Beetroot thoran

Beetroot is a healthy veggie which contains potassium, magnesium and iron as well as vitamins A, B6 and C, and folic acid. Beets also contain carbohydrates, protein, powerful antioxidants and soluble fibre. Apart from having beetroots in salads and raithas, here is one stir fry recipe. Adding grated coconut is optional.

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 2
Green chillies - 3, slit
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
Jeera/cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a sprig
Crushed pepper - 1/2 tsp or more to taste
Oil - 1 or 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Peel the beetroot and cut it into very small cubes. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add beetroot,green chillies and salt.Combine well. Add a little water and cover and cook.
2. Mix the cumin seeds and grated coconut well with your hands. Add this to the cooked beetroot, along with curry leaves and crushed pepper. Fry well till the thoran is dry.

Events:

Healthy Diet - Vegetarian Side Dishes by Vardhini

Healthy morsels - Pregnancy

The Kerala Kitchen - April 2012 hosted by me

Varutharacha Kozhi curry / Chicken in roasted coconut gravy - Easter special

Happy Easter, dear friends...This traditional kerala style chicken curry is my mother's recipe. It goes well with rice, appam, puttu, pathiri, dosa, chappathi, malabar paratha etc...

Ingredients:

For marination

Chicken - 1 kg, cut to medium size pieces

Chilly powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Yoghurt/Curd - 2 tbsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Onions - 3, sliced fine

Ginger chopped - 1 tbsp

Garlic chopped - 1 tbsp

Green chilies - 3 or 4, slit

Tomato - 2, chopped

Potatoes - 2, peeled and cubed

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

To roast and grind

Oil -1 tbsp

Fennel seeds - 2 tsp

Cinnamon - a 3 inch stick

Cloves - 4

Green cardamom - 2

Black pepper - 1 tsp

Dry red chillies - 4

Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp or Coriander powder - 4 to 5 tsp

Sambar onions/Shallots - 5, peeled and sliced

Curry leaves - 6 to 8

Grated coconut - 1 cup

For tempering/tadka

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dry red chillies - 2 or 3

Curry leaves - a sprig

Note: I use only coconut oil for this curry for an authentic taste.

Preparation:

1. Combine the marination ingredients well and keep aside for 30 mins.

2. Heat oil in an earthern/clay pot/large pan and saute the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies. When onions become soft, add tomatoes and saute for a few minutes.

3. Add potatoes and the marinated chicken. Combine well and add some water. Cover and cook.

4. Meanwhile, heat oil in a nonstick pan and add fennel, cinnamon,cloves,cardamom and black pepper. Saute for a minute and add dry red chillies, coriander seeds and shallots. Add grated coconut and curry leaves and roast till the ingredients are a dark brown in colour. Take care not to burn it. Perfeclty brown roasted coconut is the secret for the yummy colour of the curry. If you are using coriander powder instead of seeds, add it after the coconut turns brown so that it doesnt get burnt.Let this mixture cool.

5. Add a little water to the roasted coconut mix and grind it to a smooth paste.

6. When the chicken is almost cooked, add this ground masala and bring to a boil. Check for salt and add at this stage. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

7. In a small tadka pan, add oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add dry chillies and curry leaves. Pour this seasoning on the chicken curry.

This curry tastes best after a few hours.. 

Events:

The Kerala Kitchen - April 2012 hosted by me

Egg and potato curry

It's been a while I posted an egg curry recipe. This is one of our favourite curries that goes well along with appam, chappathi, pathiri, malabar paratha, rice etc.

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 1 large

Eggs - 3 or 4, hard boiled and shelled

Onion - 1, sliced thin

Ginger chopped - 1 tsp

Garlic chopped - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 2, slit

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Tomato - 1, chopped

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp or to taste

Crushed pepper - 1/2 tsp or to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves chopped - 2 tbsp

Thick Coconut milk - optional

Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Peel and cube the potato and keep aside in a bowl of water.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add fennel seeds. Add onions,ginger,garlic and green chillies and saute till onions are transparent. 

3. Add turmeric, coriander and chilly powders. Add chopped tomatoes and saute till mushy. 

4. Add potatoes, salt and 1/2 cup of water and cover and cook till potatoes are done. I lighlty mash a few potato cubes  to make the curry thicker.

5. Add the garam masala and crushed pepper. Add the hard boiled eggs and simmer for few minutes. You may add thick coconut milk at this point. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Events:

The Kerala Kitchen - April 2012 hosted by me

Healthy morsels - Pregnancy

The Kerala Kitchen - April 2012

Dear friends,

I am so glad to announce the The Kerala Kitchen - April 2012.  The Kerala Kitchen is a month cooking event series initiated by Rose and Ria. Check out more about this series here.

Rules for the event:

1. There are no special rules as such, the recipes you send can be traditional kerala recipes like Appam and Stew, Kappa and fish curry, Puttu, Idiyappam etc or any other recipe inspired by the flavours and spices that Kerala is well known for. For eg, the use of coconut, whole spices, seafood etc...

2. Post the recipe in your blog between April 1 -  April 30 and link back to this announcement and also to the Kerala Kitchen homepage. Usage of logo is appreciated. Then send in your entries to events.ramyasrecipe@gmail.com with subject of the email: The Kerala Kitchen - April 2012 and include the following details

Your Name:

Recipe Name:

Recipe URL:

Photograph of the dish

3. Veg and non-veg recipes are welcome. Multiple entries are encouraged. Archived entries  are allowed if updated with the links above. 

4. There are awards in 3 categories - Top Dish, Best Pic and Top contributor, so rush in your entries ..This is a festive month with Easter on April 8 and Vishu on April 14, so would be glad to see some festive dishes too...