Gobi Manchurian (Indo-Chinese Cauliflower curry)

Overview
Gobi Manchurian is a Indo-Chinese dish. This is a fusion on Indian and Chinese flavors and is very common in many Indian restaurants.  This is a dry dish that can be served as an appetizer or with rice or chapati. Cauliflower florets are dipped in a batter and deep fried and mixed with a sweet and spicy sauce that has a very unique and delicious taste.

Gobi  Manchurian

Ingredients
Cauliflower one head separated into florets
Garlic - 2 tablespoons finely chopped
Ginger 2 tablespoons finely chopped
Green chilly 2 tables spoon finely chopped
Spring onions one bunch finely chopped 4 tablespoons for garnish
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

For batter
Fresh ground black pepper
All Purpose Flour - one cup
Corn starch - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Baking powder - 1 teaspoon

For Sauce
Garlic - 1 tablespoons finely chopped
Ginger 1 tablespoons finely chopped
Sesame oil - 1 teaspoon
Soya sauce - 4 tablespoon
Hot sauce - 3 - 4 tablespoons
Sweet chilly sauce - 4 tablespoons
Tomato Ketchup - 4 table
Spring onions one bunch finely chopped 4 tablespoons for garnish

Steps
1. Marinate the Cauliflower florets with 2 tablespoons each of garlic, ginger and green chilly and salt. Mix well and keep aside for 30 to 1 hour.

2. Mix all ingredients of batter with water to make a thick lump free batter.

3. Mix the marinated cauliflower with the batter and mix well.

4.  Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot. Add the batter dipped cauliflower florets to it and deep fry them on medium heat till the florets are golden brown.

5. Drain the fried cauliflower florets .

6. In another pan mix all ingredients for sauce and heat it in a pan. When it begins to boil reduce heat to low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Turn off heat.

7. Mix the fried florets with the prepared sauce toss well . .Transfer to serving dish and garnish with finely chopped spring onions. Serve hot

Mix the fried Cauliflower florets with the sauce only when you are ready to serve if not the cauliflower florets will get soggy

Stir Fried Long Beans ( Payar Mezhukkuperatti)

Overview
Different varieties of Long beans are found in Kerala and so a variety of dishes are made with this. My favorite recipe is this simple stir fried long beans dish which is so simple yet delicious. Today one of my friends gave me a big bunch of long bean grown in her garden so had to make this dish immediately. This dish goes well with rice or chapati and can served as a side dish for any meat.

Sauteed Long Beans

Ingredients
Long beans 2  one big bunch( about 4 cups)
Red Onions half - thin sliced
Garlic - 6 - 8 cloves thin sliced
Red Crushed pepper - 1 -2 teaspoons
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Salt to taste
Olive oil - 3 tablespoon

Steps
1. String the ends of the long beans and break into 2 inch pieces. Wash well in water and drain and keep aside.

2. Heat oil a pan. When the oil gets hot add the thin sliced onions and garlic. Saute till the onions get light brown. Add the crushed red pepper and curry leaves and saute few minutes.

3. Add the  string beans to it and mix well. Add salt and cover the lid and cook for about 8  - 10 minutes stirring every 4 minutes till the beans are cooked well and all liquid evaporated.

Serve hot with rice or chapati.

Kerala Mango Pachadi

Overview
Mustard seeds ground with fresh grated coconut and mixed with yogurt gives Pachadi its distinctive spiciness and flavor. This is a traditional Kerala side dish served as side dish for all vegetarian feasts. There are different kinds of Pachadis , the most common ones are - ripe mango, raw mango, cucumber and even pineapple.

Mango Pachadi

Ingredients
Raw mango thin sliced - 1 cup
Fresh grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Green chillies - 4 - 6 split in center
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Plain non fat yogurt - 1 cup
Salt to taste

To Garnish
Oil - 3 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Whole red chillies - 3 broken to pieces
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Steps
1. Cook the thin sliced mango with salt, green chillies and curry leaves with one cup water till in is done. About 5 - 8 minutes.

2. Grind the fresh grated coconut with mustard seed  with little water to make a smooth paste.

3. Mix the ground coconut mixture with the cooked mangoes and bring it to boil. Turn off heat and let it cool.

4. Once the curry is at room temperature add the yogurt to it and mix well. Adjust salt as needed and keep aside.

5. In another pan heat the oil. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter add the broken red chillies and curry leaves to  the oil. Saute few minutes and add on top of the prepared pachadi.

Serve at room temperature or refrigerated with rice and other curries.

Shallot Theeyal

Overview
Theeyals are traditional Kerala dish made of roasted coconut, spices and tamarind. Shallots Theyal is one of the most authentic Theyal made for special occasions in Kerala. The special aroma that comes from the sauteed shallots is the speciality of this dish.  The dark brown color of the gravy comes from the paste made of roasted coconut, tamarind and spices. Theeyals are served with plain rice.

Shallot Theeyal

Ingredients
Shallots(Thin sliced) - 1 cup
Tamarind the size of lime to make tamarind pulp
Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Whole red chillies - 4
Coriander seeds - 3 teaspoon
Cumin - 1/4 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon
Oil  - 4 tablespoons
Salt to taste

To Garnish
Oil - 3 teaspoons
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Whole red chillies - 2 - 3 broken to pieces
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Steps
1. Soak the tamarind in 1/2  cup warm water and squeeze out the pulp and keep aside.

2. Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan and saute the whole red chillies, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds one by one and keep aside. Add the fresh grated coconut to the remaining oil and saute till it is brown.

3. Grind all the sauteed spices and coconut together to a smooth paste with one cup water and keep aside.

4. In another pan heat 2 tablespoon oil and saute the thin sliced shallots. When the onions sweat and becomes soft  add the ground spice paste with coconut to this. Add the prepared tamarind pulp to this with salt and turmeric powder. Add water as needed, the gravy should be thick. Bring to a boil simmer few minutes and turn off heat.

5. In another pan heat the oil for garnish. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds. Once the seeds splutter add the broken pieces of red chilly and curry leaves to the oil. Saute few minutes and pour over the prepared Theeyal.

Serve hot with plain rice.

Koorka Mezhukkuperatti (Chinese potato dry curry)

Overview
Koorka is very common in Kerala and different kinds of dishes are made with this. Koorka is one of my favorite root vegetable. It is kind of like potato but has a very distinctive taste and aroma. Koorka with beef is another traditional dish common among Catholics in Kerala. This dish is a very simple saute of Koorka with onions and garlic. Since fresh Koorka is very hard to get here I have used frozen Koorka. Makes a good side dish to serve with rice and curries.

Koorka Mezhuppuratti

Ingredients
Fresh or Frozen Koorka - One pound( thin sliced)
Garlic - 4 - 6 cloves thin sliced
Red Onion  half thin sliced
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon
Crushed Red pepper - 1 - 2 tablespoon
Olive oil - 3 tablespoon
Salt to taste.

Steps
1. Cook the sliced Koorak with 1/2 cup water, salt and turmeric. Keep aside.

2. In another pan heat the oil. When the oil gets hot add the sliced garlic and onions. Saute till the onions are light brown. Add the crushed red peppers and curry leaves.

3. Saute few minutes and then add the cooked Koorak to this. Saute well till all liquid has evaporated.

Serve hot with rice and curries.

Dal with Green Tomatoes

Overview
I love the combination of green tomatoes with Dal. I make this dish every summer when I get green tomatoes from my garden. The nutty taste for the Split green gram Dal that is dry roasted compliments the sour taste of the green tomatoes. A good side dish for chapati or rice.

Dal with Green Tomatoes

Ingredients
Split Green gram Dal - 1 cup
Green tomatoes - 6 medium size
Garlic - 8 cloves finely chopped
Red Onion 1/2 finely chopped
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Red Chilly powder - 2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil - 3 tablespoon

Steps
1. Wash the Dal is several changes of water and drain well. In a pressure cooker dry roast the Dal till it is golden brown and gives a nice nutty aroma. Mix with 2 cups water and cook till one whistle or till it is cooked well.

2. Finely chop the green tomatoes and mix with the Dal. Bring it to a boil and cook few minutes till the tomatoes are done. Add turmeric and salt, mix well and keep aside.

3. In another pan heat oil. When the oil gets hot add the finely chopped onions and garlic and saute till onions are light brown. Add the chilly powder and saute few minutes and add the curry leaves. Fry few minutes and pour the cooked Dal and tomatoes to this. Bring to a boil and turn off heat.

Serve hot with Chapati or rice.

Stuffed Eggplant (Enna Kathirikai)

Overview
Small purple eggplants are used for this recipe. Two different kinds of Dal's(Urdu Dal and Channa Dal ) are dry roasted and mixed with spices and is stuffed in between the eggplants. Dry roasted ground Dal's gives it a nutty and unique flavor and texture. This dish goes very well with Chapati or any Indian breads or rice.

Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients
Egg plants small round variety 10
Channa Dal - 2 tablespoons
Urdu Dal - 2 tablespoons
Fry Red Chillies  6 - 8
Whole coriander seeds - 2 tablespoons
Asafoetida powder 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Tamarind size of a marble
Olive oil 4 tablespoons

Steps
1. Slit the egg plants into 4 without separating the pieces. Keep in then in salted water.

2. Dry roast the Dal's, Chillies and Coriander seeds and powder well. Mix asafoetida powder to it and keep aside.

3. Mix a little salt and water to the ground Dal's and spices and make a paste.

4. Fill the inside of the eggplants with this paste.

5. Heat oil in flat pan and brown all sides of the stuffed egg plant.

6.Pour one cup water and the tamarind pulp made with hot water and mix well and add to the egg plants and simmer till egg plants are cooked

7. Simmer till gravy is thick and coats the egg plants and liquid is evaporated.

Serve hot with any Indian breads or rice.