Stef's Tasty Treats 4 You !!

FRUIT CAKE

2012-01-06T05:55:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Maida – 150gm
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Eggs – 3
Sugar – 125gm + 25gm
Butter – 150gm
Dry fruits (black currant, cashew nut, tutti frutti etc) – altogether 100gm
Rum/wine – 100 ml
Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp
Nut-meg powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Soak fry fruits in Rum/wine. (You have to soak it for at least 24 hours or up to 2 weeks)
Sieve Maida and baking powder together 2 to 3 times well.
Prepare caramel (dark brown color) out of 25gm of sugar.
Pre heat oven (150 degree centigrade).
Spread butter paper on all sides of a cake tin and grease it with butter.
Powder remaining sugar and transfer it to a big bowl.
Add butter to it and mix very well with a hand blender.
When it becomes fluffy add eggs one by one and beat very well using blender.
Add the dark brown caramel, cinnamon and nut-meg powder to it and again mix well.
Now to this add Maida little by little and mix with a wooden spoon. (do not use mixer)
Mix well in same direction and then add the fry fruits along with the Rum to it.
Transfer the cake mixture into the greased cake tin,
Bake in oven for about 1 hour 30 minutes in 150 degree centigrade.
Take the cake out and pierce a fork in the center of the cake and if it comes out clean then it’s a good sign indicating cake is cooked well.

Note:

After putting Maida do not use hand blender.
After the cake batter is ready immediately keep it for baking.
Always stir the batter in same direction.
Always preheat the oven for 10mins
Do not open the oven door many times while baking.
After baking allow the cake to fully cool down in room temperature.

GREEN GRAM PALYA

2012-01-06T05:17:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Green gram – 1 cup (around 150 gm)
Water – 2.5 cups
Grated coconut – ½ cup to ¾ cup
Onion – 1 big
Garlic – 5 to 6 cloves
Green chili – 1 (optional)
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Dry chili flakes - 2 tsp (or chili powder – 2tsp)
Curry leaves – 3 to 4 sprigs
Oil – 2 to 3 tsp
Salt – for taste

Method:

Transfer green gram, water, sliced green chili, turmeric powder and sufficient salt to a cooker, close the lid and cook in medium flame. (Approx 4 to 5 whistles)
Ensure that green gram is cooked well. (It should not be smashed)
Keep a china dish (deep flat pan) on flame and add oil into it.
When oil gets heated up add finely chopped onions, finely chopped garlic and curry leaves and saute until it turns golden brown.
Now add chili flakes, and little salt and mix.
Immediately add cooked green gram and grated coconut and mix well.

Fish Coconut Masala (Meen Peera)

2012-01-04T00:58:00.001-08:00

Meen Peera is yet another traditional Keralite dish.This is usually made with small fish like Anchovies or smelt .But we can also prepare it with small Sardine or sole fish etc. This dish goes very well with steamed rice. All especially south Indians will love this dish.

Ingredients:

Fish – ½ kg (smelt, small Sardine, Anchovies, sole fish or any fish which is small in size can be used)
Grated coconut – ½ of a small coconut
Green chili – 6
Ginger – 1 inch piece
shallots – 6 (or 1 small onion)
Garlic – 4 cloves
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Chili powder – ¼ tsp
Mustard – 1 tsp
fish tamarind – 1 piece (or normal tamarind – 1 small gooseberry size)
Coconut oil – little
Salt – for taste

Method:

Cut ginger and onion into long slices. Soak fish tamarind or the normal tamarind in a small cup of water.
Crush grated coconut, garlic, cumin seeds and green chili together. (Put all these ingredients into a mixer and give two or three swirls)
Take a pan and add sliced onion, ginger, turmeric powder, salt, chili powder, tamarind with water, fish and another cup of water. Mix well and in medium flame cook for 8 mins. Add some more water if the added water is evaporated.
Then add the crushed coconut masala into it. Cook until the all the water is evaporated and the fish gets cooked completely.
Now in another pan heat some coconut oil and splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves.
Add this seasoning over the dish and serve with rice.

CHICKEN BROWN KURUMA

2012-01-03T22:41:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Chicken – 1 kg (cut into medium size pieces)
Onion – 2 medium + 1 small
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Garlic – 10 cloves
Green chili – 2
Tomato – 2 medium
Coconut – 1/2 medium size coconut (Grated)
Red dry chili – 10
Coriander seeds – 4 table spoon
Garam masala powder – 1tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – few
Coriander leaves – ½ bunch
Oil – 2 to 3 tblsp
Salt – for taste

Method:

Slice 2 medium size onion, green chili and tomato. Crush ginger and garlic together. Chop coriander leaves. Keep these things aside.
Take a pan and add ½ tsp oil into it. When oil gets heated add dry red chili and coriander seeds to it. Sauté until it’s roasted well. Transfer it to a plate.
In the same pan add another 1 tsp of oil and roast grated coconut until brown. Off the flame and add 1tsp garam masala powder to it and mix well.
Allow these 2 roasted ingredients to cool then grind it together into fine paste adding sufficient water.
Now in a pan add 2 tblsp oil and sauté onion, ginger garlic, green chili and tomato one by one.
Add turmeric powder, salt and chicken pieces to it and mix well.
Now add the above coconut chili coriander paste into it. Add coriander leaves and sufficient water. Close the lid and cook well.
Now take another small pan and add little oil into it. Add 1 small onion chopped and curry leaves. Sauté well and add this seasoning over the curry and serve.

SOYA CUTLET

2011-12-08T22:49:00.001-08:00

Here comes yet another vegetarian dish made out of soya.

It takes time to prepare Cutlet, but its worth the effort once you savour it and experience the taste :)

Non veggies can use chicken or any other kind of meat instead of soya. The process is same. Cook chicken or meat well and start from step 7 of the below recipe.

Ingredients:

Soya chunks – 100 gm
Potato – 3 medium
Onion – 1 big
Green chili – 2 to 3
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Ginger Garlic paste – 2 tsp
Curry leaves or coriander leaves – little
Red Chili powder – 3 tsp + 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Garam masala powder – 1 to 1.5 tsp
Oil – for frying
Salt – for taste

Method:

Soak soya chunks in hot water for 5 mins. (Water should not be boiling hot)
Wash it with normal water and properly squeeze the water out.
Now shred the soya chunks well with hand. (Do not use mixer)
Put 3 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp ginger garlic paste and sufficient salt to it and mix well.
Pour little water into a cooker and add 3 potatoes to it and allow the potatoes to get cooked. It may require almost 3 whistle.
Now peel the skin of the cooked potatoes and smash it with a fork and keep aside.
Pour little oil into a nonstick pan and roast the marinated soya chunks.
Transfer it to a plate and in the same pan add little oil and sauté finely chopped onion, ginger, green chili and curry leaves.
Add chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, little salt and mix well.
Now add the roasted soya chunks and smashed potatoes and mix well.
Off the flame and allow it to cool.
Then mix it well with hand and make big lemon size balls out of it and press little in the middle and shape the sides. (Check the picture for the shape)
Now take a flat plate and break 1 egg to it and beat well. (Vegetarians can use 2 table spoon corn- flour or maida mixed with 1/2 glass water)
Take another flat plate and spread Rusk crumbs or Bread crumbs to it.
Now dip both sides of the cutlet in egg or maida mixture and roll it with the rusk or bread crumz. Do this with all the cutlets and arrange in a plate
Take a flat pan and pour some oil into it. When its hot add the cutlets to it and shallow fry both the sides in medium flame.
Serve hot with tomato sauce.

Tips on preparing Bread/Rusk crumbs:

Just store the odds and ends of bread in a plastic bag in the freezer until ready to make your homemade bread crumbs. Bring it to the room temperature and whirl in a mixer until desired coarseness.
If you are using rusk then directly powder it. (Do not use roasted rusk for this)
Ensure the bread or rusk crumbs doesn’t turn into a very fine powder because it will get burnt as soon as you put it into hot oil.

BANANA PODI

2011-12-07T05:34:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

Banana – ½ kg
Maida – 1 cup
Rice flour – 1 cup
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Salt – for taste
Oil – for frying

Preparation:

Cut banana into half by length.
Slice it into 2 or 3 pieces depending on the thickness of the banana.
Prepare batter by mixing maida, rice flour, salt and turmeric powder.
Batter should be thick enough to coat the banana slices.
Heat sufficient amount of oil in pan. (Ensure its very hot)
Dip the banana in the batter and deep fry in oil.

SPECIAL EGG OMLET

2011-12-07T00:45:00.001-08:00

The omelette is commonly thought to have originated in the Ancient Near East. This dish is thought to have travelled to Western Europe via the Middle East and North Africa.
According to the founding legend of the annual giant Easter omelette of Bessières, Haute-Garonne, when Napoleon Bonaparte and his army were traveling through southern France, they decided to rest for the night near the town of Bessières. Napoleon feasted on an omelette prepared by a local innkeeper that was such a culinary delight that he ordered the townspeople to gather all the eggs in the village and to prepare a huge omelette for his army the next day.

On March 19, 1994, the largest omelette (128.5 m²; 1,383 ft²) in the world at the time was made with 160,000 eggs in Yokohama, Japan, but it was subsequently overtaken by an omelette made by the Lung Association in Brockville Memorial Centre, Ontario, Canada on May 11, 2002 — it weighed 2.95 tonnes (2,950 kg).

Ingredients:

Egg – 4 or 5 nos
Onion – 1 big
Tomato – 1 big
Green Chili – 1
Ginger – 1/2 inch piece
Curry Leaves – 2 trig
Chili Powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
Red chili flakes – ½ tsp (optional)
Garam masala powder – ¼ tsp
Oil – 2 tblsp
Salt – for taste

Preparation:

Finely chop onion, ginger, tomato, green chili and curry leaves.
Take a nonstick pan and add little oil into it. Add all the above chopped ingredients and sauté well until the raw taste goes.
Add chili powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder and little salt to it.
Sauté for some time and off the flame.
Now break the eggs and transfer it to a bowl. Add sufficient salt and beat well.
Now add the above prepared masala to it and mix well.
Now prepare omelets out of it and serve hot.

SOYA KABAB

2011-12-01T04:08:00.001-08:00

This is a very easy vegetarian dish which can be used as a snack/starter/side dish. It is prepared out of soya chunks. Soya beans are considered as a source of complete protein. Consumption of soya may also reduce the risk of colon cancer.
While preparing this dish ensure that you fry the soya just before having it. Else we will loose its crispiness and it may turn soft.

Ingredients :

Soya chunks – 100gm
Ginger Garlic Paste – 3 tsp
Pepper Crushed – 1 tsp
Chili Powder – 2 to 3 tsp
Curds – 2 tablespoon
Corn flour – 2 tablespoon (or maida)
Oil – for frying
Salt – for taste

Method:

Soak Soya chunks in hot water for about 10mins. It will turn double of its original size.
Now wash it with water at room temperature.
Squeeze the water fully out of it.
Take a bowl and add chili powder, pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, curds, salt and corn flour to it. Taste the masala and add more chili powder or salt if needed.
Now add the soya chunks to it and mix well. The masala should spread evenly over all the pieces.
Keep the marinated soya chunks aside for atleast 15mins
Heat oil in a flat non-stick pan.
Spread the soya chunks in the pan and ensure that all the pieces touch the base of the pan.
Keep in medium flame and when one side is cooked turn it upside down. Cook all the sides evenly until its crispy
Same way fry the rest of the marinated soya chunks. Serve hot.

CHILI CHICKEN

2011-11-23T03:36:00.001-08:00

Today I want to share the recipe of Chili Chicken which is a favorite dish of Indians as well as Chinese.

Indian Chinese cuisine is the adaptation of Chinese seasoning and cooking techniques to Indian tastes. It is said to have been developed by the small Chinese community that has lived in Kolkata for over a century. It is also enjoyed by Indian and Chinese communities in Malaysia, Singapore, Alford and North America.

Ingredients :

Chicken – 1 kg (Cut into small pieces)
Capsicum - 1 big
Onion – 2 big
Tomato – 2 big
Spring onion – 1 bunch
Green chili – 1
Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 tsp + 2 tsp
Pepper Crushed – 1 tsp + ½ tsp
Chili Powder – 1 tsp + 1 tblsp
Corn flour –1 tblsp + 1 tblsp (Maida is a substitute for corn flour)
Tomato Sauce – 2-3 tblsp
Soya Sauce – 1 tblsp
Red Chili Sauce – 1 tblsp (Optional)
Oil – 2 table spoon + for frying
Sugar – ½ tsp
Salt – for taste

Method:

Marinate chicken pieces with 1 tblsp red chili powder, ½ tsp pepper powder, 2 tsp ginger garlic paste and sufficient salt.
There are 2 options now. Either you can fry it in any refined oil or if you can cook it adding little water.
Then to make the gravy place a nonstick pan on the flame and pour little oil into it.
When oil gets heated up, add the Onions diced (Cut into big square shape), Capsicums diced.
Add ginger garlic paste into it and sauté for about 3mins.
Now add the diced tomatoes and half of the chopped spring onions
Immediately add chili powder, salt, all the 3 sauces and sauté for few mins.
Now add the chicken pieces to it. i.e; either fried or just cooked.
If you want the dish to be dry then you can serve at this stage by decorating it with the remaining chopped spring onions.
Else if you need gravy then add 1cup of boiling water into it and allow it to boil.
Mean while take 1tblsp of corn flour (Maida is another option) and mix it well with 1/4th cup of water (ensure that there are no lumps formed). Add it to the curry and mix well. This is to thicken the gravy.
Add ½ tsp of sugar and ½ tsp pepper powder into it.
When the gravy is thick enough remove it from the flame and decorate it with chopped spring onions. (Though Coriander leaves gives slightly a Indian flavor we can use it if we do not have spring onions)

SIMPLE GRILLED CHICKEN

2011-11-21T03:17:00.001-08:00

Friends... :) Am back after a break with a new recipe "Grilled Chicken".Its very simple to prepare and easy on your taste buds. Do not miss it :)

Ingredients:

Chicken – 10 to 12 medium sized pieces
Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 to 1.5 tsp
Lime Juice – 2 tsp
Red Chili powder – 3/4th tsp
Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
Pepper powder –1/2 tsp
Red food colour - half of a pinch (only if required)
Oil – 1 tblsp
Salt – for taste

Method:

Prick all over the chicken pieces with the help of a fork
Mix all the above ingredients well and marinate the chicken pieces. Keep it aside for a minimum of 30mins.
Set the oven in grill mode and cook for about 20 to 30 mins. Turn the chicken pieces upside down after 10 to 15 mins of grilling. (Grilling time may vary based on the oven)
Garnish with onion rings mixed with lime juice and salt.

SPICY PRAWNS MASALA

2011-10-28T01:56:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Spicy Prawns Masala

Prawns – ¼ kg
Onion – 1 big
Ginger – 1 small piece
Garlic – 6 cloves
Tomato – 1 big
Tomato sauce – 1 tblsp
Red Chili powder – 1.5 to 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Pepper powder – ¼ tsp
Oil – 2 tblsp
Chopped Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
Salt – for taste

Preparation:

Chop onion, tomato and green chili into small pieces.
Crush ginger and garlic.
Keep a Kadai on the flame and 2 tblsp oil into it
Now add ginger, garlic, onions and sauté well
Add chili powder, turmeric powder and mix well and add chopped tomato and sauté well for about 5mins.
Now add prawns and sufficient salt into it.
Close the lid and cook for about 8 to 10mins until prawns gets cooked.
Now add tomato sauce.
Add pepper powder to it, mix well and cook for another 2 or 3 mins.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

CHILI FLAKES SAUCY CHICKEN

2011-10-21T05:56:00.000-07:00

This is another new tasty dish which I cooked up.

Ingredients:

Chicken – 1 kg
Onion – 2 Medium
Sambar Onion (Tiny purple onions) – 10nos (If its not available then 1 small onion can be used)
Dry Red Chili – 6 to 8 nos
Garlic – 8 cloves
Tomato Sauce – 3 tblsp
Chili Powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
Coriander Leaves chopped – ½ cup
Oil –3 tblsp
Salt – for taste

Preparation:

Crush 6 to 8 dry chilies and 10 sambar onions in a mixer and keep aside.
Cut chicken into medium sized pieces, add chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and little water to it.
Cook until chicken is 3/4th cooked and remove it from the stove with little gravy remaining in it. (Do not allow water to get absorbed fully)
Keep a pan on the flame. Add oil into it.
Add chopped garlic, chopped onion, little salt and sauté well.
Then add crushed red chilies and sambar onions to it. Sauté well until the raw taste goes.
Now add tomato sauce and mix well.
Immediately add cooked chicken with the gravy and mix well.
Close the lid and allow the chicken to get cooked completely
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

PUTTUM KADALEM

2011-10-18T02:58:00.000-07:00

Puttum Kadalem is a very famous and very tasty breakfast of Kerala. Putt is normaly had with with red channa curry or banana. Anywaz it goes well even with pappad, chicken curry or any curry which you like. Here I’m providing you the recipe for Puttu along with Kadala curry (red channa curry)

Puttum Kadalem

The process looks complicated but actually it’s very quick and easy to prepare. The main thing here is the consistency of the rice flour should come perfect. When you are trying it for the 1st time it’s better to take the help of someone who has done it before but then I have tried my best to provide detailed steps and all the guidelines to prepare it.

You need a gadget called Puttu Maker to prepare this. But you can always you a clean coconut shell and a cooker as a substitute. The puttu which is prepared using coconut shell is known as chiratta putt. (Chiratta in Malayalam means coconut shell)

Puttu Maker

Coconut shell in cooker

Now lets move on to the recipe..

PUTT

Ingredients:

Rice flour – ½ kg (Roasted)
Grated coconut – 1 cup
Salt – for taste
Water – as required

Method

1.Mixing the Rice flour:

Mix about 2 cups of water with sufficient salt and keep aside.
Take a big flat bowl. Transfer the rice powder (roasted) to it.
Sprinkle salt water to the rice flour and mix it with fingers.
Mix it slowly so that it won't roll into small lumps. Break any lumps which forms during mixing.
Spray water little by little. ( Please note that to mix a cup of rice flour, one may not need more than 1/5th of a cup of water)
The consistency of the rice flour should be like the Rice powder should not be dry but wet enough for steaming (but unlike chapatti dough or batter for dosa).

2.Steaming:

Take Puttu Maker or Cleaned coconut shell
This puttu maker has a sieve at the bottom and if you are using coconut shell then we can make a small hole at the bottom.
Place a very thin layer of grated coconut at the bottom of the putt maker or coconut shell
Fill the moist rice powder up to 1/3rd of the Puttu maker. Then again spread a thin layer of grated coconut. Then again add same amount of rice flour then again spread grated coconut. Repeat the filling process thrice; which means you will have 3 portions of rice flour separated by grated coconut. And the top layer will be of grated coconut. (do not press the flour while filling)
If you are doing with coconut shell the fill a thin layer of grated coconut at the bottom of the shell then fill the rest with rice flour then again the top most part with grated coconut.
Steam it on for about 5 mins. If you are using coconut shell then 3 mins will be enough for it to get cooked.
After 5 mins reduce the flame, remove the putt maker and push the putt from behind the putt maker to a plate slowly without breaking the puttu. From coconut shell you can directly transfer it to a plate but putting the shell upside down over the plate.
Then again repeat the process with the rest of the flour and grated coconut.

Note:

Important : Do not apply pressure while filling the flour in puttu maker or coconut shell. The filling should be loosely packed inside the puttumaker. Else the steam will not pass through it
While placing the puttu maker or coconut shell filled with rice flour on the steamer, ensure that the water is boiling well.
After removing the puttu maker from steam do not keep it for long, transfer it soon to the plate.

KADALA CURRY (Red Channa Curry)

Ingredients:

Red channa (kabuli kadale) – 200gm
Onion – 1 Medium
Tomato – 1 Big
Green chili – 2
Grated Coconut – 1 cup
Garlic – 3 cloves
Chili powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 2tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp
Oil – 1 tblsp
Mustard – ½ tsp
Red chili – 2 nos
Curry leaves – 2 trig
Salt – for taste

Method:

Roast grated coconut in little oil until golden brown and off the flame.
Immediately add coriander, chili, garam masala and turmeric powder and mix well
Grind the above into fine paste when it cools down
Soak Channa(Red) in water over night or for about 6 hours
Transfer Channa into a cooker and add chopped onion, chili, tomato, salt, turmeric powder and water.
Give it about 6 whistle
When it cools down open the lid and add the coconut paste and sufficient water.
Keep it again on the flame and boil for 5mins
Check the salt at this stage.
Now heat little oil and splutter mustard seeds. Then add curry leaves to it.
Pour this seasoning over the curry and serve.

MORU KAACHIYADH

2011-10-17T04:38:00.000-07:00

This is yet another cuisine from Kerala. If I translate the name of this dish to English it would sound like Seasoned Curds. It is a curry made out of Curds. The below recipe is the basic form of the curry. You can add vegetables like 'Ash Gourd' or 'Elephants Foot' or 'Raw Banana' and make different varieties.

Ingredients

Curds – ½ liter (ensure its not very sour)
Grated coconut – 1/2 cup
Green chili – 5nos
Chili powder – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Onion – 1 small
Ginger – 1 small piece
Garlic – 3 cloves
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp
Curry leaves – few
Mustard - little
Red chili – 2 nos
Oil – 2 table spoon
Salt – for taste

Method:

Cut Onion, green chili and ginger into thin long slices.
Grind coconut, cumin seeds and garlic together into a very fine paste.
Keep a Kadai on the flame and 1 tblsp oil into it.
Add mustard and fenugreek seeds into it. After it splatters add red chili and curry leaves into it.
Also add onion, green chili and ginger and sauté well until its light brown in colour.
Add chili powder and turmeric powder to it and mix well.
Immediately add coconut paste into it and mix well and then add ½ glass of water & sufficient salt to it.
Note: At this stage you can add any 1 vegetable specified above and allow it to get cooked fully. Add sufficient water for the vegetable to get cooked.
Beat curds well in a mixer with ½ glass of water and keep aside.
When the curry boils reduce the flame and add the beaten curds to it and mix well.
When it gets heated and off the flame. (Do not allow it to boil)
Check the salt at this stage.
Now heat little oil and splutter mustard seeds. Then add curry leaves and red chilies to it.
Pour this seasoning over the curry and serve.

CHICKEN SIXER

2011-10-17T04:07:00.001-07:00

This is a very simple yet very tasty chicken dish which needs minimum number of ingredients. The main taste of this dish comes from the green chilies and curry leaves you add. Its very easy to prepare this when there are less ingredients at home and less time to cook.

Chicken Sixer

Ingredients:

Chicken – 1 kg
Green chili – 5 to 7
Chili Powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – half bunch or more than that
Coconut Oil – 2 table spoon
Salt – for taste

Preparation:

Cut chicken into medium sized pieces and add chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and very little water to it.
Cook until chicken is 3/4^th cooked and all the water content gets evaporated.
Take a nonstick pan and add oil into it. Add curry leaves and green chilies and sauté well.
Now add the cooked chicken and roast until it turns golden brown.

CHICKEN PIRALAN

2011-10-17T04:07:00.000-07:00

This is another yummy dish from Kerala. This dish is very simple to prepare because there is no much steps to follow, we mix all the ingredients together at the beginning and then just cook well.

Chicken Piralan

Ingredients:

1. Chicken – 1.5 kg

2. Onion finely sliced – 3 big

3. Green Chili sliced– 4

4. Garlic (crushed) – 15cloves

5. Ginger (crushed) – 1 inch piece

6. Curry Leaves – 2 trig

7. Chili Powder – 1.5 tsp

8. Coriander Powder – 3 tsp

9. Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp

10. Garam Masala Powder – 1tsp

11. Coconut Oil – 2 to 3 tblsp

12. Salt – for taste

Preparation:

Transfer onions, chili, ginger, garlic and curry leaves to a Kadai.
Add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, salt and oil into it.
Mix all the ingredients very well. (Its better to mix with hand)
Then add chicken into it and mix very well.
Keep it aside for at least 15 mins.
Now keep the Kadai on the stove and cook the chicken in medium flame.

Note: (No need to add water while cooking. Close the Kadai with a lid while cooking. Open the lid and stir the chicken once in a while. At the end chicken should get completely cooked and masala should cover the chicken pieces.)

Capsicum Chinese chili

2011-09-30T04:27:00.000-07:00

This Dish was an experiment by my mom. And trust me its delicious :)

Ingredients :

Capsicum - 3 big
Onion – 3 big
Tomato – 2 big
Spring onion – 1 bunch
Green chili – 1
Ginger Garlic Paste – 3 tsp
Pepper Crushed – 1 tsp
Chili Powder – ½ tsp
Tomato Sauce – 2-3 table spoons
Soya Sauce – 1 table spoon
Chili Sauce – 1 table spoon (Optional)
Red food colour – 1 small pinch (Optional)
Oil – 2 table spoon
Salt – for taste

Preparation:

Place a Kadai on the flame and pour oil into it.
When oil gets heated up, add the Onions diced (Cut into big square shape), Capsicums diced and chopped green chili.
Add ginger garlic paste into it and sauté for about 3mins.
Now add the diced tomatoes and half of the chopped spring onions
Immediately add chili powder, pepper powder, salt, all the 3 sauces and food colour and saute for few mins.
If you want the dish to be dry then you can serve at this stage by decorating it with the remaining chopped spring onions.
Else if you need gravy then add 1/2 cup of water into it and allow it to boil.
Mean while take 1-2 tsp of corn flour (Maida is another option) and mix it well with 1/4th cup of water (ensure that there are no lumps formed). Add it to the Kadai and mix well.
This is to thicken the gravy. When the gravy is thick enough remove it from the flame and decorate it with chopped spring onions. (If spring onions are not available then Coriander leaves can be used)

Unniappam

2011-09-30T04:03:00.000-07:00

Unniappam is a very famous Kerala snack. In malayalam unni means small and appam means rice cake. Its a sweet dish which is specially prepared during Onam. This snack is served as prasadha in many temples.

We need 'Unniappa chatty', a special kind of kadai which gives the round shapes to unniappams. But don't worry, you can use even a normal kadai. Even if the shape doesn't turn up as expected the taste will not change.

Unniappam

Unniappa kadai

Ingredients:

Rice flour- 2 cups (or 1 cup of maida and 1 cup of sooji rava)
Well ripped Bananas – 5-6 small (Avoid the bananas which are used to make banana podi)
Jaggery – 2 big pieces
Salt – a pinch
Cooking soda - a pinch
Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp
Black sesame seeds – 1- 2 tsp
Coconut sliced into thin pieces – 1/4th of a cup
Oil - for frying
Ghee – 2 tbsp

Method:

Heat grated jaggery and 1/4cup of water in a vessel. Stir well until jagarey gets dissolved completely and keep it aside.
Roast the coconut pieces in 2 tsp of ghee till it become light brown in colour. Off the flame and add sesame seeds into it. Keep it aside.
Grind banana into a fine paste in a mixer. Add rice flour, jaggery syrup, cooking soda, cardamom powder and a pinch of salt into the same mixer and blend well.
Now transfer it to a vessel and add fried coconut pieces and sesame seeds.
The batter should be as thick as the idly batter. Taste the batter and if you want it to be sweeter add some sugar and mix well till it dissolves.
Keep it aside for about 15mins.

Frying process:

Heat oil in a ‘unniappa kadai’.
Pour oil into each pit covering half of it.
When oil is very hot, reduce the flame and fill 3/4th of each hole with the batter.
Turn them around when 1 side is cooked.
Remove and drain the unniappams when they are golden brown.

Note: If it’s a normal kadai then pour oil, then take dough in a spoon and put it to the hot oil. If the kadai is big at a time you can prepare 5 to 8 appams.

Pineapple Pachadi (Pineapple Curry)

2011-09-30T01:11:00.000-07:00

Pineapple Pachadi

Ingredients:
1. Ripe Pineapple – 1 medium size.
2. Grated coconut – 1 cup
3. Mustard – ½ tsp
4. Curds – ½ liter or 1 cup (ensure its not very sour)
5. Salt – for taste
6. Sugar – 1 to 2 tsp if necessary
7. Chili powder – 1 tsp
8. Green Chillies – 3 small ones
9. Finely Chopped Ginger – 1 tsp
10. Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

For Seasoning:
1. Oil – 1 tbsp
2. Mustard Seeds – 1/4 tsp
3. Dry Red Chillies – 4
4. Curry Leaves – A sprig

Method:

Remove the skin and pines of the Pineapple. Chop the yellow pineapple flesh finely.
Transfer it to a vessel and add chili powder, salt, turmeric powder, chopped green chilies, ginger, sufficient water and cook well.
Grind coconut and mustard seeds together into a very fine paste. (Be careful with the amount of mustard seeds you grind. If you grind a more then the taste may get ruined.)
When the pineapple is cooked add the coconut paste into it. (You can adjust the consistency of the dish by increasing or decreasing the water content in the coconut paste.)
Again cook for another 5 mins till the raw taste of coconut goes.
Reduce the flame and add beaten curds to it, mix well and off the flame.
Check the taste at this stage. Add little sugar if required. (If the Pineapple is very sweet then no need of adding extra sugar)
Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds and sauté dry red chilies and curry leaves for a few minutes.
Pour seasoning over the Pineapple Pachadi.
Serve with rice.

Bhel Puri Chat

2011-09-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

Bhel Puri Chat

Step 1 : Preparation of Tamarind Sauce

1. Take tamarind of a big lemon size and put it in half cup of warm water for some time and squeeze the juice.
2. Keep a pan in the flame and add 1/4th cup of water into it.
3. When water boils add 5 table spoon of sugar into it.
4. When the sugar is dissolved completely add the tamarind juice into it and boil well.
5. Add ½ tsp of chat masala powder and boiled for some more time till it thickness.
6. Taste the sauce and balance the taste by adding more sugar or more tamarind juice if needed.

Step 2 : Preparation of Green Peas masala

1. Soak little green peas in water for few hours.
2. Take a cooker and add some chopped onions, some chopped tomatoes, green peas, little chopped coriander leaves, 1 tsp chat masala and sufficient salt.
3. Cook till green peas turns soft

Step 3 : Mixing Procedure

1. Take a big bowl and add little chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, chopped coriander leaves, little green peas masala, and little chili powder and a pinch of chat masala.
2. Now add sufficient quantity of Puffed rice and mix well.
3. Pour some tamarind sauce over it and again mix well.
4. Transfer it into a serving plate and evenly spread Sev over it.
5. Sprinkle a little more tamarind sauce and decorate it with chopped onions and coriander leaves

Chinese Bhel

2011-09-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

Chinese Bhel

Step 1 : Preparation of noodles:

Take water in a big vessel and allow it to boil.
Now add sufficient salt and 1 table spoon oil into it.
Add around 200gm of noodles into it. Boil till the noodles get cooked.
Then drain the water and pour cold water over it. Again drain well till the noodles get dry.
Now heat oil in a Kadai and deep fry the noodles little by little until its crispy.

Step 2 : Preparation of Tamrind Sauce:

Take tamarind of a big lemon size and put it in half cup of warm water for sometime and squeeze the juice.
Keep a pan in the flame and add 1/4th cup of water into it.
When water boils add 5 table spoon of sugar into it.
When the sugar is dissolved completely add the tamarind juice into it and boil well.
Add ½ tsp of chat masala powder and boiled for some more time till it thickness.
Taste the sauce and balance the taste by adding more sugar or more tamarind juice if needed.

Step 3 : Preparation of Green Peas masala:

Soak little green peas in water for few hours.
Take a cooker and add some chopped onions, some chopped tomatoes, green peas, little chopped coriander leaves, 1 tsp chat masala and sufficient salt.
Cook till green peas turns soft

Step 4 : Mixing Procedure:

Take a big bowl and add little chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, chopped coriander leaves, little green peas masala, and little chili powder and a pinch of chat masala.
Now crush the fried noodles, add into it and mix well.
Pour sufficient tamarind sauce over it and again mix well.
Transfer it into a serving plate and evenly spread Sev over it.
Sprinkle a little more tamarind sauce and decorate it with chopped onions and coriander leaves

Charmuri Chat

2011-09-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Charmuri Chat

Puffed rice – 150 - 200gm
Onion chopped – 1 Medium
Tomato chopped – 1 big
Carrot grated – 1 small
Beetroot grated – ½ of a small
Coriander leaves chopped – little
Raw mango grated – little
Ground nuts – 50gm
Lime – 1 small
Chili powder – ½ tsp - 1 tsp
Sambar Powder – 1 tsp
Coconut oil – 1 table spoon
Salt – for taste

Method:

Take a big bowl and add onions, carrot, beetroot, mango, tomato and coriander leaves to it.
Now add chili powder, sambar powder, salt , lime juice and mix well
Add oil and ground nuts into it and again mix well
At this stage check the taste and add more masalas or adjust the salt if needed.
At last just before serving add the puffed rice little by little and mix well.
Add only sufficient amount of puffed rice and ensure that the masala covers the puffed rice well.
Decorate with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Pulinji

2011-09-07T06:50:00.000-07:00

Pulinji or Injipuli is a must side dish in onasadhya. Inji means Ginger and Puli means sour taste. So ginger and tamarind are the main ingredient of this dish. It can be preserved for about a month and can be used like pickle or chutney.Including injpuli in a heavy meal will help in digestion.

Ingredients:

Ginger – 200gm

Green Chili – 2 nos (sliced)

Tamarind – Lemon Size

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Chili Powder – 1/4 tsp

Asafetida - 1/4 tsp

Fenugreek powder – 2 pinches

Jaggery – 1 to 2 table spoon (Grated)

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Whole Dry Red Chili – 1

Curry leaves - Few

Coconut Oil – 3 to 4 table spoon

Preparation:

1. Grate the ginger finely. Squeeze the juice and keep it separate.

2. Heat coconut oil in a pan and roast the grated ginger till crisp.

3. Grind it in a mixer (Do not turn it into fine paste, one spin would be fine).

4. Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil and splutter mustard seeds and Sauté chopped red chilies and curry leaves for a minute and keep aside.

5. Now add 1 more tbsp of oil and add green chilies to it and sauté for about a minute.

6. Reduce the flame fully and add chili powder, turmeric powder, asafetida powder and fenugreek powder and mix well.

7. Immediately add ginger juice and tamarind water to it. Then added grated jaggery.

8. Add sufficient salt and boil till the liquid becomes very thick.

9. Now add fried ginger paste, to it. Boil for few more minutes.

10. Garnish with roasted mustard seeds and red chilies.

Note: If it is too spicy adjust by adding some more grated jaggery

Chocolate Cherry Delight

2011-09-04T23:56:00.000-07:00

This is a special kind of cake which can be prepared without cooking. Specially dedicated to Chocolate lovers !!

Chocolate Cherry Delight

Ingredients for Base:

Marie biscuit – 15 no

Butter -50 gms

Milk maid – as needed

Coco powder – 1 tea spoon

Powdered sugar – 1 table spoon

Ingredients for Choco cream:

Coco powder – 2 tea spoon

Powdered sugar – 1 table spoon

Milk maid – 2 to 3 table spoon

Butter - 50gms

Steps:

1. Crush the biscuits well with hand. Do not use a mixer.

2. Beat powdered sugar and butter in a boul.

3. Mix coco powder and biscuit powder well and add it to the bowl and mix everything well.

4. Add the milk maid spoon by spoon and set the base, shape it with a mold of your choice.

5. Refrigerate it for 10 min.

6. Prepare the cream by mixing all the ingredients in the order Butter, powdered sugar, coco powder, milk maid.

7. Spread the cream evenly over the base.

8. Refrigerate again for another 10 or 15 mins.

9. Decorate the cake with grated milky bar and cherry.

Mango Chutney

2011-09-02T05:58:00.000-07:00

Raw Mango chutney is a very common and simple dish of kerala. Its a very nice combination with rice and Congee.

Ingredients :

Sour green mango : 1 small mango

Grated coconut : 5 table spoon

Green chilies : 1 or 2 (depending on how spicy u want it to be)

Ginger : 1 small piece

Salt : for taste

Curry leaves : 5-6 leaves

Preparation:

Grind all the above ingredients except curry leaves using a mixer or grinding stone. Do not grind it to very fine paste. If necessary add 3 table spoon of water while grinding. Now garnish with chopped curry leaves.

Note: You can use red chili powder or chili flakes instead of green chilies