Special Fish Fry

For all those who love fish.....Just try this once!!!

Ingredients

Mackerel Fish/Ayala : 2
Shallots: 3
Garlic: 1
Ginger: 1 Small Piece
Green Chilly: 2
Fennel seeds: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Lime juice: 1 Tea Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Chilly Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Curry Leaves: few
Oil
Salt
Water

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 Minutes
Method

Clean the mackerel and make gashes on it and keep aside
Crush shallots, garlic, ginger, green chilly, curry leaves and fennel seeds

To this add turmeric powder, red chilly powder, lime juice and required salt
Add little water and make it a paste.  Marinate the fish in this and keep in fridge for minimum 20 minutes

Pour oil to a pan, once the oil heats reduce the flame and shallow fry the fish
Serve hot.

Note:
I like fish fry to be little crisp outside, So i keep on flame for a bit more longer.
Adjust the cooking time if you don't want it to be more crisp
Adjust spices accordingly
You can use same marinate for  any fish of your choice
Always fry the fish In low flame only. 

Simple Chicken Franks/Sausage Fry

Dedicated this recipe for my brother Arun who has just started cooking on his own.........
(Friends he has gone abroad on a new assignment.  So he is in search of tasty, quick & easy recipes)

Ingredients

Chicken Franks: 10
Onion: 1 Big
Pepper Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Oil: 2 Table Spoon
Salt
Water
Coriander Leaves

Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Method

Put the chicken franks in boiling water and let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes and then drain off the water and keep aside

Once it cools chop it into bites size pieces

To a pan pour oil and add chopped onion and saute till onion becomes translucent
To this add little salt and pepper powder and saute for a minute
Now add chopped chicken franks and stir well until combined
Keep frying till it starts to change color
Add chopped coriander leaves and serve hot as a snack or a side dish

Note:
You can also steam the chicken franks instead of boiling it
Adjust the spice level accordingly
Chicken franks contains salt so be careful while adding salt

Oats Puttu

Puttu is an all time favorite for malayalis...So today lets make Oats Puttu....

Ingredients (Serves 2 to 3 people)

Oats: 1 Cup
Salt: As Required
Water: 1/2 Cup
Grated Coconut: 1/2 Cup

Requirement : Puttu kutti / Puttu maker

(Puttu kutti / Puttu maker)

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Method

Powder the oats using a mixer

Oats Powder

Dry roast the oats powder in high flame for 5 minutes.  Stir continuously, else the powder might burn.

Roasted Oats Powder

Allow the powder to cool and then add little salt to the oats powder and mix well
To this sprinkle water little by little and stir well with your hands.
The whole mixture should be wet.  You can see lumps formed.  But that's perfectly fine as by the next step it will be smooth

After Sprinkling water

Put the wet oats powder to a blender and just give it a quick blend so that it becomes smooth oats puttu podi

Final Oats Puttu podi

To the puttu kutti/maker first add little grated coconut, then put 2 handfull of oats powder and then again coconut
Repeat the same till top of the puttu kutti/maker and attach the puttu kutti/maker to the puttu vessel and steam
(The puttu vessel should have almost half  of it filled with water.)
Once steam starts to come from the top of the puttu maker keep on flame for 5 more minutes and then switch off the flame
Serve hot with kadala(chickpea) or cherupayar (Green gram) curry

Note:

While sprinkling water do it very carefully adding little water at a time.  If water becomes more the oats puttu podi will not get the correct texture, and finally you wont be able to make the puttu

Vazhutananga Thengapal Curry / Eggplant/Brinjal in Coconut Milk gravy

Its Simple but Tasty and not Spicy!!!

Ingredients

Vazhutananga/Brinjal: 4 Medium sized
Shallots: 6- 8
Garlic: 2 - 3
Ginger: 1 Small Piece
Green Chilly: 2 - 3
Tomato: 1 Small
Tamarind: Small Gooseberry Size
Red Chilly Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Coriander Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Coconut Oil: 3 Table Spoon
Mustard Seeds: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Thick Coconut milk: 1/2 Cup
Thin Coconut milk: 1 Cup
Salt
Water
Curry Leaves

Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Method

Soak tamarind in some water and keep aside
Chop the brinjal to medium size pieces and put it in water(Else it will change color)
Crush shallots, ginger, garlic, green chilly and keep aside

To a pan pour 1 table spoon of coconut oil and add crushed ginger, garlic, green chilly and shallots
Saute for about 5 minutes on medium flame
To this add chopped tomato and saute for another minute
Reduce the flame and add turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilly powder.  Saute till the raw smell of the spices is gone
Add tamarind juice and allow to boil well
Now reduce the flame to medium and add thin coconut milk and salt
Add the chopped brinjal and close the lid and cook on medium flame
Stir in between and once the brinjal is cooked well (around 8 to 10 minutes) and the gravy becomes thick switch off the flame and add the thick coconut milk and stir well
Do not boil after adding thick coconut milk

To a pan add the rest of the coconut oil and add the mustard seeds
Once it splutters pour this to the curry
Serve hot with rice or roti

Rajma Masala

For all those who love vegetarian food!!!!

Ingredients

Rajma/Red Kidney Beans: 1 Cup
Onion: 2
Tomato: 2
Green Chilly: 2
Ginger: 1 Small Piece
Garlic: 2 -3 Cloves
Cardamom: 2 - 3
Cloves: 2 - 3
Cinnamon Stick: 1 inch piece
Oil: 2 Table Spoon
Red Chilly Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Coriander Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Kasoori Methi: 1 Tea Spoon
Cream / Butter: 1 Table Spoon(Optional)

Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Method

Wash and soak rajma in enough water over night
Drain off the water and pressure cook the rajma
Crush green chilly, garlic and ginger
Finely chop onion and tomato
To a pan pour oil and add cloves, cinnamon and cardamom
Saute for a minute in low flame and to this add crushed green chilly, garlic and ginger
Saute for 2 minutes and to this add finely chopped onion
Saute onion till it becomes translucent
To this add chopped tomato and saute till tomato cooks well and becomes mushy
Reduce the flame and add red chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt
Saute for 5 to 6 minutes in low flame
Now add cooked rajma along with some water and allow it to boil
Cook on medium flame for 6 to 8 minutes or until the desired consistency is achieved
Crush kassori methi and add it and give a good stir
Switch off the flame and add cream or butter(Optional)
Serve hot with basmati rice, roti, naan etc

Note:
Adjust spice levels accordingly

Chicken Masala

Full of Spices!!!!

Ingredients

Chicken : 1 kg
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Red Chilly Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Coriander Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Fennel Seeds: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Cardamon: 3 - 4
Cloves: 4 - 5
Cinnamon Stick: 2 Inch Piece
Bay Leaf: 1
Black Pepper corns: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Onion: 1 Medium size
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 Table Spoon
Tomato: 1 Small
Coconut Oil: 3 Table Spoon
Mustard Seeds: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Salt
Water
Curry Leaves

Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Method 

Marinate the chicken with turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt and keep aside
Dry roast cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, fennel seeds, black pepper,  red chilly powder and coriander powder in low flame
Once you get a nice aroma of the spices switch off the flame and let it cool a bit
Grind this to a fine paste adding enough water
To a pan pour coconut oil and add mustard seeds
Once it splutters add onion and saute till the onion is translucent
Then add ginger garlic paste,  the ground spice masala and little water and saute on low flame for about 5 minutes
To this add the chicken, curry leaves, tomato and salt and stir well
Add enough water for the chicken to cook
Close the lid and keep on medium flame and cook well (around 25 to 30 minutes)
Serve hot with rice, ghee rice, chapati, naan etc

Note:
Adjust the spice levels accordingly
If you wish to you can add little thick coconut milk at the end
Always roast the spices in low flame only

Pacha Manga Chammanthi / Raw Mango Chutney

Who wouldn't love this!!!

Ingredients

Grated Coconut: 1 Cup
Raw mango chopped: 1/2 Cup
Red Chilly Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Chopped Ginger: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Shallots: 2 - 3
Salt

Method

Grind together all the ingredients without adding water
Serve with hot rice or rice gruel

Note:
Adjust the spice levels accordingly
You can add green chilly or whole dried red chilly instead of chilly powder
Increase or decrease the amount of raw mango as per the sourness required
Its better if you can grind the ingredients without water.  But if unable to do so add very little water.