Curd Rice/ Mosarnna

Curd Rice for me is like a healing food. Perfect to have when your tummy is troubling you. For the 2yrs that I was in Sales in Bangalore, I faithfully had this for lunch almost everyday. Not really cause I had tummy ache everyday :). But coz Adigas in Bangalore serves a really yummy curd rice with a mixed vegetable spicy pickle. I would say, like a Biryani gets served for weddings in Kerala (as if its a must), in Karnataka, Curd Rice is considered special and gets served for all occasions. Almost like a meal is incomplete if Curd Rice doesn't get served. This Curd rice recipe is a South Indian rice recipe. It is easy and quick and simple dish to make especially if the cooked rice is ready.Generally it is served at the end of the meal.

Curd rice is aka Dahi Chawal(Hindi) Thairu Sadam(Tamil) and Mosarnna(Kannada). I wish I could stay n' chat more. But I have a really busy weekend ahead of me and I should really be going. Wish you all a Happy Weekend. The recipe is as under.






Ingredients:

1. Cooked rice : 2 cups
2. Plain curd : 3/4 cup (not too sour) (also feel free to be generous n' add more curd)
3. Milk : 1/2 cup
4. Green chilies : 1 or 2
5. Ginger paste : 1/4 teaspoon.
6. Salt - to taste

For Seasoning:

1. Oil - 1 tbsp
2. Tur Dal - 1/2 tsp
3. Massor Dal - 1/2 tsp
4. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
5. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
6. Asafoetida - a pinch
7. Curry Leaves

Method:

Step 1: Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they stop crackling add Dal (I used masoor n' tur, you can use any dal, i'm sure). Fry it, but ensure it does not get burned.

Step 2: Add asafoetida, chopped chilies and curry leaves. Fry for 5 seconds.

Step 3: Take off the pan from the stove and let it cool a little.

Step 4: Mix the cooked rice, curd, milk and salt.

Step 5: Add the seasoning into the rice mixture and mix well.

It is ready to serve. Serve it as a meal by itself or with lime pickle or mango pickle.The only thing to remember, really, is mix Curd Rice just before serving. Once the curd rice is mixed it should be eaten immediately or it can get sour, so if you are not planning to eat it immediately, put it in the fridge. Rice also becomes thick after some time. So a little milk may be added again at the time of serving. Adding Pomegranate Seeds, fried cashews, fresh grapes etc into the curd rice before serving it is a practice that I love. :) Happy Cooking!!

Kerala Mango Pickle or Curry/ Kadumanga Achar

This is my third post on Mangoes this month, I had gotten distracted with my baking mission n' couldn't complete the hattrick as planned. :) This pickle, even though it comes under the category of a pickle is often mistaken n' eaten as a Mango Curry. Kanji, the most popular comfort food of a Malayali, is most often accompanied by this pickle. I love it so much, this is one of the first things I wanted to make the moment I got a kitchen to myself. The only thing is, I love eating it even without anything with it. I can just eat this in a bowl n' be happy about it. I have consciously stopped doing this, but the inane desire is to do just that, the moment I see this pickle is still there.

I can eat pickle with anything n' everything, that's how much I love it. But other than this, I don't make any other pickle at home. The white lime pickle, the no oil red lime pickle, the black gooseberry pickle, the mango with mustard seeds pickle etc that we keep a stock of at home are all supplied by my mom. This pickle has less shelf life than the other pickles. The recipe? Here you go. :)





Ingredients:

1. Raw Mango: 2nos medium (chopped or rather cubed into really small pieces)
2. Chilly powder : 2 tbsp (or as per taste)
3. Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
4. Salt : As reqd
5. Gingelly oil : 5tbsp (best for pickles)
6. Fenugreek(Uluva) powder : 1 tsp
7. Asafoetida(Kaayam) powder : 1/2 tsp
8. Vinegar : 3tbsp ( or more depending on the taste)
9. Curry leaves : 1 bunch
10. Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
11. Dry Red Chili: 1-2nos

Method:

Step 1: Add salt to the mango piece n' keep it aside for atleast an hour or 2.

Step 2: In a kadai/wok, heat the oil. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chilies n' curry leave. Allow it to splutter.

Step 3: Remove the kadai from the stove and add the red chili powder, turmeric powder n' asafoetida powder. (You are doing it off the stove cause we need to take care not to burn the powders used.)

Step 4: Mix in the mangoes into the above mixture. Allow it to coat well. Add vinegar. Check the salt n' add more if required. Keep it aside overnight or at least for 4-5hrs to allow it to absorb the spices.

If you ask me, its best served with everything. ;) But traditionally, its served with Kanji or Rice n' Curry. Happy Cooking!!! :)

Pickled Mango Chutney/ Uppumanga Chammanthi

I have socially busy day ahead of me and decided to do this post bright n' early! Ever since last Friday, I have been having busy days like these n' I love it. :)....To continue with my Mango Posts, I give you a chutney. I mean, I have had this so many times at home in Kerala with Kanji or just rice and a curry. You know how fashion gurus will tell you, a gorgeous scarf or chic handbag you are holding will make a simple outfit turn into a fashion statement! Well this chutney does that to my food. ;) (lol...yeah even I can see the funny side to that statement.) But really, I do mean it! This does turn a simple meal to a drool worthy finger n' plate licking experience. ;)






My mom tells me, I started making coconut chutneys on the regular arakallu when I was 6yrs old. (I'm sure she used to help ;) I used to put a stool next to the arakkalu n' gladly make the chutney. The only problem used to be that I would finish half of it as soon as I made it. ;) So then amma started giving me extra coconut for the "just for me" portions of the chutney. You know how small girls in kerala would play "Kanjiyum Curryum" during the holidays with friends n' cousins? In my case, we had a big parambu (backyard) and we would actually make the kanji on a small coal and stone stove and pair it with a chutney n eat it hot. Just the thought is mouthwatering for me. I bought a new pestle and mortar recently and decided to make this. Need I say, I loved the experience? So here is my version of the simple food fashion statement....;)

Ingredients:

1. Pickled Mango (Uppu Manga)- 1 or 2 (cut into small pieces)
2. Small Onions: 6-8nos
3. Green Chili (or pickled chili)- 3-4nos *

* (depending on how spicy you want it to be add more or less. But it tastes best when you make this chutney really spicy. I'm not adding any coconut to this chutney! )

Method

Just grind all the ingredients above into the chutney consistency that you want. I liked biting into these pieces, but some people like to have it in the form of nice paste. So I leave that up to you. You can also use this in the form of a dip for which you obviously need to grind this into a paste. :) Happy Cooking!!!

Ragi Puttu Upma

I wanted to do this blog post yesterday....but between catching up with friends n facebook n' gtalk n' all that...I didn't get the time to....:(...so I might as well do 2 posts today....





Most mallu families would've made Puttu Upma with leftover puttu as a tea time meal....my mom's taste divine coz she adds left over beef ularthiyathu into it as well n that takes the whole thing a notch higher in my books. I have made this upma without adding Beef and it still tastes nice. I wasn't a big fan of a beef less upma until my aunt, Sandhyachechi, came n' stayed with me. She made this upma with the leftover Puttu from breakfast n' I really loved it...Now I don't wait to have leftover puttu for this anymore. I make puttu just for this upma.






Talking of Upma did you read/hear about New York's celebrated chef, Mumbai-born Floyd Cardoz who made Upma for a contest in NY and won a big ticket prize of $ 100,000 (that roughly around Rs 45 lakhs). The theme? "prepare an item based on food memories. " Imagine that....the simple n' one of the most common south indian dish winning his such a big ticket! I shouldn't make it sound too simple, he did prepare a very exotic version of our common upma with wild mushrooms n' I think Chicken...(not sure about the chicken part). Anyway, apparently after all this hoopla in NY over exotic Upma, restaurants all over the capital here, have been getting orders for extoic upma (more than ever before) from tourists. I'm reading this article in the Hindustan Times, sitting on Rajdhani Express with the worst upma I have ever tasted for breakfast...:(...sad or what????






My upma here is 'oh so simple', but tastes really good. For an added health factor I have started including ragi in our food whenever the recipe permits it. For benefits of Ragi...please check out this page at itsnotmadrasi. You get Ragi Puttu podi/powder in all the stores now. Brands like Eastern, Double Horse, Nirapara etc. So do try them out if you haven't done so already. I'm mentioning a simple way to make puttu too...just for those who haven't had it. So here you go...




Ingredients:

For Puttu
1. Ragi Puttu Podi/Powder: 2 cups
2. Grated Coconut: ½ coconut (at least) more if you like it like me...:)
3. Salt: to taste
4. Water: enough to crumble the mixture. (don't add too much water or you will be left with a dough instead of a crumble.)

For Puttu Upma:
1. Ragi Puttu: 2cups (roughly)
2. Mustard seeds: ¾ tsp
3. Black gram: ¼ tsp (if you don't have this, use the regular tur dal n its still taste great)
4. Onion: ½ cup (chopped)
5. Green chillies: 2 (chopped) or less if you don't like it spicy
6. Ginger: 1 tsp (finely chopped)
7. Curry leaves: 1-2 sprigs
8. Salt (Optional) (as puttu already has salt)
9. Ghee/Clarified butter: 1 tsp

Method:

For the Puttu
I did not use a puttu maker for this, I used the steamer plate/thattu (Dhokla maker plates) in the idli maker instead, coz I was anyways planning to make the upma with the puttu instead of puttu itself. Since I don't do pictorial step by step, please check out this blog for a good way of making traditional Puttu. For the non traditional one, follow my steps here.

Step 1: Add salt n' water to the puttu powder to get the crumble required. Powder the mixture with your hands to form a coarse n soft crumble.

Step 2: Add scraped coconut to the above. I add a generous amount, coz i love the taste.

Step 3: Heat water in the idli maker, once the water boils, place the steamer plate above the water n' fill it with the above mixture. Steam it until cooked well. (roughly 5-10mins or less) The puttu is ready.

For the Upma

Step 1: In a kadai/ wok, add the ghee and do the tadka with mustard seeds, Dal n' add the curry leaves.

Step 2: Add the chopped ginger, fry it a little, add the chopped onion n' green chilies to this. Fry it well.

Step 3: Add the cooked puttu mix into this n' stir well. Adjust the salt if required. Sprinkle in a little water, if you think the puttu is not soft enough. And viola! its ready....






Serve it with some Kaddala Curry/ Chole or even a spicy meat curry (I served it with my Chicken Chettinad) and it needn't be something you serve only at tea time. Make it a meal. :) Happy Cooking!!!

Vendakkai Curry/ Okra in Coconut Milk Gravy

Today I was looking for a snap I had clicked of my niece a while back n' I found 3 dishes that I had not posted up here yet :). (This is dish no. 3 ). All these snaps were taken a little after we moved to Bangalore. I'm guessing, I just didn't have the time to post them up then. I'm gonna post all three today, just coz I already have too many dishes I had made this week which i'm yet to post. These recipes are good, but the snaps lack imagination, so don't let that fool you.





This dish was made at home in Kottayam, during one of my visits. I didn't make it, I just helped :). I suggested to amma saying that let me make this a guest post by her. She just point blank refused, saying if she were to do a guest post, might as well do something a little more complicated. lol. So the next time I go home, I'm gonna click some snaps of her complicated dishes...:)..This curry is really simple, easy to make n' very light. Amma actually takes the first extract n' the second extract from the coconut where ever she needs to use coconut milk. I guess store bought coconut milk, might not give this light texture. So here you go...





Ingredients:

1. Okra/ Vendekkai: 10nos (each cut into 3 pieces)
2. Onion: 1no small (sliced)
3. Green Chili: 1nos (sliced)
4. Ginger Garlic Paste: 1tsp
5. Chili Powder: 1/2 tsp
6. Turmeric Powder: 1/4tsp
7. Coriander Powder: 1 tsp
8. Coconut Milk: from half a coconut (first n' second extract)*
9. Salt: as per taste
10. Curry Leaves: 1sprig
11. Oil: 1tsp
12. Water- 1/4 cup
13. Vinegar- 1/2tsp
14. Black Pepper: enough to sprinkle on top

* if using store bought coconut milk, then 3/4 to a cup should do.

Method:

Step 1: Stir fry the okra pieces in a little oil for 3-4mins. Set it aside.

Step 2: Add a little more oil into the same kadai, add mustard seeds n' curry leaves n' allow it to splutter.

Step 3: Add the chopped onion, green chili n' ginger garlic paste to the above. Allow it to cook till the onions turn pink.

Step 4: Add the powders, turmeric, red chili n' coriander powder to the above. Add salt. Mix it well for the masala to cook properly.

Step 5: Add the pan fried okra into the above, stir it well with the masala.

Step 6: Pour some water n' cook it covered for 2-3mins (depending on how crunchy you want it to be)

Step 7: Add the second extract of the coconut milk first n' add the vinegar at this stage. (if you don't want to use vinegar, you can use a little lime juice or one chopped tomato.) Add the first extract of coconut milk to this. If you are using store bought coconut milk, do this in one step.

Step 8: Sprinkle some black pepper powder or garam masala on top n' its ready to serve.

This is best served with some hot rice. :) Happy Cooking!!!

Soya Chunks Ularthiyathu

I have never cooked with Soya Chunks, no that's not true....I should rephrase n' say I have never successfully cooked with Soya Chunks before today. The first time, I heard about this ingredient itself was around 5yrs back. RJ asked me if I knew how to make anything with Soya Chunks n I was like..."what are Soyachunks?" (really I had no clue). I told him I have never had this back home. Since I was a newbie cook with a lot of enthusiasm n' zero skills back then, I told him I'll make him something with soya chunks. Lets just say it was nightmarish. I had never bought soya chunks after that.

I'm observing lent this year and have been trying to make some new (n' possibly interesting) veggie dishes for RJ, who is, please note not observing lent. :( This is not really easy. Then my cousin, who turned veggie a couple of years back told me about this interesting Soya Chunk Ularthiyathu which is like this perfect substitute for Beef Ularthiyathu for vegetarians. I told her the bad experience I had with soya chunks n she said...."onnu podi, it's really easy, try it!" (can't translate the words "onnu podi" into English n' capture its essence) :)

Then I saw the 2 blog posts with soya chunks on Priya's Blog- Priya's Easy n Tasty Recipes and got really inspired to try it. So here you go...

Ingredients:

1. Soya Chunks – 1cup( cook as per instructions given on the box or cover)
2. Onion- 1 no (big- sliced)
3. Green Chili- 1no (slit) avoid this if you don't want it to be spicy)
4. Homemade Garam Masala- 1tsp ('amma special' from home)
5. Chili powder – 1/2 tsp
6. Coriander powder – 1tbsp
7. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
8. Ginger – 1/2inch piece (crushed)
9. Garlic – 1-2 pods (crushed)
10. Small Onion– 10nos (crushed)
11. Salt – as per taste
12. Vinegar – 1 tsp
13. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
14. Curry leaves
15. Oil – 2tsp (let's try n' keep this healthy)

Method:

Step 1: Combine the powdered spices- Chili Powder, Coriander Powder, Turmeric Powder, Garam Masala, crushed garlic, ginger, small onion and salt to the cooked soyachunks. Set it aside at least for 10-15mins for the pieces to get marinated well with the spices.

Step 2: Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Saute the onions and green chili (if using), till it becomes golden brown.

Step 3: Add the marinated soya chunks and cook it covered for at least 10-15mins. (If needed add a little water at this stage.)

Step 4: Stir fry this uncovered on low flame and stirring occasionally till you get a dark color and it is roasted well. If you want you can sprinkle a pinch of garam masala just before taking it off the fire.

This is best served with rice or chapati and some mild gravy dish. Once I made this I realized, this dish is just so much like Beef Ularthiyathu. To those who have never tried Soyachunks, I won't lie and say this is as perfect as BEEF. For me Beef is like the king among meats. It does look so much like beef and but this is definitely more healthy. ;)




Another thing I wanted to let you all know is, Karen, a contributor to a Wiki project called MyCityCuisine.org contacted me a couple of days back asking me if I would consider posting an announcement that MyCityCuisine is currently looking for contributors. I told her well ofcourse! ;)...So fellow food bloggers who are interested, please go to this website.

Puliyogare or Tamarind Rice

When I moved to Bangalore from Kerala, I got to try a lot of new cuisines. New to me I mean. When I started working I lived in a paying guest accommodation for a while. They were a really nice Kannadiga family and the aunty there used to insist on me eating at least some of the food that she makes at home. Almost all the things made there were unfamiliar to me. But out of all the things I tried what I loved the most in Kannadiga food has to be Poliyogare. I was missing Bangalore so much last week i wanted to dedicate a post to Puliyogare and eat some as well. ; )

Puliyogare is a South Indian rice preparation usually eaten as a snack. Puli means sour taste and Ogara means rice in Halegannada, thus Puliyogare translates as sour tasting rice. Puliyogare is also known as Huli anna or Tamarind Rice in some parts of Karnataka.

It is traditionally made using steamed or boiled rice mixed with tamarind juice, groundnuts or peanuts, coriander, coconut, red chilli, curry leaves, jaggery, pepper, mustard, fenugreek, turmeric, asafoetida, urad dal, and cumin. I

Puliyogare is particularly known to be a specialty of the Iyengar community, and some of the best puliyogare can be found in South Indian Sri Vaishnava temples, associated with the Iyengar community.

I have always loved tamarind, the fact that we have a really big tamarind tree at home could be one of the main reason why. Yet we have never made this dish at home. So I had no clue where to begin, n’ didn’t know who to go asking. Then I noticed that MTR- Puliyogare mix is readily available here and I decided to give it a go. It turned out just perfect, just the way I remember n’ like it. RJ doesn’t like it at all…but with the mix that is ready…it doesn’t feel like I’m doing double work with making something for me n’ something else for him. This mix is ready to use and just add this to cooked rice n’ it’s ready. After making this I decided to check the blogging world for some good recipes for Puliyogare n’ came across 2, one from Malas Kitchen and other one from Red Chillies. I decided to bookmark these for later... :)...if you are unable to get the ready mix, i would suggest you give the recipes here a try...have a nice weekend...:)

Chettinad Egg Kurma

I have been making my Egg Masala Dry for what seems like forever and last week i decided it's high time i tried something else with hard boiled eggs. I have the book '50 Best Curries of India' by Camellia Panjabi and decided to give her recipe Egg Kurma Chettinad a try. She mentions that this recipe is adapted from the home of Mr.A.Ramaswamy, who is the Raja of Chettinad. I expected it to be far more spicier than it actually turned out to be, i think it's coz i used Kashmiri Chili Powder instead of the normal chili powder. But this recipe is definitely something i'm gonna treasure.

Ingredients:

1. Eggs (hard boiled): 6nos
2. Coriander Powder: 3tsp
3. Chili Powder or Paprika: 1 1/2tsp (i used kashmiri chili powder)
4. Fennel Seeds: 1tsp
5. Cumin Seeds: 1tsp
6. Turmeric Powder: 1/2tsp
7. Fresh Ginger: 1/2inch piece
8. Garlic Cloves: 2nos
9. Coconut Milk: 200ml (she mentions that you can alternatively use 100gms of grated or desiccated coconut instead.i used ready coconut milk as i find it easy)
10. Oil: 2tbsp
11. Fenugreek Seeds: 1/2tsp
12. Fennel seeds: 1/2tsp (second lot)
13. Cinnamon Sticks: 2 inch piece
14. Onions: 225gms (finely chopped)
15. Tomatoes: 225gms (finely chopped)
16. Salt: as per taste
17. Lime Juice: of 1/2 a lime (i didn't use this)

Method:

Step 1: Peel the eggs and halve them lengthways

Step 2: Put coriander powder, chili powder, fennel and cumin seeds, turmeric powder, ginger and garlic into a blender with 2 tbsp water and puree into a thick paste.

Step 3: If you are using coconut instead of milk, put the coconut into a blender with 400ml of warm water. Liquidise, then strain the coconut milk and set aside.

Step 4: Heat the oil in a kadai/wok and fry the fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds and the cinnamon for 10seconds. Add the onion and fry until lightly coloured. Add the spice paste and saute for 7 minutes. (It will darken in colour since it contains a lot of coriander.) Add a few drops of water if it sticks to the bottom of the kadai. Then add the tomatoes and saute for another 2-3minutes.

Step 5: Add 600ml (1/2pint) of warm water with salt to taste, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, to make a smooth gravy. just before serving, add the coconut milk and bring to boil. Add the lime juice, taste and add more salt if necessary, and gently lay in the hard boiled eggs with the yellow facing upwards. Carefully scoop into a serving dish.

If you want to freeze this curry, omit the coconut and eggs, but add lime juice and salt and freeze. Then use it to make egg curry as and when you need, topping it with coconut milk at the time of reheating.

I deviated from the above recipe only to the point where i boiled the eggs along while i was browning the onions and also made the paste in the blender in the meantime. I added the halved eggs only in the serving dish instead of just before serving. Like i said this recipe is definitely a keeper.

p.s: this is my first photograph that is accepted at (the other famous food porn website-) TasteSpotting. I'm thrilled!

Prawns Chili Fry or Prawns Ullarthiyathu

This has to be one of the simplest, easiest n’ tastiest way of eating prawns. But it still doesn’t compare to the best dish of prawns we have ever had. I still remember clearly how we had some prawns chili fry from a shack in the Goan beach during our honey moon….i had never before or since have eaten prawns that tasty…..n’ my mom’s lobster fry, hands down, is the best I have ever had in my life…my father used to buy it just for me (even though it was expensive)….coz I loved it so much….n’ amma used to make it so spicy that I could feel like I’m breathing out n’ taking in fire….:) after eating it…Even my cousins who doesn’t eat as spicy food as us…could never resist my mom’s lobster dish…I don’t know if I will ever be able to make them that well…but for the time being I satisfy myself with this simple prawns preparation. My personal favourite way of eating dish is with some nice hot Sambar n’ white rice. :D

Ingredients:
1. Prawns: 300gms
2. Small Onion (aka Sambar onions): 10-12nos (Sliced)
3. Ginger: ½ tsp (chopped)
4. Garlic: ½ tsp (chopped)
5. Chili Powder: 1tsp (reduce if you don’t want it to be spicy)
6. Turmeric Powder: ½ tsp
7. Coconut : 2tsp (Sliced)
8. Kodam Pulli (Gambogea ): 1-2 pods (soaked in water)
9. Salt: as per taste
10. Oil- 2tbsp (add 3tbsp if you like)
11. Mustard Seeds: 1tsp
12. Curry Leaves: 10-12nos

Method:
Step 1: Wash, clean n’ devein the prawns.

Step 2: Mix the sliced small onions, ginger, garlic, Kodam Pulli along with the water, chili powder, turmeric powder, coconut slices n’ salt with the prawns. Cook this without adding any additional water to this. Prawns cooks really fast, so you can actually make this on high flame, the liquid which oozes out of the prawns will evaporate quickly. (I use a mud vessel that’s commonly used for making fish in Kerala for this. But it’s up to you what dish/pan you want to use to cook these prawns.)

Step 3: To fry the prawns, heat oil, add mustard seeds (wait for it to splutter) n’ add curry leaves n’ once it changes color add the cooked prawns with the thick gravy into this n’ fry it well. Again don’t overcook otherwise the prawns the softer they are the juicier they are. :) Add a pinch or 2 of crushed black pepper before taking it off the fire n’ mix it…adds a wild zing…:D

Egg Masala (Dry)

I'm not sure what the actual name of this recipe is, but my mom and a lot of people in Kerala has been making this since ages. We call it "ulli motta" at home ;)....but i guess it's safe to call it Egg Masala (Dry). I have had many varieties of this, with Puttu, Appam, Idiappam n' Kerala Parotta, which will mostly be with gravy.... but the one i make at home is my favourite. The big plus factor is its easy to make and RJ likes it a lot too...So here we go...

Ingredients

Boiled Eggs: 2nos

Onion: 2nos (juliened)

Chili Powder: 1/4th tsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 th tsp

Chicken Masala: 1 tbsp

Pepper Powder: 1/2 tsp (you need to add this to get the right color, but if it sounds too spicy reduce the amout here and avoid the chili powder)

Salt : as per taste

Curry Leaves

Mustard Seeds

Oil- 2 tbsp (reduce the amount if its too much or if you are using a non stick wok)

Method

Step 1: In a wok ( i use my iron wok for this) heat oil and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once it splutters, add the onion and fry it (it should look light brown n' glazed).

Step 2: Add chili powder, turmeric powder, chicken masala and salt. Let the masala cook till the raw taste is gone.

Step 3: Add the pepper powder and salt at this stage. The curry will darken!

Step 4: Slice the boilded eggs into two and add it to the Masala. Let it stay on the fire for a minute or so and keep the eggs covered with this the masala.

I don't like having just Dal and Chapati, so i love to make this whenever i make Dal. Since i cook for just 2, the measurements here might seem a little less for you. If it does, just proportionately increase the measurements.

Urulaikizhangu Ulathiyathu/ Aloo Sabji (Kerala Style)

I have always liked potatoes and this is one of my favourite ways of eating it. I know this is an extremely simple recipe and might make some wonder why i even bothered to post it here. But then again this is meant for those who haven't tried it yet.



Urulaikizhangu Olathiyathu/ Aloo Sabji (Kerala Style)

Ingredients
Potato- 3 nos (medium size)- Sliced like french fries only not as long.
Garlic- 2 nos (crushed)
Chili Powder- 1 tsp ( less if you don't like spicy food)
Turmeric Powder- 1/4th tsp
Salt- to taste
Water- 3/4 cup ( as little as possible)
Oil- 2- 3 tsp
Curry Leaves
Mustard Seeds

Method
Step 1: In a pan boil Potato, crushed garlic, chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Please ensure that the water level is covering just 3/4th of the potato.

Step 2: Toss this once or twice while cooking it (time required won't be more than 10- 15mins.) The water needs to dry out completely. Setting it aside to cool down after is very important as the potato will not be able to retain its shape otherwise.

Step 3: In a deep wok, do a tadka of oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the above potato and let is cook until slightly fried.


It's really easy to make and tastes great when served with plain rice and kachiya mooru/ yellow mooru. Kachiya Mooru is very similar to the northindian Kadi. Yet another easy dish.

Appam and Chicken Stew

Anyone born and brought up in Kerala knows how important an appam n' stew meal is. For some reason appam and stew was always made at home when we have an occasion or when we have some special guests for breakfast. Truth be told the most awesome appam i had wasn't made at home.

We have a family near our place who are famous in Kottayam for their appams. There used to be a long line of cars on the roads waiting to pick up their order from this small house, esp during Easter, Christmas and New Year. This family of 5 doles out the sweetest appam i have ever had, with edges around it looking like white lace made of frosty snow! Whenever we order appam from there, i used to get sent to pick it up and as usual Papachan (the man there) would give me one to eat while i wait. Eat it without any curry and it would still taste divine! Anyway the point is, somehow all this gave me the impression that appam and stew is an extremely difficult dish to prepare and thats the reason why its gets prepared so rarely at home.

So when we invited some friends over for Easter i decided to make it. My mom was against the idea of making something the first time when we are having guests over. I can understand what she means but, i just had to make it this time. It came out so well.....i decided to serve it while making them...hot from the pan...and 4guyz ate 33appams, i'm not exaggerating! I was exhausted by the end of it. After that i haven't made appams yet. Its kinda difficult. But the chicken stew is a great dish that's so easy to make and can be served with Bread too.

APPAM

Ingredients
Fine rice powder (Iddiappa podi)- 2cups
Cooked Rice- 3/4th cup
Coconut (Ground)- 3/4th cup
Sugar- 2tbsp
Yeast- 1/2 tsp
Salt- to taste
Water

Method
Step 1: Grind coconut well in a mixer grinder with just a little water.

Step 2: Add cooked rice to the above and grind well.

Step 3: Add rice powder (with a little water to soak), yeast, salt and sugar to the above and grind the entire mixture until smooth.

* The time required for the mixture to rise is 2hrs- after which the mixture is ready to make appam. (Keep it somewhere or on something hot)
** If to be made later the mixture needs to be stored in the fridge after the above procedure.

Step 4: Use an appam wok to make the ones with the lace or use a normal flat wok for flat round ones like a thick pancake.

CHICKEN STEW

Ingredients
Chicken *- ½ kg (medium pieces)
Small Onion- 10nos (crushed or julienned)
Big Onion- 2 big or 3 medium (cubes)
Ginger- 1 inch piece (sliced)
Green Chili- 4-5nos
Potato- 1 (cubes)
Vinegar- ½ tsp
Coconut Milk- 1cup
Milk- 1 cup
Maida- 1 tbsp
Cloves- 2-3 nos
Peppercorns- 5-6 nos (crushed)
Salt- to taste
Mustard Seeds
Curry Leaves
(Vegs like carrot, green peas etc are optional)

Method
Step 1: Cook the chicken pieces, small onions, big onions, ginger, green chili, potato, salt and vinegar in a pressure cooker till one whistle.

Step 2: Mix milk & coconut milk in a separate bowl. Add maida to this and mix well. Add cloves and peppercorns into the milk mixture.

Step 3: Prepare a tadka (oil, mustard seeds & curry leaves)

Step 4: Open the pressure cooker lid (once its safe) n’ light the burner again. Add this milk mixture to the cooker n’ cook on really low fire. Stir well. Once the curry thickens to your preference, add the tadka and the stew is ready.

* you can follow the instructions above to make fish or mutton stew too. For fish, i guess one should avoid using the pressure cooker mentioned in step 1.

Beef Chili Dry- (Beef Olarthiyathu)

I grew up eating this for every other meal….really I could combine this with anything. This also happens to be the only non veg I really like. I don’t like chicken, pork, fish or mutton. So it was very important I quickly learn how to make a decent dry chili beef. Let me specify that this will be the Kerala style with coconut pieces (which my husband picks out from his share n’ dutifully gives it to me). He doesn’t like coconut in his food n’ I love it… my dishes normally tend to be a little spicy. So you can adjust the level of spice according to your taste.

Ingredients:

Beef- 1/2 kg (cut into small pieces)
Chili Powder- 1 tbsp
Coriander Powder- 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
Ginger- 1 inch piece (crushed)
Garlic- 6-7nos (crushed)
Small Onion- 10nos (crushed) - (Sambar Onions or Kerala Onions)
Coconut Pieces- as per taste (optional)
Cinnamon- Small piece
Cloves- 2-3nos
Peppercorns- 5-6nos
Oil- 1-2 tbsp
Onion- 1/2 (finely sliced) - (big normal indian red onion)
Green Chili- 1-2 (finely sliced) - (can be avoided if you don't like spicy food)
Curry Leaves
Salt to taste

Method:

Step 1: Sauté the cinnamon, cloves and crushed peppercorns, add crushed onion, ginger n’ garlic pieces; Add all the powder, salt & coconut pieces once the onion is fried. Stir till the powder looses its raw taste.

Step 2: Add the above to the beef pieces and marinate for 10mins.

Step 3: Cook the beef in a pressure cooker on low fire for 10 more mins after the 1st whistle. No need to add water the marinated meat will have enough water content. (this can be stored for later as it is n’ the tadka can be done just before a meal)

Step 4: Do a tadka (little oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, onion and green chili) in a wok/deep pan and add the cooked beef, cook it for 5-10mins n’ its ready.

Sambar

I was never much of a sambar person until i started making it....like spinach i never liked drumsticks either. We have 3 drumstick trees at home and i think that was my reason for not liking them much. Can you imagine a dislike for home grown veggies....gosh i was a lost case. Anyways the fact that drumsticks help make our boobs bigger was an info i got very late. That could be an important reason why i warmed up to this veggie. ;)

I don't think i do any magic with my sambar...but turns out so well every time.

Ingredients:

1. Toor Dal : 1/2 cup (i'm not sure about the 'toor/tur/tuvar dal' spelling)
2. Potato: 1no (cut into big pieces)
3. Tomato: 1no (cut into big pieces)
4. Black Pulli (tamarind): size of a small coin- (put it in water)
5. Sambar powder: 1 tbsp (mix it in little water to make a paste)
6. Turmeric powder: 1/2tsp
7. Drumstick- 1-2 nos (cut into medium pieces)
8. Water
9. Salt to Taste
10.Onion- 2nos (cut into big pieces)
11. Green chili- 2nos (split in half)
12. Garlic- 2pods (crushed)
13. Oil: 1 1/2 tbsp (or less)
14. Mustard- 1/2tsp
15. Small Onions or Sambar Onions (sliced)
16. Dried Chili- 2-3nos (cut in the middle)
17. Curry leaves- as per liking

**Vegetable like drumstick or okra (vendakka), carrot are optional....(adding drumstick gives a great taste, apart from the blessing mentioned above!)

Method:

Step 1: Pressure cook- Tur dal, potato, green chili, garlic, other vegetables (if any), onion, turmeric powder and salt. Pour 4cups of water (or a little more than the level of the veggies) to pressure cook this. Take this off the fire after the first whistle. Leave it to cool.

Step 2: Open the lid of the cooker (once its safe). Light the gas again and add sambar powder paste, tamarind water (squeeze the pulli in the water) and tomato (can be added during step 1 too) . Let it boil without the lid...Stir occasionally

Step 3: In a pan do a tadka of oil, mustard seeds, small onions slices (optional), dried chili and curry leaves. Pour this tadka into the sambar and allow it to boil a while to avoid a layer of oil on top....