Oats Puttu / Oats Steam Cake

INGREDIENTS:

• Oats - 2 cup 
• Grated Coconut - ½ cup
• Salt - to taste
• Water - as required to make the powder wet.

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Blend oats in a mixer to make it powder.
• In a heavy  bottomed pan add the  powder, stir continuously and roast lightly for 5 minutes.
• Allow the powder to cool.
• Sprinkle water in to flour little at a time and mix the flour. 
• Repeat sprinkling water till the flour is wet.
• Blend the flour mix in a blender for a minute so that the flour mix becomes soft.
• Place a pot shapped utensil  or a pressure cooker on the stove. 
• Fill half the utensil with water and boil the water.
• Place a puttu maker on the top of the utensil.
• Now its time to put the flour mixture into the puttu maker.
• Put a spoon full of  grated coconut first, then fill the flour mixture till the half of the maker.
• Again a spoonful of coconut on it then fill it up with the flour mix .
• Finally put a layer of  coconut on the top of it.
• Steam in a vessel for 5-6 minutes and serve hot.

Recommended Combination: Oats Puttu can be served hot with Kadala curry / Payar Curry  / Pappadam

Beetroot Halwa

A variety dessert prepared by using Beetroot.

INGREDIENTS:

• Grated Beetroot -2 cups
• Milk - 2 cup
• Sugar - ½ cup to 3/4 cup  (or as needed)
• Ghee - 3 tbsp
• Cardamom powder - ¼ tsp 
• Almond slices - few
• Pista slices - few

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Heat ghee in a Pan.
• Add the grated beetroot and saute on medium heat for 5 minutes.
• Add milk and cook till the milk gets completely absorbed.
• Add the sugar and stir well.
• Add the cardamom powder and cook in low heat till the ghee oozes out.
• Remove from fire and let it cool.
• Garnish with almond slices and pista slices and cut it in a desired shape.

Cheera Thoran / Spinach Stir fry

Cheera / Spinach Thoran is a simple and nutritious dish which is good for health.

INGREDIENTS:

• Finely Chopped Red Spinach (chuvanna cheera) - 2cups
• Grated coconut - ½ Cup
• Chilly Powder - ½ tsp
• Red Chilly -2 nos
• Rice - 1 tsp
• Garlic - 1 nos
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Oil - as needed
• Salt - to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Heat Oil in a pan.
• Add Mustard seeds and Red chilli and let it splutter.
• Add Rice and fry it.
• Once rice becomes crispy add Spinach / Cheera,salt,turmeric powder.
• Cover the pan and cook for 2 mins.
• Crush Coconut,Garlic and chilly powder and add to it.
• Mix well and slow down the flame and stir well till the water dries up completely.
• Remove from fire.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Rice.

Cabbage Vada

It is a quick and delicious snack. It tastes similar to parippu vada.

INGREDIENTS:

• Finely Chopped Cabbage - 1½ cup
• Finely chopped shallot - 10 nos or  Onion - ½ cup 
• Besan Flour / Gram Flour / Kadala Maavu  -  1½  cup
• Finely chopped Ginger - 1 tsp
• Red Chilly - 3 nos
• Curry Leaves - 1 stem
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Mix chopped shallot, chopped Ginger, chopped Red chilly, Curry leaves, Cabbage, salt and gram flour/ Kadala maavu.
• Make a thick batter using little water (like parippu vada consistency).
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Take small amount of the mixture and make a ball. 
• Flatten the ball in to a round shape using hand.
• When the oil is hot put each one slowly and fry both sides to a golden brown colour.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Black Coffee or Tea

Cauliflower Mutta Thoran / Cauliflower Egg Stir fry

Combination of Egg and Cauliflower results in a delicious thoran.

INGREDIENTS:

• Finely chopped Cauliflower- 1 cup
• Onion(finely Chopped)- 1 nos
• Green Chilly(roundly cut) - 3
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Grated Coconut-¼ cup
• Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
• Red Chilly-2 nos
• Egg - 3 nos
• Salt – to taste
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Curry leaves- few

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Cook Cauliflower in little water, Turmeric powder and Salt.
• Beat the Eggs and keep aside.
• Heat Oil in a pan and allow Mustard seeds and Red chilly to splutter.
• Add Chopped Onion and Green Chilly and saute well.
• When Onion turns transparent, add the beaten egg,  grated Coconut and salt and stir continuously.
• Add Cooked Cauliflower along with Curry leaves  and saute well.
• When the thoran becomes dry, remove from fire.

Recommended Combination: Serve with Rice / Chappathi / Dosa.

Rava Idli

Rava, usually used to prepare Upma can also be used to prepare delicious idli.

INGREDIENTS:

• Roasted Rava - 1 cup
• Curd - 1 ½ cup
• Finely Chopped Ginger -  ½ tsp
• Grated Carrot - 2 tbsp
• Green Chillies - 2 nos
• Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
• Channa Daal - 1 tsp
• Urad Daal - 1 tsp
• Cashewnut - 10 nos
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves - A few
• Chopped corriander leaves -2 tbsp
• Sugar - ½ tsp
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Heat ghee in the pan and fry cashewnut and take it aside.
• Add mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter. 
• Add channa daal, urad daal and fry it.
• Add green chilies and chopped ginger and saute for a minute. 
• Add rava, mix well and roast for a minute.
• Remove from fire and add grated carrot, chopped corriander leaves, salt, sugar, curry leaves and curd and mix well.
• Now the Idli batter is ready.
• Grease the idli mould with oil.
• Put fried cashewnut in the center of each idli mould.
• Pour the batter in the mould .
• Steam the vessel for about 10 - 12 minutes.
• Turn off the stove and let it cool.
• Remove the idlis from the mould and serve.

Recommended Combination: Serve with Chutney or sambar.

Bread Bajji

Bread Bajji is a quick and easy tea time snack.

INGREDIENTS:

• Bread slices - 4 nos
• Finely Chopped Corriander Leaves - 2 tbsp 
• Gram flour(kadala mavu / Besan Flour) - 1 cup
• Chilly powder -½ tsp
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Asafoetida -  ¼ tsp
• Water -required to make batter
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Cut the edges of bread slices and cut it diagonally.
• Mix Water,Salt,Chilli powder,Asefodia, Turmeric powder, Corriander leaves and Flour to make batter(dosa batter consistency).
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Dip each pieces into the batter and put into the hot oil.
• Fry till both the sides turn golden brown. 

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Tea or coffee

Cheera Thoran

Cheera / Spinach Thoran is a simple and nutritious dish which is good for health.


INGREDIENTS:

• Finely chopped green spinach (cheera) - 2cups
• Grated coconut - ½ Cup
• Chilly Powder - ½ tsp
• Red Chilly -2 nos
• Rice - 1 tsp
• Garlic - 1 nos
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Oil - as needed
• Salt - to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Heat Oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds and red chilli and let it splutter.
• Add rice and fry it.
• Once rice becomes crispy add spinach / cheera,salt,turmeric powder.
• Cover the pan and cook for 2 mins.
• Crush coconut,garlic and chilly powder and add to it.
• Mix well and slow down the flame and stir well till the water dries up completely.
• Remove from fire.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Rice.

Potato Bajji

 It is an easy to prepare Tea time snack. It is prepared by dipping the Potato in the batter and deep frying it.

INGREDIENTS:

• Potato -2 nos
• Gram Flour (besan)- ½ cup
• Maida - 1 tbsp
• Rice Flour -2 tbsp
• Chilly Powder - ½ tsp
• Asafoetida Powder - ¼ tsp
• Baking soda - pinch (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Oil - for frying
• Water- required to make batter

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Mix the rice flour, maida, red chilli powder, asafoetida powder, salt to gram flour and mix well.(you can add baking soda to the flour if needed)

• Add water to the flour mixture and make a smooth thick batter.
• Heat Oil in a pan. 
• Peel off the Potato skin and make thin slices of it.
• Dip each slice into the batter and put into the hot oil.
• Fry till both the sides turn golden brown. 

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Tea or Coffee.

Cauliflower Bajji

Cauliflower Bajji is a simple dish prepared by dipping the Cauliflower in the batter and deep frying it


INGREDIENTS:

• Cauliflower Florets - 20 nos
• All purpose Flour(Maida mavu) - ½ cup
• Pepper powder -¼ tsp
• Turmeric powder -¼ tsp
• Egg -2 nos
• Water -4 Tbsp (required to make thick batter)
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Beat the egg and keep aside.
• Mix Egg, Water,Salt,Turmeric Powder,Pepper powder and Flour to make thick batter.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Dip each florets in the batter.
• Put slowly it into the hot oil.
• Fry the bajjis until it turns golden colour.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Tea

Muringayila Curry / Drumstick leaves Curry

Drumstick leaves can be used to prepare a varities of dishes.
One amongst them is a curry (Muringaila Curry), which is very rich in Iron.

INGREDIENTS:

• Drumstick leaves - 2 tbsp
• Grated coconut -½ cup
• Garlic -1 nos
• Red Chilly -2 nos
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Coconut Oil- 1 tbsp

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds and red chilli and let it splutter.
• Put the leaves in the oil and saute for a minute.
• Grind the coconut and garlic to a fine paste.
• Add this paste to the pan with little water and salt.
• Allow to boil. 
• When it starts to boil, turn off the stove.

Recommended Combination: Muringa ila curry can be served hot with Rice

Cabbage Mutta Thoran / Cabbage Egg Thoran

Cabbage Thoran is a very popular side dish in South India.
Egg can be used as a combination item to prepare Cabbage Mutta thoran which is a dry dish too.

INGREDIENTS:

• Egg - 3 nos
• Finely Chopped Onion - 1 nos
• Finely chopped Cabbage-2 cup
• Green Chilly(Chopped) - 3 nos 
• Grated coconut - 4 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
• Red Chilly-2 nos
• Curry leaves - few
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Beat the eggs and keep aside. 
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds and Red chilly and allow to splutter.
• Add the chopped onion,green chilly and saute well till the Onion turns transparent.
• Add Cabbage and saute for 2 - 3 minutes.
• Cover the Pan and cook the cabbage well.
• Add the grated coconut and mix well.
• Add the beaten egg and scrambled it well.
• Stir continuously till the egg is well cooked and dried up.
• Add curry leaves and mix it.

Recommended Combination: Cabbage Mutta Thoran can be served hot with Rice / Chappathi

Pavakka Curry / Bittergourd Curry

Pavakka Curry / Bittergourd Curry is prepared in grinded coconut paste to reduce its bitterness.
This is a thick gravy curry served with Rice.

INGREDIENTS:

• Pavakka / Bittergourd -2 big size
• Sliced Onion - 1 no
• Sliced Green Chilly -3 nos
• Sliced Tomato - 1 no
• Grated Coconut - 1 cup
• Corriander powder – ½ tsp
• Chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
• Salt to taste
• Coconut Oil – 1 tbsp
• Curry Leaves 

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Remove seed from Pavakka and cut it into small pieces.
• Grind the Grated coconut, Chilly Powder,Corriander Powder to a fine paste.
• Cook Pavakka, Onion and Green Chilly along with Turmeric powder and Salt.
• When Pavakka is cooked, add Coconut paste and Tomato.
• Let it boil.
• When it starts boil,turn off the stove and add Coconut Oil and Curry leaves.

Recommended Combination:Pavakka Curry / Bittergourd Curry can be serve hot with Rice / Chappathi

Kinnanappam / Rice Cake

Kinnanappam is a sort of Rice cake cooked in steam.
The main ingredients are grinded boiled rice, coconut and jaggery.

INGREDIENTS:

• Parboiled Rice- 1 cup
• Grated coconut – 1½ cup 
• Cumin seed - pinch
• Jaggery - ½ cup
• Ghee - 1tbsp
• Salt - As reqd

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Soak rice for atleast 4 hrs.
• Grind Rice, Coconut and cumin seed to a batter(idli batter consistency).
• Add Salt, Jaggery and ghee to the batter and mix well.
• Grease some ghee in a pan (steel plate) and pour the batter into it.
• Steam it well in an idli steamer for 15 minutes.
• Remove it from the steamer.
• Let it cool for sometime and remove from the pan.

Recommended Combination:Kinnanappam can be served with tea or coffee.

Adapradhaman

Pradhaman stands first amoungst all dishes in a traditional Kerala Sadya.
Rice Ada can be used to prepare a very delicius Payasam, otherwise known as Ada Pradhaman or Rice Ada Poridge.

INGREDIENTS:

• Rice Ada -200gm
• Gaggery -500 gm/ 1 lb
• Ghee - 4 tbsp
• Cashew nut - 10 nos
• Coconut cuts - 2 tbsp
• Thick Coconut Milk - 2 cup
• Sesame seed - 1 tsp
• Cumin seed - 1 tsp
• Raisin -2 tbsp

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Add Ada to 3 cup of boiling water.
• Cover the vessel and allow to remain for 15 minutes.
• Wash Ada in cold water and drain it.
• Put 2 tbsp ghee in a pan.
• Add AdA in it and saute for 3 minutes.
• Mix Jaggery in water till dilute it.
• Filter jaggery and add the jaggery to Ada and saute it. 
• Once the Ada cooks in jaggery, add coconut milk.
• Turn off the stove.
• Heat the remaing Ghee in a pan.
• Fry Coconut cut in brown colour.
• Fry Cashew nut, Raisin, cumin seed, sesame.
• Add this seasoning to the payasam.

Recommended Combination:usually in Sadya Ada Pradhaman is served with Pappadam and Pazham.

Muringaila Thoran / Drumstick leaves Thoran

Drumstick Leaves or Muraingaila thoran is a dry dish which is very nutritious. It is a good side dish for rice.

INGREDIENTS:

• Drumstick leaves - 2cups
• Grated coconut - 1 Cup
• Chilly Powder - ½ tsp
• Red Chilly -2 nos
• Rice - 1 tsp
• Garlic - 2 nos
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - as needed

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Detach the leaves from the stem and chop it very nicely.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds and red chilli and let it splutter.
• Add rice fry it.
• Once rice becomes crispy add drumstick leaves, salt, turmeric powder.
• Sprinkle water and cover the pan and cook for 10 mins.
• Crush Coconut, garlic and chilly powder together and add to it.
• Mix finely and slow down the flame and cook it for 2 mins.

Recommended Combination: Muraingaila thoran can be served hot with Rice.

Gothambu Puttu / Wheat Puttu

Gothambu Puttu / Wheat Steam Cake is a different variety of Puttu.
Use Roasted Wheat flour instead of Rice Flour which is used to prepare regular Rice puttu.

INGREDIENTS:

• Roasted wheat flour -1 cup 
• Grated Coconut -¼ cup
• Salt - to taste
• Water- as required to make the powder wet .
• Puttu kudam (puttu maker)

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Add salt to the roasted flour gently to make a mixture.
• Sprinkle water in to flour little at a time and mix the flour. 
• Repeat sprinkling water till the flour is wet.
• Place a pot shapped utensil on the stove. 
• Fill half the utensil with water and boil the water.
• Place a puttu maker on the top of the utensil .
• Put some grated coconut in it, and fill puttu maker with the mixture and put some grated coconut on the top .
• Steam in a vessel for 10 minutes and serve hot

Recommended Combination: Gothambu Puttu can be served hot with Kadala curry / Payar Curry / Pazham / Pappadam

Mutta Kurma / Egg Kurma

Mutta kurma is a thick gravy curry using Egg which can be served with any breakfast item.

INGREDIENTS:

• Eggs - 4 nos
• Sliced Onion - 1 nos
• Sliced Tomato - 1 nos
• Garlic(chopped) -2 ½ tbsp
• Ginger(chopped) -2 ½ tbsp
• Green chilly(Slit) - 6 nos
• Cashewnut - 6 nos
• Coconut milk- 1 cup
• Red Chilly Powder - 2 tbsp
• Coriander Powder- 2½ tbsp
• Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
• Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch
• Cardamom - 2 nos
• Cloves - 2 nos
• Fennelseed (perinjeerakam) - ½ tsp; 
• Pepper - ½ tsp
• Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt -to taste
• Mustard seed - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - a few

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Boil eggs, break the shell, slit it and keep aside.
• Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and fry cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, fennelseed and pepper.
• Add cashewnut and fry for a minute.
• Add onions, green chillies, ginger, garlic and saute well, till they turn transparent.
• Add chilly powder, coriander powder, saute till raw smell goes.
• Add tomato into it and cook till it becomes soft.
• Remove from fire and let it cool.
• Grind the mixture into a fine paste.
• Heat a pan and add remaining oil.
• Add mustard seed and let it splutter.
• Add masala paste, turmeric powder and salt into it
• In a medium heat cook the masala for 3-4 minutes.
• Add eggs and coconut milk and allow to boil for a minute.
• Add curry leaves and remove from the fire and serve.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Appam / Chappathi / Idiyappam

Asparagus Thoran

Asparagus has no cholestrol and is low in calories and sodium, a healthy source of vitamins and dietary fiber. Young shoots of Green Asparagus can be used to prepare delicious thoran as shown in this receipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• Chopped Asparagus - 1cups
• Grated coconut - ¼ Cup
• Chilly Powder - ½ tsp
• Red Chilly -2 nos
• Garlic - 1 nos
• Cumin Seed -¼ tsp
• Urad Daal - 1tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Curry Leaves -few

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Cook Asparagus with turmeric powder and salt in little water.
• Crush Coconut ,Chilly powder,Garlic and Cumin seed and add to cooked Asparagus and mix it well.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds and red chilli and let it splutter.
• Add urad daal and fry it.
• Once Urad becomes brown, add Cooked Asparagus and Curry leaves.
• Stir well and slow down the flame and cook it for 2 mins.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Rice

Soya Curry

This recepie shows how to use Soya Chunks to make a delicious Curry.

INGREDIENTS:

• Soya Chunks- 1 cup
• Diced Potato- ½ cup
• Diced Capsicum- ¼ cup
• Green peas(frozen) - ¼ cup
• Chopped Beans - ¼ cup
• Diced Carrot -¼ cup
• Chopped onion -½ cup
• Slit Greenchilly- 6 nos 
• Ginger Paste- 1 tsp
• Chilly Powder - ½ tsp
• Corriander Powder-1½ tsp
• Turmeric powder -¼ tsp
• Aniseed powder - 1 tsp
• Pepper powder -¼ tsp
• Cinnamon -2 inch stick
• Bayleaf -1
• Cloves- 2 nos
• Cardamom - 1 nos
• Thick Coconut milk - 1 cup
• Salt to taste
• Oil -1 tbs 
• Curry leaves-few

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Soak soya chunks or in hot water for 15 minutes.
• Drain the chunks and put them in cold water.
• Squeeze the chunks out of water and keep aside.
• Cut each balls into 2 pieces
• Heat Oil in a pan and fry Cinnamon Stick, Cardamom, Bayleaf and cloves . 
• Add Onion, Ginger Paste and Green Chilly until Onion becomes golden brown. 
• Add Soya Chunks, Capsicum, carrot, peas, Beans, Potato and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder and saute till the raw smell goes.
• Add salt and water,cover the pan and let it cook. 
• When the Vegetables are cooked add Aniseed Powder and Pepper Powder and let it boil for 2 minutes.
• Then add coconut milk and allow to boil. 
• When it starts boil,put curry leaves and remove from fire

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Chappathi / Appam / Rice