A vegetarian dish which is simple to cook and delicious to eat, describes Ras kalaan, which originates from the southern state of Kerala, inspite of not containing any onions, garlic or ginger, is yet so pleasing to the palette.
In today’s recipe I have added drumsticks, sweet potato, broccoli and green peas. Normally it is made using tubers like yam or potatoes. I like adding different vegetables to this, and at times, have even used mushroons, babycorn etc . Do try this recipe which comes together very quickly.
KALAAN, A name which was so unfamiliar to me years ago, until I stumbled upon it by chance when south Indian food was a big mood with me, it was that particular year when I was cooking a lot of south Indian food. Having been born and brought up In India, I love the regional food which our great country has to offer.
Back to the KAALAN, which is basically a keralite preparation, made with fresh coconut and yogurt. Its fresh and tangy taste is so refreshing , making you want to make it it often. The ideal pairing for this vegetable is rice, though I prefer having it with a roti adai(rice flour roti)or paratha.
Many of us have a image about south Indian food which probably consists of Dosa, Idli, Uttapams etc. Reality is that its a vast platter of numerous dishes which delight the palette. So, on to the recipe. Feel free to replace any vegetables with your favourites.😊
Ras Kalaan
Ingredients
4 drumsticks..scraped,cut into 4 to 5 pieces , and boiled.
1 small sweet potatoe, boiled and cubed
1/2 cup green peas( I used frozen)
1 cup broccoli flowerlets, par boiled.
(Roughly about 200 gms mixed vegetables)
1 cup fresh grated coconut
4 dry red chillies
2 cups fresh yogurt
1 tsp methi seeds (fenugreek)
1 tsp raw rice(washed)
2 tbsps palm sugar( gur) jaggery
1 or 2 green chillies
FOR TEMPERING
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 dry red chillies, broken into pcs
1 tbsp chana dal
1 tbsp urad dal
Few curry leaves
Salt
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
Method
1. Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a pan and add 1 tsp methi seeds and 2 dry red chillies(broken). Saute for 2 mins.
2. Grind 1 cup grated coconut, 2 cups yogurt, 2 green chillies, 1 tsp raw rice, the sauted methi seeds and dry red chillies. Grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
3. Heat 2 tbsps coconut oil in a pan, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tbsp chana dal and 1 tbsp udad dal, curry leaves. Saute for a while till fragrant.
4. Add the vegetables and coconut paste along with turmeric powder, salt, 2 tbsps palm sugar and half cup of water.
5. Cook for 5 to 10 mins. Untill oil seperates.
Serve hot with steamed rice, or parathas.
Tag: coconut oil
Achari Brinjal Moju
Achari Brinjal Moju
Brinjal lovers will love this dish which has its roots in Sri Lanka, and is a staple in most Sri lankan homes and restaurants. This is basically a fried brinjal pickle, which is served at meals normally with rice, but I prefer having it with a chappati.(flatbread). This dish comes together in no time . The crunch of deepfried brinjal and shallots, subtle tangyness of vinegar and mustard and sweetness of sugar give this simple dish a balance which is amazing. There are many twists to this recipe, each one having its own charm. In my recipe today, I have added dijon mustard to enhance the tartness and sweet mango pickle instead of sugar. You can add honey or sugar instead. Tweak the recipe at your will.
This purple coloured vegetable called eggplant or aubergine is popular in many cuisines world wide. Be it the bhaigan ka bharta in north India, where the brinjals are flame roasted, mashed and cooked in an onion tomato gravy. Or the Greek Mousakka, where aubergine, minced meat sauce and potatoes come together to form a hearty casserole. As for me, my childhood memories of eating Brinjal are not very great😊the only way I really liked it was fried and sprinkled with dry spices. Mom would cut the brinjals into round pieces, give small cuts on the surface, and soak them in salted water for a while. Then squeeze the water out and deep fry till crisp. This was normally served with khichdi or pulav. It was much later that I developed a taste for brinjal cooked as a sabzi. And today its one of my favourite vegetable.😊 The aroma of brinjal being fried in the kitchen always draws me in to grab a few pcs of fried brinjal ..top on my list😊
Do try this simple and tasty recipe.
Ingredients
250 gms purple brinjal
2 tbsps flour
2 tbsps cornflour
10 shallots
2 green chillies and 2 red chillies ( cut slantingly)
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tbsps chopped garlic
1 tbsps finely chopped ginger
1/2 tbsp freshly powdered mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tsps black pepper powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp vinegar
2 tbsp homemade sweet mango chutney or achaar (pickle) or honey or powdered sugar. I have used my homemade sweet mango achaar.
2 tbsps fried onions
2 tbsps coconut oil
Some chopped corriander leaves.
Salt to taste
Method..
1..Cut brinjals into finger stick size.
Soak in salted water for an hour, squeeze dry, roll in a mixture of flour and cornflour. Deep fry till crisp. Keep aside.
Also deep fry the shallots and sliced chillies.
2… Mix mustard seed powder, dijon mustard, vinegar and sweet mango chutney together in a small bowl.
3…Heat 2 tbsps of coconut oil and saute curry leaves, ginger, garlic till fragrant. Shut the fire and add cinnamon, pepper and salt..mix well
4..Add the dijon mustard mix, fried brinjals, fried shallots and chillies.
Stir well and serve garnished with chopped corriander and fried onions.
** can be eaten at room temperature.
***best made at time of serving and consumed immediately.
Dakshin paneer do pyaaza
Regional flavours of India are truely amazing. The same type of dish will taste differently in every state of India. The secret lies in the spices of course. Each state and sometimes even cities have some favourite spice which is dominant in most dishes. Todays recipe is the do pyaaza. Almost every indian is familiar with this dish where onion is used in 2 forms, a ground paste of onions as well as sliced onions. In todays recipe, I have used whole shallots ( also called sambhar onions) as well as sliced onions. The Dakshin or southern twist is in the simple masala made dominantly with udad dal also known as black lentils. Udad dal rules southern India where its use in almost all idli and dosa preparation is extensive. Using Paneer in this dish gives it a north Indian twist.
Growing up in Pune, my knowledge of south Indian food was limited to dosa, idli and medu wada. Going to Priya restaurant for these treats was often, and something to look forward to. The fragrance of food as you entered this small and cozy restaurant on main street was mouth watering . Of course, the waiters would always direct us to go upstairs where it was for families and ladies only.
My interest in cooking led me to try out different dishes from all over India, leaving a medly of recipes in my cookbook. Spices in the south use udad dal which is roasted slowly and powdered with red chillies and asafoetida, peppercorns etc. Aside from the mainstays,South India also has a huge variety of delicious vegetatarian and non vegetarian food.
Todays recipe is based on chettinad style of cooking. Please do try this simple dish and serve with chappaties or adai rotis made with rice flour.
Ingredients
200 gms paneer cut into cubes
15 shallots
1 sliced onion
2 sprigs of curry leaves
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 th tsp hing/ asafoetida
2 or 3 dry red chillies
15 black peppercorns
1 tbsp split udad dal
Corriander leaves to garnish
Method
1. Dry roast together, udad dal, black peppercorns and dry red chillies. When the dal turns a light golden brown, shut the flame and keep aside to cool. Grind into a fine powder and keep aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil, add mustard seeds , hing and curry leaves.
3. Now add whole shallots and stir fry on a low flame till the out skin of the shallots starts turning soft and light golden…about 4 to 5 mins.
4. Add the paneer and stir fry further for 5 mins and add sliced onions. Also add the tamarind paste.
5. Add salt to taste and powdered spice mixture. Mix well.
6. Cook further for few mins and add chopped corriander leaves.
Serve hot.
Roti jala/ lacy crepes with chicken curry
Roti jala or lacy crepes as they are called have Malaysian origins, normally served with a curry, these crepes are relished at weddings, gatherings and are even sold as a street food. These pretty looking crepes are usually made from a batter of flour, eggs and coconut milk. The batter is drizzled over a hot pan in a pretty lace like pattern. The crepes cook very fast, in under a minute.
Having lived in south east asia for the last 34 years, my cooking has definetely imbibed the asean flavours. I love to mix and match flavours often resulting in fusion cusine. Take for instance curry powder, available all over the world, but my favourite one comes from malaysia. Well all said and done, my family relishes my food and does not complain, so it encourages me to experiment more.
Today the recipe I will share with you is an eggless version of roti jala with an addition of rice flour, I found this gives a better texture to the crepe as well as making it crispier.
I will also share a recipe for chicken curry, which is a fusion curry, using indian spices as well as malaysian curry powder. This type of cooking gives the curry a familiar taste for indian palete. The use of coconut milk and whole spices like corriander seeds, cumin seeds and cinnamon is common to south Indian and south east asian cooking, especially malaysia, singapore and Indonesia.
Do try this meal at home. Easy to make and even prettier to look at.
Roti jala/ lacy crepes
Ingredients
75 gms flour
25 gms rice flour
1/ 2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
100 ml coconut milk( I used the ready to use tetra pack)
150 ml water
Coconut oil to brush the pan
Method
Mix all the dry ingredients together, and slowly add water and coconut milk to make a smooth batter. Let the batter rest for 15 mins.
Strain the batter into the jala mould.
Now heat a nonstick pan with oil abd slowly drizzle a little of the batter onto it , forming a pretty lacy pattern.
Now let it cook for a minute, do not flip it over, fold it inwards from 2 sides
Next, roll it neatly and remove onto a serving platter
Proceed to make the remaining crepes, you dont need to keep brushing the pan. The yield from this recipe should be 10 to 12 roti jalas.
Chicken curry/ vegetable /paneer/tofu curry
Ingredients
400 gms boneless chicken thigh cubed or boiled mix vegetables/ tofu/paneer
1 big onion ..finely chopped
1 big tomato…thinly sliced
1 tbsp garlic..finely chopped
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsps curry powder( I use malaysian baba brand )
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
6 cloves..pierced into a shallot( for easy removal)
1 stick cinnamon
1 tbsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste.
100 ml coconut milk
2 tbsps coconut oil
Method
Heat oil in a pan, and add fennel, cumin seeds, cinnamon and cloves. Saute till fragrant, now add ginger, garlic and chopped onions.
When the onions become limp abd light golden, add the tomatoes, curry powder, red chili powder and salt..mix well
At this point add chicken, cover and cook till tender.
Vegetarians can add boiled vegetables, tofu or paneer.
Next, add half a cup of water and the coconut milk, simmer upto 10 mins. Garnish with fried onions and corriander leaves.
To serve, take crepe and pour some curry on the top.
Enjoy.
# roti jala moulds are available online in most countries
Try amazon or tokopedia.
Homemade Coconut Oil
Coconut oil to me means memories of childhood. Most of us remember our mothers oiling our hair with coconut oil and then plaiting the hair with pretty ribbons. My mother would sit me down after my head wash on sundays and massage my hair with coconut oil and comb it neatly into 2 plaits. Head massage was a weekly routine which was never missed, I suppose I owe my lovely thick hair partly to coconut oil massages and partly to genetics..lol.
Coconut oil plays an important role in south Indian cooking as well, this aromatic oil emparts a lovely fragrance and taste to food. I use homemade coconut oil in making all our dosas , utappas etc. Besides being healthy, making it at home ensures it being pure. Yes it does take a while to be made, but the end results are a marvelous golden pure oil.
Today, the recipe I will share with you is pure coconut oil, the way we make it home. This
method separates the water and the cream, enabling us to save cooking time. I love using
this fragrant oil for cooking my indian food , especially south indian food. Do try it.
COCONUT OIL
1.. Grate 5 big coconuts
2… Add about 4 cups of water and Blend in a mixer.
3…. Strain thru a strainer lined with muslin cloth, twist the cloth to squeeze out all the milk.
4…Add 1 more cup of water to the grated coconut, blend and squeeze out the coconut milk
5…Now transfer all the coconut milk to a pot.
6…Refrigerate overnite, atleast 12 to 18 hours.
7..The cream of coconut will have seperated from the water, forming a thick layer, which you can cut with a knife.
8…Discard the water, put the cream into a wok, cook on medium heat for about 45 mins to an hour.Stirring in between.
9..The oil will seperate and a crunchy brown residue will be left behind.
10…Strain the pure oil.
5 coconuts will normally yield around 500 ml of coconut oil.
Spinach chutney with rice flour roti
Todays recipes are influenced by my love for south indian food, spinach cooked lightly with coconut and lentils and then ground to a paste, eaten with a dosa or as I prefer it, with soft fluffy rice flour rotis. The amazing food of dhakshin india or south India barely calls for lot of spices, the magic is created by just using very few basic ingredients. I use coconut oil when I cook south Indian food, the fragrance of the ingredients being sauted in this oil is just too heady. Of course when I talk of south India, its just a general grouping of the food.. For me the masala dosa, idli, utappas and the avials are food which I relish. Collage days breakfasts mainly consisted of idli sambhars and medhu wadas at the canteen, served with fresh coconut chutney. Even today, when I go back to Pune for my visits, I try my utmost to go to Vaishali restaurant , I have yet to eat a better dosa elsewhere, standing in the line for a seat just wets the appetite more. The SPDP or sev puri dahi puri fusion is a must have there and the horlicks milkshake is to die for… All Puneites will definitely vouch for this famous udipi restaurant.
Back to the recipe, spinach chutney has been cooked at our home since many years, a favourite of my daughters. While cooking this chutney , try not to over cook it as we want to retain its fresh green colour.his chutney can be eaten hot or at room temperature, do try both these recipes, simple home food at its best.
SPINACH CHUTNEY
INGREDIENTS
3 TBSPS COCONUT OIL
1 TBSP CHANA DAL
1 TBSP URAD DAL
1/4 TSP HING
6 DRY RED CHILIS BROKEN INTO PIECES
12 SLICED SHALLOTS
1 SLICED TOMATO
4 TBSPS GRATED FRESH COCONUT
2 CUPS FINELY CHOPPED SPINACH (LEAVES ONLY, DISCARD STEMS)
1 TBSP TAMARIND PASTE OR LIME JUICE
1/2 TSP TURMERIC POWDER
SALT TO TASTE
METHOD..
HEAT COCONUT OIL IN A PAN, ADD THE CHANA DAL AND URAD DAL.. SAUTE TILL GOLDEN BROWN.
NOW ADD THE HING, BROKEN RED CHILLIES AND SLICED SHALLOTS
SAUTE ON MEDIUM HEAT TILL ONIONS TURN A PALE GOLDEN COLOUR
NOW ADD THE SLICED TOMATO AND GRATED COCONUT AND SAUTE TILL TOMATO SOFTENS AND BLENDS WELL WITH THE ONIONS.
AT THIS POINT ADD THE SALT AND TURMERIC, TAMARIND PASTE, AND
THE SPINACH
SAUTE FOR A FEW MINUTES UNTIL SPINACH WILTS AND SHUT OFF THE HEAT.
DO NOT COVER THE SPINACH AT ANY POINT
WAIT FOR A FEW MINUTES AND GRIND THE SPINACH MIXTURE TO A FINE PASTE, ADDING COLD WATER TO MAKE GRINDING EASY..
CHECK CONSISTENCY AND SERVE WITH ROTIS.
Now the rice flour roti, eaten all over India but with different names , called akki roti in the south and chawal ki roti in the north. It can be eaten plain or with some spices and chopped onions added to it. These soft white rotis are really light on the stomach.
RICE FLOUR ROTI
INGREDIENTS
1 CUP FINE RICE FLOUR
1 CUP WATER
1 TSP OIL
1/2 TSP SALT
METHOD
ADD WATER TO A PAN, AND BRING TO A ROLLING BOIL
ADD SALT AND OIL
NEXT ADD RICE FLOUR, THE MIXTURE WILL IMMEDIATELY BECOME LUMPY.
SHUT OFF THE HEAT AND COVER THE PAN TIGHTLY AND LET THE FLOUR COOK IN ITS OWN STEAM.
AFTER 10 MINUTES, REMOVE THE MIXTURE ONTO A PLATE AND KNEAD IT TO SMOOTH DOUGH, COVER WITH A WET NAPKIN.
HEAT THE TAVA OR FLAT GIRDLE
MAKE SMALL BALLS FROM THE DOUGH AND ROLL OUT THE ROTI.. IF YOU FIND IT STICKY, ( WHICH IT SHOULD NOT BE) JUST DIP THE BALL IN DRY RICE FLOUR AND ROLL OUT THE ROTI
PUT ONTO A HOT TAWA AND COOK ON BOTH SIDES TILL PUFFED UP AND BROWN SPOTS START APPEARING
REMOVE AND KEEP WARM IN A HOT CASSEROLE DISH.
Coconut Dal
The indian comfort food which we all have grown up with is Dal and chawal, right from the time when we are babies, we are fed dal and khicadi, wholesome food and protein packed. Dal or lentils, as it is known in the west is a must at almost every meal in India. It is the source of protein for most vegetarians. There being a vast variety of lentils, each having a different texture after being cooked , gives options to the home makers in giving a varied menu to her family,. Of course each region or for that matter home, will surely have their own favourite dal. The south indians, love their sambhars and rasams both made of Tur dal or split pigeon peas, but having a different texture, while a sambhar is thick , rasams are like a thin spicy broth. The north Indians love the whole moong dal , which is cooked to a creamy thick consistency and served in the Gurudwara at langars, which is a community kitchen where meals are served free of charge.And so on, the ways of cooking the humble lentils differ from state to state, in some parts of India, dal is cooked on a charcoal flame or sigris, for a few hours gently simmering away to give a beautiful aromatic and creamy result. Dal is mostly eaten with rice or sometimes with some indian flat bread like chappatis or parathas. The Indians love their dal, to the extent of incorporating it into their desserts like the maharashtrain puran poli, which is an Indian flatbread stuffed with a boiled and mashed chana dal which has jaggery and cardamon powder added to it, when well made it literally melts in the mouth. And the Bengal moong daaler payesh which has a creamy consistency and is made with milk, moong dal and jaggery.
Dal in the sindhi home which has received world wide fame is the Dal Pakwan, a dish of simple boiled chana dal topped with a sweet and sour chutney and onion relish or kechumbo as its called in sindhi and served with a pakwan which is a cummin flavoured flat bread deep fried to a crunchy crispness. The pleasure derived in every bite of the contrasting textures is what has made this breakfast dish so popular. Today I will share with you a simple coconut dal recipe, It is a recipe given in our cooking group, by our group member Neetu. I have tweaked the recipe a little and made a few changes. Do try this amazing dal, which can be eaten with rice or phulkas. The addition of coconut cream takes its texture to a new level..
Coconut Dal
Ingredients.
1/2 cup yellow moong dal, soaked and boiled to a mushy consistency.
6 tbsps of fresh grated coconut
4 dry red chillies, broken into pieces
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3 tbsps coconut cream [ I used kara]
2 tbsps coconut oil
Ingredients for tempering
1 sliced big onion
3 whole dry red chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cummin seeds
1/4 tsp hing or asafoetida
A sprig of curry leaves
1 tbsp of ghee
Method..
Boil and mash the dal, keep on a simmer.
In another pan,add coconut oil and grated coconut.. saute for a while and add the broken red chillie and garlic, saute till fragrant. grind this mixture with a little water till smooth and add to the dal along with the turmeric powder,
season to taste with salt.
At this point, your dal will be a pretty peach colour., simmer for abt 5 mins more.
Add coconut cream, check the consistency of the dal which should not be watery .
Next, heat ghee in a seperate small pan and add mustard and cummin seeds to the hot ghee, also add the sliced onions, curry leaves, hing and whole red chillies.. saute till fragrant and add this tempering to the simmering dal.
Serve dal with rice or phulkas.. enjoy.
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