Crispy Palak (Crispy Spinach)

For those who have a tough time eating vegetables...

Ingredients

Palak (Spinach): 10 to 15 leaves
Basen(Chickpea Flour): 5 to 6 Table Spoon
Asafoetida Powder: 1 pinch

Red Chilly Powder: 1/2 Tea spoon
Pepper Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Salt
Water
Oil: For frying

Cooking time: 5 to 10 minutes
Method

Clean the palak and keep aside
Mix together basen, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder and required salt

To this add required water and make it a paste.  Not too thick or thin
Heat oil in a kadai
Once the oil is heated well, reduce the flame
Dip each palak leaf in the above mixture and deep fry in oil till it becomes golden brown in color

Serve hot

Parippu Vada (A snack with dal)

Hot Tea, Parippu Vada and Drizzling rain. Love the combo :)

Ingredients (Makes 10 to 12 pieces)

Toor Dal: 1 Cup
Onion: 2
Green chilly: 3 - 4
Chopped Ginger: 1 Table Spoon
Red Chilly Powder: 3/4 Tea Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Asafoetida powder: 2 pinch
Oil: for Deep Frying
Salt
Curry Leaves

Cooking time: 10 to 15 minutes
Preparation Time: 2 Hours

Method
Soak dal for 2 hours and grind it (Do not add water and do not make it a fine paste)

To this add chopped onion, green chilly, ginger, curry leaves, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida  powder and salt

Mix everything well.

Take small portions of the mixture and flatten it in your palm and deep fry in oil
Serve hot

Note

Do not add water while grinding the dal.
While grinding do not make a fine paste.  A good crushing is enough
Do not make the vada too thick as there are chances that the inner part will not be cooked
Before frying preheat the oil well and just before adding the vada reduce the flame.

Mathi Peera Pattichatu (Sardine in crushed coconut)

Mathi Malabar style!

Ingredients (Serves 4 to 5 People)

Small Sardines: 250 gm
Grated Coconut: 1 Cup
Shallots: 6 to 8
Ginger: 1 small Piece
Garlic: 2 to 3
Green Chilly: 5 to 6
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Red Chilli Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Coriander Powder : 1/2 Tea Spoon
Coconut oil: 2 to 3 Table Spoon
Kudampuli: 2 to 3
Salt
Water
Curry Leaves

Preparation Time: 15 miutes
Cooking Time: 10 to 15 minutes

Method

Clean the sardines well
Soak the kudampuli in little water
Crush together coconut, shallots, ginger, garlic and green chilly
Mix together sardines, crushed coconut mix, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, coriander powder and salt
Keep aside for 15 minutes

Strain off the water from kudampuli and add it.
Close the lid and cook in low flame.  Do not add water, if required sprinkle little water
Stir in between
Once cooked add curry leaves  and pour coconut oil
Serve hot.

Note:

Small sardines is best for this recipe, if you have bigger ones cut into 2 pieces
Increase or decrease the spiciness as per your wish

Papaya - Curd Curry

Also known as Pulisseri/ Moru Curry in different parts of Kerala :)

Ingredients (Serves 3 to 4 people)

Chopped Raw Papaya: 1 Cup
Thick Curd: 1/2 Cup
Grated Coconut: 1/2 Cup
Green Chilly: 3 - 4
Ginger :1 Small Piece
Cumin Seeds: 1/4 Tea Spoon

Papaya tree

Turmeric Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Red chilly Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Dried Red Chilly: 3 - 4
Mustard Seeds: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Coconut Oil :2 Table Spoon
Salt
Water
Curry Leaves

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Method

Cook the chopped papaya adding turmeric powder, red chilly powder, salt and water
Grind together coconut, green chilly, cumin seeds, ginger and curd
Once the papaya cooks well and the coconut paste
Add curry leaves and allow it to boil
Once it starts to boil switch off the flame
To a pan pour coconut oil and add mustard seeds to it
Once it finishes popping add dried red chilly and saute till it becomes brown in color
Add this to the curry
Serve hot with rice

Strawberry Pudding served with strawberry sauce

Very Very Strawberry! :)

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Strawberry : 8 to 10
Milk : 200ml
Condensed milk : 5 Table spoon
China grass / Agar agar : 5g
Water : 1/2 cup

For Strawberry Sauce

Strawberry : 4 to 5
Sugar : 3 to 4 table spoon
Strawberry jam : 1 table spoon

Cooking time : 5 minutes

Method

Soak china grass in half cup of water

Boil milk and let it cool.
Blend strawberries with milk and condensed milk

Melt china grass in low flame till it becomes liquid
Add this to the pudding mix and stir well
Pour in setting tray and keep in fridge

For sauce
To a pan add chopped strawberries,  sugar and jam and stir until it becomes a thick liquid

Pour this on top of the pudding before serving

Note
You can increase the sweetness by either adding sugar or by increasing the quantity of condensed milk
You can chop a few strawberries and add that too to the pudding mix so that you get bites of strawberry

Water rose apple pickle / Chambakka Achar

Tangy Taste :)

Ingredients

Chambakka/ Jambu/ Rose Apple/ Water Rose Apple/ Love apple: 20 to 25 nos
Crushed Ginger: 2 Table Spoon
Crushed Garlic: 2 Table Spoon
Sesame Oil: 5 Table Spoon
Red Chilly Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Pickle Powder: 1/2 Table Spoon

Fenugreek seeds Powder: 1/2 Table Spoon
Asafoetida Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Salt
Vinegar: 2 Table Spoon

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Method

Wash the rose apple and dry it well
Cut it and keep aside

Pour sesame oil to a pan and add crushed ginger, garlic and saute till the raw smell goes
To this add red chilly powder, pickle powder, asafoetida, salt  and saute well
To this add the chopped rose apples and stir till the spices and rose apples blends in well
Switch off the flame and add fenugreek seeds powder and vinegar and stir