KERALA- GOD'S OWN COUNTRY
The unusual cuisine of
Kerala brings to the fore the culinary expertise of the people of Kerala.
Producing some of the tastiest foods on earth, the people of Kerala are gourmets
with a difference.
The cuisine is very hot and spicy and offers several gastronomic delights. The
food is generally fresh, aromatic and flavoured.
Since time immemorial, coconut has been an integral part of the cuisine of
Kerala.
ADA PRADHAMAN
Ada 1 pkt readymade
jaggery 400 grms
coconut milk 2 pkts readymade or freshly made from 2 coconuts
cardomom 6 powdered
coconut 1 tbsp finely sliced 1/2 cm pieces
cashews 10 (optional)
Wash cook ada in cooker or in boiling hot water till soft.
If fresh coconut is being used, scrape coconuts and blend it in mixer.
Make first, second and third milks separately.
If using readymade milk add enough water in order to create first,
second and third milk consistency with 2 packs of milk.
In a heavy bottomed vessel add jaggery and 1/2 cup water.
Boil to bring a thick string consistency. Add cooked ada.
Cook in slow flame for 5 mins. Now add third milk.
Cook for 5 mins and add second milk. Cook in slow flame for 10 mins.
Now add the first milk, elaichi and coconut slices roasted in ghee and a spoon of ghee.
Put off the stove immediately, as it tends to precipitate.
Serve hot or cold.
AVIAL
Red Pumpkin 100 grms
White pumpkin 100 grms
raw banana 1
potato 100 grms
carrot 2
beans 100 grms
broad beans 50 grms
brinjal 3
coconut 1/2 scraped
green chillies 2
coconut oil 1 tbsp
salt 2 sp
turmeric 1/2 sp
curry leaves few
curd 1 cup
Method
wash, peel and cut all veggies into 1 inch long pieces.
Cook with half of salt and turmeric in cooker just for 1 whistle.
Grind coconut and green chillies into a fine paste.
In a thick bottomed pan add the cooked veggies and the ground paste.
Add rest of the salt and allow it to cook for few mins.
now add the curd and put off the stove immediately.
Garnish with curry leaves and few drops of coconut oil.
Mix well and serve with rice and papadam.
ERISSERI
Raw banana 1
or red pumpkin 150 grms
coconut 1/2 scraped
salt 1 sp
turmeric 1/4 sp
red chilli powder 1/2 sp
jeera 1 sp
curry leaves few
mustard 1/4 sp
urad dal 1/2 sp
Wash, peel and cut banana or pumpkin into 1/2 inch cubes.
Cook with salt, red chilli powder and turmeric.
Grind half of the coconut and jeera into a fine paste.
Add this paste to the cooked veggie.Add water if required and allow it to cook for 5 mins.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan add mustard, urad, hing and curry leaves.
Let it splutter, now add the rest of the coconut and fry to a golden red color.
Add this to the veggie and put off the stove.
Serve hot with rice or chapathis.
PULI INJI
Tamarind big lemon sized pulped
ginger 4 cut pieces of 1 inch
Green chillies 5 slit
salt 1 sp full
jaggery marble sized
mustard 1/4 sp
urad dal 1/2 sp
hing 2 pinch
curry leaves few
turmeric 1/4 sp
Wash scrape and cut ginger into thin slivers. Slit green chillies.
soak and pulp tamarind into a thick liquid.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a thick pan, add mustard, urad dal, hing, curry leaves.
once spluttered add the green chillies and giner.Fry till color changes.
Now add the tamarind pulp, salt, turmeric and jaggery.
Allow it to cook in slow fire for 15 mins till the whole thing becomes a thick gray consistency.
MOLAGOOTAL
Moong dal 1 small cup
Murungakai(drum stick) 2 or
spinach 1 bunch or
cabbage 200 grms shredded or
white pumpkin 150 grms
coconut 3 tbsp
jeera 1 sp full
red chillies 2
salt 1 sp
mustard 1/4 sp
urad dal 1/2 sp
hing 1 pinch
curry leaves few( avoid if using spinach)
Wash the veggie and cut to small pieces.
Cook along with moong in cooker for 3 whistles with salt, turmeric and enough water.
Grind coconut, red chillies and jeera.( chick peas optional) into a fine paste.
Add this paste and rest of the salt to the cooked dal veggie mix.
Add water to make it to dal consistency.
Allow it to cook for 5 mins.
heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add mustard, urad, hing and Curry leaves.
Once spluttered add it to the dal.
THENGAI SAADHAM
coconut 1/2 scraped fine
cooked rice 1 cups
red chillies 2 broken
mustard 1/4 sp
urad dal 1/2 sp
chana dal 1/2 sp
curry leaves few
cashews 10
salt 1 sp
sugar 1 pinch
Wash and cook rice (non sticky). Cool in a plate.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add mustard, urad , chana, curry leaves, cashews, red chillies.
Once spluttered and color changes to golden red add the rice, sugar and salt and mix thoroughly.
Serve with pickles, chips and aloo fry.
ELAI ADAI.
rice flour 1 cup
coconut 1 scraped
jaggery 500 grms
cardomom 6 powdered
oil for making adas
banana leaves or aluminum foil for making elai adais 8 - 4 sq " pieces
In a heavy vessel add jaggery and 1/2 cup water. Boil until thick string.
Add coconut and ealichi powder. Mix well in order to make a thick mix.
This is called the 'poornam' or filling
Cool and make small lemon sized balls.
Mix rice flour, a pinch of salt with just enough water to make a thin dosa batter consistency.
Now in a small banana leaf apply 1/2 sp oil and grease well.
take a spoonful of batter and spread it into a thin dosa of 3 " diameter.
Now carefully place a ball of filling in the center. You can also take it in spoonfuls.
slightly flatten it to spread it to half of the center space over the dosa.
Now carefully fold the banana leaf into 2.
Note;- fresh leaf might cause difficulty. Alternatively you can slightly heat the leaf on a tawa.
once all elai adais are done in folds,
heat water in an idli cooker and place an ada in each idli spot.
Close and cook for 12 mins.
cool and slowly remove each ada.open the leaf carefully and remove the elai ada and place it on a plate.
Its a special kerala sweet delicacy.
Though elaborate the taste is worth the trouble.
BEANS THORAN
Thoran can be made with a variety of veggies. process is the same.
Beans 500 grms
salt 1 sp
red chillies 2 broken
mustard 1/4 sp
urad dal 1/2 sp
coconut 3 tbsp
Wash and cut beans into small pieces. Cook with salt and turmeric in cooker or microwave.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan add mustard, urad and red chillies. let it splutter.
Add beans remaining salt and coconut. Also a pinch of sugar. Mix well
Serve hot with sambhar and rice.