Cheera Thandu Charu curry / Red Spinach or Red swiss chard stem in yogurt curry

Charu curry (curry with a mild gravy), is one of the permanent dish in a mallu household meal, especially when the menu is one including Choru (rice). Usually curd , coconut milk or grated coconut sauce is the base for this kin of curry, to which some cooked vegetable is added and then boiled again. a.k.a moru curry , thengapal curry etc..I have already posted  such recipes some time back; Chomala Cheera ( Red Spinach or the similar one here is Red Swiss chard) is grown in the backyard of the most of the houses in my place . We use the leaves for making stir fries;sometimes both stem and leavesand the stems for making charu curry...This recipe is my mom's favourite , as she says it brings a lot of memories from her hostel days (ie like 4 decades ago) :).Kuthiri choru, a charu curry , and a fish fry..Heaven!!!!!

Ingredients:-

Cheera Thandu ( Red spinach stem , i used red swiss chard's stem) - 8- 10

Green chili slit lengthwise - 3

Plain yogurt/curd - 1 cup

Water - 3-4 tsp( or you can add how much water you want)

Shallots chopped - 2 tsp

Ginger and garlic crushed -  1.5 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chili powder - a pinch

Fenu greek seeds - 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Dried red chiles

Curry Leaves -

Method 

Cut cheera thandu into medium pieces and cook it with green chiles and 1/4 cup water for 8-10 minutes.

Whisk the curd well and add required water to make it in the consistency you want. I like it to be a lil thick , so add only 4 tspns of water for 1 cup of curd.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. when they pop up add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds , dried red chiles and curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds.

Add chopped shallots, ginger and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add turmeric powder, a pinch of red chili powder and cooked cheera thandu.

Now switch off the flame and let it cool for 3-4 minutes. Now add the curd and combine well and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or it is heated through. Do not heat this in a high flame because it will curdle.Make sure to stir it continuously while heating .Add salt to taste and serve warm....

Suja , Neetz and Sree has shared a beautiful award with me..Thank you sweet hearts...I love their blogs, for it has a lot of my fav recipes....

To accept this ward

-Thank the person who gave you this award

-Share 7 things " About myself"

-List 15 friends you like to pass on this award to.

ME,MYSELF

1) A dreamer, who loves to dream, the dreams that has never been dreamt!( is there a word like dreamt? what ever!!!)

2) An ardent traveller!

3) Love to read, oh yeah!

4)Addicted to NCIS, Criminal Minds and CSI's

okie lemme say some honest things about me 

5) Lazy, lazy, lazy

6) Master of Procrastination or You can say "Mistress" of procrastination 

7) Short tempered; I am , I am..Sigh!!!!

I would like to share this award with

Swathi, Shahana, , Prani , Namitha and sunitha , Yummy team, kairali sisters Vineetha, Lissie ,Asha, Shanthi, vineetha, Shabs, Suhiana, nitha, vrinda, 

cheers!!!

Sarah

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Beans Mezhukkupuratti / Sautéed Green beans with Garlic

Green Beans !!! Who can resist those fresh and green vegetable piled up, in almost all the grocery stores. I couldn't since the start of summer. Every time i come back from my grocery shopping , i sure do have one bag of this fresh produce. This is an everyday recipe in most of the households in India and there is no magic going on with the recipe here .Its just boiling , and sauteing.After days of luxurious and rich food, this dish sure does win your heart for its simplicity and unexpected taste, with an optimum flavor of Garlic and a lil heat of green chilies . Sautéed or stir fried, Green beans has become a staple in my kitchen,mainly because its a quick fix for any meal.

Ingredients:- 

Green Beans - 250 gms

Small onion chopped - 1/4 cup

Garlic - 4 cloves

Green chili chopped - 3

Curry leaves

Mustard seeds

Salt to taste

Oil

Method

Wash green beans thoroughly in cold water and cut the edges. Chop it  or cut it diagonally to
1 1/2 inch pieces.
Cook covered , by adding 1 cup water and chopped green chiles, till it is done .
In a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle , crush garlic and small onions.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they pop up add crushed garlic and small onions
and saute for 2 minutes or till the raw smell disappears.
Add cooked green beans to the pan and saute for another 7-8 minutes.
Serve warm!!!

Note:- There are several variations of making beans mezhukkupuratti. Sometimes i add chili powder and turmeric powder and even crushed peppercorns along with this.Use it as to suite your taste buds :)

Cheers!!!

Sarah

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Cumin Rice and Masala Fried Tilapia

There are days when i dont wanna "really cut and chop and cook anything"; but i crave for something home made. Thats when this combo comes to the rescue and trust me its so quick to make without any cutting and chopping, that you dont feel like you really have been in the kitchen. I really did not like the taste of the cumin, but slowly started liking it and adding to my recipes. Its so good that i have no clue why i have developed a sort of aversion to this flavorful spice all this time. Coming to Tilapia ; we  have a freezer full of this fish , all the time , as if some Tilapia banning is gonna come soon ;). no matter its a curry, peera pattichathu , grilled or baked, we love this fish, and try to include this in our meal all the time...Hope y'all will njoy this, as much as we do.Serve this with some pickle

Cumin Rice

Ingredients:-

Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cup 

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Butter - 3 tsp

Bay leaves - 1

Cardamom - 2 (optional)

Salt to taste

Method 

Soak rice for 15 minutes and drain it.

Heat butter in a cooking vessel and add bay leaves, cardamom  and cumin seeds and fry it for 30 seconds to a minute.
but dont let it burn.

Add drained rice and fry it for 2 minutes

Add 3 cups of water( some rice needs 3 1/2 cups) and bring to boil.
Cook it covered till it is done Remove from fire, fluff it with a fork and let it stand covered for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Masala Fried Tilapia

Ingredients

Tilapia - 2

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Chili flakes - 1/2 tsp

Garlic powder or garlic paste - 1/2 tsp( i used powder)

Salt to taste

Oil

Make a paste with all the ingredients , by adding little water.Smear it on the fish, keep it for 15 minutes and shallow fry(flip it after 5-7 minutes), in a non stick pan till it is done.

Cheers
Sarah

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Cherupayar thoran ( Green Gram Stir Fry)

One of my Favourite Side dish with Kanji(rice porridge), this green gram dish is very easy to make and is highly nutritious. This made a regular appearance in my lunch box during school days, and i bet that was the case with many of you.

Ingredients:-

Cherupayar/Green gram/Moong beans - 1 cup

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Garlic - 3-4 cloves
Ginger - a small piece (optional) 

Shallots/Kunjulli - 6 (or use 1/4 cup chopped onions instead)

Green chilies - 2

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Crushed peppercorns - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds

curry leaves

Salt

Method

Soak Cherupayar/Green gram  overnight or at least for 5 hours

In a heavy bottomed vessel ,Cook this with enough water, by adding salt till it is done, 

it will take around 20 minutes.(or cook it in pressure cooker if you want, for 2-3 whistles)

In a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder, crushed garlic and Ginger( if using), green chiles and shallots. 

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.when they pop up add curry leaves and crushed mixture 

Fry it for 3-4 minutes and add cooked cherupayar/green gram and turmeric powder

Add grated coconut ,and saute for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.Add more salt if needed

Sprinkle crushed peppercorns and remove from fire

Serve warm..goes well with kanji!!!!

Cheers!!!

Sarah

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Shrimp curry with Tomato

Hope y'all had wonderful Holidays!!! I am good damn tired with all the travel and fun we had during the past three days with cousins... and definitely missing every moment of it. i don't think my kitchen burner will lit again at least for a couple of days . So this shrimp  curry is from my drafts, which i made couple of weeks back :)..But still looks fresh; isn't it? Quick and tasty , this would be a perfect side dish for a weekday dinner or  weekend meals.

Ingredients:-

• Shrimp/Prawns - 250 gm
• Onion chopped - 2 
• Tomato chopped - 1
• Crushed Garlic  and Ginger - 2 tsp
• Chili powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Crushed Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves
• Salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add curry leaves and chopped onion and saute for 3-4 minutes

Add crushed ginger and garlic and saute for another 6-7 minutes.

Add chopped tomato and fry it till seasoned.

Make a paste with 5,6,7 and 8 adding very little water and add to the pan .

Slide in the shrimp and salt to taste and pour 1 cup water or enough water to cook and cook it covered on a medium flame for 10-12 minutes.

Uncover the lid and let it stand on fire for 2-3 minutes and remove

Serve warm

Cheers!!!!

Sarah

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