Puli Inji

September 13, 2013February 24, 2014 | Rekha Vengalil

Cooking up and preparing for Onam is fun but missing home terribly and so is the case at home too. Said that, can’t wait to be home soon in a couple of months and really looking forward to that now.

And today’s recipe is a very essential part of the sadhya. Call it a sweet and sour ginger pickle of Kerala where ginger is cooked in a tangy-sweet sauce. Just recently did I know that inji puli and puli inji are two different recipes (of course a slight difference not huge). One has little more chili while the other has more Puli.

There are many variation of this in different part of Kerala and here’s how my Mom makes it. You may alter the addition of chili or Jaggery to suit your taste.

You need –

Fresh ginger – finely chopped, 1 cup
Tamarind – a lemon size ball, soaked in 3/4 cup of hot water.
Jaggery – grated, 2 tablespoons
chili powder – 1/2 teaspoon or as per taste
Green chili – 2, finely chopped
Asafetida – a pinch
Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Coconut oil – as required
Salt to taste

How to –

Squeeze the soaked tamarind; extract the juice and set aside.

Heat oil and fry the ginger till golden brown. remove and set aside. In the same pan add oil if required; once heated add the mustard seeds and allow to splatter. Tip the green chili, curry leaves and fry briefly for a couple of seconds.

Add the chili powder, asafetida and saute for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the fried ginger and mix well.

Add the tamarind water, jaggery, salt to taste and mix well and cook till mixture is thick and pulpy.

Turn off the heat and let it rest for an hour before you serve. cool completely before you jar it.

Ishtu / Kerala potato stew

September 11, 2013February 24, 2014 | Rekha Vengalil

Kerala’s potato stew is a creamy and mildly spiced, which is pretty easy to make. It is served with Appam and is also a must during festivals and special occasions.

Appam and Ishtu/stew is yet another favorite at home. This makes to our dinner table at least once in a week. We like our ishtu a bit thick (not too runny). So please adjust the consistency of the gravy to your choice.

You need –

Potatoes – 2, large boiled, peeled and roughly mashed
Thick coconut milk – 3/4 cup
Onion – 1 medium, thinly sliced
Green Chilies – 1 or as per taste
Ginger – I small piece, finely sliced
Salt – to taste
Curry Leaves – 1 sprig
Coconut Oil – 2 teaspoons
Water – 3/4 cup

How to –

In a pan add the water, sliced onion, green chili, curry leaves, ginger and bring to a rolling boil.

Add the potatoes and mix well. Continue to cook for 2 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, salt and bring to a gentle simmer but do not boil.

Drizzle the coconut oil and cover and let it sit for a few minutes before you serve.

Rava Dosa

August 6, 2013April 25, 2014 | 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.