Category: Kerala

The following may be useful in translating some of the terms used in the recipes. (note: Malayalam sound designated by letters ‘zh’ is a soft English ‘r’.)

Indian/English Name	Malayalam name
tuar dal	thuaran parippu
urad dal	uzhunnu parippu
masoor dal	parippu
chana dal (bengal gram)	kadala parippu
moong dal	parippu
hing (asafoetida)	kayam
tamarind	puli
coriander	malli
cayenne pepper	mulaku podi
methi (fenugreek)	uluva
cilantro leaves	malli ila
cumin (jeera)	jeerkam
mustard	kaduku
okra	vendakka
pumpkin	mathanga
cucumber	kumbalanga
like, Totally!	Ayyo!
saunf	perumjeerakam

Ingredients
tuar dal – 1/4 cup
masoor dal – 1/4 cup
tomatoes – 1 16 oz.can or 4 large tomatoes
tamarind extract – 1/2 teaspoon
black pepper powder – 1/2 teaspoon
saunf – 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
whole red pepper (dry red chili) – 2 or 3
chili powder – 1/2 teaspoon
turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
hing powder – 1/2 teaspoon
methi seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
garlic cloves – 3 cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
coriander and curry leaves – a bunch salt to taste

Method
Cook the dal well with sufficient water. Add the tomatoes,salt, chili powder, turmeric powder and tamarind extract.

Crush the cumin and garlic and add to the rasam with the black pepper.

Simmer for a few minutes and add the hing powder. Heat a little oil in a fry
pan and pop the mustard seeds.

Add the methi seeds, saunf, and curry leaves after removing from the heat source and add to the rasam. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Source: Maya Nair

Ingredients
1 lb. Potato or kadachakka (bread fruit), cut into small cubes
1/2 tsp. chile powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. garam masala
3 oz. coconut milk (optional)
1/3 onion, cut into small pieces
2 green chile (optional), cut long
oil, salt, mustard seeds
Curry leaves (optional)

Method
Heat oil, fry mustard seeds, add onion, green chile & curry leaves, stir until
it turns light brown. Then add salt, all the powders and masala, stir until it
turns brown, then add coconut milk and veg., stir well, cover it and cook until
well cooked. (If not adding coconut milk, add a cup of water instead). It is
ready to serve! (In fact, it should be made by roasting coconut and all the
spices, and blending them very nicely, but it is not easy to do it here. So I
made up this version.) (You can cook kadala too the same way. For kadala,
you can use just the garam masala and chile powder only. Either way, it tastes
good.)

Source: Mareena Yesudas

Ingredients
moong dal – 1 cup
turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
cumin seeds, crushed – 1 teaspoon
garlic clove, crushed – 1 (optional)
desiccated coconut – 1/2 cup
(optional) curry leaves – a few
salt to taste

Method
Dry roast the moong dal on medium heat for ten minutes. Cook it with sufficient water and turmeric.

Grind the coconut with a little water and cumin seeds.

Add to the boiling dal along with the curry leaves and salt.

Source: Maya Nair

Ingredients
1 1/2 C fresh shredded coconut (not sweetened)
1 tsp. channa dhal (roast until golden brown)
2-3 green chillies, split and seeded
1 inch fresh, peeled ginger
2-3 tsps cumin powder
1/2 tsp tamarind concentrate (or lemon juice)
salt to taste

Method
Grind above in a blender. Season with asafoetida, fried mustard seeds, and curry
leaves.

Chutney variant #1.. grind 2 bunches coriander leaves for lip-smacking
‘coriander chutney’
NOTES: Experiment with the proportions. Me thinks that’s the best way to learn.
corrections welcome…

source: Prabhu Balaraman [email protected]

Ingredients
Mix together:
4 Tbs. shredded unsweetened coconut
1 Tbs. sugar or jaggery (brown sugar)
1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. water
In separate bowl, mix:
1 c. rice flour

Method
Enough water to form a dough (about 3/4 c.)

Form a dough from the rice flour and water. When formed, coat your hand with extra flour to prevent sticking, and take a ping-pong sized ball of dough and flatten.

Place about a marble-sized amount of the coconut mixture in the middle of the dough. Close the dough around the coconut to form a ball. Roll in hand until well formed. Repeat the above until all of the rice flour dough is used. Steam the dumplings for 10 minutes.

Delicious for breakfast or with afternoon tea. It is a specialty of Kerala, and in Malayalam it is called “kazhikutta.”

Ingredients
Shallots or pearl onions – one cup
large onions – 2
garlic cloves – 2
grated coconut – 1 cup
coriander seeds – 1 teaspoon
methi seeds – 1 teaspoon
tamarind extract – 1 tablespoon
chili powder – 1 tablespoon
turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
oil – 2 teaspoons
salt to taste
curry leaves – a few

Method
Peel and chop the large onions fine. Heat one teaspoon of the oil in a frying pan and add 1/2 cup of the chopped onions. saute well and when browned, add the curry leaves, coriander seeds and methi seeds. Stir for a few more minutes and remove and keep aside. Wipe the pan and add the coconut. On a low heat, dry roast the coconut till brown (not burned).

When it is cool, blend the coconut with the onion mixture adding a half cup of water. Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the curry leaves and remaining onions and shallots and stir till browned. Add the tamarind extract and 1/2 cup water and salt.

When it starts to simmer, add the blended paste and cook on a low fire for 20 – 30 minutes.

Source: Maya Nair

Ingredients
pumpkin or squash or zucchini (cut into one inch cubes) – 2 cups
coconut – 2 tablespoon
chili powder – 1 teaspoon
coriander seeds – 1 teaspoon
methi seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
tuar dal – 1 tablespoon
urad dal – 1 tablespoon
tamarind extract – 1 tablespoon
hing powder – 1 teaspoon
curry leaves – a few
dry red chilies – 2
salt to taste
oil – 1 teaspoon

Method
In a frying pan, roast the coconut with the coriander, methi, urad dal and tuar dal until brown (use low heat).

Grind the mixture into a paste when cool. Cook the pumpkin with the
chili powder and turmeric powder and salt.

Add the tamarind extract and simmer for a few minutes.

Add the coconut paste, hing powder and the curry leaves.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and pop mustard seeds and dry red chilies and add to the mixture.

Source: Maya Nair

Ingredients
Green bananas or plantains (nenthrakkay) – cubed
turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
chili powder – 1 teaspoon
cummin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
mustard seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
urad dal – 1/4 teaspoon
coconut, grated – 1/2 cup (may substitute des. coconut)
coconut for garnish – 1 tablespoon
black pepper – 1/4 teaspoon
curry leaves – a few
salt to taste
oil – 1 teaspoon

Method
Soak the cut plantains in warm water mixed with half teaspoon turmeric for ten minutes.

Drain and cook the plantains with the remaining turmeric and salt. Grind the coconut well with cumin and add to the cooked plantains. Let it simmer.

Meanwhile, heat the oil and pop the mustard seeds. Add the urad dal and the coconut reserved for garnish and stir till browned. Add this mixture to the eriserry and mix in the curry leaves.

Source: Maya Nair

Ingredients
Brown peas or black eyed peas (canned is O.K.) – 1 cup
white pumpkin – cubed – 1 cup
yellow pumpkin – cubed – 1 cup
green chilies – 2 or 3, sliced
coconut milk – 1 can (1 1/2 cups)
curry leaves – a few
salt to taste

Method
Cook the peas (if using dry variety). Add the pumpkins to the peas with some water and salt and simmer on a low fire. Add the green chilies. Finally add the coconut milk and curry leaves, heat for a minute and remove from fire.

Source: Maya Nair