PRAWNS SUKKA

Prawns Sukka” is a popular, coastal seafood delicacy from Mangalore. It is also known as Yetti Ajadina in Tulu. Its an absolute favourite of the people of Mangalore and is usually served with the plain boiled rice or neer dosa.
Ingredients:

• 15 King Prawns (shelled, deveined and cleaned)
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 Tomato, chopped
• 1 inch Ginger, chopped
• 3 Garlic Flakes, crushed
• 2 Green Chili, chopped
• 1 tsp Mustard seed
• Curry Leaves, few springs
• 1 Dry Red Chili
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

For the Dry Paste: 

• 2 tsp Coriander seeds, roasted
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds, roasted
• 6-7 Dry Red Chili, roasted
• 1/4 Mustard seeds, roasted
• a pinch of Fenugreek seeds, roasted
• 1/2 cup Fresh Coconut, grated
• 1 tsp Tamarind paste
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Instructions:

1. Clean the prawns well by removing its head, shell and deveining it. Keep aside.
2. Grind all the ingredients under dry paste, except for the grated coconut and tamarind. Make a fine powder. Now add the rest of the ingredients and grind again until you get a coarse dry coconut paste. Keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a kadai. And when its hot enough add mustard seeds, garlic, dry red chili and curry leaves.
4. Add chopped onions and saute until translucent. Add green chili and ginger, give a stir.
5. Now add chopped tomatoes and let it cook for 5 mins until they become soft.
6. Add cleaned prawns, turmeric and salt to taste. Mix well.
7. Add half cup of water and stir. Close the lid and cook the prawns for another 5 -6 mins in medium flame. Add more water if needed.
8. Once gravy is thick, add the Dry coconut paste and mix gently.
9. Cook for about 2-3 mins. Turn off the gas. The prawns will be well coated with this dry coconut paste now.
10. The hot and spicy Prawns Sukka is ready to be served.
11. You can serve it with some White Rice, Boiled Rice or Neer Dosa. 

AVIYAL

As a Malayalee I have just two important festivals to celebrate with great pomp and ceremony. One is Onam and the other one is Vishu. I have been seeing Vishukkani (the arrangement that we keep before God during Vishu).

Vishu is a Hindu festival primarily celebrated in the Indian state of Kerala, which marks the commencement of the new year. We also mark this auspicious day as the first day of the harvest year. During my childhood, I used to wait for Vishu because all the family members happen to meet. Elderly folks give Vishukaineetam ( the tradition of giving money/ presents) to the children in the house.

A new kerala kasavu (silk cloth) , Lord Guruvayurappan idol (picture), Valkannadi (Mirror) Items arranged in the Uruli (brass vessel)- A bed of rice, grapes, avocado oranges, apples, blackberries. banana, yellow daffodil flowers & betel leaf with money.

The belief of celebrating Vishu is connected to the Demon Ravana.It was said in the ancient mythology that Ravana never allowed Sun God/ Surya Deva to rise straight in the east during his reign. Ravana’s death was on the Vishu Day and it was on this day Sun God/ Surya Deva started to rise from the east. Hindus of Kerala and nearby places celebrate Vishu to commemorate the return of Surya deva. We call such divine anecdotes as “Aithihyam” in Malayalam.

The most important event in Vishu is the Vishukkani, which literally means “the first thing seen on the day of Vishu after waking up”. Above is the Vishukkani kept at my home this year. The arrangement consists of all the auspicious items intended to signify prosperity and happiness. It includes rice, fruits and vegetables, betel leaves, Valkannadi or metal mirror, yellow flowers called Konna, holy texts and  money, all arranged around Lord Guruvayurappan in an ambience lit by nilavilakku or thookkuvilakku (traditional oil lamps) usually in the prayer room of the house. We keep the Vishukkani facing the east direction. Also we keep all the items offered to Lord Guruvayurappan on a brass vessel called Uruli.Beside the Uruli we keep Ashtamangalya Thattu, lamp & a silver vessel with holy water.

The highlight of all the celebrations is of course "food". The vishu sadhya served on banana leaf with more than 20 dishes out 9f which a vital happens to be my  favourite and am going to share the recipe here.

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup of carrots strips
• ½ cup of snake gourd strips
• ½ cup of brinjal strips
• ½ cup of raw banana strips               
• ½ cup of jackfruit seeds, quartered lengthwise
• ½ cup of elephant yam strips
• ½ cup of old cucumber strips
• 6 3" long drumstick pieces
• ½ cup of raw mango strips
• 2 cups of grated coconut
• 1 tsp of powdered jeera (cumin, jeerakam)
• 1 tsp of red chilli powder
• 2-3 green chillies
• ½ tsp of turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp of coconut oil
• A few curry leaves  

Instructions

1. Add all the cut vegetables except mangoes to a large cooking pot (we use the traditional kal chatti or stone pot to make avial at home).
2. Top off with half the turmeric powder, cumin, curry leaves, and chilli powder.
3. Add about ½ to ¾ cup water and mix well.
4. Cook covered on a low flame for about 10-12 mins or until the vegetables are cooked yet hold their shape.
5. Take care not to cook them to a mush, I would suggest checking every 5 mins to confirm this.
6. Meanwhile, grind together - coconut + green chillies + remaining turmeric + some more curry leaves to a coarse paste without adding water.
7. Check that your vegetables are almost cooked.
8. They would have let out a fair amount of water while cooking and this is good.
9. Add the ground coconut mixture on top along with requirement amount of salt and the mango strips.
10. Without mixing, cook covered for another 3-4 mins.
11. Almost done! Mix the coconut mixture in gently and remove from heat.
12. The avial will be a bit watery still but it will dry up as the vegetables absorb it as they sit.
13. Drizzle the coconut oil on top and mix gently.
14. Set aside covered loosely for an hour before serving.
    

TENDER COCONUT JUICE/ ELANEER/BONDA JUICE

We mangaloreans love coconut in all forms, be it in curry or in laddu and even in juice. Yes u heard it right .The coconut flesh or meat makes it special and tasty .

This refreshing summer sip will quench your thirst and please your palate. 
INGREDIENTS 

• Tender coconut water 1ltr
• Tender  coconut flesh  1 cup
• Sugar 1/2 cup

    Prepping

Pierce a hole in the coconut and remove the water in a bowl.Using a spoon or a scooper remove the tender coconut (cream) from the inside of the coconut. 

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• Method
• Take the coconut water ,1/2 cup of  the tender coconut flesh and the sugar, and put it in a Blender
• .Blend till the tender coconut is fully blended in with the coconut water. This hardly takes time.Pour the Tender Coconut Juice in a bowl and add the remaining tender coconut flesh and freeze it for 10 minutes. 
• This juice tastes even better when it’s served cold.Now pour it into a serving and serve chilled.
• NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS 
• Coconut water is a very refreshing drink to beat the torching tropical summer thirst. Its liquid is packed with simple sugars, electrolytes, and minerals to replenish dehydration conditions inside the human body.
• Research studies suggest that cytokinins (e.g., kinetin and trans-zeatin) in coconut water found to have significant anti-ageing, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-thrombotic (anti-clot formation) effects.
• Coconut water is offered to patients with diarrhea in many tropic regions to replace the fluid loss from the gastrointestinal tract and to reduce the need for hospitalisation. The osmolarity of tender coconut water is slightly greater than that of WHO recommended ORS (Oral Rehydration Therapy) solution. The presence of other biological constituents like amino acids, enzymes, minerals, and fatty acids may account for this higher osmolarity. Nonetheless, unlike WHO-ORS, its water is very low in sodium and chlorides, but rich in sugars and amino acids. This well-balanced fluid composition, along with much-needed calories, would be an ideal drink instead of any other kind of soft drink beverages available in the markets to correct dehydration conditions.
• Coconut water is composed of many naturally occurring bioactive enzymes such as acid phosphatase, catalase, dehydrogenase, diastase, peroxidase, RNA-polymerases, etc. In effect, these enzymes help in the digestion and metabolism.
• Despite being very light in consistency, its water proportionately has better composition of minerals like calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, and zinc than some of the fruit juices like oranges. (Compare the mineral composition of oranges).
• Its liquid is also a an excellent source of the B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pyridoxine, and folates. These vitamins are essential in the sense that the human body requires them from external sources to replenish.
• Coconut water carries a good amount of electrolyte potassium. 100 ml of water has 250 mg of potassium and 105 mg of sodium. Together, these electrolytes help replenish electrolyte deficiency in the body due to diarrhea (loose stools).
• Further, fresh coconut water has a small amount of vitamin-C (Ascorbic acid); It provides about 2.4 mg or 4% of RDA. Vitamin-C is a water soluble antioxidant.

MASALA BUTTER MILK

No no, buttermilk isn't rich in butter or fat as it's name suggests. The butter in the name explains how this drink used to be originally made.Buttermilk is the residual liquid after churning butter .

Buttermilk is not only a drunk as it is, can also be used in cooking and marinating chicken.                        

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup of curd 

• 3 cups of water

• 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves

• 5-10 curry leaves

• 1 Lemon leaf

• 1/2 inch ginger

• Salt to taste

• 1 green chilly

     INSTRUCTIONS 

• Add all ingredients to a blender.

• Blend till combined.

• Pour into serving glasses, garnish with fresh cilantro or mint and serve

    HEALTH BENEFITS

• Contains All Essential Macronutrients

• Has A Cooling Effect On The Digestive Tract

• Helps Wash Down Oily Food

• Encourages Digestion And Treats Stomach Ailments

• Effective Against Dehydration

• Provides Calcium Without The Fat

• Rich In Vitamins

• Riboflavin Helps Detoxify The Body

MELON MOCKTAIL

Watermelons are mostly water — about 92 percent — but this refreshing fruit is soaked with nutrients. Each juicy bite has significant levels of vitamins A, B6 and C, lots of lycopene, antioxidants and amino acids. There's even a modest amount of potassium. Plus, this quintessential summer snack is fat-free, very low in sodium and has only 40 calories per cup.

• Servings: 2
• preparation time: 5 min

RECIPE

2 cups of watermelon

200 ml of fanta

5 mint leaves

DIRECTION

In a blender , add 2 cups of watermelon and mint leaves n blend well. Pour into a serving glass till half filled and fill the glass with fanta. Garnish with a mint leaf.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF WATERMELON

• Contains Compounds That May Help Prevent                                                     Cancer
• Improve Heart Health
• Lower Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
• Good for Skin and Hair
• Help Improve Digestion
• Helps You Hydrate

Nutrition facts

Serving size: 2 cups diced (10 oz / 280 g)
Calories: 80 (Calories from Fat 0)

Amount per serving (and %DV*)

*Percent Daily Values (%DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Total Fat: 0g (0%)

Total Carbohydrate: 21g (7%)

Dietary Fiber: 1g (4%)

Sugars: 20g

Cholesterol: 0mg (0%)

Sodium: 0mg (0%)

Potassium: 270mg (8%)

Protein: 1g

Vitamin A: (30%)

Vitamin C: (25%)

Calcium: (2%)

Iron: (4%)

GREEN MANGO CHUTNEY

Raw Mango chutney bursting of flavours is a perfect side dish with rice or rice porridge(kanji).There are a several variations to this simple chutney recipe and this recipe is inspired from south indian cusine .Basically a tangy and spicy popularly prepared during summer which is the mango season in india.

Always use raw and tangy mangoes for more tasty chutney . If the mangoes are not tangy ,add  a piece of tamarind.

INGREDIENTS

1 CUP RAW MANGO

2 GREEN CHILLIES

1/2 INCH GINGER , CHOPPED

1/2 inch GRATED COCUNUT

SALT TO TASTE

2 TABLESPOON OF WATER

DIRECTIONS

Wash raw mango , cut into small chunks and discard its seed.

Add mango pieces, green chillies, ginger , grated coconut , salt and water in a grinder jar. Grind them into coarse paste.

Serve it as a accompaniment with rice or rice kanji.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE

• Helps reduce weight
• Relieve from acidity
• Puts an end to morning sickness
• Good for liver