Spices 'n Flavours

Hiii Friends...Taking A Long Break...

2008-09-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hiii friends...

Its been a long time since i posted ..The good news behind this is that I'm expecting our first baby....So going through Ist trimester,suffering from all pregnancy signs morning sickness,tired and everything..I can't cook anything due to smell sensations.. My hubby is on cooking duty these days...of course our friends are helping a lot....So I'm planning to take a long break...Hope all ur prayers and wishes are there with us...

Wishing u all Happy Onam .....

Vermicelli veggies upma

2008-06-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

Roasted Vermicelli(Semiya) - 2 cups
Ghee or butter - 5 tbsp
Onion(medium) - 1 no
Peas,beans and carrot chopped - 1.5 cups
Green chillies - 2 nos
Ginger - 1/2" piece
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Red chillies - 2 nos
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - A few
Salt - As reqd
Water - 2 cups
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Chop onion, ginger and green chillies into small pieces.Heat 3 tbsp ghee or butter in the kadai.
Add mustard seeds and when they crackle, add chopped onions, green chillies, dry red chillies, ginger and curry leaves.Fry, till the onions turn brown.Add the peas ,beans, carrots mixture. fry for 1-2 mins, sauting frequently.Once its 3/4 cooked,Add water along with sugar and salt.Veggies shld not be fully cooked,3/4th cooked enhances the taste.U can use frozen veggies to save time.Allow it to boil.When it starts to boil, add fried vermicelli, stirring continuously.Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a low flame, till vermicelli is soft and almost all water has dried up. Add coconut and stir for 2 mins.
Serve hot with sugar or pickle. Healthy breakfast ready in 15 mins.This Upma is for Raaga for WBB Express Breakfast Event....

Chicken Biriyani

2008-06-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

Among keralites 'Biriyani' will be top favourite food,either chicken,mutton or fish.Same with us,Partners may have different interest,But in case of having biriyani...we are one.I remember after our marriage,when ever we go to resturants,'S' orders only biriyani.I call him Biriyani FREAK!!! Before i thought making at home is a complicated and time consuming process.After coming to US,now biriyani is not meant for special occasions.Its became a part of our usual menu.Traditional way is 'Dum' process,I havent tried that.Instead I cook rice and chicken masala separately,layer them and baked in conventional method.Special thanks to Annita and Shynee for giving this wonderful Malabar recipe....

Ingredients....

Basmati Rice - 1 kg
Chicken cut into big pieces - 1 kg
Thinly Sliced Onion- 3 big
Sliced Tomato - 2 big
Ghee - as needed
Broken cashew nuts - 1/4 cup
Raisins - 1/4 cup
Curd - 1 cup
Lime - 1 big
Chopped Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
Chopped Mint leaves - 1 small bunch
Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Biriyani Masala Powder 3tsp
Rose water - 2 tbsp(optional)
Saffron - 1 gm(optional)
Boiled eggs - 2
Salt - as req

For Marinating Chicken

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as needed

For Grinding

Green Chillies - 7-8
Garlic - 2 tbsp
Ginger - 2 tbsp
Poppy seeds soaked in water for 5- 10 mts - 2 tsp

Method...

1) Marinate chicken with ingredients listed.Apply well and let it stand for 1 hr or so in refrigerator.

2)Wash and soak rice for 15 mins.In a heavy bottomed pan,cook rice along with salt,cloves,cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and cardamom with enough water.when its 3/4 cooked,strain the excess water.Spread the rice in a flat serving dish,and sprinkle 3-4 drops of lime juice, allow it to cool.

3)Heat a little ghee in a pan and roast cashews and raisins till brown and keep it aside.Now add half of sliced onion and fry them until they are well browned.Add more ghee /oil if needed.Drain them into a tissue paper and reserve .Now into the same oil,add marinated chicken pieces and shallow fry them for a while. This can enhance the taste and also make the chicken pieces more firm.

4)Now add rest of the onions and saute them till translucent(add 1 tbsp of ghee/oil,if needed0.Mix in tomatoes,salt and the ground paste and saute them for 2-3 mts.Stir in curd and lemon juice and saute until oil separates.Now add fried chicken pieces,mix well,cover and cook.

5)When it is half done,add Coriander leaves,Mint leaves,curry leaves and 2 tsp Biriyani masala powder.Mix and allow the chicken to cook well in medium heat,until all water is absorbed and chicken pieces are coated with gravy.Switch off the stove.

6)Take a biriyani pot,spread chicken pieces along with the gravy in the bottom.Now add one layer of cooked rice over chicken.Sprinkle a little biriyani masala powder,fried onions,cashews, raisins and saffron(mixed in rosewater)U can even use leonjuice+turmeric powder mixture instead of safforn,here i used this.Repeat the same for 2 more layers with chicken ,rice and fried cashew-raisins-onions etc.Seal the vessel with aluminium foil and bake it for 15 mts at 300 F.Mix thoroughly and serve hot with whole boiled eggs ,Raita ,Pickle and Pappad or Ulli surka.

Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

2008-05-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was watching 'Konkana Sen ' movie.."Life in a metro"...Its an Awesome movie...While watching i craved for some goodies to eat...Nothing was there...One and only thing that came to mind is MUFFINS!!!!...I'm a Muffin freak now a days.Now its like almost every week or so i make muffins.Thought about trying some new healthy and of course simple....I googled for healthy versions.Just found one and changed it to my interest n made it with ingredients with me.A batch of healthy muffins with crunchy on the top and soft inside are right here .....

INGREDIENTS

1 cup All purpose flour
1/2 cup Wheat flour
1/2 cup Quicker Oats
1 cup Raisins
1 cup Sugar/Brown Sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 Cup Fat free Milk
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
1/2tsp Orange zest
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 Egg

Toppings

Cornflakes /Sliced almonds

Preheat the oven in 350 F .Beat the wet ingredients like egg,oil,milk,vanilla,orange zest and sugar with hand beater for few Min's.Mix all purpose flour,wheat flour ,oats ,baking powder and salt. Add raisins to it and mix.Add this dry ingredients in two batches to the wet ingredients.Mix with a wooden spatula.Do not over mix.In a muffins pan,arrange muffin cups or spray it.Pour muffin mix to 2/3 of each cup.Add cornflakes as toppings .Bake for 15 Min's or until toothpick comes out clean.This yields 12 muffins.

Chicken Korma

2008-04-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

Chicken korma is a popular Mugalai dish Of North India.Its a mild creamy chicken dish served on all households or restaurants.Its a blend of spices,chicken/meat braised in a creamy sauce on cashew/almonds ,yogurt and coconut milk.There's wide variation in preparing korma ,some times fresh coconut , onions and spices are blended into a paste and cooked along with chicken.'S' was having a potluck party at office yesterday,i made this Korma with less spices , so that everyone can enjoy having it especially Americans and Chinese.

1 Pound Boneless and skinless chicken cut into small pieces
4 Whole cloves
2 Cinnamon sticks
4 Cardamom seeds
2-3 Onions pureed
2 Tomatoes finely chopped
1 Tsp Ginger garlic paste
1 Tbsp Garam masala
1 Tbsp Cumin powder
1 Tbsp Coriander powder
1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 Cup Coconut milk
1/3 Cup of Almond/Cashew paste
1 Cup Yogurt
2 Tsp Red chilly Powder(Use accordingly)
Canola oil
Salt to taste
Cilantro for Garnishing

Marinate chicken pieces with salt,turmeric powder and 1tsp chilli powder for half an hour.soak cashew in warm water for 1/2 an hour and make a smooth paste.In a wide pan,pour oil and add spices whole cloves,cinnamon sticks,cardamom seeds cumin,coriander,garam masala,tsp chilli powder and saute for few mins.Add onion pureed and ginger garlic paste ,stir well till oils separates and raw smell goes off.Add chopped tomatoes ,yogurt and saute till tomatoes are cooked .Add marinated chicken pieces and salt to it.Cover it and cook on meduim flame for about 20 mins.Don't add water.Water will squeeze out from chicken pieces.Stir in between,be careful that it doesn't stick to bottom.If needed add water in between.Once chicken is cooked,add cashew paste to it,saute for few mins.Add coconut milk,cilantro and cook for 5 mins or until gravy thickens.Goes well with Ghee Rice, Naan or even plain rice.

Devils Food Cake

2008-04-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

A sinful chocolate cake with simple whipping cream and orange frosting..Its a been a while i was thinking of baking this cake.Everyday is a new day for celebration.I made this Yesterday for celebrating our first year in USA :)...This is only a reason to make it he he he....Coz being weight conscious..i was controlling not to try any sweets n snacks this month..But seeing beautiful dishes all over blog sphere,i lost my control and baked it....When "S" asked me ..'what about ur resolution? Me answered..."Its gonna be a year since we came to USA...we need to celebrate it....i made it for u..." He replied."So sweet of u to break ur resolution for me" and passed a funny smile....

Devils food cake is a rich,chocolate layered cake with chocolate,butter cream or any frosting of Ur choice...I tried Recipe from Shyamala's blog ,check here and frosted with whipping cream orange frosting.

For whipping cream frosting...
Whipping cream 1 can
Powdered sugar 2tbsp(according to ur taste)
Orange juice 1tbsp

Beat whipping cream and orange juice with hand mixer .Add sugar little by little.Beat till high peaks are formed.

Palappam and Egg in coconut milk curry

2008-03-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

There's an old saying like "Eat breakfast like a king".Its true,always begin your day energetically with healthy breakfast.A balanced breakfast should be fat free,which supplies a protein,fiber and other nutrients.Breakfast is like 'Waking up to healthy start.Avoid the temptation to be a breakfast skipper like 1.If u have no time : Build a breakfast that are ready to eat or take little preparation time like fresh and canned fruits, milk, yogurt, cheese, instant breakfast mixes.2.Take it to go:Try celery stuffed with peanut butter , fruits or vegetable juices,sandwiches. Drink juice. Something is better than nothing. Have some bread or crackers later in the morning. There's no evidence that skipping meals will help you lose weight. In fact, studies show that most people who skip breakfast tend to eat more later in the day. Some even select more caloric ally-dense foods than those who eat breakfast.
When Mansi announced Balanced breakfast this month.I thought giving two birds in a shot like same with srivalli's Dosa mela.Here's my post to both events Kerala's special breakfast Palappam and Mutta thegapal curry(Egg in coconut milk gravy).Its quite delicious and easy to make.

Palappam
For kappi/kurukku
Combine 1/4cup of sooji(rava) /Rice flour with some hot water on stove top to create a gooey mixture.Keep aside.
For batter
Rice flour 2cups
(Use palappam podi or slightly fried normal rice flour)
Coconut milk 1.5cup
Yeast 1tsp(dissolved in some lukewarm water with 1tsp sugar,keep for 15 mins to rise)
Salt

After making the above kappi/kurukku.Mix rest if the items ie rice flour,yeast dissolved,coconut milk.Leave overnight to ferment.Keep in warm place or Preheat the bake oven at 200F for 5 mins.Switch off the oven,keep the palappam batter inside oven.Morning just before making appams,add warm milk if batter is thick,it should be slightly watery than dosa batter.Place appachatti on stovetop in med flame.Take a scoop of the batter and drop it into the appachatti. Hold the two handles of the appachatti and give it a quick twirl to spread the batter around. Do it once ,dont make two twirls, the edges get too thick and wont get proper laces. Cover and leave on for about 4 min.Repeat the same.Serve hot with Egg curry ,coconut milk or any curry of ur choice.

Here's simple Egg in coconut milk gravy for Palappam.
Eggs 3
Onion chopped 1cup
Tomato chopped 1
Green chillies chopped 3
Ginger-garlic paste 1tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2tsp
Coriander powder 1tsp
Coconut milk 1/2cup
Rice flour 1tsp
Oil 1tbsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Red chillies 2
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Salt

Boil eggs,Cut into halves and keep aside.Heat oil in pan,add mustard seeds,when it pops up,add red chillies,curry leaves.Add ginger-garlic paste,onions,fry it till raw smell goes and onions are translucent.Add green chillies chopped and saute.Add tomatoes and rest of the spices ,saute.Add some water.Let it boil for few mins,till raw smell of spies goes off.Add salt,now add eggs,coconut milk.Don't break the eggs .Stir carefully.If the gravy is too watery,add 1tsp rice flour mixed in 1/4cup of water.Cook in simmer,till the gravy thickens.Rice flour act as thickening agent.Remove from flame and keep for 10 mins covered,so that eggs absorbs spices.Serve hot with Appams or Idiyappam.

Crab Cutlet

2008-03-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

Cutlets are every one's fav appetizer,of course a good choice for evening snacks or a party. Crispy on the outside, moist and exploding with flavor on the inside makes this dish a favorite of young and old alike. Also known as 'croquette',made with minced meat or vegetables ,smashed potatoes ,encased in bread crumbs and deep or shallow fried.Last weekend,we celebrated one of our friends birthday .we planned our simple menu with 'Crab cutlet' as appetizer,My other friends made Idiyaapam,Badam Chicken curry,Potato Stew and rice and Heavenly Tiramisu as dessert.I brought 'Alaskan King Crab' with shells from Costco.Alaskan King Crab Legs are low in fat and calories, and they are a light and healthy source of high-quality protein.Ready for ur party !!!!
Ingredients..
Crab meat 2cups(use canned meat or fresh )
Chopped onions 1cup
Potato-boiled and smashed 1cup
Chopped ginger 2tsp
Fennel seeds 1/4tsp
Green chilli chopped 2tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4tsp
Red chilli powder 1tsp(optional)
Egg yolks 2
Egg whites 2
Cilantro
Bread crumbs 1cup
Oil for shallow frying
Salt to taste
Method...
Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan,saute fennel seeds,onions,ginger and green chilli till raw smell goes off.Now add Crab meat and salt and cook for some mins.Once its cooked well.Turn off the flame.Add turmeric powder,boiled potatoes,cilantro ,egg yolks and mix well.Make equals balls from mixture and shape it into cutlet.Beat egg white.Dip each cutlet in egg white ,then in bread crumbs and shallow fry it till golden brown.Serve hot with Tomato ketchup.

Chemmen /Prawns Biriyani

2008-02-25T11:08:00.001-08:00

Chemmen Biriyani and fish biriyani are unique dishes of kerala.Many of u maybe uncomfortable in cooking biriyani with prawns or fish coz of the smell.If u wash thoroughly and get rid of the smell,i bet u'll try it again and again.I remember once amma cooked Chemmen biriyani years back ,when i was doing my Masters. .We called it as 'Biriyani in a hurry' as She cooks everyday early in the morning and pack lunch packs for us and her and rush to office.I really admire her hurry cooking and the end result in simply 'Awesome'.On last Friday i wasn't in a mood to cook the usual rice and curry.Want to try something new,there was some frozen prawns waiting for me in fridge.There were some reasons behind trying it i guess,firstly was longing to try out amma's biriyani,secondly My hubby fav ,he'll finish the platter with a sweet smile.

Chemmen Biriyani

1. For Frying Prawns...
Big Prawns 1lb
Red chilly powder 1tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2tsp
Ginger-garlic paste 1/2tsp
Pepper powder 1/4tsp
Lime juice
salt to taste
I used frozen cleaned and deveined ones.Wash in cold water.Add lime juice and turmeric powder and some water.keep for 5 mins.Drain the water and Marinate with above items and keep it 30 mins.
2.Cooking rice....
Basmati rice 2cups
water
salt
Wash the rice,soak for 15 mins.Cook rice with water .when its 3/4cooked,drain out the excess water and spread it in a plate.Allow it to cool completely.Once cool down,break the lumps with fork.
3.For Masala...
Big Onions 2
Tomato 1
Green chilly3-4
Coriendar powder 3tsp
Biriyani masala 2tsp
Red chilly powder 1/2tsp(optional)
Ginger 1 small piece
Garlic 4 big cloves
Ghee/oil 3tbsp
salt
Cilantro
4.For garnishing..
Cashew 1/4cup
Raisins 1/4cup
Onions(thinly sliced) 1/4cup
Lemon juice
Turmeric powder
Method...
Heat ghee in a biriyani pot/heavy bottomed pot .Fry cashew and raisins till golden brown,keep aside.Fry sliced onions until golden brown ,remove and keep in a paper towel.Add little more ghee/oil for shallow frying prawns.{Amma doesn't fry prawns,she adds directly to the masala.I like fried ,u can do either way}Just fry 3-4 mins.Do not overcook,prawns become hard.Remove and keep aside.
Masala Preparation...
In the same ghee/oil ,add cinnamon,gloves,star anise,bay leaves .Add chopped onions,saute till slighly brown.Now add ginger-garlic,green chillies,cook till raw smell goes.Add biriyani masala,coriendar powder,saute for few mins.Add tomatoes,cook them with little water,salt.Once tomatoes are cooked,add fried prawns.Let it boil for few mins.Add cliantro leaves and enough water for ur gravy.Cook for 2 mins.Keep aside.
Preheat the oven to 300 F.In a bake tray or use the same biriyani pot.Place a layer of rice.Mix the lemon juice and turmeric powder.Sprinkle some drops on the rice.This gives a nice aroma and also some yellow color here and there in biriyani.Transfer masala on top of rice.Again add remaining rice ,sprinkle lemon juice with turmeric powder.Close the pot tightlywith lid or aluminium foil.Bake for 25-30 mins.Turn off the oven.Let the dish sit in the oven till you are ready to eat. Only break the seal when you are ready to eat. The way to serve Biryani is to gently dig in with a spoon so you get through the layers.Garnish with fried onions,cashew and raisins and cliantro.Serve hot with raita,pappadums and pickle.Enjoy !!!

Morning Glory Muffins

2008-02-18T12:19:00.000-08:00

Morning Glory Muffins is a healthy and easy breakfast on busy mornings.Begin your day with this tasty and chewy muffins,which is packed with carrots,apples and other vitamin and mineral rich ingredients.This low fat muffin recipe is from "Morning Glory Cafe" in Nantucket Island.I love to have these with morning coffee aahhhh!!!!..... They didn't rise as much as muffins with regular flour. But they were OUT OF THIS WORLD good! Crunchy on the edges and soft in the middle. All the "goodies" were delicious.Yesterday i made these for my friends for our weekened dinner party.This was a real hit among them.

Ingredients...
All purpose flour 1cup
Whole wheat flour 1cup
Sugar 1 cup
Egg 1
Eggs whites 2
Baking powder 2tsp
Vanilla extract 2tsp
Cinnamon powder 2tsp
Salt 1/2tsp
Grated carrots 2cups
Apple 1 (peeled,cored and grated)
Raisins 1/2cup
Nuts 1/2cup
Coconut 1/2cup (optional)
Canola Oil 1cup

Method
Preheat oven to 300F.In a medium bowl, beat eggs, egg whites, oil, and vanilla for 2 mins.In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Combine carrots, apples, nuts and raisins ,mix well. Add these fruits and nuts to wet ingredients.Now add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in two halves.The pitfall with all muffin batters is in over mixing the batter and ending up with a tough muffin. So make sure you only mix the batter until the ingredients are combined and moistened. Pour two tbsp of batter in each lined muffin cups.For standard sized muffins, only fill the muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. However, if you like your muffins with a crown, fill the cups to the top. Just make sure to grease the top of the muffin pan so that as the batter overflows it does not stick to the top of the pan. And don't forget to fill any unfilled muffin cups with a little water to ensure even baking as well as preventing the pan from warping. Bake 15-20 mins or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean.you can double the batches and store them in ziploc ,freeze it .Microwave them for a min on busy mornings .....Healthy breakfast ready!!!! Sending this muffins to suganya for her WBB: Healthy eats

Lemon Dry fruits nuts Biscotti

2008-02-12T11:38:00.000-08:00

I love Foodnetwork,one among my fav is "Giada De Laurentiis's Everyday Italian".Once i saw her Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti.Inspired by her biscotti,i decided to make a try with the ingredients with me.
In Italian, the word "biscotto" means "biscuit" or "cookie." More specifically, biscotti are named according to their original method of baking. The root words "bis" and "cotto" literally mean "twice" and "baked." Biscotti are first baked in a loaf, then sliced and toasted. This second trip to the oven draws off moisture, and results in a crisp, dry texture, and a long shelf life. There are many different varieties of biscotti, with some being cake-like in texture, while some are very crisp and dry. Traditionally, Biscotti were almond-flavored because almonds were plentiful. Biscotti are available in a myriad of different flavors like chocolate, hazelnut , dried red cherries, raisins, cinnamon, fennel or poppy seeds, allspice, mace, citrus zest, ground toasted nuts, mini dark or white chocolate chips. Popular today is to dip one side in melted chocolate.Their unique texture makes them perfect to dunk in your coffee or tea, or wine after dinner.Because of the baking process, Biscotti have a very long life may be 6 months.No need to refrigerate biscotti , store them in an airtight container.if they lose their crispness, simply toast them in a low oven (250 degrees) for a few minutes until they’re crunchy again. If they’re too hard or dry, place them on low power setting in the microwave for about 30 seconds to soften them up.Here's My style of Biscotti..
Lemon Dryfruits Nuts Biscotti

Ingredients...
All purpose flour 1.5cup
Whole wheat flour 1.5cup
Softened butter 3tbsp
(for healthier version,add olive oil)
Baking powder 1tsp
Finely grated zest of 2 medium lemons
Sugar 3/4cup
Vanilla extract 1/2tsp
Lemon juice 2tsp
Eggs 2
(for healthier version,add eggs whites only)
salt 1/4tsp
Cashew,pistachio,pecans 1/2cup
Dates ,deseeded and chopped 8 nos
Tuuti frutti 1/4tsp
Dried apricots 1/4cup

Method..
Preheat oven to 350F.In a bowl seive flours , baking powder and salt,Add nuts and dried fruits and stir well to mix.In a large bowl,beat sugar,butter ,vanilla,lemon zest and lemon juice still creamy and fluffy.Pour dry ingredients into wet and mix well.Scoop the dough into a lightly floured surface.Divide into two parts,shape it into a log about 9" long - transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment and flatten until it is about 1/2" to 3/4" thick.Place the logs of dough on the baking sheet, making sure they are not too close to each other or to the sides of the pan. With the palm of your hand, press down gently to flatten the logs. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the logs are well risen and have spread to about double their size. The logs are done when, pressed with a fingertip, they feel firm. Place the pan on a rack to cool the logs completely. cut the log into 1/2" to 3/4" thick diagonal slices.Arrange the biscotti on the prepared pans, cut side down. It isn't necessary to leave space between them. Bake the biscotti for about 15 or 20 minutes or until they are dry and lightly golden.Remember, they will continue to crisp up as they cool. Cool on the pan on a rack.
Store the cooled biscotti between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a air tight container. Sending this Biscotti Jhiva for ingredients : Lime/Lemon

Salmon Chilli

2008-02-07T23:55:00.000-08:00

Salmon chilli /Salmon masala is what i like to call this dish..This is one of my friends recipe,who 's great cook.She cooks everything so quickly and ofcourse very tastely.I met here in seattle during last winter.Happen to stay at her place for about a week .It was a wonderful time with a new friend ,in a new place with sumptous foods.Coming back to dish,this is not a chinese dish.'S' call it as Indian Style Fish chilli. Consuming salmon is considered to be reasonably healthy due to the fish's high protein, low fat, high Omega-3 fatty acids, and high vitamin D.Seafood lovers like me would definietly enjoy having this variety dish...
Ingredients...
Salmon cut in to small pieces - 1 pounds
Chopped Onions - 3
Tomatoes chopped - 2
Ginger Garlic paste - 4 tsp
Green Chillies chopped - 6
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Red Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Garam Masala powder- 1 tsp
(I use a blend of 1 nutmeg, 1 1/2 tsp green cardamom pods, 4 " cinnamon sticks, 1 Tbsp whole cloves, 1 tsp peppercorns & 1 tsp cumin seeds all ground together )
Cilantro chopped- 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2tsp
Extra oil for shallow frying Fish

For the marinade...
Red chilly Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tspSalt - to taste
Make a smooth paste with all the ingredients for the marinade adding little water and keep it aside.
Method...

Add 1tsp lime juice and 1/4tsp of turmeic powder in 1 cup of water and immerse the fish pieces in it for about 5 minutes,to reduce that fishy smell.Then take it out of the water and pat dry with tissue.Gently marinate the fish pieces in the prepared marinade for 30 minutes.Then Shallow fry fish pieces and keep aside.
Heat oil in a big pan .Add chopped onion and fry until translucent,then add ginger,garlic and green chillies and saute it for 5-6 minutes.Add in coriander powder,turmeric powder, chilly powder and fry for a while.Mix in yogurt and saute it until oil seperates.Add garam masala powder and salt,stir and add chopped tomatoes.Cook until tomatoes turn soft,and add fried fish pieces.Mix well and cook for about 20 minutes in low heat,stirring in between.Finally add chopped coriander ,cook for 5 more minutes and remove from heat.

Tandoori Chicken

2008-02-01T12:04:00.000-08:00

'Tandoori Chicken' is an Indian style BBQ chicken.Traditionally prepared in 'Tandoor',an underground jar shaped clay oven,in which food is cooked over a hot charcoal fire,believed to have originated from Persia.Oven can be heated to high temperatures ,delicious dishes like 'Tandoori chicken' ,Naan or tandoori Roti can be made.Tandoori chicken is a dish that originated in India. The chicken is marinated in a yogurt seasoned with either prepared tandoori masala, traditionally cooked at high temperatures in an tandoor oven but can also be prepared on a conventional oven or BBQ.Check out the Interesting story about Tandoori chicken here .Here goes an easy recipe....
Ingredients..
6 pieces Chicken Drumsticks
1Tsp Ginger- garlic and green chilli paste
1/2 Cup Yogurt
Salt, to taste
1 Tsp Red chilli powder
1 Tsp Paprika
1/2 Tsp Garam masala Or MDH Tandoori masala powder
(I use a blend of 1 nutmeg, 1 1/2 tsp green cardamom pods, 4 " cinnamon sticks, 1 Tbsp whole cloves, 1 tsp peppercorns & 1 tsp cumin seeds all ground together )
1/2 Tsp Coriander powder
1/2 Tsp Cumin powder
1 Dash Lemon juice
Method..
Remove the skin from chicken and wash them thoroughly.Prepare a marinate by mixing all the ingredients except chicken pieces in a bowl.Marinate chicken pieces in this mixture ,cover it with plastic wrap and keep in refrigerator for minimum 2 hours.If possible keep it over night.Take out from refrigerator ,one hour before cooking it, bring it to room temperature.Preheat the oven for 375 F ,place the chicken pieces in low rack for about 20 min,then turn over and cook for another 10 min,so that they cook well on both sides.If chicken pieces are getting dry,baste it with little ghee.Serve hot with Naan .

Banana Pudding

2008-01-28T12:18:00.000-08:00

Thick and creamy vanilla flavoured pudding layered with vanilla wafers and banana slices.....what else can we think about a comfort dessert than this "Traditional Southern Style Banana Pudding".This unique pudding comes from Southern part of US,an ultimate comfort food, easy to make just with few ingredients and taste fabulous. One interesting thing I found was that in North Carolina band called 'Southern Culture on Skids' actually performs a song during some of their concerts called Banana Pudding accompanied by throwing banana pudding on their audience, sounds crazy isn't....

Banana Pudding

Yields 10 - 12 servings

Ingredients

Whole milk 4cups
Sugar 2cups
Softened Butter 4tbs
Egg yolks 4
All purpose flour 1/2cup
Banana 5-6
Vanilla wafers 1box
Salt 1/8tsp
Vanilla extract 2tsp

Method..

For making Custard...Combine the sugar, flour and salt in a bowl, and stir well to mix. Mash out any flour lumps with the back of your spoon and Set aside.In a bowl ,beat the egg yolks with fork or whisk .Just beat them well ,don't use hand beater.In a heavy bottomed pan,add butter ,then combined sugar,flour and salt mixture,egg yolks and milk , Cook, stirring constantly to avoid lumps and until the mixture thickens to the consistency of pudding on medium heat for about 5 - 10 Min's.Peel the bananas,slice into 3inch rounds .In a casserole or pudding tray,arrange vanilla wafers from edge to edge in row.Place the round sliced bananas now.Don't stint and put one slice of banana per wafer. Line those banana slices up edge-to-edge. Pour, spreading as necessary, half of the custard over the banana layer. Put down another layer of vanilla wafers, another layer of banana slices, and cover with the remaining custard. Ready to serve...Just serve right away or place in refrigerator for several hours ,press plastic wrap onto the surface of the warm puddings to prevent a skin from forming .Just before serving garnish with whipped cream,tutti fruiti ,cherries or grated chocolate as u wish...

For addition...

Beat the egg whites at high speed until they form soft peaks. Add the cream of tartar. At high speed, gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the vanilla into the meringue, and spread the meringue over the pudding, sealing it at the sides of the dish. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven until meringue browns, 12 to 15 minutes.

Chemeen Peera

2008-01-17T12:33:00.001-08:00

Chemmen is the most popular seafood in the World especially in Kerala.Prawns /shrimps are very healthy choice of food as they are extremely good source of protein, and very low in fat as well as calories. They also contain high level of vitamin that are essential for healthy skin, bones and teeth.In kerala,many variety of dishes are made with prawns,like Chemmen Theeyal,Chemmen Roast,Prawns Biriyani,Chemmen Vada...options are endless.Recently one of my friend made Chemmen Peera .Though I'm keralite,i wasn't aware that 'peera' can be made with Prawns also. Usually I make Meen peera with Smelt (Neetholi)or Sardines(Mathi).'Peera' is fish cooked with spices and coconut mix.Its an authentic kerala style dish with all spices ,coconut and curry leaves and which no masala is used. I'm sending to Radhika for JFI: Onion event.
Ingredients...
Prawns 1 lb
Grated Coconut 1/2cup
Red chilly powder 2-3tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/2tsp
Green chillies 5 nos
Shallots(small onions)15
Ginger 1inch piece
Curry leaves 1sprig
Coconut oil 3tsp
Salt to taste
Method...
Clean the prawns thoroughly,it should be peeled and deveined.Cut shallots into thin slices.Chop green chillies and ginger.In a pan ,put prawns,shallots,grated coconut,Green chilly,ginger,red chilly powder,turmeric powder,curry leaves,2tsp of coconut oil,salt.Cover it and cook for 15-20 Min's.Sprinkle some water if needed.Don't add too much water, coz prawns has moisture content .Once all water is evaporated,remove from flame.Add 1tsp of coconut oil and curry leaves at the end.Peera made in 'Man chatti' /Earthen pot taste more good than normal kadai's.If u don't like coconut oil,use any Vegetable oil.

Kerala Porota and Chicken Roast

2008-01-14T13:21:00.000-08:00

The Spice Garden of India,Kerala got its name from the word "Kera" means coconut.A land full of coconut trees,an imp ingredient in the cuisine.The preferred medium of cooking is coconut oil.In cooking,kerala is a paradise of seafood ,with lots of spices,condiments,rich in colorand texture ,flavour and aroma .Cooking a meal is known as 'pachakam' in malayalam.Kochulli(shallots),kodumpuli(cocum),coconut,cardamom and other spices makes the cuisine spicy,tangy and lip smacking.'Karimeen' or 'Pearl spotted fish 'delicious and expensive fish in kerala.Rice,coconut and curry leaves includes the vital part in cooking.Kerala Porota is one of the popular dish in "Thattukadas"(Open resturants on road sides in kerala) which is the mallu version for 'Dhaba'.Porota is a (flaky pastry like ) multilayered flat bread , made with maida.Making them in thattukada style includes long labour and time consuming.Normally while making at home,its limited to strerching the maida balls into thin layer like chappati and rolling it into twisted circles as shown in the pic.I tried from Annita's My treasure My pleasure. ,it was very tasty n came out really well ,for my future reference,i have written the recipe here.

Kerala Porota
Ingredients for making Dough...
Maida - 2 cups
Luke warm Water - as needed to prepare the dough
Veg Oil/Dalda - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Method...
Step 1.Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and knead the dough together thoroughly just like you prepare chappathi/roti dough.Keep it for 1 hr..covered with a wet muslin cloth or keep it in an air tight container.Otherise the top of the dough may become dry.
Step 2.Divide the dough into 10 equal portions of size a little less than tennis ball.
Step 3.Take a portion and apply some oil on it.In a flat surface apply oil again and roll out the portion to the maximum .(Make it as thin as possible both length wise and width wise..no need to be worried about the shape..eventhough it breaks in between..its fine..Our objective is to make it as thin as possible..)You can use a rolling pin for this one also.We are doing this instead of the excessive beating required to prepare porotta.Apply a little more oil over the rolled dough.Using both hands make pleates on the rolled dough(just like saree pleates) starting from one end.
Step 5.Then holding at one end of the pleated dough ,rotate it just like a spiral.Keep aside.See the picture below.

Step 6.Repeat the above procedure for each portions and keep it aside.(Its not as difficult as you read the recipe)Again use wet muslin cloth to cover it or keep it in an air tight container. Step 7.Heat a sauce pan until medium hot.Roll out each portion just like roti,but not soo thin.Porotta should be a medium thick.Remember do not apply any flour on it.You can apply some oil/ghee if you like.Cook each roti with a little butter/ghee for 1 or 2 minutes,turning frequently ,until speckled brown and firm.Keep the cooked porotta in an aluminium foil or in air tight container.
Step 8.When 3 or 4 porottas are done,place them in a flat surface and holding them between hands ,beat the hands together.(Just like clapping,but 3-4 porottas are between).do not beat them soo hard such as you break the porottas..:)We are doing this,just to seperate the different layers.Though a time consuming process,its very easy to prepare.

For side dish, i made Mishmash's Chicken Roast

The actual recipe asks for shallots and freshly grounded pepper..Here i made slight variations like 2lbs of chicken, Red onions and Store brought pepper powder...Even then the chicken roast tasted awesome.....

This is my entry to Jyothsna's RCI: Kerala.

French Style Orange -Yogurt Cake

2008-01-04T13:35:00.001-08:00

Hi friends,Wishing u all a Happy n prosperous New year!!!! Hope all had wonderful New year celebrations.A bit late to wish coz we were on a long vacation.Had a real blast at Christmas and New year at San Francisco,Los Angeles and Las Vegas.A memorable and jolly trip with friends,ofcourse food was the main enjoyment,Got a chance to try different types of cuisines.Now after coming back,i put weight and feeling lazy to cook oops!!! back to routine....I was planning to make Kerala christmas cake . Due to lack of time,i couldt do it.I made a simple cake not to dissapoint 'S'.This is an old classic French Style grandmother's cake.Firstly its simple and healthy cake coz no butter is used only canola oil or veg oil can be used.Cake was sooo moist,tender and very flavourful coz of syrup added for glaze.This cake platter and spoon is a new year gift from my friend in SFO.

Ingredients for the cake

All purpose flour - 1.5 cups
Plain yogurt - 1/2cup
Large eggs - 3
Granulated sugar - 1 cup
Baking powder 2tsp
Orange zest - 2tsp
Canola oil 1/2cup

For Glaze

Freshly squeezed orange juice 1/4cup
Powdered sugar 1/2cup

Method

Preheat the Oven for 350F.In a bowl mix sugar,yogurt and eggs,stir still well blended or mix with hand beater for 2 min.In another bowl,combine the flour ,orange zestand baking powder.Now add flour to the wat ingredients in two portions,mix to just combine.Add oil and mix for 2 mins.Firstly it looks mess,keep mixing till it comes to a smooth batter.Pour the batter into a buttered round shape or square shape pan.Bake for 25- 30 mins or until the cake feels springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.Allow it to cool on the rack for 15 mins.Gently remove cake from the pan and set on a rack to cool completely.Now combine the orange juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl and spoon it gently over the cake.The glaze will be thin and will soak in like a syrup.

Notes:

Many variation can be made in this cake.For lemon version,try lemon juice with poppy seeds .For almonds version,try 1/2cup flour and 1/2 cup powdered almonds.

Kanava Thoran/Kerala Squid Chilly Fry

2007-12-17T12:20:00.000-08:00

Kanava thoran is one of the popular seafood dish in the coastal areas of kerala.Squid is like cuttlefish, have eight arms and two tentacles arranged in pairs,they release ink into the water while in danger and it changes its skin color to suit its surroundings as a protective mechansm.Its known as 'Kanava' in Kerala ,'kanava/kadamba' in TN ,here its known in Italian name 'Calamari'.In USA,Deep Fried calamari is very famous ,served in many Italian and other seafood restaurants as appetizers along with spicy or tangy dips like marinara sauce,olive oil,tomato ketchup with a lemon slice. Squids are not available as cleaned fishes like king fish,mackeral,salmon...I bought it as whole from a chinese grocery store.For cleaning tips,check here and here .In kerala ,my grandma makes 'Kanava thoran' often,this is her style...

Ingredients

Squid(Kanava) - 1 lb(cut into very small pieces)

Shallots/Red Onion - 1 no(sliced)

Green chillies - 2 nos(sliced)

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Fenugreek powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red dried chillies - 2 nos

Mustard seeds - 1tsp

Curry leaves - 1/2 sprig

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Oil - 3 tbsp

Method..

Heat up a pan,add water, kanava, onion and green chillies. Add salt to taste and let it cook for 10 mins.In a blender,grind together coconut, chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric and fenugreek powder and grind once.Do not make a paste of it.Add this mixture to the cooked kanava.Heat oil in another pan.Splutter mustard seeds followed by red dried chillies and curry leaves. Add cooked kanava mixture into it and saute it for few mins.Garnish with curry leaves.

Nankatai - Vanilla Butter cookies

2007-12-13T11:44:00.000-08:00

Nankatai is a usual biscuit available in all bakeries in India,also known as Benne Biscuits in different places.These rich and cute shortbreads cookies are in two variations like sugar or savory ones with salt and cumin seeds,comes in different flavours like almonds,kesar,cardamom,vanilla and also spicy ones.After coming here in US,found many types of cookies like chocolate,ginger,intalian biscotti and more.But i love the simple n elegent tea cookies in India. Small crispy cookies dipped in tea taste awesome!!!isn't....I searched a lot in Indian stores,couldnt find.Finally made myself.This is the first cookie in tried,i gotta a problem whenever i try it,my cookies always burn at the bottom,while the top part remains uncooked and white.Adding butter is also important,My first set of cookies was a flop coz of more butter,while baking, the cookies started to spread and became flat.I made the second set of dough carefully with little butter,it was nice.They look so good,here goes the second set of cookies toSusan for the Eat Christmas Cookies event in Food Blogga.

Ingredients..
Maida/All purpose flour - 1 cup
Granulated Sugar - 1/2 cup
Softened Butter - 5-6 tbsps (approx)
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Vanilla essence 1tsp
Almonds spitted (for garnishing)
Method:
1.Mix all purpose flour,baking powder,sugar and vanilla essence.
2. Add butter a little at a time and knead the dough into a nice soft ball.
3.Keepthe dough for a couple of hours.
4.Preheat the oven to 180 degree F
5. Divide the dough into small round balls and flatten them on the top with your fingers,place half splitted almonds on top of cookies.
6. Bake for 15 mins or until the bottom starts to turn slightly brownish.
7. Let cool and store in a air tight container.

Inji-Poondu Kulambu

2007-12-10T13:42:00.000-08:00

Inji-poondu kulambu /Ginger garlic curry is a curry made with Inji[Ginger] , Poondu[Garlic] and other spices,an authentic tamilnadu kulambu which is perfect for winter.Ginger and garlic added to kulambu gives wonderful flavour and of course good for digestion.Tastes good next time like vatra kulambu,even it stays good for a week outside fridge.Its basically a chettinadu recipe.When i was doing masters,all my friends loved this curry ,they ask amma for recipe.She makes this often for them.Great combo with curd rice and potato poriyal.Here goes Chettinadu special...
Ingredients..
Onion- 1
Tomato- 1
Tamarind- lemon size
Turmeric powder 1/4tsp
Salt
Oil 2tbsp
For seasoning..
Mustard seeds 1/2tsp
Urad dal 1/2tsp
Curry leaves
Garlic- 7-8 cloves
For grinding...
Ginger- a small piece,2 inch
Cumin powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Dry chillies- 5
Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp
Method..

Soak tamarind in warm water for 10 min,extract the pulp and keep aside.Chop onion into big chunks,pearl onions taste great.I used red onions here.Chop tomato finely and peel garlic.
Heat oil in a pan,now fry ginger,cumin,coriander,dry chillies,pepper,fenugreek one by one carefully without burning it.Once its cool down,make a fine paste .
Heat oil in a kadai,add mustard seeds,urad dal,curry leaves,garlic,onions,fry till golden color,add tomatoes,salt and turmeric powder,fry till they are soft.
Now add ground paste,saute a while and add little water.Once the raw smell goes off,add tamarind pulp.cook on low flame for 10mins.when oil starts floating on top,switch off flame.Serve with rice,dosa/idli.

Sorakkai Paruppu Kootu

2007-12-05T16:04:00.000-08:00

Sorakkai Paruppu Kootu/Bottlegourd Masala Dal is one of our fav dish ,healthy n easy to make.I was thinking about cooking something different for Linda's amazing event of JFI: Toor Dal,finally I'm rushing at the last minute with my entry.Toor dal has a mild, nutty flavor & cooked as a routine Indian dish which is rich in Vitamin B1,protein,dietary fiber and minerals.Bottle gourd is a common vegetable in India,an yellowish green vegetable, having the shape of a bottle. It has white pulp, with white seeds embedded in spongy flesh.Known as 'sorakkai' in Tamil,Chorakka in Malayalam,Sorakkaya in telugu and lauki in Hindi.I dont know how 's known in kannada.Bottle gourd is eaten as cooked ,it gives a feeling of relaxation after eating it.Its rich in essential minerals, iron, protein ,trace elements and fibre.Its a nice sidedish for rice and roti.Yesterday i had it along with Rice ,Inji- poondu Kulambu ,Vazakkai poriyal and carrot Kosumbari. I'll post the other recipes later.

Sorakkai Paruppu Kootu

Ingredients

Sorakkai/Bottlegourd 1/2cup

Toor dal 1cup

Tomato 1

Onion 1

Green chilli 2

Cumin powder 1tsp

Coriender powder 2tsp

Red chilli powder 2tsp

turmeric powder 1/4tsp

Cliantro 1/3cup

Ginger a slice

Garlic 2 cloves

Oil 1tsp

Salt

Method

Boil the toor dal in the pressure cooker for 2-3whistles with salt and turmeric powder.Mash it into smooth paste.In the blender, grind together1/2 onions chopped, garlic, ginger, coriander leaves, tomatoes, cumin seeds, coriander powder and the red chili powder. Slice the other onion finely and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and fry the sliced onion. When the onions are turning a little brown, add the ground masala and fry around 15-20 minutes. All the water should have evaporated and the paste should be dry. Now add the boiled dal to it and add a little water if u need gravy. Add salt to taste. Boil for a while till you get the required consistency.Plz note fry the masala well.

Dates Apple Smoothie

2007-11-29T12:49:00.000-08:00

"Smoothie" means something smooth.Smoothies were invented in the 1960’s as a healthy alternative to milkshakes,made from all natural fruits, making them of course naturally healthy.A blended and chilled beverage made from fresh fruit and nuts. It is sometimes blended with crushed ice, frozen fruit, frozen yogurt or fat free milk.I was scratching my brain these days thinking about what to send to Chandrika's event in this nov AFAM Dates ,finally ended up in these delicious healthy smoothie.Calorie content in 1cup of smoothie is 1 Fruit Smoothie contains 125 cal,1 Fruit Smoothie (wid.fat-free milk) contains 205 cal,1 Fruit Smoothie (wid.fat-free yogurt) contains 220 cal.Of course u all know about these cute and wrinkly yumm dates are high in iron, potassium, fiber and a bunch o’ vitamins, no fat or cholesterol.I love the combo of dates with almonds, crunchy nuts with milk ,apple n dates...
Ingredients
Low fat milk 4cups
Apple 1big
Dates 10 deseeded
Vanilla extract 1/2tsp
Ice cubes(optional)
Sugar 2tsp(optional)
Method

Soak deseeded dates in 1cup of warm water for half an hour.
Peel the apple skin ,finely chop into small pieces.
Blend dates,apple,milk and vanilla extract till u get a smooth n frothy drink.Freeze your fruit beforehand, smoothie will stay colder and be thicker . U can add ice cubes ,if u need chilled one.Instead of milk,vanilla ice creams or fat free yogurt can be used .Add sugar ,if u need more sweet.i didt add,as dates and apple makes enough sweet.
Garnish with chopped almonds.

Baigan Ka BHURR-taah

2007-11-27T14:09:00.000-08:00

Although from south,i prefer having northindian dishes in restaurants mostly panner or chole dishes .Frankly speaking ,haven't heard about this bringal dish till my marriage.This is the second dish i got from my 's' cooking class,first one was palak dal.He used to cook all these while he was a bachelor...now interested in criticising my cooking...Now coming Baigan Ka Bharta...or BHURR-taah (pronounced like) ..here ingredients are roughly mashed while doing dish, roasted bringal with smokey spicy flavour,basically a Bhihari dish.Even bringal haters like me would like this.First time after making this,i couldn't identify whether it has bringal in it...I actually made this for sending to Rci bihar event,i couldn't make it within time.Now this is my entry to Suganya of Tasty Palettes for her wonderful Vegan Ventures this month.

Ingredients

Bringal/Egg plant 1 big
Onion 1 finely chopped
Cooked Green peas 1/3cup
Green chilli 2 slit
Garlic 2 clove chopped
Ginger 1 inch size minced
Tomato 1 finely chopped
Garam masala powder 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2tsp
Red chilli powder 1tsp
Cumin powder 1/2tsp
Coriender powder 1/2tsp
Lemon juice 1/2tsp
Oil 2tsp
Salt
Cilantro
Method

Firstly prick the egg plant nicely with fork all over.Roast it in open flame ,its gives the nice smokey flavour or broil/bake it in bake oven for about 20 mins,till the skin starts charring.Turn it to another side after 10 mins so that its evenly cooked.i usually bake coz roasting in direct flame is bit complicated.Once its roasted,let it cool down for a while.Peel off the skin and mashed it roughly with fork.If u need a nice paste,blend it.
Heat up oil ,add chopped ginger-garlic ,saute for a min.Throw down chopped onions and green chillies,fry for another few more mins till they are golden brown.
Add red chili powder,cumin powder,coriander powder,masala powder,turmeric powder saute for a min.Add chopped tomatoes,cook it they are soft.
Now add mashed egg plants and cooked green peas with 2 tbsp water ,cook in low flame for about 10 mins covered,so that all blend together.

Stir occasionally.Remove from flame ,add lemon juice and garnish with chopped cilantro.Goes well with chappati or naan.

Inji curry-A sweet n sour ginger chutney

2007-11-16T11:45:00.000-08:00

All keralties are very fond of this,a must dish in onam sadya . Known in different names such as Pulinji,Inji curry.what ever be the name ,its bascially a Sweet n sour ginger sauce.Main ingredients are Tamarind{puli} and Ginger {inji},hence the name.Ginger has a vital part in Indian cooking,aromatic, pungent and spicy, adds a special flavor and zest to stir fries and many fruit and vegetable dishes.Its a dietary supplement, shown to clean and thin the blood thus positively affecting the heart and almost every other organ in the body.Try to add grated ginger than paste in cooking coz grated gives much more flavour and maximum benefits.Now coming back to dish,Inji curry can be served as a side dish for meal.Goes well with rice and any curries,also with dosa /idli.Even though its a kerala dish,every malayalee has a unique style in preparing this,which varies from places within kerala.In northern kerala,coconut and coriender powder is added.Here goes my amma's style...

Inji curry
Ingredients
Fresh ginger minced 1 cup
( plz note ,not ginger paste,crushed ones)
Green chilles finely chopped 15
Tamarind 3-4 inch piece of ginger(size of small lemon)
Red chilli powder 3/4tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Curry leaves a few
Fenugreek seeds 1tsp
Jaggery 2tsp
Salt
Gingely oil 2tsp
(use any refined oil )

Method
Soak tamarind in a cup of warm water for about 15 mins and extract the thick juice and keep aside.Dry roast fenugreek seeds,powder it and keep aside.Heat oil in thick bottomed pan,add mustard seeds,then curry leaves.Now add crushed ginger and finely chopped green chillies and fry till golden brown.Add tamarind paste,chilli powder,salt .Bring it to boil,keep the flame on medium.It will around 10 to 15 min to get rid of the raw smell of tamarind and to get a thick sauce.Now add jaggery,allow it to boil.Add according to ur need of sweetness in Injicurry.Once its reaches a thick consistency and oil starts floating on the surface,remove from heat.Inji curry gets thicker once its cool down.Store in glass or ceramic containers for long life,keep in fridge.This same can be used to make Instant Puliyogare .This is my entry toThink Spice..Think Ginger Event hosted by Sunita .

Diwali Special !!!

2007-11-13T11:47:00.001-08:00

A VERY HAPPY DIWALI TO U ALL!!!

Hope u guys had a wonderful and colorful diwali filled with happiness this year...

"Diwali", “row of lights” for which the festival is named , to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Light signifies goodness. So, during the Festival of Lights, 'deeps', or oil lamps, are burned throughout the day and into the night to ward off darkness and evil .It is a time to lit up 'diyas' in and around the house, and kindle the dark, amavasi night with dazzling display of fireworks. It is a time for rejoice , a time to put on new things, time for exchanging gifts and greetings and wishing each other.The preparations begin the day before Diwali,the house is washed and decorated with kolam (rangoli) . In the pooja room, betel leaves, betel nuts, plaintain fruits, flowers, sandal paste, kumkum, gingelly oil, turmeric powder are kept. Crackers and new dresses are placed in a plate after smearing a little kumkum or sandal paste. Diwali celebrations begins early in the morning. Family members applies sesame oil on their heads and take bath.They were new clothes,goes to temple and burst crackers.This year i missed all these things,this was our first diwali( thalai diwali).I made some traditional snacks,as i'm a beginner in cooking,tried with some simple ones..like Paruppu Vada,ulundu Vada,Paasi paruppu (moong dal) Vada and Suzhiyan.I tried suzhiyan from RAK's Kitchen,it was very tasty.

Ulundu Vadai (Urad dal vada)
Ingredients
Urad dal 1cup
Fenugreek seeds 1/2tsp
Green chillies 3 nos
Ginger 1tsp
Onions 1/3cup
Carrot 1/3cup (optional)
Rice flour 2tsp (to make vadas crisp)
Salt
Oil for deep frying
Method
Soak urad dal nad fenugreek seeds for an hour,grind both dals in ablender to athick batter without adding water.Add very little if needed to grind.If batter is bit watery ,add rice flour .so that batter will be thick,u get crispy vadas.Mix salt,ginger,onions,carrot into the batter.In a heavy bottomed pan,heat oil for deep frying.Wet our hands or apply little oil ,so that batter doesnot syick to the hands.Make vadas and deep fry it.Making holes in vadas are not that easy for beginners like me,my vada are not in very good shape.

Moong dal Vada(Paasi paruppu vada)
Ingredients
Moong dal 1cup
Ginger 1tsp
Green chilli 3
Salt
Oil for deep frying
Method
Soak dal for an hour,grind smoothly without adding water.Mix ginger,green chilli,salt to it.Heat oil ,pour batter into oil with a small spoon,u'll get different shapes of vada.Fry till golden brown.

First Wedding Anniversary!!!

2007-11-07T16:08:00.001-08:00

Our 1st wedding anniversarywas on Nov 5th,a slight difference from the normal days.After a long time,i wore saree and went to temple.I want to begin the day with some sweet,how about a Pineapple Upside down cake.I saw many of these in blogsphere,especially inspiried by Mansi's mini ones.I havent baked cake before,so beginned with this fruit cake in my own style.

Pineapple Upside down Cake

Ingredients..
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar/granulated regular sugar
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple round slices, drained, reserve juice
1 quick cake mix ,i used Super moist Butter yellow mix
3eggs
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup veg oil
Method..

Melt 1/3 cup butter,sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter ,pour evenly into the cake pan. Arrange pineapple slices over sugar.u can place cherries or pecans to make the cake more decorative in the middle of pineapple slices.In a large mixing bowl, beat cake mix,eggs,veg oil for low speed for 30 sec. Stir in 1/3 cup pineapple juice , water if needed slowly for 3 min. Mix well and pour into cake pan over pineapple slices. Bake in pre-heated 350° oven about 30-35 minutes.Allow it to rest in the pan,after cooling completely,invert it upside down to a serving plate.

Paruppu Payasam (Moongdal Payasam)
I also made pradhaman,without payasam what celebration....I remember ,grandma used to make this for every year on onam,coz grandpa like to have this payasam with banana along with kerala traditional sadya...i love the taste of dal and jaggery combo.Thought that this will be a flop,coz i'm not that good in making desserts with jaggery.In kerala ,we call this as 'Parippu Pradhaman'.Parippu Pradhamans are of two types, Pradhamans using only parippu(dal) or a combination of parippu and rice. Both Bengal gram dal and moong dal are used in preparing pradhaman.Here i tried only moong dal.This was my first attempt in making pradhaman,very happy that it came well,so simple and delicious dessert...

Ingredients..
Moong dal/Cheru payar parippu 1 cup
Jaggery 1 1/4 cup(more or less can be used depending on how much sweet u need)
Thick milk 1 3/4 cup (coconut milk can be used )
Grated coconut 1/4cup (chopped dry coconut /copra can be used)
Cardamom pwd 1/2pod
Cashewnuts 8
Raisins 8
Ghee 1 tbsp
Water to pressure cook dal 2 cups
Water to prepare jaggery syrup 1 1/2cup
Method..
Heat ghee in a thick pan,roast cashew nuts and raisins till golden brown,keep aside.In the same pan,roast moong dal for 5 min or so,till a nice aroma comes.Moong dal has a nice flavour.Remove from the pan,cook dal in apressure cooker for 3 whistles,dal should be soft .Once cooked,mash the dal .Don't mash into fine paste.In the same pan,melt jaggery with water.Strain to remove impurities if any.Again boil jaggery syrup,add cooked dal.Boil till for few min.Now add grated coconut and milk to the above,go on stirring in low flame till its blended.Add cardamom powder,roasted cashew and raisins.Serve hot or chilled.

Vacation Dishes

2007-10-31T13:32:00.001-07:00

I'm here with the dishes we prepared during our vacation trip at Harstene Island.We started our trip at Friday evening,it was like 2hrs drive from our home.It was rainy day as usual in Seattle, went in two cars,one gang went first they reached beach house and was waiting for us.On the other side,we lost our way,went far beyond the destination,reached some dead end.Thought like we reached first, started key questing.Actually caretaker was not there , key was placed under some log near the community entrance,details was given to us clearly.It was raining heavily,we began to search key,under some logs found there and was looking for community board.ohhh...atlast came to know that hm mm...we were at wrong place ,almost thirty miles ahead from destination.Fun was that,we were searching key in a log near a Pub ,not the community entrance...ha ha ha....it was a real fun key questing...
Now coming to foods, Here goes few recipes of my friend's special.

Anu's Baby corn salad and StrawBerry Punch....

Baby corn Salad
Ingredients
Baby corn 1
Onions 1/2
Pepper powder 1tsp
Garam masala powder 1/2tsp
oil 1tsp
Salt
For Garnishing..
Tomatoes,onions and Lettuce..
Method..
Heat oil in a pan,saute till onions are golden brown.Add salt ,pepper corns,masala and saute till a nice flavour comes. Now add baby corns ,keep in low flames.sprinkle water if needed and cook till corns are cooked.Garnish with tomatoes,onions and lettuce.

Strawberry Punch
Strawberry 1 pack
Lemon Juice 1bottle
Sugar to taste
Method..
Make lemonade with con.lemon juice or lemon with sugar .Add sugar according to Ur taste.Now add chopped strawberries into it.Keep refrigerated for few hours,so that the strawberry color spreads in lemonade.Otherwise blend strawberries and add with lemonade.Serve chilled.
It was really very tasty....

Gop'z Tilapia Fry -Kerala style
Tilapia (cut into desired pieces or any kind of fish) 1
For marinate
Red chilly powder 2tsp
Pepper powder 1tsp
Onions chopped 1tsp
Ginger-Garlic paste 1tsp
Turmeric Powder 1/2tsp
Lemon juice 1/4tsp
Salt
Make a thin paste of red chilly powder,turmeric powder,pepper,onions,ginger-garlic,lemon juice, and salt with little water. Apply to the fish pieces and marinate for 15 minutes.Heat oil in a pan, the fish pieces and fry on both sides till done.

Niv's Prawns masala - Kerala Style
Prawns 2lbs
Coconut oil 2tsp
Curry leaves

For masala..
Coconut 1/2cup
Turmeric powder 1tsp
Red chilli powder 1tsp
Jeera powder 1/2tsp
Garlic paste 1tsp
Salt

Method..
Clean prawns.Do not take the shells from it.If u prefer without shells,then try in that way.In a thick pan,pour 1tsp oil,add mustard seeds,curry leaves.When it splutters,add prawns .Cook for 10-15 mins,add some if needed.When its cooked,prawns shell turns into orange-red colour.In the mean time,grind the items listed under masala with little water.Pour this masala along with prawns.Cook for another 10 mins till the raw smell of masala goes.Atlast again add 1tsp oil,saute for 5 mins.Usually Crab in done in this way in kerala,Prawns also can be done.While eating,remove the shell like we eat crab.Enjoy !!!

A Vacation to Harstene Island & Fantastic Four Meme

2007-10-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

Weeks back I was on a vacation to beautiful Harstene Island in WA. A large forested island with a abundant wildlife,a quiet and peaceful feeling in a beautiful beach house in harstene pointe.A relaxing weekend ,enjoyed the misty forest view across our deck,enthralled with wildlife such as deer,raccoons,birds.A perfect place for a family reunion.We were four couples ,had a fun time by playing games,beach combing and last but not least cooking together and eating.'Too many cooks may spoil the broth' but here too many cooks made fabulous dishes,will be posting few dishes soon.Stunning view of sunrise from the deck overlooking water and of course enjoyed the private Jacuzzi in the evening watching the sunset on the water.

The Beach House we stayed

A Stunning view from the beach house

Harstene Pointe Beach

A forest view

An evening from the deck

Deer near beach house

Fantastic Four Meme!!!!

I'm tagged by Spicychilly,Bharathy, for Fantastic Four Meme.Its the first time, I'm been tagged by someone.I am very thrilled and at the same time a bit nervous also.Anyway thanks Bharathikka for tagging me,who persuades me in blogging. I love reading these Memes,which helps to know more about fellow blogger.Here goes my Meme...

4 Places I've Lived

My sweet home "Trivandrum"..God's own country..kerala...during childhoods.

Again capital city "Trivandrum"...after marriage, I'm lucky coz 's' home town is same...ho ho !!!!

Beautiful Garden city ...."Bangalore"

Now residing in 'Rainy city' of USA ..."Seattle"

4 Jobs I had...

A mischievous daughter and a sister pampering little brother..As a student enjoyed life roaming with friends.

An elder daughter-in-law in a sweet family,going to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary within weeks.....still not responsible...naughty!!!!

Junior chef, proud being a blogger...

Last but not least,a full time lovely job, specialized Homemaker....

4 Favorite Places I've Holidayed....

Munnar,kerala for its tea plantations,breathtaking beauty,winding lanes and rolling hills and beautiful dense forest and grasslands....

Kodai,TN ..a charming hill station with its wooded slopes,mighty rocks ,waterfalls,lovely lake and bracing air...

Ooty,TN.. for her Lofty mountains, dense forest, sprawling grasslands ,miles of tea gardens and Ooty to mettupalayam rail journey...

Hartstene Island ,WA....a exotic beach,wildlife and forest...

4 Favourite Foods...

A tough one...not satisfied with the number..mm

Meen curry(fish) with kappa(tapicoa) and mom's aviyal....yumm kerala style dishes.

Malabar chicken briyani with raita and pappadam.

Grandma's dishes...all kinds..,she's my inspiration in cooking

Masala dosa..of course my style.

4 Places I'd rather be...

Lovely home ,Trivandrum with family and cousins..enjoying mom's & grandma's foods.

Now here with my 'S' in our house with a cup of tea,enjoying rain with nostalgic feelings of kerala.

Exploring New york and Disneyland...

Oh forgot My fav Eiffel Tower ....Paris.

4 Persons i like to tag...

Lissie of Salt and Spice
Seena of Simple and Delicious
Rajeswari of Rak's Kitchen
Vijaya of Dailymeals.

A Healthy Breakfast

2007-10-23T15:17:00.001-07:00

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.~ Adelle DavisThis is an old proverb, a well said fact.Eat to live ,not live to eat.I'm not a diet person but a bit health conscious .Even though many people say like they are on diet,that never happens.The one meal we should never skip is breakfast, yet this is the meal that most people omit. Eating something for breakfast is critical because it gives us the energy we need to start your day .Skipping breakfast increases our hunger,leads to consume more foods ,like junk foods.Here's simple ,but healthy breakfast with bread..

Bread Upma
Ingredients..
Bread 5slices
Onion 1/4cup
Frozen peas,carrot 1/3cup
Tomato 1
Roasted peanuts 5(optional)
oil 1tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Urad dal 1tsp
Cumin seeds 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4tsp
Garam masala 1/2tsp
Redchilli powder 1/2tsp
salt to taste
Cliantro

Method..
In a Pan,heat oil,splutter mustard seeds.Add urad dal,cumin seeds,peanuts and saute for few min.Be careful not to burn them.Now add chopped onions and saute till golden brown.Throw chopped tomatoes ,saute will they are cooked.Add peas and carrots and fry .If needed sprinkle water .Once veggies are cooked,add turmeric powder,red chilli,garam masala,salt,cliantro and saute.In the mean while,put bread in a mixer and make fine bread crumbs.Recently i found that bread crumbs is more tasty than bread pieces for upma.Finally add bread crumbs to the fried veggies and mix well.Saute for few Min's in low flame.serve hot.This is my entry to WYF: Diet Food hosted by Hima of SnackORama .

Sweet Appam

2007-10-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Navaratri!!!!!

"Ayigiri Nandhini Nandhitha Medhini
Viswa Vinodhini Nandhanuthe
Girivara Vindhya Sirodhini Vasini
Vishnu Vilasini Jishnunuthe
Baghavathy He Sithi Kanda Kudumbhini
Boori Kudumbhini Boorikruthe
Jaya Jaya He Mahishasura Mardhini
Ramyaka Bardhini Sailasuthe."Navaratri is dedicated to Goddess Saraswathi/Durga,the "Goddess of Learning" and considered as personification of courage,strength and power.Its a festival of nine days,last three days are more scared than others,they are called Durgashtami, Mahanavami and Vijayadasami.In my house in kerala ,during the durashtami day in the evening ,a ceremony called "Poojavaipu" is performed.Books ,musical instruments are placed before the goddess ,"Golu" is kept in golu padi,decorated with flowers and other decorative items.Idols of God,Goddess and other mythological characters are placed on padi and pujas are performed.
The following day, Mahanavami, is totally devoted to the worship of Saraswathi. Pooja is performed both in the morning and in the evening and many more items such as rice, payasam, thirali,vada,appam etc are offered to Devi.During our childhood days,we love this festival than other,coz as studies are suspended during the puja days.On the Vijayadasami day after a Puja in the morning, the books and implements are removed and this ceremony is called `Puja Eduppu'. The time for the break up of the puja marks the beginning of learning and work. In our house,we write "Om Sri Ganapataye namaha" on rice , particularly the children, and read a few sentences from books. Its a day to begin new ventures, business or education as it is an auspicious day and assures one of success. On Vijayadasami, toddlers are taught their first alphabet ,ceremony is conducted in all temples,its known as "Ezhuthiniruth".

Sweet Appam
Ingredients....
Rice flour /wheat flour1cup
Sugar/jaggery 1/4cup
Coconut 1/2cup
Cardamom 1/2tsp
Banana 1 ripe
Refined oil for frying
Method..
1.Mix well the riceflour with cardamom,coconut and sugar.
2.Mash banana well with hand,add along with above items.
3.Sprinkle water to mix,make a thick batter like that of vada batter
4.Heat oil in a pan,take small balls flatten it with fingers in a oilpaper/banana leaves.
5.Deep fry them till they are golden brown or pour batter in appam pan.
U can use wheat flour also.Maida is generally not used on festivals.I used riceflour here.
Instead of sugar,jaggery can be used like melt jaggery in 3-4tsp of warm water,strain for impurities .mix this along with rest of the ingredients.Jaggery i found here is not that good taste ,so i used sugar.
This is my entry to Saraswati pooja/Navaratri under the event RCI-Tamilfestivals hosted by Viji and also to JFS:Dassera/Diwali hosted by Vee

An EGG Wonder!!!!!

2007-10-09T12:38:00.000-07:00

When Bee and Jai announced their event named Click and the theme is Eggs,i was wondering and thinking to do something creatively.Recently i did fabric painting in t-shirt,From that got an idea about pencil drawing in eggs ...Eiffel Tower ,Paris in an egg .....sounds nice.I used Fujifilm S5500 camera,4 megapixels in automode ,taken in dimlight.

Chicken Thoran

2007-10-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

Chicken thoran is a Kerala style chicken stir fry .Thoran is made with chicken boneless pieces with coconut and masala.It a side dish for rice,roti or can be used as filling in burgers/sandwiches.Its a bit time consuming dish,coz chicken should be chopped into small pieces.I usually make with boneless chicken breast strips,can be chopped easily.U can even make with minced chicken.But taste good in chopped ones. when our marriage was fixing,my in-laws gave me a hint to win my man's heart ,thats by making this chicken thoran. A beautiful smile can be seen in his face ,when ever i make thoran.This is my grandma's style of thoran....

Ingredients..

Boneless chicken pieces(chopped into small pieces) 1cup

Ginger-garlic paste 2tsp

Onions 2nos

Grated coconut 1/2cup

Red chilli powder 2tbsp

Pepper powder 1tsp

Coriander powder 1tsp

Jeera powder 1tsp

Chicken masala powder 1tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2tsp

Oil 3tsp

Mustard seeds 1tsp

Salt to taste

Curry leaves

Method...

In a sauce pan,heat 2tsp oil.Add mustard seeds.when its pops up ,add chicken pieces,ginger-garlic paste,pepper powder,red chilli powder,jeera powder,coriender powder,chicken masala powder,salt,turmeric powder and cook it.Sprinkle some water if needed.In other pan ,add 1tsp oil.Add chopped onions and curry leaves to it ,roast till its brown.Add coconut , roast till its brown in color and keep aside.When chicken is cooked,add this roasted items into it.cook for few min,till coconut and chicken are blend together.As roasted coconut is added to thoran,it will remain good for 3-4 days.

Mambazha Pulissery - kerala ripe mango curry

2007-10-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

Mambazha Pulissery ,an authentic kerala style ripe mango curry.A sweet n sour curry made with mambazham/ripe mangoes and yogurt.Ripe mangoes enhances the taste,even pulissery can be made with ripe plantain,pappaya,cucumber,pineapple .This puliseery is one of my favourites from childhood. Amma is very famous among her friends for her style of mambazha pulissery n olan.This is her recipe , sour yogurt and sweet & sour mangoes makes this dish delicious.As you mango is rich in vitamin A,E,iron,antioxidant ,anticancer abilities and helps to prevent heart diseases.Yogurt has calcium,beneficial to bone &teeth and boost immune system.

Ingredients...

Ripe mangoes 1 no.

Turmeric powder 1/4tsp

Water 1/2cup

Green chillies 2nos

Red chilly powder 1/2tsp

Salt to taste

Grind to paste...

Grated coconut 1/2cup

Jeera powder 1/2tsp

Curry leaves 4-5

Seasoning...

Oil 1tsp

Mustard seeds 1/2tsp

Red chilly 3nos

Fenugreek seeds 1/2tsp

Curry leaves

Method...

1.Cut mangoes into pieces and boil with water,turmeric powder,green chillies,salt,red chillipowder.Cook till mangoes are well cooked and can be mashed.

2.Grind coconut and cumin powder into a fine paste and add to the boiling mangoes.Boil for few min .Turnoff the flame.

3.Whip yogurt to smooth and add to the boiled mangoes with enough salt.

4.Heat oil in another pan,add mustardseeds.when it pops up,add fenugreek seeds,red chillies,curry leaves.Fenugreek seeds enhances flavour to pulissery.Add seasonings to pulissery.Serve with rice.

Egg Omelette Curry

2007-10-01T12:30:00.000-07:00

Egg Omelette Curry/Guddu Omelette Pulusu, a spicy andhra curry with rice....sounds tasty isn't.For the egg lovers who's fed up eating usual egg dishes,this would be definitely a great relief .Make this curry when i'm bored with normal curries usually on weekends.Its like kerala Varutharacha curry , a slight change in omellete.

Ingredients

For Egg omelette.....

Egg 2

Onions less than 1/4cup

Grated coconut 1tbsp

Toor dal(sambar dal) 1tsp

Red chilli powder 1 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/4tsp

Asafoetida apinch

Salt to taste

For curry/pulusu

Grated coconut 1/4cup

Tamarind pulp 2 -3 tsp

Coriender powder 1tp
Jeera powder 1tsp

Onion 1/4cup

Red chilli powder 2-3 tsp

Curry leaves 5

oil 1tsp

Mustard seeds 1tsp

Method...

For making egg omelette...

Soak toor dal for 15-20 min.Gring dal,coconut,onions,red chilli powder,turmeric powder,salt in a blender with enough water into a smooth paste.Add egg into the paste,mix well.Make thick omelettes.Cut into pieces and keep aside.

For making curry/pulusu...

In a thick bottomed sauce pan dry roast coconut without adding oil till it becomes slight brown color(like we roast for theeyal) and keep aside.In the same pan,add 1tsp oil .Now add onions,curryleaves,red chilli powder,jeera powder,coriender powder for a few min.Turn off flame.Blend roasted coconut and this masala with enough water into a paste.In a pan,heat 1tsp oil ,add mustard seeds.when it pops up,add masala paste,tamarind pulp with enough water.(Add some water extra b'coz after adding omelette,gravy becomes thick)when curry starts boiling ,add omelette pieces into it.Reduce fire to low flame.Let it boil for 5 -10 mins.See how much gravy u need and remove from flame accordingly.

Goes well with rice.

Rawa Kesari/KesariBhaat

2007-09-30T13:58:00.000-07:00

Rawa kesari,an easy and wonderful dessert .Yesterday was my 's' birthday,who's a sweet lover...more than that never fed up with eating it,what else can i make for my sweet kothiyan rather than this tasty kesari.Actually i did't know that it's so simple n can be made so quickly.Amma makes kesari very tastly,but i havent noticed how she makes,u know well girls rarely enter kitchen before marriage,same with me too.But after marriage we should start cooking,no other option but now i love cooking .Though kesari is quite simple,one should be careful while adding water to rawa to avoid lumps.when i made,got lumps and mashes it with dal masher.Anyway it came out very well,he loved birthday sweet.
Ingredients

Rawa/semolina/sooji 1cup

Water 2cup

Sugar 1 1/2cup

(i used granulated sugar)

Cardamon 2 powderd

Ghee 1/4cup

Kesari colour apinch

Cashewnuts 8-10

Raisins 8-10

Almonds 8-10

Method...

In a thick bottomed pan,pour 1tsp ghee and roast rawa till it becomes cream in color or till a nice flavour comes.Boil water in another pan ,add kesari colour to it.In a small pan roast cashew,raisins n almonds with ghee and set aside.once rawa is roasted,bring fire to low flame.Add water and stir continously to avoid lumps.When it's almost cooked,add sugar,cardamon,ghee and mix well.Keep stirring till the kesari leaves the pan.At last add roasted nuts .u can serve hot or if u like to cut kesari in pieces.pour it in a ghee spread plate,when it is cooled ,cut into required shapes.

Spring Onion Rice

2007-09-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

Scallion which is commonly known as Spring onions /green onions.A leafy vegetable which used in noodles,soup,sauce,seafood as garnishing.It has a mild flavour and silvery skin,its bulb is soft and pear shaped which is rich in iron and vitamins.Spring onion thoran is famous in kerala.my MIL makes tasty thoran out of it.From her menu,i found that many dishes can be made with this leafy ones. Everyday i make some quick rice dish for my 's',who's is a rice lover for office lunch pack.One fine morning,as i was wondering what kind of rice to make ...found some spring onions in refrigerator.i took n cook ,by the way got this wonderful dish.

Ingredients...

Basmati rice 2cups

Spring onions 1bunch

Mustard seeds 1tsp

Channa dal 1/2tsp

Urad dal 1/2tsp

Coriender seeds 1/2tsp

Cumin seeds 1/2tsp

Red chillies 3-4

Roasted peanuts 1/4cup

oil 1tsp

Ghee 1/2tsp (optional)

Dry coconut(optional)

salt to taste

Method..

Cook rice and cool it.It should be sticky.Heat oil in a pan,add mustard seeds,urad dal,channa dal,coriender seeds,cumin seeds,red chillies and saute for few min.Wash spring onions and chop it finely.Add spring onions to the seasoning items and cook in low flame without adding water(cook till it gets brown in colour),coz spring onions had water content.Add enough salt to it . Add rice and mix well,cook for 2 mins.Add ghee ,coconut and mix well .Garnish with peanuts and serve hot.

Mysore Masala Dosa

2007-09-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

Mysore Masala Dosa, a crispy pan cake with spicy chilli chutney and stuffed potato masala with hot tea....This is one of my favourite from childhood, amma usually makes dosa on sunday morning with potato stuffing served with green coconut chutney and spicy kerala sambar..when i started cooking,i tried to mix n mash ingredients .some are my own discoveries ,some from cookery sites.After coming here, my experiments has increased. so my 's' is bit tensed co'z he's a good tester....Last week i was telling him like on sunday i'm goin to try mysore masala dosa.He was bit worried n tried to pull me back from doing it .But after eating ,he wants me to blog this recipe.here it goes my style of masala dosa...

For Dosa batter...

Idili rice/Long grained rice 3cups

Urad dal 1cup

Methi seeds 1tsp

Salt to taste

Boiled rice 1cup (optional)

Soak rice,dal,methi seeds for 6 -8 hrs .Blend them till it forms a smooth batter with enough water.Let it ferment for 8-10 hrs or keep overnight.As its cold here,i used reheat the bake oven for 5 min .place the dosa batter inside it and take it back by morning .An other way to ferment is to add boiled rice while blending .This helps to ferment quickly even it is kept outside overnight.

For potato masala(stuffing)...

Potatoes 2 large

Onion 1large

Green peas 1/4cup

Carrot finely chopped 1/4 cup

Green chilles 2

Turmeric powder 1/4tsp

Asafoetida a pinch

Garam masala 1/4tsp

Red chilly powder 1/2tsp

Ginger-garlic paste 1tsp

coriander leaves

oil 1tsp

Mustard seeds 1tsp

urad dal 1tsp

Pressure cook potato,carrot ,peas for one whistle.In a sauce pan ,heat oil,add mustard and dal.when it pops add chopped onions ,green chillies ,ginger-garlic paste and stir fry till it's light brown.Now add turmeric powder,red chilly powder,garam masala, asafoetida and stir.Add boiled vegetables and afew drops of water ,cook for few mintues .finally add coriander leaves.

For masala spread inside dosa...

Many varieties of speads can be tried like Red chilly chutney,coriander chutney,coconut-paruppu podi.Here i used red chilly chutney.i'd like to share all spreads recipes here.

Red chilly chutney

Red chilles powder 2tsp

onions 1

Garlic pods 1

Tamarind pulp 1tsp

salt

Make a fine paste out of this ingredients in a blender without addingwater.

Coriander chutney/mint chutney

Coriander leaves 1/2 cup

Green chillies 2-3

Tamarind pulp 1tsp

Garlic pods 1

salt

Make a fine paste out of it.

Coconut paruppu podi/coconut channa dal powder

Channa dal 1/2cup

Dried Coconut 3 tbsp

Red chilly powder 2-3 tbsp

Cumin powder 1tsp

Garlic pods 2

salt

Mix all items and make in fine powder in a dry mixer without adding water.

To make masala dosa

Heat tawa for few mintues.spread few drops of oil in the tawa and spread evenly with a tissue.

Pour one spoon of dosa batter into it and rotate in clockwise direction.Cook for few mintues by closing the dosa with a lid so that dosa cooks faster.

Now spread 1 spoon of red chilly chutney evenly .Then some potato masala in one side of dosa and fold the other edge of dosa.

now masala dosa is ready.serve it hot.

Arattikaya Palakura Pulusu/Raw Plantain palak curry

2007-09-19T11:35:00.000-07:00

'Arattikaya Palakura Pulusu' as the name indicates, a curry made with plantain n palak,basically an Andhra dish.when i was thinking about what to post in JFI:Banana event,my 's' suggested this dish coz this is one of his favourite...specially plantain..he ask to put plantain in all curries .... our family mention this curry as "Valliyoor kuravu pulusu".actually no one knows why such a name and from where they got.He says like this dish is bascially from valliyoor ( a place in tamilnadu)made with kuravu (spinach)...anyway whatever it is,dish is very tasty n healthy.Any type of spinach can be used,i have tried with methi leaves(fenugreek leaves)also.Plantains, also known as “potatoes of the air” or “cooking bananas here.Its of great nutritional value, has a rare combination of energy value, tissue-building elements, protein, vitamins and minerals and spinach is rich in vitamin C and A.This is my entry to JFI:Banana hosted by Mandira ofAhaar.

Ingredients

Arattikaya / Raw plantain 1 no
palak 1 bunch
Tamarind pulp 5 table sp

For masala

Coconut 1/2 cup
Garlic pods 2
Shallots 3 nos /red onion 1/4
Red chilly powder 4tsp
Jeera powder 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

For seasoning

Gingely oil/Refined oil 1tsp
Musturd seeds 1tsp
Curry leaves 5 nos
Red chillies 2 nos

Method

Cook plantain and palak with enough salt .Grind masala items finely.In a saucepan,add cooked plantain,palak,masala,tamarind pulp and water (depends on how much gravy needed),salt and mix well.cook for 5 mins..I usually use gingely oil for seasoning,which enchanes flavour to the curry.U can use any refined oil.In a pan,add oil,musturd seeds.when it pops ,add red chillies and curry leaves.Add seasoning to the gravy.Serve hot with rice.

Vinayaka Chaturthi

2007-09-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

Vinayaka chaturthi or Ganesh chaturthi is an occasion of the birthday of Lord Ganesh,who has elephant head and human body."Vinayakan ",as the name indicates,is the Lord of beginning and Lord of obstacles,he's the "destroyer of sorrows and remover of obstacles" ,honoured with affection at the start of any ritual or ceremony and invoked as the "Patron of Letters" at the beginning of any writing.Ganesha has two Siddhis ,Siddhi (success) and Riddhi (prosperity). Wherever there is Vinayakan, there is Success and Prosperity.On the day of chaturthi,we decorate our house by drawing "kolams" with riceflour,flowers,mavela thoram at door step, make a clay idol of lord and decorate it with sandal , kumkum and a very special aurgampul malai( a type of grass,which is very special to lord) and a beautiful umbrella is placed behind the idol.Then idol is placed in plantain leaf or mandap.Then at the evening puja is performed by chanting "Ganesha Sahasranamam". Ganesha is very fond of sweets,therefore payasam,modhakam or kozhukattai ,sundal ,fruits and other sweets are offered.After 2 days,the idol is immersed in sea.we usually immersed the idol in river near our house.

Kozhukattai and sundal was my "naivedhyam".Grandma is my greatest inspiration in cooking.Most of my recipes are her contribution.Same in the case of "kozhukattai" also.Those who had no steam cooker or iddli set like me,can try this... forgot to bring from india...I'm searching for one, for last few months..hmmm couldt find....... search is still goin on ... when i was wondering 'how to cook modhakam',grandma gave me this simple version of kozhukattai,cooking in boiling water......i'd like to share with u...

Kozhukattai

Ingredients...

Rice 1cup

Jaggery or sugar 1/2cup (change to ur need)

coconut 1/4cup

cardamom 3

water less than 1/4cup

method...

Mix riceflour,grated jaggery,cococnut together.sprinkle some water if nesscery to mix the ingredients.Make small balls or rice dumplings and keep aside.In a saucepan,boil 2 cups of water.when water started boiling,put rice balls in it.cook for 10-15min.

Chickpeas Sundal

Ingredients.

Chickpeas 1 1/2cup

Grated coconut 3tsp

Salt 1tsp

Musturdseeds 1/4tsp

Urad dal 1/4 tsp

Red chillies 4 -5

curry leaves 5 -6

Asafoetida 1 pinch

Method..

Soak chickpeas overnight or atleast 8 hours before making sundal.Wash n pressure cook peas with salt for one whistle.Decant the water and let it stand for few mintutes.In a kadai,heat up the oil,musturd seeds,urad dal.redchillies,curryleaves and asafoetida.Remove from heat,now add cooked peas and coconut .stir to mix well.

Tips..

Instead of grated coconut,dry coconut or copra chopped can also be used.

This is my entry toEvent for Ganeshchaturthi hosted by LathaThe'yum'blog

RCI: Karnataka's Chitranna and Tomato Saaru

2007-09-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

This is my first entry to a food event. Happy to begin with" Karnataka Cuisine".A few months back,i was in "Garden City" Bangalore, where i got an opportunity to explore the taste of typical cuisine which is characterised by the distinct textures, flavours and tastes. Karnataka is a unique blend of tradition and modernity.
"Nimbehannu Chitranna" is one of my favourite dish ,commonly known as Lemon Rice a tasty ,healthy n easy dish which can be made even with leftover rice.i usually prefer to make this for my hubby for lunch packets.As we are more concerned about health ,just try this .Lemon is rich in Vitamin C is vital to the function of strong immune system . Rice is easy to digest, naturally sodium and cholesterol-free, with only a trace of fat. It's an important source of vitamin B1 and encourages stable blood sugar levels.
Ingredients...
Rice 2cups
Lime juice 2tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
cumin seeds 1tsp
Urad dal 1tsp
Channa dal 1tsp
Moorng dal 1tsp
Curry leaves 4-5
Red chillies 3-4
A small piece of ginger crushed
Turmeric powder 1/4tsp
Peanuts 8-10
oil 1tsp
Salt as required
Coconut grated(optional for garnishing)
Method....
Cook rice in pressure cooker in ratio 1 : 1.25 ( ie 1cup of rice : 1.25cups of water)
Heat oil and add dals,mustard seeds,curry leaves,cumin seeds,redchillies,peanuts and ginger.
When the dals turn brown,add the turmeric and ginger.Fry for another minute till the mustard crackles.
Now add the lime juice and reduce heat.Heat through and remove.Mix this with rice as required and add salt to taste.
Tomato Saaru

"Sarru" is a Karnataka dish ,Usually known as "Rasam " in southindia,which is prepared almost daily in indianhouseholds.Its also known as "Indian Spicy Soup".Spices added in rasam is benefical to health,it helps to cure stomatitis, indigestion, gastric irritability.
Ingredients...
Toor dal 3/4cup
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
oil 1/2stp
Tomatoes 2 ,cut into small pieces
Tamarind juice 1-2 tsp
Jaggery 1tsp
Rasam powder 1-2 tsp
Coriander leaves
salt to taste
For seasoning....

Ghee 1tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Cumin seeds 1tsp
Asafoetida 1pinch
Curry leaves
Method...
Cook toor dal in a pressure cooker with salt ,turmeric and oil.Mash well and keep aside.
Grind tomatoes into a paste or put rasam powder,tomato pieces,jaggery in a pan ,add water and boil to 10-12 min.Remove from heat.
Heat ghee in a pan,add seasonings,when it starts to spilt,stir into the rasam.Garnish with coriander leaves.

KRISHNA JAYANTHI

2007-09-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

HAPPY KRISHNA JAYANTHI!!!!

Krishna jayanthi is the celebration of the birth of lord krishna,in south india it's also known as Gokulashtami. Lord Sri Krishna was born on the 'Rohini' nakshatram (star) on Ashtami day,so it also known as Asthami Rohini In kerala.
Sri Krishna is Lord Vishnu's eighth avatar (incarnation) on earth. He is considered to be the Lord's most glorious incarnations.This festival occurs on the eight day of the dark half of the month Shravan. We decorate our house with flowers ,rangoli , mavela thoranam at doorstep and small feets are drawn with rice flour from entrance to puja room .It 's believed that baby krishna visits his devotee's house to bless them ,leaving behind his foot prints.i remember once my grandma dipped my infant brother 's legs in the flour n drew the foot steps.she takes ''vratham'' (fasting) till midnight chanting slokams n reciting prayers from bagavet gita.
Special dishes like appam,murukku,payasam,aval,seedai ,ladduu and butter are offered to lord.In the evening a special puja is done and people ask one another" kannan onga veetukku vandacha?" (Has Kannan come to your house?).At night we go to krishnan temple near our house ,kolattam is performed by kids dressed up as Krishna and Radha . It is a replete with love for lord krishna.
Yesterday we celebrated with Pal payasam and Aravanai as ''naivedhiyam''.I really wished to draw footprints ,but houses here in usa are laid with carpet.hmmm.....so I couldn't.At that moment I thought east or west india is the best.
Just tried mom's recipe and I like to share here.here it goes......

PAL PAYASAM
Ingredients...
Basmati rice /unakkallari(red rice) 1/4 cup
Milk 6cups
water 1 cup
sugar 1/2 cup
ghee for frying

Garnishing...

cashewnuts 10 nos
cardamom 5 nos
raisins 5nos (optional)

Method

Mix together all the ingredients in a pressure cooker.Cook on a high flame till the first whistle.Soon after the first whistle is heard, lower the fire and cook for half an hour.Fry cashews and raisins in ghee.Garnish the paayasam with the fried cashews and raisins.Serve hot or chilled

ARAVANAI PAYASAM /SWEET PONGAL

Ingredients

Raw rice - ½ cup
Green gram(Cheruparippu) - ½ cup
Ghee - ½ cup
Jaggery(Sharkkara) - 3 cups
Copra(dried coconut) pieces - ¼ cup
Cashews(chopped) - ¼ cup
Raisins(Onakka munthiri) - ¼ cup
Sugar candy(Kalkandam) - ¼ cup (optional)
Grated coconut - ½ cup(optional)

Method....
Lightly roast green gram, till a nice aroma comes and the colour changes.Wash rice and dal together.Heat up a pressure pan.Add rice and dal along with 2 cups of water.Close the cooker, keep the weight and cook upto 2 whistlesAllow it to cool.Add ½ cup of water to jaggery and heat on a low flame, stirring continuously, till the jaggery dissolves compeletely. Strain and add to the rice-dal mixture.Cook, adding ghee little by little.Add the copra fried in ghee.When the whole mixture becomes a mass, add cashew and raisins fried in littleghee.Remove from the flame.Add sugarcandy and freshly grated coconut.

Tips... It can be made only with rice without adding dal.You can cook the mixture for just one whistle and if thus made, rice will be slightly grainy.You can add 1 cup of ghee and 4 cups of jaggery.

A brief about tomatoes

2007-08-31T17:28:00.000-07:00

Tomatos are considered as both fruit n vegteable.they are available in different shapes ,sizes n colors....mostly its eaten as raw n used in salads,soups which is rich in vitamins..

A Quick n Tasty Tomato Rice

2007-08-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

There are many reason why people like food.......i've got only one purpose in life ...eat anythg and everything....anywhere n anytime.All want to b happy n food makes most of us happy.i started thinking about blog to strave off boredom n im a passionate food lover...who likes to experiment ,mix n match dishes.

A week before while i found some beautiful tomatoes at stores.They were fresh and organic ones.i picked up a bag of it.while thinking about what to cook , just went through some blogs .

i got a nice tomato rice recipe from radhi's kitchen. .it was a kinda of quick n easy dish n it really came out very well.....

A warm welcome to all food lovers!!!!!!!

2007-08-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

Namaste
I here by welcome u all to my place of anything about food.There's no setup rules or time for cooking,all matters is patience ,experiments n presentation.As i'm in a learning mode,i posted a dish which i tried days before.Trying to learn about templates and of course food photography.I'm so trilled to be here.Hope to post new recipes soon.....