Lady's finger fry

Lady’s finger fry can be used as a side dish for rice. I feel that it is better than pappad because pappad contains baking soda in a large quantity. Moreover it is very tasty too. It takes very less time to prepare. My friend Sony Mary used to bring this fry to school every day. That was how I tasted it for the first time.

Ingredients

1. 2 Lady’s fingers
2. A pinch of turmeric powder
3. A pinch of red chilly powder
4. Salt as required
5. Coconut oil required to fry it

Method                                                                                                                              

                Wash the lady’s finger thoroughly. Cut it into thin pieces as shown in the figure. Add salt, turmeric powder and chilly powder and mix well. Keep the fry pan over the flame. Pour coconut oil. When the oil is hot put these pieces and stir well. Remove from the pan when it attains a brown colour. Serve hot.

Read More

Pazham Pori (Banana pancake)

Everybody likes "pazham pori" ie; banana fry which is a common snack of  Keralites. But nowadays most people are unable to eat it because of diabetics and 'cholesterol'. Here is a method to prepare pazham pori without using oil.

Ingredients

1. 1 banana(nendra pazham)
2. 2 teaspoons of sugar(optional)
3. 4 or 5 teaspoons of wheat flour
4. Water as required

   

   Nendra banana

5. A pinch of cardamom powder
6. A pinch of cumin seed powder

Method

Take wheat flour in a bowl. Add sugar'cardamom powder and cumin seed powder. Pour required water and make a thick paste of it. Cut the banana vertically into 4 pieces. Dip the pieces of banana in the batter.add enough water in the idli cooker. Grease  idli mould. Place  the banana pieces over the mould.  close the idli cooker. Keep it over the flame for 5 minutes. Remove the cooker.from the stove. Take the banana from the idli mould  and place it another vessel.Now our steamed pazham pori is ready.

Note: You can have this "pazham pori" with coconut chutney,mint chutney or even with "chicken curry"!!

Read More

Puffed rice Upma (Pori Upma)

      When I was a school child, my mother used to prepare special tasty dishes for me. One day, I was surprised to see puffed rice upma on the table. It was very tasty. When I grew up, I also started experimenting with different recipes. It is not only tasty, but also very easy to prepare. 

Ingredients

1. Puffed rice                            : 2 cups
2. Salt                                        : as required
3. Curry leaves                          : 1 sprig
4. Onion                                     : 1 finely chopped
5. Ginger                                    :1 small piece finely chopped
6. Red chilli                                :1 cut into 3 or  4 pieces
7. Roasted gram                         : 1 teaspoon
8. Mustard seeds                        : 1/2 spoon
9. Coconut oil                        :1 teaspoon

Keep the kadhai or pan over the flame. Pour oil into it. When it is hot add mustard. Let it pop in the oil. Add red chilli and roasted grams and stir it. When roasted gram becomes slight brown colour, add finely chopped ginger,chopped onion and curry leaves and stir it. Add puffed rice into kadhai , sprinkle salt over it and stir it. Close it with a lid. Reduce the flame.After 2 minutes, remove the lid and stir it. Switch off the burner.Transfer the upma into a bowl.Now it is ready to serve.

Note: If a yellow colour is needed for the upma, add a small pinch of turmeric powder into the pan Just before putting puffed rice.

Read More

Puffed rice mixture(Bhelpuri)

       I tasted bhelpuri for the first time from Mumbai. In every street there will be a bhelpuri seller. It very tasty and very easy to prepare. Children as well  as grownups would like this. Lemon juice and chilli powder adds taste to the puffed rice.

Ingredients

1. Puffed rice            : 1 cup
2. Red chilli powder : 1/2 teaspoon
3. Salt                        : as required
4. Lemon juice          : 2 teaspoons
5. Roasted gram(pottukadala): 2 teaspoons
6. Mixture                 : 4 teaspoons
7. Coriander leaves   : 3 or 4 small pieces

Method

Take puffed rice in a bowl. Add chilli powder,salt, roasted gram, Mixture and coriander leaves.then mix well using a spoon. Add lemon juice and mix well.Now bhelpuri is ready.

Note: Those who want a slight sweet taste, you can add 1 or 2 teaspoons of sweet mixture  that we get from bakery.

Read More

Jack fruit fry

I tasted it for the  first time on a Vishu day. My mother was  frying banana.When she finished  doing that ,she asked me "Why don't we try with jackfruit?" Actually it was a trial. But the result was "tasty". I request all of you to try this.

Ingredients

1. Ripe Jack fruit arils(Varikka)   : 4
2. sugar                                                               : 2 teaspoons
3. Wheat flour                                                 : 1 cup
4. Water                                                               : as required
5. Coconut oil                                                   : just enough to fry the item
6. Cardamom powder                                   : a pinch

Method

Take t he wheat flour in a dish. Add sugar and cardamom powder. Make a paste with the wheat flour by adding enough water.Remove   the seeds from the jack fruit arils. Divide the jack fruit arils into by cutting vertically. It is better to use 'Varikka' jack fruit than 'Koozha'. Keep the pan over the flame. Add enough coconut oil. Let the oil  become hot. Dip each piece of jack fruit in flour paste put it in the oil one after the other.Let both sides become golden-yellow colour. stir it using a turner. transfer it to a dry vessel. Fry other pieces in the same way. Serve hot. It will be very crispy when served hot.

Read More

Pudina chutney

          Pudina chutney can be made without using coconut. This can be served along with masala dosai,ghee roast, vada,ghee rice and vegetable biriyani.

Ingredients

1. Mint leaves             :1 handful
2. Salt                          :as required
3. Green chillie            : 4 to 5
4. Coconut oil              : 1 teaspoon
5. Lemon                      : 1/2
6. Water                       : as required

Method 

         Squeeze the lemon and collect the juice in a bowl. Remove the seeds from it. Keep it aside. wash the pudina leaves. Put it into the chutney jar along with green chillie. Add required amount of water and make a fine paste of it. Now transfer it into a bowl. Add lemon juice. Add enough salt and coconut oil and mix it thoroughly with the chutney using a spoon. Now our pudina chutney is ready. 

Read More

Coconut chutney

If you are in a hurry, what would you do to make chutney? My sister shared me  the idea of making chutney easily.Let me share it with you.

Ingredients.

1. Coconut      :1/2 grated
2. salt                : as required
3. curry leaves: 1 sprig
4. Dried red chillie: 3
5. oil                  : 1 teaspoon.
6. Mustard seeds : 1 teaspoon

Make a fine paste of the grated coconut.Add enough water as required. Add enough salt. Keep the kadai over the flame and add oil.When the oil is heated add mustard seeds. Let it pop in the oil. Cut each red chillie into 3 0r 4 pieces and put it in the oil.Add curry leaves and stir it.Now add coconut paste into it. When it starts boiling remove the kadai from the stove. transfer the chutney into a bowl. Now it is ready to serve.

Read More