SADHYA RECIPES

'Sadhya' is the name of the feast commonly known among Keralites. This feast is prepared at the time of special occasions, whether it be festivals or birthdays, regardless of where we reside. 

AVIAL

This is a dish cooked with various vegetables; a side dish prominent for any special occasion in Kerala and is served with rice.

Ingredients:

1. Carrot
2. Green beans or Snake beans (payyar)
3. Raw banana (ponnan kaaya)
4. Yam (chaena)
5. Asian melon (kumbalanga)
6. Drumstick-
7. Turmeric powder-  1&1/2 tea spoon
8. Green chilly- 3
9. Curd- 1/2 cup
10. Grated coconut- 1 cup
11. Cumin seeds (jeerakam)- 2 tea spoon
12. Coconut oil - to garnish
13. Curry leaf- to garnish
14. Salt- to taste

Preparation:

• Cut all of the vegetables in a finger size shape and put it into the vessel (20cm saucepan or any spacious one)
• Keep on the flame, pour just the sufficient water to cook the vegetables and add turmeric and little salt into it. 
• Meanwhile, grind the grated coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds.
• Once the vegetables are cooked, add rest of the required salt, add the ground coconut mix into this and bring it to boil.
• Then add the curd into it (pulse it in the grinder to break any lumps in the curd) and bring to boil.
• Take off from the flame and garnish with coconut oil and curry leaves.  

Tips

*After making the dish, if you feel you need the dish to be more hot, add some pepper into it.

*Bitter-gourd can also be a part of the vegetables.

OLAN

This is a side dish, very simple but prominent for any special occasion in Kerala and is served with rice.

Ingredients:

1. Asian Melon (kumbalanga)
2. Coconut milk- a cup
3. Green Chilly- 2
4. Salt- to taste
5. Coconut Oil- to garnish
6. Curry leaf- to garnish

Preparation:

• Cut the melon to rectangular pieces and cook it with required salt and water.
• When cooked, add green chillies sliced into half.
• Now pour the coconut milk into this and bring it to boil.
• Take off the flame and garnish with coconut oil and curry leaves. 

KOOTU CURRY

This is again another dish prominent for any special occasion in Kerala and is served with rice. This is a mix of vegetables with coconut gravy and making it different from the other dishes with a pinch of sweetness in it. 

Ingredients:

1. Channa Dal- 3/4 cup
2. Black Channa-  1/2 cup
3. Yam- 1/4 piece (cut in big cube size)
4. Carrot- 1 (cut in cube size)
5. Raw Banana- 1/2 piece (cut in big cube size)
6. Asian Melon- 3/4 piece (cut in big cube size)
7. Coconut- 2 cup (3 tbspns to garnish and the rest to grind)
8. Cumin Seeds- 1 tspn
9. Jaggery- 1 tbspn grated
10. Turmeric Powder- 1 tspn
11. Red Chilly Powder- 2 tspn
12. Mustard seeds, Dry red chilly, Curry leaf- To Garnish
13. Salt- To Taste

Preparation:

• Wash and Soak the black channa in water overnight. 
• Pressure cook the black channa for upto 4 whistles without adding any ingredients to it
• Wash the channa dal and cook it in a deep pan till it is softened. 
• To the cooked channa dal, add all the vegetables (yam, carrot, melon, raw banana) and Cook them with required salt, tumeric powder and chilli powder. 
• Grind coconut and cumin seeds to a fine paste and add to cooked vegetables. 
• Just when the mixture begins to boil, add the jaggery to it. 
• Stir this mixture well such that it becomes a dry gravy. 
• In a hot pan, crack mustard seeds, break the dry red chillies, and add the curry leaves as well.
• To make the dish tastier, add some roasted grated coconut to it. 

POTATO STEW

This is an easy recipe and people who love potatoes looks for a chance to make this. 

Ingredients:

1. Potato- 2 big - cut in cube size
2. Coconut milk (light)- 1 cup
3. Green Chilly- 2-3 - Slit
4. Fresh Ginger - thumb size- finely sliced
5. Salt- to taste
6. Coconut Oil- to garnish
7. Curry leaf- to garnish

Preparation:

• In a sauce pan, cook the potatoes in some water with the required salt. The water shall be used such that it covers the potatoes.
• Once the potatoes are semi-cooked, add the slit green chillies and the finely sliced ginger. 
• When the potatoes are fully cooked such that you can cut through them easily with a knife, then add the coconut milk.  
• Now let this boil for 5 minutes or till you feel the gravy is not watery.
• Take off the flame and garnish with coconut oil and curry leaves. 

more recipes to come . . .