Cabbage Thoran

A simple dish at every keralite's kitchen.

A short note on what we eat: The Medicinal properties of cabbage: (from Google)

Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin C. It has anti-inflammatory properties. Cabbage is a low calorie food. It can boost DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells.Boiling reduces anti-cancer properties.Fresh cabbage juice has been shown to promote rapid healing of peptic ulcers.

Ingredients:
1. Cabbge- 2 cups, finely shredded
2. Coconut shred- 1/4 cup
3. Turmeris powcer- 1/4 tsp
4. Green chillies- 2 slit to two.
5. Urud dal- 1/2 tsp
6. Mustard seeds, to splutter
7. Shallots-3-4, sliced
8. Coconut oil- 2 tsp
9. Salt, to taste

Preparation method:
1. Finely slice the cabbage, for this you can even use the vegetable-shredder.

2. In a wok, add 2 tsp coconut oil, splutter mustard seeds, add green-chillies and urud dal,fry it to golden color.
3. Add shallots and fry sor a minute.
4. Add the cabbage and salt to taste, cover and cook.
5. In a bowl, mix together the shredded coconut with turmeric powder and add it into the cabbage once it starts becoming soft.Adjust salt after adding the coconut mixture.
6. Keep the lid and cook them without adding water. Stir in intervals.
6. Serve warm with rice.

Kaya Elissery/ Pachakka Erissery/Raw Banana with Coconut ground paste

Erissery/Elissery is a common dish in kerala served as a side dish with kerala-rice for lunch.
This is an authentic kerala dish which can be made using chena/Elephant foot yam or Kaya/Raw Banana or Mathanga/Pumpkin. I have already posted the chena elisery.

Kaya, cut into small equal cubes- 2 cups
Moong dal/ Cheru payar- 1/4 cup
Shredded Coconut - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds/Jeerakam- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
Raw Mango-2-3 small pieces
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds, to splutter
Dry red chillies- 1 split into 3
Curry leaves - A few

1. Cook moong dal in a cooker.
2. Cook the raw banana with some salt in a cooker.
3. Grind together grated coconut,turmeric powder and chilly powder.
4. Mix all the three together and raw mango. Allow to boil and the raw taste of the coconut paste goes.
5. In a pan, add oil, splutter mustard seeds and jeera.

6. Add some curry leaves, fry 3 tbsp of grated coconut and add this mixture into the curry.
7. Close the lid and keep, switching off the flame.
8. Mix well before serving, without mashing the dal or kaaya.

Variations can be made by using van payar/cow peas instead of moong dal.
Those who are concerned about cholesterol the final frying of shredded coconut can be avoided. Since coconut oil and coconut paste is included in the recipe. But this fried coconut adds a lot taste to this dish. Enjoy with Kerala matta rice.

Chena/Elephant Foot Yam Elissery/Erissery

Elephant Yam/Chena, cut into small equal cubes- 2 cups
Moong dal/ Cheru payar- 1/4 cup
Shredded Coconut - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds/Jeerakam- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds, to splutter
Dry red chillies- 1 split into 3
Curry leaves - A few

1. Cook moong dal in a cooker.
2. Cook chena with some salt in a cooker.
3. Grind together grated coconut,turmeric powder and chilly powder.
4. Mix all the three together and allow to boil and the raw taste of the coconut paste goes.

5. In a pan, add oil, splutter mustard seeds and jeera.

6. Add some curry leaves, fry 3 tbsp of grated coconut and add this mixture into the chena curry.
7. Close the lid and keep, switching off the flame.
8. Mix well before serving, without mashing the dal or chena.

Variations can be made by using van payar/cow peas instead of moong dal.
Those who are concerned about cholesterol the final frying of shredded coconut can be avoided. Since coconut oil and coconut paste is included in the recipe. But this fried coconut adds a lot taste to this dish. Enjoy with Kerala matta rice and moru curry.

Beetroot Pachadi-Beet cube salad in thick curd

Ingredients
1. Coconut Oil- 1 tsp
2. Mustard seeds, to splutter
3. Half an onion, finely chopped
4. Green chillies- 2, finely chopped
5. Half a Beetroot cubed into very small pieces
6. Ginger, grated- 1 tsp
7. Curry leaves, one strand
8. Salt, to taste
9. Thick curd- 1 1/2 cup

Preparation Method
1. Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds and some curry leaves.
2. Add onion, green chillies and saute till translucent.
3. Add beet,ginger,salt and some more curry leaves.
4. Saute till beets become soft. Donot add water to cook them.
5. Remove from flame.
6. Mix the curd with and 1/2 cup water.
7. Add this into the beet mix and stir well till all the flavors are mixed into curd.
8. Adjust salt according to the sourness of the curd used.
9. Serve as a side dish or as a salad with rice.
10. This is best served while having some fish eventhough curd should not be in-taken with fish.

Aviyal

Ingredients

1. Vegetables as per your wish like: Carrot, Yam(Chena), Snake guard(padavalanga), Potato,Drumsticks(Muringakka), Long beans(payar), Raw Banana.

2. Grated cocnut-1/2 cup

3. Green chilly, chopped-3

4. Green Mango sliced-2 small pieces.

5. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp

6. Jeera/Cumin seeds-1/4 tsp

7. Curry leaves, a few

8. Salt,to taste

1. Cook all the vegetables in boiling water with some salt, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, two slit green chillies and the mango.

2. Grind together one green chilly, 1/4tsp turmeric powder, cumin seeds, 3-4 curry leaves and some salt.

3. Once the vegetables are almost done, add the ground paste into it when the water has almost dried out. Mix well all the ingredients together.

4. Cook till the raw taste of the vegetables go, that is may be for 5-6 minutes. Add a lot of curry leaves into it.

5. Switch off the flame and pour 1 tbsp full coconut oil on top and close the lid. Give a stir while serving. Goes best with kerala rice. This is an inevitable dish for kerala sadhya or an onam sadhya.

Note:

Tips & Tricks
The vegetables must be cut evenly into long thin pieces;so that all the pieces cook evenly at the same time.You can take vegetables you like and the amount of each vegetable can be adjusted according to your taste, all together the amount can be upto 2 cups of vegetables for 1/2 a cup of grated coconut.

Water must be just enough to cook the veggies, its not a good practice to drain the rest of the water and then cook. It spoils the taste of the whole dish. So you will have to wait till the whole water reduce to add the coconut paste. So make sure you add only enough water to the veggies.

Do not stir the cooked vegetables too much, it will mash them into paste.

The more you add the curry leaves its more healthier and tastier. If served for children, you can add more carrots and can even add green peas to make them more colorful and can avoid yam and potato to make them eat their favorite veggies.

Sharkara Ada Pradhaman

Ingredients
1. Sarkara (Jaggery) 1 cup
2. Coconut Milk 1 cup
3. Ada 3/4 cup
4. Cardamom Powder 1 tsp
5. Cashew Nuts and Raisins, a few

1. In a heavy bottom vessel, add 3 tbsp water and add sarakara. Let it liquidify in low flame.

2. Drain the liquid thru a clean cotton cloth. Do this two times till all the dirty particles from the jaggery is removed.

3. Boil 3 cups of water,add a drop of oil and add the washed ada into it. Ada can be washed in running water. Once ada is cooked wash it again under running water to remove the oil on it.

4. Into a heavy bottom pan add the jaggery and cooked ada. Stir continously since there are chances of jaggery sticking to the bottom.

5. After 5 minutes, add half the coconut milk mixed with water(randam pal) and simmer for 10 minutes.

6. When the raw taste of the coconut milk goes, add the thick coconut milk(onnam pal) and cardamom powder.

7. Fry cashews and raisins in 1 tbsp ghee and pour it into the payasam. Serve after the sadya (feast) with pazham (banana) and pappadam (pappad).

Do not add too much water into the jaggery, it will lead to lot of cooking time to make it into thick consistency.
Ada must be washed properly after cooking, otherwise the oil on it will spoil the dish by curding the coconut milk.
This goes best with pazham (banana) and tastes better when there are cashews and raisins in it.

Palada Pradhaman

Ingredients
1. Ada - 1 cup
2. Milk - 3 cup
3. Sugar - 2 cup
4. Cardamom Powder- 1/2 tsp
5. Oil, very little
6. Cashew nuts and Raisins, a few


1. Wash the ada in cold water first, then in hot water.

2. Into the cooker, add water, a drop of oil and ada. Let it whistle one time.

3. Then wash ada properly under running water to remove all the oil on its surface.

4. Wash the cooker properly to remove any signs of oil in it.

5. Now, into the cooker add milk, washed ada, sugar and the cardamom powder. Keep in medium flame.

6. After the first whistle, put the flame to simmer and let it whistle for 1 more time.

4. Milk will be thick enough for the consistency of payasam, in case its not thick pour it into a heavy bottom wide mouthed pan. Simmer and keep stirring.

5. In a pan, add 1 tbsp ghee and fry the split cashews and raisins. Pour this into the payasam. Serve after a wonderful sadhya(feast) with pazham(banana) and pappadam(pappad).

I used store-bought ada which is a little thick. So the number of whistles will depend on the amount of cooking needed. If you are using home-made or thin ada, the time for cooking can be less. Check after the second whistle and then again cook only if required.

Those who do not like ghee and nuts, the last step can be avoided. Without them also the payasam will turn to be very very delicious.

Semiya/Vermicelli Payasam

Ingredients
1. Semiya/Vermicelli 1 cup
2. Sugar 1 cup
3. Condensed milk(sweetened) 1/2 a tin (optional)
4. Milk-3 cups
5. Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
6. Cashews,Raisins- afew
7. Ghee- 2 tbsp

1. Boil milk and add semiya into it.

2. Simmer till semiya cooks(become very soft and mashed up when rubbed up with fingers). It will double its size when fully cooked.

3. By this time, milk will get reduced to half. You can make it sure when milk turns pale yellow in color.

4. Now, add sugar and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Add milk-maid and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir well.

6. Fry cashews and raisins in the ghee and add into this. Serve after lunch/feast.

Vermicelli payasam can also be eaten as a pudding by keeping it in the refrigerator for 3-4 hrs. Its also very very delicious.

Milk-maid is completely optional. This makes the milk thickening a little easier,so the cooking time and standing at the stove time can be reduced. Depending on the sweetness of the condensed milk, sugar can be adjusted to your taste.

In case you are not adding the condensed milk, increase the amount of sugar to 2 cups.