Curry Koottukal

Easy Vegetable Macaroni/ Pasta

2012-06-07T19:42:00.000+04:00

Pasta/Macaroni – 1 cup (I used the bent shaped macaroni)

Onion (sliced) – 1

Peas – ¼ cup

Carrot (cubed) – 1

Mayonnaise – 2 tbsp

Pepper powder – ¼ tsp (use it as per your spice level)

Chili flakes – ½ tsp

Garlic (minced) - 3

Salt to taste

Extra-virgin Olive Oil

Preparation:

Cook the macaroni/pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the excess water.

Heat the oil in a wok/pan over medium heat. Add the chili flakes and sauté it for a few seconds. Add the minced garlic and sliced onion and sauté until it turns light brown. Add peas and carrot into it and sauté it for 5 min.

Add the cooked macaroni, pepper powder and mayonnaise into it and mix well. Serve it hot.

Cook’s Notes:

1. While cooking add a little salt and a tsp. of oil, which will make the pasta non-sticky.

Chettinad Chicken Curry

2012-05-14T20:53:00.001+04:00

Ingredients:

Chicken – 1 kg (cut into medium sized pieces-makes 12-14 pieces)

Sliced Onion – 2

Tomato – 3

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Kashmiri Chili powder – 1 tsp

Chopped Ginger – 1 tsp

Chopped Garlic – 1tsp

Curd – 3 tsp

Curry leaves – a few

Oil

Water as required

To fry and grind:

Red chilies – 6-8

Jeera – 1 tsp

Fennel Seeds/Perinjeerakam – 1 tsp

Poppy Seeds – 2 tsp

Cardomom – 5

Clove – 4

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Coriander seeds – 1- ½ tsp

Grated Coconut – 1 cup

Preparation:

Marinate the chicken pieces with curd, turmeric powder and salt and keep it aside for atleast 1 hr. If you are in a hurry, refrigerate the mixture for atleast 45 min.

Heat oil in a pan and add the ingredients given under the section ‘To fry and grind’ in the same order. Finally add grated coconut and fry it until golden brown. Grind it into a smooth paste with ½ cup water when the mixture cools off.

Heat oil in a kadai and then add ginger and garlic, and sauté it for a minute. Then add sliced onion and sauté it until it turns golden brown. Add curry leaves and the ground paste, stir it for 2 minutes. Add chili powder and salt mix it well and then add sliced tomato. Cover the kadai and cook for 5 minutes. Add the marinated chicken, again cover and cook for 30-35 minutes. Add water, only if required(I didn’t add water).

Uncover the kadai and cook until the gravy gets thick and the desired consistency.

Serve it hot with Roti/Rice.

Pazham Pori/ Ethakka Appam/Banana Fritters

2012-05-08T17:05:00.001+04:00

Pazham Pori is a popular Kerala snack made with Nendrapazham/Ethapazham. The list of recipes which we can make with Nendrapazham is endless J Pazham Pori won’t taste good with any other type of banana. The preparation is quite simple and the result is mouthwatering.

Ingredients:

Nendrapazham/Ripe Banana – 4(the more ripe it is, the better)

Maida/All Purpose Flour – 1 cup

Rice powder – 2 tsp (to make the coating crispier)

Sugar – 4 tsp(adjust it according to the sweetness of banana)

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Salt - a pinch

Baking powder - a pinch(optional – I didn’t use it)

Water - to prepare the batter

Coconut Oil for frying

Preparation:

Peel the skin off and slice the banana lengthwise into 4 pieces, or you can also cut the banana into 2 halves and then slice it lengthwise. Mix all the remaining ingredients except oil to make the batter. The batter should be smooth without lumps and should have a medium consistency.

Heat the oil in a wok/frying pan. Dip the banana pieces in the batter and slide it into the oil. Fry both sides until it is crispy. Serve hot with a cup of tea.

Unniyappam/ Small Rice Cakes in Kerala Style

2012-04-25T20:47:00.000+04:00

Unniyappam, a very popular sweet snack needs no introduction among Keralites. It is made in a special mould called unniyappa chatti, which gives it that particular shape.

Makes 35-40 appams

Ingredients:

Raw Rice Powder – ½ kg/500 gms

Jaggery/sharkara – 300 gms(slightly more than ¼ kg)

Palayankodan Pazham(ripe) - 3

Black Sesame – 3 tsp

Coconut bits/ Thenga kothu – 5-6 tbsp

Cardomom powder – ¾ tsp

Water – for making a medium thick batter

Salt a pinch

Ghee/Coconut Oil for frying

Preparation:

Melt jaggery with 1 cup water and strain it to remove the impurities. Fry the sesame seeds in a pan(without oil) and wash it very well. Fry the coconut bits/thenga kothu as well and keep it aside. Puree the bananas in the mixie.

Mix all the ingredients except Oil/ghee to make a thick batter. Add water if necessary. Mix it very well with hands. Batter consistency must be almost like idli batter. Keep the batter overnight or a minimum of 6 hrs.

Heat Unniyappa chatti and fill Oil/ghee in each mould. Pour the batter upto ¾ th level. Fry it in medium heat and flip it to the other side when one side is cooked. Remove it from heat when both sides are golden brown. Drain it on a paper towel and serve warm.

Veggie Wheat Dosa/ Vegetable Gothambu Dosa/Nutritious Dosa

2012-03-26T19:33:00.004+04:00

Wheat/Gothambu dosa is an easy nutritious breakfast that can be prepared in a short time. When vegetables are mixed with that, it adds up the nutritional value.

Serves – 2

Preparation time – 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Wheat flour/Atta – 1 cup

Onion – 1(small)

Carrot – 1 (small)

Ginger (finely chopped) – a small piece

Green chilies (finely chopped) – 2

Coriander leaves (finely chopped) – 2 strands

Salt to taste

Water to prepare the batter

Ghee/Oil to sprinkle

Preparation:

Prepare the batter by mixing all the ingredients except ghee/oil with required water. Heat the tawa/pan pour a spoon (tawi) full of batter and spread evenly. Sprinkle a little ghee/oil on the top. Cook both the sides for 2 minutes. Serve it with Nadan coconut chammanthi.

Semiya Upma/Vermicelli Upma

2012-03-22T18:42:00.001+04:00

This is a very simple breakfast which even a beginner in cooking can do with confidence.

You can add veggies(grated carrot, beans,peas etc) if you like to have it in your upma.

I love the plain version of it with sugar/ketchup.

Ingredients:

Roasted Vermicelli/Semiya – 1 ½ cups

Onion finely chopped – 1

Ginger chopped/minced – a small piece

Green chilies sliced – 2

Curry leaves – a sprig

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Urad dal – ¼ tsp

Cashew nuts chopped – 10

Raisins – 10

Water – up to ½ cup

Grated Coconut(optional) - 4 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 3 tbsp

Preparation:

Heat oil in a wok/kadai and add mustard. Wait till it splutter, and then add urad dal. Fry cashew nuts and raisins and keep it aside. Add onion, green chilies and curry leaves and saute it until it becomes soft. This will take around 3 min.

Add water and wait till it boils. Add salt and roasted semiya into it while stirring constantly. Cover the kadai, reduce the heat to medium and cook it for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, stir it and wait till the water is all absorbed.

Add coconut and mix well. Turn off heat and garnish it with roasted nuts and raisins.Serve hot with pickle/sugar/ketchup.

Scrambled Egg in Kerala style/Scrambled Egg for Breakfast/Mutta chikkiyathu/Mutta Kothiporichathu

2012-03-22T16:58:00.001+04:00

This is one of the first recipe which anyone who takes their baby steps in cooking tries. However hard you try, it is difficult to spoil scrambled eggJ. Yet you can add varities to scrambled egg according to your creativity.

Serves - 2

Cooking time – 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Eggs – 4

Onions (finely chopped) – 1 large one

Green chilies (finely chopped) – 2

Pepper powder – a large pinch

Curry leaves – a sprig

Turmeric powder – a large pinch

Oil – 2 tbsp

Preparation:

Heat oil in a wok or nonstick pan. Add onion, green chilies and curry leaves , Saute it for 5 minutes. Add turmeric powder and mix well.

Add the beaten egg into it. Add salt and pepper powder and mix well. Stir it until the eggs are fully cooked and dry. Serve hot with bread/chapatti/rice.

Happy CookingJ

Chicken Fried with Bread Crumbs/ Crispy N Spicy Fried Chicken

2012-03-21T17:18:00.001+04:00

Ingredients:

Chicken – 500 g(medium pieces)

Pepper powder – 3 tsp

Kashmiri red chili powder/Paprika – 1 tsp

Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Egg – 1

Bread crumbs – 80g

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Preparation:

Clean the chicken pieces and marinate it with pepper powder, kashmiri red chili powder/paprika, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and salt and mix well. Keep it aside for 30 min so that it gets the flavor.

Heat oil in a pan. Dip each chicken piece in beaten egg and roll and press it in bread crumbs.

Slide it into the oil and deep fry. This may take 15-20 minutes.

Serve it with bun, garlic dip and tomato sauce.

Onion Cucumber Tomato Raita

2012-03-18T23:10:00.001+04:00

Ingredients:

Onion – 2(finely chopped)

Cucumber – 1(finely chopped)

Tomato – 1(finely chopped)

Jeera powder – a large pinch

Green chilies – 2(finely chopped)

Pepper powder – a large pinch

Red chili powder (optional) – a pinch

Coriander leaves(optional) to garnish

Curd – 1 ½ cup

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Whisk curd until it is smooth. Mix all the ingredients together and add the curd into it. Garnish with chili powder and coriander leaves.

Paneer Butter Masala/Paneer Makhani

2012-03-14T19:20:00.003+04:00

Ingredients:

Paneer cubes – 400g (I used Amul Paneer)

Fresh Cream – 5 tbsp

Onion chopped– 2 large

Tomato chopped – 4

Milk – ¾ cup

Green chilly - 1

Ginger garlic paste – 1 ½ tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Coriander powder – 2 tsp

Garam Masala – ¼ tsp

Kashmiri red chili powder – 1 tsp

Kasuri methi – 1 tsp

Cashew nut – 8

Golden Raisins/ Kismis – 8

Butter – 4 tbsp

Oil for frying

Preparation:

If you are using packed paneer(not fresh ones), soak it in salted hot water for 5 min. Add ½ tsp salt to hot water and soak paneer in it. This will make it soft and fresh. If you are using fresh paneer, cut it into small cubes.

Heat oil in a kadai/wok and fry paneer until it turns golden brown. Do it in 3 or 4 batches. Drain the fried paneer on kitchen towel.

Heat 1 tsp oil and 2 tsp butter in the kadai and add the cashew nuts into it. Stir for a minute and then add the raisins and fry it, then keep it aside.

Add the chopped onions and saute it for 5 min, so that it turns light brown. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala into it and saute it for 2 min. Now add the chopped tomatoes and stir well. Add salt into it, close it with a lid and cook for 5 min. Switch off the flame and ground it into a paste when it cools down.

Meanwhile, dry roast kasuri methi for a minute in a pan and keep it aside.

Again heat 2 tbsp butter in the kadai and add ginger garlic paste and saute it for 2 min. Add chilly powder and mix well. Add the grinded paste and milk into this and bring it into a boil. Crush the roasted kasuri methi using your palms. Add it into the boiling gravy and mix well.

Add the fried paneer cubes and 5 tsp. fresh cream into this and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and serve it with Chapati/Naan/Roti/Pulao.

Strawberry Milkshake

2012-03-12T13:35:00.001+04:00

I am not quite fond of Strawberries. But trust me, they are quite delicious and when combined with milk, makes a refreshing and energizing drink. Also, this fruit is wonderfully photogenic and I couldn’t stop clicking J.

Ingredients:

Strawberry – 10

Chilled milk – 2 cups

Sugar as needed

Ice cubes – 2 or 3

Preparation:

Put the chopped strawberries, milk, sugar and ice cubes in a blender/mixie jar.

Blend it until it is creamy and frothy. Serve it chilled.

Notes:
You can add a vanilla ice cream scoop for the extra creaminess. Children will definitely love it.

Malai Kofta in a White Creamy Gravy

2012-03-08T17:18:00.003+04:00

Malai Kofta is a rich creamy dish of Moghul origin which is usually prepared during special occasions. Deep fried vegetable balls are prepared and simmered in a special creamy sauce/curry and served along with rice and rotis/Naans (Indian flat bread).

Ingredients:

For koftas:
1 cup boiled mash potatoes

1 cup mash paneer

2 tablespoon minced cilantro (hara dhania)

1/2 teaspoon cumin seed (jeera)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 small finally chopped green chili

For Batter:

All-purpose flour/maida - 2 tablespoon

Water – 4 tbsp

For gravy:
Onions chopped - 2
Cashew nuts/Kaju – 8-10

Milk 1/2 cup

Cream 2-3 tbsp
Whole garam masala 1 tbsp
Green chily slits – 2 (optional)

Preparation:

For kofta:
Mix all the ingredients listed under ‘ for koftas’. Shape them into lime sized round balls.Mix all-purpose flour/maida with about 4 tbsp of water and mix well until batter is smooth and free of lumps.

Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. Dip the paneer balls in the batter one at a time and slowly drop into the frying pan. Turn them occasionally. Fry koftas until golden-brown all around.

For Gravy:
Cook the chopped onions with a little water and ground it into a thick paste without adding more than 2 tbsp water. Then, cook the cashew nuts with a little water and ground it in the mixie jar into a thick paste without adding water.
Heat oil in a kadai/wok and add whole garam masala. Then add boiled onion paste and cook till the oil separates. Add cashewnut paste and half a cup of water to make it a thick gravy. Cook for 5-6 minutes.
Add milk into it and mix well. You can add green chillies slits if you want to make the gravy a little spicy. Do remove the green chilly slits later. Once gravy is thick and well cooked, add cream.
Mix well and add fried koftas to the gravy and cook for a few minutes.

Suggested Combination: Roti/Naan/Rice

Mulappicha Cherupayar Thoran/Sprouted Green Gram Stir Fry/Mung Bean Thoran

2012-03-07T13:51:00.002+04:00

Sprouts are considered as wonder foods. They rank as the freshest and most nutritious of all vegetables available to the human diet.

How to sprout Cherupayar/ Green gram/ Mung beans?

To sprout Cherupayar/Gren gram/Mung beans, rinse 1 cup of dried beans very well, and then soak in 2-3 cups of water for 8-10 hrs. Then drain the water and place them in a cloth bag/cotton towel. Hang/store the bag/towel in a cool, well-ventilated place, out of direct sunlight. This will allows drainage and airflow.
Let them stand for 1-2 days. The mung beans will quickly sprout and will have a flavor. After 1-2 days, the beans should have sprouts of anywhere from half an inch to 1.5 inches in length.
Rinse the mung beans just before you start the cooking.

Mulappicha Cherupayar Thoran in a typical Kerala style.

Ingredients:

Mulappicha Cherupayar/Sprouted Green Gram – 1 cup

Onion chopped – 2

Garlic - 3 cloves

Grated coconut – ¼ cup

Green chilies – 4 slits

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Curry leaves – a sprig

Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp

Water – ¼ cup

Salt to taste

Coconut oil as required

Preparation:

Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add mustard seeds. Wait till it splutter and add the chopped onion, green chilly slits and curry leaves. Saute it till the onion turns light brown. Add grated coconut and stir in simmer for 5 mins. Add sprouted green gram, turmeric powder, salt and water.

Close the lid and cook for 10 mins. Stir in between, so that it won’t stick to the bottom of the kadai/pan. Keep the kadai open and cook a few more minutes(max 5 mins). Give it a stir in between.

Nadan Thenga Chammanthi/Thick Coconut Chutney

2012-03-07T00:02:00.001+04:00

I think Thenga Chammanthi is a perfect homely side dish which is a must accompaniment for dosa/idli. Most Keralites are so fond of dosa, so am I. I can have it even for lunch/dinner with this chammanthi which can be prepared in a few minutes. There are so many ways in which chammanthi can be prepared, and this is one way of preparationJ.

Ingredients:

Grated/Scraped Coconut – 1 cup (freshly scrapped coconut is the best)

Shallots/ Ulli/Pearl onions – 7

Ginger – a small piece

Green chilies – 2-3(as per your spice level)

Curry leaves – 4 leaves

Tamarind/Valan puli – small lime size

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Ground all the ingredients in the mixie jar without water. Make sure that everything is grinded properly. Chammanthi is meant to be prepared without adding water. Don’t add more than 2 tbsp water if it is not getting grounded.

Suggested Combination: Dosa/Idli/Rice/Kanji

Aloo Palak/Potato in Spinach gravy

2012-03-06T21:11:00.001+04:00

Ingredients:

Potato/Aloo – 2

Palak/Spinach – a bunch

Onion chopped - 2

Green chilies – 2

Jeera – ½ tsp

Red chili powder – ½ tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil as required

Preparation:

Pressure cook the potatoes and mash it into small cubes. Chop the palak/spinach and keep it aside. Heat oil in a wok/kadai and add chopped onion and green chilies. Saute for 3-4 mins or until the raw smell goes off. Add palak/spinach into it and stir for 2 mins. Switch off the flame and grind it when it cools down.

Add 1 tbsp oil in a kadai and add jeera and wait till it splutter. Add the grinded mixture and cubed potatoes into it.

Add chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt and cover it with a lid. Add water if needed and cook in simmer for 8-10 mins, for the potatoes to absorb the flavor. Serve hot with chapatis.

Eggless Vanilla Cake

2012-03-06T17:37:00.002+04:00

I’ve been looking for a simple cake recipe for quite some time. So when I came across this recipe I couldn’t wait myself. The result was quite perfect and delicious.

Ingredients:

Maida/All purpose flour – 1½ cups

Thick curd – 1 cup

Granulated sugar – ¾ cup

Baking soda – ½ tsp

Baking powder –1 ¼ tsp

Vanilla essence – 1½ tsp

Cooking oil – ½ cup (I used Sunflower oil)

Milk – 1 tbsp

Preparation:

Seive maida/ All-purpose flour twice and keep it aside. Take the curd in a bowl and add the granulated sugar into it and beat well using a whisk/beater until the sugar dissolves.

Add baking soda and baking powder into this and mix well and keep it aside for 5 mins. You can see bubbles appearing in this mixture. Add the vanilla essence and cooking oil and mix well.

Add maida into it slowly and beat well in between so that no lumps are formed. The mixture will thick and creamy.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Transfer the ingredients into a greased cake tin/loaf pan and bake it at 200°C for 10 mins. Reduce the temperature to 180°C and bake for 30-35 mins. It took 35 mins for me to bake it properly. Check if it is done properly by inserting a fork/tooth pick in the middle. Brush 1 tbsp milk on the top of the cake 10 mins before the baking ends to get a polished glaze.

Wait for 10-15 mins for the cake to cool down. Slice it and enjoy with a cup of tea J.

[Recipe Courtesy : Sharmis Passions]

Poori Masala/Poori Bhaji

2012-03-04T13:07:00.001+04:00

Poori Masala is a very simple, yet tasty Indian dish that will surely impress anyone. Poori is a deep fried wheat bread. Here comes the Poori Masala recipe :)

Ingredients:

For Poori

Wheat flour/Atta – 2 cup

Warm water – as required for making dough

Salt – a large pinch

Oil – 2 tbsp

Oil for frying

For Masala/Bhaji

Potatoes – 3

Onion – 2

Garlic chopped – 2

Green chilies finely chopped – 2

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Urad dal – ¼ tsp

Chana dal – ¼ tsp

Oil

Preparation:

To make Poori

Mix all the ingredients for making Poori except the oil for frying (2 tbsp oil is added to make the dough soft). Knead the dough for a few minutes so that the ingredients are evenly mixed. Keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into lemon sized balls. Dip it in wheat flour and roll out into a pancake shape using a rolling pin.

Heat the oil in a kadai/wok and slide the poori into the oil. Turn it to the other side quickly and take it out once both sides are fried properly. This won’t take more than 30 seconds. Drain it on paper towels. Serve warm with masala.

Tip: Don’t roll out Poori very thin, as it won’t come up properly while frying.

To make Masala

Peel the skin of the potatoes and pressure cook it in simmer for 3 whistles. Mash them well with the back of a spoon. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add urad dal and chana dal. Add chopped onion, curry leaves and green chilies. Saute till the raw smell goes off. Add turmeric powder and salt and stir well.

Add the mashed potatoes and stir well. If you need some gravy, you can add ¼ cup water at this stage. I love the dry version and hence I didn’t add water J. Simmer it and keep it closed for 5 minutes. Switch off the flame and serve warm with Pooris.

Kerala Style Egg Roast/ Mutta Roast

2012-03-01T14:41:00.001+04:00

Ingredients:

Hard-boiled egg – 4

Onion sliced – 3 or 4

Tomato sliced – 2

Ginger chopped – a small piece

Garlic chopped – a small piece

Green chilies – 4 slits

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp.

Kashmiri red chili powder – 1 tsp.

Coriander powder – 1 tbsp.(optional)

Garam Masala – ½ tsp.

Curry leaves – a sprig

Salt to taste

Oil as required

Preparation:

Remove the shells of the hard boiled eggs and cut each egg into 2 halves. Heat oil in a pan/wok and add the chopped ginger and garlic. Saute it for a minute and then add sliced onion, curry leaves and green chilies into it. Saute till the onion becomes brown in colour. This will take about 6-8 mins.

Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder and stir well. Add the sliced tomatoes and salt and cover it for 5 mins. The oil starts appearing at this stage. Add ¼ cup water if you need a thick gravy. If you want it completely dry, don’t add water.

Add the boiled egg halves and cook for 2 minutes. If you need more gravy add ½ cup coconut milk. This will add a coconut flavor to the curry.

Suggested Combination: Appam, Idiyappam, Puttu or Chapati

Ila ada/Ilayappam

2012-02-29T21:15:00.001+04:00

Ila Ada/Ilayapam, a traditional Kerala dish made with rice/wheat/ragi dough on banana leaves, makes a great breakfast or an evening snack.

Ingredients:

Roasted rice flour – 2 cups

Jaggery – 3 large cubes (4 to 5 if small)

Grated coconut – 1 cup

Cardamom powder – a large pinch

Ghee – 1 tsp.

Salt – a pinch

Warm water – for making the dough

Plantain/Banana leaves

Preparation:

Prepare the dough by adding warm water and salt to the rice flour. Knead it verywell to make it soft like chapati dough. Keep it for 15 mins.

By then let’s prepare the filling. Heat ¼ cup water in a kadai/wok and add jaggery into it and make a thick syrup. Add grated coconut into it and stir it till the filling is thick and non-watery. Add a pinch of cardamom powder and mix well.

Take a rectangular piece of banana leaf. Make a small ball from the dough. Flatten it on the banana leaf and spread it as thin as you can using your fingertips. Dip your fingertips in water if it is sticking. Put 2 tbsp. of filling into it and spread it on one half of the ada. Fold the leaf in half and fold the edges as well so that the filling won’t leak.

Do the same with rest of the dough and filling. Steam the ada in a steamer for 15-20 mins.

Check if it is done by peeling the leaf. If ada is sticking to the leaf, cook for a few more minutes.

Note: I used unakkalari flour for making ada.Instead you can use white rice flour also.

Chena Thoran/Yam Thoran

2012-02-29T14:09:00.001+04:00

Chena/Yam is an underground tuber which most of us don’t like to cook and eat. The fiber content in yam is naturally high and therefore, it is usually considered a slimming food, as it promotes weight loss and reduces the levels of cholesterol in the body.

Ingredients:

Chena/Yam - 250g(cut into small cubes)

Shallots/Pearl Onion/Ulli – 8 nos.

Grated coconut – 1/2 cup

Green chilies – 2 or 3 nos.

Garlic – 4 cloves

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp.

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp.

Salt to taste

Coconut oil as required

Preparation:

Heat oil in a kadai and splutter mustard seeds. Add the cubed chena/yam,turmeric powder and salt into it.Sprinkle 2 tbsp. of water and cover and cook it in low flame till it is done. This will take 10 mins. approximately.

Grind the grated coconut,shallots,garlic and green chillies into a coarse paste. Don’t add water while grinding.

Add the coarse mixture into the cooked Chena. Stir it very well and cook for a few more minutes till it looks non-sticky.

Tip: You can adjust the amount of coconut according to your like and preference.

Suggested Combination: Brown Rice

Kerala Kadala Curry(Varutharacha Curry)

2012-02-28T19:48:00.001+04:00

Ingredients:

Kadala/Black Chickpeas - 1 cup

Onion sliced – 2 nos.

Tomato chopped – 1(optional)

Ginger chopped – 1-1/2 tsp.

Garlic – 4-5 cloves

Green Chilies slits – 4 nos.

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp.

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Coconut oil as required

Salt to taste

To roast and grind into paste:

Grated Coconut – ½ cup

Shallots/Pearl Onion/Ulli sliced – 6 nos.

Coriander powder – 2 tsp.

Kashmiri Chili powder – 1 tsp.

Preparation:

Wash and soak kadala/black chickpeas overnight as it will save the cooking time. In a pressure cooker cook it adding turmeric powder, salt, ginger and garlic and water in medium heat.

Wait until 5-6 whistles. Drain excess water and save it for making the gravy.

Heat the pan with 1 tsp. oil.Fry the sliced shallots, sauté it for 2 mins. And then add . add the grated coconut. When it turns golden brown add the coriander powder and chili powder and switch it off. Grind it into a paste when it cools down.

In a kadai/wok heat some coconut oil.Add sliced onion,green chilies and curry leaves into it and saute until it turns light brown.Now add tomato into it and saute for 2 mins.

Now add the grinded masala and cooked kadala. Add the reserved water to adjust the gravy.Cook for a few more minutes until the gravy reaches the required consistency.

Suggested Combination: Puttu

For weight watchers: Serving Size: 1 (144 g) Calories: 452.6

Parippu Vada/Fried Lentil Fritters

2012-02-27T20:46:00.001+04:00

Parippu vada/Fried Lentil Fritters is a popular tea snack in Kerala.This snack can be made even with toor dal.Parippu Vada with a cup of hot tea in the evening makes such a yummy snack.

Ingredients:
Channa Dal - 250 g
Shallots - 10 nos.
Green Chilies - 2-3 nos.
Dry Red Chilies - 2 nos.
Ginger(chopped) - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - 10 nos.
Salt to taste
Coconut Oil for deep frying

Preparation:
Soak channa dal for 4 hrs.Without adding water grind it into a coarse paste.In the same way,grind the shallots,green chilies,red green chilies,ginger and curry leaves into a coarse mixture.Mix it with the dal mixture and add the required salt into it.Take a small amount of mixture into the palm and flatten it to a round shape.

Heat coconut oil in a kadai/frying pan.When the oil is hot,fry the vada on medium heat until both sides turns golden brown.Drain the excess oil with paper towel.

Suggested Combination: Hot tea

Vanpayar Mezhukkupuratti/Red Beans Mezhukkupuratti

2012-02-27T15:05:00.000+04:00

Red beans аrе a source οf vegetable protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin B, folasin, thiamine, calcium, phosphorus аnd iron.

Ingredients:

Vanpayar/Red beans - 1/2 cup

Shallots - 8-10 nos.

Garlic - 2-3 pods(optional)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.

Dry Red chilies - 3-4 nos.

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp.

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Soak Vanpayar/Red beans for 4 hrs. and pressure cook it with salt,turmeric powder and level water for 3-4 whistles.Grind the shallots,dry red chilies and garlic into a coarse mixture.Heat the coconut oil in a kadai/frying pan and add the coarse paste into it.Fry it till the raw smell goes and the mixture gets golden brown.Add the cooked beans into it and fry it for 5 minutes until it turns dry and crisp.

Suggested Combination: Serve with brown rice,curd and pickle.

Chemmeen Achar(Prawns Pickle)

2012-02-26T05:45:00.000+04:00

Ingredients:

To marinate:
Shrimps/Chemmeen - 500 g
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Kashmiri red chili powder - 1 tsp.
Salt to taste

To make paste:
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Kashmiri red chili powder - 2 tsp.
Vinegar - 2 tbsp.

To saute:
Ginger (sliced) - 2 tsp
Garlic(sliced) - 8 cloves
Green Chilies slit - 4 nos.
Mustard - 1 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Asafoetida - a large pinch
Curry leaves - 2 sprig
Vinegar - 2 tbsp.
Oil - for frying
Water - 1/2 cup
Nallenna/Gingelly Oil/Sesame oil - 5 tbsp
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Clean the prawns very well and marinate it with the ingreients listed above "To marinate".Keep it for some time and deep fry it in oil till the shrimps are light brown and well cooked.Drain on paper towel and keep it aside.

Pour 2 tbsp. of gingelly oil/nallenna/sesame oil into a kadai and add the mustard seeds.Wait till it splutter and then add fenugreek seeds.Add the sliced ginger,garlic,green chilies and curry leaves and saute it very well till the raw smell goes off.
Simmer the flame and add the paste prepared with the ingredients listed under "To make paste" and mix it well.Add 1/2 cup water and wait till the mixture thickens.Add in the fried shrimps and saute till well for a couple of minutes.Check the salt level and add if necessary.
After 4 hrs. add asafoetida and vinegar and mix it well.
Transfer it into an air tight glass jar or container and add the remaining gingelly oil/nallenna/sesame oil and keep it in room temperature for a week and then refrigerate it for future use.

This recipe is adapted from Sarah's Vazhayila with slight modifications in measurement.Also I couldn't try sundried version,hence omitted that step.

Prawns Curry(Prawns Varutharacha Curry)

2012-02-23T13:55:00.000+04:00

Ingredients:
Prawns(medium size) - 500gms.(20-25 nos.)
Shallots sliced - 10
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 4 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Kudampuli - 5
Curry leaves - 2 sprig
Salt
Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation:
Clean the prawns very well and add turmeric powder,kudampuli and salt.Add a little water and cook for 10 mins.Adjust the water level so that the cooked prawns is not too watery.The result will be as below:

Heat a kadai/frying pan and fry the coconut until it is brown and then add chilli powder and coriander powder and immediately switch it off.Wait till it cools down and then grind it very well with a little water.
Add this mixture into cooked prawns and allow it to boil for 5 mins.Switch it off.

Heat 2 tbsp coconut ol in a kadai and add sliced shallots and fry till till golden brown and add curry leaves into it.Pour this over the curry and close it immediately so that the aroma will be preserved fully.