Kerala Style Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
1. Cucumber- 1 medium sized
2. Coconut grated - 1/2 cup
3. Mustard seeds - 1 and 1/2 teaspoon
4. Green chilli - 1
5. Dried red chilli - 1
6. Curry leaves - few
7. Yogurt/Curd - 1 cup
8. Oil - 1 teaspoon
9. Salt to taste

Method:
1, Wash the cucumber, peel the skin off and cut into small pieces. Transfer cucumber in a mixing bowl.

2. Grind coconut and green chilly into a fine paste. Roughly crush 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds. Add the coconut paste, crushed mustard, yogurt and salt to cucumber and mix thoroughly.

3. For seasoning, heat oil in a pan and splutter 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds. Add dried red chilly and curry leaves. Transfer this seasoning to salad and serve as a side dish for rice and curry.

I made this recipe as part of the "Shh Cooking Secretly" event. This is an event started by Priya of Priya's Versatile Recipe and now being taken forward by Mayuri of Mayuri's Jikoni.  At the beginning of the month a theme is chosen by one of the participants and all the participants are grouped in pairs. The participants will exchange 2 secret ingredients with their partners who are suppose to prepare a dish that matches the theme of that month. 

This month's theme is "Summer Salads" and it was chosen by Kalyani Sri of "Sizzling Tastebuds". 

My partner for this month is Renu Agarwal Dongre and she shared cucumber and salt as my secret ingredients and I shared her watermelon rind  and salt as her ingredients. She made "Raw Watermelon rind and Avocado Salad". Do visit her blog "Cook With Renu" to check for amazing collection of dishes. I have bookmarked couple of recipes from her blog to try in future: "Whole Wheat Methi Matri" and "Baked Falafel".

Vegetable Stew - Kerala Style

Ingredients:

1. Potato - 2 medium sized
2. Carrots - 1 medium
3. Onion - 1 small
4. Beans - 10 count 
5. Ginger crushed - 1 teaspoon
6. Green chillies - 1 or 2
7. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
8. Coconut milk - 1 cup
9. Coconut oil - 1 teaspoon
10. Salt to taste 

Method: 

1. Take a pressure cooker and add the vegetables, curry leaves, salt to taste and 1 cup water. Pressure cook for 1 whistle.
2. Once the pressure comes down, add green chillies and crushed ginger. Turn on the stove on low flame.
3. Add a cup of coconut milk and turn off the stove when the stew starts to boil.
4. Add a teaspoon of coconut oil and stew is ready to serve.

Serve with appam.

There is a video with the recipe uploaded in youtube.

Aloo Palda | Himachali Potato curry in Yogurt gravy

Aloo Palda is a potato curry in yogurt based gravy. This dish is from mountainous region of Himachal Pradesh. This curry is low in spice with subtle flavors. Relish this with steamed rice.

Ingredients:
1. Potato/Aloo - 2 medium sized
2. Yogurt/ Curd- 1.5 cup
3. Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
4, Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
5. Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon or as per your spice level
6. Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Cardamom - 1
8. Cloves - 3
9. Cinnamon stick - 1' piece
10. Ghee - 1 tablespoon
11. Salt to taste
12. Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:
1. Wash and cut potatoes in cubes.

2. Heat a tablespoon of ghee in thick bottomed vessel and splutter cumin seeds.

3. Add cloves, cinnamon stick and cardamom and saute for a minute.

4. Add potatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and salt to taste. Give it a good mix and cook and cover until potatoes turn soft.

5. Once the potatoes are well done, lower the flame and add whisked curd. Stir continuously to avoid curdling. Cook for 5 more minutes, garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Linking this recipe to "Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge", event. For the month of May, the theme is to make Himachali cuisine. I am paired up with Aruna Panangipally who gave me cumin and yogurt as my secret ingredients, and I chose these ingredients to make Aloo Palda. Do visit Aruna's blog to look for delicious recipe. Aruna blog's at "Aharam".

Coriander Chicken Curry

Serves : 5

Ingredients:
1. Chicken curry - 1 kg
2. Coriander leaves - 1 big bunch(once cleaned makes upto 4 cups packed)
3. Onion - 2 medium
4. Tomato - 1 medium
5. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
6. Green chillies - 4 or as per your spice level
7. Chicken masala powder(any store bought brand)- 2 teaspoon
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
9. Oil - 3 tablespoon
10. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Marinate chicken pieces in salt and turmeric powder.

2. Take 3 tablespoon of oil in a heavy bottomed vessel and add thinly sliced onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Saute until they turn translucent.

3. Next add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.

4. Add chopped tomatoes and slit green chillies. Cover and cook on low flame until tomatoes turn mushy.

5. Meanwhile wash and clean coriander leaves. You can also use stems of coriander. Grind coriander leaves into fine paste and add it into vessel after tomatoes turn mushy.

6. Add chicken masala powder and give it a good mix. Stir occasionally and cook until oil separates.

7. Add marinated chicken pieces, salt and 1/2 cup of hot water. Cook for 30-40 minutes until chicken is well done.

Serve with rice or chapathi.

Ulli Theeyal | Kerala style Pearl Onion curry

Ulli Theeyal is made of pearl onions/shallots in a tangy coconut based gravy. This is served with steamed rice.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Pearl Onions/Shallots - 1 cup
2. Coconut grated - 1 cup
3. Coriander seeds - 2 tablespoon
4. Whole dried red chillies - 2 or as per your spice level
5. Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs
6. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Tamarind - one gooseberry sized
8. Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
9. Fenugreek Seeds - a pinch
10. Salt to taste
11. Coconut oil - 2 tablespoon

Method:

1.  Dry roast coconut, coriander seeds and dried red chillies until coconut turns dark brown in colour. Switch off the flame and add turmeric powder.

2. Grind the roast coconut mixture into a fine paste by adding a tablespoon of water and set aside.

3. Soak tamarind in a cup of water. Squeeze out the pulp and set aside.

4. Heat a vessel and add tablespoon of oil. Add sliced shallots and 1 sprig of curry leaves. Sauté until onions turn translucent.

5. Add tamarind pulp, coconut paste and salt to taste to it and cover and cook for 10 mins. Turn off the flame

6. Heat a small saucepan and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Splutter mustard seeds and add fenugreek seeds and 1 sprig of curry leaves. Add this seasoning into curry.

Curry is ready to serve with hot steaming rice.

Note: 

Dry roast coconut on medium flame with continuous stirring to avoid burning.

Cucumber Pachadi

Ingredients:
1. Cucumber- 1 small sized
2. Coconut grated - 1/2 cup
3. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
4. Green chilli - 1
5. Dried red chilli - 1
6. Curry leaves - few
7. Yogurt/Curd - 1 cup
8. Oil - 1 teaspoon
9. Salt to taste

Method:
1, Wash the cucumber, remove seeds and cut into small pieces. Transfer cucumber in a mixing bowl.

2. Grind coconut and green chilli into a fine paste. Roughly crush 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds. Add this coconut paste, crushed mustard, yogurt and salt to cucumber and mix thoroughly.

3. For seasoning, heat oil in a pan and splutter 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds. Add dried red chilli and curry leaves. Transfer this seasoning to pachadi and serve.

Banana Berries Smoothie

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Banana - 1
2. Strawberries - 5
3. Raspberries - 5
4. Cold Milk - 1 cup
5. Honey - 2 tablespoon

Method:
Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

You can adjust the quantity of honey as per your taste.

Linking this recipe to "Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge", a monthly event started by Priya. For the month of April, I paired up with Nirmala who gave me Strawberry and Raspberry as my ingredients.
Nirmala blogs at "Nirmala's Kitchen".

Avoli Curry | Pomfret Fish Curry

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Avoli/Pomfret - 6-7 pieces
2. Onion - 1 medium
3. Tomato - 1 medium
4. Ginger minced - 1 teaspoon
5. Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Green chillies - 2 or as per spice level
8. Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized piece
9. Coconut grated - 1 cup
10.Coconut oil - 1 tablespoon
11. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
12. Curry leaves - few
13. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak tamarind in 1 cup water and extract pulp and keep it aside.

2. Clean and wash the fish. Grind coconut with little water into a fine paste and keep it aside.

3. In a pan preferably mann chatti/earthen pot, add tamarind extract, finely chopped onions, chopped tomato, minced ginger, slit green chillies, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste.

4. Bring it to boil and cook until onions turn soft and translucent.

5. Now add fish and cook until fish is well done.

6. Add coconut paste and bring it to boil and turn off the stove.

7. For seasoning, heat a small pan and add a tablespoon of coconut oil. Splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves to it. Add this to curry and serve hot with steam rice.

Netholi Curry | Anchovy Fish Curry

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Netholi/Anchovy - 250 gms
2. Onion - 1 medium
3. Tomato - 1 medium
4. Ginger minced - 1 teaspoon
5. Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Green chillies - 2 or as per spice level
8. Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized piece
9. Coconut grated - 1 cup
10.Coconut oil - 1 tablespoon
11. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
12. Curry leaves - few
13. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak tamarind in 1 cup water and extract pulp and keep it aside.

2. Clean and wash the fish. Grind coconut with little water into a fine paste and keep it aside.

3. In a pan preferably mann chatti/earthen pot, add tamarind extract, finely chopped onions, chopped tomato, minced ginger, slit green chillies, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste.

4. Bring it to boil and cook until onions turn soft and translucent.

5. Now add fish and cook until fish is well done.

6. Add coconut paste and bring it to boil and turn off the stove.

7. For seasoning, heat a small pan and add a tablespoon of coconut oil. Splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves to it. Add this to curry and serve hot with steam rice.

Ayala Mulakittathu | Mackerel Fish Curry

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Ayala meen/Mackerel - 2 medium sized
2. Onion - 1 small
3. Tomato - 1 small
4. Garlic - 4-5 cloves
5. Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
7. Fenugreek powder - 2 pinches
8. Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized piece
9. Coconut oil - 3 teaspoon
10. Curry leaves - few
11. Green chillies - 1-2
11. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak tamarind in 1 cup water and extract pulp and keep it aside.

2. Clean and wash the fishes and cut into pieces.

3. In a pan preferably mann chatti/earthen pot, add tamarind extract, finely chopped onions, tomato, slit green chillies, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste.

4. Bring it to boil and cook until onions turn soft and translucent.

5. Now add fish pieces and cook until fish is well done.

6. Add fenugreek powder, curry leaves, crushed garlic and coconut oil and turn off the stove.

7. Cover and keep for 5 minutes before serving.

Stuffed Brinjal/Eggplant Curry - Andhra Style

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Indian Eggplants/ Brinjals - 5 small sized

2. Onion - 1 medium

3. Oil - 3 tablespoon

4. Chana dal - 1 teaspoon

5. Urad dal - 1 teaspoon

6. Curry leaves - few

7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

8. Jaggery grated - 1 teaspoon

9. Tamarind - small lemon sized, extract pulp

10. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

11. Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon or as per spice level

12.  Salt to taste

To dry roast, you need:

1. Peanuts - 2 tablespoon

2. Dried red chillies - 3-4 

3. Coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon

4. Sesame seeds - 1 tablespoon

5. Fenugreek seeds/ Methi - 1/4 teaspoon

6. Coconut grated - 3-4 tablespoon

7. Cinnamon - 1 inch stick

8. Cloves - 3 

9. Cumin seeds/ Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon

10. Garlic - 3-4 cloves

Indian Eggplants

Method:

1. Wash the eggplants and make a slit diagonally with the stalk intact.

2. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil and fry these eggplants for around 5-7 minutes until the skin slightly softens.Keep them aside.  

3. Take an another pan, heat it on medium flame and dry roast peanuts until the skin turns brown color. 

4. In the same pan, add rest of the ingredients mentioned in "To dry roast" section and roast for around 10 minutes. Turn off the flame and allow the ingredients to cool down.

5. Grind the dry roasted ingredients along with tamarind pulp and salt(around 1/2 teaspoon) into a fine paste.

6. Stuff this paste into each of the eggplants and keep them aside. 

7. Take 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add chana dal and urad dal and fry until they turn golden brown in color. Add curry leaves and finely sliced onions. Saute until onions turn translucent. Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder and mix well. 

8. Add stuffed eggplants, any remaining masala paste, around 1 cup of water, grated jaggery and check for salt. Cover and cook on low- medium flame until the eggplants are well done. Check by piercing the eggplants with a fork.

Serve this curry with chapathi/rice.

Tomato Dal

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
2. Onion - 1 medium finely chopped
3. Tomato - 2 medium finely chopped
4. Ginger-garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
5. Green chilli slit - 2
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
8. Asafoetida/Hing - 2 pinch
9. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
10. Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
11. Oil - 2 tablespoon
12. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Wash and pressure cook toor dal for 4-5 whistles.

2. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a saucepan and splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds.

3. Add asafoetida and ginger-garlic paste and saute for a minute.

4. Add finely chopped onions and slit green chillies and saute until onions turn light brown in color.

5. Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder followed by finely chopped tomatoes. Fry for 2-3 minutes and add cooked dal.

6. Add enough water to get the desired consistency and salt to taste.

7. Boil for around 5 minutes and turn off the heat.

Spinach Curry with Coconut

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Spinach/Palak - 1 bunch

2. Onion - 1 medium sized

3. Tomato - 1 medium sized

4. Coconut - 1/2 cup grated

5. Garlic - 3 cloves

6. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

7. Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 tsp

8. Dry red chillies - 1 no.

9. Green chillies - 1-2 no.

10. Tamarind - 1 inch piece

11. Oil - 1 tsp

12. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the spinach and keep it aside. Cut onion and tomatoes in large pieces. 

2. Boil spinach, onion, tomato, garlic, tamarind and green chillies in 1 cup water for 5-7 mins.

2. Cool itdown and make a smooth paste in mixer grinder along with 1/2 cup of grated coconut.

3. Heat 1 tsp oil in a saucepan, splutter mustard seeds and add cumin seeds and red chillies.

4. Pour the ground paste into saucepan and add salt to taste. Allow it boil for 5 mins and then turn off the heat.

This simple yet delicious curry can be served with rice or chapathi.

Dal with Bottle Gourd Curry

Serves : 2

Ingredients:

1. Toor dal - 1/2 cup

2. Bottle Gourd/Lauki - 1 cup chopped

3. Tomato - 1

4. Green chillies - 2

5. Garlic - 2-3 cloves

6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

7. Asafoetida - 2 pinch

8. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

9. Dried red chillies - 2

10. Oil - 2 teaspoon

11. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and splutter mustard seeds.

2. Add asafoetida and dried red chillies and fry for few seconds.

3. Add crushed garlic, slit green chillies and diced tomatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add chopped bottle gourd, washed dal, turmeric power and salt to taste.

5. Add enough water(around 1 cup) and pressure cook for 5-6 whistles.

This simple and healthy curry can be served with rice.

Dal Curry

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Toor dal - 1/2 cup
2. Tomato - 1 large
3. Onion - 1
4. Green chillies - 2
5. Dried red chillies - 2
6. Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
8. Asafoetida - 1/8 teaspoon
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
9. Oil - 1 teaspoon
10. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Wash and pressure cook dal for 5-6 whistles and keep it aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida and dried red chillies and fry for a minute.

3. Add thinly sliced onion and slit green chillies and saute until onions turn light brown in color.

4. Add turmeric powder and diced tomatoes and saute until tomatoes are mushy.

5. Once tomatoes are cooked, transfer this to cooked dal. Add salt to taste and enough water to get desired consistency.

6. Turn on the heat and cook for 5 more minutes.

This easy dal curry can be served with rice or chapathi.

Radish Sambar | Mullangi Sambar

Radish sambar is a delicious South Indian sambar with radish as the main ingredient. You can either use small red radish or large white ones.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1. Radish - 1 cup washed and sliced
2. Toor dal - 1/2 cup
3. Onion - 1 medium
4. Tomato - 1 medium
5. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
6. Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
7. Sambar powder - 2 teaspoon
8. Tamarind paste thick - 1 tablespoon
9. Coriander leaves - for garnishing
10. Salt to taste

For tempering:
1. Oil - 1 tablespoon
2. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
3. Fenugreek seeds - 1/8 teaspoon
4. Curry leaves - few
5. Dried red chilli - 2
6. Asafoetida - a pinch

Method:
1. Wash toor dal and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.

2. Transfer the cooked dal in a large saucepan and add sliced radish, sliced onion, diced tomato, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, sambar powder and salt to taste. Add around 1 cup of water for the vegetables to cook. Turn on heat and cook until radish is soft and well cooked.

3. Add tamarind paste and mix well. Turn off the heat.

4. For tempering, heat oil in a small pan and crackle mustard seeds. Then add fenugreek seeds, dried red chilli, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and turn off the heat. Add the tempering into sambar.

5. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice/dosa/idli.

Dal with Turnip Greens

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Toor dal - 1 cup
2. Turnip Greens - washed and finely chopped - 2 cups
3. Tomato - 1 large
4. Onion - 1 medium
5. Garlic - 2-3 cloves
6. Green chilli - 1 or as per spice level
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
8. Red chilli powder  - 1/2 teaspoon
9. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
10. Oil - 2 teaspoon
11. Salt to taste

Turnip Greens

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and splutter mustard seeds.

2. Add sliced onion and fry for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add chopped tomatoes, slit green chilli and crushed garlic.

4. Add washed toor dal, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.

5. Add enough water to cook the toor dal(around 1 and half cup).

6.Finally add chopped turnip greens and salt to taste.

7. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles until toor dal is well cooked.

Serve with rice. 

Black Eyed Peas and Pumpkin Curry

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Black eyed peas- 1/2 cup
2. Pumpkin - 2 cups chopped
3. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
4. Coconut grated - 1/2 cup
5. Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon
6. Dried whole red chillies - 2-3
7. Green chillies - 2
8. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
9. Oil - 1 teaspoon
10. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak black eyed peas in water for 4-5 hours.

2. Pressure cook soaked black eyed peas, cut pumpkin, turmeric powder, slit green chillies and salt to taste for upto 5 whistles.

3. Grind coconut and cumin seeds into fine paste. Add this to cooked black eyed peas.

4. Boil the black eyed peas and pumpkin for 10 more minutes. Take off the stove.

5. For tempering, heat a teaspoon of oil in a small pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add dried red chillies and transfer the tempering to curry and mix well.

Serve with rice/chapathi.

Vanpayar Mathan Erissery | Red Cow Peas & Pumpkin Curry

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Vanpayar/ Red Cow Peas - 1/2 cup
2. Pumpkin - 2 cups chopped
3. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
4. Coconut grated - 1/2 cup
5. Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon
6. Dried whole red chillies - 2-3
7. Green chillies - 2
8. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
9. Oil - 1 teaspoon
10. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak vanpayar in water for 5-8 hours.

2. Pressure cook soaked vanpayar, cut pumpkin, turmeric powder, slit green chillies and salt to taste for upto 5 whistles.

3. Grind coconut and cumin seeds into fine paste. Add this to cooked vanpayar.

4. Boil the vanpayar and pumpkin for 10 more minutes. Take off the stove.

5. For tempering, heat a teaspoon of oil in a small pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add dried red chillies and transfer the tempering to curry and mix well.

Palak Paneer

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1. Palak/Spinach - 1 bunch
2. Paneer cubes - 1 cup
3. Tomato - 2 medium sized
4. Onion - 1 medium sized
5. Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
6. Green chillies - 1 no.
7. Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 tsp
8. Bay leaf - 1
9. Garam masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon
10. Oil - 1 tablespoon
11. Salt to taste

Paneer cubes

Method:
1. Heat 1 cup of water and add spinach, cubed tomatoes, chopped onions and green chillies. Boil for 5-7 minutes until tomatoes turn soft.

2. Allow it cool for sometime and make a puree in a blender.

3. Heat oil in a saucepan and add bay leaf and cumin seeds. Fry for a minute and then add ginger garlic paste. Once they turn light brown in color, add the palak puree.

4. Add garam masala powder and salt to taste. Cook on medium flame for 10-12 minutes.

5. Finally add paneer cubes and turn off the flame.