Ulli Theeyal / Kerala Style Theeyal Recipe / shallots recipes

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Ulli Theeyal / Kerala Style Theeyal Recipe

Ulli theeyal is a Kerala dish which tastes awesome. Ulli meaning onions and theeyal means something that browns in the pan. As the name suggests we are going to brown the grated coconut and prepare a masala for this spicy dish.

In this dish we are using shallots ( small onions ) also known as sambar onions or pearl onions. They get a lovely taste after getting cooked in the tamarind juice along with the masalas. The masala that we prepare is a bit spicy, though. It has all the three tastes namely sweet, spicy and tangy - sweet from the jaggery that is added at the end of the preparation.

I would consider it a kind of rasam which is spicy and has the vegetables along with roasted coconut bringing out a unique flavour and aroma. You could add any kind of veggies like drumstick, potatoes, ladies finger, bitter gourd etc. , are a few to name. After preparing malai methi Gobi with shallots, I had some more of them in my pantry, so went ahead and prepared this dish for a weekend lunch.

It was very tasty, especially the tiny pearls in the spicy and tangy sauce. You can also check my shallots sambar recipe.

Preparation

Soak tamarind in water and extract the juice and keep aside. Dry roast the spices one after the other separately starting with coriander seeds. Fry them until crisp and a nice aroma comes from it.

Next, dry roast the black pepper corns and red chillies together until the red chillies turn dark in colour.

Lastly fry the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds together until the fenugreek seeds turn brown in colour and the mustard seeds start to crackle.

Transfer all these spices to another plate and allow to cool. Now dry roast the fresh grated coconut on a low flame until it browns completely.

Keep stirring continuously to avoid burning and uneven browning.

Allow to cool. Take another vessel and add coconut oil. Do the tempering with mustard, cumin and methi seeds.

When they crackle add curry leaves, ginger garlic paste and hing.

Now add turmeric powder, shallots and salt and give a nice toss.

Add enough water and cover with a lid and cook for a while.

Remove the lid, pour in the tamarind juice and jaggery and mix well. Cover again and cook until the shallots are cooked. Meanwhile, put all the roasted spices along with browned coconut in a mixie jar and make a fine powder or paste by adding little water to it.

Add this powder to the cooked shallots mixture and mix well.

Check for seasoning and cook until it comes to a boil. Switch off the flame and serve hot with steamed rice accompanied with papads or fryums.

Ingredients

Coconut oil  1 tbsp

Mustard seeds  1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds  1/2 tsp

Methi seeds  1/4 tsp

Curry leaves  few

Ginger garlic paste  1 tsp

Turmeric powder  1/2 tsp

Hing  pinch

Shallots  1 cup

Tamarind lemon size

Salt to taste

Jaggery  2 tbsp

Spices to roast

Coriander seeds  1 tbsp

Black pepper corns  1 tbsp

Red Chillies  6

Fenugreek seeds  1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds  1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds  1/2 tsp

Grated coconut  1/2 cup

Method

1. Extract tamarind juice and keep aside.
2. Dry roast all the spices mentioned under ' spices to roast' separately one after another on a low flame until crisp. Allow to cool.
3. Dry roast grated coconut on a low flame until it browns completely. Keep stirring. Allow to cool.
4. Make a fine powder or paste of the above roasted spices and keep aside.
5. Take another vessel and add coconut oil.
6. Once hot, add mustard, methi and cumin seeds.
7. When they splutter, add curry leaves, ginger garlic paste and hing. 
8. Add turmeric powder, shallots and salt and mix well. 
9. Add enough water and cook covered.
10. After a while, add tamarind juice and jaggery and again cook covered.
11. Once the shallots are cooked, add the ground masala and mix well.
12. Check for seasoning.
13. Cook until it starts boiling and switch off the flame.
14. Serve hot with rice.

Notes

• Theeyal can be prepared with any kind of veggies like drumstick, potatoes, ladies finger, bitter gourd etc.,.
• You can also add 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds to give a lovely flavour to the dish.
• If its too spicy for you, you could consider adding a dollop of ghee and relishing the theeyal. 

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Simple Drumstick Curry Recipe / Drumstick Vegetable Recipes / Vegan Drumsticks / Muringa curry

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Munagakaya Curry / Simple Drumstick Curry Recipe / Drumstick Vegetable Recipes / Vegan Drumsticks / Muringa curry 

The local market here is bursting with fresh veggies like drumstick ( Muringa ), tender spring onions, green peas, tomatoes , shallots and green leafy veggies like methi etc. Needless to mention the variety of fruits - oranges, grapes, Gulab guavas, watermelons, musk melons are a few. I actually went to the market to buy some tamarind. But seeing the fresh veggies I could not resist myself and bought many of them. I felt as if the veggies were waiting for me to take then along with me. So I grabbed as many as I could. But my son who accompanied me was becoming impatient. Vegetable shopping is one thing that I simply love ❤, especially if its a farmers market.

Today I am posting a basic and simple drumstick curry with tomatoes and onions as the base. This is such a side dish that make you leave licking your fingers. The tangy and juicy tomatoes along with the onions give an excellent gravy for the tender drumsticks. This combo of tomatoes, onions and drumstick is a must try in every household at least once during this season. So lets see the preparation of munagakaya curry ( muringa curry ). 

 

You can also check my recipe of drumstick leaves chutney powder aka murungai keerai podi alias munagaku karam podi.

Preparation

Wash and cut the drumstick into finger size pieces. Put them in a tumbler and add water just enough to cover them.

Cook them on a medium flame until the drumstick become soft and tender.

In the meantime, chop the onions and tomatoes finely. Drain the water from the drumstick and keep aside. Do not throw the water, we will want to use it for the preparation of the curry. Heat a pan and add oil in it. Temper it with mustard and cumin seeds.

When they splutter, add curry leaves, red chillies and hing.

After a few seconds, add finely chopped onions and slit green chillies. 

Mix well and cook until they are translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw smell of ginger vanishes.

Add the finely cooked tomatoes, salt, sugar and turmeric powder.

Cook covered until the tomatoes are mushy. Now add the coconut powder, chilli powder, Garam masala powder and coriander powder. 

Give a thorough mix and add the cooked drumsticks along with the water.

Mix well. Check for seasoning and cook for another five minutes to allow the drumstick absorb the juices and spices. Serve hot with either rice 🍚 or roti.

Ingredients

Drumstick  4
Onion  3
Tomatoes  2 ( big )
Oil  2 tbsp
Mustard seeds  1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds  1 tsp
Curry leaves  few sprigs
Red chillies  2
Hing  big pinch
Salt  to taste
Coconut powder  1 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder  1 tsp
Garam masala powder  1/2 tsp
Sugar  1/2 tsp

Method

1. Wash and cut the drumstick in finger sized pieces. 
2. Cook in sufficient water until soft and tender. 
3. On cooking, drain the water and keep the drumstick aside. Retain the water as well for the preparation  of the curry. 
4. Heat oil in another pan and temper it with mustard seed, cumin seeds, curry leaves, hing and red chillies. 
5. Add finely chopped onions and slit green chillies and sauté until transparent. 
6. Throw in the ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw flavour of ginger disappears. 
7. When the onions turn light brown in colour, add chopped tomatoes, turmeric, salt and sugar. 
8. Cook uncovered until the tomatoes are completely cooked. Stir in between. 
9. Sprinkle coriander powder, chilli powder, coconut powder and garam masala powder. 
10. Mix well and add the drumstick along with the water that was preserved earlier. 
11. Mix in well and cook for another five minutes so that the drumstick absorbs all the juices and spices. 
12. Serve hot with either rice or roti. 

Notes

• You can also add veggies like potato, carrots, brinjal etc. in the above preparation along with the drumsticks. 
• Adding dried coconut powder gives a unique aroma and taste to the dish so do not skip on that step. 
• This is the basic version of the drumstick curry. Keep watching this space for more recipes on drumsticks and other veggies.
• Some people like to add some garlic pods during tempering. 

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how to cook chayote vegetable / Kootu Recipes

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how to cook chayote vegetable / Chow chow Kootu / Kootu Recipes

Kootu is a traditional dish which can be prepared with any kind of vegetables mixed with lentils. It can also be referred to as a stew which is of semi gravy consistency. Kootu is a Tamilnadu dish which is popular all over India especially in South India.

Today´s recipe is a kootu dish prepared with chow chow. Chow chow is also known a Chayote squash in English. There are different names in different languages for this veggie. In Hindi, it is known as Ishkus, in Tamil - Seemai Kathirikai, in Kannada - Seeme Badanekayi and in Telugu - Bangalore Vankaya or Seema Vankaya.

This chayote ( chow chow ) belongs to the squash or gourd family and is very low in calories. It is rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. It is also very rich in Folate Vitamin. This is a versatile veggie that can be used in the preparation of dry curries, gravy curries, sambar and kootu.

Today´s recipe is chow chow kootu. This kootu is a perfect combo for roti or chapathi. This also goes well with plain rice. The addition of lentils like channa dal and moong dal makes it a wholesome dish which is very healthy.

Preparation

Peel the skin of the chow chow and discard the inner seed. Chop them into small bite sized pieces. Keep aside. Grind roasted channa dal, green chillies, ginger, garlic, cumin seeds and coconut to a coarse paste.

Add diced tomatoes and grind once again to make a smooth paste.

Keep this paste aside.

Heat a pressure cooker and add oil. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.

When they splutter, add chopped onions and sauté until they become translucent.

Add turmeric powder and mix.

Now add the ground paste and mix well. Add salt and sugar.

To this, add the chopped chow chow pieces, washed lentils ( channa dal and moong dal ) and sambar masala powder.

Mix well and add little water sufficient to cook the chow chow and the lentils.

Check for seasoning and cook with the lid on. Cook for 3-4 whistles and switch off the flame. Serve hot with roti, chapathi or rice.

Ingredients

Chow chow 3 ( medium sized )

Onion 1

Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp

Oil 2 tbsp.

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Sambar masala  1tsp

Moong dal 1/4 cup

Channa dal 1/4 cup

Sugar 1 tsp

To grind

Coconut 2 tbsp.

Garlic 5 pods

Ginger 1" piece

Green chillies 3

Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Roasted channa dal 2 tbsp.

Method

1. Grind all the ingredients given under to grind list. Keep aside. 
2. Heat oil in a pressure pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. 
3. When they splutter, add onion and sauté until pink in colour. 
4. Add turmeric powder, the ground masala paste, salt and sugar. 
5. Mix well and add the chopped chow chow pieces, washed lentils and sambar masala powder. 
6. Mix well and add enough water to cook the lentils and veggies. 
7. Cover with the lid and cook for 3-4 whistles. 
8. Serve hot with rice or roti.

Notes

• You can skip the roasted channa dal but it gives a nice thickness to the kootu. 
• Sambar masala gives a unique flavour to the curry. If you do not have that handy, simply add little Garam masala powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. 
• You can skip the green chillies during grinding and add chilli powder while cooking to get a nice red colour to the kootu. Or you could also add dry red chillies while grinding. 
• I have washed the lentils before adding to the curry.

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mango ginger pickle / pickled ginger

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Mango Ginger Pickle / Ginger Pickle / Pickled Ginger / Andhra Pickles

Mango ginger pickle is also popularly known as maa inji pickle in the Tamil state of Tamil Nadu. This is my fourth recipe for pickles after the famous Gongura Pickle , the instant tomato pickle and the amla pickled with salt water. All of them were a huge success in my house. Today, I have come up with a new pickle recipe that is prepared with mango ginger. In Telugu, we call it as Maamidi Allam. This maa inji is so very nice and is very peculiar. It has a strong aroma and flavour of mango with taste similar to that of ginger. But not as strong as the original ginger. You can easily bite into this mango ginger piece and can eat it like a mango.

As I was slicing this maamidi allam, my daughter got the aroma of mango and mistook it to be a piece of mango. She happily chewed it and found it amazing. It was really good. This mango ginger, scientifically known as Curcuma amada is said to be used in the preparation of  many Ayurvedic medicines. It is also considered to be an appetizer and is also very helpful in ailing any skin diseases and itching.

This pickled ginger is a very popular south Indian pickle especially in the states of Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh. The preparation of this pickle is so very easy and simple. This puli inji pickle is one of the easiest pickles that can be made by even a beginner. I would rather call it an appetizer or a mouth freshener than pickle. This is an instant pickle which can be immediately taken after preparing without any waiting. The ingredients that go into this dish is also very commonly available in our kitchens.

The pickle has got a very lovely taste. I cannot call it a too spicy pickle but it has got its own unique taste. It is a mouth watering pickle which leaves your mouth with water even as you smell it. As you bite into the piece, you will think that it is a mango piece which is tempered with ginger. Unless you say, it is made with mango ginger, nobody will believe it. 

Preparation

Peel the skin of the ginger with a spoon or a knife.

Chop them into small pieces or into thin circles. Squeeze the juice of a lemon into the chopped mango ginger pieces.

Add the chopped green chillies, salt, ......

.......cumin powder and black pepper powder.

Mix this well and store in an airtight container.

Keep refrigerated and enjoy when needed. It is generally served with curd rice or any dal. But I like to have it as an appetizer before lunch or as a mouth freshener as and when I feel like.

Ingredients

Mango Ginger  1 cup ( chopped )

Lemon 1 ( Juice of 1 lemon - medium sized )

Salt 1 tsp ( increase or decrease by 1/4 tsp according to your taste )

Black pepper powder  1 tsp

Cumin powder  1 tsp

Green chillies  3

Method

1. Peel the skin of the mango ginger and chop them into pieces or circles. Take these pieces in a container.
2. Add lemon juice, chopped green chillies, salt, cumin powder and black pepper powder in the pieces. 
3. Mix well and store in an airtight container. 
4. Keep refrigerated and use when required.

Notes

• Adding cumin powder is optional, but it gives a very nice taste to the dish. It is also good for digestion.
• This pickled ginger tastes best when used after 1 day. The ginger pieces absorb all the juices and spices and taste awesome after a day.

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