Pidi (Kozhakatta/ Rice dumpling) and Chicken Curry

Another traditional Malabar recipe. Yummy combo! This recipe is to be saved for sure :)

Pidi

Ingredients (Makes 25 to 30 Rice balls)

Rice Flour (Pachari Podi / Raw rice flour): 1 Cup
Rice Flour (Boiled Rice Flour): 1 Cup

Crushed Coconut Mix

Grated Coconut: 1/2 Cup
Cumin Seeds: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Shallots: 6 - 7

Green Chilly: 3 - 4
Salt
Water: 6 Cups

Cooking time: 10 to 15 minutes
Method

Grind the coconut adding cumin seeds, shallots and green chilly (Just Crush, do not make a fine paste)
Boil 3 cups of water adding required salt

Mix both the rice flour and add the crushed coconut mix to it and blend well
Once the water boils add it to the rice flour mix and make a thick dough

Once this cools knead it well and make small lemon sized balls out of it
Keep 2 1/2 cups of water for boiling in a wide vessel

Once the water boils add the rice flour balls
Reduce the flame and close the lid and cook well

Once the rice balls gets cooked switch off the flame
Do not strain off the excess water as the pidi should have a juicy texture

Note:

You can also the steam the rice balls if you don't like the juicy texture

Chicken Curry

Ingredients (Serves 5 to 6 people)

Chicken: 500gms
Onion: 2
Green Chilly: 4 - 5
Crushed ginger: 1 Table Spoon

Crushed Garlic: 1 Table Spoon
Tomato: 2
Chicken Masala: 2 Table Spoon
Coriander Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Red Chilly Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Table Spoon
Thick Coconut Milk: 1/4 Cup
Salt
Curry Leaves
Coriander Leaves

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 15 to 20 minutes
Method

Marinate the chicken add crushed ginger, garlic, chicken masala, coriander powder, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt
To this add chopped onion, green chilly and curry leaves and mix well
Keep it aside for 30 to 40 minutes
Close the pan and cook the chicken in low flame.  Do not add water
Stirr in between
Once the chicken cooks well and the gravy becomes thick add coriander leaves and stirr well
To this add thick coconut milk and switch off the flame

Note

To make the curry even more spicy you can add pepper powder too.

Pepper Chicken

Pepper Chicken -  For the spice loving girls and boys ;)

Ingredients (Serves 5 to 6 people)

Chicken: 500gms
Onion: 2
Green Chilly: 4 - 5
Crushed Ginger: 2 Table Spoon
Crushed Garlic: 2 Table Soon
Oil: 4 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Table Spoon
Pepper Powder: 3 - 4 Table Spoon (Can increase or decrease as per the spiciness required)
Salt
Curry Leaves
Coriander Leaves

Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 30 to 3 5minutes
Method

Chop the onion and green chilly
To chicken add chopped onion. green chilly, crushed ginger and garlic, turmeric powder, pepper powder and salt
To this add 4 table spoon oil and blend in well and mix it with your hand
Keep this aside for 45 minutes to an hour
Then close the lid of the pan and cook in very low flame for about 30 minutes
Stirr in between
Do not add water.
Add coriander leaves and curry leaves and serve hot.

Elanchi/Mutta Churul/Pancake/Maida Dosa

Tasty, Quick and Easy to make evening snack.An Indian twist and roll of pan cake :)

 

Ingredients (Serves 3 to 4 people)

Flour: 2 Cups
Egg: 1
Water
Salt
Grated Coconut: 1 Cup
Sugar: 2 - 3 Table Spoon
Cardamom Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Ghee

Cooking time: 5 to 10 minutes
Method

Mix the grated coconut, sugar and cardamom powder.
Beat the egg well.  To this add the flour and required salt and mix well
Add water slowly and make it a smooth batter
Consistency of the batter  is same like dosa batter.
Make medium size dosa using the batter
Brush a little ghee on top of it and add the coconut mix in the middle and roll it out

Note

Can try out variations by adding dry fruits and dates
To make it even more tastier add milk or coconut milk instead of adding water to the flour

Spicy Beef Curry

Nice and Spicy beef curry...Kerala Style!

Ingredients (Serves 4 to 5 people)

Beef: 500gms
Onion: 2
Green Chilli: 5 - 6
Tomato: 2
Crushed Ginger: 2 Table Spoon
Crushed Garlic: 2 Table Spoon
Coriander Powder : 2 Table Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Red Chilly Powder: 2 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Table Spoon
Pepper Powder: 2 Table Spoon
Oil: 1 - 2 Table Spoon
Salt
Coriander Leaves
Curry Leaves
Water

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 25 to 30 minutes

Method

Marinate the beef adding 1 Table spoon of red chilly powder, Turmeric Powder and salt
Keep it aside for 30 to 45 minutes
Add required water and pressure cook the beef well.
To a pan add oil.  To this add crushed ginger and garlic and saute for some time.
Then add chopped onion. green chilly and tomato.  Saute till the onion cooks well
To this add coriander powder, garam masala powder, red chilly powder and saute
Now add the cooked beef and blend in well
Add coriander leaves and curry leaves and saute till the gravy becomes thick
Add pepper powder and mix well and serve hot.

Palak & Paneer Rice / Spinach & Cottage Cheese Rice

Very tasty...very healthy. Simple and quick to make....:)

 

Ingredients (Serves 3 to 4 people)

Biriyani/Basmati Rice: 2 Cups
Onion: 1
Green Chilly: 2 - 3
Crushed Ginger: 1 Table Spoon

Crushed Garlic: 1 Table Spoon
Tomato: 1
Palak/Spinach: 1 Bunch
Paneer/Cottage Cheese cubes: 100 gms

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 3/4 Tea Spoon
Red Chilly Powder: 1 Tea Spoon

Water: 3 Cups
Lemon: 1
Sunflower Oil: 4 - 5 Table Spoon
Salt
Coriander Leaves

Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutes

Method

Wash the rice well and strain off the water
To a pressure cooker pour oil
To this add chopped onion, green chilly, crushed ginger, garlic and tomato one by one  and saute for around 7 to 8 minutes
To this add turmeric powder, garam masala powder and red chilly powder and saute for 2 to 3 minutes
To this add rice and saute for 10 minutes

Keep water for boiling
Add water and chopped Palak/Spinach to rice and stirr well.
Add required salt, lemon juice and coriander leaves and stirr well and close the lid and wait for 2 whistles and switch off the flame
Shallow fry the paneer
Before serving add paneer to the rice and serve hot with curd raitha.

Note

If you are using a pan to cook rice increase the water to 4 cups and close the lid and cook in low flame.

Omelette Chapati

An easy evening snack with left over chapati....

 

Ingredients (Makes 3 pieces)

Chapati: 3 nos
Egg: 1
Chopped Onion: 2 Table Spoon

Chopped Green chilly: 1 Tea Spoon
Pepper Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Salt

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Method
Whip egg adding salt, pepper powder, chopped onion and green chilly.
Heat the chapati tawa.
Place the chapati on the tawa and pour the egg mix on one side and spread it all over
Turn over the chapati and cook, same way pour egg on the other side and cook
Serve Hot.

Note
Make sure the tawa is kept in low flame, because the chapati is already cooked and there is a chance that it gets burnt if the flame is high.
Can try variations by adding tomato, coriander leaves, cheese etc..
You can also roll this into a wrap

Palak Paneer (Indian Cheese & Spinach Curry)

Delicious North Indian dish!!

Ingredients (Serves 5 to 6 people)

Palak (Spinach): 500 gms
Paneer Cubes: 200 gms
Cumin Seeds: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 1/2 Table Spoon
Onion: 1
Green chilly: 1 - 2 (Optional)
Tomato: 1
Kasoori Methi: 1 Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 2 Tea Spoon
Fresh Cream: 1 - 2 Table Spoon
Oil : 1 Table Spoon
Salt
Water

Cooking time: 15 to 20 minutes
Method

Wash the Palak.
Put it into boiling water wait for 1 minute, then switch off the flame and keep it aside for 5 to 10 minutes
To a pan pour oil and add the paneer cubes and saute till it becomes slightly golden brown in color
Put the fried paneer in hot water, this helps the paneer to become very soft.
To the same pan add cumin seeds once it finishes popping add ginger garlic paste
Add onion tomato and green chilly and saute for about 6 to 8 minutes
Allow it to cool

Drain off the water from the spinach and put it into a blender, add the onion tomato mix  to it.  Grind this to a fine puree
Pour this back to the pan
Strain off the water from the paneer and add it to the puree
Add salt, kasoori methi and garam masala powder.  Give it a good stirr
Once it starts to boil switch off the flame.  (If you need a thick consistency allow it to boil for some time)
Add fresh cream
Serve hot with roti or rice

Ari Kadukka / Kallummakka Nirachathu / Kadukka Nirachathu / Stuffed Mussels

Our very own exotic Malabar sea food!!! :)

Ingredients (Makes 6 pieces)

Kadukka / Kallumakka / Mussels: 6
Rice flour: 3/4 Cup
Grated Coconut: 1/4 Cup
Green Chilly: 2 - 3

Perum Jeerakam (Fennel Seeds/ Sweet Cumin): 1/4 Tea Spoon
Chuvannulli (Shallots): 5 - 6
Ginger: 1 Small Piece

Red Chilli Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Table Spoon
Oil: For Frying
Salt
Water

Total Cooking time: 1 hour
Method

Clean the Mussels well
Open it with a knife.  Do not open it complete. Don't separate them.

Grind together coconut, fennel seeds, shallots, green chilly, ginger and salt.
Add this to the rice flour and mix well
Pour boiling water to this and make it a thick dough

Allow it to cool
Take some dough and fill it inside the opened mussels and close it and tie it with a thread
Steam this for about 20 to 25 minutes

Mix red chilly powder, turmeric powder and a pinch of salt.  Add water and make it a paste.
Take out the cooked stuffed mussels from the steamer and allow it to cool
Once cooled well carefully remove the outer shell and marinate with the red chilly powder paste

Keep it aside for 10 to 20 minutes
Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the stuffed mussels
Serve Hot

Note

You can see a black dirt in the bottom of the mussel.  Either you can cut that part off after steaming before marination or after frying.
After steaming allow the stuffed mussels to get cooled well.  Otherwise it will not come off from the shell properly.
Mussels are naturally slightly salty, so be careful while adding salt to you dish

Unnakkaya / Coconut-filled Banana Fritters

Another mouth watering Ifthar sweet. :)

 

Ingredients (Makes 6 pieces)

Banana(Nethrapazham) : 3 nos(Not too ripe)
Grated Coconut: 1 Cup

Cashew nuts/Raisins: 2 Table Spoon
Sugar: 2 Tablespoon (Can increase or decrease as per the sweetness required)
Cardamom Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon

Ghee: 2 Table Spoon
Oil/Ghee: For Frying

Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes
Method

Steam the banana for 4 to 5 minutes so that it gets cooked  and becomes soft.  Do not over cook as you will not get the desired texture for the mix

Peel off the skin and using a knife cut through the middle length wise and remove the black seeds
Mash it well preferably with hands without any lumps.(Do not add water.)
The mix should be like mashed potatoes
In a pan, heat 1 table spoon of ghee and fry the cashew nuts and then add raisins.Add grated coconut and sugar.

Mix everything well till the coconut becomes soft and the sugar starts to melt
Add cardamom powder to the coconut mix
Apply little ghee in your hands
Take a lemon sized ball of the banana mix and flatten it in your palm
Keep the coconut mix in the center and close the edges and press slightly and roll it in between your palms

Heat oil/ghee in a pan add put the unnakkaya into it and fry in medium heat till it becomes brown in color
Make sure you turn the unnakkaya to all sides so that it gets cooked evenly
Serve Warm

Note

The banana should not be too ripe.
If it is too ripe or over cooked you wont get the correct texture.  The banana mix will be little watery.
If so you can add a little rice flour or wrap the banana mix in a cotton cloth and keep aside for some time.
You can try variations by adding sweet scrambled egg or poppy seeds or any other dry fruit