Potato Ishtu | Easy Potato stew | Kerala Ishtu Recipe

So folks, I am back with yet another breakfast special recipe. Well, last time I posted how to prepare Idiyappam and so following that I am going to write how to make the Potato Stew or Ishtu, today, which is one of the commonly prepared side dish for Idiyappam at our place. It is unimaginably simple and sooper delicious and subtle and light on the tummy as well. The only prep work needed for the Ishtu is the coconut milk. If you have a tin of ready made milk or that instant powder to prepare coconut milk, then it's uber easy. 

But I always like to prepare coconut milk from scratch. I usually have grated coconut ready in my fridge if else I grate them and prepare fresh milk out of it. It smells and makes the dish extra special and fresh :) There is one more way of preparing stew which is my mom's way for me, that will have to wait for another day now. This is my mil's way of  making stew. In fact this ishtu is also a dish for our Onam Sadhya too. That time we make it a little less watery :) So let's see how to make this tasty and yummy side dish for Idiyappam.

Serves: 3 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

I Used:

Onion	-	2-3 medium sized (sliced)
Potato	-	1 medium-big sized (cubed)
Green Chilly	-	2 nos - slit
Ginger	-	An inch piece - sliced
Coconut Milk	-	1 cup (from half a medium sized coconut)
Curry Leaves	-	2 sprig
Coconut Oil	-	1 tbsp
Salt	-	As Needed
Water	-	½ cup

The Way:

1. Slice the onions into thin slices. Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes (size as per your preference). I make them into small cubes and once cooked mash them well

2. Slit the green chillies. Slice the ginger into thin strips (Alternately you can chop the ginger finely as well)

3. Take all of them - sliced onions, cubed potatoes, slit green chilly and sliced ginger in a pressure cooker or pan. Add salt and little water, around ½ cup

4. Pressure cook them till done. I keep for 2 whistles in high and 3-4 in sim 

5. Adding more water while cooking can dilute the stew. If you fear that the stew will get burnt at the bottom while cooking then add little more water. Once cooked and the pressure is released, open the cooker and cook on sim to allow the water to evaporate. This step is completely optional and is required only if you add more water

6. Mash the potatoes a bit. If you like them whole then don't mash. While mashing the potatoes, chances are the green chillies might also get mashed. This can increase the heat of the stew. If you do not prefer then remove the chillies before mashing

7. Keep the flame on simmer. Add the thick coconut milk (If you are making the isthu for sadhya then add ½ or ¾ cup of coconut milk as you would need the ishtu to be more thicker) and give a gentle stir. Do not keep on flame for long. A minute or two is more than sufficient. Switch off the flame

8. Add the curry leaves and drizzle the coconut oil on top. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with idiyappams or appams

Notes

• If you like you can add carrots too along with potato. Cut them in the same size as that of the potato and add along with the potatoes

Cheers,
Chitz

Carrot Beans Thoran | Carrot Beans Poriyal | Kerala Onam Sadhya Recipe

Today's recipe is a simple and easy-peasy side dish with beans and carrot. It is another quick dish that you can prep for your Onam Sadhya :) This is a colourful dish and can grab the attention of toddlers too.. Ohh but not all toddlers and if at all, not always ;) That's the way with toddlers right :D I'm sure everyone has their own way of making this dish and while I was typing out the recipe was thinking if at all this needs to be blogged :D But you know, then I felt this is how I make it and sometimes even I google the simplest of recipes just to get some insight or confidence or coz 'I have not made it before, so let me check' thoughts. So I thought chalo, let me blog it anways ! And so, here's how I make this simple deli thoran with carrot & beans :)

I Took:  Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes   Serves : 3-4 persons I Used: Carrot Beans Coconut Oil Mustard - - - - 100 gm/0.5 cups (chopped)  100 gm/0.5 cups (chopped)  1 tbsp ¼ tsp Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp Salt Curry Leaves - - As needed A sprig To Pulse: Coconut - ½ cup Green Chilly - 1 no The Way:

1. Scrape away the skin of the carrot. Nip away the ends of the beans. Then rinse them well in water. And chop them finely into small quarter inch pieces.

2. In a pan take the chopped carrots and beans along with ¼ tsp turmeric powder and salt and little water. Allow them to cook covered in a medium low flame until done. Check in between if water is sufficient, take care not to overcook or burn. When cooked transfer to a plate and keep them aside

3. Coarsely pulse together the grated coconut and green chilly in mixie without adding water. Do not grind to a smooth paste. Just 3-4 pulse until all the ingredients get crushed and mixed well would be sufficient

4. In the same pan used to boil the veggies, heat the coconut oil. Splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves

5. Add the ground coconut paste and and saute for 2-3 minutes. Now add the cooked carrot & beans and give a nice stir. Then switch off the flame in a minute or two and serve

Serve along with brown rice, Sambar and pappad or as a side dish in your Onam Sadhya :)

Notes:

• Coconut is the key ingredient for thoran. So do not compromise on it :)
• If needed can add 2-3 shallots and a tsp ¼ of cumin seeds while pulsing the coconut. We prefer it this way, so I do not add them
• If you need a crunch, can add a tsp of urad dal while tempering the mustard as well

Cheers, 
Chitz

Zucchini Olan | Kerala Onam Sadhya Recipe | Kerala Style Olan with Zucchini

This is one interesting Kerala Sadhya recipe that has been lying in my drafts for quite a while now. With Onam just around the corner, I thought to post it today so that if any of you want to try some interesting recipes for this Onam can do so :) Yes today's post is an Olan with Zucchini.. Olan is something that is always approved by the hubby, so I try and make as many varieties with the different veggies. Ash Gourd and Yellow Pumpkin are the most common ones used for making Olan, but you can also use Cheranga (Bottle Gourd) or Zucchini as well. While making Olan with yellow pumpkin alone I sometimes skip coconut milk. Believe me, it tastes yum too, a littler more subtle Olan. But with Cheranga and Zucchini, I don't skip coconut milk. Because those veggies as such are bland and coconut milk truly takes the flavour to the next level :) So let's now see how to make this easy and yummy olan with zucchini. If you are trying to make variety dishes with Zucchini, then this is not going to disppoint you for sure ! 

Serves: 2-3 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Soaking Time: 8 hours

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

I Used:

Zucchini	-	1 medium sized - ¾ cup heaped (after cutting)
Red Eyed Beans/Vanpayar	-	¼ cup heaped (after boiling)
Green Chilly	-	2 nos
Coconut Milk	-	½ cup
Salt	-	As needed
Curry leaves	-	A sprig
Coconut Oil	-	1 tbsp

The Way:

1. Rinse and soak the vanpayar (red beans - I used 1/8 cup of the beans to soak) overnight for around 8 hours. In the morning, discard the water. Take the beans in a pressure cooker. Add enough water (around 2 cups) and salt and pressure cook till done. It took me 2 whistles in high and 2 in low. Keep aside

2. While they get cooked, extract the coconut milk and keep ready. I used around ½ cup of grated coconut and ¼ cup of water and ground it in a mixie till the coconut was smoothly ground. Then using a muslin cloth, extracted the milk from the ground coconut

3. Cut and discard the skin of the zucchini. Cut them into thin cubes as shown in the picture. The thickness should not be more than ¼ inch along both width and length

4. Now take the cut pieces in a saucepan and add required salt and green chilly along with little water (¼ cup) and cook it till done. It will take around 12-15 minutes to get cooked

5. If there is excess water after cooking the zucchini, I remove them. Else the coconut milk becomes very thin. Add the cooked beans (a heaped ¼ cup) without water to the veggies. Give a gentle stir

6. Then add in the coconut milk and curry leaves and again give a gentle stir. Check the salt now. Add if required. Once the coconut milk is added, it should not boil. It should only get warm. And it would take about a minute or so. Switch off the flame. Add coconut oil and just swirl the pan

Transfer to the serving dish and serve along with rasam and pickle or as a dish in your Onam Sadhya leaf !

Cheers,

Chitz

Kumbalanga Moru Curry | Kumbalanga Moru Kootan | Kumbalanga Pulissery | Kerala Style Kumbalanga Moru Kachiyathu | Onam Sadhya Recipes

So today's recipe is the quintessential yogurt based gravy that will feature atleast (often more than that) once a week in every Malayali's house :) It is none other than the 'Moru curry' or 'Moru Kachiyathu' or 'Moru Kootan' or 'Pulissery'.. The names are plenty. But the base is pretty much the same. A coconut paste and curd (yogurt) with or without veggies. I have already posted Pulissery and Chembu Kumbalanga Moru Kootan. This one is with only Kumbalanga (or Ash gourd/Elavan) and is more watery compared to the thicker Moru kootan. I make this with less sour curd as that is the way it is preferred here :) So let's see how this is made..

Recipe Source: Ma

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves : 3-4 persons

I Used:

Kumbalanga/Ash Gourd/White Gourd/Winter Melon	-	200 gm piece (1 cup after cutting to pieces)
Red Chilly powder	-	1 tbsp
Turmeric powder	-	1 tsp
Salt	-	As Needed
Curd	-	1 cup

To Grind:

Grated Coconut	-	A handful
Green Chilly Ginger	- -	2-3 nos An inch piece
Cumin seeds	-	½ tsp

To Temper:

Coconut Oil	-	2 tbsp
Mustard	-	½ tsp
Fenugreek/Uluva Asafoetida Shallots	- - -	½ tsp ½ tsp 6-8 nos
Turmeric powder	-	½ tsp
Curry leaves Salt	- -	1-2 sprigs As Needed

The Way:

1. Clean the kumbalanga/ash gourd by peeling/cutting off the skin and then discarding the middle portion (with seeds) as well. Then cut them also into bite sized pieces. 

2. Now in a pressure cooker, add the ash gourd (kumbalanga) pieces along with salt, turmeric powder and water (around 1 - 1.5 cups) and cook them for 2-3 whistles in  medium flame or till they are cooked

3. Grind together the items under 'To Grind' by adding a little (about 2 -3 tbsp) water and keep aside.

4. Beat the curd (in a mixie or using a whisk or spoon) so that it is liquidy with no lumps. You may also add water as required depending on the consistency of the curd 

5. Now heat the coconut oil in a kadai. Splutter the mustard seeds and fenugreek

6. Then add asafoetida, shallots, curry leaves, turmeric powder, salt and saute

7. Once the shallots turn slight brown, add the ground coconut paste and saute till the raw smell goes off. This may take around 3-4 minutes

8. Then add the boiled ash gourd pieces (along with the water) and give a stir. Allow it on medium flame for 1-2 minutes

9. Now simmer the flame to low. Add the curd and stir. Do not allow it to boil. Once the curd has mixed well with the coconut paste, remove immediately from flame 

Serve hot with kerala matta rice and a stir fry and a yummy non-veg dry side dish of your choice.

Notes:

• I make this with less sour curd (family preference) and is made a little watery and not thick

• You can add any veggies like colocassia (taro root/chembu) or elephant yam (chena) or raw banana (raw plantain)

Cheers,
Chitz

Kumbalanga Pachadi | Winter Melon Pachadi | Ash Gourd Pachadi | Kerala Onam Sadhya Recipes

How are you beating the heat this year? This year (as I might have kept mentioning in my earlier posts as well ;)) it is slightly overwhelming for me. I am doing all that I can to keep hydrated as much as possible. While summer is fun with all the fruits and popsicles and cold treats and ice creams, it is also very difficult to have as well as cook a full fledged course. All you can think of is to eat watermelons and gulp down glasses of spiced buttermilk. But one has to eat as well right :D So I make many sorts of pachadi as well as it is light and also cold and very easy to make. Doesn't make life difficult in kitchen. You must have understood that by now, coz just last week I posted Vazhaithandu pachadi :D So this pachadi too fits the bill.. It is cold and refreshing with a stir fry and some matta rice :) Isn't it ! So let's see how to make this easy pachadi.

My other pachadi recipes are..

Beetroot Pachadi

Pineapple Pachadi

Mampazha Pachadi | Pazhutha Manga Pachadi

Vazhathandu Pachadi | Banana Stem Raita

Vellarikka Pachadi | Cucumber Pachadi

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Serves : 3-4 persons

I Used:

Kumbalanga/Winter Melon/Ash gourd	-	A heaped ¾ cup
Green Chilly	-	2 nos - slit
Water	-	½ cup
Salt	-	As Needed

To Grind:

Grated Coconut	-	A heaped ¼ cup
Mustard Curd	- -	½ tsp 1 cup

To Temper:

Coconut Oil	-	2 tbsp
Mustard	-	½ tsp
Red Chilly	-	2 nos
Curry leaves	-	2 sprigs

The Way:

1. In a saucepan take the cubed kumbalanga (winter melon/ash gourd), slit green chilly & salt along with ½ cup water & cook them over medium flame

2. Meanwhile grind together grated coconut and mustard. When they are ground well add curd & give another pulse or two so that the curd is mixed well

3. When the kumbalanga is cooked well, check if there is too much water. If then keep only about 1/4 cup and discard the rest. If there is too much water, the pachadi will turn too runny

4. Now add the ground coconut mixture & stir well.  Make sure the flame is very low & it does not boil. This may take about a minute or two. Once mixed well, remove from flame. Do not allow it to boil much, else the curd will curdle

5. Heat oil in another pan. Splutter the mustard seeds. Add red chilly & curry leaves & saute. Take care that they are not burnt. Add this tempering to the pachadi & give a stir & serve

Notes:

• Can add ½ tsp cumin seeds and/or a ½ inch piece ginger also while grinding. Since my family does not prefer them I do not add

Cheers,

Chitz

Onam Sadhya Recipe Collection | Kerala Sadhya Recipe Collection

With Onam around the corner, I thought I should compile the Onam Sadhya recipes in my blog at one place. So that it's easier for you all as well as me. My list is not complete as I do not have much of the pickles and condiments and payasams here ! But they are on the 'Coming Soon' category as of now. So Wishing you all a happy and prosperous Onam in advance and happy cooking ! 

Pachadi

Vellarikka Pachadi

Pineapple Pachadi

Beetroot Pachadi

Pazhutha Manga Pachadi

Aviyal

Olan

Beans Thoran

Carrot Thoran

Cabbage Thoran

Beetroot Thoran

Mathanga Vanpayar Erissery

Mathanga Parippu Erissery

Sambar

Pulissery

Chembu Kumbalanga Moru Curry

Mambazha Pulissery

Homemade Ada

Cheers,

Chitz