Sweet Tender Pumpkin in Coconut Sauce(Parangikottai Paal Kootu)

Think Pumpkin people think the ripe orange color, but the young tender pumpkin is green in color with very tender seeds. I don't know how many of you have used it in your cooking, I rarely find that kind of young tenders ones in the grocery stores or farmers market here. This dish was made almost year and half before when my parents visited us. I love this young tender pumpkin and my sister who was in the west coast at that time, packed off couple of them from the farmers market there. The tender pumpkins have slight green color skin and the skin is also pretty edible because they are not thick like the yellow ones. A very simple dish made by adding jaggery(panela) & coconut, this dish absolutely tastes divine. So if you happen to see the young green pumpkin next time, do pick them up and try it out and let me know how you liked it. You can also do this with the yellow pumpkin if doing so, adjust the quantity of jaggery.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 15 Minutes

Serves - 4



Ingredients



Chopped Pumpkin pieces - 4 Cups

Powdered Jaggery(Panela) - 1/3 Cup or according to your sweet tooth

Grated coconut - 1/2 Cup

Rice flour - 1 Tsp

Salt - 1/4 Tsp

Ghee(clarified butter) - 1 Tsp



Method



1) Boil the chopped pumpkin pieces adding little bit of water and salt. Stir in between to cook evenly and add more water if required.



2) Grind the coconut and rice flour adding little bit of water into a fine paste and add this to boiled pumpkin pieces and simmer on low heat for around 5 minutes.



3) Now add the jaggery and simmer for 3-5 minutes till it completely dissolves and add the clarified butter and serve.



Note - Even though this is called paal kootu(paal meaning milk in my language) this version which we do in our house hold just uses coconut and no milk is involved.

Sending this to Halloween fiesta hosted by Vardhini of Vardhini's Kitchen.



Now to the answer of my previous post riddle, who carved the pumpkin. Check out the following pictures. I thoroughly enjoyed this carving and had to hide and click these photos.

Read more »

Pineapple Curry in Coconut Milk

Don't just think of Vitamin C alone when thinking of pineapple also think of Bromelain, Manganese and Dietary fiber. Pineapple is a very good source of Bromelain. Bromelain is an effective anti-inflammatory enzyme found in pineapple's fruit and stem. It may help relieve swelling caused by sports injuries and surgery.

Eating pineapple may benefit your bones. A cup of pineapple chunks contains 76 percent of your daily need for manganese, an essential mineral required for the synthesis of healthy bone and cartilage.  So nothing to lose in eating this healthy fruit but if you are on a low sugar diet, check out the fructose content of Pineapple to adjust your daily intake of fructose.



Delicious flavorful pineapple and the yummy tasting coconut milk are surely an unbeatable combination. With an array of flavors and taste this curry pairs so well with some cooked brown rice with vegetables. Very simple to put together and takes very less time to cook. Try this curry out if haven't tried out before and let me know what you think about this.



Preparation Time - 15 Minutes

Cooking Time - 10 Minutes

Serves - 2

Ingredients



Pineapple chunks-1 cup

Bell Pepper - 1 Cup (preferably green, red, yellow but I had only yellow in hand so used that alone)

Onion - 1 small (chopped)

Coconut Milk - 1 Cup

Salt - 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Thai yellow curry paste - 1 Tbsp or to taste

Soy sauce - 1 Tsp

Handful Chopped Coriander leaves & Green onion pieces- to garnish

Sesame Oil-2 tsp

Method

1) Heat a pan and add 1 Tsp of oil, add onions and fry till they are nicely browned. Now add the bell pepper pieces and saute for 2 minutes. Keep the vegetables aside.



2) Now add the remaining oil, once its warm add the yellow curry paste and saute for a few minutes(1-2). Then add the coconut milk, sauteed vegetables, pineapple pieces, salt and soy sauce. Cover and cook in medium heat for 5 minutes.



3) Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onion pieces.



Note - When buying Thai curry paste, do check for the ingredients and buy the ones which says suitable for vegetarians. This curry is lying in my drafts for more than a year. So I don't remember the brand of the yellow thai curry paste I used. If I happen to see the one suitable for vegetarians, will update this post here. Also to add more color and taste to this curry, try adding baby corn, carrots, tempeh and miso pieces along with the vegetables. 

Event participation



1) Sending this Thai curry to A 100 Day Global Food Festival hosted by Kalyani of Sizzling Tastebuds.



2) This goes to Saffron Streak's Healing Food - Coconut an event started by Siri.



3) This also goes to Veggie Fruit a Month- Coconut hosted by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan.

Read more »

Ragi Puttu & Kadala Curry(Steamed Finger Millet with Brown Chick Pea Curry)

Ragi(Finger Millet), Quinoa all these are Pseudo grains meaning not actual grains like Wheat, Rice, Corn etc but seeds which are actually used as grains. If you are a vegetarian and looking for a gluten free and trying to eliminate grains like Wheat, Corn and Rice, these pseudo grains are a sure savior. Finger millet is a very good source of calcium and a good source of fiber and complex carbohydrates. This along with the protein rich Brown Chick Pea(the protein content in this is much more than the white variety), would make a perfect balanced break fast or lunch. 

Kadalai Curry

Ingredients

Kala Channa(Brown Chick Pea) - 1 Cup

Onion - 1 (chopped)

Tomato - 1 (chopped)

Grated Coconut - 1/3 Cup

Garlic - 3 Cloves

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Masala/Spices  - (1 Tsp Coriander seeds, 1/4 Tsp cumin seeds, 1-2 dry red chili, 1/2 Tsp Fennel seeds, 1 Clove, 1 inch piece of Indian Cinnamon Stick, 1/4 Tsp Black Whole Pepper Corns)

Curry Leaves - few for seasoning

Coconut Oil -2 Tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Green Chili -2 

Salt - 1 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp

Method

1) Soak the brown chick pea overnight and pressure cook with enough water to cover its surface by adding salt and split green chili for 3 to 4 whistles.

2) Heat a pan and add 1/2 tsp oil and roast the grated coconut and keep it aside.

3) Heat the pan once again and add 1/2 tsp oil and to this add the chopped garlic cloves, once this browns nicely add all the ingredients mentioned next to masala  in the ingredient list and once they slightly brown, add the onion and ginger as well and saute for a few minutes till it becomes translucent, now add the chopped tomato and saute till the tomato becomes tender. Keep this aside to cool.

4) Now grind the cooled coconut, onion & tomato mixture along with masala and add a handful of cooked chick pea (if you want a thick gravy) into a fine paste.

5) Heat a pan, add the remaining oil and add the mustard seeds. Once these seeds stop spluttering, add the curry leaves and the ground paste. To this add the turmeric powder, remaining salt and saute for 3-4 minutes.

6) Now to this add the cooked chick pea along with the water and simmer for another 5 minutes and then switch off. Add more water and salt at this stage based on your preference.

Ragi Puttu



Ingredients



Sprouted and Roasted Ragi flour - 2 Cups

Water - 1/2 Cup

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Grated Coconut - 3/4 Cup

Warm Coconut Oil - 1 Tbsp



Method



1) Warm the water slightly. Add salt, grated coconut and warm coconut oil to the ragi flour and set it aside.



2) To this slowly add the water little by little and combining it nicely, the flour should be slightly wet and damp enough for steaming. If you take a small amount of flour in your hands and give a slight pressure and set it down, the flour should be able to hold it's shape. If not add little more water and try. (Do not pour a lot of water at the same time,  since you are not trying to form a dough).



3) I don't a have a puttu maker, so I greased a idli plate and took the ragi mixture in a small greased bowl and  pressed it evenly and then inverted it in each of the idli mold and steam it for 10 minutes.



4) Serve hot with kadala curry.

Event Participation



This Olan goes straight to the Kerala Kitchen.

Read more »

Avial(Vegetables in Coconut & Yogurt Sauce)

Know What you Eat : Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. Further, it increases the body metabolism by removing stress on pancreases, thereby burning out more energy and helping obese and overweight people reduce their weight. Hence, people living in tropical coastal areas, who eat coconut oil daily as their primary cooking oil, are normally not fat, obese or overweight.



Avial is an authentic South Indian side dish cooked with vegetables, grind coconut, green chili and yogurt.









Cooking Time: 20 mins

Preparation Time: 15 mins

Serves : 4 to 6



Ingredients





Cooking banana - 1

Carrot - 1

Small Egg plant - 3

Beans - 1 handful

Bell pepper - 1/2

White pumpkin - 1 Big sized piece.

Green Peas - 1/2 cup

Drumstick - 1

Coconut oil - 2 table spoon

Curry leaves - few

Coconut - 1/2 fresh coconut.

Sour Yogurt - 1/2 cup

Green chilly - 3-4 or to taste

Rice flour - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - pinch

Salt





Coconut Oil - 4 tsps

Curry Leaves - 3 or 4 stalks



Method



1) Cut cooking banana, Carrot, Egg plant, green beans, bell pepper, drumstick pieces and white pumpkin into length wise pieces. Add peas and little bit of water, cook covered with salt and pinch of turmeric.



2) Keep stirring and add water little by little. Make sure not to add lot of water to the vegetables, as the covered vegetables with salt will become watery and the consistency will not come out good.



3) Once the vegetables are well cooked grind the fresh coconut along with the green chili and rice flour and add it to the cooked vegetables.



4) Add the coconut oil and curry leaves and simmer for few minutes to enhance the flavor.



5) Switch off the stove and once it is little cooled add the sour yogurt and mix it thoroughly.

Read more »

White Pumpkin Curry in Coconut & Yogurt Sauce (Poosanikai Mor Kootu)

White pumpkin is used widely in Indian Cuisine, and is considered much superior to its orange counterparts. Unlike the orange pumpkin, the white pumpkin doesn’t taste sweet and is very watery. This is a low glycemic vegetable and very ideal for people with diabetes and who are on a weight loss plan. Also the juice of white pumpkin is believed to be a very good brain stimulant. The white pumpkin by itself doesn’t have any taste of its own and the addition of coconut and and sour yogurt and green chili gives it a tangy spicy yummy taste and flavor. You can find white pumpkin in your local Asian Indian store.

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – 20 Minutes

Serves – 2

Ingredients

Chopped White Pumpkin – 4 Cups

Sour Yogurt – 1/3 cup

Grated Coconut – 1/3 Cup

Green Chili – 2 or to taste

Salt – 1 Tsp or to taste

Asafoetida powder – pinch

Tempering

Coconut Oil – 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Urad Dal – 1 Tsp

Curry Leaves – few

Method

1) Boil the chopped white pumpkin pieces adding salt and asafoetida powder with very little water.

2) Since the vegetable by itself is watery, in the cooking process will become more watery so add

very little water and cover and cook till tender.

3) Once cooked grind the grated coconut, green chili, cumin seeds and rice flour together into a

nice paste and add it to the cooked white pumpkin pieces.

4) Simmer this for 5 minutes, stirring in between and switch off.

5) Heat a pan, add oil and then add mustard seeds, once the mustard seeds stop spluttering add

the urad dal and curry leaves. After the Urad dal slightly brown transfer the tempering to the

cooked pumpkin.

6) Let this pumpkin coconut mixture cool for 5-10 minutes, when it is not too hot add the sour

yogurt and mix thoroughly.

7) Serve this with hot quinoa, rice or Indian flat bread.

Read more »

Green Mung Bean & Split Chick Pea Curry

Green Mung Bean & Split Chick Pea are widely used in Indian Cuisine and they can be found in Asian Indian Store. Both these legumes are very good source of protein without any fat associated with them and low in glycemic index, good source of iron and fiber. These are good for people who are on a weight loss diet, growing children and people with diabetes.

With all the spices added to the bean, they simply enhance the flavor and taste and are sure treat to eat. In all these gravy types, normally lot of butter or cream is added, but i just skipped these two and added milk instead to get a creamy gravy. Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients, it is a very simple curry with few spices and in fact these are the base spices which are used in spiced kidney bean, chick pea curry.

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – 40 Minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Green Whole Mung Bean – 1 Cup

Split Chick Pea(Chana daal) – 1/2 Cup

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Onion – 2 medium sized chopped finely

Tomato – 2 medium sized chopped finely

Turmeric powder – 1 Tsp

Salt – 1 Tsp or to taste

Red Chili powder – 1 Tsp or to taste

Garam Masala powder – 1 Tsp

Ginger Garlic paste – 1 Tsp

Whole Garam Masala – 1 Tbsp

Green Chili – 1 or 2 as per taste

Asafoetida powder – 1/4 tsp

Milk – 1/2 cup

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Oil – 1 Tbsp

Chopped Cilantro – 1 Tbsp for garnishing

Method

1) Soak Mung bean over night, rinse and drain and add enough water to cover the surface of

green mung bean and chana dal and cook in a pressure cooker separately by adding 1/2 tsp

and 1/4 tsp salt and the piece of ginger and asafoetida powder. Adding ginger and asafoetida

powder will decrease and the gassy and bloating effect of eating these beans.

2) Heat a pan, add the oil and once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. After the mustard

seeds stop spluttering, add the whole garam masala once they are slightly browned add the ginger

garlic paste and saute till the raw smell is gone.

3) Now add the chopped green chili and chopped onions and fry till the onion turns translucent.

4) Add the chopped tomato pieces, turmeric powder and salt and fry till the tomatoes are cooked

completely and become a thick paste.

5) Combine the cooked mung bean and chana dal and add 3/4th of the cooked beans to the

tomato, onion paste and mash the rest of the bean to a fine paste and add this paste also to

to the rest of the bean and add little water and garam masala powder and simmer in low heat for

10 minutes till all the spices are well absorbed by the beans.

6) Now add the milk and the required amount of water based on the consistency you want and

simmer for 5 minutes and then switch off. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with

Indian flat bread or rice.

Read more »

Green Tomato & Spinach Curry in Coconut Sauce(Thakkalikai Keerai Kootu)

Summer months are the peak for tomatoes, with very little effort they give a lot of produce in the backyard.

These tomatoes are very low in saturated fat, high in dietary fiber, iron, manganes, magnesium, niacin,

phosphorus, potassium and Vitamin A, B6 and C. Spinach is a good source of iron and a dietary super food.

Coconut & Split Peas are a good source of protein.

With my backyard flooded with ripe and green tomatoes, tomato would find its place in one or other way.

Soups, salad, chutney etc. This is one such easy and very tasty dish and cooks pretty fast too.

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Green Tomatoes – 4 medium sized

Spinach – 1 cup(chopped into pieces)

Salt – 1 tsp

Cooked Toor Dal(Split Yellow pea) – 1/2 cup

Grated coconut – 1/2 cup

Green chili – 2 or to taste

Rice flour – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Water

For Tempering

Coconut Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Split Urad Dal – 1 tsp

Curry Leaves – 4 to 5

Method

1) Wash and chop the green tomato into small pieces.

2) Add 1/2 cup of water and salt, asafoetida piece and cover and cook till tender.

3) Keep stirring in between and add little water if required, there is no need to

add lot of water as the vegetable itself when let out water when cooking and

we are going to make a thick stew and not a watery one. So don’t dump in lot

of water when cooking.

4) Grind grated coconut, green chili, rice flour, cumin seeds and little bit of water and

grind to a smooth paste.

5) Add this paste to the cooked tomato and simmer for 5 minutes for the flavors to be

combined with the vegetable and for the gravy to thicken and then switch off.

6) Heat a small pan or ladle and add a tsp of coconut oil, once hot add the mustard seeds.

After the mustard seeds stop spluttering add urad dal, curry leaves and stir till the urad

dal turns slight golden brown and then transfer this to the tomato coconut gravy and

combine.

7) Serve this dish with hot rice & rasam or with flat bread of your choice.

Read more »