Palakkad recipes

[rain]

hi sowmya,

made chembu roast yest.it was well appreciated.thanks to u.

jus a few doubts.after roasting i found the chembu pcs crisp but not very soft.could it be because a)i have undercooked the veg b)i shud be roasting at low(i kept the fire med thruout) c)shud have used more oil(i used 8-10 tsp in all). will b glad if u can address them.

regards
rain

[Sowmya]

Hi rain
Good to know that your chembu roast turned out well.
Since it was crisp on the outer side I think the quantity of oil and the medium flame were not the reasons..
Probably the chembu was undercooked.US variety Chembu is harder than indian counterparts and I pressure cook them for 3 whistles to get them properly cooked.

you can alternate between medium and low flame when cooking and oil usage is your choice.. though the general belief is more oil.. more crispier roast.I use a non stick pan and so don't use much oil.

regards
Sowmya

[R]

Hi Bhargavi,

Tried thakkali morkootan a couple of days back(for avani avittam) and it was simply superb. Adding more tomatoes does the trick!!

Actually I added ash gourd alongwith tomato and hence, had to add rice flour to the kuzhambu. Overall, love the flavor & color of the kuzhambu.

Thanks and Bye.

[Sowmya]

Hi all
Here's a recipe for another typical palakkad dish after a long gap..
Since we had an elaborate discussion on different types of adai some time back I am posting the recipe for "aviyal"

Aviyal
ingredients
mixed vegsoosanikai(elavan),parangikai(mathan),chenai,vazhak kai,beans,carrot-1 cup(diced)
coconut scrapings-3 -4 tbsp
green chillies-3-4
sour curd/buttermilk-1/2 cup to 1 cup depending on whether you want it to be dry or in semi gravy/gravy form.
coconut oil-2 tsp
curry leaves-1 sprig

proc:
Cook the vegs with turmeric and salt(people prefering white variety of aviyal can reduce turmeric or avoid it totally).Blend coconut ,green chillies into a fine paste substituting water with 1 tsp buttermilk.Add the ground mixture to the cooked veg and mix well.heat very briefly.Finally add coconut oil and curry leaves,mix well,keep covered for about an hour so that the flavour of coconut oil can be felt completely in the dish.

note:
The emphasis is on sour buttermilk for Aviyal.In more kootan fresh buttermilk can be used if sour variety is not available.In case you are using fresh buttermilk in aviyal induce sourness(mild) by adding 1 tsp tamarind extract or blend 1/2 tomato along with chillies and coconut.

[Sowmya]

I have given my version of Aviyal.Looking forward to more varieties.. variations, suggestions.

Regards
Sowmya

[Sowmya]

Here is the recipe for the simple olan types which I prepare frequently..

Olan
type 1
ingredients
mathan(parangikai-T,pumpkin) tender one sliced into moderately sized pieces-1 cup
green chillies-3-4
coconut oil-2 tsp
salt
curry leaves-1 sprig

proc:
Boil the veg.Take care to see that it's just cooked and not mushy.In a kadai transfer the veg,add vertically slit green chillies,salt,coconut oil and mix well.Add curry leaves.
note:
Can add little salt while boiling the veg itself or add it finally.

type 2
ingredients:
mathan,elavan(poosanikai-T,ashgourd) sliced into moderately sized pieces-1 cup
black eyed beans/vellai payaru(karamani)-soaked sufficently & cooked with a pinch of salt-1/2 cup.
curry leaves-1 sprig
coconut oil-2 tsp
salt

proc:
Boil the veg.Take care to see that it's just cooked and not mushy.In a kadai transfer the veg,cooked karamani,add salt,coconut oil and mix well.Add curry leaves.Good side dish for rasam.
variation:
The same dish is prepared adding coconut milk on festive occasions

[ash_970]

Hi Sowmya,

The dishes presented by you look very promising..
my problem is... I can not understand certain Tamil terms /names used in the recipe.e.g chenai,vazhakkai

If possible can you please give the Common Hindi / English name .That would help me and others like me.

Appreciate your effort and love for cooking.

This request goes to all my food loving friends......if they can help people like me to understand this wonderful treasure of variety dishes.
In addition to this there is one more request...During my college days one of my friends mother used to give a hot tomoto chutney(paste like consistency) with Adai i her tiffin box...we used to finish all the stuff before she could start her lunch.... can any one please post the chutney recipe

Thanks.....

[Sowmya]

Hi ash
Sorry for the inconvenience caused..I've been under the impression that my terms were understandable till you raised a valid point..
Will surely give the english/hindi terms in future..

Btw
Chenai-yam
vazhakkai-raw banana/plantain
elavan-ashgourd
mathan-pumpkin

Any other term you want to know please feel free to ask..

Regards
Sowmya

[rain]

bless u ,sowmya! u sure made me smell Onam in the air.

cud u please also post recepies for kalan,cucumber pachadi and semiya paysam that u make?

eliseri is already posted elsewhere in this thread,right?i will check that out too.

thanks and regards,

rain

[Sowmya]

Hi ash
Here is a recipe for tomato chutney..

Tomato onion chutney


Ingredients
Curry Leaves 1 Sprig
small onions (cut into half )- 1 Cup
Tomato- 1 cut into cubes
Dried Red Chillies 4 or more according to your taste
Salt acc To Taste
Coconut Oil 2 Tbsp
Water to grind
Preparation Method
Heat coconut oil in a pan and add the below vegetables and condiments except water and saute until it is brown. Later grind the mixture by adding water.

This chutney is good with dosa and idly.