Coconut Rice

This coconut rice has the rich coconut flavor having been cooked in coconut milk. I have used aged basmati rice for making this rice. Advantage of cooking with aged basmati rice is that, you get fluffy cooked rice, with separate grains and it will not break so much after cooking unlike new basmati rice.

Ingredients

1 cup - Basmati rice, rinsed

2 cups - Coconut milk

Salt to taste

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds

1 tbsp - Chana dal

1 tsp - Urad dal

1/4 tsp - Jeera / Cumin seeds

2 tbsp - Peanuts or cashewnuts

2 pinches - Hing

2 - Green chili, chopped finely

2 sprigs - Curry leaves

Coconut oil

Method

1 ) In a large saucepan, bring coconut milk to a boil, add rinsed basmati rice and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then simmer and cook covered with lid till all the coconut milk is absorbed and the rice is well cooked. Switch off the heat. With the lid still closed, let the rice cool. Stir with a fork, then spread the rice on a plate to cool completely.

2 ) To season - In a pan heat oil, add mustard and pop it. Then add chana dal, urad dal, peanuts or cashew nuts, green chili and fry them. Now add hing and curry leaves. Pour the seasoning on the cooked rice and mix in well.

Serve hot. This rice will go so well with some spicy meat fry or with chicken curry.

Seema suggests - " My mom does the south indian way.. all tadka & fry the fresh coconut till the aroma comes & add cooked rice & toss well...."

So for a variation to the above preparation, coconut rice can be prepared using freshly grated coconut, instead of coconut milk. Cook rice in water and cool. For one cup rice, use 2 cups water. Then do the seasoning, add about 1 cup freshly grated coconut to seasoning and fry lightly( don't brown the coconut ) till the aroma of coconut comes out. Then add cooked rice and mix well.

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.

Kalan

Kalan, a yogurt based thick gravy preparation with vegetable like plantain and yam is a popular traditional dish in kerala. Yam used here is suran or also known as elephant foot yam.

Ingredients

1 - Plantain, cut with skin to 1/2 '' pieces
1 cup - Yam / Suran, cut to 3/4 '' pieces
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
salt to taste

Grind to a paste

3/4 cup - Grated coconut
3 to 4 - Green chili
1/2 tsp - Jeera / Cumin seeds
1.5 to 2 cups - Medium sour yogurt / Curds

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp - Fenugreek seeds / Uluva / Methi
2 sprigs - Curry leaves
2 - Whole dry red chili
Coconut oil

Method

1 ) Cook plantain and yam in enough water along with red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste, till vegetables are well cooked. You can pressure cook the veggie for faster cooking.

2 ) Grind to a smooth paste coconut, green chili and jeera with very little water. Beat yogurt well and set aside.

3 ) Add ground coconut paste to cooked vegetable and mix in with the stock in the vegetable. If there is no stock, add little water. Bring to a boil. Adjust salt to taste. Now add the beaten yogurt and just bring to a boil. Take off the stove immediately, so that the yogurt does not curdle.

4 ) Heat a pan with oil. Pop the mustard, then add fenugreek seeds and fry till brown on low heat. Add red chili and curry leaves. Season the cooked kalan with this and mix in.


Serve with rice.

RCI: Regional cuisine of india, is an event based on different regional cuisines. It's the brainchild of LakshmiK. RCI kerala is hosted by Jyothsna of currybazaar and this traditional dish from kerala is send as an entry for this event.

This will make a good addition to Onam sadhya.

Something to Munch on...

Munch on some fried green gram , seasoned with a dash of salt and spice. I used to buy these Rajbhog snacks, like the spicy green vatana and like. I liked the taste a lot and wanted to try making this at home. I have tried with whole green gram. You can make similarly with green vatana too.

Ingredients

1 cup - Whole green gram dal

Dash of - Red chili powder

Dash of - Garlic powder ( optional )

1 sprig - Curry leaves

Salt t taste
Oil to fry

Method

1 ) Soak green gram dal in enough water overnight or till you see it's about to sprout. Wash, drain in a colander. Spread on a paper towel to completely dry out.

2 ) To a wok or kadai, add enough oil to deep fry. Once the oil is hot, add green gram dal in small batches and fry till crisp. Drain from oil and spread on plate lined with paper towel. Immediately sprinkle some salt and chili powder. Garlic powder does add to the taste. Add garlic powder, if you like garlic taste. Fry curry leaves, till it is crisp too. Drain and mix with fried green gram dal. Cool and then store in a container.

Serve with tea.

Mansi Desai of 'Fun and Food' is hosting a "Game Night Party" event. Sending this recipe as an entry for the same.

Unniyappam

Let me start this new year, with best wishes to everyone and with a sweet snack recipe for Unniyappam. Unniyappam is also know as Kuzhiyappam or Kaarappam in different parts of kerala. When you have over ripe banana's, this snack is an easy way to use up those banana's.

Ingredients

500 grams - Rice flour, lightly roasted

200 grams - Small banana, mashed

500 grams - Jaggery, more or less as to taste

1 cup - Milk ( optional )

1/2 cup - Coconut bits /thenga kothu

10 to 12 - Cardamom, powdered

2 tbsp - Ghee

A pinch of salt

Oil to fry

Method

1 ) In the above picture is the ingredients for making unniyappam.

2 ) Melt jaggery with little water and make a thick syrup out of it. Strain to take out any impurities. Cool the syrup.

3 ) To a mixing bowl, add rice flour, mashed banana, cardamom powder, salt, coconut bits, ghee, jaggery syrup and mix well to form a thick batter, which is like a idli batter consistency. Let the batter sit for an hour. In the meantime if the batter has thicken up or is too tight, add milk to make it again to a idli batter consistency.

4 ) Heat a unniyappam pan, like the one above in the picture. Pour oil in each impressions like in picture. Let the oil heat up, then pour the batter into each impression.

5 ) On low medium heat fry the unniyappams uncovered, till the bottom turns golden in color.

6 ) With the help of a fork turn the unniyappam to cook on the other side to a golden color. Take out of the oil and drain on a paper towel.

Serve with tea.

For variation -

1 ) Use wheat flour instead of rice flour. It's equally tasty with wheat flour.

2 ) Dates and raisins can be used instead of banana for a different taste. Grind to a paste dates and raisins. Add jaggery as to taste.

3 ) Over ripe plantains can be used. Steam, mash plantain and use to make unniyappam.

Happy New Year 2008 !

For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.

- By T. S. Eliot

~ Wishing all my readers a very happy and prosperous brand new year ! ~

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.

Sesame Pistachio Chikki

Crispy Sesame chikki / brittle with pistachio is a sweet delicacy, with all it's sweetness from sugar and honey. Though making chikki is quite simple, there is one or two quick steps to note, such as, once the syrup has reached the correct consistency, then immediately add dry ingredients and then spread the cooked mixture quickly, since it hardens very fast. So just keep everything ready before you start cooking.

Ingredients

1 cup - White sesame seeds
1/3 to 1/2 cup - Pistachio, finely chopped
1 cup - Sugar
1/4 cup - Honey
1/2 tsp - Cardamom powder
Ghee to grease

Method

1 ) Dry roast sesame seeds to a golden color and set aside to cool. Mix chopped pistachio, cardamom powder and mix well. Grease a flat plate or a flat surface well.

2 ) Mix sugar and honey in a saucepan and melt together on a medium heat. Cook the syrup till it turns to a golden color. Switch off the stove. Immediately add the sesame mixture, stir and mix well.

3 ) Quickly spread on a greased plate and spread evenly. To spread evenly you can grease a rolling pin and roll over the mixture to spread. Allow the chikki to cool slightly, but before the chikki hardens completely, cut it into pieces with a knife. Store in airtight container.


Do check out Peanut chikki made with jaggery. Sesame chikki can be made with jaggery too. Just follow the recipe, replace peanut with sesame seeds.

Curried Nadan Chicken

Ingredients

4 - Chicken breast fillets, cut to pieces
2 tbsp - Coriander powder
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 cup - Shallots, chopped
1/2 '' piece - Ginger, grated
6 flakes - Garlic, crushed and finely chopped
2 - Green chili, slit in center
1 - Tomato, chopped
2 sprigs - Curry leaves
1.5 to 2 cup - Coconut milk
Coconut oil

To marinate chicken

2 tbsp - Coriander powder
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
3 big - Shallot, chopped
1'' piece - Ginger
2 - Green chili
6 big flakes - Garlic
Juice from 1/2 of a big lime
Salt to taste

Garam masala powder

2 sticks - Cinnamon
4 - Cloves
1 tsp - Fennel seeds
1/8 tsp - Nutmeg powder
1 - Star anise
1 - Javithri / Mace
8 - Black peppercorns

To powder

10 - Cashew nuts
5 - Blanched almonds

Garnish

3/4 cup - Coriander leaves, chopped

Method

1 ) Clean and chop chicken to pieces. Grind to a smooth paste marinate ingredients. Apply on the chicken and keep to marinate for one hour.

2 ) Heat oil on a medium heat. Add curry leaves, then stir in chopped shallots and fry till shallot is lightly fried. Then add garlic, ginger, green chili and fry lightly. Now add the powders - Coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, stir and fry on low heat till the raw smell goes. Add tomato, stir and mix.

3 ) Add marinated chicken, stir and mix with the masala. Add little water ( some water will come out of the chicken when cooking ) close with a lid and cook on low heat till the chicken is cooked.

4 ) Powder the masala powder ingredients to a fine powder. Also powder cashew nut and almond to a fine powder. Add masala powder and nuts powder to the chicken. Stir and mix. Add coriander leaves and cook for a minute on low heat. Adjust salt to taste.

5 ) Finally pour the coconut milk and bring to a boil, simmer for a minute, then turn off the stove.

This curry will go well with pathiri, appam, idiappam , puttu or rice.

Kale Dal Curry

Kale is a cold weather crop, but available year round. Kale has a strong flavor to it, so when selecting kale go for the smaller and young leaves. With all its health benefits, it's good to make kale part of your diet. Usually i prepare greens like, spinach, drumstick leaves along with toor dal/lentil and it goes so well together. So i had to try kale with dal and it happens to go well too.

Ingredients

1 cup - Toor dal

2 bunches - Kale, finely chopped

1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

2 - Green chili, slit in center

1 - Tomato, quartered

1 - Baby potato, cubed

Salt to taste

Grind to a smooth paste

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup - Freshly grated coconut

1/4 tsp - Jeera

2 - Shallots, chopped

4 - Dry whole Red chili

1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds

3  - shallots, diced

2 sprigs - Curry leaves

sesame or coconut oil

Method

1 ) Cook dal in enough water along with turmeric powder, green chili, potato and tomato. When dal is half cooked add chopped kale and cook till dal and kale is cooked well.Use only the leafy part of kale.

2 ) Now add the ground ingredients to cooked dal and kale. Add little water to make a thick gravy. Add salt to taste and bring to a boil. Cook for a minute or two and take off the stove.

3 ) To season, heat oil, pop mustard seeds, then add shallots and curry leaves. Fry till shallot is browned. Pour the seasoning on the curry and stir in.

Serve with rice.

When making spinach-dal or drumstick leaves-dal curry, you don't have to add potato and tomato. Rest just follow the above recipe.

Almond Macaroons - Amaretti Cookies

Soft in the center, crunchy on the outside, these Italian almond macaroons, better known as amaretti, are sweet cookies that can be served as a pleasant accompaniment to coffee, espresso or as a light dessert or a cookie treat.

Ingredients

1 cup - Blanched almonds
4 drops - Pure almond extract
2/3 to 3/4 cup - Sugar
1 - Egg white, from a large egg
Little confectioners sugar for dusting

Method

1 ) Using a blender or food processor, finely grind blanched almonds in batches.

2 ) Combine almonds with almond extract, sugar and lightly beaten egg white. Combine mixture well into a dough with hands.

3 ) With moist hands, form very small dough balls.

4 ) Place balls at least 1'' apart on baking sheet, which is lined with parchment paper.

5 ) Preheat oven at 300 F. Place baking sheet in middle rack and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Take care to see the macaroon do not brown. Should be white in color. By 20 minutes the macaroons will be done. Still soft to touch.

6 ) Take out of the oven to cool. Using fine sieve, dust cookie with confectioners sugar while still warm. Cool completely before removing from baking sheet. Store in airtight container.

Serve with coffee or as a light dessert.

Roti with Corn Flour

Roti made with makki / corn / maize flour is quite popular in Punjab. Makki ki roti and Sarson Ka Saag go together. Very healthy and a hearty meal. Visiting my friend who hails from punjab, i got to see a roti prepared using corn flour and left over vegetable sabzi. Mixing with sabzi or any other cooked vegetable will make this roti very soft. Any vegetable sabzi will work for this. If not sabzi, then you could make the dough with boiled potato or paneer or tofu. Now after kneading the dough, it will need a bit of skill to make perfect round roti. Some experts tap with both their palms and roll out the dough. Plastic sheets /wraps has been used to help roll the dough.
For this recipe i am not going to give any specific measurements, since you can just roughly mix the corn flour, left over sabzi and make a firm dough. I hope the detailed and step by step picture will do the talking and help my reader understand.

Ingredients

Corn flour ( white Instant corn masa flour has been used here )
Any left over sabzi or potato or tofu or paneer

Method

1 ) Into a big thali or plate, add corn flour.


2 ) Add left over sabzi.

3 ) Mix the flour and sabzi. Knead well and make a stiff dough.

4 ) Make big dough balls. Place one sheet of plastic sheet on the rolling area. Place a dough ball, then place another plastic sheet on top of the dough.

5 ) With a rolling pin, roll out the roti. Roti will be thicker than the usual roti.Take off the top plastic sheet, then with the help of bottom plastic sheet, lift the bottom plastic sheet slowly and invert the roti to your palm.

6 ) Heat a tawa. Place the roti in the hot tawa and cook on both sides by flipping to both sides. Smear some ghee and cook.

Serve hot. This roti will not be good cold. So roll out the roti and cook when you want to have it. Rest of the dough can be stored in the fridge. This roti is good to eat by itself.

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.