Pavakya Pulin Curry | Kaipekka Puli Curry | Kerala Style Kaipakka Pulincurry without coconut | Bitter Gourd in Tamarind Gravy

I am not a fan of bitter gourd but the better half is crazy about it :( So it kinda features regularly in our menu. I try to make it as appeasing as possible by making Bitter Gourd Fry (really deep ;)) or something like this Pitla, which uses lesser quantity of bitter gourd and where the dominating taste is that of the dal and the masala ;) Once in a while I am okay with the Pavakka Puli Kuzhambu and that's only because it uses coconut ;) This is the first time i am liking something which does not mask the bitter gourd taste nor uses coconut or has another dominating taste. But even then I do not eat the bitter gourd in this gravy. But this gravy is just awesome and tastes quite like Meen Mulakittathu. Now you understood why I liked it right? Just a little of this gravy is enough for me to eat scoopfuls of rice ;) And this is getting featured in our menu too quite often :) So you wanna know how to make it. Head on to the recipe then.. 

If you would like to, check out Khatta Meeta Karela too !

Recipe Source: Adapted from here

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

 

Serves : 3-4 persons

I Used:

Coconut Oil	-	1 tbsp
Onions	-	1 medium sized one - sliced
Garlic	-	4-5 cloves
Bitter Gourd	-	1 small sized one or ½ a medium sized one
Turmeric powder	-	¼ tsp
Red Chilly powder	-	2 tsp
Coriander powder	-	1 tsp
Fenugreek powder	-	¼ tsp
Tamarind	-	A gooseberry sized ball

To Temper:

Coconut Oil	-	2 tbsp
Mustard	-	½ tsp
Red Chilly	-	2 nos
Shallots	-	6-8 nos - sliced
Curry leaves	-	2 sprigs

The Way:

1. Clean the bitter gourd and cut into small pieces suitable for the gravy. You can do this by cutting the bitter gourd into half (vertically) and then remove the pith. Then cut the bitter gourd into small pieces. Also slice the onions and peel the garlic and keep ready

2. Soak tamarind in warm water for 15-20 minutes. Then extract the pulp and keep aside

3. In a bowl, mix together red chilly powder, coriander powder and fenugreek powder with little (around 1-2 tbsp) water and make into a smooth paste and keep aside

4. Heat coconut oil in a pan/kadai/manchatti 

5. Add the sliced onions and garlic pods and saute for a minute. Add the cut bitter gourd pieces and give a stir. Then add turmeric powder and salt and mix well

6. Add water - around 1/4 cup and close and cook for 5-6 minutes

7. Now add the masala paste to the bitter gourd and mix well and let it cook for another 3-4 minutes or till the raw smell of the masala goes away

8. Then add the tamarind water and give a nice stir. Allow it to boil

9. Once it boils, simmer the flame and cook covered for another 10-15 minutes. Then switch off flame

10. In another tadka pan, heat the coconut oil. Splutter mustard

11. Then add the broken red chilly, curry leaves and the sliced shallots. Stir continuously in low flame till the shallots turn colour and start turning brown. Take care not to burn the tadka

12. Add the tadka/tempering to the gravy and give a gentle stir. Allow it to sit for half an hour if possible before serving

Cheers,

Chitz

Kadai Mushroom | Restaurant Style Kadai Mushroom recipe | How to make Kadai Mushroom

There is no dearth of rich recipes with mushroom right? Almost any dish you make with them, they taste great and rich. And I'm talking about people who like mushrooms,okay. If you do not like them, no matter how yummy or rich it is made, it is difficult to appease them. And today's dish is kadai mushroom which is both easy to make as well as yum and rich and definitely not heavy :) 

It is a simple prep with sauteed onions and pureed tomatoes and an instant homemade masala. Of course a dollop of cream makes it more smooth and balances the taste. It tastes great with phulkas or rotis or plain parathas. I had it with palak paratha and you do not need anything else. This in itself makes a complete meal :) And that's what I like the best about mushrooms. They do not need an elaborate meal but just phulkas would do and that makes a complete and satisfying meal, agree? So let's see how to make them.

My other recipes with mushrooms are Mushroom Dry Fry, Mushroom Do pyaza, Restaurant Style Mushroom Pepper Fry & Sauteed Mushrooms

Recipe Source: Adapted from here

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

 

Serves : 3-4 persons

I Used:

For the Masala

Red Chilly	-	2 nos
Coriander seeds	-	1 tbsp
Cumin seeds	-	½ tsp
Pepper	-	1 tsp
Cinnamon	-	1 inch piece
Clove	-	2 nos
Cardamom	-	1 no
Bay leaf	-	1 no

For the Gravy

Oil	-	2 tbsp
Mushroom	-	200 gm - sliced
Capsicum	-	1 medium sized - de-seeded & diced
Onion	-	1 medium sized - chopped finely
Tomato	-	2 medium sized - chopped
Ginger garlic paste	-	1 ½ tsp
Turmeric powder	-	¼ tsp
Kasuri Methi	-	1 tsp - crushed in your palms
Cream (optional)	-	2 tbsp
Garam Masala (optional)	-	¼ tsp

The Way:

1. Clean the mushroom by removing the stalk & peeling off the skin as shown in the photo below. Clean all the mushrooms in the similar manner. 

2. Then rinse them in water twice or thrice and pat them dry immediately using a clean towel. Do not soak them in water for long, rinse them and remove them from water immediately else they will suck and retain water.

3. You can slice the mushrooms and cook as well. Slice or cut them as per your choice. You can use the stalks as well. Cut them into an inch piece in length and a quarter an inch in thickness.

4. De-seed the capsicum and cube them. Rinse the tomatoes and chop them roughly. Keep aside. Chop the onions finely and keep aside

5. In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add the cleaned and sliced mushrooms to it. Saute them

6. The mushrooms will release water. After a while the water will evaporate. Saute them till the mushrooms get slightly browned. Once done, remove them and keep aside

7. Similarly, add the diced capsicum also to the same pan. Add a little salt if you like and saute them. I find the capsicum bland in the gravy sometimes, so I add a little salt while sauteing itself so that it does not feel very bland

8. Once they turn slightly soft (3-4 mins), remove them from the pan and keep aside

9. In the same pan, take all the spices for the masala - coriander seeds, red chilly, peppercorns, cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves & cardamom

10. Dry roast them in a low flame till they are fragrant. Do not burn them

11. Once they are roasted well and turn fragrant, switch off the flame and allow them to cool. Once cool, take the spices in a mixer jar and grind them to a smooth (if preferred coarse) powder. Keep aside

12. Now add the roughly chopped tomatoes in the same mixer jar and grind them to a smooth paste. Keep aside

13. In the same pan used earlier, heat another 2-3 tbsp oil. Add the finely chopped onions and salt and saute

14. Keep sauteing. Once they start turning brown, add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for another 2-3 minutes or until the raw smell of the paste goes off

15. Now add the tomato puree and saute till they start to leave oil off the sides

16. Now add the turmeric powder and the ground masala and give a nice stir. Saute for another 2-3 minutes till they blend in well

17. Add little water (around ½ cup) and give a nice stir. Bring the gravy to a boil on low flame

18. Then add the cream and mix well. Then add the sauteed capsicum and mushroom to it. Give a stir

19. Finally add the crushed (between your palms) kasuri methi and garam masala (if using, i don't) give a gentle stir

20. Switch off the flame. Garnish the kadai mushroom with some chopped coriander leaves and serve warm with hot phulkas/rotis

Notes:

• Capsicums are optional. If not available or not preferred, you can omit them

• You can add garam masala in the end if needed. Since my ground masala already contains most of the garam masala ingredients, I do not add extra garam masala in the end

Cheers,
Chitz

Peas Pulav | Green Peas Pulao | Matar Pulao Recipe | How to make Matar Pulav

I am not a great fan of green peas - the fresh and the frozen ones :) I can bear them in Biriyani or in dishes where it is not the main ingredient or when it's taste is masked by some other flavour ;) But this peas pulav, I love it. I make it more often with frozen ones and not the fresh ones coz that is what is preferred here..Many like it the best with fresh peas. This is a simple recipe that you can make in under 30 minutes and especially when you have guests you can make this by just spending an extra 5-10 minutes instead of your normal steamed rice. This will definitely take your menu a notch higher :) So let's see how to make this simple yet yummy and flavourful rice.. 

My other recipes with green peas are Peas Patties(Vadai), Aloo Matar Dry, Methi Matar Malai, Vegetable Pulao & Veg Biriyani. And the other similar rice varieties that you may like are Coconut Milk Rice, Jeera Rice, Ghee Rice, Capsicum Rice & Egg Rice.

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

 

Serves : 3 persons

I Used:

Oil/Butter/Ghee	-	2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds/Jeera	-	½ tsp
Cinnamon	-	A 2 inch piece
Cloves	-	2 nos
Cardamom	-	1 no
Bay Leaf	-	1 no
Onion	-	1 medium sized (chopped)
Green Peas (Fresh/Frozen)	-	¾ cup
Basmati Rice	-	1 cup
Water	-	2 cups
Coriander Leaves	-	To Garnish (3-4 stalks)
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Rinse the basmati rice 2-3 times in water. Soak them in water for 20-30 minutes. If pressure cooking them then do not soak for more than 20 minutes

2. Keep the frozen peas immersed in water for 10 minutes. If using fresh peas, remove them from the pods and keep ready

3. In a pressure cook/cooking pot, heat oil/butter/ghee. Splutter cumin seeds. Reduce the flame

4. Then add the whole spices - cinnamon, cloves, cardamon and bay leaf. Give a stir

5. Add the chopped onions and some salt. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Do not make them too brown or saute for a long time. Just for 2-3 minutes is sufficient

6. Then add the green peas and give a stir. If using fresh peas, you can cook them separately till softened (around 5 mins in another pan) and then add to the pulav

7. Now add the soaked basmati rice and water (I use 2 cups for pan cooking and 1.5 cup for pressure cooker cooking) and give a gentle stir

8. Check for salt. Add more if needed. Then cover the pan/cooker and let it cook

9. If using pan it should be done in 10-12 minutes. All the water should evaporate and the rice should get cooked. If then switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves

10. If using pressure cooker, allow for 2 whistles and then switch off flame. Allow the pressure to release by itself. Open after 10 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve

Notes:

• I used BB Royal Premium Basmati rice for this pulav. Use any aged and good quality long grain basmati rice for making the pulav

• Rice : Water ratio is 1:1.5 for pressure cooking and 1:2 for cooking in pan

• Adding onions is purely optional. You can skip them too. Instead you can fry some onions and then garnish the pulav if you like

• For more flavor you can use thin coconut milk instead of water to cook the pulav

• You can also sprinkle in some garam masala for an enhanced flavor

Cheers,

Chitz

Pudina Chutney with Coconut | Mint Chutney recipe with Coconut | Pudina Chutney for Idly/Dosa

Chutneys with mint and coriander leaves appear often in my mom's menu. I make them slightly rarely coz greens in chutney is not much accepted in my house :D But this one with coconut is a slight exception. It is an easy chutney recipe with nice flavours from the mint and also coconut is added which does not overpower the strong mint flavours (strictly for those who are not a fan ;)) So let's check out how to make this easy chutney then. 

The other chutney recipes that might interest you are 

Onion Tomato Kara Chutney

Easy Onion Chutney 

Pudina Chutney (without coconut) 

Pudina-Verkadalai Chutney
Red Coconut Chutney

Recipe Source: Ma

 

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

 

Serves : 3-4 persons

I Used:

Pudina	-	1 cup (tightly packed)
Coconut	-	½ cup
Urad Dal	-	1 tbsp
Ginger	-	1 tbsp (a 2 inch fat piece)
Green Chilly	-	3 nos
Asafoetida	-	¼ tsp
Tamarind	-	1 tsp (a small blueberry sized)
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Separate the mint leaves from the stalk. Rinse them nicely in water so that all the mud or dirt is removed

2. In a pan heat oil. Add the urd dal, chopped ginger and green chilly and fry till the dal turns golden in colour. Keep in flame in medium low

3. Now add the mint leaves and saute. Do not keep in flame for long. They have to just get wilted

4. When they get wilted add asafoetida and tamarind and allow them to just get warm. Don't have to saute for long. Remove from flame and allow them to cool

5. Now take them in a mixie and add grated coconut and salt. Grind them smoothly by adding little water. When ground, transfer them to a bowl. You can add more water as per your required consistency. Check for salt after adding water and add more if required

6. For the tadka, heat oil in a tadka pan. Splutter mustard. Then add curry leaves and off the flame

7. Add the tadka to the chutney and serve with idly or dosa !

Notes:

• You can add red chilly instead of green chilly. Taste may vary slightly but both variations taste great

• Can omit urad dal. Then the chutney will be more smooth. Urad dal imparts a crunchy texture to the chutney

Cheers,

Chitz

Methi Dal | Methi Dal Fry | Methi Dal recipe with fresh Fenugreek leaves

So this is the third recipe on the back-to-back series on fresh fenugreek leaves. And today I bring a dal recipe with fresh methi leaves, Methi Dal. This is a simple and yet flavourful preparation with methi leaves. Instead of making plain dal fry, you can add a handful of methi leaves and you get the nutrients from the leaves as well as a variation to that monotonous dal recipe as well :) In this recipe I have used tur dal. You can use moong dal or channa dal or a combination of dals as well. This is yet another recipe where the bitterness of the methi leaves is very subtle and is balanced well with the sweetness from the dal. Hence this recipe sneaks it's way often into my menu :) The other methi recipes in the blog are Methi Paratha, Methi Malai Matar & Aloo Methi

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

 

Serves : 2-3 persons

I Used:

Tur Dal	-	½ cup
Methi Leaves	-	½ cup - tightly packed - chopped
Oil/Ghee	-	3 tbsp
Cumin Seeds	-	1 tsp
Ginger	-	1 inch piece - finely chopped
Garlic	-	3-4 nos - finely chopped
Onion	-	1 small sized - chopped
Tomato	-	1 small sized - chopped
Red Chilly powder	-	½ - 1 tsp
Asafoetida	-	1 pinch
Garam Masala	-	½ tsp
Water	-	1 - 1.5 cups ( As Needed)
Salt	-	As Needed
Turmeric Powder	-	½ tsp

The Way:

1. Take the tur dal in a bowl. Rinse it well 2-3 times and then soak in water (1.5-2 cups) for ½ an hour

2. Then take the soaked tur dal along with that water in a pressure cooker. Add turmeric powder and salt and pressure cook till it is soft and cooked. It takes 3 whistles in high and 3-4 whistles in medium for me. If you do not have time to soak then the cooking time could be more and you should cook them for 8-9 whistles

3. Pluck the fenugreek leaves and discard the stem. Rinse the leaves in water nicely for 2-3 times so that all the mud and dirt sticking onto the leaves get removed. Then chop them finely and keep aside

4. Heat oil/ghee in a pan. Splutter cumin seeds

5. Add the finely chopped ginger & garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes on a low flame

6. Then add the finely chopped onions (and salt) and saute for 3-4 minutes

7. When they become translucent, add the red chilly powder and asafoetida and give a quick stir and saute for another 2 -3 minutes till the raw smell of red chilly powder goes away

8. Then add the chopped tomatoes and give a quick stir. Allow the tomatoes to soften and turn mushy. Saute in between

9. Once the tomatoes turn mushy, add the chopped methi leaves. Saute till the leaves wilt and oil starts to leave the sides 

10. When done, add the cooked dal to this. Then add required water for your desired consistency). Check salt and add more if needed

11. Stir well and then simmer for another 8-9 minutes

12. Finally add garam masala and give a quick stir. Switch off the flame

Serve hot with rotis or parathas or steamed rice!

Notes:

• To reduce the bitterness of the methi leaves, soak the leaves in salt water for 10 minutes. But if you can, omit this step as the nutrients will be lost by soaking the leaves in salt water. But for this recipe, it will taste good without doing this as the bitterness of the methi leaves is well balanced by the sweetness from the tur dal

• Instead of tur dal you can use moong dal or channa dal or a combination of 2-3 lentils

Cheers,
Chitz