Welcome to my Kitchen

Pineapple Pachadi

2012-02-12T17:14:00.002Z

Pachadi is another traditional Kerala dish made using a fruit or vegetable by grinding together coconut and mustard seeds and finally simmering everything in curd. Pachadi is part of almost every Onam Sadhya.

What you need for Pineapple Pachadi:

Ripe Pineapple – 1 cup peeled and cubed
Turmeric powder– 1/2 tsp
Red Chilly Powder – 1/2 tbsp
Curd/Yogurt – 1/2 cup
Grated Coconut – 1 cup
Green Chillies – 2 small ones
Cumin seeds– 1/2 tbsp
Shallots – 2
Ginger pieces – 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds – 1 tbsp
Dry Red Chillies – 4
Curry Leaves – few
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste (optional)

The Preparation method:

Boil the pineapple pieces in enough water along with salt, turmeric and Red Chilly Powder until soft.

Grind coconut with ginger,green chilli,shallot, cumin, and mustard.

Blend yogurt with little water and salt and keep aside.

Once the pineapples are cooked, add the ground coconut paste

Keep cooking on medium flame for another 8-10 minutes till it becomes thick.

Reduce heat and add the yogurt. Mix everything and heat for a few minutes. Add sugar if you want more sweetness. Remove from stove top.

Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds and saute dry red chillies and curry leaves for a few minutes.

Pour seasoning over the Pineapple Pachadi.

Tasty Pineapple pachadi is ready to be served with rice.

Madurai Kari Dosa

2012-01-29T21:41:00.001Z

Madurai is sometimes called Thoonga Nagaram (the city that never sleeps) because it has the appearance of operating twenty four hours a day.Unusually for India, a large number of the city's food outlets remain open well past midnight. One of the most popular restaurant in Madurai is Simmakkal Konar Kadai, which serves the best mutton dosa in town. The combination of the fermented rice and lentil batter, egg, chilli mutton and coconut chutney will definitely win any non-veg lover's heart. We have made our Kari( variation of curry) dosa from chicken rather than mutton. This a 2 step process. First , we prepare a thick chicken curry and then top it on the dosa.

What you need to prepare Chicken Curry :

Chicken - 1/4 kg finely minced
Onion - 2 chopped fine
Tomato - 1 chopped fine
Green Chilli - 1 slit
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Cashew - 5-6 pieces
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
Pepper Powder - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - few leaves
Coriander leaves - few leaves
Salt to taste

The preparation method for Chicken Curry:

Make a fine paste of coconut and cashew in blender by adding little water and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed vessel and add the chopped onions and curry leaves. Saute till the onions turns golden brown. You can add salt at this stage to quicken the process.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes off.
Add the chopped tomato and mix well. Keep stirring till all the individual pieces of onion and tomato are mashed.
Add all the powders and mix well.Ensure the powders don't get burned.
Now add the chicken pieces and cook till the chicken is almost done.
Pour the coconut- cashew paste to this. This will thicken the gravy.
Cook till chicken is well done. Add the coriander leaves on top and keep this aside.

What you need to prepare Kari Dosa :

Dosa batter - 2 cup
Egg - 2 beaten well
Chicken Curry - 1 cup
Oil for smearing

The preparation method for Kari Dosa:

Mix the chicken curry and the beaten eggs in a bowl.
Take a ladle full of batter and spread on a hot tawa in a thick but small dosa. Smear littleoil on the sides and the top.
Spread the chicken+egg mix on the top. Cook on one side for a minute on medium flame.
Flip it over carefully without breaking the dosa. Cook on this side till well done.
Tasty Chicken Kari Dosa is ready to be served with chutney or chicken gravy.

Sugiyan

2012-01-22T22:16:00.000Z

Sugiyan is a typical Kerala tea time snack. Its usually available in the local tea shops. Its very simple & easy to make. It is one of nalumanipalaharam - meaning snacks made for 4 'O Clock tea time.

What you need for Sugiyan:

Green gram - 1 cup
Jaggery - 5 pieces
Coconut grated - 1/2 cup
Cardamom - 4
Plain flour /Maida -1 cup
Baking soda - a pinch (optional)
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Pressure cook green gram with enough water.
Prepare a dry mix of the cooked green gram ,grated jaggery ,cardamom and grated coconut.
Make a thick batter of plain flour/maida and a pinch of salt by mixing little water and keep aside.
Make small sized balls of green gram mixture and dip in the maida batter and ensure uniform coating.
Deep fry till the coating is golden brown.
Yummy and tasty Sugiyan is ready to be served with tea.

Andhra Kodi masala

2012-01-21T19:19:00.001Z

A traditional chicken (Kodi in telugu) curry from Andhra Pradesh.This is very simple yet tasty recipe.The twist in this recipe is that almost all ingredient for this dish is added in the marination process itself.

What you need for Kodi Masala:

Chicken - 1/2 kg cut into small cubes
Onion - 2 chopped
Tomato - 2 chopped
Green chilli - 2 chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few
Whole garam masala -2 piece each of cloves,cinnamon, cardamom,star anise,bay leaf.
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Chilli powder - 2 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Marinate the chicken with ginger garlic paste,salt ,turmeric powder and chilli powder.
Add onion,tomato,green chilli,curry leaves ,coriander leaves and whole garam masala to this.
Mix well and marinate all the ingredients together for about 30 minutes.
Heat a kadai and add the marinated ingredients together (no oil or water at this stage).
The chicken will get cooked in its own moisture.
Once the chicken is half cooked, add oil and mix well.
Add garam masala powder and cook till the chicken is well done.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Very easy and spicy Kodi masala is ready to be served with rice or chapatti.

Rava Kesari

2012-01-15T21:00:00.001Z

Rava kesari is a soft halwa or pudding made from semolina (rava), milk (or water) and lots of ghee. It is traditionally served slightly warm, but tastes equally good chilled. When served warm, the kesari has a soft, almost melt in the mouth texture.The best way to eat kesari (and most Indian food) is with your fingers and definitely not with a cold metal spoon :-)

What you need to prepare Rava Kesari :

Rava/Sooji - 2 cups
Sugar - 1.5 cups
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Milk - 2.5 cups
Cashews - few
Cardamoms - few
Raisins - few
Food Color(Orange or Yellow color) - a pinch
Saffron/kesari - a pinch dissolved in warm milk

The Preparation Method:

Heat a pan and melt the ghee and fry the cashews and raisins in this ghee and keep aside.
In the same pan roast the rava or sooji till light pink and keep aside.
Now in the same pan heat the milk and to this add the food colour / kesari and when it has boiled,add the rava slowly stirring all the time.
Keep stirring is to avoid the formation of lumps.
Once the rava or sooji is cooked on medium heat,add the sugar and mix well.
Keep on stirring until the rava is well cooked and does not stick to the pan.
Now add the fried cashews,raisins and cardamom pods / powder.
Rava kesari is ready to be served warm or cold.

Couscous Upma

2012-01-10T20:47:00.000Z

Couscous is one of the healthiest grain-based products.Couscous Upma is a great light complete meal and is very similar to Semiya or Rava Upma.

What you need for Couscous Upma:

Couscous - 2 cup
Onion - 1 chopped
Carrot - 1 chopped into small pieces
Potato - 1 chopped
Peas - 1/4 cup
Corn - 1/4 cup
Green chillies - 2
Ginger- 1 piece chopped
Curry leaves - few
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Chana daal - 1/4 tbsp
Urad daal - 1/4 tbsp
Salt to taste

The Preparation Method:

Heat oil in a pan.Splutter mustard seeds.Add chana daal and urad daal. Stir till they slightly brown.
Add onion,green chilli,ginger ,curry leaves and salt.Saute till the onions turn brown.
Add the vegetables and water. Cook till the vegetables 3/4th cooked.
Finally add the couscous and keep on medium flame till couscous is well cooked.
Yummy and healthy vegetable couscous upma is ready to eat .

Jelabi

2012-01-01T21:32:00.001Z

We wanted to start of 2012 with something sweet and a recipe we never tried before. Jelabi is probably one of the most popular sweet in India. We have tried jelabi made from Urad Dal, unlike the ones that made from Maida/ All Purpose Flour. These are not difficult to make,take care in one or two things and you will have delicious homemade Jalebis to enjoy within minutes…

What you need to prepare Jelabi :

Split Urad Dal - 1 Cup (Wash and soak for 4 hours)
Salt - a pinch
Orange Red Food Color - a pinch
Baking Soda - a pinch (Optional)
Oil for deep frying

To make the Syrup

Sugar - 1 ½ Cups
Water- 1 Cup
Orange Red Food Color- 1/8 Teaspoon
Lemon Juice- 1 Teaspoon
Cardamom- 2 (crushed well)

The Preparation Method :

Drain the Urad Dal from its soaking water and grind into a smooth paste using just enough water.
Mix Salt, Orange Red Food color and Baking Soda (if using) in the last stage of grinding.
Fill this batter in an empty bottle (i.e. empty ketchup or mustard bottle) or a cloth with a tiny hole.
In a deep pan mix all the ingredients to make the Syrup and boil. Once boiled, wait for 2 minutes and reduce the flame to low and maintain it like that.
On another stove, heat a wide, flat, shallow pan with half an inch of Oil on medium heat.
Squeeze the bag to drop the batter into the hot Oil making the circular patterns.
Fry them on both sides for a minute each and immediately transfer them to the simmering Syrup.
Let it soak in the Syrup for two minutes, turning once in between if needed (if the Jalebi is not immersing fully in the Syrup).
Take it out of the Syrup and keep aside while making the rest.
Serve Jalebis warm or at room temperature.

Happy 2012

2012-01-01T16:22:00.002Z

Idli Podi

2011-12-20T13:30:00.006Z

After Sambar , the best combination for Idli or Dosa is Idli podi or Idli Milagai podi - made from a perfect blend of spices. You can make this and store it in your pantry for a long duration. When you are in a hurry or if your chutney or sambar is over, this always helps.

What you need for Idli Podi :

Urad dal - 1/4 cup
Split peas(Kadalai paruppu/Channa dal) - 1/4 cup
Fried split peas(Pottukadalai) - 1 tablespoon
Lentils (Toor dal) - 2 tablespoons
Red Chillies - 6-7 per as spice level
Asafoetida - a small piece
Salt to taste

The Preparation Method :

Heat a wok and dry roast the Channa dal and the Urad dal separately until deep brown.Keep the flame'medium',taking care not to over or under fry.The frying part is the most important slot as this decides the quality of the powder.

Now add oil in the same wok and roast the piece of asafoetida.Remove soon and keep aside.

Using the same oil fry the red chillies,taking care not to burn them,in a low flame till the colour changes and its aroma comes out at this stage).Add salt and mix.Remove the chillies from the wok.

Cool the roasted ingredients and powder altogether in a blender.You can make it a little coarse or powdery as per your preference.

Idli Podi is ready to served with Idli or Dosa.

Grapes Pickle

2011-12-20T13:30:00.004Z

We got the idea for this innovative recipe from Akkarakazhagal - a very funny mallu sitcom. This pickle has an unique taste from the sweetness of grapes , hotness from the spices and sourness from vinegar. Must try for those who likes a change from the usual.

What you need for Grapes pickle:

Grapes- 2 cups (separated from stem)
Ginger -1 piece chopped
Garlic - 10 pods chopped
Green Chilly- 3 chopped
Chilly powder- 3 tbsp
Fenugreek Powder- 1 tbsp
Asafoetida powder- 1/2 tbsp
Sugar- 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tbsp
Vinegar- 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Eastern pickle powder- 4 tbsp (You can use only pickle powder instead of all the powders)

The preparation method:

Heat oil in a pan.Splutter mustard seeds and ginger, garlic,curry leaves and green chillies and allow it to get roasted in a medium flame.
Add grapes, salt ,powders like chilli,fenugreek ,asafoetida or instead of all this powders you can add pickle powder only, vinegar and sugar.
Allow it to boil.Water will come from the grapes itself so no need of adding water.
Yummy grapes pickles is ready to be served with rice.

Paneer Corn Masala

2011-12-20T13:30:00.002Z

The mix of paneer and sweet corn plus the spices, makes this nice and hot dish a perfect change from the regular dishes.

What you need for Paneer Corn Masala:

Sweet Corn – 1 Cup
Paneer – 200 gms, cubed
Onion – 2 finely chopped
Tomato -2 (puree)
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds – 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder –1/4 tbsp
Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp
Chilly Powder – 1 tbsp
Garam Masala Powder – 1/2 tbsp
Kasoori Methi – a pinch
Sugar –1 tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Heat a pan with oil, splutter cumin seeds. add the chopped onions and salt. Sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté till the onions turn brown.
Then add the tomato puree and sauté for a while .
Add the Turmeric, Chilly garam masala and Coriander Powder, Saute well.
Now, add the sweet corn and paneer cubes. Add sugar. Stir well.
Add little water and kasoori methi. Cook for few minutes.
Very tasty Paneer corn masala is ready to be served with chapathi/roti

Coconut Dosa

2011-12-20T13:29:00.005Z

Coconut Dosa is the a twist to the regular dosa. Its easy to make and its almost as close as one can get to a regular dosa.

What you need for coconut dosa:

Raw rice - 2 cup
Coconut grated - 1 cup
Sugar -1 tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Soak the rice in water for 2 hours minimum.
Grind the grated coconut and rice together adding water.
Make the batter considerably thin. Add salt and sugar. Mix well.
Heat a tawa.Take a ladle full of this batter spread it out in circles using the backside of a round ladle.
Pour 1 tbsp of oil .Turn over and cook the other side when done.
Serve with chutney.

Raagi Dosa

2011-12-11T18:38:00.000Z

Raagi aka Finger millet is very nutritious whole grain rich in calcium. Raagi Dosa is healthy twist to the normal dosa and is suitable for diabetics patients.

What you need for Raagi Dosa:

Raagi flour - 2 cups
Urad daal - 1/2 cup
Raw rice - 1/4 cup
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method

Soak urad daal , raw rice and fenugreek seeds in water for minimum 2 hours.
Grind this by adding little water.
Pour the raggi flour in to the grounded mixture.
Mix well and add salt.
You are ready to make raggi dosa.
Heat a tawa.Pour one ladle of raggi batter in to it.Add little oil around it and heat it one side is done.
Flip over the dosa and cook the other side.
Healthy and tasty raggi dosa is ready to be served with coconut chutney or any other chutney.

Vellappam

2011-11-27T16:46:00.001Z

Vellappam is our most favorite kerala breakfast dish. Vellappam is bowl-shaped thin pancakes made from fermented rice flour. They derive their shape from the small Appachatti in which they are cooked.

What you need for Vellappam:

Raw rice - 2 cup
Fresh grated coconut- 1 cup
Cooked rice - 1/4 cup
Yeast -1/2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Soak raw rice in water for 4 to 5 hours.
In a grinder/ mixie, grind soaked raw rice, grated coconut and cooked rice, little at a time to a smooth paste with water. The batter should not be too watery nor too thick.
If you want it more soft, you can made a kurukku/thari/thick paste with 4 tbsp of the grounded rice and 1 cup of water.Stir well on a medium flame. When it is semi thick, switch off the gas. Allow it to cool. Mix this mixture in batter.
Pour the batter into a utensil. Since the batter will ferment and rise in volume, use a big enough utensil.
In a small bowl, take 1/4 cup lukewarm water. Add sugar, stir and dissolve it. Add yeast to this solution. Pour this yeast solution to the batter and stir well.
Rest the batter in a warm place to ferment and rise in volume. (You can make the batter in the evening and rest it overnight to ferment.) Add salt to the batter and stir.
Heat a non- stick pan or a appachatti to make vellappam. Pour one ladle of batter to the pan, lift the pan from stove and slightly twist around to spread the batter in the pan to make a circular shape. Close with a lid and cook on low heat.
Take the cooked appam from the pan and serve hot with stew or kadala curry.

Ethakka Tholi Upperi

2011-11-14T18:01:00.003Z

Plantain (ethakka in malayalam) is used in all forms..from chips to steamed plantains to whatever you can think of. So next time you make plantain chips, dont throw away the skin. You can make yummy upperi with it.

What you Need for Ethakka tholi upperi:

Plantain Skin (Ethakka tholi) - 4 Raw Bananas
Small onion/Onion - 1/2 cup chopped
Green chilli- 2 slit
Coconut chopped / grated- 1/4 cup
Red chilli-1
Mustard seeds-1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves-few
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Heat oil in a pan.Splutter mustard seeds ,saute red chillies and curry leaves.
Add onion ,green chilli and salt and saute till the onions are transparent.
Add the chopped banana tholi and sprinkle some water
Add the grated coconut.
Allow it to cook for 10 minutes.
Tasty Ethakka tholi upperi is ready to serve with rice.

Banana chips

2011-11-14T18:01:00.001Z

Banana Chips is an integral part of the traditional Kerala meal called sadya had during weddings and traditional festivals such as Onam.The deep fried chips tend to be a savoury, high calorie product that is eaten as a snack food. Banana Chips stalls are very common in Kerala railway stations and bus stands. Any visitor coming from Kerala would most likely bring these chips for family and friends. Here is how you can make it in your kitchen itself.

What you need for Banana chips:

Raw Banana / Ethakka -2 peeled
Turmeric powder-1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep fry

The preparation method:

Remove the green outer skin of the raw bananas, immerse them in cold water with 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder.Dissolve a tsp of salt in 1/4 cup of water and keep aside.
Heat 2 cups of coconut oil, till it 'just' smokes up, in a kadai. You can use any other oil but coconut oil gives an unique flavour.
Shake off the excess water and slice the banana, using a slicer into the hot oil.
Turn them gently over to facilitate an 'even' frying.It is very imp to check the heat of the oil every time.It should neither be too smoky nor dull.
When the chips turn to a golden yellow colour, sprinkle a little salt water directly into them.At this point the water content would turn the oil bubble up with a loud fizzy noise.Keep away; turn again gently until the noise and the bubbles settle down. Sieve them out of the oil using a perforated ladle.
Line a flat tray with any sort of oil absorbent paper so as to drain the excess oil if any and spread the chips to let them cool.
Cool and store them in an airtight container.

Uthappam

2011-11-11T13:06:00.001Z

Uthappam is a thick spongy version of dosa with a lot of flavourful toppings to make it irresistible. This is often made with left over dosa batter. Think of it as south-indian pizza !

What you need for Uthappam:

Raw rice - 3 cup
Boiled rice - 1 cup
Fenugreek seed-2 tbsp
Urad daal-1 cup
Onion-1 chopped
Green chilli-2 chopped
Tomato-1 chopped
Coriander leaves-few chopped
Curry leaves-few
Salt to taste

The preparation method for the batter:

Soak rice ,fenugreek seeds and uraad daal in water for minimum 2 hours.
Grind it to a fine batter using a blender or grinder. The batter should not be too watery or thick.
Allow it to ferment.Normally it takes a half a day.
Add salt when you are ready to make Uthappam.

How to make a Uthappam:

Heat a tawa / skillet.
Take a ladle full of batter and spread it to a thick but small dosa (6 inch dia. approximately).
Spread chopped onion,green chilli,curry leaves ,tomato and coriander leaves on top of it.
When one side is done, flip it to the other side. Cook for 2-3 seconds and flip it again.
Cook on both sides for a few seconds. Serve hot.

Green Peas and Carrot Masala

2011-11-09T16:23:00.001Z

An easy veg masala curry....

What you need for Green Peas and Carrot Masala:

Green peas -1 cup
Carrot - 1 cubed
Onion - 1 thinly sliced
Green chilli - 2 slit
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Dry red chilly - 1
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Heat oil in a deep pan. Splutter mustard seeds and add dry red chilly, onion ,green chilli,curry leaves, turmeric powder and salt.
Saute till the onions are slightly brown. Add the coriander powder and garam masala powder.
Saute till the raw smell goes off.Now add the green peas and carrot.Add little water and cook .
Once they are well done switch off the flame.
Very easy and tasty green peas curry is ready to serve with chapatti or roti.

Fried Yam / Chena Varuthathu

2011-11-07T12:08:00.003Z

Chena or Yam fry is a spicy,crunchy snack which prepared very quick and served with any rice dish.

What you need for Yam Fry:

Yam/chena - 1 cup (cut in to slices)
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tbsp
Chilli powder- 1tbsp
Garam masala powder-1/2 tbsp
Coriander powder-1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Marinate all the ingredients together for a few minutes.
Heat a tawa and place the yam slices on it. Pour little oil over the yam pieces and fry it on both sides.
Simple and tasty yam fry is ready to be served with rice.

Chicken 65

2011-11-07T12:07:00.002Z

Chicken 65 is a probably the most popular chicken snack. According to Wikipedia , while the name "Chicken 65" is universally used to refer to the dish, there are many different stories for how the name came about. It is generally acknowledged that no one knows which (if any) of these anecdotal theories are correct

The 65 in the Chicken 65 represents the year it was introduced by the famous restaurant in Chennai called "BUHARI HOTEL". Hence the name "Chicken 65". They also serve Chicken 78, Chicken 82, Chicken 90 which are all introduced in those years.

The number 65 is variously said to be the number of days taken to prepare the marinade or the year of the dish's creation. (However, 65 days of marination would mean that the chicken would start to decompose or if it was frozen then it would lose its taste and freshness). One account claims that the dish emerged as a simple meal solution for Indian soldiers in 1965. Other accounts claim that an enterprising hotelier targeted macho diners with a 65-chilli recipe and named the dish accordingly.

It is also told that the name Chicken 65 is evolved from the age of the chicken used to prepare this dish. The original recipe called for Chicken 65 was prepared using chickens which were 65 days or roughly over 2 months old. Since this is a bar-snack, young and tender fried chicken goes as a good starter with wine. (Skeptics of this origin argue that typically a young tender chicken is just 25-35 days old and not 65 days. At 65 days the chicken would be old and fat.)

The name Chicken 65 relates to the number of pieces the whole chicken is cut up into before cooking. (However, it has been suggested humorously that cutting a whole chicken into 65 pieces would make it a Minced Chicken and not chicken 65.)

Because of India's large number of chicken preparations, each preparation was given a number instead of an independent name. Chicken 65 came about as part of this numbering system.

What you need for Chicken 65:

Chicken - 500gm
Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Curd - 2tbsp
Lime Juice - 1tbsp
Corn Flour - 2 tbsp
Maida - 1tbsp
Egg - 1
Chicken fry Masala powder - 1 tbsp
Curry Leaves - few
Oil for deep frying - 1 cup
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Wash the chicken and cut them into small cubes.
Mix together all the ingredient (except oil and curry leaves) and make a fine paste.
Marinate the chicken pieces with above paste and keep it in refrigerator for an hour.
Heat oil in a wok and deep fry it.
Garnish with fried curry leaves and serve it hot.

Dates Pickle

2011-11-06T18:15:00.003Z

Dates pickle is a different kind of pickle with equal proportion of sweet , hot and sour taste.
What you need for Dates pickle:

Dates- 1 cup(de-seeded and cut in to small pieces)
Chilli powder- 2 tbsp
Garlic - 2pods
Green Chilli- 2 chopped
Curry leaves- few
Mustard seed- 1 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds-1/2tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste-1 tbsp
Vinegar- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

The Preparation method:

Heat oil in a pan.Splutter mustard seed and fenugreek seeds.
Add ginger-garlic paste,chopped garlic(optionl),curry leaves,salt,chilli powder and green chilli.
Saute till the raw smell goes off.
Add vinegar and dates.Pour little boil water and mix well.
Switch off the gas and allow it to cool.
Sweet and sour dates pickle is ready to be served with rice or roti.

Mutton Biriyani

2011-11-06T17:58:00.002Z

We have been thinking of trying out Mutton Biriyani for a long time now. Mutton Biriyani is probably the King of Biriyanis. Check out the history of biriyani here .This is a simple version of this popular dish.

What do you need for Mutton Biriyani:

Basmati Rice -1 cup
Mutton - 500 gm
Tomato - 2 chopped
Onion - 3 chopped
Green chilly -3 slit
Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Biriyani masala - 2 tbsp
Turmeric pdr -1/2 tbsp
Coriander pdr -1/2 tbsp
Chilly pdr -2 tbsp
Coriander leaves-Few
Mint leaves-Few
Lime juice - 1 tbsp
Whole Garam masala - 1 piece each
Ghee -2 tbsp
Curd -4 tbsp
Crushed pepper -1 tbsp
Cashew nuts -10 no
Raisins - 10 no
Salt to taste

The Preparation Method:

Marinate medium-sized mutton pieces with turmeric pdr, chilly pdr, biriyani masala,crushed pepper,curd ,little salt and mix well. Keep it aside for 2 hrs (ideally in the fridge).
Then pressure cook it with enough water for at least 3-4 whistes and keep it aside.
Sauté the basmati rice and crushed whole spices in a little ghee till the rice starts to crackle. Keep it aside.
Saute cashew,raisins, sliced onion in a little ghee and keep it aside for garnishing later.
To make the gravy for the biriyani - Heat ghee in a kadai and add ginger-garlic paste and green chilly. Sauté it for a few mins and add thinly sliced onion. When it turns light brown, add salt, turmeric pdr, chilly pdr and coriander pdr. Combine it well and put the chopped tomato and then cook till tomatoes are well done. Add the pressured-cooked mutton into this masala and cook it for few mins. Finally add biriyani masala, chopped coriander and mint leaves. Keep it aside.
Now for the layering - Add little ghee into a heavy bottom vessel and put a layer of mutton. Then arrange a layer of rice and spread it well using a big spoon. Add coriander leaves , mint leaves and lime juice. Repeat the same process and arrange the final layer with rice. Add sufficient water to this and cover it well.Cook it in low flame for 10 to 15 mins till the rice and mutton are well cooked.
Garnish the mutton biriyani with cashew,raisins,fried onion and serve it hot with raita.

Chicken Ginger masala

2011-11-06T12:42:00.000Z

An another tasty chicken dish ...
What you need for chicken ginger masala:

Chicken - 500gm
Ginger paste - 2 tbsp
Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Tomato - 3 chopped
Coriander leaves - few
Curry leaves - few
Green chilli - 4 chopped
Pepper powder -1 tbsp
Chilli Powder -1 tbsp
Garam Masala -1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt to taste

The Preparation method:

Cook the chicken pieces with ginger garlic paste,salt,turmeric powder and little oil in a pan.
When the chicken is half done , pour little water and allow it to cook fully.
When the chicken is done,add pepper powder,chilli powder and garam masala.
Allow to cook till the gravy thickens.
Add the tomato,green chilli and curry leaves.
Close the lid and cook the gravy in low flame for a few minutes and turn the heat off.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Yummy chicken ginger masala is ready to be served with rice or roti.

Adai Dosa

2011-11-06T12:14:00.002Z

Adai Dosa is a delicious South Indian pancake made with rice and lentils. Its a very popular breakfast recipe in Tamil Nadu. Coconut chutney is perfect pairing to adai.
What you need for Adai Dosa:

Boiled rice - 1/2 cup
Raw rice -1/2 cup
Urad daal - 1/4 cup
Toor daal - 1/4 cup
Chana daal - 1/4 cup
Moong daal - 1/4 cup
Hing - 1/2 tbsp
Red chilli - 4
Curry leaves - few
Salt to taste

The preparation Method:

Soak the rice and daals in water minimum for 2 hours.
Grind all the ingredients together and make it a thick batter (like dosa batter)
Take a tawa and pour a ladle of batter and spread it in circular motion. Add a tbsp of oil around it.
Then flip it over to the other side and drizzle a tsp of oil around the adai. Let it get cooked.
After both sides are cooked, remove from tawa and serve it hot with coconut chutney or aviyal.

Broccolli Egg Fry

2011-11-06T11:59:00.001Z

A dish which combines the goodness of Broccoli and Egg and also tastes great...
What you need for Broccoli Egg Dry:

Broccoli - 1 cup
Egg - 2
Onion - 1 chopped
Green chilli - 2 chopped
Pepper powder -1 tbsp
Salt to taste

The Preparation Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add onion ,green chilli and salt. Sauté till the onions are brown .
Add Broccoli to it. Sauté for a while.Then add the beaten egg and pepper powder.Fry till the egg is well cooked.
Healthy and tasty Broccoli egg dry is ready to serve with rice or roti.

Pumpkin Green gram erissery / curry

2011-11-05T21:32:00.003Z

The combination of Pumpkin and Green gram makes this tasty Kerala dish.

What you need for pumpkin green gram curry:

Pumpkin - 1 piece cut in to small pieces
Green gram - 1 cup
Garlic pods - 2
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Green chillies -4
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 2
Curry leaves - few
Small onion- 2chopped
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Cook the pumpkin with green gram, garlic, salt and turmeric powder.
Smash the pumpkin pieces moderately, so that it is mixed well with the green gram.
Let this mixture remain thick and not watery.
Grind together coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds.
Mix it with the cooked pumpkin-gram mixture.
Add water to get the required consistency.
Bring it to a boil.
Heat coconut oil in a frying pan.
Splutter mustard seeds.
Add curry leaves, chopped onion and red chillies to it.
Saute, until the onion turns golden brown.
Pour the above seasoning into the pumpkin-gram mix.
Yummy and tasty green gram pumpkin erissery / curry is ready to be serve with rice.

Salmon Biriyani

2011-11-05T21:26:00.002Z

A different kind of biriyani,... healthier as it has Salmon in it.

What you need for Salmon Biriyani:

Salmon - 250 gms - cut in small cubes
Rice - 2 cup
Onion - 2 chopped
Tomato - 2
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Whole garam masala - 1 piece each
Mint leaves - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Green chilli - 2
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
Biriyani masala powder - 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Cashew nuts - 10 no
Raisins - 10 no
Salt to taste

The Preparation method:

Marinate the salmon with salt,turmeric powder,chilli powder and lemon juice.Keep it aside for half an hour.
Fry raisins cashews and onions and keep it aside.
Cook the rice with whole garam masala ,salt and 1 spoon of ghee.Set aside
Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the marinated salmon piece till it is well cooked ( should not take more than 3-5 mins).
In the same oil add whole garam masala pieces - cardamom,cloves,star anise, cinnamon,bay leaves .
Saute for a few seconds and add sliced onion. When the onion turns brown add the crushed ginger-garlic and green chilli. Sauté for a few more minutes.
Now add the chopped tomatoes ,mint leaves and coriander leaves. cook until the tomatoes are all mashed up. Lower the flame and add the biriyani masala powder
Saute for a minute and add the fried fish pieces to this masala and coat them well. Keep aside.
Heat a heavy bottomed or non-stick vessel again, pour little ghee
Put about 2 plates of cooked rice. Spread little lemon juice and ghee over it. Then spread some salmon masala over it evenly. Again put rice over it and repeat the process until the rice and masala are over. Cover the vessel tightly with the lid.Keep on a low flame for about 10 minutes and remove. Don't mix too well else the rice will break.
Garnish with rains,cashew ,fried onions and coriander leaves.
Serve hot with raita.

Moong Dal Dosa /Pesarattu

2011-11-03T21:02:00.001Z

Moong dal dosas are a great substitute for the traditional dosas. It is also called Pesarattu in Andhra.Basically it is made with moong dal and rice soaked over night. This dosa doesn't need fermenting.Moong dal dosas are faster and easier to prepare

What you need to make Moong Daal dosa:

Moong dal -2 cups
Rice-2 tbsp
Green chilli -2
Ginger-1 piece
Cumin-1 tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation Method:

Soak Moong dal and rice in water for minimum 2 hours .
Then blend all the ingredients together into a smooth batter.
Take a tawa and make dosa the usual way.
Simple and delicious dosa is ready to be served with coconut chutney or any other chutney.

Koottu Curry

2011-10-27T21:17:00.002+01:00

Koottu curry is a popular Kerala dish served in marriage feast. This is a combination of vegetables and chick peas, and is usually a semi-dry preparation.

What you need for Koottu Curry:

Yam - 1 cup cubed
Raw plantain - 1
Carrot - 2
Black chana / chick peas - 1 cup, soaked in water for 1 hr
Coconut grated - 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
Chilli powder - 2 tbsp
Jaggery - 2 piece
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Urad daal - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Pressure cook the black chana / chick peas.
Boil the vegetables with salt,turmeric powder,and chilli powder.When it is done, add the pressure cooked chick peas and jageery in to it.
Grind the coconut with cumin.
Add the ground coconut mixture into the curry.When the curry starts boiling, switch off the flame.
Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.Add urad daal and grated coconut.Fry till the coconut is golden brown.Add curry leaves also.
Pour this mixture in to the curry.
Yummy Koottu curry is ready to be served with rice.

Spring Onion chicken

2011-10-27T21:09:00.002+01:00

Chicken with spring onions is a common Chinese dish found in many restaurants today. It is very easy to make and you can either serve it hot or cold.

What you need for Spring Onion Chicken:

Chicken-1/2 kg
Spring onion-1 bunch
Cumin seeds-1 tbsp
Dessicated coconut-1 tbsp
Garam masala powder-1 tbsp
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Ginger garlic paste-1 tbsp
Chilli powder-1 1/2 tbsp
Coriander powder-1 1/2 tbsp
Lemon juice : 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Preparation Method:

Chop the green leaves of the spring onion very finely. Grind or chop finely the bulb parts.
In a pan add oil, cumin seeds, coconut powder, onion paste mix well then add ginger-garlic paste,salt, mix well and cook till light golden brown colour.
Add turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder.
then add chicken and mix well.
Finally add chopped spring onion leaves , close it with a lid and cook till the chicken is tender.
Once chicken is done, add chopped coriander, garam masala powder and lemon juice and serve with rice or roti.

Vegetable Cutlet

2011-10-20T21:32:00.001+01:00

Vegetable Cutlet is a wonderful appetizer dish which will satisfy any spicy cravings for a light afternoon snack or accompaniment during meals. It goes well with tomato or mint sauce.
What you need for Vegetable Cutlet:

Carrot - 1 large
Beat root - 1
Potato - 1
Green Peas - 1/4 cup
Onion - 1 medium finely chopped
Green chilli - 1 finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tbsp
Breadcrumbs - 2 tbsp
Wheat flour or Maida -1 tbsp

Preparation Method :

Finely chop all the vegetables and wash it.

Boil all vegetables till they become soft.

Mash the vegetables and keep it aside.

Heat ½ tbsp oil in a pan and add chopped onion. When it turns golden brown , add ginger garlic paste, add coriander, cumin, garam masala powder.

When oil starts leaving from the spicy masala add the mashed vegetables.

Make small balls (round shape) or any shape you like.

Take the wheat flour or maida and make a thin paste then dip the vegetables balls into the flour paste.

Roll the vegetables balls with the breadcrumbs and fry it for ½ minutes on hot oil. Make sure heat should be medium.

When the balls turns to golden brown take it out from oil. Remember don’t fry it too much otherwise that will burn.

Delicious Indian vegetables cutlets are ready to serve with tomato / mint sauce or any chutney...

Coriander Chutney

2011-10-09T21:46:00.000+01:00

This is a very tasty Indian chutney, prepared in moments in the blender.This basic chutney is perfect for using as a dipping sauce with main course dishes like Dosa and Idli.

What you need for Coriander chutney:

Onion - 1 chopped
Tomato - 2 chopped
Ginger - 1 piece
Garlic - 4 pods
Curry leaves - few
Red chilli powder - 1tbsp
Coconut - 1 cup grated
Coriander leaves - 1 cup chopped
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Heat oil in a pan. Saute onions,ginger,garlic,coconut ,curry leaves ,red chilli powder and salt.
When the raw smell goes, add tomatoes and saute well.
When the tomatoes are well done add coriander leaves and saute for a minute.
Switch off the gas and allow to cool.Then grind this mixture in a blender.
Yummy and tasty Coriander chutney is ready to serve with idli,dosa or even rice.

Aloo Methi

2011-09-28T19:58:00.004+01:00

Aloo Methi is a very classic Indian recipe where the potatoes are cooked along with the very aromatic fenugreek leaves.This is a popular Indian vegetarian recipe usually served with hot rotis.
What you need for Aloo Methi:

Onion - 2 finely chopped
Potato-3 chopped
Tomato - 2 finely chopped
Green chilli - 2-3
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Methi leaves - 1 bunch , just the leaves - washed well
Cumin / Jeera seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Garam masala - 1/4 tbsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing

The preparation method:

Heat some oil in a large pan and add cumin seeds.Fry for a few seconds and then add chopped onion and salt. Sauté till the onions turn golden brown.Add green chilli,ginger-garlic paste and saute for some more time till the raw taste of ginger-garlic paste goes away.

Add chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are well done(add water if necessary).

Add all the coriander ,red chilli ,and garam masala powders and mix well.

Add the methi leaves and cook for a minute.

Finally , add the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes till potatoes is well cooked.

Garnish with coriander leaves. Hot and spicy aloo methi is ready to serve with rotis...

Kalan

2011-09-08T22:21:00.000+01:00

Kalan is a popular version of the curd (yoghurt) based dish, which is a must for Onam and other big occasions. This is also called "Kurukku kalan" as it is prepared by thickening beaten curd by boiling.

What you need for Kalan:

Elephant Yam/Chena-250gm cut into cubes
Raw plantain/Ethakkaya-1 peeled n cut in to cubes
Pepper powder-2 tbsp
Turmeric powder-1 tbsp
Curd-1 cup
Coconut-1 grated
Cumin seeds- 1 tbsp
Green chilli-4
Mustard seeds-1 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds-1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves-few
Red chilli-2
Salt to taste

The Preparation method:

Boil the Yam and plantain pieces with salt,pepper powder and turmeric powder with enough water.
Grind the coconut with green chilli and cumin seeds. You can add curd in the blender instead of water to make it more thicker.
Once the vegetables are cooked, add the curd and grounded mixture in to it.
Then heat in low flame and keep stirring till the mixture thicken.Switch off the flame.
Heat oil in a pan splutter mustard seeds,fenugreek seeds,red chilli and curry leaves.
Pour in to the curry.
Very delicious Kalan is ready to serve with rice.

Puli Inji

2011-09-08T22:07:00.003+01:00

Puli Inji ( Tamarind Ginger sauce) is one of the important dish in kerala sadya (feast) menu.It has 3 flavours, sourness from the tamarind,spices from the ginger and sweetness from the jaggery.

What you need for Puli Inji:

Tamarind pulp/Puli-1 cup
Ginger-1 piece finely chopped
Green chilli -4 chopped
Curry leaves-few
Jaggery-5 to 6 pieces
Mustard seeds-1/2 tbsp
Red chilli-2
Salt -1 tbsp

The preparation method:

Heat some oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds,add dried red chilli and fry for some time.
Add ginger ,green chilli and curry leaves in to it and saute well.
Add the tamarind pulp in to it.add jaggery and little salt.
Simmer the heat and keep stirring till the paste becomes thick.Then switch off the gas and allow it to cool.
Yummy and tasty Puli Inji is ready to be served in the feast.It will stay fresh for 3 to 4 months if you don't put your hand in it and store it in a cool place.

Dry Mushroom

2011-09-04T21:36:00.003+01:00

Mushrooms are a great source of nutrients and minerals, and a tasty addition to a number of recipes. This is an easy and tasty mushroom recipe.

What you need for Dry Mushroom :

Button Mushroom - 200gms Cut in to 4 pieces
Mustard seeds -1/2tbsp
Urad dal - 1tbsp
Red chili - 2
Green chilli-1 slit
Curry leaves - few
Garlic - 5 pieces crushed
Onion - 1 thinly sliced
Turmeric powder - 1/4tbsp
Chilli powder - 1tbsp
Coriander powder - 1tbsp
Chicken/meat masala powder -1tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add Mustard seeds and Urad dal. Once it splutters add curry leaves,green chilli and Red chillies. Fry this for a second. Then add crushed Garlic and fry till it turns into light brown color.
Add thinly sliced Onion ,salt and fry till it turns into brown color. Fry well.
Then add cut Mushroom and fry well for 4 to 5 minutes.
Cover the pan with a lid. Keep it in low flame for 2 to 3mins.
Sauté it for a minute. Then add Turmeric powder, Chilli powder, Coriander powderand Chicken or Meat masala powder . Fry till the smell of masala goes.
Once the smell of masalas goes,sprinkle some water and cover the pan with a lid.
Keep the stove in medium flame and cook for 3 to 4 mins or until the mushrooms are cooked.

Cabbage Dal

2011-09-03T20:35:00.001+01:00

An easy veg dish for the lazy amongst us....
What you need to prepare Cabbage Dal :

1/2 kg cabbage
1 cup chana dal
1 onion (finely chopped)
1 tomato (finely chopped)
1 tsp chilli powder or to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
few coriander leaves for garnishing
Ginger-Garlic paste
1 tsp mustard seeds
few curry leaves

Preparation Method:

Chop the cabbage into medium size thin strips.
Clean and wash the dal.
Pressure cook cabbage and dal with 1 cup of water for 1 or 2 whistles.
Remove from heat and keep aside.
Heat a deep pan with oil and add mustard seeds.
When they start to pop add curry leaves, chopped onions and sauté for few mins.
Add chopped tomatoes and sauté till the tomatoes become juicy.
Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell disappears.
Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Sauté for few seconds.
Add pressure cooked cabbage and dal.
Combine well and cover with a lid and cook on low flame for 5 mins.
Finally adjust salt and garnish with coriander leaves.
Remove from heat and cabbage dal is ready to serve.
Serve with rice or roti.

Prawns biriyani

2011-08-29T19:40:00.002+01:00

For a change , today we decided to try the prawn biriyani instead of the usual chicken or mutton biriyani.Prawn biriyani brings out the tender and delicate flavor of shrimp. Unlike other kinds of biryanis, it's quicker to prepare and does not require long hours of complex marinating procedures.

What you need to prepare Prawn Biriyani :

Prawns - 200 gms - washed and tails removed
Basmati rice or biryani rice - 3 cups
Onions - 6
Tomatoes - 3
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Green chilly - 4
Pepper powder -3 tbsp
Chilli powder as desired
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
Coriander leaves - 1 cup chopped
Mint leaves - 1/4 cup chopped
Curd - 1/2 cup
Lime juice - 2 tbsps
Garam masala powder - 1 tbsp

for marinating prawns :

Chilli powder - 2 tbsps
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsps
Garlic-ginger paste - 2 tbsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tbsp
Salt as desired

The preparation method :

Heat enough ghee or oil in a heavy bottomed vessel and fry the marinated prawns in that.Remove it from the pan when it is done and keep aside.
In the same pan , saute chopped onions. Once it becomes transparent, add garlic-ginger paste, chilli paste and saute again for few seconds.
Add chopped tomatoes, all the powders, salt, and cook for few minutes by stirring occasionally.
Again add chopped coriander and mint leaves. Add curd and mix well.
Add the fried prawns in to that and boil for few minutes. Let the masala turn thick.Check salt.Remove from fire.
Cook rice separately by adding 2 cardamoms, 2 cloves, 2 small pieces of cinnamon sticks and salt in to it.
Heat a heavy bottomed or nonstick vessel again, pour little ghee.
Put about 2 plates of cooked rice. Spread little lemon juice and ghee over it. Then spread some prawns masala over it evenly. Again put rice over it and repeat the process until the rice and masala are over. Cover the vessel tightly with the lid, (cover with aluminium foil before you place lid) keep on a low flame for about 10 minutes and remove. Don't mix too well else the rice will break.
Serve hot with raita.

Masala Dosa

2011-08-28T21:49:00.002+01:00

Dosas are one of the cheapest, tastiest, and most filling South Indian Dish. It takes less than a minute to make a dosa but the process for preparing the batter starts long before. Let us see how ...
What you need to prepare Dosa:

Raw rice - 3cup
Boiled rice - 1 cup
Fenugreek seed-2 tbsp
Urad daal-1 cup

Preparation method:

Soak rice ,fenugreek seeds and uraad daal in water for minimum 2 hours.
Grind it to a fine batter using a blender or grinder. The batter should not be too watery or thick.
Allow it to ferment.Normally it takes a half a day.
Add salt when you are ready to make dosa.

How to make a dosa :

To make dosa, heat a tawa / skillet.
Take a ladle full of dosa batter and spread it in a circular motion.
When one side is done, flip it to the other side. Cook for 2-3 seconds and flip it again.
Cook on both sides for a few seconds. Serve hot.

A masala dosa is a popular variant made by stuffing a dosa with a lightly cooked filling of potatoes, fried onions and spices.

What you need for masala:

Potato-2 mashed
Onion-1 chopped
Tomato-1 chopped
Ginger-1 piece
Green chilli-2 chopped
Curry leaves-few
Coriander leaves-few
Chilli powder-1 tbsp
Turmeric powder-1/2tbsp
Cumin seeds-1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds-1/2 tbsp
salt to taste

Preparation method:

Boil potatoes and mash it well .
Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seed and cumin seeds
Add onion,ginger,green chilli ,curry leaves and salt in to it.
Saute onions till they turn it to brown.
Add tomatoes and cook well.
Add chilli powder and turmeric powder in to it.
Then finally add the mashed potatoes in to it and mix it well.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Put the masala on the top of the dosa and fold the dosa
Yummy masala dosa is ready to be served with chutney or Sambar

Chicken Vepudu

2011-08-21T12:38:00.001+01:00

Chicken Vepudu is a hot and spicy chicken stir fry dish from Andhra Pradesh.
It is easy to prepare and suit you if you have a taste for spicy food.
What you need for Chicken Vepudu :

500g chicken
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
Ginger-Garlic paste
1 tbsp peppercorns
1 tbsp chilli powder or to taste
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
salt to taste
few curry leaves
few coriander leaves

The preparation method:

Cut the chicken into small pieces, wash and drain the water.

Take a vessel and add the washed chicken pieces, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste,pepper corn, salt and very little amount of water.

Cook on medium flame for 20 mins or till the chicken become tender.

Now heat a pan with oil and add mustard seeds.

When they start to pop add curry leaves and chopped onions.

Saute till they turn into golden yellow colour.

Add chopped tomatoes and ginger garlic paste.

Saute till the raw smell disappears.

Now add the cooked chicken pieces along with the water.

Mix well and cook on medium low flame for further 10-15 mins.

Finally adjust salt and garnish with coriander leaves.

Now your easy and tasty chicken vepudu is ready to serve.

Serve hot with plain white rice or roti.

Idichakka /Tender Jackfruit Thoran

2011-05-15T06:35:00.002+01:00

Idichakka or Idinchakka (Tender Jack fruit) thoran is a delicious dry dish served along with cooked rice.Removing the skin and cleaning up the jack fruit is a tedious job but the taste is amazing. In season, people at kerala make variety of dishes using jack fruit, jack fruit seeds and tender jack fruit.

What you need for Tender Jackfruit Thoran :

Idichakka / Jack fruit -1
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tbsp
Ginger - 1 small piece
Curry leaves - few
Green chilly - 2
Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
Small onion(Shallots) - 5
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tbsp
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Dry red chilly - 2 (slits)
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Cut the jackfruit in to small pieces and after that de-skin them.Remove the stem ,top portion of the chakka if it is too hard..Then wash the pieces with salt .Pressure cook this along with water salt,one table spoon of coconut oil and turmeric ..2 whistle is enough.Open the cooker and remove the cooked chakka and drain them .Don't overcook the pieces.
In a small blender add grated coconut , green chilly ,ginger ,curry leaves ,cumin seeds,turmeric powder (one pinch ) ,shallots and salt .Just give a whip ..Don`t make fine paste as we are making poriyal ..
Using ammikallu or mixi crush the chakka pieces ..Mix the coconut mixture to the crushed chakka ..
Heat coconut oil in a pan ,add dry chilly pieces ,them splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves.Finally add the coconut chakka mix and saute them in medium heat.Cover the pan for 2 minutes in low flame and cook..Then add fresh curry leaves and 1 tsp of coconut oil to the poriyal and saute for 1 more minute..Check the salt ...Remove from the fire
Idichakka Thoran is ready to serve with rice.

Tapioca curry

2011-02-17T14:39:00.002Z

Kappa ( Tapioca ) is a tubular , rich in carbohydrate omnipresent in Kerala.If fresh, a cut section of Kappa will look moist and fully white. A bluish tinge or dryness indicate that the Kappa is old and hence not fresh (won’t cook well ).Cut fresh Kappa to required size after skinning and removing the vein at the centre. Wash and clean well.Take diced Kappa in a vessel. Add water- so that all the pieces are fully immersed. Add little salt. Boil till done. Alternately pressure cook for till 2 whistles.
Most important : Drain off this water. Don’t use it for any other purpose.

What you need for tapioca curry:

Tapioca-2
Coconut-1/2 shell
Cumin seeds-1tbsp
Green chilli-4
Small onion-2
Turmeric powder-1/4tbsp
Curry leaves-few
Red chilli-2
Mustard seeds-1tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Boil the tapioca with turmeric powder and salt.
Grind the coconut with cumin ,green chilli and small onion.
Add this mixture to the boiled tapioca.
Heat oil in a pan splutter mustard seed,red chilli and curry leaves.Pour this mixture in to the curry.
Yummy and tasty Tapioca curry is ready to serve with idli,dosa or any indian bread.

Idichakka /Tender Jack Fruit Puzhukku

2011-02-12T13:19:00.002Z

Idichakka in malayalam means tender, young, green jackfruit.Idichakka Puzhukku is a popular side dish for rice or kanji ( rice gruel). This is a dry version of puzhukku and can be made quickly.

What you need for Idichakka puzhukku:

Idichakka / tender jack fruit - 1
Red gram - 1 cup
Coconut - 1/2 shell - scrapped
Green chilli - 3
Cumin - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Pressure cook the red gram and idichakka with salt and turmeric powder.
Grind the coconut with cumin and green chilli.
Mix this grounded paste with idichakka.
Finally heat coconut oil add curry leaves in to it.
Add this in to the idichakka mixture.
Yummy Puzhukku is ready to be served with rice or kanji.

Happy 2011 !!!

2010-12-29T14:12:00.000Z

Hunger: One of the few cravings that cannot be appeased with another solution. ~Irwin Van Grove

Wish you and your family a Happy and Prosperous 2011 !!!

Hope you cook and taste many new and exotic dishes this year :-)

Arrow Root/Koova Payasam

2010-12-21T16:08:00.004Z

Koova is nothing but arrowroot. The flour made from arrowroot was prepared prior to Thiruvathira earlier. But these days, you can get the powder from shops, especially medical shops.Thiruvathira is one of the most important festivals for the womenfolk of Kerala. On Thiruvaathira, the women folk abstain from taking rice and for the lunch a delicious arrow-root powder porridge or fruits are served. The women spend the whole night singing and dancing. Kaikottikkali is an exceptional dance form that is associated with this festival in which a group of women attired in traditional dresses dance in a circle around a lighted brass lamp.
What you need for arrow root/Koova payasam:

Arrow root powder - 1 cup
Coconut - 1 cup
Banana - 2
Jaggery -6 pieces
Cashew - 3
Raisins - 4
Cardamom - 2
Ghee - 1 tbsp

The preparation method:

Heat ghee or oil in a pan.Fry cashew,raisins and coconut till they turn slightly golden brown.
Mix the arrowroot powder with enough water and add it to the pan.
When the mixture starts boiling, add melted jaggery pieces.
Add banana pieces and cardamom powder.
Continue boiling till it starts to get a viscous consistency.
you have to be extremely careful at this time if you want to get the perfect consistency.
if you want jelly like pieces that could be cut, continue the boiling for a few more minutes.otherwise stop at the viscous consistency.it will harden further when it cools.
Tasty Arrow Root / Koova Payasam is ready to be relished.

Mango Flower chutney

2010-12-21T15:46:00.002Z

Now this is a truly different chutney - made from Mango Flowers ! This is a rare chutney. The mango fruit takes three to six months to ripen from the flowers.

What you need for mango flower chutney:

Mango flower - 2 strips
Coconut - 1 cup
Green chilli - 3
Mustard seed-1/2 tbsp
Small onion - 4
Cumin - 1/4 tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Remove the flowers from the stem
Grind mango flower,coconut,green chilli,small onion,cumin and salt together with little water.
Add tadka made by spluttering mustard seeds and curry leaves.
Yummy and a different tasting chutney is ready to be served with rice or roti.

Mango-Ginger chutney

2010-12-21T14:00:00.003Z

Mango-Ginger is called manga inji in Tamil and Malayalam.Mango-ginger is used for preparing pickles, chutney, preserve, candy, sauce and salad and in meat and other culinary preparations.Mango-ginger is botanically related to neither mango nor ginger, but to turmeric (Curcuma longa). Morphologically mango-ginger plant is similar to turmeric.

Like a few of you have rightly guessed, the pic above is of Mango-ginger/ Mavadi-allam/ InjiManga. It belongs to the Ginger family and has the smell and taste of a raw mango. I must say its a terrific combo of flavors.

What you need for Mango ginger chutney:

Mango ginger - 2 piece
Coconut - 1 cup
Red chilli - 3
Curry leaves - few
Tamarind - 1 small piece
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Peel the mango-ginger skin.
Grind the chopped mango-ginger, coconut pieces,red chilli,tamarind and salt together.
If you want you can put tadka of mustard and curry leaves also.
Yummy mango ginger chutney is ready to serve with rice,roti or dosa.

Koorka /Chinese potato fry

2010-10-26T16:12:00.004+01:00

Koorka also known as Chinese Potatoes is a popular tubar in Kerala. Though it is similar in shape to small potatoes, it has got a unique taste, quite different from conventional potatoes. The only pain is the difficulty in removing the dirt / skin off Koorka – prior to cooking.It is a good idea to soak Koorka in water for 3-4 hrs prior to removing / cleaning this (it will still take atleast 5/8 rinses after cleaning out the skin- to get a decent washed appearance).The other way is to pressure cook it for one whistle and peel it like you would potatoes. The results would be worth the effort :-)

This is how koorka looks

What you need for Koorka Fry:

Koorka - 1/2 kg peeled and cleaned
Small onion - 8
Green chilli - 2 slit
Curry leaves - few
Red chilli - 1
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Peel and clean the koorka. Cut into small pieces.
Heat oil in a pan.Splutter mustard seeds and add small onion,red chilli,green chilli and curry leaves. Saute till the onions turn slightly brown.
Add the koorka to this. Add little water and salt. Allow it to cook.
Switch off the flame when it is done.
Yummy and tasty koorka fry is ready to be served as side dish for rice.

First Anniversary !!!

2010-10-03T14:53:00.005+01:00

Today Oct 3rd "Welcome to Our Kitchen " blog turns ONE year!!! It has been exactly one year since we posted our first blog post and shared the first recipe with you. We can hardly believe that our beloved blog is now one year old! This blog has introduced us to a whole new world of cooking and photography. We had no idea how many wonderful friends we would meet and how much we would learn.Thank you all for the encouragement and inspiration you have given us Every comment brings a smile to our face.
We will be posting new recipes in future and seek your love and support as well.

Thanks a lot!

Soya chunk curry

2010-09-30T17:30:00.003+01:00

A soya nuggets / chunks curry with potato tastes is a healthy substitute for a non-veg curry , both in terms of taste and nutrition. Allow the curry to rest for an hour or so, for all the flavors to settle in.

What you need to prepare Soya chunk curry:

Soya chunks (nuggets) - 2 cups
Tomatoes - 3 big sized
Green chillies - 3 long
Onion - 1 big
Turmeric powder - 1 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp
Coriander leaves to garnish
Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp

The preparation method:

Soak soya chunks in hot waterwith salt for 15 min.
While it soaks cut the tomatoes and onions and green chilles and dhania patta and keep it aside
Squeeze the chunks out of water.
Take kadai and place it on gas.add oil in it.
Put jeera and then add onions and fry til golden and then add ginger-garlic paste , tomatoes and green chillies when slightly done add salt turmeric , chiili powder and let it cook till tomatoes are done.
Now add the soya chunks, mix it well and close the lid and let it cook in sim for 5 min and then switch off the gas.you may add 2-3 tbsp of water before closing the lid.
Tasty and healthy Soya chunk curry is ready to be served with rice or roti.

Potato Egg Curry

2010-09-26T16:51:00.004+01:00

We wanted to try a different egg recipe and we found this recipe online. We tried this and found it to be very simple and good to taste too. This egg curry goes well with chappatis.

What you need for Potato Egg curry:

Potatoes - 500 g diced
Eggs - 4, hard-boiled
Onions - 1 , chopped
Ginger - 1 small piece chopped
Tomatoes - 2 , chopped
Green chilli - 1 or 2
Turmeric - a pinch
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Heat the oil in a pan; add onions and saute till light brown. .
Add ginger,green chilli and tomatoes; saute. Mix in all the dry spices and saute for some time.
Add the potatoes, eggs, and water. Cook till the gravy thickens and the potatoes are fully cooked.
Serve hot with chappatis.

Potato Fry

2010-09-06T16:03:00.003+01:00

Potato Fry is a sinfully delicious South Indian dish which is goes great with sambhar or curd rice.

What you need to prepare Potato Fry:

Potato – 4 (cut into round pieces)
Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tbsp
Salt – as per taste
Asafoetida (hing) – a pinch

The preparation method:

Cut the potatoes into thin round slices. Marinate it with the red chilli powder,turmeric powder, Asafoetida and salt. Mix well and keep it aside for 10 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan and drop the potato slices without overlaying on each other.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook in low flame; mix in between gently by opening the lid and covering again.
Remove when potatoes are done and golden in colour.
Delicious potato fry is ready to be served with sambhar or curd rice.

Mango Rice

2010-08-18T06:10:00.011+01:00

Raw Mango rice is a wholesome, tangy speciality from the south of India. Try it also with left-over rice for an interesting and refreshing change.

What you need to prepare Raw Mango Rice:

Cashew nuts - a few broken pieces
Channa dal - 1 tbsp
Chopped ginger - optional
Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
Cumin - 1 pinch
Fresh cooked rice - 2 cups
Grated raw mango - 1
Green chillies - 2
Hing - 1 pinch
Mustard - 1 pinch
Red chilli whole - 1 piece
Turmeric - a pinch
Urad dhal - 1 tbsp

The preparation method:

Add oil in a pan and crackle mustard , cumin and whole red chilli.
Add channa dal,urad dal,broken cashewnuts,hing ,green chillies,curry leaves and saute.
Add chopped ginger(optional), turmeric and add grated mango
Cook till mango is tender add boiled rice and mix well.
Tangy and Tasty Raw Mango Rice is ready to be served hot.

Dal Makhani

2010-08-07T14:31:00.002+01:00

Dal Makhani, a flavourful robust lentil preparation, is a celebrated delicacy from Punjab. This recipe is not only tasty but also healthy(watch out for the quantity of butter).

What you need to prepare Dal Makhani:

Black grams - 250 gms
butter - 50 gms
coriander pdr - 1 tbsp
cream - 1 cup
cumin - 1 tbsp
garam masala whole or pdr - 1 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Kidney beans - 50 gms
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
tomatoes puréed - 5
turmeric - a pinch (optional)

The preparation method:

Thoroughly wash black grams, bengal grams and kidney beans. Then soak it in water (2 glasses) for about few hours . and cook till dal is cooked to mashable consistency
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add cumin , whole garam masala(optional) ,you can skip garam masala and add little garam masala pdr at last .
Add ginger-garlic paste ,turmeric and add tomato puree and cook well for 10 min in medium flame covered
Add chilli powder, and salt. Cook until the mixture thickens into pulpy sauce (about 3 mins).
Then add cooked grams and kidney beans to the mixture. Heat for 4-5 minutes. You can add a little water if you find it too thick.
Add the remaining butter and cream and cook for 10 minutes.
Tasty and Healthy Dal Makhani is ready to be served hot with roti or parantha.

Vazhathandu / Unnithandu / Banana Stem Poriyal

2010-08-05T14:32:00.001+01:00

Banana stem / Vazha thandu / Unni thandu is rich in fiber. The juice of banana stem is a good remedy for kidney stone and also improve the functionality of kidney and liver.This dish is very simple and easy to make. Definitely healthy too.

What you need for Banana Stem Poriyal:

Banana stem-1 piece
Rice-3 tbsp
Pepper corn-1 tbsp
Cumin seeds-1/2 tbsp
Red chilli-2
Curry leaves-few
Mustard seed-1 tbsp
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Take a pan and dry roast rice,pepper ,cumin,red chilli and curry leaves.Grind it and keep aside.
Heat some oil in a pan.Splutter mustard seeds,red chilli and curry leaves.
Add the finely chopped banana stem to this.
Add salt and turmeric powder.Sprinkle some water and allow it to boil.
When it is done add the grinded powder(from step 1) to this. Mix well.
Yummy and healthy Banana Stem Poriyal is ready to be served with rice.

Broccoli Rice

2010-07-28T08:31:00.002+01:00

Broccoli is high in vitamins C, K, and A, as well as dietary fibre.Here is a recipe for Broccoli Rice. This is really easy to make and is a nice way to incorporate greens into your diet if you are not all that fond of veggies. By the way,

What you need to prepare Broccoli Rice:

Broccoli Florets (Fresh or frozen) – 1 cup
Cooked and cooled Rice – 5 cups
Finely Diced Onions – 1 medium
Finely Chopped Garlic Pods – 5
Dry Red Chillies – 4 or 5
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Jeera/Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp
Sambar Powder – 1 tbsp
Garam Masala Powder – 1/2 tsp
Chilly Powder – 1 tsp
Oil/Ghee – 2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Salt – to taste

The Preparation Method:

Add a few tablespoons of water to the broccoli. Sprinkle salt, cover and boil for around 4-5 minutes.
Heat oil/ghee in a big pan and splutter mustard seeds.
Add onions and red chillies and saute till the onions begin to brown.
Reduce heat and add the minced garlic to the pan. Stir fry for a few minutes.
Add the boiled broccoli to the pan and saute for around 5-7 minutes on medium heat.
Next, add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1 tbsp Sambar Powder, 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder and 1 tsp Chilly Powder and saute for 2 minutes.
Add more salt if required. Stir in rice to the above broccoli mixture and toss everything.
Cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes and remove from stove top.
Healthy and Tasty Brocolli rice is ready to be served hot with Raitha , Pickle and Pappad/Chips.

Coconut Rice

2010-07-27T17:01:00.003+01:00

Coconut Rice is considered to be an integral part of the South Indian diet. It is less spicy and easily digestible. The ingredients are also highly available and the procedure adopted to prepare this rice is simple. It is delicious as well as less time consuming and this is probably the reason of its increasing popularity. Coconut Rice is indeed the perfect dish for the health conscious people.
What you need for coconut rice:

Rice-1 cup
Coconut grated-1 cup
Mustard seed-1tbsp
Chana daal- 1tbsp
Urad daal-1tbsp
Cashew nuts-6 pieces
Red chilli-2
Curry leaves-few
Cumin-1/2 tbsp
Ginger-1 piece chopped
Coriander leaves -few
Sugar -1tbsp (optional)
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Boil the rice and keep it aside.
Heat some oil (preferably Coconut oil)in a pan.Splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
Add red chilli,chana daal ,urad daal,cashew nuts,ginger,and curry leaves in to it
Saute till the daals are slightly brown.add salt .Add sugar if u want.
Add grated coconut in to it and mix it well.
Finally add the rice and mix well.garnish with coriander leaves.
Yummy and sweet coconut rice is ready to be served with pickle.

Vazhapoo Poriyal

2010-07-23T15:43:00.005+01:00

Vazhapoo is banana blossom and is said to be very good for the stomach.Typically there is only one blossom /flower per plantain tree. After there is a blosom it is let to mature and eventually the tree bears plantains/bananas.The tricky part is removing the stamen. its very time consuming to remove the stamen and the nimble outer sheath of every floret.

What you need to prepare Vazhapoo Poriyal:

Banana flower – 1
Sambar Powder – 2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Urad dhal – 1 teaspoon
Mustard – ½ teaspoon
Asafotida Powder - a pinch
Oil – 2 teaspoon
Coconut gratings – 2 tablespoon
Curry Leaves – few
Salt to taste

Method:

Remove the big skin (bract) and take out the florets found underneath. In the florets, you will find a string in the middle and a rubbery skin outside. Remove both from each floret. Then chop all the floretss into tiny bits and put in water mixed with little butter milk. This will avoid discolouration of the florets.

Wash well and put the chopped florets in a vessel and add just enough water to cover them. Cook for two to three minutes or till the florets are soft. Remove from stove and drain the water. Cool it. When it is cold, take out a handful of cooked florets and squeeze out the excess water and keep aside. To this add sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. Keep it for atleast ten minutes.

In a kadai put the oil and add mustard seeds and when it pops up add the urad dhal, asafotida powder and fry till urad dhal turns light brown. Add curry leaves and fry for a while. Add the cooked banana florets. Fry nicely till raw smell of the powders goes off. Add coconut gratings and mix well.

Beetroot Rice

2010-07-20T15:45:00.001+01:00

Beetroot is one for those few vegetables which give the rice flavor and subtle sweetness.Beetroot rice makes a comforting one meal dish along with a raita of your choice or tomato-onion raita.

What you need for beetroot rice:

Rice-1 cup
Beetroot-2 grated
Onion-1 chopped
Green chilli-2 chopped
Curry leaves-few
Mustard seeds-1/2 tbsp
Chana daal-1 tbsp
Urad daal-1 tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Boil the rice and keep it aside
Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds,urad daal,chana daal.
Add onion,green chilli ,curry leaves and salt.Saute till onions turn golden brown.
Add grated beetroot to it.Sprinkle some water and allow to cook.
Once the beetroot is cooked,add the rice in to it.Mix well.
Healthy and Tasty beetroot rice is ready to be served hot with pickle or salad.

Snake Gourd Kootu

2010-07-20T15:32:00.001+01:00

Rice and kootu is a common and simple Tamil meal. In Tamil cuisine kootus are considered substitutes for both curries and sambhar.While Tamilians have a fondness for all gourds, even some of those that other cuisines wont touch, snake gourd kootu is one of the popular ones
What you need for snake gourd kootu:

Snake gourd-1
Moong daal-1 cup
Red chilli powder-1 tbsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tbsp
Green chilli-2
Cumin-1/2 tbsp
Coconut-1/2 shell
Small onion-4
Curry leaves-few
Mustard seeds-1/2 tbsp
Red chilli-1
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Cut the snake gourd in to small pieces.
Pressure cook the moong daal and snake gourd with salt ,turmeric powder and chilli powder.
Grind the coconut with green chilli and cumin.
Pour the grinded mixture in to the cooked daal.
Heat oil in a pan.Splutter mustard seed,small onion,red chilli and curry leaves and pour in to the curry.
Healthy and tasty Snake Gourd kootu is ready to be served with rice or chapatti.

Apple milkshake

2010-07-18T15:04:00.001+01:00

As the saying goes "An apple a day keeps the doctor away". Apple Milk Shake is healthy as well as tasty.

What you need for apple milkshake:

Apple-2
Milk-3 cups
Sugar- 1 1/2

The preparation method:

Wash the apple with clean water.
Cut the apples into small pieces.
Add little amount of milk to the apple slices and grind in a mixer-grinder or in a juicer to get thick paste.
Now,add 1 1/2 cups. of sugar and 3 cups of milk to the grinded paste and mix well.
Stir well.Refrigerate for atleast 1/2 an hour.
Healthy and tasty Apple Milk Shake is ready to be served cold .

*Do not expose the chopped apple pieces to room temperature for longer as it would turn brown due to pectin content and silver oxide formation.

Rava Dosa

2010-07-17T14:33:00.003+01:00

Rava or Semolina dosa is a variation of the popular south indian dosa. Rava dosa doesn't need fermentation and is usually considered a fast tiffin.

What you need for rava dosa:

Rava-1 cup
Rice flour-1 cup
Maida-1/2 cup
Onion-1
Ginger-1 piece
Green chilli-2 chopped
Crushed pepper-1tbsp
Cumin seeds-1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Mix the rice flour, maida and rava and add water and salt to it. The batter should be watery and flowing(not like the normal dosa batter).
Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, when it splutters add onions and other ingredients .Fry for 2 minutes till the onion turns transparent. Add this to the rava batter.
Heat the tawa (the tawa should be very hot while u are pouring the batter) and take one ladleful of batter and spread on the tawa starting from the sides and finishing off in the middle as rava dosa cannot be spreaded like ordinary dosa. Drizzle ½ tsp of oil and ¼ tsp of ghee on the sides. When it becomes golden brown turn it over.
Alternatively,drop the batter to the tawa with hand.
Yummy rava dosa is ready to be served with sambhar or chutney.

Mint Potato

2010-07-15T16:41:00.001+01:00

Potatoes are so much versatile and one can make an variety of dishes be it fry, curry, stew or sambar. This is another avatar of potato in the company of mint.

What you need for Mint Potato :

Potato-2
Mint -few
Chilli powder-1 tbsp
Chana daal-1 tbsp
Urad daal-1 tbsp
Mustard seeds-1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Lemon-1 tbsp
Curry leaves-few
Cumin seeds-1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Boil the potatoes, use microwave for 5 min with less than 1/2 cup water cooked covered
Let it cool.Once cooled to room temperature chop potatoes into 2 inch cubes
In a kadai or pan heat oil and add chana dal, urad dal, cumin and mustard seeds. When they start to pop add curry leaves, potatoes and turmeric.
Saute until the potatoes turn to golden brown.
Add red chilli powder and salt.
Switch off the heat and add chopped mint leaves and lemon juice
TIP: Never add lemon juice when cooking add them after the heat is switched off or before serving. Otherwise it would make the dish taste bitter.
Tasty Mint Potato is ready to be served with roti or rice.

Vegetable Biriyani

2010-07-11T11:56:00.000+01:00

Vegetable Biryani is a tasty and popular vegetarian dish. Biryani is always a dish which will taste great , but at the same time, great care as to be taken while cooking the rice. The colourful carrot, beans, potatoes and peas gives a great look for the biryani.

What you need for vegetable biriyani:

Basmati rice-1 cup soaked in water for atleast 30 minutes
Carrot-1 chopped
Potato-1 chopped
Onion-2 chopped
Green peas-1/2 cup
Tomato-1 chopped
Beans-10 chopped
Green chillies-2
Ginger garlic paste-1 tbsp
Whole Garam masala-1 each
Coriander leaves-few
Mint leaves-few
Curd-2 tbsp
Ghee-2tbsp
Cashew n Raisins-1 tbsp
Lime juice-1tbsp
Bread -3 roasted
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Garam masala-1/2tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Heat ghee in a pan and add the whole garam masalas.
Saute onions,ginger-garlic paste, green chilli and salt.When the onions turn golden brown,add the tomatoes .
When the tomatoes are well done, add the vegetables, coriander leaves and mint leaves into it.Add curd to this and mix well.
Add rice in to it and water in the proportion of 2:1.Add turmeric and garam masala powder to this.
Put a lid and cook till the water is fully evaporated.Switch off the flame.Add lime juice to this.
Heat ghee in a separate pan.Add the bread pieces and fry till it is golden brown.
Fry the cashews and raisins also in this pan.Add both of this to the rice.
Yummy vegetable biriyani is ready to be served with raita.

Bitter Gourd Crisps / Pavakka Kondattam

2010-07-08T15:07:00.001+01:00

Bitter Gourd Crisps / Pavakka Kondattam is a very healthy recipe which goes great with steaming sambhar or curd rice.You can prepare this in large quantities and store them in a air tight container.

What you need for Paavakka kondattam:

Bitter Gourd / Paavakka - 2
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Cut the paavakka in to round pieces.
Boil the paavakka with salt.Switch off the flame when the paavakka is half done.
Spread this out on a sheet and set this outside under direct sunlight until its completely dry
When needed deep fry in oil.
Serve the crispy bitter gourd with steaming rice.

Paneer Kothu chapathi

2010-07-04T10:11:00.001+01:00

We found this recipe on a TV show and decided to try it for a change.It turned out to be tasty and filling.Try this out...

What you need for paneer kothu chapathi:

chapathi/roti - 5 Cut them into very small pieces
shredded paneer - 1/2 cup
onion - 2 finely chopped
tomatoes - 2, finely chopped
jeera powder - 1/2 tbsp
chilly powder - 1/ 2tbsp
green chillies - 2
red chillies - 2
ginger - 1 piece finely chopped
garlic -4 pods finely chopped
garam masala - 1/2 tbsp
coriander leaves to garnish
mustard-1/2tbsp
jeera-1/2tbsp
curry leaves-few

Method

Heat oil in the pan. Add seasoning ingredients to it.
When it splutters add onion, ginger, garlic to it. Fry well till they turn translucent
Add paneer, tomatoes , powder spices , Fry for some time next add chapathi pieces and salt to it.
Cover and cook in simmer to blend in the spices with chapathi. Garnish with coriander leaves ,Stir well and serve hot.
You can also add any vegetable ( cook and add it when onions fry) instead of paneer.

Prawns thokku

2010-06-28T14:31:00.002+01:00

Prawn Thokku is a simple but tasty dish cooked in fiery gravy flavored with aromatic spices and herbs.The combination of rasam and this thokku is absolutely delicious. We love this dish even with just plain rice!

What you need for Prawns Thokku:

Prawns - 1/4kg peeled and cleaned
Onion - 1 chopped
Green chilli - 2 sliced
Garlic - 6 pods
Ginger - 1 small piece
Curry leaves - few
Tomato - 2 grounded
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Heat oil in a pan and drop fenugreek seeds.
After a few seconds,add onion,ginger, garlic,green chilli ,curry leaves and salt.
Sauté well.When the onions turn brown add the grounded tomato.
Add coriander powder,chilli powder and turmeric powder.
Add the prawns and let the gravy boil till the prawns are well cooked.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Tasty Prawn Thokku is ready to be served hot with rice.

Mango Lassi

2010-06-23T15:55:00.002+01:00

Mango Lassi is the perfect cooler on a hot day.It's perfect for an afternoon refresher or an after-dinner treat. Lassi is a huge favourite in the North and we simply love this.

What you need for mango Lassi:

Mango-1
Curd-1 cup
Sugar-2 tbsp

The preparation method:

Peel the mangoes and chop in to pieces.
Put the yogurt, mango, ice and sugar in a blender and blend till smooth
Sit back and relax and enjoy chilled mango lassi on a hot afternoon.

Egg Bhurji

2010-06-23T15:35:00.000+01:00

Egg Bhurji is similar to scrambled eggs. The difference lies in the addition of sauteed chopped onions, chilies, and optional spices.This is a simple but tasty recipe which can be made in a jiffy.

What you need for Egg Bhurji:

Egg-3 beaten well
Onion-1 chopped
Green chilli-2 chopped
Tomato-1 chopped
Curry leaves-few
Coriander leaves-few
Pepper powder-1 tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Heat oil in a pan.Drop onion,green chilli,curry leaves,coriander leaves and salt.
Sauté well.When the onions turn golden brown, add diced tomato pieces.
Add the beaten egg in to it.Keep mixing well till the egg is cooked.This should not take long.
Finally sprinkle pepper powder.
Serve hot with rice or chapatti.

King Fish (Vanjaram) Fry

2010-06-22T15:36:00.004+01:00

KingFish ( vanjaram / batang ) fish is an expensive fish and is a popular delicacy of south indian seafood cuisine. Its fat content ranges from 3-30% and a good source of vitamin D and B12. King Fish fry is one of our favourite seafood delicacy :-)

What you need to make King Fish Fry:

King fish steaks – 4-5 of medium size
Shallots - 15 to 20
Chilly powder – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tbsp
Lime juice – 1 tbsp

The preparation method:

Apply little salt and lime juice on the fish pieces and wash it with water. Drain the water.
Grind together the shallots,chilli powder,turmeric powder and salt into a fine paste adding a little water.
Make gashes in the fish pieces and marinate the pieces with the ground paste. Keep the marinated fish for half an hour.
Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the fish pieces.Serve with onion rings and a slice of lime.

Cherupayar/Whole Moong Sweet

2010-06-15T16:52:00.003+01:00

Cherupayar/Whole Moong Sweet is a simple and healthy evening snack.

What you need for Cherupayar/Whole Moong Sweet:

Cherupayar / Whole Moong - 1 cup
Coconut - 1/2 shell - grated
jaggery - 5 pieces
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Pressure cook the green gram with salt.
Mix the grated coconut and jaggery to the cooked green gram.
Mix well and serve as a snack.

Mango Payasam / Kheer

2010-06-14T14:43:00.001+01:00

We recently found the recipe for Mango Payasam / Kheer in 'The Hindu'. The recipe looked easy and the photo made our mouth to water so we tried this recipe on that itself and it did taste yummy.Try it out to break the monotony of eating the usual mango dishes.

What you need to prepare Mango Payasam:

Mango - 1 ripe
Milk - 3 cups
Rice - 50 gms
Sugar - 150 gms
Roasted Cashew - 5
Roasted Raisins - 5
Cardamom - 1 pod

The preparation method:

Boil rice in a cup of milk in the pressure cooker.
Peel the mango and grind into a pulp.
Boil the remaining milk in a pressure pan till it is reduced to one and half cups
Add the mango pulp,boiled rice and sugar to this and stir well for a few minutes.
Garnish with cardamom,roasted cashew and raisins.
Yummy Mango Payasam is ready to be served hot or cold.

Drumstick leaves with Daal/Muringayila Parippu Curry

2010-06-11T15:06:00.000+01:00

Drumstick or Muringa is generally used in Sambhar. The Drumstick leaves / Muringayila is also used in a variety of dishes. Muringayila Parippu Curry is a popular dish which is very rich in protein.

What you need for Drumstick Leaves Daal / Muringayila Parippu Curry :

Drumstick leaves - 1 cup
Toor Daal - 1 /2 cup
Coconut - 1/2 shell
Red chilli - 2
Pepper - 2 tbsp
Cumin - 1/2 tbsp
Small onion - 6
Garlic - 2 pods
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Pressure cook daal with turmeric powder and salt.
Grind the coconut with red chilli,cumin,2 small onion,garlic and whole pepper.
Pour the grinded mixture to the cooked daal.
Boil well.When the bubbles starts to form , add drumstick leaves in to it.
Heat oil in a pan , add the rest of the small onion and sauté well.Pour this in to the curry.
Yummy and healthy drumstick leaves curry is ready to be served with rice.

Mambazha Pulissery

2010-06-10T15:55:00.002+01:00

Mambazha Pulissery is a popular kerala curry made with ripe mangoes. It's sweet and sour in taste.Use a extra ripe mango to make this pulissery.

What you need for mambazha pulissery:

Ripe mango-2
Curd-1 cup
Coconut-1/2 shell
Red chilli powder-1tbsp
Green chilli-2
Cumin-1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder-1/2tbsp
Mustard seed-1/2tbsp
Fenu greek seeds-1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves-few
Red chilli-1
Salt to taste

The preparation method:

Peel the mangoes and cut in to pieces.Boil the mangoes with salt ,turmeric powder and chilli powder.
Grind the coconut with green chilli and cumin.
Add the grinded mixture in to the curry.Allow them to boil.
Finally add curd and switch off the flame.
Heat oil in apan add mustard seeds,fenugreek seeds,red chilli and curry leaves.
Pour this mixture in to the curry.
Yummy mambazha pulissery is ready to be served with rice.

Musk Melon Juice

2010-06-06T15:08:00.004+01:00

Muskmelon is also called Cantaloupe.Muskmelons are rich in potassium, that may help control blood pressure, regulate heart beat and possibly prevent strokes. Potassium-rich diet helps keep salt from raising blood pressure and may also reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and possibly age-related bone loss. Muskmelons are also abundant in vitamin C, which help prevent heart disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions.
There is a abundance of musk melon (also known as Kirni Pazham) in Chennai during summer. We prefer to make this juice at home instead of having it at the numerous mobile juice vending shops for purely hygenic reasons.

What you need to prepare Musk Melon Juice :
Musk melon - 1 No.
Sugar - 1 cup
Elachi - 1 No

The preparation method :

Peal off the skin of the musk melon. Remove the seeds. Cut the melon into small pieces.
Put them into a mixer/blender, add sugar, elachi and 2 cups of water. Blend it fine and serve.Remains good when refrigerated for a day.
Tasty and healthy Musk Melon juice is ready to be enjoyed !

Mysore Pak

2010-06-04T14:43:00.008+01:00

Mysore pak is a sweet dish of Karnataka made of generous amounts of ghee.We love the Mysore Paks from Shree Krishna Sweets in Chennai who make one of the best melt-in-your-mouth Mysore paks.Watch out if you are
on diet ;-)

What you need for Mysore Pak:

Besan - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cardamom - 2 powdered

The preparation method:

Heat water in a pan and add sugar in to it.Boil well till the sugar paav thickens. Add the powdered cardamom.
Add the besan and ghee in to it.Keep stirring till big bubbles starts forming.Reduce the heat and cook till the mixture becomes little dry.
Pour the mixture in to a ghee coated pan and allow it to cool.
Cut the mysore paav in to desired pieces.
Yummy Mysore Pak is ready to be melted in your mouth :-)