Carrot Beetroot Mezhukkupuratti - Carrot Beetroot Stir Fry

Carrot Beetroot Stir Fry(Mezhukkupuratti) is one of my favorite stir fry from school days. I could finish off a bowl of rice just like that with this stir fry and some curd/yogurt. I love the color of carrot beetroot stir fry when combines with yogurt, transformation from deep red to pretty pink and they taste marvelous!!!! I would always suggest to use fresh beetroots as they are soft and tender. They are very easy to slice and dice and cooks up quick unlike aged ones which are hard to cut, takes longer to cook. So make this easy breezy stir fry for your lunch/dinner to serve with Rice/Roti!!!!

Ingredients Used:-

1. Beetroot - 3 (~ 2 Cups When chopped into strips)
2. Carrot  - 2(~1½ Cups when chopped into strips)
3. Onion finely sliced - 1
4. Green Chilies - 4 slit into halves
5. Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
6. Salt - ½ tsp
7. Curry Leaves few
8. Coconut Oil/Oil - 1 tbsp + ½tsp

How I Made It:-

• Heat a Kadai, pour coconut Oil/Coconut Oil. Add onions and green chilies and saute till onion turns translucent.
• Add few curry leaves and saute for few seconds. Add salt, turmeric powder and stir to mix and combine.
• Add the chopped carrot and beetroot and stir well to combine. Cover with the lid and let it cook in low-medium flame for five-seven minutes stirring one or two times in between.
• Open the lid and check if beetroot is cooked enough, if not cover and cook for another three-five minutes.
• If there is more moisture set the heat on high and stir for a minute or two.
• Turn off the heat and drizzle ½ tsp of coconut oil(only if using coocnut oil, dont add oil if you are using normal oil) and few curry leaves and keep it covered until ready to serve.
• Give a gently stir before serving to blend in the flavor of coconut oil and curry leaves. Move to a serving dish and serve warm with Rice/Roti

Pazham Pori/Ethakka Appam/Ripe Plantain Fritters ~ Keralite's Favorite's Teatime Snack

Pazham Pori is one of the most popular teatime snack among Keralites. You can find this snack in any paart of Kerala, every roadside restaurants, dabas, college canteens, railway stations have them. I doubt there will be any Malayali who do not like this delicious and crispy snack and so do our family. Ripe Plantains/Nethra Pazham/Ethakka is used for making this awesome snack. It is quite ezee to make Pazham Pori if you have some all purpose flour and ripe plantains in your pantry. Since my in-laws are home I mostly have these bananas at home.

Last time when I got this banana home, my son started telling my MIL 'Amma used to make snack with these bananas with sweet filling at our old home'. My MIL didn't have any clue as to what he is talking about since he said it was not Pazham Pori. When I came back from work she told me about him bugging for some 'unknown' snack with plantains. I immediately knew he was talking about 'Unnakkaya' - another famous snack from Kerala/Malabar which I always used to make before moving to our new home.  He wanted me to make it again and I absolutely didn't have the energy and patience to go through all the elaborate process of steaming  the plantain, making the filling, rolling them with utmost patience and then deep fry them. So I thought of making this Pazham Pori which is really Ezee to make and equally enjoyable by kids and everyone in the family. Make them for the evening snack and enjoy with your loved ones!!!!



Ingredients Used:-

1. Ripe Plaintains/Nenthrakkaya/Kerala Banana - 3
2. Maida/All Purpose Flour - 1Cup
3. Rice Flour - 2 tbsp
4. Baking Powder - ¼tsp
5. Salt a pinch
6. Sugar - 2 tbsp
7. Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
8. Water - ½ Cup(use as needed)
9. Oil for deep frying

Preparation Method:-

• Cut the banana into half from the centre. Peel of the skin of both halves. Run the knife between each half to thinly slice them into at least 6 slice. Repeat for the bananas and set aside to make the batter
• Add all purpose flour, Rice flour, baking powder,salt, sugar and turmeric powder into a bowl. Add water little by little till you get a lump less, thick batter. Batter should not be too runny, kind of cake batter consistency.
• Heat up a kadai and pour oi to deep fry, keep in medium-high heat.
• Dip banana slices one by one in the batter and drop into the oil. You can add up to five-six slices at a time according to the size of the pan used for frying
• Turn the banana slice to cook on both sides. Make sure not to burn but fry till the covering get a golden brown color.
• Drain off to the paper towels to remove any excess oil
• Repeat the process with rest of the banana slices. Enjoy with hot steaming Chai/Tea !!!