Banana Stem Chutney

 Banana stem chutney is very tasty and is very easy to prepare and goes well with rice. The following ingredients are needed to prepare Banana Stem Chutney.

Ingredients:-
Banana stem.  -a small piece
Green chilly.   -2
Ginger.            -a small piece
Curd.               -1/2 cup
Mustard seeds.-1 tsp
Dry red chilly. -1
Curry leaves.   -few
Coconut oil.    -1 tsp

Method:
1). Chop banana stem into very small pieces. In a mixie jar add chopped banana stem, green chilly, ginger and grind to a fine paste adding a few drops of water.

2). Transfer the ground banana stem paste into a mixing bowl. Add curd into the mixing bowl and mix with the ground banana stem paste.

3). Heat 1tsp oil in a small pan for seasoning and splutter mustard seeds. Add dry red chilly and curry leaves into the pan and saute in oil. Switch off the flame. 

4). Pour the mustard seasoning into the banana stem chutney in the mixing bowl. 

Banana Stem Chutney is ready to serve with rice.

Kaju Masala / Cashew Masala

Cashew masala also known as Kaju masala is a creamy cashew onion tomato masala gravy made using cashew nuts cooked with onion and tomato adding spices goes well with chapati, naan and jeera rice.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Kaju masala / Cashew Masala. 

Ingredients:
For Cashew Onion Paste:
Cashew nuts. -3/4 cup
Onion.           -3 medium
Water.            -as required

For Ghee Fried Cashew nuts:
Cashew nuts.-3/4 cup
Ghee.            -3 tbsp +1tbsp

For Onion Tomato Masala Gravy:
Onion.                    -2
Tomato.                  - 4
Green chilly.           -2
Garlic chopped.      -3 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste.-1tbsp
Cumin seeds.          -1tsp
Cardamom.             -3
Bay leaf.                 -1
Turmeric powder.   -1/2 tsp
Kashmiri chillypowdr.-1tbsp
Coriander powder.  -2 tsp
Cumin powder.       -1tsp
Garam masala.        -1/2 tsp
Kasuri methi.          -1/2 tsp
Butter.                     -1tbsp
Fresh cream.           -2 tbsp (optional)
Water.                     -1/4 cup
Coriander leaves.   - few

Instructions:
1).Slice 3 medium size onions and boil in enough water adding 3/4 cup of cashew nut for 10-12 minutes on high flame. Strain and rinse the boiled onion slices and cashew nuts under tap water. Grind the boiled and drained cashew nuts and onion slices in a mixer grinder to a smooth paste adding little less than 1/2 cup (100 ml) of water. Keep aside the ground cashew onion paste.

2). Heat 3 tbs ghee in a wide bottom pan. Add 3/4 cup cashew nuts and shallow fry on low flame until golden brown colour. Remove the ghee fried cashew nuts from pan and keep aside.

Method:
1). In the same wide bottom pan add 1 tbsp ghee. Add 1tsp cumin seeds, 3 cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, 3 tbsp thinly chopped garlic cloves and 2 thinly chopped green chillies into the pan and saute well on low flame till garlic pieces are cooked. Add finely chopped 2 medium size onions and saute well until onion pieces are turned golden brown.Add 1tbsp ginger garlic paste and stir well on low flame for 2 minutes.

2). Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1tbsp kashmiri red chilly powder and stir well for 2 minutes on medium flame. Add 2 tsp coriander powder, 1tsp cumin powder and 1/4 cup of water into the pan. Mix well and cook on medium flame until ghee is released.

3). Add 3-4 finely chopped medium size tomatoes and required salt into the pan.Cover and cook the tomatoes for 10-15 minutes on low flame and stir well in between until the ghee is released from onion tomato mixture.

4). Add ground cashew onion paste into the pan and mix with onion tomato masala mixture. Keep on stirring the mixture and cook for 10 minutes on medium flame.

5). Add ghee fried cashew nuts, 1/2 tsp kasuri methi, 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1tbsp butter and 2 tbsp fresh cream into the cashew onion tomato masala gravy. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes on medium flame. Check for salt and add required salt if needed and mix well. Lastly add finely chopped coriander leaves and stir well.

6). Transfer the kaju masala / cashew masala to a serving bowl and garnish with few ghee fried cashew nuts on top.

Very tasty Kaju Masala / Cashew Masala is ready to serve with chapati, naan or jeera rice.

 

Green Apple Pulissery

Green apple Pulissery is a Kerala style coconut and curd based curry goes well with rice. The following ingredients are needed to prepare Green Apple Pulissery.

Ingredients:
Green apple.          -2
Curd.                      -1 cup
Turmeric powder   -1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder.-1tsp
Water.                    -as needed
Salt.                       -to taste

For grinding Coconut Masala:
Grated coconut.-1 cup
Green chilly.     -2
Cumin seeds.    -1/2 tsp
Water.               -1/4 cup

For Seasoning:
Mustard seeds.-1 tsp
Dry red chilly. -2
Curry leaves.   -1 sprig
Coconut oil.     -1 tbsp

Instructions:
Wash and chop green apples into small square pieces and keep aside. In a mixer grinder add grated coconut, green chilly and cumin seeds and grind to a smooth paste adding little water. akeep aside the ground coconut masala paste. Whisk curd adding little water and keep aside.

Method:
1). In a pan add chopped green apple pieces, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Boil and cook green apple pieces till soft but not mushy.

2). Add ground coconut masala paste into the pan and mix with cooked green apple pieces. Boil and cook for 5 minutes on low flame or until the raw smell of the ground masala goes. Switch off the flame.

3). Add whisked curd into the pan and mix with cooked green apple pieces and coconut masala.

4). Heat coconut oil in a small pan for seasoning and splutter mustard seeds. Add broken pieces of dry red chilly and curry leaves into the pan and fry in oil for few seconds. Switch off the flame.

5). Pour the seasoning into the green apple pulissery in the pan and immediately close the pan with lid and keep it covered for 2 minutes.

Green Apple Pulissery is ready to serve with rice.

Green Apple Achar / Green Apple Pickle

Green apple achar is very easy to prepare Indian style spicy and sour pickle made with small green apples adding lemon juice and spices.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Green Apple Achar / Green Apple Pickle. 

Ingredients:
Green apple.              - 4 small
Red chilly powder.    - 1tbsp
Lime juice .                -1 large lime
Asafoetida.                 -1/2 tsp
Black gram/ Urad dal.-1tsp
Mustard seeds.            -1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds.        -1/4 tsp
Salt.                            - to taste
Coconut oil.                -2 tbsp
Vinegar.                      -1 tbsp
Water.                         -2 tbsp

Method:

1). Wash small green apples. Remove the outer green skin and chop the green apples into very thin pieces.

2). Transfer the chopped green apple pieces to a mixing bowl. Add required salt and red chilly powder into the mixing bowl and mix with chopped green apple pieces. Add lime juice into the bowl and mix well till everything is combined.

3). Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add urad dal (black gram) into the pan and saute in oil. Splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.

4). Add the green apple chilly powder salt and lime juice mixture from the mixing bowl into the pan and saute well. Add asafoetida into the pan and mix well.

5). Add vinegar and 2 tbsp of water into the pan and mix everything. Boil for few minutes and switch off the flame. Allow the pickle to cool. Once cooled transfer the green apple achar / green apple pickle into a porcelain bowl or a clean and dry glass bottle.  

Very tasty Green Apple Achar / Green Apple Pickle is ready to use.