Thiruvathira Puzhukku

A special preparation during the Thiruvathira festival observed by women. Its a Karva Chauth of sorts. On this day women avoid eating rice and prepare this special winter dish, very similar to the Gujarati dish, Undhiyu.

Ingredients:
Kachil (Kand) – 250 gm
Raw banana – 1
Pumpkin – 250 gm
Green gram – 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut = 1 cup
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder/green chillies – 1/2 tsp/4
Water – 1 glass
Coconut oil – 1 tbsp
Curry leaves – 2 stalks

Method:

Soak the green gram dal overnight and pressure cook it. Keep aside. Cut the vegetables into cubes and put them in a cooking pot. Add some water (just enough to immerse half of the cut vegetables). Add turmeric powder and chilly powder. Close with a lid and stir occasionally.

Grind the grated coconut and cumin seeds to make a coarse paste. If you are using green chillies, add that along with the coconut and cumin seeds. When then vegetables are tender and well cooked, add the cooked green gram, grinded coconut paste, and salt. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the fire and add the coconut oil and fresh curry leaves. The dish gives out a pleasing aroma. This dish is a self-sufficient meal in itself. There are many variations to this dish. You can also try adding your own combinations of vegetables.

Arrowroot Pudding (Koova)

A sweet dish that is made from arrowroot powder, which is usually made from home-grown arrowroot. Its a lengthy and tedious process of pulling out the root, cleaning, chopping, grinding, adding water, and distilling the powder. At the end of all this you end up with very little quantity of arrowroot powder.

Ingredients:
Koova (arrowroot powder) – 250 gm
Jaggery – 200 gm
Water – 2-1/2 glasses
Grated Coconut – 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder – 1 tbsp

Method:

Melt the jaggery in water. Strain to remove the impurities. Mix the arrowroot powder in some water and make a smooth and thin paste without any lumps. Add this paste to the jaggery syrup. Place this mixture on the stove. Stir continuously on low flame. The mixture starts thickening. Turn off the fire when the mixture becomes a fine paste. Add cardamom powder and grated coconut. Mix well. You can add ghee or cashew fried in ghee but this is optional. You can also add cooked moong dal along with the arrowroot powder.

There could be regional variations to both these recipes.

During Thiruvathira, Palakkad brahmins prepare a dish called Kali, a sort of rice halwa, a very tasty dish. Will post the recipe soon.

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Ingredients:

Tender Colocasia stems – 200 gms
Long beans (payar/chowli) – 100 gms
Raw banana – 100 gms
Raw papaya – 100 gms
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
Salt – as needed
Tamarind – size of lemon
Water – 1/2 glass
Coconut – 1/2
Shallot – 1-2
Jeera – 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil – 1 tbsp
Curry leaves – 2 stalks

Method:

Wash and clean the vegetables. Peel the colocasia stem, raw banana, and Papaya and cut into slender 1-1/2 inch long pieces. The colocasia stems are porous and reduce after cooking. So cut them slightly more thicker than the other vegetables. Remove the edges of the long beans and cut them to 1-1/2 inch long pieces. Put the cut vegetables in a cooking pot and place it on fire. Add Turmeric and chilly powder and half a glass of water. Stir and close the pot with a lid. Stir occasionally to ensure vegetables do not stick to the bottom. Cook in medium fire.

Meanwhile, soak the tamarind in 2 tsp of water and extract the juice. Grate half a coconut and grind the coconut along with one shallot and jeera to make a fine paste. Keep aside.

When the vegetables are tender and cooked, add the tamarind extract. At times colocasia stems tend to cause itching. Adding tamarind juice removes this itch. Mix well and cook for a minute. Add the grinded coconut paste. Stir well and cook for 2 mins. Remove from fire. Add salt as needed and then sprinkle curry leaves and then add coconut oil. I cannot describe the aroma that will fill your kitchen when you add the curry leaves and coconut oil to this warm avial. You need to experience it. Anything that smells great tastes great too!

I do not have any pictures to post at the moment. I hope I get a chance to make this avial and share the pictures very soon!

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There are various types of sambar and different styles of making it. This is a simpler version, which can be made even if you do not have whole ingredients or a ready-made sambar powder but turns out equally tasty. Try it!

Ingredients:

Toor dal – 1 cup

Drumstick – 2

Malabar cucumber/ash gourd – 100 gms

Potatoes – 2

Tomatoes – 2

Lady’s finger – 6-8

Tamarind – a lime-sized ball

Curry leaves – 2 stalks

Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp chopped

Salt to taste

Water – 3-4 cups

For seasoning:

Coriander powder – 2 table spoons

Asafetida – 1/4 tea spoon

Red chilly powder – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1/4 tea spoon

Methi(fenugreek) seeds – 1/4 tea spoon

Oil – 1 tsp

Preparation Time: 15 mins.

Cooking Time: 20 mins.

Method:

Wash toor dal and add some turmeric powder and pressure cook it. Mash the dal and keep it aside.

Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract the juice.

Wash, peel, and cut the vegetables in 1/2 inch sized cubes. Put all the vegetables except tomato in a vessel. Add enough water to cover all the vegetables and a pinch of turmeric powder and cook. When the vegetables are cooked, add the tamarind paste and add tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the cooked dal to this mixture. Add salt and mix boil for 2 minutes. Add more water if needed.

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard and methi seeds. When they crackle, add coriander powder, red chilly powder, asofetida. Take care to not burn the powders. Add half a glass of water and cook this mixture for 2 minutes. Instead of adding these powders, you can buy sambar powder from the market and add 2 tbsps of that. Add this to the vegetables. Add curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves and garnish. Hot sambhar is ready.

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Ingredients:
Mix vegetables diced in small cubes and florets(carrot, cauliflower, beans, green peas, potato) – 250 gms

Turmeric – 1 tsp
Water – 1 cup
Coriander leaves – 1 cup
Curd – 2 tbsp

For gravy:
Onion – 2
Tomato – 2
Green Chillies – 4
Ginger (finely chopped) – 1 small piece
Garlic (finely chopped) – 3 pods
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Coconut (grated)* – 3 tbsp
Cardamom* – 2
Cloves* – 1
Star Anise* – 1
Bay Leaf* – 1
Cinnamon* – 1 small piece

* In case any of these ingredients are unavailable, check the alternate ingredients section for other options.

*Alternatives:
Instead of the whole spices, you could use 1 tsp garam masala powder. You can add coconut milk instead of the grated coconut.

Method:
Add some water and turmeric powder to the cut vegetables, close with a lid and boil.

While this is being done, in a wok, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Put the spices into the oil and sauté until the smell of spices waft in the air. Add finely chopped garlic and ginger. Add 2 chopped green chillies. When this is sauté-ed, add the onions and sauté. Add tomato after onions are sauté-ed. Add coriander powder. If you haven’t used the spices, add the garam masala powder at this stage. You can add a tsp chilly powder if you like it spicier. Turn off and add grated coconut (if you do not have grated coconut, you can add coconut milk towards the end). When this mixture cools, grind it into a fine paste. Note: Ensure that the cinnamon and cloves have been ground properly.

Add this ground paste to the cooked vegetables. Mix well and cook for about 2 minutes. Add 2 tbsp of curd. If you couldn’t add grated coconut to the paste, you can add coconut milk now. Turn off the fire and garnish with lots of fresh coriander leaves. Hot and tasty korma ready.

List of accompaniments:
Tastes well with appam, chappathi, paratha, and even dosa or idli!

Skill Level:

Low

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Ingredients:
Assorted vegetables cut in 1-1-/2 inch size – 500 gm
Water – 1/2 cup
Curd* – 1 cup
Curry Leaves – 2 stalks
Coconut oil – 1 tbsp

* In case any of these ingredients are unavailable, check the alternate ingredients section for other options.

To grind:
Grated coconut – one cup
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Green chillies – 3 or 4
Shallots – 1-2

*Alternatives:
You can add tamarind pulp instead of curd.

Method:
You can use any vegetable for avial. Avial itself means an assortment/mixture of various things. Yet, the traditional avial does not use vegetables like potato, capsicum etc. So try to use ‘traditional vegetables’ to get the conventional taste. Traditionally used vegetables for avial are ash gourd, malabar cucumber, drum sticks, elephant yam, carrot, raw banana, pumpkin, long beans, snake gourd, bottle gourd. Wash, peel, and then cut the vegetables of same length of 1 to 1-½ inch pieces.

In a wok add ½ cup of water and add the cut vegetables. Ensure that the water is just enough for the vegetables to get cooked, not too much and not less. Add a pinch of turmeric powder. Close with a lid and cook in medium flame until all the vegetables are cooked. Stir occasionally. Add salt.

While the vegetables are cooking, in a mixer, grind the grated coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds, and shallots. Grind coarsely. Add the ground paste to the cooked vegetables and let it simmer for 2 minutes.

Add curry leaves. Turn off the fire. Beat the curd and add it to the cooked vegetables. Mix well and add 1 tbsp coconut oil mix. Avial is ready to be served.

Notes:
Avial can be eaten along with rice and sambhar. It is a wholesome dish and can be eaten as a salad also.

Trivia:
Here is an interesting story about the origin of avial. Bheema, the strongest of the of Pandava brothers, worked as a cook in the Virata kingdom during the one year that Pandavas spent in disguise. The king of Virata did not like wasting a thing. Once, during one of his trips to the royal kitchen, the king noticed that there were small bits and pieces of various vegetables lying around even after all the cooking was complete. The king ordered that these vegetables should not be wasted and should be put to better use. Bheema then cooked all the leftover vegetables together and added some leftover coconut, curd and the rest is history! The inevitable item of every good sadya was thus born in the royal kitchen. It is a much loved dish and is commonly found in restaurants. But seldom will you find the original taste of avial there. Try an authentic sadya avial and then you will know.

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Ingredients:

For gravy:

For seasoning/tadka:

Method:

Peel the mangoes and cut them into small pieces. In a vessel, put the mango pieces, add one cup of water. Add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Cook for 5 mins until the mangoes are soft. Mash the mango pieces. Grind all the ingredients in the For gravy section into a fine paste. Add this paste to the cooked mango pieces. Stir and cook for 3 mins. Add one stalk of curry leaves and turn off the stove. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. When they splutter, add red chilies and remaining curry leaves. Beat the curds into a smooth paste to avoid lumps. Add this to the curry. Stir well. Do not add the curd when the curry is very hot.

Caution:

Do not add the beaten curds when the curry is very hot. This will cause it to curdle.

List of accompaniments:

Tastes great with rice.

Health Benefits/Alerts:

This yummy dish is a Kerala specialty. Its a seasonal delicacy and popular in the summer, which is the mango season.

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Ingredients:
Yoghurt/buttermilk – 500 ml
Shallots* – 3-4
Red chilly powder – 2 tsp OR green chillies – 5-6
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds/powder (jeera) – ¼ tsp
Methi seeds/powder (uluva)- ¼ tsp
Curry leaves – 2 stalks
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Oil and salt to taste

* In case any of these ingredients are unavailable, check the alternate ingredients section for other options.

Alternatives:
Onion – 1 (small). Shallots is an optional ingredient. The curry would taste great even without them.

Preparation Time: 3min.
Cooking Time: 5min.

Method:
Chop the shallots finely. Slice the green chillies in long pieces. Whip the yogurt. Buttermilk need not be whipped.

Place a vessel on the stove and pour oil. Add mustard seeds. If you are using cumin seeds and methi seeds (instead of the powder), add them along with the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add green chillies, curry leaves, and shallots. Stir till shallots turn pink. If you are using methi powder and cumin powder, add them at this stage along with red chillies, turmeric powder, and salt. As soon as these powders are added, add the beaten yoghurt/buttermilk. Keep stirring to prevent yoghurt from splitting. Do NOT boil. Just heat it for about less than a minute. Remove from the stove.

It is ideal to cook this in the low flame otherwise the powders will get burnt and the yoghurt would split.

List of accompaniments:
Tastes great with rice and spicy dry subzi (mezhukkupuratti).

Health Benefits/Alerts:
This dish is very easy and light on the tummy.  You can have it even when you are not keeping well.

Trivia:
It’s a simple and easy dish to make if you are looking for an instant curry on a working day or on a lazy holiday.

Click here to view another version of this curry.

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Ingredients:

Malabar cucumber* – 250 gm
Raw mango (medium)* – ½ portion
Curd – 1 cup
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Water – 2 cups
Salt – to taste

For gravy:
Coconut (scraped/cut) – 1 cup
Green chillies – 4-5
Cumin seeds (jeera) – ½ tsp

For tempering (tadka):
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Fenugreek (uluva) – ½ tsp
Dry red chillies – 2-3
Curry leaves – 2 stalks
Oil (preferably coconut) – 1 tsp

* In case any of these ingredients are unavailable, check the alternate ingredients section for other options.

Alternatives:
You can use ash gourd, squash, or other cucumber variants instead of Malabar cucumber. The taste remains the same. Raw mangoes are available only in the summer season. This curry can be made even without the raw mango, just by doubling the amount of curd to compensate for the sourness. But the taste that you get by using raw mango is simply different and cannot be matched with curd.

Preparation Time: 10min.
Cooking Time: 15min.

Method:
Wash the cucumber, peel, remove the seeds and cut them in 1-inch sized cubes. Similarly, wash the raw mango, remove the seed, take half the portion and cut them into 1-inch sized cubes. Take a vessel and pour 2 cups of water. Add the cucumber into the vessel. Add turmeric powder. Cook for 5 mins. When the cucumber is almost done, add the raw mango pieces and cook for 5 more minutes.

In a mixer, grind one cup of coconut, green chillies, and jeera to make a fine paste. Add this to the cooked vegetables. Boil this for 2 minutes. Turn off the fire. Beat the curd in mixture and add it to the vegetables. In a small pan, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. When they start to splutter, turn off the fire and add the dry red chillies and curry leaves. Pour this into the cooked vegetables and mix well. The cucumber and raw mango curry is ready to be served with rice.

List of accompaniments:
Tastes great with rice.

Health Benefits/Alerts:
This is a very healthy dish. Cucumber is fibrous, has high water content, and is low in calories. It’s the best thing that you can have to cool off in the hot summer season.

Click here to view a simpler version of this curry.

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