Koottu curry

Koottu curry is a traditional dish of Kerala and is included in Kerala Sadya. It is made with black/brown chana, Yam and Raw plantain. This is traditionally served with rice, but also goes well with roti.

Ingredients:

Black/brown chana (Kadala) - 2/3 cup
Yam - half of a small sized (after peeling and cutting to pieces it was a little more than a cup)
Raw plantain - 1
Turmeric powder
Salt

Shredded coconut - 3/4 cup
Whole black pepper corns - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp (Coconut oil is preferred)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dry Red chillies - 2 or 3
Curry leaves - a sprig

Preparation:

1. Soak chana overnight. Cook in a pressure cooker with salt,turmeric powder and water. Add just enough water to cook the chana, as this dish has a thick gravy. Keep aside.
2. Peel and cut the yam and raw plantain to small pieces. Cook it with salt,turmeric powder and water. When it is almost cooked, turn off the stove and keep aside.
3.Meanwhile grind together coconut, cumin seeds and pepper corns without adding water.
4. Add the cooked yam and plantain and the ground coconut to the cooked chana and combine well and cook for few minutes.
5. In a small pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add dry red chillies and curry leaves. Pour this seasoning over the cooked curry and immeditely close the lid. After 5 mins, open the lid and combine well.

Recipe source: My mother.

Sending this to Kerala Kitchen - August 2011 hosted by Vidhya of Sugar N Spice. Visit The Kerala Kitchen page here.

Linking to Anyone can cook: Series 28 at Taste of Pearl City

Also goes to Flavours of South India

Please do visit and send your entries for my Ongoing event - Fusion Food:Pasta

Plantain Pancake

A sweet and fruity pancake, this recipe is sure to be a hit among kids and is an ideal evening snack when they return from school.  This recipe is inspired from my blogger friend Sobha's Plantain Sweet Dosa.She made it with dosa batter, as I didn't have it I made it with wheat flour. 

Ingredients:

Ripe plantain - 1 big (Very ripe plantains tastes best)

Wheat flour/Atta - 1 cup

Honey or Sugar - to taste

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Water

Ghee/Oil

Preparation:

1. Cut plantain to 2 and steam in a steamer or idli vessel till cooked. Peel and mash it.

2. Make a batter with atta and water to form a pancake/dosa batter consistency. Add the mashed plantains and blend it well in a mixer/blender. Add honey or sugar to taste and the cardamom powder.

3. Grease a tava/pan with a little ghee/oil. Pour a ladle of batter and spread like a pancake. When one side is cooked, flip to the other side. You may drizzle ghee or oil.

Linking to Anyone Can Cook: Series 27

This also goes to Healthy Snacks event and Quick and Easy Recipes event.

Kaalan

കാളന്‍ 

Kaalan is a traditional Kerala dish made of yogurt/curd, coconut and one vegetable like raw plantain(vazhakka) or Ash gourd(kumbalanga) or a tuber like Yam(chena) or Colocasia(chembu). I have used raw plantain in this recipe. Kaalan is a part of Sadhya (a vegetarian feast of Kerala)


Ingredients:

Raw plantain/Vazhakka - 2
Red chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 3 or 4, slit
Water
Salt

Shredded coconut - 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Yoghurt/curd - 3/4 to 1 cup

For Seasoning
Oil
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
fenu greek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Dry Red chilly - 2
curry leaves - a sprig

Preparation:

1.Clean and cut the plantain to pieces and cook with turmeric powder,chilly powder,green chillies,water and salt till it is cooked and the water is evaporated.
2.Meanwhile grind the shredded coconut and cumin seeds to make a smooth paste.When the plantain is almost cooked add the coconut paste,combine well and cook for few more minutes.
3.Add the beaten yoghurt/curd  and combine it well. Switch off the stove immediately.
4.Heat oil in a small pan and splutter mustard seeds followed by fenugreek seeds.Add curry leaves and red chilly .Pour this seasoning on the kaalan .

Linking this to Kerala Kitchen July 2011 hosted by Magpie

Aviyal

അവിയല്‍ 

Avial is a traditional kerala recipe and an essential part of Sadya(A vegetarian Feast). This dish is prepared by cooking a variety of vegetables and mixed with coconut and yoghurt/curd and seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves. In some regions of kerala, tamarind is used instead of curd. You may use any vegetables of your choice that are locally available. The most commonly used are yam, raw plantain, ash gourd, drumstick, carrot, beans etc.

Ingredients:

Assorted vegetables* – 3-4 cups, cut all the veggies lengthwise 

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Green chillies - 3 or 4

Water – 1.5 cups

Salt

Coconut – 1/2 cup

Jeera/Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp

Shallots - 1 or 2

Yoghurt/Curd – 1/4 cup or a little more if you like

Coconut oil – 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 to 2 sprigs

* - I  used a large potato, a raw plantain, 2 carrots, 2 drumsticks and 5-6 french beans

Preparation:

1. Cook the vegetables with turmeric powder, green chillies, salt and water.

2. Meanwhile grind coconut, jeera and shallots coarsely without adding water. When the veggies are 3/4th cooked, add the coconut mix and combine well.

3. Cook till the vegetables are done. They shouldn't get mashed. Switch off the stove. Beat the curd well and add to the cooked vegetables. Add coconut oil and curry leaves and combine well.

Pazham Pori / Banana fritters

പഴം പൊരി 

Pazham pori, also known as ethakka appam is one of the favorite tea time snack of keralites. It is made with ripe plantain which is called nendra pazham / ethapazham in malayalam. My non-keralite friends refer it to as Kerala Banana...

Ingredients:

Ripe plantain - 2 big
Maida/Plain Flour - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp (need not add if plantain is very ripe and sweet)
Salt - a pinch
Oil - for deep frying

Preparation:

1. Make a thick batter of maida, salt and sugar. Cut the plantains into thin slices and dip in batter and coat well.
2. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the coated plantains till golden brown on both sides.