Beetroot Thoran

A gentle reminder to all of you to send in your entries to RCI - Cuisine of Kerala by January 25th. Please remember to send the link to the entry you are sending in and a picture of the dish. Late entries shall not be entertained, but you can link your post to the round-up which will happen by the month end.

My final entry to RCI - Cuisine of Kerala is a beetroot thoran. I was hoping to post more interesting recipes for the event but got too busy then. This recipe is here simply for the lovely colour beetroot imparts - wild and pink!

You need:
1 large beetroot boiled and grated
3 tbsp coconut grated
1 onion minced
2 green chillies minced
1 tsp mustard seeds
a sprig of curry leaves
juice of half a lime

Heat a tbsp of oil in pan. Add the mustard seeds and let it crackle. Add the onion, green chillies and curry leaves and sautee till the onion is translucent. Then add the beetroot and coconut, mix well and allow it to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the lime juice and stir. That's all. Can it get quicker than this?

Onion Chutney

The prayers for rains have been answered. The last ten days have been overcast, the sun hasn't peeked out and yes, it rained! After the typical winter delicacies like carrot halva and pinnies, the rains called for piping hot, spicy pakodas, vada-pavs and ginger tea or simple, comfort foods with a spicy chutney or dip on the side. One such chutney is ulli chutney or onion chutney, simple and spicy and goes with idlies, dosas, adais, vadas etc.

You'll need:

1 large onion

4 red chillies (more if you want it spicier)

1 small cup grated coconut

a sprig of curry leaves

salt to taste

Slice the onions and grind it along with the rest of the ingredients with a little water. Adjust to the consistency you prefer. Add a tsp of coconut oil on top. That's it, a simple, spicy chutney is ready!

You can make variations by adding tamarind to it for a bit of sourness or roasting the onions and chillies before grinding them.

This is my entry to RCI – Cuisine of Kerala, event conceived by LakshmiK of Veggie Cuisine as well as JFI-Onions, hosted at Radhi's Kitchen, event created by Indira of Mahanandi.

Cabbage Thoran

New Year Greetings to all of you!

The new year arrived and so did some entries for RCI - Cuisine of Kerala. Whether I was busy or lazy, uninspired or upbeat, hosting this event did make me sit up and take pictures and write about a cuisine that I've come to appreciate only since I've been away from home. There are times when there's a plate of spicy pavbhaji before me and I'm craving for idlis! Such is the bond created by simple home food that the most attractive, aromatic and appetising dish cannot take away! And that is the magic of coconut, cumin, curry leaves and chillies, essential in almost every Malayalee dish.

Thoran refers to finely chopped vegetable cooked with crushed coconut. It is served as a dry side dish with rice and curry. Southern Keralites add onion/shallots and garlic to thoran, which is a strict no-no for the Northern Keralites. Either ways, thoran tastes great and is quick to make. Cabbage thoran is one of my favourites, perfect to go with steamed rice and sambhar. Read more about the benefits of cabbage here.

You'll need:
Half a large cabbage
1 cup grated coconut
1 tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp urad dal
¼ tsp of channa dal
2 dry red chillies broken
a sprig of curry leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
2-3 green chillies

Chop the cabbage finely or cut up the cabbage into large chunks and run it in the chopper for a few seconds. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it crackles, add urad dal, channa dal, red chillies and curry leaves. When the dals turn red, add the chopped cabbage, salt and turmeric and turn down the flame. Cover and let it cook for about 2 – 3 minutes. There is no need to add water to the cabbage as it will cook in its own moisture. Put the coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds and a few curry leaves in the chopper and run till they are just crushed. Add this now to the cabbage, stir through and let it cook till done. This is my entry to RCI – Cuisine of Kerala, event conceived by LakshmiK of Veggie Cuisine.

Announcing RCI - Cuisine of Kerala

Welcome to God's Own Country! Join in to embark on a culinary journey through the beautiful state of Kerala, tucked away in the south-western corner of India. As the journey takes you through the Western Ghats, dense forests, exotic wildlife and calm backwaters, sprawling tea estates, spice and rubber plantations, lush paddy fields and clean beaches, sit back and take in the sights and sounds of this charming land.

Regional Cuisines of India(RCI), the brainchild of LakshmiK, will be hosted by yours truly in January 2008. The cusine of Kerala has its own distinctive flavour. Coconut forms a dominant part of the cuisine as Kerala, literally translated means Land of "Kera" or Coconuts. Rice is the staple food and a wide array of breakfast preparations are rice-based. A typical meal consists of rice, a kootan or gravy and an upperi or dry side dish along with crunchy pappadams and pickles. Tamarind, coconut, coconut milk or curd form the base for a kootan/gravy while upperi/dry sidedish is either a thoran, ie. a medley of vegetables and grated coconut or mezhukuparatti, ie. stir fried vegetables coated in oil. A typical sadhya/festive feast consists of a number of sumptuous dishes served on a banana leaf. For non- vegetarians, seafood or some form of meat is a part of every meal. Different regions and communities influence the method of preparation and flavour of the cuisine.

What are you waiting for? Put on those aprons and cook up a storm! If you are not very familiar with Kerala cuisine, you can google it or go to this one-stop portal "Essence of Kerala Cuisine". You can also find authentic recipes here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and many more in the food blog community. To participate :

1. Write a post on your blog featuring Cuisine of Kerala from now until the 25th of Jan 2008, including a link to this post.

2. Mail me the permalink/URL to your post, along with a picture of the dish at vjyothsna1@yahoo.com . I shall respond to your email when I receive it. If you do not receive a response from me in three days, please remind me.

3. Non- bloggers may mail me with the recipe and a picture of the dish.

4. Please feel free to use the above logo.

5. Round-up will be done by the 31st of Jan here at Currybazaar!

Wishing all of you a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year!!

Rasmalai

Azure skies and clear blue waters, migrating birds on lush turf and convertibles on the streets, bright days and long, dark nights, blooms on sidewalks and cycles on pathways, early sunsets and barbecues on the beach…….. yes, winter's here! Winters bring pleasant weather and freshness in this part of the world. It is a time to enjoy outdoor activites that the harsh summers don't permit. I was away in India on a very, very busy holiday that didn't leave me time to blog. Now that I'm back, I hope to whip up something interesting and be a bit more regular on the blogging scene.

This rasmalai recipe is one of the first recipes I tried from another food blogger (RP's if I rightly remember) and I have made this many a times successfully. The recipe is simple and the rasmalai just melts in your mouth. Measurements are not accurate and you may substitute the flavour as per your preference. Here's what I do:

Add 2 spoons of sugar to about 250 grams ricotta cheese and mix well. Scoop into a muffin mould and cover it with foil. Bake at 200 degrees C for 25 minutes.

While it is baking, take 2 cups of milk, add sugar to taste and microwave it for 4-5 minutes till the sugar dissolves. You can use sweetened condensed milk also. Add a pinch of powdered cardamom, a tsp of rosewater and some pistachios. Allow the milk to cool completely. You may add saffron strands, but I prefer to add rosewater.

Unmould the baked ricotta and add it to the milk. Refridgerate and serve chilled.

Happy Diwali

Wishing all of you a Happy Diwali! May the lights of the season bring happiness, good health and prosperity in your lives.