3-day meal plan with Kerala style curries

Those who have full time jobs may find it difficult to cook elaborate meals. Here are some quick and simple recipes – two for each day – that can be consumed with plain rice. Beginners, too, can try out these recipes and hone their cooking skills. All these curries take less than 30 minutes to cook. These six recipes would help you prepare meals for three days.

DAY 1

Potato stir fry

Ingredients

3 potatoes

2 tsp coconut oil

2 tsp chilli powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 ½ tsp salt

Preparation

Wash the potatoes well and cut into cubes with the skin on

Heat coconut oil in a pan and add the cubed potatoes

Into it add chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt

Mix well and cook with the lid on

When the potatoes have cooked well and cook on simmer with the lid off to crisp up the skin.

Moru curry (spiced buttermilk)

Ingredients

1 tsp coconut oil

¼ tsp mustard seeds

Curry leaves

1 tsp garlic (crushed)

1 tsp ginger (crushed)

1 tsp green chillies

¼ tsp turmeric powder

500 ml buttermilk

2 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin-fenugreek (roasted and ground)

Juice of half a lemon

Preparation

Heat coconut oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves

When the mustard seeds splutter, add garlic, ginger and green chillies

Sauté until the raw smell is off

Into it add the turmeric powder and sauté for a minute

Add the butter milk and then the cumin and fenugreek.

Note: Do not boil the buttermilk. Add the lemon juice of you want more souness.

DAY 2

Crushed potatoes

Ingredients

3 tsp coconut oil

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp urad dal

½ tsp yellow lentils

4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

4 green chillies (finely chopped)

1 onion (finely chopped)

1 ½ tsp salt

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chilli powder

2 potatoes (boiled and mashed)

Preparation

Heat coconut oil in a vessel with thick bottom and splutter mustard seeds

Add urad dal and yellow lentils and sauté well

When the lentils turn brown add garlic, green chilies, onions and salt as required

Sauté well

Into it add chili powder and turmeric powder and sauté until the raw smell is off

Add the mashed potatoes and mix well.

Raw mango rasam

Ingredients

½ cup toor dal

2 raw mangoes

½ tbsp chili powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp fenugreek

2 dried chillies

Preparation

Add the toor dal, raw mangoes, chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt in a pressure cooker and cook until it gives 3 – 4 whistles

When the pressure cooker has cooled down, add roasted mustard seeds, fenugreek and dried chilies

Mix well.

DAY 3

Snake beans stir fry

Ingredients

250 gm snake beans

1 cup onion (finely chopped)

3 garlic cloves

1 tomato

3 green chillies

1 tsp chilli powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

¼ tsp coriander powder

1 tsp salt

Coriander leaves

Preparation

Add all the ingredients in a vessel with thick bottom and cook with the lid on

There is no need to add oil or water

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Rasam (without oil)

Ingredients

100 gms lentils

2 tomatoes

2 garlic bulbs

1 tsp cumin

½ cup tamarind water

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp rasam powder

1 tsp chilli powder

¼ tsp pepper powder

Some asafetida

Preparation

Cook the lentils and tomatoes in a pressure cooker with water as required

Into the cooked lentils add garlic and cumin

Cook well

When this mixture begins to boil add salt and tamarind water

Add rasam powder, chilli powder and pepper powder and continue boiling

Add asafetida and chopped coriander leaves and turn off the flame.