Chembu Moru Curry

Ingredients:
Chembu/Taro root/Seppankizhangu - 6 (medium-sized)
Curd - 1 cup
Chili powder - 1/4 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)

To grind:
Grated coconut - 1/3 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Green chilies - 1

To season:
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds - 5 to 10 seeds
Whole dry red chilies - 1
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Oil - 1 tsp.

Method:
Peel the skin of the taro roots and wash them well.
Cut them into halves.
Add the taro and pour water until they're fully submerged to their upper surfaces in a container.
Add salt, chili powder and turmeric powder.
Cover and cook till they're tender (NOT MUSHY).
Grind the coconut, cumin seeds and green chilies with little water.
Add this paste to the cooked taro.
Let it cook for 3-4 minutes in simmer mode.
Add the curd and mix gently without breaking the taro.
Let it simmer for 2 minutes.
Season it with mustard, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves & dry red chilies (cut into halves) and serve hot with plain rice.

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Beet Root Payasam

Ingredients:
Beet root - 1/2 kg (boiled & grated)
Semiya - 1 cup
Milk powder - 1 to 1 1/4 cups
Sugar - 2 1/2 cups
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp.
Cashew nuts - 10
Raisins - 10
Ghee - 2 tbsp.

Method:
Roast the semiya, boil them and grind them. Keep aside.
Add 4 cups of warm water to milk powder (now we can call this milk).
Heat 1 1/2 tbsp. of ghee in a pan.
Add the beetroot and fry for 5 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup of water.
Add the sugar and stir well to dissolve.
Now add the ground semiya and mix well.
Add the milk little by little and stir well.
Add the cardamom powder, fried cashew nuts and raisins.
Adapted from Lakshmi Nair.

Note:
Eat when it is warm or cold.
I added only 2 cups of sugar.

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Palak Murgh (Chicken in spinach gravy)

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1/2 kg (cut into bite size)

Spinach - 1 small bunch

Onion - 1 cup (chopped)

Tomato - 1 (pureed)

Coriander powder - 2 tsp.

Bay leaves - 2

Cream - 1/4 cup

Oil

Salt - as required

Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch

Dry Red chilies  - 1

Kasoori methi - 1 pinch

(A)Marinating chicken:

Ginger garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsp.

Yogurt - 1 tbsp.

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp.

Salt - 2 pinch

(B)To Grind: 

Green chilies - 2

Ginger - 1 inch

Garlic - 2 big cloves 

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Green cardamom - 2

Black cardamom - 1 (small)

Nutmeg powder - 1 pinch
Cloves - 2

Method:

Marinate the chicken from list (A). Keep aside and do the chopping.

Heat oil in a kadai. Add onions and fry till they turn golden color.

Add the ground paste (B), bay leaves and fry till raw smell fades.

Add the half broken red chilies and tomato puree. Fry till it thickens.

Add the chicken and sauté for 4 minutes.

Add the coriander powder, salt and kasoori methi. Cook till the chicken becomes tender.

Meanwhile blanch the spinach and puree them with coriander leaves.

Once the chicken is tender, add the spinach and coriander leaves puree and cook for 2-4 minutes.

Add the cream and remove from heat.

Serve with naan or roti.

Adding cream is optional.

Sent off to "Healing Foods Event-Spinach" hosted by Divya (started by Siri).

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Keerai (Spinach) Vadai

Ingredients:
Spinach - 2 cups (chopped)
Black Gram - 1 cup (dehusked)
Bengal gram - 1 cup
shallots - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Coconut flakes - 1 tbsp.
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp. (chopped)
Salt
Oil (for deep frying)

To Grind:
Peppercorn - 1tsp
Green chillies - 1
Ginger - 1 inch

Method:
Soak bengal gram and black gram for an hour.
Grind them coarsely by adding little water.
Grind pepper, green chilies & ginger without adding water.
In a mixing bowl, add the batter, green chili paste, shallots, spinach, salt, coriander leaves & coconut flakes and mix well.
In a deep kadai, heat the oil.
Take a ball from the batter, flatten them and make a hole with finger.
Deep fry the vadas till they turn golden color.
Continue with the remaining batter.
Enjoy it with coconut chutney.

Note:
It's good to eat when the vadas are warm.

Sent off to "Healing Foods Event-Spinach" hosted by Divya (started by Siri).

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Coriander powder/Dhaniya Podi

Ingredients:
Coriander seeds - 1/2 cup
Peppercorn - 1 tbsp.
Urad dal - 2 tsp.
Chana dal - 1 tsp.
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Asafoetida- 1 small cube
Salt - as required
Sesame oil (to fry) - 2 tsp.

Method:
Fry all the ingredients one by one in sesame oil till they turn golden color except salt.
Cool them.
Powder them after adding salt.
Store them in an air-tight container.
Enjoy with hot steaming rice mixed with sesame oil.
RB

Sent off to "CWS-Coriander Seeds" hosted by RV (started by Priya).

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Watermelon Payasam/Kheer

Watermelon Payasam/Kheer

Ingredients:

Watermelon flesh - 3 cups (chopped)

Milk - 1 cup

Sweetened condensed milk - 1 cup

Cardamom seeds - from 2 cardamoms

Cashew nuts - 5 (whole)

Saffron strands - a pinch

Ghee - 1 tsp.

Method:

Boil the milk and keep aside.

Grind the watermelon.

Fry the nuts in ghee till golden color.

Crush the cardamom seeds.

Combine all ingredients and payasam/kheer is ready.

Enjoy (you can either eat/drink as it is or chilled).

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