Avial

Avial is the most popular Kerala dish as I know. It is the highlight of Onam sadhya. It is very healthy as it has a bunch of boiled veggies with hardly any frying in oil. It tastes splendid too. Here is my Mom's recipe.

Ingredients

1)
2 cup vegetables - preferably country veggies like dudhi, pumpkin, plantain, drumsticks, carrots,tindora, okra, eggplant
1 pinch turmeric powder

2) 
1/2 cup  grated coconut
2-3 flakes garlic
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 chillies

3) 
2 tbsp yoghurt
curry leaves
coconut oil


Method

1. Cut vegetables lengthwise
2. Boil the veggies in water till 3/4 cooked with turmeric and salt- put veggies that take longer to cook first then others
3. Grind a coarse paste of ingredients no.2)
4. Add it to the boiling veggies
5. Add a spoon of curd 
6. Add salt and adjust by taste
7. Add few curry leaves and a spoon of hot coconut oil
8. Turn off stove

Easy Quesadilla

This is an easy peasy mexican Quesadilla  recipe. Its got lots of cheese and sourcream so I prefer to go the fatfree variety but still tastes good.

Ingredients

corn-bean salsa - store bought from walmart

1 medium onion chopped

1 bell pepper chopped

salt as per taste

pepper as per taste

sour cream as per taste - I use the lighter variety

Flour tortilllas

shredded cheese - I use Krafts 4 blend fat free cheese 

olive oil

Method:

1. Stir fry onion and bell pepper for 3-4 minutes with a sprinkle of salt
2. In a vessel, make filling mixture by mixing together salsa, onion- pepper fry, salt, pepper and sour cream.
3. Heat tortilla in pan with olive oil on both sides
4. Apply thin layer of sour cream on 1 side
5. Put cheese on one half of the tortilla
6. Spread filling mixture on top
7. Top with cheese
8. Fold the tortilla
9. Heat in low till cheese melts

Tip:

Add stir fried, shredded chicken in filling mixture if you crave for a chicken quesedilla!

Mango Curry

My mom's mango curry recipe- no its not sweet but savory! Love it yumm!

Ingredients:

1) 

Ripe mangoes- 5 or 6 of small size. or 1 big US size.  If big cut into 1 inch slices

Salt

Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp

2)

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Jeera - a pinch

Garlic - 1 piece

Small onion(pearl onion) - 2-4

Green chilly - 2-3

Turmeric pdr - 1 pinch

3)

Small onion (pearl onion)  - 3 , cut into pieces

Whole red chillies- 2

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves

4) 

Salt

oil

Method:

1. Peel mangoes and cook them with salt and turmeric pdr with 1.5 cups of water for 10 mins
2. Grind together the no.2) ingredients with 1/2 cup water to fine paste
3. Add this paste to mangoes. 
4. Check salt and water. The gravy of this curry has medium thick consistency
5. Cook for 5-7 mins on low flame
6. Make tadka in oil with no.3) ingredients and add to curry

Chicken/Fish Cutlet

This is a very tasty recipe for making cutlets. My mom makes beef and chicken cutlets. I have ventured to try fish and vegetable ones too. They are yummy and like they say, no one can have just one.
Ingredients:

1. 2 big size potatoes mashed
2. Bunch of cilantro
3. 6 green chilies
4. 1 onion finely cut
5.  2 cup ground chicken or beef OR 2 cans tuna
6. 1 tsp red chili powder
7. ¼ tsp turmeric powder
8. 3 egg whites
9. 4 bread slices
10. Oil
11. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat the bread slices in microwave till they become stiff. Grind them in grinder to make breadcrumb powder. The powder should be fine.
2. Fry onion and green chilies. Add chili and turmeric powder.
3. When onion turns transparent, add tuna/chicken/beef and fry till cooked/done. Keep aside for cooling it down.
4. Mix this fried mixture with mashed potato, cilantro and salt to make dough.
5. Divide the dough to make oval shaped patties with this dough. Size is around 3“ long and ¾ “ thick. Press it in centre to flatten it a bit.
6. Roll this patty in egg white and then in breadcrumb powder. Make sure that the patty is coated completely in this powder. To make crunchier cutlets, repeat this step.
7. Deep-fry the patties till the color turns golden brown.
8. Remove the patty from oil, strain oil and place them on tissue to remove excess oil

Serves 4
Serving suggestion: Serve hot with tomato ketchup

Mix-Veg Pickle

Spring is here! Perfect time to make a pickle. Try this simple recipe for a spicy, flavor-laden pickle. Courtesy my Mother-in-law

It can be refrigerated for up to a month but it has never lasted for more than 10 days!

Ingredients:
Half of cauliflower - florets broken into bite size
2 carrots - cut bite sized
5-6 green chilies - cut bite sized

3-4 garlic - separate the cloves
1 cup red chili powder
2 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
juice of 6 lemons
1 cup oil
3/4 cup salt

Method:

1. Wash and dry the veggies and chillies on a cloth in sun for 1 day till completely dry
2. Grind mustard seeds to a fine powder
3. In a  clean dry vessel, add chilli pwder, salt, ground mustard seeds powder, oil, lemon juice and mix well
4. Add the veggies, chilies, fenugreek seeds and garlic and mix well
5. Taste and adjust lemon juice or salt as required
6. Close tightly and place indisturbed for 3 days
7. Open on 4th day and taste for any adjustment like lemon juice or salt. 
8. Pack it in a bottle and its ready to go

Avacado Chutney

This chutney is a welcome change to the traditional chutneys. It is healthy and has good fat content. It goes very well with idli, dosas and as a side for rice. 

Whats more, this is a big hit with the little man! 

Thanks to my sis-in-law,Divya, for getting me hooked to it

Ingredients:
1 medium avacado
1 medium tomato
1bunch corainder leaves
3-4  cloves garlic (Yes I am a garlic lover and I don't deny it)
2 chillies (add more to make it spicy!)
some curry leaves
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt
Oil


Method:

1. Heat oil and fry cumin seeds
2. Add chopped tomato, coriander leaves, garlic, chillies and curry leaves and fry till tomato is done
3. Let it cool
4. In a grinder add the fried ingredients along with chopped avacado and some water
5. Grind it till smooth paste. 
6. Add salt and lemon juice and give a pulse to mix well

Variation:

Tip:
Adding lemon prevents the chutney from losing its green color and gives a tangy taste

Add bell pepper while frying to give extra zing! Thanks Preethi for the tip!