Dried Mango Pickle

Overview
Drying and preserving raw mangoes is very common in Kerala since Mango is a very common fruit we find through out the state. These dried raw mangoes are then used in many curries and pickles. I got these dried mangoes from India when I visited my parents. Dried mango pickle has a very unique and strong flavor very different than the raw mango pickle.

Dried Mango Pickle

Dried Mango Pickle Ingredients

Ingredients
Dried mango - 3/4 cup
Boiled water 1 cup
White Vinegar - 1/2 cup
Garlic cloves - 2 tablespoons
Ginger 1 tablespoon
Curry eaves 3 sprigs
Turmeric 1 teaspoon
Red Chilly powder - 3 tablespoon
Fenugreek powder 1 teaspoon
Brown sugar - 2 - 3 tablespoons
Asafoetida powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil - 3 tablespoons

Steps
1. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds and grind to a smooth powder and keep aside.
2. Boil one cup of water. Turn off heat. Add Vinegar to this and soak the dried mangoes for 1 - 2 hours till the mango slices are soft.
3. Grind the garlic, ginger, red chilly powder and turmeric to a smooth paste with little water and keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the ground garlic ginger paste with spices to it and saute till the oil separates. Add curry leaves are fry few more minutes. Add the soaked mango slices with water and vinegar to this.
5. Add the fenugreek powder and asfoetida powder along with brown sugar and salt and mix well. Bring this mixture to boil. Turn off heat.  Brown sugar is added to balance the flavor of sourness so add brown sugar and salt as needed to adjust flavor,

Let it cool to room temperature and store in a clean jar.

Muringayila (drumstick leaves) Parippu curry

Overview
An authentic Kerala dish made with drumstick leaves. This is one of my favorite dishes that my mother used to make. Back in Kerala we had a drumstick tree in our yard so my mother use to make this often. I got fresh drumstick leaves from the Indian grocery store so had to make this dish. A very nutritious and healthy dish that goes well with plain rice or chapatti. The bark of the drumstick tree has the horseradish taste and  is ground to paste  and used in many dishes and hence the drumstick tree is also called the horseradish tree.

Muringayila Parrippu Curry

Ingredients
Toor Dal ( or split yellow peas) - 1/2 cup
Drumstick leaves all stems and vein's removed - 2 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Fresh grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Garlic cloves - 3
Whole red chillies broken into 2 inch pieces- 3 - 4
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Mustard seeds - 1 tables spoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - 2 tablespoon
Salt to taste.

Steps
1. Wash the cleaned drumstick leaves in plenty of water, drain and keep aside.
2. Cook the toor dal is 1 1/2 cup water till is cooked well in pressure cooker.
3. Once the dal is cooked. Add the drumstick leaves to this with 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt and cook well till the leaves are cooked.
4. In a blender grind the fresh grated coconut along with garlic, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and 1/2 cup warm water to a smooth paste.
5. Add this ground coconut to the cooked dal and dal and drum stick leaves and bring it to a boil. Turn off heat.
6. In another pan heat the 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. add the fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, red whole chillies and curry leaves to this. turn off heat and pour this oil mixture over the prepared curry.

Serve hot with plain rice or chapatti

Kozhuva Fry (Anchovy Fry)

Overview
This is a traditional Kerala style fish fry. Kozhuva or Anchovy are small salt water fish which is very nutritious. These spicy and crispy fried fish goes very well with plain  rice.

Kozhuva Fry

Ingredients
Kozhiva cleaned  - 1 pound
Chilly powder - 1 tablespoon
Black Pepper powder - 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoon
White Vinegar - 1 Tablespoon
Salt to Taste
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Oil to fry

Steps
1. Mix the chilly powder, pepper powder, tirmeric powder, salt , vinegar and lemon juice with water and make smooth paste and keep aside.
2. Marinate the cleaned fish with the spice paste and keep for 1 - 2 hours.
3. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add few curry leaves and then the fish and fry till crispy.

Serve hot with onion salad.

Lime and Dates Pickle

Overview
The sour taste of limes mixed with the sweet taste of dates makes this a unique sweet and sour pickle. A perfect accompaniment for any biriyani or any Indian meals. You can adjust the amount of green chillies and chilly powder to the level of spiciness you want. Like all pickles as this ages it becomes more tasty as the flavor of ginger, garlic and spices gets infused with the date and lime pieces in the pickle.

Lime and Dates Pickle

Limes and Dates pickle Ingredients

Ingredients
Lime cut into quarters  - 2 cups
Date cut into slices 1/2 cup
Garlic finely chopped 2 tablespoon
Ginger finely chopped 1 tablespoon
Green chillies finely chopped - 3  - 6
Curry leaves 2 - 3 sprigs
Kashmiri or red chilly powder - 2 - 3 tablespoons
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek powder - 1 teaspoon
Asfaoetida powder 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 tablespoon
Brown sugar 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
White Vinegar - 3 - 4 tablespoon
Oil about 3 tablespoons

Steps
1. Mix the clean cut lime pieces with salt and put in a clean jar for about 3 weeks. Mix the jar very day. This is to make the lime pieces soft.
2. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds and powder it and keep aside.
3. Soak the sliced dates in about 1/2 cup hot water for about 15 minutes till it becomes soft.
3. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds splutter add the finely chopped garlic, ginger, green chillies and curry leaves to this.
4. Saute till the garlic turns light brown.. Add the turmeric and chilly powder to this and mix well till the raw flavor of red chillies is gone.
5. Add the marinated soft lime pieces and soaked dates to this along with vinegar, fenugreek seeds powder, asafoetida powder, brown sugar and mix well. Add salt as needed.
6. Bring this mixture to a boil. Turn off heat.
7. Bring the pickle to room temperature and store in an air tight jar and keep in the refrigerator,. Stays in the refrigerator for about 2 months. If you add more oil and vinegar it can be left at room temperature too.

Serve as a condiment with any Indian meal.

Chakka Erissary (Raw Jackfruit with ccoonut and garlic)

Overview
A traditional Kerala dish made with raw jackfruit. Erissery is made with other vegetables like butternut squash, pumpkin and raw plantains. Coconut ground with cumin and garlic and garnished with roasted coconut adds a very distinct flavor for this erissaery.  Raw jackfruit is very nutritious and this is very good side dish.

Chakka Erissary (Raw Jackfruit Curry with Cocconut

Chakka Erissary Ingredients

Ingredients
Raw jackfruit pieces - 1 pound cut into pieces
Fresh grated coconut 1 cup
Garlic cloves - about 10
Cumin seeds 1 1/4 teaspoons
Chilly powder - 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds 1 tablespoons
Curry leaves 2 - 3 sprigs
Whole red chilly 4 - 5 cut into pieces.
Salt to taste
Oil - 3 tablespoon

Steps
1. Mix the raw jackfruit pieces with red chilly powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, salt and one cup water and cook on low flame till the jackfruit pieces are cooked.
2. Grind 3/4 cup of fresh grated coconut, garlic and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds with 1/ 2 cup warm water  to a smooth paste.
3. Mix the ground coconut paste with the cooked jackfruit pieces and mix well and bring this mixture to a boil. Turn off heat.
4. In another pan heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter add the cumin seeds followed by red chilly pieces and curry leaves. Add the fresh grated coconuts to this and fry on low flame till the coconut turn golden brown.
5. Put the fried coconut mixture to the cooked jackfruit and mix well.

Serve hot with plain rice.

Split Urad Dal Stir Fry

Overview
Split urad dal is very nutrious and rich in fibre. This is a north Indian dish which can be served as a side dish with rice or chapati.  A touch of lemon juice enhances the flavor of this dish. This dal is very creamy and rich in protein.

Split Urad Dal Stir Fry

Ingredinets for Split Urad Dal Stir Fry

Ingredients
Split urad dal  - 1 cup
Red onions 1 medium finely chopped
Garlic one tablespoon finely chopped
Ginger 1 tablespoon finely chopped
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon
Red Crushed pepper flakes - 2 - 3 teaspoon
Lemon Juice about 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tablespoons

Steps
1. Wash and soak the split urad dal for about four hours in plenty of water. Drain and steam in a steamer till the urad dal is cooked. Do not overcook. If the dal is over cooked it will get mashed and be very sticky.
2. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. After the mustard seeds splutter and the cumin seeds.  Add the finely chopped red onions, garlic and ginger to this and saute well.
3. When the onions get light brown add the turmeric and crushed red pepper flakes and saute well. Add the steamed urad dal to this along with lemon juice and salt mix well. Keep strring till all teh liquid is evaporated and the dish is dry.

Serve hot as a side with any rice or Indian bread.

Sweet Potatoes and Carrot Stir Fry (Madhura Kizhangu Carrot Mezhukkupuratti)

Overview
A simple  and easy to make side dish with sweet potatoes and carrots. Dice the carrots and sweet potatoes the same size so they cook together at the same time. Crushed red peppers adds a spiciness to the sweet taste of carrots and sweet potatoes. In Kerala we use coconut oil to make such stir fries but any cooking oil can be used for this dish.

Sweet Potato Carrot Stir Fry Ingredients

Sweet Potato and Carrot Stir Fry

Ingredients
Sweets potatoes peeled and diced - 1/2 cup
Carrots peeled and diced - 1/2 cup
Shallots 2 tablespoons finely sliced
Garlic thin sliced 1 tablespoon
Crushed red pepper - 1 tablespoon
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Oil 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes and carrots and  keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the thin sliced shallots and garlic to it. Keep stirring till the  shallots are light brown. add the turmeric and crushed red peppers to this and saute well. Add the curry leaves and stir well.
3. Add the finely diced sweet potatoes and carrots to this and mix well. Add enough salt and 2 tablespoon of water. Mix well cover with lid and cook on slow flame till the carrots and sweet potatoes are just cooked(do not overcook).. Remove lid and stir and saute till all liquid is evaporated and it is dry.

Serve hot