Snake Guard Curry

When I delivered my twin girls, my MIL, used to give me snake guard everyday saying it will increase milk for new moms. I somehow liked her way of making this curry. Here is the recipe

Ingredients:-

1. Snake Guard - 1 cup (chopped into small pieces)
2. Onion - 3/4 cup (finely chopped)
3. Oil - 1 tsp
4. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
5. Urad dhall - 1/4 tsp
6. Green chillies - 1(acc to taste)
7. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
   
8. Salt to taste
   
9. Coconut - 2 tsp

Take a pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urad dhall, asafoetida powder and green chillies and saute till it becomes golden brown. Now add chopped onion and fry it is 1/2 cooked. Add chopped snake guard and sprinkle water required for it. Since snake guard requires less amount of water, just sprinkling of water whenever necessary is enough. Stir it occasionally. When snake becomes tender and fully cooked turn off the stove and sprinkle the coconut on top of it. Serve it hot with rice.

Pumpkin Curry - Mathan Curry

Mathan - This is how we call yellow pumpkin in my mom's place. This curry is also very simple and this is another kerala Iyer recipe. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Pumpkin - 2 cups (chopped into small cubes)
2. Oil - 1 tbsp (preferably coconut oil)
3. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
5. Coconut - 1 1/2 tbsp
6. Green chillies - 2
7. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

First grind coconut + green chillies + cumin seeds without adding water. Keep it aside. Now take a pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall and fry it till golden brown. Now add the chopped pumpkin, salt and turmeric powder and let it cook adding required amount of water to it. Do not mash the pumpkin while mixing or stirring. when it becomes tender, drain the excess water and add the coconut chilly mix to it. Saute for a minute. Turn off the stove. This is another side dish and will go well with some hot and spicy sambar rice because pumpkin's sweet taste will go very well with spicy item.

Raw Jackfruit Curry

In my mom's place, they make this curry. This is basically a kerala Iyer recipe. My patti used to buy raw jackfruit, steam cook it, then peel off the skin, mash the jackfruit and make this curry later. But now a days, peeled raw jack fruit is available in tins. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Raw Jackfruit - 1 tin
2. coconut - 3 tbsp
3. Green chillies - 3 (acc to taste)
4. Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
5. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
6. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
7. Curry leaves - few
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Salt to taste
10. Asafoetida powder - a pinch

First open the tin, drain the jackfruit from it. Grind the coconut and green chillies in blender without adding water and keep it aside. Take a pan, put the drained jack fruit to it, add turmeric powder and salt and 1/4 cup of water and let it cook for 7 to 10 mts. When it is 3/4th cooked, drain the remaining water. Let it cool. Scramble it with hand or using blender. Again pre heat the oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urad dhall, asafoetida powder, curry leaves and fry it till golden brown. Now add the scrambled jack fruit to it. Also add coconut + Green chillies to it and mix it thoroughly and reduce the flame. Let it cook and mix for another 3 to 5 mts. A nice aroma of coconut will come out of it. Turn off the stove and serve it hot with rice. This is also a side dish.