Carrot/green onion thoran and Simple Carrot halwa

While mom was here, she used to make this every week.One of her fav. thoran.She served it with rice and theeyal.


Carrot - green onion (scallion/spring onion) thoran

Ingredients

Carrot - 1 cup (shredded)
Green onions - 3/4 cup ( finely chopped)
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Urad dal - 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
Oil - 1tsp

To grind coarsely

Red chillies -1
Jeera - 1/4tsp
Coconut - 2tbsp
Garlic - 1 clove
Curryleaves - as needed

Method
Grind the ingredeints listed above to a coarse paste.In a pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal.Now add shredded carrot,salt and turmeric powder.Saute for few minutes until it is half cooked.Now add the chopped green onions.Saute well till everything is cooked.Finally add the ground coconut and saute until raw smell goes.Serve it with rice.

P.S : You can reduce the amount of green onions if u hate it's strong flavour.




Carrot halwa


I made this simple easy halwa with left over shredded carrot.

Ingredients

Carrot - 2 cup (shredded)
Condensed milk - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 2-3 tbsp
Cashews(fried) - for garnish

Method

In a heavey bottomed pan,heat ghee and add the carrot.Saute the carrot and cook well.Now add condensed milk and keep stirring.Cook until the halwa comes away from the edges of the pan.You can add more ghee if u like.Add fried cashews for garnish.

Arusuvai food chain - Puli Koddel

Asha of foodie's hope had send the secret ingredient for Arusuvai food chain.The secret ingredient was spice powder to make Puli Koddel.The package was filled with it's aroma and some goodies for my son as well.It had books, a cute thank you card and letter for me with the ingredient details and recipe.Thanks to Asha for choosing me and for sharing the special recipe.Much appreciated.I made the dish according to Asha's original recipe , but used brinjals.(Actually i didn't have any ash gourd!).I paired this puli koddel with "keerai masiyal" and "cauliflower thoran".Will share that recipes later.






This is Asha's recipe for Puli koddel.

Adjust the ingredients,chilli pd,salt and tamarind to your taste.
1.Season with ghee,oil,mustard seeds,cumin seeds,red chillies,curry leaves,hing and garlic(optional).
2.Add 1/2 cup of water mixed with enough tamarind juice,salt,coriander leaves and cook until raw smell goes.
3.Add 1 or 2 tbsp of Puli koddel powder or to taste and mix well.
4.Add cubed and cooked Ash gourd or any vegetable with it's water and simmer for few minutes until gravy thicken a little.
5.Serve hot with rice(or chapatis depending on the thickness of the gravy).

This dish came out really well and i am planning to experiment with the spice powder for more dishes.I took the pictures as soon as i made, so u can see the steam coming out of the dish...:)

Chilli chicken and Chicken Fry

Recipe adapted from here.I skipped ajinomotto from the original recipe and made it little spicer than the original.This dish turned out to be a hit.Both H and R loved it.I paired this dish with store brought 'kulcha naan' and home style kerala chicken fry.

Kerala Chicken fry

Ingredients

Chicken drumsticks - 6 (skinned)
Ginger garlic paste - 2tbsp
Red chilli powder - 2tsp
Tumeric powder - 1/2tsp
Salt - as needed
Vinegar - 1/2tsp
Oil - needed for deep frying

Method

Clean,pat dry and make big slits on the drumsticks with knife.Make a paste of rest of the ingredients except oil with just enough water.Let this marinate for 1/2 to 1 hour in the refrigerator.Heat oil for deep frying and fry the drumsticks till they are fully cooked on the inside and crispy on the out.Serve it hot with roti/rice.

Bread upma

Recipe adapted from my cousin sis V.Thanks V we enjoyed this one a lot.


Ingredients

Bread - 10 slices (toasted and cut)
Onion- 1 medium size (chopped)
Ginger garlic - 1tbsp
Green chillies - 3
Red chilli powder - 1tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
Coriander - cumin powder - 1/2tsp
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Tomato - 1
Tomoto paste - 1 6 oz can
kasuri methi - 1/2tsp
coriander leaves - for garnish

Method

Toast the bread pieces if they are little soft.Cut them into small squares.In a pan, heat oil and fry mustard seeds.Now add greenchillies,onion,gingergarlic and fry well.Now add all the powders and salt.After the raw smell goes add chopped tomato and tomato paste.Fry well till it thickens.Lower the heat and add bread slices.Do not mix it hard, just slightly mix it with a spatula until all the gravy is absorbed by bread.Garnish it with kasuri methi and coriander leaves.

Fish curry

This is MIL's trademark fish curry.The original recipe is from her MIL...:).My husband loves it so much and i try harder everytime to make it just like MIL.After almost 6 years, finally i am able to make it upto that mark...

Ingredients

King fish - 1-2lbs
Small pearl onion - 5
Tamarind - 1 small lime size(soaked in 1 cup of water)
Red chillies - 8
Pepper corns - 1tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
Whole Dania - 1tsp
Garlic-1 clove
Jeera-1/2tsp
Coconut Oil - 2tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Coconut - 1 cup (shredded)

Method

Clean the fish pieces with little bit of turmeric.Grind coconut,1 pearl onion,curry leaves,dania,turmeric powder,garlic,jeera into a smooth paste.In a heavy bottomed pan,heat the grouded paste with the tamarind water.Boil this till the raw smell goes and the curry becomes little thicker.Add the fish pieces at this point and don't stir it.Boil it till the fish is cooked full.In a pan, heat coconut oil and fry mustard seeds ,curry leaves and sliced onions.Pour this into the fish curry.Serve hot with rice.