Zucchini and Mushroom in Coconut Milk

January 10, 2012 — Chelvi S

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium zucchini
  • 6 oz sliced white mushroom
  • ½ cup red onion sliced
  • 1 green chili slit lengthwise
  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½  teaspoon red chili powder
  • ¼ cup coconut milk

Method:

  • Slit zucchini lengthwise and cut diagonally into thin slices and set aside
  • Dry roast coriander and cumin seeds lightly and let cool.  Once cool grind to a fine powder
  • Add oil to a covered saucepan and sauté onion lightly golden
  • Add green chili and sauté for one more minute
  • Add ground coriander-cumin and chili powder to the saucepan and mix well.  Make sure the flame is set to very low.  Otherwise it will start smoking
  • Add zucchini, mushroom, and coconut milk and cook on medium flame for about 6-7 minutes.
  • If the curry starts drying out, sprinkle a little water – about 1 – 2 tablespoons.
  • Serve warm with rice or Rotis

Yields: 2-3 servings as a side dish.

Posted in Curries, Dry Curries (Fry), Side Dishes, Side Dishes. Leave a Comment »

Spicy Beet/Beetroot Curry

November 13, 2011 — Chelvi S

In Sri Lanka Beets are commonly called as Beetroot.  Fresh beets have an earthy flavor like no other vegetable.  They are very easy to cook and have a very distinct sweet taste.  Beets can be used in salads, as a side dish and boiled/steamed.  My mother used to make this spicy beet curry, and beet varai.  I used to run away whenever she cooked beet curry.  But I always loved the beet varai.  So last week when I bought a bunch of fresh beets, I thought of making this dish again.  It came out quite good but still I am not a fan of beet curry.  I added coconut milk which gives a distinct flavor to this dish – in combination of the earthy beet flavor.  If you are health conscious you can replace coconut milk with normal 2% milk or soy milk.  But I think you will be missing that distinct flavor.

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium beets/ ½ lb beets
  • ½ cup sliced onion
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 green chilies split lengthwise
  • ¾ cup water
  • 2 – 3 teaspoons chili powder (Sri Lankan Version)
  • 2 tablespoon thick coconut milk
  • Few curry leaves
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  • Peel and wash the beets
  • Cut them into thin cubes and set aside
  • Add oil to a covered saucepan and when hot add onion and sauté for about lightly golden
  • Add green chilies and sauté for another minutes in low flame
  • Now add beets and mix well and sauté in medium flame for about 5 minutes stirring often
  • Add water, chili powder, salt, coconut milk and bring to boil
  • Lower heat to medium and cover and cook for about 7- 8 minutes or the gravy becomes quite thick.
  • Add curry leaves and cook for another minutes.  At this point the curry should be thick and very little gravy.
  • Serve warm with rice
  • Serves about 3 as a side dish.


Posted in Curries, Dry Curries (Fry), Lunch, Side Dishes, Sri Lankan Tamil Cuisine. Leave a Comment »

Spicy Cauliflower & Potato Dry Curry

August 14, 2011 — Chelvi S

 

Ingredients:

  • ½ lb cauliflower florets
  • ½ lb potatoes
  • 1 ½ teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 – 2 ½  teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 2 tablespoon milk/coconut milk
  • 2 – 3  teaspoons canola oil
  • 2 green chilies slit length wise
  • 1 – 2 teaspoon rice flour
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  • Dry roast coriander and cumin seeds and let cool
  • Par boil potatoes
  • Grind them together into a powder (No need to be a fine powder, it can be coarse)
  • Add ground cumin-coriander powder, chili powder, and turmeric powder to milk/coconut milk and mix well without any lumps to make a thick mixture and set aside.
  • Once the potatoes are cooled, peel and cut them into about ½ inch cubes
  • Add oil to a saucepan and when hot add slit green chilies and fry for about 30 seconds in very low flame (be careful not to burn which can emit strong spicy smell)
  • Add cauliflower florets to the saucepan and fry for about 5 minutes
  • Now add the spicy milk/coconut milk mixture to the cauliflower and then add the potatoes, salt and mix them well
  • Fry them on low flame for another 5 minutes.  If it gets too dry and start to burn, sprinkle little water at time.
  • ** Sprinkle rice flour over the potato-cauliflower and mix very well making sure not to mash the potatoes
  • Fry on low flame until done.
  • Serves about 4 as a side dish

**Note: The reason to add rice flour is to make the cauliflower and potatoes become a bit crispy.

Posted in Curries, Dry Curries (Fry), Side Dishes, Sri Lankan Tamil Cuisine. 1 Comment »

String Beans Fry (Varai)

August 14, 2011 — Chelvi S

 

Ingredients:

  • ½ lb string beans
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard seed
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seed (peruncheerakam)
  • 1 cup chopped onion (preferably red)
  • 1 strand curry leaves
  • 2 – 3 dried red chilies broken into about 3 pieces
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  • Snip both ends of the beans and cut them diagonally into about ¼ inch rounds

  • Add cut beans, water, chili powder and salt to a skillet and cover and cook until all the water is absorbed.
  • Add shredded coconut and mix well and cook for another minute or two or until dry  on low flame.  Set aside
  • Add oil to another skillet and when hot add mustard seeds.
  • Once the mustard seed start splattering, add fennel seed and fry for about 10- 20 seconds on low flame
  • Add chopped onion and fry until golden brown
  • Add curry leaves, dried red chilies and fry for another minute
  • Transfer this onion mixture to the cooked beans and mix well.
Posted in Dry Curries (Fry), Side Dishes, Sri Lankan Tamil Cuisine. Leave a Comment »

Split Red Lentil Dhal with Pumpkin

May 9, 2011 — Chelvi S

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup red lentil dhal (masoor dhal)
  • 4 oz yellow pumpkin cubed into about ½ inch pieces
  • ½ cup chopped tomato
  • 2 green chilies split lengthwise
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • ½ inch piece ginger
  • 2 teaspoon cooking oil
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • Pinch of turmeric
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon tamarind paste
  • 1 tablespoon milk

Method:

  • Add dhal to a saucepan and add enough water to cover and cook on medium flame uncovered until ¾ done.  Set aside
  • Chop garlic and ginger into small pieces (or crush them)
  • Add oil to a saucepan and sauté garlic and ginger until golden brown
  • Add green chilies and sauté for another 10 – 15 seconds
  • Add chopped tomatoes and cook for about a minute in low flame
  • Add pumpkin, ¼ cup water, salt, chili powder, turmeric, tamarind paste and cover and cook until pumpkin is soft.
  • Add cooked dhal to the saucepan and mix well and cook until dhal and pumpkin are well done.
  • Add milk and cook for a couple of seconds
  • Serve with rice
Posted in Curries, Side Dishes, Sri Lankan Tamil Cuisine. Leave a Comment »

Spicy Cauliflower in Coconut Milk

April 17, 2011 — Chelvi S

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 12 oz cauliflower florets
  • 2 large cloves garlic
  • ½ inch piece ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cooking oil
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • Pinch of turmeric
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  • Dry roast coriander, cumin and fennel seeds and let cool
  • Grind them together to powder (curry powder)
  • Chop ginger and garlic into very small pieces (or you can use a mortar and pezzle to crush them)
  • Add oil to a saucepan and add crushed/chopped garlic and ginger and sauté for a minute or until garlic is golden
  • Add curry powder and stir and fry for about 30 seconds on low flame
  • Add cauliflower, chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and water and mix well and cover and bring to a boil
  • Now add coconut milk and cover and cook on medium flame until the gravy thickens – about 8 – 9 minutes
  • Serve with chapatti, roti, Nan bread or rice

Coconut milk can be replaced my normal milk (2% or 1%) but it will not give the same flavor as coconut milk.

Posted in Curries, Lunch, Side Dishes, Sri Lankan Tamil Cuisine. 1 Comment »

Ash Plantain Sambal

April 9, 2011 — Chelvi S

Ingredients

  • 2 medium ash plantain
  • ½ cup – ¾ cup thick yogurt
  • 1 green chili chopped into small pieces
  • 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
  • Salt to taste

Method

  • Peel plantains and cut them into 1 or 2 big pieces
  • Boil until soft and well done
  • Let cool. Chop them  into small pieces (1/4 inch cubes)
  • Add yogurt, chopped onion, green chili and salt to the plantains and mix well
  • Serve with rice
Posted in Sambal & Chutney, Side Dishes, Sri Lankan Tamil Cuisine. Leave a Comment »

Sprouted Mung Bean Dish

March 5, 2011 — Chelvi S

Sprouting mung beans at home is not a big task.  Here is how you do it:

  • Wash mung beans thoroughly.
  • Spread a wet cloth on a plate and add mung beans and spread them evenly
  • Make sure the cloth is always wet.  Leave for about 48 hours in the dark at room temperature (about 75F).  If you want the sprouts to be longer, leave for a day or two extra.
  • But every day you have to wash the mung beans to prevent any odor from the germinating beans
  • Wash the sprouting mung beans gently in cold water and drain
  • Spread them evenly on the wet towel again.
  • But I thought of leaving the mung beans on a towel might not be the best idea.
  • So I decided to leave the mung beans on the plate itself without a towel
  • So I spread the beans evenly on a plate and sprinkled as much water as possible to keep the beans wet but not submerged in water.
  • For the first 24 hours the beans will absorb a lot of water.  So make sure you add/sprinkle enough water to keep them wet and not becoming dry.
  • When the beans are sprouting the green outer cover/husk will start coming out which is normal

Ingredients

  • ½ cup dried mung beans
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 1 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 – 2 tablespoon oil
  • 1 strand curry leaves
  • Couple of dried red chilies each broken into 2 pieces

Method

  • Sprout mung beans as above (1/2 cup dry beans will yield about 2 cups or more of sprouted beans – depends on how long you let it sprout)
  • Add beans, water, chili powder, and salt to a covered saucepan and cover and cook on medium flame until all the water is absorbed.
  • Add shredded coconut and cook uncovered for a couple of more minutes
  • Set aside
  • Add oil to a skillet and when it’s hot, add onion and sauté until golden brown.
  • Add red chilies, and curry leaves and sauté for another minute
  • Transfer the onion to the cooked mung beans and mix well
  • Serve with rice
Posted in Dry Curries (Fry), Side Dishes, Sri Lankan Tamil Cuisine. Leave a Comment »

Perfect Plantain Chips

February 12, 2011 — Chelvi S

Ash plantains are normally used in cooking in Sri Lanka.  But the plantains normally sold in stores here in US (NJ) are different from what we get in Sri Lanka.  These plantains are quite long and when peeled, orange in color.  But I found some plantains very similar to the ash plantains in the Indian Stores.  Ash plantains get this name because of its ash color powdery layer on its skin.  When peeled they are white and softer than the orange plantains.

The perfect way to make plantain chips is to first peel wash them before cutting (do not wash after cutting since it will clump when fried). Make sure plantains are completely dry before cutting.     Also after mixing with salt and chili powder, cut plantains should be dropped in hot oil one at a time. Make sure you don’t put a handful of cut plantains in the oil together.  Drop one at a time into the oil until the plantains cover half the oil in the saucepan.

Ingredients

  • 2 ash plantains
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil for deep frying

Method

  • Peel and wash the ash plantains
  • Pat dry on a paper towel
  • Cut them into thin slices (rounds)

  • Add salt and chili powder and mix well and leave for about 5 minutes (the amount of chili powder can be adjusted according to your taste)
  • Heat oil in a heavy saucepan.

  • Once the oil is hot quickly deep fry until crisp.
Posted in Dry Curries (Fry), Side Dishes, Snacks, Sri Lankan Tamil Cuisine. Leave a Comment »

Kovakkai Gravy (Ivy Gourd Gravy)

February 7, 2011 — Chelvi S

Kovakkai (ivy gourd) is not that common in Jaffna, Sri Lanka.  But it’s a very common vegetable in South India.  I have already posted a recipe for Kovakkai — Kovakkai fry (Kovakkai Varai).  This time I am posting a recipe for Kovakkai Gravy or Kovakkai curry.

Ingredients

  • ½ lb Ivy gourd
  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • 2 teaspoons Sri Lankan Chili powder
  • A pinch of turmeric powder
  • 1 ¼ cups water
  • ¼  teaspoon tamarind paste
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons milk
  • 4 oz red onion
  • 3 – 4 cloves garlic
  • Curry leaves
  • Salt to taste

Method

  • Wash and quarter ivy gourd lengthwise

  • To a skillet add 1 tablespoon of oil and when it’s hot, add cut ivy gourd and fry/sauté until golden brown
  • Slice onion thinly.  Cut each clove garlic into 2 pieces (lengthwise)
  • In a covered saucepan add the rest of the oil and add onion and garlic and sauté until transparent.  Add curry leaves and fry for another 30 seconds
  • Add fried ivy gourd, water, chili powder, salt and tamarind and cover and cook in a medium flame for about 10 minutes (by this time the gravy would have thickened)
  • Add milk and cook uncovered for one more minute
  • Serve with rice or pittu
  • Serves: 2 servings as a side dish
Posted in Curries, Gravy and Sambar dishes, Side Dishes, Sri Lankan Tamil Cuisine. 4 Comments »
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