Tag Archives: Side dish

Butternut squash and Green Peas Curry

Today’s recipe is one of my mother’s simple and delicious pumpkin recipes. The butternut squash is called the ‘Dubai pumpkin’ for some reason in the markets of Colombo.

Butternut squashButternut squash and green peas curry

Cooking time: 15 mins

Serves 3

Pumpkin and green peas curryIngredients:

  • Butternut squash or regular pumpkin – ½ cup
  • Green peas – ¼ cup
  • Onion – ½
  • Green chilli – 1
  • Ginger – 1”
  • Garlic – 3 or 4 cloves
  • Thin coconut milk – ½ cup
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper – 1 tsp
  • Low fat oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

  1. Peel the butternut squash and chop it up into smaller chunks.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan and fry the chopped ginger, garlic, green chilli and onion for a min or two.
  3. Add the chopped butternut squash and green peas to the pan and stir fry for a few mins.
  4. Add the coconut milk to the pan, as well as salt to taste, and cook for about 10 mins.
  5. Add the pepper, when the milk is about to dry up, and remove the pan from stove.
  6. Garnish with coriander leaves, chopped onion and tomato and serve warm with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Spicy Carrot Curry

I was a finicky eater growing up – and one of the vegetables that I couldn’t stand for many years was carrots, particularly steamed carrots, which happened to be my mother’s favourite. Until one day, surprisingly, I started liking them. I now particularly like the smell of fresh carrots.

Today’s recipe is that of my mother’s spicy carrot curry.

Spicy carrot currySpicy Carrot Curry

Time taken: 20 – 25 mins

Serves 4

DSC00836Ingredients:

  • Carrots – 2, medium
  • Onion – ½
  • Ginger  – a small piece
  • Garlic – 2 or 3 cloves
  • Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Green chilli – 1
  • Thin coconut milk – ¾ cup
  • Curry powder – 1 tsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Low fat oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

  1. Clean the carrots, peel and chop them.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over low heat and fry the fenugreek seeds and chopped ginger, garlic and onion for a min.
  3. Then, add the chopped carrots, curry leaves and chopped green chilli and continue frying for another 5 – 7 mins. Add a little oil if the carrots or onions start burning.
  4. Add the coconut milk to the pan, together with the curry powder.
  5. Cook for about 10 mins over medium heat. Add salt, to taste.
  6. Garnish with coriander and serve with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Beetroot and Garlic Curry

The recipe of my mother’s that I am sharing today is a fusion of the south and north Sri Lankan cooking. Garlic curry is a specialty of the southern province of Sri Lanka and I hope to soon share the recipe of the dish that I had enjoyed during my several trips along the southern coast. In the meantime, my mother’s experimental cooking has fused her beetroot curry with garlic and has resulted in a quite pleasant, unique curry.

Beetroot and Garlic Curry

Time taken: 20 – 25 mins

Serves 4

Beetroot and Garlic CurryIngredients:

  • Beetroot – ½ cup, chopped
  • Garlic – ¼ cup, peeled and sliced
  • Onion – 2, chopped
  • Coconut milk or water – ½ cup
  • Tomato – ¼ cup, chopped
  • Curry powder – ½ tsp or Green chilli – 1, chopped
  • Salt, to taste
  • Low fat oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

  1. Heat a tbsp oil in a pan and fry the garlic and onion for a couple of mins.
  2. Add the chopped beetroot to the pan and mix well.
  3. Add the coconut milk or water and salt, to taste.
  4. Add the curry powder or chopped green chilli to the pan and cook for about 15 mins.
  5. When the liquid starts drying up, add the chopped tomato and cook for a further 5 mins.
  6. Serve warm with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Spicy Toor Dhal Gravy

Spicy Toor Dhal Gravy

Time taken: 35 mins

Serves 4 or 5

Toor Dhal GravyIngredients:

  • Toor Dhal/ Thuvaram Paruppu – ½ cup
  • Chilli powder – ½ tsp
  • Cumin powder – ½ tsp
  • Coriander powder – ½ tsp
  • Pepper powder – ¼ tsp
  • Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
  • Tamarind juice – ½ cup to 1 cup, as required
  • Salt, to taste
  • Garlic – 3 cloves, crushed

Method:

  1. Soak the dhal for about 10 mins. Rinse and drain the dhal and transfer to a saucepan.
  2. Add 1 ½ cups of water to the dhal and cook for about 10 to 15 mins, over medium heat.
  3. Reduce to low heat and add the five spice powders (chilli, cumin, coriander, pepper, turmeric).
  4. If the water has dried up, add 1 cup of tamarind extract. If there is some water still in the pan, reduce the amount of tamarind extract added accordingly.
  5. Add salt, to taste and mix well.
  6. Cook for another 10 mins. Adjust gravy consistency by adding more tamarind extract, if required.
  7. Add crushed garlic just before removing from stove. Mix well.
  8. Serve with rice or chappathi.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Vaalai Poo Curry

Today’s recipe is the banana flower curry/ vaalai poo curry.

Vaalai Poo Curry/ Banana Flower Curry

Time taken: 30 mins

Serves 4

Vaalai Poo CurryIngredients:

  • Vaalai poo/ banana flower – 1 cup, chopped
  • Tomato – 1 large, chopped
  • Capsicum – 1, chopped
  • Onion – ½ cup, chopped
  • Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
  • Oil – 1 tbsp
  • Coconut milk or non-fat milk – ½ cup
  • Curry powder – 1 tsp
  • Salt, to taste

Method:

  1. Clean and chop up the banana flower and add a little salt to it. Keep aside.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds and chopped onion for a couple of mins.
  3. Add the chopped vaalai poo and chopped capsisum. Cover and fry for about 10 mins on low heat.
  4. Uncover the pan and add the chopped tomato, coconut milk and curry powder. Add some salt, to taste.
  5. Cook for about 5 mins until the curry has a nice gravy, before removing pan from stove.
  6. Serve with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Vaalai Poo Varai

Today’s and tomorrow’s recipes are focused on the flower of the banana tree. In Tamil, the banana flower is called “vaalai poo.” The banana flower is considered to have medicinal value, particularly as it reduces sugar levels and possesses antioxidant properties. Given that the fruit and the tree plays an important role in Tamil cuisine and culture, the flower is also considered a special dish when cooked.

Vaalai Poo Varai/ Banana flower fry

Time taken: 30 mins

Serves 5

Vaalai Poo VaraiIngredients:

  • Vaalai Poo/ Banana flower – 1 cup, chopped
  • Carrot – ½ , chopped
  • Green capsicum or malu miris – 1 or green chillies – 2, chopped
  • Red chilli – 1, chopped
  • Onion – ¼ cup, chopped
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
  • Low fat oil – 1 tbsp
  • Scraped coconut – 2 tbsp
  • Curry powder – 1 tsp
  • Salt, to taste

Method:

  1. Chop up the vaalai poo. Add some salt and keep aside.
  2. Chop up the carrot, green capsicum, red chilli and onion.
  3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the fennel seeds and onion for a minute.
  4. Add the rest of the chopped ingredients and the curry leaves. Cover the pan and cook, for around 10 mins, on low heat.
  5. Stir in the freshly scraped coconut and curry powder and cook for another 2 mins, mixing the ingredients well, before removing pan from stove.
  6. Serve with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Vaalakkai Varuval version 2

Today’s recipe is a slightly different version of vaalakkai varuval. I like ash plantains so I enjoy the different ways it is cooked, however slight the difference might be.

Vaalakkai Varuval/ Ash plantain fry version 2

Time taken: 30 mins

Serves 3

Ash plantain fry 2Ingredients:

  • Ash plantain – 2
  • Dried red chillies – 1 or 2, chopped
  • Shallots – 4 or 5 , chopped
  • Garlic – 2 or 3, chopped
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Chopped coriander – ½ or 1 tsp
  • Low fat oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

  1. Boil ash plantain with skin. Remove peel and chop the boiled unripe fruit up.
  2. Add some salt and turmeric powder to the ash plantain pieces and keep aside.
  3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the fennel, chopped dried red chillies, shallots and garlic for a few mins, until the aroma of the fried onions and garlic comes out.
  4. Add the marinated, chopped pieces of ash plantain and curry leaves and cook for about 10 mins, until sufficiently cooked.
  5. Garnish with chopped coriander or curry leaves.
  6. Serve with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Beans fry

Today’s recipe is a simple and quick to prepare beans dish.

Beans fry

Time taken: 20 mins

Serves 4

fried beansIngredients:

  • Green beans – 1 cup, chopped
  • Garlic – 3 cloves, chopped
  • Onion – ½, chopped
  • Red chilli – 1
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
  • Scraped coconut – 2 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
  • Pepper – 1 tsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Low fat oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

  1. Clean the beans and chop it up into small pieces. Add some salt and keep aside.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add the chopped onion, garlic, red chilli, curry leaves and fennel seeds to the pan. Stir-fry for about 2 mins.
  3. Then, add the chopped and salted beans to the pan and fry for a few mins.
  4. Add ½ cup of water to the pan and continue cooking the beans on low heat.
  5. Once the water evaporates or dries up in 5 – 10 mins, add 2 tbsp scraped coconut, ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp pepper and mix well. Stir-fry for 2 mins and remove from stove.
  6. Serve with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Radish curry

I have never really liked radish as I do not like its smell. However, occasionally, it is cooked at home and this is a recipe of my mother’s that makes eating radish tolerable for even those who dislike it. Radish is supposedly good for lowering cholesterol and fighting cancer.

Radish curry

Time taken: 15 – 20 mins

Serves 4

Radish curryIngredients:

  • Radish/ Mullangi – 1
  • Onion – ¼, chopped
  • Green chilli – 1, chopped
  • Urad dhal – 1 tsp, roasted and ground
  • Pepper – ½ tsp
  • Turmeric powder (optional)
  • Low fat oil – 1 tbsp

Method

  1. Wash and peel the radish before chopping it into smaller pieces.
  2. Heat a tbsp. oil in a pan and sauté lightly the chopped onion and chilli.
  3. Then, add the chopped radish to the pan and mix well.
  4. Add 1 ½ cups of water to the pan and cook the radish for about 10 mins.
  5. If the water dries up, add another ½ cup of water.
  6. Add 1 tsp roasted and ground urad dhal and stir.
  7. Add pepper and optional turmeric powder. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes before removing from stove.
  8. Serve with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Cabbage and carrot fry

Cabbage and carrot fry

Time taken: 25 mins

Serves 4

Cabbage and carrot fryIngredients:

  • Cabbage – 1 cup, shredded
  • Carrot – ½ cup, grated
  • Malu miris – ½
  • Onion – ½
  • Fennel – 1 tsp
  • Ginger – ½ “, chopped
  • Garlic – 2 or 3 cloves, chopped
  • Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
  • Scraped coconut – 1 tbsp
  • Crushed chillies – 1 tsp
  • Low fat oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

  1. Clean and wash the cabbage and add salt and turmeric to the shredded cabbage.
  2. Heat a tbsp oil in a pan and fry the chopped onion, ginger, garlic and fennel seeds for a couple of mins.
  3. Add the cabbage and carrot to the pan and stir fry for another 7 – 8 mins.
  4. Add the freshly scraped coconut, mixed with a pinch of turmeric, and crushed chillies. Stir fry for another 5 mins.
  5. Serve with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.