I feel a recipe is only a theme, which an intelligent cook can play each time with a variation. Madam Benoit

People always say the best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen , nor touched , nor heard but are felt in the heart . But for food it's all in it's looks, flavours and taste.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Chicken Roast




My Easter special dishes – Chicken roast and Chicken Curry


Here goes the recipe for chicken roast

Don’t add any of the chicken masala available in markets for this!!!!

For marinating the chicken

Chicken – ½ kg (cut into smaller pieces)
Salt
Chili powder – 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Pepper powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Mix thoroughly with hand.

For preparation

Oil as required
Curry leaves – a few
Sliced onions – 3 big ones
Chopped Green chilies – 5
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Chili powder – 1-2 tablespoon (I made spicy chicken)
Pepper powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala (powdered spices) – 1 table spoon
Perumjeerakam - powdered (Aniseed) – 1 tablespoon


Marinate the chicken for half an hour.
Now pour oil in a kadai. Add onions, curry leaves, green chilies and salt.
Saute till onions are brown in color.
Add coriander powder, chili powder and pepper powder.
Saute for few seconds.
Now add the chicken pieces, garam masala and aniseed's powder.
Mix well.
Pour some water. Keep simmer and close the lid.
It may take nearly 40 minutes to get the chicken cooked. You can stir in between and add chili powder if it’s not spicy.
Switch off the flame when the chicken is cooked and the gravy is fully coated in chicken pieces.
You can garnish with curry leaves.
Serve hot with rice, Chapatti or porota.

Chicken Curry


My Easter special dishes – Chicken roast and Chicken Curry

Here goes the recipe for chicken Curry

Don’t add any of the chicken masala available in markets for this!!!!

For marinating the chicken

Chicken – ½ kg (cut into smaller pieces)
Salt
Chili powder – 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Pepper powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Mix thoroughly with hand.

For preparation

Oil as required
Curry leaves – a few
Sliced onions – 3 big ones
Green chilies – 5 (each cut into half).
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Chili powder – 1-2 tablespoon (I made spicy chicken)
Pepper powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala (powdered spices) – 1 table spoon
Perumjeerakam - powdered (Aniseed) – 1 tablespoon
Coconut milk (1st and 2nd milk) – from half the coconut

Marinate the chicken for half an hour.
Now pour oil in a kadai. Add onions, curry leaves, green chilies and salt.
Saute till onions are brown in color.
Add coriander powder, chili powder and pepper powder.
Saute for few seconds.
Now add the chicken pieces, garam masala and aniseed's powder.
Mix well.
Pour some water. Keep simmer and close the lid.
When the chicken is half cooked add 2nd coconut milk. Stir well and close the lid.
It may take nearly 40 minutes to get the chicken cooked. You can stir in between and add chili powder if it’s not spicy.
When the chicken is fully cooked add 1st coconut milk. Stir and keep simmer for 3 minutes. Switch off the flame.
You can garnish with curry leaves.
Serve hot with appam, idiyappam, Chapatti or porota.

Kappa Puzhugiyathu




It was was getting more than a month that I had the taste of my favorite dish kappa and was longing to eat it. So I made it yesterday.

Here is the recipe

Chopped Kappa (tapioca) – 1 kg
Green chilies – 5 (each cut into half)
Sliced Ginger – 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves – a few
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Coconut Oil as required
Mustard seeds - a few

Cook tapioca in some water adding salt and turmeric powder. {Make sure tapioca is cooked till it becomes soft}
Heat some oil in pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, ginger and green chilies.
Saute for some time. Now add cooked tapioca. Mix well. Switch off the flame.
Garnish with few curry leaves.

Peas Masala


This suits wells with appam, idiyappam, chapatti and porota. It’s simple and easy to make.
Here is the recipe.

Cooked Green peas – 100gm
Sliced Onion – 2
Sliced tomato – 1 [I didn’t add tomatoes]
Green chilies – 4(each cut into half)
Curry leaves – a few
Mustard seeds – a few
Oil as required
Salt to taste
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Chili powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Coconut milk – 1 cup (1st & 2nd milk extracted)

Heat some oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds.
Add onions, green chilies and curry leaves. Add a pinch of salt. Saute till onions becomes brown in color.
Now add tomatoes, chilies powder, coriander powder, garam masala and turmeric powder. Stir for few minutes.
Add cooked peas, salt and some water. Close the lid
Simmer and add 2nd coconut milk. Let it be there in flame for few minutes.
Now add 1st milk. Stir and switch off the flame.
Garnish with few curry leaves. Serve hot.

Sambar (using sambar powder)


Recipe for sambar - quick and easy way to make sambar using eastern sambar powder

Chopped vegetables (as your wish) - Drum sticks, potatoes, lady’s finger and tomatoes.
Dal – 1 small glass
Tamarind water – ¼ cup
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Asafoetida (Kayam) – 1 tsp
chili powder – 1 tsp
Easter sambar powder – 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste

For seasoning

Oil as required
Mustard seeds – a few
Curry leaves – a few
Red chilies – 3
Fenugreek – 1/4 tsp


Cook dal in some water.
Pour some more water and add vegetables, turmeric powder, Asafoetida, chili powder, eastern sambar powder and salt. Mix well.
Once the vegetables are cooked add tamarind water. Allow it to boil.
Stir well. Let it boil until sambar becomes a little thick. Switch off the flame.
Now prepare seasoning in the pan and add it to sambar.
Garnish with curry/coriander leaves. Sever hot with rice.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Dal Curry (Mulakoshyam)


People call this in different names in different places. I call it as ‘mulakoshyam’.
This is one of the easiest side dish we can prepare along with rice.

Recipe is below

Dal (Red Gram Dal/ Toor Dal) – 1 cup
Sliced Tomato – 1
Green chilies – 4 (each cut into half)
Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
Red Chili powder – 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves – a few
Salt to taste
Coconut Oil – 1 teaspoon

Cook Dal in some water.
Add sliced tomatoes, green chilies, turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt.
Pour some water and keep simmer.
Switch of the flame when tomatoes are cooked and the gravy becomes semi thick.
Add curry leaves. Sprinkle coconut oil. Mix well. Serve hot with rice.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Chicken Stir Fry (Kozhi Varattiyathu)






I learned making chicken with Bets recipe for preparing ‘chicken with spicy gravy’. . She is my friend from Kuttanad, indeed a good non veg cook .While staying together it was Bets who always makes chicken dishes for us. I will always stay near to her while cooking, watching the preparation process and will ask her lots of doubts. While coming back from home she always brings Beef fry and pickles for us. I’m really missing all those sweet moments now.

Any way all those are gone days. I ‘m now used to making chicken dishes in various styles.
Last weekend I made chicken stir fry for lunch.






Here goes my recipe for spicy Kozhi varatiyathu

For Marinating

Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder – ½ tablespoon
Chili powder – 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder – 1 tablespoon
Pepper powder – 1 tablespoon
Salt
(You can use chicken masala of any brand also along with this if you wish)

Other Ingredients

Chicken pieces – 11/4 kg
Pearl onions – 1 cup
Garam masala (powdered spices) – 1 tablespoon
Chili Powder – 11/2 tablespoon
Coriander powder – 1 tablespoon
Green chilies – 5 (each cut into half)
Curry leaves – a few
Coconut Oil as required
Salt to taste.

Marinate the chicken for half an hour.
Pour some oil in a Kadai, add onions, green chilies and curry leaves. Stir for some time. Add garam masala and marinated chicken. Stir for few seconds.
Add some water. Mix well. Close the lid and keep simmer until the chicken is half cooked.
Stir in between and add Chili powder and coriander powder. I added eastern chicken masala also at this stage. Close the lid.
Once the chicken is cooked add coconut oil and keep stirring till brown color is obtained.
Garnish with curry leaves. Serve hot with rice.

Sweet Rice Flakes (Avil Nanachathu)


This has been always my mom’s handy to satisfy our hunger after coming from school.
I recently had this from my friend Biji’s house, aunty had prepared and it reminded me those days I enjoyed eating this sweet snack. Aunty is a great cook and she knows a lot of ‘Palaharam’ recipes. I love eating her idiyappam and potato stew. Well, I’ve decided to learn those snack recipes and will share with you soon provided my cooking results are success.

Here is the recipe

Beaten rice/avil - 1 cup
Grated Coconut – ¼ cup
Sugar – 3 tablespoon
Water – 3 teaspoon

Sprinkle water to beaten rice. Add Sugar and grated coconut. Mix through with hand. Keep aside for some time. Your snack is ready.

You can prepare this in other different style also.

Beaten rice/avil - 1 cup
Grated Coconut – ¼ cup
Powdered jaggery – 3 tablespoon
Fried Sesame Seeds ( Varutha ellu) – a few
Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp
Water – 2 teaspoon

Add powdered jaggery and water to the pan.
Cook until jaggery is melted.
Add the Beaten rice to it. Stir well Add grated coconut, cardamom and fried sesame seedsMix well. Remove from the flame and let it cool

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Plum Cake/Dry Fruit Cake





I always believe my Christmas is not complete until I eat ‘elite’ plum cake. That brand is very popular in kerala and most of the bakeries choose it.
I know it’s not Xmas but I tried making it just for fun. I just had a chat with one of my friend before preparing it. But the process she explained was very lengthy. She told people use a bit brandy/rum for this and will soak the dry fruits in it for weeks/months. I don’t have so much of patience to wait two three weeks and I also found it difficult to get various ingredients. So I made it in my own way. I was eagerly waiting near the oven as if I’m waiting for the exam results till my cake was baked. To my astonishment the cake was a success and it tasted good.




















Here goes my recipe

For Caramel – ½ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon water, ½ cup water
Milk – 11/2 cup
Butter - 50gm
Powdered sugar - 1 cups
Eggs - 1
Plain flour (Maida) - 2 cups
Baking powder - 2 teaspoon
Vanilla essence - 1 teaspoon
Red Wine – 2 tablespoon
Dry Fruits - ¼ cups (raisins, nuts, fruity, dates, cherries and almonds)

Prepare the caramel by adding ½ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon water keeping in low flame.
Swirl the pan in between. Remove from the flame until the caramel becomes thick brown in color. Now pour ½ cup of water into it. Let it cool completely.Heat the milk till it boils. Add Butter to it.
Beat the eggs. Add powdered sugar to it. Beat until it become soft.
Mix the flour and baking powder, add this to the egg mixture.
Again add milk-butter mixture and vanilla essence to it. Mix well. Add the caramel and red wine. Mix thoroughly.
Add dry fruits. Mix up.
Pour the batter into a buttered baking dish. Microwave in power P8 (80%) for 8 minutes. Let it to cool for sometime. It’s ready to eat….





Avial



People use different vegetables for making avail .It’s all your choice whether to use or not a particular one.

My recipe is the below

Chopped (length wise) Yam pieces – 1/4cup
Chopped (length wise) Carrots – 1/4 cup
Chopped (length wise) string beans (Achinga) – 1/4 cup
Chopped (length wise) drum stick – 1
Green chilies (cut into half) – 5
Grated Coconut – 3/4 cup
Sour Curd- ½ cup (you can use tamarind water – ¼ cup also instead of sour curd)
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Chili powder -1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds – a few
Curry leaves – a few
Salt to taste
Coconut oil as required

Cook the vegetables adding some water, turmeric powder, chili powder and green chilies.
[Make sure you will add very little water always so that avail will be thick. I wanted bit gravy for lunch and hence I added more water].
Grind grated coconut, cumin seeds and few curry leaves with very little water to make a fine paste.
Now add coconut paste and salt to the cooked vegetables. Simmer for three minutes.
Beat the curd and add to it. Mix well. Switch off the flame.
Add few curry leaves. Sprinkle a teaspoon of coconut oil. Mix well. Serve hot with rice.