Tenga Achar / Coconut Pickle

Its scorching hot in Kerala and everyone is behind the cool stuffs that are available around. Now you might be thinking that my next post is something about juice or smoothie or an ice cream, but you will be surprised that in this hot weather I am posting a recipe of spicy pickle.

I am at my mom's place to enjoy the vacations. Here I am in no mood to try a hot pickle, but this is all because of my brother who is a big fan of coconut pickle. I don't know from where he got to taste this pickle. He was insisting me to buy this for him from here. First I thought I would take the recipe of this pickle from any of the blogs and will prepare this pickle. But as I googled I came to know that nobody has tried this before. I got one or two recipes using coconut pieces, but it was not the one which I was searching for. Then I tried the next best thing, to ask everyone through blogs, groups and to all my near and dear relatives. But no one had a clue of this pickle. My bro insisted me to try to make it on my own so that I could innovate something new. When I stayed at my in- laws place I searched all the supermarkets, but in vain. So when I came to my house, I tried making this with the help of my mom.

First I made it with grated coconut then I tried it with coconut pieces. Both came out well. But I liked the grated coconut pickle as it had absorbed all the oil and it will taste nice when we mix in hot rice. I hope my bro too likes this.

Ingredients:

1. Coconut (grated)- 2 nos.
2. Gingelly Oil- 1/4 Cup
3. Mustard Seeds- 1 tbsp
4. Fenugreek Seeds- 1tsp
5. Curry Leaves- a handful
6. Red Chillies- 8-9 nos
7. Garlic- 1/2 Cup
8. Salt- as required
9. Red Chilli Powder- 3 tbsp
10. Turmeric Powder- 1 tbsp
11. Fenugreek Powder- 1/2 tbsp
12. Asafoetida- 1tsp
13. Vinegar- 6 tbsp

Method:

1. Fry the grated coconut till it turns to golden brown. Switch off the flame and keep it aside.
2. Pour oil in a kadai. Splitter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
3. In this add the curry leaves, red chillies and garlic. Mix well till the raw smell of the garlic disappears.
4. Add the roasted coconut, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, fenugreek powder and at last asafoetida. Mix well. Add the required amount of salt.
5. In this add vinegar and stir well till everything is well blended.

For coconut pieces pickle:

1. The process is same as above, but instead of grated coconut we use 2 cups of coconut pieces.
2. We have to roast the pieces till they are golden brown in colour.
3. Take 1 cup shallots and fry till they change colour.
4. Add these roasted coconut and shallots after adding garlic and continue with remaining process.
   
   

   

   
   
   

   
   

Beetroot & Carrot Halwa

We all know fruits and vegetables are healthy and nutritious. If we can make a dessert out of it, then there is nothing like that. I used to make either carrot or beetroot halwa, but this is the first time I am trying the combination of both the veggies which is full of fiber content and makes a low calorie food.

In this if you want you can add khoya, condensed milk to improve taste, but I sticked to the basic ingredients and it ended up as a luscious dessert ..... slurp slurp.... :)

This is so simple and can be made within minutes, so can be tried at  any time of the day... This is an effortless, low calorie, guilt free, sugar free dessert. So what are you waiting for? Just dig into this heavenly sweet.....

Ingredients:

1. Beetroot (peeled & grated)- 1 no
2. Carrots (peeled & grated)- 3 nos
3. Sugar- 1/2 cup
4. Ghee- 1tbsp
5. Milk- 1cup
6. Cardamom powder- 2 tsp
7. Almonds (roasted)- for decoration

Method:

1. Heat a kadai and pour ghee, add the grated beetroot and carrots and stir well till the raw smell disappears.
2. Add milk and let it cook for some time. Stir in between. Cook till the mixtures becomes dry.
3. In this add sugar and mix well till everything is well combined. Sprinkle cardamom powder.
4. Garnish with roasted almonds and serve hot.

Paneer, Carrot and Potato Fry

I usually make vegetable fries as a side dish for rice. Sometimes I mix two veggies and make fry. This time I thought of adding paneer in carrot and potato fry. As my little one likes to eat most of the veggies in the form of fry. She never touches paneer, so I thought why not add these in the carrot and potato fry.

We all know that paneer is very nutritious, rich and healthy. We can prepare different dishes with paneer and this is one of it. You won't believe this will be loved by all and my little one didn't know that paneer was there in the dish. So eventually, my daughter and my husband finished the whole dish.

Ingredients:

1. Paneer (cubed)- 1 cup
2. Potatoes (cubed)- 1 cup
3. Carrot (cubed)- 1 cup
4. Green chillies- 3 nos
5. Onion- 1 no
6. Oil- 1 tbsp
7. Mustard seeds- 1tsp
8. Cumin seeds- 1tsp
9. Curry leaves- few
10. Salt- as required

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard, cumin seeds. Add the curry leaves.
2. Add the vegetables, onion and green chillies. In this add the required amount of salt. Stir and close with a lid. In between stir them. Switch off the flame when the vegetables turn golden brown in colour.
3. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot rice.

Pancakes with grated coconut and sugar filling

Relishing childhood memory......

This used to be a staple breakfast on most of the Sundays in my house. When I ask my mom about this, she used to tell that these are pancakes which are also called as love letters. From then on I fell in love with these :-)

These soft, fluffy crepes were treats for a sumptuous breakfast. Thin crepes are made with loose batter and then filled with freshly grated coconut and sugar. this is easy to make, tasty and a filling breakfast or evening snack. There are different names for this. This is called as mutta kuzhalappam, love letters, coconut pancake, kerala pancake and also mutta churul.

Ingredients:

1. Maida-1 Cup
2. Egg- 1no
3. Water- as required
4. Salt- as per taste
5. Oil- to brush
6. Coconut- 1/4 cup
7. Sugar- 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Mix the maida, egg, salt using required amount of water in a bowl. It should form a loose dosa batter.
2. Heat a dosa tawa and brush little oil. Pour a ladleful of batter and spread it like dosa. Cook it on both the sides.
3. Meanwhile mix the coconut and sugar and add this in the prepared crepes and roll it. Repeat the same with the remaining batter.