Mambazha Kozhambu

Another dish with mango... For making this the mango should neither be raw nor be fully ripe. Just about to ripe mangoes are best for this.

Ingredients:

 

Mango  - 2 nos. (Cut into cubes)

Water - 2 Cups

Coconut (grated)n - 3/4 Cup

Red Chili - 5-6 nos. (adjust according to your spicy requirement)

Cumin Seeds (Jeera) - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 3/4 tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 sprig

Oil - 1 tbsp (Preferably coconut oil, but if you don't like, use normal sunflower oil)

Mustard - 1 tsp

Asafoedita - 2 pinch

 

How to make:

 

1. In a kadai add the mangoes and water an bring it to boil. Allow it to cook for 5-6 mins.

 

2. Grind the coconut, cumin seeds, red chili, salt to a fine paste.  Add this to the mangoes.

 

3. Allow it to cook in simmer for another 5 mins. Do the tampering with oil, mustard, asafoedita and curry leaves. Add to the kozhambu.

 

 

 

 

Pushnika Kootu

For a change i wanted to cook something different which i have not had for a long time. When I went for shopping, I saw Ash gourd (Pushnika). Its a very good detoxifying agent, low calorie vegetable. So picked up a piece of ash gourd. Generally my Mom makes it by adding ground coconut with little jeera, rice and green chilli. But i wanted to make it little different. So tried this and it tasted good.

Ingredients:

Ash Gourd (Pushnika) (cut into small cubes) - 2 Cups
Water - 2 Cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
For Roasting and grinding

Oil - 1 tsp
Channa Dhal - 1 tbsp
Urad Dhal - 1 tbsp
Coconut - 1/2 Cup
Red Chilli - 6-8 nos
Corriander seeds (Dhaniya) - 1 tbsp
Asafoedita - 1/2 tsp
Sat - 1/4 tsp

 

How to make it:

 

1. Roast the ingredients for 5-8 mins under roast and grind column. Grind it to a fine paste and keep aside.

2. In pan, boil water and add the ash gourd, salt and turmeric powder.

3. Once the ash gourd is 3/4 cooked, add the ground paste to this let it cook fully.

4. In a small pan heat oil, add mustard, urad dhal for tampering. Once mustard crackles, add curry leaves and add this to the kootu.

 

Coconut Cookies

Here is another varity of home made cookies. Cookies without egg and baking powder.. I used gas oven and baked till the colour changed to golden brown.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour (Maida) - 1 Cup

Sugar - 1/2 Cup

Salt - 1 Pinch

Vanaspathi - 1/2 Cup

Coconut - 1/2 Cup

Milk - 50 ml

How to make:

1. Mix the flour, coconut, salt and sugar well. Melt the vanaspathi and add to the flour. Sprinkle the milk and make a smooth dough.

2. Make small balls of the dough and flaten with center of your palm.

3. Place in greased baking tray. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 mins.

Vazhapoo Usili

 

Its been long time since i posted  any recipe here in the blog... Had been to India for vacation.... So was busy there and couldn't update any post...

 

Today I'm sharing the vazhapoo (banana flower) usili recipe... This is one of my favorite which my mom makes... Cleaning the banana flower needs a lot of patience. But its worth the time spent as its too good for health and tasty too...

 

 

 

Ingredients:
Banana Flower - 1 No.
Toor Dhal - 1/2 Cup
Red Chilli - 3-4 nos
Salt - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Oil - 2 tbsp (preferably coconut oil)
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Asafoedita - 1/4 tsp

How to make it:

 

1. Soak the Toor dhal and red chilli in water for 1 hour. 

 

2.Remove the center stem from each stock of the flower and soak it in water with 1 tsp of curd mixed in it. This helps in retaining the colour and not allowing the banana flower to turn black. Chop it finely and keep it soaked in the water.

 

3. Grind the soaked dhal and red chilli coarsely. Don't add water. Just sprinkle little for grinding purpose. Add 1/2 tsp salt and asafoedita to it and mix well.

 

4. Steam this in idli plate for 10 mins. After that mash that steamed idli's with spatula backside so that its not sticky.

 

5. In a pan add oil, add mustard,  urad dhal and broken red chilli for tampering. Add the curry leaves and banana flower to it.

 

6. Add salt, turmeric powder and sprinkle little water for the banana flower to cook. Once its cooked, add the mashed / broken dhal mixture to it. Mix well and leave it for 3-4 mins.

 

7. Add the coconut and cook for another 2 mins. Vazhapoo usili is ready....