Garlic Pepper Rice/ Poondu Milagu Sadam

 Garlic pepper rice / Poondu milagu sadam is a very tasty and easy to prepare variety rice dish and is very good for cough and cold.Garlic Pepper Rice/ Poondu Milagu Sadam recipe is given below with step by photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Garlic Pepper Rice / Poondu Milagu Sadam.

Ingredients:-

Cooked white rice.-1 cup
Garlic cloves.     -10 to 15
Shallots.              -5
Tomato.               -1
Dry red chilly.     -2
Curry leaves.       -few
Coriander leaves. -few
Pepper powder.    -1tbsp
Sambar powder.   -1&1/2 tsp
Asafoetida.           -1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder. -1/4 tsp
Fennel seeds.        -1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds.      -1tsp
Urad dal.               -1tsp
Cashews.               -few
Water.                    -3 tbsp
Salt.                       -to taste
Sesame oil.            -1tbsp

Instructions:-

Chop shallots (small onion) into thin slices.Chop tomato into small pieces. Finely chop few coriander leaves. Chop garlic cloves into thin round pieces. Keep aside the chopped onion slices, tomato pieces, few coriander leaves, garlic pieces, dry red chillies and few curry leaves.

Method:-

1). Heat 1tbsp sesame oil in a wide bottom pan or kadai and add urad dal and saute well. Splutter mustard seeds and fennel seeds. Add dry red chillies and few curry leaves into the pan and saute in oil. Add chopped garlic cloves, chopped shallots and few cashews into the pan and saute well. Add chopped tomato and saute well until tomato becomes mushy. Add turmeric powder, sambar powder, required salt and water into the pan. Mix well and cook on low flame until oil seperates.

2). Add cooked white rice, pepper powder and finely chopped few coriander leaves into the pan and mix well.

3). Switch off the flame and transfer the garlic pepper rice to a serving bowl.

Very tasty Garlic Pepper Rice / Pondu Milagu Sadam is ready to serve with potato chips or potato roast or any side dish of your choice.

Kali Tori Ghasi / Black Pigeon Peas Masala Curry

 Kali tori ghasi is a very tasty Konkani style black pigeon peas coconut masala curry made with black pigeon peas, potato and ground coconut masala paste goes well with rice and chapathi.Black Pigeon Peas is known as Kali Tori in Konkani. Kali Tori Ghasi / Black Pigeon Peas Masala Curry recipe is given below with step by step photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Kali Tori Ghasi / Black Pigeon Peas Masala Curry.

Ingredients:-

Black pigeon peas.-3/4 cup
Potato.                   -2
Asafoetida.            -a pinch
Water.                    -as required
Salt.                       -to taste

For grinding Coconut Masala Paste:-

Grated coconut.  -1/2 of a coconut
Dry red chilly.     -6
Coriander seeds.  -2 tbsp
Turmeric powder.-1/4 tsp
Tamarind.            -a gooseberry size
Coconut oil.        -1tsp for roasting

For Seasoning:-

Urad dal.        -1tsp
Mustard seeds.1tsp
Curry leaves.  -1sprig
Coconut oil.    -2 tsp

Instructions:-

1). Soak black pigeon peas / kali tori in water for 12 hours or overnight. Then drain soaked water and wash the soaked black pigeon peas in water 2 to 3 times. Pressure cook the soaked black pigeon peas along with a pinch of asafoetida, little salt and 1 and 1/2 cup of water for 5 whistles. Keep aside the cooked black pigeon peas / kali tori along with cooked water.

2). Peel and remove the outer skin of 2 potatoes and wash well.Chop the potatoes into medium cubed pieces and cook the potato pieces adding required water in a vessel. Keep aside the cooked potato pieces.

3). Heat 1tsp coconut oil in a small pan and roast coriander seeds and dry red chillies for a minute on low flame. Grind the roasted coriander seeds and red chillies in a mixer grinder along with grated coconut, turmeric powder and tamarind to a smooth paste adding little water.Transfer the ground coconut masala paste to a plate. Wash the mixie with little water and pour it into the ground coconut masala paste in the plate.

Method:-

1). In a wide bottom pan add cooked black pigeon peas / kali tori along with cooked water and boil on low flame.

2). Add cooked potato pieces into the pan and mix with the cooked black pigeon peas / kali tori.

3). Add ground coconut masala paste into the pan and mix with cooked black pigeon peas and potato pieces.

4). Check for salt and add required salt if needed. Add little water and make the curry to a semi thick gravy consistency. Boil the black pigeon peas potato masala curry for 2 to 3 minutes on low flame and switch off the flame.

5). Heat 2 tsp coconut oil in a small pan for seasoning and add urad dal and saute well. Splutter mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and fry in oil for a second and switch off the flame.Pour the seasoning into the black pigeon peas masala curry / kali tori ghasi and mix well.

6). Remove the kali tori ghasi / black pigeon masala curry from flame.

Very tasty Kali Tori Ghasi/ Black Pigeon Peas Masala Curry is ready to serve with rice.

Kabuli Chana Raw Mango Coconut Curry

Kabuli chana raw mango coconut curry is a very tasty curry made with kabuli chana, raw mango and ground coconut paste and goes well with chapathi, phulka and rice

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Kabuli Chana Raw Mango Coconut Curry.

Ingredients:-

Kabuli Chana.    -1 cup
Raw mango.       -1/2 mango
Green chilly.       -4
Grated coconut.  -1 cup
Mustard seeds.    -1tsp
Cumin seeds.       -1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder.-1/2 tsp
Curry leaves.       -1sprig
Water.                   -as required
Salt.                      -to taste
Coconut oil.         -3 tsp

Instructions:-

1). Wash and soak kabuli chana in water overnight. Drain and pressure cook soaked kabuli chana adding turmeric powder, 1tsp coconut oil and sufficient water to cover the chana for 3 whistles. Keep aside the cooked kabuli chana along with cooked water.

2). Grind grated coconut to a smooth paste adding 2 tbsp of water. Keep aside the ground coconut paste.

3).Take 1/2 of a medium size raw mango and remove the skin.Chop the raw mango into thin lengthy slices. 

4). Half slit green chillies and keep aside.

Method:-

1). Heat 2 tsp coconut oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Add half slit green chillies into the pan and saute well in oil for few seconds. Add curry leaves and saute in oil.

2). Add thinly chopped raw mango slices, required salt and 1/2 cup of water into the pan and mix well.Cover and half cook the mango slices on low flame.

3). Add cooked kabuli chana along with cooked water into the pan and boil on low flame for 3 to 5 minutes.

4). Add ground coconut paste into the pan and mix with all ingredients in the pan. When boiling bubbles starts to appear switch off the flame.Transfer the curry to a serving bowl.

Very tasty Kabuli Chana Raw Mango Coconut Curry is ready to serve with chapathi, phulka and rice.

Caramel Payasam

Caramel payasam is a very tasty and sweet caramel rice kheer made with basmati rice, sugar and milk.Caramel Payasam recipe is given below with step by step photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Caramel Payasam.

Ingredients:-

Basmati rice.         -1/2 cup
Sugar.                    -3/4 cup +2tbsp
Milk.                      -1 liter
Cashew nuts.          -1tbsp
Raisins.                   -1tbsp
Cardamom powder.-1tsp
Water.                      -2 tbsp
Ghee.                       -2 tsp

Instructions:-

1). Heat 2tsp ghee in a pan and fry cashew nuts and raisins in ghee and keep aside.

2). Make caramel syrup.Add 2 tbsp sugar in a pan and heat on medium flame. Once the sugar starts to melt mix well until light golden brown colour.Add 2 tbsp hot water and mix the melted sugar. Caramel syrup is ready. (Don't make it dark brown, else it will have bitter taste).

3). Wash and soak basmati rice for 15 minutes. Drain water and add the soaked basmati rice in a mixer grinder. Pulse the soaked basmati rice twice without adding water.

Method:-

1). Boil one liter milk in a steel kadai on low flame.

2). Add ground basmati rice into boiling milk and allow it to cook for around 20 minutes on low flame or until cooked and milk reduces into half. Stir in between.

3). Once the rice is half cooked add cardamom powder and mix well. Stir occasionally.

4). Once the rice is cooked and milk is reduced to half add caramel syrup and mix well. The colour of
the payasam will change to light brown.

5). Add sugar and mix well on low flame. (I added brown sugar, you can add regular sugar). Adjust the consistency of payasam. Payasam will thicken once it cooled. If the payasam is too thick add 1/2 cup hot water into the thick payasam and mix well to loosen it.

6). Add ghee fried cashew nuts and raisins into the caramel payasam and mix well. Switch off the flame.

A very tasty and sweet Caramel Payasam is ready.

 You can serve  the Caramel Payasam hot or chilled.

Chembu Pulissery / Taro Root Curd Curry.

Chembu pulissery is a Kerala style coconut based taro root curd curry goes well with rice. Chembu Pulissery recipe is given below with step by step photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Chembu Pulissery / Taro Root Curd Curry.

Ingredients:-

Taro root/ Chembu.-1 large
Green chilly.           -1
Turmeric powder.   -1/2 tsp
Curd.                       -1 cup
Salt.                         -to taste

For grinding Coconut Masala Paste:-

Grated coconut.     -1 cup
Cumin seeds.         -1/2 tsp
Green chillies.       -2
Black pepper corn.-1/4 tsp

For Seasoning:-

Mustard seeds.    -1 tsp
Dry red chillies.  -2
Fenugreek seeds.-1/4 tsp
Curry leaves.      -1 spring
Coconut oil.        -2 tsp

Method:-

1). Remove the outer skin of a large taro root. Wash well and chop it into medium thick pieces. In a pan add the chopped taro root pieces, half slit one green chilly, turmeric powder, 1cup of water and boil on low flame.Cover and cook taro root pieces till soft.

2). Grind grated coconut, cumin seeds, green chillies and black pepper corn to a smooth paste adding little water.

3). Add the ground coconut masala paste into the pan.

4). Add required salt and little water into the pan and mix the ground coconut masala paste.Boil and cook till raw smell of the coconut masala paste goes.

5). Whisk curd adding little water. Add the whisked curd into the pan.

6). Mix the whisked curd with ground coconut masala paste and heat the curry on low flame.Once the boiling bubbles starts to appear switch off the flame.Do not boil the curry for a long time after adding curd.

7). Heat 2 tsp coconut oil in a small pan for seasoning and splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds (methi seeds). Add dry red chilly broken pieces and curry leaves into the pan and saute well in oil for a second and switch off the flame. Pour the seasoning into the taro root curd curry in the pan.

8). Mix the seasoning in chembu pulissery / taro root curd curry.

Very tasty Chembu Pulissery / Taro Root Curd Curry is ready to serve with rice.