Rasa podi

I sometimes make rasa podi and store it. 

This recipe is for tomato rasam,  you can use it for pepper jerra rasam and add in sambar also.  As most of the Ingredients are same, except for the quantity. 

Rasa podi 

Ingredients 

1 cup coriander 

1/2 cup chana dal

1/4 cup tuvar dal 

2 tsp black urad dal 

2 tbsp black peppercorns

2 tbsp jeera

1/2 tsp methi 

10 spicy dry red chillies 

10 kashmiri chillies 

A handful of curry leaves 

1 tsp turmeric powder 

A few pieces of heeng/ 1/2 tsp heeng powder 

Method 

Dry roast all Ingredients separately.  

Cool down. 

In the mixer jar add a tsp of turmeric powder and add all the roasted Ingredients and powder. 

Store in an air tight container.

introduction

About

Welcome to The Merry Skillet

create and share recipes that feature real food

I’m Jayanthi, and I love to cook. My mother and grandmother were great home cooks and they inspired me to record their recipes and as I grew, I began to add my own special twists to those recipes to make them something memorable to eat. I belong to a family of Palakkad Iyers, and our unique style of cooking made me want to share with my readers so that more people could know about our traditions. I also have a passion for gardening which comes from my father. In my apartment, we now grow various fruits and vegetables which I love to use in my cuisine. My favorite part about cooking is when the dish is complete and the wonderful aroma wafts around the house and then eating the delicious food of course!

The recipes I share have been passed down from generations, each one making their own little tweaks to make the food taste even better. Our ancestors never wrote recipes down, but they fondly taught us how to cook. I want to preserve those recipes so that many more can know about them.

I generally cook vegetarian dishes of Palakkad cuisine. But I also like making food from Bengali, North Indian, East Asian and Continental cuisines.

For my cooking, I love using traditional mud pots and soapstone vessels. I believe they add to the authenticity of the dish. Iron kadhai and skillets are very important for daily cooking too.

Through my blog, The Merry Skillet, I want to share information about Palakkad Iyer cuisine, Garden table recipes, and much more

Baingan ka raita

A very quick raita which goes along with pulao, biriyani and jeera rice.

Baingan ka raita 

1 medium baingan, burnt on the stove top. Peel and make into very small pieces.

1 green chilli chopped 

1/2 tsp jeera powder 

1/4 tsp kala manak

1 cup thick dahi/curd

Salt as required 

A few coriander leaves, finley chopped.

For the tadka 

1 tsp oil/ghee

1/2 tsp jeera

Method 

In a bowl add all the above ingredients, mix well, adjust salt, in a small pan pour ghee/oil once it's hot, add jeera. Let it crackle, pour into the prepared raita, and serve with pulao,rice, biriyani aur jeera rice.

Tomato Pickle

Prep Time
20 mins

Cooking Time
10 mins

Total Time
30 mins

Course
Pickles

Servings
5 People

Ingredients

• 10 Fresh tomatoes
• 4 dry red chilies broken
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon methi seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon chana dal
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons of red spicy chili powder
• 2 tablespoons of gingly oil
• Salt as required

Cooking Instructions

	1.Wash, pat dry and slice tomatoes and ginger.
	2.Heat Kadai and pour gingly oil, add mustard seeds, methi seeds, chana dal and dry broken red chilies.
	3.Allow the mustard seeds to splutter.
	4.Add chopped tomatoes, ginger, turmeric powder, salt and chili powder. Give a toss.
	5.Cook in high flame till soft and tomatoes are well cooked. Tomato pickle is ready to be served.

Notes/Tips

 

I have used freshly plucked home grown tomatoes from garden. Some ripe and some of them were unripe.

A mixed bag of delicious tomatoes makes the pickle a tasty side dish with the main course.

Dum Aloo

Dum Aloo

Prep Time

30 mins

Cooking Time

25 mins

Total Time

55 mins

Course

Vegetarian Sides

Servings

5 People

Ingredients

20 small potatoes, boiled and peeled

Dry masalas

2 tsp dum aloo powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp jeera powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chili powder

Salt as required

For the masala

2 medium onion chopped, make a coarse puree

2 tomatoes chopped, make a coarse puree

A small piece of ginger

2 cloves of garlic (optional)

2 green chilies

2 kashmiri red chilies (non spicy)

For tempering

3 tbsp mustard oil

1 inch cinnamon stick

10 peppercorns crushed

1/4 tsp jeera powder

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

For Garnish

A small bunch of chopped coriander leaves

Cooking Instructions

1

Wash, cook and poke holes in the baby potatoes with skewers, toothpick or fork. Pour mustard oil and roast potatoes till golden brown. Add turmeric, salt, jeera and coriander powder. Mix well.

2

Make coarse puree of onion and tomato separately, we will add them in different stages of cooking.

3

In a deep pan pour mustard oil, let it become hot, add jeera, fennel seeds, cloves, crushed cardamom and crushed peppercorns. Once they release aroma, add pureed onion and cook until golden brown.

4

Add all dry masalas, cook for a minute, add pureed tomatoes, mix well, cook in medium flame for about 4 to 5 minutes. The raw smell from the tomatoes should go away.

5

Further cook it for another 3 minutes in high flame le the gravy release the mustard oil. Now we can add the roasted potatoes. Add salt if needed. Mix gently, add a cup of water to adjust the consistency, bring to boil for about 5 minutes. Off the stove garnish the dum aloo with chopped coriander leaves.

6

Serve with any Indian bread, pulao, jeera rice as a side dish. Happy cooking!

Notes/Tips

If you wish you can add two tablespoons of cream of cashew nuts paste for thickening. A little yogurt can be added for a tangy taste if you desire.

Olan

Olan

Prep Time
20 mins

Cooking Time
10 mins

Total Time
30 mins

Course
Main

Servings
4 People

Ingredients

• 250 grams Ash gourd/Elavan
• 250 grams Yellow Pumpkin/Mathan
• 2 Green Chilli
• 10 Nos. Long Bean/Payar
• 1/4 cup Cow Pea/Perum Payar
• 1 Cup Coconut Milk
• 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
• A few curry leaves
• Salt as required

Cooking Instructions

	Soak for an hour and pressure cook cow pea/perum payar for two to three whistles.W 1.Wash, peel and chop ash gourd and yellow pumpkin into thin pieces. If you wish you can add long beans like I have used, cut it into 1 inch long peces.
2	In kalchatti/stoneware/clay pot pour hot water add all the vegetables, salt and green chilli, cook till soft, add coconut milk, it should be just heated. Off the stove add the cooked cow pea beans,  and two tablespoons of coconut oil, slit curry leaves and add them to the prepared olan. Adjust salt. You can serve this as a side dish with sambar.

Notes/Tips

I have made Olan without perum payar as I had a handful of fresh payar from my garden.

But the taste will be even better when we add soaked and cooked perum payar/cow pea.

Some times I cook Olan only with Ash Gourd and add jackfruit seeds.

Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer

Prep Time

30 mins

Cooking Time

25 mins

Total Time

55 mins

Course

Main

Servings

4 People

Ingredients

2 bunches of fresh palak

400 grams of paneer cubed

3 pods of garlic

1medium onion

2 green chilies

2 tablespoons of ghee

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon jeera powder

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon of garam masala

Salt as required

Cooking Instructions

1

Wash, clean, cut and blanch palak. Use a hand blender to puree it. keep aside.

2

Peel and cut onion, garlic and green chilies. Use a small kadai to saute using little ghee. Keep aside.

3

Use the same kadai for roasting the cubed paneer. Now add the sauteed onion and garlic, mix well.

4

Add the paneer, onion, garlic and green chilies to the pure palak. Mix well.

5

Add the dry masalas. Give a quick mixing of all the ingredients.

6

Transfer to a serving bowl. Add a tablespoon of cream. Mix well before serving. Serve with pulkas, naan or any Indian bread.

7

We relish palak paneer with freshly made phulkas.

Notes/Tips

Select fresh palak for better results.

Make sure you wash the palak thoroughly well before to avoid sand and other dirt. I minimum wash palak three times before chopping it

Granola

Granola

Prep Time
25 mins

Cooking Time
30 mins

Total Time
55 mins

Course
Snack

Servings
4 People

Ingredients

• 2 cups assorted melon, flax seeds
• 1 cup rolled oats/ museli
• 10 broken cashew nuts
• 20 raisins
• 1/4 cup white/black sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoon of sugar
• 1tablespoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil/coconut oil
• 5 crushed cardamoms

Cooking Instructions

1	In a kadai slow roast all ingredients by adding coconut oIl
1	Once they release Aroma add sugar, honey and crushed cardamoms. Mix well.
3	Transfer in a microwaveable bowl, further cook for 2: minutes. Open the microwave, mix well, cook for 1/2 a minute more.
4	Allow it to completely cool and then cut into desired shape. I crumbled it and put it in a clean glass jar.

Notes/Tips

I have added very less sugar as we have used raisins and mixed fruit museli.

You can add a few thinly striped dates if you like.

Always keep the flame very low while roasting the delicate seeds. Sesame seeds are added towards the end. As it may pop up when heated

Pumpkin Pie with Spinach Crust

Pumpkin Pie with Spinach Crust

Prep Time

15 mins

Cooking Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hour mins

Course

Desserts

Servings

5 People

Ingredients

For the Pie Crust

1/2 cup unsalted butter, col and cut into small cubes

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

12-15 leaves of spinach

1 tablespoon water

For the Pie Filling

11/2 cups pumpkin puree

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon corn starch

1/2 cup whole milk

3 tablespoon milk powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground clove

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup brown sugar

Cooking Instructions

1.Preheat the oven to 200 degree Centigrade.

In a saucepan, heat the spinach leaves with 1 tablespoon water until they are completely cooked. Using a sieve, strain the spinach leaves, pushing down on them to extract all the liquid. You should have about 3 tablespoons of the spinach water. Refrigerate it for 5-10 minutes.

In a bowl, mix flour, butter and salt. Use your hands to work the cold butter. Add the cold spinach water, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough is just combined.

2.Take the dough and roll it slightly in your hands so it is round in shape. Then flatten the dough on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin, about 1/8 inch thickness. Carefully lift the flattened dough and lay it into an 8-9 inch pie tin and trim the edges. If you have leftover pie dough, you can use it to make cookie decorations for the pie.

Lay out parchment paper in the pie tin over the crust and fill with baking beans. If you don’t have them, you can also use rice or pulses. Fill it to the top, and blind bake the pie crust for about 10 minutes.

3 Take the pie in out of the oven and carefully remove the paper with the bean and set it aside.

Combine the milk powder in a cup. You can also use evaporated milk instead of this combination.

In a bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, spices, salt, sugar, corn starch, beaten eggs, and the milk mixture. The pie filling will be runny.

Pour the pie filling into blind baked crust and bake for about 30=40 minutes. You can also lightly shake the pie tin in the oven to check if it is done. If it slightly wobbles in the centre and the outer edges are cooked, it is done.

4 Take it out of the oven and cool it for about half an hour. You can decorate the pie with mint leaves okie decorations from the leftover dough(if any). Do not cut into the pie immediately after baking as the filling will not be set

Crispy Hash Browns (Potatoes)

Crispy Hash Browns {Potatoes}

Prep Time

5 mins

Cooking Time

15 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Course

Snacks

Servings

4 People

Ingredients

3 large Potatoes ( Par boil potatoes, peel and grate)

2 medium sized onions, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/2' tsp crushed peppercorns

1/2 tsp oregano powder

Salt as required

2 to 3 tablespoon corn flour

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil/peanut oil

Cooking Instructions

1.Wash and cook potatoes in pressure cooker for one whistle, when done, open lid cool down, use a peeler to peel off the potatoes. Grate, squeeze extra moisture, keep aside.

In a pan pour a tablespoon of peanut oil fry onions, garlic cloves, sauté till they are brown

In a bowl add sautéed onion, garlic to grated potatoes, add parsley, basil, pepper powder, oregano and salt. Mix gently and toss. Also add corn powder and mix it well.

Take any mould, compact the mixture like patties and shallow fry in butter/oil till both sides are golden brown in slow flame.

Serve hot.

Do you have a favourite way to make crispier hash browns? Please share about your way of making it in comments.

Notes/Tips

Peel the potatoes and grate them using the box grater with large holes.

Remember to squeeze the moisture out of the potatoes, The excess moisture should be pressed out as much as possible, this ensures crispier hash browns.

Make sure you spread the potatoes evenly and 1/4 to1/2 inch thick for uniform cooking.

Also gently flip the hash browns when they ae golden brown in the bottom. Its always best to use a metal spatula to flip over.

Khotte Idly

Khotte Idly

Prep Time

10 hours mins

Cooking Time

15 mins

Total Time

10 hours 15 mins

Course

Main

Servings

4 People

Ingredients

3 cups Idly rice /ponni boiled rice

1 cup whole urad dal

1 cup flattened rice/poha/aval

1 teaspoon methi seeds

1 teaspoon salt/ As required

Cooking Instructions

1.Wash the rice and urad dal three times before soaking in separate vessels.

Soak rice and metis seeds together with sufficient water for 4 to 5 hours.

Soak urad dal and flattened rice/aval for about 1 hour.

I usually grind the urad dal and aval in wet grinder for about 30 to 45 minutes, until the dal has bubbles in it. Remove the batter from the grinder, Keep aside in a large bowl.

Grind rice and methi seeds by adding just enough water for about 15 minutes, until the rice is bit grainy in texture, mix salt, add the prepared urad dal batter to it, further grind for about 5 minutes so that the urad dal and rice blends well.

Remove from the grinder and keep it in two separate bowls, this allows the batter to ferment and becomes almost double in quantity. I keep it in the kitchen counter for about 6 to 7 hours. Once its done you can keep it in the refrigerator or directly make the khotte idlies.

2.Next day take the fermented batter from the refrigerator, mix gently and pour it in the jackfruit baskets, up to 1/2 of the basket, the idlies will become fluffy and double in size, so leave sufficient space for them to rise.

Place the khotte idlies in the steaming vessel, make sure you have poured enough water at the bottom of the cooker, idly steamer and placed the steamer on top of it, cook the idlies for about 12 to 15 minutes. Use a fork or a tooth pick to check whether the idlies are cooked.

Serve the hot steaming idlies in the plate, remove the idlies from the leaves and eat with coconut chutney or sambhar.

Gajar Ka Halwa/Carrot Halwa

Gajar Ka Halwa/Carrot Halwa

Prep Time

30 mins

Cooking Time

60 mins

Total Time

90 mins

Course

Desserts

Servings

4 People

Ingredients

2 Kg Red long carrots

1 Litre Milk

1 tin Milkmaid condensed milk

5 Crushed Cardamoms

10 Nos. broken cashew nuts

100 grams Ghee

Cooking Instructions

Wash, peel and grate carrots. Keep aside.

In a thick bottomed pan, I used pressure pan, Pour milk and add the grated carrots.

Allow it to cook in low flame for about 45 minutes, until the carrots are cooked. Keep stirring gently. You will start noticing the milk has almost reduced to 1/4 of the amount it was before.

Its now time to add crushed cardamoms and condensed milk, Remember to continuously stir the halwa, adding a tablespoon of ghee in between. Allow the carrot halwa to cook further for about 15 minutes.

We will pour little by little quantity of the ghee and cook, After a while you will notice that the ghee is separating from the halwa in the pan.

Off the stove.

In another small pan pour a tablespoon of ghee add the crushed cashew nuts, allow it to roast till golden brown. Add the roasted cashew nuts to the halwa and serve hot or cold with ice cream.

The aroma of the fresh ghee and the delicious halwa makes it a tempting dessert.

Notes/Tips

You can use orange colour carrots halwa, the taste will be same.

Though the red colour carrots are available only during winter seasons in India and most of us make carrot halwa during winter.

You can add 400 grams of sugar instead of adding condensed milk, but I prefer condensed milk for the creamy texture it gives to the carrot halwa.

Pullikachal wilh green chilies

Pulikachal with Green chillies

Prep Time

10 mins

Cooking Time

15 mins

Total Time

25 mins

Course

sides

Servings

4 People

Ingredients

7 to 8 green chillies, its a variety available in Trivandrum

4 to 5 non spicy green chillies

One large piece ginger grated

A handful of curry leaves

For the seasoning

Two tablespoon gingly oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon urad dal

1/2 teaspoon chana dal/kadala paruppu

2 dry red chillies broken

1 teaspoon jaggery powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup tamarind juice extracted from one gooseberry sized tamarind soaked in hot water

Cooking Instructions

1

In a heated kadai pour oil add mustard seeds, methi seeds, urad dal, chana dal and dry red chillies. Allow mustard to splutter.

Add chopped green chillies, spicy and non spicy , grated ginger, an saute for a few minutes.

Then add turmeric, salt and curry leaves. Gently mix in the tamarind pulp, cook until the raw smell goes.

Now we can add grated jaggery, reduce the flame as the jaggery powder will quickly melt in the tamarind pulp.

adjust the salt and off the stove.

Serve with curd rice, dosa, kozhakattai and enjoy with your favourite dishes.

Notes/Tips

The shelf life of this Pulikachal is 2 to 3 days. So make small quantities and consume quickly.

Mixed seeds cracker

Mixed seeds cracker 

It's pretty simple recipe to make. 

Ingredients 

A small cup of jaggery 

1 teaspoon ghee 

A few tablespoons of pumpkin seeds 

Flax seeds 

White sesame seeds 

Method 

Let the jaggery melt in medium flame, add ghee, then slowly add pumpkin seeds, white sesame seeds and flax seeds. Give a quick toss, gently mix in. Once done, pour the mixture into a plate. Spread, wait for a few minutes let it cool, cut into the desired shape. You can't stop with just one piece it's so so delicious 😋

Note : I have not added water to the jaggery and allowed it to melt in the pan.

Karuvepallai podi( curry leaves powder)

It's a delicious, tasty powder made and stored in households. Traditionally eaten with hot steaming rice, ghee and a tablespoon of karuvepallai podi, gives you the ultimate flavour, taste of the ingredients added in proportion.

Karuvepallai podi 

Ingredients 

A bowl of fresh karuvepallai ( curry leaves) I used about 10 stalks of freshly plucked leaves from the garden.

A handful of garlic ( optional)

4 tablespoons of urad dal 

3 tablespoons of chana dal 

2 handfuls of peanuts 

10 red chilli, Spicy 

5 non spicy red chilli ( kashmiri chilli)

1 teaspoon of Heeng 

25 grams of tamarind, remove the seeds, and cut into small pieces 

Salt as required 

2 tablespoons of jeera 

2 tablespoons of gingly oil 

2 tablespoons of peanut oil

Method 

In a heated kadai pour gingly oil, add curry leaves and slow fry till they become dark green and crispy. Remove from the kadai,

Keep aside.

Add garlic in the same kadai with leftover oil, roast it in slow flame till golden brown. Remove from the kadai, keep it in a small bowl.

In the same kadai add two tablespoons of peanut oil,roast peanuts, urad dal and chana dal until mild golden brown. Remove from the oil.

Now add two tablespoons of jeera, red chilli, heeng powder and tamarind pieces, slow fry until the red chillies are crispy. 

It's time to mix all the ingredients roasted and kept aside. Mix in curry leaves, garlic, dals, peanuts, jeera, red chillies, heeng, tamarind and add required quantity of salt. Gently toss and off the stove.

All the mixture to cool down to room temperature.

In a mixie jar add the ingredients and powder. Store the curry leaves powder in an airtight container.

You can serve it with hot steaming rice and ghee, as a side dish for dosa, idli and sprinkle with eggs.

Enjoy the delicious karuvepallai podi.