Cababge Thoran

Very simple thoran, made of cabbage and perhaps the most familair of thorans! A must for all traditional sadyas!

Ingredients:

1. Cabbage, cut into thin parts- 1/2 cabage
2. Onion/ shallot sliced- 2 teaspoon
3. Green chillies- 2, slit
4. Grated coconut- 1/2 cup
5. Curry leaves- 8-10
6. Turmeric powder- a pinch
7. Salt- 1-2 teasoon as required
8. Mustardseeds- 1/2 teaspoon
9. Urad Dal- 1/2 teaspoon
10. Oil- 1/2 tablespoon
11. Water- to sprinkle

Method:

1. Clean and cut the cabbage and keep aside
2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds, add the urad dal
3. When the dal changes color, add the chopped onions and saute for a while
4. Add the cabbage, along with all remaining ingredients and  mix well
5. Cover and cook in low lame for 10-12 minutes or till cabbage is cooked up
6. Serve hot with rice as a thoran!

Coconut is optional here but it increases the taste for sure, I just love those flavour!

Paneer Kurma

Very tasty side dish with rotis/chapathis.

Ingredients:

1. Paneer,cut into small cubes- 3/4 cup
2. Carrot,beans,peas,potato(cut into small cubes)- 1 1/2 cups
3. Onion- 1 small, chopped into very fine parts
4. Tomato- 1 large
5. Green chillies- 2 split 
6. Milk- 1/4 cup
7. Grated coconut- 1 tablespoon
8. Red chilly powder- 2 teaspoon
9. Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
10. Coriander powder-1/2 teaspoon
11. Pepper powder- 1/2 teaspoon
12. Salt- 1-2 teaspoon,as required
13. Curry leaves- 10-12
14. Oil- 1 1/2 tablespoon

Method:

1. Boil the vegetables with little salt and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and saute the paneer cubes till light brown, remove from fire.
3. Boil the tomato to remove the skin and mash them and set aside.
4. To the same pan add the onions, saute them till soft.
5. Add the mashed tomatoes,green chillies cooked veggies along with turmeric powder,red chilly powder,coriander powder,pepper powder,salt and mix well.
6. Cover and cook for 5 mins in low flame.
7. Meanwhile grind the coconut to a very fine paste.
8. Add the ground coconut, milk,fried paneer cubes to the pan and milk well.
9. Throw in the curry leaves.
10. Heat in low flame for another 10 mins.
11. Check for the spice requirements and remove from fire.

Serve hot with rotis/chapathis! Enjoy the paneer kurma.

Avial

Easy and tasty kerala dish. another must for sadyas, during childhood, I hated this dish like hell, but don’t know how, now I would even die for this one!

Ingredients:

1. Vegetables, cut into 1" strips- 2 cups ( carrot, beans, ash guard, yam,raw banana, drumstick)
2. Green chillies- 2 slit
3. Coconut,grated- 1 1/4 cup
4. Sour curd- 1/2 cup
5. Curry leaves- 10
6. Coconut oil- 2 teaspoon
7. Red chilly powder- 1 teaspoon
8. Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
9. Cumin seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
10. Salt- 1-2 teaspoon,as required

Method:

1. Steam and cook the vegetables along with red chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt,green chillies(don’t over cook)
2. Drain the excess water and keep the cooked veggies aside.
3. Coarsely grind the rated coconut,cumin seeds, sour curd.
4. Add the ground mix to the cooked veggies.
5. Add curry leaves mix well, and cook in low flame for 5 mins.
6. Pour coconut oil over the avial and mix well.
7. Serve avial!

Healthy,tasty and traditional kerala dish is ready for serving! Enjoy

Kakkirikka Pachadi/ Cucumber Pachadi

Healthy, refreshing and simple.. wat more to say about kakkiri pachadi.

Ingredients:

1. Kakkiri/Cucumber- 1 large or 2-3 small
2. Coconut, grated- 1 cup
3. Mustard seeds- 1 1/2 teaspoon
4. Green chilly- 3
5. Dried Red chilly- 2
6. Curry leaves-8-10
7. Sour Curd- 3/4 cup
8. Salt- 1-2 teaspoon, as required
9. Oil- 1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Peel the skin of the kakkiri and cut them into very small pieces(You can use it with skin too).
2. Grind together, curd,coconut,1 teaspoon mustard seeds,salt, green chillies to a fine paste.
3. Mix the ground ingredients with the cut kakkiri.
4. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds, and add curry leaves, red chillies. 
5. Season with the kakkiri curd mix.
6. Serve with rice as a side dish

Kakkiri is very much refreshing especially during the summer season, But this dish is truly awesome at any time!

Pulisseri

Very much nadan dish, a lot loved by my family, easy to prepare and much healthier.

Ingredients:

1. Ash guard(kumbalanga/Vellarikka)- 2 cups, cut into small cubes
2. Green chillies- 3 slit
3. Red chilly powder- 1 teaspoon
4. Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
5. Salt- 1-2 teaspoon
6. Grated coconut- 1 cup
7. Sour curd- 1/2 cup
8. Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
9. Fenugreek seeds- 1/4 teaspoon
10. Dried red chilly- 2
11. Curry leaves- 10
12. Water

Method:

1. Cook the cut kumbalanga, with green chillies,turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt till tender,keep aside.
2. Grind together grated coconut,cumin seeds, with a little water to a very fine paste
3. Add the ground paste,red chilly powder to the cooked veggie and mix well
4. Add the sour curd along with 1/2 cup water and mix well.
5. Heat in low flame for 3-4 mins.
6. Heat oil in a pan,splutter mustard seeds,add fenugreek seeds,curry leaves, dried red chillies.
7. Pour over the curd veggie mix and mix well.
8. Check for salt and spice requirements and add more if required
9. Serve hot with rice.

If the curd is not much sour, adding a little tamarind juice would help increase the sourness. Enjoy the traditional Kerala delicacy.

Simple Vanilla Milk Shake

Refreshing vanilla milk shake made in a very short time, no fuss at all, with easily available items at home!


Ingredients:

1. Chilled milk- 1 cup
2. Milk powder- 1/2 cup
3. Heavy cream- 2 teaspoon
4. Sugar- 1/2 cup
5. Vanilla essence- 1 1/2 teaspoon
6. Crushed ice- 1 tablespoon

Method:

1. Blend together all the ingredients in a mixer till smooth.
2. Add more ice if required.
3. Serve chilled!

Very refreshing and too demanding at home! Can add more milk powder if you require it to be more thicker, but for us this was very fine.

Oats Upma

Healthy and tasty upma made up of oats. Prepared in a very less time

Ingredients:

1. Oats- 1 cup
2. Ginger- a small piece,finely chopped
3. Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
4. Urad dal- 1/2 teaspoon
5. Red chilly- 2
6. Curry leaves- 5-6
7. Salt-1 teaspoon,as required
8. Oil- To crackle seeds
9. Water-1 cup

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and crackle mustard seeds.
2. Add the urad dal,ginger and saute till raw smell fades away
3. Add the red chilly and curry leaves.
4. Add water,salt and when the water boils,add the oats,mix well
5. Keep on fire till the oats is cooked and water is absorbed
6. Serve hot!

Well I consider it as an instant breakfast on lazy mornings! But don’t forget the nutritional values of oats,happy eating.You can add grated coconut too to enhance the taste.

Sharkara Ada

Sweet and tasty evening snack made of jaggery and rice flour. Usually back home we make it in plaintain leaves, and call it Ila ada, since I dont get plaintain leaves here , I have started making adas with Aluminium foil! It comes out as perfect as the one with plantain leaves, but lacks the flavour ans special taste, best ones would come from plaintain ones.

Ingredients:

1. Rice flour- 2 cup
2. Grated Jaggery- 3/4 cup
3. Coconut,grated- 1/2 cup
4. Salt-1/2 teaspoon
5. Warm water-2 1/4 cups
6. Plantain eaves/ Foil

Method:

1. Roast the rice flour for a min and make a fine dough adding 2cups of water,salt, keep aside.
2. Rub together coconut,grated jaggery with 1/4 cup water.
3. Make lemon size balls out of the rice flour dough and place them on the foil/leaf.
4. Spread them by pressing down with fingers.
5. Spread a spoon of jaggery coconut mixture onto them.
6. Fold them and cook in steam.
7. Repeat the same with remaining flour.
8. Remove from fire, remove the leaves/foil, cut them and serve.

Very sweet ada is ready to be served. If you over sugar , then add sugar instead of jaggery. Adding  a small quantity of ghee to the rice flour also adds more flavour to the dish. Try it out!

Aloo Palak Subji

Healthy vegetarian side dish prepared with potatoes and spinach

Ingredients:

1. Potato- 3 large
2. Onion- 1 small, thinly sliced
3. Tomato-1 medium,chopped into small pieces
4. Green chillies-2,slit
5. Spinach- 1/4 kg, chopped fine
6. Garlic- 4 pods, thinly cut
7. Red chilly powder- 1 teaspoon
8. Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
9. Cumin seeds-1/4 teaspoon
10. Mustard seeds-1/2 teaspoon
11. Salt- 1-2 teaspoon
12. Curry leaves- a handful
13. Oil-1 1/2 tablespoon
14. Water- to boil potatoes

Method:

1. Cut the potatoes into chunks and pressure cook with a little salt and turmeric and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan
3. Splutter mustard seeds,cumin seeds.
4. Add onion,garlic and saute till soft.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes, green chillies till they blend well with onion.
6. Add curry leaves, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt,mix well.
7. Add the potatoes and mix well.
8. Add the chopped spinach and stir well 
9. Cover and cook under low heat for 5-10 minutes,stirring in between.
10. Remove from fire when the spinach is cooked
11. Serve hot

Serves as a perfect side dish for rotis/ rice. Potato lovers will love this for sure!

Easy Bread Pizza

Lazy to prepare pizza dough? Or wish to east pizza in a very short time?Just go ahead with this bread pizza without having another thought!

Ingredients:

1. Bread Loafs- 4
2. Onion, 1 small, thinly sliced
3. Tomato- 1 small, chopped into small parts
4. Capsicum- 1, thinly chopped
5. Red chilly flakes- 2 teaspoon
6. Grated cheese- 2 tablespoon
7. Salt- as required
8. Pepper powder- as required
9. Tomato sauce- 8 teaspoon
10. Oil- 4 teaspoon

Method:

1. Spread 1 teaspoon oil on each bread loaf.
2. Over that spread 2 teaspoon tomato sauce on each.
3. Throw in the grated cheese equally over the bread loafs, keeping 1/2 tablespoon aside
4. Arrange the onion, tomatoes,capsicum over the top
5. Sprinkle salt,pepper powder,red chilly flakes
6. Throw in the remaining grated cheese over the top
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C for 10 minutes.
8. Serve hot with evening tea!

Tension free,hassle free pizza is ready ,Please try it out and enjoy the simple delicacy. If you wish you can add chicken toppings too.
Method

Banana Milk Shake

Simple and tasty milk shake made of ripe bananas. Very healthy too.

Ingredients:

1. Ripe bananas- 2, I used 1 raw best banana
2. Milk- 1 1/2 cup
3. Cardamom-1
4. Sugar- 2 tablespoon

Method:

1. Mash the ripe bananas with hands
2. In a mixer, blend all the ingredients together till smooth
3. Serve chilled.

Healthy banana milk shake/Sharjah shake is ready!

Fresh Orange Juice

There isn’t anything refreshing as a cup of fresh orange juice. Well these days ready made juices are pretty handy, still the ones made at home at always the best. It does take a little time, but you can always prepare them and refrigerate.

Serves-2
Ingredients:

1. Oranges- 3 large
2. Water- 1/2 cup
3. Sugar- 1-2tablespoon

Method:

1. Peel the skin and remove the seeds of the oranges
2. In a mixer add the pulp, sugar and blend without water
3. Strain to a container and keep the fibrous part aside.
4. Grind the fibrous part with water and add to the strained juice.
5. Serve chilled

The fibrous part in oranges are pretty healthy, so its always better to grind them and use rather than straining them away. Have a sip of fresh orange juice now!

Tomato Rasam

Very healthy and vitamins and iron rich dish. Can have it as a curry with rice, can have it as a health drink/soup. A must dish with all Kerala sadya. A pretty good medicine for cough and cold!

Ingredients:

1. Toor dal- I tablespoon
2. Tomato- 1 medium,diced
3. Garlic- 4 pods, crushed
4. Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
5. Red Chilly powder-1 teaspoon
6. Pepper powder- 1 teaspoon, or more
7. Salt- 1 1/2 teaspoon, or more
8. Coriander leaves- 6-10
9. Water- 2 cups
10. Thick Tamarind paste- 1 teaspoon or more,as required
11. Ghee-1/2 teaspoon
12. Mustard seeds-1/2 teaspoon
13. Dried red chilly- 2
14. Asafoetida powder- A pinch

To Grind:

1. Pepper whole- 6
2. Dried red chilly- 3
3. Coriander seeds-5-6

Method:

1. Grind the grinding ingredients to a fine powder.
2. Pressure cook the toor dal, mash well and keep aside.
3. Meanwhile boil water in a vessel , add the ground powder,red chilly powder,turmeric powder,pepper powder to it.
4. When the water boils, add the crushed garlic, tomatoes, cover and cook.
5. When the tomatoes blend well with water, add tamarind paste, mashed toor dal, salt, sprinkle coriander leaves, cover and cook for 10-15 mins on low flame.
6. Heat the ghee in another pan, splutter mustard seeds, dried red chillies and season the rasam along with asafoetida powder.

Serve hot! More pepper can be added when having it during cough or cold. Its an excellent medicine.Tamarind taste can also be altered on requirements. Enjoy Rasam!!!

Mushroom Thoran

A mild spicy thoran/side dish with rice/chapathis. Very simple yet healthy.

Ingredients:

1. Mushroom- 1 cup,very thinly sliced.
2. Onion-1 thinly sliced
3. Garlic- 4 pods, sliced
4. Dried red chillies- 2
5. Curry leaves- 5-10
6. Grated coconut- 1 cup
7. Salt-1-2 teaspoon, as required
8. Red chilly powder-1 teaspoon
9. Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
10. Pepper powder- 1 teaspoon
11. Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
12. Oil- 3/4 tablespoon

Methods:

1. Rub the thinly cut mushroom with turmeric powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt and keep aside for 10 mins.
2. Heat oil in a pan and saute the mushrooms for 2-4 mins.
3. Drain and keep aside
4. Heat the same pan, splutter mustard seeds, add red chillies, curry leaves and saute.
5. Add thinly sliced onions, garlic and saute till soft.
6. Add the grated coconut ,mushrooms and saute till coconut turn golden brown in low heat
7. Remove from fire and serve hot

Good combination with chapathi. Mushroom lovers will love this dish, can add garam masala if that taste is desired!

Pav Bhaji Rolls

Healthy evening snack made of long bread and vegetables.

Ingredients:

1. Long bun- 4
2. Potato- 2 medium, boiled and mashed
3. Onion- 1 large,cut into edges
4. Green peas-1/2 cup, boiled and mashed along with potatoes
5. Tomato-1,cut into wedges
6. Green chillies-2 ,cut into small pieces
7. Pav bhaji masala-1 tablespoon
8. Red chilly powder- 1 teaspoon
9. Turmeric powder- a pinch
10. Ginger garlic paste- 1 teaspoon
11. Salt-1 teaspoon
12. Lemon juice-1 tablespoon
13. Oil

Method:

1. Boil and mash potatoes and green chillies with a pinch of salt and keep aside
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan, saute onions till soft(Keep 2 teaspoon onion aside)
3. Add tomatoes green chillies along with ingredients 7-11 and mix well
4. Add the boiled vegetables and mix well. Pour the lemon juice and mix thoroughly in low flame. Add little water if the mix is too thick.
5. Boil till the gravy becomes thick.
6. Stuff the long bun with the thick masala gravy
7. Garnish the stuffed part with onion wedges
8. Microwave for a min
9. Serve Hot!

If you don't have a ready made pav bhaji masala,you can easily prepare them.Please follow the steps below to know how to prepare home made pav bhaji masala.

Roast separately 1 tablespoon each of red chilly powder,coriander powder,1/2 tablespoon each of black pepper powder, cumin powder, 2 sticks of cinnamon,2 cloves, 2 cardamom ,a pinch of turmeric powder,1 teaspoon fennel seeds and grind them while cool. Fresh pav bhaji masala is ready.Store in airtight container

Happy eating!

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Rava Kesri/Laddu/Burfi

Very sweet snack. Served during festivals, as a breakfast , also a favourite snack for sweet lovers. Frankly speaking I would love to have it as breakfast ,though cant eat much cos the sweetness hits!

Ingredients:

1. Rava/Semolina- 1 cup
2. Sugar- 2 cup
3. Ghee- 1 cup
4. Milk- 1/2 cup
5. Water- 2 cups
6. Cardamom powder- 1 teaspoon
7. Raisins- 10
8. Cashew-10
9. Color- A pinch(optional)

Method:

1. Heat 2 tablespoon ghee and fry cashews and raisins and keep aside
2. To the same pan add rava and roast them till raw smell is gone
3. Boil milk and water together and pour into the rava
4. Add sugar and stir well so that no lumps are formed.
5. Pour in remaining ghee and color along with cardamom powder and stir well till the rava thickens
6. Remove from fire and cool.
7. Serve Kesri as such or roll them to any desired shape. Make laddus or burfi!

Refrigerate once it cools down. Serve as a dessert!

Carrot Halwa/ Gajar Halwa

Carrot halwa, one of the sweets served during many Indian festivals. Made up of rich carrot its healthy but its sweet so.... be careful not to eat too much!

Ingredients:

1. Carrot- 2 cups,grated
2. Sugar-3 tablespoon
3. Ghee-1/4 cup
4. Milk-3/4 cup
5. Raisins-10
6. Cashew-10

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a pan, toss the cashews and raisins and keep them aside
2. To the same pan add the grated carrot and saute for 5-10 mins.
3. Add milk and saute so that the carrots become soft.
4. Add the sugar and stir well in low flame so that its completely dissolved with milk.
5. Throw in the cashews and raisins, keep stirring till the milk is evaporated and halwa becomes thick.
6. Refrigerate and serve!

Kids would love it a lot. Can be preserved up to 5 days in refrigerator, but eat fresh always!

Sweet Bread Toast

A sweet evening snack that kids would love to have.Healthy too, but since ghee is used, be careful with adults!

Ingredients:

1. Bread- 8 nos
2. Milk- 1/2 cup
3. Sugar- 1 tablespoon
4. Ghee-4 teaspoon

Method:

1. Dissolve sugar in milk and pour it in a wide plate
2. Heat a pan and add 1/2 teaspoon ghee.
3. Dip the bread in the milk syrup and throw into the pan.
4. Turnover the sides so that it wont get burnt
5. Toast the bread till they becomes  semi soft
6. Repeat the same procedure with remaining bread loafs

Serve hot with evening tea or as an breakfast!

Paneer Bhurji

Vegetarian side dish to be served with roti/chapathi also rice. Can be a substitute for egg bhurji.. :)

Ingredients:

1. Paneer/Cottage cheese- 1 cup, grated or crushed
2. Onion-1 large,cut into small squares
3. Tomato- 1 large,cut into small squares
4. Capsicum-2,cut into small squares
5. Green chillies- 2,slit
6. Cumin seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
7. Chilly powder-2 teaspoon
8. Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
9. Garam masala- 1 teaspoon
10. Pepper powder-1 teaspoon
11. Coriander powder- 1/2 teaspoon
12. Salt- 1-2 teaspoon, as required
13. Water- 1/2 cup
14. Oil- 1 tablespoon

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and crackle cumin seeds.
2. Add onion and saute till they become soft.
3. Add capsicum, green chillies and saute for another 2-3 mins.
4. Add tomatoes and saute for a while
5. Add ingredients 7-12 and saute.
6. Add the grated paneer along with water and mix well.
7. Cover and cook in high flame for 3-5 mins.
8. Remove from fire when the gravy is thick and ready to be served

Serve hot with Chapathi.. Spice level can be adjusted, I love pepper flavour, so added another spoon of them!

Spinach Thoran

Vegetarian side dish for rice. Too healthy for all age groups!

Ingredients:

1. Spinach-250 gms
2. Green chillies-2,slit
3. Grated coconut-1/2 cup
4. Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
5. Rice- 1/2 teaspoon
6. Salt-1 teaspoon
7. Turmeric powder- a pinch
8. Oil

Method:

1. Wash well the spinach and cut them into small parts.
2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
3. Add the rice and saute till they turn golden brown.
4. Add the cut spinach,turmeric powder and mix well.
5. Add the grated coconut,green chillies, salt and mix thorughly.
6. Test salt and add more if required
7. Cover and cook the spinach in low heat for around 5 mins till the water in spinach is absorbed.
8. Serve with rice!

Spinach has got plenty of nutritive values, It is highly advised to include spinach in our normal diet..