Beetroot Halwa

I personally dislike the sweetness in the beetroot so I always avoid poriyal and thogayal varieties with Beetroot. When my husband’s boss was invited for lunch with his family, I had to really do something different & tasty to impress them. The dish I chose was beetroot halwa. It was really easy to make and yummy!!!! They all liked the sweet very much and my boss’ wife got the recipe from me.



Ingredients



Beetroot – bigger size 2-3 (grated)

Sugar – 1 ½ cups (or as per taste)

Ghee – 6 table spoons (or as required)



For garnishing



Cashew nuts – 10 (roasted in ghee)

Raisins – 10 (roasted in ghee)

Cardamom powder – ¼ teaspoon

Pachai karpooram (optional) – a pinch



Method



Grate the beetroot.

In a pan add little ghee and add the grated beetroot.

Stir till half cooked.

Add the sugar to the half cooked beetroot.

Keep adding spoonful of ghee at equal intervals.

Adding sugar will increase water content, but this helping the beetroot to cook properly.

Keep stirring till the halwa leaves the sides of the pan and rolls into a ball.

Add the garnishing ingredients and serve hot or cold.



Yummy Beetroot halwa is ready to eat!!!



Tips:



You can pressure cook or steam the beetroot (1 whistle) and then grate. This will reduce the cooking time.



Adding sugar syrup instead of raw sugar will also reduce the cooking time.



Using a non-stick pan will help cutting down on the ghee.



Cooking the beetroot in milk will enhance the taste but is not mandatory.

Cabbage Potato Kofta




I was going out of town for a week and had to empty my refrigerator. All I had was a small sized cabbage, 4 potatoes, few onions and tomatoes. I was really fed up with the routine dishes we cook so tried this kofta and it did come out well.



Ingredients



For kofta



Cabbage – (as required)

Potatoes – (as required)

Green chilli – 4-5

Chilli powder (optional)

Bread crumbs – 4 table spoons



For Gravy



Onion – 2

Tomatoes – 4-5

Ginger garlic paste (fresh ginger & garlic can also be used)



Cumin seeds, fennel seeds and assorted spices for tempering

Garam masala – 1 spoon

Salt to taste

Oil for frying



Method



Kofta



Chop the cabbage, potatoes, green chillies, little ginger and few cloves of garlic finely (I used a chopper).

Add salt and make small balls. Keep that aside in a tissue paper. (Do not add water to the mixture as there is a tendency for cabbage & potatoes to leave water). Add little rice flour, fresh bread or crumbs if the mixture is very moist.

Fry till golden brown and keep aside.

 

Gravy



Grind onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chilli.

In a pan, add oil, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and other spices. Sauté till cooked.

Add the gravy and allow it to cook properly till the raw smell leaves.

Add salt, chilli powder and garam masala as per taste.

Simmer the stove, add the koftas and bring to boil.

Wait till the koftas are soaked in the gravy.



Garnish with cream or coriander leaves.



Tasty Cabbage Potato koftas are ready to serve with rotis, naans, chapathis or rice.

Vada Pav

I tasted this dish in Goa for the first time and fell in love with that. Since I can’t hunt for Vada Pavs in my place, I decided to make it myself, and you know what, it came out really well. It is our traditional potato bonda served with bread.

Ingredients



Potato (urulai kizhangu) – 2-3 big sized ones

Mustard seeds – 1 spoon

Urad dal (ulundhu) – 1 spoon (optional)

Channa dal (kadalai paruppu – 1 spoon (optional)

Turmeric – 1 pinch

Ginger – 1 small piece (or as per taste)

Garlic – 2-3 cloves (or as per taste)

Green chilli – 2-3 (or as per taste)

Gram flour (kadalai mavu) – 1 cup

Chilli powder – as per taste (optional)

Salt - to taste

Oil for frying

Water for batter preparation

Pav bread – 1-2 slices

Method

For filling



Boil and mash the potato to a fine paste.

In a pan add oil, mustard seeds and allow to splutter.

Add the dals (urad & channa) and allow to turn brown.

Add ginger, garlic pieces (ginger& garlic paste can also be used instead), green chilli and sauté well till cooked.

Add the mashed potatoes, turmeric, and salt and bring it to a thick ball like consistency.



For Batter



Mix gram flour, salt, chilli powder and mix well. Add water and bring to a thick batter consistency.

Heat the oil in a pan.

Make marble sized balls with the potato mixture.

Dip it in the batter and fry till it is cooked.

Serving

Slit Pav bun and place the hot vada in-between. You can serve with mint, garlic or tamarind chutneys.

Tasty Vada Pav is ready to serve.

Vegetable Masala Rice

This is one of the tastiest and easiest dishes. It hardly takes any time to prepare and is healthy too.

Ingredients

Combination of any vegetables (except tubers) like

Capsicum, carrots, beans, green peas, potato, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage – 1 cup

Oil - few teaspoons

Onion – 1

Garlic – 1 or 2 pods or as per taste (optional)

Green chillies – 1 or as per taste

Garam masala powder – 1 spoon

Cumin, fennel seeds for tempering

Rice (basmati or regular rice) 1 cup

Water – for cooking

Instead of store bought garam masala, take raw spices (cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves, star mases, fennel seed and bay leaves) dry roast, grind it to a fine powder and store in an airtight container. This is less spicy compared to the store bought garam masala.

 







Method



In a pan, pour oil, add cumin, fennel seeds, allow to splutter.

Add green chillies and garlic (optional)

Add onion and sauté till the onion is partially cooked

Add carrots, potatoes, peas and sauté till they are partially cooked.

Add rest of the vegetables and sauté.

Add required salt and turn the stove off.

Add the garam masala powder as per taste.


Now wash the rice.

Take a pressure pan or cooker; add the rice, vegetables, salt to taste and sufficient water as per the quantity of the rice. (1:2 water for regular rice and 1:11/2 water for Basmati rice)

Give 2-3 whistles and turn the stove off.

Delicious Vegetable masala rice is ready is serve.
Time taken – 30 mins

Paal payasam

Ingredients



Rice – 1 handful

Milk – ½ litre (boiled milk)

Sugar – ¾ cup



For flavour



Cardamom (Elaichi) powder – 1-2 pinches

Ghee fried cashews (optional)



Method



Mix all the ingredients.



Add lots of water to the outer vessel of the pressure cooker. Use tall container for cooking.

Wait till 2 whistles are heard and simmer and cook for 45-50 minutes.



Turn off the stove and remove the container when the pressure is released.



Add Cardamom (Elaichi) powder and ghee fried cashews.



Tasty paal payasam is ready. Serve hot or cold.

Paaladai Pradhaman - பாலடை பிரதமன் - പാലടൈ പ്രഥമന്

This is my favourite dish. This is a famous dessert in Kerala. This is a significant dish in the entire festivals menu. I use store bought paaladai. For paaladai preparation method, click here.




Ingredients



Paaladai – 1 packet

Milk – 2 litres

Sugar – ½-1 kg or as per taste



Method



Boil paaladai till it is cooked. Rinse the paaladais well till the water is clear.



Boil milk in a heavy bottomed vessel. I dip a stainless spoon to avoid burning.

Keep stirring the milk to avoid brimming over.

Once the milk has started reducing, add the boiled paaladais and bring to boil.

Now add sugar and keep stirring till the sugar is mixed well.

Keep stirring till all the paaladais are cooked in the milk. The payasam would turn to a pink shade.

Bring to a thick consistency and turn the stove off.



Heavenly paaladai pradhaman or payasam is ready to serve.



You can serve piping hot or cold.

Paaladai - പാലടൈ – பாலடை

This is the base used for adai pradhaman and paaladai pradhaman.




Ingredients



Raw Rice – ½ kg

Plantain leaves – for cooking

Water – to grind



Method



Soak rice for 2-3 hours and grind to a fine paste in the consistency of dosa batter.

Cut plantain leaves to small pieces.

Apply the batter in the plantain leaves and steam for 5-8 minutes.

Remove the paaladais and chop them into pieces.



You can sun dry these paaladai pieces and store them for future use.



Paaladais are ready to use.