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 »

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 »

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 »

Chickpeas with Spinach

December 29, 2010 — Chelvi S

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • ½ cup red onion sliced
  • 1 cup chopped tomato
  • 1 15 oz can chick peas drained and washed
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 4 oz baby spinach
  • About ¾ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • Salt to taste

Method

  • In a covered sauce pan add oil and when it’s hot add onion and fry until golden brown
  • Add chopped tomatoes and cook for about 4 minutes
  • Add garam masala, chili powder and cook for another 2 minutes
  • Add chick peas, water salt and cover and cook until the gravy thickens
  • Add spinach and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes
  • Add milk and cook for another minute
  • Serve warm with rice or chapattis
Posted in Curries, Side Dishes. Leave a Comment »

Asparagus in Tomato Gravy

November 27, 2010 — Chelvi S

 

Ingredients

  • 12 oz asparagus
  • ¾ cup chopped tomatoes
  • ¼ cup sliced onions
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 2 teaspoons Sri Lankan chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seed powder
  • ¾  cup water
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • Salt to taste

Method

  • Trim off the end of asparagus and wash and cut into 1 inch pieces and set aside
  • Add oil to a covered saucepan and add onion, garlic and sauté until lightly browned
  • Add chopped tomatoes and cover and cook in a low flame for about 4 minutes
  • Mash the cooked tomatoes with the back of a spoon
  • Now add chopped asparagus to the saucepan and add water, chili powder, salt and cover and cook for about 10 minutes
  • Add milk and fennel seed powder and cook uncovered for 1 more minute
  • Serve with rice
  • Yields 2 – 3 as side dish
Posted in Curries, Side Dishes. Leave a Comment »

Ash Plantain & Eggplant Curry

October 8, 2010 — Chelvi S

Ingredients

  • 1 medium purple eggplant
  • 2 small ash plantains
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 2 teaspoons Sri Lankan chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seed powder
  • ¼ teaspoon tamarind paste
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 1/3 cup sliced onion (red onion better)
  • 2 garlic cloves chopped into small pieces
  • 1/8 teaspoon cumin seed
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard seed
  • Curry leaves

Method


  • Cut eggplant into cubes
  • Peel ash plantain and cut them into cubes

  • Add cut eggplant, ash plantain, water, salt, chili powder and tamarind to a covered saucepan and cover and cook on a medium flame for about 10 minutes
  • Add fennel seed powder and milk and cook for another 3 – 4 minutes on low flame
  • Set aside
  • Add oil to a skillet and add mustard seed and cumin seed.
  • Once mustard seed start splattering add onion and garlic and fry until they are golden brown
  • Add curry leaves and fry for another minute
  • Add this fried mixture into the curry and mix well and re-heat for a minute
  • Serve with rice
Posted in Curries, Side Dishes, Sri Lankan Tamil Cuisine. Leave a Comment »

Okra with Mushrooms

October 3, 2010 — Chelvi S

  • ½ teaspoon coriander seed
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seed
  • 1 cardamom pod
  • ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
  • 1 teaspoon canola oil
  • ½ cup chopped tomato
  • 2 cups frozen cut okra ( ½ inch thick)
  • 1 cup mushroom
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon Sri Lankan Chili powder
  • Pinch of turmeric powder
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • Salt to taste

Method

  • Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds and cardamom seeds to a mortar and pestle and pound until the seeds are crushed
  • Add oil to a covered saucepan and add the pound seeds and fry on low flame for about 1 minute
  • Add garlic and ginger and fry for another minute
  • Add chopped tomatoes and fry for about 30 seconds or so
  • Add okra, mushroom, water, turmeric, chili powder and salt and cover and cook for about 10 minutes
  • Add milk and cook uncovered for about a minute
  • Serve with warm rice
  • Serves: 2 – 3
  • ** If using fresh okra, increase the amount of water to ¾ cups.
Posted in Curries, Quick Dishes, Side Dishes. 1 Comment »
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