Spring Masala Dosa / Vegetable Masala Dosa

Ingredients

Dosa batter - 2 cup

Potato- 1/2 cup,peeled and cubed

Cauliflower- 1/2 cup

Beans- 1/2 cup chopped

Carrot- 1/2 cup,peeled and cubed

Green peas- 1/4 cup

Onion -1 small, chopped

Cashew nuts- 5-6 nos

Coconut milk(Cow milk) - 1-2 tbsp

Chilly powder- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/2 -3/4 tsp

Garlic -2 cloves

Ginger - 2 small pieces

Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp chopped (optional)

Cooking oil

Mustard

Salt 

  Directions
1. Heat oil in a vessel ,splutter mustard seeds and  saute the chopped vegetables and cashew nuts for a few minutes.Add all the powders and saute until raw smell goes.
2. Add half cup of water and salt.Cook for 5-10 minutes.Then add coconut milk and let the masala thicken.
3.When the vegetables are done,and water is evaporated mash the vegetables lightly.Throw in coriander leaves and mix.Masala is ready ,keep it aside.
4. Heat a griddle or non stick pan. If using griddle,grease it with gingelly oil.
5.Pour a ladle full of batter on the pan and spread in circular shape. Drizzle oil (coconut oil preferred )around the edges and let it cook . When the dosa turns light brown (in 4-5 minutes)flip it and cook the other side (1-2 minutes).Flip again 
6. Put a spoonful of  masala on its center and fold the dosa in your desired shape like semi circle or like a tube or a triangle.
Serve hot with chutney and sambar ...
Note : You can use the vegetable of your choice,like cabbage, bell peppers,broccoli, and nuts like cashew nuts, almond, pistachios,walnuts ,dried cranberries ,raisins,etc..

Cheera Thoran / Amaranth Stir fry/Kerala Red Spinach Stir Fry

 Ingredients
Cheera/Red Spinach - 500 gm
Grated coconut- 1/2 cup
Red chilly powder-1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Urad dal- 1/2 tsp
Red chillies- 2
Salt
Mustard
Coconut oil
Curry leaves

Directions
1. Separate cheera leaves from the stem,wash and clean.You can use tender stems too.
2. Drain the leaves and tender stems in a paper towel or colander.Dry completely before chopping.
3. Chop the spinach finely
4. Crush and mix the grated coconut,red chilly powder, and turmeric powder together.Keep aside
5. Heat oil in a pan ,and splutter mustard seeds, add red chillies, curry leaves and urad dal and fry it until it is brown in color
6. Add the chopped red spinach /cheera leaves and saute .Volume will get reduced to less than half and then add salt.No need to add water.Cheera will cook in in its own water
7. Add the grated coconut mix and cook covered for few minutes.Then open the lid and mix well.
8. Stir the thoran continuously and switch off the stove when the water is completely evaporated.
Serve hot with rice !!!

Easy Chicken Roast

Ingredients
Chicken pieces-2 cup boneless or boned
Onion- Sliced 1 Big or 2 medium 
Ginger Garlic Paste- 3 tsp
Chilly powder- 2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1tsp
Green chillies- 2 split
Oil - 1/2 cup
Salt
Curry leaves 
Directions
1. Clean and cut the chicken into medium sized pieces
2. Marinate the chicken pieces with ginger garlic paste,salt,3/4th part of all the powders for 30 minutes in refrigerator
3. Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan and fry the chicken pieces for 3 minutes on each side.If possible add some crushed curry leaves along with it.
4. Remove the chicken pieces from oil using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel
5. Adjust the oil in the pan to saute the chopped onion (remove excess oil)
6. Add green chillies, curry leaves and  chopped onion.Saute until it starts to turn brown in color.Adding a pinch of salt and sugar will fasten sauteing.
7. Now add the remaining 1/4 th of all powders and saute until its raw smell goes.Or you can add the leftover marinade if its available.
8. Add the fried chicken pieces to the masala and mix well without breaking the chicken pieces.
9. Mix and keep covered it in low flame for 2-3 minutes.Switch off and serve hot with rice, chapati, appam etc ...

Ulli Theeyal/Shallots in Roasted coconut gravy

Ingredients
Shallots/Small Onions - 250 gm
Dry roasted/fried coconut - 3/4 cup
Tamarind juice- 1/4 cup
Coconut oil 
Mustard
Curry leaves 
Salt
For Fried/Dry Roasted-coconut (Thenga varuthu edukkan)
Grated coconut - 2 cup (one coconut)
Chlli powder - 2 tbsp
Coriander powder 1 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Heat a pan and dry roast the grated coconut until they turn almost dry. Now add the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and stir continuously till the coconut turn reddish brown. Now remove the pan from heat allow to cool.You can keep this in air -tight box in refrigerator for more than one month
Directions
1. Soak tamarind in 1/4 cup warm water for 10 minutes and squeeze out the juice.Or dilute 1/2 tsp tamarind concentrate in 1/4 cup warm water.
2. Peel all onions,clean and allow to dry.Cut them into thin slices.
Fry them in medium heat without using oil until it makes rattling sound.(after cooling you can keep this in air tight box in refrigerator for later use !!)Dont over fry it, because it will make the theeyal bitter
3. Grind the dry roasted coconut in a mixer to a fine paste .(tip: first grind it to very fine powder,-you will see the coconut producing oil and becoming wet and will stick to bowl's sides.now add 2-3 tbsp water and grind again-fine paste is ready)
4. Pour the tamarind juice to the fried shallots,add salt and boil.
5.Now add the ground coconut paste.Then wash out the bowl with 1/4 cup water and add this to the shallots.Cook/boil it for 2-3 minutes
6. Heat oil in another pan,splutter mustard seeds, throw in red chillies ,and curry leaves. Add this tempering to the theeyal.Serve hot with rice, chappati, dosa etc..
Easy version
To make it more easier you can avoid the shallots frying step.Instead of frying you can 
1.Cut the shallots into 2-3 big pieces. 
2. Heat oil in a pot ,Splutter mustard seeds.Add red chillies and curry leaves.Then add the chopped shallots and saute until it is soft and almost fried -or you can fry it at this stage ;-)
3.Now add the tamarind juice, coconut paste and salt.Boil and cook.
Note :This theeyal is more of sweeter in taste, if you want a spicy one, adjust the red chilli powder while frying the coconut.or you can add green chillies while making it.

Ulli Vada / Savala Vada/ Onion Pakoda

Ingredients

Onion - 3 medium sized,thinly sliced

Kadalamavu/Gram Flour- 1 cup

Green chillies- 4 chopped

Ginger - chopped 1 tbsp

Egg -1

Curry leaves

Salt

Oil

Method

1. Mix the flour, onion,chopped green chillies, salt ,egg, chopped ginger,curry leaves and make a batter with enough water.This should not be too watery or too hard .

2. Heat oil in a deep pan/ cheena chatti. Make small balls of the batter and deep fry it. Or you can sprinkle the onion mixture to the hot oil and deep fry in medium heat

3. Fry until it turns golden in color ,with occasional turning.

Serve hot as snack with tea/coffee!! 

Vellarikka Manga/Cucumber&Mango in Coconut Gravy

Ingredients

Vellarikka/Cucumber- 1/2 cup cubed

Raw mango - 4-5 one inch pieces(depending on sourness)

Grated coconut - 1 handful

Green chillies - 2-3 cut lengthwise

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Chilly powder- 1/4 tsp

Shallots- 2

Cumin - 1/4 tsp

Red chillies- 2

Mustard 

Salt

Oil

Method 

1. Cook cucumber and mango pieces with green chillies, turmeric powder and chilly powder with enough water until the mango and cucumber are cooked and soft.

2. Meanwhile grind coconut and cumin to a fine paste.

3. When the vegetables are cooked well, add salt and coconut paste to it and heat for a minute while stirring and remove from heat. Take care not to boil it.

4. Heat oil in another pan , splutter mustard seeds, add chopped shallots,red chillies and curry leaves.Saute and add to the gravy .

Serve hot with rice!!

Puttum Kadalayum

Note : To make puttu, you may need a puttu maker/puttu kutti/puttu mould  ,or at least a steamer

Puttu 

Ingredients

Puttu podi/Roasted Rice powder- 1 cup

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp (optional)

Salt

Warm water 

Method

1. Take the Puttu podi in a deep vessel,add the salt cumin seeds and mix well

2. Add water little by little (approx 2 tbsp at a time)and moisten the powder

3. Using hands ,crush all the lumps formed and Try to make it without lumps as much as possible .Keep aside.Just before filling the mould, give a quick blend using a mixer/blender .Do not grind the powder. ("otta karakkal" in mixie)

4. Layer the puttu maker/ kutty/mould with coconut first and then the puttu mixture and finally before closing the lid ,final layer of coconut .(total 3 layers of coconut- bottom, middle and top)

5. Steam cook it by keeping the puttu maker/ kutty/mould on a pressure cooker  (Prestige cooker only) or a regular puttu making vessel for 5 minutes .

7.If you are using a steamer , mix the puttu mix with coconut and spread the powder mix in steamer,and steam cook. 

8.Remove the puttu maker from heat and keep for 2 minutes without disturbing.Put the puttu out of  traditional puttu maker using a spoon :) and serve hot with kadala curry, pazham, payar curry  and pappadam, 

Kadala curry

Ingredients 

Black /White Channa/Bengal Gram/Chick pea : 1 cup ,soaked overnight

Onion- 1 Large sliced

Green chillies -2-3 split

Garlic- 2 cloves sliced

Dry roasted/Fried coconut - 1/2 cup 

Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp

Cloves - 2

Whole black pepper - 2

Cardamom - 1

Cinnamon stick- 1/2 inch piece 

Curry leaves

Red chillies

Mustard 

Oil (Coconut oil tastes better)

For Fried/Dry Roasted-coconut (Thenga varuthu arakkan )

Grated coconut - 2 cup (one coconut)

Chlli powder - 2 tbsp
Coriander powder 1 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp


Heat a pan and dry roast the grated coconut until they turn almost dry. Now add the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and stir continuously till the coconut turn reddish brown .Now remove the pan from heat allow to cool.You can keep this in air -tight box in refrigerator for more than one month

Method

1. Cook the  Black /White Channa/Bengal Gram/Chick pea in a pressure cooker 

2. Heat a pan and dry roast/heat the whole spices along with the roasted coconut for a few minutes without adding oil.A nice aroma will come. Grind it all in a mixer to a fine paste and keep aside .Grinding a spoonful of cooked channa will increase taste and thickness of the curry 

3. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds ,add green chillies, curry leaves, red chillies , garlic and onion. Saute until onion turns light brown.

4. Add the cooked Black /White Channa/Bengal Gram/Chick pea to it along with required amount of water used to cook the channa in the pressure cooker.Mix well.

5. Add the ground coconut mixture and boil the curry 

Serve hot with Puttu :)

Kappa Thoran /Boiled tapioca stir fry

Ingredients
Tapioca/Yucca/Kappa - 500 gm , skin removed and cut into drum shaped pieces

Onion- 1 sliced
Green chillies - 2-3 cut lengthwise
Garlic - 1 clove(optional)
Grated coconut - 1 handful (optional)
Chicken masala - 1- 2tsp
Mustard 
Coconut oil 
Curry leaves
Red chillies
Method 
1.Boil tapioca pieces in enough water with salt .Drain excess water when tapioca is cooked. Take care not to get tapioca mashed by over cooking
2. Cut the cooked tapioca pieces into bite size cubes (1-2 inches size)
3.Heat oil in a pan/cheena chatti .Splutter mustard seeds
4.Add red chillies, curry leaves ,garlic , green chillies and saute.Now add sliced onions .and saute well till they turn brown.
6.Add the  chicken masala powder and tapioca pieces and mix everything well .
7.If you are adding coconut , add it now and mix .Grinding not needed
Note :Though it is called 'Thoran'/stir fry , you can have it as a snack or a main dish. It tastes very good with tapioca we get in Kerala .The tapioca we get in US has bitter taste some times.

Kerala Kothu Parotta / Minced Parotta

Ingredients
Kerala Parotta(fresh or frozen) - 6 nos. (Thawed if frozen)
Onion - 1 Large ,thinly sliced  
Tomato - 1 Finely chopped
Ginger - 1 tsp finely chopped
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly Powder -1 tsp
Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
Egg - 2
Lime Juice -1 tsp
Salt
Oil
Mustard 
Curry leaves


Method
1. Beat egg with a pinch of salt and pepper
2. Heat oil in a pan, scramble egg and keep aside.
3. Heat more oil in the same pan ,and splutter mustard seeds.Add curry leaves ginger and onion .Saute till it becomes soft
4. Add tomato and saute till turns soft 
5. Add chilly powder, turmeric powder and garam masala.Mix well
6. Add the scrambled egg and mix well with the masala.Keep the masala aside
7. Heat a tawa/griddle and cook the thawed parotta.
8. Cut or tear the parotta in to small pieces .Add this parotta pieces to masala and mix well.
9. Add lime juice and cook for 2-3 minutes with occasional stirring