Kerala "Sugar and Spice"

Spicy Fish Biriyani

2013-03-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

Thought of trying Fish Biriyani for a while now. My sis in law who lives in Chicago makes this and I first had a taste of this, like 8 years ago. Talk about procrastinating! The hubby loves the usual Chicken Biriyani so I never really thought of trying anything new. But I gave it try yesterday and it turned out rather well. ;)

Ingredients
For the Marinade
Fish fillets- 1.5 lb
Yogurt-2 tbsp
Chilly powder-1 tsp
Coriander powder-1/2 tsp
Jeera powder-1/2 tsp
Salt-as needed
Black pepper powder-1/2 tsp

For the Rice
Basmati rice-3 cups (soaked for 15 min)
Whole spices (Cardamom, Cinnamon stick, Black peppercorns, Cloves)
Water
Salt-as needed

Onions thinly sliced-2
Tomato-1 chopped
Ginger Garlic paste-1 tsp
Biriyani masala- 2 tbsp (I used Shan Bombay Biriyani)
Oil

Directions
1.Clean the fillets of fish and marinade with the marinade ingredients for a few hours and refrigerate.
2.Then shallow fry them 5 minutes on each side.
3.For the rice you can boil a pot of water with whole spices and salt.
4.Add the drained rice and cook covered for about 10-15 minutes until done. Then drain excess water and set aside.
5.In a pan sauté the onion along with the ginger garlic paste. Once browned add the tomatoes and the Biriyani masala.
6. Once all cooked and nicely browned you add the fried fish pieces and coat with the masala.
7.Lastly layer the cooked rice with fish masala and garnish with fried onions and coriander leaves.
8.Serve with a side of raita, pappadam and lemon pickle.

Parippu Vada

2013-01-29T07:51:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! It's almost the end of January and I didn't seem to get any time to update. Lame excuse, I know!!! Thought I'd start the year with a a very down to earth Malayalee snack "Parippu Vada".
Parippu vada is basically a Kerala style lentil fritter. A lot of you from Kerala remember this an evening snack. And if you have travelled by the Indian Railway who doesn't remember those station vendors with hot tea and vadas. One of the perks of travelling by train. This was my first attempt at this yummy snack. My mom had taught me the recipe when she spent the summer with us and I thought I'd give it a try today. Being so cold out, it's nice for the hubby to come home to some hot vadas!

Ingredients
Vada Parippu ( Yellow split peas)-2/3 cup
Onion-1/2 finely diced (Shallots would be a better choice, didn't have any on hand)
Dried red chilly-2 finely chopped
Ginger-1 tbsp finely diced
Curry leaves-5/6 thinly cut
Salt-as needed
Asafoetida-1/4 tsp
Oil-for frying

Directions
1.Wash and soak the lentils in just enough water to cover then and let it soak for about 2 hours.
2.Then drain all the water and place them in a grinder and grind (making sure not to add any water) and grind them in batches too.
3. To the mixture add the onion, ginger, dried chilly, curry leaves, salt and asafoetida.
4. Mix well with your hand, taste and form into thin patties.
5. Make sure they are not too thick in the center or else they'll be raw in the middle.
6. In small batches fry the vadas and enjoy warm.
Don't forget a nice hot masala chai to complete the experience. Happy Snacking!

Candied Pecans

2012-12-18T08:54:00.001-08:00

Another sweet treat that I enjoy making around the Holidays is Candied Pecans. Another easy to make snack. This recipe uses basic ingredients,and the only time consuming part is baking them in the over for an hour.

Ingredients
Pecan halves-3 (6 oz) bags
Egg white-1
Water-2 tbsp
Vanilla extract-1 tsp
Sugar-1 cup
Salt-3/4 tsp
Ground Cinnamon-1/2 tsp
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Whisk the egg white and water till nice and frothy. To this add the vanilla extract and mix.
3. In a separate bowl mix together the sugar, salt and cinnamon.
4. Place the pecan halves in the egg white mixture and coat the pecans evenly.
5. Then coat the pecans with the sugar mixture.
6. Once coated, grease a baking sheet and place the pecan halves onto the sheet and bake for 1 hour making sure to stir them every 15 minutes.
7. Let them cool before storing.
Easy gift giving-Buy a Christmas themed coffee mug. Place some candied pecans in a treat bag tie with twist tie,decorate with ribbon and an ornament and you are ready!!!

Peppermint Bark

2012-12-15T12:20:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas time which means it's a time for sharing and receiving. I love the "sharing" part in the Holidays the most. Every year for the past couple of year I make Peppermint Bark to give away as treats to the kid's teachers and friends. It's easy to make and if you love peppermint ,you'll definitely love this sweet treat. There are different variations of this recipe found online but I have found using candy melts easier than using white chocolate. The melting is so quick and you really can't go wrong with it. You can mix white and milk chocolate to make fancier looking peppermint bark. To me, simpler is better!

Ingredients
Wilton Candy Melts(white)-2 bags
You can find these at Walmart, Michaels or any other craft store
Peppermint extract- 1tsp
Bob's Candy Cane-1 box(12 candies)

Directions
1.Crush the candy canes in a Ziploc and keep them aside.
2. Using the double boiler method I melt the candy melts. (Boil water and place the candy melts in another bowl and place over the boiling water. Turn the flame low, and mix the candies till they are nice and smooth) The candy melts come with microwavable directions too, which can be followed as well.
3. Add the peppermint extract and mix well. Take the mixture off the heat.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the mixture over and smooth it out evenly.
5. Immediately sprinkle the entire top with the crushed candy cane pieces. Cover evenly and then refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
6. Break them into pieces and store in an airtight container. When storing use parchment paper to remove any excess moisture.It's that simple!
I love using festive tins lined with parchment paper or even holiday themed treat bags to gift them in.
Can't wait for next week to share them with all our loved one. Happy Holidays !!! Happy Snacking !!!

Thanksgiving Blessing Mix

2012-11-18T09:14:00.000-08:00

Every year around the holidays I like to make some munchies to share with family and friends. For Christmas I love making some Peppermint Bark and Sugar Coated Pecans(recipe to follow).This year I thought I'd look for an easy snack to put together for Thanksgiving too. I came across the "Thanksgiving Blessing Mix" online and found it be very meaningful, it is a reminder of this great nation's blessing. All you need to do is bag this snack which you can put together in 5 minutes into favor-sized gift bags. You can use them as favors for you Holiday party or just share them with your family and friends. You also attach the the Blessing Poem with ribbon/raffia to make it look festive. I found some Thanksgiving themed treat bags with twine from Walmart for $1.99 and ribbon from Michaels (Sale 3 for $0.50). I got the poem printed at Staples on heavy card stock.
Here is the link to the poem-
http://christmas.organizedhome.com/sites/default/files/image/pdf/gift_tags_blessings_mix_thanksgiving_cornucopia.pdf

Ingredients
Bugles-2 cups
Pretzels-2 cups
M&Ms-1 cup
Raisins-1 cup
Peanuts/Nuts-1 cup
Candy corn- 1 cup
Hershey Kisses-16

Directions
1.Mix all of them together except the hershey kiss.
2.Pour about 1/3-1/2 cup into each favor bag and before tying place a Hershey Kiss into each bag.
3.Print out the poem ,useing a hole punch, punch a hole on them and thread a ribbon through.
* I doubled the quantities to make 16 bags and the bags were half filled. I was a bit more lavish on the snack.

Thanksgiving Blessing Mix Poem

Bugles: Shaped like a cornucopia or Horn of Plenty, a symbol of our nation's abundance.

Pretzels: Arms folded in prayer, a freedom sought by those who founded our country.

Candy corn: Sacrifices of the Pilgrims' first winter. Food was so scarce that settlers survived on just a few kernels of corn a day.

Nuts or seeds: Promise of a a future harvest, one we will reap only if seeds are planted and tended with diligence.

Dried fruits: Harvest gifts of our bountiful land.

M&Ms: Memories of those who came before us to guide us to a blessed future.

Hershey's Kiss: The love of family and friends that sweetens our lives.

That's it your favors are ready! A great snack to share this Holiday season.

Hershey Kiss Cookies

2012-11-14T14:03:00.002-08:00

It has been a while since I added anything to the blog. The past couple of months have been busy. In a couple more weeks I'll be more regular with the postings,I hope The blog has been neglected , I know.
I remember making these cookies for a bake sale when I was at Franklin Avenue Elementary School back in the day. The original recipe calls for peanut butter, but I wanted to try making it without it. The girls really don't like PB and it was a spur of the moment thing. My oldest daughter comes homes after school, telling me that it's Diwali-The Festival of Lights and that we Have to Celebrate! This festival is very common in the northern parts of India and celebrated with sweets and firecrackers. Even though it isn't very significant down south in Kerala especially among Christian households, trying to make a 5 year old understand all that was too much of a hassle so I decided to make some anyway. If you're wondering, that's why the pictures of the cookies are alongside a "diya" or lamp.

Ingredients
Butter-1 cup
Sugar-1 cup
Egg-1
Vanilla extract-1 tsp
All Purpose Flour-1 1/4 cup
Unsweetened cocoa powder-3/8 cup
Baking powder-1/2 tsp
Salt-1/4 tsp
Sugar-1/6 cup (for decorating)
Hershey kisses-20

Method
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.Cream together the sugar and the butter until its nice and fluffy.* Make sure the butter is at room temperature.
3.Next add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
4.Now before adding your dry ingredients to the creamed mixture sift them to avoid any lumps.
5.Once all mixed, roll them into 1 inch balls and coat with the sugar and place in an ungreased cookie sheet spaced apart.
6.Bake for 8-10 minutes and cool on a wire rack and place the Hershey kiss into the center while they are still warm. We only did half the batch with the Hershey kiss, but they are delicious either way.
Enjoy!!!Happy Baking!!! The holidays are around the corner too, so Happy Holidays Everyone!!!

Once Again....Angry Birds

2012-09-24T18:10:00.000-07:00

I was in the Angry Birds mood after playing Angry Birds Space over the weekend. So I decided on another more elaborate Bento for L's lunch. I used different kinds of cheeses for the two birds and kiwi fruit for the lil piggy.

For the sandwich angry bird I used Yellow American cheese and accented with ham, carrot, Nori seaweed and white American cheese.(The sandwich is just a chicken breast sandwich, if anyone was wondering.) For the red angry bird, I used a Mini Babybel cheese(softened cheese snack in red wax coating from "The Laughing Cow"....have you laughed today???). Again accented with Nori seaweed and white and yellow American cheeses. Added some height and crunch with some baby carrots. And last but not least the mischievous lil green piggy. He's a kiwi slice with some cream cheese and mini chocolate chip. Hope this Bento put a smile on your face! :)

"Chick in a Nest" Bento

2012-09-21T09:07:00.001-07:00

Wanted to up the complexity of the bento this morning. With some trial and error this was what todays lunch looked like.Not bad for an amateur???

So tried to make a chick from a boiled egg. The first time didn't go so well. So after boiling the egg for 10 minutes ,I let it cool and placed it in the refrigerator. Then with a paring knife in a zigzag pattern went around the egg to make it look like a cracked egg. Then for the eyes added some sesame seeds and carrot beak. The "nest" is some spaghetti with marinara sauce and grated Parmesan cheese. Added some starred plum slices, carrot peels rolled and placed on a pick and some stacked pita, ham and cheese to complete. No "treat" today because Kindergartners get to buy a snack today! (if she finishes her lunch)
Happy Friday Everyone!!!

Good Morning from Ni Hao Kai Lan

2012-09-08T06:00:00.002-07:00

Ni Hao Kai Lan is my middle child's favorite character from Nick Jr. And I'll do anything to make her eat.

So we're starting the day off with a healthy Ni Hao Kai Lan boiled egg. I used Nori to make the hair and eyes and mouth. Hair accessory with strawberry and her little buns I used grape halves. Inspiration from http://happylittlebento.blogspot.com/2010/08/kai-lan-bento.html

Happy Bento-ing!!!!

Breakfast for Lunch Bento

2012-09-07T18:30:00.001-07:00

My daughter loves having breakfast anytime of the day. You can never go wrong with waffles, sausage and egg. So I thought I'd try it for her Bento. I toasted a waffle and cut it in half and added some syrup to the little bear containers. Made a thin omelette, cut into strip and rolled them up with a cute little animal pick. Also heated up some sausage and threaded them on a little pick. Added some strawberry eyes and mouth to complete.

Waffles-1 Toasted

Egg-1

Jimmy Dean's Sausage-2

Syrup

Starwberry-1

Crayola Lunch box

Animal picks (Amazon)

Syrup Container(Amazon)

Bento Lunches

2012-09-07T18:21:00.002-07:00

A new craze of mine. I love how these lunches look and 'yes' it does take some time and effort. For those of you not familiar to Bento lunches-
Bento is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container.(according to Wikipedia)

My eldest started Kindergarten this year which meant sending her with packed lunches. Thank God that she isn't a picky eater, which makes lunch prep a breeze. I wanted her lunches to be special which made me curious about how I could go about it. With a little bit of Googling I found Bento lunch making and thought I'd give it a try.

Supplies

Lunch box

Vegetable cutter

Bento picks

Nori cutter

Nori/Seaweed

Egg Moulds

Mini Baking Cups(silicone)

The list could go on...You can find a lot of these supplies on Amazon.com.

Today's bento lunch was a turkey sandwich with a Cinderella theme. I followed the template from http://family.go.com/food/recipe-996743-cinderella-bento-box-t/. Then I just added some cut cucumbers, flower carrots and strawberries and a little treat-Hershey Kiss to make it extra sweet.

Fried Plantain in Spring Roll Wraps

2012-09-06T09:53:00.003-07:00

A very simple dessert taught to me by my dear friend of 20 years "T". We visited her a couple weeks ago and was surprised to eat this very scrumptious snack. It is very similar to the Kerala snack "Ethakkappam"- ripe plantains dipped in a batter of flour and cardamon and then fried to perfection. This however is from Thailand-fried banana in spring roll wrapper.Your everyday bananas are transformed into a heavenly delight - crispy on the outside, warm and melting on the inside. We substituted the yellow banana for the ripened yellow plantain(ethakka).

Ingredients

Spring roll wrapper(small)-1 packet of 50

Ripe Plantains-3 (sliced very thin)

Honey

Oil-for frying

Directions

1. Cut the plantains into thin slices. One plantain should give you about 12-15 slices.

2. Take the wrapper and place in the refrigerator for a few hours before working with them. They are extremely thin and tear easily. Place a wet towel over the unused sheets, so they don't dry out in the process of making them.

3. Take one sheet at a time and at the corner of the sheet place a slice of the plantain. Roll the ends a couple of times before folding in the sides and roll them shut. Put a dab of water on the end of the wrapper to help seal the fold.

4. Now in a shallow pan heat some oil and fry your plantains wraps. Once golden brown on the side flip and brown the other.

5. Once done drizzle with honey and enjoy warm.

*You can sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds if you want.

This snack is great for those rainy weekends we always seem to get! Happy Snacking :)

Salmon Burger

2012-07-17T18:11:00.000-07:00

Dinner is such a hassle these days. With the kids home all day, I get very little time to plan out our dinners, prep and cook. I usually think about dinner at around 5pm when the hubby is almost back home from work and I somehow scrape something together. Today I thought of trying a salmon burger. After all the weekend cookouts, we had a lot of left over chicken and sausages, using that in another dish would have been a better idea. But I was kind of tired of eating all this meat and that's why I thought to take the seafood route for dinner. I tried Paula Deen's Salmon Burger recipe from www.foodnetwork.com. But I did tweak it to my taste.

Ingredients

Salmon-1 lb(cleaned and cut into small chunks)

Garlic-1 cloves minced

Peppers-1/2 cup (diced-red/yellow/orange)

Panko-1/2 cup (Japanese bread crumbs)

Lemon juice- 1/2 tsp

Soy sauce- 1/2 tbsp

Salt-1/4 tsp(Lawry's Garlic salt)

Egg-1/2 (beaten)

Directions

1.Combine the salmon, garlic, peppers and panko in a medium bowl.

2.Next add the beaten egg, soy sauce, lemon juice and salt and fold this into the salmon mixture. I also added some black pepper.

3.Form into 4 patties and refrigerate for at least an hour.

4.Heat the grill to 400 degrees and grill for 5-6 minutes or till it's done to your liking.

5. Toast some buns on the grill in the last minute of cooking and serve with lettuce and tomato and seasoned mayo.

6.To make the mayo-I added soy sauce,oyster sauce and toasted caraway seeds and mixed well. Spread an even layer on each half of the bun.

7.For some heat I garnished with jalapenos too! Served it with a side of potato chips and a pickle. A cold beer would be good too. :) Happy Grilling!!!

Cake Pops

2012-07-12T13:46:00.001-07:00

It is summer birthday season at home. My first born has a July birthday and second child an August birthday, so we usually have one big celebration somewhere in between. A lot of thought goes into the planning of these parties. Unlike my husband who thinks planning a party just requires a tray of biriyani and some liquor.LOL!!!I LOVE PARTY PLANNING!!! This year we are going to have it at an Indoor Moon bounce Place, but I wanted to make it special so I decided to try and make some 'Cake Pops" to add to the favor boxes. When I looked online I needed to get a mold (molds cost anywhere from $10 and up) to begin with and then you have to bake the cake pops before getting started, that's when I stumbled upon a blog for easy and simple baking. They use Munchkins or Doughnut Holes instead. I tried dipping these in frosting and chocolate chips but they didn't coat them well enough but Candy Melts along with some oil/butter gave me the correct consistency to coat the cake pops. These desserts are very sweet so get your "sweet tooth" ready! Decorating them is the fun part for kids and adults alike!

Ingredients
Munchkins( from Dunkin Doughnuts)-25
Wilton 8" lollipop sticks-25
Wilton Candy Melts-1 bag
Oil/Butter-1 tsp
Sprinkles
Styorofoam
(Once done and candy hardened you can individually wrap these cake pops and tie with ribbon to make them look pretty)

Directions
1.Melt the candy melts according to direction on the back. Add some oil/butter till the consistency is nice and smooth.

2.Take all the lollipop sticks and dip the end of the stick in some candy and refrigerate them for a minute or two till it hardens.

3.Next take each cake and roll them in the melted candy melt till coated evenly. Shake off the excess candy and decorate with sprinkles before placing them upright in styrofoam. (You can see mine are done in Pink and Purple the fav colors of my girls!)

4.After they cake pops have set and candy is hardened, bag them in individual treat bags and tie with ribbon.

5.They can be made a couple of days in advance. Make sure not to refrigerate them because they will cause condensation.

Hint-You can also get Wilton's treat bags from Michaels or A.C Moore along with some fancy ribbon to jazz them up.

Mango Pie

2012-07-04T07:45:00.001-07:00

I first had Mango Pie when I was working in a Mental Health facility in Detroit. We would have regular potlucks and the Indian psychiatrist Dr. L brought in these yummy mouth watering pies. When I heard "pie" I thought of maybe sliced mangoes in between light flaky pastry, but I was mistaken, this was more similar to a cheesecake. When I asked Dr. L for it's recipe she was more than happy to give it to me and hinted to me that was the easiest to make and was a no bake recipe too. It's been a while since I made this, have a Fourth of July BBQ to go to today and I thought why not make some! This time round I added some crushed cardamon for extra flavor. You don't need to if you don't like the taste!

Ingredients
Mango puree-30 oz(Deep Alphonsa Mango Puree)
Cream Cheese(Philadelphia-make sure it's at room temp)-8 oz
Cool Whip-8 oz tub
Unflavored Gelatin(Knox)-2 packets
Condensed Milk-1 can
Cardamon-2
Graham cracker pie crust(Keebler)-3

Directions
1.No need to preheat the oven. :) Take the cream cheese and using a hand mixer blend till smooth.

2.Add the mango puree and condensed milk and blend for a few minutes till you have a smooth mixture. Also powder 2 cardamons without the skins and add. Mix well.

3.Next take the two packets of gelatin and add 1/4 cup cold water and mix well. Then add a little less than 1/4 boiling hot water and mix till there are no lumps. Add this gelatin mixture to the mango mixture and blend again for a couple of minutes.

4.Next take the Cool Whip and fold the entire contents slowly. Don't use the blender,just fold it in with a spatula.

5.Once everything is well incorporated you can equally divide the mixture into the three pie crusts.

6.Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

You can slice the pie and serve each slice with some cool whip for some extra flavor. Happy Cooking!

Trivandrum Chicken Fry

2012-06-20T16:41:00.001-07:00

For all of you from Kottayam, you got to remember "Trivandrum Chicken Corner" near Logos Center at the end of that little strip mall. Back in the 90s that was the place for the yummiest fried chicken. The smell from that restaurant would draw you in. I been there a couple of times, not the best of ambiance for casual dining,but who cares, right? The chicken there tasted awesome! So I recently came upon this recipe from "Vanitha" by Late Mrs. K.M Mathew (Founder Chief Editor of Vanitha) couple months ago. Tried it out today, came out well I think. Try it out and let me know.

Ingredients
Chicken -2 lbs(I used drumsticks)
Chilly powder-2 heaping tsp
Shallots-10
Ginger/Garlic paste-2 tsp (the recipe called for fresh garlic and ginger, I was out of it)
Lemon juice-Juice from 1/2 lemon
Fennel seed-2 tsp(crushed)
Salt-as needed(I used Lawry's Garlic Salt)
Coconut oil

Directions
1.Clean and wash the chicken. Put slits in the chicken(three on each side) for the marinade to absorb into the meat.

2.Next take the shallots and crush them in a pestle and mortar and add the remaining ingredients except the oil into a dish and prepare a thick marinade.

3.Check the seasoning and add salt if necessary before covering the chicken pieces in the marinade. Coat evenly and refrigerate in the fridge for 4 hours or even longer.

4.Heat a deep pan with coconut oil and shallow fry the pieces in batches.

5.Serve hot with chappathi, onion and lemon on the side.

Strawberry Lemonade

2012-06-12T17:51:00.002-07:00

Its been a while since I added any posts. My mom is in town for the summer to spend time with the grand kids. Which means I'm busy! And now with school out and my kids running around driving me crazy giving them something to cool to drink always seems to calm them down at least for a little bit. :) I tried this Strawberry Lemonade on a whim-I told my family that this would either be a hit or a miss before serving it to them. And it was a Hit! Served at our BBQ party this past weekend and everyone seemed to love it too!

Ingredients
Minute Maid Lemonade Concentrate-1 can
Strawberries-1 cup
Sugar-3/4 tbsp
Water-1/4 cup
Ice

Method
1.In a blender add about 3/4 cup of the strawberries(along with a splash of water) to make a puree.

2.In a large pitcher add the frozen lemonade concentrate and prepare as instructed. It's usually about 4 1/3 cans of cold water. Mix well.

3.Heat the sugar and water to make a syrup and let cook before adding this to the lemonade. Add the strawberry puree and mix everything well.

4.Next slice the remainder of the strawberries and add them to mixture along with ice.

5.Taste before serving chilled. You can add less or more of the syrup according to your taste

Tonight's Dinner

Pallappam,Egg Roast and Strawberry Lemonade for the Hubby

Nadan Egg Roast

2012-06-12T15:41:00.003-07:00

Today's special for the hubby is Pallappam and Nadan Egg Roast. He loves egg dishes! So I decided to make an Egg Roast for dinner. This dish is a dry dish with no gravy. The more the onions the better because that is usually what everyone scoops out first.

Ingredients
Eggs-3
Onions-2(thinly sliced) *You can use more, I stop at 2 because of the tears*
Green chilly-2 (split)
Ginger-1/2 inch piece minced
Garlic-3 large cloves minced
Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Cilantro/Coriander leaves-for garnish
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Chilly powder-1 tsp
Coriander powder-1 tsp
Garam Masala-1/2 tsp(freshly ground)
Tomato-1 (cut lengthwise)
Salt-to season
Oil

Directions
1.In a non-stick pan heat about 3-4 tbsp oil and splatter some mustard seeds. Then add the onions,garlic,green chilly and ginger.
*Tip- Add a bit of salt too helps the onions saute faster.

2.Once they are sauteed and have a deep rich color(make sure not to burn) you can add the masalas and cook them well. Make sure you cook them long enough so as to lose the raw taste and smell.

3.Now add the tomatoes and curry leaves. Saute this for a good 5-7 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked through as well.

4.In a separate pan boil water and cook the eggs for 5 minutes to get the perfect hard boiled egg.
*Tip-Adding a bit of salt to the boiling water before adding the eggs makes the peeling of the shell easier.

5.Once the shells of the eggs are removed you can split them lengthwise and add them to the masala mixture.

6.Garnish with some coriander leaves for the final touch.

Spicy Lamb Curry

2012-06-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

Lamb was a favorite in my household growing up. My dad had a special recipe where he used Black Elaichi (black cardamon) which gave a North Indian flare to the dish. He did his BEd in Rajasthan, India, where he learned to make this and other North Indian dishes. This heavily spiced dish pairs well with chappathis. This is a spicy dish and not for the faint at heart.

Ingredients
Lamb-1/2lb
Black elaichi- 2 crushed
Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Cloves-4
Black peppercorns(whole)-10
Cardamon-4
Onion-2 (sliced)
Tomato-1 small quartered
Potato(medium)-1 diced into 1 inch pieces
Garlic-6 cloves (sliced)
Ginger- 1 inch piece ( sliced)
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder-2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Coriander(cilantro) leaves-a bunch
Oil
Salt

Directions
1.Cut the lamb into one inch pieces and wash well under cold running water. Place in a colander to drain.

2.In a pressure cooker heat about 5 tbsp of oil. Add the cumin seeds to splatter then add the black elaichi, cardamon, black peppercorns and cloves.

3.Once the spices release their aroma you can saute the onions along with the ginger and garlic.

4.You can next make a paste with the chilly powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder with a little bit of water. Add this to the onions once they are a golden color and the oil has separated.

5.Mix the spice paste in well and saute till the raw smell is gone. This will take a good 10 minutes on a medium flame.

6.Next add the diced tomatoes and saute till oil separates from the mixture before adding the lamb pieces and potato. Season with salt at this point.

7.Cover the lamb and potato with the masala and place the lid on the pressure cooker.

8.Cook till you hear three whistles and let is rest till all the pressure is released.

9.If the curry seems dry you can heat it again and add half a cup of hot water and let it boil. Add the coriander leaves and mix well. Garnish with some more coriander leaves.

Bon Apetit! Enjoy with hot chappathis or rice!!!

2012-06-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

Strawberry-Watermelon Cooler
Been a while since I posted any new posts. Been busy with kids and the tons of "End of the Year" activities.I am going to make up for it all with several new posts. It has been unbelievably hot here so I thought I would start off with a cool drink recipe.
Watermelon is a summer staple. And for every BBQ party in the US, watermelon is a must have and you always end up with leftovers and lots of it too. Had some leftover from the weekend BBQ and wasn't sure what to do with it all. So I decided to make some watermelon juice. So I go to the fridge to get the watermelon and find a handful of strawberries. Ah why not let's add that too! So I come up with this easy to make and very satisfying Strawberry-Watermelon Cooler.

Ingredients
Watermelon chunks-4 cups
Strawberries-1 cup
Honey-4 tbsp
Lemon juice-2 tbsp

Directions
1. Add the watermelon chunks in a blender and puree it. Remember you don't need to add any water. Pour into a pitcher.

2.Next add the strawberries and make a puree. You might need to add a couple teaspoons of water to get everything properly blended and mixed.

3.Once you add the puree to the watermelon mixture, add the honey and lemon juice and stir with a wooden spoon.

4. Taste before serving. You can add more or less honey depending on your sweet tooth.

Always serve chilled! Happy Cooking!!!
*I have a Strawberry Lemonade recipe that I'll post soon too!!!*

2012-05-22T07:35:00.001-07:00

Pallappam(Crispy Laced Rice Pancakes)
Pallappam or any Appam to any Keralite for that matter is like bread to Americans. It is light and crispy pancake made from rice flour and made in special pan giving it a concave-like shape with laced sides. In many Christian homes, pallappam makes an appearance on religious holidays, Christmas and Easter gatherings wouldn't be complete without it!
This recipe was taught to me by my mother's dearest friend "Sherlyaunty" who I must say is an Excellent Cook!
*To all those amateur cooks this is the easiest recipe to follow and takes less than 10 minutes to prepare the batter.

Ingredients

Rice flour- 1 1/2 cup
Coconut milk-1 can
Rava (Semolina)-1 tbsp
Yeast-1/4 tsp
Sugar-a pinch
Water-4 tbsp
Lukewarm water-1/8 cup(for the yeast)
Salt

Directions
1.In a non-stick pan add the 4 tbsp water and rava on a medium heat and cook. In a couple of minutes you will have a thick consistency, now take it off the flame. This helps to thicken the batter.

2.Also in a small dish add yeast to some lukewarm water and sugar to proof the yeast.

3.Next in a blender add the rice flour,coconut milk (add water to the emptied can and add 3/4 of it too), thickened rava and proofed yeast. Blend it all together for 5 minutes till you get a smooth batter.

4.Pour into a large container as the batter will rise in a few hours.

5.In about 4-5 hours the batter will have risen,at this point you can season with salt and some sugar too. Mix well. You are now ready to make pallappams.

6.Heat your "Pallappachatti" on medium heat. *Note if you overheat the pan your pallappams will be runny and not stick. Also if your batter is too thick, you can add some whole milk to loosen the consistency.

7.Pour about 2 ladles of the batter in the pan depending on size and move the pan is a circular motion to get the desired size and shape. Cover and wait at least 5 minutes before checking for readiness.

8.When the appam pulls from the sides and has a hint of golden color on the bottom, it's ready. Enjoy with any 'nadan' vegetarian or non vegetarian dish. I paired it with vegetable stew.

2012-05-21T17:19:00.002-07:00

Shrimp(Chemeen) Masala Fry Skewers
Shrimp aka Chemeen is a delicacy to most Keralites. It is very common to make them into a curry based dish in none other than coconut milk or how you would make fish curry with red chilly powder and tamarind. This however is a spicy marinaded shrimp fry on skewers, a dish that you can indulge once in a while! I wanted to come up with a dish that tasted like the shrimp fry you would get in toddy shops back in Kerala. "Karimpumkala" is my favorite toddy shop, not that I'm an alcoholic or anything, just letting you know. LOL!"Extra spicy and hot that you have tears running down your face" was want I wanted this dish to be. Crazy huh??? Try it and see for yourself....

Ingredients
For Marinade
Shrimp-1lb(deveined and cleaned under running water,tail left on)
Chilly powder-2 tsp
Turmeric-1/2tsp
Garam masala powder-1 tsp
Black pepper-1 tsp(crushed fine)
Lemon juice-from an entire medium sized lemon
Salt (I use Lawry's Garlic Salt)

Coconut oil
Curry leaves-4 sprigs
Shallots-10(thinly sliced)
Bamboo skewers (soak them in water for 10 min or else they will burn)

Directions
1. Make a paste with the chilly powder,turmeric powder,garam masala,black pepper powder,salt and lemon juice.

2.Coat the shrimp in this marinade and keep it aside covered in the refrigerator for a few hours. The longer the better!

3.Now take the soaked bamboo skewers and thread 4-5 shrimp on each skewer.

4.Once all the shrimp are on skewers you can heat up a shallow non-stick pan pour some coconut oil and after oil has heated through place 3-4 skewers at a time in the pan making sure they are not over crowded.

5.Shrimp cook relatively quick. After a few minutes ,check to see if the under side is browning up,if so you can flip the skewers over and brown and cook the other side. I'd say about 5 minutes on each side.

6.Once all the skewers of shrimp are done you can put the sliced shallots and curry leaves into the remaining of the masala that you used for the shrimp and get them all coated well.

7.Fry them up at the end. Sauteing them in the coconut oil will give the dish an extra burst of flavor especially being coated in that spicy marinade too! Don't forget those fried up masala bits on the bottom.YUMMY!!!

8.Serve this on top of the skewers.
ENJOY while they are hot! This is a great starter especially with any hard liquor or cocktail. Trust me you will need something ice cold to wash this down with.

I advise you to make this dish in a well ventilated kitchen. All that masala and oil will make your smoke detector go berserk! *Also deveining of shrimp is very important before cooking it in any dish. I remove both the sand vein(the one along the outer side) and the blood vein which runs along on the inner side and rinse it under cold running water before marinating.

2012-05-21T10:46:00.000-07:00

Vegetable Stew
This is not like the american crock pot stew, this is the Malayali version. Those chunky pieces of veggies simmered in just a handful of whole spices and coconut milk. Yum. I guess you have been seeing a pattern in my blog,lots of dishes with 'coconut milk'. What can I say coconut milk is a must have in most Kerala dishes. You can substitute with whole milk if you want, but for that rich flavor you got to add the coconut milk. "Pallappam" is something that pairs well with the vegetable stew. Crispy laced pancake made with rice flour and 'yes' again coconut milk,can soak up all goodness of this mouth watering stew.

Ingredients
Potatoes-3 larges (peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces)
Carrots-2 (peeled and diced)
Green Beans-1/2 lb (washed and diced)
Onion-1 large (sliced)
Garlic- 8 cloves (thinly sliced)
Ginger-1 inch piece (thinly sliced)
Green chilly-4/5 (sliced)
Curry leaves-3 sprigs
Whole black pepper-1/2 tbsp
Cinnamon stick-1
Cardamon-1/2 tsp
Cloves-1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp (only if you want)
Coconut milk-1 can
Shallots-3 (thinly sliced)
Oil /Coconut oil
Salt to taste

Directions
1.In a large pan heat some oil and then add the whole spices and wait for them to become fragrant. Be careful not to burn the spices.

2.Next you add the onions and saute them for a few minutes with a pinch of salt. Once it changes color(make sure they don't turn brown) add the sliced ginger,garlic and green chilly.

3.After a couple of minutes add the diced vegetables and and mix everything together. At this point if you want some color to the dish you can add the 1/4 tsp of turmeric. After 2-3 minutes you can add half the container of the coconut milk along with some milk to get it into a diluted consistency. In Kerala you would add the "randam pallu" the milk you get the second time round of squeezing the freshly grated coconut. The first being the "thalla pallu".

4.Once it boils lower the flame to a simmer. Cover for 10 minutes till the vegetables are cooked through.

5.Once cooked,add the remainder of the coconut milk and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

6.In a saucepan add some coconut oil and fry up the curry leaves and shallots and pour over the stew.

Voila Stew is Ready!This is a great brunch idea too!

Pallappam and Stew

2012-05-18T07:34:00.002-07:00

Asparagus Thoran

Asparagus is a low calorie and low in sodium vegetable. Here in the U.S asparagus is usually eaten steamed,roasted or sauteed. Being a Keralite we usually take any vegetable and make it into a thoran by adding grated coconut to it. That's how the asparagus thoran and broccoli thoran came into being.LOL. Any thoran goes well with rice or even chapattis. Only young asparagus shoots are eaten and when preparing it snap off the asparagus ends instead of cutting the end off. Hold an asparagus spear firmly and bend it until it breaks naturally.

Prep Time-10 minutes Actual Cook Time-10 minutes

Ingredients

Asparagus spears-1 lb (cleaned and diced small)

Onion-1 (finely diced)

Green chilly-1

Garlic-4 cloves

Curry leaves-1 sprig

Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp

Grated coconut-1/4 cup

Turmeric powder-a pinch

Oil

Salt to taste

Directions

1.In a non-stick pan take 1 tbsp of oil and splutter some mustard seeds.

2.Next add the diced onion,garlic,curry leaves and green chilly. Cook till the coconut browns a bit before adding the asparagus.

3.Mix everything together,then lower the flame to medium low and cover for 5 minutes

4.After 5 minutes life the cover, season with salt and check the readiness. You want the asparagus to still have a bite to it! Don't overcook it,you'll loose the firm texture of the asparagus.

Enjoy!!!

2012-05-17T16:19:00.001-07:00

Tuna Cutlet Balls
'Tuna cutlet' another childhood favorite of mine. The first dish I remember helping my mom make. I can say that this was the first recipe I ever learned. Whenever we had guests over this was definitely on our menu as an appetizer. Being a mom now and making this with my kids, brings back such fond memories. Cooking in the kitchen with kids requires time, patience and "extra clean up" but it so worth it. And I'm sure my girls will learn this recipe the same way I did. My cutlets are miniature golf ball size, way easier than patting them down to form that 'patty-like' shape(courtesy my parents). And I found it easier for little hands to pick up too. ;)

Prep Time-20 minutes Actual Cook Time-30minutes

Ingredients
Starkist/Chicken of the Sea Canned Tuna in water- 2 cans(12 oz)
Onion-1 (large-finely chopped)
Ginger-1/2 inch piece(finely chopped)
Curry leaves-1 spring(chopped)
Dried red chilly-2(finely chopped)
Potatoes-5
Bread crumbs-1 cup(I use Progresso Italian Breadcrumbs)
Eggs-2(beaten)
Oil-for frying
Salt and crushed black pepper-to taste

Directions
1.Cook the potatoes. You can put them skin on in a pot of boiling water for 8-10 minutes till cooked or use the "potato" option on a microwave and cook them. Any method would do,once cooked peel them and smash them using a fork.

2.Open the cans of tuna and drain all the liquid and set aside.

3.In a non-stick heat about 1 tbsp of oil and saute the onions,ginger,dried red chilly and curry leaves for a few minutes. Once the onions turn color you can add the tuna to the pan.

4.Cook all these together for a few minutes on medium heat. Make sure not to loose all the moisture of the mixture or else if it dries out it would be too hard to form the cutlets.

5.Now add this mixture to the smashed potatoes and mix together with hand or wooden spatula. Season well with salt and black pepper. Once formed and fried you won't be able to adjust the seasoning.

6.In a bowl add the two(2) beaten eggs and in another bowl add the breadcrumbs.

7.Now take your tuna mixture and form small golf ball size portions. You should approximately 40-42 cutlet balls.

8.Now take each ball dip in egg and then coat with bread crumbs. Use separate hands to dip in the egg and breadcrumbs to avoid getting your hands all messy.

9. Once all the cutlet balls are dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, you can heat oil in a wok with enough oil to cover the cutlets.

10.Drop the cutlet balls in batches. Once a slightly dark brown color you can scoop them out and place them on paper towels to drain the excess oil.

11.You can serve this with "Sarlas"-Kerala Onion salad and Ketchup or on its own.

Bon Apetit! :)