Apple Pickle

Ingredients:

• Green apples 3
• Chilly pdr 3 Tsp
• Fenugreek pdr 1/4 Tsp
• Asafoetida as rqd
• Garlic 5 to 10 pods
• Ginger 1 big piece
• Mustard seeds
• Curry leaves
• Gingely oil
• Vinegar
• Water
• Salt

Clean and cut apples into small pieces. Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add sliced ginger, garlic, curry leaves and salt. Saute it well till it turns brown. Reduce the heat and add chilly pdr and mix well. Then pour required amount of water and vinegar. Allow it to boil well. Add the chopped apples into it. Mix it well and put fenugreek pdr and asafoetida. Combine well and remove it from fire. After cooling down, keep it in an air tight bottle.

Spiced Chocolate Tea Cakes

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.........

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour 1 1/2 cup
• Ground nutmeg 1/4Tsp
• Baking pdr 1/4 Tsp
• Cocoa pdr 1/4 cup
• Egg yolk of 1 egg
• Butter 1/2 cup
• Sugar 3/4 cup
• Milk 1/3 cup
• Pwd sugar

Preheat oven at 350 deg F. In a small bowl, stir together flour, cocoa pdr, baking pdr and nutmeg. Keep it aside. In a large bowl beat butter at medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and egg yolk into it and beat well. Add about half of the flour mixture and milk, mix it and add the rest of the remaining flour. Place dough in a decorating bag fitted with a large open star tip. Pipe it into desired shapes. Bake it for 10 to 12 mins or until firm and the bottom is light brown. Transfer to a wire rack and allow it to cool. Sift powdered sugar over the cooled cookies before serving.
Recipe Courtesy: Better Homes and Gardens Cookie Book.

Citrus Tea Cake

Ingredients:

• Milk 1/4 cup
• Butter 250 gm
• Baking pdr 1 Tsp
• Egg yolks of 4 egg
• Lemon zest 1/4 Tsp
• Powdered sugar 250 gm
• All purpose flour 250 gm
• Grounded orange peel 1/2 Tsp
• Vanilla essence 1 Tsp
• Egg whites of 4 egg
• Sugar 1 Tbsp

Preheat oven to 400 deg F. Grease a baking pan with butter and all purpose flour and keep it aside. Sieve baking powder and flour together. Beat butter and powdered sugar well till it turns creamy. Then add egg yolks one by one into it and mix well. Add grounded orange peel and lemon zest into it. Then add flour and milk alternatively into this and combine well. Beat egg white in another bowl till it turns fluffy. Add vanila essence and sugar into the egg white and combine it slowly. Add this into the flour mixture and mix slowly. Transfer into the greased baking pan and bake it at 350 deg F for 35 to 40 min.

Cut-Out Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour 3 cup
• Confectioner's sugar 1 cup
• Cold unsalted butter 1 cup
• Vanilla extract 2 Tsp
• Egg yolks of 4 eggs
• Salt 1/2 Tsp

Mix together flour, sugar, cold butter and salt using hand or food processor. Lightly beat egg yolks and vanilla in a bowl and pour it into the flour mixture. Mix well until the dough forms. Divide dough into two, 1/2 inch disks. Wrap it well and chill it for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 3/16 inch disk. Cut the dough into desired shapes using cookie cutter. Transfer it into a baking tray and bake it for 15 to 20 mins. Allow it to cool on the rack itself and kept in an air tight container.

[Recipe courtesy: Marthastewart.com]

White Cake

Ingredients:

• Unsalted butter 1 1/2 stick
• All purpose flour 2 cup
• Vanilla essence 2 Tsp
• Egg white of 6 eggs
• Baking pdr 2 Tsp
• Sugar 1 1/2 cup
• Salt 1/4 Tsp
• Milk 3/4 cup

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Grease two 9 inch round pan (with butter and all purpose flour) and keep it aside. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar for 5 mins till it turns fluffy. Stir together flour, salt and baking pdr and keep it aside. Then combine vanilla essence, egg whites and milk. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then add half of the milk mixture. Continue this alternative process. Pour this batter into the greased pan and bake it for 25 to 30 mins.

Rajma Soya Fry

Ingredients:

• Cooked Rajma 1 cup
• Cooked soya 1 cup
• Onion 2 big
• Garlic 3 to 5 pods
• Ginger 1 big piece
• Coriander pdr 1 Tbsp
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Garam masala 1/2 Tsp
• Pepper pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Chilly pdr 2 Tsp
• Musatrd seeds
• Curry leaves
• Salt
• Oil

Soak rajma overnight and cook it with salt and keep it aside. Cook soya in boiling water for 15 min and squeeze out the excess water. Chop it and keep it aside. Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add curry leaves, sliced onion, ginger and garlic. Saute till it turns light brown. Reduce the heat and add the chilly, coriander, turmeric, garam masala and pepper pdr into it and roast it well. Then add the chopped soya and mix it well. When it turns brown, add the cooked rajma and fry it well till it turns dry.

Chammanthi Podi (Dry Coconut Chutney Powder)

Ingredients:

• Coconut 2
• Garlic 15 pods
• Shallots 5 to 10
• Ginger 1 med piece
• Curry leaves 1 cup
• Whole pepper 1 Tsp
• Dry chilly 12 to 15
• Tamarind a big lemon sized
• Salt

Fry all the ingredients except salt and tamarind, without oil. Reduce the heat and fry the coconut mixture till it turns dark brown colour. Remove the dry chillies from the roasted mixture and powder it well using salt. Then add the required amount of tamarind and powder well. Transfer this mixture into a bowl. Then powder the rest of the coconut mixture little by little with the above powdered chilly mix and required amount of salt. Transfer it to a bowl and mix well.

Aval (Poha) Nanachathu

Ingredients:

• Aval (poha) 1 to 1 1/2 cup
• Coconut 1 to 1 1/4 cup
• Cardamom 1 to 3
• Jaggery 1 cup

Combine the grated coconut and jaggery well, using hand. When it combines well, slowly add the aval (poha) little by little and mix well with the coconut mixture. Finally add the crushed cardamom into the poha and keep it aside for about 10 mins till it becomes soft.

Cheera ( spinach) Mezhukkupuratty

Ingredients:

• Spinach 1 bunch
• Crushed garlic 5 to 10 pods
• Crushed dry chilly 5 to 8
• Crushed shallots 5 to 10
• Turmeric pdr 1/4 Tsp
• Garam masala 1/2 Tsp
• Curry leaves
• Mustard
• Salt
• Oil

Soak spinach in salt water for 15 minutes and drain out the excess water. Cut it into small pieces and keep it aside. Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard. When it splutters, add the crushed garlic, crushed shallots, curry leaves and salt. Saute it till it turns brown. Then add the crushed chilly, turmeric pdr and garam masala into it. Mix well and add the sliced spinach. Cover it and cook it in low flame. No need to add water.

Prawns Pulav

Ingredients:

• Prawns 250 g
• Tomato 3 medium
• Basmati rice 2 cup
• Sliced onion 2 big
• Ginger paste 1 1/2 Tsp
• Garlic paste 1 1/2 Tsp
• Cinnamon 2 pieces
• Cloves 5 to 7
• Cardamom 6
• Semi thick coconut milk 3 cup
• Coriander leaves 1/4 cup
• Coriander pdr 1/2 Tbsp
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Chilly pdr 1 Tbsp
• Cumin pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Ghee 6 Tbsp
• Salt

Soak rice for 10 mins and drain away the water and keep it aside. Heat ghee in a kadai and add whole spices (cinnamon, cloves, cardamom) into it. Add thinly sliced onion into this and saute till it turns brown. Put prawns, salt and turmeric pdr into the onion and saute it for 5 mins. Then add ginger garlic paste and roast it well. Reduce the heat and add chilly pdr, coriander pdr and cumin pdr. Roast it and add the tomato. When tomato turns soft, add rice and mix well. Saute it for 5 mins. Pour coconut milk and rqd amount of salt and combine it well. Transfer it into a pressure cooker. Cook it till 2 whistles. Remove it from fire and keep it closed for 5 mins. Then remove the lid and add coriander leaves. Transfer it to a serving bowl.

Vendakka (okra) Curry

Ingredients:

• Onion 2 big
• Okra 10 to 15
• Green chilly 5 to 8
• Garlic pods 5 50 10
• Coriander pdr 2 Tbsp
• Turmeric pdr 1/4 Tsp
• Garam masala 1/2 Tsp
• Coconut milk 1 cup
• Vinegar 1 Tbsp
• Curry leaves
• Mustard
• Water
• Salt
• Oil

Clean and cut okra into thin pieces (length wise). Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add the curry leaves and thinly sliced okra. Saute it till it becomes dry. Transfer it to a bowl and add the thinly sliced onion, garlic and chilly into the kadai. Saute it well till it turns brown. Then add the corriander, turmeric pdr and garam masala pdr and reduce the heat. Roast it well and add the sauted okra into this and mix well. Pour required amount of water and vinegar. Boil it well. Reduce the heat and add thick coconut milk and salt. Mix well and remove it from fire.

Dates and Bilimbi (Cucumber tree) Pickle

Ingredients:

• Dates 50 g
• Salted dried bilimbi 100 g
• Ginger paste 4 Tbsp
• Garlic paste 4 Tbsp
• Gingely oil as rqd
• Fenugreek 1/4 Tsp
• Chilly pdr 3 Tbsp
• Turmeric 1/4 Tsp
• Water 1 1/2 cup
• Vinegar as rqd
• Curry leaves
• Mustard
• Salt

Heat gingely oil in a kadai (manchatti) and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add curry leaves and ginger garlic paste into this. Saute it well and add chilly, turmeric and fenugreek pdr. Mix well and reduce the heat. Then pour water and required amount of vinegar. Boil it well and add the finely chopped dates and dried bilimbi. Add rqd amount of salt and mix well. Remove it from fire. Allow it to cool and store in an air tight bottle or container.

To know more about Bilimbi:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilimbi
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/bilimbi.html

Mint and Corriander Flavoured Chicken

Ingredients:

For marination:

• Chicken 1 kg
• Corriander leaves 1/4 bunch
• Mint leaves 1/4 bunch
• Crushed ginger 1 big pieces
• Crushed garlic 1 pods
• Sliced Green Chilly 4 to 5
• Curd 1/2 cup
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Chilly pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Crushed pepper 1/2 Tsp

How to Marinate:

Marinate the pieces of chicken with finely chopped corriander and mint leaves. Add the coarsely crushed ginger and garlic. Add the sliced green chillies along with the the turmeric powder, red chilly powder and the crushed pepper corns. Finally add the curd to tenderize the meat. Keep this mixture aside for at least 2 hours.

For Curry:

• Onion 6 to 7
• Tomato 3 to 5
• Green chilly 2 to 3
• Mint and Corriander leaves 1/4 bunch each
• Ginger garlic paste 2 to 3 Tsp
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Chilly pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Corriander pdr 1 Tsp
• Garam masala 2 Tsp
• Crushed pepper 1 Tsp
• Cashewnut paste 30gms
• Oil/ghee

Directions:

In a pan, pour oil/ghee and once hot, add the ginger garlic paste, add the sliced onions and allow it to get light brown. Add the turmeric powder, chilly powder, corriander powder, crushed pepper corns and the garam masala. Allow the masala to get cooked.

A paste of mint leaves and coriander leaves is already kept prepared and this is added into the curry. Allow this mix to get cooked. Now add the tomatoes along with the green chillies. Add the chicken which is kept marinated and when the chicken is half done, add the nut paste. Allow the chicken to get completely cooked. Add salt as per requirement. Let the gravy thicken.

Once done, garnish with Fresh corriander leaves.
Goes wonderfully with chapathis and ghee rice.
Bon Appetit!!!!

[Recipe Courtesy: Tony Toms]

Cappuchinian Delight with Rum Raisins & Nuts

Ingredients:

• Egg 3
• Flour 2 cup
• Veg oil 1 cup or
• Butter 200 g
• Baking pdr 1 Tsp
• Baking soda 1/2 Tsp
• Sugar 1 1/2 cup + 2 Tsp
• Handfull of assorted nuts & dry fruits
• Instant coffee pdr 4 to 5 Tsp
• Melted dark chocolate 100 g
• Vanilla essence 2 Tsp
• Rum

Preparation:

Soak the assorted nuts and dry fruits in rum along with 2 tsp of vanilla essence and 2 tsp of castor sugar. Keep this mixture for atleast 3 to 4 days so that the rum is well absorbed by the nuts and dry fruits. The nuts and dry fruits include, Cashew nuts, Walnuts, Almonds and unsalted pistacchios, Golden and black raisins and prunes.

Mix together vegetable oil and sugar in a food processor and add the eggs one by one. Allow it to get mix well. Continue this process till the mixture becomes fluffy and soft. Pour this mixture into a mixing bowl and add the coffee pdr, the melted chocolate, the rum infused and the nuts and fruits. Mix it well.

The flour is kept sieved along with baking pdr and baking soda. This flour is carefully folded into the cake mixture.

Pre heat the oven at 180 d Celcious. Grease two baking pan and pour the batter into it. Bake it for 45 to 50 mins.

[Recipe Courtesy: Tony Toms]

Easy Rava Payasam or Rava Kurukku

Ingredients:

• Rava 1 cup
• Ghee 2 Tbsp
• Sugar as rqd
• Milk 2 1/2 cup
• Vanilla essence few drops
• Cardamom pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Cashew nuts as rqd
• Raisins as rqd

Mix together milk and sugar. Boil it well. Then reduce the heat and add the rava into it. Stir it continously till it reaches a semi thick consistency. Add half of the ghee, vanilla essence and cardamom pdr. Remove it from fire. Fry raisins and cashews in ghee and pour it into the payasam.

Warm White Chocolate Gateaux

Ingredients:

• Egg 2
• Salt a pinch
• Sugar 1 cup
• Butter 1/2 cup
• Flour 1 1/4 cup
• Milk 5 to 6 Tbsp
• Baking pdr 1 Tsp
• Vanilla essence 2 Tsp
• Nuts - handful of assorted
• White chocolate 150 g(Melted)

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F(180 deg C). Sieve flour, baking pdr and salt. In a bowl beat butter and sugar till it becomes creamy and fluffy. Slowly add egg and vanilla essence into the butter and beat well. Then add flour and milk alternately starting and ending with flour. Melt the white chocolate for 2 mins and pour it into the flour. Add chopped nuts into this. Mix it well using a spatula. Bake it for 45 to 50 mins.

[Recipe Courtesy: Tony Toms]

Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients:

• For chicken
• Chicken 1 kg
• Onion sliced 4 big
• Crushed chilly 8 to 10
• Crushed ginger 1 big piece
• Crushed garlic 5 to 10 pods
• Chopped corriander leaves 1/2 cup
• Chopped mint leaves 1/4 cup
• Poppy seeds 1 Tsp
• Garam masala 3 Tsp
• Tomato 2 big
• Curd 1 cup
• Oil as rqd
  

For rice:

• Rice 1 kg(4 cups)
• Water 7 1/2 to 8
• Lime juice of 1 lime
• Cinnamon 1 big piece
• Elaichi 1 to 2
• Cloves 2 to 3
• Ghee as rqd
• Salt

For Garnishing:

• Cashews 1/2 cup
• Raisins 1/2 cup
• Fried onion as rqd
• Rose water 1 to 2 Tbsp
• Pinch of garam masala
• Corriander leaves
• Mint leaves

Crush chilly, garlic and ginger. Grind the poppy seeds and keep it aside. Saute the half of the sliced onion in oil. When it turns brown, add the crushed ingredients. Saute well and add the chopped tomato, grounded poppy seeds and curd. Reduce the heat and add the chicken, salt and 1/2 cup of water. Combine well and add 1/2 of the corriander and mint leaves. Cook it in low flame. When the gravy becomes dry, remove it from heat.

Fry the rest of the onion in oil until it turns golden brown. Fry the nuts and raisins in the same oil and keep it aside.

Wash the rice and drain it for 10 to 15 mins. Add 1 tbsp of ghee, juice of half a lime, crushed whole spices and salt into water and boil it well. At the same time, saute the rice in a little ghee. When it starts to crack, pour the boiling water into the rice. Cover it and cook well. When it becomes void of moisture content, remove the rice and keep it aside.

For layering:
Add some fried onions, corriander leaves, mint leaves and garam masala on the top of the chicken. Add the rice and spread it with a spoon. Sprinkle little rose water and add nuts, raisins and fried onion. Repeat the same process. Arrange the top most layer with rice and garnish it with fried onion, rasin, nuts and rose water. Cover it and cook it in low flame for 5 to 10 mins.

Mutta Curry

Ingredients:

• Egg 6
• Onion 3
• Tomato 3
• Garlic 2 pods
• Green chilly 1
• Garlic 1 med piece
• Coconut milk 1 cup
• Corriander leaves 1/4 cup
• Corriander pdr 3 Tsp
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Chilly pdr 1 1/2 Tsp
• Garam masala 1 Tsp
• Cumin seeds 1/2 Tsp
• Water 2 1/2 cup
• Salt
• Oil

Grind together chilly pdr, corriander pdr, turmeric pdr, garam masala, ginger and garlic and keep it aside. Grind the tomato and keep it aside. Heat oil in a kadai and add cumin seeds. When it splutters, add sliced onion and splitted chilly and saute it well. When it turns brown colour, add the grounded masala and roast it well. When oil starts separating, pour the grounded tomato into this. Saute it well. Then add water and rqd amount of salt and boil it well. Add the splitted egg and boil it for 15 mins in low flame. When the gravy starts to thicken, pour the thick coconut milk and corriander leaves. Combine it well and remove it from fire.
[Courtesy: Lakshmi Nair]

Ayala (Mackerel) Mappas

Ingredients:

• Fish (Ayala)1/2 Kg
• Onion 2 big
• Garlic 5 to 6 pods
• Ginger 1 big piece
• Green chilly 5 to 6
• Thick coconut milk 1/2 cup
• Semi thick coconut milk 3/4 to 1 cup
• Corriander pdr 2 Tbsp
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tbsp
• Garam masala 1 Tbsp
• Vinegar 1 Tbsp
• Curry leaves
• Mustard
• Salt
• Oil

Cut the fish into medium pieces and keep it aside. Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add the thinly sliced onion, ginger, garlic, green chilly and curry leaves. Saute it till it turns to a light brown colour. Mix corriander pdr, turmeric pdr and garam masala in little water and make a paste. Add this paste into the above sauted onion and roast the gravy till it turns to a dark colour. Pour the semi thick coconut milk and mix well. When it starts boiling, add the fish pieces. Reduce the heat and cook it. When it is completely cooked, add vinegar and thick coconut milk. Mix slowly and cook it for few min. Do not over boil. Garnish it with fresh curry leaves and tomato pieces.

Maladu...Happy Diwali !!!

Ingredients:

• Roasted Channa Dal 1 cup
• Ghee 1/4 to 1/2 cup
• Sugar 3/4 to 1 cup
• Cardamom 2 to 4
• Grind channa, sugar and cardamom separately. Mix it well. Melt the rqd amount of ghee and pour it into the channa mix. Combine it well and make it into lemon sized balls.

Nellikka (Gooseberry) Curry

Ingredients:

• Nellikka (Gooseberry) 10
• Chilly pdr 1Tbsp
• Jaggery 1 big piece
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Tamarind lemon sized
• Fenugreek seeds 1/2 Tsp
• Urud Dal 2 Tsp
• Mustard seeds
• Dry chilly 2
• Curryleaves
• Salt
• Oil

Steam the nellikka and remove the seeds. Cut it into small pieces and keep it aside. Soak tamarind in a little water and seive the extract. Fry the urud dal without oil and powder it. Mix nelikka with salt, turmeric, chilly pdr and boil it with a little water. When it boils well, add the grated jaggery, tamarind juice and urud dal powder. Mix it well and remove it from fire. Season it with fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds,curry leaves and dry chilly.

Potato Vermicelli Surprise

Ingredients:

• Potato 2 to 3 big
• Garlic 3 to 5 pods
• Onion chopped 1/2 cup
• Spring onion 2 Tbsp
• Capsicum 2 Tbsp
• Celery 2 Tbsp
• Beans 1/4 cup
• Carrot 1/4 cup
• Cabbage 1/4 cup
• Pepper pdr as rqd
• Vermicelli 1 Cup
• Soy sauce 2 Tsp
• Egg 1
• Salt
• Oil

Cook the potato. Mash it with a wooden spoon and make it into lemon sized balls. Keep it aside. Heat oil in a kadai and add the crushed garlic. Saute it and add the chopped onion. When it turns brown, add the beans, carrot, cabbage, capsicum, celery, spring onion and rqd amount of salt and pepper pdr. Then add the soy sauce and combine it well. Allow this mix to cool. Then fill the above cooked potato balls with this mixture. Dip each potato balls in egg and roll it in vermicelli. Fry it well.

Koorka Irachi(Chinese potato & Beef ) Piralan

Ingredients:

• Beef 1 kg
• Koorkka 3 Cup
• Shallots 1 Cup
• Onion sliced 2
• Coconut pieces 1/2
• Ginger chopped 1 Tbsp
• Garlic chopped 2 Tbsp
• Corriander pdr 2 Tsp
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Garam masala 1 Tsp
• Chilly pdr 1 Tsp
• Pepper pdr 1 Tsp
• Hot water 1/4 Cup
• Curry leaves
• Salt
• Oil

Cook beef and chinese potato separately with little salt and turmeric. Heat oil in a kadai and fry the coconut pieces, shallots, curry leaves and keep it aside. Saute the sliced onion, chopped ginger and garlic in the above oil. Then add little water into the powders (except garam masala pdr) and saute with the above ingredients. Add the cooked beef (along with gravy) and chinese potato. Mix it well. Pour hot water into this and cook it till it combines well. Before serving, add the fried coconut pieces, shallots and curry leaves into it.

[Courtesy: Vanitha, Recipe: Ammu]

Pavakka( Bitter gourd ) Thoran

Ingredients:

• Bitter gourd 1 big
• Ginger small piece
• Coconut 1/2 cup
• Shallots 5 to 6
• Green chilly 5
• Curry leaves
• Salt

Finely chop the bitter gourd. Add grated coconut, sliced shallots, curry leaves and chopped ginger into it. Heat oil in a kadai and add the bitter gourd and rqd amount of salt into this and cook it in low flame.

Ethapazham Puttu

Ingredients:

• Ripe plantain 2
• Sugar 1 Tbsp
• Rice flour 2 cup
• Coconut 1/2 grated
• Water as rqd
• Salt as rqd

Cut the ripe plantain into small cubes. Mix it with sugar and little coconut. Keep it aside. Mix together required amount of water and salt. Sprinkle this salt water slowly over the rice flour and mix well. Continue this process till the flour becomes wet and smooth. Do not use too much water. (The perfect stage to stop the process is to take a handful of wet flour in the hand, just press it and open the fist. If the flour remain as a solid chunk without breaking or splitting apart, you can stop the process.) Add little grated coconut into the prepared flour and mix well. (To make soft puttu, just grind the wet flour in a mixer.)

For preparing puttu, put a layer of grated coconut into the puttu kutti (puttu maker) followed by the plantain mix and rice flour and then again a layer of plantain and finally a layer of grated coconut. Steam it fo 5 to 8 minutes until the steam passes from the top of the puttu kutti. Serve it hot.

North Indian Fish Fry

Ingredients:

• Fish 5 to 6 pieces
• Ginger-garlic paste 2 Tsp
• Asafoetida pdr 1/4 Tsp
• Chilly pdr 1 Tsp
• Lime Juice As reqd
• Salt
  

Mix together ginger-garlic paste, salt, turmeric pdr, chilly pdr, asafoetida and lime juice to make a paste. Marinate fish with this paste and keep it aside for an hr. Fry it.

Vellarikka( Cucumber ) moru curry

Ingredients:

• Curd 1 cup
• Shallots 4 to 5
• Vellarikka 1 cup
• Garlic 2 to 3 pods
• Green chilly 3 to 4
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Cumin seeds 1/4 Tsp
• Fenugreek seeds
• Mustard seeds
• Curry leaves
• Coconut
• Water
• Salt
• Oil
  

Cut cucumber into medium pieces (cubes). Cook it with little water, salt, turmeric pdr, sliced chilly, shallots and garlic. Grind together coconut, turmeric pdr, cumin seeds and rest of the chilly, shallots and garlic. Add this grounded mix into the cooked vellarikka. Beat the curd using required amount of water and pour it into the above prepared mix. Add salt and boil it in low heat for few minutes. Season it with mustard, fenugreek, shallots and curry leaves.

Cherupayar (Moong Dal) Mezhukkupuratty

Ingredients:

• Moong Dal 1 cup
• Shallots 5 to 10
• Garlic 5 to 10 pods
• Crushed dry chilly 2 Tbsp
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Garam masala 1/2 Tsp
• Mustard seeds
• Curry leaves
• Water
• Salt
• Oil
  

Soak dal for 2 to 3 hours. Clean and cook it with little turmeric and salt. Crushed dry chilly, shallots and garlic. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard. When it splutters, add the crushed shallots and garlic. Saute till it turns golden brown. Reduce the heat and add the dry chilly, curry leaves, turmeric pdr, garam masala and salt. Mix it and add the dal. Cover and cook it for another 5 mins.

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• Unsweetened cocoa pdr 1/4 cup
• All purpose flour 1 1/2 cup
• Granulated sugar 1 cup
• Baking soda 1 Tsp
• Baking pdr 1 Tsp
• Salt 1/4 Tsp
• Melted unsalted butter 1/3 cup
• Lemon juice or vinegar 1 Tbsp
• Vanilla essence 2 Tsp
• Warm water 1 cup

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. In an ungreased pan, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa pdr, baking pdr, baking soda and salt. Then add the butter, warm water, lemon juice and essence into the dry ingredients and mix it well using a fork. Bake it for 35 minutes. Remove it from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool.

[Courtesy: JoyOfBaking.com]

This is my entry to the

Hearts For St.Valentine's Day Contest.

HAPPY ONAM TO ALL........

Avial

Ingredients:

• Yam 1/2 cup
• Snake gourd 1/2 cup
• Raw Banana 1/2 cup
• Cucumber 1/2 cup
• Drumstick 1 to 2
• Beans1/4 cup
• Carrot1/4 cup
• Pachaayar 1/4 cup
• Ivy gourd(Kovakka) 1/2 cup
• Chilly 5 to 6
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Curd 1/2 cup
• Curry leaves
• Cumin seeds 1/2 grated
• Coconut
• Salt
• Oil

Cut vegetables into long pieces (length wise). Grind together coconut and cumin seeds and keep it aside (just grind it once, do not make it into a paste).Cook the sliced vegatables with salt, curry leaves, chilly, turmeric pdr and little water. Add the grounded coconut mixture into this and mix well. Cook it for few minutes. Remove it from fire and add the curd. Combine well. Finally pour coconut oil over the curry and garnish with fresh curry leaves.

Inji Curry

Ingredients:

• Ginger 1 cup
• Green chilly 1/2 cup
• Tamarind (lemon size)
• Jaggery 1 small
• Chilly pdr 2 Tsp
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Methi pdr(Uluva podi) 1/4 Tsp
• Mustard seeds
• Curry leaves
• Salt
• Oil

Soak tamarind in water. Sieve the extract and keep it aside. Cut ginger and green chilly into small pieces. Then fry it in low flame (moothu povaruthu). Boil together the tamarind extract and salt, then reduce the heat and add the turmeric pdr, chilly pdr and grated jaggery. Mix it well. Add the fried ginger and green chilly into the pdr mixture and boil it well (nannayi vattichedukuka). Remove it from fire and season it with curryleaves, mustard seeds and methi pdr(uluva podi).

Cauliflower Thoran

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower 2 cup chopped
• Coconut 1/2 grated
• Green chilly 4 to 5
• Ginger small piece
• Shallots 5 to 7
• Curry leaves
• Mustard
• Water
• Salt
• Oil

Soak the cauliflower pieces in salt water for 1/2 hour. Chop it and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves. When it splutters, put the chopped cauliflower,grated coconut, sliced shallots, ginger, salt and curry leaves. Cook it in low flame.

Beetroot Pachadi

Ingredients:

• Beetroot 1 big
• Onion 1 med
• Chilly 5 to 7
• Yoghurt 1/2 to 3/4 cup
• Coconut 1 cup grated
• Ginger 1 small piece
• Shallots 1 to 2
• Curryleaves
• Fenugreek
• Mustard
• Water
• Salt
• Oil

Clean the beetroot. Finely grate it and cook it with chopped onion, ginger, chilly, salt and little water. Grind together coconut, onion, chilly and little mustard seeds. Add this paste into cooked beetroot. After cooling down, add yoghurt into this and mix well. Season it with shallots, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Sambar

Ingredients:

• Dal 1 cup
• Onion 1
• Drumstick 2
• Potato 2 med
• Shallots 3 to 5
• Green chilly 5 to 6
• Tomato 2 medium
• Carrot 2 to 3 small
• Cucumber 1/2 cup
• Sambar pdr 2 to 2 1/2 Tbsp
• Tamarind ( lemon size)
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Fenugreek seeds
• Dry chilly 3 to 4
• Mustard seeds
• Curry leaves
• Water
• Salt
• Oil

Soak tamarind in water and sieve the extract. keep it aside. Cook dal with a pinch of turmeric and salt. Add the cut vegetables, green chilly and curry leaves to it and cook well. Once it gets cooked well, add tamarind extract, sambar pdr and rqd amount of salt. Boil it for few mins. Season it with mustard, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, shallots and dry chilly.

Kappalanga Pulincurry

Ingredients:

• Raw papaya 2 cup
• Chilly pdr 1 1/2 Tsp
• Turmeric pdr 1/4 Tsp
• Corriander pdr 1/2
• Green chilly 4
• Chopped ginger 1 Tsp
• Chopped garlic 1 Tsp
• Shallots 6
• Tamarind lemon size
• Cooked toor dal 1/2 cup
• Coconut milk 1/2 cup
• Water 2 cup
• Salt
• Oil

Soak tamarind in 2 cup water and sieve the extract. Cook papaya with chilly, corriander, turmeric pdr and salt in tamarind water. Then mash it with a spoon and add the cooked dal. Add 1/2 cup of thick coconut milk into this and boil it in low flame for few minutes and keep it aside. Season it with chopped ginger, garlic, sliced shallots, chilly, curry leaves and mustard.

Pineapple Pachadi

Ingredients:

• Chopped pineapple 1/2 portion
• Grated jaggery small
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Chilly pdr 1 Tsp
• Green chilly 4
• Coconut 1 cup
• Mustard seeds
• Curry leaves
• Dry chilly
• Tamarind
• Water
• Salt
• Oil

Grind coconut and green chilly into a fine paste and keep it aside. Soak tamarind (lemon size) in 3/4 cup water and and seive it to get the extract. Boil it with turmeric and chilly pdr. Add chopped pineapple into this and cook well. After it gets completely cooked, add the grated jaggery and mix well (nannayi varatti edukkuka). Reduce the heat and add grounded coconut and salt. Stir it and boil it for few minutes. Remove it from fire and season it with mustard, dry chilly and curry leaves.

Moru Kachiyathu

Ingredients :

• Curd 500ml
  
• Coconut 1/2 cup
  
• Chilly 4 to 5
  
• Garlic 1 to 2 pods
  
• Onion or kunjulli
  
• Curry leaves
• Turmeric pdr 1/4 tsp
  
• Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
  
• Fenugreek seeds 1/4
  
• Cumin seeds 1/4
  
• Chilly pdr 1 pinch
  
• Salt
  
• Oil

Grind the coconut,chilly,garlic,onion,cumin seeds and turmeric together to a fine paste and mix it with salt and curd. Transfer it into a vessel and heat it in a low flame. Keep stirring till it becomes warm. Do not over heat it. Heat oil in a pan,add mustard seeds,fenugreek seeds,onion and curry leaves. Saute well and remove from heat. Add a pinch of chilly powder. Mix well and pour this into the mixture.

Chana Masala

Ingredients:

• Chana 1 cup
• Tomato 1 big
• Onion 1 big
• Green Chilly 2 to 3
• Cumin seeds 1 Tsp
• Ginger paste 1/2 Tsp
• Garlic paste 1/2 Tsp
• Corriander pdr 2 Tsp
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Garam masala 1Tsp
• Chilly pdr 1 Tsp
• Whole spices
• Water
• Salt
• Oil

Soak chana overnight and cook it. Grind onion to a smooth paste and keep it aside. Heat oil and add cumin seeds and whole spices (clove 2, cinnamon 1 small stick). Pour the onion paste, ginger garlic paste, crushed chilly and salt. Saute it till it is void of the raw smell. Add chilly, corriander, turmeric and garam masala pdr and roast it well in medium heat. Add the chopped tomato, little water and cooked chana. Cover it and cook till the gravy thickens.

Chakkakuru ( Jackfruit seed) Mezhukkupuratti

Ingredients:
Chakkakuru 10 to 15
Garlic 2 to 3 pods
Shallots 5 to 8
Pepper pdr a pinch
Corriander pdr 2 Tsp
Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
Garam masala 1/2 Tsp
Chilly pdr 3 Tsp
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves
Water
Salt
Oil
Cut the seeds into small pieces. Add sliced shallots, garlic, curryleaves, salt and powders into the cut seeds and cook it with required amount of water. Keep it aside. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, shallots and curry leaves. Then add the above prepared seeds and pepper pdr into this and saute till it turns dry and crispy.

Omanayappam

Rice 1 1/2 cup
Aval white (Poha) 1 cup
Coconut 1 cup
Urud dal 1 Tsp
Sugar as rqrd
Yeast 1/4 Tsp
Salt as rqrd
Water as rqrd

Soak the rice and urud dal overnight. Grind together aval and coconut with little water and keep it aside. Clean well and grind rice and urud dal. Combine the above grounded ingredients and mix well. Add required amound of salt and yeast. Keep it over night. After it rises completely, add sugar and mix well. Keep it aside for another 1/2 an hour. Do not stir it again. Heat thava and pour a spoon full of batter (take batter from the top without stirring it). Cover it with a lid and cook well.

Note: Do not turn the appam to cook the other side, as we do for dosai. The right time to take the appam is when it's surface will be filled with a lot of holes and turns slightly dry. For all types of appams, the best time to add sugar is about half an hour before you intend to cook it.

Pea Sprout Leaf Thoran

Ingredients:
Pea sprout leaf 1 bunch
Coconut 1 1/2 cup grated
Turmeric pdr 1/4 Tsp
Shallots 2 to 3
Chilly 2 to 3
Curry leaves
Mustard
Salt
Oil

Clean the leaf. Slice it and keep it aside. Grind together coconut, chilly, shallots and turmeric pdr. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard. When it splutters, add curry leaves, sliced shallots and salt mix well and add the sliced pea sprout leaf. Stir it and cook it in low heat.

Kappa (Tapioca) Curry

Ingredients:
Tapioca 2 cup
Chilly pdr 1 Tsp
Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
Corriander pdr 1 Tbsp
Cinnamon stick 2
Cardamom 2
Cloves 2
Perumjeerakam 1 Tsp
Onion 1 big
Chilly 3 to 4
Ginger 1 piece
Coconut 1/2 grated(1 cup thick and 1 cup thin milk)
Curry leaves
Mustard
Shallots
Salt
Oil

Peel the tapioca skin and cut it into small pieces. Wash it and cook well. Grind the ingredients from chilly pdr to cumin seeds well. Heat oil in a kadai and saute onion, ginger and chilly. Add the above grounded mix into this and saute till the oil starts separating. Then add the cooked tapioca and thin milk. Boil it well and pour thick coconut milk and mix well. Reduce the heat and boil it for few minutes. Season it with shallots, curry leaves and mustard.

Balti Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken breast 1 kg
Ghee or oil 4 to 5 Tbsp
Peppercorns 4 to 5
Yoghurt 2 Tbsp
Tomatoes 3
Onion 2 large
Green chilly 2
Cardamom 2
Cinnamon stick 1
Garlic paste 1 Tsp
Ginger paste 1 Tsp
Chilly pdr 2 to 3 Tsp
Garam Masala 1 Tsp
Chopped cilantro 3 to 4 Tbsp
Lime juice 1 Tsp

Cut chicken into small pieces and keep it aside. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and add the sliced onions. Stir it until it turns golden. Add chopped tomatoes, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon stick, chilly pdr, garam masala, ginger garlic paste and salt. Stir it constantly for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and mix well. Pour yoghurt. Reduce the heat and cook it. Add the chopped cilantro, chillies and lime juice. Stir it and serve hot.

Vanpayar (Red Gram) Thoran

Ingredients:

• Red gram 1 1/2 cup
• Coconut 1/2 grated
• Chilly 3 to 4
• Garlic 2 to 3 pod
• Shallots 2 to 3
• Curry leaves
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Pepper pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Mustard
• Salt

Soak red gram for 1 to 2 hour. Clean and cook it with little turmeric and salt. Grind together coconut, chilly, garlic, shallots and turmeric pdr. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the grounded coconut and stir it for 5 min. Add the cooked gram and pepper pdr. Mix well.

Mutta Porichathu

Ingredients:

• Egg 2
• Chilly 2
• Milk 1 Tbsp
• Onion 1 med
• Coconut 2 Tbsp
• Curry leaves few
• Garam masala 1/4 Tsp
• Salt

Chop the onion and chilly. Break the egg and add the chopped onion, chilly, grated coconut, curry leaves, milk,garam masala and salt. Beat it well. Heat oil in a tava and pour the egg mixture and slowly spread it. When one side of it is cooked well, turn it upside down and cook the other side well.

Puttularthiyathu

Ingredients:

• Rice flour 2 cup
  
• Coconut 1/2 grated
  
• Water as rqd
  
• Salt as rqd

For Seasoning

• Shallots 5 to 6
• Dry chilly 3 to 4
• Ginger small piece
• Mustard seeds
  
• Curry leaves
• Ghee 1 Tbsp
• Water
• Salt

Mix together required amount of water and salt. Sprinkle this salt water slowly over the rice flour and mix well. Continue this process till the flour becomes wet and smooth. Do not use too much water. (The perfect stage to stop the process is to take a handful of wet flour in the hand, just press it and open the fist. If the flour remain as a solid chunk without breaking or splitting apart, you can stop the process.) Add little grated coconut into the prepared flour and mix well. (To make soft puttu, just grind the wet flour in a mixer.)

For preparing puttu, put a layer of grated coconut into the puttu kutti (puttu maker) followed by rice flour and then again a layer of grated coconut. Steam it fo 5 to 8 minutes until the steam passes from the top of the puttu kutti.

Powdered the cooked puttu with hand or a spoon. Heat ghee in a kadai and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, splitted dry chilly, chopped ginger, shallots and little salt. Saute it well and add the puttu and sprinkle little water into it. Mix well and stir it for 5 minutes.

Soft Pretzel

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour 4 1/2cup
• Warm water 1 1/2 cup
• Active dry yeast 1 pkt
• Unsalted butter 3 tbsp
• Sugar 1 tbsp
• Vegetable oil
• Egg yolk 1(beaten with 1 tbsp water)
• Salt 2 tbsp
• Water 10 cup

Mix sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl and add warm water to it. Keep it unstirred until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and kneed it. Add butter and kneed until the dough is smooth. Oil the inside of another bowl with vegetable oil. Transfer the dough to the oiled bowl, cover it and keep it in a warm place until the dough doubles in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Divide the dough into roughly 8 equal portions. Roll out each into a 24 inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope. Holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press them over the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Boil the 10 cups of water and place the pretzel into the boiling water, one by one, for 30 seconds. Remove them from water and place it on an aluminium foil which is coated with vegetable oil. Brush the top of each pretzel with beaten egg yolk and water mixture. Bake until golden brown(12 to 14 minutes).

For sweet pretzels: Brush the baked pretzel with butter and dip it in cinnamon sugar.

[Courtesy: Sudeepa Pramod]