Mathanga/ Pumpkin Thoran

Mathanga/ Pumpkin Thoran

After marriage when first time we went to Kerala to meet my inlaws, I was shocked to see my MIL full time in the kitchen from morning to evening, where she will be busy cooking some delicacies. Then she told me that Keralities need minimum 4-5 varieties in the meal. Out of which Thoran is a must. And I tell you it’s an easy, healthy and fast cooking recipe. She makes thoran from veggies, which are grown in her own kitchen garden.

Thoran is nothing but stir-fried veggies served as a side dish along with rice. Veggies are just cooked to retain their nutritious values intact. There are varieties of thoran which I will try and share their recipes to you all. It’s a yummy food and surely you will also fall in love with it as I have fallen for it….. So lets proceed straight with the recipe.

Ingredients:

250gms Yellow Pumpkin

¼ cup Water

8 -10 nos Small Onions/ Shallots

2 to 3 Green chillies

¼ tspn Turmeric powder

¼ tspn Black pepper powder

¼ cup Grated Coconut

Salt as per taste

For Tempering:

2 Tblspn Coconut Oil / Vegetable oil

½ tspn Mustard Seeds

Few curry leaves.

Method:

1.    Wash and cut the skin of pumpkin. Cut pumpkin into very small thin.

2.    Clean and wash small onion (Shallots) and slice them into 3/ 4 pieces. Chop the green chillies and keep them aside.

3.    Place the pan on the gas; add the pumpkin, small onions, green chillies, turmeric powder, black pepper powder with water and salt to taste. Cover the pan till pumpkin is just cooked. Don’t over cook the pumpkin.

4.    Once pumpkin is cooked and water is dried. Move aside the pumpkin with the help of spatula to the sides of the pan from centre to make place for tempering.

5.    Pour the coconut oil in the centre of the pan and add mustard seeds when it splutters add curry leaves and mix it well.

6.    Sprinkle grated coconut on the pumkin and mix it well. Cook for few more minutes. Its ready to serve with rice and curry.

NOTE:

• Chopping the pumpkin into thin small cubes helps to cook them fast.
• If pumpkin quantity is less, add little water at a time, water can be added as required later too.
• Pumpkin is a sweet vegetable, so increase or decrease the chilly as per the individual taste.

Chakkakuru Thoran

Chakkakuru Thoran

Chakka kuru (Jackfruit Seeds) tastes really yummy in any form. I love it J. We in Goa during the jackfruit season used to preserve those seeds wash and dry them nicely. And just boil them with little salt in it and have them as a snack when it rains. Oohh those nostalgic moments……

After getting married to a Keralite I learnt how to make side dish from those seeds and have them in various curries and vegetables.

Do try this yummy recipe.

Ingredients:

Approx 20 nos. Chakka kuru (Jackfruit seeds)

1cup Water

10 nos Small Onions/ Shallots

2 to 3 Green chillies

¼ tspn Turmeric powder

¼ cup Grated Coconut

Salt as per taste

For Tempering:

2 Tblspn Coconut Oil / Vegetable oil

½ tspn Mustard Seeds

Few curry leaves.

Method:
1.    Peel the seeds and try to remove the brown color layer off from the seeds with the help of a knife by scraping it.  (I know the cleaning part is a real pain) Or just pressure cook the seeds and peels them and follow the rest of the recipe as it is. It will reduce the cooking time too J.

2.    Chop the jackfruit seeds long lengthwise into thin pieces.

3.    Clean and wash the 5nos small onion (Shallots) and slice them into 3/ 4 pieces. Chop the green chillies and keep them aside.

4.  Transfer the jackfruit seeds along with chopped onions and green chillies in a pan with 1-cup water and salt to taste. If required add more water to cook the seeds.

5.  Once the seeds are cooked completely add grated coconut and mix well.

6.  Heat a pan with coconut oil and add mustard seeds when it splutters add chopped small onion and curry leaves.

7. Pour this tempering over the cooked jackfruit seeds. Mix it well and cook for few more mintues. It is ready to serve.

NOTE:

• Cleaning of jackfruits seeds is a bit tedious job and to avoid this you can pressure-cook the seeds for about 2 whilstles. Once cooled peel them and follow rest of the recipe as it is. Do not cook the seeds till mushy we need seeds to be seen.

• Adjust the green chillies as per the individual taste.

Puli Inji

Puli Inji

Folks! Onam is just few days from today so let me share some Onam Sadhya recipes.

Puli inji is a sweet and sour pickle which is a must for Onam Sadhya. Its served on the sadhya with other pickles. Since it’s a must in sadhya its usually prepared on the day before Onam or can be prepared before hand and stored.

Lets head towards the recipe.

Ingredients:

150 gms Tamarind

150 gms Ginger

4 nos. Green chillies finely chopped

1 ½ cup Boiling water

200 gms Jaggery

¼ tspn Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

For Tempering:

1 tblspn Coconut oil

½ tspn Mustard seeds

Pinch of Asafoetida / Hing / Kayam

Fenugreek powder. (Ulva podi)

Few curry leaves.

Method:

1.    Soak tamarind in boiling water for half an hour. Later mash it nicely to extract the pulp of tamarind. Strain it through sieve in a cooking pan. Don’t add too much water while making the tamarind pulp. We need thick pulp. 

2.    Wash, peel and grate the ginger. Finely chopp the green chillies.

3.    Heat tamarind pulp with jaggery till it melts completely.

4.    Now add the grated ginger, finely chopped green chillies, turmeric and salt. Mix it and let it boil for couple of minutes.

5.    Heat a pan with coconut oil add mustard seeds, when it splutters add asafoetida, curry leaves and fenugreek powder.

6.    Pour this tempering over the puli inji. Mix it well and cook for few more mintues. Its ready to serve.

7.    Allow it to cool down completely before storing in clean bottles.

NOTE:

• While making the tamarind pulp don’t add lot of water as we need thick pulp. If pulp becomes watery cook it for longer time till it reaches thick consistency.

• You can also finely chopp the ginger instead of grating.

• Sweetnes of jaggery can be adjusted as per your sweet tooth.

• This pickle can be stored in clean bottles for 3 – 4 months in refrigertaor. Take care not to make any contact with water.