Jelly Pudding

This is another three ingredient recipe that I found in ‘Vanitha’ magazine as an ad for condensed milk. When I was in Abu-Dhabi, my little brother used to pester me for jelly and I prepared this for him. It was an eye-catching dessert that I wanted to try for a very long time ever since I saw the picture of the dessert in the ad. I think, again it’s a kid’s dessert because my brothers loved it and it was not so soothing for my taste buds.

Jelly pudding (cooking time – 20 minutes, chilling time – 3 hrs, serves 6)

Ingredients:
1 packet – Strawberry/Raspberry Jelly Pudding Mix
1/2 tin condensed milk
170 gm chilled cream

Preparation:
1. Prepare jelly as per packet instruction. i.e. Empty the sachet into a large bowl and add 1 cup of boiling water. Stir well until all jelly crystals are dissolved. Add another cup of normal water,mix well and keep in freezer until the jelly starts to set from sides.
2. Take it out from freezer and beat well with a wire whisk until it is frothy.
3. Add ½ a tin condensed milk and mix very well.
4. Add the chilled cream (whipped) and mix well until well combined.
5. Serve in a clear dish and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours.
6. Garnish with fruits and whipped cream or mint leaves.

Long Beans Thoran (Stir-fried Long Beans)

Here is a thoran with a twist.

Ingredients:
4 cups - Long beans cut into 1 cms
2 tbs – Water
Salt - as required
2 tbs – Coconut Oil
4 - Large garlic cloves, chopped finely
3 tbs - Onion, chopped into small pieces
1 tsp - Red chilli Powder
3 - Green chillies, thinly sliced into round shapes
3 twigs - Curry leaves
1 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 cup - Freshly grated Coconut

Preparation:
1. Cook beans along with salt and water until it is tender and cooked.
2. In another pan, add oil. When it is hot, add onion, garlic and green chillies. When onions starts to turn brown, add Chilli powder, turmeric powder, curry leaves and coconut and stir fry for a minute on medium flame.
3. Add this to the cooked beans and mix well until combined.
4. This thoran serves as a very good side dish to go with plain boiled rice.

Kumbalanga Moru curry (Ashgourd curd curry)

This is one of my favourite curries that my mom makes for lunch to go with plain boiled rice and a chunk of fried fish. My mom prepares her dish just at the nick of time and serves it hot from the stove. That’s how my dad and siblings like it. By the time I come to take pictures, my dad and siblings would have already started eating the plate of dish that I had served ready for photographing. So it was quite difficult for me to grab good pictures of many of her recipes. At times I had to end up taking pictures of the leftover dishes and this is one like that:)

Update: I forgot to mention that this dish is prepared with the raw pumpkin that's got green peel and a pale white flesh inside (Ashgourd)and not the pumpkin that has yellow flesh. Anf for me, the names are always confusing....I mean mathanga (മത്തങ്ങാ) and Kumbalam (കുമ്പളം)....

Ingredients:
8 cups – Kumbalam, Ashgourd (cut into small pieces)
½ tsp – Red chilli powder (optional)
½ tsp – Cumin seeds
1 ½ cups - 2 cups – Water
1 cup – Curd
½ tsp – Turmeric
3-4 Green chillies
1 ½ cups – grated coconut
Salt
For tampering:
4 tbs - Oil
3-4 - Whole round red chillies (unda mulaku)
1 ½ tsp - Mustard seeds
3 sprigs - Curry leaves

Preparation:
1. Cook Kumbalam along with green chillies, turmeric, salt and water until tender.
2. Grind coconut and cumin seeds (jeera) along with little water into a smooth paste.
3. Once the Kumbalam is cooked and is soft, add coconut paste. When it starts to boil, turn off the flame.
4. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, add curd and mix well. Don’t add curd to very hot curry as this will cause the curd to curdle.
5. In another pan, add oil. When hot splutter mustard seeds, add whole red chillies and curry leaves and sauté for few seconds. Pour this over the curry.
6. The same can be made with yam (Chena) as well.