Karunaikizhangu Masiyal/Mashed Yam Curry

Masiyal/Mashed Yam Curry

Karunaikizhangu Masiyal is a Chettinad special side dish, which is very popular among Nagarathars. It often used to find it's place in our lunch boxes, along with curd rice, when I was young.

 

Karunaikizhangu is referred to as Elaphant foot Yam. It's said to have anti-oxidant properties and Vitamin C. It can also regulate bowel movements and prevent constipation. It's often used to treat Piles.

However, for some people, it can cause a kind of itchiness in the tongue. Generally to avoid this, it’s cooked with sour taste, either tamarind or lemon

Method:

Yam/Karunaikizhangu - 4 to 5

finely chopped big onion - 2

Lemon (juice) - 1 (or)

Tamarind extract/ imli/ pulithanni - 2 tsp.

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp.

Chilli powder/Sambhar power - 1 to 2 tsp. (according to spice level)

Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp.

Salt - to taste

Coriander leaves - few strands
(to garnish)

Tempering:

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.

Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp.

Green chilli (Slit into half) - 1

Curry leaves - few

Oil - 2 tbsp.

Boiled Kizhangu/yam

 

 

Wash and boil yam with water. You can pressure cook for 1 to 2 whistles, which would roughly take 5 to 7 minutes.

Peel the skin and mash the yam, mix all the masala powder ingredients and tamarind/lemon juice. Set aside.

Mashed Yam
 

Pour oil in a non-stick pan, when it's heated add mustard seeds followed by Jeera, chilli and curry leaves. Now add the onions, let cook for few minutes until it becomes golden brown. Now combine the mashed Karunaikizhangu or yam. Cook in low heat for 10 to 12 minutes until it gets non-sticky texture.

 Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice. It goes well with curd rice/yogurt rice/ thayir sadham.

Beans Vellai Porial/ Beans Curry

 

Beans are rich in Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and dietary fibre. Recently researchers have found that beans possess excellent anti-oxidant capacity.

This simple curry is very easy to make in a very short time.  Kids would love to eat. 
 

Ingredients:

Beans – 250 gms

Green Chilli – 1(slit into half)

Grated Coconut – 2 tsp. (optional)
 

Tempering:

Curry Leaves – few

Mustard Seeds – ¼ tsp.

Urad Dhal – ¼ tsp.

Zeera/cumin seeds – ½ tsp.

Final Addition:

Poriyal Podi – 1 tsp. (according to taste you can add more or less)

You can find the recipe for Porial podi,  under the label Podi Varieties.
 

 

 

 

Method:

Wash and slice the beans into small rings.

Heat the pan with 1 tbs. of oil, after it gets heated add the mustard seeds, once they splutter, add urad dhal, followed by jeera, chilli and curry leaves.

After a minute, add beans. Cook for few minutes, add necessary salt. Cook until soft, it might take 7 to 10 minutes. Toss the grated coconut, stir well. Switch off the stove and mix the porial podi. Serve hot with rice and ghee/sambar/puzhi kozhambu.

 

 

 

 

Broccoli Porial

Broccoli is rich in dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and anti-oxidants that have proven health benefits.

I used to cook broccoli with masala, like other veggies. It won't be tasty, yet we know broccoli is healthy. So, dutifully all of us would eat. But after I learnt this recipe from an aunty, it was not a chore any more. Even kids started liking broccoli.

This is very simple and quick recipe, which can be made in few minutes. Instant healthy vegetable side-dish.

Ingredients:
Broccoli - 1
Cut into small flowerets

Tempering:

Green chilli - 1 (slit into half)
or 1/4 tsp of crushed red chilli

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp

Urad dhal/black gram - 1/4 tsp

Asafotida/hing - 1/8 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Oil - 1 tsp

Ghee - 1 tsp (final addition)

Salt - to taste

Method:
Take the broccoli flowerets in a large microwaveable bowl. Toss the salt, sprinkle some water, combine well. Cook in microwave for 3 to 4 minutes. Broccoli is best eaten half-cooked, so do not cook through.

In a kadai, add oil and the tempering ingredients. Once the mustard splutters add broccoli, mix well. After a minute, transfer to a bowl. Toss the ghee.

Serve with hot rice and ghee, it's a divine combination.