KOLLU KALATHU PODI

Kollu  (Tamil) means horsegram.  It is also known as Muthira in Malayalam, Kulith or Kulthi in Hindi.  This can be used as sprouts, or as it is after soaking in water overnight.  We can make rasam, thogayal, puzhukku,  etc. out of it.

It is good for health.  In South India various dals are mixed, powdered with red chilli and pepper.  This powder is put in plain rice with little seasame oil and consumed a morsel or two my mother used to give us.  Afterwards, we used to have our regular food.  This is quite tasty.  I have posted :  horse-gram-curry-muthira-curry-kulith.html,  rasam, sharbat.

This morning I was talking to my mother aunty, Mrs. Chembagam, she always encourage me to post various old recipes and also used to share with me, she reminded me about the kollu kalathu podi.  Though my mother used to make this, I forgot about it and my aunty happily shared the recipe. 

Horsegram is or kulith or muthira it is called, is  rich in B-complex vitamins,  proteine and  highly nutritious.  

It is  commonly prescribed in ayurvedic medicine for conditions like difficult breathing, cough, gastric problems, ulcers, worm infections and excessive perspiration. Some alternative medicine experts even consider horse gram as a good remedy to control joints pain. It can be also used as a natural health tonic.    It tones up the digestive system and prevents acidity and flatulence.  

People suffering from spleen enlargement, colic and weak liver can also benefit from this plants medicinal properties. People with kidney stones, hypertension, gall stones also benefit from its intake.  

Similarly, I prepared  Flaxseed kalathu podi today.

Let us look at the recipe now:

BREAD FRUIT VARUVAL

Breadfruit is one of the highest-yielding food plants, with a single tree producing up to 200 or more grapefruit-sized fruits per season. It requires very limited care.

Breadfruit can be eaten once cooked, or can be further processed into a variety of other foods. A common product is a mixture of cooked or fermented breadfruit mash mixed with coconut milk and baked in banana leaves. Whole fruits can be cooked in an open fire, then cored and filled with other foods, such as coconut milk, sugar and butter, cooked meats, or other fruits. The filled fruit can be cooked further so the flavor of the filling permeates the flesh of the breadfruit.

In South, it is used to make sambar, molagootal, thoran, and bhajia / fritters etc.  Recent visit to Kerala made to to try the varuval which was suggested by my friend's wife.  She never used to eat this vegetable but fried one she likes hence I tried to make this varuval.  She and her children liked it very much and it was finished as soon as we fried the same.  

Let us look at the recipe now:

BANANA CHIPS, KAYA VARUTHATHU

Banana chips is famous in Kerala.  This is made with the Nendrankaya a different variety of banana which can be used for making chips as well as ripe fruit.  Pazham pori is made with this ripe banana and pazham nurukku which is must for ONAM sadya. sarkara varatti upperi is also made with this banana.

My mother in law never used to eat this chips store bought one  as she had tooth problems and finds it difficult to eat.  But when I started making it at home, she really used to enjoy it as I make very thin chips which can be broken with your hands and eat it.  She used to keep it in her mouth for some time and then swallow.  

Whenever I get chance to buy the banana, I used to make the chips specially for her.  I have posted the same in the simleindianrecipes.com with the video the link is here:  Plantain chips.

As I was trying to post the Bread fruit varuval, I realised that I have not posted the Banana chips in the blog hence before I posted the above, I thought I will post the Banana chips first.  The real taste of the banana is if you make it in coconut oil.  If you are not comfortable with it, you can use any kind of refined oil.

Let us look at the recipe now:

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UueSwEmteuI

RAVA UTTAPPAM

Uttappams are made normally with the dosa batter in our  house.  I used to grind the batter for Idli and keep it for only 3 days.  First day, Idli, Second day Dosa or Uttappam, third day if batter remains, add bit of rava, maida etc. and again make dosa out of it.  Normally I do not grind much and keep in fridge.  Whenever it is required, depending upon the need, I used to grind.

We make onion uttappam, masala uttappam, withe vegetables etc.  Since I was not having the batter with me and my son wanted to have uttappam, I made it with rava and it was awesome with chutney.

It is very easy to make as we have the required ingredients at home always.  If not everything, the basic needed items viz. tomato, onion etc. are always available at home.

Let us look at the recipe now:

TAVA DAL ROTI

I had left over chapati and dal of the previous day in the fridge.  Since the dal was very tasty, I did not feel like wasting it by simply throwing it in the dustbin.  Further, I was very lazy to  make food on that particular day, I decided to make use of this left over dal and roti.

Used very simple items which are available at home and very easily could make it.  You have to serve this very hot I mean tava to the plate to relish this.  Things are not wasted at the same time getting a new recipe and dish for you which is very healthy too.

Let us look at the recipe now:

CURRY LEAVES POWDER

Curry leaves have got several medicinal properties and helps in curing stomach related ailments, grow hair etc.  I have posted few curry leaves recipes and the links are here:


I have already posted curry patta idli,  curry patta idli fry, curry patta rice,  curry leaves kuzhambu, curry leaves kuzhambu rice,  curry patta gun powder,  curry leaves mor kuzhambu,   curry leaves adai,  curry leaves dhokla etc. 

I am very fond of this powder along with hot rice and ghee or gingelly oil.  My mom used to make this for us and one urula (morsel) of rice is compulsory to have it with ghee or gingelly oil before the normal food we eat.

Today is MOM's day and I dedicate this to my mother.  The dish was forgotten for some time and  my sister in law reminded me about this as I was having some stomach related issues.

Now let us look at the recipe now:

CHANA DAL CHUTNEY

We make varieties of chutney for idli, dosa.  This chutney is dedicated to my friend's periyamma who used to make it along with phulka.  The hot phulkas made in coal is very delicious along with this chutney.  I cherish the memory of this dish even now though it has been more than 40 years have been passed.

In fact I learned to make chapati from her at the age of 12.  She always used to invite me to have this dish whenever she makes it, normally once in a week, as after learning to make chapati, I used to help her out to prepare the same as she was very old.

Now let us look at the recipe now:

CURRY LEAVES ADAI

Curry leaves are good for health.  It cures the stomach related issues, good for hair growth etc.  I always add the curry leaves while grinding so that it does not go waste as we tend to remove and throw the same while eating.

Yesterday, I was thinking of making adai.  But after eating the same, the stomach is very full and I used to get gas problems because of the chana and tuvar dal.  So I thought of incorporating few curry leaves in it and making the adai. Although we use curry leaves while making adai, we use less quantity.  

This adai was awesome with white butter and jaggery and with the besan ghattee ki achar recently I made.

I have already posted curry patta idli,  curry patta idli fry, curry patta rice,  curry leaves kuzhambu, curry leaves kuzhambu rice,  curry patta gun powder,  curry leaves mor kuzhambu,   curry leaves dhokla etc. 

Now let us look at the recipe now:

other curry leaves recipes:  

MANGO SEED SUBZI

Mango seed has got medicinal values.  The dried mango seed can be rubbed in the chandan paste making stone and can be consumed for stomach related issues.

In the olden days, my mother used to say Manga puliku mara puli means for making the mango subzi, we have to put the tamarind also.

I got to taste the subzi from my neighbor who is a Jain Marwadi.  She makes various items which are quite new to me and is a source for new recipes.   Though  I am aware that the mango seeds are edible and have got medicinal values, never ventured to try the same.  However, recently I came across one T V show in which the dried mango seeds are used for making pickle.

Hence I tried to sun dry some mango seeds and kept.  When the neighbor gave me the dish, I was so excited to taste it and liked.   Now I am making a subzi out of this and sharing with you.

Let us look at the recipe now:

LAVALOLIKKA / LOLOLIKKA /LOOBIKKA PICKLE

Recently I had been to Kerala and visited one of my family friends house.  My friend's wife took me to her house at Paravoor.  I was greeted with this lovely fruit in front of her house.  Could not believe that the tree was full of this red, greenish berries similar to cherries.

When I checked with her what this fruit is, she said it is known as loobikka or lololikka in Kerala and normally they make pickle out of it.

I tried to eat one fruit to know the taste of it.  It was very sour and I could not eat it, but I decided to collect the same and make pickle out of  it.  Any sour item I find will go for pickle first and then I explore the possibility of making other items.  We can make jams also out of this.  I felt we can make syrup with it like we make kokum sharbat.  Since I did not have much time to explore all these at Kerala, I had to satisfy t myself with making only pickle out of this and collected few berries.  It is also known as scram berry.

this fruit is commonly known as lovi-lovi or batoko plum, a flowering plant native to the Phillipines  is also found in Asia and Africa.  It is very common in South India especially in Kerala and known as loika or lavalolikka.

The fruits are produced in bunches and resemble cherries. The fruit is round and shiny, turning from light green to a deep red colour upon ripening. Each fruit measures 1 to 3 centimeter in diameter. The flesh is crunchy but sour and acidic in taste. The fruits are edible but generally not eaten fresh but made as jams, preserves, and syrups. 

I tried to find out names in other languages but could not succeed.  If anyone knows the name can please update me.  The English name is  Flacourtia inermis.  After a day long search I found the names:  

Flacourtia jangomas  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flacourtia_jangomas

• Bengali  : bNaichee
• Assamese : poniol
• English : coffee plum, Indian cherry, Indian plum, rukam, runeala plum
• Hindi : talispatri
• Thai : takhob
• Sanskrit : sruvavrksha, vikankatah
• Malayalam : lubica, lovlolica, (ശീമനെല്ലിക്ക)

Now let us look at the recipe now: