Vazhapindi / Unnikambu Thoran(Stirr fried Plantain stem) with Green Gram

I recently found that not many know this simple and healthy recipe. So here is for you...

 Ingredients (Serves 4 to 5 people)

Vazhapindi (Plantain stem) chopped: 2 Cups
Green Grams: 1 Cup
Grated Coconut: 1/2 Cup
Green chilli: 3 - 4
Shallots: 4 - 5
Garlic: 2 - 3 Cloves
Turmeric powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Mustard Seeds: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Coconut Oil: 2 Table Spoon
Dried Red Chilly: 3 - 4
Salt
Water
Curry Leaves

Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutes
Method

Finely chop the vazhapindi(Plantain stem)
Pour oil to a pan and add mustard seeds
Once it finishes popping add dried red chillies and saute till it becomes brown in color
Add chopped vazhapindi(Plantain stem), turmeric powder and required salt
Stirr well and close the lid and cook in low flame .
No need to add water, only sprinkle little water if required
Cook the green grams.  Do not make it mushy
Crush grated coconut adding green chilly, shallots and garlic
Add curry leaves, crushed coconut mix and cooked green grams to the vazhapindi(Plantain stem) and stir well
Keep in low flame and close the lid and cook till everything mixes well and the coconut gets cooked
Serve hot with rice

Note:

The same recipe you can cook without  green grams.
Instead of green grams you can also use cow peas (Vanpayar) or horse gram (Muthira).

Plantain stem

The vazhapindi(Plantain stem) will be having many layers of outer covering.  All of it has to be removed and only the innermost white part is used for cooking. (As shown in picture)
When you chop the vazhapindi you can see thread like thing.  Either remove it while you are chopping or once you chop put in water and use a stick and just rotate it.  The thread like thing will come onto the stick
The thread like thing is the fibre, no need to remove it completely.  Only the thick ones to be removed.
Once you chop the vazhapindi(Plantain stem) put it in water, else it will turn black in color.

Beef Ularthiyathu / Beef Roast

Good old Beef Roast

Ingredients (Serves 4 to 5 people)

Beef: 500gms
Crushed Ginger: 2 Table Spoon
Crushed Garlic: 2 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Red Chilli Powder: 2 Table Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Pepper Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Corriander Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Onion: 1
Coconut Pieces : 1/2 Cup
Green Chilli: 2 - 3
Coconut Oil: 2 Table Spoon
Salt
Water
Curry Leaves

Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Method

Marinate the beef with 1 table spoon of crushed ginger and garlic, 1/2 tea Spoon of turmeric powder, 1 table spoon of red chilli powder and 1/2  table spoon of garam masala powder and required salt
Keep it aside for 45 minutes to 1 hour
Then pressure cook the beef adding 1/4 cup of water
To a pan pour 1 table spoon of coconut oil
Add the coconut pieces to it and fry until it becomes golden brown in color
Once done take the coconut pieces from oil and keep aside
To the same pan add 1 table spoon of crushed ginger and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes
Then add onion, green chilli and curry leaves and saute until the onion becomes tender
Then add rest of the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, pepper powder, coriander powder and the required salt and stir till the rawness of the masala is gone
To this add cooked beef and keep on stirring until it becomes dry
Now add 1 table spoon of coconut oil and saute till the the beef becomes a little crispy
Add the fried coconut pieces and stir well
Serve hot

Tomato Fish Fry

With the special flavour of tomato...

 

Ingredients (Makes 3 pieces)

Mackerel/Aiyla: 3
Crushed Ginger: 1 Table Spoon
Crushed Green Chilli: 4
Tomato Fully Riped: 4
Crushed  Shallots: 1 Cup
Red Chilly Powder: 2 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Pepper Powder: 2 Pinch
Coconut Oil: 2 Table Spoon
Salt
Water
Curry Leaves
Corriander Leaves

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 15 to 20 minutes
Method

Clean the mackerel well and make gashes on it
Marinate with 1 table spoon red chilli powder ,1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder and salt
Keep aside for 20 to 25 minutes
Put the tomatoes to boiling water,close the lid and  reduce the flame and keep on flame for 8 to 10 minutes
Once cooled peel off the skin and grind it to a fine puree
Pour Oil to a pan and fry the fish
Remove the fish and to the same pan add crushed ginger, green chilli and saute for 3 minutes
Then add crushed shallots and saute until the shallots become tender
Add rest of the chilli powder, turmeric powder and a little salt
Saute till the raw smell of the masala is gone
Now add tomato puree and blend in well
Once it starts to boil add the fried fish
Add curry leaves and corrinder leaves, slowly stirr as the fish might break off
Close the lid and keep in low flame for about 5 to 6 minutes
Switch off the flame and sprinkle the pepper powder.

Serve hot with rice or roti

Paneer Butter Masala

A delicious Punjabi dish. Whats it with Punjabi dishes and paneer? :)

Ingredients (Serves 4 to 5 people)

Paneer(Indian cottage cheese) cubes: 250gms
Onion: 3
Tomato: 2
Cashew Nut Paste: 2 Table Spoon
Fresh Cream: 2 Table Spoon
Butter: 2 Table Spoon
Kasuri Methi(Dried Fenugreek Leaves): 1 Tea Spoon
Ginger Garlic Paste: 11/2 Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Coriander Powder: 2 Tea Spoon
Kasmiri Red Chilli Powder: 2 Tea Spoon

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Cinnamon Stick: 1 inch piece
Cloves: 3 - 4
Cardamom: 2 - 3
Salt
Water
Corriander Leaves

Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutes
Method

Peel off the skin of the onion and cut it to 4 pieces and put into boiling water, keep on flame for 5 minutes and drain off the water and keep aside for cooling.  Once cooled grind this to a fine paste.
Put the tomatoes to boiling water for 5 minutes, drain off the water and keep for cooling.  Once cooled remove the skin and grind it and make a fine puree.
To a pan add butter and fry the paneer until it becomes slightly brown in colour.  Then put the paneer cubes to boiling water and keep aside,  this helps the paneer to become very soft

To the same pan add crushed cinnamon stick, cloves and cardomom
Saute for 2 minutes and to this add onion paste.
Keep on sauting until all the water is gone and the paste starts to leave the pan
Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 4 to 5 minutes
To this add tomato puree and saute until the raw smell of the tomatoes is gone
Now add cashew paste and saute for about 5 to 6 minutes
Then add garam masala powder, corriander powder, kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt

Stir well so that all the masala blends in well
Saute till oil starts to leave
Strain off the water from the paneer and add it to the gravy.
Add 1/2 cup of hot water to the curry and mix well.  (If you wish the gravy to be very thick do not add water)
Add kasuri methi and coriander leaves
Reduce the flame and let it boil for about 6 to 8 minutes
Add fresh cream give a good stir and switch off the flame.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

Kadukka / Kallummakka Varattiyathu/ Mussels Fry

Sea food again!

 Ingredients (Serves 4 to 5 people)

Kallumakkaya/ Kadukka/ Mussels: 250 gms

Onion: 1

Green chilly: 3 – 4

Crushed Ginger: 1 Table Spoon

Crushed Garlic: 1 Table Spoon

Tomato: 1

Red Chilly Powder: 11/2 Table Spoon

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Table Spoon

Garam Masala Powder: 1 Table Spoon

Corriander powder: 1/2 Table Spoon

Pepper Powder: 1/4 Table Spoon(Optional)

Salt

Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Method

Clean the mussels well

To a pan pour oil and add crushed ginger and garlic

Saute for 3 to 4 minutes

To this add onion and green chilli

Once the onion gets cooked add tomato

To this add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder and salt

Saute for 4 to 5 minutes in low flame

Strain off the water from the mussels

Add the mussels to the onion mix and stir well

Close the lid and cook till the mussels are cooked

Then open the lid and stir well and keep in flame, stirr in between until oil starts to pop out

Add pepper powder, coriander leaves and curry leaves

Serve hot with rice, chapatti or any bread

Note

You can either open the shell of the mussel and scrape out the fleshy part from it or can steam the mussels until the shell opens and once cooled can take the mussels out

Follow the way which ever you are comfortable with

In this recipe I have opened the shell and scrapped out the fleshy part

Remove the black part from the bottom of the mussel while cleaning

Mussels are naturally slightly salty, so be careful while adding salt to you dish.

Chemeen Murigakkaya and Manga Curry (Shrimps Curry with Drumsticks and Raw mango)

A taste of local flavour from malabar..

Ingredients (Serves 4 to 5 people)

Prawns: 250gms
Drumstick : 2 nos
Raw Mango: 1
Ginger: 1 Small Piece
Green Chilly: 2 - 3
Grated Coconut: 1/2 Cup
Coconut Oil: 2 Table Spoon

Shallots: 4 - 5
Red Chilli Powder: 2 Tea Spoon
Turmeric Powder : 1/4 Tea Spoon
Salt
Water
Curry Leaves

Cooking time: 25 minutes
Method

Cut the mango and drumstick in length wise pieces
Add cleaned prawns, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, curry leaves, salt and required water and cook well
Grind the coconut with ginger and green chilly to a fine paste

Add the ground coconut to the curry and mix well
Once it boils reduce the flame and close and lid and keep on flame  for 5 to 8 minutes
Pour coconut oil to a pan and add the chopped shallots to it, once it becomes brown pour this to the curry
Serve with rice

Note:
The complete combination of this curry needs one more ingredient, jack fruit seeds.  If you have the same you can add that too to the curry
If the raw mango is too sour add only half of it

Aaloo Methi (Potatoes & Fenugreek Leaves)

Fragrant and flavorful Aloo Methi!

Ingredients (Serves 2 to 3)

Potato: 2
Methi( Fenugreek) Leaves: 250gms
Tomato: 1
Onion: 1
Crushed Ginger: 1 Table Spoon
Crushed Garlic: 1 Table Spoon
Red Chilli Powder: 2 Tea Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon

Coriander Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Cumin Seeds Powder : 1/2 Tea Spoon
Cashew Nut Paste: 2 Tea Spoon (Optional)
Fresh Cream: 2 Tea Spoon (Optional)
Oil: 1 Table Spoon
Salt
Water
Curry Leaves

Cooking Time: 25 to 30 minutes
Method

Clean and wash the methi (fenugreek) leaves and keep aside
To a pan pour oil and add chopped onion to it
Saute till the onion becomes transparent and then add crushed ginger and garlic.  Saute till the raw smell is gone

To this add chopped tomato and cook till the tomato is completely  mashed
Now reduce the flame and add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, cumin powder and salt
Saute till the masala blends in well
To this add cut potatoes and curry leaves and give a good stir
Add required water and close the lid and cook the potatoes well
When the potatoes gets cooked add the cleaned methi(fenugreek) leaves, stir well and close the lid and cook in low flame till the methi(fenugreek) leaves gets cooked.
Add cashew nuts paste and fresh cream and stir well and keep in low flame for 2 more  minutes
Serve hot with rice or roti.

Note

If required can chop the methi(fenugreek) leaves. Keep in mind to do it just before adding the leaves. If you keep for long time after chopping the bitterness of the methi(fenugreek) leaves will be more.

Chatti Pathiri / Layered pan cake

Our Malabar version of Italian Lasagne :)
Note: This is the sweet version. For the spice lovers, another recipe will follow soon.

 

Ingredients (Serves 6 to 8 people)

First Set of Ingredients

Maida: 250gms
Vegetable oil: 2 Table Spoon
Milk: 4- 5 Table Spoon
Water
Salt

Second Set of Ingredients

Egg: 5
Sugar: 10 - 12  Table Spoon
Broken Cashew nuts: 3 Table Spoon
Raisins: 3 Table Spoon
Poppy Seeds: 3 Table Spoon
Cardamom Powder: 3/4 Tea Spoon
Ghee: 2 Table Spoon

Third Set of Ingredients

Egg: 4
Cardamom Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Sugar: 4 Table Spoon

Preparation time: 1 Hour
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Method

Making Pathiris (Chappatis)

Slightly heat the vegetable oil and add it to the flour and blend in well
To this add milk and then required salt and water and make it to a smooth chappati dough
Cover it with a wet cloth and keep the dough aside for 40 to 45 minutes
Then make it to 10 equal portions and make chappatis out of it
Make sure that the chapatis are almost of the same size and it should be thin
Cook the chapatis and keep it aside.  Do not make it too stiff.  Just a  slight cooking is enough.

Making the filling

Beat 5 eggs mentioned in the second set of ingredients adding sugar and cardamom powder
Pour1 table spoon ghee to a pan and slightly fry the cashew nuts, raisins and poppy seeds
To the same pan pour the egg sugar mix and scramble it well.
Take some of the fried cashew nuts, raisins and poppy seeds and keep aside for garnish
Mix rest of the fried cashew nuts, raisins and poppy seeds with the scrambled egg mix and divide it to 9 equal portions

Making the coating

Beat 4 eggs mentioned in the third set of ingredients adding cardamom powder and sugar

Take a heavy bottomed wide and deep vessel.  Good if you use a  flat bottomed vessel.
Pour a little ghee
Place a chapati on top of it.  This is the first layer, on top of it add some scrambled egg mixture and pour a little egg coating mixture

Dip the second chapati in the egg coating mixture and place it.
Again put some scrambled egg mix and pour a little egg coating mixture
Repeat the same process with the rest of the chapatis.

The top layer will be the chapati, now pour the rest of the egg coating mixture, and sprinkle the fried cashew nuts, raisins and poppy seeds which you have kept aside for garnish. (If you feel the egg coating mixture was not sufficient, take 1 or 2 more eggs, add cardamom powder and sugar and use the same.  But make sure the top layer should be covered with egg coating)

Close the lid of the pan and cook in very low flame.  Make sure that the lid of the pan is intact.
When one side is cooked carefully turn it over and cook the other side

Note:

I have cooked (Cooking time 12 to 15 minutes) this in a aluminium vessel on stove, keeping the flame to the minimum and also put coconut husk embers on top of the lid, so there was no need to flip the chatti pathiri, as heat was given from top and bottom.
You can increase or decrease the quantity of sugar as per the sweetness required
This is the sweet version of chatti pathiri, if you want to make a spicy one make the filling using minced chicken or meat (Will post soon).  Do not add sugar to the egg, can reduce the number of eggs, or can completely avoid scrambled egg while making the filling.  Use egg only for coating.

Kappa Biriyani / Mashed Tapioca & Beef

This dish has many secret admirers.. Are you one?

Ingredients (Serves 4 to 5 people)

Tapioca: 1/2 Kg
Beef: 1/2 Kg

Onion: 1

Crushed ginger: 1 Table Spoon
Crushed garlic: 1 Table Spoon
Red Chilli powder: 2 Tablespoon
Coriander powder: 1 Tablespoon
Turmeric powder: 1/2 Teaspoon
Pepper powder: 1 Table Spoon
Garam Masala: 2 Tea Spoon
Grated Coconut: 1/2 Cup
Dried Red Chilly: 4 - 5
Musard Seeds: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Coconut Oil: 2 Table Spoon
Salt
Curry Leaves
Water

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Method
Marinate beef with crushed ginger, garlic, onion, red chilly powder, coriander powder, 1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder, garam masala and salt
Keep it aside for 30 minutes and then cook it well adding 1/2 cup of water
Clean the tapioca and cut into medium size pieces and cook them adding 1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder and required salt.
Once the tapioca cooks well, strain off  excess water if there and mash it well
To the mashed tapioca add the cooked beef and pepper powder and blend in well 
Close the lid keep on low flame for just about 4 to 5 minutes
To a pan pour coconut oil and put mustard seeds, once it finishes popping add dried red chilli and curry leaves, saute for 2 minutes and add the grated coconut
Saute till the coconut starts changing color
Add it to the kappa biriyani and stir well
Serve hot.

Chilli Soya Chunks

Tasty and delicious and Healthy too...Try it out! Highly recommended :)

 

Ingredients (Serves 2 to 3 people)

Soya Chunks: 200gms
Onion: 1
Green Capsicum: 2
Vegetable Oil: 4 Table Spoon
Soya Sauce: 2 Table Spoon
Chilli Sauce: 3 Table Spoon
Tomato Sauce: 2 Table Spoon

Corn Flour: 2 Table Spoon

Crushed Ginger: 1 ½  Table Spoon

Crushed Garlic: 1 ½  Table Spoon

White Pepper Powder :  1/2 Table Spoon (Can increase if required)

Salt

Water

Cooking Time: 25 to 30 minutes
Method

Soak the soya chunks in water for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Wash it well and cook it adding salt
Strain off the water and add corn flour and 1/4 table spoon of pepper powder to it and marinate it well
Pour oil to a pan and shallow fry the marinated soya chunks till it becomes slightly golden brown in color
Remove from pan and keep aside
To the same pan add crushed ginger and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes
Then add chopped onion and saute for about 5 to 6 minutes.  (No need to cook until onion becomes brown)

Now add Chopped capsicum and stir well and saute for 4 to 5 minutes
To this add soya sauce, chilli sauce, tomato sauce, salt and 1/4 table spoon of white pepper powder and saute till it blends in well
Add the fried soya chunks to this give a good stir, close the lid and keep in low flame for about 8 to 10 minutes
Stir in between so that all the sauces gets into the soya chunks
Serve hot.

Note

You can deep fry the soya chunks if required
You can  add chopped spring onions too
Do not finely chop onion and capsicum
If required can add a pinch of ajinomotto before switching off the flame
Be careful while adding salt as the sauces already contains salt

Rasmalai ( An Indian milk sweet)

Another diwali treat for the sweet tooth! :)

Ingredients (Makes 5 pieces)
Note: Will be using rasgulla for this sweet. See the recipe for rasgulla here

Rasgulla: 5
Milk: 2 Cup
Sugar : 1/2 Cup
Cardomom Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Saffron: 1 - 2 Strands
Badam(Almond)/Pistachios: For Garnish

Cooking Time: 40 to 45 minutes
Method

Pour the milk to a pan and allow it to boil well
Once it boils reduce the flame and stir continuously for about 20 to 25 minutes
Add sugar, Cardamom powder and saffron and keep stirring for about 15 more minutes
Strain out excess sugar syrup from the rasgullas using a spoon by gently squeezing it

Add the rasgullas to the milk mixture and keep in flame for about 6 to 8 minutes
Keep for cooling
Garnish with chopped badam and pistachios and serve cold

Note

You can use the sugar syrup of rasgulla instead of adding sugar to the milk
Increase or decrease the sugar/sugar syrup as per the sweetness required
When squeezing off the excess sugar syrup from the rasgulla use a flat spoon so that the rasgullas also will be flattened in shape

Rasgulla

Its diwali - celebration time...This Diwali,  go syrupy sweet :)

Ingredients (Makes 18 to 20 pieces)

Milk: 1 Litre
Lemon: 1
Sugar: 1 Cup
Water: 1 Cup

Cardamom Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Badam(Almond) /Pistachios: For Garnish

Preparation time: 40 to 45 minutes
Cooking time: 15 to 20 minutes

Method
Stage1 :Making paneer

Squeeze the lemon and strain it
Boil milk.  Once the milk starts to boil add the lemon juice.
Stir continuously till the milk curdles completely

Keep it aside for some time and then take a muslin cloth and pour the curdled milk to it
Strain off the water and pour some cold water and wash it well in running water
Squeeze off the water and hang the cloth for about 40 minutes so that all the water will be drained out
After 40 minutes take the paneer(Indian cottage cheese) from the cloth and knead it to make a smooth dough

Stage 2
Make small lemon sized balls from the dough
Pour water to a wide pan add sugar and cardamom powder
Stir well and allow the sugar syrup to boil
Once the sugar syrup boils well slowly add the paneer balls to it
Allow it to boil well, reduce the flame a bit and let the paneer balls cook for about 8 to 10 minutes
Allow it to cool
Garnish with chopped badam and pistachios and serve cold

Note

After adding paneer balls to the sugar syrup the heat should be maintained well
Do not completely reduce the flame, because the sugar syrup should keep on boiling
Medium heat to be maintained
If you feel the syrup is getting thick when boiling add little hot water.