Peppertrail

Suresh & Monica: I have pav bhaji question. I tasted pav bhaji for the first time in the U.S. Yes, I moved here before pav bhaji reached the south. I wonder if it has really reached Kerala yet I love the bhaji part. My question is why is such a tasty vegetable dish served on ---bread? Was the original pav something else? something like homemade chapathi type perhaps?

I admit I don't know what it is . But I love the serving dish. Wide rim to place lemon slices, tomato flowers and onions. Does it have a heating element underneath to keep the dish warm? Is this something new?

Gingerly: Glad you enjoyed it. But the French won't appreciate the name change

Monica: Do you use whole urad, rajma and gram dal (chana dal? in your dal makni? Ammini

Shallots and tamarind soup Lots of chopped shallots and chopped green chilies (according to taste) sauteed until shallots are lightly browned. Cook in tamarind water seasoned with turmeric and salt. And for seasoning mustard seeds, red chili pepper and curry leaves pan fried in a little oil. Serve with deep fried pappdams.

CharityCase & Milagai: The recipe for aviyal is on my web site at http://www.peppertrail.com/php/displayCont...&parent_link=10 It is also on this thread - Non Indian vegetable- their use in indian kitchens, Lot of curiosity of their kinds But please reduce the quantity of coconut oil to 1/3 cup from 1/2 cup. It was a typo I missed correcting. Monica is it possible to correct it?

It is snowing in New York too. Which always make me want to cook something spicy hot. No desserts. Just finished making okra sambar and some aviyal and tomato chutney to go with it. Waiting for the rice to be done - just plain rice. I need that with my sambar.

Great pictures, wonderful descriptions. You are making me homesick! Ammini

Welcome back Monica. Really missed reading your posts. Glad to hear that you had a great time in India. Look forward to reading all about it. Ammini

CharityCase: Here are the recipes for bitter melon theeyal and cabbage thoran. In the theeyal recipe bitter melon may be substituted with tapioca, eggplant or onions. Bitter Melon (Paavakka) Theeyal As the name suggests, bitter melons have a strong bitter taste. To mellow this taste, first cook the pieces with salt and turmeric for five minutes and drain. It will lose some of the bitterness. 5 or 6 medium sized bitter gourd (or Chinese bitter melon) ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder Salt to taste 2 tablespoons of vegetable, corn or canola oil 1 cup of freshly grated coconut or 3/4th of a cup of dried unsweetened coconut flakes 1tablespoon coriander seeds 4 dry red chili peppers (reduce for milder taste) 1 cup of thinly sliced shallots or onions Juice from a small lime-sized piece of tamarind Or 1-teaspoon tamarind paste mixed with a cup of water For seasoning and garnish: 1tablespoon vegetable, corn or canola oil 1 teaspoon mustard seeds A few springs of curry leaves 1 red pepper, halved Wash and cut the bitter melons into thin rounds. Boil them with salt and turmeric for five minutes and drain. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat and fry the grated coconut flakes till they start turning golden brown. Add the coriander seeds and red chili pepper to the fried coconut and stir well. Fry for another two to three minutes till the coriander seeds are well toasted. Remove from the stove and let it cool. Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a small skillet and pan-fry the shallots/onions till they are slightly browned. Grind the spices, toasted coconut and shallots/onions with just enough water to make a very smooth thick paste. Heat ½ a tablespoon of oil in a heavy bottomed pot and saute the cooked bitter melon pieces for three to four minutes. Add the ground spice and coconut masala, salt and a cup of water and stir gently. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for six to eight minutes. Add tamarind and cook for another five minutes. Heat the remaining oil and add the mustard seeds to it. When they start spluttering, add the curry leaves and red pepper. Pour over the cooked curry. This curry will have fairly thick gravy. Serve with plain, boiled rice. Cabbage Thoran 1 small green cabbage 4 fresh green chilies (Thai or serrano) Salt to taste ½ teaspoon turmeric 2 tablespoons vegetable, corn, or canola oil 1 teaspoon each urad dal and channa dal rinsed and drained 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1 hot red chili pepper, halved A few curry leaves ¾ cup freshly grated coconut Cut cabbage in half and cut out the thick core in the middle. Cut the leaves into chiffonade, as you would for coleslaw. A food processor will do this job very well. Place shredded cabbage in a colander wash under running water, and drain. Cut green chilies into thin strips and combine them with cabbage. Sprinkle salt and the turmeric over the shredded cabbage and mix well. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet and add the dals and mustard seeds. When the dals start turning golden brown and mustard start spluttering, add red pepper, curry leaves, and cabbage. Mix well and reduce the heat to low. Sprinkle a tablespoon of water over the cabbage and cover the skillet. Remove the cover after 2 minutes and stir gently. Sauté cabbage for 5 to 8 minutes stirring occasionally. When the cabbage is well cooked, sprinkle grated coconut on top and stir gently. Serve with rice and curries.

Episure: Why only pm? I ( and i'm sure a lot of others) would be interested too. Ammini

Hello Suman & CharityCase Sorry, I couldn't reply sooner. I did not have access to the internet for the past two weeks. Recipes for pachadi with ripe mangoes and thoran with green beans are at the following links. I will post a recipe for Theeyal soon. Ammini http://www.peppertrail.com/php/displayCont...&parent_link=10 http://www.peppertrail.com/php/displayCont...&parent_link=10

Thanks Bong. Ammini

Ravum: Where did you buy this booK? I searched Amazon, South Asia Books and Vedams Books. None of them have it. Ammini

What an interesting recipe. Thanks Milagai. I have never tried sprouting fenugreek seeds. Ammini

When you use a mortar and pestle the grind would be coarse, and in certain dishes that have smooth texture, the appearance may not be perfect, but the taste, I guess, shouldn't make a big difference. As bague 25, wrote, I also use coffee grinders for powdering toasted spices. For small quantities it works great. Ammini

Saborosa: Here is some more information on restaurants in Cochin. http://www.rediff.com/travel/1998/aug/20coceat.htm http://www.rediff.com/travel/1996/cofood.htm Ammini

Since there are so many good Indian grocers in New York, I don't place orders for spices online. Recently I found a site that lists both on line and regional Indian stores. Thought may be someone might find this useful. http://www.cuisinecuisine.com/IndianGrocer....htm#NEW%20YORK

Saborosa: Welcome to my home state Kerala. I hope you enjoy your stay at Kochi. Hotel Taj Residency has a couple of nice restaurants. One of them serves traditional Kerala fare. Hotel La Meridian has a good seafood restaurant. If you have time, please do go on a boat trip. It is simply fabulous. In Tamil Nadu if you are in Madras (Chennai), try Dakshin - it serves traditional food from all four south Indian states. If you have time check out Grand Sweets - for authentic Tami Nadu sweets and snacks. I believe it is in Adayar. Ammini

Suman: This recipe for butternut squash also works well for pumpkin soup. Ammini Butter nut squash soup 2 cups - butter nut Squash cut into cubes 1/4 cup diced carrot 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ teaspoon nutmeg ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander ½ cup cream Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds In a baking dish spread butter nut squash and carrot pieces and coat them with a tablespoon of olive oil. Bake at 400 degree F. for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven let it cool to room temperature. Grind it into a smooth puree. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add the coriander powder, cinnamon and nutmeg and sauté for a minute or so. Stir in the squash/carrot puree along with salt and 2 cup of water or stock, stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for several minutes to let the flavors meld, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the stove and let it cool down. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Just before serving return the soup to the pan and reheat gently. Add the cream and let it simmer for a minute or so. Ladle into a soup bowl and garnish with black pepper and a scattering of pumpkin seeds.

Suzanne: I haven't tried idli at Devi. That sounds interesting. Ammini

Here is a recipe for pumpkins Kerala style- Of course with lots of coconut. Ammini Pumpkin-Erissery: 4 cups - pumpkin cut into cubes ½ teaspoon turmeric 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (reduce for milder taste) Salt to taste 1-½ cups of freshly grated coconut 1-teaspoon cumin seeds For seasoning and garnish: 3 tablespoons vegetable, corn, or canola oil ½ cup freshly grated coconut 1-teaspoon black mustard seeds 1 hot red chili pepper, halved A few curry leaves (if available) Cook pumpkin cubes with enough water along with turmeric powder, cayenne powder and salt. In a blender, grind 1½ cups of the coconut with the cumin seeds and just enough water to a smooth puree. Add this to the cooked pumpkin cubes. Stir gently to combine all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes and remove from the stove. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil, add the mustard seeds, the red pepper, and the curry leaves. When the mustard seeds start spluttering, remove the pan from the stove and pour the mixture over the cooked vegetables. Sauté the remaining coconut flakes in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until golden brown. Add the sautéed coconut to the cooked curry and stir gently.

Idli is always steamed in south India. I doubt if the batter is good for baking. However, paniyaram is a pan fried dish which uses a batter very similar to idli batter along with fresh green chilies, curry leaves, onion and other spices. Egg poachers work just fine for idlis. Ammini

I was amazed when I discovered that almonds are a good substitute for fresh coconut in coconut chutney. I admit it’s not authentic; however, the taste is incredibly similar. For making the chutney with almonds, grind a cup of almonds with 6 to 8 dried red chili peppers (more if you want to make it hotter) 1/4 cup of curry leaves and salt to taste. In a skillet, heat the oil and add mustard seeds and urad dal. When the dal changes color to a golden brown and the mustard seeds start spluttering, add curry leaves and dried red chili pepper for the seasoning. Add the ground almond paste to this and stir well. Serve a room temperature. This chutney stays fresh in the refrigerator for four to five days. Ammini

Welcome back Monica! Back in Kerala almonds were rare (at least when I was there). We preferred cahsews and raisins for garnishing sweets. I have tasted them is in badaam gheer and badaam halva, mostly served at restaurants along the Kerala Tamil Nadu border. In my American kitchen I use almonds to make spicy chutney. Yes, when left to a south Indian even almonds end up in hot chutneys. Ammini