has been dished out and the recipe can be found here .

I prepared a tangy and spicy thuvayal or thogayal using raw mango . If you have been following my blog you will know that I have a variety of chutneys and thogayals listed on my blog..thuvayal is a slightly thicker version of chutney and has roasted ingredients going into it.  

Preparation Time - 15 mins
Cooking Time - 5 to 10 mins
Complexity - easy 
Serves - 3 to 4

Ingredients 

1 medium sized raw mango grated 

1/4 cup channa dhall / split bengal gram 

2 tablespoon udad dhall /dehusked black lentil

1 tbsp grated fresh coconut 

1 tsp jaggery 

3 to 4 dry red chillies 

1 green chilli 

Few curry leaves 

1/4 tsp turmeric 

Salt as needed 

Pinch of asafoetida (skip for GF version)

2tsp cooking oil

Method 

• Heat oil in a pan or small wok and fry the chopped green chilli followed by the channa dhall and udad dhall .Roast the lentils until they turn crisp and golden brown .
• Roast the red chillies and curry leaves in the same pan  until crisp .
• Turn off the stove and lightly saute  the grated mango for 1 to 2 mins in the heat of the pan. 
• Let the ingredients cool down before blending. 
• In a blender or your mixie's chutney jar add all the roasted ingredients along with coconut, turmeric, asafoetida, salt and jaggery along with little water and grind to a semi fine paste .
• Adjust water while grinding if you find it difficult to grind . 

Storage and shelf life 

Transfer to a clean and dry container and use a dry spoon while serving . This chutney stays well in refrigerator for 3 to 4 days . 

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Do click on the image below for a collection of some tongue tickling chutney varities 

Keerai Masiyal | Blanched & Mashed greens - Vegan , Satvik & GF

 Keerai Masiyal is a typical Tamil Brahmin recipe and is almost loved by everyone .  In Tamil Keerai is used to refer to Green leafy vegetable and Masiyal means mashed, in short Keerai Masiyal means Mashed Greens.

Winter is the time when  we get fresh greens of all sorts and we all like to use them as much as possible in our cooking. Keerai Masiyal is a common recipe and will feature regularly in many homes .

I have used spinach/palak in my recipe while this can be made with "Mullai keerai"  "Arai keerai" as well..these greens are available in plenty in Southern India.  

Just as Khichdi, Achar  papad & dahi  is a sought after combination and a soulful meal for North Indians, Tamilians swear by Vethakuzhambu , Sutta Appalam & Keerai Masiyal . The essence and emotional feel will be lost if I go into the depth of translation, but for the benefit of my readers , it is a combination of roasted papads , a tamarind based gravy and blanched mashed greens.   Do try this combination and I promise you will fall in love with this delicacy .

Keerai Masiyal is power packed with all nutrients and doesn't involve too much oil or cooking . The best part of the recipe which infuses and adds a whole lot of aroma and flavor to this dish is the tempering made out of coconut oil . So pls do not skip on this coconut oil tempering if you want to experience the original taste of how it is savored and relished in a typical TamBrahm home.  

This is a perfect home style simple meal which we crave for and relish when we are back home after vacationing and eating lot of outside food .Helps in detox of the gut . In winters this rustic meal is frequently prepared as it is easy to digest and also keeps the immune system boosted up. 

Traditionally the blanched greens used to be mashed using a hand masher which used to be a special tool in every household to mash the greens or even cooked dhall.  It would take a while to mash the greens manually as the process was relatively laborious and time consuming.  In modern times , we can use the pulse mode in our blenders or food processors and achieve the same texture in no time .

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With winter setting in the Northern hemisphere, Preethi suggested we share Winter delicacies for our monthly Shhh Secret cooking challenge foodie group and stay tuned to have a virtual treat of lipsmacking winter special recipes from my co bloggers . Preethi has  recently shared her family favorite delicious Gongura  Koora (sorrel leaves curry) which is a must try if you relish the slight tanginess present in the Gongura.  This month my partner was Anu Kollon who blogs at "Entethattukada" and I must say her blog has some unique traditional kerala recipes.  She gave me spinach and green chillies as secret ingredients for the theme.  With the secret ingredients that I shared with her , Anu has dished out a lipsmacking radish chutney using radish and mustard ; the secret ingredients that I gave her .

Preparation Time - 15 mins
Cooking Time - 10 mins
Serves 2 to 3 
Complexity - simple

Ingredients 
3 medium bunches of spinach/palak
2 green chillies 
1/4 tsp jeera 
2 tablespoon fresh grated coconut 
2 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp udad dhall 
1/2 tsp chana dhall 
1 dry red chilli 
Salt as needed 

Method 

• Chop the roots of the spinach and remove all the weeds , rotten leaves and stems . Wash them under running water multiple times to remove all the mud . You can also soak them in salt and turmeric water for a while to clean .
• If the stems are very tender and soft use it along with the leaves for blanching else discard the hard stems because they will be very chewy.

• Roughly chop the leaves , add sufficient water , pinch of salt , green chillies, jeera and blanch the spinach until it is soft and the raw smell is lost . Cool it completely. 
• Strain the water and add these blanched leaves to a mixie /blender alongwith the grated coconut and pulse it till it appears coarse . Donot grind it to a fine paste.  The strained water can be used in any other cooking instead of discarding. 
• Prepare a tempering of mustard,  channa dhall , udad dhall in coconut oil and lastly fry the red chilli and pour it over the mashed spinach. Delicious keerai Masiyal is ready .

Some more healthy recipes using Spinach which you may want to try 

• Palak Paratha 
• Dal Palak
• Palak Paneer (No Onion Garlic) 
• Palak Paneer 
• Aloo Palak (oil free)

Baby Potato Roast- Vegan & GF

There will hardly be anyone who doesn't like potatoes.  Potatoes have something in them that attracts everyone right from children to adults. 

  A simple home style delicious baby potatoes stir fry sauteed on slow flame with basic spices . The baby potatoes are pressure cooked first and then further sauteed with basic spices until they turn crisp.

Today's recipe is a common feature in my kitchen and as always these every day recipes never made it to the blog, so I decided to share this today .  If you are a beginner in cooking or a bachelor who wants to have home food , this is a very simple and hassle free recipe . You just need red chilli powder, turmeric , salt and oil . No fancy spices or masalas are used. 

This baby potato roast is a perfect accompaniment with dal fry , gujarati kadhi ,simple tomato rasam or the ever green curd rice.  This afternoon we relished this with kadhi and roasted papads .

Preparation time - 30 mins

Cooking Time - 15 mins

Complexity - simple

Serves - 3 to 4

Ingredients 

500gms baby potatoes 
2 tsp red chilli powder 
1/2 tsp turmeric powder 
1 tbsp oil
Salt as needed
Pinch of asafoetida (skip for GF)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Method 

• Wash and clean the baby potatoes under running water till all the mud is washed off .
• In a pressure cooker , take sufficient water such that all the potatoes are immersed well and pressure cook on high flame for 2 whistles.  Let the pressure release normally.
• Drain the water from the potatoes and run it under cold water . This will stop the potatoes from getting cooked further due to the heat. We need well cooked but firm potatoes not mushy ones .
• Slowly peel the skin and cut them into half and keep aside . You can use them as whole potatoes, but when cut into half the marinade will get absorbed nicely into the potatoes. 

• In a wide mixing bowl , add the chilli powder , turmeric,salt and asafoetida and make a thick paste by adding water.  To this add the cut baby potatoes and coat it well with the masala paste.  Use your hands to coat the masala . Using and fork or spoon can break the potatoes.  Do it very gently.  Keep these coated potatoes in the fridge for 10 to 15 mins .
• Heat oil in a kadai or non stick pan and temper the mustard seeds , add the marinated potatoes and toss them gently and cook on low flame till they turn crispy . Keep tossing occasionally to prevent burning of potatoes.  
• Serve hot with rice and dhall or whatever is your preference. 

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Chou chou carrot poriyal | Chayote Carrot Stir fry - Vegan & GF

After binge eating during festive season, we all yearn for a simple home cooked meal . We are no exception to this and our stomach friendly meal after Diwali festivities was a tongue tickling Karvepillai Kuzhambu (curry leaves in tamarind gravy) , soothing Tomato Rasam and this mildly spiced chou chou carrot curry with a liberal garnish of fresh coconut. 

Chou chou or chayote as it is known in most parts of the world is available in Bangalore almost all round the year.  Also known as Bangalore Kathrikai(Tamil) or Seeme Badnekaai (Kannada) . 

Kathrikaai in Tamil means Brinjal / Eggplant , since this resembles a big size brinjal and as it is more often available in Bangalore or Karnataka, people probably began to refer as Bangalore Kathrikaai but in reality this belongs to the squash family and not Eggplant family. 

 Badnekaai also means Brinjal in Kannada and Seeme means "foreign or across boundary " .Since this vegetable was introduced by the westerners the name of "Foreign Brinjal" got stuck to this as this is not a native Indian vegetable. 

Winter is the time when this vegetable is available abundantly very tender fresh . I love to use this chou chou in my cooking a lot . We can use this in Sambar , more kuzhambu and even kootu. 

Chou chou kootu recipe can be accessed via this link . 

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Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time - 15 to 20 mins
Complexity - simple 
Serves - 2 to 3

Ingredients 

2 medium sized chayote /chow chow 
2 medium sized carrots

Handful of frozen/fresh peas (optional)
1 green chilli chopped 
Few fresh curry leaves 
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds 
4 to 5 tbsp fresh grated coconut 
Salt as needed 
Pinch of asafoetida (skip for GF)

Method 

• Peel the chayote and carrots and  cut them into small cubes. 
• If using fresh peas, blanch them in water until tender.
• In a pan heat the oil and splutter the mustard, asafoetida along with chillies and curry leaves .
• Sautee the chopped carrots ,peas and chayote with some salt ,sprinkle some water and close with a lid .
• We will do a covered cooking as it retains the nutrients of the vegetables and also the crunch .
• Occasionally open the lid and stir /toss so that they don't get burnt . Sprinkle water if there is a need and continue covered cooking until the chou chou and carrots are well cooked .
• Open the lid and add fresh grated coconut,mix well and turn off the stove.  

Tiffin Sambar | Idli Sambar - Restaurant style

 Idli Sambar & Medhu Vada Sambar are two such delicacies which are made for each other.  Dunk the soft spongy idlis or crisp vadas in sambar by pouring sambar over it or sophisticatedly  cut a slice of idli or vada using a knife and fork and then dip the fork pricked piece  into sambar , the taste is absolutely heavenly.  The way you eat is purely your choice , but the hero is always the piping hot flavorful sambar commonly called as Tiffin Sambar and there is no other much to this delectable combination. 

Click here to make the perfect batter for Idli

➡️ Idli Batter Using Wet Grinder

➡️ Idli Batter in a Mixie /Blender 

You may ask, what is so special about this tiffin sambar and in what way is it different from the regular sambar ?

There's not one,but many answers  to this question ; interesting isn't it ??

• This sambar is called Tiffin Sambar as it is generally served with all South indian breakfast items like Idli, Vada, Dosa , Upma , Oothappam  ,Pongal etc. which are referred to as "Tiffin" in Tamil.
• Tiffin sambar is made using a freshly ground sambar masala .
• Lots of fresh tomatoes are used along with cooked thoor dhall + moong dhall and simmered in tamarind extract  to prepare this delicious sambar .
• Vegetables like drumstick, red pumpkin and small onions are used for added flavor and taste. Onion can be skipped if preparing the saatvik or jain version. 
• Unlike the regular sambar , tiffin sambar will not be very thick and little diluted as we need to pour ladles over ladles  on the idlis and vadas to immerse them well until they seem floating.

All of us at home love this yummy sambar and the idlis just vanish off when served with this piping hot sambar . Hubby loves to have some coconut chutney also poured over the sambar and says it is just wow and one must eat it to understand the emotion behind it 😀. I personally like Rava Idli with this sambar . The other day I had prepared variety idlis , Ghee roast Dosa and Podi Oothappam and we all enjoyed with piping hot sambar and fresh coconut chutney. 

I must thank Poonam , who suggested we share any lentil based recipe (Luscious Lentils) for the 267th week's  Foodie Monday Bloghop and this gave me a chance to blog our favorite sambar.  Poonam's blog Annapurna has so many recipes but her thaali collection is amazing . She celebrates every festival with so much devotion and dedication ; prepares traditional recipes as per customs and offers it to the God as prasad for pooja . You must check out her Sarva Pithru Amavasya thaali to understand how devoted she is .

Lentils, as we all know are a rich source of protein and we need to include them in our diet to get the daily dose of protein for our metabolic activities. As vegetarians , we have to solely rely on lentils , pulses and legumes for dietary protein .Hence, it is important to use them while judiciously while planning our menu . I wouldn't get into the depths of Nutrition facts as most of us know the benefits of eating protein rich food .  

We shall now see how to prepare this yummy tiffin sambar and dunk piping hot vadas and idlis into them and savor the taste .

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Cooking Time - 30 to 40 mins

Serves- 3 to 4 

Complexity - medium

Ingredients 

For the sambar powder  (roast and grind)

2 tsp channa dhall /bengal gram 

2 tbsp dhaniya seeds /corriander seeds

1/4 tsp jeera/cumin

1/4 tsp methi/fenugreek seeds

4 to 5 byadgi /kashmiri red chillies

3 to 4 dry red chillies (gunturu /paandi variety)

Pinch of asafoetida

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Few fresh curry leaves 

For the sambar 

1/4 cup moongdhall /split gram 

1/4 cup thoor dhall / pigeon peas 

2 green chillies slit length wise 

Lemon sized tamarind soaked in hot water 

2 to 4 tomatoes roughly chopped

1 small piece red pumpkin cut into cubes

1 medium onion chopped roughly (optional)

2 tsp oil 

1/2 tsp mustard seeds 

Few curry leaves /karvepillai

Fresh corriander/kothmir chopped 

Method 

• Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok/kadai and start roasting the ingredients mentioned under Sambar powder one by one .
• Start roasting the channa dhall first, when it turns light brown add in the methi seeds followed by dhaniya and jeera and continue roasting till the dhall turns golden brown and crisp . Let it cool on a plate.
• In the same kadai add a few drops of oil and roast the curry leaves and red chillies till they turn crisp .
• Blend all these roasted ingredients in a blender along with the asafoetida and turmeric powder to a fine powder .

Sambar Preparation 

• Wash the thoor dhall & moong dhall to clean all the impurities and pressure cook with enough water till the dhall turns soft and mushy.
• Squeeze the soaked tamarind and prepare the extract . Filter the tamarind extract through a strainer to keep it clean.  
• In a deep thick bottom vessel , heat oil and splutter the mustard seeds , curry leaves and the green chillies 
• Saute the onions till they turn pink .Skip if not using onions and proceed to next step.
• Saute the tomatoes with turmeric and asafoetida followed by the red pumpkin cubes . If using drumstick you can add them at this stage.
• Add 1 cup (200ml) water with a little salt and cook till the tomatoes turn soft and the pumpkin cubes are 3/4th done.
• Add the tamarind extract with 1.5 cups (300ml) water and boil till the raw flavor of tamarind is lost . 
• Add 1.5 tbsp fresh sambar powder , the cooked and mashed dhall and stir the sambar without any dhal lumps . Adjust water if the sambar appears too thick.
• Adjust salt if needed , add a tsp of jaggery powder for added taste and turn off when the sambar reaches a rolling boil stage .
• Add a few drops of fresh ghee and garnish with lots of fresh corriander. Donot add the ghee if you are  vegan.

Tips to keep in mind

1. Ensure that the sambar is piping hot before you pour it on the idlis/ vadas . 
2. If you are going to have vada sambar , the vadas have to be crisp and hot to absorb the sambar into the vada ,only then can you relish . Never attempt preparing vada sambar with vadas that are cold or have been fried long time ago.  
3. The idlis too have to be warm , so prepare the idlis just before serving so they remain fresh, spongy and soft .

Some special and authentic South Indian Breakfast delights on my blog . 

Click the images for detailed recipe.

Poosanikaai Morekuzhambu | Ash gourd in yogurt gravy

 Morkuzhambu /Mor kulambu / Mor kolambu is a flavorful curry made out of yogurt /dahi and freshly ground coconut masala.  This South indian delicacy  is very rich in calcium and vitamin C . We use fresh coconut in this recipe and just 1 tsp of oil which is used as part of tempering.  Technically this can be called as an oil free recipe.  If you may like even non fat yogurt or very low fat yogurt can be used to prepare mor kolambu.

No South Indian feast is complete without serving Morekuzhambu.  In Tamil Nadu we say Morekuzhambu while in kerala it is called as Mor curry / pulissery / kaalan , Andhra it is known as Majjiga Pulusu and Majjige Huli in Karnataka. This curry is served with hot rice and often paired with potato roast .

Even if the names are different the method of preparation is more or less the same  except for a few minor changes in terms of the ingredients used to grind . Traditionally native vegetables like Ash gourd/poosnikai /elavan / kumbalkai , ladies finger /vendakkai , Arbi/seppankizhangu /taro root , Mangalore cucumber go into the Morkuzhambu . Now a days people like to experiment with flavors and use capsicum, tomatoes , potatoes also in the mor kolambu but I prefer to stick to the traditional vegetables as it retains the authenticity and flavor of the curry when paired with a spicy curry .  You may try my version of vendakkai (bhindi) morkuzhambu which I have already have on my blog.

The subtle flavor of yogurt curry when paired with a spicy stir fried vegetable like potato roast, arbi (seppankizhangu) roast or paruppu usili enhances the taste and is indeed a treat to our palate.

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Cooking Time - 30 mins
Serves - 3 to 4
Complexity - easy 

Ingredients 

250 gms ashgourd/elavan /pumpkin/poosnikai
250ml thick yogurt 
100 ml water 
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard 
1/2 tsp methi /fenugreek seeds
2 to 3 dry red chillies 
fresh curry leaves 
pinch of turmeric 
Pinch of asafoetida 
salt

To grind
 6 to 7 tbsp  fresh grated coconut 
1/2 tsp jeera/cumin 
3 to 4 green chillies 
1 tsp channa dhall /bengal gram
2 tsp dhaniya /corriander seeds
Small piece ginger 

Method 

Soak all the ingredients under the "to grind" section in water for 10 to 15 mins and grind into a fine paste .

Peel the skin of the pumpkin and cut into 1 inch cubes . In a thick vessel , add the chopped pumpkin cubes , pinch of salt and some water and  cook until the pumpkin is 3/4th cooked. They shouldn't over cook and turn soggy . The crunch in the pumpkin must be maintained. 

Whisk the yogurt until is creamy and smooth. 

Add in the ground spice paste to the whisked yogurt along with salt and turmeric powder and mix well with water mentioned . Donot add too much water , else the mor kuzhambu will be runny and will split on boiling.  Check the video below to know the right consistency. 

Add this yogurt mixture to the boiled pumpkin pieces and continue to cook on medium flame until the mixture starts frothing up . 

Remember to turn it off at this stage..continuing to cook further will end up in splitting the yogurt..we donot want that to happen. 

Prepare a tempering of mustard seeds , methi  Curry leaves and dry chillies in hot oil and pour it over the mor kuzhambu.  The consistency of the mor kuzhambu is demonstrated in the below video.

Most important tip : do not close the mor kuzhambu with a lid until it has cooled down  completely.  The reason is,if we close when it is still hot , the water droplets formed due to steam tend to spoil the taste and texture of the mor kuzhambu. 

Lip smacking chutneys - Saatvik & Vegan

 Chutneys are a quint essential part of the breakfast menu . No breakfast is complete without the accompaniment of a delicious chutney.  

There are so many variants in making chutney and no two chutney will taste the same . Each recipe is unique in its own way .

Each morning we need to think of what chutney to prepare for the breakfast and it indeed gets on the nerves sometimes to rack our brains to prepare and present something which is tasty and different at the same time.

So to help you all with this issue , I am making this post with a collection of some delicious chutneys which you can prepare in rotation for 7 days a week :-) 

Do try these and give me your feedback on how your family liked these .. 

Check the recipe links given below the image

Individual recipe links 

Yam / Suran Chutney ( sennai kizhangu thogayal ) -  Video recipe

 

Phalli Chutney  / Groundnut Chutney   

Raw Banana peel chutney / Vazhakkai Thol thogayal- Video recipe 

Mint Chutney / Pudina Thogayal

Tomato chutney 

Pottukadalai Chutney / Roasted gram chutney 

Coconut Chutney 

Ginger Curry leaves chutney / Inji Karvepillai Chutney

Peanut Ginger chutney