Oyster / Muru Erachi Fry

Ingredients

500 kg - Oyster, washed and cleaned

1.5 tsp - black pepper powder

10 - Shallots/ small sambar onion / cheru ulli, sliced

2 to 3 sprigs - Curry leaves

1- small piece Kudampuli /malabar tamarind /cambodgia

1 tbsp- Coconut,chopped to thin slices

1 tsp - Red kashmiri chili powder

1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

Coconut oil

Method

1 ) Heat a frying pan, pour coconut oil, when slightly warm, add pepper powder and fry for a minute. Then add sliced onions and little salt. Fry onions till brown in color. Then add chili powder, turmeric powder, kudampuli,  coconut slices , curry leaves and fry till the spices and fried for a minute.

2 ) Add washed and cleaned oyster to the spice mix. Stir well. oyster will release water. Cook in medium heat covered, till oyster is cooked. Check salt and add little salt as to taste.Then open the lid and stir fry till all the water is used up and is dry. Add coconut oil and stir fry.

3 )  Serve oyster as a side  dish with rice, roti /chapathi.

Chemmeen Roast

It's been 4 years of blogging and i hardly took a break. When i did take a break, i felt so lazy and not motivated enough to get back to blogging. Now here i am, hoping some of you missed me and looking forward to some more posts from me :) A dear friend ' S ' shared with me this chemmeen roast recipe. I was delighted by the taste and wanted to blog immediately.

Ingredients

50 to 60 counts - Prawns, big size
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
Salt to taste

To crush

1 - Green chili
1'' piece - Ginger
8 to 10 flakes - Garlic

Other Ingredients

3/4 cup - Shallots / Small onion, chopped
3 tbsp - Coconut chopped to bits, (thenga kothu )
2.5 to 3 tsp - Coriander powder
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder/ kashmiri chili powder
1 to 1.5 tsp - Black pepper powder
1/2 to 3/4 tsp - Fennel / perumjeera powder
3 to 4 stalks - Curry leaves

Method

1 ) Devein and clean prawns well. Add turmeric powder, salt and mix well. Cook prawns, covered with a lid, on low heat till cooked. Take off stove.

2 ) In a kadai / wok, add coconut oil and warm it up. Now add shallots, coconut bits and fry till onion turns pinkish. Now add green chili- garlic-ginger crushed to the pan and fry till it turns lightly brown. Now add coriander powder, red chili powder and pepper powder. Lightly fry the powders in coconut oil.

3 ) Add cooked prawns, stir and mix in with the ingredients. Adjust salt to taste. Add curry leaves little by little in between. Then sprinkle fennel powder, little by little. Stir and fry the prawns, adding more coconut oil. Fry till the prawns turns brownish.



Serve hot as a side dish.

Fried Prawns in Coconut Milk Gravy

My kitchen is filled with this enticing aroma of freshly pounded spices, that i sprinkle into the pan of fried prawns and coconut milk. It's a winning combination of ingredients, that is flavorful and delicious.

Ingredients

To marinate

55 to 60 counts - Prawns,deshelled

1 tsp - Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

For the gravy

1/4 tsp - Cumin seeds

1/2 cup - Shallots / small onion

2 - Tomatoes, pureed

2 - Green chili, slit in center

1/2 '' piece - Ginger, finely sliced

1/2 tsp - Red chili powder

1/2 tsp - Coriander powder

1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder

3 to 4 sprigs - Curry leaves

1 small - Coconut

Spices to be powdered

2 - Green cardamom

1 small stick - Cinnamon

2 - Cloves

Method

1 ) Marinate the prawns with turmeric powder and salt to taste for 10 minutes. Grind shallots to a fine paste. Powder the spices to a fine powder. Extract coconut milk - First extract of thick coconut milk about 1/2 a cup, then second extract of 2 cups .

2 ) Heat enough coconut oil to fry the prawns. In small batches, the fry the prawns to a golden brown color. Drain off the oil to a plate. After frying all the prawns, to the remaining oil, add cumin seeds and let it fry for a second. Then add the onion paste, stir and fry on medium to low heat till onion turns deep brown in color, without burning it.

3 ) Now add the powders, chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, ground spice powder and fry for a second. Then add green chili, ginger, tomato puree' and salt to taste. Fry till the tomato gets cooked and oil separates.

4 ) Add the fried prawns and mix in with the ingredients. Stir and fry on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Now pour in the second extract of the coconut milk and cook for 5 minutes. Adjust salt to taste. Now add the curry leaves and the first extract of the coconut milk. Let it come to a boil on low heat. Turn off the stove and serve.

Serve with basmati rice or appam.

Kakka Irachi Molagu Chaar - Spicy Clams Red Curry

A simple curry that doesn't need much of ingredients is this clam curry, that mom used to make for lunch. It used to be so yum that i didn't need any other curry to have with rice as a kid. Now when i got some fresh clams, i got back those memories and made the same clam curry, just as mom made it. The gravy is very thin and spicy with red chilly powder giving the curry a red spicy look.

Clams have to be cleaned well before cooking. Have a look here to learn how to choose good clams and clean them.

Ingredients

1 to 1.5 cup - Cleaned & shelled Clams

2 to 3 tsp - Kashmiri chili powder

1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder

2 to 3 sprigs - Curry leaves

Salt to taste

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard Seeds

1/2 cup - Shallots / small onion, chopped

Coconut oil

Method

1 ) First to clean the freshly brought clams in the shell. Wash the shells very well, many a times. Then place the shells in a pot with enough water to cover the shells well. The stock obtained from this, is used to make gravy. So add enough water. Now bring to a boil, remove any scum that surfaces on top. Once the clams have opened the shell, stopped boiling and take off the stove and cool. Discard all those shells that have not opened.

2 ) Take the meat out of the shell and discard most of the shell, saving some to cook with the gravy. This will give more flavor. Now you can clean the clam meat in water to further clear out any dirt. Strain out clear stock obtained from boiling the clams in shell.

3 ) Pour the clear stock into a chatty, pot or a pan, add chilli powder, turmeric powder, some cleaned clam shells, salt to taste and bring to a boil. Add the clam meat and curry leaves. Simmer and cook till for 5 minutes. Pour little coconut oil on top and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes more. Now turn off the stove.

4 ) Season with mustard and shallots. Heat coconut oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and pop it, then add shallots and fry till lightly browned. Pour this seasoning on top on the curry and cover the curry pan immediately to hold the aroma of the seasoning in the curry. Open after 5 minutes to serve hot with rice.

Serve hot with rice.

Njandu / Crab Coconut Masala

How about a nice crab coconut masala to go with rice ? Now in this recipe the coconut is not dry roasted before grinding. Crab is coated with the coconut masala when you bite into it. This is more of a dry preparation with little gravy, that coats the crab.

Ingredients

10 - Big Crab, wash & cleaned
1/2 cup - Shallots, chopped
2 to 4 - Green chili, slit in center
5 flakes - Garlic, make a paste
1'' piece - Ginger, make a paste
3 pieces - Kudampuli, Wash & clean
1 tsp - Turmeric powder
3 sprigs - Curry leaves
1 tsp - Mustard seeds
Salt to taste

Grind to a smooth paste

2 flakes - Garlic
5 - Shallots /Small onion
5 - Dry red chili
1/2 tsp - Fennel seed
4 tsp - Coriander powder
1/2 cup - Freshly grated coconut

Method

1 ) Heat coconut oil in a manchatty / earthen pot, add mustard seed and let it pop. Then add shallot, green chili, curry leaves, fry for a minute. Then add ginger and garlic paste and fry till it browns lightly.

2 ) Now add turmeric powder, kudampuli and the ground coconut masala paste, fry for a minute. Then add little water for gravy, salt to taste and the cleaned crab pieces. Bring to a boil, simmer and cook till crab is cooked. Finally add some curry leaves and coconut oil on top. Take off the stove and serve.

Serve hot with rice.

Unakka Chemmeen Or Fresh Prawns Curry

Try this curry with dried shrimps or with fresh prawns. Cooked with unripe mangoes, which imparts tanginess to the curry, you will have to choose some real sour mangoes. Depending on the sourness of the mango, add one or more mangoes to get the desired tanginess for the curry.

Ingredients

2 cups – Dried shrimps or fresh prawns
1 or 2 medium size – Unripe sour mango, cut to pieces
2 tsp – red chili powder
½ tsp – Turmeric powder
½ tsp – Coriander powder
4 – Green chilies
½ inch piece – Ginger, grated
5 big – Shallots, diced
3 to 4 sprigs – Curry leaves
Salt to taste

Grind to a smooth paste

1 and ¾ cup to 2 cup – Freshly grated coconut

Seasoning

6 big – Shallots, diced
Coconut oil

Method

1 ) Wash dried shrimp well. Transfer to a pot or pan to cook in. Add mango, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, green chili, ginger, shallots, curry leaves and salt to taste. To this add 2 to 2.5 cups of water and place on stove. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook till shrimps and mango are cooked well and most of the water is used up.

2 ) Meanwhile, grind coconut to a smooth paste with water. Add this to the cooked shrimp. Add little more water to get a semi thick gravy consistency. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Check salt to taste. Turn off the stove.

3 ) For seasoning, heat coconut oil in another pan, add diced shallots and brown it on lower heat. Add the seasoning on to the curry.

Serve with hot steamed rice.


Tip : If mango is not sour enough, add a piece of kudampuli , while cooking the dry Shrimp.

2 ) When cooking with fresh prawns, in the initial cooking with mango, you don't need 2 to 2.5 cups water to cook prawns. Use 1 or 1.5 cups of water to cook.

Unakka Chemmeen Chammanthi

A good quality, cleaned and dried small shrimps are avaiable in the market now a days to make this delicious condiment, which will go so well with kanji / rice porridge or can be squished with some rice and had. In the past, chammanthi's are ground to chammanthi form using ammi kallu. But now in modern life style, blender / grinder will have to do. Using ammi kallu to preapare chammanthi, will brings out unique flavors, which a modern day grinder might not.

Ingredients

1 cup - Dried small shrimps
8 to 10 - Dried whole red chilies
1/2 cup - Freshly grated coconut
5 flakes - Garlic
small piece - Ginger
A small marble size - Seedless tamarind
2 sprigs - Curry leaves
Salt to taste

Method

1 ) Heat a pan with little coconut oil, add dried shrimps, red chilies and on a low flame fry, taking care not to burn the ingredients till the shrimps are fried and cooked in that low flame. Take off the stove and cool.

2 ) Add to a blender / grinder, the fried ingredients, run the blender and powder the shrimp and chilies. Then add garlic, ginger, curry leaves, tamarind, coconut and salt to taste. Run the blender and grind all the ingredients well to a coarse mixture.

Serve as a side dish with kanji or rice.

Vellarikka Unakka Chemmeen with Mango Curry

This is a nice combination of dried small shrimps with vellarikka ( cucumber ) and unripe mango. Sour mango gives the tangy taste to the curry, so a very sour mango has to be used for this curry. Since vellarikka was not available, i have used half of a cucumber in its place.

Ingredients

4 oz / 100 gm - Dried shrimp
1 big - Unripe sour mango, cut to small pieces without skin
1 cup - Vellarikka, cut to small pieces
2 to 4 - Green chili, slit in center
1'' piece - Ginger
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 sprig - Curry leaves
Salt to taste

To grind to a smooth paste

3/4 cup - Freshly grated Coconut
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp - Jeera / Cumin
1 small - Shallot

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
1 sprig - Curry leaves
2 big - Shallots, diced

Method

1 ) Wash dried shrimp. If it is very salty dried shrimp then wash very well to reduce the salt in the shrimp.

2 ) Add to a pan dried shrimp, mango, vellarikka, green chili, ginger, curry leaves, red chili and turmeric powder. Add enough water to cook the ingredients. When using cucumber instead of vellarikka, then add cucumber when other ingredients are half cooked, since cucumber will cook faster. Add salt accordingly. Cook till the mango pieces are soft and can be mashed with a spoon.Mash some of the mango pieces.

3 ) Add the ground coconut mixture to the cooked ingredients and add little water to make a thick gravy. Bring to a boil, adjust salt to taste. Cook for a minute and take off the stove.

4 ) In a small pan, heat oil, pop mustard seeds, then add shallots and curry leaves. Fry till shallots are browned. Pour this seasoning on top the curry and mix in.

Serve hot with rice.

Mussel Fry

Mussels /kadukka has been and is an all time favourite of mine. This simple preparation of mussels brings out the best flavor and taste in mussels.

Ingredients

1 lb - Mussels / Kadukka
2 to 3 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Method

1 ) Remove the mussels meat from the shell. Clean the inside part of the mussels to remove any dirt there. Cut and remove the black part in the bottom of the mussels. Clean well and set aside.

2 ) Mix red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste with little water. Marinate mussels with this mixture for 10 - 15 minutes.

3 ) Heat about 1/2 cup oil, preferably coconut oil in a wok or kadai. When oil is hot, add one or two marinated mussels at a time, to the oil and fry on both side, till mussels is fried and fully cooked. Take out of the oil and drain. Fry rest of the marinated mussels in the same way.


Serve with rice or chapati.

Squid Thoran

To make squid thoran, squid is cut round and will look like a ring when fully cooked. Quiet an interesting look and goes well with rice.

Ingredients

1 lb- Squid, cleaned and cut round
1 - Kodampuli, cleaned
2 - Green chili, slit in center
Small piece - Ginger, grated
2 sprigs - Curry leaves
Coconut oil
Salt to taste

Coarsely grind

3/4 cup - Freshly grated coconut
1 - Shallot
1 to 1.5 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Coriander powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
A pinch - Uluva /Fenugreek powder
Small piece - Ginger

Method

1 ) Heat oil in a pan, add green chili, ginger, curry leaves and fry for a minute. Then add the coarsely ground mixture, kodampuli and little water. Do not add too much water. Bring to a boil.

2 ) Add squid and salt to taste. Cook covered till the squid is fully cooked and all the water has dried up. Now finally add little coconut oil and stir in. Take off stove and serve.


Serve with rice.

Crab Masala Curry

Getting fresh and meaty crab is important, to make a delicious crab curry. Usually i buy blue crab from asian market, which is the same crab we cook back in kerala. Live crabs are the best. If not then to select fresh crab, these are the things i look for. Press on the soft shell side of the crab and see if it is firm. Is quite heavy and not light in weight. If the crab is sick, it will not have any meat and will not taste good. To learn how to clean crab, click here for a picturized method. This curry will be best, cooked in a mannchatty /earthen pot.

Ingredients

6 - Crab, cleaned and cut into two
3 to 4 tbsp - Coriander powder
1 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 big - Tomato, chopped
4 big - Shallots
4 to 6 - Green chili, slit in center
2'' piece - Ginger, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Coconut oil

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
2 to 3 sprigs - Curry leaves

Method

1 ) Heat oil in a earthen pot or a deep skillet. Add mustard and pop, then add curry leaves, shallots, green chili and ginger. Stir and fry for a minute on medium heat.

2 ) Add the powders - coriander, chili and turmeric powder. Fry in the oil till the raw smell of the powder goes on a low heat. Add tomato and cleaned crab. Stir and mix with the masala.

3 ) Add little water to make little gravy. Do not add too much water. Add salt to taste. Close with a lid and cook on low heat. Once the crab is fully cooked, take off the stove and serve. If you want little more gravy, add 1/2 cup of thick coconut milk and just before it comes to a boil take off the stove. This is really optional; this will change the rich masala flavor a bit.

Serve with plain rice.

Chemmeen Masala

Prawns masala, with less gravy and a nadan touch. I tried the curry with some appam and it went so well with it. It's spiced up with green chilies and other masala powders.

Ingredients

2 lb - Prawns, de-shell & de-vein
2 tbsp - Coriander powder
1 to 2 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
2 to 3 pinches - Hing powder
6 to 8 - Green chilies, slit in center
1 inch piece - Ginger, grated
4 big flakes - Garlic, grated
4 big - Shallots, chopped
1/4 cup - Coconut, cut into small bits
2 sprigs - Curry leaves
2 - Kodampuli, clean
1 cup - Thick coconut milk

Method

1 ) Heat oil in a kadai, add curry leaves and coconut bits. Then add green chili, ginger, garlic and shallots. Stir and fry for a minute. Meanwhile in 1/2 cup water, cook kodampuli for a minute in the microwave.

2 ) Now add all the powder one by one. Stir, fry and cook the masala for minute. Then add the cleaned prawns, stir and mix well with the masala. Pour in the kodampuli with water and cook the prawns till half done.

3 ) Pour in the coconut milk and cook the prawns till the gravy thickens up and the prawns is fully cooked.

Serve with rice, chapati or appam.

Chemmeen / Prawns Theeyal

There are certain curries, you will not be satisfied having just a little and end up having a large meal. This is one such curry for me. I heard about chemmeen theeyal from a friend and how good it tasted. She is so right and i am hooked.

Ingredients

1 lb - Prawns, cleaned
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
2 to 3 piece - Kodampuli
Salt to taste

Dry roast & grind to paste

1 cup - Grated coconut
2 tsp - Red chili powder
2 to 3 tsp - Coriander powder
2 pinch - Fenugreek powder / Uluva

Seasoning

1 tbsp - Coconut bits / Thenga kothu
4 - Shallots, sliced
2 - Green chili, slit in center
2 sprig - Curry leaves
Coconut oil


Method

1 ) Clean prawns and marinate with turmeric powder and salt. Set aside. Wash kodampuli and soak in little water.

2 ) In a pan, dry roast grated coconut till light brown in color. Then add red chili, coriander and fenugreek powder. Stir for a minute, take off the stove and cool. Grind to a smooth paste with water.

3 ) Heat Coconut oil in a saucepan, add coconut bit and fry lightly. Then add shallots, green chili and curry leaves. Lightly fry the ingredients.

4 ) Add marinated prawns, ground coconut paste, kodampuli and enough water to make a gravy. Cook to a boil and simmer. Adjust salt as to taste. Simmer and cook till prawns is cooked.

Serve hot with rice and let me know if you are hooked or not.

Cuttlefish Pepper Fry

Cuttlefish is not a fish, but like squid and octopus, it belongs to the class of molluscs known as Cephalopods.

1 Lb - Cuttlefish
5 - Shallots, diced
2 - Green chili, slit in center
1 inch piece - Ginger, crushed
1/2 to 1 tsp - Black pepper powder
1 tbsp - Coriander powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
2 sprigs - Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Corn oil

Method

1 ) Clean and cut cuttlefish to small pieces.

2 ) Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add green chili and curry leaves. Stir for a minute, then add shallots and ginger. Stir and fry.

3 ) Add turmeric powder, black pepper powder and coriander powder. Stir and fry the powders for a minute. Add the cut cuttle fish. Stir and mix well with the masala. Cover with a lid and cook on a low flame till the cuttlefish is cooked.

4) Add little more oil, if necessary and fry the cuttlefish. Take off the stove and serve hot.

Serve hot as a side dish.

Note

Lessen the amount of black pepper powder, if you do not want it very spicy.

Squid Masala

Ingredients

500 gm - Squid / koonthal / Calamari

1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

1 tsp - Red chili powder

1 tsp - Coriander powder

1/2 tsp - Black pepper powder

1/2 tsp - Garam masala

Salt to taste

1 ) Marinate, squid with the above powders, for half an hour. Heat little oil in a wok or kadai. Add the marinated squid to it and cook the squid on a low flame. Close with a lid. There is no need to add water. Cook till the squid is well cook and all the water that came out of the squid is used up.

1 tbsp - Garlic - Ginger paste

10 - Shallots, diced

2 - Green chili, slit in center

1/2 cup - Coconut, chopped to bits

3 sprigs - Curry leaves

Coconut oil or Corn oil

Method

2 ) Heat oil in a pan. Add green chili, coconut bits, curry leaves and fry for a minute. Then add shallots and fry till light brown in color. Add garlic - ginger paste and fry for a minute.

3 ) Add the cooked squid, stir and mix well. Stir and fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Take off the stove and serve.

Serve as a side dish with rice or chapati

Tip

If the squid is too spicy, add half a cup of thick coconut milk to it and cook till the gravy is thick and coating the squid.

Small squids taste better than big ones and of course fresh is best.

Technorati tags : seafood squid masala

Arikadukka - Stuffed Mussels

Kadukka or Kallumakai as mussels is known in Malayalam is a popular seafood in Malabar regions of kerala. Mussels are fried, stuffed, curried, pickled and are used in rice dishes for making biriyani or pulao. Ari kadukka, as the name suggests in Malayalam is mussels stuffed in rice paste and steamed within its shell, which is then fried.

Ingredients

25 - 30 - Medium size mussels

For Stuffing dough

3 cups - Rice flour

1.5 cups - Grated coconut

3 - Shallots / small onion

1 tsp - Aniseed

1/2 tsp - Jeera / cumin seeds

Salt to taste

Masala batter

2 tsp - Red chili powder

1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

1 tbsp - Rice flour

2 - Garlic flakes, finely grated

Salt to taste

Method

1 ) Wash the mussel shells well. Boil the shells in enough water, till the shells open. Drain all the water. Do not use shells that have not opened. Those are not good ones.

2 ) Scoop out the mussel meat from the shell. Clean the inside part of the mussels to remove any dirt there. Cut and remove the black part in the bottom of the mussel. Clean well and set aside.

3 ) Grind the ingredients for the dough, except the rice flour, to a smooth paste with little water. Add to the rice flour and make a dough.

Stuff this dough into the mussel ( inside part of the mussel and the outer part. Cover well with the dough. Place this stuffed mussels in a well cleaned mussel shell to steam.

4 ) Steam the stuffed mussels in a steamer or use a pressure cooker in which a utensil for steaming is placed and steam mussels in it, covered with a lid.

Steam for 10 minutes. When fully cooked. Take off the steamer and place to cool. Then scoop out the stuffed mussels from the shells.

5 ) Mix all the ingredients for masala batter together with little water and make a batter. Dip or lightly coat the steamed mussels in this batter.

6 ) In a wok or kadai, add enough oil to deep fry. Add mussels to the oil and fry till crisp and golden brown in colour.

Serve this Arikadukka as a snack with your evening tea.

Padavalanga Unakka Chemmeen Curry - Snake gourd Dry Shrimp Curry

This is a nice combination of dry shrimps with snake gourd. Padavalanga as is known in Malayalam is quite bland in taste.You can spice it up by combining unakka chemmeen and other spices with padavalanga.Unakka chemmeen is small dry shrimps, sun dried.

Ingredients

1 - Snake gourd /Padavalanga, chopped to small pieces
1 cup - Dry Shrimp / Unakka chemmeen, washed well
Salt to taste

To grind to paste

1 to 1.5 cup - Grated fresh coconut
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 tsp - Red chili powder
1/4 tsp - Jeera / Cumin
2 big- Shallot , chopped

Sesoning

1 tsp - Mustard Seeds
5 big - Shallots, chopped
3 sprigs - Curry leaves
Coconut Oil

Method

1 ) Place a pot on stove with one cup water. Add snake gourd, dry shrimps and salt to taste. Cook to a boil, then simmer till cooked well.

2 ) Add the ground thick coconut paste. Add enough water to make a curry consistency. Don't make it too watery. Bring to a boil and take off the stove.

3 ) Season with mustard, shallots and curry leaves. Add to the curry.

Serve with rice. This is a yummy curry.....goes well with rice.

Murungakai Chemmeen Curry - Drumstick Prawns Curry

This is a nice combination of prawns/shrimps with drumstick. Kodampuli is the tamarind used to bring out the tangy taste to this curry.

Ingredients

500gm -Prawns / Shrimp,cleaned
2 - Drumsticks, cut into pieces
2 - Kodampuli (click to see the pic at the bottom )
2 - Green chili, slit in center
1 inch piece - Ginger,chopped small
3 - Shallots,diced
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder
6 - Curry leaves
1 cup - Water

To grind to a smooth paste

1.5 cup - Grated fresh coconut
1.5 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard
2 - Shallots,diced

Method

1 ) Put Kodumpuli in a small bowel with lukewarm water for 5 to 10 minutes. Clean well in cold water. Set aside.
2 ) In a pot, pour one cup water and add drumstick,kodumpuli, green chili, ginger, shallots, red chili powder and turmeric powder. Bring to a boil and partially cook drumstick, then add prawns and salt. Cook till the prawns and drumstick is well cooked.
3 ) Grind the ingredients listed to be ground to a thick smooth paste with water. Add to the prawns and drumstick. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook for 2 minutes.
4 ) To season, heat oil in a pan and pop mustard. Then add shallots and fry till light brown. Add to the curry.
Serve with rice.

Tip

Instead of kodumpuli, use the regular tamarind (lime size) to make this curry. Use fresh coconut for making the curry. Otherwise canned coconut milk is a substitute......but fresh is the best !

Naadan Crab Fry

With a naadan taste, this crab fry is delicious and succulent.

Ingredients

6- Fresh crab
2 tsp - Chilly powder
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
5 - Sliced Shallots
2 - Sliced green Chili
1" piece - Crushed Ginger
Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Coconut oil is the best....or Sesame oil

Method

1) Heat oil in a pan, add green chili, ginger, sliced shallots and curry leaves. Fry lightly and then add red chili powder, turmeric powder. Stir for a minute.

2 )Add cleaned crab and mix in with the masala. Add salt to taste. Cover the pan with a tight lid and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes. Crab will cook in its juice.Check on the crab, to see if it's cooked. Add more oil and fry the crab.

Serve with rice or chapathi.

This is a simple recipe. The crab i prefer to cook with, has a blue coloration on its legs...Mostly available in asian markets. These crabs taste the best.

Prawns fry

Ingredients

1 lb -Prawns
1.5 tsp - chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 big - Kodumpuli, soaked in water
2 to 3 sprig - Curry leaves
1/4 cup - Coconut, chopped to small pieces
Coconut oil
Salt to taste

To chop finely

2 - Green chili
5 - Shallots

To crush

1 '' piece - Ginger
6 big flakes - Garlic

Method

1 ) Marinate prawns with red chili powder, turmeric and salt to taste for 5 to 10 minutes.

2 ) Heat oil in a pan, add coconut pieces, curry leaves and fry lightly. Then add chopped ingredients and fry till shallot is light brown in color. Add crushed garlic and ginger and fry lightly.

3 ) Add marinated prawns and kudampuli , stir and cook prawns covered with a lid till the prawns is cooked on a low heat for 5 minutes. Prawns will get cooked in its juices. Now open the lid and dry off the excess water. Add little more coconut oil and fry the prawns till dry.

Serve this hot and spicy prawns with chapati / roti.