MushroomChilli

 



















I was too lazy to do anything very ceremonial after the biriyani...wanted to vanish from kitchen soon...So made this quick mushroom chilli and some lightly spiced organic pasta...The day looks so dull and cloudy and I feel so morose...hw climate can change u'r moods!! I just feel like being silent for a while...So straight to the recipe without much banter!!

Ingredients:

Mushrooms-200g-chopped
Orange Bell pepper-1/2 chopped
Green chilli-4-chopped
Tomato Sauce-1 1/2 tbsp
Red chilli sauce-1 tbsp
Soya sauce-1 tbsp
Onion-1 large- chopped
Ginger--20g(pounded)
Garlic-25g(chopped thin)
Pepper powder-1 tsp
Salt-as reqd
Oil-as rqd
Coriander leaves-3 sprigs

Method:

Heat

Heat oil.Add onion.Saute it till it becomes transluscent and slightly browned.Add ginger,garlic,green chilli.Saute them till they become soft and give a fine aroma.Now add the sauces.Add mushroom.Saute them together till mushrooms becomes soft.Now add salt and pepper.Finally add the orange pepper.Saute for a couple of minutes and serve it hot with some chopped coriander leaves with some noodles or lightly spiced pasta. 

Malabar' Koyi 'Biriyani/Malabar Chicken Biryani

 




















Malabar Koyi Biriyani(as we malabaris fondly mispronounce the 'Kozhi' or chicken!)is perhaps one of the most loved,most common dish for all the Malabaris.Any celebration in Malabar would be incomplete without its Biriyani. If you ask me how different it is from other Biriyanis,I'm not so much an expert on the topic...I just know this is the way my mom cooked, this is the way our 'Mammadka'(our muslim chef for exclusive get togethers)cooked and this is how I have been cooking!!Well, of course each of us would have definitely added a little bit of our whims and fancies,but this dish has always topped our list of favourites .When I thought of sending an entry(though I cd not send it in time) for

Indira's

Independence day parade I could not remember anything better than this that could parade the flavours of Malabar,my home.

So here goes the recipe which many of my friends here had earlier requested:

Ingredients

Serves: Eight
Chicken - 1 kg
Basmati rice - 1 kg
Onion - 500 gm
Tomato-250g
Garlic - 50 gm
Ginger - 50 gm
Green chillies - 100 gm
Poppy seed/Khuskhus - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
Mint leaves - 1 small bunch
Fresh Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Curd - 1 cup
Juice of one lime
Ghee - 250 gm(You may mix oil,if u r health conscious)
Sliced cashew nuts - 20 gm
Raisins - 20 gm
Rose water - 2 tbsp(optional
Saffron - 1 gm(optional)
Biriyani masala - 2 tsp
Salt - as reqd
For frying chicken
Chillipowder-1tsp(optional)
Turmeric powder-1/2tsp(optional)
Salt-as reqd

Method:

Cut the Chicken into big pieces and wash.Make small gashes on the pieces.Marinate it with turmeric powder,chilli powder(optional) and salt and keep it aside.(You may fry the chicken pieces marinated with just salt too) Slice the onion very thin.

Heat a little ghee in a wok.Roast the cashews and raisins to a golden brown tinge and keep it aside.Now add half the onions and fry them to brownish texture(Almost caramalised look),strain off the ghee and keep it separate.In the same ghee shallow fry the marinated chicken pieces slightly.(This enhances the taste of the chicken, and moreover keeps the chicken pieces intact during the cooking process,especially when cooking large quantities).

Grind together green chillies, garlic, ginger and poppy seeds( poppy seeds should be soaked in water for 10 minutes) into a coarse paste. Heat a heavy-bottomed vessel. Add half of the ghee. Add half of the sliced onions and fry till they become transluscent.Add chopped tomatoes and then add garlic- ginger- chillies- poppy seed paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the curd,salt and lemonjuice.Now add the fried chicken pieces.When the chicken is half cooked, add chopped coriander leaves,mint leaves,curry leaves and the garam masala.(I generally grind them too,but not with ginger-garlic) Cook till the chicken is tender and the water, absorbed and the whole masala coats the pieces. Remove from the fire and keep it aside.

Clean the rice and drain it in a colander.Leave it for 10 minutes. Heat the remaining ghee in a vessel.Add the rice and sauté it for 4-5 minutes,till the grain becomes slightly soft on biting. Add double the quantity of hot water with salt added and cook till the rice is soft and the water is absorbed. Remove from the fire.


Now take a big mouthed vessel which has a proper lid.Layer the chicken pieces and masala.Put one layer of cooked rice on top of the chicken.Sprinkle a little garam masala powder, fried onions, cashew nuts, raisins and a little saffron mixed in rose water.(When saffron was not available,people generally used the food colour mixed in rose water, I have not added any for we dont like saffron and rosewater smell in the biriyani, so it is purely 'apna choice'!) Finish it off with two more layers of rice, garam masala, fried onions, cashew nuts and raisins. Cover with a heavy lid.Seal the lid with Maida. Place some embers of coconut husk on top and some below as well, and leave it for 15 minutes.This is the traditional 'Dum'.Since we cant afford to do this in our UK home or US home,jut place the dish in a hot oven(150 degree celsius) for about 15 minutes.Finally mix the biriyani carefully and serve it hot with boiled egg in the middle, and Onion Raita,Onion in Vinegar Salad(UlliSurka),Biriyani Chammanthi,Dates pickle and a Suleimani Tea as accompaniments, in the Malabari style!(I was in a hurry to send my post to Indira,my egg is half boiled and is delicately perched on the biriyani mountain and the presentation was honestly a mess,but taste compensated!!);)

Biriyani masala powder
Cinnamon - 2 gm
Cardamom - 1 gm
Cloves - 1 gm
Nutmeg - quarter
Fennelseed - half tsp
Cumin seed - half tsp
Shahjeera - half tsp
Mace - 2 gm

Dry these ingredients and make a fine powder and this can be stored in airtight containers.

Shaheen

has posted wonderful snaps of both Ulli Surka and Biriyani Chammanthi.

Ulli surka is all about mixing thinly chopped onions,green chilli and vinegar well and then adding some thinly sliced tomatoes to it.

 













Biryani chammanthi
Coconut - 1/2 cup(grated)
Green chilies-4
Ginger- 3/4 inch piece
Mint, coriander- a handful all together,
ThickYoghurt/Curd-1/2 cup
Salt (preferable sea salt)-1/2 tsp

Grind fresh grated coconut into a coarse paste.Add mint,coriander,ginger,and green chilli and salt.Just give a few whisks enough to grind the leaves..It should be a very coarse pasteFinally mix the ground paste with thick curd.For an alternate version pl check

BiriyaniChammanthi

Hyderabad Biriyani-a recent finding

 













Mixed Biryani-a medley of vegetables,meat& sea food
 















Vande Mataram


Happy Independence day to everybody!!

Yippee!! I too can bake!!

 


















It was a shame that I could not bake a cake from the scratch.... for my amma always made excellent cakes and biscuits at home even when an electric oven was a rarity in most homes in Kerala...Before she was gifted her first oven, she baked cakes on some specially made iron stands which were kept inside a pressure cooker...Seeing all her trouble, my father gifted her with the first oven, a huge round one with a glass top, from Johnson& Johnson!I dont think that product is still in the market...she still wipes and keeps it shining and it remains a silent witness in our kitchen, to many cooking sagas unfolded!! Anybody who comes to the kitchen is first curious to know abt this grand old lady in the kitchen ,and my mom still uses it to do the 'dum biriyani' etc for it is quite large in its capacity.

I have been drooling and watching all the awesome cakes,muffins,and cookies prepared by my fellow bloggers like archana,pushpa and several others.... and have always wanted to try....Did try too in my own way... but my eggs would never become fluffy and my cream never made any soft peaks...my cakes were very whimsical, either too soft hearted or too stone hearted!!Sometimes my cakes had to be served as cookies and at times my cookies were powdered in the mortar and pestle, as my teeth had no insurance!But I silently kept trying, whenever I gathered enough courage afted each casualty and this time, yippee!! I was successful enough to share my recipe with my fellow bloggers... So here is how I baked these small cuties,Raspberry Nut Muffins, shall I call?:

Ingredients:
Flour-200g
Sugar-75g
Raspberry-75g
Butter-50
egg-1, lightly beaten
vanilla Essence-1 tsp
Milk-1/2 cup
Baking powder-1/2 tsp
Baking soda-1/2 tsp
Nuts-50g(chopped

Method:

Whisk the butter and sugar till they become soft and creamy.Add the egg. Whisk softly and then add the vanilla essence. Give another whisk.Fold in the flour,baking soda and baking powder with milk and whisk together until smooth.Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease the muffin tray.Make a base of raspberry and nuts in each muffin base.Now pour about 1 1/2 tbsp batter into each muffin base.Bake at 180 C for nearly 30 minutes or until the muffins puff up and come out soft.(I kept on poking the poor muffins to find out whether they were ready!! But next time I wont disturb them much!!) Cool it on a wire rack and serve it with a blob of raspberry jam and a cup of coffee or tea!

This is quite a useful tip that

Archana

has given me regarding the flour, which has always been quite confusing with the multitude of names in the market...It might be useful for several uninitiated bakers..
"For baking cakes, the best results are obtained with " cake flour", which is a low gluten wheat flour( Lower the gluten, softer the cake). If you can't find cake flour, use " Pastry flour" which has a slightly higher gluten content than CF, but it is still very good. AllPurpose flour has intermediate gluten levels, so that is made to fit all different kinds of food preps, you can make a decent cake with it too. Self raising flour is premixed with baking powder ( usually 1 cup flour + 11/2 tsp bp). Use this flour if the recipe calls for it. Most of the time recipes call for different proportions between flour and bp, so it is good to have just the flour without any added leavening agents. Atleast in the US terminology, AP flour and Plain flour are the same. When you are making bread, use a high gluten flour like bread flour. You can make decent breads with AP flour too."

  













Cranberry Muffins
 

EethappazhamPayasam/Dates Pudding

  












According to the Arabic legends,"After God had finished moulding Man from earth, He took the remaining material and shaped it into a date palm which he placed in the Garden of Paradise(Eden)".Dates are indeed heavenly.It is considered to be one of the earliest fruits that existed on earth.Archaeologists have found out wild date seeds dating back to 50,000 yrs in some parts of Northern Iraq.

EdakkalCaves

in the Wayanad district of Kerala(in Malabar region) is believed to be the abode of Neolithic man.The cave is situated on an ancient route connecting the high ranges of Mysore to the port of Malabar.Interestingly the drawings at Edakkal depicts date palm trees as well.So perhaps Malabar's acquaintance with dates 'dates' back to centuries and might have come from the Arabic influence...

I remember dates was often an inevitable item in my mother's pantry...The shops flood with dates especially during the Ramzan season.My mom used to make several dishes out of dates when we were kids.Dates filled chicken roast,dates pickle,dates payasam etc....Malabar Biriyani was often served with accompaniments like date pickle(shall post some day),onion raita and a suleimani tea.Eethappazham payasam is again another childhood memory for me...A simple milk pudding with dates added...I have made it a little richer with a slight change in the ingredients that my mom used.So here is the recipe for Eethappazha payasam.

Ingredients:

Dates-100g(chopped0
Sago/Sabu dana-100g
Milk-1 1/2 cup
Condensed milk-100ml
Sugar-1 cup( or as u require)
Cardamom-1/2 tsp
Butter-25g
Raisins-20g
Cashewnuts-20g

Method:

Cook cleaned chopped dates along with sago and milk on slow fire until sago becomes soft and transluscent.Now add condensed milk and sugar and reduce it to the required consistency by cooking on slow fire.Add cardamom powder and mix well.Remove from the fire.Now heat butter in a small wok.When the butter has melted add raisins and cashew nut and roast them to a golden brown tinge.Add this seasoning to the payasam. Mix well and serve it hot or cold.Those who like the saffron flavour may add 2 strands of saffron as well.

ChemmeenMulakittathu&Kerala PrawnPepper Fry

 













Back home in Kerala for many of us the day begins itself with the fish vendors 'hooting' in a characteristic style announcing their arrival!!We have grown seeing the great transition in style that fish vendors have had over the years...In the earlier days they used to carry it on their shoulder in baskets like a weighing balance and would walk miles and miles to earn their living...then came the cycle vendors, the cycle vendors gave way to the more posh 'luna' or 'moped' vendors and then the yamaha vendors and then it became rickshaw vendors.I believe it has still gone miles ahead to posh homedelivery vans too in some privileged cities.Well that definitely marks the economic growth of India...Who says India is a poor country?!

Having said this I had never come across a fish vendor in UK so far except for the branded supermarket chains.Couple of days back I was surprised to see a fish vendor knocking my door,a very posh delivery van, a very colourful brochure and boxes of excellent fish, the names of many that I have not heard!The only familiar face among the frozen aquarians was that of King prawns, my favourite!How can a fish savvy person like me leave those real king size prawns, so bought 2kg!!So my lunch and dinner is going to be more 'prawny' in the coming days!!(Antiprawnists,please excuse!!;)

I have often felt a little delicate when it comes to posting recipes which are often very simple and common dishes for me at home...Is it worthy of posting?...wont it be ridiculous?...Then I remember there will still be someone who is not familiar with what is common for us...There will still be someone who do not know that a mackerel/squid/prawn/mussel can be just shallow fried, and can taste classy with something as simple as a chillipowder-turmeric powder-salt marinade.Chemmeen Mulakittathu and Prawn Pepper Fry(Chemmeen Kurumulaku Fry) is a very common item in our daily menu back home in Kerala...So the prelude!! Here is the recipe for the uninitiated:


Ingredients:

King prawns-250 g
Green chillies-4
Shallots-10(or half an onion for the less patient souls!)
Garlic-6 pods
chilli powder-2tsp(less brave souls can reduce)
turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
tomato-2- chopped
Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Methi seeds -a small pinch
coconut oil-2 tbsp(or any other oil of u'r choice)
Tamarind paste-1 tsp(If using tamarind,one small berry size,soaked in hot water)
Salt-as reqd
Method:
Heat oil in a wok.When the oil is hot add mustard seeds,methi seeds and curry leaves.(in the same order).Once they have spluttered add green chilli, onion, garlic and saute till onions become transluscent and slightly brownish.Mix chilli powder and turmeric powder with little water and make it into a paste and fry this masala in the oil for say 2 minutes or till bubbles appear. Add tomatoes and the tamarind paste and water as required for the consistency you desire. When it boils, add salt and the cleaned,deveined prawns.Cook till the prawns are done.(You may marinate the prawns with a little chilli powder,turmeric powder and salt for 5 minutes before adding to the gravy)May take 5-6 minutes.(pl do not over cook prawns).Finally garnish with some coriander leaves and serve it hot with

GheeRice

,

Chappathi

Naan

KeralaPorota

Ari pathiri

NeiPathiri/PorichaPathiri

or just plain rice!














KeralaPrawnPepperFry
Prawns -250(cleaned,deveined with the tail end retained)
Green chilli-4
Ginger-25g
Garlic-25g
Shallots-15(or 1 red onion)
Curry leaves-3sprigs(that's the tasty bit)
Copra/Dessicated Coconut-3 tbsp
Pepper powder-1 tsp
Red chilli powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
Oil-as reqd
Salt-as rqd
Method:

Marinate the prawns with chilli powder,turmeric powder,pepper powder and salt.Pound ginger,garlic and green chilles.You may use a mincer as well.But do not grind into paste.Heat oil in a wok.Add the Curry leaves,and onion.Saute till onions become brown.Now add the ginger-garlic-green chilli mixture.Saute till you get a fine aroma.Now add the marinated prawns along with the masala.Add more salt if required.Fry it till the prawns look brownish say fro 2-3 minutes.Do not over cook prawns.Finally add the copra pieces or the dessicated coconut and serve it hot with rice /chappathi or any of the dishes mentioned above.Warning: Control your temptation to pop the prawns into your mouth, you are very likely to end up with an empty plate before serving!!;)

Thai Mushroom Curry &Vegetable Satay

 















Our recent food expeditions have made me a fan of several International food varieties like Thai and Chinese...So what will I do next?...Get all the Thai curry paste and Chinese ingredients... and obviously get one good Thai & Chinese cook book too!Amazing collection indeed....As a continuation of the 'Dragon Effect' I made this Thai Mushroom curry and Vegetable'Satay'!Thai and Singaporean preparations do have Keralite's signature ingredient,coconut milk in common...So I thought of starting with something familiar before exploring the alien!
Thai Mushroom Curry sounded very much like Malabar Ishtu...and it did taste too but of course Mushroom did make a difference, a welcome difference. Satay is originally from Indonesia, and they are in fact meat skewers...meat marinated with spices and grilled...for a change I thought of using vegetables.So here goes the recipe for both:
Thai Mushroom Curry:
Ingredients:
Serves-2
White/Brown Mushrooms-200g-cut into pieces
Shallots-10-chopped(I added one onion too)
Garlic cloves-6-7-chopped
Red chillies-4(seeded,sliced)( I used green chillies and did not seed it!)
Ground Pepper-1 tsp
Coconut Milk-1 cup(200 ml)
Oil-2 tbsp
Salt-as reqd
Coriander leaves-a bunch-chopped


Method:

Heat oil.Saute garlic and chillies till they give out a strong aroma.Add the shallots& onion.Saute till they become transluscent.Now add the mushrooms.Saute till they become soft for say 3 minutes.Add coconut milk.Boil rapidly and then reduce the flame.Add salt and pepper.Finally garnish with chopped coriander and serve it hot with any parathas,porotta,Chappathi or with steamed rice.
 













Vegetable Satay

As I said earlier Satay is basically done with meat...I have had too much of chicken and mutton of late...so I used vegetables...If it can taste so good with vegetables I'm sure it will be great with any othe meat variety.;)(if u r using meat u can use the same recipe for say 250g meat.

Here is the recipe:

Mushroom-100g
Potato-2
Onion-1 large
Orange Sweet Pepper-1 large
Star Fruit/ChathuraPuli-1(for a tangy bite)
Ginger Paste-1tsp
Lemon grass-1 stalk-chopped thin
Garlic cloves-3 chopped
Cumin powder-1tsp
Thai Curry Paste(Medium)-1 tbsp
Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
Coconut cream-3tbsp
Fish sauce-1tbsp
Sugar-1/2 tsp
Oil-for cooking
Skewers

Satay Sauce:
Coconut milk-1 cup
Thai Red curry paste-2tbsp
Peanut butter-50g
Vegetable stock-2tbsp
Brown sugar-1 tbsp
Tamarind juice-1tbsp
Fish sauce-1 tbsp
Salt-as reqd

Method:

Dice the vegetables into medium size pieces. Marinate it with ginger paste,lemon grass,garlic,medium curry paste,cumin,turmeric,coconut cream,fish sauce and sugar.Leave the marinade to seep thro for half an hour.Meanwhile make the sauce.Heat the coconut milk over a medium flame,add red curry paste,peanut butter, vegetable stock and sugar.Cool and keep stirring till it becomes really smooth,say for 5 minutes.Add the tamarind juice, fish sauce and salt.

Now thread the vegetables on to the skewers.Brush some oil and grill in a preheated grill for say 8 minutes,turning occasionally, until it is all golden brown.Serve with the satay sauce.Sorry,we were in a hurry to rush for a movie and I forgot to take the snap of my sauce before finishing it off!!...I can only say that it tasted great!
  

Dal Bhuna Gosht -A Pakistani favourite

 














"Yeh Ghost kya hota hey?"....I was lost in thoughts fingering this item in our Asian take away menu."Ghost nahin baba,Gosht,Gosht,Gooooosht!!...."Somebody corrected.Yes, there were more ghosts,sorry...goshts, than I could manage...Aaloo Gosht Kari,Achari Gosht,Bindi Gosht,Balti Gosht,KarahiGosht,Aab Gosht,Chana Dal gosht,Gobi Ghosht,Shalgam GoshtDal BhunaGosht,TorriGosht,UrviGosht,and even Karela Gosht....So many varieties! I was indeed tempted to do a thorough research on the Gosht...

Basically Gosht is a dal/lentil/vegetable-mutton medley which is quite popular in Pakistan and in several states of North India.This preparation is said to have been very much influenced by the Afghan cuisine. Hot rice with Dal Bhuna Gosht with some desi ghee is a hot favourite with many...and now I too dont have a second opinion about it...It is just lip smacking great and very different indeed!Well you cant really compare it with the conventional mutton curry...u cant ask whether it is tastier.....it is different...and it is indeed tasty in its own way.Unfortunately again the restaurants here do not do full justice to the real taste...It will rather misguide you to believe that it is a bland mutton curry, which isnt really true!

I too was a bit apprehensive thinking of mixing dal and mutton....It sounded more like 'mutton sambar' which one brahmin character in a very hit malayalam movie was referring to....where he was feeling delicate to handle chicken and mutton as part of his hotel management studies and was asking whether they could make something less harmless as a mutton/chicken sambar!!Yes this is in a way a different kind of Mutton sambar!!

So here goes the recipe for Dal Gosht...

Ingredients:
Mutton-250g(cut into pieces)
Tur Dal-1 cup(200g)
Ginger-25g(pounded)
Green Chilli-5(pounded)
Garlic-15 pods(8 pounded,7 chopped)
Tomato-1 large(cut into pieces)
Onion-1 large(chopped)
Red Chilli powder-2tsp
Coriander powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Butter/Ghee-1 tbsp
Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Salt-as required
Water-as required

Method:
  














Pressure cook tur dal(red gram dal),mutton pieces,ginger,garlic(pounded)green chillies,tomato,onion,coriander powder, with enough water(say 2 1/2 cups) for 15-20 minutes on medium fire, or until it is cooked properly.Add salt and mix well.Now heat ghee/butter in a small wok.Prepare the seasoning by roasting chopped garlic(till it becomes brownish) and curry leaves.Now add this seasoning to the cooked dal and mutton and mix everything well and serve it hot with steamed rice or Chappathi.Well you could alternatively cook mutton and dal separately and then finally mix them and add the seasoning.All my apprehensions vanished to thin air when I really tasted it with hot steamed rice!!

Here

is a slightly different version of the same from another fantastic foodie.

Crab balls in Sweet n Sour Gravy or Crab Manchurian??

 















Last couple of days we were literally on a gourmet spree...exploring different cuisines...Portuguese Peri peri chicken(OOps!! Hot...exactly what I wanted!!) and a host of other spicy chicken varieties from 'Nandos',SpanishChicken Paella,meat balls(a little too harmless...quite plain for my palate!) and a host of other recipes,the names of which I cant contain in my mouth,Italian stromboli,ravioli,chicken arrabbiatta,(Great as always!) and a grand finale at Dragon King in Shrewsbury with an amazing buffet of around 42(I counted!!) exotic Chinese,Thai, and Singaporean dishes!!The food was so tempting that we did not think twice to throw all our caution to wind and gorge on the amazing varieties from the East and the West.We were so impressed by the Dragon Buffet that we went again the next day to eat the same buffet...ate so much that we could hardly breathe!!When it comes to food and music we both are perfect partners!!;)

After gorging upon all the amazing variety I still felt like eating more of them...so thought of making some of them at home...To start with I just made some Crab balls(croquets) in a sweet n sour gravy. Meat balls are quite common, so why not crab balls was my logic, and a chinese twist, that wd be very welcome..It tasted very much like Manchurian...A crab Manchurian?....hmmm...but I'm not sure whether there is something called crab manchurian for I have never tasted one, and moreover I dont wish to antagonise the Chinese Puritanists for my recipe might be very un-chinese! I never even knew that there really is some dish called crab croquet until I googled for it after posting my snaps!!Amazing it seems to be quite a common dish in Europe, but of course more traditional and different!!Here is what I did to prepare this very yummy crab dish.Let me tell u one thing that u need some real good quality crab for making the dish or else either u will run short of meat or the crabs do not taste good if they belong to a prehistoric age !!So straight to the recipe:

Ingredients:
Crab meat-250g
Chilli powder-1tsp
Turmeric powder-1tsp
Garlic-5 pods(chopped)
Boiled eggs-2 grated
Egg-1(beaten)
Potato-1 large(cooked and mashed)
Onion-1 (chopped fine)
SweetOrange Pepper-1 chopped
Spring Onion-a bunch-chopped
Green chilli-3 chopped
Tomato Sauce-2tbsp
Chilli sauce-2tbsp
Soya sauce-1 1/2 tbsp
Water-as required
Salt-as reqd
Oil-as reqd
Parsley-a few sprigs
Method:
  
















Boil the cleaned Crab(remove the poisonous dead man's fingers) with a pinch of salt(you can also cook potato and eggs along with it)till the meat is cooked.(Caution:It may froth n spill out).Now remove the meat from the shell with a fork.Mix the meat with potato,grated boiled egg,chillipowder,tumeric and salt,.Divide into equal portions and roll it into croquets/balls.Heat oil in a wok,deep fry each croquet till golden(Caution:It might burst and splutter...so stay at a safe distance!)Now heat oil in a wok.Saute onions,gr.chilli,garlic to a brownish tinge.Now add the sauces.Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes.Finally add the deep fried crab croquets and mix well with the gravy.If you want it more fluidy,you can add a little water.Now cook everything together for another 3 or 4 minutes.Do not stir vigorously for the croquets might break....but still it doesnt really matter...for they taste amazing even in amorphous condition!!Garnish with some chopped parsley and serve it with Chappathi or with some Couscous Pilaf.

Unakka Chemmeen Chammanthi&Curry

 



















Lots of dried fish have been waiting in my pantry for a release for a long time...Not so much of a dry fish fan myself, except for a few of my mom's recipes,I have been postponing....I thought it was high time that I emptied at least some dried shrimps and what best to make than a 'Chemmeen chammanthi' which smells of Kerala Monsoon.During the monsoon when 'Kadalamma'(MotherSea) is in her worst moods,impatient,turbulent, her kids, the fisher folk bank upon the dry fish sale for their daily sustenance...Market floods with all sorts of dried fish varieties...Chemmeen Chammanthi and hot steaming rice is heaven for many fish loving keralites! Let me add here that this Chammanthi tastes 100 times better when done in the traditional style using grinding stone(Ammi kallu/Ara kallu)...Poor me! where do I go for a grinding stone in Shropshire!!...So Mixer 'sharanam'!!I dont think there is much secret in this recipe, most keralites make it the same way...but of course individual differences always remain...So here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:

Dried shrimp-20g
Dry red chilli-4
Shallots-10
Garlic-4-5 pods
Coconut-2 tbsp
Tamarind paste-1 tsp(if u r using tamarind,a small berry size)
Curry leaves-1 sprig
Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Oil-1 tbsp
Salt-as required
Water-as required

Method:

Wash the dry fish thoroughly.Squeeze out the water and roast it in oil along with coconut,shallots,garlic,and cumin seeds till coconut slightly turns colour and u get a fine aroma.Now cool it and grind all the ingredients together with tamarind and salt. adding water as little as possible.Do not grind too much, it should be coarsely ground.When it has nearly reached the required consistency add curry leaves and give a whisk or two.Serve it with hot steamed rice.We add some mill fresh coconut oil to the rice and mix the chammanthi...Ha! what a joy!

  













Dry shrimp curry:
I had posted a

dry shrimp curry

long back. This is slightly a different version in curd base.

Ingredients

Dry shrimp-25g
Tomato-2 large(cut into pieces)
Green chilli-4(slitted)
Red chilli powder-1tsp
Turmeric Powder-1 pinch
Cumin seed-1/2tsp
Baby shallots(cheriya ulli)-50g(cut into small pieces)
Ginger-25 gr( cut into small pieces)
Tamarind paste-1 tsp(Natco)
Beaten curd-1 cup(not so sour)
Mustard-1/2 tsp
Curry leaves-1 sprig
Dry red chillies-2-Broken
Salt- as required
Oil-as required

Method

Roast the cleaned dry shrimps in oil with a little chilli powder and turmeric powder and salt added.Now add chopped tomatoes,green chilli,ginger,half the cumin,remaining chilli powder and turmeric, and salt if reqd.Add water(1 cup).Close the lid and allow it to get cooked for nearly 8 minutes.Once it is cooked properly,remove from the stove and add beaten curd. Mix well. Now heat oil in a small wok.Add mustard,cumin seeds,dry red chilli,shallots and curry leaves.Saute it till all the seeds have spluttered and the onion tuns reddish brown giving out a fine aroma.Now add the seasoning to the curry and mix well.Serve it hot with steamed rice.

Jamuns-Celebration Jamuns!!

  


















Who can resist this very succulent Indian sweet? Gluttony becomes no sin when it comes to eating these very tempting sweets...Celebration or not,I never gave up any reason to devour jamuns,rasagolla,chum chum etc...this time we had a reason too... our car got a sister!!So shouldnt I celebrate the arrival of the new silver beauty?....kheer,barfi.... a host of sweets came to my mind...nay...it has been quite a while that I have not eaten Jamuns...I wanted to have Jamuns...but to my utter disappointment found that my Gits Jamun Mix was khali :( I did not have the patience of my mother to split the milk and reduce it to khova, mix it with maida and soda, fry it and dip it in the flavoured sugar syrup as done traditionally.Poor Amma...10-15 yrs back she used to take so much of trouble to satiate our cravings for this sweet!! Or else my father bought it from the only Bengali sweet shop in Calicut those days,'The Royal Bakery'.Whenever we had some VIP guests at home, my father never forgot to bring a big assortment of all those favourite bengali sweet collection....Well,I could not give up my craving for jamun so easily...just then I remembered an aunty in B'lore once offering me a jamun made out of bread!!...Yes, I finally decided to try this unconventional jamun from bread...and lol...absolutely yummy jamuns!!...but the only thing is that we need to take some extra care or the whole thing can be a mess! Here goes the recipe:
An unconventional Jamun from Bread
Ingredients
(Makes-15 jamuns)
white bread slices-3(remove the trims and take just the soft inside)
Milk powder-1 cup
Baking soda-1 tsp
Maida/All purpose flour-2 tsp
Egg white -1/2 (optional)
Sugar-3 cups
Water-4 cups
Milk-as rqd(just to mix the flour)
Cardamom powder-1 tsp
Kewra Essence/Rose water-a drop(optional
Butter-1tbsp
Oil-as reqd


Method:

Mix the soft inside of the bread with milk powder,baking soda,maida,a little butter,egg white(Optional) and very less milk(A tbsp or two).Knead well into a soft dough. Make small balls.Heat oil in a wok.Deep fry the balls till they become golden brown on very slow fire.Keep turning with the ladle or else it will get burnt.Meanwhile prepare sugar syrup mixing sugar and water.Add cardamom powder and kewra or rose water, if u like the flavour.Now add pour the hot sugar syrup onto the jamuns and allow it to settle for nearly 30 minutes.Jamuns will swell up with the sugar syrup.so choose an appropriate container.Now serve it warm or cold with toppings of whipped cream,vanilla ice cream etc.

Kozhi Varuthathu-A very hot chicken!

 














This is my all time favourite chicken preparation straight from my dear mom's kitchen.I love to have it with anything and even sometimes I pop it in as though it was a snack like sundal!!Whenever Amma made this at home,I would hop in and out of kitchen secretly with a mouthful and get caught redhanded by none other than the boss of the kitchen!!The admonishing look on her face soon gave way to an expression of maternal affection when I pecked a kiss on her cheeks and said 'Chooper'(Super!!).
Now straight to the recipe:

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts-250g (chopped into small bits)
Indian Shallots-100g(chopped)
Onion-1 large-chopped fine
Tomato-1-cut into small pieces
Copra-1 half-cut into small pieces(if u cant get proper copra use 75g dessicated coconut)
Ginger-25g
Garlic-25g
Green chillies-5
Red chilli powder-1 tsp
Pepper powder-1 tsp
Coriander powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Cinnamon powder-1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder-1/4 tsp
Cloves powder-1/4 tsp
Fennel seed powder-1/2 tsp
Nutmeg powder-1/4 tsp
Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Salt-as required
Oil-as required
 















Method:

Marinate chicken pieces with a little turmeric powder,chilli powder and salt and keep it aside for 10 minutes.Meanwhile whisk ginger,garlic,green chilli in a mincer.(Should not be ground to a paste).Heat oil in a wok.Add curry leaves.Once it has splutttered add onion& shallots.Saute it to a brown tinge.Add tomato,ginger-garlic-green chilli mix,saute everything together till you get a nice aroma.Keep stirring so that it doesnt stick to the vessel.Now add the copra pieces(To be honest the dessicated coconut that we get in the market is a poor substitute to the actual copra pieces, the real taste comes from that crunchy bite of copra,luckily copra is available in the Indian shops here, hope it is available elswhere as well).Now add chicken pieces,all the spice powders and salt as rqd.Mix everything well.Keep stirring the whole mix until the chicken is properly browned and cooked.(In case the chicken that u use requires more time to cook,it is ideal to cook it separate and add to the spice mixture.)Serve it hot with chappathi,paratha or with rice.Hot n spicy chicken with the crunchy copra pieces is indeed irressistible...I'm off to have another mouthful!!

  

StrawberryWhiteChocolatePayasam

  

Malabar Neipathiri/Porichapathiri & Cherupayar Ishtu

 














Pathiri n pathiri...dont u think that we Malabaris are a bit too obsessed with this pancake made of rice flour...Yes indeed!!We have the healthy version of this favourite malabari dish, which is plain pathiri or nerma pathiri for the calorie conscious and the neypathiri/poricha pathiri/Chatti pathiri/Adukku pathiri/Irachipathiri/Meenpathiri etc for the more freaky ones!Pathiri comes from the Arabic word 'fateerah' and it means"pastry"....so obviously an Arab influence on the local Mappila community.

Neipathiri and Poricha pathiri are more or less the same.Poricha pathiri in ghee becomes neipathiri.Pathiri deep fried becomes Poricha pathri!!Neipathiri does not puff up much lik a poori.It is more flat. Here is the recipe for Poricha Pathiri:


Ingredients:

Rice flour-2 cups
Hot water-4 cups(Keep extra reserve,because the ratio cd vary depending on the rice quality)
Salt-as required
Fennel seeds-1 tsp
Cumin seeds-1/2tsp
Oil-for deep frying
Ghee-1 tbsp

Method:

Dry roast the rice flour with fennel seeds,cumin seeds and salt added till u get the fine aroma of roasted flour.(Flour changes the tint slightly).Now add hot water gradually.Mix with a ladle and close the vessel for 4 minutes.Now once the flour has cooled enough to be touched with the hand knead it well into a fine smooth dough.(Knead it thoroughly or else the pathiri will break when u roll it out,for unlike chappathi dough this rice dough is not elastic).Make small lemon size balls and spread it slightly, the size of a Poori.While rolling it out, keep dusting the sides with flour,in order to prevent it from breaking.Heat oil in a wok.Add ghee for a richer neipathiri.Now deep fry the each pathiri till it becomes slightly golden. It is a wonderful dish with most of the nonveg curries,sea food preparations and the vegetable stews...I have had too much of non veg, so I went for Cherupayar Ishtu we generally make as side dish for this Pathiri.
 















Here is the recipe for Cherupayar Ishtu:

Ingredients:

Green gram/Cherupayar-1 cup
Green chillies-5-pounded
Ginger-15g(pounded)
Fennel seed powder-2 tsp
ThickCoconut milk-1 cup
Potato-1 large-cooked,smashed
Onion-1-chopped thin
Crushed pepper-1/2 tsp
Oil-as required
Dry Red chilli-2
Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Water-as reqd


Method:
Soak Green gram for an hour.Now pressure cook it with green chillies,ginger,onion and potato with sufficient water added(~2 cups).Smash the potatoes and the green gram slightly.Now add coconut milk,fennel seed powder and pepper powder.Simmer it for 2 minutes.Now prepare the seasoning with dry red chillies&curry leaves.Pour it into the cooked green gram gravy.Mix well and serve it with your neipathiri.



  

Koonthal Curry&Kalamari fry

 














One more fish curry...my obsession continues...I dont know why...If I think of making something really succulent....something that I want to lick off my fingers,my hands invariably pick one Fish packet from my freezer!!This time it was the 'Koonthal'/Squid or rather the smaller Sepia,I should say...Koonthal has always been one of my hot favourites among the sea food for the sheer variety that one can make out of it....It goes well with so many Masala combinations.The one that I have here is in the cocum masala gravy.Here goes the recipe:
 













Ingredients:

Sepia-500g(It shrinks on cooking)
Green chilli-4
Ginger-25g
Garlic-25g
Tomato Puree-1 cup
Onion-2 large-chopped thin
Cocum juice-1/2 cup
Chilli powder-2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder-1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds-1/2tsp
Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Refined oil-as required
Salt-as required

Method:

Clean the squid and make gashes on it.Dry roast chilli powder,turmeric powder,coriander powder,fenugreek seeds and a sprig of curry leaves for a couple of minutes.Heat oil in a wok.Saute onion,ginger,garlic,green chillies till they become soft.Now wait for a minute or two to cool the sauted ingredients(the powders too) and grind it into a coarse paste.Now add the tomato puree to the paste and whisk it for a minute.Now pour this mixture over the cleaned squid.Add salt as required.Leave it for 10 minutes.Now add the cocum juice and enough water for the required consistency and cook it over a medium flame for nearly 8-10 minutes or till the squids are cooked properly.Finally add a sprig of curry leaves and mix well.(You may add a pinch of sugar,for a good twist).Now remove from the stove and serve it hot with chappathi/rice/tapioca.(This squid curry again tastes better the next day).

 




















Kalamari/Deep fried squid

















Kalamari is nothing but a deep fried squid which is quite popular in Greek cuisine.I have fried the Kalamaris in my Indian 'ishtyle'!! The difference is all about turmeric and chilli powder.Greeks add pepper,we add red chilly powder.Usually squid is chopped into small pieces,but I have fried the squid whole. Here is my recipe for it:

Ingredients:
Kalamari/Squid-250g
Red chilli powder-1 tsp
Pepper powder-1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder-a pinch
white flour-1/4 cup
Salt-as required
Oil-as required

Method:
Clean the Kalamari.Slit in the middle and flatten it out.Mix flour,chillipowder,pepper powder,turmeric powder and salt in a mixing bowl.Now coat the squids uniformly with this mixture.Heat oil in a wok.Deep fry the squids.Serve with some deep fried onions too...Goes well with rice.

Another tastier version of squid fry that I generally make at home is this:

Ingredients:
Squid/Sepia - 500g-cut into small pieces
Onion - 2 -large-chopped thin
Ginger-Garlic paste -1 tbsp
Green chilli-4(chopped)
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds(Jeerakam) - 1/2 tsp
Tomato - 1 -small
Grated coconut/Copra - 1/4 cup
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil- as required
Salt - As reqd

Method
Marinate the cleaned pieces of squid with chilly powder,turmeric and salt.Heat oil in a small wok.Saute curry leaves, cumin seeds, green chillies and onions in the same order till onions become golden brown.Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute it for couple of minutes.Now add the remaining chillipowder,turmeric,and coriander powder.Saute for a couple of minutes till u get that fine aroma.Now add tomato and salt as required.Finally add grated coconut(copra tastes better) and cook till squids are properly cooked.It is a wonderful side dish with rice.

Chepa Pulusu

  















Andhra food is one of the best among the Indian regional varieties& Andhra Pulusu,curries made in a spiced tangy gravy is something that anybody will fall in love once tasted....My monday afternoons, while working in Andhra, was often a sumptuous feast with most of my friends bringing something special for me....sympathy and love for the 'underfed' hostellite!!There would invariably be at least 2 people bringing cheppa pulusu/chepala pulusu as they call it,a spicy tangy fish curry...lip smacking.Most of the telugu people have fish or chicken or mutton on sundays...it is almost like a tradition....a pure vegetarian food on saturday(Lord Venketeswara 's day) followed by a nonveg feast on sunday,and a feast for me on Monday!!Chepa pulusu is something that becomes tastier the next day and you are guaranteed to lick the vessel clean the next day!!Chepa pulusu has thus become one of my most frequently made fish curry at home, a recipe that has been passed on to me by all those sweet telugu friends...So Three cheers to Andhra food and here is my recipe:

Ingredients

Fish- 500g(I have used seer fish.Generally cat fish is preferred)-cut inot pieces
Turmeric powder- 1/4 spoon
Coriander powder-2 tsp
Red chili powder-1 1/2tsp(u may reduce if u want it less hot)
Fenugreek powder- 1/4 tbsp
Garam Masala-1 tsp(cloves+cinnamon+cardamom+fennel+aniseed-powder)
Tamarind pulp-1 cup(=1tsp tamarind concentrate paste)
Onion-1large-chopped thin
Tomato- 1
Green chilli-4(slitted)
Mustard seeds-1tsp(optional)
Cuminseed- 1 tsp (optional)
curry leaves-1sprig
Oil -as required
Copra/Dessicated coconut/Fresh coconut-1tbsp
Coriander leaves-1 bunch-chopped
Salt-as required


Method:

Wash the fish pieces with salt and turmeric.Marinate it with a pinch of turmeric, chilli powder,and salt.

Heat oil in a large mouthed vessel.Add mustard,cumin and curry leaves.Once they have spluttered.Add onions and green chillies.Add tomato.Saute them for a 3 minutes till it becomes trasnsluscent.Add all the spice powders.Saute for a couple of minutes.Add the tamarind pulp or paste.(Add water if required).When the pulp cooks to a medium thick consistency add fish pieces and grated coconut.Add salt as required.Cook till the fish pieces become soft and well cooked on medium flame.Add a pinch of jaggery for a wonderful twist to the taste(optional).

Finally garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy with rice/roti/parathas.You may add raw mango pieces during the mango season,but reduce the tamarind accordingly.

A simple meal meme

 

Shaheen

had tagged me for a meme on 'Simple meals' to help out her sis-in-law.Well a simple meal is what I too was looking for..... after all the nonvegetarian food and the heavy desserts I wanted my intestines to have something more soothing...This simple meal is for you shaheen.A simple Mathan Erissery,Cabbage varavu,Moru varuthittathu,and some vaddiyalu(sago fritters)/pappadam.I would still be tempted to have one

Avoli Fry

or Ayila fry or any other fish fry....a Malayali's weakness always!!My husband keeps pulling my leg,'keralawali pathi ko chodengey 'magar' machli ko nahi!!(A kerala girl will be willing to foresake her husband but not fish)!!...Yes we are indeed very much obsessed with fish like many of our coastal counterparts...So here is the simple combo meal:

Mathan Erissery:
If you cant get Mathan/Pumpkin you may substitute it with most of the vegetables available.The recipe remains the same,taste varies with the vegetable.If you cant get fresh coconut,substitute with dessicated coconut/coconut milk or even cashews.I have in fact added a little cashew and fresh coconut here for a new twist.

Pumpkin/Mathan-100g( cut into small pieces)
Dal-1 cup
Red chilli powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4tsp
Water 3cups
Salt -as required
Grated coconut - 4tbsp
Cashew-50g(Optional,not added traditionally)
Cumin seeds -1/4 tsp
Ghee -1tbsp
Coconut oil-1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1/4tsp
Curry leaves-1 sprig
Dry Red chilli-2


Method:
Cut the Pumpkin.Remove the fibrous matter inside with a spoon and cut into smaller pieces.Add 3 cups of water to the pumpkin pieces and dal along with chillipowder(some add pepper powder, instead) and turmeric powder and pressure cook till the dal becomes soft(5 minutes).Grind half the grated coconut,cashew(if adding) and cumin seeds together into a medium fine paste and add to the cooked dal.Cook for another 3 minutes.
Saute the remaining coconut in a low flame till brown in colour.Keep it aside.
Season mustard seeds,curry leaves, dry red chilli in ghee and coconut oil(optional).Add the seasoning to the cooked dal along with the roasted cococnut shavings. Mix well. Serve hot with steamed rice!

Cabbage Varavu:

Cabbage-chopped thin-2 cups
Ginger-1 tsp(grated)
Green chillies-5
Turmeric-1/4 tsp
Onion-1 large
Green peas-50g
Blackgram-1/2 tsp(optional)
Cumin seed-1/4 tsp(optional)
Mustard-1/2 tsp
Oil-for cooking
dry red chillies-2(cut into pieces)
curry leaves-1 sprig
Grated coconut-2tbsp(Optional)
Salt-as required

Method:

Mix together cabbage,onion,green chillies,turmeric powder and salt well with the hand.Now heat oil in a wok.Splutter mustard,cumin,blackgram,curry leaves,dry red chillies.Add the cabbage onion mixture and green peas.Mix well with the seasoning and allow it to cook for 3-5 minutes with the lid closed.You may sprinkle a little water,if required, for cooking.Add grated coconut and saute for a couple of minutes.Serve hot as a side dish with rice.(If fresh coconut is not available,u can avoid it,cabbage will still taste good).

Moru Varuthittathu:

For a sour combination with the dal,I made some quick moru varuthittathu as well.Just beat the curd.Prepare a seasoning of chopped onion(1/2 an onion),a pinch of turmeric,a tsp of grated ginger,1/2 tspmustard,one sprig of curry leaves,(if u dont have curry leaves,add parsley)2dry red chillies.Add this seasoning to the beaten curd and your moru varuthittathu is ready.

Fry some sago fritters or papad,your simple meal is ready!!


There are plenty of other simple recipes in my collection which could be of use to shaheen's s-i-l like payar&pachakkaya mezhukkupuratti,injithair,ghee rice,khichdi,etc...

What a soothing feeling to have a simple rice and dal menu!!

Here is another simple recipe added to the collection:
 












Boiled Egg Bhurjhi:
A simple egg bhurjhi which goes well with chappathis and parathas....could be a good bachelor recipe too... straight to the recipe:

Ingredients:

Eggs-3-boiled and cut into pieces.
chillipowder-1/2tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Pepper powder-1/2 tsp
Green chilli-2-chopped thin
Onion-1 large-chopped thin
Mustard-1/2 tsp
Curry leaves-1 sprig
Coriander leaves-3 sprigs
Salt-as required
Oil-as required

Method:

Cut the boiled eggs into small pieces.Heat oil in a small wok.Add mustard and curry leaves.Once they have spluttered add onion.Saute till it becomes golden brown.Add the spice powders and the chopped eggs.Add salt as required.Saute for 3-4 minutes.Finally garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chappathis.