Green Peas Poricha Kuzhambu Recipe, Make Poricha Kuzhambu

I wasn't really familar with poricha kozhambu varieties until my mom in law made it during their last visit. I had some fresh peas in the fridge and along with some drumstick, it made for a super simple and flavourful kozhambu for our lunch that day.

Poricha kozhambu literally means roasted kozhambu because the base has some roasted spices that are ground along with fresh coconut. The vegetables are flexible and the more common ones are chow chow, pumpkin, and snake gourd (podalangai). Check out pudalangai poricha kuzhambu recipe here.

You may also like:

Pumpkin kootu

Chow chow kootu

Spinach kootu

Kathirikai pitlai

Green Peas Poricha Kozhambu Recipe

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves 4-6
Recipe Source: mom-in-law

Ingredients:
1 cup of green peas (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup of toor dal / tuvar dal / pigeon peas
1/2 cup of grated coconut
3 tsp of urad dal
A few of black peppercorns
1/2 tsp of jeera / cumin seeds
4 of dry red chillies
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1 generous pinch of hing / asafoetida / perungaayam
1 tbsp + 1 tsp of oil
1/4 tsp of mustard seeds
A few of curry leaves
1 of drum stick, cut into 4" long pieces

INSTRUCTIONS:

0. Pressure cook the toor dal until soft and mushy.

1. Add the peas and drumsticks to a pan and add enough water to cover it. Bring to boil and cook until sof (about 5-6 mins).

2. Add the cooked dal along with the turmeric and hing to the peas and drumsticks mixture and simmer for a few more mins.

3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp oil in a small pan and roast the urad dal, red chillies, peppercorn, and jeera until the dal turns golden brown. Cool slightly and grind along with the coconut into a smooth mixture.

4. Add the ground masala to the peas-dal-drumsticks mixture and bring to boil. Add salt and curry leaves. Continue to simmer until the desired consistency is reached. If too thick, add some water while boiling. If too watery, increase heat and cook until the kozhambu thickens.

5. Heat the 1 tbsp oil and add the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, remove from fire and dunk into the kozhambu.

Serve hot with rice and side dish of choice.

Check here for more kozhambu recipes. 

Recipes for Onam Sadya | Onam Recipes

I did a similar list of Recipes for Onam Sadya 2010 but since I have a lot more Kerala sadya recipes in the site since then, thought of doing an updated list. Since Onam 2012 falls on a Wednesday, me cooking the entire sadya is slightly out of the question. Ok wait, I haven't yet cooked a complete sadya myself so far, weekend or weekday, so.. err.. let's not go there.

I know some of you are planning to cook up a feast, literally, and judging by the few emails I got asking for easy Onam recipes, I think this list will be useful to many of you.

Puli Inji / Inji Curry
Sweet Maanga (Mango) Pickle

Vendakka Thayir Pachadi

Beetroot Pachadi

Kerala Parippu Curry

Sambar

Pulissery

Moru Kachiyathu / Spiced Buttermilk (omit coriander leaves)

Kaalan

Olan

Erissery

Aviyal

Ethakka Thoran

Black Eyed Beans Thoran

Beans Mezhukkupuratti

Kadachakka Mezhukkupuratti

Kadala Parippu Payasam

Cherupayar Payasam

Paal Payasam

Semiya Payasam

Ella Edible Garden Readers-num ente hridayam niranja Onaashamsakal!

image courtesy 365greetings.com

8 Easy Payasam Recipes for Onam | Onam Recipes

With Onam 2012 just around the corner, thought it may be useful if I shared a few easy payasam recipes you can make for Onam sadya. This collection is from me and my sis who blogs at Spicy Chilly.

1. Paal Payasam

2. Aval Payasam 

3. Kadala Parippu Payasam

4. Ada Pradhaman

5. Cherupayar Parippu Payasam (Split Moong Dal Payasam)

6. Cherupayar Payasam (Whole Green Gram Payasam)

7. Semiya Payasam (my version)

8. Semiya Payasam (my sis's version)

Paal Payasam Recipe | Milk & Rice Payasam | Onam Recipes

Paal Payasam is a special treat meant for special people. Not the express kind that we make these days, adding the 3-4 ingredients in a pressure cooker but the traditional, slow-cooked paal payasam made with the raw red rice that's quintessentially Keralan called unakkalari in Malayalam - but you can also use Rose Matta rice or any other non-sticky rice for the paal payasam.

Paal payasam made traditionally will have a pink hue from the rice used. Ok, don't look for the colour in my payasam picture because we used regular rice this time.

Onam is always a nostalgic time for me because Kerala is at its best then. There's the smell of fresh coconut oil being heated for all the banana chips, banana leaves gleaming in the sun, the rains just checked and the heat manageable, flowers everywhere and athappoo designs being planned, women walking around in the traditional Kerala set sari days before and after the day, school vacation after first term... I could go on.

So let me shut up for now and give you the Paal Payasam Recipe already!

Paal Payasam Recipe / Rice Kheer Recipe

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves 4-6
Recipe source: amma (payasam in picture made by bedhamma, her sis)

Ingredients:
500 ml (2 cups) of milk
1/2 cup of sugar (adjust to taste)
1/4 cup of unakkalari / raw rice (or any non-sticky rice like basmati)

How to Make Paal Payasam:

1. Add 2 cups water to the milk and bring to boil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Once the milk boils, add the sugar and simmer until it reduces to half.

2. Add the washed rice and continue to cook on very low flame, stirring frequently until the milk thickens further and the rice is cooked soft.

3. Remove and serve warm / chilled.

Notes:

• For a quick paal payasam (rice kheer), just add all ingredients (don't add water) to a pressure cooker and cook for 2-3 whistles. When the pressure leaves, open the lid, add 2-4 tbsp of condensed milk and bring to boil before removing from fire and serving. Adjust sugar accordingly since the condensed milk will make it too sweet if you use the same amount of sugar used otherwise
• Adding anything else to the payasam like cardamom pods or cashew nuts will distract you from the actual flavour that's meant to be pure milk so keep it simple folks

Kadala Parippu Payasam-Kadalai Paruppu-Channa Dal Payasam | Onam Recipes

Payasam is made typical Kerala-Style for Onam is a beautiful thing. Amma makes payasam as easily as she makes a regular dish and most often, all you need to do is ask for it. The Onam Sadya is obviously incomplete with payasam and we often make two payasams for any Kerala sadya. I love payasam made with jaggery more than milk-based ones. I love the rich, dense sweetness jaggery gives to pretty much anything and the dark, unsalted mounds of jaggery you get in Kerala are quite a treat.

As we roll into yet another Onam that I am not home for, let me at least share a payasam recipe that reminds me of home - and Onam. Amma and I made this together when she was visiting me in May. She brought some jaggery back from Kerala and we used coconut milk powder to make the base of the payasam. She did wildly protest against using the powder and was all set to extract fresh coconut milk but I wanted her to spend more in the living room couch with me than with the coconut in the kitchen!

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Kadalai Paruppu Payasam / Channa Dal Payasam (Onam Recipes)

by Nags August-21-2012

A simple payasam recipe for Onam (or any festival) using Channa dal, jaggery, and coconut milk.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup channa dal / kadalai paruppu
• 1 cup grated jaggery
• 3 cups coconut milk
• 2-3 green cardamom pods, powdered
• 1/4 tsp jeera /cumin + dry ginger / chukku, powdered together
• 1/4 cup ghee
• 10 cashew nuts
• 10 raisins
• A few pieces coconut pieces / thenga kothu

Instructions:

1. Pressure cook the channa dal with 4 cups water until mushy (3-4 whistles). The channa dal will crumble on crushing between fingers but won't turn mushy fully. This is perfect. 2. Add grated jaggery to 1 cup water, heat, and mix until dissolved. Then, add this to the pressure cooked channa dal and bring to boil.3. To this, add the powdered cardamom and jeera-dry ginger mixture. Let this simmer for about 2-3 mins.4. Add coconut milk and before it comes to boil, remove from fire and set aside.5. Heat ghee and add the coconut pieces. When it starts to turn brown, add the cashew nuts and raisins. When they turn golden brown, dunk the entire thing into the prepared payasam. 6. Serve hot or chilled

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 40 mins     Yield: 6 servings

Step by Step Pictures for Kadalai Paruppu Payasam / Channa Dal Payasam

- Pressure cook the channa dal with 4 cups water until mushy (3-4 whistles). The channa dal will crumble on crushing between fingers but won't turn mushy fully. This is perfect. Add jaggery to the pressure cooked channa dal and bring to boil.

2. To this, add the powdered cardamom and jeera-dry ginger mixture. Let this simmer for about 2-3 mins.

- Add coconut milk and before it comes to boil, remove from fire and set aside.

- Heat ghee and add the coconut pieces. When it starts to turn brown, add the cashew nuts and raisins. When they turn golden brown, dunk the entire thing into the prepared payasam.

Channa Dal Payasam can be served hot or chilled. I like it either ways although one-day-old chilled payasam holds a special place in my heart. When serving this for Onam Sadya, prepare first thing in the morning and serve warm at the end of the meal.

Also check out Cherupayar Payasam Recipe, Palada Pradhaman, and more Payasam Recipes for Onam. 

Notes:

- My mom adds the jaggery ball directly in water, brings it to boil, let's it dissolve, and then strains it before use. I grate the jaggery first because it's easier to measure that way. As always, adjust sweetness levels to your liking. The Kerala brown jaggery tends to have impurities so straining it before use is recommended. 

- We used coconut milk powder and followed measurement instructions on the packet to make our coconut milk. If using canned or fresh, measure out 2 cups of thick coconut milk and 1 cup of thinner (add water if using canned) coconut milk for the payasam.

Jeera Rice | Cumin Rice | Jeera Pulao | Rice Cooker Recipes

Jeera rice is probably the easiest thing to make in a rice cooker. I make it occasionally when I don't have the energy to cook up anything beyond a simple dal tadka and don't feel like rolling out rotis. The simple addition of fried jeera to cooking eliminates the need for a rasam or kozhambu. Win!

Jeera Rice with Malai Kofta

I got my rice cooker end of last year and have since cooked many things in it apart from plain 'ol rice. I have a Zojirushi Induction Rice Cooker and the consistency of rice cooked in this is unbelievably good.

JEERA RICE RECIPE - JEERA PULAO RECIPE

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Jeera Rice in Rice Cooker

by Nags August-17-2012

Jeera rice (or cumin rice) is an easy, flavourful rice dish that's made even easier in the rice cooker.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice
• 3 tsp jeera / cumin
• 1 tbsp ghee / clarified butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Wash and rinse the rice until the water runs clear. 2. Transfer to the rice cooker bowl and add enough water to cook it. This will vary according to type of rice used. If using basmati rice, soak for 30 mins before proceeding. 2. Heat oil+ghee in a pan and add the jeera. When they sizzle and have turned a deep brown, remove from fire and dunk into the rice+water mixture. Add salt. 4. Cook according to your rice cooker instructions. In my Zojirushi Rice Cooker, it takes about 40 mins since it's an induction rice cooker. The texture of the rice comes out perfect each time. 5. Fluff with a fork when done and serve hot with side dish of choice.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 50 mins     Yield: 2 servings

Step by Step Pictures for Jeera (Cumin) Rice

Serve hot with any side dish that goes with roti or even plain dal tadka.

Aloo Bajji Recipe | Potato Bajji Recipe | Quick & Easy Snacks

TH loves bajjis of any kind. But then that guy likes pretty much anything that's deep fried, but bajjis do hold a particular soft spot in his heart. While I do make this simple aloo tikki very often, bajjis make an appearance only now and then.

I have no qualms deep frying now and then, especially if it's a rainy day and your mood and taste buds are screaming cardamom tea with bajjis.

I always eye ball my bajji batter mix so the proportions below are approximate. I always stock besan in my freezer because although it's a now-and-then type ingredient, it's the most handy to have around for any kind of bajjis or bondas or even for thickening gravies. You may also like this Mysore bonda recipe or aloo bondas for a nice evening snack too.

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Aloo (Potato) Bajji Recipe

by Nags August-16-2012

A quick and easy snack of potatoes dipped in a gram flour batter. Perfect with a cup of chai on a rainy day.

Ingredients

• 1 large Potato
• 3/4 cup Besan / Kadala Maavu / Gram Flour
• 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp Hing / Asafoetida
• A pinch Turmeric powder
• A pinch Baking soda / Soda powder
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

Instructions

1. Cut the potato in half and then cut further into thin discs. I make the pieces as thin as possible to ensure even cooking but don't make they too thin otherwise they will lose their shape and crumble.2. Make a thick-ish batter with water and all ingredients above except the potato. To test if the batter is right, dip a piece of potato in and see if it coats it well without dripping off.3. Heat oil in a pan and when it just about starts to smoke, add the potato pieces dipped in batter. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a small amount of batter into it and see if it immediately sizzles to the top.
4. Fry the bajjis in small batches in medium heat until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel.Serve hot with hot tea and a rainy day.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 15 mins     Yield: 12-15 pieces

So, what's your favourite quick and easy snack on a rainy day? 

Paneer Korma | Paneer Kuruma | Indian Paneer Recipes

To me, a kuruma or korma recipe would have coconut in it. I wanted to make a coconut-based paneer recipe to have with rotis and started searching for one. Then I chanced upon this super easy paneer korma recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor but surprisingly, it has no coconut, rather, the base is a delicious yogurt blend mildly spiced. TH would love that, and anyway I don't think I want to argue with Sanjeev Kapoor on what a paneer korma should have and shouldn't have!

The entire thing came together in less than 15 mins, probably the easiest and quickest paneer dish I have ever made. I used pre-fried paneer cubes which made it even quicker but don't let that deter you.

Also check out mushroom kurma recipe, soya chunks korma and mixed vegetable korma recipe.

PS: This is the first picture in the gorgeous pink-orange bowl I got from Kappabashi Street in Tokyo.

Paneer Korma - A Sanjeev Kapoor Recipe

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 2
Adapted from: Sanjeev Kapoor

Ingredients:
1.5 cups of cubed paneer (make paneer at home if you wish)
1 cup of plain yogurt
3-4 cloves of garlic
A pinch of turmeric powder
1" piece of ginger
2 green chillies
1.5 tsp of all-purpose flour
1 tbsp of oil
A few whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
4-5 cloves
3-4 green cardamom pods, crushed
1 tsp of garam masala
A small bunch of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Salt to taste

How to Make Paneer Korma:

1. Coarsely grind the ginger, garlic and green chillies. Add this to the yogurt along with turmeric, flour, and salt. Mix well with 1 cup water and set aside.

2. Lightly shallow fry the paneer cubes in some oil until the edges turn golden brown. Drain and set aside. If using frozen paneer, defrost fully before frying.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add the bay leaves, cloves, cardamom and peppercorns. When the spices give out a nice fragrance (1-2 mins), add the yogurt mixture. Cook on low heat for 2-3 mins or until it just starts to boil.

4. Add the fried paneer cubes and chopped coriander. Mix well. Top off with the garam masala, cook until the mixture is heated through (don't boil), and remove from fire. Adjust salt.

The gravy was light and delicious, perfect with rotis. Although it looks bland, it was spicy and just perfect for a hot afternoon in Singapore. I didn't miss the coconut in the gravy at all - for once!

Check out more Paneer Recipes on Edible Garden here especially the ever-popular Paneer Butter Masala, Kadai Paneer, and Chilli Paneer

Eggless Chocolate Sponge Cake Recipe (No Butter)

Learn how to make moist and soft eggless chocolate cake using this easy chocolate cake recipe using no butter. 

Sometimes readers leave me notes and tips on recipes they've tried from this site. Sometimes they leave recipes. An anonymous reader left a recipe on the Eggless Chocolate Yogurt Cake post (which they liked better than my recipe) and I recognized I had seen it somewhere. I couldn't find an exact match but the moist chocolate cake from Raks Kitchen seemed close to this recipe.

I decided to give it a shot when I had TH's cousins and aunts visiting for lunch. They don't eat egg and prefer to not eat it in the "hidden" form as cakes and cookies either.

There are a few ways you can bake a cake eggless and still make it taste great. Using banana is one way (check out the Chocolate Banana Pound Cake recipe) or yogurt (like in the Basic Vanilla Sponge Cake or the Chocolate Yogurt Cake). Flax seed meal is another option but one option I hadn't tried yet was vinegar.

I was doubtful for a long time what type of vinegar we can use for baking cakes. Asked a few fellow bloggers and finally figured out that white vinegar or apple cider vinegar works best. I usually have a bottle of white vinegar in the kitchen for making certain Indo-Chinese Recipes and pickles, so used the same for this cake too.

I baked it into a loaf cake but you can bake it in a cake/brownie pan or even into cupcakes. While we are on the topic, let me tell you how AMAZING this Chicago Metallic Loaf Pan is. Must buy if you bake bread and like loaf-shaped cakes.

Eggless Chocolate Sponge Loaf Cake

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Makes 8-10 slices
Adapted from anon's recipe comment

Ingredients:
1.5 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of sugar
3 tbsp of cocoa powder
1/4 cup of neutral oil (I used vegetable oil)
1 cup of cold milk (use water or any nut milk for a vegan chocolate cake)
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tbsp of white vineger / apple cider vinegar / lemon juice
A pinch of salt

How to Make Moist Eggless Chocolate Cake:

0. Pre-heat oven to 180C / 350F.

1. Mix the sugar with the milk, oil, vanilla and vinegar. Take care to use cold milk otherwise the vinegar will curdle it. If you are unsure how it will go, just use water. I am assured that gives good results too.

2. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Sift this dry mixture into the wet ingredients in three batches, folding it in after each addition. Don't overmix at this stage, just gently fold in until you don't see any trace of the batter. A few small lumps in the batter are fine.

3. Lightly grease with oil or butter whatever pan you are using. Pour the batter in and bake in the pre-heated oven for 35-40 mins. Depending on the pan used, the baking time will vary. Mine took just over 40 mins.

Let the cake cool and transfer to a cooling rack or cutting board. Store the cooled cake in an airtight container for up to 2 days outside or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Goes really well with cookies and cream ice-cream. Trust me, I've tried it ;)

Notes

- you can add some chocolate chips to the top of the cake if you like, or as soon as it's out of the oven, add some chocolate chips over the cake and spread it across the top as it melts
- as mentioned in recipe, omit milk and use water for a vegan version
- the cake will have slightly rubbery / hard texture especially around the sides when it's warm. Let it cool and sit for a while and it turns out perfect. For that reason, this cake is best made the day before you plan to serve it
UPDATE: I was asked by a lot of you about the deep colour of my chocolate doughnut cakes and the reason is the Valrhona cocoa powder I used. It's amazing, gives a lovely purple hue and great depth in recipes it's used in. You can use any cocoa powder you have in mind, but if you are wondering which cocoa powder to buy, highly recommend  Valrhona cocoa powder. (Not a paid advertising)