Ven pongal

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup
Moong dal - 1/4 cup
Water - 4 cups
Ginger - 1 tsp
Asfoetida - a pinch
Ghee - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

To temper
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Pepper corns - 1 tsp
Cashews - 1 tbsp ( 6-8)
Asfoetida - a generous pinch
Curry leaves - a sprig

Method:

1. Wash rice and moong dal together and keep aside. Heat a tsp of ghee in a pressure cooker and fry chopped ginger and asfoetida for a minute.
2. Add water and washed rice and moong dal to the pressure cooker. Cook for 3-4 whistles on medium flame.
3. Open the pressure cooker once the pressure is released and mash the rice and moong dal.
4. Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan and add jeera, pepper corns, curry leaves, cashews and asfoetida. Fry it for a minute and pour it into the pongal and mix well.

Serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar!

Mathanga Erissery

Ingredients:

Mathanga/Pumpkin - 1 1/2 cups , diced
Vanpayar - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Water - 2 cups

To Grind
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Dried red chilly - 4-5
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

To temper
Coconut oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dry red chilly - 2
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Grated coconut - 4 tbsp

Method:

1. Soak vanpayar over night or for 6-8 hrs. Then pressure cook it with just enough water for 3-4 whistles.
2. Cook mathanga/pumpkin with salt and turmeric powder in around 2 cups of water.
3. Grind the ingredients under 'To grind' to a smooth paste with just enough water.
4. Once the pumpkin is cooked, mash it slightly with the back of the laddle. Then add the cooked vanpayar and coconut paste to it. Cook it together for 2 minutes.
5. In a fry pan, heat oil and add the mustard seeds  and dry red chilly. When the mustard seeds splutter add curry leaves and grated coconut.  Fry the coconut in medium flame till golden brown.
Add this tempering to the curry and mix well.

Serve hot with rice!

Palak chole

Ingredients

1. Chickpeas - 1 cup
2. Onion - 1 large, chopped finely
3. Tomatoes - 2 medium, chopped finely
4. Palak/Spinach - 3- 4 cups
5. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
6. Chole masala - 1 tsp
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
11. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
12. Oil - 2 tbsp
13. Water - 2 cup
14. Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
15. Salt to taste


Method:

1. Soak chickpeas overnight .Pressure cook with enough water to cover the chickpeas for  3-4 whistles.
2. Meanwhile blanch the spinach in hot water or microwave it with 1-2 tbsp of water for 2-3 minutes. Then puree it and keep aside.
3. Heat a heavy bottom pan . Add oil and cumin seeds. When cumin seeds splutter, add onion and fry till it turns golden brown.
4. Now add ginger garlic paste and fry for another 2 minutes. Then add tomatoes and all the powders and salt and fry till tomatoes are mushy and cooked.
5. Then add the pureed spinach to the onion-tomato gray and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. Now add cooked chick peas and about half a up of water(if the consistency is thick) and cook for  8-10 minutes.
7. Add in the lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with roti/chappathi.

Simple Chocolate cake

My daughter wanted a cake similar to the birthday cake with animals on it. So we made a chocolate cake this time and frosted it with chocolate frosting.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 1 3/4 cups
Sugar - 2 cups
Unsweetened cocoa powder - 3/4 cup
Eggs - 2 large
Warm water - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Oil(vegetable, canola,safflower) - 1/2 cup
Vanilla - extract - 1 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease or butter the bottom of a 9"x 13" cake pans(or you can use two 9" pans).Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease it with butter.
2. In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients( sugar, all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder).
3. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk,water, oil and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix or whisk until combined.
4.  Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 27 - 35 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Source: Joy of baking

Pavakka theeyal / Bitter gourd theeyal

Ingredients:

Pavakka/Bitter gourd - 1 cup, cut into thin slices
Shallots - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Tamarind - small lemon sized
Dry red chilly - 6 - 7
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Tempering

Oil -1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Red chilly - 1-2
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method:

1. Slice the pearl onions length wise.
2. In a pan, roast the shredded coconut till it changes to light brown stirring continuously. Now add the red chilly and coriander and roast for another 1 or 2 minutes. Allow it to cool and then grind it to a smooth thick paste adding little water (max 1/2 cup).
3. Meanwhile soak tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water for 10 minutes and extract the juice.
4. Return the pan to heat, add oil and the onions. Saute the onion for 2-3 minutes. Then add pavakka pieces and saute for 2-3 minutes.
5. Then add about 1 and half cups of water ( or enough water to cook the onion and pavakka). Add salt and turmeric powder, give a stir and allow it to cook for about 10-15 minutes or until the pavakka is fully cooked and soft.
6.  Now add the tamarind extract and boil it for 1 minute. Then add roasted coconut paste and little water(if the curry is very thick). Check for salt. Bring it to boil for a minute and switch off the heat.
7. In another pan, heat oil . Add mustard seeds and  red chilly. When the mustard seeds splutter add curry leaves and turn of the heat. Add this to the curry.

Serve hot with rice!

Olan

Ingredients:

Kumbalanga/Ash gourd/Winter melon - 1 cup, small cubes
Green chilly - 2 , slit lengthwise
Vanpayar/ Red gram - a handful
Thick coconut milk - 1 cup
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cook ash gourd and green chillies with enough water till ash gourd is soft , yet retains its shape.
2. Pressure cook vanpayar for 1-2 whistles with enough water and salt.
3. Add the cooked vanpayar to the cooked ash gourd and mix well.cook for a minute or two.Now add coconut milk, coconut oil and curry leaves and switch of the flame.

Mix well and serve hot with rice.

Kerala Peas curry

Ingredients:

Green peas - 1 cup
Onion - 1 , thinly sliced
Tomato - 1 , choppped
Green chilly - 1, slit lengthwise
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Thick Coconut milk  - 1 cup
Thin coconut milk - 1/4 - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak green peas for 6-8 hrs. Then pressure cook with enough water for 1-2 whistles.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Add thinly sliced onion and saute till translucent. Now add ginger garlic paste, green chilly and curry leaves. Saute for 1 or 2 minutes.
3. Now add the powders and salt . Fry for 1 minute and add the tomato pieces. Add thin coconut milk and mix well. Cook till tomatoes are soft and mushy.
4. Add the green peas and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Now add the thick coconut milk and mix well. Switch off the stove immediately.

Serve hot with chappathi or appam.

Paneer Capsicum Masala

Ingredients

Paneer - 1 cup, cubed
Onion - 1 big, chopped
Tomato - 2 medium , chopped
Capsicum - 3/4 -  1 cup, cubed
Green chilly - 1, cut lengthwise
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 2 tsp
Oil/ butter  - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Dry Kasuri methi - 1 tsp, crushed
Cashews - 10- 12
Milk - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat a tbsp of oil/butter in a pan. Add onion and saute till translucent.  Now add ginger garlic paste and green chilly and saute for another 1-2 minutes.
2. Soak cashews in hot milk for 10-15 minutes and grind it to a smooth paste.
3. Add tomato pieces and cook till it turns soft and mushy. Allow it to cool down and blend it in a mixer.
4. Heat a tsp of oil/butter in the pan and fry capsicum for 3-4 minutes. Keep aside.
5. Heat the remaining oil/butter and add the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds splutter, add the onion -tomato paste. Also add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt and kasuri methi.
6. Cook till the mixtures becomes thick. Now add paneer cubes and capsicum and mix well. Cook it for 1-2 minutes.
7. Now add the cashew paste and about 1/4 cup of water to the mixture and mix well. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
8. Garnish it with coriander leaves. Serve with chappathi or fried rice.