Potato Stew

Ingredients 

1. Onion- 2 Medium No
2. Potato - 6 Medium Potato
3. Green Chilly- 4
4. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
5. Coconut Milk Powder - 4 Tbsp to make the First Milk
6. 1/2 Cup Thick Coconut Milk ( Second milk )
7. Oil -1 tbsp

How to Cook

1. Mix 4 Tbsp of coconut milk powder with 1 1/2 cups of water
2. Cut each potato into 8 pieces.
3. Cook Potatoes , 2 onions, green chilly , ginger, salt in  cooker with the coconut milk made in the above step  ( step 1)  to 4  whistles.
4. When the potatoes get fully cooked ,add the 1/2 cup thick coconut milk to the cooked potato , with turmeric powder. Mix for 2 minutes.
5. Add oil and garnish with Curry Leaves.

TIP :  Adding turmeric powder is not necessary . In Kerala style the curry looks white in colour.

Palavanjhana Dosa ( Dosa with Pulses)

Ingredients

1. Tur Dal- 1 cup
2. Long White Grain Rice (Pachari ) -1 cup
3. Brown Chana- 1/2 cup
4. Urud Daal (Whole  Uzhunne) -1/2 cup
5. Ginger -  1 big piece
6. Green Chilly-2
7. Red Chilly -2
8. Small Onion-4
9. Turmeric Powder-1/2 tsp
10. Asafoetida Powder- a pinch
11. Curry Leaves-3 Tbsp 

How to prepare Dosa Batter

1. Soak the Tur Dal , long white grain rice , brown Chaana , whole uzhunne  for 6 hours. 
2. Grind the soaked mixture with the other ingredients to get the dosa batter.
3. Before  cooking the dosa , add fresh curry leaves to the dosa batter.



Dosa Batter prepared



HOW TO COOK

1. Pour the batter on an iron griddle. 
2. Spread the batter out gently and evenly with big spoon by drawing concentric circles on the batter as shown in the figure below. 



3.     Cook both sides  for some time on low flame. 
4.   Cooked dosa is shown below.

Pindi Kichadi ( Banana Stem Kichadi)

Ingredients

1. Banana Stem Chopped- 2 cup
2. Coconut Grated- 1 cup
3. Curd-1 cup
4. Mustard - 1/2 tsp
5. Jeera- 1/4 tsp
6. Turmeric Powder-1 tsp
7. Onion Shallots- 4 No
8. Curry Leaves
9. Salt as required
10. Oil- 1 tsp

How to Cook

1. Heat oil in a pan , splutter mustard seeds , add  green chilly,  chopped banana stem , curry leaves ,turmeric powder , salt and cook by closing the pan with lid. 
2. Grind the 1 cup coconut, 4 shallots, 1/4 tsp jeera  together. Then add little crushed mustard seed into it. Add this paste to the cooked banana stem  and mix well. 
3. Transfer the cooked banana stem into a bowl and add 1 cup curd into the mixture , mix well .
4. Garnish with curry leaves.
5. Serve hot with rice

Note : Refer my recipe for banana stem thoran to see how to cut the banana stem

Pindi Thoran ( Banana Stem )

  There are many ways of cooking this. One of the way i cook is given below.

Ingredients

1. Banana Stem  Chopped- 2 cup
2. Green Chilly-4
3. Onion Shallots- 5 No
4. Coconut Grated-1 cup
5. Turmeric Powder-1 1/2 tsp
6. Mustard Seeds - little
7. Salt to taste
8. Oil 

How to Cut Banana Stem

1. Remove the outer layers of the Banana Stem . ( See above Picture 1 and Picture 2)
2. Slice it to round pieces. ( Picture 3)
3. Cut into form of squares.

How to Cook

1. Grind the onion shallots and 2 green chillies  .
2. Heat oil in an pan , splutter mustard seeds and add the above grinded paste to it and saute for a minute.
3. Add the chopped banana stem with turmeric powder , green chilly, salt and close the pan with a lid and cook for sometime.
4. After it gets half cooked , add the grated coconut and again close the lid and cook. Make sure the vegetable is cooked.
5. Garnish with Curry leaves

Tip : 1) Adding red chilly and cumin 1/2 tsp is optional.
2) Grinding the coconut  with onion shallots and  green chilly at first is another option. You can add this grinded paste after the banana stem is cooked. Then garnish with curry leaves.

Chutta Chammandi

Ingredients :

1. Coconut -1 1/2 cup
2. Onion shallots-10 Nos
3. Red Chilly-4 Nos
4. Tarmarind - size of gooseberry
5. Salt Required
6. Curry Leaves - 15 leaves
7. Oil- 1/2 tsp

How to Cook

1. Fry the red chilly in oil till it turns dark brown. Make sure it doesnt turn black.Keep this aside.
2. Fry the coconut , onion shallots, curry leaves till the coconut becomes brown colour.
3. Make a paste of the fried ingredients with tarmarind and required salt in mixie.

Note : Make sure not to add water.

Carrot Halwa ( Gajar Ka Halwa)

 Ingredients: 

1. 1 kg / approx 4 cups Carrots (red & big sized), peeled and grated
2. 1 litre / approx 4 cups Whole Milk
3.  Mava(Khoya)( homemade from 1/2 litre whole milk)
4.  Sugar 2 Cups
5. 1/4 cup Ghee, melted
6. 15 Cashewnuts / Almonds/Raisins
7. 1 pinch Saffron ( optional)
8. 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom Powder

How To Cook

To prepare Mava(Khoya):

1. Bring 1/2 litre / 2 cups Milk to boil in a heavy bottom saucepan.
2. Reduce the heat and continue cooking at simmering point. Keep stirring so that milk does not stick to the base of the pan.
3. As milk gets thicker stir more vigorously. The khoya is cooked when the milk is reduced to a thick, dry lump .
4. Remove from the pan and leave it to cool.

To prepare  Halwa

1. Boil the remaining milk in a pressure cooker. Add grated carrots.
2. Close and bring to one full pressure on high heat. Remove the cooker immediately from heat. Release pressure with slight lifting of vent weight.Add the prepared carrot to a thick bottomed pan.
3. Add mava. Cook on medium heat (approximately 15 minutes), stirring occasionally.
4. Add sugar. Continue to cook and stir the carrot mixture till it dries.
5. Add ghee. Cook till ghee shows separately (approximately 10 minutes), stirring constantly.
6. Remove from heat when still moist.
7. Stir in the saffron, cardamom powder and Almonds/ Cashewuts/ Raisins.
8. Serve hot.

Kerala Style Chicken Curry

Ingredients

1. Chicken -1 kg(cut into small pieces )
2. Onion-6 No
3. Tomato-2 No
4. Ginger-1
5. Garlic-8 pods
6. Pepper-10 nos
7. Fennel seeds(perinjeerakam)-1/4tsp
8. Curry Leaves- some
9. Garam Masala-1 1/2tsp
10. Green Chillies-3 No
11. Chilly Powder-2tsp
12. Turmeric Powder-1/2tsp
13. Coriander Powder-6tsp
14. Coriander Leaves- some
15. Cloves-2 small pieces
16. Cinnamon-2
17. Cardamom-2
18. Salt-to taste
19. oil

How To Cook

1. Heat oil in a non-stick kadai, add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.
2. Grind ginger-garlic, pepper , fennel paste.
3. Add sliced onion, curry leaves and add  the paste made in step 2. Saute well to the pan.
4. When onion turns golden brown color, add the masalas ( chilly Powder, Turmeric Powder,Coriander Powder ) and saute well for 1 min and after 1 min , add the tomato pieces , salt . Close the pan with a lid and allow it to cook for 5 minutes in a low flame.Check salt and add salt accordingly.
5. Add cleaned chicken pieces into the masala and add 1/2 cup of water and mix well.
6. Close the Kadai , Stir well. After sometime , again check the salt and add if necessary.
7. When the chicken is cooked(chicken will be soft by that time ) add garam masala powder,curry leaves and coriander leaves.
8. Open the kadai and let the gravy become semi medium thick and turn dark brown colour.

Pasta

Ingredients

1. Onion   -2 to 3 Nos
2. Fresh Tomato  2 medium tomatoes ( grind them in a mixie and make paste).
3. Pepper Bells - 5 Nos
4. Green chillies -2 No  ( cut them in diamond shape)
5. Ginger-garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsp
6. Pasta  - 2 cups
7. Ketchup -  4 tbsp
8. Oregano 1 tsp 

How To Cook

1. First boil the pasta with required salt and when fully cooked , set aside to cool.
2. Saute the onions, when  they become  golden brown, add the ginger garlic paste.
3. Add the capsicum and green chillies  ( Add red chilly powder if you want it more spicy)
4. Stir a little and now add the fresh tomato paste,  It should be enough to cover the pasta you boil, if you want the consistency to be more watery then add more puree . Put in low flame and let it boil for sometime. 
5. Now add the done pasta and mix with the tomato sauce.  
6. Mix well. put off the flame, sprinkle oregano for flavour.

Chocolate Biscuit Pudding

Ingredients

1. Marie Biscuit - 1 pack
2. Milk - 1 pack
3. Sugar- 6 Tbsp
4. Corn flour- 3 Tbsp
5. Cocoa Powder- 3 Tbsp
6. Coffee Powder - 3 Tbsp
7. Milk Maid- 1/2 tin
8. Cashew Nuts, Dates , Almonds for garnishing.

How To Cook.

1. Mix coffee powder in 1 cup warm water and keep  it aside.
2. Dip the Marie biscuit in coffee syrup on both sides and layer them in a serving bowl.
3. Mix cocoa powder , cornflour , milkmaid and mix it well .Make sure not to form lumps.
4. Heat milk in a bowl.
5. When the milk boils , add cornflour paste into it .
6. Go on kneading the milk till it starts thickening. ( like custard) 
7. Pour this over the layered biscuits.
8. Garnish with nuts and dates.
9. Refrigerate it for 3 hours and serve desired

Channa Masala

Ingredients

1. Channa  -  1 cup
2. Ginger- Garlic Paste- 1 tsp
3. Onion- 4 No
4. Tomato - 2 No
5. Garam Masala - 1/2 tbsp
6. Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
7. Chicken Masala - 1 tsp ( Optional)
8. Turmeric powder-1 tsp
9. Green Chilly - 1 No
10. Salt to Taste
11. Oil as required

How to Cook

1. Soak channa in water  overnight  for more than 10 hours .
2. Make tomato paste in mixi and keep aside.
3. Cook channa in the cooker. Make sure you check the number of whistles.  Generally it takes minimum 5 whistles  to get it cooked .
4. Take 1/4th of the channa and make it a paste in  mixie and keep aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan and add ginger garlic paste , green chilly ,saute for some time. Add onion to the mixture and saute till light brown.
6. Add turmeric powder,chicken masala, chilly powder and garam masala, salt to it and saute for 2 minutes.
7. Add tomato paste and saute for 5 minutes.
8. Add the channa paste and saute for 3 minutes.
9. Add the cooked channa  and little water , saute for some time.
10. Garnish with coriander leaves.
11. Serve hot with batoora or chappathi.