Pappanga Thoran/Sautéed Papaya With Coconut

Papaya is a tropical fruit and has a sweet musky taste when ripe with a soft orange tinted flesh. Been googling about papaya and came to know about few health benefits of the fruit. Papaya-the fruit, as well as the other parts of the papaya tree, contain papain, an enzyme that helps digest proteins. This enzyme is especially concentrated in the fruit when it is unripe. Papain is extracted to make digestive enzyme dietary supplements.  Vitamin C and vitamin A, which is made in the body from the beta-carotene in papaya, are both needed for the proper function of a healthy immune system. Papaya may therefore be a healthy fruit choice for preventing such illnesses as recurrent ear infections, colds and flu.  It has also got some anti inflammatory effect.  Can read more about the health benefits of papaya here.

In Kerala most of the homes have at least one papaya tree in their backyard!  The raw papayas are used for cooking, usually made into a thoran(sauted with grated coconut)or stir fry.  I'm not very keen on ripe papayas, but when raw and made into a thoran, I'm all 'ga ga' about it. 

You will need...

Raw Papaya - 2 medium

Coconut - 1/4 - 1/2 grated

Green chillies - 3-4 (2 for grinding and 2 chopped)

Jeera - 1 tsp

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1-2 tsp

Shallots(Cheriya ulli) - a handful peeled and sliced

Whole red chillies(dry) - 2-3 split into 2-3 pieces

Curry leaves - few

Salt - to taste

Wash, skin, deseed and grate the papayas into a mixing bowl.  Grind coconut along with 2 green chillies, 2 shallots and jeera.  Add this into the grated papaya.  Add turmeric, salt and mix well.  Keep aside.  In a thick bottomed pan heat oil.  Splutter mustard seeds and saute shallots, red chillies,  chopped green chillies and curry leaves until shallots are translucent.  Add the papaya mixture into it, cover and cook for 7-10 mins in medium heat.  If there is still water left stir fry until all the water is gone. Serve hot with rice.

I'm sending this to the event 'Think Beyond the Usual - Fruits' hosted by Nithu Bala.  She has got an inspiring lovely space, which you can visit by clicking here.

Cheers!!!

Achinga Chemmeen Ettu Ularthiyathu/Long Beans-Prawns Stir Fry

Adding prawns into veg stir fries is quite popular in Cochin.  Should be an invention from a clever, innovative granny who tried to trick her family into eating more greens.  Who can abandon prawns, even if they are peeping out of greens!!!

You will need...
Achinga/Long Beans - 500 gms cut into 1 inch long pieces
Small prawns/cocktail prawns - 100 gms
Onion - 1 sliced
Green Chillies - 2-3 slitted lengthwise
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Chilli flakes - 1 tsp
Shallots - few sliced
Curry leaves - few
Salt - to taste
Oil

Peel and cook prawns with little salt and turmeric. Keep aside.  Cover and cook long beans with sliced onions, green chillies, few drops of oil, salt and turmeric powder in medium heat until half cooked. In a thick bottomed pan heat oil and saute shallots and curry leaves. Add chilli flakes and saute for one minute. Add prawns and cooked beans.  Stir fry until dry.  Serve hot.

Mutta Thilappichathu/Egg Curry and Awards!!!

Soon after marriage, I got an exposure to the darker sides of the deal - on one side were the hearts & teddy bears but on the other side was the challenge of cooking on your own!  Like the majority, I also started my culinary experiments with eggs.  A bit ridiculous in my case!!!  Mom had made me attend a cooking course as part of her 'marriage training' where I learned many delicacies like biriyani, fried rice, cakes, samossas etc that made me overconfident while stepping into my own kitchen only to realise with shock that I never learned to make normal plain matta(Kerala brown rice) or a dal curry or upma let alone cleaning and cutting fish.  As a result the dining table during our honeymoon days was a flop show ramp with sticky upma, overcooked rice, mashed cabbage mezhukkupuratti and the best of all, the show stopper - fried fish with the scales on!!! Poor A - my everfaithful guinea pig, was like 'A Husband in Horror-land'!!! How he would have regreted for not earning the basic kitchen survival techniques instead of washing vessels for his buddies who did all the cooking during his bachelorhood.

Coming to the topic, mutta thilappichathu is an easy preparation where the eggs are not preboiled.  Here we are adding them directly into the gravy, saving time that way and since they are getting cooked in the gravy more flavours get absorbed by the eggs making it more tastier.  

You will need...

Eggs - 6

Shallots(cheriya ulli) - 6-7 sliced

Green chillies - 3-4 slitted lengthwise

Curry leaves - few

Ginger - 1/2 inc piece crushed

Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Water - 1 cup

Milk - 1/2 cup

Oil - as needed

Soak turmeric and chilly powders in little water to a paste and keep aside. In a heavy bottomed pan or curry chatti(terracotta cooking pan) heat oil, saute shallots, green chillies and ginger until onions are translucent.  Reduce heat and add the soaked turmeric and chilly paste and saute for 2 minutes.  Add water, vinegar and salt, let it boil in high heat.  Break eggs into the bubbling gravy.  Do not stir, cover and cook in medium heat for 12-15 minutes.  Turn the eggs and let it cook without cover until the gravy reduces to half(steps are shown in the picture). Reduce heat and add milk.  Do not let it boil.  Serve hot with rice or roti. 

Now Coming to the Awards!!! Yippeee got a handful!!!  Thanking all my blogger friends for all the encouragement, motivation and support!!!

Jisha of Jisha's Kitchen, Swapna of SwapnaSridhar and Aparna of Ladies Special Adukkala has passed this lovely Award. Thanks a ton dearies!!!

Saraswathy of Sara's Corner, Swapna of SwapnaSridhar, Aparna of Ladies Special Adukkala has awarded me with this one.  Thank you all!!! 

Sarah of Vazhayila and Aparna of Ladies Special Adukkala has passed the Blog Loving Award to me.  Thanks a lot Aparna and Sarah!!!

I would like to pass these three Awards to all my blogger friends!!!

Swapna of SwapnaSridhar passed the Kreative Blogger Award to me. Thanks Swapna!!! 

The rules for accepting this award are 

Thank the person who gave you the award.

Copy the award to your blog.

Place a link to their blog.

Name 7 things people don't know about you.

Nominate 7 bloggers.

Place a link to those bloggers.

Place a comment letting those bloggers know about the award.

I have been tagged before.  To know more about me click here.

I would like to share this award with

An open book - http://mykitchenantics.blogspot.com/

Cool Lassie - http://pangravykadaicurry.blogspot.com/

Priya - http://priyaeasyntastyrecipes.blogspot.com/

Rachana Kothari - http://rachanakothari.blogspot.com/

Jagruti - http://joyofcooking247.blogspot.com/

Vrinda - http://sankeerthanam.blogspot.com/

Supriya Nair - http://mykookbook.blogspot.com/

Phew...that was quite long...Thanks again!!!

Beef Vindaloo

Here is the Kochi Style Vindaloo - to be frank I'm not familiar with any other Kerala cusines like Kuttanad, Malabar, Trivandrum etc.  As far as I can trace my family roots, all my Grannys and their Great Great Grannys are from Cochin and so is my better half's. A bit unlucky that way, not to have had a peek into the multitude of Kerala cusines. But now thanks to blogging, I'm getting to know many new ways!!!

I have a craving for extremely spicy dishes and Vindaloo, which needs loads of chilli, goes hand in hand with this obsession. Got the recipe from my Aunt, she makes the best vindaloo in our family!  According to her, Vindaloo has dominant garlic and mustard flavours with a red tint. Hence the red chillies are de-seeded and used - this allows employing more of them to enhance the red tint and de-seeding keeps the spice level under check.

You will need...

Beef - 1 kg diced

Mustard seeds - 1 1/2 tbsp

Whole Red Chillies - 12 - 15 deseeded

Vinegar(Distilled Malt Vinegar) - 3-4  tbsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp

Onion - 1 sliced

Curry leaves - few

Oil

Grind together:

Green Chillies - 3-4

Onions - 2

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Garlic - 1 1/2 pod

Grind all these together into a coarse paste.

Directions:

Grind mustard seeds and keep aside. Deseed chillies, grind it into a smooth paste with vinegar and keep aside.  In a thick bottomed vessel or pressure cooker heat oil, saute the sliced onions until golden.  Add the ground onion mixture and saute until oil seperates. This might take some time, so be patient. Add the garam masala powder, turmeric powder, ground chilli paste, mustard powder, curry leaves and saute for further 3-4 minutes. Add meat, salt, 1 tbsp vinegar and pressure cook as much you normally do for beef(cooking time varies depending on pressure cooker).  Once done open and saute in high flame until gravy thickens. Serve hot with rice/roti.

Note: 

-The recipe calls for beef fillets or meduim slices. I used diced beef and did'nt find much of a difference.

-To deseed the chillies, slit the chillies lengthwise and tap off the seeds.  If you do not have whole chillies you can use chilli powder instead.  Soak it in vinegar.

-You can adjust the vinegar and chilli amount to suit your liking. 
-Can substitute beef with any meat of your choice.


And now Award time again. Fathima of Thattukada has shared three lovely Awards with me!!! Wow!!! Three at one go!!! Thanks a ton Fathima!!!

I would like to share these three Awards with all my blogger friends. All of you my wonderful, inspiring, creative blogger friends please accept your Awards...

Spinach Thoran

Spinach happens to be my li'l one's favourite green.  Can you guess why? Coz he thinks Popeye's muscles are made of spinach!!!  Oh boy!!! Only if he believed that Superman's biceps were because he ate Okra and Transformers gobbled up beetrots for power, you would have had a mom on 'cloud nine' here...

Here i'm sharing the way I make spinach thoran - have peppered it with urad dals in an effort to make it more interesting and colorful :)

You will need...

Spinach - 300gms(washed and chopped)

Onions - 1 sliced

Grated/Desicated coconut- 1 handful

Jeera - 1 pinch

Green chillies - 2-3

Chilly flakes - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urid dal - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Salt - to taste

Coarsly grind coconut, jeera and green chillies together. In a thick bottomed pan heat oil, splutter mustard seeds and add urid dal. Add sliced onions and curry leaves and saute well. Add the ground coconut mixture, turmeric, chilly flakes,salt and chopped spinach. Mix well and stir fry in high heat until all the water disappears. Serve hot with rice/roti.

Kanava Fry/ Squid/Calamari Fry

I'm sharing a very simple yet yummy squid stir fry.  Seafoods like squids and prawns have some magic imbibed in them, they are delicious no matter how you cook!

You will need...

Squid - 500gms

Onions - 2 big sliced

Green chillies - 3-4 slitted lengthwise

Curry leaves - few

Chilli powder - 1-2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Cut squid into rings. Marinate with salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder and keep it for at least 30 minutes. Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan and saute onions, green chillies and curry leaves. Add squid and stir fry in high heat until all the water disppears. Serve hot. Can be served as a starter as well as a side dish. 

Ulli Curry/Ulli Theeyal

Ulli Curry!!! Well, it makes you shed some tears!!! Peeling and slicing at least 200gms of tiny shallots is way too demanding, isn't it? This is one of those moments I wish I had a maidservant, yet another homeland abound privilege!!! Despite me managing the kitchen on my own for years now, my eyes and onions still refuse to get fond of each other, the eyes protest invariably by a vehement flooding. What about you guys? Lol...C'mon then...Lets shed some tears for a good reason - and let the reason be - Ulli Curry!!!  :D

In some parts on Kerala Ulli Curry is also known as Ulli Theeyal. In Cochin Theeyal preparations are often termed as 'Varutharacha Curry'. You can read more about Theeyal here.

You will need...

Shallots(cheriya ulli) - 200gms sliced

Green chillies - 3-4 chopped

Curry leaves - few

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Grated coconut/Desicated coconut  - 1/2 cup

Corinader powder - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Tamarind - a small ball

Jaggery - 1-2 tbsp

Fenugreek powder(uluva podi) - a pinch

Salt - to taste

Water

Oil - as needed

In a non stick vessel dry fry coconut until brown(a bit further than golden brown) and add coriander, turmeric and chilli powders. Stir fry for one more minute in low heat, grind to a smooth paste/powder without adding water, and keep aside. Soak tamarind in warm water and when tender squeeze well and drain and restore the juice.  In the cooking vessel add oil, splutter mustard seeds, saute shallots, green chillies and curry leaves(don't need to go until golden brown). Add tamarind water and salt, let it boil. Add the ground coconut mixture, jaggery and let it boil until gravy starts to thicken, say 2-3 minutes. Garnish with fenugreek powder and serve hot with rice.

Erachi Ball Curry/Curried Meat Dumplings

Curried Meat Dumplings are widely known as Ball Curry in Cochin!!! For them it is a retro dish which induces nostalgia!!!  Ball curry is usually made on family gatherings to please our 'elderly' guests. They then head into a series of flashbacks bound to the delicacy, going ga ga about Granny's kaipunyam, which propells an exchage of rolled-eye-looks among the daughter-in-laws, who at the moment had spent few laborious hours in kitchen concocting the delight!!! The dumplings are usually made of minced meat or minced prawns.

Every time I look for minced meat while shopping and browse through the meat and poultry sections, comparing the calories and the sat fats in each, I end up with turkey mince which appeals the most.  Hence here goes the recipe with turkey mince...

You will need...

For the dumplings:

Minced meat - 500gm

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 2-3

Shallots(Cheriya ulli) - 5-6 skinned

Mint leaves - few chopped

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Fennel powder(Aniseed) - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Crush green chillies and shallots. Mix all the ingredients together and make fine lime sized dumplings. Keep aside.

For the gravy:

Onion - 1 sliced

Ginger - 1 inch piece crushed

Green chillies - 2-3

Tomatto - 1 sliced into rounds

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp(preferably any Kerala brand)

Vinegar - 1-2 tbsp

Thin coconut milk - 2 cups

Thick coconut milk - 3/4 cup

Oil

Salt - to taste

Soak all the powders in little water to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

To garnish:

Shallots(Cheriya ulli) - 5-6 sliced

Curry leaves - few

Garlic - 1 clove sliced(optional)

Mint leaves - few chopped

Coriander leaves - few chopped

Directions:

Heat oil in a kadai and saute shallots, garlic and curry leaves(under the ingredeints to garnish) until golden brown. Drain and keep aside.  In the same vessel add enough oil and saute the onions, green chillies and ginger paste in medium heat. Reduce heat and add the soaked powder paste, sliced tomattoes, salt and saute until oil leaves to the sides. Add thin coconut milk, vinegar and let it boil. Add meat dumplings into the bubbling gravy. Do not stir, just swirl the vessel if needed. Cover and cook until gravy thickens and the dumplings are well cooked.  Add thick coconut milk. Just heat it without letting it boil. Garnish with the sauted items and chopped leaves. Serve hot.

Note:

-For a low calorie version you can totally avoid coconut milk and use water instead of thin coconut milk and skimmed milk instead of thick coconut milk. 
-The dumplings are made using raw meat.  They will break off on cooking if cooked mince is used.

Vendakka Ularthiyathu/Okra/Lady's Finger Stir Fry

Vendakka happens to be part of my religiously-carnivorous-better-half's teeny-weeny list of edible veggies and hence his lady's fingers get busy chopping the lady's fingers quite often...

You will need...

Vendakka/Okra - 500gm chopped
Onion - 1 big sliced
Green chillies - 2-3 slitted lengthwise
Curry leaves - few
Chilli flakes - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as needed
Oil

Heat oil in a pan. Add onions, green chillies and turmeric. Stir fry for 1 minute. Add salt, chilli flakes and okra. Stir fry in medium heat until well cooked and dry. Serve hot with rice/roti.

Erachi Kothi Varuthathu/Minced Meat Fry

Another one from my Mom's kitchen. A preparation which can be served as a side dish as well as a sandwich/puffs/rolls stuffing. Mom makes it with minced beef. I used minced turkey here.

You will need...

Minced meat - 500gm
Onion - 1 big sliced
Tomattoes - 1-2 chopped
Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Mint leaves - few chopped
Potatoes - 1
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

To cook meat...
Ginger - 1 inch piece crushed
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 5 chopped
Salt - to taste

Directions: 

Peel potatoes and cut into four lengthwise.  Cut into thin slices. Sprinkle with salt, deep fry and keep aside.

In a non stick pan add meat and the second set of ingredients and cook stirring continously until all the water is gone. Transfer it into another vessel. Pour oil in the cooking pan, saute onions and curry leaves. Reduce heat and add coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder. Add tomattoes. When oil leaves to the sides add the cooked meat and stir fry until golden.  Add vinegar and salt to taste. Garnish with mint leaves and fried potatoes.

Note: 

While cooking meat keep stirring continously or else the meat might stick together into lumps. 

Naadan Scramled Eggs

As far as i know this is my "Yummy Mommy's" invention for my school lunch box. Madakku porotta-srambled eggs combo were the most frequent occupiers of my lunch box. Very simple with a colorful  tempting look, always tastes good warm or cold.  Can go well as a sandwich filler or roll chapathis/madakku porottas with this in as the filler...

You will need...

Eggs - 3 medium
Big onion - 1 chopped
Green chillies - 2 chopped
Tomatto - 1 big chopped
Curry leaves - few
Chilly powder - 3/4 - 1 tsp
Salt - as needed
Oil - 2 tbsp

In a non stick pan saute onions and green chillies in oil. When the edges of onions start turning brown, reduce heat and add chilly powder. Add tomatoes, curry leaves and salt. Saute well in meduim heat until oil leaves to the sides. Break the eggs into it and scramble until well cooked. Serve with chappathis, madakku porottas or use as a sandwich filler.

Note:
If the tomattoes are over ripened or added more in quantity, (they might give out more water while sautéing) the preparation might look a bit mashed, to prevent this more oil can be added while sautéing tomatoes if needed. Wait until oil leaves to the sides of the pan to add eggs.

Fish Fry/Meen Varuthathu

Fish, fish and more fish from the Arabian Sea!!! It's a daily affair in Cochin and fish fry is the simplest of all preparations. Even though frying is not recommended for a healthy diet, due to it's simplicity and taste we end up frying.

You will need...

Fish - 500gm
Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 3/4 tbsp
Pepper powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - as needed
Oil - for frying

Clean fish and marinate with all the ingredients. Keep for about half an hour and deep fry. Serve hot.

 Marinated sardines

Fish Cutlets

My MIL is well known among our relatives for her yummy cutlets. They have even branded it as 'Linda Aunty's Cutlets'!!! It was the first dish I learned from her. I served it as starter for a party and it was a hit!!! After going through the recipe, even if you feel like it's too complicated, trust me, it's worth a try!!!

You will need...

Tinned tuna chunks in brine(185gm tins) - 4

Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Pepper powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

For Sauting...

Big onions - 2 finely chopped

Green chillies - 7-8 finely chopped (I add 10 to make it real spicy)

Curry leaves - few finely chopped

Ginger paste - 1 tbsp

Garam masala powder- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 2-3 tbsp

Salt - to taste

To make patties...

Boiled and mashed potatoes - 4-5 meduim

Egg - 1 large beaten

Bread crumbs - Enough to cover approx 20 cutlets

Oil - for frying

Upper left: after the first step

Lower left: sauted with onions until golden brown

Upper right: mixed with mashed potatoes

Lower right: moulded into patties

Drain the tuna into a cooking vessel and mix with the first set of ingredients and keep stirring in meduim flame until it is dry. Transfer it into another vessel.

Add oil to the cooking pan and saute onions, green chillies, curry leaves and ginger paste until onions are golden brown. Add garam masala powder and turmeric powder in low heat and stir well. More pepper powder can be added now if u need it hot. Add tuna into this and fry until well mashed and almost golden brown. Check salt and add if needed. Once it cools down mix with mashed potatoes.Mould into patties of desired shape with hand or with the help of cookie cutters. Dip the patties in beaten egg and then roll it in bread crumbs. Deep fry and serve hot with tomatto ketchup and onion salad.

Note:

-Tuna chunks in brine are mostly salted, so be careful while adding salt.

- Fresh fish can be used instead. If so cook fish with little water and the first set of ingredients and remove bones.

- In case if it is brittle while moulding into patties, mashed potatoes can be added more to make it pliable.

- The secret trick is saute in a low heat for some time until fish turns golden brown, and the taste of just pepper and garam masala makes it unique. I have tried adding coriander powder and chilli powder and realised that it tastes better without.

- Can add garlic if you like.

- Can freeze, and will stay for almost a month.

Pepper Cabbage/Cabbage Mezhukkupuratti

Something which you can cook up in a hurry. It is very simple and apt for anyone who loves the taste of black pepper.

You will need...

Cabbage - 1/2 sliced into thin stripes

Onion - 1 big sliced

Green chillies - 3 slitted lengthwise

Curry leaves - few

Black pepper powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Salt - as needed

Oil - 2 tbsp

Pour oil into cooking vessel. Saute onions, green chillies and curry leaves. Reduce heat and add turmeric powder and pepper powder. Stir and add the cabbage and salt. Mix well. Cover and cook stirring occasionally. It will take very less time to cook(aprox 5 mins). Spriknle water if needed. Serve hot with rice.

Varutharacha Pork Curry

My Mom makes this curry and the aroma fills the whole house. She makes it with kudal(beef intestine) which is a favourite among Cochin Christians, and is also a dish served for the wedding eve ceremony. Can hardly wait till lunchtime and by the time this reaches the dining table it will be in such a state that there'll be only raw banana pieces left. May be that's why mom adds raw banana in it.

You will need...

Pork belly strips - 500 gm

Raw banana - 1(cut into pieces) (optional)

Big onion - 1 big or 2 small

Curry leaves - enough

Whole red chillies - 5-6

Whole corriander - 1 1/2 tbsp

Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece

Cloves - 5-6

Cardomem - 4-5

Green chillies - 4-5

Chillie powder - 1-2 tsp(upto ur spice level)

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Salt - enough

Ginger -1 inch piece

Grated coconut -1/2 coconut

Devon or Melam

Meat masala(optional) - 1tbsp(better if added)

Cut pork into square pieces and pressure cook it with little water, turmeric, salt, green chillies and crushed ginger. In a dry non stick pan(don't add oil) fry grated coconut, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, chillies and cardomem together until coconut turns golden brown(be careful not to burn coconut, low-medium flame is better and be patient, it will take time to turn brown). Keep it aside to cool. When it cools down grind this into a smooth paste without water. Now in a non stick pan add little oil. Fry sliced onions. When the onions start turning golden brown lower flame and add curry leaves, little chilly powder(only if you want it spicy), meat masala and the ground paste. Pour the excess water from the pressure cooker and when it boils add raw banana pieces. When banana pieces get cooked add the pork stir and let it boil. Remove when the gravy is thick. Serve hot.

Note:

- Any meat (chicken, beef, mutton, turkey) can be used instead of pork.

- If you don't have whole chillies and whole corriander you can use powder instead. But add them only after the coconut has turned golden brown and immediately after removing from the hob.

- The coconut will take time to get grinded. So stop mixie in between frequently and stir it. Even then if you cannot get it done add little oil, and if all these fails finally add in little water from the cooked pork. You might not get the dark brown glamourous color for the curry, if you add water while grinding coconut mixture. But taste will be the same.

- The cardomen, cloves, cinnamon can be put more if u like it very spicy.

- Desicated coconut can also be used instead of grated coconut. But be very careful while frying because it turns brown fast, and dry fry whole masalas seperate if using desicated coconut.

- Raw banana is also optional. Potatoes can be used instead eventhough I prefer it with raw bananas.

Cabbage Thoran

This is a very common dish in cochin and in Christian families this will b served on most of the wedding eve parties. It's a very colorful dish with curry leaves, red chillies and mustard seeds scattered in a bright yellow backdrop :)

You will need...

Cabbage - 1 medium sized(grated or chopped finely)

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Whole red cilli - 4-5 (broken into 3-4 pieces)

turmeric powder- 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp

Grind together witout water:-

Coconut - 1/2 fresh or 3/4 cup desicated

Green chilli - 3-4 can be altered according to the desired spice level

Jeera - 1/4 tsp

Mix grated cabbage with salt, turmeric powder and the grated coconut mixture. Keep it aside. In a pan heat oil and splutter mustard seeds. Reduce heat and add red chilli and curry leaves. Now add the cabbage mixture. Mix well. Cover and cook for 7-10 mins in meduim flame stirring occasionally. Serve hot with rice.

Variations:

I've seen some people add a pinch of urid dal and channa dal after spluttering mustard seeds. And towards trivandrum 1-2 flakes of garlic will also be added while grinding coconut. You can grind 2-3 shallots as well along with coconut.