Mango Lassi

Hope you all had a great Vishu and Tamil New Year this time. We had a wonderful Vishu too with all our friends here,  Kids had all the fun. My son and daughter was super excited while waiting for their friends to show them the 'Vishu Kani(the first scene to be seen on Vishu) at home. But once the friends were here they forgot all about 'Kani' and were busy playing. Posting one of our 'Vishu Kani' picture, I know I should have posted it the very same day :-) 

I've been thinking what to post next with couple of pictures and half edited recipes in draft and deicded of posting this simple and delicious 'Mango Lassi' an all time favorite Indian drink. May it be kids or grown ups everyone love Mango Lassi and I'm sure many of you makes it at home too.

Canned Mango pulp along with its juice can help you get the best taste since the mango pulp is already been soaked in sugar syrup for long and yes of course is much easy and handy with no peeling and chopping done. But all the preservatives and thoughts of what all chemical in them just stops me from using any canned food especially because I don't want the little one's to consume all those chemicals. So I always use the fresh and the very ripe mangoes with non-sour yogurt. Try it and Enjoy!!!!

Ingredients:-

1. Ripe Mango - 1(~ 1½ cups when peeled and chopped)
2. Yogurt ~ 1½ cups
3. Sugar ~ 4 tbsp(Adjust according to your sweet level)
4. Cardamom powder ~  ½ tsp(Optional, we love the cardamom flavored lassi)
5. Chilled Water ~  ½ cup to 1 Cup

Preparation Method:-

• Wash the mangoes, peel the skin, chop them roughly and blend them in a mixer/blender to a smooth puree.
• Add sugar, cardamom powder and blend again. Add yogurt and blend for couple of seconds. Add cold water little by little depending on the consistency you need since the Lassi is gonna be very thick with just yogurt and mango.
• Pour into a tall glass and chill for half an hour if desired(can add ice-cube if you like, I don't like to add them though). Serve cold immediately.

Puli Inji - Ginger In Sweet and Sour Sauce

Wishing all my friends and readers A Very Happy Vishu in Advance. May you all be blessed with peace and prosperity :-) 

Try out this Puli Inji recipe for this Vishu and Enjoy the festive with your family and friends. Its quite simple, healthy and extremely good in taste. If you like sour, sweet and spicy, its for you. 

Ingredients:-

1. Tamarind ~ A large lemon size
2. Broken/grated Jaggery ~  2 tbsp (adjust according to your taste, I don't like it too sweet though) 
3. Green chilies chopped - 4
4. Chilly powder -  ½ tsp
5. Water ~ 2 cups
6. Asafoetida powder ~  ½ tsp
7. Salt

Seasoning 

1. Coconut Oil - 2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1tsp
3. Fenugreek seeds ~ ½ tsp
4. Split Urad Dal ~   ½ tsp
5. Dry red chilies - 3
6. Curry leaves few
7. Finely chopped Ginger ~ ½ Cup

Preparation Method:-

1. Crush the urad daal and Fenugreek seeds using a mortar and a pestle, or grinding stone(don't need to powder them, just break them into smaller pieces. Set aside.
2. Pour coconut oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when they start to crackle add curry leaves, dry red chilies, crushed urad dal, fenugreek seeds and saute for few seconds(till urad dal turns light brown-always keep in medium heat)
3. Add chopped ginger and saute well for a while say 5 to 7 minutes till they turn light golden color. Set this aside.
4. Extract the tamarind water by pressing and squeezing the soaked tamarind, pour bit more water and extract the full tamarind sauce out of it. Pour them to a cooking vessel/pot and put on the stove. Add chili powder, chopped green chilly, few curry leaves, asafoetida, jaggery, salt and let it boil. (No need to cover the vessel, let it cook lid open)
5. You can simmer the stove to medium heat when they start to boil. Now add the sauteed ginger mix and stir and let it boil/cook till the gravy start to thicken. It takes around 45 mins to 1 hour to  thicken the sauce.
6. Switch off the stove, let it cool down completely. Puli Inji tend to thicken even after you take them off the stove, so you don't have to wait till the gravy is very thick.
7. Though it is a Sadya dish, you can make it anytime, any occasion or include in daily menu. It lasts for at-least three-five days if kept at a cool, dry space at room temperature and longer when refrigerated. 

Sending this to Kerlala Kitchen @ Ramya's Recipe

Olan - Veggies in coconut milk

Ingredients:-

1. Plantain Banana/Pachakkaya - 1
2. Vanpayar/Red Chori beans ~ ½ cup
3. Yard Long Beans/Achinga Payar ~ 1 Cup(2 or 3 no's)
4. Winter Melon/Elavan Kumbalam Chopped lengthwise ~ 1 Cup
5. Green Chilly slit into halves - 5
6. Coconut Oil ~ 2 tsp
7. Curry leaves a sprig
8. Salt to taste
9. Grated Coconut - 1 ½ Cups
10. Water ~ 2 + ½ Cups

Preparation Method:-

• Cut the veggies from 1 to 5 lengthwise, wash it well and set aside in a bowl.
• Pour  ½ cup of lukewarm water to the grated coconut, blend/pulse them in a mixer/blender. Strain them through a muslin cloth or filter. Grab the edges of muslin cloth, lift it up, press and squeeze out all the all the coconut milk(onnam paal). Set them aside.
• Add 1 more cup of water to the coconut and press well with your hands and squeeze out remaining coconut milk(2nd extract or randaam paal).
• Wash and soak Red Chori beans/Vanpayar in water for couple of hours. I normally soak it for 4 hours, try to soak them at-least for an hour.
• Add them to a cooking pan with a cup of water and let it cook for a while. When they are half cooked, add the veggies, salt, green chilies. 
• Cover and boil them in medium heat till the veggies are cooked.(Don't add a lot of water as the addition of coconut milk will provide little bit of gravy)
• Add the second extract of coconut milk(randaam paal) to veggies and let it boil for few minutes say 3-4 minutes.
• Simmer the heat and add the first extract of coconut milk(onnam paal) and stir gently with a spoon to mix everything. When it start to boil slightly ie. when you see bubbles  forming from the edges take it off the stove.
• Garnish with a generous amount of curry leaves and coconut oil

Notes:- 

1. If you forgot to soak Vanpayar/Red Moong Dal don't worry, pressure cook them and dd it to the cooked Veggies.

2. When you make Coconut milk, put on the mixer for once or twice just to pulse the coconut, don't overdo the grind which will result to a messy coarse ground/fine coconut paste).

3. You can use other veggies like padavalanga, cucumber etc or use a combination of veggies available.
4. If you are using store bought milk, to make second extract milk add 1/4 cups of water to 2 tsp of coconut milk and mix. Use ¼ to ½ cup of coconut milk as first extract.
5. Normally Olan is served as a side dish with thick gravy, if you want to make it with gravy for regular day servings you can add more water.

Sending this to Kerala Kitchen at Ramya's Recipe

Kerala Kitchen Round Up - March '12

I am really happy to present before you the much awaited Kerala Kitchen round up and I thank Rose for giving me this wonderful opportunity to host the event. This event definitely helped me to get to know many new wonderful blogger friends and I believe vice-verse. It was fun hosting the event and was amazing to see such wonderful and some very traditional recipes flowing in. Now without further delay let me present the round up, here is an array of Kerala Recipes that I received for for Kerala Kitchen Event March' 12.

Kaveri of Palakkad Chamayal sent us 5 beautiful and delicious entries

Her first entry is this Healthy and yummy Avarakkai thoran/Broad Beans Thoran

Her second entry is this delicious sweet Microwave Mysore Pak

Her third entry is one of my favorite Sambharam, perfect and natural cooler to beat the Summer heat

Her fourth entry is this Awesome and Traditional Jackfruit Pancake/Chakkai Dosai a must try one.

and Kaveri's Fifth entry is this very Nutritious and delicious Vazhathandu Thoran/Banana Stem Stir Fry

Faseela of Good Food ends with Good Talk sent us 8 awesome entries

Her First entry is this Yummy snack Cabbage Cutlet

                                         

Her second entry is this awesome Rice Dumplings Payasam

   

Third entry being Cauliflower Green Peas Curry

Faseela's fourth entry is this Yummy Snack Banana Nest

Check out her fifth entry Appam Without Yeast, just perfect...

Sixth entry being the flavorful Jeera Rice

Faseela's seventh entry is Chukku Podi/Dry Ginger Powder

Her 8th entry is this Lip Smacking  Mango Pickle

Reshmi of Noel Collection sent us 4 lovely entries

Reshmi's First Entry is this Cabbage Thoran, with a new dress up..

Reshmi's Second Entry is this awesome Pineapple Pachadi 

Her Third Entry being Raw Banana Thoran

And Reshmi's Fourth entry is this Ulli Theeyal, I don't even need a side dish if I have this for Rice.

Namitha of Collaborative Curry sent us this very tempting Kerala Fish Curry.  

 

Roshni of Roshni's Kitchen send us 2 entries

Her First Entry is the Therali Appam - A traditional Dish made for Attukal Pongala, Check out her post on this recipe and Attukal Pongala, Its worth reading. 

Her Second Entry is this delicious milk Shake Badam Sharjah

  

 Hasna at Kachu's Delight send us 3 yummy delicious entries

Her First Entry is Malabar's own Madakku Pathal Sweet -Simple yet delicious.

Hasna's Second entry is this Lip Smacking Dates Pickle, wanna dig into it right???

Her third Entry is this tempting Fish Tomato Rice

Fezi Fathima at Kitchen Boffin Send us this delicious Ayala Thoran/Mackerel Sauteed with coconut and spices

Sobha Shyam at Good Food sent these 2 real Good Food entries.

Chickpeas Biriyani, looks amazing right?

Who could ever say no to this awesome Moru Curry

Ramya of Hot from my oven sent us 3 yummy entries

Her first entry is this Chakka Appam/Chakka Kinnathappam

Check out this Mini Bitter Guards Stir Fry, Ramya's second entry

Her 3rd entry is this well presented, very nutritious and ddelicious Nelikka Moru curry/Gooseberries in Yogurt Gravy

Lena of Lemon and Spice sent these 2 wonderful Non-Veg entries

First One being Kerala Style Mutton Chops/Lamb Chops

               

and the second entry is this Kerala Beef Fry/Naadan Beef Fry

        

            

Rinku Naveen at Rinku's Kitchen Treat sent us this delicious sweet treat Vella Kinnthappam/Steamed Rice Cake. Must say beautiful clicks and well presented.

           

Fajeeda Ashik of Faji's Hot Pot Send this sweet Andi Unda/Cashewnut Balls

Misha Praatheesh of Kitchen Magic send us these 4 Entries

First is this very yummy Idiyappam Biriyani

Delicious sweet Parippu Pradhaman

Her third entry is great spread Fig Jam 

Fourth being Sweet and Yummy Boondhi Ladoo

Ramya of Ramya's Recipes Sent us 5 Entries 

Parippu Cheera Curry/Dal Palak Kerala Style, I loved the vibrant color of the curry

Yummyyy and very tempting Shrimp Pickle/Prawns Pickle that can spice up any meal, love them..

The Spicy and awesome looking Chicken Yumm Yumm

Tomato Garlic Chutney

Simple but great side dish Ulli Thoran

Minu Asheej of Ruchikaram has sent us 2 entries

Ripe Banana Puttu/Ethappazham puttu, why steam the banana separate? Try out this smart option

Keralite's all time favorite snack Pazhampori/Ethakkappam/Banana Fritters

       

Suja of Kitchen Corner Send us 2 lovely entries

Try out her Ulli Puli/Sweet and Tangy Onion Curry, a traditional and Sadhya recipe.

Beans Cheruparippu Thoran/Beans and Moong Dal Thoran a very healthy and nutritious stir fry.

Roshan of Roshan's Cucina sent this Star of fame Thattil Kutti Dosa

Rashida Shaikh of Inherited Recipes Sent this awesome Mutton Liver Masala

Vrinda Mahesh of Sankeerthanam sent us this typical Malabar Chicken Biriyani, perfectly presented with beautiful click.

Chandrani Banerjee of Cuisine Delights Re-posted 7 yummy entries for Kerala Kitchen.

Perfect looking Malabar Chicken Curry

Yummy Sweet Banana Halwa

Healthy and yummy Bitter Guard Thoran

Cauliflower Potato Masala in Kerala Style

Chickpeas Curry in Kerala Style

 

Spicy Egg Kurma

Potato Chana Kurma

Amina Khaleel of Amina Creations send us this warm yummy Mutton Soup

                                                       

Julie Sajai of Erivum Pulim sent us these 7 lovely and delicious entries

Keralites's Favorite Team time Snack Parippu Vada/Masala Vadai

                           

         

Masala Biscuits, yet another yummy savory snack

        

Beet Leaves Thoran/Beet Leaves Stir Fry, Nutritious and Healthy Stir Fry

        

  The Lovely snack Pazham Pori/Ripe Plantain Fritters

             

                

Idiyappam with Mixed Beans Stew - One Of the Healthiest and Yummiest Kerala breakfast 

          

Check out her lip smacking Lemon Pickle/Naranga Achar recipe.

      

Simple yet awesome Thakkali Curry/Tomato Curry had always been my favorite.

Reema Vimesh of Achu's Amma's Kitchen send us 12 delicious Entries

Kerala Sadya Special Koottu Curry

Tangy and Yummy Beetroot Pachadi

Another Beet recipe, Beetroot Achar/Beetroot Pickle

     

Yummy and Sweet Snack, Wheat Ladoo

Delicious Tender Jack-fruit Thoran/Idichakka Thoran

Mixed Fruit Pradhaman/Fruit Pradhaman/Mixed Fruit Pradhaman

Kadala Pidi, a must try recipe

Yummy and a Malabar special Fish Pathiri

Green Pappaya Pickle/Omakka Pickle

Vegetable Kurma/Mixed Vegetable Kurma

A Sadhya Recipe Ripe Mango Pachadi/Pazhutha Manga Pachadi

Thakkali Ulli Pachadi/Tomato Onion Pachadi

And now couple of entries from my little space

First one is this Kerala Unakka Meen Curry - Dry Fish Curry with Raw Mango

Second Entry is Oothappam/Uthappam

                                                           

                                                   

Now the Kerlala Kitchen Awards for the Month of March goes to.

Suja of Kitchen Corner Wins the Best Dish for her Ulli Puli a traditional Sadhya Dish.  

Namitha of Collaborative Curry Wins the Best Pic Award for her Kerala Fish Curry. 

I would like to mention some other pictures that were really good too like Vrinda's Malabar Chicken Biriyani, Rinku's Vella Kinnthappam, Ramya's Chakka Kinnathappam etc. But the props Namitha used along with the presentation gave it a feel of Ancestral Household Kitchen in Kerala . I hope you would agree too :-)    

Reema Vimesh of Achu's amma's Kitchen wins the Top Contributor Award with 12 entries

Congrats to all the the winners.

Hope I have included all the entries, If you have sent in any entries and I missed adding them please sent me a mail and I'll be happy to include them. Meanwhile checkout Ramya's Blog for this months Kerala Kitchen Event and sent in your entries soon.