Ulli Thoran/Fried Onions with Coconut.

Keralites have a good taste of making dishes using coconuts.More than any other dish we find all around our country,the exotic-traditional kerala dishes have coconuts as one of the major ingredients.

Thoran,the exclusive side dish,is a dry fry variety of any vegetable with plenty of coconut gratings in it.The item is nutritious as well,as the vegetables are chopped finely and gets cooked mostly in its own water content.It has its unique taste when tampered with Coconut Oil.

I prefer to make this side dish when I run short of vegetables, unexpectedly.'Ulli Thoran' is a side dish that goes well with 'Rice and Sambhar' or 'Rice and Theiyal'.
This simple recipe is posted specially for the Essence of Kerala Cuisine.

Ingredients:
Shallots or small onions OR Big Onions cut lengthwise-1cup.
Grated coconut-1/2 cup.
Ginger-grated-1/2 tsp.
Slightly ripe green chillies,cut into rings-1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp.
Curry leaves- a few.
Coconut oil-2 tbsps.
Mustard seeds-to tamper.
Salt- to taste.

Method:
1. Combine the onions,coconut shavings,ginger,turmeric,curry leaves and salt and mix them gently using fingers.
2.Heat coconut oil in a wok,splutter the mustards and add the above mixture.
3.Close the wok with an appropriate lid,not to allow the steam to escape,and simmer cook.
4.Sprinkle water if necessary and turn it occasionally to avoid burning.Press thoran lightly flat to the bottom to facilitate cooking with minimum water.(Thatti Pothi Vaikal).
5.Remove from fire when the onions are cooked.(evaporate the excess water if present,keeping the pan open,in a medium flame).
6.Serve hot as a sidedish to boiled plain rice and theiyal.

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Ada Prathaman(using jaggery/sarkara).

Prathaman is an important item of Kerala Cuisine and a 'must served' one for "Ona Sadya".
This prathaman is made using ADA as the major ingredient.Formerly I used to make ADA by soaking raw rice,dry grinding it,making into a batter,pouring in a plantain leaf,spreading , rolling and tying each of the strips and steamcooking them.Again cooling the strips and peeling them carefully,sprinkling cold water.Well,this is supposed to be the exact traditional way of preparing them...but definitely.... elaborate!!.
Now we get readymade Ada packets in the market.Most of the companies make ada using "maida" as the major ingridient...but make sure that the Ada you buy is of Rice(press one of them lightly and it seems to be more brittle) .As a result of the above experiment I found 'Double Horse' brand Ari Palada, the best.
The recipe is posted specially for the Essence of Kerala Cuisine,one of the fabulous keralafood blogs maintained by Shaheen and RP.

Ingredients:
Rice Ada(ready made)-100gms.
Jaggery-2 medium/300gms.
Coconuts-2 medium-gives 6 grated cups.
Ghee-1 tbsp
Cardamom,powdered-1/4 tsp.
Method:
1.Wash Ada and soak in hot boiled water.Cover with a lid.Keep aside for 20 minutes.
2.Meanwhile prepare the coconut extract using minimum amounts of water.The "first milk" should be of 2-21/2 cups.The thin milk or the 'second milk'(secondly extracted from the same molasses),of 3 cups.
3.Crush jaggery balls into smaller pieces and make the syrup, by boiling just half a cup of water,for 10-15 minutes to "one string consistency"(almost the consistency of honey).
4.To a hot thick bottomed flat utensil(Uruli preffered :)..well can also use nonstick woks),strain and transfer the jaggery syrup.
5.Add the Ada ,which has now turned soft after draining the water completely.Mix well,carefully without breaking the ada and using ghee to avoid any sticking.Let the ada absorb the sweetness well.Simmer churning well till it reduces to three fourth.
6.Add the second milk of coconut and simmer for 10 minutes.
7.Add the cardamom powder to the 1st milk of coconut and pour in to the wok.Simmer till it just boils or for 2 minutes.Don't boil for long.
8.Prathaman must reach a semi thick consistency by now.If its too thick add coconut milk,prepared from the previous molasses.(the 3rd milk!!! in our language.)
9.Remove from fire.
10."Sarkara Ada Prathaman"can be served Hot or Cold.

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Inji Kuzhambu.

Inji/Ginger,we all know has its own medicinal properties as a carminative and goes into a variety of appetising drinks, curries and side dishes.
And here's a recipe by my husband's grandma,which I prepare at least once a week.This Kuzhambu, for boiled rice is definitely opted in our family, back home food, after a holiday.

I prepared the comfort curry along with Urulai kara kari, Tempered green gram dal, Rasam and Vadagam, this time soon back after my 4 day stay in Chennai and proved to be soothing as always! :)

As you can guess by now this is submission to dear Sunita for Think Spice...think ginger.

I feel extremely happy to 'jump in' her great event in the last minute.Thanks to my new camera which made this possible.I am not happy with the picture and will update with a better one later as I have yet to get used to my new pal ;)...

Ingredients:

Ginger(diced)- 1 1/2"piece
coriander seeds -3 tbsps
fenugreek seeds(venthayam/uluva) -1/2 tsp
thoor dal- 2 tsps
dry red chillies- 6-7 nos
thick tamarind extract- 1/3 cup or to taste
turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
salt- to taste
gingelly oil- 2-3 tbsps
mustard seeds -1/4 tsp for seasoning
curry leaves- a stalk

Method:

1. In a tsp of oil, roast diced ginger,coriander seeds,fenugreek,thoor dal and redchillies one by one carefully in a medium flame. Use a heavy bottomed pan for even roasting. Be careful not to 'over' or "under" roast.

2. Grind to a smooth paste.

3. In the same pan,add the remaining oil and splutter the mustards,fry curry leaves.

4. Add tamarind extract,ground paste,turmeric powder,salt,a cup of water and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Add water till a semi thick consistency is reached.

6. Remove from fire when the curry becomes thicker, oil separates and the raw smell disappears.

Serve hot with rice and vegetable of your choice.

Inji Kuzhambu has a longer shelf life compared to the other curries and stays well upto 3 weeks if refrigerated.

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How I make teacakes.

Take equal quantities of eggs(4),flour(250gms),250gms of fresh butter and250gms of sugar.4eggs weigh 250gms. Seive flour with a tsp of baking powder at least 6 times!!.Beat eggs till light using a hand beater(Kids do this job better, willingly).Cream in butter and powdered sugar.Fold in flour and mix one sided lightly with a wooden spatula.Add a tsp of vanilla essence.Grease and dust the pan.Transfer contents to the pan and place in a preheated oven.Bake till done or until the blade of an inserted knife comes out CLEAN :).Cool , topple and cut....
photo courtesy www.ming.com

Updated on Dec 12 09

• Take equal qunatities(250gms) of all 4 ...

• Sift flour and 1 tsp levelled baking powder

• weigh sugar before powdering.

• Separate egg whites and yolks.

• Beat butter and powdered sugar together in Ari or Pindi soak cheyyunna big and wide pathrathil (not in uruli...will splutter so badly)...

• Ask shanthi to beat whites well with a fork in another vessel of her choice...

• ..after the butter gets soft while I am beating, add yolks one by one(ask her to do that)Add vanilla essence 1 tsp.
  

• preheat oven at this point

• add the fluffy egg white froth and fold in flour little by little with hands.

• Bake for 45-55 min in 190 deg C till done
  

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