Uppumanga/Mango in brine Curry

 

Ingredients

1. Uppumanga – 50gm

2. Green chillies – 5

3.Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

4. Grated coconut – 3/4 cup

5. Pearl onions – 2-3

6. Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp

7. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

8. Oil – 1 tsp

9. Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp

10. Dry red chillies – 2-3

 

 

Method

 

 

1. Cook the mango in its brine with turmeric powder, curry leaves and sliced green chillies till soft.

2. Grind the coconut, cumin seeds, and the pearl onions to a fine paste.

3. Add this coconut paste to the cooked mango and mix well. Cook for a few minutes and remove from heat.

 

 

4. In a pan heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, add dry red chillies and pour this to the mango curry.

 

 

5. Serve with rice.

Pumpkin/Mathanga Erisseri

 

 

Ingredients

 

 1. Pumpkin/Mathanga– 250 gm diced

2. Red chori /vanpayar – 1/2 cup

3. Green chillies – 3-4

4. Grated coconut – 1 cup

5. Garlic – 2 - 3 small pods

6. Black pepper corns – 5-6

7. Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp

8. Chilli powder – 1/4 tsp

9. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

10. Dry red chillies – 4-5

11. Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp

12. Curry leaves – 2 sprig

13.  Oil – 1 tsp

14. Salt  - to taste

 

Method

 

1. Pressure cook the vanpayar till soft.

2. In another vessel cook the pumpkin with salt, turmeric, chilli powder, sliced green chillies and salt. Use enough water to cook the pumpkin.

  

 

3. Meanwhile grind  1/4 cup coconut, garlic, black pepper corns and cumin seeds into a fine paste adding water if needed.

4.  Add the ground paste and the cooked vanpayar to the cooked pumpkin and mix well. Check for salt and add water if needed. If you prefer dry erissseri, you do not need to add water.

               

                                                     

5. In a frying pan heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add the dry red chillies, curry leaves and the remaining coconut. Roast the coconut till it turns deep brown (I use more grated coconut for frying than to make paste:) ).

  

 

6. Add this roasted coconut to the pumpkin and mix well. check for salt. Adjust the gravy according to your consistency and remove from heat.

 

 

7. Serve hot with rice.

Baked Fish

 

 

 

 

 

Marinade

Ingredients

1. Salmon or any other fish fillets - 4 medium-sized fillets or 3/4 kg
2. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
3. Chilli powder - 1 tbsp (Adjust according to your tolerance level)
4. Pepper powder - 1 tbsp
5. Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Fresh ginger-garlic paste - 1.5 tsp
7. Fennel powder - 3/4 - 1 tsp
8. Yoghurt - 1 tsp (opt)
9. Fenugreek powder - A pinch
10. Oil - 1 tbsp
11. Salt - To taste

Method

 

1.  Marinate the salmon fillets with the marinade above for at least 2-3 hrs.

 

 

 

 

2.  Bake the marinated fish fillets at 350 F for 40 mts turning to the other side after 20 mts.

 

 

 

 

Vattayappam/Steamed Rice Cake

     Vattayappam/steamed rice cake  is a typical  Kerala sweet dish. This is made from raw rice and coconut. We can have it as a tea-time snack or even for breakfast. It is difficult to make vattayappam without steamer. Here i am sharing an idea to make the vattayappam without a steamer.

 

 

Ingredients

1. Raw Rice – 3 1/2 cup (you can use idli rice/sona masoori )

2. Parboiled rice/Kerala rice – 1/2 cup

3. Cooked rice – 1 cup

4. Coconut milk – 1cup or Grated coconut and coconut water

5. Sugar – 1/2 cup

6. Yeast – 1/4 tsp

7. Raisins/Cashews – to garnish

Method

1. Wash the rice( idli rice and parboiled rice) and soak it at least for 5-6 hrs.

2. Drain it. Grind the rice with cooked rice by adding coconut milk and little water if needed to a fine paste (If you are using the grated coconut, grind the raw rice, cooked rice, grated coconut by adding the coconut water and little water if needed).

3. Add the Yeast and sugar, mix well,close with a lid and keep it in a warm place overnight to ferment ( at least 8 – 9 hrs).

4. Add salt just before preparing and check for sugar. If your batter is too thick, dilute it with whole milk/coconut milk.The consistency should be that of a idli batter.

5. Grease a flat plate and pour the batter to it, and double boil in a larger pan.

6. When the appam is half done, garnish it with raisins and cashews. Steam again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. When it is cooked, remove it from the heat and cool in the same pan. If it is cooked properly, it won’t stick to the knife or spoon.

8.  When it cools down, gently take out and cut into any desired shapes.

 

Chicken Roast

 

 

Ingredients

 

1. Chicken – 1 whole, cut into medium sized pieces/you can also use chicken drumsticks

2. Onion – 5 medium sliced

3. Pearl onion – 10-15 

4. Garlic – 1/2 cup chopped

5. Ginger – 1/2 cup chopped

6. Tomato – 1 medium sliced

7. Tomato ketchup – 2 tsp

8. Curry leaves – 6-7 sprig

9. Hot chilli powder – 1.5 tsp

10. Kashmiri chilli powder – 3 tsp

11. Pepper powder – 1 tsp

12. Coriander powder – 1 tsp (optional)

13. Fresh garam masala powder – 3 tsp

14. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

15. Coconut milk – 1/4 cup

16. Coconut oil – 3 tbsp

17. Salt – to taste

 

 

Marinade

 

1. Fresh ginger - garlic paste – 2 tsp

2. Fennel powder – 2 tsp

3. Pepper powder – 2 tsp

4. Kashmiri chilli powder – 2 tsp

5. Hot chilli powder – 1/2 tsp

6. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

7.  Fresh lime juice – 1 large lime

8. Salt – to taste

 

 

Method

 

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with the above marinade for at least 1-2 hrs.

2. Cook the marinated chicken in a heavy wide pan with the coconut milk. No need to add water since water will ooze out from the chicken. Stir in between. Once the chicken is cooked, add 1 tbsp oil and sauté the pieces in medium heat so that the chicken pieces will be crispy.

 

 

3. Meanwhile in another nonstick pan heat coconut oil, add onion, salt and sauté them well.

 

   

 

4. When the onion turns light brown add the ginger, garlic and curry leaves. Sauté well for a few more minutes.

5. Then add the tomatoes, mix well and sauté until the tomatoes are mashed up.

 

 

 

6. Add the chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric powder and pepper powder. Mix well. Check for salt .

 

7. Now add the  ketchup and mix well.

8. Finally add the chicken pieces and mix well, sauté for a few minutes in medium heat so that the pieces will be covered with the gravy.

 

 

9. Remove from heat and serve. This goes well with chappathi/rice/nan. Enjoy!

 

Kappa Puzhukku/Mashed Tapioca

 

 

 

 

    Ingredients

1. Yuca Root/Kappa/Tapioca -  Around 3/4 kg or 1 frozen packet of sliced tapioca
2. Grated Coconut - 3/4 cup
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Green chillies - 2 + 4
5. Garlic - 3
6. Cumin seeds/Jeerakam - 1/2 tsp
7. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
8. Coconut oil - 1tbsp
9. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
10. Dry red chillies - 2-3
11. Salt - To taste

   Method

 

 

1.  Clean and chop the tapioca to small pieces.

2. Coarsely grind the grated coconut along with 4 green chillies, garlic, cumin seeds and a few curry leaves.

3. In a deep vessel boil the tapioca pieces with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 2 slit green chillies(opt). When the tapioca is done drain the water and return it to the original vessel.

 

 

 

4.   Add salt to the drained tapioca and mash it adding the ground coconut mixture.

 

 

5.  Heat oil in another pan, splutter the mustard seeds, brown the dry red chillies and add a few curry leaves. Add this to the mashed tapioca. Mix well and serve hot.

Palak(Spinach),Beetroot,Carrot Chapati

      Chapati can be made more delicious and nutritious by adding some vegetables to it. Here is a chapati recipe where I used spinach, beetroot and carrot. You can substitute it with vegetables of your choice and can serve this with any veg/nonveg curries. Kids will find it attractive.

      Spinach is a powerhouse of health among leafy green vegetables. Spinach offers twice as much fiber as other greens. So when you want a salad that's going to fill you up, go for the spinach variety. Spinach is a nutrition superstar, even a fairly good source of iron. It's loaded with vitamins and minerals, some of which are hard to find in other foods. Spinach leaves can either be flat or slightly crinkled. Spinach can be purchased fresh, canned or frozen. Spinach is also often available as baby spinach (often used in salads). To know more about spinach click here.

      Carrot is an excellent vegetable as it has both nutritional and medicinal values which are essential for our optimum health. Carrot is a vegetable grown for its edible root. Raw carrots are eaten in salads and are mixed with some viands. Carrot contain carotene, a chemical that is converted into vitamin A by the body, it helps prevent night blindness. Have a look at the health benefits  of carrots.

      Then finally  beetroot  is delicious raw or cooked, hot or cold; the stalks and leaves are as full of nutrition as its dark red root. The beetroot’s green leaves and stems contain beta-carotene and plant pigments known as carotenoids, which have antioxidant properties. The leaves too are tasty and we usually make thoran and aviyal with them. They are a good substitute for red cheera like the red swiss chard. The importance of beetroot in our diet is in this ‌link.

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Ingredients

1. Wheat flour – 2 cup

2. Spinach – 3 cup washed and cleaned or Carrots – 2 or Beet root – 1 large

3. water – 1/2 cup

4. Green chillies – 3 (optional)

5. Garlic – 2

6. Salt – to taste

Method

1. Boil the 1/2 cup water in a vessel and add the spinach leaves as such. Within a few mts the leaves will be soft,tender and deep green. Then remove the vessel from the heat and let it cool (for palak chapati). For beetroot and carrot, peel it, cut into small pieces and microwave or cook it with enough water. The vegetables must be half cooked.

 

2. Grind the spinach leaves with the water (in which it is cooked), green chillies and garlic into a fine paste (Same for beetroot and carrot) .

3. Add salt to the wheat flour and mix well.

4. Gently add spinach paste to wheat flour and knead it to get a soft dough.

 

 

5. Cover it with a damp cloth and keep aside for at least half an hour.

6. Make small balls out of the dough and roll them out with a chapati roller into round shapes.

7.Heat a pan and fry the chapaties. Serve hot.