Vazhakka Pulissery/Moru Curry(Raw plantain in Yogurt gravy)

Growing up, there were only a few handful dishes I knew to make...and I were only good at those ones...unlike my sis, who was ready to take risks and tried (and always succeeded) new recipes and dishes...jotting down recipes from every cookery shows we watched together...this pulissery is something I were good at making.....time after time...something I used to be very proud of in those days :)

This curry is something we make in our place at least once a week...like daal curry...very simple one, if you have enough yogurt and coconut handy, which is always found in our fridge....has got good shelf life too

You'll need:

Raw plantain: 2 no:s (peeled and diced into small pieces)
Yogurt: 1 cup
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp

For grinding:

Green chilli: 2-3 nos
Jeera: 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut: 1/2 cup

For tempering:
Oil: 2tsps
Mustard seed: 1/2 tsp
Dry red chili: 2-3 nos
Asafetida: a pinch
Curry leaves: a few sprigs

How to make:
Cook the plantain pieces with turmeric powder, salt and 1/2 cup water in a pressure cooker.
Grind the ingredients mentioned above into a very fine paste, adding just enough water.
Now this is a very important tip to prevent the pulissery from curdling...Cook the ground paste on low flame for about 3-4 min, stirring it in between. Now add the cooked plantain pieces to it.
Beat the yogurt well with a spoon or give it a stir in the blender for a min to make it thin.
Add the beaten curd to the already cooking mixture and let it boil on medium-low flame.
For tempering, add 2 tsps of oil in a pan and let the mustard seeds splutter.
Add red chillies, curry leaves and at last add a pinch of asafetida.
Yummy pulissery is ready...a sour curry to go with rice and subzi(vegetable)

Note: You can use any kind of vegetable you like instead of raw plantain. Winter melon is the best alternative if you are planning to keep this for a couple of days in the fridge.Plantain gets hard on day two, where as winter melon stays soft. Can use cucumber too...

There is another sweet n sour version of this called Mampazha pulissery which uses ripe mangoes...which is the ultimate pulisseri on earth...that too the one my grandma makes with the farm fresh mangoes from her backyard....finger licking good :)

Chinese fried rice...a quick one

i do bulk cooking at times...cook around 4-5 servings and reserve it in the refrigerator...fried rice is one of the things i cook in bulk....easy to make and stays fresh too...you can serve it with different side dishes each time....a variety from the plain old white rice..

i like fried rice with papad (rice cracker), lemon pickle and plain raitha....simple and delicious :)

You'll need:     

Basmati rice: 2 cups (soaked in water for 2 hrs)

veggies:: 2 cups ( mainly green beans, carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers,green peas), nicely chopped

scallions(spring onion): 4 nos ( nicely chopped)

clove: 2-3 nos

cinnamon sticks: 2 nos

cardamom: 2- 3nos

bay leaf: 2-3 nos

salt n oil: as per required
soy sauce: as per required (optional)
Worcestershire sauce: as per required (optional)

How to make:

Drain the soaked rice and set aside.
Heat a few tbsps of oil  in a deep skillet.Add cloves,cardamom, cinnamon sticks and let it splutter.
Then add the bay leaves and drained rice.Fry it all together for 2-3 min.
Add enough water(for 2 cups rice around  3 cups of water) and salt.
Pop the lid on and cook on medium high, stirring in between , until the rice gets cooked.
Transfer the rice into a bowl and set aside.
In the same skillet add a few tbsps of oil and add ginger garlic paste and scallions.(Reserve a handful for garnish)
Add the veggies one by one, adding first the ones that require more cooking time.
Stir fry until the veggies get cooked. ( Don't overcook the veggies, it should be still slightly crisp,retaining its fresh color which really adds glory to the final product)
Pour  a couple of dashes of  soy sauce and worcestershire sauce and toss them all together..
Add the cooked rice and mix everything together and garnish with chopped scallions.

tada...you have your fried rice.....enjoy ur meal :)

P.S: If you substitute water with chicken or vegetable stock for cooking the rice, it will give the rice an added flavor.

a twist in the tale....I add scrambled egg to it and present it as egg fried rice the next day.....or add fried tofu chunks for a different version of it :)