Bhindi Kerala Style

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Ingredients
250 gms ladyfingers
1 onion finely chopped
1 stalk curry leaves
3 tbsp. coconut shredded
1/2 tbsp. coriander finely chopped
1/2 tsp. ginger grated
1 tbsp. cashews broken
5 whole red chillies
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. urad dal
3/4 cup curds beaten
1/4 tsp. crushed red chilli
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 tbsp. wheat or any flour
2 tbsp. oil

Method


Wash, wipe and cut tips and bases of ladyfingers.
Make a vertical slit in each. Chop to 1" pieces.
Grind coconut and cashews to a coarse paste.
Heat oil in a heavy pan, fry ladyfingers till crisp.
Drain and keep aside.
Add seeds, dal, to hot oil, allow to splutter.
Add whole chillies, curry leaves, ginger, stir.
Add onions, fry till lightly browned.
Add crushed chilli, turmeric, salt, paste, saute till oil separates.
Mix curds and flour to a smooth paste, add 1 cup water.
Add to the sauteed mixture and stir continuously till boil is reached.
Simmer for 5 minutes, check taste for masala and salt.
Add fried ladyfingers, boil for 2 minutes.
Garnish with coriander, serve hot with steamed rice or rice rotis.
Making time: 25 minutes
Makes: 3-4 servings bowl
Shelflife: Best fresh

Appams

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Ingredients
2 cups plain rice(not long grain)
2 cups parboiled rice
3 tbsp. urad dal
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp. sodabicarb
1 coconut grated

Method


Wash and soak rices, dal, seeds together for 6-7 hours.
Grind to a smooth batter, add salt and keep overnight.
Keep batter thick as coconut milk will be added.
Grind or scrape coconut, soak in 2 cups warm water for 15 minutes.
Blend in a mixie, strain and extract thick milk.
Mix soda and coconut milk into batter.
Apply a little oil on a non-stick or heavy griddle.
Pour a ladleful of batter on hot griddle.
Hold handle and rotate and tilt griddle quickly such that its full base is covered with batter.
Do not spread with spoon. A thin dosalike pancake must be the result.
Stack or eat immediately with chutney, curds, gravy vegetables or pickles.
Making time: Overnight recipe
Makes: 25-30 appams
Shelflife: Refrigerate batter for 2 days. Add salt only 2 hours before using.

Muiinja Haaq (Greens of Kohlrabi)

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Ingredients:
2 knol kohls (only the greens)
3 kashmiri red chillies
2-3 pinches soda bicarb
salt to taste
1/2 tsp, grated garlic
1 tsp. wheat flour
3 cups water
1 tbsp. oil

Method:


Chop green leaves (including stems) into 2" pieces.
Wash well and drain.
Heat oil in a large deep saucepan.
When smoking, add all ingredients except wheat flour.
Bring to a boil.
Simmer uncovered till most of water evaporates.
The leaves should be tender by then. (approx. 30-35 minutes).
Sprinkle 1 tsp. wheat flour and stir well till remaining liquid thickens.
Serve hot with kulchas or flavoured rice.

Variation:
Try substituting knol kohl leaves with big leafed spinach.
Making time: 45 minutes
Makes: 3 servings
Shelflife: Serve immediately

Kashmiri Dum Aloo

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Ingredients:
For aloo:

5-6 medium potatoes
1 tbsp. raisins
1 tbsp. cashews powdered coarsely
1 tbsp. cream
salt to taste

For gravy:

3 tomatoes pureed & strained
1 capsicum finely chopped
1 onions chopped in strips
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. red chilli powder
salt to taste
2 cardamoms
2-3 cloves
2-3 peppercorns
1/2" piece cinnamon
1 bayleaf
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tbsp. chopped coriander
2 tbsp. mustard (or other) oil
Grind to a paste:
2 onions
1" piece ginger
4-5 red kashmiri chillies
8-10 mint leaves
4-5 cloves garlic (optional)

Method:

For aloo:


Peel and boil potatoes till semidone.
Cool and core with a potato scooper.
Mix raisins, potato scoopings, cashew, cream salt.
Stuff into potato hollows. Keep aside.

For gravy:

Heat oil, add onions, stirfry till brown, drain, keep aside.
Stirfry capsicum till done, drain, keep aside.
Add whole spices, allow to splutter.
Add paste to oil stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add puree, masalas, simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Add water,sugar, salt, bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes.
To make dum


Use a heavy copper or steel pot.
Inside of copper vessel must be polished with tin.
Grease inside with ghee or oil.
Place the potatoes in it. Pour gravy over them.
Sprinkle the onions and capsicums.
Take a tablespoonful of ordinary chappati dough.
Make a long rope of it. Place along the rim of container.
Place a well fitting lid over the mouth and press.
The dough between the edges of the container and lid, will seal it.
Press any protruding dough over, to seal further.
Another way is to place lid first, then seal both edges with dough together.
Place over hot coals or in the oven on slow for 20-25 minutes.
Break open seal just before serving.
Garnish with chopped coriander.
Serve hot with warm soft breads or kulchas or naans.

Note:
For those who cannot dum the potatoes, place similarly in a casserole.
Cover with foil and bake in oven at 200C for 20 minutes.

Making time: 1 1/2 hours
Makes: 5-6 servings.
Shelflife: Prepare hours ahead but dum or bake just well before required. Refrigerate in the meantime.

Nedar and Haaq in Yakni (Lotus Root and Greens In

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Ingredients:
2 5" long lotus roots
1 bunch spinach or kohl greens
4 kashmiri red chillies
1 tsp. grated ginger
1/2 tsp. grated garlic
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 cups plain curds
salt to taste
2 tbsp. mustard (or other ) oil

Method:


Clean and chop roots into 1" chunks.
Boil till tender. (Pressure cook or in plenty of water).
Wash drain and keep aside.
Clean and chop spinach into 1" pieces.
If using kohl greens, boil till halftender.
Wash drain and keep aside.
Heat oil, add ginger, garlic and stir for a minute.
Add chillies, stir. Add turmeric and salt.
Add curds and stir continuously till whitness is gone completely.
Add spinach roots and cook till gravy is almost semisolid.
Sprinkle garam masala, stir and remove from fire.
Serve hot with bread, kulcha or rice.

Making time: 30 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh

Kashmiri Pulao

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Ingredients:
2 cups long grain rice (basmati)
2 cups milk
1/2 cup cream beaten smooth
1 tsp. sugar
salt to taste
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
3 cloves
1" cinnamon
3 cardamoms
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp. ghee
1 cup canned chopped mixed fruit (drained)
2-3 edible rose petals

Method:


Wash and soak rice for 15-20 minutes.
Mix milk, cream, sugar, salt. Drain rice, keep aside.
Heat ghee in a heavy pan.
Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, bayleaf, cardamoms, cloves.
Allow to splutter. Add rice and fry in ghee for 2 minutes.
Add milk, cream, mixture.
Add 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil.
When boil is reached, cover and simmer till cooked.
Each grain should be cooked, but separate.
Mix in drained fruit very gently.
Garnish by sprinkling finely broken rosepetals.
Serve hot with a curry or tadka dal.

Making time: 45 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Shelflife: Fresh and piping hot

Belluli (Garlic) Chutney

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Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh coconut grated
1 whole pod garlic, peeled and cleaned
10 whole red chillies
3 strips tamarind wetted and chopped
salt to taste

Method:


Stone grind all ingredients together.
Or use a small electric grinder.
Use as little water as possible while grinding.
Refrigerate, and use as required after diluting a bit.
Making time: 30 minutes
Makes: 1/2 cup chutney
Shelflife: 2 weeks

Capsicum Karwar Style

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Ingredients:
4 capsicums cut in long strips
1/4 cup peanuts roasted and skinned
1 stalk curry leaves
3-4 piinches asafoetida
1 tbsp. jaggery grated
2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
2 whole red chillies

Grind to a paste:
1/2 coconut grated and roasted
2 tsp. split bengal gram
1 tbsp. split black gram
2 tsp. sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
2 strips tamarind cut in bits

Method:


Grind the paste using 1/2 cup water.
Heat oil, add mustard seeds, whole chillies, allow to splutter.
Add asafoetida and curry leaves. Stir.
Add capsicums, stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
Add ground paste, jaggery, salt, turmeric powder and peanuts.
Stir and add 1/4 cup water. Boil and simmer for 7-8 minutes.
Gravy must be thick.
Serve hot with roti or rice.
Making time: 30 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Shelflife: 1 day

Moong Sprout Curry

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Ingredients:
1 cup sprouted moong
1 green chilli
1 stalk curry leaves
1 tsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
3-4 pinches asafoetida
1/2 tsp. mustard & cumin seeds mixed
2 tbsp. oil
salt to taste
1/2 cup tamarind water extract

Make paste of:
1/2 fresh coconut (1 cup grated)
1" piece ginger

Roasted together for paste:
1 tsp. coriander seeds
3 dry whole red chillies
1/2 tsp. methi (fenugreek) seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

Method:


Add water to sprouts till covered. Add salt and whole green chilli.
Boil and simmer covered till sprouts are tender.
Heat oil in a heavy pan, add cumin and mustard seeds.
Allow to splutter, add curryleaves and asafoetida.
Stir, add paste, stir, add tamarind water, bring to a boil.
Add sprouts, and some of its drained water.
Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Serve hot with rice or roti.
Making time: 30 minutes
Makes: 3 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh

Sundal

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Ingredients:
1 cup chickpeas brown soaked overnight
4-5 green chillies sliced fine
1/2 cup fresh coconut scraped
1/4 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 stalk curry leaves
1 tsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
2 tsp. lemon juice
2-3 pinches asafoetida
salt to taste
1 tbsp. oil

Method:


Pressurecook peas till tender (5-6 whistles).
Drain and keep aside.
Heat oil, add seeds allow to splutter.
Add chillies, curry leaves and stir.
Add peas, coconut and other ingredients, except coriander.
Stir cook till the water is evaporated.
Serve hot or cold.
Making time: 15 minutes (excluding soaking and steaming time)
Makes: 4 servings
Shelflife: 1 day