Idichakka or Idinchakka (Tender Jack fruit) Thoran (Dry Curry) Recipe:

Preparations:
Clean the idichakka and chop well into small pieces. Cook it medium with Turmeric powder and Salt - ensure it’s not over cooked as it may get mashed. Prepare a thick paste of grated coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds, small onions and curry leaves. Mix it with the cooked idichakka.

Heat coconut oil in a fry pan or kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, add red chillies and curry leaves into it. Add the above mix into this, and cook for a few minutes under low flame. Stir it well until it get cooked.

Tip: Thal (Taro Stem) contains a thick serum inside which you have to squeeze out after cutting it. Ensure you are not using the wild taro as it difficult to differentiate between.

Chembu Thal Thoran (Dry Curry) Recipe:

Preparations:
Peel the skin from the Chembu Thal (Taro Stem) and cut it 2 inch long. Mix the salt with it and squeeze out the thick serum inside and keep it aside. Prepare a thick paste of grated coconut, green chillies, small onions, curry leaves and turmeric powder, mix this with the chopped Chembu thal (Taro Stem).

Heat coconut oil in a fry pan or kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, add red chillies and curry leaves into it. Add the above mix into this, sprinkle a little of water if you feel to and cook for 5 minutes in medium flame. Lower the flame, open the lid and stir it until it get cooked well.

Chena Van Payar Erissery (Curry) Recipe:

Preparations:
Soak the Vanpayar (Black eyed beans) for 4 to 5 hours as it reduces the cooking time. Pressure cook it for upto 4 whistles. Meanwhile cut the Chena (Elephant Yam) as small cubes. Add the Chena (Elephant Yam), turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt to the cooked Van payar (Black Eyed Bean) and cook it for another whistle. Grind the grated coconut with 1 or 2 small onions and cummin seeds to a fine paste. Add the paste to the Chena mix and cook in a low flame.

Seasoning: Take a fry pan and heat the coconut oil. Splutter mustard seeds and add black gram, red chilies and curry leaves after. Add this to the cooked Chena (Elephant Yam) Mix.

Serve it along with cooked rice.

Preparations:
Grind grated coconut, turmeric powder, green chillies and curry leaves - add no water - into a medium paste.
Cut Achinga(String beans/Payar) into 1/2 inch size and keep aside.
Finely chop the onions and green chillies.
Heat the coconut oil on a fry pan, put mustard seeds and three to four curry leaves into it.
Put the chopped onion and green chilies and once the onions turn light brown add the cut beans and mix well.
Sprinkle a little water on top and cook it. Once the beans are half cook add the coconut paste into it and mix well.
Cook for another 5 minutes in low flame and the dish is ready.

Kalan (Moru Curry) Recipe:

Preparations:
Grind the Coconut, Cumins seeds and Green Chilies into a fine paste. Mash the Yogurt (Curd) and mix with the paste well and keep it aside.

Peel and Cut the Yum and Raw Plantain (banana) into medium cubes. Cook the vegetables with Turmeric powder, red chilies and salt in 1 cup water. Once it is cooked well add the paste and keep it in low flame. Don’t Boil it. Keep it as thick gravy or with medium gravy as you like it to be.

Keep a pan on medium flame and heat the Oil. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add Mustard Seeds, Red Chilies, Fenugreek Seeds and Curry Leaves. Keep it less about 1 minute and pour this into the Curry.
Serve it with Rice for lunch or dinner.

Aviyal (Avial) Recipe:

Preparations:
Cut the vegetables to two inch length (finger size) and boil together till 90% done. Add only a little water since the vegetables themselves will have enough juice to keep the curry thick gravy. Grind the ingredients together for a thick paste – don’t add more water – and add it to the vegetables. Boil for a few minutes and once the vegetables are cooked well season it with coconut oil and curry leaves.
Serve it with Rice.

The following recipe is meant to serve for 4 adults.

Ingredients of Olan:

Preparation:

Soak the Black-eyed beans overnight, approximately around 12 Hrs. Presure cook or boil it. Meanwhile chop the Pumpkin and Ash Groud into small pieces (3cm - 3cm) after removing the skin. Once the Bean is half cooked add the Pumpkin, Ash Groud adn the thin Coconut Milk into it. Add enough Salt and Green Chilies. Once the vegetables are cooked well add the thick Coconut Milk into it. Sim the flame and stir it slowly untill the mix is cooked well. Pour hot oil tempered with curry leaves into it and serve hot.

The current food habits at Kerala is much different from what it was about 10 years ago. Traditional dishes are still favorites for some but nowadays the majority follows the instant yo-yo dishes -fast food and tinned stuffs - due to the over influence of high society culture drama. I am not saying those modern dishes are bad, I love all kind of dishes which are tasty and hygienic, especially our typical Kerala dishes.

I am planning to make this blog open to all and I request all of your kind support and contributions to make this a success. All the suggestions and thoughts are welcomes, you can use the contact form for the same.