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Showing posts with label Onam Sadya Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Onam Sadya Recipes. Show all posts

Friday, September 13, 2013

Instant Mango Pickle - Spicy Kerala Mango Pickle Recipe

This Kerala-style instant mango pickle is super easy to prepare, spicy, and uses sour raw mangoes which give it an amazing flavour. This mango pickle or manga curry is an important condiment addition to the Onam sadya or Kerala wedding sadya along with the lime pickle or naranga curry. While different parts of Kerala and different communities prepare this simple mango pickle differently, the base recipe remains the same and you can add or subtract ingredients to your preference. While I love the sweet mango pickle that amma makes, this instant spicy mango pickle does hold a special place in my heart.

kerala mango pickle-instant mango pickle-manga curry

I made this mango pickle a few months ago when raw mangoes were in season in Singapore and distributed it to a few friends who loved it! I don't make pickles at home often since I have a few favourite brands of pickles I buy from the stores and amma makes some for me when I visit her. Since our consumption is so low, making pickles at home in bulk is hardly necessary.

kerala mango pickle-instant mango pickle-manga curry

However, after making this mango pickle with just one mango, I regretted not making more since it came out so nice and flavourful. Use the ingredient and amounts as guidelines and check the notes for some additional customizations you can make to suit your palates. Check out the Onam Sadya Menu here and also notes on how to serve an Onam Sadya.

KERALA-STYLE INSTANT MANGO PICKLE RECIPE

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Makes 2 cups
Recipe source: Amma

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of raw mangoes, with skin, cut into cubes
2 tbsp of salt (you may need to adjust this)
1/4 cup of oil
2.5 tsp of black mustard seeds (kaduku)
1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds (uluva)
2 strands of curry leaves
2-3 tsp of red chilli powder
2 tsp of vinegar (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add salt to the cut mango pieces and set aside for 20-30 mins.
kerala mango pickle-instant mango pickle-manga curry

2. Combine 2 tsp mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds together...
kerala mango pickle-instant mango pickle-manga curry-2

... and powder it together. You can make it a finer powder or leave it a bot coarse like I did.
kerala mango pickle-instant mango pickle-manga curry-3

3. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, turn off the flame and add the powdered mustard+fenugreek.
kerala mango pickle-instant mango pickle-manga curry-5

4. Quickly follow with the chilli powder and curry leaves and stir vigorously for 5 seconds.
kerala mango pickle-instant mango pickle-manga curry-6

5. Tip in the salted mangoes and mix well, adding salt and vinegar (if using).
kerala mango pickle-instant mango pickle-manga curry-7

The entire mixture will come together in the residual heat of the pan. That's it! The mango pickle is ready.
kerala mango pickle-instant mango pickle-manga curry-8

Let it sit in the same pan until completely cooled and then transfer to a dry glass jar. Store refrigerated and use up within a week. Always use a dry spoon to serve the pickle.

Notes:
  1. You can make customizations to this pickle by adding 1/2 powdered jaggery, a few garlic cloves, green chillies instead of red chilli powder (my favourite!), etc
  2. I generally add the vinegar if the mangoes are not sour enough. It also helps to preserve the pickle longer. I didn't add any for this batch
  3. Leave the skin of the mangoes on, especially if they are too sour, otherwise the pickle will become mushy and too sour
  4. Adjust chilli powder and salt to your preference. Don't be stingy on the salt though, it acts as a preservative. Also, if you like a fiery red pickle but not the heat, add Kashmiri chilli powder like I did
  5. Take care not to burn the spices, that's why we turn the heat off adter initially heating the pan well

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Onam 2013 - Onam Sadya Recipes and How to Serve a Kerala Sadya

Yet another Onam is upon us and falls on September 16, 2013 this year. This time I am the furthest from home that I have ever been. To help with your Onam Sadya preparation, I have a list of sadya recipes below including puli inji, erissery, kaalan, olan, thoran, avial, kadumanga, ada pradhaman, paal payasam, and pulissery. I have also given a note below on how to serve an Onam Sadya and in what order to serve the dishes in.


Making an entire sadya this year may not happen but I to celebrate Onam 2013 in my own small way, I am making Kerala sadya recipes for dinner, not everything in one go but all the dishes that I like one by one. Tonight it's going to be Kerala Sambar, Avial, and Semiya Pasayam. 

ONAM SADYA RECIPES (in order of serving on the banana leaf)

Salt
Pappadam
Ripe Banana
Banana Chips (Upperi)
Sharkara Varatti
Mango Pickle or Manga Curry
Lime Pickle or Naranga Curry
Thoran - cabbage thoran, beetroot thoran, papaya thoran, etc (any one kind)
Boiled Rice

HOW TO SERVE ONAM SADYA

You should use tender banana leaves to serve the sadya in. The tip of the banana leaf should be facing the left of the person eating. Start serving from the tip side of the leaf and use the top half (from the person eating) for all the curries. The first item is always a pinch of salt. Then you continue serving Kerala papadom, ripe banana, banana chips, sharakara varatti and so on moving to the right of the leaf as you go. End with thoran on the right most side (of the person eating). 

Rice is served after all the curries are served first. Parippu curry is the first course and always served with melted ghee. Once that's done, serve Sambar. Make sure to top up curries as they run out on the leaf. After sambar, it's pulissery or moru curry. Inji curry is a great combination with this course. 

The savoury part of the meal ends with moru kachiyathu and rice. Thick curd as is common in Tamil Nadu weddings and sadya is not so common in Kerala. Spiced buttermilk and rice is more the norm. Also, I have never seen rasam being served in a Kerala sadya but that could be because I haven't eaten that many sadyas in my life. 

The sadya ends with payasam, almost always with 2 varieties - one that's jaggery and coconut mil-based and one that's milk-based. Sweets like boli and jalebi are uncommon although I have seen some sadyas that include them. 

Disclaimer: I am, by no means, an authority on Kerala sadyas and this post is meant to be a directive only. I am from Kottayam and this is generally how it works where I am from but there are differences in how it's done across Kerala. For instance, in Kottayam we call banana chips upperi whereas in North Kerala, upperi means thoran and banana chips are called kaya varuthathu. So, any possible mistakes and oversights are regretted.


Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Avial Recipe - Kerala Style Aviyal - Onam Sadya Recipes

Avial or Aviyal is one of the first recipes I shared on Edible Garden. Since Onam 2013 is fast approaching, I wanted to revisit this Onam Sadya essential. Avial has many variations since it's a South Indian recipe and even within Kerala, it's made in a few different ways. Personally, I prefer the semi-dry avial that amma makes without adding curd. We add sour raw mangoes for tartness and that works perfectly without making the avial too dilute or watery. This is probably the South Kerala style of making avial.

avial recipe-kerala aviyal recipe-onam sadya recipes

Like many many dishes around the world, avial was born out of the need to use up leftover vegetables, I am sure. There are many different variations to avial like this raw cashew avial, tomato avial, and the more popular mixed vegetable aviyal. We generally use the same list of vegetables but it's ok if one or two of them is missing due to seasonality or non availability.

avial ingredients
Vegetables for Kerala Avial

I must, however, that the fresher the vegetables, the better. I once made aviyal with a frozen bag of vegetables and it was just average-tasting although my coconut was fresh. Using a mix of frozen and fresh vegetables, whatever is available where you live, is better than using just a bag of frozen ingredients for this dish.

avial recipe-kerala aviyal recipe-onam sadya recipes

Here's an almost-complete list of Onam Sadya Recipes. I will add on more as we come closer to Onam 2013. Excited!

Preparation notes: It's important to cut the vegetables the same way for even cooking. Generally, the vegetables are cut into 3"long 1/2" wide strips and cooked in a staggered manner, clubbing the ones that have same cooking time together. I have referred to them as "strips" in the ingredients list. have also added more details on cooking time in the instructions below.

KERALA-STYLE AVIAL RECIPE

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 4-6
Recipe source: Suma, our cook

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup of carrots strips
1/2 cup of snake gourd strips
1/2 cup of brinjal strips
1/2 cup of raw banana strips
1/2 cup of jackfruit seeds, quartered lengthwise
1/2 cup of elephant yam strips
1/2 cup of old cucumber strips
6 3" long drumstick pieces
1/2 cup of raw mango strips
2 cups of grated coconut
1 tsp of powdered jeera (cumin, jeerakam)
1 tsp of red chilli powder
2-3 green chillies
1/2 tsp of turmeric pwoder
2 tbsp of coconut oil
A few curry leaves

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add all the cut vegetables except mangoes to a large cooking pot (we use the traditional kal chatti or stone pot to make aviyal at home). Top off with half the turmeric powder, jeera, curry leaves, and chilli powder. Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup water and mix well.

The vegetables we used have more less less the same cooking time except mangoes which cook much quicker. So we add them later when adding the coconut mixture.

avial recipe-kerala aviyal recipe-onam sadya recipes-2

2. Cook covered on a low flame for about 10-12 mins or until the vegetables are cooked yet hold their shape. Take care not to cook them to a mush, I would suggest checking every 5 mins to confirm this.
avial recipe-kerala aviyal recipe-onam sadya recipes-7

3. Meanwhile, grind together - coconut+green chillies+ remaining turmeric+some more curry leaves to a coarse paste without adding water.
avial recipe-kerala aviyal recipe-onam sadya recipes-3

4. Check that your vegetables are almost cooked through. They would have let out a fair amount of water while cooking and this is good.
avial recipe-kerala aviyal recipe-onam sadya recipes-8

5. Add the ground coconut mixture on top along with requirement amount of salt and the mango strips. Without mixing, cook covered for another 3-4 mins.
avial recipe-kerala aviyal recipe-onam sadya recipes-5

6. That's it! Mix the coconut mixture in gently and remove from flame. The avial will be a bit watery still but it will dry up as the vegetables absord it as they sit. Drizzle the coconut oil on top and mix gently. Set aside covered loosely for an hour before serving.
avial recipe-kerala aviyal recipe-onam sadya recipes-9

Notes:
  1. If you don't have raw mangoes in hand or they are not sour enough, you can add 1 tbsp tamarind water or sour curd. Mangoes lend a much better flavour to aviyal though
  2. Note that avial is not tempered so it's important to add the oil at the end
  3. It's important to cook the vegetables in a low flame so as to retain the moisture level and so that it doesn't start burning from the bottom
  4. You can adjust the amount of coconut to your preference
  5. Our version of Aviyal is a no-onion no-garlic recipe

Monday, September 9, 2013

Ada Pradhaman - Kerala Ada Pradhaman for Onam - Step by Step

Ada Pradhaman, finally! This Kerala-style ada pradhaman or payasam is my absolute favourite and it's blasphemous that it took me 6 long years to share the recipe here. Amma and I made this ada pradhaman during my trip to Kottayam in July and I absolutely insist you all make it this year for Onam sadya this year. What's Onam without some ada pradhaman as part of your sadya, I ask!

ada pradhaman-ada payasam-onam payasam recipe

While palada pradhaman uses the same ada, the process for making this jaggery-based payasam is more tedious but with good reason. It's way more delicious and you can make it vegan by omitting the ghee added to it! It's coconut milk all the way and we made some fresh coconut milk for ada pradhaman. You need coconut milk with two levels of thickness (ideally three), also called onnaam paal and rendaam paal in Malayalam.

Ada Pradhaman is delicious served warm at the end of your Onam Sadya right on the banana leaf or you can serve it warm or chilled in a glass with a spoon so you can scoop up the ada as you go. Talking about this is seriously making me homesick!

ada pradhaman-ada payasam-onam payasam recipe

Note: If making coconut milk at home, you can follow instructions in my post on how to make coconut milk at home. If using store-bought coconut milk, dilute the coconut milk by adding equal amounts of water to get the thinner coconut milk or rendaam paal.

If you like jaggery-based payasams like me, try this parippu payasam or payar payasam too. Browse more Onam Payasam Recipes here.

KERALA ADA PRADHAMAN RECIPE

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 6-8
Recipe Source: Amma

INGREDIENTS:
100 gm of rice ada
250 gm of grated jaggery
5 cups of thin coconut milk (rendaam paal)
1 cup of thick coconut milk (onnaam paal)
2 tbsp of ghee
1/4 tsp of cardamom powder
1/4 tsp of roasted and powdered jeera (cumin)
1/4 tsp of dry ginger powder (chukku)
2 tbsp of coconut pieces
12 oraisins
12 cashew nuts

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. It's best to get the jaggery melted and sieved first. If you know your jaggery has no impurities, then you can skip this but generally, it's best to add about 1 cup water to your jaggery, melt it down on the stove, and pass it through a sieve. Set this aside until needed.
ada pradhaman-ada payasam-onam payasam recipe

2. Pre-cook your ada according to package instructions. We brought some water+thinnest coconut milk (moonnam paal) to a rolling boil, turned off the flame, and soaked the ada in it for 15 mins. You can just use water for this, no need for coconut milk at this stage.
ada pradhaman-ada payasam-onam payasam recipe-2

3. Next, add the thin coconut milk to the ada and cook until it turns soft. The mixture will turn a gloopy (in a nice way) and thicken. This took about 12 mins or so for the ada we used.
ada pradhaman-ada payasam-onam payasam recipe-9

4. Add the melted jaggery to this and simmer for another 5-10 mins. You only need to stir it occasionally, not continuously.
ada pradhaman-ada payasam-onam payasam recipe-11

5. While the above mixture bubbles away, let's prep the coconut pieces, raisins, and cashews. Heat the ghee and roast the coconut pieces first until completely darkened. You have to make sure it's totally brown and almost-black.
ada pradhaman-ada payasam-onam payasam recipe-7

6. Drain the coconut pieces and add the cashew nuts and raisins. Roast until golden brown and drain.
ada pradhaman-ada payasam-onam payasam recipe-8

7. Getting back to our simmering payasam, add in the thick coconut milk at this point, mix once and turn off the flame. Don't boil the payasam after this, otherwise the coconut milk will curdle.
ada pradhaman-ada payasam-onam payasam recipe-12

9. Almost done! Add the spice powders - cardamom, dry ginger, cumin - long with the roasted coconut, raisins and cashews and the ghee used to roast them in. Mix well and let the payasam sit for a bit for the flavours to mingle and settle.
ada pradhaman-ada payasam-onam payasam recipe-15

Notes:
- The Kerala jaggery we used is a much darker colour and unsalted. This works best for ada pradhaman but if you can't find it where you live, use the regular jaggery
- To adjust sweetness levels if necessary, add coconut milk or sugar according to which way you want to go
- Make your own coconut milk. It makes the payasam taste that much better
- We used and prefer and rice ada but you can also use flour ada to make ada pradhaman. Follow package instructions to cook them since different types and brands of ada require different cooking times

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Pulissery Recipe - Kerala Pulissery Recipe for Onam Sadya

Pulissery or Moru Curry is served in a typical Kerala sadya or Onam sadya towards the end of the meal. While the more popular Pulissery is Mambazha Pulissery, made with ripe mangoes giving the curry a sweet-sour flavour, my favourite kind uses a gourd of some kind or yam (chena). I really wanted to make a Kerala meal for lunch this weekend and specifically shopped for ingredients to make Pulissery since it's so easy and oh so Keralan.

kerala pulissery recipe-onam sadya recipes

Pulissery is a spiced buttermilk curry with a coconut base. The coconut is ground with spices much like for thoran but the curry is sour (puli=sourness) due to the yogurt we add in. I have seen many variations of Pulissery depending on the region and community in Kerala one comes from and I have made this based on my memories of last eating it and what ingredients I had in hand.

kerala pulissery recipe-onam sadya recipes

You can make pulissery with ripe mangoes (mambazha pulissery), yam, raw banana or vazhakka pulissery, any type of gourd like ash gourd, taro or chembu, which is what I used. Depending on the type of chillies you use, your pulissery can range in colour from a mild yellow to a dark orange. I absolutely love this curry with rice and can't imagine why I don't make it more often.

Kerala Lunch-Pulissery-Thoran-Mezhukkupuratti-Chips

Here's our lunch plate on Sunday. I made pulissery, kovakka thoran, Kerala-style potato roast or mezhukkupuratti, and we had it with store-bought banana chips. Delicious!

Here's a list of Onam Sadya Recipes for to make your Onam preps easier.

KERALA CHEMBU PULISSERY RECIPE

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes ~ 3 cups
Serves 4-6 as part of a sadya

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup of peeled, washed, and cubed taro (chembu)
1/2 cup of yogurt or plain curd (the more sour it is, the better)
For grinding:
1/2 cup of fresh or frozen coconut
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds (jeerakam)
1 shallot (ulli, chinna vengayam)
1/2 tsp of red chilli powder
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
For tempering:
1 tsp of coconut oil
1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds
4-5 grains of fenugreek seeds or uluva (optional)
1 red chilli, torn into pieces
A few curry leaves

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook the taro in about 1 cup water until soft.
kerala pulissery recipe-onam sadya recipes

2. Meanwhile, grind the coconut+cumin+shallot+turmeric+chilli powder to a smooth paste adding water
kerala pulissery recipe-onam sadya recipes-2
kerala pulissery recipe-onam sadya recipes-3

3. When the taro has cooked (check if it breaks apart easily when you press with the back of a spoon or your fingertips), add the ground coconut paste to it and simmer for 3-4 mins.
kerala pulissery recipe-onam sadya recipes-4

4. Meanwhile, beat the curd with 1/2 cup water until smooth. When the taro-coconut mixture has simmered for about 4 mins, turn off flame and add the beaten curd. Mix well.
kerala pulissery recipe-onam sadya recipes-5

5. Heat oil in a small pan for tempering. Add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds (if using), red chillies, and curry leaves.
kerala pulissery recipe-onam sadya recipes-6

6. When the mustard seeds pop, add the tempered ingredients to the curry. Mix well, add salt, and keep closed for the flavours to mingle until serving time.
kerala pulissery recipe-onam sadya recipes-7

NOTES:
  1. You can grind 1 or 2 green chillies with the coconut instead of chilli powder. This will give your pulissery a milder colour
  2. You can grind ginger or garlic (or both) with the coconut mixture
  3. Add some sliced shallots or ulli along with the ingredients while tempering. This will give your pulissery a nice flavour. It's up to personal taste though
  4. Pulissery is one of the components of an Onam Sadya you can make ahead or even the day before. Make sure to refrigerate as soon as it has cooled down and don't reheat it (or the curd will curdle). Just leave it out an hour or two before serving and let it come to room temperature
  5. If you don't have sour curd, the pulissery won't have an authentic taste. It will still taste great though
  6. Adjust the amount of water to get a thicker or thinner pulissery. I like mine on the runny side
  7. You can use ash gourd, pumpkin, raw banana, raw papaya, ripe mangoes, taro, yam, etc to make pulissery

Saturday, August 10, 2013

No-Oil Lime Pickle Recipe - Easy Indian Pickle (Onam Sadya Recipes)

no oil lime pickle recipe

Lime pickle is one of those things I choose as an afterthought, although amma makes this lovely no-oil no-cook lime pickle with green chillies for flavour, often with homegrown limes from generous friends and family. Mango pickle or mango ginger is my first choice and while I don't like the ever-popular kannimaanga or mavudu pickle, a good lime pickle I am game for almost always. In fact, no other pickle complements vegetable biryani like a lime pickle can. My aunt used to make a lovely green chilli lime pickle that was pale yellow in colour and absolutely delicious. I used to eat that with everything as a child and demand my mom to make the same. She rarely listened though, always defaulting to the gorgeous red counterpart of my favourite lime pickle.

no oil lime pickle recipe

Indian Pickles are easy to make if you know the right proportions of all your ingredients and use abundant patience and care. I don't possess much patience so I just bring back bottles of homemade pickle from anyone who'd care to share a bottle from their share. In fact, the only pickle I buy is the Priya mango ginger pickle, which you must try if you haven't already.

Lime Pickles are a standard addition to Onam Sadya and since we have Onam fast approaching, it's time to make a batch of lime pickle and let it soften in the pickling juices, right in time for Onam. If you are making Indian pickles for the first time. this lime pickle using no oil and requiring no cooking is a great one to start with.

Amma usually uses 25 limes which she says yields one Horlicks bottle full of pickle. I have to tried to quantity this more accurately but please note that it depends on the size of your limes and the pickling jar you use. If you are looking for more pickle recipes, check this water apple pickle, and sweet mango pickle.

OIL-FREE NO-COOK INDIAN LIME PICKLE RECIPE

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Pickling time: up to 1 month
Makes ~ 800 gm of pickle
Recipe source: My Mom

INGREDIENTS:
  • 25 limes
  • 250 gm of rock salt (see notes)
  • 1/2 tsp of hing, perungaayam, kaayam
  • 4 tbsp of Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 15 Indian green chillies (add more or less depending on the heat of the chillies you are using)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Take out a glass or plastic jar that can hold about 1 kilo of pickle. Make sure it's clean and completely dry.

2. Wash and pat dry the limes. Quarter them (or cut each into 6 wedges if you prefer smaller pieces), seeds and all.

3. Transfer lime pieces into the jar along with the salt, chilli powder, and hing. Mix well.

4. You need to keep this mixture covered for 4 days on your kitchen coutertop, mixing it thoroughly once every day with a clean, dry spoon. The lime will give out a lot of water during this time and settle in the bottle quite a bit.

5. On the fourth day, slit the green chillies and add to the lime pickle. Make sure the chillies are washed and dried before you do this.

6. Keep this mixture for another 4 days on your kitchen countertop, mixing once a day as before.

The lime pickle is ready for use after 8 days but if you want the skin of the lime to be soft, then it will take about a month. The lime pickle rarely lasts that long in our house though.

Notes:
  • Always use dry everything - jar, spoons, lime. chillies
  • You need to use rock salt or sea salt that doesn't have iodine in it. Amma is not sure why but iodized salt doesn't work well for this pickle
  • I recommend a glass jar for the pickle, or an old-fashioned bharani if you have one lying around
  • You can add whole garlic pieces along with the chillies and omit the red chilli powder to make a "white lemon pickle" which I personally love

Friday, May 31, 2013

Beetroot Carrot Thoran Recipe - Onam Sadya Recipes

When I shared the beetroot carrot stir fry recipe a couple days back, I mentioned how I love this combination of carrots and beetroots. In case you guys didn't believe me then, I have this beetroot carrot thoran to prove it!

carrot beetroot thoran recipe - kerala style

Since I was dealing with a large batch of carrots and beetroots that day, I made both the stir fry and the thoran on the same day. Although there was a bit of chopping and grating involved, no complaints from me!

carrot beetroot thoran recipe - kerala style

Any kind of thoran is an essential ingredient in an Onam Sadya and usually people go with a cabbage thoran. Beetroot is more commonly added to a pachadi in the form of beetroot pachadi but if it were up to me and I was the one making all those long list of dishes for Onam, I'd go with an okra pachadi and carrot beetroot thoran!

carrot beetroot thoran recipe - kerala style

Kerala Beetroot Carrot Thoran Recipe

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cupof grated beetroots
1 cupof grated carrots
1/2 cup of grated coconut
1 tsp of cumin seeds, jeerakam
2-3 shallots, ulli
1 tsp of red chilli powder (or 2 green chilllies)
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of split urad, uzhunnu parippu
1 strand of curry leaves
1 tsp of salt (adjust to taste)
1 clove of garlic

How to Make Beetroot Carrot Thoran:

1. Heat oil and add the mustard seeds and urad dal.When the mustards pop, add the grated beetroot, carrots, and some salt. Mix well to coat the beets with the oil and cook on low flame, stirring occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, grate the coconut, shallots, chilli powder, turmeric, garlic, and cumin into a course mixture without adding any water.

4. When the beets are almost soft, add the ground coconut mixture to it along with the curry leaves. Mix well and continue to cook on low flame, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are completely cooked and soft.

Kerala-Style Beetroot Carrot Thoran is now ready. This is a great recipe to make in larger quantities since grating the vegetables is much easier than chopping a bunch of vegetables. Carrot Beetroot Thoran is also a great addition to an Onam Sadya Menu!

Thoran generally goes really well with Kerala Sambar 

Notes:
- Sprinkle some water if you feel the vegetables are starting to burn as you cook it. Do not add more water than is absolutely required
- You may need more red chilli powder or chillies than you think because both carrots and beetroots are sweet

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Breadfruit Thoran - Kadachakka Thoran - Kerala Thoran Recipes

Kadachakka thoran is my mom's most favourite dish. Or atleast that's what she always answered when I was 8 and annoying and constantly asked her questions like "amma, what's your most favourite food on earth". I love this spongy fruit too and when kadachakka (or breadfruit) is in season, we often have this thoran and kadachakka mezhukkupuratti back to back.

kadachakka thoran - breadfruit thoran recipe

Recently, my uncle visited me in Singapore and since breadfruit was in season, she sent me a small wedge. I chopped it up into small cubes and made thoran with it. We had it with chapati and some yellow dal tadka, an unusual combination for a thoran but much enjoyed nevertheless. The best thing about thorans is that it works with most vegetables and is super easy to put together for a quick lunch.

KADACHAKKA THORAN RECIPE

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients:
  • 3 cups of breadfruit or kadachakka, peeled and cut into small cubes
  • 1/3 cup of grated coconut
  • 2-3 shallots / ulli
  • 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds / jeerakam
  • 2 green chillies
  • 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp of coconut oil
  • 1/4 tsp of mustard seeds
  • A few curry leaves or a small bunch of coriander, chopped, for garnish

How to Make Breadfruit Thoran:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the cut breadfruit pieces, turmeric, and some salt.
kadachakka thoran - breadfruit thoran recipe

2. Sprinkle some water and cook partially covered on low flame until the breadfruit becomes tender - about 8-10 mins.
kadachakka thoran - breadfruit thoran recipe

3. Meanwhile, coarsely grind the coconut + shallots + cumin + green chillies without adding water
kadachakka thoran - breadfruit thoran recipe

4. Add to the cooked breadfruit and mix well. Let it cook for another 2-3 mins.
kadachakka thoran - breadfruit thoran recipe

5. Sprinkle curry leaves or chopped coriander leaves on top. Mix again, and remove from heat.
kadachakka thoran - breadfruit thoran recipe

Kadachakka thoran will also taste fabulous with rice and Kerala Sambar if serving it with chapati and dal is not really doing it for you.