Parangikai Pal kootu

Parangikai pal kootu is a dish which can be made from yellow pumpkin or green parangi pinju or yellow squash or any summer squashes. This is one of the famous tamilnadu dishes. Its mild sweet in taste.

This yummy pal kootu can be served with vetha kuzhambu sadam / Puliyodharai / Milagu kuzhambu sadam.

Ingredients:

yellow squash - 1

Salt - a pinch

sugar - 2 tsp

coconut - 2 tsp

milk - 1/4 cup

For Tempering:

Gingelly oil - 1 tsp

urud dal - 1/2 tsp

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

hing - a pinch

green chilli - 1

Preparation:

Cook the squash for 10 mins in 2 cups of water with salt.

Grind coconut with milk and add the paste to cooked squash

Add sugar and let the mixture cook for another 2 mins. 

Switch off the flame. After 5 mins, season the kootu with tempering.

Servings: 3

Kadalai Curry

Kadalai curry is a famous side dish made in Kerala for Puttu. This is mostly done for breakfast.

Ingredients:

To Pressure Cook:

Black Chenna (kadalai) - 1 cup

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Green chilli - 2

Onion - 1/2

Salt - 1/4 tsp

For Paste:

Coconut Oil - 2 tbl spoon

Pearl onion - 6

Grated Cocount - 1/2 cup

cardamom - 2

cloves - 2

cinnamon (1 inch stick) - 1

turmeric - pinch

Red chilli powder -1/2 tsp

corriander powder - 3/4 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

For Tempering:

Coconut Oil - 2 tbl spoon

Mustard - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli - 1

Onion - 1/4

Curry leaves - 1 twig (i didn't have to add while cooking)

Preparation:

Take all the ingredients given for pressure cooking and add 2 cups of water as shown in below picture. Pressure cook for 4 whistles in high and another 4 in sim. This mixture will bring half the taste of the dish.

Now to make the paste, heat oil in a pan. Add grated coconut, roast it until it starts to turn brown. 

Now add shallots saute for another 3 mins

Add cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, saute for a min

Add all powders, saute until the coconut is completely brown and the raw smell goes off.

Take the spice mixture in a mixie jar and keep aside for 10 mins to cool it down. This mixture is orangish / red in color depending on the chilli you added.

Once it cools down, grind it into thick paste without adding water. 

( If the mixture is not grinding into fine paste, this means you haven't roasted the coconut enough. so at this point of time, add 1/4 cup of water and make it into fine paste. )

Open the pressure cooker, add this paste and cook for 10 mins.

Temper mustard, red chilli, curry leaves in coconut oil. Add onion and saute until it turns golden brown. 

Season curry with this aromatic tempering.

My curry looks pale as i added very little chilli powder and more coconut. But normally this color varies from orange to red.

Servings: 3

Mor Koozh

Mor Koozh is a traditional Tamilnadu dish made out of Sour butter milk. 

Its an easy dish to make. This can be made for evening tiffin or dinner. Both children and adults can eat. No need to prepare any side dish for this, as mor milagai is already added in this dish. 

This drooling dish will just slip into your stomach as soon as you put it in your mouth.

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 1 cup

Curd - 1 cup

Water - 2.5 cups

Salt - 1/2 tbl spoon or as needed

For tempering:

Gingelly oil - 8 tsp

Mor Milagai - 5

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Urud dal - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli - 1

Hing - a pinch

Curry leaves - 1 twig

Preparation:

Make buttermilk with curd and water. Whisk it few times.

Mix rice flour in butter milk without any lump. Add salt to it. This will be liquid in consistency.

Heat pan with 5 tsp of oil and fry mor milagai until it turns dark brown to black. Take it out and keep it aside.

Now temper mustard, urud dal, red chilli, hing and curry leaves.

Pour the liquid in tempering, add the fried mor milagai to it.

Stir the contents continuously for 10-15 mins. If you give a break, lump will start to form.

Once the raw smell goes off, the koozh started to thicken. At this stage add remaining oil and stir for another 5 mins.

Entire Koozh starts to roll without sticking to pan. At this stage, you can switch off the flame.

Now Pour the koozh in a plate. If you like, make it into pieces, once it cools down.

Servings: 2 - 3

kabuli Pulao

Kabuli Pulao is from Pashtun Cuisine made by people in Peshawar. Also a famous dish in Kabul, Afghanistan. This is mainly cooked with kabuli chenna, raisins and nuts. This is a mild dish and not so heavily spiced.

But i made a variation.

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup

water - 3.5 cups

Ghee - 2 tbl spoons

Cardamom - 2 pods opened

cloves - 2

cinnamon (1 inch sticks) - 2

Onion - 1/2

Tomato - 1/2

Green peas - 1/4 cup (instead use overnight soaked kabuli chenna)

corriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Black pepper powder - pinch

saffron water - 2 tbl spoon (optional if you are adding carrot)

Salt - 1 tbl spoon or as needed

Green chilli - 2

Raisins - handful (you can add almonds nut pieces as well)

Carrot - 1/2 (i didn't add it here)

Preparation:

Soak the rice in water

Heat ghee in a pan. Roast raisins (& nuts) and keep it aside.

Add cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and Onion.

Saute onion until its golden brown. Now add tomato and peas.

( If you are adding kabuli chenna and carrot, this is the time.)

Cook the mixture for 2 mins.

Add  corriander powder, cumin powder, pepper and green chilli. Saute it.

Add soaked rice without water to the mixture. 

Add dashes of saffron water on top of rice.

Now add remaining water and salt. Cook the mixture in pressure cooker as how you normally cook rice.

Sprinkle raisins (& nuts) on top of rice before serving.

Serve Pulao with Burrani or Mint yogurt !

Servings: 3

Borani Kadoo

 Borani / Burrani Kadoo is from Pashtun Cuisine and a vegetarian dish. This originated from Peshwari people. It broadly falls under Afghan Cuisine. Burrani can be made from Bhojan (Eggplant) or Kachaloo (Potato) or Kadoo (Pumpkin).  Burrani kadoo is a sweet dish as this is made from squash varieties in Autumn.

I made this as a savory dish and mixed with Potato.

Ingredients:

Acorn Squash - 1/4

Potato - 1 medium

onion - 1/4

Tomato - 1/2

Green chilli - 2

yogurt - 2 tbl spoons

Salt - 1/2 tsp or as needed (If you are making it as sweet dish, add 2 tbl spoon of sugar)

Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp

corriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

turmeric - 2 pinches

Oil - 5 tbl spoon

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan. Saute onion until it turns golden brown. 

Add tomato and saute for few seconds

Add Potato and cook for 5 mins

Add squash, saute it and add all given powders, salt.

Fry it for 2 mins. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of water in the mixture and close the pan with lid.

Let Borrani gets cooked until all vegetables are soft.

Once done, sprinkle cut green chilli and add dashes of yogurt on top of the dish.

Borrani ready for serving !!

Servings: 2

Mint Yogurt

Mint yogurt is provided as side in Afghan cuisine. This can be served with Pulao. 
Below quantity will yield 1/2 cup of raita. Color of this dish will be mild green.

Ingredients:

Yogurt - 3 small laddle

Mint - 3 twigs
green chilli - 1/2

cumin powder - 1/4 tsp

salt - 1/4 tsp or as needed

Preparation:

Grind Mint, 1 spoon of yogurt, salt and green chilli. 

Pour the paste to remaining yogurt

Season it with cumin powder

Servings: 2