Ingredients:

Dates                             : 15 nos
Chilly pdr                      : 2 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds            : 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida  pdr              :  1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds               : a pinch
Green chillies                :  2 nos
Ginger                           : 1/2 " pc
Salt to taste
Vinegar                          : 3 tbsp
Gingelly oil                   : 3 tbsp

Method:

Deseed the dates and cut into small pieces.
Grind it with vinegar coarsely.
Roast fenugreek seeds and powder it.
Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds, when it splutters add chopped ginger and chopped green chillies. Saute it and reduce the flame, add chilli pdr and the dates paste. Add salt and mix well. Finally add the fenugreek pdr and asafoetida pdr and mix well. Remove from fire. After cooling it keep refreigerated. A nice combination with biryanis.......!

Ingredients:

• Chenna dal powder(besan)              : 3 tbsp     

• Rice powder                                     : 1 tbsp          

• Chilli pdr                                         : 1/2 tsp               

• Salt to taste                                                                  

• Hing powder                                    : a pinch              

• Soda bi carb                                     : a pinch        

• Onion                                               : 1 medium size  

• Oil for frying

Method: 

• Mix chenna dal powder, chilli pdr, salt, hing powder and soda bicarb  together with little water to make a thick batter.

• Instead of using all these ingredients you can just  use the bajji bonda mix also.  Different brands  available  in the market. I used to buy MTR brand.

•  Or you can use Maida instead of besan and mix with  all other ingredients to make the batter. The batter should be thick enough to cover the onion rings while dipping.

Cut Onion into thin slices and separate it into rings.




Heat oil in a kadai. Dip each onion ring in the batter and deep fry in oil till golden brown.



     

A nice, tasty evening snack is ready!!
 

സോയ ബിരിയാണി

Ingredients:

Basmathi rice                :  1 cup
Soya chunks                  : 6 pieces
Onion                            : 1 big
Chilli pdr                       : 1 tsp
Turmeric pdr                 : 2 pinches
Green chillies                : 2 nos
Tomato                          : 1 medium
Ginger                           : 1/4 " pc
Garlic                            : 2 cloves
Thick curd                     : 2 tbsp
Cinnamon                     : a small piece
Clove                            : 3 pcs
Bay leaf                        : 1
Coriander leaves          : 1/2 cup chopped
Oil or ghee as required
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the soya chunks in warm water.
Chop onion. Crush ginger and garic together and keep aside.
Soak rice in water for 10 mins.
Heat 2 tbsp of ghee or oil in a thick bottomed vessel.  Fry the cinnamon, clove and bay leaf. Add the crushed ginger and garlic to this and saute till the raw smell goes. Then add the chopped onion to this and saute till the onion become translucent.  Remove from  the flame and add chilli pdr  and turmeric pdr to this. Put it back to fire and add chopped tomato and saute till it become soft.
 Drain and squeeze the soya chunks(if it is too big cut into 2 or 4 pieces) and saute for a while. Now add salt, curd and mix well. Drain the rice and add this, add one and a half cup of water and mix well. Transfer this to the rice cooker, cook till the water got absorbed. Finally garnish with coriander leaves.
If you are not using the rice cooker, after adding the rice add 2 cups of water and close the vessel and cook in a reduced flame till the water got absorbed.

ആപ്പം 

Ingredients:

Raw rice                               : 2 cups
Cooked rice                          : 1/2 cup
Urad dal                                : 1tbsp
Salt to taste
Soda bi carb                         : a pinch


Method:


Soak rice and urad dal seperatley  for 4 hours.  Grind it together.  Add cooked rice also to this and grind it to a smooth paste. The batter should be like a dosa consistency.Keep it for 6 hours to ferment. Or you can grind it in the evening and keep it overnight.


Next day morning add salt, a pinch of soda bicarb and mix well. If the batter become thick just add a little more water. Heat an aappam tawa or a non stick kadai, pour one full ladle of batter and rotate the tawa so that a thin layer forms on the sides and middle remains thick.


Cover the tawa and cook for 1 min. The middle part will be fluffy. Remove it carefully with a flat spoon.  Serve it with potato stew or coconut chutney.

ഉണ്ണിത്തണ്ട് കൊണ്ടാട്ടം 

Ingredients:

Raw rice                                     : 4 cups
Unnithandu(plantain stem)        : 1 foot long piece
Chilli pdr                                   : 4 tbsp
OR
Green chillies                             : 15 nos
Cumin seeds                               : 1 tbsp
Hing   powder                            : 1 tsp
Sesame seeds                             : 1 tbsp
Salt as required
Water as required

Method:

Soak rice for 5 hours and grind it to a loose batter like dosa batter and keep it overnight.
Cut unnithandu into small pieces and soak it in thin buttermilk, so that it won't change the colour. Next day morning drain it and wash it well with water.
Add more water to the batter ( the batter should be very thin). Add salt, hing powder, jeera, sesame seeds, chilli pdr (if green chillies are using grind it with rice) and unnithandu pieces to the batter and mix well.


Cook it, stirring frequently till the batter become thick, small bubbles will come out from the batter(that shows the batter cooked properly). Remove from fire and let it cool for sometime.


Spread  a plastic sheet in the sun and take small portions with your hand and keep it evenly in the sheet and let it dry for the whole day.


In the evening you can easily take out the kondattam from the plastic sheet.


Dry it again for 2 more days under the sun and store it  in a container. Whenever needed just take some and fry it in hot oil.

Tasty, fluffy kondattam is ready and you can have it with rice or even as a nice evening snack.

ബ്രെഡ്‌ വട
 

Ingredients:

Bread pieces                           : 4
Green chillies                         : 3
Onion                                     : 1 big
Ginger                                    : 1/2"' pc
Salt  to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Chop onion, green chillies and ginger into small pieces. Remove the crust from the bread and dip bread pieces in water and squeeze it.
 Mix salt, chopped onion, ginger and green chillies with the bread.
Heat oil in a kadai. Take a small portion from the bread mixture and make the shape of a vada and deep fry it in oil. Repeat the process with the remaining bread mixture. A very easy & tasty evenig snack  is ready!!

നാരങ്ങ കറി

Ingredients:

Lemon                             : 5 nos
Salt as required
Chilli pdr                         : 4 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds              : 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida pdr                 : 1/4 tsp
Gingelly oil                     : 4 tbsp

Method:

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a kadai and put the lemons on whole and saute till the colour changes and the juice starts oozing out. Cool it and wipe it with a dry cloth.
Or Put the lemons in a steamer and steam it for 5 to 10 mins.
Cool it and cut each lemon into 8 pieces. Add salt and mix well. Keep it ina glass jar for 2 days, stirring it everyday with a dry spoon.





Roast fenugreek seeds and powder it.  Heat the remaining oil in a kadai remove from fire and add the chilli pdr,  fenugreek pdr and asafoetida and finally add the lemon pieces in this and mix well.  Keep it in a jar. Never put a wet spoon in it. The pickle will be ready after 4 days. If you keep it in fridge then it will last longer. A best combination for curd rice or parathas!!!

Ingredients:

Broccoli                     : 1
Maida                         : 2 tbsp
Butter                         : 1 tbsp
Cabbage grated          : 1 cup
Salt to taste
Pepper pdr                 : 1tsp
Water as required
Fresh cream               : 1 tbsp


Method:


Melt butter in a pressure pan and add grated cabbage and saute for 1 min. Then add the broccoli florets to this and saute again for 2 mins. Add maida to this and mix well till it changes its colour.  Add 2 cups of water or veg stock to this, add salt  and pressure cook it for 4 mins. Cool it and blend it in a blender. Pour it to the serving bowl and add fresh cream and sprinkle pepper powder. 

പഴം പൊരി

Ingredients:

Banana(nenthra pazham)            : 2 medium size
Maida                                          : 1 cup
Rice floor                                    : 2 tbsp
Sugar                                           : 1 tsp
Baking soda                                : a pinch
Water as required


Method:

Peel and cut banana into two and slice it lengthwise into 3 or 4 pieces.
                                             
  Mix maida with rice flour, sugar and soda bicarb and a little water into a semi thick batter(like idli batter)
Heat oil in kadai
Dip the banana pieces one by one in the batter and deep fry till golden brown. Serve hot... a tasty evening snack is ready!!

പഴം പ്രഥമന്‍




 

Ingredients:

Nenthrapazham(Banana)          : 2 mediumsize
Thin coconut milk                    : 1 cup
Thick cococnut milk                : 1/2 cup
Jaggery                                     : 1/2 kg
Coconut pieces                         : 1 tbsp
Ghee                                         : 3 tbsp
Cardamom pdr(optional)         : 1/2 tsp

Method:

Cut fresh coconut into thin small pieces and keep aside.
Cut bananas into 3 or 4 pieces and cook in a steamer or in a pressure cooker till the banana become soft.
Let it cool and remove the skin and seeds inside. Mash it to a paste. Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a thick bottomed vessel and add this paste and fry this for 5mins.




Boil jaggery in half  cup of water till it dissolves and filter the impurities and  add this to the fried banana paste.  Stir it frequently till it leaves the sides of the vessel. Add the coconut milk and let it boil for 5 mins. Reduce the fire and  add the thick coconut milk and remove from fire. Heat a tbsp of ghee in a pan and add the coconut pieces fry it till it becomes golden brown. Finally add this fried coconut pieces and caramom pdr. Yummy Pazham pradhaman is ready!! Serve hot or chilled.







Note:

 To make coconut milk :
Take 1 fresh coconut and grate it. In a blender add this grated coconut with 1 cup warm water and blend it for 2 mins. Take out and squeeze it. You'll get thick coconut milk.
Return it to the blender again and add 2 cups warm water and grind it for 2 mins and filter it. Then you'll get thin coconut milk.
OR
You can buy ready made coconut milk packet
OR
Mix 25gms cococnut milk powder with 200ml water for thin cococnut mik and
mix 25 gms coconut milk powder with 100 ml water for thick coconut milk.