Paruppu Payasam/Pradhman

On my daughter’s birthday I wanted to make a different payasam as I was bored of preparing the same payasams like Semiya payasam and Paal Payasam again and again. (Nothing to beat the taste of Paal payasam though). Since her birthday fell on an ekadasi, and as my in-laws don’t eat rice on that day, I decided to prepare paruppu payasam. This yummy blend of dals simmered in jaggery and coconut milk is again a popular Palakkad dish. The payasam turned out quite well and my little one really enjoyed her payasam and birthday.

Ingredients

1. Split yellow moong dal – 3/4 cup    
2. Channa Dal – 1/4 cup
3. Thin Coconut Milk - 2 1/2 cup
4. Thick Coconut Milk - 1 Cup  
5. Jaggery – 2 cups 
6. Cardamom – a few 
7. Cashewnuts- 6- 7 
8. Raisins – a few 
9. Ghee – 1 tbsp

Method

Dry roast yellow moong dal till light brown. Keep aside. Dry roast Channa dal till light brown.

Soak Channa dal in water for about 15 mins. Pressure cook the dals separately for about 3 -4 whistles.

Heat a Kadai; dissolve the jaggery with 1/4 cup of water. Strain the jaggery water to remove impurities. Wash the vessel in which jaggery was melted and pour the strained jaggery water back in the kadai. Let it boil for 3 – 5mins. Now mash the cooked dals, moong dal should get mashed well and Channa dal should be coarsely mashed. Add this to this jaggery syrup. Add the thin coconut milk at this stage and let it boil on medium flame for about 10 mins. Remove from heat and add the thick coconut milk. Do not boil after adding thick coconut milk. Add cardamom powder. Heat a small pan with ghee. Fry the cashews and raisins and add to the payasam with the ghee.

Note: 
To extract coconut milk, you will require 1 medium sized coconut. For the thick coconut milk, grate the coconut and pulse in the mixer for 30 secs. Now squeeze out the coconut extract with your hands. For thin milk, add about 1 cup of warm water to the grated coconut and run again in the mixer. Squeeze and extract coconut milk. 
Coconut pieces fried in ghee can also be added.

Pulikuthi Upperi

A tangy blend of stir fried country vegetables best describes Pulikuthi upperi. Yet another palakkad special. This yummy curry serves as a great side dish with the mild molagootal. The upperi also goes well with rasam. It is usually prepared with a variety of country vegetables like Raw bananas, Brinjal, Okra, Pumpkin, and Colocassia leaves (Arbi Leaves). It can be made with a combination of any of these vegetables or can be made with only raw bananas.

I have updated the recipe with an alternate method, which I feel comfortable with. Though traditionally, all the veggies are cooked in the tamarind water until done, I find the end result to be very mushy which is not the way I like it, though my grandmother makes the perfect upperi with this method itself. But just for my convenience I have started using the the second method which is a good alternate method, if you don't like your upperi mushy and soggy. So let’s get on with the recipe:

Ingredients                  (Serves: 3-)

1. Raw Bananas – 2, medium sized
2. Yellow Pumpkin – 200 gms
3. Brinjals – 3 – 4
4. Lady’s finger – 10
5. Tamarind – A gooeseberry sized ball
6. Asfoetida a pinch
7. Turmeric Powder – a pinch
8. Jaggery – a little
9. Salt to taste

To grind

1.  Raw rice – 3 tbsps
2. Fenugreek/methi seeds – ½ tsp
3. Dried Red Chillies – 3 -4

For Seasoning

1. Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
2. Curry Leaves – a few
3. Coconut Oil – 1 tbsp

Method- 1

1. Cut all the vegetables lengthwise into about 1 ½ inch pieces. 
2. Soak tamarind in hot water for about 10 mins. Extract thick tamarind extract.
3. In a vessel, add the vegetables and the tamarind extract. Add a pinch of turmeric powder, asafoetida, salt to taste and a bit of jaggery. Cover the vessel and cook till vegetables are done. Once the vegetables are cooked and if some water remains then cook without cover till the water evaporates.
4. In the meanwhile, dry roast the ingredients mentioned under the to grind section. While roasting first add rice, once it starts changing color then add methi seeds and chillies as these will roast very quickly and if add in the beginning itself will get burnt. Cool and grind to a fine powder.
5. Heat a non stick kadai with about 1 tbsp of coconut oil, add mustard seed. Once the seeds splutter, add curry leaves and then add the vegetables cooked in tamarind extract. Let it roast for some time stirring in between. After the vegetables are roasted well, add the curry powder. Mix it well. Take care not to mash the vegetables while stirring.

Delicious Pulikuthi Upperi is ready!

Method 2

1. Heat a non stick kadai with oil, splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida.
2. Add the raw banana pieces and turmeric powder. lower the heat to medium and cook covered till the raw banana pieces are 3/4 cooked. Keep stirring in between and sprinkle some water if required.
3. Now add the brinjal, lady's finger and pumpkin pieces. add salt to taste and mix well.
4. Cook covered for 4 to 5 minutes or until all the veggies are cooked.
5. In the meanwhile, extract a thick tamarind juice with about 1/2 cup of water add this tamarind extract to the cooked veggies, add the jaggery now if using and cook uncovered on medium heat stirring occasionally until all the moisture has evaporated.
6. Now add the roasted and ground powder mix well and remove from heat. You can cook for 3 to 5 minutes on low heat after adding the powder if you like.

Note: 

1. Add Raw Bananas first let these be half done then add brinjals, lady’s finger and Pumpkin as these take lesser time to cook.
2. Adjust the amount of tamarind depending on the quantity of vegetables used.

Paruppu Thogayal

This is a very easy and healthy dish. Paruppu Thogayal and Vatha Kuzhambu is an excellent combination. Try this blend of moong dal, fresh coconut and red chillies and you are bound to have your fingers licking. Though it can be prepared using tuar dal but I prefer moong dal.

Ingredients                       (Serves: 3- 4)

1.      Split yellow moong dal – 1 cup

2.      Fresh grated coconut – 1 cup

3.      Dried Red Chillies – 1

Method

Heat a pan and dry roast the moong dal on medium flame till the dal turns slightly red. Wash and drain the dal. Soak dal with red chillies for about 30 mins in water. Drain all the water and grind the dal, chillies and coconut with salt into a thick paste adding little water. Serve as accompaniment with white rice and vathakuzhambu.

Keerai Molagootal

Molagootal is a distinctive palakkad Brahmin dish. Molagootal is a mildly spiced dish made of a combination of vegetables, lentils and coconut. Since it is lightly spiced it is an instant hit with adults and kids alike. People from Tanjore prepare a slightly modified version of molagootal which they call Porichakootu.

Keerai molagootal can be prepared using any of the greens like ara keerai, mola keerai, paruppu keerai, thanda keerai or palak keerai. Keerai molagootal can be served with steaming hot white rice and some side dish like Thenga Thuvayal, Vendakai Pachadi, or Pulikuthi Upperi. Posts on thses will follow soon. So let’s get started with Keerai Molagootal.

(Serves: 3- 4)

Ingredients       

1.       Spinach – 2 Big Bunches

2.       Tuvar Dal – 3 – 4 Tblsp

3.       Grated Coconut – ½ Cup

4.       White Urad Dal – 1 tsp

5.       Dried Red Chillies – 1

6.       Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp

7.       Mustard Seeds – 1tsp

8.       Salt to taste

9.       Coconut Oil  - 2 tsps

Picture updated on 15/5/2013

Method

Pressure cook the dal. Clean and wash the Spinach very well. Chop it roughly. Boil the spinach in very little water for about 5 mins. Allow to cool. Run the cooked spinach in a mixer for just a few seconds. Transfer the ground spinach into a vessel. In a small pan, heat a tsp of oil fry the urad dal and red chilly till dal turns light brown. Grind this along with coconut and cumin seeds into a paste using little water. Mash the dal well. Add the ground coconut paste to the dal. Add salt to taste. Bring this mixture to boil for 2 mins stirring constantly. Then add the ground Spinach. Check the consistency. Molagootal is neither very thick nor thin. Simmer for 2 to 3 mins. (Do not boil for long after adding spinach as this will result in discoloring the spinach). Heat a tsp of coconut oil, add mustard seeds. Once it starts spluttering add it to the molagootal.

Keerai molagootal is ready to serve.

Verum Arisi Adai

The name “verum arisi adai” literally means only rice adai.  This is the lesser known cousin of the Adai family.  It was my father’s favorite tiffin. Whenever my mother used to grind for idly/dosa, there would be surely some verum arisi maavu too. But many people really don’t know about this adai. Yet another palakkad speciality.

I remember eating this adai for breakfast for more than a month, everyday, post both my deliveries. After childbirth, I had to be on a strict diet better known as pathiyam. I thank my stars that Verum Arisi adai was on my pathiya menu!

Traditionally this dish is prepared by taking a big lemon sized ball of dough and patting it into a round on the tava with some water. Some holes are made on it and oil is poured in and around the adai. It is to be cooked on slow flame on both sides till the adai is nice golden and crisp. This is how my pati makes. My mother adapted it in her own style and here is her recipe:

Ingredients

1.       Par boiled rice – 2 cups

2.       Fenugreek /methi seeds – 2 tsps

3.       Salt to taste

Method

Soak the rice and methi seeds for 3 – 4 hours and grind into a thick paste. Add the required amount of salt and allow it ferment for about 8 – 12 hrs. When you want to make the adai, take the required amount of rice paste and dilute it with little water. The batter should not be very watery.  Heat a tava and pour a ladleful of batter on to it. Spread it into a thick dosa. You’ll find small holes forming on the adai by itself. Also make a small hole in the middle of the adai. Pour a teaspoon of oil around the adai and in the holes too. Cook on medium heat till both sides turn golden brown.

Serve immediately with gunpowder (molaga podi), or any pickle.

Note: You can add grated coconut or drumstick leaves for extra taste.