This is another one of my quick lunch box recipes for the kids. This recipe is of course subject to the availability of the seasonal mangoes. A tangy and sumptuous favoured rice that can be prepared quickly! Check the recipe out.

Ingredients

Raw rice— 1cup

Raw mango— 1

Green chillies— 2

Fresh coconut— 3 tbsp

Fresh coriander leaves— 2 tbsp, copped finelly

Peanut— 2 tsp

Mustard seeds— 1 tsp

Channa dal— 1 tsp

Dry red chilli– 1

Jaggery— 1tsp

Turmeric powder— ½ tsp

Salt— 1 tsp

Oil— 4 tbsp

Few curry leaves.

Method

Cook rice with ½ tsp salt and one spoon oil. Spread the cooked rice in a plate and allow it to cool. Wash the mango,peel the skin and shred the mango. Grind the coconut and green chili together( without water). Heat the remaining oil in a pan, add mustard seeds when they start to splutter add the channa dal, red chilli , curry leaves and peanut and fry for two minutes, now add the shredded mango, ginger and saute . Add the jaggery and give it a stir. Put off the heat add the rice give it a stir ,now add the coconut with green chili and chopped coriander leaves. Mix it all together gently. Manga rice ready.

Onam is truly a very spectacular and vibrant Kerala festival! Being a Palakkad native, I can never forget the exuberant colours and lip smacking dishes that one could get to view and taste during this festival. As Onam will be celebrated in the next couple of months, I would like to introduce a classic Onam sadhya payasam!

Chadhachadhayam payasam is a true delicacy as far as Onam is concerned! Its rich sweetness and finger licking goodness is something all of you must try out. The star ingredient of this payasam is of course the famous Coconut. As the name stands, “Idichu” means “grinding” and “Pizhinja” means “squeezing”, the fresh coconut to create a magical dessert.  This payasam can be a truly inspiring offering for any important function at home to a deity. Check this recipe out and I am absolutely sure your entire family will love it!

Ingredients

Rice —                                ¼ cup

Moong Dal—                        2 tbsp

Jaggery—                               1 cup

Coconut milk powder—      1 cup

Ghee—                                   1 tsp

Cashew nuts—                     1 tsp

Cardamom powder—       ½ tsp.

Method

Take a cooker, fry moong dal till it changes colour and you get a nice aroma. Wash the moong dal and rice, and pressure cook them (add half a glass of extra water than the normal ratio). Add 1 ½ glass of water to the coconut powder to get thick coconut milk.

Mash the cooked rice and dal. Now add the jaggery and mix it together. Add ¼ glass of water and keep stirring. Once the jaggery melts add the coconut milk, and let it cook for about 4-5 minutes. Heat ghee in a pan, fry the cashew nuts. Add the fried cashew nut and cardamom powder to the payasam. Chadhachadhyam is ready.

Traditionally Chacdhachadhyam doesn’t have moong dal. I added moong dal for extra taste.

Ingredients

Vazaithandu—                 1

Moong dal—                   ½ cup

Grated coconut—          ½ cup

Dry red chili—                1

Cumin seeds—           ¾ tsp

Mustard seeds—           ¾ tsp

Urad dal—                      ¾ tsp

Turmeric powder—      ½ tsp

Salt—                              1 tsp

Oil—                               1 tbsp

Few curry leaves.

Method

Remove the outer cover of vazaithandu, cut into slices and then into small cubes. remove the fiber that you will find when you slice the vazaithandu. Soak the cut vazaithandu in water to which 2 tablespoons of buttermilk is added, to prevent discolouration. Take a knife and stir it in the vessel which has cut vazaithandu and remove the extra fiber if it persists.

Cook the moong dal. Remove vazaithadu from water. Add turmeric, salt to the vazaithandu and cook it in the cooker for two whistles.

Grind together coconut, cumin seeds and red chili into smooth paste. Add cooked moong dal to the cooked vazaithandu. Add the grounded paste, adjust the consistency by adding water. The consistency should be semi-gravy. Heat oil, add the mustard seed, when they splutter add the urad dal. when the dal changes colour add the curry leaves, add this to the molagootal. Vazaothandu molagootal is ready.

Yet another adventurous attempt to re-ignite everyone’s taste buds during my previous rainy day experience. A very simple and tasty snack that can be prepared with items that are readily available. I can rest assure you all that, this dish will bring a smile to all that craves for the evening “norukutheeni”!

Ingredients

Sweet corn / fresh corn kernels—                ¾ cup

Boiled potato—                                                1 cup

Bread crumbs—                                               2 tbsp

Corn flour—                                                    2 tbsp

Cumin seeds—                                                 ½ tsp

Coriander powder—                                     ½ tsp

Chilli powder—                                               ½ tsp

Garam masala powder—                              ½ tsp

Amchur / Dry mango powder—                   ½ tsp

Salt—                                                                1 ¼ tsp

Fresh coriander leaves

Oil for frying.

Method

If using fresh corn kernels, cook corn with salt.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, when they crack add the sweet corn / cooked corn and stir it for two minutes. Add coriander, chilli, garam masala and amchur powder, mix it well and cook for further two minutes. Cool it and blend the corn mixture into a coarse paste. Take a deep plate add the boiled potato, bread crumbs, corn flour, corn mixture, salt, and cut coriander leaves. Combine everything well to form a dough. Take small portion of dough and shape them into cutlets. Place the cutlets in a hot pan, drizzle some oil and cook the cutlet on both sides on medium flame.

Enjoy hot corn cutlet!

Ever thought about a savory application of something that is as sweet as Mangoes? Do Mangoes and spice create a tasty combination? The answer is a definite Yes! Here I introduce a very creative and out of the box dish, that combines the sweet richness of mangoes and the rustic flavor of chillies, creating a harmonious yet power packed multi purpose dip.

A very interesting anecdote about the genesis of this dish. Today was a very unusual day in Chennai as far as climate is concerned. Despite it being summer, there was heavy rain during the noon which made my day very special. After my son’s relentless request to munch on something spicy combined with my creative juices flowing in the right direction, the result was indeed special! A few more dishes were prepared, and they are soon to follow in the upcoming days! Watch out!

Ingredients

Mango—                         2 cups

Green chillies—                  5

Honey—                             2 tbsp

Red chilli sauce—             1tbsp

Cumin powder—           ¾ tsp

Lemon—                          1.

Method

Grind together cut mangoes, green chilies, honey, red chili sauce and cumin powder into a smooth pulp. Heat a pan, pour in the pulp and keep stirring the pulp and cook for 4-5 minutes. Put of the heat, cool the pulp , squeeze in the lemon juice and give it a good mix. Enjoy spicy mango dip with   bhajiyas, French fries or just chips.

Here, I introduce a dish that epitomizes the distinctive flavour of Palakkad. Arachukalaki is a side dish that can be used with almost any kootans such as a Moolagotal. In my view it can also be used as a dip for many modern fast foods. The dish carries that wonderful punch of spice and sourness that will get your taste buds craving for more!

Ingredients

Preserved Raw mango—         1

Green chili—                           2

Grated coconut—                  4 tbsp

Curd—                                    ½ cup

Mustard seeds—                  ¾ tsp

Methi seeds—                       ¼ tsp

Salt—                                     ¼ tsp

Oil—                                      1tsp.

Method

For preserved mango. Take medium sized raw mango, wash it well. Place the mango in a glass bottle, add rock salt close the bottle and give it a good shake. In a week’s time you will find the mango has shrunk with salt water. This is preserved mango, ready to use all through the year.

You can preserve gooseberry / nellikai in the same manner.

Arachukalaki

Remove the seed of the mango, cut it into pieces. Grind together mango, green chilis, coconut, ¼ tsp of mustard. Add curd to get a consistency of a raita. Heat oil , add the mustard seeds, when it splutter add the methi seeds. Add this to the ready Arachukalkai.

Your mangai arachukalaki is ready.

Substitute mangai for nellikai to have nellika arachukalaki.

Ingredients

Bread slices—           3

Tomato—                  1, cut into slices

Chess slice—              1

Tomato ketchup—   1 tbsp

Chili flakes—            ¼ tsp

Oregano—                ¼ tsp

Butter—                    1 tsp.

Method

Mix together ketchup, chili flakes and oregano. Heat a flat pan. Spread butter on one slice of bread, place the buttered side on the hot pan.  Now place the chess slice on the bread, top it with the ketchup mixture. Place another slice of bread on top the Ketchup mixture, place the sliced tomato, spread the ketchup mixture again on the tomato slice. Now place one more slice of bread and spread rest of butter over the bread slice. Turn the sandwich, cover it with a  lid and allow the bread to toast for a minute. Enjoy cheeeesE sandwich.

The next recipe in my list, is one that is very dear to me and my family. Bread Upma! I still remember the eye widening reaction my children still give when I tell them that Bread Upma has been prepared! From my daughter’s over use of ketchup while devouring this dish to my son’s combination of this dish with a glass of orange juice, the tales associated with this dish never get old. Let’s take a look at a very simple and tasty dish!

BREAD UPMA

Ingredients

Bread slices—                          8-10 slices (white /brown)

Onion—                                     1 ,cut into small pieces

Tomato paste / Ketchup—       1 tsp / 4 tbsp

Garam masala powder—         ½ tsp

Pepper powder—                       ½ tsp

Mustard seeds—                       ½ tsp

Salt—                                            ¼ tsp

Oil—                                             2 tbsp

Fresh coriander leaves.

Method

Cut bread slices into small cubes ( best to use one day old bread).  Add 3 tbsp water, salt, garam masala powder and pepper powder to the tomato paste and mix well. If using ketchup avoid water and rest of the spices.

Heat  oil in a pan add the mustard seeds , when they splutter add the onion and sauté them till the onion turns translucent. Now add the tomato / ketchup mixture and stir well for 2-3 minutes or till you see the oil floating on the top. Now add the bread pieces and mix it well with the gravy. Lower the flame, cover the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Put off the flame add the coriander leaves ,mix well . Your bread upma is ready. Pack the upma in your child’s tiffin box and, relax and enjoy this bread upma for your breakfast.

A- Ingredients

Urad dal— 2 tbsp

Dry red chili— 2

Asafoetida— ¼ tsp or a small piece

Tamarind— tiny bit

Fresh coconut— ¼ cup

Salt— ½ tsp

Oil– 1 tbsp.

B-Method

Heat oil in a pan, add the urad dal and red chili and fry till the dal turns red in colour. Put of the heat add the tamarind, asafetida and salt give it a stir. Grind together fried ingredients, fresh coconut adding little water. Thogayal doesn’t have to be smoot it could have a granular texture.

Peerkangai Thogayal

Peerkangai / Ridge Gourd + all ingredients in A + 1 tbsp oil.

Procedure: – Peel, wash and chop the peerkangai into small pieces. Heat one tbsp oil in a pan add the peerkangai and cook them till water evaporates from the vegetable.

Proceed as in B- Method.

Carrot Thogayal

Carrot—one, fresh coriander leaves + all ingredients in A + 1 tbsp oil.

Procedure: – Peel, wash and cut the carrot in thick slice.

Heat one tbsp oil add the carrot, sauté it for two minutes, put of the heat add the chopped coriander leaves.

Proceed as mentioned in B-Method.