Nendranga tholi upperi ( Peel of Nendran raw banana)

Nendran is a type of banana cultivated in Kerala. Perhaps the tastiest of all bananas, Nendran has in fact been the staple fruit and vegetable of Malayalees from ancient times. Almost every portion of the Nendran plant is used by Keralites. The recipes are too many.The raw banana itself can be made into mezhukupuratty (fry) with/ without peel. In such case, the peels can be seperately used to make the tholi upperi. If you can find a Kerala chips shop in your place, then on your purchase of chips you can ask for the peels which they may not use. They will give it to you for free.:)

Here is one recipe with the Peels of nendran banana.Tholi refers to the peel and Upperi to stir fry. This particular dish is rich in fibre and can be served with rice and morekootan/pulissery.Refer to the kootan section for those recipes.

This recipe serves four.

Ingredients:
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Nendran peels  -  300 grams
cow peas         -  200 grams ( red variety)
Green chillies   - 3 to 4
Shredded coconut  - 1/4 cup
Coconut oil            - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds        - 1 tsp                      
Split urad dal          - 1 tsp                
curry leaves            - 1 sprig                

Turmeric powder    - 1/4 tsp
Salt                        -  to taste

Method:
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Soak cow peas overnight.
Wash the nendran peels and chop into small pieces.
Pressure cook the cow peas with half salt. (Just 2 to 3 whistles will do. Do not overcook it)
Cook the nendran peels in a kadai with water just sufficient to cover it with a pinch of turmeric powder.
Add the remaining salt to the peels once it is half cooked.
Once it is cooked, transfer the contents onto a plate.Drain if there is excess water from the cow peas and nendran peels.
Pound shredded coconut and green chillies finely.
In the same kadai, add coconut oil.
When it is hot, add mustard seeds and urad dal.
When it splutters, add curry leaves and the coconut-chilli mixture.
Saute for few sec and add the cooked cow peas and nendran peels.
Mix well and cook for few sec.

Serve hot

Pachai Papaya / Raw papaya poduthuval

I had been to our ancestral house in Peruvemba village (Palakkad) for the Christmas break.  We had various traditional dishes using NADAN PACHAKARIGAL (Organic traditional vegetables).  Here is the recipe for Raw papaya poduthuval. It tastes excellent with Sambar or Rasam.

Tip : You can use raw papaya as a replacement for ash gourd in Olan, molagootal. etc. It tastes very yummy.

This recipe serves 4 people.

Ingredients:
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Raw papaya           -  1 medium sized
Shredded coconut  - 1/4 cup
Green chillies         - 3 to 4 (depending on your taste)
Salt                        - to taste
Turmeric powder    - only A PINCH

To temper:
--------------
mustard seeds   - 2 tsp
red chillies        -  2
coconut oil       -  3 tsp
curry leaves      - 2 sprigs

Method:
----------

• Peel off the skin and remove the inner seeds of papaya.
• Slice it into small cubes ( say 1cm x 2 cm approximately)
• Cook the sliced papaya with turmeric powder and sufficient water. (Add water such that the pieces are just immersed)

Tip: Cover the kadai with a lid and cook . Open the lid  in between and adjust the quantity of water if required. Add salt only after the papaya is half cooked.

• Once the papaya is cooked, drain excess water if any.
• Grind  coarsely the green chillies and shredded coconut in a mixer.

Tip: Use this stock to make your sambar/rasam.

• Empty the cooked papaya onto a plate. 
• In the same kadai, add coconut oil and mustard seeds.
• When it splutters ,add red chillies, curry leaves and ground mixture.
• Saute for a min and add the cooked papaya.
• Mix well and saute for a min.

Serve hot with rice and sambar.

Vazhakai and Payaru puzhuku

This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

Green Banana(Vazakkai) - 3

Payaru or chowli ( Cow peas) - 2 Tbsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Jaggery - 2 tsp

Coconut, shredded - 1 Tbsp

Black pepper - 1.5 tsp(Prefer freshly grounded)

Coconut Oil - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the Cow Peas over night.

Peel the Vazhakai(Green Banana) and cut into length wise and cut into pieces.

Pressure the Cow peas with little salt in the Pressure cooker.

If u have extra water in the cooked peas ,strain it and add it to the Green Banana.

Cook the Green Banana with little salt and Turmeric powder .

Add the Black pepper powder to it.

Add the Cooked Cow Peas and jaggery and boil everything for 3 mins till the ingredients blend together.

Add the grated coconut and 1tsp of coconut oil and curry leaves.

Enjoy the Puzzukku!!!

Kothavarangai/Cluster beans Parupu Usili

This recipe serves two.

Ingredients:

=========

• Cluster beans - 250 grams
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Chana dal - 50 grams
• Tuar dal - 50 grams
• Green chillies - 2
• Red chillies - 2 to 3
• Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - a sprig
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:

======

• Soak Chana dal and Tuar dal in water for half an hour.
• Drain excess water completely.Add asafoetida,red & green chillies ,soaked dals in a mixer,half of salt and grind into a coarse mixture.(Just Pulse them twice/thrice in the mixer...like a parupu vadai)
• Make them into flat vadas and steam in an idly plate for 15 min.(You can also microwave on high for 7 min).
• Add the cooked dal mixture into a bowl and set aside to cool completely.
• Split them without lumps with your hands.(Or pulse it in a mixer just once)
• Wash the beans,remove ends and chop into very small pieces.(say 5 mm)
• Add water just to immerse the chopped beans in a kadai.
• Cook covered with turmeric powder and rest of salt till the veggies become tender.(Add salt after the veggies are half cooked).Drain excess water if any.
• Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds,curry leaves.
• When it splutters,add the dal mixture and saute on a low flame till the dal mixture becomes very fine granules without lumps and gets roasted.(If you are using normal kadai,keep sauting without a stop and take away those stuck to the kadai with the spatula every now and then).
• Add the cooked cluster beans and saute for 5 min.

Serve hot with rice and Sambar/More kootan or any kozhambu.

The same thing can be prepared with normal french beans as well.

Mezhukupuratti (with yam and Raw Banana)

Ingredients:

=========

• Yam - 1/2kg
• Raw Banana - 1 big
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Coconut Oil - 3 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Red chillies - 3
• Curry leaves - a sprig
• asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:

======

• Cut the veggies into cubes and cook covered for 5 to 10 min in very little water with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt.Stir occasionally with a flat spatula.Do not mash the veggies.

• Heat coconut oil in a non-stick kadai and add mustard seeds.
• When it splutters,add asafoetida powder,curry leaves and red chillies and saute for a sec.
• Add the cooked veggies and allow it to get roasted on a low flame.

Serve with rice and morekootan.

Olan

Ingredients:

=========

• Pumpkin(Raw or half-ripe) - 1/2 kg
• Ash gourd - 1/2 kg
• Karamani/Cow peas - 1 handful(red ones)
• Curry leaves - a sprig
• Green chillies ,slit open - 2 to 3
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Coconut Oil - 2 tsp
• Coconut milk - 1 glass (Optional.But use it for rich authentic taste)

If the coconut milk is too thick,add only half a glass.

Method:

======

• Peel off the skin of pumpkin and ashgourd. Slice into thin rectangular pieces.
• Add little water and ash gourd in a vessel such that ash gourd is just immersed and cook covered.
• When ash gourd is half cooked, add pumpkin slices and little water .Cook till the veggies are 95 % cooked.
• Add salt,sugar,green chillies,curry leaves and cook for 2 to 3 min.Take care not to mash the veggies.
• Add coconut milk and cook for a min.Do not allow to boil.

Switch off the flame and add coconut oil on top.

Serve with Sambar/Poricha kozhambu and rice.

Mixed vegetable Poriyal

This is a very nutritious recipe.I had little of almost all veggies left.So I made this poriyal and it was excellent with more kootan.

Ingredients:

=========

• Veggies - like carrots,beans,beetroot,peas,cabbage(each 1 handful)
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Cooked tuar dal - 3 tsp
• Sambar powder - 1 tsp
• curry leaves - a sprig
• Oil - 1 tsp
• asafoetida - a pinch
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal,split - 1 tsp

Method:

======

• Chop all the vegetables into very small pieces.
• Cook covered in enough water with a pinch of turmeric powder.When its half cooked ,add salt.
• Drain excess water,if any.
• Heat oil in a kadai,add mustard seeds ,curry leaves and asafoetida.
• When it splutters,add urad dal and saute till brown.
• Add the cooked veggies,cooked dal and mix well.
• Saute for a min and switch off.

Serve hot with rice and any kootan.

variation:-

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Instead of cooked dal,you can also use crushed coconut and green chillies.

Purple Cabbage Morekootu

Ingredients:

=========

• Purple cabbage - 1/2
• Curry leaves - a sprig
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Urad dal,Split - 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• turmeric powder - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Curd - 2 to 3 tablespoon
• Oil - 1 teaspoon

For grinding:

=========

• Coconut shredded - 5 teaspoon
• Red chilli - 1
• Green chilli - 1 to 2
• Peppercorns - 5

Method:

======

• Grind all the ingredients with little water into a coarse paste.
• Chop cabbage into very fine pieces and cook covered in little water with turmeric powder and salt.
• When the cabbage is cooked,add the ground paste and cook till raw smell goes off.
• Add curd .Mix well and cook for a min.
• Temper with mustard seeds,urad dal,asafoetida and curry leaves.

Serve with sambar/molagootal.

Pulikuthi Upperi

This recipe serves two.

Ingredients:

=========

• Raw Banana - 1
• Curry leaves - a sprig
• Tamarind juice - extracted from a ball of dia,2cm
• asafoetida powder - a pinch
• turmeric powder - a pinch
• jaggery - a pinch
• Salt - 1 1/2 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Urad dal,split - 1 teaspoon
• Coconut oil - 1 teaspoon

You can use a combination of veggies like ladies finger,raw banana,brinjal or just raw banana also.

To grind:

=======

• Raw rice - 3 teaspoon
• Red chillies - 3
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Dry roast the above ingredients till brown and grind to a fine powder.You can also grind this powder in larger quantity and store them.Use it readily whenever you make this dish.

Method:

======

• Chop the raw banana into thick lengthy slices .Also the other veggies if any.
• Cook the slices in tamarind juice with a pinch of turmeric powder,asafoetida,jaggery and Salt.

• The tamarind juice should be just sufficient to immerse the veggies.Do not make it mushy.

• Heat oil and add mustard seeds in a kadai.When it splutters,add urad dal,curry leaves and the cooked raw banana.
• Sprinkle 2 to 3 teaspoon of roasted powder.
• Saute well till it gets roasted.

Serve with molagootal.

Avarakai/Broad beans poriyal

This recipe serves two.

Ingredients:

=========

• Avaraikai - 300 grams
• coconut,shredded - 1 1/2 tablespoon
• green chillies - 2
• salt to taste
• curry leaves - few
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• asafoetida - a pinch
• urad dal - 1/2 teaspoon
• coconut oil - 1 teaspoon

Method:

======

• Remove the ends and side threads of avaraikai and chop them finely.
• Grind shredded coconut and chopped green chillies coarsely.
• Cook avarakai with enough water,salt and pinch of turmeric powder.Drain excess water.
• Heat oil .add asafoetida,mustard seeds,curry leaves and urad dal.saute till golden brown.
• Add the cooked avaraikai and ground coconut -green chillies.Mix well and saute for a min.

Serve with rice and any kootan.

Podalangai/Snakegourd poduthuval

Ingredients:

========

• Podalangai/Snakegourd,chopped - 1
• Green chilli - 1
• Coconut,shredded - 2 tablespoon
• Tuar dal,pressure cooked - 1 handful
• salt - to taste
• turmeric powder - a pinch
• asafoeida - a pinch
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Urad dal,split - 1 teaspoon
• curry leaves - 1 sprig
• oil - 1 teaspoon

Method:

======

• Cook covered the chopped snakegourd pieces with a pinch of turmeric powder,salt and sufficient water till they turn tender.
• Drain the excess water,if any.
• Grind coconut and green chillies coarsely.
• Heat oil in kadai and add asafoetida and mustard seeds.
• When it splutters,add urad dal and saute till brwon.
• Add curry leaves and cooked snakegourd pieces.
• Add cooked tuar dal and ground coconut to it.
• Mix well and saute for a min.

Serve with any kootan and rice.

Vazhathandu poduthuval

Ingredients:

=========

• Vazhathandu/Banana stem - 1 piece
• Green chillies - 2
• Coconut shredded - 3 tablespoon
• Moong dal - 1 handful
• Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• curry leaves - a spring
• turmeric powder - a pinch
• Salt to taste
• Butter milk - 2 tablespoon

Method:

======

• Remove the outer skin of banana stem and make round slices.As you do so,remove the excess threads.Then make fine pieces out of the round slices.
• Add the chopped pieces to water with a pinch of turmeric powder and buttermilk immediately.This prevents discoloration.
• Soak moong dal in hot water for 15 min.
• Heat water in a kadai ,add chopped vazhathandu and moong dal with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt.Cook covered for 10 to 15 min .
• Drain the excess water.Grind green chillies and coconut coarsely in a mixer.
• Add oil ,asafoetida and mustard seeds in the kadai.When it splutters,add curry leaves and cooked banana stem along with ground coconut.
• Mix well and saute for a min.

Serve hot with rasam/sambar and rice.

Keerai masiyal

Ingredients:

=========

• Spinach - 5 bunches(preferably arai keerai)
• turmeric powder - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Coconut oil - 1 tablespoon
• Jeera - 1 tablespoon
• green chilli - 2
• Red chilli - 1
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Urad dal ,split - 1 teaspoon

Method:

======

• Separate spinach leaves from stem and wash well.
• Heat a kadai and saute spinach till the raw smell goes off.
• Set aside to cool.
• Add green chillies and salt to the cooked spinach and grind finely in a mixer.
• Saute the ground paste for a minute in the kadai.
• Temper with mustard seeds,urad dal,jeera and red chilli.(Use coconut oil)

It goes well with any morekootan.

Urulaikizhangu Kara curry

Ingredients:

=========

• Potatoes,finely chopped - 4 medium sized
• curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Oil - 4 tablespoon,for shallow frying
• Mustard seed - 1 teaspoon
• Urad dal,split - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Red chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
• Sambar powder - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - to taste
• Rice flour - 2 teaspoon
• asafoetida powder - 1 teaspoon

Method:

======

• Marinate the chopped potatoes with red chilli powder,asafoetida,salt,sambar powder,rice flour ,1 teaspoon of oil and set aside for 5 min.
• In a kadai,add oil and mustard seeds.When it splutters,add urad dal,curry leaves and saute till brown.
• Add the marinated potatoes and 1/2 a glass of water and cook covered till the potatoes are cooked well.
• In the above process,add little water as and when required and toss the kadai in between to ensure the potatoes evenly cooked.
• Then remove the lid and allow it to get roasted.Stir occasionally.
• Yummy Karacurry can be served with onion sambar and rice.

Vazhakai podimas

This recipe serves two.

Ingredients:

=========

• Vazhakai - 1 large
• coconut,shredded - 3 tablespoon
• green chillies - 2
• salt to taste
• curry leaves - few
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• asafoetida - a pinch
• urad dal - 1 teaspoon
• coconut oil - 1 tablespoon

Method:

======

• Immerse the vazhakai in hot water and set aside for 5 min till the skin colour changes to black.
• In the meantime,put the shredded coconut and chopped green chiilies in a pestle and mortar and crush them coarsely.
• Peel off the skin and grate the vazhakai.
• Add salt,crushed coconut-green chilli to the vazhakai and mix well.
• Heat a non-stick kadai immediately(as the vazhakai will discolour soon).Add oil,asafoetida and mustard seeds.
• When it splutters,add urad dal,curry leaves and saute till golden brown.
• Add the vazhakai to it and saute on a medium flame till its gets roasted.

Non-stick kadai is preferable as the grated vazhakai will stick to the vessel very soon.

Karela/Bitter gourd Fry

This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients:

=========

• Bitter gourd - 4 medium sized
• turmeric powder - a pinch
• asfoetida powder - 1 teaspoon
• sambar powder - 1 teaspoon
• red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
• rice flour - 2 teaspoon
• sugar - 1 teaspoon
• salt to taste
• oil - 5 tablespoon

Method:

======

• Cut through the center of bitter gourd and remove the inner part.
• Then slice into small pieces.(the pieces will look like small arcs)
• Add salt ,mix well and set aside for half an hour.This will remove slight bitterness from it.

Note:If you like the bitter taste,you can omit the above step.

• Add turmeric powder,asfoetida,sambar powder,sugar,a pinch of salt(if required),rice flour,red chilli powder and mix well.
• Heat a pan,add oil and shallow fry the marinated bitter gourd slices for 5 to 10 min.

Yummy fry is ready .Serve hot with rice.

Idichakkai thoran

You would most likely find at least one Jackfruit tree in most homes in Kerala and when in season the fruit is used in various ways to make several interesting dishes, both sweet and savoury.

Idichakka thoran is one such popular dish in which tender, young, green jackfruit is cooked, then shredded and stir fried with coconut, green chillies and is usually served as a side dish with rice.

This recipe serves two.

Ingredients:

=========

• Idichakai - 500 grams
• coconut oil - 3 tablespoon
• green chillies - 4 to 5
• coconut - 4 tablespoon
• curry levaes - few
• Mustard seeds - 1 tablespoon
• Urad dal - 1 tablespoon
• asfoetida - a pinch
• red chilli - 1
• turmeric powder- a pinch
• salt to taste

Method:

======

• Remove the skin and slice the jackfruit into tiny strands.As the fruit is tender,you can even use the seed inside as it will be very soft.Its a messy and sticky process.So apply little coconut oil on your palms and then start the process.
• Pressure cook the jackfruit strands with little water,turmeric powder and salt.The water level should be such that the strands are just immersed in water.Just a whistle on high flame would be sufficient.Do not over cook .
• After cooking,strain the excess water from the strands.
• Grind shredded coconut and green chillies in a mixer.Just a pulse would do.
• Heat a kadai,add 2 tablespoon of coconut oil.
• When its hot,add mustard seeds and asfoetida.
• When it splutters ,add urad dal and curry leaves.
• When dal turns brown ,add the cooked jackfruit strands and ground mixture to it.
• Mix well and saute for 3 sec.

Yummy thoran is ready.

Potato podimas

This recipe serves two.

Ingredients:

=========

• Potato - 5 medium size
• green chillies - 2 to 3
• coconut,shredded - 3 tablespoon
• curry leaves - few
• coriander leaves - few,finely chopped
• mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• urad dal - 2 teaspoon
• lemon - 1 medium size
• salt to taste
• oil - 2 tablespoon

Method:

======

• Pressure cook the potatoes and mash it slightly with salt.(You still need to have some small pieces in it).
• Heat a kadai,Add oil and mustard seeds.
• When it splutters,add urad dal and saute till it becomes golden brown.
• Add green chillies,curry leaves,coconut and saute for 2 sec.
• Reduce to low flame and add the mashed potatoes and mix well.
• Switch off and add coriander leaves.
• Squeeze lemon juice to it.Mix well and serve hot.

This goes well with sambar,poricha kozhambu,more kootan.

Podi potta Kathirikai

Ingredients:

=========

• Small purple brinjals - 250 grams
• Salt - to taste
• turmeric powder - a pinch

To grind:

=======

• Chana dal - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
• Red chillies - 4 to 5
• hing powder - a pinch
• oil - 1/2 tsp

For tempering:

===========

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

oil - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Method:

======

• Chop the brinjals into small cubes.Add less than 1/4 cup of water,turmeric powder,salt and cook it well.
• Fry the ingredients in 1 tsp of oil and grind to a coarse powder.
• When the brinjal gets cooked,add the coarse powder and mix well.
• Use a flat spatula to mix and make sure they do not stick to each other.
• Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Podi potta kathirikai is ready.Serve with sambar or rasam or more kootan and rice.