Kerala produces some of the tastiest food on planet earth. The land and the food is rich with coconut, though one can't imagine Kerala food without chilies, curry leaf, mustard seed, tamarind and asafoetida. In a pinch you can substitute tomatoes for tamarind, but there is no real substitute for curry leaf.

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OLAN
Ingredients:

  • Black eyed beans - 1 cup
  • White pumpkin - 1 cup (1/2"thick pieces )
  • Yellow pumpkin - 1 cup (1/2"thick pieces )
  • Green chillies - 3-4, sliced
    • Coconut milk - 1 1/2 cups
    • Curry leaves - a few
    • Salt to taste
    • Oil-1tsp.

    Method:
    Cook the beans in a pressure cooker. Add the pumpkins to the beans with some water and salt and green chillies . Simmer on a low fire till cooked . Finally add the coconut milk ,oil and curry leaves, heat for a minute and remove from fire.

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    KALAN

    Ingredients:
    • Yam 1 cup
    • Raw Banana 1/2
    • Sour curd 3 cup
    • coconut 1/2
    • Green chilly 6
    • Red chilly 2
      • Chilly powder 1 tsp
      • Cumin 1 tsp
      • Turmeric 1 tsp
      • Mustard 1 tsp
      • Fenugreek seeds 5
      • Oil 1 tbsp

      Method:

      Cut yam and banana.Grind coconut ,cumin,green chilly to a paste. Beat curd.Mix with coconut paste. Put vegetables with 1 cup water ,salt,turmeric,chilly into the pressure cooker. Cook after the whistle for 3 minutes on slow heat.Cool. Add curd.Put on heat.Remove before it boils. Heat oil.Add mutard,red chilly,fenugreek,curry leaf. Season with the above.Serve hot.

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      AVIAL

      Ingredients:
      • Raw banana -3(cut into 4x1 cm pieces)
      • Drumstick- 3 (cut to 8 cm pieces)
      • Ash Gourd - (4x2cm pieces)
      • Yam -(cut)
      • Pumpkin -(cut)
      • Green chilly -12
      • Cumin seed -2 tsp
      • Water- 2 cup
      • Coconut -21/2 Cups(grated)
      • Salt to taste
      • Turmeric -1/2 tsp
      • Sour curd -1 1/2 cup(beaten)
      • Curry leaf- 2 sprigs
      • Oil -3 Tbsp

      Method:

      Grind together coconut,chillies,cumin seeds into a paste,adding little water(1 cup)
      from time to time. Add beaten curd and mix well. Put 1 cup water and all ingredients except coconut paste,curry leaves,oil into a pressure cooker.Stir. Close cooker and put on high heat till one whistle. Remove immediately from heat.Release pressure by lifting the vent and open cooker. Add coconut paste and curry leaves.Mix well. Place cooker on heat and boil.Cook on low flame for 2 minutes. Pour oil over the avial and Serve hot.

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      MORU CURRY

      Ingredients:
      • Yogurt 2 tbsp
      • Coconut paste 1/2 cup
      • Oil 1tbsp
      • Mustard seeds pinch
      • Onion 1 tbsp chopped
      • Whole red chilly 4 broken
      • Turmeric 1/8 tsp
      • Garlic 1/2 tsp
      • Ginger 1 tsp
      • Curry leaves
      • Fenugreek powder1/4 tsp(optional)
      • Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

      Method:

      Mix coconut ,curd and green chiilis in a blender. Add 1 cup water,red chiily powder,turmeric and salt.Bring to a boil . Remove Heat the oil .Add mustard seeds , cumin seeds ,fenugreek seeds. Now add the chopped onion, the red chillies,the garlic, the ginger and the curry leaves. Add to the moru curry.

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      SAMBHAR

      Ingredients:
      • Toor dal-1 cup(washed and soaked for 30 minutes)
      • Tamarind-size of a golf ball or Tamcon paste-1 tsp
      • Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
      • Salt-as required
      • Oil-2 tsp
      • Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
      • Dry grated coconut-3 tsp
      • Cilantro/coriander leaves- (optional)
      • Curry leaves(a few)
      • Jaggery or sugar- 1 tsp
      • Fenugreek seeds -1/2 tsp
      • Green chillies- 3
      • Red chillies-5
      • Cilantro seeds -3 tsp
      • Bengal gram -2 tsp
      • Asafoetida-1cm piece
      • Cumin seeds -1/2 tsp
      • Onion -1
      • Vegetable-Tomatoes, Drumstick, Okra, Capsicum, Radish, Carrots, Onions

      Method:

      Pressure cook toor daal with water and turmeric,salt. Heat oil in a pan for about 1 minute and roast together whole chillies,bengal gram, asafoetida,coconut,curryleaf,coriander,cumin,fenugreek seedstill coconut turns golden brown Grind all of these into a smooth paste ,adding a little water from time to time. Add salt to the tamarind dissolved in water . After this boils for sometime, add the vegetables and cook. Mash the pressure cooked toor daal, Mix everything. Let it boil for sometime. Season with mustard seeds .

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      THEEYAL

      Ingredients:
      • Large onions - 2(sliced fine)
      • Garlic cloves - 2
      • Grated coconut - 1 cup
      • Shallots -1 cup
      • Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
      • Chili powder - 1 tbsp
      • Jackfruit seed- 100 gm(cut into 4)
      • Tuvar dal-1/3cup
      • Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
      • Green Chilly(slit)-3
      • Salt to taste
      • Oil-4 tsp
      • Tamarind extract - 1 tbsp
      • Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
      • Curry leaves - a few

      Method:

      Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a frying pan and add ½ cup of the chopped onions. Saute well till brown add the curry leaves, coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds. Stir for a few more minutes and remove and keep aside. On a low heat, dry roast the coconut till brown . Blend the coconut with the onion mixture adding half a cup of water.Cook the dal,jackfruit seed in pressure cooker with water. Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the curry leaves and remaining onions and shallots and fry till brown. Add the tamarind extract and ½ cup water and salt. When it starts to boil, add the blended paste,dal and cook on a low flame for 15 minutes.

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      KOZHI CURRY

      Ingredients:
      • Chicken Pieces- 1 1/2kg
      • Turmeric -1 1/2 tsp
      • Salt-4 tsp
      • Curd -1 Tbsp
      • Coconut grated -2 1/2 cup
      • Coconut oil -4 tbsp
      • Whole dry red chilly-10
      • Ginger 2"piece
      • Garlic- 16 flakes
      • Pepper -1/2tsp
      • Aniseed 1 tsp
      • Cinnamon 2 sticks
      • Cloves 10
      • Green Cardamom 3
      • Coriander seeds5 tbsp
      • Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
      • Onions 2
      • Green Chilly 2
      • Tomato 2

      Method:

      Marinate the chicken with 1 tsp turmeric powder,1 tsp salt and curd for 1 hour. Extract coconut milk from the coconut. In a pan , heat 1 tbsp oil and roast all ingredients except onion,green chillies and tomato. Grind to paste with a little water. Heat remaining oil and fry onions till golden brown. Add turmeric,ground paste,chillies,tomato .Cook for few minutes. Add chicken and salt and mix.Fry for some minutes. Add coconut milk and cook till done.

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      FISH CURRY

      Ingredients:
      • Fish -1/2 kg (cut into pieces)
      • Oil -2 tbsp
      • Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
      • Curry leaves -few
      • Onion -1
      • Ginger-1"piece
      • Garlic-6 cloves
      • Red Chilly- 2
      • Chilly powder-1 tbsp
      • Coriander powder -2 tsp
      • Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
      • Fenugreek Seeds-1/2 tsp
      • Mustard 1/2 tsp
      • Tamcon 1/2 tsp
      • Tomato 1
      • Coconut Oil 1/2 tsp
      • Salt to taste

      Method:

      Put fish in cold water.Add 1/2 cup salt,vinegar .Keep for 15 minutes.Remove and cut. Heat oil in a pan .Add mustard seeds. Then curry leaf,onion,ginger,garlic.Fry till onions are golden brown. Now add coriander powder,chilly powder and turmeric.and fry. Add water with tamarind juice.Add salt and boil. Add fish and cook till done. Heat coconut oil and add fenugreek seeds.Pour over the gravy. Allow to simmer for 1/2 hour on slow fire till gravy thickens.

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      KADDUKKA CURRY ( MUSSEL CURRY)

      Ingredients:
      • Kaddukka-500 gm
      • Onion-5
      • Tomato-1
      • Green chilly -1
      • Ginger- 1 inch
      • Turmeric- 1/8 tsp
      • Red chilly powder- 1 tbsp
      • Coriander powder(roasted)-2 tsp
      • Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
      • Curry leaves-3
      • Oil - 1 tsp
      • Salt to taste

      Method:

      Heat oil and fry onions till golden brown. Add tomato,ginger,green chillies and curry leaves.Fry till oil seperates. Add chilly powder,coriander powder,turmeric.Fry for 2 minutes. Add the mussels and garam masala. Add salt and water.

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      NYANDU CURRY (CRAB CURRY)

      Ingredients:
      • Crabs-5
      • Onion-3 (chopped fine)
      • Green chilly-3(halved lengthwise)
      • Turmeric- 1/4 tsp
      • Red chilly powder- 1 tsp
      • Coriander powder(roasted)-1 tsp
      • Bay leaf-2
      • Asafoetida-pinch
      • Tomato-2 (chopped)
      • Coconut Milk-1 cup
      • Coconut-1/4 cup(grated,roasted)
      • Mustard seeds-1 tsp
      • Curry leaves-3
      • Oil - 2 tbsp
      • Salt to taste

      Method:

      Heat oil and fry mustard seeds until they start popping. Add curry leaves,bay leaf,green chillies and fry for 1 minute. Add asafoetida and onions ,cook till onions are transparent. Now add turmeric,roasted coconut and chilly powder.Saute for 1 minute. Add crab and tomatoes.Cover and cook stirring occasionally,for about 10 minutes . Add coconut milk and salt. Bring to a boil. Serve with plain rice.

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