Coriander and Cumin- Flecked Roti

Glad to be back to blogging after a long break. Have been enjoying the beautiful monsoons in Kerala and the back to school routine. So how is everyone doing? Isn't it fun to cook during the rainy season. Love to do that with the music playing in the background.

5 Minute Nutella Mug Cake - Holiday Special Recipe for Kids

I am sure most of the kids in India are enjoying their vacation to the maximum. Today I will share a recipe that even kids (8 and above) can make on their own in a microwave. But make sure you have someone elder around to watch you if you are aged between 8 -10. So go ahead, enjoy the cake in just 5 minutes. So why not surprise your parents and friends with this easy cake.

I was so glad to see my 9 year old son make this with ease. I often make this on sunday evenings when I crave for something chocolatey.  ☺

Chemmeen Masala / Prawns Masala

There are some old recipes written by hand and kept in my favorite recipe folder. These are ones that came to my rescue after marriage. Most of them are my mom's, amma's, aunts or cousins and some them of them from the web world. This is one recipe I got from a website but at that time never thought of writing down which site it was from. I have special memories associated with each of these scraps of paper. It surely makes me smile. I am sure it will make you smile too. So here is the recipe for prawns masala.

INGREDIENTS
Prawns - 280 g shelled and deveined

For Marination:
Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt - as required

For Masala:
Onions - 2 cups tightly packed, finely chopped
Green Chillies - 1 slit into two
Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tbsp
Tomato - 1 cup finely chopped, loosely packed
Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped
Water - 1 cup
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - as required

METHOD
Marinate prawns with pepper, turmeric and salt. Leave it marinated for 1/2 hour.
Heat oil in a kadai/ wok.
Add in the ginger, garlic paste and saute for 10 secs.
Now add in the chopped onions, chilly and saute till light brown.
Tip in the masalas and stir well for 1 minute on low flame.
Stir in the tomato, add 1/4 tsp salt and saute. Close and cook on low till tomatoes are mashed well.
Open the lid and add the prawns. Mix well.
Add 1 cup water, check salt and let cook on low for 10 minutes.
Open and cook on high for another 5 minutes till the gravy is thick.
Remove from stove and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve with rotis or rice.

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Mutta Choru / Egg Rice

When it comes to weekends I always go in for one pot meals. I am sure by now everyone has gotten over the celebration mood and back to work on full swing. It's always fun when festivals arrive. There is so much activity and happiness around. But the good news is that the festive season is not over yet. We still have Christmas and New Year. 

This weekend I would like to share an easy recipe with you all. Something the kids will love instead of the usual rice and curries. My son always comes from school asking 'what is special for lunch today?' It is really hard to please these little pranksters. What I like about this recipe is that it does not have too much of that egg-y taste. It is a mild version which I found in one of my Amma's old cut outs from Vanitha magazine. So here it is..

INGREDIENTS

Short Grain Rice - 2 cups

Water - 4 cups

Ghee - 1 1/2 tbsp

Salt - as required

Eggs - 4 medium

Pepper - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - as required

Onions - 2 large (finely chopped)

Chilly - 1 or 2 slit into 2 ( as per tolerance level)
Oil - 1 tbsp

Coriander Leaves - 2 tbsp finely chopped

Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs

METHOD

Clean and wash the rice. Drain water and transfer it to a colander.

Boil 4 cups water and add salt as required.

Heat the ghee in a non stick kadai or pan.

Fry the rice in it for five minutes stirring continuously on medium to low flame.

Pour the boiled water into the rice. Bring it to a boil on high flame. 

Close with a lid and cook for 15 minutes on low flame. While cooking toss the rice once after 10 minutes.

Crack the eggs into a bowl. Add in the turmeric, pepper, coriander powder and salt. Fluff it well using a fork or wire whisk till well incorporated.

In a  medium size pan heat the oil. Fry the onions and chilly till slightly brown in colour.

Add in the egg mixture and scramble it.

Now add in the cooked rice. Toss and mix well.

Garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Serve with cucumber raita, pappad and pickle.

Tips:

1. Short grain rice refers to what we call ghee rice / Neychottari in Kerala also called as Kaima Rice/ Jeerakasala Rice. The picture of it is shown below. This is best in making biriyani.

2. After pouring in the boiled water into the rice just stir once. Stirring too much will make the rice mushy. So check the salt in the water before pouring it into the rice.
3. Do not fry the rice for more than 5 minutes. The right time is when the grains start breaking.
4. You can chop the chilly fine, if you are making it for adults. And increase the number depending on your spice tolerance level.

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Vendakka Mezhukkupuratti / Okra Stir Fry Kerala Style

Okra / Ladies Finger is one of my favorite vegetable. Venda Mezhukkupuratti is an easy to make side dish for rice.

INGREDIENTS
Tender Okra / Vendakka - 300 gms
Onion - 1 medium size thinly sliced
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp (depending on spice tolerance)
Salt - as required
Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp

METHOD
Wash and pat dry the okra.
Chop it into round pieces.
Heat oil in a non stick kadai or pan.
Stir fry the onions till translucent.
Add in the turmeric powder, pepper powder and salt. Stir for 10 secs.
Tip in the okra and stir. Check salt.
Cover and cook on slow flame. Stir in between.
Cook till okra is well cooked and coated with the masala.
Enjoy with rice.

Tips:
Do not add water.
You can slit 2 chillies and add. Remember to remove it before serving.

Ayala Chuvannulli Curry / Mackerel Shallots Curry

Fresh Mackerel - love them. It is one of the 10 super foods to prevent heart disease. It is an excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids and minerals which help body prevent heart problems. And if it is a yummy curry like this one I can have any amount of it.

INGREDIENTS

Recipe Source - Shantha Aravindan

Mackerel / Ayila - 3 large cut into 3 pieces
Tamarind / Puli - size of a lime soaked in 2 cups water
Kashmiri Chilli Powder / Piriyan Mulaku Podi - 2 tbsp
Ginger / Inji - 2 tsp finely chopped
Garlic/ Veluthulli - 5 finely chopped
Green Chilly / Pacha Mulaku - 3 slit into 2
Tomato / Thakkali - 1 large roughly chopped
Salt - as required
Shallots / Chuvannulli - 1 cup finely chopped
Curry Leaves / Kariveppila- 1/4 cup finely chopped
Fenugreek Powder/ Uluva podi - 1/4 tsp
Coconut Oil / Velichenna - 2 tbsp

METHOD

Cut and clean the Mackerel. Discard the head. Cut it into 3 broad pieces.

Soak the tamarind in water. Squeeze the tamarind in the water to extract the pulp. Strain and pour it into a wok/ pan.

Add in the chilly powder, turmeric, ginger, green chilly, garlic, tomato and salt.

Slowly add the fish.

Let it come to a boil on high flame. It will take appoximately 5 minutes for the fish to cook after it comes to a boil.

In the mean time, mix the shallots and curry leaves in the coconut oil. Squeeze well with hand and mix for 30 seconds.

Once the fish is cooked add the shallot mixture. Stir slowly. Check salt. Bring to boil for 30 seconds. Remove from flame and tip in the fenugreek powder on top.

Keep it closed for 15 minutes. Serve with rice or even chapathi.

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Malabar Style Chicken Korma

The word 'Korma' seems to have originated from Mughlai Cuisine. It is a thick gravy dish. The flavour of the curry comes from the combination of spices, coriander, fennel seeds and yoghurt. It gives so much different flavour to the curry. And it is quite unlike the red curry we usually make - Chicken Roast or the brown coconut based curry - Varutharacha Chicken Curry. The thick creamy texture and taste goes so well with chapathi's or any rotis.

INGREDIENTS

Chicken - 1/2 kg

Cloves/ Grambu - 6

Cardamom/ Elakka - 4

Cinnamon / Patta - 2" piece

Onion - 3 (big)

Ginger - 1 1/2 " piece

Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Scraped Coconut - 1 1/2 cup (loosely packed)

Fennel Seeds/Perumjeerakam - 1 tsp

Poppy Seeds /Khus - Khus - 1 tsp

Green Chilly - 6 (or upto 9 if you like it spicy) *see note 1

Coriander Powder - 1 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri Chilly Powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Tomato - 3 medium

Yoghurt - 1/2 cup

Water - 1/2 cup*see note 2

Salt - to taste

Refined Oil - 2 tbsp + 1 tsp

Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup (loosely packed)

METHOD

Clean and chop the chicken into small pieces.

Chop the onions into thin slices. Ginger finely chopped.

Chop the tomatoes into medium size pieces and keep aside.

Wash and filter the khus khus.

Make a coarse paste of the coconut, fennel seeds, khus- khus and green chilly.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add the spices - cloves, cardamom and cinnamon.

Tip in the onions and saute till translucent. Add in the ginger and garlic paste.

Add the dry masala powders. If required add 1 tsp oil at this stage as it may get too dry. *see note 3

When the raw smell of the masalas are gone add the chicken.

Mix in the coconut paste, yoghurt, salt and tomatoes. Stir well on medium flame for 2 minutes.

Add the water. Check salt and close the cooker lid.

Cook on low flame for 3 whistles or until the chicken is cooked.

Open the lid, stir well and then season with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rotis.

Tips for cooking:

1. It is a medium spicy dish. If you want it spicy you can add up to 9 chillies. You have to add at least 6 else it will turn out sweet due to the coconut and tomatoes.
2. This is a semi thick gravy but if you like more gravy add up to 1 cup water. Remember that water comes out of the chicken, yoghurt and tomatoes as you cook.
3. After you add the masalas, make sure you keep stirring else the masalas will stick to the bottom of the cooker.

Sending this post to the Kerala Kitchen Event hosted by The Cooking Doctor

Moru Curry / Kerala Style Simple Curd Curry

This little space of mine is where I want to jot down all the recipes passed on to me by my Mom, Amma, relatives and friends. I am so glad that, now I get to share these wonderful recipes with all my friends and the world who are on the look out for authentic vintage recipes. :)

Today, I would like to share an easy recipe that's so simple yet does not compromise on the taste at all. A quick curry to go with rice on a busy afternoon. 

INGREDIENTS
(To serve 8 people)

Curd - 1 litre *
Water - 1/2 cup
Garlic - 8 cloves
Ginger - 1 (1 '' piece)
Green Chilly - 1 (or 2 as per spice level required)
Fenugreek seeds / Uluva - 1 tsp**
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste

For seasoning
Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Dry Red Chilly - 1
Split Black Gram/ Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs

METHOD
In a bowl mix the curd with turmeric, chilly powder and water.
In a mixer or using a churner mix it well.
In a pan dry roast the fenugreek till it is brown and the aroma comes out. Powder it and keep aside.
Chop ginger roughly. Crush it along with garlic using a  mortar and pestle .
Chop green chilly into small pieces.
Pour the curd mixture into a kadai or deep pan. Keep it on very slow fire and keep stirring.
Add fenugreek powder, salt, green chilly and the crushed ginger garlic.
Keep stirring till the mixture is just warm and NOT BOILING.
Season with mustard, urad dal, dry red chilly and curry leaves.

Tips:
*Make sure you use fresh curd that is not sour.
**It is best to use freshly ground fenugreek. It gives a distinct flavour to the curry.
Keep all the ingredients ready as you have to keep stirring.
You need to keep stirring so that the curd does not curdle.
You can store this curry for almost a week in the fridge.