Katta meeta kovakka(ivy gourd)

ingredients:

• 250gm kovakka(ivy gourd)
• 2 tsp oil
• 1/4 tsp cumin seed
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 green chillies cut into small pieces
• 1 big onion cut into small pieces
• 1 tomato cut length wise
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp tamarind pulp soaked in water
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt
• coriander leaves

Cut kovakka lengthwise into 4.Sprinkle some salt and keep it aside.Heat oil in a pan.Splutter cumin seeds.Add onion,ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, turmeric and saute well.Now ,add kovakka and cook covered on low flame.When half cooked, add tomato, chilli powder,coriander powder,salt .When cooked,add tamarind pulp (just enough to suit your taste) and sugar (again just as much as per individual choice).When all masala get coated on kovakka, remove the pan from the flame.Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Easy tomato curry

Ingredients:

• 3 tomatoes
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp chicken masala
• 3 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 6 shallots chopped finely
• curry leaves
• salt
• 1 dried red chilli
• water

Cut tomatoes into small pieces.Grind coconut with chilli powder,turmeric and chicken masala into a fine paste.Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds.Add shallots,curry leaves,dried red chilli . Sauté for a minute.Now add tomatoes and cook for some time.Then add coconut mixture into this.Add enough water and salt.Let it boil.serve hot with chappathi or rice.

cherupayar(whole moong dal) puzhukku

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cherupayar (whole moong dal)
• 2 raw plantain cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 4 pods garlic
• 2 green chillies
• 3 shallots
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• salt
• 1 tsp coconut oil

Cook cherupayar with enough water,chilli powder,turmeric powder in a pressure cooker.Add salt and plantain.Cook for some time till plantains are done.Grind coconut with shallots,garlic,green chilles into a fine paste.Add this paste into cherupayar.Simmer and cook for 5 minutes .Switch off the flame and pour 1 tsp coconut oil on top for flavour.

Note: Before starting, keep the plantains in water after cutting them in order remove the stain.

Vegetable Biryani

Sunday is usually a very lazy day.......... don't like to spend much time in the kitchen ......so i try and make some thing real quick for lunch ........ that way i can go out and spend time with my hubby.............usually the menu includes veg pulav or fried rice with tomato raita..........this week i made veg Biryani with pomegranate raita........

Although pomegranates have high nutritive value, i never liked it much. But then, one day i came across a recipe for pomegranate raita in a cookery programme called "Nigella bites"..so i decided to try it and guess what ? ....it tasted yummy with Veg Biryani and both of us loved it ............

Veg Biryani:

• 2 cups basmati rice(washed and soaked for 15min)
• 1 cup vegetables cut into small pieces
• 2 large onion sliced length wise
• 1 large tomato cut ino small pieces
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp chicken masala
• a pinch garam masala
• salt
• 3 1/2 cup water

for grinding:

• 6 garlic pods
• 1 inch ginger
• 2 green chillies
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 cardamom
• 1 star Anise
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
• 1 tbsp mint leaves chopped
• 2 tsp coconut

Heat oil in a pressure cooker.Add onion and sauté till transparent.Add all masala and sprinkle some water.Let all the masala cook well.Now add the paste,tomatoes and some water.Cook for 5 minutes.Add the vegetables and cook for 5 minutes.Drain the rice and add to this masala. Sauté till all the moisture evaporates.Add water and cook covered without the dead weight in the pressure cooker on high flame.once the steam starts to appear,lower the flame and put the dead weight on the pressure cooker.Wait for one whistle and turn off the flame.let it cool for 10 minutes.serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

pomegranate raita:

ingredients:

• 1 pomegranate
• 6 shallots cut into small pieces
• 1 cup curd
• pinch of salt

First cut pomegranate into half. De-seed one half into the curd and squeeze juice from the other half into the curd to give nice pink texture.Add salt according to taste and that's it.Yummy raita is ready...

Quick mutter -paneer masala

This is an easy and delicious curry............this will go well with chappathi............but i love to have it with brown bread.............

Ingredients:

• 1 chopped onion
• 1tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2tsp coriander powder
• 1 1/2 tsp chicken masala
• 1 finely chopped tomato
• 1/2 cup cooked peas
• 1/2 cup paneer
• salt

Heat oil in a pan.Add onion and saute till it changes colour.Now add ginger -garlic paste and saute till raw odour vanishes. Add all the masalas and tomato pieces.Sprinkle some water.Cover and cook for 5minute.Mash the tomato well.Add peas, paneer and salt.Let it cook for 10 minutes.If you want more gravy add one cup water.

note:-if you are having this with bread,you don't need to add water.Curry can be stuffed inside bread slices !!!

Pineapple pachadi

Ingredients:

• 1 pineapple chopped into small pieces
• 1 glass buttermilk
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 or 3 green chillies
• salt to taste
• jaggery(optional)

Cook pineapple in a pressure cooker with enough water,chilli and turmeric powder till 2 whistles .Add salt and jaggery.Once jaggery has melted,add buttermilk.Mix mustard seeds and green chillies with coconut and grind to a smooth paste.When buttermilk start to boil, immediately add coconut paste. Season it with mustard seeds,curry leaves and dried red chilli.Serve hot with rice.

Yummy rice noodles(Idiyyapam)

Idiyappam is one of the traditional breakfast in Kerala.It can be easily made with rice flour.

Ingredients:

• 2cups rice flour
• 1/2 cup warm water
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup grated coconut

In a big bowl,mix the rice flour with salt.Add small quantity of warm water to it and knead the flour well to make a dough.The dough shouldn't be too watery.So, add only enough water.Let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes.Once it is cooled, transfer a small quantity of dough to the idiyappam presser and start squeezing it to the steaming plate.If you don't have steaming plate,you can use idali plates.Garnish with coconut and steam for 10 to 15 min.Serve hot with potato stew or simply with sugar.