Beetroot Pachadi

Overview
This is a typical Kerala Pachadi made with fresh diced beetroot. A very easy dish to make and can be served with rice or chapatti. Beetroot cooked this way with fresh grated coconut, mustard seeds and yogurt gives this dish a very unique and delicious taste.The ground mustard seeds gives this a dish a pungent and spicy taste. The very bright pink color of this dish makes it one of a kind.

Beetroot Pachadi

Ingredients
One large beetroot finely chopped
Green chilly split at center 2 - 3
Curry leaves  - 1 sprig
Fresh grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Plain thick yogurt -1 cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 3 tablespoons

To Garnish
Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
Whole red chilly 2 -3  cut into pieces
Curry leaf  - 2 sprig

Steps
1. Cook the finely chopped beetroot with the green chilly, salt, curry leaves in 1/4 cup water. Cook till the beetroot is cooked well about 7 - 9 minutes.

2. Grind the Fresh grated coconut with the mustard seeds to a smooth paste.

3. Add the ground coconut with mustard to the cooked beetroot and bring to  a boil. Turn off the heat and let this cool to room temperature.

4. Whisk the yogurt well and mix to the cooled dish. Add salt if needed.

5. In another pan heat the oil. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter add the broken red chilly pieces and curry leaves. Turn off heat and add this to the prepared beetroot pachadi.

Serve with rice or chapathi.

Ridge Gourd Chutney

Overview
A delicious and unique chutney made with ridge gourd. This chutney can be served with Idily, Dosa or any kind of rice or chapati. This chutney is packed with nutrients and is good for you. You can use the whole ridge gourd, ridges peeled or the center portion of the ridge gourd. I used only the center portion since I used the outer part to make ridge gourd with Channa Dal.

Ridge Gourd Chutney

Ingredients
Center portion of ridge gourd  - 1 cup
Green chilly 2 - 3
Red onions - 1/2 cup chopped
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Tamarind - the size of marble
Asafoetida(Hing or Kayam) powder a pinch
Olive oil
Salt to taste

To Garnish
Olive oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Red whole chilly  - 1 broken to pieces
Urdu Dal - (optional)
Curry leaves 3 or 4

Steps
1. Chop the ridge gourd center portion. Mix it with chopped green chilly and onions and curry leaves.

2. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil and saute the chopped ridge gourd along with onions, green chilly and curry leaves. Add salt. saute till the ridge gourd is cooked well. About 5 minutes.

3. Grind this sauteed mixture with tamarind and a pinch of asafoetida to make a smooth paste. Add water as needed.

4. In another pan heat one tablespoon of oil. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds when the seeds splutter add the broken pieces of red chilly and curry leaves and Urdu Dal if using. Saute  few minutes and add to the chutney.

Ridge Gourd with Channa Dal

Overview
Ridge gourd as the name indicates in a green vegetable just a zucchini only that it is covered with ridges. The skin is a bit tough but is tasty and while cooking only the ridges are peeled out. In this dish I have mixed ridge gourd with Channa Dal( split chick pea) This is a dry dish which can be served with plain rice or Chapati.

Ridge Gourd with Channa Dal

Ingredients
Ridge gourd- 2 medium size ones
Channa Dal - 1/4 cup
Garlic 4 cloves - crushed
Shallot - 2 crushed
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Crushed red pepper flakes - 1 - 2 tablespoons
Turmeric  - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Olive oil 3 - 4 tablespoons

Steps
1. Wash and soak the Channa Dal is water for about 4 hours. Cook with water and keep aside.

2. Wash the ridge gourd well in water. Peel of the ridges

3. Remove the center seed section of the ridge gourd( this can be used to make chutney).

4. Make strips of the cleaned ridge gourd and then to small cubes. add to the cooked Channa Dal. Mix with salt and turmeric cover and cook for about 5 - 7 minutes till the ridge gourd is cooked well. Turn off the heat

5. In another pan heat the olive oil. When the oil gets hot add the crushed garlic and shallots to it. saute till it is light brown, Add the crushed red pepper flakes saute few more minutes. add the curry leaves fry few for minutes.

6. Add the  cooked Channa Dal and ridge gourd to the oil and mix well till all the liquid has evaporated.

Serve hot with plain rice or chapati.

Ridge Gourd

Tilapia Baked in Foil Packets

Overview
Fish fillet baked this way makes a very easy and healthy dinner when accompanied by any vegetable of your choice. Any fish fillet can be baked this way especially Tilapia or Flounder. I made this with Tilapia fillet. Chopped cherry tomatoes mixed with garlic, red onions, green chilly, cilantro salt and olive oil are placed on top of the fillet and baked in a foil packet. The packets should be made air tight and the steam cooks the fish.

Making Tilapia Foil packets

Baked Tilapia

Ingredients
Tilapia Fillet - 4
Garlic finely minced - 3 cloves
Red Onion - 1/2 of one large finely chopped
Cherry tomatoes - 1 cup finely chopped
Olive oil  - 2 -3 tablespoons
Cilantro - 2 tablespoons
Green chilly  -1 finely chopped(optional)
Salt to taste

Steps
1.   Heat oven to 450 F

2. Wash and dry your fish fillet. If using frozen make sure the fish is thawed.

3. Mix all the finely chopped ingredients  - cherry tomatoes, red onions, green chilly, garlic, cilantro with olive oil and salt.

4. Place each fillet at the center on the foil Place the topping length wise on each fillet close the foil air tight and make a packet.

5. Place all the packets on a aluminium tray and bake in the 450 F oven for about 20 minutes.

Let it sit for about 5 minutes remove from foil and serve with any vegetables of your choice.

Kappa Poottu

Overview
Kappa or Tapioca roots are very common in Kerala.  Fresh Tapioca root grated and made into poottu this way is a delicious treat. This poottu is usually accompanied by fish or meat curries. I got a chance to make this poottu with my mother in my recent visit to India. Layers of steamed hot fresh grated tapioca, each layer separated by fresh grated coconut makes this a mouth watering breakfast. Make sure you serve this steaming hot so prepare this just before serving.

Kappa Poottu

Ingredients
Two large Kappa( tapioca roots)
Rice flour 2 - 3 tablespoons
Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Peel the kappa wash and grate it . Put the grated Kappa in plenty of water. Wash it 2 or 3 times till lot of the cloudy starch is removed.

2. Squeeze out the water from the Kappa. Mix with  2 -3 tablespoons of rice flour with the kappa. Add salt and mix well with your fingers till the consistency is just right.

3. Heat the poottu vessel with water. In the poottu mold add layers of coconut and grated kappa and steam the kappa till done about 5 - 7 minutes.

4. Take out the Kappa from the mold and serve hot with fish or meat curry.

Fresh Kappa(Tapioca)

Pearl Spot Fry (Karimeen Varuthathu)

Overview
Kerala is famous for its Karimeen Fry. Pear spot( Karimeen) is one of the most tasty and sought out fresh water fish in Kerala. This fish is made for all special occasions.  Though the whole fish is hard to eat it is a special treat. I do like to fry it whole which makes a very elegant presentation.  In my recent visit to India we did get Fresh Karimeen. The fish sellers do clean the fish which makes our job a lot easier. The fish is marinated in simple spices and then deep fried. Here the Karimeen fried is served with a simple onion salad.

Karimeen Fry

Ingredients
Karimeen - 4 cleaned and gashes made on side
Chilly powder - 2 tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Black pepper powder - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
White vinegar - 2 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Onion Salad
Red Onion  - one thin sliced
Green chillies - 2 -3 split in center
Curry leaves - 1 sprigs
White vinegar - 2 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Olive oil - 1 tablespoon

Steps
1. Grind all the spice mixture with the curry leaves, vinegar,salt  and enough water to make a smooth paste.

2. Marinate the fish both inside and outside with the prepared mixture and keep refrigerated for about 30 minutes to one hour.

3. Heat oil in a pan. When the pan gets hot add the marinated fish and fry both sides till golden brown.

4. Serve the fried fish with a simple salad made by mixing all the ingredients for onion salad

Banana Flower dry dish( Kodapan Thoran)

Overview
The banana flower is very common in Kerala. Once the bananas are cut from the plant the flower is also cut and made into various delicious dishes. The banana flower has a unique taste and several dishes are made from this flower in Kerala. In my recent visit to India I was glad to get this banana flower and make this dish with my mother. The banana flower is rich in nutrients so is very good for you.  The outer layers of the flower are peeled out and inner most core is used for cooking.

Banana Flower ( Kodapan)

Kodapan Thoran

Ingredients
Banana Flowers (Kodapan) - 2
Shallots - 6 - 8 - Thin sliced
Red onion - one medium - thin sliced
Red dry chilly - 3 broken into pieces
Green chillies - 5 - 6 split in center
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Mustard seeds - 1 tablespoons
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
Coconut oil - 4 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Steps
1.  Wash the banana flowers. Peel off the top layers and finely chop the inner parts.

2. Mix the finely chopped banana flowers with salt and 1 tablespoon coconut oil and keep aside.

3. In a pan heat the remaining 3 tablespoon coconut oil. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds.

4. When the seeds splutter add red chillies and chopped onions, green chilly and curry leaves to this. Saute few minutes

6. Cover the pan, lower the heat and cook for about 10 - 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Serve hot with rice.