Red currants!!

RED CURRANT SMOOTHIE

Plucked a lot of red currants this time.

Red currants are a bit sour but full with vitamins.

Add bananas, sugar, milk and vanilla sugar to make a tasty smoothie.

Cheera payar Thoran

Cheera Payaru Thoran

(Red Spinach & green gram dal stir fry)

~~-------------------------~~~~-------------------------~~

Cheera/Red Spinat is very nutritious and is well known for its health benefits.

Its a regular vegetable in south india and mom used to make this thoran atleast once a week.

So here goes,.......

THINGS NEEDED

~~-------------------------~~

Cheera chopped coarse - 3 cups

Green gram dal soaked in water - 1 cup

Onion chopped - 1/2 cup 

Mustad seeds, oil , curry leaves

Shredded coconut - 1/2 cup

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Garlic - 1 pod

Salt

PREPARATION METHOD

~~-----------------------------------~~

Cook green dal seperate adding little amount of water. 

Pay attention not to overcook. 

Drain the excess water and keep it aside.

Grind coconut,jeera,garlic salt to a mixture. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. 

Splutter mustard seeds.

Add curry leaves .

Add chopped onions, saute till transparent.

Add cheera and saute for a min. 

Add cooked green gram dal & coconut mixture.

Mix and cook covered in medium heat. 

Saute in between.

Potato Brussels sprouts puree

POTATO PUREE 

THINGS NEEDED:

Potatoes  3 cup

Brussels sprouts 3 cup

Parsely leaves - 2 spring

Cream - 100 ml around

Butter

PREPARATION METHOD:

Coarsely chop both vegetables . Add half  measure water. Enough salt. Cook covered.

Add parsely leaves, cream and puree using stab mixer.

Add 1 tsp butter for taste.

Pumpkin Cream Soup

PUMPKIN CREAM SOUP 

Just love the Autumn for  all the colours it has to offer.....green, yellow, orange, red and brown.

It was the harvest time both for us and the wild bunnies behind our Garden.

We got lot of Raspberries, Tomatoes, Red current berries Strawberries and 3 big Pumpkins this time...

The Pumpkins were mostly green as I plucked em. Stored them in a carton in the Basement. Found them full in orangish yellow after 3 weeks.

I have made the soup a couple of times now. Its healthy .
Always loved by my people :)

Things needed :

1/2 Pumpkin - peeled, cut into chunks 5 cup around
White radish - 1 big whole, peeled cut into chunks
Carrot - 1 big
Potato - 1 cup

Chicken broth - 2 sp
Parsley leaves
Cream - 200 ml

Preparation method:

Peel and cut all Vegetables into big chunks .
Cook all vegetables covered adding chicken broth and water ( water level should be lower to the vegetables).
When done add 150 ml cream, parsley leaves, puree using a stabb mixer.
Serve hot pouring some cream on top .

Vegetable Upma

RAVA UPMA

Time saver recipe for weekdays. 

 You can replace "Rava'' with "Broken wheat" or "Couscous".  

All of them are healthy and tasty. 

Goes well with a freshly ground Coconut chutney.

One of my friends were complaining  about the upma getting too mushy. The key is always to add less water as possible and let it cook covered in low flame :)   I like it in any form however.

THINGS NEEDED:

Rava /Broken wheat / Couscous - 1 cup

Mixed vegetables cut small - 2 cup

(Carrots, Green beans, red onion)

Cashew nuts - some

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 spring

Whole dry red chillies - 2 

Ginger chopped - 1 tsp

Cardamom - 4,  seeds crushed

Salt

water

Ghee or oil

PREPARATION METHOD:

Chop the vegetables, set aside.

Roast rava in a bottom thick pan sauting continously. If you have a roasted Rava then skip this step.

Heat 1 tbsp Ghee or oil in a pan. Fry cashew nuts in it. Set aside.

Splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves, red whole chillies. 

1 tsp chopped ginger.  When rawness goes add chopped vegetables. Fry for 5 min.

Add roasted rava, mix well . 

Add 2 tsp of salt and 1 1/2 cup of water . Mix and allow to cook closed in a low flame.

10 mins. then you can check if the upma is done.

Mix in crushed cardamoms and fried Cashew nuts.

Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Red Lentils Dal curry

Red Lentils Dal Curry 

Was very amazed to see an indian recipe in a German website.
The method was totally different from how i used to do, especially ginger and coconut raspel added late, so do the lately added turmeric.

Have made a couple of times now with Jeera basmati rice or chappathi. Children loves it hence the recipe is a keeper and thus its in my site.

Giving credits to the author from Chefkoch for this amazing recipe.

http://www.chefkoch.de/rezepte/128381055063820/Rote-Linsen-Curry.html

Quoting the English version of the recipe here...

Things Needed:

Red lentils - 1 1/2 cup
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Onion  - 1 chopped
Ginger - 1 sp chopped
Coconut raspel - 2 sp
Tomatoes - 4 chopped
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Cream - 50 ml

Preparation Method :

Wash red lentils and cook adding enough water. They cook very fast like in 5 min.. Set aside.

Heat 2 sp oil in a pan in medium heat. Fry onions ading cumin powder till transparent.

Add ginger and coconut raspel. A nice aroma spreads. Saute till coconut turns golden brown.

Toss in chopped tomatoes. Mix nicely and cook covered for 5 min.

Add chilly powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, salt, cream sauting.

Add cooked lentils. Cook covered for 10 min.

Serve topped with chopped coriander.

Baked Potatoes with Herbs and German Soft Cheese

BAKED POTATOES WITH HERBS - CREAM CHEESE FILLING

Had a very buzy friday due to shopping and not much time sauting and staring. 

Its a very typical food mostly eaten with satakes or sausages.

THINGS NEEDED :

Potatoes washed - 500 gm
Cream cheese / Quark (German Soft cheese) - 500 gm
Chives - one bunch
Garlic cloves - 1
Parsley (flat leaved) - one bunch
Salt and Pepper
aluminium foil

PREPARATION METHOD :

Cook potatoes adding some salt.

Then  roll them in aluminium foil and bake for half an hour.

Mix cream cheese, chopped herbs (chives, cloves  parsley leaves),some  salt and pepper.

After the potatoes are done split them into 2 and fill 1 spoon of the chream cheese filling.

Garnish with some chopped chives and serve with pan fried sausages.


~  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------  ~

Vegetable Cream Sauce for Noodles - Weekday Cooking

PENNE WITH VEGETABLE CREAM SAUCE

Creamy & tasty yet simple recipe for weekdays cooking . 

Loved very much by my children.

THINGS NEEDED:

Onion chopped - 1

Carrot chopped- 1

Green peas fresh - 1/4 cup

Tomato paste (tomatenmark) -  2 sp

Cream - 200 ml

Crème fraîche - 1 sp

Sweet chili powder

Pepper 

Salt

PREPARATION METHOD:

Heat oil in a pan . Fry vegetables in it.

Add tomato paste and saute for 3 min.

Flavour it  with chilly powder, pepper n salt.

Add cream and creme fraiche. Bring to boil.

Serve with Penne or Spaghetti.


~  -------------------------------------- ~

Pumpkin Erusseri

PUMPKIN ERUSSERI - KERALA STYLE

Mom always used to cook pumpkin erusseri at home and
it was simply mouth drooling.

Its a best side dish for rice, as well chappathi's.

Its pumpkin season and you can see them almost every stores.
Lots of recipes running on my mind  like pumpkin pachadi and pumpkin erusseri, mom's recipe.

THINGS NEEDED:

Pumpkin- 2 cups chopped

Red beans, soaked - 1 cup

Coconut - 1 cup

Cumin - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Garlic - 1 small clove

Seasoning ingredients :

Mustard seeds

Curry leaves

Ghee (clarified butter) - 1 tbsp

PREPARATION METHOD:

Cook red beans and pumpkin separately adding little bit salt.

Mash the pumpkin. Set aside.

Heat Ghee in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds and fry red chillies, curry leaves. 

Add coconut to it. Saute and fry till golden brown. 

Add cumin, turmeric & crushed garlic to it.  Saute for 5 min in low heat.

Mix well cooked red beans, mashed pumpkin & coconut mixture and cook covered for 5 - 10 min.

Green Peas Masala

GREEN PEAS MASALA

THINGS NEEDED:

Mustard seeds
Ginger Garlic - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 2 strand
Onion finely chopped  - 1 big
Tomato - 2 finely chopped / pureed

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander - 1 1/2 tsp
Meat / Chicken masala - 1 tsp
Coconut milk cream - 2 tbsp

Green peas - 2 cup


PREPARATION METHOD:

Heat oil. Splutter mustard seeds in it.

Saute ginger garlic in it till light brown.

Add curry leaves & finely chopped onions & some salt. Saute n cook. It should almost turn brown for a better taste.

Add all the masalas in the following order sauting & mixing in between.
First turmeric then chilly powder, coriander & meat masala.

After all masalas are mixed add chopped tomato & cook till it becomes a mushy gravy and oil turns up.

Add peas, some water, salt & cook covered for 5 min.

Stirr in 2 tbsp coconut milk in between & cook till its done.

You can serve this with rice, Chappathi, naan etc.

Gemüse Auflauf bei Maggi Knorr Fix

VEGETABLE CASSEROLE BY KNORR FIX

Things Needed : 

Potatoes - 6 , boiled , peeled & cubed

Red Onion - 2 sliced

Carrot - 3 sliced

Green peas - 3/4 cup

Mushroom - 1/2 cup, sliced

Bell pepper (Capsicum) - 1

Maggi - Knorr Fix- Pfeffer - Rahm  Medaillons - 1 pack

Whipping Cream(Sahne) - 150 ml

150 ml water + 100 ml sahne

some Mozzarella-sliced , some Grated pizza cheese

Preparation Method : Heat oil in a pan. Toss in cut onions, carrot , green beans & season with 1 tsp salt . Stir fry . When almost done toss in the sliced mushrooms .(We wont add mushrooms earlier while it get cooked fast). Dissolve knorr fix in 150 ml water + 100 ml cream. Pour this over the done vegetables. (much easier way..move the vegetable to one side of the pan. pour cream , water in the other corner & dissolve knorr in this . mix all together) Stir & cook for another 3 min. Vegetable sauce is ready. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Now place the potatoes in the Auflauf form (casserole form) . Season with salt ( & pepper for spice lovers). Spread the vegetable sauce evenly over it. Place the sliced mozzarella or pizza cheese over this . Top with chopped bell pepper. Bake in oven until the cheese melts & turns light brown . Takes around 25-30 min.

Poori masala

Poori Masala
Poori masala is one of the most eated restaurant foods . I made it on a sunday for dinner.The outcome was great...masala turned out to b superb one & plates are emptied in secs .so here is the recipe.

4 Poori:

For making pooris .Take 3 cup flour in a vessel. Add 1tspbaking powder into this (optional) . Take a cup of water . Add 1 tsp salt into the water & mix . Pour water into the flour. Make dough out of it. set this dough aside for 10 min. Make small balls out of the dough . Roll them out into round shapes using roll pin. Deep fry in oil until golden brown.

4 Masala:

Things Needed:
Oil
Mustard seeds
Chana Dal - 1 tbspoon
Ginger chopped - 1 tbspoon
Green chillies - 2 chopped
Currey leaves - 1 spring

Turmeric - 1 levelled tsp
Onions - 2 chopped
Potatoes - 6 , boiled , peeled & cut into cubes

Preparation Method:
Heat oil . Splutter mustard seeds.
Add 1 spoon chanadal, 1 sp chopped ginger , 2 chopped green chillies , 1 spring curry leaves into this . Saute & fry.
Add 1 levelled tsp turmeric to the oil. Add onions, salt , saute & fry until onions are transparent . Add 1/2 cup water to this .
Finally add the boiled cut potatoes . Mix all softly with a spoon . Close and cook for 5 min in low flame.

Paneer Palak

PALAK PANEER

Things needed :
600 gm spinach ,frozen or fresh cut coarse

3/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds (Jeera)
1 bay leaf , 1 cardamom
1 tsp grated ginger
1 1/2 onion chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tomato
1 tbsp cashew nuts
salt

Preparation method :
soak 1 tbsp cashew nuts in water.
Heat oil in a nonstick pan. Add 3/4 tsp fennel seeds,1/4 tsp cumin seeds,1 bay leaf , 1 cardamom,1 tsp grated ginger.
When rawness of ginger goes add chopped onions & saute until transparent.
Add garam masala & mix.
Mix in the spinach & 1/2 tomato . Add salt & cook closed . Add only little bit water if needed.
After cooked allow to cool it down a bit & puree the whole thing in mixer.
Pour it back to the pan.
Add fried paneer . Boil for 5 min. Serve !

Chana Masala

CHANA MASALA (CHOLE)
Chole is one of the popular side dish for Battura (an indian bread) ..I got this recipe from one of my favourite site Pachakam.com .. another dish I like of chana is chundal ..I will make that also soon..

Things Needed:

Chana - 1 cup
Onion -1 chopped
Jeera - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

Grind together :
Tomato - 2
Onion - 2 ,coarsely cut

Coriander leaves - a bunch, chopped coarse

Method:
Soak the chana overnight.Wash & drain it. Pressure cook it adding enough water & 1/2 tsp salt.
Heat oil in a pan.Saute the chopped onino in it until transparent. Pour the ground tmato. onion paste into this & boil.
Add Cumin powder, chilly powder & garam masala into this.
Take a handful of cooked chana, paste it & mix with the gravy. This will make it thick & tasty.
Toss in the cooked chana and mix everything well.Sprinkle coarsely chopped coriander leaves on top. Close the lid .Let it stay in heat for another 5 min. for better taste.
Serve with puri,battura or chappathi.

Pumpkin Pachadi

PUMPKIN PACHADI 

This different pachadi recipe I got from my favourite magazine Vanitha.I like all dishes from pumpkin generally ... Olan , Erusseri etc . So I gave it a try and this turned to be real good . One more pumpkin recipe I like. I never tried crushed mustard seeds in my recipes till now. But I noticed the slight flavour it gives to the dish...liked it. So here goes the recipe.

Things Needed :
Pumpkin cut small - 1 cup
Ginger chopped - 1 tbsp
shallots - 1/2 cup
crushed Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Coconut milk 1 cup
Beaten curd - 1/2 cup or as per need

Curry leaves
Dry red chillies - 3
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Shallots -2 sliced or round cut

Method:

Heat oil. Saute chopped ginger in it until rawness goes.
Add cut shallots, saute till transparent. Toss in cut pumpkin.
Saute & cook until it turns bit transparent.
Add crushed mustard seeds, coconut milk , salt & cook.
After cooked, allow to cool down a bit. Pour beaten curd, mix , check for salt.
Now for seasoning heat oil in another pan, splutter mustard seeds, fry red chillies , shallots & curry leaves.Pour this seasoning over the pachadi. Serve with rice !!

Kerala onam olan

Nadan Olan recipe
Olan is a must recipe in festivals like Onam . Vegetables & vanpayar ( cowpeas) are cooked in coconut milk,without adding any spices or flavours. Simple but very tasty recipe. While you can also make this even if one or two vegetables missing, cowpeas should be included in the recipe ..it gives the main taste to the Olan. I have also tried it before without adding cowpeas. hmmm

Things Needed:

1/2 cup cowpeas

1 cup bottleguard
1 cup yellow pumpkin
1/2 cup raw banana
1 green chilly

1 coconut cream + 25 gm coco. powder (or coconut milk from 1 coconut)

Method:

Soak cowpeas for atleast 5 hrs. Then pressure cook it adding water & 1/2 tsp salt.
Cook cut vegetables in 1/2 portion of coconut milk,little bit water adding curry leaves & salt.
After vegetables are cooked add cowpeas into this, add rest of the coconut milk . Cook until the sauce thickens.

My Onam Sadya

Lots of memories comes to mind when I think about ONAM & ONAM  Holidays .
Looking at the wrist watch every min. during the final ONAM exam as it ends, reaching home full excited, then begins our ONAM holidays!

Swinging ,visiting cousins, playing , getting injured....we used to visit our Tharavad (Ancestoral home) during Onam holidays . Its the time we get meet rest of our family.  We are a group of 8 childrens and we play all kind o games. Nadanpandhu kali , cricket , sliding on the sand, fishing with towel .. it goes on.

When at home brother used to get flowers to make attam on our front courtyard,

sadya in banana leaf made by mom , watching special Onam programs in TV the rest of the day & after all enjoyments going back to school with dull faces to receive the corrected exam papers..all those memories make Onam very special to me.
Even I am so far away from home i tries to celebrate onam the way possible, so that my children get to know our culture more....

This was my ONAM sadya this year . Upperi,Parippu curry,Sambar,Erusseri,Vegetable koottu curry, vellarikka pachadi,pavakka pachadi, pineapple pulisseri , keera thoran, Carrot-Beans thoran, Aviyal, Pickles & pappadam followed with Ada payasam with pazham. Sambharam to drink in between. Also made Gulab Jamun .

ONAM came home 2 days early. Here we don't have any ONAM  olidays .Usually our weekdays goes by without any fun . Hectic work for both of us & our son who keeps us always buzy . Aware of this I made my sadya already on Sunday . My parents in laws were visiting us and I thought of giving them a surprise. Mom bought also plums pickles which we all love.

Usually in Kerala some other recipes are also included for sadya like Olan , Kalan , Sweet Betroot pachadi etc ..  there are so many dishes u can make, so i used to pick always some of them at once.

Some videos on how to make ONAM Sadya faster and easier. 

Video of how to make pal payasam,

Video of how to make 3 type of pachadis....sweet,salty & bitter for Thiruonam.

Beetroot pachadi,Vellarikka pachadi & Pavakka pachadi

Video of how to make fast Rasam and Parippu curry..for Thiruonam.

Video of how to make fast Kerala Sambhar curry..for Thiruonam.

Have a very happy and prosperous Thiruvonam !! :)

Bye ! Tschüs!

Kerala's own Kalan

KALAN -
Banana & Elephant yam cooked in coconut paste finished with yogurt

Things needed :
Chena ( Elephant yam....strange name :O ) - peeled & cut into cubes , 1 cup
Raw banana - peeled & cut into cubes , 1 cup
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 spring
Curd - 1 cup

Grind Paste:
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Jeera - 1/4 tsp
Garlic - 1 small pod
Green chilly - 1

Seasoning:
Mustard seeds
Dry red chillies
Curry leaves

Preparation Method:
Cook chena & banana adding turmeric,chilly powder 1 spring curry leaves, 1 1/2 tsp salt & enough water.
After its cooked add the ground paste mix and allow to boil.
After rawness is gone , allow it to cool down a while.
Add the beaten curd & check for salt.
For seasoning, heat oil in a pan,splutter mustard seeds. Fry red chillies & curry leaves.
Pour this over the Kalan. Kalan is ready now!!

Keera Thoran

Things needed :
2 bundles of keera (red spinach ) , almost chopped
1/2 cup Shallots sliced.
Curry leaves
Mustard seeds
Greenchilly - 2 , long cut

Grind these:
Grated coconut- 5 tbsp
Jeera - 1/4 tsp

Preparation method :
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a nonstick pan.Splutter mustard seeds.
Add curry leaves & shallots. Saute until transparent.
Add the keera , saute & cook.
Add the ground coconut . Saute & cook until the rawness of coconut goes & keera is well cooked.

Pineapple Pulisseri

PINEAAPLE PULISSERI

Things needed :
Flesh of 1 small pineapple , cut into small chunks
Turmeric - 1/2 leveled tsp
Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
Green chilly - 1
Beaten curd - 1 cup

Make a paste of: (this combination is used for many curries)
Grated coconut - 5tbsp
Jeera - 1/4 tsp
Garlic - 1 small pod

Tampering:
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves
Dry red chillies

Preparation method :
Cook pineapple adding turmeric,chilly powder,chilly, salt & enough water.
After its cooked add the ground coconut paste,add water if needed & cook until its rawness goes.
Turn off the heat & let it cool for a while .
Add beaten curd to this .
Heat oil in another pan, splutter mustard seeds,fry curry leaves & red chillies.
Add this to the pulisseri .
Pineapple pulisseri thayyar !!