Basic Thoran / Dry Vegetable dish with coconut

Any Vegetable (Beans, Cabbage, Carrot, Snake gourd, spinach) and even pulses (green gram dal, soya bean) can be made into a Thoran.
Thoran is a dry accompaniment.
Thoran is cooked vegetables with coconut added for extra taste.
this is a tasty accompaniment for any curry - Sambar, rasam and Pulinkary.

Potato / Yam / Colacasia are all cooked without coconut.

Ingredients:
Vegetable - 500 gms, cut into small pieces
(or) Pulse - 1/2 cup, soaked over night and pressure cooked and water drained
Oil (preferably coconut , Vegetable is also fine) - 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Salt
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chilly - 1 or 2
Curry leaf - 1 sprig

Method:
Heat the oil ins thick kadai with a lid.
Splutter the mustard and add the urad dal.
Once the dal turns red, add the vegetable, slat and turmeric powder.
Mix well, reduce flame and cook covered for 6 - 10 minutes.
Keep an eye to see the vegetable has softened.
Grind the Coconut with the green chilly without any water.
Add this to the vegetable.
Mix well and turn off flame.
Serve hot.

Lime and green chilly pickle / Vadukapuli naranja achaar

Vadukapuli naranja is indigenous to India. It is a big lemon with a bumpy thick skin called Poderosa Lemon in English.

(Image source: google images)

The achaar / pickle made with this Lemon is very easy to make.

Ingredients:
Lemon, green chilly, salt and water.

How much salt to use? The water must taste like sea water.
How many Chillys to use? Depends on your family's taste.
How much water? Just enough to immerse the lime and chilly.

Recipe:
Slice up the giant wild lemons and green chilly.
Boil and cool the water.
Mix together the salt, chilly and lemon.
Add the water.
Mix the pickle well once a day for 2 - 3 days.
Serve only after 3 days.

Keep refrigerated for more shelf life.