A Quick Lunch.

Kichdi

Basmati rice - 1 cup
Moong Dhal / cherupayar parippu - 1/2 cup
Wash the rice and dhal and add salt, a pinch of jeera, asefotide and turmeric to it. Mix well and add double the quantity of water. Keep in pressure cooker and cook well. Pour a tsp ghee and serve hot with Salads, pappad, curds and pickle .

PALAK PAROTTA

Palak is not easily available in South India. So this is a North Indian recipe.
Clean and remove the stem of a bunch of Palak leaves. Boil water in a pan and immerse the Palak leaves for 2 minutes. Strain all the water.
Grind the leaves and 3 green chillies together into a fine paste.
Add this to the wheat flour to make parottas. Add little water if needed. Add a tbs of ghee while kneading. Keep the dough covered for half an hour.
Roll and make the parottas on a hot tava. Pour ghee or butter and serve hot.

Palak Paneer

We need....
Palak - a bunch
Wash the palak leaves in lots of water after removing the stem. Immerse the leaves in boiling water for 2 minutes. Strain the water and keep aside.
Paneer - 200gms
Cut the paneer into small cubes and fry in oil till there is a slight color change. Don't let them become crisp.
Grind together the palak leaves and 3 green chillies.
Heat a tbs of oil, add a pinch of cumin seeds,[jeera] one sliced garlic, an onion cut into small pieces. When the onion turns brown, add a pinch of turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala powder.
Add the ground palak paste and the fried paneer and salt. Simmer till the gravy gets thick. Add water to palak paste only if necessary.
Serve with chappathi.

Bajji

Besan /[Kadala mavu] /Gram flour - 1/2 cup
Onion- 2
Green chillies - big variety- 2
Corriander leaves - 1 bunch
Salt
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

How to make....
Cut the green chillies and onion into long pieces. Add all ingredients to the gram flour and make into a thick paste adding water. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry spoonfuls of the mixture.
Serve hot with tomato sauce. Good as an evening snack.

Appam

Appam is a breakfast dish which belongs to Kerala. It is made in different ways in different regions of Kerala. This method I use is very easy.
Soak 3 cups of raw rice for 4 hours.
Grind it to a fine paste adding little water. Add a cup of cooked rice while grinding. Soak a tsp of dry yeast in warm water and a tbs of sugar and add to the ground paste. Add salt. Mix well and keep over night to ferment. Soft Appams can be made with this batter in the morning.

Appam and Green peas curry

Peas Curry

You need...

Frozen peas...200 gms
Potato..1 medium size
Boil and cook the peas and potato..

Small onion or shallots....1/2 cup
Green chillies...3
Curry leaves
Ginger garlic paste...1/2 tsp
Chilli powder...1 tbs
Turmeric...1/4 tsp
Corriander powder...1 tbs
Garam masala powder...1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil
Seasoning
Coconut milk powder....25 gm packet

How to prepare
Heat the pan, add oil and seasonings. Add finely cut onions and green chillies. When they turn brown add all masalas. Stir for a few minutes and then add the cooked peas and potatoes. Simmer for a few minutes. Mix the coconut milk powder in a cup of warm water and add to the curry. Simmer and remove from fire.

Cherupayar Erusseri

Cheru payar – or Whole Moong —1 cup. Cook well in pressure cooker.

Grind together----

Coconut- 1--grated

Green chillies-3

Garlic – 2 small

Shallot- 1

Jeera- a pinch

Red chilli powder- 1 tbs

Turmeric – 1/4tsp

Heat a pan, pour oil & add seasonings. Then add the cooked cherupayar and ground coconut paste. Simmer for a few minutes. Serve hot.

Cauliflower Thoran

How to make

Clean the cauliflower by immersing in salt water for some time. Cut into very small pieces. Cut one onion and 2 green chillies into small pieces.

Keep oil in a pan add the seasonings, then the onions. Stir for some time and then add the cauliflower. Mix salt and turmeric powder, cover with a lid and cook. Just sprinkle a little water, as cauliflower doesn’t need much water to cook.

When done, add coconut scrapings, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder and ¼ tsp garam masala powder. Mix well and keep on low fire till all water is absorbed and the dish turns brown in color.

Serve with rice or chappathi.

Cabbage Thoran

Cabbage- ¼ kg

Carrot -1

Onion -1

Green chillies -3

Coconut scrapings

Curry leaves

Oil

Seasoning

Salt

How to make

Cut the cabbage carrot and onion very thin.

Heat pan, add oil and seasoning. [jeera, mustard seeds and a dry chilli]

Add the vegetables, and all other ingredients. Cover and keep on low fire for some time. No need to add water. So mix occasionally. When it is cooked, remove lid and heat for a few more minutes. Serve with rice.

Dhal—Parippu curry

Tuvar dhal Thumara parippu – 1 cup

Onion – 1 cut into small pieces

Green chillies -2

Ginger -1 small piece

Tomato – 1

Red chilli powder 1 tsp

Turmeric -1/2 tsp

Seasoning

Salt

Oil

How to make

Cook the dhal in pressure cooker. Heat the pan add oil and seasoning….Then add the onions and green chillies. Fry till brown. Add red chilli powder, turmeric and then the tomatoes. Heat for a few minutes and then add the cooked dhal and boil till thick. Good with chappathi.