CHILLI CURD STEW

INGREDIENTS

Long chillies (bajji milagai)                   - 4 nos

Salt                                                              - to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR ROASTING AND  GRINDING

Freshly grated coconut                      - 1 cup

White til                                                - 1tbsp

Groundnuts                                          -50 grams

Cardamom                                           - 2 nos

Green chillies                                       - 6 nos

Yogurt                                                   - 2 to 3  cups thick

Garlic                                                     -  6 nos(optional)

INGREDIENTS FOR SEASONING

Butter                                      -1 tbsp

Cumin seeds                         - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves                            - 1 sprig

METHOD

Wash  the  long green chillies and cut into round shape .

 Heat a pan add ground nuts and roast till raw smell goes and keep aside.

Roast white til in the same pan till it splutters.

Heat a tbsp of butter and add garlic and fry till brown.

Grind together grated coconut, cardamom seeds,green chillies, roasted groundnuts, roasted til, garlic with ½ cup of  curd to a smooth paste.

Heat a tbsp of butter  and add the chopped long chillies and fry till raw smell goes.

 Mix  ground  coconut til, groundnut paste to the fried chillies  and add remaining curd  together and  add required salt till the gravy  starts frothing. (don’t allow the curds to boil, otherwise it will split). Remove from flame.

Heat butter in a pan add  cumin seeds,  and curry leaves.

Add the seasonings to the chilly  curd stew.

Chilli  curd  stew is ready to serve.

Serve hot with steaming hot rice, dosas, rotis etc.

KOLLU / MUDHIRAI KOZHUKKATTAI / HORSEGRAM STEAMED BALLS

Arisi Upma Kozhukattai  or Pidi Kozhukattai is a popular and traditional breakfast in South India. These steamed rice dumplings can be easily served with some Coconut chutney or sambar for breakfast or for dinner.

I have made this pidi kozhukkatai a healthy one with super power horsegram/ kollu / mudhira.

Let’s see some of the health benefits of horsegram / kollu / mudhira

 Horsegram / kollu / mudhira are rich in nutrients. They contain plenty of calcium, phosphorous, iron and protein. By virtue of its nutrients and ayurvedic natural properties, the horse gram is considered to be beneficial to human and animal health. It reduces flatulence and reduces indigestion. It also helps to eradicate intestinal parasites.

Horse gram is known to reduce body fat  which is the root causes for obesity. The nutritional contents of these beans, like very little carbohydrate, more protein and fiber, contribute to weight loss.

 The iron content of this bean helps to boost haemoglobin .

 Regular consumption of these beans helps to reduce blood glucose level.

 Regular consumption of cooked horse gram helps to expel small kidney stones. Scientific studies have shown that horse gram inhibits formation of calcium oxalate stones in kidneys.

Regular consumption of these beans helps to reduce blood glucose level.

Pregnant women, persons who are recovering from tuberculosis, people who are willing to  gain weight should not use horse gram.

Let’s go for the healthy  recipe

INGREDIENTS

Good quality rice                                   -  1 cup
Horse gram / kollu / mudhirai          -  ¾ cup
One ripe fresh coconut                         - 1 tbsp 

Garlic                                           - 4 nos

Cumin seeds                               - 1 tsp

Pepper                                                      - 1 tsp

Red chillies                                             - 5 nos
Salt                                                        -   to taste

FOR SEASONONING

Oil                                                -   1 tsp

Mustard seeds                                 -  1 tsp

Urad dal                                          -   1 tsp

Red chilly                                         -  1 broken

Curry leaves                                       -1 sprig

METHOD

Wash rice well, drain the water completely and spread over a cloth.

Wash and soak horsegram / mudhira / kollu  for 6 to 8  hours.

Drain the water, spread over a cloth and powder into rava.

Blend the garlic, grated coconut and red chillies and pepper , cumin seeds  and red chillies together and keep aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan season with mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.

Add 4  cups of water and required amount of salt and allow it to boil..

When it starts boiling add ground  garlic  coconut mixture and the coarsely powdered rice horsegram rawa mixture.

Stir continuously from the bottom .

When all the water is absorbed cook for few more minutes at a lower flame .

Remove from fire and allow it to cool for sometime .

Make oval sized balls and steam for fifteen minutes .

Yummy , healthy   kollu / horsegram / mudhirai   kozhukkattais are ready to serve.

Serve hot with sambar or chutney .

JACKFRUIT RIND / CHAKKA MADAL CANE JUICE PRADHAMAN

The jack fruit is very commonly seen in the south west coastal states of India. Varieties of raw and ripened jack fruit dishes are around in Kerala and are part of common man’s diet. Almost all part of the jack fruit is edible in cooked form. Ihave prepared pradhaman with jack fruit rind or outer surface layer . this is called chakka madal in Malayalam. Chakka means jack fruit and madal means part between the outer throny skin and jackfruit bulbs.

 It is little bit tedious job to  clean the madal. But still this dessert/pradhaman made out of chakka madal or jack fruit rind with the combination of sugarcane juice tastes heavenly.

Here goes the  recipe of sweet dessert/ pradhaman  with chakka madal / jack fruit surface layer or rind.

INGREDIENTS

Jack fruit surface layer/ jack fruit rind / chakka madal                -1 cup

Ripened jack fruit bulbs                                                                      - 200grams

Jiggery                                                                                                    - 200 grams

Sugarcane juice                                                                                    - 1 cup

First extract of           Coconut milk                                                  - 1/2 cup

Second extract of coconut milk                                                        - ¼ cup

Third extract of coconut milk                                                           - ¼ cup

Dry ginger powder                                                                              - ¼ tsp

Cardamom powder                                                                             - ¼ tsp

Ghee                                                                                                      - 2 tbsps

INGREDIENTS FOR GARNISHING

Cashews                                                                                 - 10 nos

Finely chopped jack fruit rind                                           - 2 tbsps

METHOD

Take a piece of jack fruit apply oil in your hands and in your knife before you start  to cut your jack fruit.

Remove the jack fruit bulbs and thorny part of the surface layer and keep aside.

Chop the rind / outer surface/ chakk amadal into fine pieces and keep aside.

In a pan add the third extract of coconut milk and add the finely chopped jack fruit rind/ chakka madal and cook in a medium flame till it becomes soft.

Mean while melt the jiggery in ¼ cup of sugar cane juice and strain the jiggery syrup once it is fully melted.

Blend the jack fruit bulbs in a blender and keep aside.

Add the boiled jack fruit rind/chakka madal and the blended jack fruit bulbs to the strained jiggery cane juice syrup mix well

Add the second extract of coconut milk and remaining sugarcane juice to the above mixture and cook in medium flame for 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile heat another pan and add 2 tbsps of ghee and fry the cashews and jack fruit rind/chakka madal till golden brown colour, and keep aside.

Finally add the first extract mix well and cook for 2 minutes and switch oof the flame.

Transfer it to a  serving bowl and garnish it with fried cashews and fried jack fruit rind/chakka madal.

Yummy uand unique Chakka madal/ jack fruit rind pradhaman is ready to serve.

Enjoy this vishu with this unique chakka madal/jack fruit pradhaman.

IDI CHAKKA PAAL PAYASAM / TENDER RAW JACKFRUIT PAAL PAYASAM

We use tender jackfruit / idi chakka for dry curries, puzhukku etc. Here with this seasonal vegetable I have prepared a yummy paal payasamas vishu special.  Celebrate this vishu with this unique idi chakka payasam.

INGREDIENTS

Tender jackfruit chopped/ idichekkai          - 200 grams

Sugar                                                                   - 1 cup

Milk                                                                     - 4 cups

Cardamom powder                                          - ¼ tsp

Fried cashews                                                  - 10 nos

METHOD

Chop the tender jackfruit/ idichekkai and wash well.

Pressure cook without adding water for 3 whistles.

Drain the excess water if any and blend just for a second in ablender, don’t mash it.and keep aside.

In a a pan boil the milk.

When the milk starts boiling add the blended tender jack fruit/ idichekkai and sugar to the boiling milk.

Cook payasam in medium flame till you get the desired consisitency.

Remove from flame and add cardamom powder

Garnish it with fried cashews.

Tender jack fruit / idi chekkai paal payasam is ready to serve.

NOTE

The jack fruit should be really tender. Otherwise the paayasam won’t taste good.

JACKFRUIT CHOCOLATE KINNATHAPPAM / STEAMED PLATE CAKE

Kinnathappam / steamed plate cake is a traditional steamed sweet cake widely prepared in North Malabar. Kerala. Basic ingredients in this dish  are rice flour, sugar or jiggery coconut milk. I have prepared this kinnathappam / steamed rice cake with a slight variation with Jack fruit and cocoa powder. I have developed this recipe specially for kids and for chocolate lovers . even those who don’t like jack fruit like this yummy chocolaty jack fruit chocolate kinnathappam / steamed plate cake.

Here goes the recipe.

 INGREDIENTS

Rice flour                                            - 1 cup

Coco powder                                      - ¼ cup

Sugar                                                    - ¼ cup

Jack fruit puree                                   - 1 cup

First extract of Coconut milk            - 1 cup

Cardamom powder                              - ¼ tsp

Ghee                                                        - 1 tsp

METHOD

Blend the jack fruits in a blender and keep aside.

Mix coco powder, sugar, coconut milk and rice flour well without any lumps.

Add the jackfruit puree to the above rice flour chocolate mixture.

The batter should be in dosa batter consisitency.

So if needed add some milk if the above batter is thick.

Grease a cooking plate and pour the batter in to the greased plate.

Steam cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until done. To check the  doneness, insert a tooth pick and if it comes out clean your jack fruit chocolate kinnathappam is ready.

Switch off the flame .

Allow it to cool down and cut them into shapes as you desire.

Yummy chocolaty, jack fruit chocolate koinnathappam, is ready to serve.

Garnish it with chopped jack fruit and enjoy.

JACK FRUIT RIND / CHAKKA MADAL CURD STEW

Another unique dish from jack fruit rind/chakka madal to celebrate this vishu in an unique way. Curd stew prepared with jackfruit rind/chakka madal boiled in masla gravy of white til and peanuts .

Here goes the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Chakka madal/ jackfruit rind                    - 2 cups

Turmeric powder                                        - ¼ tsp

Salt                                                                - to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR ROASTING AND  GRINDING

Freshly grated coconut                     - 1 cup

White til                                              - 1tbsp

Groundnuts                                        -50 grams

Red chillies                                        - 7 nos

Yogurt                                                   - 2 to 3  cups thick

Garlic                                                  -  6 nos(optional)

INGREDIENTS FOR SEASONING

Coconut oil                                  -1 tbsp

Cumin seeds                         - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves                            - 1 sprig

Red chillies

METHOD

Remove the jack fruit bulbs and thorny part of the jack fruit and keep the outer skin aside.

Cut the rind into medium sized cubes and boil it in enough water adding turmeric powder and salt till rinds become soft.

 Heat a pan add ground nuts, red chillies  and roast till raw smell goes and keep aside.

Roast white til in the same pan till it splutters.

Heat a tbsp of  coconut oil  and add garlic and fry till brown.

Grind together grated coconut, roasted groundnuts, roasted til, red chillies,garlic with ½ cup of  curd to a smooth paste.

 Mix  ground  coconut til, groundnut paste to the cooked jackfruit rind and mix well.

Add remaining curd  together and  add required salt till the gravy  starts frothing. (don’t allow the curds to boil, otherwise it will split).

Remove from flame.

Heat coconut oil in a pan add  cumin seeds, red chillies, and curry leaves.

Add the seasonings to the jack fruit rind/ chakka madal curd stew.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

NOTES

Adding garlic and is purely optional.