Padavalanga Thoran (Snake Gourd)

This is a traditional kerala recipe which is very tasty.This is perfect to be eaten with matta rice and kachiya moru. It takes very less time to be perfectly cooked. Enjoy.

Ingredients

Snake gourd-1
Shallot-12
Coconut1/4 cups
Green chilli-2
Salt to taste
Turmeric-1/2 teaspoons
Cumin Powder- A pinch
Oil-1 tablespoon
Mustard seed-1 teaspoon
Curry leaves

Method

Clean and cut snake gourd and set aside.
Cut shallots into small, slit green chillies.
In a pan add oil add mustard seeds, when it crackles add curry leaves, green chillies, snake gourd, shallots, coconut, turmeric, cumin and salt (you can use 1 medium size onion instead of shallots). Cover and cook, no need to add any water since snake gourd has enough water in it. Once it is cooked and all the water is evaporated, Switch off the flame.
You can use onion instead of shallots

Vazhakka Thoran (Raw plantain)

This used to be a very common thoran dish in my home during my child hood days. When I bought a few vazhakkas last week to make some bajjis, I suddenly realized that its been too long since I've made it here for my family. So here it is, a truly yummy thoran recipe.

Vazhakka thoran

Ingredients

Raw plantain/ vazhakka – 3 – 4
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut – 1/2 cup
Green chilli – 1
Garlic – 2 cloves
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Dry red chillies – 2
Brown rice – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Salt – To taste
Method

Peel the plantains and chop them to small cubes.
Heat oil in a pan.  Splutter the mustard seeds and add the dry red chiliesand brown them.
Stir in the chopped plantain pieces, turmeric powder, chilly powder, curry leaves and salt.  Cover and cook till tender at low heat.
Crush the grated coconut with cumin seeds, garlic and green chilies.  Add it to the cooked raw banana.  Mix well and cook for a few more minutes. Switch off. Serve with rice.

Green Chilly Thoran

I was quite surprised when I came across this recipe and never thought that it would come out well. But contrary to my beliefs, this one became one of the tastiest of all thoran recipes that I've ever made. Try this easy recipe today itself.

Ingredients

Big Green chilly (Bajji chilly)-250 gm.
Onions-2 no.
Coconut -1/2 cup.
Turmericpowder -1/2tsp.
Mustardseeds -1/4 tsp.
Curryleaves - few.
Coconutoil - 2 tbsp.
Salt to taste.

Directions

Heat oil in a pan , splutter Mustard seeds, then add finely chopped onions, Turmeric powder and sauté well.
Add finely chopped green chillies,curry leaves, salt and mix well. Cover it with a lid and cook in a low flame for about 2 - 3 minutes.
Add grated Coconut and mix well till done. ( Low flame ). Chilly Thoran is ready to serve. It is good with steamed rice. Use more Coconut to reduce the hot sensation of the chilly. Serve it in a plate.

Mullangi Poriyal (Radish Thoran curry)

All of us would have made Thorans at home with a lot of different vegetables. But this one is a unique variety of a Thoran popularly called as Mullangi poriyal. I was not very sure about its final taste when I started preparing it. But it came out really. super and tasted awesome with matta rice and sambar.

Ingredients

Radish - 3 cups sliced
Onion - 3/4 cup thinly sliced
Green chilli - 1 slit
Grated coconut -1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 3/4 - 1 tsp
Salt needed
Oil - 2 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves -2 sprig

Method

Heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add thinly sliced onions, green chilli and curry leaves.
Saute until onions turn transparent. Then add radish, sprinkle water, cover and cook on medium flame.
After it is slightly cooked, add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt needed. Cook covered, stirring in between until tender. Do not add too much water (if needed just sprinkle water and cook covered)
Once cooked, add grated coconut, mix well and switch off the flame.
Serve with Rice.

Cabbage and Carrot Thoran

This is the most commonly made of all thorans in my home. It is easy to make and very very tasty. It tastes great when served with warm matta rice and kaachiya moru. I usually make it in bulk hoping to make it last for a few days. But it seldom would. Everyone is sure to ask for more helpings and it would be finished in the wink of an eye. A no fail recipe in my home!!

Ingredients

Cabbage -1 cup, shredded
Carrot - 1 no, grated
Freshly grated coconut- 1/2cup
Onion -1 medium
Green chilles-3 nos
Garlic -3 cloves
Cumin Seeds-1/4tsp
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds - 1/2tsp
Curry Leaves- 2 springs
Oil -1tblsp

Method:

Grind coarsely, coconut, onion, green chilies, garlic, cumin seeds and turmeric powder and salt. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry mustard seeds. Add coarsely ground coconut mixture and curry leaves and fry for one minute. In to this add shredded cabbage and grated carrot. Mix well, cover and cook on low flame for 3 minutes. Open lid and stir well until all the water in it evaporates. Serve hot as a side dish with boiled rice.

Kadachakka Thoran/ Cheema chakka/ Bread fruit

Cheemachakka was one thing that is seldom available in the markets here. So i am very happy when i come across one somewhere. Last day i found one with the grocer and thats how this dish emerged. When properly prepared, a breadfruit is a delicious food. Ot becomes soft like potatoes when it is boiled or steamed.  Here I am preparing a breadfruit with coconut Thoran.

Ingredients

Bread Fruit/ Kada Chakka, finely chopped-1 medium sized
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Green chilli, cut- 2
Salt- to taste
Red chilli powder- 1 teaspoon

To Temper:
Oil- 3 teaspoons
Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dhal/ Ulunnu- 1 teaspoon
Dried red chili, broken-1
Curry leaves- 1 stand

To Grind:
Coconut- 1/2 cup
Garlic- 1 clove
Pearl Onion-2
Cumin seeds- 1/4 teaspoon

Directions

Grind the coconut, garlic, pearl onion and jeera as a coarse paste/ powder without adding any water.
Peel the bread fruit and remove the midrib and chop them in to small pieces and keep inside the water.
In a pan add the chopped bread fruit, cut green chilllies, turmeric, salt and a cup of water. Cover with a lid and cook till it becomes soft to touch. Check the availability of water inside the pan in between if it is getting dry add some more water and cook till soft.
Heat oil in a shallow pan add the mustard seeds and urad dhal. when mustard seeds starts to crackle and the urad dhal strts to become golden colour add the broken dried red chilli and curry leaves and fry for few seconds.
Now add the cooked bread fruit, coconut mixture and red chilli powder and mix well and cook for a minute till the raw smell of garlic leaves and the masala coats well.
Check for salt and add if required.

Muringayila Thoran(Drumstick leaf)

This is a highly nutritious and simple  dish which goes well with matta rice and traditional Kerala moru curry.  A very tasty recipe. Make sure you have sufficient quantity of leaves because once it is cooked, it will be reduced to almost 1/4th of the initial quantity. Enjoy.

Ingredients

Muringayila  : 6 cup (cleaned)
Shallots  : 5-6 (finely, sliced)
Garlic : 2 pods (crushed)
Dry Red Chillies : 2 nos (broken into halves)
Mustard Seeds : 1 tsp
Raw Rice : 1 tsp
Grated Coconut : 1/4 cup
Cumin Seeds : 1/2 tsp
Green Chillies : 2 nos
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Curry Leaves : 1 sprig
Salt to taste
Coconut Oil : 1 tbsp

How to make Cheera Thoran - Spinach Stir Fry  :

1. Wash the muringayila-drumstick leaves well under running water and remove all the impurities from the leaf. Spread it on a paper, let it dry thoroughly, at least half hour before you use, This is done to avoid lumps in your thoran /stir fry.
2. Grind coconut, green chillies, turmeric powder and cumin without water into a coarse paste.
3. Heat the oil in pan and splutter mustard seeds, followed by rice, add sliced shallots, crushed garlic, dry red chillies, curry leaves and saute for a few minutes.
5. Add the cleaned and dried drumstick leaves and mix everything and reduce the fire to medium-low, keep covered for a minute to wilt the drumstick leaves.
6. Add salt and then sprinkle little water into it and cover it with a lid and cook for couple of minutes on low flame.
7. Spread out the drumstick leaves to the side of the pan and make a well in the middle, add the coconut mixture and combine everything together.
8. Uncover the pan and cook on low flame for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally till all the water evaporates, adjust the salt.
9. Stir fry carefully for another couple minutes so that all water evaporates and the drumstick leaves is not soggy.
10. Finally pour 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil over the thoran. Switch off the flame, and keep it at least 5 minutes before serving, so that the thoran absorbs all flavors.