Beach Style Boiled Peanut Chat / Verkadalai Sundal

Beach style peanut chat /verkadalai sundal is very easy to prepare healthy snack made with boiled peanuts, carrot, cucumber, raw mango, onion. The following ingredients are needed to prepare Verkadalai Sundal / Beach Style Boiled Peanut Chat.
Ingredients:
Boiled peanuts. -1 cup
Onion chopped. -1/4 cup
Carrot grated.    -1/4 cup
Cucumber .        -1/4 cup chopped
Raw mango        -1/4 cup  chopped

Green chilly.       -2

Coriander leaves.-few 

Chat masala.       -1tsp  

Lemon.               -2  

Salt.                     -to taste

  

Method: 

1)..Boil peanuts. Finely chop onion. Grate carrot. Chop cucumber and raw mango into small pieces. Chop green chillies into thin round pieces. .Finely chop coriander leaves.Keep aside.

 

2). In a mixing bowl add boiled peanuts, chopped onion, grated carrot, chopped cucumber, chopped raw mango, thinly chopped green chilly, finely chopped coriander leaves and mix well.

3). Add chat masala, required salt and squeeze 2 lemons and mix together all the ingredients in the mixing bowl.

Beach Style Boiled Peanut Chat / Verkadalai Sundal is ready to enjoy.  

Kuska Biryani / Plain Biryani.

Kuska biryani also known as South Indian style plain biryani is a quick and easy to prepare rice dish for lunch made with basmati rice adding spices, herbs, tomato and curd and can be served with onion raita or any spicy side dish of your choice.The following ingredients are needed to prepare Kuska Biryani / Plain Biryani.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice.       -1& 1/2 cup

Onion.                 -2

Tomato.               -2

Green chilly.        -3

Ginger garlic paste.-2 tsp

Garlic cloves.      - 4 

Curd.                   -2 tbsp

Cinnamon stick.  -1 small 

Bay leaf.              -2

Cloves.                 -3

Cardamom.          -3

Star anise.            -1

Fennel seeds.       .-1tsp

Chilly powder.     -1tsp

Turmeric powder.-1/2 tsp

Garam masala.     -1tsp

Coriander leaves. -1/4 cup

Mint leaves.         -1/4 cup

Water.                   -2 &1/4 cup

Salt.                      -to taste

Ghee.                    -3 tbsp+1 tsp

 

Instructions:

Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain water and keep aside the soaked basmati rice. Finely chop onion. Chop tomatoes into small pieces. Peel and crush garlic cloves.Slit green chillies. Finely chop mint leaves and coriander leaves. Keep aside.

Method:
1). In a wide bottom kadai heat 3 tbsp of ghee. Add fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cloves, star anise and cardamom into the kadai and saute well. Add finely chopped onion and a pinch of salt into the kadai and saute well until onion becomes translucent.

2). Add slit green chillies, crushed garlic cloves, ginger garlic paste into the kadai and saute well until the raw smell goes. Add chopped tomato pieces and saute well until tomato becomes soft and mushy.

3). Add red chilly powder, turmeric powder and garam masala and saute well. Add curd and mix well. Add few chopped mint leaves and chopped coriander leaves and saute well.

4). Add soaked basmati rice into the kadai and saute well. Add required salt and 2 and 1/4 cup of water into the kadai and mix all the ingredients and keep the heat on high flame.When water starts to boil lower the flame and cover the kadai with a lid and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on very low flame until the rice is done.

5). Switch off the flame and sprinkle a few chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves into the kadai. Cover the kadai with a lid and place a heavy weight on the top of the lid for 25 to 30 minutes. Then open the lid and pour 1tsp ghee over the kuska biryani and gently mix with a fork. Transfer the kuska biryani / plain biryani to a serving plate.

A very tasty Kuska Biryani / Plain Biryani is ready to serve with onion raita or any spicy side dish of your choice. 

Peechinga Thoran / Ridge gourd Cocnut Masala Stir Fry

Ridge gourd is known as peechinga in Kerala. Peechinga thoran is a Kerala style ridge gourd coconut masala stir fry that goes well as a side dish with rice and chapati. The following ingredients are needed to prepare Peechinga Thoran / Ridge gourd Coconut Masala Stir Fry.
Ingredients:
Ridge gourd.   -2 tender
Shallots.          -10
Dry red chilly. -2
Curry leaves .  -few
Mustard seeds.-1tsp
Salt.                 - to taste
Coconut oil.     -1tbsp

For Grinding Coconut Masala Paste :
Grated Coconut.  -3/4 cup
Green chillies.     -2
Cumin seeds.       -1/2 tsp
Garlic cloves.      -1or 2
Turmeric powder.-1/4 tsp

Instructions:
1). Chop and remove both the ends of ridge gourds. Remove the ridges on the outer skin of the ridge gourds. Then wash and finely chop the ridge gourds. Peel and chop shallots into thin lengthy slices. Keep aside.

2). Grind grated coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds, garlic cloves and turmeric powder to a little coarse paste adding very little water. Keep aside the coarsely ground coconut masala paste.

Method:
1). Heat 1tbsp coconut oil in a wide bottom pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add dry red chilly broken pieces into the pan and saute well. Add chopped shallots and curry leaves into the pan and saute in oil.

2). Add finely chopped ridge gourd pieces into the pan. Cover and cook the ridge gourd pieces on low flame and saute in between. Add required salt and mix with the cooked ridge gourd pieces.

3). Add ground coconut masala paste into the pan and mix well till the raw smell of the ground coconut masala paste goes off. Switch off the flame and transfer the Peechinga thoran to a serving bowl.

A very tasty Peechinga Thoran / Kerala style Ridge gourd Coconut Masala Stir Fry is ready to serve with rice and chapati.

Raw Banana Green Moong Curry

Raw banana green moong curry is a tasty and easy to prepare delicious semi thick gravy made with raw banana and green gram that goes well with rice.The following ingredients are needed to prepare Raw Banana Green Moong Curry.
Ingredients:
Green gram.          -1/2 cup
Raw Banana.         -2 or 3
Dry red chilly.       -2
Garlic cloves.        -3
Curry leaves.         -1 sprig
Red chilly powder.-1 tsp
Hing powder.         -1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds.       -1 tsp
Salt.                        - to taste
Water.               - as needed
Coconut oil.           -1 tbsp

Method:
1). Peel the outer skin and chop raw bananas into very small pieces and wash well. Wash green gram and pressure cook it along with chopped raw banana pieces adding required water for 2 whistles.

2). Heat 1tbsp coconut oil in a wide bottom pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add dry red chilly broken pieces and lightly crushed garlic cloves into the pan and saute in oil. Add curry leaves, red chilly powder and hing powder into the pan and saute well.

3). Add pressure cooked green gram raw banana mixture into the pan and mix well. Add required salt and 1cup of water into the pan and mix with the cooked green gram raw banana mixture. Make a semi thick gravy and cook for 2 minutes on low flame and switch off the flame.Transfer the raw banana green moong curry to a serving bowl.

A very tasty Raw Banana Green Moong Curry is ready to serve with rice. 

Tomato Garlic Curry

Tomato garlic curry is a quick and easy to prepare south Indian style tomato curry made with red ripe tomatoes and garlic cloves adding coriander leaves and spices that goes well as a side dish with rice, roti or chapati.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Tomato Garlic Curry.
Ingredients:
Tomato.                -3 big
Garlic.                  -1whole bulb
Green chilly.         -2
Curry leaves.         -few
Coriander leaves.  -1/2 a bunch
Turmeric powder.  -1/2tsp
Red chilly powder.-1 tsp
Coriander powder.-2 tsp
Mustard seeds.      -1 tsp
Water.          - as needed
Salt.             - to taste
Coconut oil.-2 tsp

Method:
1). Chop tomato into thin lengthy slices. Chop garlic cloves into thin lengthy slices. Slit green chilly. Finely chop coriander leaves. Keep aside the chopped ingredients.

2). Heat coconut oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add chopped garlic slices and saute well. Add slit green chilly and curry leaves into the pan and saute well.

3). Add turmeric powder, red chilly powder and coriander powder into the pan and mix well.

4). Add chopped tomato slices and 3/4 cup of water into the pan and saute well until the tomato slices turn soft.

5). Add finely chopped coriander leaves and mix everything. Boil the curry for 2 minutes on low flame and switch off the flame.

Very tasty and aromatic Tomato Garlic Curry is ready to serve with rice, roti or chapati.  

Bendekai Gojju / Okra Coconut Masala Curry

Bendekai gojju is a karnataka style tamarind based okra coconut masala curry that goes well with rice, chapati, dosa or idli. The following ingredients are needed to prepare Bendekai Gojju / Okra Coconut Masala Curry.

Ingredients:
Bendekai / Okra. -10-12
Turmeric powder.-1/2 tsp 
Grated jaggery.    -2 tbsp
Water.                  -as needed
Salt.                     -to taste
Tamarind. -a gooseberry size

For Grinding Coconut Masala Paste:
Grated coconut.   -1 cup
Dry red chilly.     -6
Sesame seeds.     -1 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds.-1/4 tsp
Urad dal.             -1 tsp
Chana dal.           -1 tsp
Coconut oil.        -1 tbsp

For Tempering:
Mustard seeds.-1 tsp
Dry red chilly. -1
Asafoetida.      -1/4 tsp
Curry leaves.   -1 sprig

Instructions:
1). Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a pan. Add urad dal, chana dal, 6 dry red chillies, sesame seeds, fenugreek seeds and roast on low flame until dals changes to golden brown. Allow the roasted ingredients to cool. Once cooled grind the roasted ingredients along with grated coconut in a mixer grinder to a smooth paste adding 1/2 cup of water. Keep aside the ground coconut masala paste.

2). Soak tamarind in 1& 1/2 cup of  warm water for 5 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind in soaked water and extract tamarind juice. Keep aside the extracted tamarind juice.

3). Wash bendekai /okra in water and wipe them with a cloth. Trim both the ends of cleaned bendekai /okra and chop them into 1inch lengthy round pieces. Keep aside the chopped bendekai pieces.

Method:
1). Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a wide bottom pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add 1 dry red chilly, curry leaves and asafoetida (hing powder) into the pan and fry in oil for a second.

2). Add chopped bendekai into the pan and saute in oil on low flame.

3). Add turmeric powder, extracted tamarind juice, grated jaggery and required salt into the pan and mix with the bendekai and boil on low flame.Cover and cook until the bendekai is cooked.

4). Add ground coconut masala paste into the pan. Add 1/2 cup of water into the pan and mix well. Boil the bendekai gojju /okra masala curry for 6-8 minutes on medium flame and switch off the flame. Transfer the bendekai gojju to a serving bowl.

Bendekai Gojju/ Okra Coconut Masala Curry is ready to serve with rice, chapati, dosa or idli.

Padavalanga Carrot Thoran / Snake Gourd Carrot Stir Fry with Coconut.

Snake gourd carrot stir fry with coconut known as padavalanga carrot thoran in Kerala is a dry stir fry made with snake gourd, carrot, peanuts and freshly grated coconut that goes well as a side dish with rice or chapati. The following ingredients are needed to prepare Padavalanga Carrot Thoran / Snake Gourd Carrot Stir Fry with Coconut.
Ingredients:
Snake gourd / Padavalanga.-1 medium size 
Carrot.                -2
Peanuts.              -1/2 cup
Onion.                 -1
Green chilly.        -2
Curry leaves.       -few
Turmeric powder.-1/2 tsp
Grated coconut.   -1 cup
Chana dal.            -2 tsp
Urad dal.              -2 tsp
Mustard seeds.     -1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds. -1/4 tsp
Salt.                     - to taste
Coconut oil.         -1 tbsp

Instructions:
1). Scrap and peel the outer skin of snake gourd and carrots. Wash and chop them into very small pieces. Wash peanuts. Finely chop onion. Chop green chilly and curry leaves into very thin pieces. Keep aside.

2). In a steamer steam cook the chopped snake gourd pieces, chopped carrot pieces and peanuts for 10 minutes. Keep aside the steam cooked snake gourd carrots peanuts mixture.  

Method:
1). Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a wide bottom pan. Add chana dal and urad dal and saute well. Splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds (methi seeds).

2). Add thinly chopped green chilly and thinly chopped curry leaves into the pan and saute well.

3). Add finely chopped onion and saute well until onion turns translucent. Add turmeric powder and mix well.

4). Add steam cooked snake gourd carrot peanuts mixture and required salt into the pan and saute well on low flame.

5). Add freshly grated coconut into the pan and mix together everything in the pan and cook on low flame for 2-3 minutes and switch off the flame.

A very tasty Padavalanga Carrot Thoran / Snake Gourd Carrot Stir Fry with Coconut is, ready to serve with rice or chapati.