Lime Pickle

This is a Kerala Style Lime Pickle. Lime Pickle is often served with rice and curries in Malayalee homes. There are different versions of Lime Pickle. This is my style of making it.


Lovely Zlamushka of burntmouth is hosting the event a spoonful of Christmas. For the event, she wants food to be send as a Christmas Gift to someone you love. I thought of sending this Lime Pickle to my sweet little sister who lives in Dubai.
Ingredients:

Limes -16
Water -4 cups
Pickle masala powder -4 tbsp
Vinegar -1\2 cup
Ginger -3 tbsp chopped
Garlic -3 tbsp chopped
Green chillies -5 chopped
Curry leaves -3 srigs
Salt -2 tbsp or to taste
Gingelly oil -4 tbsp

Method:

Boil the water in a large vessel. Put off the fire and add the limes to it. Keep them immersed in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain and wipe dry. Cut each lime into 8 pieces. Heat oil in a kadai and add ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves. Fry till the garlic turns light brown. Add the pickle powder, salt and vinegar. Stir and immediately put off the fire. Add lime pieces and mix well. Cool to room temperature. Transfer the pickle to sterilized jars. Let it stand for 2 or 3 weeks before using. If there is no oil on top, turn the jar sideways so that the oil coats the lime pieces on top. Do this every two days. Refrigerate the pickle after opening since no preservative is added to it.

Snake Gourd Dal Curry

Padavalanga Parippu Curry

Ingredients:

Snake gourd -1\2 kg
Toor dal -1\2 cup
Grated coconut -1\2 cup
Green chillies -4
Turmeric powder -1\2 tsp
Cumin seeds -1\4 tsp
Water -2 cups
Salt -to taste

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds -1 tsp
Small onions -4 sliced
Dry red chillies -3 broken
Curry leaves -1 sprig
Oil -1 tbsp

Method:

Scrape the skin of the snake gourd and remove the seeds. Wash it and chop into small pieces. Wash the dal and put it into a pressure cooker. Add the chopped snake gourd and pour 2 cups of water. Add salt and cook for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, grind the coconut, green chillies, turmeric powder and cumin seeds to a fine paste. Open the lid of the cooker and add the ground coconut paste. Add water if the curry is too thick. Keep it on a medium flame and boil it for about 2 minutes. Put off the flame. Heat oil in a small pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add the small onions, dry red chillies and curry leaves. Fry till the onions turn light brown. Put off the fire and add the tempering to the curry. Mix well and serve hot with rice.

Kerala Banana Pulisseri

Nendhrapazha Pulisseri

Pulisseri is a famous Kerala dish. Here I have made the Pulisseri using ripe Kerala Bananas called Nendhrapazham or Ethapazham. It is a sweet and sour dish and is so yummy!

This is my entry for JFI hosted by Mandira.

What you need:

Ripe Kerala Bananas -2
Chilli powder -1\4 tsp
Turmeric powder -1\4 tsp
Water -2 cups
Grated coconut -1\2 cup
Green chillies -4
Cumin seeds -1\8 tsp
Turmeric powder -1\4 tsp
Curd -1 cup
Salt - to taste

For seasoning:

Oil -1 tbsp
Mustard seeds -1 tsp
Curry leaves -1 sprig
Dry red chillies -2 (seeds removed)

Method:

Remove the skin and cut the bananas into halves. Slice them into 1" pieces. Cook them with water, chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Grind the coconut, green chillies, turmeric powder and cumin seeds to a fine paste. Add this paste to the cooked bananas. Mix well and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add beaten curd and mix well. Keep stirring till it boils. Put off the fire. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add the curry leaves and dry red chillies. Pour this over the curry and mix well. Serve with steamed rice and pickle.

GBP - Bitter Gourd Thoran

I like growing vegetables in my compound. In February, I had a good harvest of Pumpkins from my backyard. This inspired me to grow Bitter Gourd this time. In April, I sowed the seeds, which were bought from a nursery. It began to give yield from last month onwards! Now, every week I get enough Bitter Gourds to make a dish!

Bitter Gourd climbing on to my Curry leaves Tree!

Bitter Gourds are rich in vitamins and have medicinal properties. Learn more about them here and here.

This is my contribution to Deepz of LETZCOOK who is hosting the Green Blog Project - Summer 2007 (April - Oct) event. Green Blog Project was started by Inji of Ginger and Mango.

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd -3 chopped
Onions -2 chopped
Green chillies -4 slit
Curry leaves -1 sprig
Turmeric powder -1\4 tsp
Grated coconut -1\2 cup
Salt -to taste
Mustard seeds -1\2 tsp
Cumin seeds - a pinch
Coconut oil -2 tbsp

Method:

In a pan, mix together bitter gourd, onions, green chillies, curry leaves, turmeric powder, grated coconut and salt. Keep it aside. Heat oil in a non stick pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the mixed ingredients. Cover and cook on a low flame. Open the lid every 5 minutes and mix well. Once it is cooked, remove the lid and fry for 2 minutes. If you prefer, you can add 1\2 tsp sugar to the thoran while frying. Serve it with steamed rice.

Avial

Avial is a famous Kerala vegetarian recipe. Is is one of the essential items served in 'Onasadhya'! A variety of vegetables like drumstick, carrot, yam, pumkin, string beans and snake gourd are used to make this recipe. In fact, you can use whatever vegetables are there in your kitchen!

What you need:

Mixed vegetables -3 cups

Small onions -5 sliced

Curry leaves -2 sprigs

Curd -1\2 cup

Grated coconut -1 cup

Green chillies -5

Turmeric powder -1\2 tsp

Cumin seeds -1\4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Coconut oil -2 tsp

Method:

Cook the vegetables, small onions and curry leaves with 2 cups of water. Meanwhile, grind grated coconut, green chillies, turmeric powder and cumin seeds to a coarse mixture, adding curd. Add this mixture to the cooked vegetables. Also add salt. Keep on a medium flame and stir continuously. When it starts boiling, add coconut oil, mix well and put off the fire. Serve it with rice.

Lady's Finger Stir Fry

Vendakka Mezhukkupuratti

This is my mom's recipe for Lady's Finger Stir Fry. It is very simple and easy to prepare. It goes well with rice and rotis.

Ingredients:

Lady's Finger -1\4 kg
Onion -1 sliced
Green chillies -2 slit
Turmeric powder -1\4 tsp
Pepper powder -1\4 tsp
Salt -to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Wash and clen the Lady' fingers. Wipe them with a towel. Cut them into one inch pieces. Heat oil in a nonstick pan, put in onions and greenchillies. Saute it for a few seconds. Add turmeric and pepper powders. Also add the Lady's finger and salt. Mix well and cover it with a lid. Cook on a low flame. Mix it very five minutes and again keep covered. Cook until it is tender. (Each time while opening the lid, make sure that the steam does not fall into the pan.) Now it is ready to be served!

Raw Mango in Coconut Milk (Manga Curry)

Hi everybody! This is my first posting. It is a very simple curry which you can make with very few ingredients. It is Mango season and raw mangoes are available everywhere! Try this raw mango curry which goes well with steamed rice.

Ingredients:

Raw Mango:1
Geen Chillies:4
Turmeric Powder:1\2 tsp
Salt: As required
Thick Coconut Milk:1\2 cup

For Seasoning:

Mustard seeds:1\2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds (uluva):1\8 tsp
Small onions:4 sliced
Curry leaves:1 sprig
Dry red chillies:3
Coconut oil:3 tsp

Method:

Remove the skin of the mango and wash it. Cut it into big pieces. Cook it in a pot along with two glasses of water, green chillies, turmeric powderand salt. Keep covered till done. Pour the thick coconut milk and mix well. Switch off the fire before boiling. In a pan, heat the oil. Splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add the small onions, curry leaves and dry red chillies. Fry them and pour over the curry. Mix well and serve hot with rice.