How are you ladies?  I am settling in well with the help of a lot of hookie activity (crochet).  It's been quite therapeutic, crocheting.  All the counting helps to take my mind off of everything else.  It is a much calmer me sitting and talking to you now about all the foodie indulgences of the past weekend. I made some pork ularthiyathu with a lot of other favorites of mine.

  We had a guest over.  He was craving Indian home style food and ever ready for some myself I went all the way and fixed a fare of rice and moru kachiyathu, thoran, meen curry and ularthirachi.  This is a typical lunch at my home in Kerala.  Oh.. it was all very good.  Eating and reminiscing about holidays in Kerala.  We puttered around home eating, chatting,  watching mal flick etc recreating a true holiday.  It felt close to being home on a summer vacation.  Blissful.

  So, about this pork I made.  It came out well.  Not very dry, coated in a generous gravy which was not dripping leaving the meat succulent I was quite pleased with the way it turned out.  We talked away into the night forking up pieces clean off the bowl without dripping or dirtying the carpet.  It's ideal to have with rice and a wet gravy or just as a snack.  It's pungent so adjust the chili powder if you are going to eat it as a snack.    You can do the same with any meat of your preference.  The shallots and curry leaves gives the dish the perk it needs to stand out as a Mal dish.  



Ingredients:

Pork Ularthiyathu

Pork - 2 lbs
Shallots - 2 - 3 cups sliced (I added 3 cups sliced)
Ginger - 3 tbspn coarsely chopped
Garlic - 3 tbspn coarsely chopped
Garam Masala - 2 tspn
Chili Powder - 2 Tbspn (bring it to 1 tbspn if you don't want it it hot; you adjust at the end if you prefer by sprinkling ground pepper)
Coriander - 1 Tbspn
Turmeric - 1/2 to 1 tspn
Curry Leaves - 3 - 4 sprigs
Vinegar - 1 tspn
Oil - 2-3 Tbspn
Salt - to taste



You could pressure cook all of this with 1/2 cup of water until two whistles and then simmer and slow cook till dry. Or you can saute shallots, ginger and garlic followed with the powder masala. Once done add pork stir till the flesh turns white and then add 1 cup of water and slow cook for an hour. Once it has cooked for an hour stir fry until water dries and oil expresses.



Contributor: Sunitha

  I have been so out of the blog world.  My husband and I relocated to Ohio and for the last month or so decisions, waiting, biting nails and more waiting took up all the time.  Yes, I was cooking and eating and could have probably taken some pictures and blogged.  However, I was feeling frozen in place with inactivity for some absurd, inexcusable reasons.  Believing you will forgive my lack of visits to your blogs and enthusiasm in blogging generally, I have a recipe for this very tasty pork curry.

 I cannot boast of any new techniques of cooking here.  The taste is familiar and yet slight variations I made while cooking gives it a refreshing newness.  It all started when I visited a friend recently and he served an  awesome chicken curry.  I asked him how he makes it and the way he rambled along with the recipe it was all the same thing that I do. Yet, it tasted different and very good.  Some variations I gleaned from his rambings were that he had added a lot of coriander leaves and his ratio of chili to coriander powder was different from mine.  Having been reminded again how much fresh coriander leaves can break or make a dish I gave this one an abundant dose.  I am not disappointed!

Ingredients:
Pork - 2 lbs
Onion - 1 large
Ginger - 1 Tbspn
Garlic - 1 Tbspn
Potato - 1
Tomato - 1
Curd     - 2 Tbspn
Green chili - 4
Chili Powder - 1 Tbspn
Coriander Powder - 2 Tbspn
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Garam Masala - 1 tspn
Bay Leaf - 1
Coriander Leaves - 1 bunch
Salt - to taste




Method:
1. Marinate pork in curd and salt for an hour
2.. Saute onions till translucent and add green chilies, ginger and garlic and saute
3. Add chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala and turmeric
4. Add tomatoes
5. Add the marinated pork and a cup of water and pressure cook till done. (I kept it for one whistle and then lowered the fire and cooked for a while about 10 minutes
Garnish with plenty of coriander leaves and serve with rice or roti

Contributor: Sunitha

Thanks for all your wishes to Sunitha and me.Thanks for your understanding and continued support.

Today's dish is so popular that it doesn't need any introduction.My family just love this and we make it quite often.Usually I do not add any food color,rather I would add more Kashmiri chilli powder for the color.See you all with another delicacy, soon :-)



Ingredients:

Chicken Drumsticks- 6-7
Yogurt- 4-5 Tbsp
Ginger-Garlic Paste- 1 Tbsp
Lemon Juice- 1 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder- 1/2 Tbsp
Kashmiri chilli powder-1 Tbsp
Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 Tbsp
Turmeric- a pinch
Red food color (optional)- a few drops
Salt- To taste
Oil- 1 Tbsp



Method:

1.Clean the drumsticks and remove all the water by placing them on paper towels.
2.Prepare the marinade by mixing together all the ingredients except the oil, listed.If you have time it would be great if you could take out all the water from yogurt by letting it hang in a muslin cloth for some time.
3.Make some incisions on the drumsticks and apply the marinade on each of them.
4.Finally sprinkle the oil on top and cover it, keep in the refrigerator for overnight or at least 8 hours.
5.Preheat the oven at 450 degree F.Place an Aluminum foil on a baking tray. (this would help reduce the mess).Place the drumsticks a few inches apart and spray with some oil.
6.Bake for about 30 minutes ,turning the sides in between.
7.If your oven has broil option keep it at 500 degree F, broil for 10 minutes,again turning the sides in between.If you are not broiling, keep it at 450 for another 10-12 minutes or until it is done.
8.If you have a grill, keep it on high until the chicken is done.This takes about 20-25 minutes.

Contributor: Namitha

   This one is an experiment I did after reading through some thai recipes.  I did not have mountain sauce or thai paste to make it all thai so I improvised because it was one of those day when I was desperate for something different.  The flavor of pineapple, peanuts and capsicum/bell pepper brings the dish together.  My husband thought, for once, it had to be sweeter but I did not add any more sweet than what the pineapple was bringing in. 





Ingredients:

Chicken Breast - 2 cut into small pieces
Onion               - 1/2 of a medium sized one
Ginger              - 1 tspn chopped fine
Garlic               - 1 or 2 tspn chopped fine
Capsicum/ Bell Pepper - 1/2
Green Chilies    - 2 nos
Chili powder    - 1 tspn
Pepper             - for taste
Fish sauce        - 1 tspn
Peanut butter    - 1 Tbspn
Pineapple         - 3/4 cup chunks with some juice (I used canned pineapple chunks)
Canola Oil        - 1 Tbspn
Chicken Stock  - 1 cup





Method:
1. Heat 1 Tbspn of oil in a pan and saute onions, ginger and garlic
2. Follow with chicken pieces till it turns white
3. Add bell peppers and green chilies and saute for a minute
4. Add fish sauce, peanut butter, chili powder and tomatoes and saute
5. Add a cup of chicken stock and cook the chicken until the sauce thickens.  Add ground pepper if you want the dish to be spicier
6. Garnish with spring onions/scallions and serve with rice or rotis







Contributor: Sunitha

I make this chicken curry when I am in a hurry. Much simpler than how I usually I make.  Throw everything into the pressure cooker and cook it down.  Having said that, some of the frying I take time to do does help to enhance and flavor and nobody can really say the difference. Almost!



Ingredients:

Chicken- 2lbs
Onions (finely chopped)-2
Ginger paste- 1 1/2 Tbsp
Garlic Paste- 1 1/2 Tbsp
Chicken masala (I used Eastern)- 2 Tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt
Garam Masala- 1 tsp
Red Chilli powder- 1 Tbsp
Coriander powder- 2 Tbsp
Tomato puree- 3 tsp
Curry leaves- 2 Sprig

Method:

1.Clean and marinate the chicken in chicken masala ,turmeric powder and salt.
2.Deep fry the onions in oil and keep aside.
3.Heat a tbsp of oil in a pressure cooker, saute the ginger and galic paste till the raw smell leaves.
4.Add all the spice powders into it and saute on low heat.
5.Throw in the fried onions and tomato puree and mix well.
6.Add the marinated chicken and curry leaves and saute for 3-4 minutes on low heat.
7.Add enough water to cook the chicken (I added 1 1/2 cup water) ,cover and cook till 2 whistles.
8.Open and mix well once all the pressure is released.Serve with ghee rice/fried rice/roti etc.



Contributor: Namitha

After the sweltering heat over the first half of this week, we are enjoying some cool weather in Chicago land. Today it’s cloudy, and murky outside, but a great weather to have prawns in coconut gravy with piping hot rice. Yum! My heart warms over just talking about it. I made some of this curry yesterday, and you can find the recipe below.



My sister-in-law had her first baby, and we are enjoying this new born in the family. Also, a very dear friend had her baby recently which makes double the fun. I am enjoying listening to the gushing new mothers gush and thrill at the wonderment of new life. Joyful!


I am also getting ready for another move in the near future. Soon, packing and other travel nuisances shall take over my life. Until then I continue to enjoy all your news on facebook and pretty photographs as usual. I hope you will enjoy this curry I have for you today. Have a pleasant weekend my blogger friends.


Ingredients:

Prawns – 1 lb

Coconut – 1 cup

Raw Mango – 1 big

Green chili – 4

Chili Powder – 2 tspn

Coriander Powder – 2 tspn

Turmeric – ½ tspn

Shallots – 2

Garlic cloves – 4



Ingredients for Tempering:

Oil (Preferably coconut oil) – 2 tspn

Mustard Seeds – ½ tspn

Curry Leaves – 1 spring

Shallots – 1-2





Method:

1. Cut mango into big pieces and cook in 1 cup of water with the green chilis till half done

2. Add the prawns and cook for about 7 to 8 minutes depending on the size of each prawn.

3. Grind coconut, shallots, garlic cloves, chili powder, coriander powder and turmeric to a paste and pour over the cooked prawns and mango add water to your desired consistency and let the curry heat through

4. Once done, take off the heat and temper.

5. For tempering – heat oil in a pan let the mustard splutter, add shallots followed by curry leaves and pour over the curry

Sending this to Kerala Kitchen at Magpies Recipes

This is my hubby's recipe.  He apparently started doing this as early as when he was in high school and my mom in law says she never helped him with the recipe.  This is the simplest egg preparation I have come across yet but totally loved by all at home.  I hope you have the same success satisfying the palettes of your dear ones with an easy yet scrummy egg roast.

  I am enjoying the monsoons. Rain splattering outside, my children screaming and screeching at any bug that flies into the house, its chaotic, homely fun. It's wild.  I have to add there is nothing like moms cooking.  I guess it's rightly said that the taste is because they add a pinch of love.  I am wrapping that love and this weather over me like my favorite afghan.  I will need it when I leave.



Ingredients

Eggs,hard boiled- 4-5
Onions finely chopped- 2
Salt
Oil- 2-3 Tbsp
Red chilli powder- 1 tsp

Method:

1.Heat oil in a pan and saute the onions, do this on medium high heat and stir often.Turn down the heat when the onions become golden brown.
2.Add the salt and chilli powder and saute for a couple of minutes.
3.Cut the eggs into halves and place them on the pan, cut side down and put all the onion slices on top of the pieces.
4.Turn the egg halves when the side is slightly browned.
5.Do the same for the other side too. Serve warm with roti or rice.



Notes:

1. I have tried this with garam masala, coriander powder etc. But we like this with just the chilli powder,exactly like my hubby used to do :-)

Contributor: Namitha

    This is another variation of beef with pretty much the same ingredients you will find in most malayalee homes.  However, the variation here is only the amount of onions that is used and no coconut pieces.  This used to be my favorite I remember while I was growing up.  Couple of rotis with this dish was my favorite.  Along the way my mother started doing more authentic Kerala style beef with coconut pieces and slow cooking them in a uruli (a wide mouthed vessel made with copper and brass) etc and the way I am directing to cook beef today is no more common with her.  This morning with some stew beef in hand I decided to replicate an old forgotten taste.

   Happy weekend!

Ingredients:

To Pressure Cook:
Beef                       - 1.4 pounds
Ginger                    - 2 Tbspn chopped
Garlic                     - 2 Tbspn chopped
Turmeric                - 1/2 tspn
Coriander powder - 2 tspn
Chili powder         - 1 1/2 tspn
Salt                       - 1/2 tspn
Vinegar                 - 1 tspn

For Sauteering
Oil - 2 Tbspn (this is a very modest amount and if you don't mind the oil and want to make the dish rich add 2 more altogether 4 tbspn of oil)
Onions - 2 medium size julienne
Black Pepper - 1/2 tspn coarsely ground ( more if you like)
Curry Leaves - 2-3 sprigs (more the tastier)

Method:
1. Mix together everything under 'for pressure cooking' and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles.  Each pressure cooker behaves differently so what I am trying to do here is get the meat to cook but stay together and not fal apart
2. Once the meat is cooked heat oil in a pan and saute the onions.  Check for salt in the meat and if you think it can take more add a dash to the onions while you stir fry
3. Once onions are just about translucent add in pepper and the cooked meat with its gravy
4. On a medium fire let the meat and onions incorporate and switch off while the dish is slightly wet
5. This dish is not meant to be dry fried


Serve with rotis or rice.

Note: For this dish if you want to add more spices or chilis you may do so while stir frying it with the onions.  I added a dash of vinegar to spike it up.  In the same way feel free to built up while frying but remember that as the water / soup start evaporating from the pan the taste of the spices starts getting pronounced.

This was one of the jokes my brother and his friends would pull on me. I might not have said anything like this, but they would improvise a story around the above joke and tell anybody listening for a laugh. I wonder if he or any of his friends knew Easter was a ‘moveable feast' and that is why it always falls on Sunday


Resurrection of Jesus on the 3rd day from his crucifixion. This is the most significant festival for Christians, in fact, bigger than Christmas. Thankfully, it is not as commercialized as Christmas and the gravity and seriousness is honored.

  You must be familiar with Easter eggs as a common feature in the celebrations here in the U.S. But growing up, I do not remember it to be important. Over the summer holidays, which fall now in India, we would color egg shells and place it on plants but that was not to celebrate Easter.  We don't even consider cooking eggs on this day in a special way.  


  Then what do we do? The most important thing to do was to eat a lot of meat and fish.  It starts off with breakfast with appam and stew. Today, I will share veal stew with you which goes well with appam or white bread. Hope you enjoy it. 


   Stewing as a cooking term means to cook meat and vegetables by simmering and thickening by reducing the juices or thickening the gravy with flour or any other thickening agent.  In Kerala, most cooking is slow and on stove stop, and what we call stew is slow cooked, no doubt, but generally to mean a mildly spiced meat or vegetable in coconut milk.

   It has been a while since I made lamb at home.  You might know that lamb is not exactly the most famous meat in the US.  Apparently, in the early days the military used to serve mutton (considered meat of older sheep/goat) which is tough meat with a heavy flavor. So much so that, they banned it at home while on their holidays.  This is kind of a "did you know" fact I read on wikipedia.  Either ways, it helped me understand why I could never find this meat in Kroger (my staple stop).
    However, this does not mean there are no more enthusiasts.  I did find some in Sams and found out a couple more places where they are sold.  Hurray! I expressly cut them into bite size pieces and put together this dish..  Fried  onions to a golden brown.  The slightly sweet and caramalized onions paired with generous amount of cilantro takes this dish to the next level.  The flavor of lamb, onions and cilantro blends in to make this exotic treat. 
    Serve it up with some rotis, parathas or plain rice and succumb to the magic it weaves.
Ingredients:

Lamb -2 Lb
Onions - 2 nos
Tomato - 2 nos
Ginger - 2 Tbspn
Garlic - 1 whole (about 2-3 Tbspn chopped)
Coriander – 1 Tbspn
Chili Powder – 1 Tbspn
Garam Masala – 2 - 3 tspn
Cilantro (Coriander) – ½ bunch
Turmeric – 1 tspn
Oil – 2 Tbspn


 Method:

1.      Sauté onions in enough oil till golden brown
2.      Add ginger sauté followed with garlic
3.      Add chili, coriander, garam masala, turmeric and sauté
4.      Add cilantro leaves chopped and then the tomato
5.      Add the washed and drained lamb in and sauté
6.      Once oil clears the pan pressure cook on medium for 4 to 5 minutes
Contributor: Sunitha

There is a famous saying in Kerala about the quail which goes like this, 1000 chicken = 1/2 of a quail.This could be because it's a high calorie,high cholesterol meat.Most of the Toddy shops in Kerala serves this as a side dish. We have already told you about the toddy shops here.



Ingredients:

Quail- 5-6
Onion- 3
Oil- 3-4 Tbsp
Green chillies- 2-3
Tomato- 1
Garlic cloves(grated)- 9-10
Ginger grated- 3 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt- To taste
Chilli powder- 2 1/2tsp
Pepper powder- 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder- 2 tbsp
Garam masala- 2 tsp
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Coconut milk- 1 cup

Method:

1. Marinate the quail with turmeric and salt.
2.Meanwhile heat oil in a pan and saute the onion till it starts turning slight golden brown in color.
3.Add chopped green chillies ,ginger and garlic. Saute till the raw smell leaves.
4.Throw in finely chopped tomato and saute again.
5.Now add the other spice powders and curry leaves and mix well.
6.Mix the marinated quail and close the lid to cook for 3-4 minutes.
7.Pour in the coconut milk and mix well.
8.Close the lid and cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring a couple of times in between.
9.Open the lid and stir continuously to dry off any water content.
10.Take out into a serving bowl.




Contributor: Namitha

   Over weekends, you will agree we all like to have some special food to enjoy family time.  Last weekend, rather than buying frozen nuggets I decided to bake some drumsticks. I like experimenting with chicken because it beautifully adapts with a myriad of flavors.  You add orange juice or mango or garam masala or whatever you can think of and chicken, like a sponge will absorb and blend with it to make a delectable dish.

   So here is how I cooked the drumsticks.  Go ahead and feel free to try different ingredients to personalize it.


Drumsticks – 6 nos
Soya Bean Sauce – 2 tbspn
Garlic Powder – ½ tspn
Chili Powder – 1 tspn
Pepper Powder – 1 tspn
Alcohol – 1 Tbspn
Oil - 1 - 2 tspn
Salt - to taste ( I did not add any because the soya bean sauce I have with me is quite salty, so if you are adding a sauce add salt with caution)

1. Add all the ingredients and marinate the chicken for at least two hours.
2. Line a dish with oil and set aside
3. Preheat oven to 350 degree F/ 180 degree C and bake chicken for 20 – 30 minutes.  Time of cooking  depends upon your oven so adjust accordingly.
4. 10 - 15 minutes through the cooking time check the chicken.  Take the dish out and baste it (pour the juices and oil over the chicken) and flip the pieces to ensure both sides are equally browned.
5. Continue cooking.
6. Once chicken is cooked remove pan from the oven and add the alcohol, I added whiskey. You will hear the sizzling noise and an aroma is imparted which will definitely have your mouth watering.


Serve with pickled chili's, onions and tomatoes. This works well as a starter or make it a full meal by having some cooked vegetables with it.


Awards:


There have been a lot of awards being given away from Priya and Sangeetha and we accept and treasure them.

So what do you do when you have a considerable amount of fat deposited around your waist, and find yourself dancing to lady Ga Ga’s tune in a pub/club passé?  I would work on that waist again!  No, not to lose it but to get it all rounded up like a ‘muffin top’ as Elizabeth Gilbert says in her book ‘Eat Pray Love.’ And the best way to do it is enjoy your friend’s home cooked pork.  Deliciously pungent and nicely fatty, it is most appropriate for a Friday evening.  Let’s kick start this party with food, food and more food.

 




Does this happen to you?  You have something in hand; don’t realize its worth until it is too late.  Of course! Everybody knows such things, it’s a cliché.   But then remember what I told you earlier, take this weekend head on and enjoy.  Don’t listen to me whatever age we are, we can still swing to the beats of Lady Ga Ga or Justin Timberlake.  Let’s get this thing rolling!



By the way, don’t cook this recipe by yourself.  Print it out on a nice card and gift it to your friend.  Remember what I said, it tastes best when another makes it for you. Have fun!

Pork shoulders - 2 lb
Coriander Powder - 5 Tbspn
Turmeric Powder - 1 Tspn
Chili Powder - 2 Tbspn
Garam Masala - 1/2 tspn
Onions - 3 medium size
Ginger paste - 1 Tbspn
Garlic - 1 Tbspn
Coconut milk- 1 Tbspn
Green chilies - 5 nos
Curry Leaves
Oil
Salt

Method:
1. Chop pork shoulders into small cubes and set aside
2. Take coriander, turmeric, chili and garam masala in a small wok or skillet and heat it stirring to make sure it does not get burned but until the mixture give off its aroma.  Switch off stove transfer the mixture instantly onto any dish to avoid further cooking of the powder.
3. Chop onions and saute followed with slit green chilies
4. Follow up with ginger, garlic, curry leaves and once this express the cooked aroma add the toasted powder.  Once oil expresses add the coconut milk which will help to soothe the pungent masala and then add the tomatoes and cook until they are soft. 
5. Take your time with the above step, it's best when the masala is slowly cooked and oil clears the pan.
6. Slide in the pork and stir to coat the masala.  Cook on a low heat, the pork will cook in it's own water but if you find it difficult add some water about 1/2 cup and cook on low heat until pork is soft. 
7. After about 15 minutes make sure you stir the mixture well to avoid burning the masala.
8. Garnish with Curry leaves and serve.

Note:
1. The dish is pungent and have a concentrated flavor of coriander powder.  It pairs well with idiyappams, sannas, appam etc which have a sweet flavor.
2. This recipe is also my friend Jaya's.  Thank you!

Contributor: Sunitha
Recipe Courtesy: Jaya

  With the long weekend over its taking me time to get back into my routine.  I will expressly finish my ramblings and get to the point today.  I made some fish which is pretty easy to cook and yet satisfying to the taste buds. I especially like this way of cooking fish with mango because it changes an everyday dish for me into a special one.  So, if you are like me and like fish made in Kerala style and yet want to make it a little different the best way is to change the ingredient that gives it it's tang.  You can change the kokum to tamarind, tomato, mango or Irumban puli.  The English names for tree bearing Irumban or Ilimbi puli nbsp;are cucumber tree, tree sorrel etc.

  Wish you Happy Mardi gras, Fat Tuesday or whatever name you call it.  I almost forgot about but last year same time is when I started making bread in a big way.  If you would like to read about what I did last year you can find it here. 


Ingredients:
Fish - 3 fillet (I used tilapia so any two fishes maximum of medium size will work well
Mango - 1 cup diced
Coconut - 1 cup grated and crushed by running in the mixer once
Green chillies - 2
Chilli powder - 1/2 Tbspn
Shallots - cut into four pieces 1/2 cup
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Ginger - 1 tspn Chopped fine
Garlic - 1/2 tspn (optional)
Fenugreek powder - 1/4 tspn
oil - 2 tspn



Method
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard and when it splutters the shallots, ginger, garlic and curry leaves and stir around for a 3 - 4 minutes
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and 1/4 to 1/2 cup water and let it cook for a while till the water drains and the fish and mango is cooked.
3. Serve with rice and gravy of your choice.

Contributor: Sunitha

 Hello, we hope there is good cheer and fun in your life wherever you are.

 This is my second egg recipe and I am kicking myself for not having something better to share.  However, you should know this I grew up in a family where everyone loved egg roast and roti.  It used to be so common that everyone who knew us stopped asking what we had for dinner, even as a courtesy, because they assumed we had egg roast and roti.  This was not because my mother was not creative enough but because this dish killed any criticism whatsoever at the table.

Ingredients:

Chopped Onions – 1 no

Ginger – 1 tspn chopped fine

Garlic – 1 tspn chopped fine

Tomato – puree 1 ½ tbsp or 2-3 nos of whole tomatoes chopped fine

Kashmiri chili powder – 1 tbspn

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Green chili – 2 (this is only if you like the dish to be HOT)

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Garam masala – 1 tspn

Eggs- 4-6

Method:

1. Saute onions and when its translucent add ginger and garlic until the garlic gives off its beautiful aroma (I add onions first to avoid garlic from being burned, try this method the taste will be much better)

2. Add green chilies followed by curry leaves and saute

3. Add chili powder and turmeric and sauté till the raw smell is gone

4. Add tomato puree or chopped tomatoes and sauté till oil leaves the pan

5. Add garam masala and mix in well and add whole or halved eggs

6. Garnish with coriander leaves (optional)

Contributor: Sunitha

The man on a black ferry (vallom, vanji) would paddle by my grand parent’s home to sell fish. I am talking about 1980’s. I used to love running all the way to the river bare footed, straight out of bed, with tousled hair and a puffy morning face to watch the spectacular display of fish on his boat. He would have some sea and fresh water fish. Sardines and mackerel from the sea and a myriad of fresh water ones. Of course, he would be carrying only a few varieties at a time but would bring something different every day.

There would be some haggling for the prize and then ‘mamachi’(that’s what I called my maternal grandmother) would settle for some prize and she we would walk back with her earthern shallow pot (chatty) brimming with fish and an excited me bobbing up and down beside her. I still remember her chattayum mundum with the fan gathered behind the way this is worn. The smell of her crisp, white, lightly starched, sun dried clothes is still fresh in my memory. She had peppered hair gathered back in a bun and wore a beautiful rosette designed earrings studded with crystals and long gold chain with a prominent cross sign.  She would tell me whever I fiddled with her earrings or kept looking at them admiring that I can have it when she is gone.  I am her eldest grand daughter and I own the earrings now.

   We would sit outside on the pebbled courtyard with the fish, to clean them. She on a low stool (called korandi) and me squatting close by listening to her stories and closely watching her trim the fins and tail dexterously off the fish and lay them into a clean pot nearby. There would be a whole lot of cleaning rubbing it on stone and then twirling it around in the pot with rock salt until she was satisfied. Karthiyani (her help) would quickly grind this peach colored coconut gravy on the stone swaying her whole body forward and backward. Her grinding style was a joke because only she moves like that with the stone all the others learned the trick of holding the body still and just moving your hands to get the job done.

 

Anyways, today I have the fish fillets, store bought grated coconut which my grinder will help me blend in no time to cook the same curry. I am thankful for the conveniences but the memories of those days and the taste of evenly ground coconut can never be replicated. Or maybe it’s my grand mother’s love that I am missing. On days when I feel home sick I pick up the phone, call my mom or aunt, figure out some old recipes and concoct them and feel instantly at home. Here is a simple yet delicious fish curry my family makes mostly with fresh water fish but now we use all kinds. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

A dried fruit I have used,kudampuli(Gambooge- Garcinia gummi-gutta), gives the sourness to the curry. Please click on the link to read more about it. The tartness the kudampuli lends is what makes this dish stand apart from similar dishes made with tamarind or tomato. I have no words to describe the taste but just say if you like coconut gravy chances are you will enjoy this too.

  I couldn't help but get carried away with my memories talking about this fish curry.  Click on the links to see pictures of the vallom and chatta and mundu if you do not know what I am talking about.  Also, the curry is not peach in color because I forgot to add chilli powder while grinding the coconut.

Ingredients:

Tilapia Fish fillet    - 4
Coconut               -  1 cup
Water                  - 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder - 1 tspn
Green Chillies      - 4 nos
Ginger                 - 1/2 Tbspn
kudampuli               - 2 pieces washed and soaked in 1/4 cup water
Garlic                  - 1 - 2 pods optional
Curry Leaves      - 1 sprig
Salt                     - to taste

Method:

1. Cut the fish fillet in two
2. Grind chilli powder, turmeric, garlic and coconut to a fine paste
3. Mix the fish and all the other ingredients together and cook on medium high heat to bring to a boil and then simmer on low till fish is cooked

Notes:  You may grind the ginger to a paste as well I prefer to have it in pieces
2. You may do a tempering with coconut oil or oil of preference with mustard, shallots, dry red chilly and curry leaves
3. You could use kokum instead of "kudampuli", they have similar taste, being from the same family.

Contributor: Sunitha

The gloomy weather shows no signs of letting up. The weekend was misty , murky and mundane except for some hoisin chicken I made. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Yes it was. The other day, I saw some pictures of hoisin chicken in Peanutts blog and drooled.  Instantly decided I need to try this sauce. I picked up a bottle on my regular shopping fix at the grocers and I have to say, not disappointing at all! Let’s try a positive statement. It‘s exquisite!

The recipe on Peanutts blog called for steaming the chicken but I did my own thing. Her recipe looks scrumptious and was helpful to understand how much of the sauce I can add without totally messing up. Please click on the highlighted link to reach her page.

If there are any authentic ways of cooking with hoisin sauce I am in the dark of the same.  Today’s recipe has nothing to do with authenticity but a lot to do with fun, both cooking and eating.

The chicken was marinated for a couple of hours and stir fried with vegetables that I picked up on random from the refrigerator. They were the misplaced, running around kinds who were looking lost in my vegetable tray, needing help. I spruced then up with some trimming and tossed in. Following, I thickened the sauce,  pouring over the cooked chicken and vegetables and sprinkling with sesame seeds to close the deal.



Ingredients:
Chicken Breast - 2
Green chillies    - 4 nos
Capsicum red and green (Bell Peppers)         - 1/2 cup diced
Cabbage          - a couple of leaves torn
carrots              - 1/2
Hoisin sauce      - 3 Tbspn
Oyster sauce    - 2 Tbspn
Soya bean sauce - 1 - 2 Tbspn
Sesame seed     - to sprinkle on top (approximately 1 tspn)
Oil                     - 2 tbspn
Ginger                - 1 Tbspn thinkly chopped
Garlic                 - 1/2 Tbspn chopped
Corn starch        - 1 Tbspn
Water or Chicken broth - 1 and 1/4 cup


Method:
1. Marinate the chicken in 1 tbspn hoisin sauce, 1 tbspn oyster sauce and 1 tbspn soya bean sauce for 2 hours or freeze it till you want to use next
2. Heat oil in a pan and stir fry the chicken with ginger and garlic till cooked
3. Spoon them out and in the remainting oil proceed to saute the vegetables like bok choy, cabbage, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower etc.  I have used cabbage, bell peppers and carrots.
4. Add some more of all the three sauce just enough to spice up the vegetables.  Just a little is fine.
5. Once they are cooked al dente throw back the chicken and cook them all together and transfer into your serving dish
6. Add a cup of water and all the three remaining sauce and bring to a boil.  Add the corn starch dissolved in 1/4th cup water and add to the boiling sauce.  Thicken and add to the prepared chicken and vegetables and sprinkle with sesame seeds


Notes:
1. All meaurements are approximate
2. Avoid or reduce green chillies.  I like the dishes hot and add quite a few chillies.  This one was quite piquant so reduce the no of chillies if you like your dish mild.
3. I like cabbage, bok choy, peppers, broccoli or cauliflower, celery, scallions etc in the chinese style dishes I make. I have never used potatoes for example in these preparations and so cannot vouch for it going well even though I tend to loosely state add vegetables of your choice.

    Curry as you know is any vegetable, fish or meat in a gravy.  And chicken curry can be made with different gravies. The difference between the gravies are the ingredients used to make them.  I would call the most basic one to be of onion and tomato.  The variations from the basic is when consistency and richness is changed by addition to the basic.  Fesh cream, coconut milk, cashew nuts ground to a paste, spinach or other leafy vegetables pureed or poppy seed paste etc to name a few. We will continue to update our blog with the variations in future.

  I am sharing the tomato and onion gravy spiced with curry powder and garam masala today.  By curry powder here I mean  coriander powder, paparika, turmeric.  'Garam masala' is a blend of whole spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and fennel seeds.  Then again there are many more spices which are added and deleted as per taste and cuisine.

   I will share the way I make garam masala in my next post.

   The timings below are all approximate and even the powders mentioned are how I like it.  Depending on your tolerance towards the spices add and subtract.  Remember, thickening of the gravy is from the onions, tomato and coriander powder make your variations keeping this in mind.  At home we like the curries to be so spicy that it hits our senses so to speak. 

Ingredients:
Chicken             - 1 pound
Onions               - 2 medium
Garlic                 - 1 whole chopped coarsely it yields around 1/4 cup
Ginger                - a big piece when coarsely cut yields 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
Chilli powder      - 1 tbspn
Black Pepper     - 1/4th tspn
Coriander           - 3 tbspn
Garam masala    - 1 1/2 tspn
Tomato              - 2 medium size ones that you get on vine and which are sour
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup packed chopped fine
Oil                      - 4 Tbspn (use according to your convenience as long as you can saute the onions golden brown)
Salt                    - 1 tspn or as per taste (use your judgement use half and only remaining after tasting)

Method:

1.  Saute onions till translucent and starting to turn golden
2.  Add ginger,garlic and saute
3.  Add all the powders and saute till oil leaves the pan or if you are using less oil on a low fire make sure you cook the powders till the raw smell leaves
4. Add tomato chopped and saute and stirring make sure oil leaves pan before you add chicken. The moisture from the tomato allows you to see the oil seperating so wait patiently and do this process on medium low
5. Add the washed clean and dried chicken and mix well.  At this point on a medium low heat again let the chicken cook until you see water leaving the chicken. Stirring intemittently.
6. I would cook the chicken in  its own water for approximately 20 - 30 minutes or until all the water has dried up and the chicken is cooked in its gravy.
7. Once the water has dried add 1/4th to 1/2 cup of boiling water and stir
8. Let the water combine well to make a thick gravy


Notes:
1. I make sure the chicken cooks on the stove on a medium low fire for 30-45 minutes.  This ensures we recommended cooking time for poultry is reached as well as the spices have permeated the meat.
2. Kashmiri chilli powder available in Indian stores are less hot compared to the paparika.  As such you may opt for this chilli powder to keep the color and consistency and keeping the curry mild.

Contributor: Sunitha

Autumn is here and I love it! Finally we have some awaited cool weather. I hope you are enjoying good weather where ever you are as much I am. This morning, enjoying the cool breeze blowing in through my patio, bright sunlight finding its way through the lattice work and with some joyous music playing on my CD, I cooked. Have you tried cooking with music? It’s wonderful, rather therapeutic I should say.
So, what did I cook? I made naadan (Kerala style) chicken roast, chocolate chip muffins and healthy bran muffins. No, they are all not for today but it will take us through the rest of the week.
Now, having given you a glimpse of my day let me get down to business. The 'naadan' (country style) chicken roast recipe I am sharing comes from my mom which she got from her mother so we are talking some authentic Kerala cooking today. I spoke to both my mom and her sister so I guess I need to give them both the credit. They are like most of our parents; if you ask them how to make something they will rattle along, oh that, simple! Take a little of this and a little more of that put them all in together give it a good stir and voila! The dish is ready. It took me a couple of conversations with both my mom and aunt to get to the bottom of how much a little bit of this and a little bit more of that means. Either ways, I must tell you after a couple of experiments I have quite mastered the ROAST! Every time I make this dish we lap it up like we have been starving for days. So go ahead and try this and enjoy it with some rice or chapatti!



Ingredients:

Chicken - 4 lbs approximately 2 Kg
Whole red chili - 30 nos seeded
Shallots - 1 lb 450 gms
Ginger - 1/4 cup
Garlic - 1/4 cup
Vinegar - 2 tbspn
Salt - to taste
Garam Masala - 1 tbspn
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Coconut Oil or any oil of preference - 4 tbspn
Curry Leaves - 4 sprigs
Potato - 1 thinly sliced rounds
Friend onions for garnishing

Method:

1. Marinate chicken in 1 tbspn vinegar, 1/2 tspn turmeric and a little salt for 1 hour
2. Soak red chillies in 1 tbspn vinegar mixed with 1 tbspn of water after taking out the seed and leave it for a while to soak. (split chili in half and tap it to get the seeds off).  Add a little water to the vinegar
3. Crush the ginger, garlic, shallots and the soaked red chillies and add the mixture to the chicken and cook for 20 min on medium fire
5. Heat oil in a pan and on medium fire shallow fry the chicken and set aside
6. Once all the chicken pieces are fried (read golden brown on both sides) pour the gravy into the pan and cook till oil clears the pan
7. Pour the gravy on top of the fried chicken
8. Decorate with fried potatoes, onions and cashew nuts



Contributor: Sunitha