Kadalapparippu payassam | Channa daal kheer | Kukskitchen

No one likes to get older, but I don't mind as long as I get to cook, serve  and eat (of course) my favourites on my birthday. Any excuse to have something sweet GRIN. This year I made കടലപ്പരിപ്പ് പ്രഥമൻ / channa daal kheer using coconut milk . This uses my mum's recipe and is delicious each time. The crunchy fried coconut cuts add a special touch to the pradhaman.

Cherupayar ularthu | Green gram cooked in spices and coconut | Kukskitchen

Ularthu is a method of cooking seen especially in traditional syrian christian homes. The base can be meat like beef or pork, starchy vegetables like raw plantain or raw jackfruit or pulses like green gram or bengal gram.  Freshly roasted and ground coriander seeds and dried red chilly give an ularthu its special flavour. Garlic is added for some ularthu.

Green gram is a great protein supplement especially if you are trying cut down on your carbs, these jobbies would keep you full for longer.

Find other delicious syrian christian recipes  here.

Spicy Tofu and chick pea curry | Kukskitchen

I am a self-proclaimed carnivore. However, I can confidently cook-up a veggie side dish, but when it comes to vegetarian mains I am not the confidant cook you see at other times. Recently I have made that extra effort to try and innovate on veggie mains as well and like all carnivores I go for a meat-like option. Guilty!!

I like soya chunks, paneer and my current favourite is tofu. It is silky in texture and melts in your mouth. Tofu greedily absorbs all the yumminess you add to your dish enriching its own flavour. My hubby likens it to cooked white of egg. Well, you've got to try to see what you think. Presented is a hearty tofu and chick pea curry. The bite from the chick peas complements the silky tofu very well. Please adjust the spice level to your fiery threshold.

Misal pav - SNC challenge | Kukskitchen

SNC challenge

Divya Pramil of You too can cook Indian Food is the brain behind SNC challenge - recipe exchange where two teams challenge each other with their authentic recipes. The teams get a month’s time to prepare the recipe and post on their spaces. This is the 3rd event of the series and December month's challenge is posted by  Meena from random ramblings  (Northern team) and yours truly ( South team). 

Kadalakkari - featuring chickpea and coconut l Kukskitchen

Fancy a quick chana curry to accompany ur puttu or batura or even a lazy-FZ porotta-evening? Here is the perfect recipe for u. It is quick and easy and uses store-cupboard-ingredients. 

Ingredients

1 - Chana / Kadala /chick pea - cooked - 200g 

2 - Coconut grated - 1/2 cup or less according to ur taste

     Meat or chicken masala - 2 tsp

     Salt to taste

3 - Curry leaves - only if u have them in stock

4 - Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

5 - Oil - 2 tbsp

6 - Coconut milk powder - 2 tsp

     Hot water - 3 tbsp

Method

- Grind (2) with 2 tbsp of cooked chana and enough water to a smooth paste.

- If using dried chana, cook pre-soaked chana in enough water and salt in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes after first whistle.

- Heat a oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and wait till they splutter. 

- Add curry leaves (if u have them).

- Add the ground paste and saute for a few minutes.

- Now add cooked chana and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes. 

- Mix coconut milk powder in hot water till no lumps and add this to the curry.

- Let it simmer for another 3-4 minutes.

- Your curry is ready to serve.