Pineapple Pachadi

Pachadi is another traditional Kerala dish made using a fruit or vegetable by grinding together coconut and mustard seeds and finally simmering everything in curd. Pachadi is part of almost every Onam Sadhya.


What you need for Pineapple Pachadi:

• Ripe Pineapple – 1 cup peeled and cubed
• Turmeric powder– 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilly Powder – 1/2 tbsp
• Curd/Yogurt – 1/2 cup
• Grated Coconut – 1 cup
• Green Chillies – 2 small ones
• Cumin seeds– 1/2 tbsp
• Shallots –  2 
• Ginger pieces – 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds – 1 tbsp
• Dry Red Chillies – 4
• Curry Leaves – few
• Salt  to taste
• Sugar  to taste (optional)

The Preparation method:

Boil the pineapple pieces in enough water along with salt, turmeric and Red Chilly Powder until soft.

Grind coconut with ginger,green chilli,shallot, cumin, and mustard.

Blend yogurt with little water and salt and keep aside.

Once the pineapples are cooked, add the ground coconut paste 

Keep cooking on medium flame for another 8-10 minutes till it becomes thick.

Reduce heat and add the yogurt. Mix everything and heat for a few minutes. Add sugar if you want more sweetness. Remove from stove top.

Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds and saute dry red chillies and curry leaves for a few minutes.

Pour seasoning over the Pineapple Pachadi.

Tasty Pineapple pachadi is ready to be served with rice.

Madurai Kari Dosa

Madurai is sometimes called Thoonga Nagaram (the city that never sleeps) because it has the appearance of operating twenty four hours a day.Unusually for India, a large number of the city's food outlets remain open well past midnight. One of the most popular restaurant in Madurai is Simmakkal Konar Kadai, which serves the best mutton dosa in town. The combination of the fermented rice and lentil batter, egg, chilli mutton and coconut chutney will definitely win any non-veg lover's heart. We have made our Kari( variation of curry) dosa from chicken rather than mutton. This a 2 step process. First , we prepare a thick chicken curry and then top it on the dosa.


What you need to prepare Chicken Curry :

• Chicken - 1/4 kg finely minced
• Onion - 2 chopped fine
• Tomato - 1 chopped fine
• Green Chilli - 1 slit
• Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 
• Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Cashew - 5-6 pieces
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• Garam Masala powder - 1 tbsp
• Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
• Pepper Powder - 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves - few leaves
• Coriander leaves - few leaves
• Salt to taste

The preparation method for Chicken Curry:

• Make a fine paste of coconut and cashew in blender by adding little water and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed vessel and add the chopped onions and curry leaves. Saute till the onions turns golden brown. You can add salt at this stage to quicken the process.
• Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes off. 
• Add the chopped tomato and mix well. Keep stirring till all the individual pieces of onion and tomato are mashed.
• Add all the powders and mix well.Ensure the powders don't get burned.
• Now add the chicken pieces and cook till the chicken is almost done.
• Pour the coconut- cashew paste to this. This will thicken the gravy.
• Cook till chicken is well done. Add the coriander leaves on top and keep this aside.

What you need to prepare Kari Dosa :

• Dosa batter - 2 cup
• Egg - 2 beaten well
• Chicken Curry - 1 cup
• Oil for smearing

The preparation method for Kari Dosa:

• Mix the chicken curry and the beaten eggs in a bowl.
• Take a ladle full of  batter and spread on a hot tawa in a thick but small dosa. Smear littleoil on the sides and the top.
• Spread the chicken+egg mix on the top. Cook on one side for a minute on medium flame.
• Flip it over carefully without breaking the dosa. Cook on this side till well done.
• Tasty Chicken Kari Dosa is ready to be served with chutney or chicken gravy.

Sugiyan

Sugiyan is a typical Kerala tea time snack. Its usually available in the local tea shops. Its very simple & easy to make. It is one of nalumanipalaharam - meaning snacks made for 4 'O Clock tea time.


What you need for Sugiyan:

• Green gram - 1 cup
• Jaggery - 5 pieces
• Coconut grated - 1/2 cup
• Cardamom - 4
• Plain flour /Maida -1 cup
• Baking soda - a pinch (optional)
• Salt to taste

The preparation method:

• Pressure cook green gram with enough water.
• Prepare a dry mix of the cooked green gram ,grated jaggery ,cardamom and grated coconut.
• Make a thick batter of plain flour/maida and a pinch of salt by mixing little water and keep aside.
• Make small sized balls of green gram mixture and dip in the maida batter and ensure uniform coating. 
• Deep fry till the coating is golden brown.
• Yummy and tasty Sugiyan is ready to be served with tea.