Oatmeal Jaggery

Serving : 1

Oatmeal : 50gm
Jaggery or Molasses : 1 small piece  or to taste
Cardamom Powder : 1/4 tsp
Crushed Cumin : 1/4 tsp
Milk : 1 1/2 Cup
Sliced Banana : 1

Preparation:

Heat up the milk in a sauce pan, add oatmeal along with jaggery, powdered cardamom , crushed cumin and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes according to the package direction.  Keep stirring occasionally to prevent sticking of it at the bottom of the pan.

Turn the stove off,  remove it from the heat, and add the banana slices in it just before serving and yumm!

Cherupayar Thoran or Moong Dal Delight

Moong Dal:1/2 cup
Salt: 1/2 tsp or To taste
For Grinding:
Shallots : A few for grinding and seasoning
Curry Leaves: A few
Coconut Grated : 1/4 cup or more 
Green Chilies : 4
Garlic Pods : 1 or 2
For Seasoning:
Mustard Seeds :  1/2 tsp
Red Dried Chilies : 3
Water : 11/4 cup
Turmeric Powder:1/4 tsp

Preparation:

1. Wash and remove any foreign materials from moong dal. Pressure cook the dal for up to 3 to 4 whistles.(Know your pressure cooker well). Water level should be sufficient to cover the entire dal plus a bit more to be safe.  If it is already soaked in water for 2 to 3 hours, one whistle should be sufficient.
2. Grate together all the ingredients listed above,  into a coarse mixture.  Keep aside.
3. Heat the pan with 1tbsp of oil in it. When it is heated through crack the mustard seeds in it and reduce heat. Brown thinly sliced onions, curry leaves, and some red chilies. Add turmeric powder.
4. Now add the coarsely grounded mixture in to the oil and sauté for a couple of minutes till the raw smell disappear,  followed by adding already cooked dal, and gently stir the mixture together and lower the heat to the full and cover and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
5. Serve it with white rice or rice gruel.

Carrot and String Beans Mezhukkupuratti

Serves : 2

Carrots Thinly Sliced : 2 
String  Beans : 1/2 lb
Olive Oil : 1 tbsp
Thinly Sliced Pieces of Coconut :  a handful
Green Chilies Sliced Lengthwise : 4
Red Onions Sliced Thin and Long : 1
Garlic Pod Thinly Sliced Lengthwise : 1 
Shallots Cut Crosswise into Thin Slices : 3
Curry Leaves : A few
Mustard Seeds : 1 tsp
Salt : To taste
Water : 2 tbsp or more

Preparation:

1. Remove the tips of both beans and carrot and cut them uniformly into thin slices. Each slices about an inch long.(see the pic.below to see the size). Keep them separate in separate bowls.
2. In a pan, heat oil  and crack mustard seeds.  Add shallots and brown, also a few curry leaves.
3. Now add the onions, remaining curry leaves, green chilies, garlic slices, coconut slices and sauté for a minute or two.
4. Into it add the green beans and sprinkle a table spoon of water on it and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Now add the carrots along with the remaining table spoon of water and cook covered on medium heat for 15 minutes, add salt  and lower the heat and cook for another 10 minutes or till it is cooked to your taste. Great side dish for rice.

Notes:

Check to see if it burns at the bottom of the pan,  if so sprinkle more water around and cook  covered on low heat.  Also check in every few minutes and gently toss the vegetables  so that it gets cooked uniformly.

Blueberry Carrot Flax Seed Muffins

Makes 8 Medium Muffins

Dry Ingredients:
Flour : 11/4 cup
Milled Flax Seed* : 1/4 cup
Dark Brown Sugar : 3/4 cup
Salt : 1/2 tsp
Baking Powder : 2 tsp 
Wet Ingredients:
Milk : 1/3 cup + 1tbsp
Almond Oil : 1/3 cup
Egg : 1
Grated Carrots : 1/2 cup
Fresh Blueberries : 1/2 cup
Crumbled Topping(optional):
Cardamom Powder : 1tsp
Butter Cubed : 5 tbsp
Brown Sugar : 1/3 cup
Flour : 1/3 cup

 Preparation:

1. Grease muffin cups and preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Using a wire whisk mix all the dry ingredients together.
3. Mix all the wet ingredients together.
4. Add carrots and blueberries to the dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Now pour in the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix gently till the flour is thoroughly wet. Do not beat the flour mixture hard. 
6. Mix all the ingredients for the crumbled toppings together and spoon it over each muffin. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or  till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Notes:

Look for milled flax seeds flour at the baking section of any local grocery store.

Spicy baked chicken with onions

Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs : 4
Olive Oil : 2 tbsp
Red Chili Powder :2tsp
Cumin Powder :2 tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp
Salt :To taste
Red Onion Sliced : A few

Preparation:

1. Warm olive oil in a sauce pan and add all the spices and salt, mix together to get a nice marinade.
2. Make deep slits in to the chicken and coat it thoroughly with the marinade. Marinate for at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 400F. Cook this for 20 minutes until it is no longer pink.
4. Take out each pieces and spread it on a baking sheet. Place the sliced onions on each of the chicken pieces and broil for 5 minutes. Enjoy it with a side salad, baked potato, rice, or avocadoes.

Notes:

Boned meat or chicken breast may be used for this recipe. This recipe is an improvised version of spicy baked chicken from recipezaar.com. This still tastes good without marinating it for 2 hours.

Hot and Spicy Baked Trout

Trout (Whole Fish): 2
Finely Chopped Red Onions : 1/4 Cup
Finely Grated Ginger : 1/4 Cup
Finely Chopped Curry Leaves : A few
Olive Oil : 1 tbsp
Lemon Zest and Juice of half of a Lemon
Natural Rice Vinegar : 1/2 tsp
Salt : 1 tsp
Methi or Uluva Powder : 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder : 1 tbsp
Black Pepper Powder : 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Thoroughly clean and pat dry the fish.Make a long slit through one side of the fish for stuffing.
3. Thoroughly mix all the above ingredients and stuff it all inside. Make small slits horizontally on both sides and fill it with some spice as well.
4. Wrap it around a foil paper , put it on a baking sheet and cook it in the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes. Turn off the oven and let it sit in the oven for few minutes before serving . Take it out and transfer it to a plate and serve with vegetable delight or a side dish of your choice. Yum!

Tips:

It is natural that some water content may still be left on the foil paper. Simply take it out of the foil and set it on a plate. Take each bite along with a real touch of spice! 

It is easy to peel off the skin once it’s been cooked well.

Vegetable Delight

Baby Carrots
Red or Yellow Capsicum Sliced Lengthwise
Cucumber Slices
Variety Olives
Avocado Slices
Red Onion Slices
Olive Oil to Drizzle
Lemon Juice a few drops

Preparation:

Gently toss everything together and Yum! Cut them all uniformly for a beautiful presentation.

Whitegourd or Kumbalanga Moru Curry

Serves : 4 to 5

Small Whitegourd : 1
Water : 3 cups
Green Chilies : 3
Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp
Red Chili Powder : 1/4 tsp
Crushed Cumin : A pinch 
Beaten Yogurt : 1/2 Cup
Salt : To taste
For Seasoning
Shallots : 3
Curry Leaves : A few
Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp
Coconut Oil : 1 tbsp

Preparation:

1. Peel the skin off of the kumbalanga and cut it into cubes. Cook it along with enough water, green chilies and a few curry leaves.  Lower heat once it is done cooking.
2. Beat together yogurt,water,turmeric powder and red chili powder , crushed cumin ,  and salt.
3. Pour the mixture to the cooked whitegourd. (For a loose consistency add more water). It should not be too thick or runny. Keep stirring it with a wooden spoon, without taking the hands off the mixture. Cook on medium low till steam raises of the charu curry. Do not boil! Remove it from the heat and set aside.
4. In a heated pan add oil, mustard seeds, thinly sliced shallots, red chilies and brown. Pour this into the mixture and enjoy! Serve it on top of rice along with some chicken and  a choice of thoran.

Tips:

Any left over can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days in a tight jar.

Cabbage and Carrot Stir Fry

Serves:4
Cabbage Thinly Sliced : 1/4 kg.
Carrots : 2
Onions Chopped : 1/2 cup
Green Chilies : 3 or 4
Salt : To taste

For Seasoning
Mustard Seeds : a few
Curry Leaves : a few
Olive Oil : 2 tbsp
Shallots Thinly Sliced : 3
Red Chilies : 3

Preparation:

1. Thinly slice cabbage and shred the carrots. In a heated pan, add oil, splutter mustard seeds, shallots, curry leaves and red dry chilies and brown them.
2. Now add the onions and green chilies and sauté for couple of minutes. Stir in cabbage and carrot. Add salt. Cook uncovered on low heat for a few minutes. Serve with rice.

Tips:

Add grated coconut to this to make it a delicious thoran curry.

Tropical Fruit Medley

Sliced Papayas
Sliced Mangoes
Sliced Pineapples
Strawberries (For Decoration)
Honey or Maple Syrup
Cardamom Powder to taste
Home made Whip Cream (Recipe on Strawberry Compote)

Preparation:

Gently mix all the ingredients and serve it with a side of whip cream. Yum!

Pavaykka or Bitter Gourd Thoran

Serves : 4

Bitter Gourd  : 3
Red Onion Thinly Chopped : 1
Green Chilies : 4
Grated Coconut : 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp
Salt : To taste
Olive Oil : 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds : 1/4 tsp
Shallots thinly sliced : 3
Curry Leaves : A few

Preparation

1. Clean and finely chop the bitter gourds. Mix it with salt and   turmeric and set aside for few minutes.
2. Finely chop the onions, green chilies, and shallots.
3. In a pan add the oil, splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves,shallots till it browns. Stir in chopped onions,green chilies and sauté for a couple minutes. Add the grated pavaykka  mixture. Heat on medium for first few minutes and reduce it to medium low. Check the salt.
4. Add coconut half way through, mix and slowly cook  uncovered till it looks dry. (No need to add water at any time. If it burns the bottom of the pan, sprinkle with some water, low heat should do the magic).
5. Serve with rice and raw banana mango charu curry, and stir fry chicken.

Raw Banana and Mango Charu Curry

This particular dish was born in my kitchen the other day, which reminded my taste buds of the forgotten taste of ‘chakka kuru manga curry’ from home . A new recipe is formed, when someone somewhere wonders what to cook or how to use what is already in the pantry? A very  familiar taste similar to ‘chakka kuru manga’, but not quite. Either way, it was a delight to my tongue.

Serves:2

Small Raw Banana or Vazhakka cut into cubes : 1
Drumsticks or Muringakkaya  Stems: 2
Raw Mango Sliced into Cubes : 5 pieces
Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp
Water : 21/2 cups
For the Coconut paste
Coconut Grated : 1/4 cup
Green Chilies : 3 or 4
Garlic Pod : 1
Cumin : 1/4 tsp
Salt : To taste
For Seasoning
Pearl Onions : 5
Coconut Oil : 1 tbsp
Red dried chilies:3 
Curry Leaves : a few

Preparation:

1. Cook the first three ingredients in 2 cups of water along with salt and turmeric powder. Lower the heat to a minimum as soon as it is well cooked.
2. Meanwhile, Grind all the ingredients  in a blender with a little bit of water to form a smooth paste. Add this paste to the pan and keep stirring it. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Keep looking for the steam to arise. Once it is done, remove from the heat. (Check to see if it needs more water for a loose consistency, add water along with the paste )
3. In a frying pan, heat oil and add the mustard seeds and thinly sliced pearl onions, red chilies and curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds till the color turn out brown . Pour this over the curry,mix well and Yum!