Ladoo

INGREDIENTS:

• Gram flour (besan) - 1 cup 
• Sugar - 1   cup 
• Cardamom powder - pinch
• Ghee - 1 Tbsp
• Cashew and Raisins - 1 handful
• Oil for frying

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Heat Ghee in a pan ,fry cahewnut and raisin and keep it aside.
• On medium heat, boil the sugar with 3/4 cup of water in a Pan .
• Prepare the sugar syrup  till honey like consistency is reached. 
• Add Cardamom powder to the syrup and mix well.
• Add water to gramflour to make the batter smooth(slightly thicker than dosa batter).
• For making Boondi we need a perforated spoon (laddle with small holes)
• Heat oil in a pan . 
• Hold the laddle above the hot oil(1 - 1½ inch above) and pour 2 -3 spoon batter to the ladddle and rub with another spoon.
• Fry Boondi until light golden colour.
• Then remove it from the oil and allow to drain the excess oil.
• Put the boondies directly in the warm sugar syrup. 
• Repeat the process with rest of the batter and keep putting the fried boondies in the sugar syrup.(Clean the laddle after each time, which will help to keep the boondi in round shape.)
• Add fried cashewnut and raisins into the syrup and mix well.
• Let the boondies soak in sugar syrup for few minutes.
• When it is still warm, take a handful of mixture and gently squeeze between both palms to make into a ball shape.(it will be hard to make ladoo if the mixture is cold)
• Do the same process for the remaining mixture.

Bread Egg Upma

It is a complete meal.It contains Vegetables, Bread and Egg. It can be served as breakfast or as snack.

INGREDIENTS:

• Bread slices - 4 nos
• Onion(chopped) – 1 no
• Tomato (chopped) – 1 no
• Green chilly(chopped) – 2 nos
• Ginger(chopped) - ½ tsp
• Carrot(grated) - 1 no
• Garam Masala Powder - ¼ tsp
• Egg - 2 nos
• Red Chilly -2 nos
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 stem
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 1½ tbsp
• Chopped corriander leaves - 1 tbsp

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Beat eggs with salt.
• Heat ½ Tbsp of oil in a pan.
• Add the beaten egg and scramble it.
• Keep it aside.
• Remove the edges of each bread slice and cut it into small pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds and red chilli and let it splutter.
• Add onion, ginger, green chillies and curry leaves.
• Sauté it until onion turns translucent.
• Add grated carrot and chopped tomato and saute well.
• Add garam masala and salt and saute for a minute. 
• Sprinkle little water and cover the pan.
• Let it cook in a medium heat.
• When the vegetables are cooked well and the water dries up, add the bread pieces and mix well. 
• Add the scrambled egg into it and mix well.
• Garnish with corriander leaves.

Dates Pickle / Eenthappazham Achar

 Healthy and tasty Pickle.

INGREDIENTS:

• Pitted dates(eenthappazham) - 20 nos
• Lemon - 2 nos
• Raisin(unakka munthiri) - 1 handful
• Chopped Ginger - 1 tsp
• Garlic(sliced)- 2 nos
• Gingely Oil - ½ cup
• Chilly Powder - 2 - 3 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Fenugreek powder - ¼ tsp
• Asafoetida Powder - ¼ tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 stem
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Cut the lemon into small pieces.
• Cut each dates into two pieces.
• Heat Oil in a pan.
• Put Mustard seed into the Oil and let it splutter.
• Add curry leaves and fry it.
• Add Ginger and Garlic and saute well.
• Add raisins and saute for a minute.
• Add Chilly powder, Fenugreek powder and Asafoetida Powder to the hot Oil and saute for a minute.
• Add Lemon pieces and Salt and saute well for 5 minutes.
• Cook till the Lemon skin becomes soft.
• Finally add dates, mix well and cook for 2 -3 minutes.
• Remove pan from fire and allow to cool.

Recommended Combination: Serve with Rice / Chappathi / Dosa /poori/ Biriyani.

Dates Chutney / Eenthappazham Chutney

Dates are rich in several vitamins and minerals.Intake of a date daily gives a balanced and healthy diet.
You can include dates in your diet through a variety of dishes like eenthappazham chutney.
It differs from other chutney  by its sweet-tangy taste.

INGREDIENTS:

• Pitted dates - 6 nos
• Tamarind - 1 gooseberry ball size
• Pearl Onion - 2 nos 
• Red Chilly- 3 nos(or according to your taste)
• Curry leaves - 2- 3 leaves
• Coconut Oil - ½ tsp
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Roast Red Chillies in a pan(with out oil) till it becomes crisp.
• Soak the dates in little water for 2 -3 minutes.
• Grind the  Dates,  Tamarind, Red Chilly, Pearl Onion, curry leaves and Salt together to a fine paste.
• Add coconut oil to the Chutney and mix well. 

Recommended Combination: Serve with  Dosa / Chappathi / Vegetable Pulav

Spicy Bread Masala

This is a dish which can be easily and quickly prepared using bread. This hot and spicy dish can be served during breakfast. Kids will love this if you reduce the spiciness .

INGREDIENTS:

• Bread slices - 4 nos
• Onion(sliced) – 1 no
• Tomato (chopped) – 1 no
• Green chilly(slit) – 2 nos
• Ginger garlic paste - ½ tsp
• Coriander powder – ½ tsp
• Turmeric Powder - ¼ tsp
• Pepper Powder - ¼ tsp
• Chilly powder – ¼ tsp
• Fennel seed Powder - ¼ tsp
• Garam Masala Powder - ¼ tsp
• Egg - 2 nos
• Red Chilly -2 nos
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 stem
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 1 ½ Tbsp
• Chopped corriander leaves

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Slightly toast each bread slice and cut it into small pieces.
• Heat Oil in a pan.
• Add Mustard seeds and Red chilli and let it splutter.
• Add sliced onion, gingergarlic paste, green chillies and curry leaves.
• Sauté it until onion turns translucent.
• Add chilly powder, turmeric powder, corriander powder, garam masala,fennelseed powder, pepper powder and saute for a minute. 
• Add chopped tomato and salt, saute well and cook very well in medium heat.(dont add water, the water in the tomato is enough to cook the ingredients)
• when the water dries up and oil oozes from the masala, add eggs and keep stirring continuously.
• When the masala(egg and masala) is almost dry, add bread pieces and mix well.
• Remove it from the fire when it is dry completely.
• Garnish with chopped corriander leaves.

Naadan Cheera Aviyal

Cheera or Spinach is a leafy vegetable which is a rich source of iron.
It is prepared using cooked Cheera with Coconut paste. We can use Mango or Curd instead of Tamarind syrup for sourness.

INGREDIENTS:

• Chopped Spinach/Chuvanna Cheera(Leaves and Stem) - 2 cup
• Red chilly powder - ½ tsp
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Grated Coconut - 3/4 cup
• Shallot -2 nos
• Raw Mango - ¼ of a mango
• Coconut Oil - 1 tsp

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Cook Chopped Spinach in water along with Chilly powder, Turmeric Powder and Salt.
• Grind together Coconut and Shallot to paste.
• When Spinach is cooked well add Mango cuts and cook for few minutes.
• Add Coconut paste into it and cook for 2 minutes.
• Remove from Fire and add Coconut Oil and mix well.

(If you are using curd for sour taste, add it just before removing the dish from the stove - do not boil curd).

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Rice.

Chakka Puzhukku

Chakka Puzhukku is a traditonal dish in Kerala.

INGREDIENTS:

• Chopped Unripe jackfruit - 3 cup 
• Grated coconut - 1 ½ cup 
• Cumin seeds  - ¼ tsp 
• Turmeric powder -½ tsp
• Garlic - 2 nos
• Green chillies -  3 or 4 nos
• Curry leaves - 2 stems
• Coconut oil - 1½  tbsp
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Cook the chopped jackfruit with little water, salt and turmeric powder.
• Crush the coconut, green chillies, garlic and cumin seeds (without water). 
• Add the ground coconut mixture to the cooked jackfruit(water almost dries up) and mash well. 
• Let it cook for a minute and remove from the fire.
• Add curry leaves and coconut oil and mix well.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with kanji and mango pickle or with fish curry.

Chuttaracha Chammandi

Chuttaracha Chammandi is a tasty and traditional side dish for Rice.

INGREDIENTS:

• Coconut(with shell) - ½ of the coconut 

                   OR

• Coconut slices -1 cup 
• Red chilly - 4 nos
• Tamarind - 1 gooseberry ball size
• Pearl Onion - 2 nos
• Curry leaves - A few
• Salt - to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Detach the coconut from the shell and cut it in to medium pieces .
• Roast the coconut(without oil) till golden brown .
• (we can roast the coconut pieces directly over burning charcoal or in a pan.)
• Roast Red Chillies in a pan(with out oil) till it becomes crisp.
• Grind all the ingredients together without using water.

Recommended Combination: Chammandi can be served with Rice or kanji.

Cheera Thoran / Spinach Stir fry

Cheera / Spinach Thoran is a simple and nutritious dish which is good for health.

INGREDIENTS:

• Finely Chopped Red Spinach (chuvanna cheera) - 2cups
• Grated coconut - ½ Cup
• Chilly Powder - ½ tsp
• Red Chilly -2 nos
• Rice - 1 tsp
• Garlic - 1 nos
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Oil - as needed
• Salt - to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Heat Oil in a pan.
• Add Mustard seeds and Red chilli and let it splutter.
• Add Rice and fry it.
• Once rice becomes crispy add Spinach / Cheera,salt,turmeric powder.
• Cover the pan and cook for 2 mins.
• Crush Coconut,Garlic and chilly powder and add to it.
• Mix well and slow down the flame and stir well till the water dries up completely.
• Remove from fire.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Rice.

Moru (Sambharam) / Buttermilk

Moru or sambharam is a popular refresher drink in kerala. It is a good energiser drink during summer.
we can also use the Moru (sambharam) as a curry with rice.

INGREDIENTS:

• Curd - 1 cup
• Water - ½ Cup
• Green Chilly - 1 or 2 nos
• Ginger - small piece
• Curry leaves  - stem
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Beat Curd with water in a mixer and remove the butter from it.
• Crush ginger and green chilly and add to buttermilk.
• Add salt and curry leaves and mix well.

Recommended Combination: Serve with Rice, pickle or chammanthi or with any dish.