Pasta with grilled vegetables and basil

Pasta - 500gms

Zucchini - 1 medium

Mushroom- 200gms

Onion- 1 medium

Garlic - 6 cloves

Tomato - 1 large or 2 medium

Capsicum - 1 medium

Olive oil - 6 tbsp

Salt

Pepper

Basil - 1 handfull, chopped fine

Cheese - 5 tbsp or 1 cup

Grill vegetables individually with some salt, pepper and olive oil. Keep aside.

Boil pasta al dente and drain.

Return to vessel and mix in rest of the ingredients - vegetables, cheese and basil.

Serve hot.

Banana chips

Banana chips or upperi is a staple of Kerala made from a banana indigenous to my state - nendrakaya.

Frying the banana chips is a fairly straight forward process but adding the salt to it is, I think, very unusual. And it takes concentration. I will tell you why.

While the banana is frying in oil, brine or salt water is adding directly into the oil. The next batch of chips requires lesser brine as the oil is already salted. Usually by the last batch, no salting is required!

I have been making chips for many many years and am still learning( thanks to my memory / concentration!).

Of course the easiest option is to sprinkle the salt over the chips as soon as you take them out of the oil. But then it will not be original!

Peel the raw banana and keep them immersed in water (opt-add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder to the water)

Heat coconut oil in a large deep vessel (kadai).

Mix 2 tsp of salt with 1/2 cup water and keep ready. This is your Brine.

Take one banana and wipe dry.

Once the oil gets hot ( add a small piece of banana to it and it will sizzle up immediately), start grating directly into the oil. Be careful!

Now add 2 tsp of brine into the hot oil and see it froth up. Mix well with a slotted spoon.

It will subside soon and you have to fry the chips until they turn golden and no longer sizzle in the oil.

Use a slotted spoon to take them out of the oil. Place on a tissue paper and once cool ( not room temperature) store in an airtight container.

While frying the next batch of banana remember to reduce the amount of brine or you will end up with very salty chips.

Variation:

Traditional round banana chips and new age banana finger chips!

If you cut your raw banana into thin batons, then you end up with a 'not-so-popular' variant of the traditional banana chips.

Recipe is the same , just the shape is different.

Mushroom peas korma

This recipe is little on the sweet side because of the pineapple and raisins. My younger daughter and I loved it, but my husband thought may be I could have avoided the raisins. 

Mushroom - 10 , cut in half

Green peas - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1 large

Tomato -1 large

Green chilli - 1 or 2

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Pineapple fresh - 1 /2 cup

Sugar - 1 tsp 

Cashew nut broken - 1 tbsp

Raisins - 1 tbsp (opt)

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Salt

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Milk - 1 cup

Garnish

Coriander leaf - 1 tbsp

Capsicum - 2 tbsp

Boil green peas with salt, 1 /2 tsp chilli powder and 1/2 tsp garam masala. When half cooked add the mushroom. Cook till peas are tender. Keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a kadai . Fry the cashew and raisins and remove using slotted spoon. Keep aside.

Boil the pineapple in water and once cooked, add the sugar. Mix well (add more water if necessary) and cook till all the water evaporates.

Into the kadai, add rest of the ghee and oil. Splutter the jeera.

Fry the onions and ginger garlic paste till onions becomes golden brown.

Add the salt, turmeric powder, rest of the chilli powder and garam masala. Fry for 1/2 a minute.

Add the tomato , green chilli and fry till they soften. Leave to cool.

Once cooled grind to a paste.

Return the paste to the kadai and add the milk.

Add the mushroom and peas. Boil for 2 minutes.

Add the cashew , raisins , pineapple , capsicum and coriander leaf.

Mix well and serve hot.

Zucchini curry

Zucchini - 1 medium

Onion - 1 medium

Cauliflower - 6 florets

Boiled potato - 1 (opt)

Oil - 1 tbsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Fenugreek seed - 1/2 tsp

Salt

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander seed - 1 tbsp

Chana dal - 1 tbsp

Til seed - 1 tsp

Red chilli - 3 

Coriander leaf for garnish

Fry without oil the coriander seed, til, chana dal and red chilli. Grind into a fine powder and keep aside.
Heat oil and splutter jeera and fenugreek seeds.
Add the chopped onions and fry till golden and turn off flame.
Boil zucchini and cauliflower florets in 1/2 cup water with some salt and turmeric powder.
After 3 minutes of covered cooking

add to the onions. You can add the potatoes , if using, now.
Add the spice powder to the vegetables and mix well. Keep aside till serving time.
At serving time mix again , heat and serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.