Vazhakoombu Thoran

A dish made from the flower of plantain...

An everyday dish from my childhood but here in Doha its like a special dish.For many days i was craving for this and managed to find a vazhakoombu from one of the supermarkets... I remember the fights we kids had made for the honey from vazhakoombu and amma was always in the middle as peacemaker...I am nurturing these memories realising that it would be a distant dream to happen again.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

1. Vazhakoombu ( Nicely Chopped) - 1 No
2. Pressure cooked Green gram- one and a half cup

3. Grated cocunut- 1 cup

4. Garlic- 2 Pods

5. Shallots - 8- 10 Nos

6. Cumin Powder- 1/2 tsp

7. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

8. Green Chilly - 4-5 Nos

9. Salt - As required

10. Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp

11. Red chilly- 1 0r 2 Nos.

12. Curry leaves

Method:-

Chop vazhakoombu nicely into water and this will help to reduce its bitterness.Then wash it two or three times and drain it.Grind coconut, shallots, cumin powder, turmeric powder and garlic. Don't make it to a fine paste, it should be coarse.Then add the mixture, slitted green chillies and green gram into drained vazhakoombu and mix it well with hand.Heat a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Then add curry leaves, dried red chilly and koombu mix.Add salt as necessary. Then cook in low flame for 10-15 min in a closed pan with occasional stirring. It goes well with rice.

Simple Chembu Curry

This is my moms special and i love it .... Especially on rainy days with rice ... wahhh

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1. Chembu (small) - 5 to 6 Nos
2. Grated Coconut-1 / 4 Cup

3. Green Chillies - 2 Nos

4. Cumin powder-A pinch

5.Garlic-1 Pod

6.Turmeric Powder-1 Tsp

7.Chilly Powder-1 Tsp

8.Cocum-1 small piece
9.Salt-As required

Method:

Peel chembu, cut into medium pieces and wash it well. Cook chembu with turmeric powder and chilly powder untill it is soft. Add cocum and boil it for 3 minutes. Then grind coconut, garlic, cumin powder and green chillies into a paste. Add the grounded paste to the cooked chembu and heat it for 5 minutes.For seasoningHeat oil in a pan and splutter mustards.Then add curry leaves, small onion and dry red chillies and saute it well.Add it to the curry.

Vellarikka Curry

Today i dint know what to cook for lunch...But vellarikka was there..then my grand mother (ammachi) phoned me up and asked whats for lunch.I said nothing yet and She gave me this recipe.Here it is....

Ingredients

1. Vellarikka ( sliced into small pieces) - 1 Cup
2. Grated coocnut- 1/4 cup
3. Shallots- 4 or 5Nos.
4. Green Chillies- 2 Nos.
5. Cumin Powder- 1/4 Tsp
6. Turmeric Powder- 1 Tsp
7. Curd- 2 Tbsp
8. Red Chilly- 1 No
9. Mustard Seeds- 1/2 Tsp
10. Salt- As required
11. Curry leaves

Method.

Cook vellarikka in a pan with little water, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and a pinch of salt. Grind coconut, shallots, cumin powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, green chillies and make it into a fine paste. Then add the grounded mixture into cooked vellarikka and boil it for 3 minutes.Then add whipped curd and heat it in low flame.Please do not boil after adding curd.

For Seasoning:-

Splutter mustard seeds in Oil ; add curry leaves and red chilly. Add it to the curry.

Upma

Upma really is for busy days and lazy days.....In my childhood i used to hate this breakfast but after getting into college and having it from hostel; OMG i started to love my moms Upma...This upma receipe is a result of many trials and errors and at last it came out well.

Upma (Serves 1)

Ingredients

1. Rava- 1/2 Cup
2. Shallots Sliced - 3 nos
3. Moong Dal- 1 Tbsp
4. Chillies (slitted)- 2
5. Ginger Chopped- 1/4 Inch
6. Carrots chopped- 3 Tbsp
7. Water- One and a half Cup
8. Ghee/ Oil- 1Tbsp
9. Mustard Seeds- 1 Tsp
10. Salt - As needed

Method:

Roast Rava in a pan and keep aside. Then take a pressure cooker , add ghee and splutter mustard seeds.Add Moong Dal and saute it well till it turns light brown. Then add shallots, ginger, chillies, carrot and curry leaves and saute it well for three minutes. Add salt to water as required and pour it to the cooker and allow it to boil.Then add Rava and close the cooker. Cook in high flame for 2- 3 whistles.