Kovakka Thoran / Ivy gourd Coconut Stir Fry

 

Kovakka thoran / Ivy gourd coconut stir fry is a very tasty and delicious side dish made with ivy gourd, onion and coarsely gound coconut cumin garlic mixture and goes well with rice.The following ingredients are needed to prepare Kovakka Thoran / Ivy gourd Coconut Stir Fry

Ingredients:
Ivy gourd.            -10
Onion.                  -1 big size
Turmeric powder.-1/4 tsp
Salt.                     -to taste

For Coarsely  Grinding Coconut Mixture:
Grated coconut.-1 cup
Cumin seeds.    -3/4 tsp
Garlic.               -3 cloves

For Seasoning:
Coconut oil.     -2 tsp
Mustard seeds. -1tsp
Dry red chillies.-3
Green chillies.  -3
Curry leaves.   -1sprig

Instructions:
1). Wash ivy gourd, remove both the ends and chop it into thin round pieces.Finely chop onion. Half slit green chillies. Broke dry red chillies into pieces. Keep aside.

2). Grind grated coconut along with cumin seeds and garlic cloves to a coarse paste adding very little water. Keep aside the coarsely ground coconut mixture.

Method:-
1). Heat coconut oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add broken dry red chilly pieces and fry in oil. Add half slit green chillies and curry leaves into the pan and saute well in oil for a second.

2). Add chopped ivy gourd pieces into the pan and saute well.

3). Add turmeric powder and required salt into the pan and saute well.Sprinkle little water and mix well. Cover and cook ivy gourd on low flame.

4). When ivy gourd pieces are half cooked add finely chopped onion into the pan and saute well for 3 minutes on low flame.

5). Add coarsely ground coconut cumin garlic mixture into the pan and mix with ivy gourd pieces. Cover and cook till ivy gourd pieces become soft and the water evaporated. Saute in between and switch off the flame. Transfer the kovakka thoran  / Ivy gourd coconut stir fry to a serving bowl.

Kovakka thoran / Ivy gourd coconut stir fry is ready to serve as a side dish with rice for lunch.

Ribbon Pakoda / Crispy Ribbon Murukku

Ribbon murukku / Ribbon pakoda is a deep fried crispy ribbon shaped snack made using rice flour, urad dal flour and spice powders. Ribbon pakoda recipe is with photos.The following ingredients are needed to prepare Ribbon Murukku / Ribbon Pakoda.

Ingredients:
Urad dal flour.      -1/2 cup
Rice flour.            -1 &1/2 cup
Red chilli powder.-1tsp
Turmeric powder. -1/2 tsp
Asafoetida.           -1/ 2tsp
Water.                   -as required
Salt.                      -to taste
Oil.                -for deep frying

Method:
1). Dry roast urad dal flour for 2 minutes on low flame. In a mixing bowl add roasted urad dal flour, rice flour, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida (hing powder), required salt and mix well. Add required water little by little into the mixing bowl and mix the flour mixture. Knead well and make it a smooth and non sticky dough. Keep aside the dough for 5 minutes to rest.

Grease little oil inside the murukku maker. Put the ribbon pakoda mould inside the murukku maker. Fill the dough inside the greased murukku maker Close the murukku maker with lid.

2). Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying. Once the oil is hot twist the murukku maker and press the dough to drop the ribbon pakoda directly in hot oil and deep fry them in hot oil on medium flame.

3). Flip the ribbon pakoda in hot oil with a slotted spoon to fry all its sides

.4). Once the ribbon pakoda becomes crispy and golden colour remove it from hot oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to a clean and dry bowl. 

5). Repeat the process and deep fry the ribbon pakoda in hot oil till goden colour and crisp. Once cooled  to room temperature store the ribbon pakoda in an airtight container.

Crispy Ribbon Murukku / Ribbon Pakoda is ready to serve as a evening snack with tea or coffee. 

Raw Banana and Potato Tikki

 Raw banana and potato tikki is a very easy to prepare shallow fried tasty and crispy teatime snack.Raw banana and potato tikki recipe is with step by step photos. The following ingredients are needed to prepare Raw Banana and Potato Tikki.

Ingredients:
Raw Banana.      -1
Potato.                -1
Pottu kadala.      -1/2 cup
Cumin seeds.      -1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds.      -1 tsp
Green chilly.       -3 slit
Garlic cloves.      -3 halved
Ginger.                -a small piece
Shallots /small onion. -7 sliced
Grated coconut   -1/2 cup
Coriander leaves.-few chopped
Pepper powder.    -1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder.-1/4 tsp
Amchur powder.  -1/4 tsp
Garam masala.     -1/4 tsp
Salt.                      -to taste
Oil.                       -2 tsp
Oil. -for shallow frying

Method:
1). Steam raw banana and potato in a steamer. Peel and mash the steamed raw banana and potato. Keep aside the steamed and mashed raw banana and potato.

2). Dry roast pottukadala (roasted gram dal) in a pan. Grind the dry roasted pottukadala in a mixer  grinder to a fine powder. Keep aside the ground Pottukadala powder.

3). Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and splutter fennel seeds and cumin seeds. Add slit green chilly, halved garlic cloves, chopped ginger, sliced shallots (small onion) into the pan and saute well until shallot turns translucent. Add grated coconut into the pan and saute for a minute. Add a few chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Switch off the flame and transfer the sauted coconut green chilly ginger garlic shallot coriander leaves mixture to a plate to cool.

4). Once cooled transfer the sauted coconut green chilly ginger garlic shallots coriander leaves mixture to a mixer grinder.

5). Coarsely grind the sauted ingredients in the mixer grinder without adding water. Keep aside the coarsely ground paste.

6). In a mixing bowl add steamed and mashed raw banana and potato.Add coarsely ground roasted pottukadala powder, coarsely ground paste of coconut green chilly ginger garlic shallots coriander leaves mixture, turmeric powder, pepper powder, garam masala, required salt and mix well. Make small round and flat tikki shapes out of it. Heat enough oil in a pan and shallow fry them in hot oil till golden brown and crisp on both sides,Remove the fried tikkis from hot oil and transfer to a tissue paper to absorb excess oil.

Raw Banana and Potato Tikki is ready to serve with tea or coffee,

Soya Cutlet / Crispy Soya Chunks Cutlet

 Soya cutlet /soya chunks cutlet  is a very tasty and easy to prepare deep fried crispy evening snack made with soya chunks.The following ingredients are needed to prepare Soya Cutlet / Crispy Soya Chunks Cutlet.

Ingredients:
Soya chunks.     -2 cup
Onion.                -1 big
Green chilly.       -2 or 3
Ginger.                -a small piece
Garlic cloves.      -4 big
Fennel seeds.       -1tsp
Mint leaves.         -1tbsp
Curry leaves.        -few
Coriander powder.-1tbsp
Garam masala.      -1tsp
All purpose flour.  -1tbsp
Corn flour.             -1tbsp
Coriander leaves.   -2 tbsp
Salt.                        -to taste
Oil.                         -for frying

Instructions:
Soak soya chunks in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess water from each soya chunks and keep aside.. Finely chop onion and coriander leaves and keep aside..

Method:
1). Mince the soaked and squeezed soya chunks in a mixie jar along with green chilly, ginger, garlic cloves, fennel seeds, curry leaves and mint leaves. Transfer the minced soya chunks mixture to a mixing bowl.

2). Add finely chopped onion, coriander powder, garam masala, all purpose flour, corn flour, required salt and finely chopped coriander leaves to the minced soya chunks mixture and mix well.

3). Make cutlet shapes out of the mixture and keep them on a plate.

4) .Heat enough oil in a kadai for deep frying. Drop the prepared cutlet shapes in hot oil and deep fry them till golden brown and crispy.

5). Remove the deep fried crispy soya cutlet from hot oil and transfer to a tissue paper to absorb excess oil.

Crispy Soya Cutlet / Crispy Soya Chunks Cutlet is ready to serve.

Veg Cutlet Without Egg Coating

 Veg cutlet / Vegetable cutlet is a deep fried snack made with mixed vegetables coated with bread crumbs and without egg coating. Veg Cutlet Without Egg Coating recipe is with step by step pictures.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Veg Cutlet Without Egg Coating.

Ingredients:
Potato.               -3 boiled, peeled and mashed
Carrot.               -2
Beans chopped. -1/2 cup
Onion.                -2
Green chilly.       -4
Ginger.                -1 inch piece
Fennel seeds.       -1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder.-1/4 tsp
Pepper powder.    -1tsp
Garam masala.     -1tsp
Curry leaves.        -few
Coriander leaves. -hand full
Salt.                     - to taste
Oil.                      -1tbsp
Oil.                      -for deep frying
Corn flour slurry.- In a small bowl mix 1/4 cup corn flour in 1 cup of water without lumps and make corn flour slurry.

Method:
1). Finely chop carrot, beans, onion, green chilly, ginger and coriander leaves. Keep aside the chopped ingredients along with curry leaves on plates.

2). Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan and splutter fennel seeds. Add chopped green chilly, chopped ginger, curry leaves and saute in oil. Add chopped onion and saute well until translucent. Add chopped carrot, chopped beans and required salt into the pan and saute well till cooked. Add turmeric powder, pepper powder, garam masala and mix well. Add boiled, peeled and mashed potato into the mixture and mix well. Switch off the flame and allow the sauted vegetable mixture to cool. Transfer the sauted vegetable mixture to a bowl.Add finely chopped coriander leaves. Adjust salt and mix well.

3). Take 6 bread slices and toast the bread slices till crisp. Pulse the crispy bread slices to form bread crumbs and transfer the bread crumbs to a plate.

4). Once cooled take a small portion of the vegetable mixture in your hand and shape it into a small round ball. Keep the round shaped ball on your palm and slightly press it using your hand to flatten it to get cutlet shape. Dip the veg cutlet shape in corn flour slurry, then place it on bread crumbs and transfer to a plate,.

5). Make cutlet shapes with the remaining vegetable mixture and dip them one by one in corn flour slurry then coat them in bread crumbs. Keep all the bread crumbs coated cutlet shapes on a plate. Chill the bread crumbs coated cutlet shapes in the fridge for 15 minutes.

6). Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying. Once the oil is hot drop the bread crumbs coated chilled veg cutlet shapes carefully in hot oil. Deep fry them in batches till golden brown and crisp. Remove the crispy deep fried veg cutlets from hot oil using a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.

Very tasty and crispy Veg.Cutlet without Egg Coating is ready to serve with tomato ketchup.

Nendran Banana Kinnathappam.

Banana kinnathappam /nendran banana kinnathappam is a very tasty and easy to prepare steamed sweet snack made with ripe nendran banana, wheat flour, grated coconut and jaggery. The following ingredients are needed to prepare Nendran Banana Kinnathappam.

Ingredients:
Nendran Banana.-3 ripe
Wheat flour. -1/2 cup
Grated coconut. -1/4 cup
Jaggery grated. -1/2 cup
Cashew nuts. -few
Sesame seeds. -1tsp black
Cardamom. -2 crushed
Salt. -a pinch
Ghee. -1 &1/2 tsp

Instructions:
1). Peel and chop ripe nendran bananas into small pieces.

2). In a pan boil and melt grated jaggery adding 1/4 cup of water.

Method:
1). In a mixing bowl add wheat flour and a pinch of salt and mix well. Add melted jaggery into the pan and mix with wheat flour without lumps.

2). Heat 1 and 1/2 tsp ghee in a pan and fry the cashew nuts in ghee. Add chopped ripe nendran banana pieces into the pan and saute well till it is cooked. Add grated coconut into the pan and mix with ghee fried cashew nuts and cooked nendran banana pieces. Saute well for a minute and switch off the flame.

3). Add the ghee fried cashew banana coconut mixture, raw sesame seeds and 2 crushed cardamom into the mixing bowl and mix with wheat flour jaggery mixture. Add required water into the mixing bowl and mix together all the ingredients in the bowl and make a thick batter.

4). Grease a pan with little ghee and pour the thick batter into the greased pan.

5). Boil sufficient water in a steamer and keep the greased pan with batter in the steamer. Close the steamer with a lid and steam cook the batter for 15 minutes.

6). Once done switch off the flame and open the steamer. Remove the pan from the steamer and allow the appam to cool. Demold the appam from pan and transfer to a serving plate.

Very tasty Nendran Banana Kinnathappam is ready to cut into desired pieces and serve.