Dinner so simple

Having chicken, veggies and eggs in stock. Noodles in your pantry. Then so easy and variety dinner at home. No need to order food.

Cook the noodles as directed.

Heat sesame oil in a shallow pan, add onion, garlic, ginger and green chilli slices, add salt to taste, combine well and sauté it, add the cooked noodles and seasonings along with the noodles, add cooked chicken and eggs. Combine well. Dish is ready to serve.

 

Dosa chutney with sautéed chicken veggie masala

So simple and kids friendly dinner dish.

Chicken veggie masala 

Boneless chicken, potato and carrot slices, onion, ginger and garlic slices as required, cook it and keep aside. Heat coconut oil in a shallow pan, add salt and Kashmiri chilli powder 1 tsp., add the cooked mix and combine well. Add chopped cilantro and mix.

Dosa batter can be prepared and keep refrigerated.

Take the batter out and allow to warm in room temperature. Prepare the dosa in a non sticky pan. 

No need of oil or ghee.

Prepare coconut chutney with grated coconut, shallots, cumin seeds, Kashmiri chilli powder and salt to taste.

Garnish with coconut oil mustard, red chilli and curry leaves mix. Serve hot.

 

Idli, veggie stew and chutney

Idli is a super healthy dish for breakfast. Suitable for all ages. 

Idli batter to prepare with urd dal, idli rice and fenugreek. Allow to ferment overnight. Prepare idli on the idli cooker. It will take 10 minutes. Allow to cool down. Then separate the idli and transfer into a casserole.

Veggie stew 

Chick peas 1cup, soaked overnight and pressure cooked,

Potato 3, carrot 2, peeled and cut into small chunks,

Onion 1, garlic cloves 5, green chilli 6, ginger 1/2 inch piece, all cleaned and thinly sliced,

Pressure cook all the ingredients adding salt to taste and 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder to save time.

Coconut milk 2 cups, fennel powder 1 tsp., nutmeg mace 1, cilantro chopped 1 tbsp., coconut oil 1 tsp.

Where the pressure is settled down, add nutmeg mace and coconut milk and allow to bubble in low flame. Add rest of the ingredients and allow to boil. Stew ready.

Coconut chutney 

Grated coconut 1cup, cumin seeds 1/4 tsp., shallots 2, Kashmiri chilli powder 1 tsp., salt to taste. Grind these ingredients in a blender. Heat 2 tsp. coconut oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, allow to crackle, add dry red chilli, curry leaves and add the chutney. Off the flame, combine well and ready to serve hot with idli. 

 

Poori subji

 It’s is easy to prepare and delicious to have for breakfast.

Poori preparation 

Wheat flour 1 cup, salt to taste, sprinkle water and prepare soft dough. Make gooseberry size balls. Press it in a chapatti press and spread it ready to fry. Heat required oil in a shallow pan, and fry both sides of the poori to golden brown.

Subji preparation 

Potato 4, onion 1, garlic cloves 5, ginger 1 inch piece, peeled and cut into thin pieces 

Green chilli 6- silted, salt to taste, turmeric powder 1/2 tsp. Pressure cook in half glass water. Allow to cool down, open the cooker and allow to get thicker in low flame. Add 2 tsp. coconut oil and chopped coriander leaves. Combine well and serve hot with the poori.

A lunch idea without rice

 Just to keep away rice from our lunch came with the idea of Upma, pappad and pickle.

In the upma added carrot and grated coconut along with ginger, shallots and coriander leaves. It provides minerals and nutrients in the dish. Pappad gave a crispy touch with a balancing sweet and spicy taste of the banana pickle.

Delicious and nutritious. Of course healthy food.

Idli sambar and chutney

Delicious, nutritious and super healthy. 

Idli 

Rice, urd dal and fenugreek batter. Steamed food. Easy to digest. Good for all ages at all times.

Sambar 

Toordal and veggies are the main ingredients. Condiments and salt gave the special flavour with the touch of asafoetida. Final garnishing with mustard, red chilli, curry leaves and coriander leaves in coconut oil is the highlight in taste and aroma.

Coconut chutney 

Coconut, green chilli, shallots, cumin seeds are the main ingredients. Garnishing mustard seeds, curry leaves in coconut oil gives the chutney a blast.

The combination of idli, sambar and chutney is always nostalgic.

Special lunch without rice

Poori made with whole wheat flour fried in sunflower oil.

Side dishes are chicken roast with shallots and chilli flakes, chickpea kurma and taro stem curry in coconut gravy. 

Taro root and yogurt soup

This is a thick, sweet and sour soup. Of course delicious and nutritious.Good for gut health, the taro chunks fill in the tummy, so substitute for a mini meal.

Preparation  

Taro root 3-4, peeled and cut into small chunks, green chilli 4, silted, garlic cloves 4, onion 1, ginger 1 inch piece, all three thinly sliced, curry leaf a sprig, turmeric powder 1/2 tsp., salt to taste, cook it in a cup of water.

If you want to save time go for pressure cooking, I am always a busy person, so prefer pressure cooker.

Thick yogurt 3 cups, sugar 1 tbsp., whisk it gently.

Coconut oil 1 tbsp., dried red chilli 2, broken, green chilli 2, sliced thinly, curry leaves few, mustard and cumin seeds 1/4 tsp. each.

Heat the oil in a shallow pan, drop in the mustard and cumin seeds, allow to crackle, drop in the red chilli, followed by curry leaves and green chilli, sauté till tender, add the cooked taro root mix, allow to bubble followed by the yogurt, gently mix and allow to bubble in low flame. Transfer into a serving bowl and serve hot. 

Banana pseudo stem Bengal gram stir fry

So delicious and highly nutritious.The high protein in Bengal gram gets strong with the dietary fibre in the banana pseudo stem. 

Preparation 

Cooked Bengal gram a handful 

Pseudo stem chopped 3 handfuls 

Heat coconut oil in a shallow pan, drop in mustard seeds, cumin seeds, allow to crackle, drop in dried red chilli followed by curry leaves, add chopped shallots, garlic and ginger, sauté till tender, add chopped pseudo stem, mix well, add enough salt, turmeric and chilli powders, combine well and allow to cook in low flame. Add the cooked Bengal gram. Mix well and serve hot with rice. 

Banana pseudo stem pickle

Banana pseudo stem is rich in dietary fibre.

Pickles are so nice and easy to cook.

Preparation 

Chop the banana pseudo stem cutting into circles and removing the threads. Stack the circles and chop it.

Heat sesame oil sauté the chopped pseudo stem till tender. Drain out the pseudo stem, add more oil if required, add chopped ginger and garlic, sauté till light brown, add enough chilli, asafoetida, fenugreek and a pinch of turmeric powders. Add salt to taste. Add a tsp of sugar, mix well and add sautéed pseudo stem, combine well and allow to cool. Transfer into an airtight glass bottle. Pickle is ready.

 

Kadala vazhapindi asthram ( Bengal gram banana pseudo stem coconut mix)

A great dish for rice porridge.

Usually asthram is made with taro or yam. I used Bengal gram and banana pseudo stem. It came out well.

Preparation 

Heat oil in a shallow pan, drop in mustard seeds, allow to crackle, add dried red chilli, followed by curry leaves, add the chopped banana pseudo stem, stir till cooked, add the cooked Bengal gram and the coconut mix. Combine well and adjust salt. 

Bengal gram 1 cup, soak overnight and pressure cook with salt to taste.

Banana pseudo stem half foot length, cut into circles, remove the threads and chop it.

Grated coconut 1cup, shallots 3, garlic cloves 3, cumin seeds 1/2 tsp., turmeric powder 1/3 tsp., chilli powder 1/2 tsp. Grind these ingredients into a semi coarse mix.

Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a shallow pan, drop in mustard seeds, allow to crackle, add dried red 

Banana pseudo stem Bengal gram masala curry

Preparation 

Bengal gram 1 cup, soaked overnight and pressure cooked. Keep it aside.

Onion , garlic and ginger, peeled and chopped,curry leaf a sprig.

Heat enough coconut oil in a shallow pan, drop in mustard, allow to crackle, drop in in dried red chilli and curry leaves followed by onion, garlic and ginger, sauté till tender, add chicken powder 1 tbsp., salt to taste, stir till raw smell gone, add the chopped pseudo stem, stir and allow to cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the cooked Bengal gram along with any leftover juice in it. Allow to boil, add a cup of grinded coconut paste into the curry to have gravy in it. Garnish with green chilli and cilantro. I was not having cilantro. So garnished with green chilli only. Delicious nutritious dish is done ✅ 

First time preparing the dish. Always like banana pseudo stem. In this Corona  season enough time to process the pseudo stem for cooking. Heard the dish from my Facebook group friend Ms Nalini Mundath. Before finishing the pseudo stem I was in a hurry to prepare the dish. It came out well. The goodness ot the dish 

Along with the high protein of Bengal gram fibre is added. It provides softness to along with the hardness of the gram. The curry becomes juicy with the presence of pseudo stem. Healthy and delicious.

Preparation  

Plantain meals on plantain leaves

How to prepare?

Pluck enough plantains from your banana bunch. I prefer the homegrown fresh harvested bunch.

Peel the plantain, wash it and boil cook with turmeric and salt to taste. 

Serve it on banana leaves with the side dishes of veggies and non vegetable. It balances the nutrients in the lunch. I served with chicken curry, egg omelette, moringa leaves stir fry, dried fish chutney, chilli onion chutney and a bowl of yogurt. Also kept some rice for rice lovers. That’s it. 

Less carbs lunch idea worked out.

If you are having plantains with you , go for it.

So simple and very healthy. Of course delicious and a total change of taste.  

Plantain Chicken Biriyani

Chicken 500 gm., cleaned and chopped, marinate the chicken with ginger garlic paste, salt to taste and 1 tsp. pepper powder.

Onion 1, green chilli 7, garlic cloves 5, ginger 1 inch piece, all thinly sliced,

Coconut oil 2 tbsp., biriyani masala 1 tbsp., chopped cilantro leaves, curry leaf a sprig.

Prepare the chicken in a shallow pan, by heating the oil, sautéing the onion etc., add the biriyani masala, and cook the chicken in medium flame.

If you prefer pressure cooker cook for a whistle. Chicken roast is ready for the biriyani.

Plantain cooking 

Plantain 3-4, wash and clean, peel, cut into chunks and cook with turmeric powder and salt to taste.

Combine both the chicken and plantain together, add cilantro and curry leaves, mix well. Ready to serve.

Healthy and delicious.

 

Steam cooked plantain and onion chutney

 Homegrown produces are so good in quality.

Raw bananas 2, washed, and cut into desirable pieces.

Wash it again, add 1/2 cup water, little turmeric powder and salt to taste. Cook in a pressure cooker for a while. 

Allow to form the pressure, off the flame and take it out when the pressure is gone.

Onion chilli chutney 

Dried red chilli 20,

Shallots 12, garlic 2 cloves, ginger 1 inch piece, both chopped, tamarind a little as required, curry leaves 3-4, salt to taste and coconut oil 1 tbsp.

Dry fry the chillies, keep aside, in the same pan, dry sauté the other ingredients except salt and coconut oil.

Grind these ingredients in a mixer bowl along with salt.

Transfer into a serving bowl, add coconut oil and combine. Ready to serve. Those who wish to avoid rice have this delicious dish for dinner. The side dish you can choose as you like fish, chicken egg or vegetable curry.

Semiya spinach egg stir fry

So simple to prepare this dish. I made it for dinner. For Onam Festival made semiya kheer. Balance semiya turned out to the nutritious meal. 

Finally garnish with fried salted red chilli flakes in sesame oil.

Preparation 

Semiya 1 cup, cooked in boiling water, strained and kept aside.

Ceylon spinach 2 handful bunches, cleaned, onion 1, garlic cloves 6, ginger 2 inch piece, all thinly sliced, green chilli 6, silted, eggs 2, salt to taste, sesame oil 1 tbsp., soy sauce 2 tsp.

Heat the oil in a shallow pan, drop in onion, garlic and ginger, sauté till tender, add green chilli and salt, combine well, break in the eggs and stir fry, finally add the cooked semiya, soy sauce and combine well. Dish is ready. Healthy with greens and eggs.
 

Broken wheat Dosai

I am not so fond of broken wheat. In the free ration of pandemic Covid 19 situation I got it. Tried sweet balls, upma, puttu and kadai baked cake.

This time I made dosai. It came out thin, crispy and tasty.

Ingredients 

Broken wheat 2 cups,

Urd dal 1/2 cup,

Fenugreek seeds 1 tbsp.

Take the ingredients in a bowl, wash it thoroughly thrice. Soak it for 4-6 hours.

How to prepare the batter?

Grind it in a mixie, add 1/2 cup of cooked rice and grind it into a smooth batter. 

Allow to ferment for 4-5 hours. Add salt to taste and combine well.

Heat the dosa pan, take a ladleful batter, pour on the pan, circle it from inside out thinly. When the bubbles settle down, sprinkle sesame oil, flip over and cook the other side. Serve hot with coconut or tomato chutney.

Broken wheat dosai is having more fibre.

Broken wheat dosai is a healthier version of dosai. 

Choriyanam dishes

 

 

 Choriyanam is a medicinal plant. The white small stings on the leaves and stems make itchiness in our hands and body if touched. Choriyanam is having other names, kodithoova, aanathoova etc. in Malayalam. In English it is known as Indian stinging nettle. Belongs to Euphorbiacece family. The botanical name is Tragia involucrata. This plant is having great medicinal properties and used largely in Ayurveda. The leaves are rich in vitamins, calcium and potassium. Relieves cough and cold. Beneficial for treating disorders in urinary tract and bladder.

The cooking of choriyanam leaves is having great importance in the Malayalam month

 

‘Karkkadakam’ that falls from 16th July to 16th 

August. 

Great care to take in plucking and chopping the leaves to avoid itching. It itches the top of the hands. Palms won’t get itchy. Rubbing the hands with coconut oil relieves itching. Uproot the choriyanam plants, cut of the roots. Soak the plants in a bucket of water for 5 minutes. Wash it for 3-4 times. Allow to drain the excess water. With a scissor cut the leaves and remove the stems and older leaves. Roll a bunch of leaves and cut with scissors or chop on a cutting board. Keep aside. 

Just like normal thoran ( coconut stir fry) this thoran is to cook. Heat oil in a shallow pan, drop in mustard seeds followed by broken dried red chilli pieces, drop in the chopped onion and garlic, sauté till tender, add chopped choriyanam leaves, add salt, turmeric and chilli powders, mix well and cook for 3 minutes in low flame. Add the grated coconut and cumin powder, combine well and allow to remain in the low flame for 2 more minutes. Dish is ready. Serve with hot rice, pickles and yogurt.

 

Other ingredients 

Onion 1, garlic cloves 7, both finely chopped,

Grated coconut 1/4 cup,

Coconut oil 2 tsp.,

Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp.,

Turmeric powder 1/3 tsp., 

Chilli powder 1/2 tsp.,

Cumin powder 1/3 tsp.,

Salt to taste.

Preparation 

Continuation to my previous post above the other dishes I prepared in this ‘Karkkidakom’ last month of Malayalam calendar are Choriyanam parippu thoran, Choriyanam parippu curry, Choriyanam egg stir fry and Choriyanam leaves with other edible leaves such as pumpkin, pulses, spinach green and red , ash gourd, taro, elephant foot yam etc. stir fry.

In parippu curry and stir fry the additional ingredient is cooked yellow split peas. In egg stir fry eggs are to be added.

My personal experience it is so good for gut health. Relieves constipation, eases digestion. It is rich in fibre too. The only hardest part is cleaning and preparing the leaves to cook. I have added step by step pics above.

Hibiscus flower omelette

Hibiscus flowers are rich in antioxidants. It is anti inflammatory Good for heart and liver health. Helps in bringing down blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Those who are having low blood pressure may avoid this.

Preparation 

Two eggs, onion 1, green chilli 2, hibiscus flower 2, petals only needed, salt to taste and coconut oil to make the omelette.

Finely chop the onion and chilli. Break the eggs into a bowl, add onion and chilli, whisk it, add salt to taste, add the roughly chopped petals, mix well. Heat a pan, pour a tsp. oil, allow , pour the egg mix and prepare the omelette. Serve it hot with rice or chapatti or as a mid time meal.

 

Hibiscus flower water

Do you love to drink boiled water. For a change go for the hibiscus flower water. Usually the water is boiled with cumin and coriander seeds or cardamom or cinnamon or nutmeg mace or any herbs like that it goes on. 

Preparation 

The hibiscus is from our own garden.

Boil the water, when it is boiling off the flame and add the flower petals. Cover with a lid. Allow to settle down for 15 minutes. Strain it and ready to drink. You can add lime juice and honey. That’s optional. I love to have this simple pink drink. 

I used one flower, that is 5 petals for a glass of water. This is optional. If you like to adjust the colour of your hibiscus flower water then go for it by adding 2-5 petals. It’s packed with antioxidants .

 

Hibiscus flower squash

Hibiscus flowers are packed with antioxidants. This sweet drink is prepared with fresh flowers.

It is so simple to prepare and delicious to drink. It is highly refreshing.

Preparation 

Collect the flowers fresh. Wash it and allow to drain. Remove the petals from the flowers and keep aside. For sweetness jaggery is added. Boil the required jaggery in a little water, strain it and add the syrup into a litre of water along with 3 cloves and allow to boil. When it is boiling high, add the petals and off the flame. Cover the pan with a lid. Allow to cool down. Strain it. Add lime juice and basil seeds. This drink helps to enhance immunity and to loss weight. 

This can be refrigerated and serve if you prefer a cold drink. 

Thank you Mrs. Geetha Unni, my lovely friend, for sharing the recipe. This inspired me to prepare a herbal beverage with fresh flowers.

Mushroom stir fry

Mushrooms are the power house of protein. Don’t leave any edible mushrooms you finds in your homestead. From my young years I have seen my dad back with mushrooms from our land. So I know to identify the good ones. The one with white gills falls in the edible section. But not all, so care should be taken before cooking. After cleaning the mushrooms, soak it in turmeric water. If any discolouration happens discard them.

I got simply 8 mushrooms and it turned into a delicious stir fry with grated coconut.

Preparation 

After cleaning the mushrooms chop it. 

Onion 1, garlic cloves 4, green chilli 1, all chopped,

Turmeric & cumin powders a pinch each,

Grated coconut 2 tbsp.

Heat coconut oil in a shallow pan, drop in mustard seeds, allow to crackle, drop in broken dried red chilli pieces followed by onion and garlic, sauté till tender, add salt, turmeric and cumin powder, chopped mushrooms. Combine well. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, add the coconut, mix well. Stir fry ready. Serve with rice or chapatti.

Protein idli with lentils

Idli is always a healthy food. When lentils and grams are added in the batter it becomes super healthy.

Good for all ages. Easily digestible. If served with Bengal gram curry it becomes a little bit heavy, delicious and nutritious. 

Take the idli cooker, brush oil on the idli stand and pour the batter on it. Steam cook the idli for 7-10 minutes. Run a tooth pick into the idli. If it comes out clean, idli is cooked. Allow to cool down. Take out the idli. Serve with Bengal gram potato curry for a change. The common side dishes are sambar and chutney. 

How to prepare the batter?

Idli rice 11/2cups,  urd dal 1/2 cup, 

Bengal gram, green gram, yellow split peas 1/4 cup each,

Fenugreek seeds 2 tbsp., 

Wash the ingredients thoroughly and Soak these ingredients for 6 hours. 

Drain out the water and grind it into a smooth batter. Add 7 soaked red chilli and 2 tsp. cumin seeds before finishing the grinding. Keep the batter for 3-4 hours.