Morum vellam/sambharam

 A hot afternoon outside calls for a quick call to quench thirst. Ya, water serves the purpose.
But like people in tropics and deserts only know too well, water alone cannot suffice for the heavy dehydration. As a habit, we are tempted to grab a bottle of coke or other soft drinks that line the fridge racks in the supermarkets, only to be left feeling more thirsty :-(

That's when the goodness of the good old buttermilk serves as much more than a thirst quencher.
Such a refreshing drink to hydrate oneself! ... and it's so easy to make!! :D :D

 What I used

1. Well-beaten curd/buttermilk: 1 cup
2. Water: 1 cup
3. Diced shallots: 3
4. Finely chopped ginger: 1/4 teaspoon
5. Chopped green chilli: 1
6. Salt: as needed

How I made it

In a glass, mix all the above ingredients and stir well

Then take a big gulp on a hot afternoon or whenever you are sooooo thirsty! That's it!! :D :D

PS: In case you do not want it spicy, just mix curd, water and salt. It's cooling enough

Sambar

Pressed for time and the mad rush to conquer ALL, we trod easy routes to complete tasks and chores. Diet is no exception to this holy verses

Isn't it a profound relief to gain most of the nutrition you need in a few, easy-to-make dishes?

That is what sambar is!

Sambar is completeness in itself. It is a sum of the veggies of our choice that completes a South Indian meal. Or maybe it paints an ideal picture of a Southern Indian menu. I have tried making sambar in various combos, sometimes with as few components as just onions and potatoes. But carrots and tomatoes are the tastemakers of a good sambar. Add these two essentials and you would not make a sambar sans them ;D 

There! I just revealed one of my closely guarded secrets :D :D

The recipe I have mentioned below is the one I used to make the sambar shown in the picture. You can add any vegetables you like and if you like it sweet, add a tablespoon of sugar too. If you like it very spicy, add a teaspoon of chilli powder and coriander powder along with sambar powder while cooking. The one detailed here is moderately spicy

What I used

1. Washed sambar dal soaked in water for 1 hour: 3/4 cup
2. Diced onion (1), carrots (2), potatoes (1), squash guard, beans, tomatoes (2), lady's finger (2),
   sliced green chilli (1) 
3. Drumstick cut into 3-inch pieces: 1
4. Salt: as needed
5. Store-bought sambar powder: 3 tablespoons
6. Tamarind juice: 1/2 cup
7. Water: as needed to cook the vegetables
8. Oil: 3 teaspoons
9. Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
10. Curry leaves: 1 sprig

How I made it

1. Pressure cook the dal with some salt and water till it has turned into a smooth yellow liquid 
2. Add all the diced vegetables with enough water, salt and the sambar powder to the dal and cook till the vegetables are done
   PS:Can check for salt and spiciness and adjust as needed before the vegetables cook fully
3. Add the tamarind juice and continue boiling
4. In a separate pan, heat the oil and splutter the mustard seeds with the curry leaves and add to the sambar. Mix well
5. Turn off the fire and keep the pressure cooker covered for sometime before serving

Sambar completes any meal, be it with rice, idli, dosa, chappathy... anything ... Just the thought of sambar is enough to sometimes feel full :D :D

At times, I like to add a bit extra water and make a sambar soup and devour it :D

Brinjal thoran (eggplant thoran)

Brinjal thoran was the only fine line that stopped me from a takeaway one day

A lot of dishes can be made with brinjal. The South Indian style of thoran is a must-try. This can also be made without the curry powders in case you don't want it spicy 

Make sure that brinjal is prepared for making thoran and mezhukkupuratti by cutting and soaking in water with some salt for sometime. This is to get rid of its naturally unappetizing odour that can ruin the taste of the curry. Once soaked and washed well, it is ready to be put to good use ;D

What I used

1. Washed and diced medium-sized brinjals: 2
2. Oil: 3 tablespoons
3. Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
4. Fennel seeds: 1/8 teaspoon
5. Diced onion: 1
6. Salt: to taste
7. Chilli powder: 1/2 teaspoon
8. Turmeric powder: 1/2 teaspoon
9. Green chillies: 1
10. Grated coconut: 1/2 cup
11. Water: 1/4 cup

How I made it

1. In a pan, heat oil on medium flame, splutter the mustard seeds and fry the fennel seeds
   PS: do not fry fennel seeds for more than a few seconds
2. Then saute the onions adding enough salt
3. Once onions are done, add the turmeric and chilli powders and fry till the raw smell is gone
4. Add the diced brinjal, grated coconut and green chillies, and mix well
5. After mixing the contents well, add water. Now keep the pan covered and cook for about 20 minutes with occasional stirring of contents to enable thorough cooking
6. Turn off the stove and keep the curry covered for sometime before serving

Brinjal thoran goes hand-in-hand with rice and chappathi :D :D

A fulfilled tummy redeems you of half the troubles. It puts a smile on your face and bliss in your eyes

A lunch that made my day one day  :D :D

Meen peera without oil (little fishes dressed in a thick mix of coconut and spices)

A basket full of tiny glistening fish is a common scene in any fish market in Kerala. Known by the local name of Kozhuva, it is a local celebrity!

Of course, being a celebrity doesn't happen easy, does it?  Sigh! The preparation time is a task :D :D So grab a cool companion to help with this process and you can turn this into a chit-chat time that ends with a hearty meal

Considering the patience needed to get these little beings ready as a meal is one reason why I refrain from purchasing these yummy little cookie pies. Then one day, my friend buys this on a cold morning from a vendor who comes everyday. This deft little bubbly girl jumped to work to transform these glistening little beings  into the meen peera that you see  below
Lazy me had to pitch in for it is so impolite to let a person work alone on 1/2 kg of kozhuva. During the 40 minutes or so that we worked on to clean the fish, it was girlish chit-chats and how in times of the joint family system, our grandmothers and aunts used to convert the preparation time of dishes to catch up on gossips and bond ;D

Just when we were debating on whether to make a peera or curry or fry, my mom called and explained that meen peera is the easiest to prepare. For the health conscious people who get an arrhythmia just by the thought of oil, be relieved for this dish doesn't need oil, unless of course you can look at freshly grated juicy flakes of coconut and see saturated oil ;P



What I used

1. Kozhuva or any small fish: 1/2 kg
2. Diced onion: 1 big
3. Finely chopped ginger and garlic: 2 teaspoons
4. Salt: to taste
5. Turmeric powder: 1/2 teaspoon
6. Chilli powder: 2-3 teaspoons
7. Grated fresh coconut: 2 cups
8. Green chillies: 3
9. Juice of a tamarind: 1/4 cup
10. Kudampuli (gambooge/fish tamarind): 4
11. Water: enough to cook the contents

How I made it

1. Mix everything except the fish together, preferably using hands, in the pan in which you intend to cook
2. Add enough water  to ensure everything is submerged and cook on low-medium flame till there is an obvious lingering aroma that makes you want to sneak a taste of  what is cooking
3. Once the contents start boiling, add the fish ensuring it is soaked in the gravy
4. Keep the pan covered and cook on medium flame till the water evaporates
   PS: Do not mix the contents using spoon as the fish will break into pieces. For mixing, just swirl the pan when needed

Serve hot with rice! :D :D It also makes a suitable serving with tapioca, chappathi and bread :D :D

Red hot and sour mathi-manga curry (Spicy sardine-mango curry)

"Question: What is the staple food of the people of Kerala?
Answer: Rice and fish!"

A long coastline, in addition to the plethora of abundants that are a boon, etches the staple diet of fish in a region

When I think of sardines (mathi as it is fondly known by in Kerala), what or rather who  pops up into my mind is my niece. Right from the onset of her travesty with solid food, her favorite was rice and mathi, be it the spicy curry version or the crispy fried form. Anytime, anywhere, any amount, she could go on and on with it, until her mom sternly intervened :D :D

Though personally mathi is not my first choice even though it is loaded with essential oils and is a very healthy and recommended staple, there are days when even the less favorite is THE favorite :D

This was one of those days when fish, smothered with the mix of spices and the sourness of Kerala mangoes orchestrated a symphony of flavors... MY flavors :D :D



What I used

1. Cleaned sardines (mathi): 1/2 kg
2. Oil: 1/2 cup
3. Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
4. Finely diced medium-sized onion: 1
5. Salt: to taste
6. Ginger-garlic finely chopped or ground to paste: 2 teaspoons
7. Chopped tomatoes: 2
8. Fish masala (store-bought): 3 tablespoons
9. Green chillies: 2
10. Water: as required
11. Cut pieces of 1 mango
12. Juice of a small ball of tamarind
13. Kudampuli (gambooge/fish tamarind): 4
14. Curry leaves: 1 sprig

How I made it

1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds
2. Add the ginger-garlic chops/paste and within a minute, right after the aroma hits you, add the diced onions, few curry leaves, and saute well adding 1/2 teaspoon of salt
3. Once the onions have turned translucent, add the tomatoes and continue sauting on medium flame till the tomatoes become soft
4. Add the fish masala and mix well till the raw smell is lost
5. Dilute the masala mix with water, about 2-3 cups
   PS: Ensure you do not add too much water lest the curry gets too thin and tastes watery. You would not want that
6. Adjust the salt as needed and add the juice of the tamarind. Mix well and add the cut mango pieces
7. Once the mango pieces have started softening, add the fish, kudampuli, remaining curry leaves, enough water to just cover the fish, and cook on medium flame till the contents boil
8. Once the contents have boiled for about 15 minutes, turn off the stove as fish takes very less time to cook. Mix the contents by swirling the pan and keep covered for a while before serving
   PS: Fish curry with kudampuli tastes good after being kept for a while rather than immediate servingIt is said fish curry tastes good as it ages, like for about a day :D :D If you have patience, have it after a day, else a span of few hours should be good enough

This curry goes with just about anything - rice, chappathi, bread, puttu, upma, ANYTHING!!!!



RELISH is an understatement for some dishes which are an experience!... like this one ;-)