South Indian recipes

Vegetable kurma/masala

| Rekha Vengalil

A recipe from Das Sreedharan’s book “Easy everyday Indian”.  The recipes in the book are undeniably so easy to cook up. A book I now resort for my speedy and easy weekday cooking.

A tad of adjustments with the spice quantity to suit our taste and the curry was delicious . I teamed it up with some Jeera rice..

You need –

  • Potato – 2 small, peeled and cubed
  • Carrot – 2, peeled and cubed
  • Baby corn – 4-5, chopped
  • Onion – 1 large, thinly sliced
  • tomato – 1 large, chopped
  • Green chili – 1-2 or per taste
  • Ginger-garlic paste – 2 teaspoons
  • chopped coriander – 2 tablespoon
  • Oil as required
  • Salt to taste
  • Whole spices
    • Cinnamon –1,  1”inch piece
    • Clove – 2
    • Green cardamom – 2
    • Fennel seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
    • Bay leave- 1
    • Star anise – 1
  • For the spice paste
    • Yogurt – 1/4 cup
    • Tomato paste – 1 teaspoon
    • Chili powder – 2 teaspoon
    • Cumin powder – 1/2 teaspoon
    • Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
    • Garam Masala powder – 1/4 teaspoon
How to –

In bowl, mix all ingredients under spice paste and mix to make thick paste. Set aside.

Heat oil in heavy bottom pan, add the whole spices and saute till fragrant. Add the onion and cook till soft. Tip the ginger-garlic paste and green chilies and saute till the raw smell is gone.

Lower the flame and add the tomatoes and spice paste. Saute for 3-4 minutes or till the tomatoes are mushy. Add About 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Tip the Vegetable and stir well. Cover and cook for about 10-12 minutes or till the vegetables are tender.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with flavored Indian rice or flat bread.

 

Sakkarai Pongal

| Rekha Vengalil
A famous South Indian delicacy and yet another favorite of mine.  Made during the harvest festival in the State of Tamilnadu, South of India.   Traditionally made with newly harvested rice and cooked with milk. This is also served in most temples during the auspicious days /festivals. 


You need –

  • Raw white rice – 1/2 cup
  • Yellow moong dal – 1 tablespoon
  • Jaggery/palm sugar – grated, 1 cup
  • cardamon powder – 1/4 teaspoon
  • Cashew nuts – 10-12 nos
  • Raisins – 10-12 nos
  • Ghee/ clarified butter – 2 tablespoon

How to –

Slightly dry roast the rice and dal together in pan making sure not to brown the rice and dal. Add 1 & 1/2 cups of water and pressure cook till the rice and dal cooked through and mushy.

In a sauce pan, melt the jaggery with 2 tablespoon water,  and bring to a boil. Now add the cardamom powder. Add this mixture to the rice and stir well.


Heat the ghee in a small frying pan and fry the cashew nuts and raisins. Add fried nuts with the ghee to the rice and mix well.On a low flame continue to cook for a couple of minutes stirring continuously till everything is well combined.

Serve hot.

 

Lemon Rice

| Rekha Vengalil
A popular South Indian rice specialty where the rice is flavored with lemon juice, turmeric and tempered with few spices and peanuts. 
 
This fresh citrus flavored rice is one of the most loved dish at home. Infact this is a favorite of my mom too; one the first dish she learned to make after she moved to Bangalore from Kerala. So a lot of fond memories attached.

You need –

  • Basmati Rice – 1 cup
  • water – 2 cups
  • Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
  • Peanuts – 1/4 cup
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Urad dal – 1 teaspoon
  • Green chilli – 1, slit
  • Curry leaves – 1 twig
  • Asafoetida  – a pinch
  • Dried chili – 1
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil – 2 tablespoon
  • Water – 2 cups
 

How to –

Wash the rice and soak for 15 minutes. Drain the water completely off.

In a pan, bring the water turmeric and salt to rolling boil and add the rice. Cook till done. Once the rice is cooked. Keep it uncovered for a few minutes before you use a fork to fluff up the rice slowly. Set aside.

Heat oil in pan, Add the mustard seeds. when they start to pop, add the add the dried chili, urad dal, Asafoetida, curry leaves, Green chili and peanuts. Cook till the peanuts are slightly browned, stirring  constantly.

Pour this over the rice along with lemon juice and mix well. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

Serve hot with you favorite chutney or pickle.

 

Rava Dosa

| Rekha Vengalil


You need –

For the batter

  • Semolina/Rava – 1/2 cup
  • Rice flour – 1/2 cup
  • All purpose flour – 1/4 cup
  • Yogurt – 1/4 cup (beaten)
  • Onion – 1 medium ,minced or finely chopped
  • Green chili – 1, chopped
  • Ginger – finely chopped, 1 tablespoon
  • coriander leaves – chopped, 2 tablespoon
  • Curry leaves – 1 twig, chopped
  • cumin seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
  • water – as required for mixing
  • salt as required

Oil/ghee for drizzling


How to –

In a bowl mix the above ingredients under “for the batter” with enough water and set aside for an hour.

Heat the dosa griddle. Take I ladle of batter and spread into a circular motion (If you are not using a non-stick pan then add a teaspoon of oil and then spread the batter), Drizzle oil/ghee along the edges of the dosa, cover and cook till the base begins to brown.

Uncover and flip the dosa over and cook briefly for a couple of seconds. Flip it back and fold it into half and remove the dosa from the pan.

Into a serving plate and serve hot with your favorite chutney.

 

Cauliflower pakoras/pakodas

| Rekha Vengalil


It’s been raining the whole day here and well a curving for these deep fried fitters was just obvious for tea time.  These are excellent to snack on or serve them as a starter with your favorite chutney.  I like it with mint-coconut chutney but today we just dipped them into some ketchup and Chili sauce.

The recipe is adapted from the cookbook every Indian. 
 


You need –

  • Cauliflower – 350 grams, cut into small florets
  • Gram flour – 130 grams
  • Corn flour – 2 teaspoons
  • Garam masala – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
  • Chili powder – 1/2 teaspoon (or as per your taste)
  • Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Baking soda – a good pinch
  • Vegetable oil – for deep frying
  • Salt to taste
  • water for making the batter
 

How to –

To make the batter , In a bowl mix together Gram flour, corn flour, Garam masala, turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, banking soda and salt with enough water to make a thick batter. Set aside for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, mix little more water  ( around 2 teaspoon) and beat well with a egg beater. The batter should be thick like a double cream.

Heat a deep frying pan with enough oil. Once the oil is hot (170 C), dip the cauliflower floret into the batter and coat well. Drop the florets into the hot oil and fry till golden brown and crispy. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan and fry in them in batches.



Once done remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper. Serve hot with chutney or ketchup for your afternoon tea.

 

Coconut milk rice

| Rekha Vengalil
This is one of my favorite rice dishes. It’s actually been one since a child. I first had this at my then neighbor’s house in Bangalore.  Ever since I have fallen in love with this rice dish and mom or I have never been able recreate that taste like the Aunt in the neighbor did. Yet here’s something very close though.
 

 

I don’t know for some reason I have never made this ever since I started to blog. Well better late than never; here I am with rice dish that is so moist, delicious, full of wonderful flavors of the whole spices and moreish!

You will need –

  • Basmati rice – 1 cup
  • Coconut milk – 1 cup (I used the store brought)
  • Water – 1 cups
  • Onion – 1 small, thinly sliced
  • Garlic paste – 1 teaspoon
  • Ginger paste – 1 teaspoon
  • Green Chili – 1 slit length wise
  • Fennel seeds – ½ teaspoon
  • Cardamom – 2
  • Cinnamon – 1 small stick
  • Clove – 1
  • Bay leaf – 1
  • Ghee/ clarified butter – 1 tablespoon or as required
 
How to –
 
Wash the rice and soak for 15 minutes. 
Heat the pan and add the Ghee. Once the ghee is heated, tip in the spices (Fennel seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, clove and bay leaf) and fry till the raw spell is gone.

Add the onions, chili and ginger-garlic paste. Fry till the onion turns pink and the raw smell of ginger-garlic is gone. Please make sure not to burn them as this will change the color of the rice when you cook. Once done add the rice in and fry till the rice doesn’t stick to each other ensuring the rice not turning brown.
Add the coconut milk, water and salt to taste. Cover and cook till done.

 

Note – once the rice is cooked. Keep it uncovered for a few minutes before you use a fork to fluff up the rice slowly.