Cabbage Thoran

Cabbage thoran is a simple and nutritious dish often served at vegetarian feasts in Kerala.

Ingredients:

2 cups finely shredded cabbage

1/4 cup finely chopped carrot

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1 onion chopped

6 green chilllies chopped

1/2 inch piece of ginger chopped

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

salt to taste

To temper:

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

2 red dried chillies

Preparation:

1.Mix and mash together carrot,cabbage,onion,ginger,green chillies,coriander leaves and salt. Keep aside for 10 minutes.

2.Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.

3.Add cumin seeds,red chillies,curry leaves and mix well.

4.Add the cabbage mixture. Mix well on low flame for 2 to 3 minutes.

5.Serve hot with rice.

Brinjal Upperi

This is a brinjal stir fry recipe. Amma makes this upperi for kids in our family who hate to eat veggies. Try this out with bitter gourd if you have people at home who hate to eat bitter gourd.

Ingredients:

250 gm brinjal

150 gm onion

5 green chillies cut

1 sprig curry leaves

2 tbsp oil

salt to taste

Method:

1.Cut brinjal and onion into thin long slices.

2.Keep brinjal immersed in water mixed with turmeric powder and salt for 5 minutes.

3. Drain off the water from brinjal and pat dry with tissue paper or dry cloth.

4.Heat oil in a pan and add the brinjal slices.Saute on slow flame for 10 minutes till the brinjal is crisp.

5.Add onion,chillies and curry leaves.Saute for another 5 minutes.

6.Add salt and mix well.Serve.

PS: This upperi can also be made with okra(vendakka) or bitter gourd(paavakka).Make sure Okra/Brinjal/Bitter gourd is totally dry when you add it to the oil.

Veggi Mix

Veggi mix is nothing but egg burji with more vegetables than egg :)  This has been the easiest way for Amma to feed us veggies. This can be eaten with chappathi or eaten as a thoran with rice.

Ingredients:

50 gm beans chopped 

50 gm carrot chopped

50 gm cauliflower chopped

50 gm peas

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

2 eggs

2 tbsp ghee

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1.Heat ghee in a pan and add ginger garlic paste.

2.Saute for a minute and add all the veggies except capsicum.

3.Saute for 4 minutes and add salt.

4.Add capsicum and egg.

5.Saute till egg is cooked. 

6.Sprinkle freshly ground pepper and serve.

PS: As the veggies are chopped thin the total cooking time will not take more than 10 minutes. Any vegetables requiring the same amount of cooking time can be used instead of the veggies mentioned in the recipe.Ajinomotto or maggi soup cube can be substituted instead of salt.

Muthira Thoran

Muthira thoran is an easy to make thoran when you get into kitchen one fine day and dont find any veggie left in fridge that satisfies 'thoran makable' condition.

Ingredients:

1 cup Muthira(Horse gram)
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 tsp chopped garlic
1/2 tbsp chilly powder
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1/4 cup grated coconut
2 tbsp coconut oil
salt to taste

Method:

1.Add muthira, 2 and half cups of water and salt into a pressure cooker and cook till 5 whistles.
2.Add oil to a hot pan.Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
3.Add the chopped shallots,chopped garlic and curry leaves and saute till light brown colour.
4.Add the chilly powder and saute till the raw smell is gone.
5.Add coconut and saute for 1 minute.
6.Add the cooked muthira and saute for 1 minute. Switch off the flame and serve.

Vendakka/Okra Fry

Vendakka and kaipakka were the most hated vegetables until amma tried this innovative and easy way of making it. This is a must try for bachelors.


Ingredients:

150 gm vendakka/okra
1 sliced onion
5 center slit open lengthwise
1 tbsp curry leaves
2 tbsp coconut oil
salt to taste

Method:

1.Clean the Okra wipe it dry before slicing it.This will ensure that okra wont turn sticky.

2.Heat coconut oil in a pan and add sliced okra to it.Saute on low flame for around 10 minutes.

3.Add onion,green chillies and curry leaves and saute for 3 minutes.

4.Add salt,mix well and switch off the flame.

Cherupayar Thoran

Sprouts are very rich in nutrients. Mung bean sprouts can be prepared by soaking mung beans in water for 12 hours and then placing the mung beans wrapped in wet towel for another 12 hours.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup green gram soaked in water the previous day
1/4 cup coconut
8 shallots
3 cloves garlic
4 whole red chillies chopped
1 stem curry leaves
1/4 spoon mustard
2 spoons coconut oil
salt to taste


Preparation:

Add 1/4 cup water and salt to green gram. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add oil to a pan. Add mustard to hot oil.
Add shallots,garlic,red chillies and curry leaves and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the cooked green gram and mix well.
Add the grated coconut and stir well for 1 minute and switch off the flame.

Beans Thoran

I found a long lost friend of mine on orkut. We were friends during our school days.She was my junior at school. As we were neighbours we used to go for tuitions together.We were not in touch for around 13 years now.When we finally started chatting she asked me the recipe for my ammas beans thoran. It seems my amma had served her chapathi and beans thoran 13 years back. And she still remembers it!! What could have made amma happier than this?


Ingredients:

1 cup chopped beans
1/2 cup chopped carrot
one pinch turmeric powder
1/4 cup grated coconut
4 whole red chilly crushed
1 stem curry leaves
6 shallots chopped
2 cloved garlic chopped
2 spoon coconut oil
1/4 spoon mustard
salt to taste

Preparation:

Mix beans,carrot,turmeric powder and salt in a pan.Sprinkle some water and cook it for 3 to 5 minutes.
Pour oil into another pan and splutter the mustard seeds. Add shallots,garlic and curry leaves.Saute well till the shallots and garlic turn golden brown.
Add the crushed red chillies and saute.
Add coconut and saute for one minute.
Add the cooked beans and carrot into the pan and saute for another one minute.
Serve hot with rice or chappathis.

Beetroot Thoran

Beetroot is well known for its medicinal values. It contains antioxidant betacyanin, which gives it the deep red color. It purifies blood and is believed to have anti-carcinogenic properties.

The most common dishes amma make using beetroot is beetroot thoran, beetroot pachadi,beetroot salad and beetroot halwa. All the items she prepares using beetroot is fairly simple and straight forward.

Ingredients:

1.Beetroot (grated) - 400 gms

2.Grated coconut - 4- 5 spoons

3.Onion (small) - 1

4.Green chilly - 4

5.Coconut oil - 1 spoon

6.Mustard -1/2 spoon

7.Curry leaves - 1 stem

8.Salt - to taste

Preparation:

1.Add mustard to hot oil and let it splutter.

2.Add chopped onion andchopped gren chilly and fry for 1 minute.

3.Add coconut and curry leaves and fry for 2minutes.

4.Add grated beetroot and salt.Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.