Pavakkai Fry | Pavakya Fry | Kakarakaya Fry | Easy Bitter Gourd Fry (Deep Fry)

By know you guys would be knowing my family's love for bitter gourd. Though I am very picky about the dishes made with pavakkai, this one is a personal as well as family favourite. Deep frying can make even the boring bittery bitter gourd yum and this recipe is a testimonial for that ;) And even my guests adore this fry. It tastes yum with curd rice, rasam sadam and samabar sadam.. My little one munches them as such :D And this is the only way he eats bitter gourd. Can't blame him ;) So let's hop on to the recipe now..

Some other recipes with bitter gourd that are there in the blog are Pitla, Pavakya Pulin Curry, Pavakkai Puli Kuzhambu & Khatta Meeta Karela..

Serves: 2-3 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 15 mins

I Used:

Bitter Gourd/Pavakkai	-	2 medium sized ones
Red Chilly powder	-	1 ½ tsp
Coriander powder	-	1 ½ tsp
Turmeric powder	-	½ tsp
Tamarind Paste	-	1 tsp (or a gooseberry sized piece)
Grated Jaggery (refer notes) Salt Oil	- - -	1 tsp As Needed To deep fry

The Way:

1. Rinse the bitter gourd well in water. You can scrape off the edges if needed. Else can use them as such. Trim the edges and cut them into thin round slices. The seeds and the skin are edible. If you do not prefer you can remove the seeds

2. Take the cut bitter gourd slices in a bowl. Add the red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt, jaggery and tamarind paste, besan and rice flour (if using) to it and mix well. I did not have tamarind paste handy so I added a goseberry sized tamarind instead

3. Allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes

4. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or tadka pan

5. First add the tamarind piece (if using paste, directly add the marinated bitter gourd slices) to it. After 30-40 seconds, add a batch of the bitter gourd pieces and fry it till it turns colour and becomes deep and crisp

6. Remove onto a plate and fry the remaining bitter gourd pieces also like this in batches and serve with rice and gravy

Notes:

• To remove some bitterness you can rub salt to the bitter gourd pieces and rest it for 20 minutes. Then rinse it under water and then use. Alternately you can soak in curd as well and squeeze or rinse off the curd and then use. But since this recipe calls for deep frying the bitter gourd, the bitter taste is not felt much and hence I avoid that step

• You can skip jaggery if you do not want. The tamarind and jaggery are to reduce the bitterness of the gourd

• You can add 2-3 tbsp each of besan flour and rice flour or either one of the flour to the bitter gourd slices while marinating. The flours will add a coating to the bitter gourd slices and make them look more appealing :) I generally do not add them

Cheers,

Chitz

Red Coconut Chutney | Kerala Style Coconut Chutney with Shallots | Easy Kerala Style Coconut Chutney

An idly or dosa breakfast at my place usually means there will be a red chutney or white chutney to accompany it :) Both are coconut chutneys with the red one made with red chillies and the white one made with green chillies. Very easy to make if there is grated coconut at hand. Usually I grate the coconut the previous night or during weekends and refrigerate (You can even freeze them if you have more quantity) them. Morning first thing I take the grated coconut from fridge and keep outside. And while grinding I use slightly warm water so that it grinds easily without a slimy appearance (frozen grated coconut tends to make the chutney slimy, so better to use freshly grated ones) This makes life easier on busy mornings :) So today I will share how I make the red coconut chutney :) Other chutney recipes on the blog are Onion Tomato Kara Chutney, Ulli Sammanthi, Pudina Chutney (without coconut), Pudina Chutney with coconut, Pudina-Verkadalai Chutney

Serves: 3 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 mins

I Used:

Grated Coconut	-	½ cup
Red Chilly	-	2-3 nos
Ginger (optional)	-	An inch piece
Shallots/Small Onions	-	2-3 nos
Salt	-	As Needed
Water	-	As Needed

To Temper:

Coconut Oil	-	2 tbsp
Mustard	-	½ tsp
Curry Leaves	-	2 sprigs

The Way:

1. Take the grated coconut, shallots, red chilly and ginger in a mixer jar along with required salt. Add little water (¼ cup)

2. Grind them nicely to a smooth (as smooth or coarse as you want) consistency

3. In a tadka pan, heat oil. Splutter mustard seeds

4. Then add the curry leaves. Switch off flame

5. Add the tadka to the chutney

Serve with idly, dosa, uthappam, pongal !

Notes:

• Use freshly broken & scraped coconut. The taste really differs when you use even a day old (refrigerated) coconut

• Avoid using old coconut and also kopra

• Add water according to the consistency of the chutney that you need. I would suggest using less water while grinding. Add more if needed once you grind and transfer the chutney to a container

• Ginger is optional

• Adjust the chillies as per your taste. Quantity of ingredients given are guidelines and can be adjusted to suit personal tastes

• If the chutney becomes too runny, add more grated coconut and grind

Cheers,
Chitz

Cheera Thoran | Kerala Style Easy Red Spinach Stir fry with coconut | Keerai Poriyal

Ask any Mallu to choose between red and green spinach, the answer would be the red one. There is something closer to heart or home with the red spinach for the Malayali :) Especially if the Mallu is in a foreign land and somehow gets to see some red spinach in the market or store, the expression would be "Chummana Cheeraaaaaaaaaa" (Red Spinaaaach) and they would promptly buy it too ;) And there is no brownie points for guessing today's recipe, it's none other than the humble stir fry with the red spinach. It is easy to make like any other thoran, even better, coz there is no grinding or crushing of coconut involved like in some other thorans. Pair it with some curd or Pulissery and matta rice and it's just bliss. "Venel or omelette koodi aavam too ;)" (Can have an omelette too with that combo ;)) 

My other spinach recipes are Cheera Parippu Curry, Cheera Thalippu, Sirukeerai Paruppu Masiyal, Vallarai keerai Poriyal, Chembila Mezhukkupuratti, Chembin Thandu Parippu Curry & Palak Paneer

Serves: 3-4 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 20 mins

I Used:

Coconut Oil Spinach/Cheera	- -	2-3 tbsp 3 heaped cups - chopped
Shallots	-	10-12 nos - sliced
Red Chilly	-	2-3 nos
Grated Coconut	-	¼ cup

The Way:

1. Wash and rinse the spinach in water 2-3 times so that the dirt and sand is removed. Then spread them on a plate or kitchen towel and allow them to dry for 10-15 minutes

2. Then chop them finely and keep aside. Peel the shallots and slice them

3. Heat the coconut oil in a pan. Splutter the mustard seeds if using

4. Then add the sliced shallots and broken red chilly and saute

5. Saute till they slightly turn colour. Now add the chopped spinach and mix well. Then cover and cook them till done which will take around 10-12 minutes

6. In between open the lid and saute so that they don't get burnt or stuck to the bottom of the pan. If you feel it's too dry add 1-2 tbsp of water and saute. Don't add more, else it will get soggy

7. Finally once the spinach is cooked, add the grated coconut and saute for another minute or two. Switch off the flame and serve with a gravy of your choice

Notes:

• Can splutter mustard seeds in the beginning of needed. I generally do not do that

• You can also make without coconut. That also tastes equally good

Cheers,
Chitz

Gajar ka halwa | Gajar Halwa | Carrot Halwa Recipe | Easy Carrot Halwa recipe with full fat milk

Gajar ha Halwa is a traditional Indian dessert made with fresh red (Delhi) carrots, milk and sugar and of course some ghee. It is a winter delicacy as these carrots can be seen in market only during winters and especially in North India. It is a rare sight in the South. These carrots (most of them) are juicy and very yum to have as such, my little one loves to munch on them :) And the other special dish that can be made using them is this Carrot halwa or Gajar ka Halwa. I have also posted a Carrot Pudding last year using the same variety of carrots. If you are not able to find the red Delhi carrots but still would love to enjoy some halwa, go ahead and prepare with the normal carrots at hand. They too taste yum :)

This dish is a common sight in many weddings and so often you can find it in the Indian dessert section in the restaurant buffets. One of the best combos that you can go for is pair this halwa with a dollop of ice cream. I just love that combination. If you are not in a mood or like to have too much sweet, then this is an ideal way as the ice cream balances the sweetness of the halwa yet giving a rich feel :) 

There are many variations to this recipe, like using condensed milk or khoya. The richness varies with each variant. I & my family prefer it using full fat milk and hence the recipe I'm posting today is also the same. I always make this halwa using a heavy bottomed vessel but you can very well prepare it using pressure cooker or in a microwave as well. Somehow I believe the taste is a notch higher when you prepare the traditional way in a pan rather than pressure cook. 

Some tips that I follow to get my halwa great :)

1. Whenever available use red (Delhi) carrots to make this halwa. Also choose fresh carrots that are tender and juicy. Do not keep in fridge for a few days before you make it. Choosing it as fresh as possible makes a great halwa

2. Grate the carrots to medium thickness. Too thin will make your halwa mushy and too little in quantity. Preferably grate them using a hand held grater. Food processors make your life easier, but trust me, doing some things the traditional way will bring out better results :) After all, it's not everyday that we get to make the halwa, right :)

3. Some recipe calls for frying the carrot before adding milk. But that changes the colour of the halwa and I like the taste better when the carrots are not fried but just cooked in simmer in full fat milk

4. They stay good for a week in the fridge. You can serve hot or cold. If you like to serve warm, then microwave for a minute or two before serving

Serves: 3 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

I Used:

Delhi Carrots	-	1 cup (heaped)
Full fat Milk	-	1 cup
Sugar	-	6 tbsp
Ghee  Cardamom Powder	- -	1 tbsp + 2-3 tbsp for frying cashews ½ tsp
Cashew Nuts	-	10-12 nos

The Way:

1. Rinse the carrots well in water. Then peel them and trim their ends

2. Grate them to medium thickness using a hand held grater (preferably) or a food processor

3. In a heavy bottomed pan (or kadai) add the grated carrots and milk and allow them to come to a boil on a medium heat. Then simmer

4. While on simmer, keep an eye, stirring in between. The carrots will cook in the milk and the milk will start to reduce and evaporate

5. When the milk has almost reduced, add the sugar, ghee and cardamom powder. 

6. Stir well and continue to cook on simmer, stirring in between 

7. In the meantime, heat ghee (around 2-3 tbsp) in a tadka pan. Fry the cashews on a low flame. Take care not to burn. Once they turn colour to golden, switch off the flame

8. Once all the milk is evaporated and the halwa becomes dry, add the fried cashews. Give a stir and switch off the flame

Serve warm or cold. Can garnish with more almonds, nuts or other dry fruits before serving !

Cheers,

Chitz

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

Idiyappam | Nool Puttu | Sevai | How to make Kerala Idiyappam with rice flour | String Hoppers Recipe

Who doesn't love idiyappam? Well I know some folks who are not a great fan but setting them aside, many of you would love eating idiyappam right? For those who are not very aware of what it is, is a string hopper made from rice flour. Rice flour is made into a dough using hot water and then the dough is pressed into string hoppers and steamed. It is a very healthy and light on the tummy dish that can be had as a breakfast, dinner or snack. 

It pairs beautifully with many side dishes like Stew, Potato stew, Veg Kurma, Kadala Curry, Egg Curry, Chicken Curry, Chicken Stew, Mutton Stew.. And it can be had with simple sweetened (with sugar or jaggery) coconut milk or just sweetened milk. Kids love that combo. It can even be used as a base and made into other snacks like Masala Idiyappam, Sweet Sevai, Lemon Sevai or Tomato Sevai. While some find it a tedious process to make idiyappams, what I personally have experienced is, if there is some roasted rice flour handy, it can make a yummy and tasty breakfast within 15-20 minutes :) And there are some tips and tricks that I have learnt over the years for a fluffy and soft idiyappam which I am sharing below with you guys :)

What kind of rice flour should be used?

I always use plain rice flour for making idiyappams. Either roasted or plain. If it is not roasted, I roast it for a few minutes and then add water (boiling hot). If using roasted flour, then I do not roast it again but add hot water that has been heated to a rolling boil. I generally do not use store bought idiyappam flour but my mil uses it and it gives good results too. Some people use puttu flour to make idiyappam. If you have access to good quality rice flour or puttu or idiyappam flour, use that. Do not use old rice flour as it compromises the taste of the idiyappam

How much water to use?

I generally need around 1.3 cups of hot water for 1 cup of rice flour. It again depends on the quality of the rice flour. It takes around 1.25 to 1.5 cups of hot water for 1 cup of rice flour. Use hot water as it makes the dough smooth and soft. This is the key to soft idiyappams. Finally use your hands and knead to a smooth lump free dough. Also some use a mix of water and coconut milk (thick one) in an approximate ratio of 1:(0.3) to make softer idiyappams. I have not tried yet though :) coz making a smooth and soft dough always helps me in making soft idiyappams. Feel free to try adding coconut milk if you need. 

What makes the idiyappam hard?

1. Lesser water in the dough can make your idiyappam hard
So after using a spatula to mix the hot water onto the rice flour, use your hands and knead the dough to a smooth and soft texture. Any lumps should be removed. Feel the dough and you will know the difference. It should be as smooth as a baby bum :D 

2. If you over roast the flour, it can make the idiyappam hard or brittle 
Roast the flour on medium flame till it is hot and it starts to turn yellow at the bottom of the pan. The flour should turn from it's smooth consistency to a free flow consistency while you roast.

3. Keeping the dough open can make it dry and hence the idiyappam too
If you make a big batch of dough, keep the remaining dough (while you wait for the first batch to get steamed on the idly cooker) covered with a wet cloth and place it in a covered vessel. If you keep it open it will loose it's moisture and turn hard. Also use the entire batch immediately. I would not recommend to refrigerate the dough or use it later. 

4. Do not steam for more than 5-6 minutes
The rice flour would already have cooked almost half when you add hot water, so do not steam for a long time.It turns the idiyappam hard

So I believe I have covered and answered most of your queries. So let's see in detail how to make some soft and fluffy idiyappams with step by step pics. If you still have more questions feel free to drop a comment below or write to me :)

Makes: 12 nos

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 6 minutes

I Used:

Rice Flour/Idiyappam Flour	-	1 cup
Salt	-	As Needed
Hot Water	-	1.25 - 1.5 cups
Oil	-	1-2 tbsp

The Way:

1. Take 1 cup rice flour in a kadai/pan. Add salt and mix. Heat the kadai on a low flame. If the rice flour that you have at hand is roasted, then ignore till step 4

2. Roast the rice flour for about 4-5 minutes on this low flame, stirring as frequently as possible to ensure that it doesn't get burnt at the bottom

3. Take care not to brown the flour. It should just start to turn yellow at the bottom of the kadai and the flour should become very hot to touch

4. Do not over roast as the flour as the idiyappam will become brittle. If the rice flour that you have at hand is roasted, then ignore the above steps

5. While roasting the flour, boil 1.5 - 2 cups water in a saucepan. When it starts boiling switch off the flame

6. Once the rice flour is roasted, add the hot water little by little and mix well using a ladle or spoon. You will need somewhere between 1.25 to 1.5 cups of water for 1 cup of rice flour

7. Keep mixing using the spoon. When the heat becomes bearable, use your hands and knead gently to a smooth and soft dough. The dough should still be hot when you knead

8. If the dough looks dry, then add few drops of water and knead. If it is sticky then add few tablespoons of rice flour and knead

9. Once the dough is ready, take the idly moulds/plates and grease each mould with little oil and keep aside. If you prefer add little (1 tsp or more as per your liking) grated coconut into each moulds. In the step by step pics I have not added grated coconut but in the final pics idiyappam I have done that

10. You need an idiyappam maker to make this. It is a cylindrical shaped apparatus with a twister handle at the top end and perforated disc at the bottom end. The perforated disc comes in various shapes and sizes. If you choose a disc with smaller holes the idiyappam will be more thin

11. Now grease the idiyappam maker with little oil (inside the cylinder and on the perforated disc) if preferred. Divide the prepared dough into 2-3 portions and make a log with one portion and place it in the idiyappam maker. Cover the pan that contains the rest of the dough while you press the idiyappam using the first portion, else the dough will turn dry

12. Gently press (or turn the handle, depends on the type of the idiyappam maker that you have) the idiyappam maker and allow the dough to fall into concentric round circles onto the idly mould

13. I make 3-4 rounds of the dough in one mould. Make sure that the dough does not rise too high in one mould and touch the bottom of the idly plate that is placed on top. So eyeball the amount of dough to be pressed onto a mould based on that

14. In a similar manner press the dough onto the remaining idly moulds as well. Here in the below pic, in the final plate I have pressed the remaining flour all over the idly plate (as I didn't have enough dough to make another batch and wanted to do in one go) Hence it looks different

15. The dough has to be hot while pressing. So immediately after roasting and adding water and making the dough, press it onto the idly plates. Do not allow to rest the dough

16. In a pressure cooker or pan (in which you usually make idly), take 2 cups of water. Place the prepped idly stand into the cooker and switch on the flame

17. Allow the idiyappam to steam for 5-6 minutes in high flame. Do not use the weight if steaming in cooker. Then switch off and allow the steam to be released (takes 1-2 minutes)

18. Then remove the idly stand from the cooker, remove the idiyappams onto the plate or a casserole if serving later

Serve warm with sweetened Coconut Milk or sweetened Milk or Stew or Potato stew or or Veg Kurma or Kadala Curry or Egg Curry or Chicken Curry or Chicken Stew or Mutton Stew (The list is endless ;)) !

Cheers,

Chitz