Theeyal

                         Theeyal, a popular and tasty delicacy from Kerala has been relished by me often at my sister in law's house who lived in Trivandrum for more than 30 years and at some of my friends' houses who are from Kerala.
                      This Theeyal seems to taste partly like our Vathakuzhambu because of the tamarind content. But the ingredients are little different. There are slight variation in the recipes passed on to me and finally I arrived at a recipe to my taste.

Theeyal

Ingredients :
 
Cooked Channa / Cooked Peanut     1 cup    / Drumstick 2
Tamarind          1 Big Lemon Size
Oil    2 tbsp.
Mustard,     Split Urad Dhal,    Curry Leaves

To Grind :

Small onions       1 cup
Grated coconut    1 cup
Red chillies      2 or 3
Coriander Seeds    2 tbsp.
Fenugreek     1/2 tsp.
Channa Dhal  (optional )   1 tsp.

Method :

1. Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract 3 cups of tamarind water.

2. Heat a little oil in a tawa and saute the red chillies, coriander seeds, Fenugeek and Channa Dhal
     till they turn slightly brown, giving an aroma.

3. Transfer them to a plate. Heat 1 tsp. of oil in the same tawa and saute the onions and 
    a few curry leaves well. Then add the coconuts and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.Switch
    off and and let them cool.

4. Powder the roasted ingredients in the mixi without water and then add the sauteed
    onions,  curry leaves  and  coconut. Grind them fine with water.

5. Mix the ground paste well with the tamarind water and salt in a thick bottomed vessel
    and keep on the fire. Once it starts boiling, add the cooked channa or peanut.Stir well.

6. It drumstick or any vegetable is used, let them get half cooked first with a little
    salt and then add the tamarind water with the paste. Add the channa or peanut and
    let the mixture simmer on a low fire. Keep stirring in between.

7. When a thick consistency is reached, season with mustard, split urad dhal and curry
    leaves in 2 tbsp.of oil.The tasty theeyal is ready.

Note  :

1. Channa Dhal is only a thickening agent and it can also be left. Some use thickenig
    agents like rice flour for Kootus. I totally avoid that. But in the gravies for rice , I 
    add 1/2 tsp. channa dhal or rice with the other ingredients while sauteing.

2. Seasoning with the mustard in the end is said to add to the flavour and taste.It can
    also be done in the beginning to save time and usage of vessels.

3. Turmeric Powder can also be used.

4. Soak the black or white channa for 8 hrs. and pressure cook.Black channa suits
    better  than white.

5. Only raw peanut ( groundnut ) has to be used.That is also soaked in water for  2 hrs.
    by me and pressure cooked before adding to the gravy.
    

    
  

 

Vazhaikkai / Raw Banana Fry

                                                 Only Vazhaikkai Poriyal and Podimas were the recipes passed on to me from my family. This Vazhaikkai Fry became the favourite of our children after it was tasted during a lunch, two decades ago,at Ms. Suganthi's house, a long time acquaintance of me.

                                       This Fry differs from the Poiyal, in the sense that coconuts are used in the Poriyal whereas in the Fry, onions are used instead of the coconut and little more oil is also used.

                                       Vazhaikkai Fry goes well with Sambar and Rasam. Poriyal is more suitable for Vathakuzhambu and other spicy gravies.
                                           

Vazhaikkai Fry
 

Ingredients :

Raw Banana                 2
Big Onion                     1
Chilly Powdwer             1 tsp.
Rice / Besan Flour       1 tbsp.
Oil 2 tbsp.
Mustard, Curry leaves, Turmeric Powder

Method   :

1. Finely slice the onions or just cut it into two pieces and crush them using a mortar.
   The big pieces of onions can also be crushed in the mixi in one or two seconds.
   There is a slight variation in the taste when the onions are crushed. So each way
   can be tried during two occasions.


2. Heat the oil in a tawa, add the mustard,curry leaves and later the onions.Saute well.

3. Once the onions turn golden brown,add the sliced raw bananas and add enough water
    to get the vegetable cooked.Add salt and Turmeric Powder. Keep stirring in between.

4. When the vegetables are almost cooked, add the Chilly Powder and Rice or Besan
    flour.Mix well and fry on a low fire for 8 to 10 mins. The tasty and crispy Vazhaikkai Fry
    ready.

Note :

Rice Flour gives crispness but Besan Flour enhances the taste.So depending on the availability or preference, any one flour can be used.
  
                                
                          
 

Vazhaithandu / Banana Stem Poriyal

                                                      Vazhaithandu, everyone knows, is very good for health.But it is dreaded by the people for the drudgery in chopping it. With little planning, it can be sliced the previous day during any gap. Finely sliced Vazhzaithandu is available in the stores of the cities.Whatever it is, including the veg. in our diet at least once in a week or ten days is highly recommended.


Vazhaithandu Poriyal

                         

Ingredients :

Vazhaithandu                           1 medium size tube ( approximately 10 inches long )
Green chillies /Red chillies       2
Grated Coconut                        1/2 cup.
Zeera( Optional )                      1/2 tsp.
Small onions                             4  OR 1 tsp. of finely chopped Big Onion
Salt, Oil, Mustard, Split Urad Dhal, Curry Leaves.

Method  :

1.Peal off the thick outer covering of the stem, slice into circular pieces pieces,removing
    the thread like fibre by winding it round the fingers and put the slices in water mixed
    with buttermilk.

2. After slicing into circular pieces,slice them into fine cubes. The extra thread like
    fibres can  still be removed by dipping the Murukku Kampi in the vessel containing the
    sliced cubes of veg.with the buttermilk. When the veg. is simply stirred,the threads
    curl around the rod and they can be removed.

3. Grind the coconut with the Zeera, green chillies and onion coarsely in the mixi.This 
    step is purely optional.Instead of it, after seasoning with mustard, red chillies can be
    added.

4. Cook the vegetable with water till it becomes soft. Add salt in the end.It can also be
    pressure cooked in a small cooker with little water and salt for one or two whistles.

5. Heat oil in a tawa, add mustard, Urad dhal and curry leaves. When the mustard cracks,
    add the cooked vazhaithandu and ground coconut and stir well till the raw smell goes
    off and the water is absorbed, if any.The tasty,aromatic and nutritious poriyal is ready.

Note :

 

1. Adding coconut ground with Zeera,green chillies and onions for poriyals is purely
    a unique style of Tirunelveli.This gives an aromatic taste.

2. While cooking any vegetable in a cooker, adding little water retains the nutrients
    as the water is not discarded.Close the cooker and place the weight immediately
    as the steam starts coming out,as only less water is added. Take care to see that the
    whistling sound comes out at the right time. This is very important from the safety
    point of view.
  

Banana Chips

                                          Whenever Banana Chips are made, that day,myself a newly married girl enjoying the Virundhus,meaning dinner,something special for the newly married couple, nearly 3 decades ago flashes in my memory.That day is so fresh in my memory as I was astonished to see my " Chinna Mamiar "( junior mother in law, that means my mother in law's co-sister)  prepare banana chips with ease, directly scratching the chips in oil.
                                  My junior MIL is an adorable character and a highly accomplished lady with an undying interest in all fields, right from cooking to music.A soft spoken lady with a unique smile that radiates her face is simply loved and respected by one and all.
         
                                                                                      

Banana Chips

                  
Ingredients  :

Raw Banana              2
Oil
Chilly Powder / Pepper Powder
1 tsp. of salt mixed with 3 tbsp. of water.
                                              
Method :

1. Peal the raw bananas and cut them into 2 parts.

2.Heat the oil.Once the oil becomes hot, scratch the bananas using a chips cutter
   directly in the oil See that the oil in not dumped with the slices more than it can
   hold. If they are too much,the slices stick to each other and the chips will not be crispy.

3. Stir well and when the bubbles are likely to disappear, sprinkle just 1/ 2 tsp. of salt
    water and stir well. Remove from the oil,once the bubbles totally disappear.

4. For the subsequent set of chips to be scratched in the oil, reduce the quantity of salt  
   water as already the oil is salty.This method of sprinkling salt water in oil makes the
   salt mix uniformly with the chips.After all the chips are ready,mix with chilly or
   pepper powder. 

Note  :

It is better to use a chips cutter that can bring out thin slices of chips.I always prefer thin
slices as they get cooked fast and the quantity is also more. It is better to avoid the cutters used for Bajjies as the slices will be thick. 

Keerai Saru / Sambar / Kuzhambu

                                                  Keerai Saru may sound strange to the those who have not heard it. Saru means an extract or a juice.As it is made out of Greens meaning Keerai in Tamil,it is christened Keerai Saru a gravy for rice. With a little variation, it can be become a Sambar or a Kuzhambu. I use Araikeerai  but other varieties of Greens can also be used.

                                         A particular variety of Keerai is finely chopped, packed  and sold in the stores of US. That impressed me a lot.It saves time and is always available in the fridge, making it handy for any dish , be it a poriyal, gravy for rice like Sambar or Kuzhambu or Keerai kootu or Keerai Vadais. 

                                      

Keerai  Saru

 

 

 

 

Ingredients :

Cleaned and chopped Greens       2 cups.
Cooked Toor Dhal           1 cup
Big onion                        1
Red Chillies        6
Tamarind                 1 Lemon size
Grated coconut    2 tbsp.
Zeera                1/2 tsp.
Salt, Turmeric Powder, Hing, Mustard, Urad Dhal, Oil

 Method :

1. Heat oil in a tawa and add the Mustard, Urad Dal, Curry Leaves.

2. After the Mustard cracks, add the broken Red Chillies, Hing and the sliced onion and saute well.

3. Add 3 cups of tamarind water extracted by soaking the tamarind in warm water.

4. Add salt and Turmeric water and stir well.Add the Keerai let it boil.

5. Grind the coconut with Zeera and 2 or 3 small onions or 1 tsp. of chopped big onion in a mixi.

7. When the 3 cups of tamarind water gets reduced to 2 cups, add the Toor Dhal,salt and the coconut.

8. Mix well and let it simmer or boil, according to convenience till it becomes thick.

 Note  :

i. Coconuts and onions are optional .For us they are the real taste makers.

2. When 2 tap. of Sambar Powder is mixed instead of Red chillies, the dish becomes Keerai Sambar.

3. Without adding Toor Dhal and by adding, Sambar or Kuzhambu Powder, the dish becomes
     Keerai Kuzhambu. For this, ground coconut is a must to give the right consistency. 
 

Paharkkai / Bittergourd Kuzhambu

                                   This can also be called Karakuzhambu. Chilly powder and Coriander
powder are enough and can be easily prepared and this goes well with plain rice and Dosais.Here only long size Paharkkais are mostly available in the stores.
                                                 

Paharkkai   /  Bittergourd Kuzhambu



Ingredients  :

Paharkkai                200 gms. ( 3 medium size )
Big onion                 1
Garlic                       5 pods
Tomato                    1
Tamarind                 1 lemon size
Chilly Powder          1 tsp.
Coriander Powder     1 tsp.
Salt,  Turmeric Powder, Oil, mustard, Urad Dhal
Grated coconut  (optional)     2 tbsp.

Method :

1. Slice the Paharkkai, tomato ,onion and the garlic.

2. Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract 3 cups of tamarind water.

3. Heat 1 tbsp. of oil, add mustard, urad dhal, curry leaves.When the mustards crack, add
    the onions and saute. Then add the tomatoes, little salt and saute till they shrink.

4. Add the sliced Paharkkai and saute till the paharkkai gets half cooked.

5. Add the chilly powder, corinder powder and turmeric powder and saute for 2 or 3mins.

6. Then add the tamarind water and salt and stir well. Let it boil.

7. When the Kuzhambu starts thickening, add the coconut and stir well.

8. Let it simmer for 5 mins.The tasty Paharkkai Kuzhambu is ready.

Note  :

1. Some people feel that seasoning with mustard and curry leaves in the end gives a
    rich aroma. So seaoning can also be done in the end.

2. Using coconut is purely optional.Coconut can also be reduced by adding Pottukadalai.

3. Onion and garlic can be avoided,if desired.