Roasted veggie sandwich

Its a perfect breakfast ready in minutes!!!

Bread- 4 slices(any bread)
onions chopped -1tsp
tomato-1tsp chopped
cucumber- 1tsp chopped
carrot-1tsp grated
cabbage-1tsp shredded
mayo- 2 tbsp
pepper- 1/2 tsp
cheddar cheese shredded- 2tsp

METHOD:
In a bowl mix onions, tomatoes,cucumber, carrot and cabbage.No need to add salt.
 Now spread the mixture on two bread slices.Spread well. Now sprinkle the cheese and pepper.
On the remaining two slices apply some ketchup.Close the spread bread slices with the ketchup ones.
Heat tawa or griddle apply little oil put the bread slices and roast it for 1-2 min until brown.
Flip it and repeat the same.
Cut into two and serve with some orange juice.

Instead of cheddar cheese you can use cheese slices also.

Vendaikai poriyal

Lady's finger- 15 finely chopped
onion -1 finely chopped
oil -4tsp
coriander pwd 3/4 tsp
pepper pwd -1/2 tsp.
curd -1tsp
salt
METHOD:
Wash and cut lady's finger finely. Heat oil in a kadai add lady's finger and saute on medium heat.
After few minutes it will be sticky ...to avoid that add 1 tsp curd.
Now add onions, salt, coriander pwd, pepper pwd.
saute well for 15 min on low fire, otherwise it will burn. keep stirring every 2 minutes.
This will take ateast 20 minutes and you should keep a eye on it.

Kara rice sevai

I used the rice sevai which I bought from the Indian stores.We can make this into two varieties.
one is sweet and the other is kara.

Rice sevai - 1 medium bowl
onion -1 small chopped
green chillies-1 chopped
 garlic -1clove chopped
ginger- a small piece grated(optional)
curry leaves
tomatoes - 2 slices chopped
turmeric pwd-1/2 tsp
lemon juice -1 tsp
broken cashews -1 tsp
oil-3tsp
salt
METHOD:
Heat 3 bowls of water in a kadai.When it has boiled put  off the  stove and add the rice sevai .
Cover and keep it for 2-3 min.Drain the water and keep the sevai aside.
Heat oil in a kadai add mustard seeds, green chillies, curry leaves, ginger, garlic, onions.
Saute well. now add cashews and tomatoes. add salt and turmeric pwd.
See to it that tomatoes are not mashed.Now add the sevai and mix well. add salt if required.
Sprinkle lemon juice.
Garnish with corainder leaves.Serve hot with or without any chutney.

Chicken curry

Chicken legs-6 or breast pieces-1 lb
coconut milk -1 cup
onion -2 medium chopped finely
tomato -1 chopped finely
green chillies-2
coriander leaves
dhania pwd-1 tbsp
garam masala- 1/2 tsp
red chilli pwd -1 tsp ( to taste)
pepper pwd -1 tsp
turmeric pwd -1/4tsp
oil -5tsp
salt
To marinate:
Marinate the chicken pieces with ginger garlic paste-1 tbsp,red chilli pwd 1tsp,dhania pwd -1tsp, lemon juice 1tsp, pepper pwd - 1 tsp.chicken masala pwd- 1tsp and salt  for 1 hr.
METHOD:
Heat oil in a kadai, add onions, green chillies. Saute well.
Now add tomatoes, and all masala pwds.
Saute well for 6-7 min.Add chicken  and 2 cups of water.
Cover and cook on medium heat for 40 min.
Now add coconut milk and boil for 2 min.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with plain rice or rotis or porota.

Note:
you can cook this dish without coconut milk also.

Palak chapati

1 cup chopped palak
1 small piece of ginger
1 green chilli
wheat flour-2 cups
salt
 METHOD:
Grind palak, green chilli, ginger into a fine paste with little water.
In a bowl add this paste, salt and flour.
Knead the dough .
Keep it aside for 20 minutes.
Now make small balls and roll it like regular chappatis.
Heat a tawa and make  these chappatis  in the usual way.

Kathrikai fry(brinjal fry)

Brinjal Fry

5 brinjals chopped lengthwise (thinly)
3 tsp oil.
mustard seeds
1/4 tsp jeera
1 tsp red chilli pwd
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
salt.
METHOD:
Heat oil in a non stick pan. Add mustard seeds, jeera, red chilli pwd, turmeric pwd.
Don't let it burn. Add brinjal and salt . stir fry it.
Reduce heat to low and cover and cook for 6-7 min or until brinjal is cooked .
Do not add water.
Serve as side dish for curd rice or sambhar rice.

Simple parippu

Plain Dal

1 cup toor dal.
2 green chillies chopped
1/4 tsp jeera
asafoetida- a pinch
shallots-5 chopped
curry leaves
garlic 2 chopped
oil-2tsp
salt
METHOD:
Pressure cook the dal with tumeric pwd and salt in 1 1/2 cup water.
Heat oil  in a kadai. when hot add mustard seeds, asafoetida, jeera, green chillies,
curry leaves, garlic and shallots.Saute well.
Now add the cooked dal along with the water.
Check salt.Let it boil for 4-5 min.
Serve hot with plain rice and a tsp of ghee.

Vendaikai kara kuzhambu

Lady's finger- 10
1/4 tsp jeera
tamarind - a small ball size.
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
onion -1 chopped
red chillies-4
coconut-1/4 cup grated
fenugreek seeds- 6-7
oil , salt
 curry leaves
To grind:
 coconut, red chillies, onion. Grind these into a fine paste.
METHOD:
 Cut lady's finger into 1 inch pieces. heat 2 tsp oil in a kadai and stir fry these lady's fingers for 5 min on
 medium heat.
Soak tamarind in 1 glass water.extract pulp.keep aside.
In another kadai  add tamarind water, ground paste ,salt, turmeric pwd. let it boil for 7-8 min or until raw smell goes.
Now add fried lady's finger. let it boil for 4-5 min.
 Meanwhile in a pan heat 1 tsp oil, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds,curry leaves . Pour this season into the curry.
Remove form fire .Serve hot with plain rice.

Varthuarcha meen kuzhambu (Fish curry)

King fish - 7-8 pieces(or any fish)
onion chopped- 2
tomatoes-1 finely chopped
curry leaves,
fenugreek seeds-1/4 tsp
coconut oil 4 tsp
green chillies-2 slit
tamarind - a small lemon size(or kokkum)
TO GRIND:
red chillies-5,dhania seeds 1 tsp,jeera - 1tsp,pepper corns-1tsp,garlic 6-7 cloves. Dry roast all the above and grind it into a fine paste with little water.
METHOD:
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, green chillies.
Now add onions, Saute well until they are translucent.
Add tomatoes and fry well until oil separates out.
Add the ground paste , turmeric pwd,1 cup water.
Let it boil for 7min on medium heat until raw smell goes.
Add tamarind pulp or Kokkum , salt.Let it boil for 3 minutes.
Now add fish pieces.Cover and cook for 6 minutes. Do not stir  otherwise the pieces will break.
Serve hot with plain rice.

Spicy chicken

Chicken drumsticks-8
sugar- 1/2 tsp
asafoetida-1/2 tsp
red chilli pwd- 1tsp
curd-1/2 cup
oil -4 tsp ,
salt- to taste

To grind:
saunf-2 tbsp,
jeera- 1tbsp
dhania seeds- 1tbsp
pepper corns- 1/4 tsp
cinnamon- 1"
cloves-3
Dry grind the above into powder .keep it aside.
METHOD:
Heat oil in a pressure cooker (wide one)    . Add asafoetida and sugar. Stir till brown
Add chicken legs and cook on high flame till chicken changes color.Do not overlap pieces.
Now  sprinkle ground spices pwd, chilli pwd, salt . Stir well
Add curd.and 1/2 cup water . Stir well.
Give 3 whistles for the pressure cooker.
Remove from fire . Cool it and then open. If there is excess water keep on fire and turn the flame to high.
Let all the water dry and masala should coat on the chicken.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot!

Beans carrot poriyal

¼ cup chopped beans.

¼ cup chopped carrot

½ onion chopped

Oil, salt, curry leaves,

To grind:

2 tsp grated coconut, 1 red chilli, 2 garlic cloves, ¼ tsp jeera. Grind these coarsely without water.

METHOD:

Heat oil in a pan ,add mustard seeds, curry leaves,onions. Sauté well . 

Now add beans and carrot. Mix well.

Sprinkle the coconut mixture and salt. Sprinkle some water.

Cover and cook on slow fire until the vegetables are cooked.

Serve as a side dish for sambhar or rasam rice.

Dal palak curry

1 cup chopped palak(spinach)

1 cup cooked toor dhal or yellow moong dhal

½ mustard seeds

1 red chilli

Asafoetida- apinch

Salt

Oil

To Grind:

2 tsp grated coconut,1 tsp rice, ½ tsp pepper corns,1/2 tsp jeera. Grind the above into a fine paste.

METHOD:
Pressure cook dhal with some salt and turmeric pwd. Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan , add mustard seeds, red chilli , ,asafoetida ,shallots  .Fry well.

 Now add palak leaves. Sauté for 7-8 min.

Add coconut mixture . Let it boil for 2 -3 min.

Now add dhal and mix well. Cook for 2 -3 again .

Stir occasionally. Serve hot with plain rice .

Moru kuzhambu (puliserry)

1 cup lady’s finger

1 cup sour curd

1 red chilli

1 sprig curry leaves

 asfoetida-a pinch

2  garlic finely chopped

1 tsp ginger  grated

3 shallots chopped

2 tsp coconut oil( or any veg oil)

fenugreek seeds- ¼ tsp

1 tsp besan flour(optional)

salt

To grind:

4 tsp grated coconut, 2 -3 green chillies, 1 shallot, 1 garlic, ½ tsp jeera. Grind this mixture into a fine paste with little water.

METHOD:

Cut lady’s finger into 1 inch piece. Stir fry it in a pan with some oil.
Add little salt for lady’s finger only.Keep it aside.

Heat oil in another pan, when hot add mustard seeds .
When they pop , add curry leaves , fenugreek seeds, garlic, asfoetida, ginger, shallots, red chillies.
Saute well .Then add besan. Fry well until raw smell goes.
Don’t let it burn. Now add the coconut mixture and turmeric powder.
Add fried lady’s finger .Let it cook for 4 minutes.

Beat the curd well. Add curd and simmer it low. Let it cook for 7-8 min.

It should not boil, bubbles must not form.
Remove from fire and add  then salt to it.

Coconut chammanthi (Dry chutney)

This is  a typical Kerala chutney which goes well kanji or curd rice. This is my husband's favorite chutney.
I learnt this from my Mother-in-Law.

1 cup coconut grated ( preferably fresh )
red chillies- 10 -12
tamarind - 1 piece
shallots-2
a small piece of ginger (grated)
1/2 tsp pepper corns
salt to taste.





Method:
Grind all the above ingredients in mixie WITHOUT WATER. Don't grind into a fine paste.
Keep it somewhat coarse.
Dry roast it for 3 minutes in a pan for longer shelf life.
Store it in a dry and air tight container.
Refrigerate it ...you can use it for a month.

Easy tomato rice

basmati rice or raw rice-2 cups

onion chopped into cubes -1 big
tomatoes ripened- 2 chopped into cubes
red chili pwd -1 1/2 tsp
turmeric pwd-1/2 tsp
ginger grated 3/4 tsp
garlic-3 cloves chopped finely
coriander leaves for garnishing
oil- 4 tsp
salt
METHOD:
 Heat oil in pressure cooker.Add onions fry until transulcent, then add ginger and garlic.
 Saute well then  add tomatoes, red chilli pwd and turmeric pwd. fry well for 5 min. add salt.
 Now add 3 cups of water and rice. check the salt
 Add coriander leaves.
 Cook for 1 whistle and simmer it for 3 min.
 Let the steam go off ,then open the cooker.Don't open it immediately.
 Serve hot with scrambled eggs and corn chips

Corn kurma

This is a very rich gravy which goes well with pulav or puris or rotis. it is mild and children will like it a lot.
Care should be taken while cooking this because if u cook in medium or high flame the curd will curdle

1 cup frozen corn

2 onions chopped finely,

1 tomato chopped finely,

1/4 tsp sugar

3 cardamoms

1 tsp red chili powder,

1/4 garam masala pwd,

1/4 tsp turmeric pwd,

1 cup plain curd,

2 green chilies,

coriander leaves for garnish,salt to taste,

 To Grind:
1/4 cup grated coconut,7 cashew nuts. ( soak cashews in water for 10 minutes so that it will be easy to grind)

Add a litttle water and grind the above into a fine paste.

METHOD:

Heat oil in a pan. Add the cardamoms.Add the onions and cook till they are translucent.
Add the sugar, red chili powder, turmeric and salt. Mix well.
Add the ground coconut paste and cook till oil separates.
Add the tomato and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the curds, corn and garam masala.
Add some water to get desired consistency.Mix well.
Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes or till the corn is cooked.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rotis or chappatis.

Nadan chicken roast( Country style)

Chicken pieces - 1lb ( boneless thigh or breasts),
onion 1 big finely chopped
tomatoes -1finely chopped
garlic paste 1 tsp,ginger paste 1 tsp
lemon juice 2 tsp,

turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
chilly powder 2 tsp
kesar color - a pinch (optional)

garam masala powder 1/2 tsp
pepper powder as per taste
green chillies 2
curry leaves few,coriander leaves few chopped,
oil for frying
salt

METHOD:
Marinate chicken with chilli pwd, haldi,salt , ginger and garlic paste, lemon juice and half of garam masala.keep it for ½ hr.
Shallow fry these chicken pieces util golden or red color.
Saute finely chopped onion in the same oil used for frying chicken.
When onions are sauteed well and about red in color, add finely chopped tomatoes.Saute until it is mashed well. Add pepper powder and remaining garam masala powder.
Put chicken pieces in this and mix well.
Add little salt Reduce heat to a very low flame, place the lid and cook the chicken for some time.
You have to stirr this occasionally to prevent this from sticking to the pan.
After few minutes , the masala covers chicken pieces, the add green chilly chopped ,curry leaves and coriander leaves.
Stir well and remove from fire.

Serve hot as a side dish with pulav or sambhar rice.

Spicy prawns fry

Prawns - 1lb
For marinating:
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
3/4 tsp red chilli pwd.
1/2 tsp pepper pwd,
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
1 tsp corn flour
salt to taste
lemon juice 1 tsp.
kesar color - a pinch(optional)
METHOD:
Clean and de-vein the prawns.Or you can get the de-veined ones from your grocery store.
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Add the prawns and mix well. Marinate for atleast 1 hr in fridge.
Heat oil in a pan and deep fry it for 2-3 min.
Do not over cook the prawns, it becomes rubbery.
Serve as side dish garnished with onion rings and coriander leaves.

Plain zucchini salad

This is simple and an excellent salad to be during any time!The skin is thin so no need to peel .Just enjoy them in Indian style.

Zuchinni Salad

Zuchinni – 1  or 2 chopped into thin cubes
Oil – 1 Tbsp
Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Green Chilies/red chilli flakes –1 finely chopped
Salt – to taste
Lime Juice – 1 Tbsp or to taste
Cilantro – 1 tsp, finely chopped

METHOD:
Heat oil in a pan ,add mustard seeds,green chilies,salt and lime juice and stir.
Now add Zucchini and toss to cook for 2 minutes.
Transfer into a salad bowl.Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Serve as a side dish or eat as a snack.
zuchinni salad

Pumpkin Eriserry (Mathanga Eriserry)

This is also one of the favorite dishes of Kerala.My sister relishes  this dish whenever I make it.

Pumpkin diced - 1 1/2  cup
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Grated coconut - 2 tsp(for frying)
Green chillies chopped - 4-5 
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 2 cloves (optional)
Ginger chopped - 1 tsp 
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Small onion  chopped - 3-4
Salt to taste
dried red chillies -1
Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp
Curry leaves
Oil 


Method:


Cook diced pumpkin with  salt, adding 1 cup of water , tumeric powder,until cooked through.
Mash it well.Don't use blender,use a large laddle to mash it.
Grind 1 cup of grated coconut,green chillies, garlic (optional) and cumin seeds to a paste.

Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds,then add dried red chillies, chopped shallots and curry leaves and sauté it for a minute.

Stir in the mashed pumpkin and combine it well.
Add the coconut paste and mix thoroughly with pumpkin .

Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and fry chopped ginger, 2 tsp of grated coconut and shallots.Fry till they turn brown.Be sure not to burn it.

Pour this over the erissery and serve HOT.