Mambazha Pulissery ( മാമ്പഴ പുളിശ്ശേരി )

Its an easy to prepare kerala traditional curry. In kerala we prepare this with chandrakkaran mambazham during mango season. its unique fragrance and flavor gives curry a heavenly taste. If this is not available use Alphonso or any other available small size nadan mangoes. Its indeed a nostalgic dish for many keralites. please add pepper powder since in many new generation recipes its absent but when i search in authentic traditional recipes its there. I asked with many cooking experts too. They have also suggested to include pepper powder which definitely adds a different flavor for the curry 

Chandrakkaran or nadan mangoes   3 Riped
 Sliced Green chillies                       4
Turmeric Powder                             1 Tsp
Chilly powder                                  1 Tsp
Black pepper powder                       1/2 Tsp
Jaggery (optional)                            Goosberry size
Salt                                                    as required
Curry leaves
Water                                              1 cup
Yogurt                                            1 1/2 cup
For grinding:
Coconut Big (grated)                      1/2
cumin seeds Jeera                          2 pinches
Turmeric powder                            1 Tsp
Water                                               As required

For Tempering :
coconut oil                                     3 Tbsp
Fenugreek                                      1/2 Tsp
Mastard seeds                                3 Tsp
Whole red chilly                             4
Curry leaves                                    3-4 sprigs

Preparation:

1)  Grind together grated coconut, turmeric powder and jeera to thick creamy paste adding required water. keep it aside.

2)  Blend yogurt in a mixing bowl to a smooth texture and keep it aside.

3) peel of the skin of mangoes and cut into pieces if required or else you can put as it is if its of small size. In a traditional clay chatti mix together mangoes, chilly powder, green chillies, turmeric powder, pepper powder, salt and add required water too. Cover with a lid and cook on a medium or low flame. until mangoes become soft. Add the coconut paste and combine well. Please switch off the stove after five minuets.
Add blended yogurt too and mix well.
Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and fenugreek let it splutter and then add red chilly and curry leaves. Pour this to the curry on top and mix well. Relish it with brown rice.

KERALA PAL PAYASAM (MILK KHEER )

With this post, am starting a new series NALA PACHAKAM. I have many male friends who are very good at cooking. Hence I thought of  accommodating their contribution as well in my blog. This special payasam recipe is from my friend Madhu. He has shared a few tips as well for making the payasam more delicious. Since i was so keen to share traditional tips, with so much patience he had shared  the same. Thank you so much Madhu for sharing this wonderful recfipe.
I prepared this as Naivedyam since palpayasam is a favorite prasadam for lord krishna and Naga devatas.

Ingredients 

Unakkalari  - 1 cup

Milk            -  3 Litre

Sugar          -   1 cup or 1 1/4  cup(Depending on your taste)

Kadali pazham (small plantain kerala) - 2 No,s

Tulsi leaves   - 1 Kizhi (bundle)

 

Preparation 

Thoroughly wash the rice, drain and keep it aside. In a heavy bottomed pan, (back in kerala we use brass uruli)  pour the milk and bring it to boil on a low flame. Add the rice in the boiling milk and let it cook on a low flame again, continuously stirring with a spatula, will take time more than one hour. we have to be patient. At this time take a handful of fresh tulsi leaves and place it in a small tidy cotton cloth and make a bundle in malayalam we call kizhi . and put the same in boiling payasam so that the essence and flavor of the leaves will get absorbed into the payasam giving a divine taste. once the rice is cooked well, sugar can be added. Never before because there is always a tendency to harden the rice if we add sugar before its cooked properly, Its time to remove the vessel from the stove when it gets a pale pink colour . and check the constituency as well,

Take two kadali pazham peel it and  cut in to small pieces and grind smoothly in a grinder along with a tablespoon of sugar. Add this paste in the payasam and stir well. This adds a unique taste to the palpayasam especially if we are  preparing it for Naivedyam. Remove the kizhi from the payasam after squeezing it.

Keralites will always have the tendency to compare  the taste with the tastee from prasadams we get from ambalapuzha and Guruvayoor  which is heavenly by all means.

Unakkalari 

If we strictly follow the customs and traditions, we are not supposed to prepare prasadam or neivedyam with white raw rice since its used exclusively for shradham related rituals. Madhu shared this traditional tip and I personally agree with it/. I also stopped using white rice and instead i am using unakkalari which i am bringing it from kerala. In UAE i dont think its available but as a substitute we can use Srilankan Red rice which is available in flour mills here. we will get almost the taste of unakkalari. Hope you will notice this tip next time when you prepare neivedyam.

                                                                  Unakkalari Picture

Also in the final stage we are adding kadalipazham smooth paste for a Unique taste
Kadali pazham is the real king in fruits with immense health benefits, No wonder why its being offered to our deities.

Puli Inji

Ingredients Needed                                                   

 
Ginger(Chopped and crushed) 200 gm
Tamarind   lemon size 
Green Chillies  2-3
Chilli powder  1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder  1/4 tsp
Asafoetida powder (kayam) a pinch
Fenugreek powder ( uluva podi) a pinch
Salt  to taste.
Jaggery syrup 1-2 Tbsp or depending on your taste

Oil 

Mustard  1 tsp
Dry Red Chillies  4
Curry leaves  a few

Preparation 
 

Peel and cut the ginger into round pieces. Deep fry it till brown and drain on a kitchen towel.  Remaining oil can be used for seasoning.

Let the fried ginger be allowed to cool and crush it  in a mixer grinder. 

Dissolve tamarind pulp in 2cups of  warm water and strain it after 20 Minuits to get the extract free of impurities .

Heat the kadai again. In the remaining oil add mustard seeds. When it splutter, add curry leaves , red dry chilly and chopped green chillies. Then add chilli powder and turmeric and salt ,mix well for 1-2 seconds.

Add crushed ginger and tamarind water to it and bring to boil. Simmer till the gravy thickens and sprinkle asafoetida and fenugreek powder before removing from fire.