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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how to cook cauliflower indian style / gobi kurma curry / cauliflower recipes for rice or roti /

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 Cauliflower Gravy Curry / Cauliflower Kurma Curry / Gobi Curry for rice or roti 

 

This is the season for fresh and cheap veggies. All the veggies are so fresh and they are available in such cheap prices that whenever I visit the Santhe here, I tend to buy all veggies which are way too much for a family of four. I get really tempted to buy fresh and seasonal veggies which are available only in some seasons. Cauliflower is one such veggie which is available in different sizes especially during the winter season. On one such Sunday, I found the local market filled with cauliflowers ( so fresh ) that I couldn´t resist myself from purchasing four cauliflowers.

My family loves cauliflower in any way - cauliflower green peas fry, gravy, kurma etc,. I also add small pieces of cauliflower in upmas as well. They simply love the addition of cauliflower in basically anything. Since I had many cauliflowers at hand, I thought of preparing cauliflower kurma recipe. This is an Indian style of cooking cauliflower which is very easy to make with simple ingredients.

This cauliflower gravy or gobi curry is a perfect side dish for many varieties - chapathi, roti, naan, dosa, rice, pulav or any other mildly flavoured rice variety. This kurma curry was so much loved by my kids. This is indeed a spicy curry, but I have reduced the spice to suit my kids taste buds. All the spice lovers out there can increase the spice according to your liking.  

The secret to such an immense flavour and aroma to this cauliflower curry lies in the list of the ingredients that go into the preparation of the masala ( gravy ). Each ingredient blends so well with the others making it an ultimate combo that suits very well with the cooked and roasted cauliflower florets. Needless to mention, this is yet another healthy food recipe that has been added to this blog . I hope each one of you will prepare this spicy and flavourful curry and enjoy with your family.

You can also view my Mixed Vegetable Curry which tastes amazing with chapathi or naan.

Preparation

Separate the cauliflower into small florets and wash carefully. Make sure that you remove all the insects if any. Cook these florets in water until they change their colour slightly and become a little softer.

While the florets are getting cooked, we will prepare the masala. Grind onion, garlic, ginger, cashew, poppy seeds, cloves, dalchin, coconut pieces and cardamom in a mixie to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Now if the florets are done, switch off the flame and drain the water.

Do not throw away the water. We are going to use this water for the preparation of this gobi kurma. Keep the cooked pieces in a colander. Take a pan and heat 1 tbsp. of oil in it. Add the cooked cauliflower florets and let them get roasted for a while. Keep stirring occasionally.

Once they are roasted, transfer to another plate and set aside. In the same pan, add remaining oil and add cumin seeds.

When they splutter, add turmeric powder and add the ground masala.

Add salt and mix well and allow it cook on a low flame until the masala releases the oil on the sides. While this is getting cooked, prepare the tomato puree and keep aside.

Once the masala releases oil on the sides, add the tomato puree and mix well.

Add coriander powder and chilli powder and cook covered on a low flame ....

....until you see oil floating on the top of the gravy.

Now add water and add the roasted cauliflower florets and mix.

Add milk and cook for some more time.

Check for salt and spice and switch off the flame.

Serve hot after garnishing with cream and coriander leaves. 

Ingredients

Cauliflower 2 ( small ) Or 6 cups of florets

Chilli powder 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves to garnish

Oil 3 tbsp

Tomatoes 2  ( small )

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Turmeric 1 tsp

Coriander powder 1 1/2 tsp

Milk 1/2 cup

To Grind

Onion 2 ( diced )

Cashew 1/4 cup

Garlic 6

Ginger 1"piece

Poppy seeds 3 tsp

Cloves 4

Dalchin 1"piece

Coconut 3 tbsp ( finely chopped )

Cardamom 2

Method

1. Wash the florets, blanch and keep aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a pan and fry the florets. Transfer to a plate and keep aside.
3. Grind all the ingredients that are mentioned under ´´ To Grind ´´ and prepare the masala.
4. Heat remaining oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and turmeric powder.
5. When the cumin seeds crackle, add the ground masala and salt and mix well.
6. Cook on a low flame until the oil releases from the sides. 
7. Now add the tomato puree, chilli powder and coriander powder and mix well. Cook covered on a low flame until the oil starts floating on top of the gravy. 
8. Now add some water, fried cauliflower florets and milk. Mix well. 
9. Check for salt and spice and cook for a few more minutes. 
10. Garnish with coriander leaves and cream and serve hot with rice, roti, chapathi, dosa or any other flavored rice.

Notes

• You can increase or decrease the amount of spice as per your desire. 
• Adding milk is optional but it gives a richness to the curry. 
• Other veggies like green peas, beans, potatoes can also be added to this kurma curry.

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Snake Gourd Poriyal / Pudalangai Recipes / Snake Gourd

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Snake Gourd Poriyal / Pudalangai Recipes / Snake Gourd

Snake gourd Poriyal is a simple yet delicious dish that can be prepared in minutes. Snake gourd is also known as potlakaya in Telugu and pudalangai in Tamil. It is known for its numerous health benefits. They contain very high amounts of nutrients, vitamins and minerals which also include significant levels of dietary fibres. They are low in calories and are also rich in proteins.  

I have previously shared the snake gourd sesame seeds curry which is an excellent side dish for roti or chapathi. Snake gourd poriyal or potlakaya fry ( in telugu ) is a dry curry which is perfect to go with rice and sambar or rasam. Since this healthy curry recipe is mildly spiced, it is a best combo to go with spicy and tangy dishes like thotakura pappu ( amaranth dal ),  spinach dal, Chukka Kura Pappu and bendakaya pulusu ( ladies finger stew ). …….

Preparation

Remove the white portion on the skin of the snake gourd and cut in vertical pieces. Discard the inner pulp along with the seeds and chop the remaining portion into small pieces. Keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and do the tempering with mustard, cumin and red chillies.

When the seeds crackle, add the chopped onions and sauté for a minute.

Add the turmeric powder ......

..... and the chopped snake gourd pieces and mix well.

Add salt and sugar, mix and cook covered ......

..... until the pieces are soft and tender. Keep stirring occasionally.

Once the snake gourd pieces are cooked , add the grated coconut.

Add little chilli powder, flax seed powder and mix well.

Cook for 2-3 minutes. Check for seasoning and switch off the flame. Serve hot as an accompaniment with rice.

Ingredients

Snake gourd  2 ( big )

Oil  1 tbsp

Mustard seeds  1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds  1 tsp

Red chillies  1 Or 2

Onions  1 small

Turmeric powder  1/2 tsp

Salt  to taste

Sugar  1 tsp

Grated Coconut  few tbsps

Chilli powder  1/2 tsp

Flax seeds powder  1 tsp

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan and do the tempering with mustard, cumin seeds and dry red chillies.
2. Add onion and cook until pink in colour.
3. Add the turmeric powder and chopped snake gourd pieces and mix well.
4. Add salt and sugar and cook covered until the pieces become soft, ( stirring occasionally ).
5. Once cooked, add grated coconut and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add little chilli powder, flax seeds powder and cook for another minute.
7. Switch off the flame and serve hot with rice.

Notes

• Adding flax seed powder is optional. But it gives a nutty flavour and also very good health wise. 
• You can add any kind of lentils during tempering. 
• You can skip the onions to make it a no onion and no garlic version of the curry.

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Pappu lo undrallu / undrallu in lentils / chavithi

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Pappu Undrallu / Pappu Lo Undrallu

Pappu undrallu is a tasty and tempting sweet dessert which is usually made for the festive season of Vinayak Chavithi. This is one of the three versions of the undrallu. The other two being

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