PRAWNS RECIPES - PRAWNS GRAVY IN COCONUT MILK

PRAWNS RECIPES - PRAWNS GRAVY IN COCONUT MILK

INGREDIENTS

Prawns , medium sized                  - 1 cup / 15 - 20 nos, cleaned
Kashmiri chili powder                   - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder                           - 1 tsp
Lemon juice / vinegar                    - 1 tsp
Onion/shallots                              - 1 cup, finely chopped
Tomato                                           - 1, (big), finely chopped
Garlic                                             - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Green chilly                                    - 1 , slit
Coconut milk (1st milk)                  - 1 cup
Salt
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Coconut oil

PREPARATION

• Grind together Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric powder, lemon juice and salt to a fine paste and marinate the cleaned prawns with this masala.
• Keep it refrigerated for half an hour ( optional).
• Heat oil in a pan and add chopped garlic and slit green chili to it.
• Saute a while and add the finely chopped onion to it.
• Saute till the onion turns golden and then add chopped tomato and salt.
• Cook it until done and now put the marinated prawns to it.
• Mix it well with the gravy and let it cook for 5 minutes in a medium flame.
• Add salt if required.
• Then add the thick coconut milk and allow it to cook until the gravy becomes thick. Saute occasionally.
• Finally, pour 2 tbsp of coconut oil on the top and mix well along with chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves.
• Serve with hot Neer dosa, fried rice, rice..................

LADYS FINGER / OKRA / VENDAKKA CURRY RECIPES - Coconut curry

LADYS FINGER / OKRA / VENDAKKA CURRY RECIPES

INGREDIENTS                            

Lady's finger                                     -8 nos (cut into 1-inch size)
Tomato (small)                                 -1 , sliced
Green chilly                                      -2 nos
Coconut                                             -1 cup
Small onion/shallots                       -4 nos
Fennel seed(perumjeerakam)          -1 tsp
Garlic                                               - 2 cloves
Turmeric powder                              -1 tsp
Coriander powder                             -2 tbsp
Chilly powder                                    -2 tbsp
Tamarind, soaked in water               - a lemon sized
Salt
Curry leaves
Oil

PREPARATION

• In a deep bottomed pot (preferably clay pot)  add sliced tomato, green chilly,  diced lady's finger and tamarind water.
• Now grind together coconut, small onion, garlic,  jeera, (turmeric, coriander and chilly )powders in half cup of water.
• Grind to a fine paste. Pour this into the pot and put salt. 
• Mix well. Add water according to the consistency needed.
• Now switch on the flame and cook until the color of lady's finger changes. Stir occasionally.
• In a separate pan heat 2 tbsp oil and add 1 tsp sliced small onion.Saute well.
• Pour it over the curry and garnish with curry leaves.

Malabar Neer dosa / Ari dosa / Rice dosa

Malabar Neer dosa / Ari dosa / Rice dosa

                Neer dosa, basically it is the rice dosa only but it is named as neer dosa as its batter is very thin as the consistency of flowing water. In Malabar, Neer dosa is the most popular breakfast in almost all areas. It is very easy and simple breakfast as there is no fermentation. Moreover, instead of soaked rice, we can also use rice powder alone to make delicious neer dosa.

INGREDIENTS

Raw rice                                 - 1 cup, soaked in water for 6 hours
Rice powder                           - half a cup
Grated coconut                      - half a cup
Salt                                         - to taste
Oil                                          - 4 tbsp

PREPARATION

• Wash and drain the soaked rice and grind it  along with half cup of water to a fine paste.
• Now take a bowl and mix together rice powder, grated coconut and salt.
• Add a little hot water to it, and with your hands press tightly and knead it well to a smooth batter.
• Now add the finely ground paste to this slowly and mix well without any lumps. Add enough water to make a thin batter. The batter must have a flowing water consistency. This is the traditional way of making neer dosa batter. 
• The other method is that you can also simply add rice flour, grated coconut to the ground paste of raw rice and again grind together with little water to a thin batter. But i prefer the traditional way as it tastes better.
• Now heat a nonstick pan/neer dosa tawa/ cast iron tawa. (Neer dosa tawa is prefered).
• When hot grease the tawa well with oil ( but if it is nonstick pan you can just pour 4 tbsp oil in the pan and grease the pan well and pour it to the dosa batter. so that no need of greasing after each dosas).
• Now pour a ladle full of batter by rotating the ladle with batter to cover the whole pan.
• The batter should coat the pan in a thin layer.
• Cover the pan and let it cook for few seconds. And then open the lid and again let it cook for a while. Do not take out dosa immediately after opening the lid.
• Once it is done take the dosa out with a spatula and store in a hot case and now again grease the tawa,( but for a nonstick pan, no need of greasing as we already poured hot oil to the batter).
•  Serve hot with egg roast, potato curry, green peas curry and of-course with fried fish or chicken.

PASTA RECIPES - SPAGHETTI MEAT BALLS

           PASTA RECIPES - SPAGHETTI MEATBALLS 

         Spaghetti with meatballs is an Italian dish consists of spaghetti/pasta, meatballs and tomato sauce. Italian spaghetti is made from wheat semolina,  but can also be made with other kinds of flour. Pasta with meatballs is a  traditional recipe of Italy, made to their tasty standards. BUT here I made some changes to suit  Kerala / Indian taste.  So the meatballs I here made with the same ingredients which we used for chicken samosa or cutlet fillings and  it tastes gorgeous. Actually, this recipe came to my mind only because of my craziness towards pasta and noodles....though this is my first attempt, it turns out well and I do love to try out new varieties of pasta and spaghetti.

             

INGREDIENTS

Spaghetti / long thin pasta             - 150g, (do not break it.)
Spicy Tomato sauce                      - as required ( either you can buy from the store or homemade sauce recipe is given below).
Mozzarella cheese grated               - as required (for topping)
Minced chicken                               - 1 cup
Bread                                              - 2 slices
Onion                                              - 1, small, chopped finely
Green chili                                    - 1, chopped
Ginger garlic paste                        - half tsp
Fennel seed powder                       - half tsp
Garam masala powder                  - half tsp
Salt
Oil
Curry leaves
Tomato                                         - for topping only

PREPARATION

• Mix in minced chicken, finely chopped onion, green chili, ginger garlic paste, fennel seed powder, garam masala powder, salt in a bowl well  with bread pieces and make a smooth dough.
• Make small lemon sized ball and fry in hot oil.( do not deep fry). Keep it aside.

• Heat 2 cups of water in a pan and once boiled add salt and 2 tbsp oil to it.
• Then add the Spaghetti ( do not break it) and stir continuously.
• Cook for 5 minutes or until the water gets dried up.

• Then remove it to a plate and spread some oil in the same pan and add the cooked spaghetti to it along with 2 tbsp tomato sauce.
• Mix well and add salt if required. Stir continuously for few minutes in low flame.
• Now take a mold as shown in the image and grease it with ghee or butter.
• Layer the spaghetti first and slightly press it and shape it.

• Then drop some sauce over it and keep the meatballs .
• Finally, top it with grated cheese.

• Either you can bake in the oven for 5 - 8 minutes or until cheese melts. ( if on stove top, keep the mold inside  a nonstick pan with hot water and steam it for 15 minutes).
• When the cheese melts take out of the vessel and let it cool.
• Then take out of the mold and garnish with tomato sauce and chopped tomato.

Tomato sauce recipe.............INGREDIENTS

Tomato                                         - 6 nos
Onion                                           -  1 cup, chopped
Garlic                                          - 2 cloves, chopped
Celery                                          - 1 stalk , chopped
Carrot                                          - 1, small , chopped
Red chili powder                         - 2 tsp
Coriander powder                        - 2 tsp
Garam masala powder                 -  half tsp
Oregano                                        - 1 tsp
Pepper                                           - half tsp
Butter                                            - 5 tbsp
Cilantro / malliyila                       - as required
Salt

METHOD

• Remove the skin of tomatoes and puree it.
• Now heat a pan and saute garlic and onion over medium flame.
• When it becomes transparent, add carrot, celery and cook until the vegetables become soft.( 5-10 minutes)
• Then add all other spices (except pepper and cilantro) one by one and cook until the raw smell disappears from the masala.
• Stir in the pureed tomato and mix well.
• Cook in low flame for 1 hour until thick with the uncovered pan.
• Now finally add pepper and cilantro to this and mix well.
• Once cooled either you can grind it or else can be used same as it is..( leftover sauce can be stored in the freezer for 3 months).

MALABAR RICE PATHIRI / STEAMED PANCAKE / NICE PATHIRI - Ari pathiri - Indian Breakfast -

                     Breakfast recipes Kerala/ Rice pathiri / Nice pathiri

                           Pathiri is a type of pancake made of rice flour. It is the traditional and the most popular dish among the Muslims in Kerala. But nowadays it also became popular in many other foreign countries like UAE, Qatar, Oman, UK, maybe because of gulf Malayalees, I think.   Pathiri is usually served along with chicken, mutton curries. It is mostly prepared during special occasions or during iftar fasting. The most interesting fact about PATHIRI is that when there are any special occasions at home, the ladies among relatives and even neighbors of that home will gather in the kitchen and make pathiris...Some knead the dough, some make balls and others will roll and bake it...The method of preparation of this pathiri may be different in different regions of Kerala...

      This is my easiest method for making soft, thin Malabar rice pathiri...So let us see how to make soft pathiri at home / how to make Malabar rice pathiri / Indian breakfast.

INGREDIENTS

Pathiri podi / Rice flour       - 2 glasses

Water                                    -  2 glasses

Salt                                       - to taste

PREPARATION

• Boil the water in a heavy bottomed pan and when boiled add salt. (measure rice flour and water using the same cup)
• Now make the flame to medium-low. Then keep aside a quarter cup of boiled water (this is because some rice flour needs less amount of water. you can add this if required later) and then add the rice flour / pathiri podi slowly.
• Stir well continuously and make sure that the bottom of the pan doesn't get burnt.
• Now cover it with a lid and keep on low flame for about 20 seconds and then switch off the flame.
• For better results, you must knead the dough at this point itself.
• So apply some oil in your palms and knead the dough thoroughly with your both hands for at least 5 minutes or until soft and less sticky. ( if your hand feel sticky, you can apply some hot water which we set aside in your palm and then knead ).
• Now take a lemon sized ball from the dough and roll it.
• Then press it between your palms.
• Dust the rolling board and rolling pin with some rice powder.
• Now roll the balls with this rolling pin on rolling board until you get a thin round pathiri.
• Now heat a tawa and when hot keep it on medium-low.
• Place the pathiri on it and after few seconds you can see steam passes.
• At this point just flip the pathiri and let it cook for few seconds.
• Press the center of the pathiri with a spatula and wait till it puffs up.
• Again flip the other side wait for other 30 seconds so that the other side will be well cooked. Take off the flame and keep the next pathiri.
• Do not over cook the pathiri (important) and serve with chicken  in roasted coconut gravy curry.

MASHED BANANA WITH COCONUT FILLING / UNNAKKAYA / KAAYADA

MASHED BANANA WITH COCONUT FILLING / UNNAKKAYA  /  KAAYADA

INGREDIENTS

Banana / plantain (nenthrapazham) - 3 nos ( semi-ripe)
Coconut grated                                 - 1 cup
Sugar                                                 - 4 tbsp
Cardamom powder                           - a pinch
All-purpose flour (maida)                 - 2 tbsp ( for coating unnakkaaya)
Cashews and raisins                         - chopped, as required
Ghee

PREPARATION

• Steam or boil banana ( do not cut) until the banana is well cooked and soft (do not overcook banana).
• Remove the skin and mash it well without any lumps or grind it well without adding water (the same consistency of chappathi dough).
• In a pan heat ghee and add cashews, raisins and saute for few minutes.
• Then add grated coconut along with sugar and cardamom powder and then saute for few minutes.
• Remove from fire and let it cool.
• Now make a small lemon size ball from the banana dough and flatten it in your palm into a small round shape.
• Keep 1 tbsp of the filling and cover the edges lightly and roll it in your palms.
• Shape it like unnakkaaya( the shape as in the pic).
• Coat it in the all purpose flour and fry in hot oil.
• Keep turning the side and take off the flame when golden.
• Drain the excess oil and serve hot...
• 
  

CHICKEN RECIPES - CHICKEN CHATTI CURRY

CHICKEN RECIPES - CHICKEN CHATTI CURRY

      This traditional chicken curry is packed with the flavor of traditional Malabar chicken curry made in clay pots. Cooking in clay pots adds the taste to the curry. CHICKEN CHATTI CURRY, the name itself indicates that you have to cook in the chatti or earthen pot ( clay pot). So let's see how to make chicken curry in clay pots which make the curry so special.

INGREDIENTS

Chicken       -  500 g

Small onions/ shallots - 6 nos, chopped finely + 2 nos ( for seasoning)

Garlic   - 4 pods, chopped

Ginger    - a small piece, chopped

Tomato       - 1, small, chopped

Fennel seed    - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder  - half tsp

Kashmir chili powder - 3 tsp (add less while using normal chili powder)

Coriander powder    - 3 tsp

Salt

Coconut oil

Curry leaves

PREPARATION

• Heat oil in a clay pot (mann chatti) and when hot, add finely chopped small onions and curry leaves. 
• Saute for a while and now add ginger, garlic, fennel seed and finally tomato.
• Saute well and remove from flame.
• Grind it to a fine paste and again cook in the same clay pot.
• Mix in the cleaned and drained chicken pieces.
• Let it cook for few minutes with lid closed.
• Meanwhile, heat some oil in a nonstick pan and add the spices ( turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder) one by one along with the salt.
• Saute well in the oil until a nice smell comes and the color changes.
• Now add this spices to the chicken gravy and mix well.
• Again cook for few minutes or until the oil separates. You can adjust the gravy by adding hot water.
• Cook till the chicken is well coated with the gravy.
• Again heat some oil in a pan and fry chopped small onions and curry leaves.  Pour it over the curry and keep the lid closed for few seconds.

SWEET BANANA PIZZA / BREAD BANANA PANCAKE - EVENING SNACKS

                 SWEET BANANA PIZZA  / BREAD BANANA PANCAKE - EVENING SNACKS

                    The evening is a time for refreshment, leaving all tensions and making our mind and body equally relaxed with a nice cup of tea. In India,  most of the people will have evening snack to savor with a nice cup of coffee or tea. In Kerala, we can see many small roadside shops with popular tea time snacks like parippuvada, pazhampori, cakes, sujiyan, ullivada, and so on. 

Majority of muslims in kerala, mainly malabar region is very good at making snacks for their family and relatives. During ramadan, they used to prepare special snacks like unnakaya, kaayada, chattipathiri, pizza, banana cutlets and so on..This is an easy but a bit variety snack with banana, bread and coconut. So enjoying having this on special occasions.

INGREDIENTS

Banana / plantain                     - 1, finely chopped

Egg                                           - 1

Wheat bread                             - 5 nos                                    

Grated coconut                         - 5 tbsp

Cashews, almonds, raisins      - as required, chopped

Ghee

Sugar

Salt

  

PREPARATION

• Heat a non-stick pan and add little ghee.
• Roast the finely chopped banana and the nuts till golden. Keep it aside.
• Now add the grated coconut to this same pan along with 1 tsp  of sugar and saute it until crispy. Keep it aside.
• Now in a blender mix egg, bread, a pinch salt and 2 tsp of sugar. Blend them to a thick paste. If the thickness is less, can add more bread pieces.
•  The batter should be thicker than rice dosa batter.
• Again heat the pan and spread some ghee evenly.
• When hot pour small kutti dosas ( u can pour two dosas at a time in a medium-sized pan, but it is better to pour one at a time).
• Sprinkle some dry roasted coconut, roasted bananas and nuts immediately once the batter is poured.
• Gently give a press to the toppings with the spatula.
• Cook in a low flame and then slowly flip the other side and cook for few minutes.
• Again flip the other side and garnish with some roasted coconut sprinkles or chocolate sauce or honey.

Beef Roast - Beef Uluva varatt - Kerala style

INGREDIENTS
Beef                                     - 1 kg ( cut into small cubes)
Shallots / small onion         - 25 nos, sliced + 4 nos ( seasoning)
Ginger garlic crushed        - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder                - 1 tbsp
Red chili powder                - 2 tbsp
Coriander powder              - 4 tbsp
Pepper powder                   - 3 tbsp
Fennel seed / perumjeera  - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seed / uluva      - 1 tsp
Green chili
Salt
Oil
Curry leaves
PREPARATION

• Wash and drain the beef. Keep it aside.
• Heat a nonstick pan and saute chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and fennel seed.
• Saute in a low flame for a while and transfer to a bowl before it get brown.
• Transfer the cleaned beef to a pressure cooker ( preferably clay pot).
• Now add all the ingredients such as dry roasted masala powders, shallots, ginger garlic crushed,fenugreek seed, salt and 1 tbsp oil.
• Mix half cup of hot water if required.
• Close the lid and cook it in medium flame until 4 whistle.
• Heat a pan and add oil. Saute the chopped shallots and then add curry leaves , green chilies , pepper powder and saute well.
• Add the cooked beef to it and cook until the gravy dries up and the beef is coated with the gravy.
• To reduce the thickness you can add little hot water.
• Garnish with curry leaves.

CHICKEN RECIPES - KERALA CHICKEN FRY

CHICKEN FRY RECIPE / KERALA STYLE

How about a simple chicken recipe using Kerala spices? This chicken fry marination is simple but bit different too. Fenugreek powder makes this chicken fry unique in taste. Moreover, fennel seed powder (perumjeerkapodi) gives a fine aroma to this chicken dish. Any ways this dish is so delicious even the picky eaters will be begging for the last piece. Kerala spices are well known around the world. Pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, curry leaves, fennel seeds are some of the Kerala spices which are an important part of the early spice trade. Garam masala powder is the popular spice blend used in Indian cooking which includes cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, nutmeg. But the exact mix can vary from place to place or region to region. For this Kerala style chicken fry, all the ingredients for marinating the chicken must be ground to a fine paste before marinating the chicken. This marinated chicken must be refrigerated for few hours. While frying the chicken, i prefer using non-stick wok or kadai so that you can avoid sticking of chicken pieces to the bottom of the wok. Drop the marinated chicken to the oil only when the oil is hot enough. Do not skip the use of curry leaves as this gives a special flavor to our chicken fry. Hope you all liked this recipe for chicken. 

INGREDIENTS

Chicken                                             - 500 g, cut into small pieces

Kashmiri chili powder                      - 4 tsp

Turmeric powder                              - 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste                           - 2 tsp

Fennel seed (perumjeera) powder    - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder                     - half tsp

Curd                                                  - 1 tbsp

Vinegar / lemon juice                        - 1 tbsp

Fenugreek ( uluva) powder               - 1 tsp

Salt

Oil

Curry leaves

PREPARATION

• Wash and clean chicken properly and cut into small pieces and then drain the excess water in chicken.
• For fenugreek powder ..first, dry roast fenugreek in a pan and then make a fine powder using a blender.
• Now grind together all the ingredients except salt and oil to a fine paste.
• Add 1 tbsp of oil and required salt to this paste and mix well.
• Marinate the chicken with this fine paste well and refrigerate for 15 minutes (preferably 1 hour ).
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed vessel and when hot add curry leaves and then add marinated chicken.
• Deep fry both sides.
• This is a spicy chicken fry recipe..you can add less chili powder to reduce the heat. Here I used Kashmiri chili powder which is less hot but great color.  

Please watch the video of Payyoli chicken fry

Pumpkin leaf Thoran / Upperi ( PUMPKIN LEAF CHUTNEY DRY )

PUMPKIN LEAF CHUTNEY DRY

INGREDIENTS

Pumpkin leaf ( maththanila )                 -  20 - 25 tender leaves
Rice water                                              - 4 tbsp
Small onion                                            - 2 nos, finely chopped
Green chilies                                          - 1 (or according to your taste)
Grated coconut                                      - 6 tbsp
Coconut oil    
Salt                                   

PREPARATION

• Pluck the tender leaves of pumpkin and clean them and then slice them finely.
• Crush grated coconut and green chili in a mixie.
• Heat oil in a pan and saute small onion.
• Add the thinly sliced leaves to it along with the crushed coconut and chili.
• Add required salt and sprinkle some rice water over the leaves and then cook it till done.
• Serve with rice...!!!!

CARROT PUDDING / CARROT COCONUT PUDDING - Easy dessert

CARROT PUDDING / CARROT COCONUT PUDDING

INGREDIENTS

Carrot    - 2 cups, sliced + 6 tbsp ( decoration)
Desiccated  coconut   - 2 tbsp + 6 tbsp (decoration)
Sweetened condensed milk   - half tin
Sugar   - 5 tbsp (or as per requirements )
China grass        - 10 g
Milk             - 3 cups

PREPARATION

Here is the video  for another carrot pudding 

• Blend carrot to a fine paste in a blender without adding water.
• Soak the china grass in cold water for few minutes and then cook over a slow flame until it dissolves to a clear liquid.
• Boil the milk in a vessel and once boiled add desiccated coconut and pureed carrot along with sugar.
• Stir continuously.
• Then add the condensed milk and mix well.
• Now pour the melted china grass and again mix well. 
• Cook for 2 minutes and then switch off the flame.
• Pour it to the pudding tray and refrigerate till it sets.
• Decorate with desiccated coconut and sliced carrot.
• Watch the video - Carrot Pudding

CHOCOLATE PUDDING - Easy dessert

CHOCOLATE PUDDING - Easy dessert

INGREDIENTS

Milk                                                                  - 2 cups
Sweetened condensed milk                               - 2 tbsp
Dairy milk chocolate ( or any dark chocolate)- 1, big(120g)
China grass                                                      - 5 g
Cashews
Almonds

PREPARATION

• Soak the china grass in cold water for few minutes and then cook over a slow flame until it dissolves to a clear liquid.
• Boil milk in a vessel and once boiled add the chocolate pieces to it.
• Stir continuously till it melts and add condensed milk along with cashews and almonds.
• Now pour the melted china grass to this mixture and stir well.
• Switch off the flame and pour it into a pudding tray.
• Refrigerate till it sets.
• Decorate with almonds and cashews...

CARAMEL NUTS PUDDING / CARAMEL PUDDING RECIPE - EASY CUSTARD RECIPE

CARAMEL NUTS PUDDING / CARAMEL PUDDING RECIPE - EASY CUSTARD RECIPE

This is an eggless caramel custard pudding recipe which is quite easy to prepare. No baking no steaming ...wonder???just try this easy dessert recipe. It tastes yummy as it looks.  Custard recipe and custard dishes are loved by everyone including kids and adults equally. Like so, I too love to make custard pudding with nuts as it is very easy and quick yet very delicious and can please the crowd. There are many variations in traditional custard pudding, all those recipes taste yummy. This is a very simple egg free dessert recipe with custard. So do try and let me know how it turns out for you. 

INGREDIENTS

Milk                                       - 2 cups

Custard powder                     - 3 tsp

Condensed milk (Milkmaid)  - 3 tbsp

Vanilla essence                      -  half tsp

Sugar                                     -  4 tbsp + 3 tbsp (caramelizing)

China grass                           - 5 g

Carrot                                   - half cup , finely sliced

Cashews                               - 3 tbsp , chopped

Almonds                               - 2 tsp, chopped 

PREPARATION

• In a saucepan add 2 tbsp of water and 3 tbsp of sugar and cook until it becomes brown over a low flame(CARAMELIZING). 
• Spread it all over a pudding mold evenly.
• Soak the china grass in cold water for few minutes and then cook over a slow flame until it dissolves to a clear liquid.
• Mix the custard powder in a half cup of milk and keep it aside.
• Now boil the remaining milk and when boiled add the custard to it.
• Add sugar, carrot slices, cashews and almonds.
• Mix well until you get a smooth sauce.
• Now pour the melted china grass and condensed milk to this and mix well.
• Switch off the flame and strain it.
• Once cooled slightly, add vanila essence and pour it into the mold.
• Refrigerate till it sets.
• Before serving, loosen the sides with the ends of a knife and flip it to a serving plate slowly.