If you see the food blogs nowadays, it is overblown by different kinds of festivals dishes just like our Television, wherein there is a program for every festival. Some of the blogs takes a popular dish and to compare with other dishes in other parts of India. I believe that Kerala cuisine is unique just like any other cuisine; even if you take any particular dish, the differences arise depending upon the region of Kerala. Now some of the dishes might have some likeliness to dishes from other parts of India, but no straight forward comparison.
Onam is the most famous festival from my home state Kerala, which is celebrated with lots of fun and enthusiasm. It also comprises a feast which includes wide varieties of vegetable entities with its unique flavor and taste. For the onam feast, rice and parippu curry is important for the people from southern part of Kerala. Other part of Kerala has rice but parippu curry is not important.
If you look for the variety of rice, you will be amazed to see that basmati rice is not that common in Kerala cuisine, it is only used for making biriyani, especially in the northern part of Kerala, if they have kaima rice they prefer it. We usually like to eat Rose matta rice (kuthari/ chemba ari), for making Payasam or sweet pudding we use raw matta rice ( Unakkalari).
Rose matta rice or Red parboiled rice is commonly used in Kerala and Sri Lanka. It has a nutty taste, and is rich in fiber and is even good for diabetics (this I say from our experience as my hubby is diabetic. If he eats this rice in the night, his fasting sugar is much less than what it would have been if he had long grain rice). One disadvantage of this rice is that cooking time is more than the basmati rice or any other polished rice.
So I discovered an easy method of pressure cooking the rice for 7 whistles or about 30 minutes and then letting the pressure cool down for 15 min. This method gives perfectly cooked rice. One more advantage of using this rice there will be no over cooking of the rice. It won’t easily become mushy like other counterparts.
For parippu curry / lentil curry we usually use green moong dal/green gram. You can use both skinned as well as whole ones. I prefer to use skinned. To make curry, first fry the green gram for 2-3 minutes, then cook it well and is later incorporated with ground paste of coconut, cumin seeds, green chilies turmeric and garlic. Add salt and bring to simmer while not allowing boiling. Garnish with little bit coconut oil and curry leaves. No other seasoning is used. Here goes the recipe for both.
For Rice
What you need
Rosematta rice: 2cup
Water: 10 cup
How I made
In a pressure cooker wash and add rice along with 10 cup of water, it is better use to pan inside the pressure cooker and cook for about for 7 whistles or about 30 minutes and then letting the pressure cool down for 15. Once the pressure is released remove the cover and drain all the content into colander and drain the excess water. If you wish you can add some cold water into colander to prevent further cooking.
Enjoy as much you wish.
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 serving
Verdict: Nutty rice
Will you make it again: I am making every day
For Parippu curry/ Lentil curry
What you need
Parippu/ split green gram dal: ¼ cup
Turmeric: ¼ teaspoon
Green chili: 2no
Salt: ⅓ teaspoon or to taste
Grated fresh coconut: ¼ cup
Cumin seeds: ¼ teaspoon
Garlic clove: 1no
Water: 2 cups for cooking the green gram + ¼ cup grinding
Coconut oil: 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
How I made
In a small skillet fry the split green gram for 2-3 minutes or until they change color. Wash and cook in pressure cooker for 2 whistles it takes about 15 minutes and set aside.
In the food processor or grinder grind fresh coconut, green chilies, cumin seeds , turmeric and garlic clove with ¼ cup water into fine a paste and set aside.
In the medium sauce pan add cooked mashed spilt green gram /parippu and ground coconut spice paste and salt, bring to simmer not let it boil. Finally garnish with curry leaves and coconut oil.
Enjoy with rice and ghee.
Preparation time: 17 minutes
Yield: 4 serving (if generously, if less 8 serving)
Verdict: Yummy
Will you make it again: Yes I will
Pin it for later
This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread. All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.
jayashree venkat says
Thanks For The Help in cooking this red rice.i was wrong in the ratio of water.....took a long time to cook.will try this method.Thank!
jayashree venkat says
Thank you so much for teaching me to cook this type of rice.I was a bit alarmed at the ratio of 2:10 cups water.No wonder it took me hours to see the rice cooked.MANY THANKS.
JishasKitchen says
thats my fav combination..looks very delicious and tempting...:)
The 21st Century Housewife© says
This sounds so good, Swathi! I can just smell all those gorgeous spices! What a perfect dish for autumn, and that rice looks so fluffy! Thank you for sharing your Rice and Lentil Curry with the Hearth and Soul hop.
Reeni says
Looks wonderful Swathi! Thanks for sharing your method for making perfect rice!
Rosita Vargas says
Plato muy delicioso ,luce cremoso y muy tentador,abrazos.
SpicyTasty says
nice..very tempting..
Peggy says
I love rice, and this curry sounds super tasty =)
Reshmi Mahesh says
Comfort and healthy food...love this...
Nancy and Vijay says
This looks delicious Swathi 🙂
Tina (PinayInTexas) says
Easy to prepare but delicious and healthy! This is perfect, Swathi!
Kalyani's Platter says
healthy & delicious combo ............
Jay says
healthy n tasty combo...just love it swathi..:)
Tasty Appetite
Suja says
Yummy meal,filling and super delicious..love it
Claudia says
You have put me in the mood for lentil curry. Actually, I'd like to go away to an Indian cooking school for a year or two. Eat and cook nothing but.
Sensible Vegetarian says
Filling and delicious one, authentic presentation.
Priya says
Woww fabulous and authentic rice and paruppu curry,sooo inviting..
garlutti says
Hello ... delicious recipe that I like these lentils ... is fantastic ..kiss Marimi
Hamaree Rasoi says
Very delicious and healthy looking rice and lentils curry.
Deepa
Hamaree Rasoi
Vimitha Anand says
Nice healthy combo Swathi
tigerfish says
I'm also introduced to parboiled rice quite recently by my Indian friend. Where did you get the Red parboiled rice?
Miriam says
Yum! This meal looks completely delicious :), Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters
Priya Sreeram says
yum combo & loved reading the post !
Rumana Rawat says
Looks delicious:)
Rani acharyulu says
yummy and simple parippu... we too serve plain parippu with rice toping with ghee..but adding coconut in parippu is new to me...healthy combo...
Madhura Manoj says
Nice combo!! Curry looks creamy & delish.
http://www.easycookingforamateurs.com/
Ramya says
Even we love Matta ari and thatz our staple @ home!!:-)
Loved the simple parippu curry!
? says
We have parippu in South Malabar but a simple, small spoonful unlike the South Kerala dishes.
It is served, cooked with just salt and turmeric.
Joanne says
That red lentil curry looks super creamy delicious!
Kaveri says
Like you said its raining festival recipes everywhere and agree totally with you on the regional differences in the dishes and recipes...Though we have paruppu in our sadhya we don't prepare it like this, we just add salt to the cooked dal and serve...I must try this parippu curry..it looks so delicious that too with ghee
G.Pavani says
quick n easy,healthy rice n curry,,
Sayantani says
Dal-chawal, thats kinda comfort meal for all of us.
Priti says
Yummy meal ....looks delicious
Marus says
Your recipes always are delicius. This loooks wonderful. Good day
Saraswathi Iyer says
Looks delicious. Nice clicks.
Alea Milham says
This looks wonderful! I love the term "cook for 7 whistles". I am a huge fan of the pressure cooker and enjoy discovering new recipes that I can make quickly in it. Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes and hosting the Hearth and Soul Hop.
Vardhini says
New one .. looks yummy.
Vardhini
Event: Herbs and Flowers - Garlic
Sharmilee! :) says
Delicious combination
Mélange says
A heart-filling post Swathi.Very nostalgic and drooling over one ! Thank you.
Prathibha says
nicely done curry..looks delicious...:)