Wednesday 30 December 2015

Fish Biriyani Kerala Style

Are you a sea food lover, if yes you have to try this Fish Biriyani!!!!
Ingredients

King Fish Fillets: 500gms

For Marination
Red Chilly Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Salt

For Masala
Fennel Seeds: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Onion: 3 Big
Tomato: 1 Big
Green Chilly: 8 - 10
Crushed Ginger: 2 Heaped Table Spoon
Crushed Garlic: 2 Heaped Table Spoon
Chopped Coriander Leaves: 2 Table Spoon
Chopped Mint Leaves: 2 Table  Spoon
Curry Leaves: few
Oil: 3 Table spoon

For Rice
Basmati/Biriyani Rice: 2 Cups
Water: 4 Cups
Clove: 3 - 4
Cardamom: 3 - 4
Cinnamon Stick: 2 inch piece
Bay leaf: 1
Ghee/Oil: 3 Table Spoon
Lime juice: 2 Table Spoon
Salt

For Garnish
Cashew nuts: A Handful
Raisins: A Handful
Onion: 1
Ghee/Oil: 2 Table Spoon

Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Method

Marinate the fish with red chilly powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and salt
Wash and soak the rice in enough water and keep aside
Making the masala
To a pan pour oil and shallow fry the fish and keep aside
To the same pan add sliced onion and saute until translucent
Now add fennel seeds, crushed ginger, garlic and green chilly
Saute for a few minutes and then add chopped tomato and salt
Cook until the tomato is done
Add the fried fish pieces to the masala and cover it with the masala
Add chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and curry leaves
Cover and cook in low flame for 4 to 5 mintues
Switch off the flame and keep it aside
Making rice
Strain the water from the rice and keep aside
Boil 4 cups of water
To a kadai pour oil/ghee and add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick and bay leaf
Saute for 1 minute and then add the strained rice to it
In medium flame saute the rice for a good 8 to 10 minutes until the rice starts to crackle
Now add boiling water along with lime juice and  salt
Cover and cook in low flame for 6 to 8 minutes or until the rice is done
By the time rice is cooked the water will be completely dried.  If you feel the water is not completely dried remove the cover and cook in medium flame for 2 to 3 more minutes
For garnishing
Slice the onion and then fry it in oil/ghee until it becomes light brown in color and drain it out of the oil and keep aside.
Fry the cashew nuts and raisins and keep aside
For layering
Take a heavy bottom flat vessel/biriyani pot and add a little ghee and spread it to all sides
Take half of the rice and spread it well
Now place the fish masala on the rice layer
Add the rest of the rice and spread it well uniformly
Add the fried onion, cashew and raisins
Cover with a tight fitting lid
Place an iron skillet or tawa on your stove and switch on the flame
Once the tawa is heated well reduce the flame to low
Keep the biriyani pot on the tawa and cook for 8 to 10 minutes
Switch off the flame and let it rest for atleast 10 minutes before opening
Serve the biriyani hot with curd raita and pickle
Note:
Adjust the amount of spices accordingly
This recipe is a medium spiced one.
After adding fish to the masala be careful while you stir as the fish might break
Be careful while serving too

Tuesday 22 December 2015

Tutti Frutti Cookies

A perfect snack for evening tea!!!
Ingredients

Self Raising Flour: 1¼ Cup
Powdered Sugar: 1/2 Cup
Tutti Frutti: 1/4 Cup
Butter: 1/4 Cup
Vanilla Essence: 1 Tea Spoon
Milk: 1 Table Spoon

Preparation Time: 1 Hour
Cooking Time: 20 Minutes

Beat butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy
I added few chopped cashew and raisins along with tutti frutti
To the butter sugar mixture add flour, vanilla essence, and tutti frutti mix
Combine well and form a dough.  Do not knead more, just combine and make dough.Add a table spoon of milk if required
Roll this to a log and then cover it with a cling film and keep in fridge for minimum 1 hour
After 1 hour preheat the oven at 170
Cut the cookie dough in 1 cm thick pieces
Place a butter paper on a cookie tray and place the cookies on it leaving some space in between
Bake at 170 C for 12 to 15 minutes until cookies start to become light brown in color
Take it out of the oven and let it cool completely
Once cooled well store in airtight containers

Note
Once the cookie is out of the oven it will be very soft.  So let it cool well before taking it from the baking tray
Baking time may vary depending on the oven, so adjust it accordingly

Sunday 20 December 2015

Avalose Podi / Roasted Rice powder with coconut

Reminds me of my childhood!!!
Ingredients

Raw rice: 1 Cup
Grated Coconut: 3/4 Cup
Cumin Seeds: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Salt

Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Method

Wash and soak rice for 3 hours and then drain it and let it dry for sometime
Grind the rice to a smooth powder.
To this add grated coconut, cumin and some salt
Combine this well and keep aside for 30 to 40 minutes
Dry roast this mixture on medium flame for about 25 to 30 minutes stirring continuously until the mixture turns light brown in color
Switch off the flame and let it cool well
Store in airtight containers
Add little sugar and have it with a cup of tea or if you wish to you can add some chopped bananas too

Monday 14 December 2015

Chocolate Cake

Who doesn't like Chocolate Cake!!!
Ingredients

All Purpose flour/Maida: 1 Cup
Coco Powder: 1/2 Cup
Sugar: 3/4 Cup
Butter: 3/4 Cup
Egg: 2
Baking Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Vanilla Essence: 1 Tea Spoon
Milk: Approx 1/4 to 1/2 Cup
For Ganache
Dark Chocolate: 250gms
Fresh Cream: 200ml
For sugar syrup
Water: 1/4 Cup
Sugar: 4 Table Spoon

Cooking Time:35 - 40 minutes
Method

Prepare a cake tin by spreading some butter on all sides of the cake tin and then dusting it with some all purpose flour.  
Tilt and remove the excess flour from the cake tin
Sift together maida, coco powder and baking powder and keep aside
Using a blender combine butter and sugar well
Add egg one by one and vanilla essence and  beat until smooth
To this add the sieved mix little by little and make the cake batter
Add milk as necessary and combine well
Preheat the oven at 170 C
Pour the batter to the prepared cake tin and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes
Insert a tooth pick in the center of the cake and if it comes out clean then the cake is done

Take it out of the oven and let it cool down completely
Frosting the Cake
Trim the crust from top and cut the cake horizontally into 2 layers
For making ganache

Pour the cream to a pan and heat it well.  You can see small bubbles formed 

Now pour this hot cream over the chopped dark chocolate and keep aside for some time
Now mix the chocolate and cream until well combined and becomes smooth
Allow it to cool well
For sugar syrup boil sugar and water for 4 to 5 minutes and let it cool down completely
Assembling the cake
Place one layer of cake on the setting tray
Sprinkle some sugar syrup on the cake
Pour some ganache and spread well
Now place the second layer of cake and sprinkle some sugar syrup
Pour the rest of the ganache and spread all over the cake
Decorate as per your wish and serve
Note:
Baking time may vary depending on the oven, so adjust it accordingly

Thursday 10 December 2015

Chicken Mappas / Chicken in rich coconut milk gravy

A typical Kerala Spicy Chicken curry with coconut milk........
Ingredients

Chicken: ½ Kg
Whole Pepper Corns: 1½ Tea Spoon
Fennel seeds: 1½ Tea Spoon
Cardamom: 2
Clove: 2
Bay Leaf: 1
Cinnamon Stick: 1 inch Piece
Chopped Ginger: 1 Table Spoon
Chopped Garlic: 1 Table Spoon
Onion: 1 big
Tomato: 1 Big
Green Chilly: 2 - 3
Coconut Oil: 3 Table Spoon
Coriander Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder: ½ Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: ½ Tea Spoon
Chicken Masala Powder: ½ Tea Spoon
Thin Coconut Milk: 1 Cup
Thick Coconut Milk: ½ Cup
Salt
Water
Curry Leaves
For Seasoning
Coconut Oil: 1 Table Spoon
Shallot: 2 - 3
Curry Leaves

Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Method

Wash and cut the chicken into small pieces and marinate it with 1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder and salt
To a pan pour coconut oil and add pepper corns, fennel seeds, cardamom, clove, bay leaf and cinnamon stick
Saute for 2 minutes in low flame and then add chopped ginger, garlic and green chilly
Saute for a minute and then add sliced onion.
Saute till the onion becomes translucent
Reduce the flame and add turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and chicken masala
Saute for 6 to 8 minutes on low flame till the raw smell of the masala is gone
To this add the marinated chicken and stir well
Saute for 5 to 6 minutes so that the masala gets well coated on the chicken
Add thin coconut milk, tomato and curry leaves and let it boil
Once it boils well reduce the flame and cover and cook till the chicken is done (around 20 minutes)
In between open the lid and stir
Once the chicken is cooked and the gravy has achieved the required consistency add the thick coconut milk and give a good stir
After a minute switch off the flame
For seasoning pour coconut oil to a pan and add the mustard seeds.  Once it splutters add sliced shallots and let it change color
Pour this to the curry and mix well
Serve hot with appam, idiappam, vattayappam, puttu, ghee rice etc.

Sunday 6 December 2015

Candied Orange Peel

Why throw away Orange peels when you can make something interesting out of it....
Ingredients

Orange Peel: Of 2 Oranges
Sugar: 1/4 Cup + 2 Table Spoon
Water: 4 Cups + 3 table spoon

Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Method

Wash and cut the orange peel to strips
To a pan pour 1 cup of water and add the orange peel
Let it boil well and then reduce the flame and simmer it for 5 to 8 minutes
Drain the water off and then again add 1 cup of water and let it boil and reduce the flame and simmer it for 5 to 8 minutes.
Repeat the same process of boiling and draining off the water 4 times
To a pan add sugar and 3 table spoons of water and make the sugar syrup
Reduce the flame to low and add the cooked orange peels to the sugar syrup
Let it boil (in low flame) until all the sugar syrup gets dried off and get coated on the orange peel
Switch off the flame and let it cool well
Put 2 table spoon sugar to a plate
Once cooled completely take the peels and roll it in sugar
Store refrigerated in an air tight container
You can use this for garnish or in fruit cakes or just dip in chocolate and have it

Wednesday 2 December 2015

Chemmeen Varattiyathu / Roasted Prawns

Yet another prawns recipe...
Ingredients

Prawns: 500gms
Onion: 1
Shallots: 10 - 12 nos
Coconut Pieces/Thengakothu: 3 Table Spoon
Crushed Ginger : 1/2 Tea Spoon
Crushed Garlic: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Tomato: 1
Red Chilly Powder: 2 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Oil: 2 Table Spoon
Salt
Curry Leaves

Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Method

Clean the prawns and devein it and marinate it with 1 table spoon red chilly powder, 1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder and salt
Keep it aside for some time
In the mean time chop onion and tomato
To a pan pour oil and fry the coconut pieces and keep aside
To the same pan add the prawns and fry for 4 to 5 minutes and then remove from the pan and keep aside
To the same pan add chopped onion and saute till it becomes translucent
Then add crushed ginger and garlic and saute for 3 more minutes
Reduce the flame and  add 1 table spoon of red chilly powder and 1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder.
Saute for 5 to 6 minutes and then add chopped tomato
Combine well and then add the fried prawns, fried coconut pieces, curry leaves and shallots(No need to chop shallots)
Stir well and roast the prawns until the masala get all dried up and the prawns gets well coated in the masala
Serve hot with rice, appam, chapathi, naan, tapioca etc.