Cheru payaru (moong dal) Payasam

 

 

Ingredients

·         1 cup Cheru payaru (Moong Dal)

·         1 cup Jaggery (brown sugar)

·         2 cups Coconut Milk (1 can)

·         1 cup water

·         1 tbs Ghee

·         1tbs Raisin

·         1 tbs Cashew

Method

1.      Fry the Cheru payaru in a pan for 5 minutes.

2.      Set aside and let it cool for about 5 minutes.

3.      Wash (not soak) the fried Cheru payaru in water and cook it in a pressure cooker until 3 steam bursts.

4.      Wait until the steam subsides and it is safe to open the cooker (should not steam when you lift the weight on top). This could be up to about 10 minutes. Take the lid off.

5.      Turn the flame back on to medium heat.

6.      Add the Jaggery, stir the mix and cook for 3 minutes.

7.      Reduce the heat down to slim.

8.      Add the coconut milk and cook for 5 minutes, lightly stirring occassionally. The mix will become thick and viscous, but will still pour down from a spoon.

9.      Separately in a pan, heat ghee and lightly fry the cashew and raisins until the cashews turn a golden brown.

10.   Turn off the heat on the cooker. Transfer the contents to a serving dish.

11.   Add the fried cashew and raisins on the top and serve either warm or cold.

Mango Chammandhi

 

 

Ingredients

·         1/2 cup Mango cut into small pieces

·         1 cup grated coconut

·         3 small pearl onions (sambar onion or kunjiya ulli)

·         4 green chillies

·         1/2 tsp chopped ginger

·         1 curry leaf stem

·         Salt to taste

·         1 tbs coconut oil

Method

1.    It very simple. Just put all the above ingredients, except the coconut oil, in a blender (mixie) and grind to a coarse mix.

2.    It takes about 3 minutes in the blender. Stop halfway, after about a 1 ½ minutes, to stir the mix, folding in what is stuck to the sides of the bowl. This is a good time to check if the salt is enough. If the mix is sour add a little salt.

3.    Towards the end, check occasionally to ensure that the mix does not get to a fine paste.

4.    Transfer the mix from to a serving dish. Add the coconut mix and mix well. 

5.    The chammandhi is ready to eat. Best eaten with rice.

Egg Puffs

Egg Puffs 

Ingredients

• Puff Pastry Sheets - 2 tri-folded sheet makes 18 puffs
• 9 Hard Boiled Eggs - shell removed and cut in half
• 1 tbsp. Water (to stick sheet corners)
•  1 Egg, raw, with 1 tsp water, beaten well

Method

1.    If taken out of the freezer, let the pastry sheets thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes, to make them pliable.

2.    Open the tri-fold of the pastry sheet (Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets). First cut them vertically along the fold, then cut each of them into 3 equal pieces. You will get 9 square pieces. It is important that the pieces are square.

3.    Line a baking tray with a baking sheet and spray with oil.

4.    Take each square piece, place one egg-half diagonally, face down, on the square piece.

5.    Fold over the other two corners over the egg half. Wet the corners with some water so the corners stick together over the egg.

6.    Place the prepared pieces onto the baking tray.

7.    Before baking, brush on the beaten egg over each piece.

8.    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F).

9.    Bake for 15 to 18 minutes (It is ready when the top of the egg puffs turns brown)

10.  When done, take it out and let it cool for 5 minutes.

11.  Serve with a sauce of your choice

12.  Ketchup, Sriracha, Hot Sauces, Maggie Hot and Sour are some options.

Kerala Chicken Curry

INGREDIENTS

       Marinade

• 2 lb Chicken (try with skin half a chicken so you get all types of pieces)
• 1/2 medium size Red Onion, diced
• 1 tbsp. chopped Ginger
• 4 Green Chillies, sliced lengthwise
• 1 Curry Leaves
• 3 tbsp. Coriander Powder
• 1 tbsp. Chilly Powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 2 tbsp. Vegetable Oil

      
       Finishing Ingredients

• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Can or 2 Cups of Coconut Milk
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 tsp Salt (or salt to taste)
• 1/2 Red Onion, sliced thin
• 2 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
• 2 Potatoes

METHOD

1. Fry the sliced onion in 2 tbsp. of oil until dark brown and set aside.
2. Microwave or cook potatoes well and cut into inch cubes and set aside.
3. Cut the chicken into 2 or 3 inch chunks
4. Wash and drain the chicken for 5 minutes.
5. Transfer chicken to a large cooking pan
6. Add all the marinade ingredients and mix well
7. Let the marinade sit for 30 minutes, at room temperature
8. Add water in chicken, cover and and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes
9. Add salt and gently stir slowly for a few seconds
10. Add cooked potato (proceed to next step immediately)
11. Add coconut milk gently stir a bit and cook for not more than 5 minutes
12. Sprinkle the fried onions on top, turn off the stove and cover the pan.
13. Let sit for 5 minutes and the Chicken Curry is ready to serve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kerala Paruppu Vada (Masala Vada)

Ingredients 

• 2 Cups Kaddala Paruppu  (Channa Dal)
• 1 Medium Size Red onion - diced
• 1/2 inch piece ginger - diced into small chunks
• 2 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper (may adjust for spice level)
• 2 stalks of Curry leaves, separated from the stalk
• 1 Tsp Salt (you may adjust to taste)
• Oil to deep fry vada

Method

1. Soak Paruppu in 6 cups of water for 2 hours.
2. Drain water (Don't drain for too long and leave a little bit in the paruppu),
3. Too much water in the grind will burn paruppu vada and will not cook or be crisp.
4. Add ginger and curry leaves in the paruppu
5. Grind paruppu to a coarse consistency (don't make it a paste)
6. You may have to grind the paruppu in two or three batches so that if one batch becomes a paste, you can make the next batch a bit more coarse to compensate.
7. Transfer ground paruppu to a large mixing bowl.
8. Add crushed pepper, salt and chopped onion to the ground Paruppu.
9. Mix everything well. Check spice and salt levels from the raw mix. Adjust as necessary.
10. Make lime size balls, squeezing them tight and keep in the mixing blow itself.
11. Heat oil (enough to deep fry vada) on medium-high heat.
12. Take each ball and flatten it on your wet palm and gently drop in heated oil
13. Fry until vada becomes golden brown.
14. Do not fry more than 5 or 6 vadas in a batch.
15. If you drop in too many the oil will become cold and vada will absorb oil.
16. Eat one from the first batch. You may have to adjust to get it right.
17. If inside is not cooked and surface is not burnt, then increase heat a bit.
18. If inside is not cooked but surface is burnt, reduce heat a bit for next batch.
19. Medium high heat is best to cook inside and get crispy outside. It may take a couple of tries to get it perfected to your taste.
20. Serve hot and enjoy. You don't need sauces or sides for vada. Just need good company.
    

    
    

Beef Fry (Olathiythu)

 INGREDIENTS

      FOR BEEF IN PRESSURE COOKER

• 1 lb Beef
• 1/2 Big Onion sliced thin
• 2tsp. Ginger paste
• 2tsp. Garlic paste
• 2 Green chilly (More for spicy)
• 1 stalk Curry leaves
• 1 tbsp. Coriander powder
• 1/2 tbsp. Chilly powder

      FOR FRYING PAN

• 1/2 Big Onion sliced thin
• 2tsp. Ginger paste
• 2tsp. Garlic paste
• 2 Green chilly (More for spicy)
• 1 stalk Curry leaves1 tsp.
• 2tsp Coriander powder
• 2tsp Chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• 4 tbsp Coconut Oil (or Vegetable Oil)

METHOD

     PRESSURE COOKING

1. Beef should be thawed to room temperature if taken out from the freezer.
2. Cut the beef into small cubes (about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch), wash and drain a few minutes.
3. Cook the beef In a pressure cooker, adding all ingredients listed in the first section.
4. Cook until cooker steams two times.
5. Turn off the stove. (don't pour water on cooker to dissipate steam instantly)
6. Cool for about 30 minutes for steam to subside before safely opening cooker.

     FRYING (OLATHU)

1. In a large frying pan add oil and heat
2. Fry half diced onion and curry leaves until onion turns light brown.
3. Add 2tsp. each of the ginger and garlic paste and fry for a minute.
4. Add chillies, curry leaves, turmeric and garam masala.
5. Fry a minute or until the mix thickens and you can smell a good aroma emanating from the pan.
6. Add beef with all the watery gravy from the cooker into the frying pan and mix well.
7. Turn down the stove to medium heat so the beef fries slowly.
8. Stir only occasionally so you don't disintegrate the beef into strands.
9. Wait till the gravy in the beef thickens. Approximately 5 minutes should be enough.
10. Don't thicken too much. Note that after you turn off the stove, the gravy will thicken twice as much when it cools down. When you serve the beef it should be moist, not dry.
11. Fry some curry leaves at some time separately and keep aside for garnishing.
12. Garnish with fried curry leaves and serve hot.
13. If reheating later, reheat in a pan with a tablespoon of heated oil (don't microwave)

 

Kerala Chicken Roast

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small whole chicken (about 1.5 kg or 3 lbs)
• 1 large Onion, thin sliced
• 1 tbsp Ginger paste
• 1 tbsp Garlic paste
• 4 Green Chillies
• 2 stems of curry leaves
• 2 medium Tomatoes
• 1 tbsp Chilli Powder
• 3 tbsp Coriander Powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 4 tbsp Oil
• 2 tsp Gharam Masala
• Salt to taste

METHOD

1. Clean  the chicken and cut  it into about 2 to 2/12 inch chunks.
2. Wash and drain in a colander.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet.
4. Fry sliced onion, green chilly, curry leaves till onion becomes light brown.
5. Add ginger and garlic paste fry for about 30 seconds.
6. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and gharam masala.
7. Stir occasionally and cook for 30 seconds.
8. Add tomatoes and the mix thickens and oil begins to separate.
9. Add the chicken pieces and salt and mix well
10. Cover and cook for 45 minutes on a medium high flame.
11. Every 15 minutes open the lid and stir.
12. After 45 minutes take of the cover and open cook for another 15 minutes.
13. Stir seldom, but wait till the Chicken and mix turn brown.
14. Turn off of the stove.
15. Use water or chicken stock to make it more moist or gravy like.
16. Garnish with curry leaves and serve.
17. Tip: Tastes really good if you make it the day before you serve it.
18. When doing so, don't heat in a microwave. Heat it only in a pan.
19. Add fried potato sliced thick or as wedges. Fried onions also make great garnishing.

 

Kerala Style Mutton Stew

 

INGREDIENTS

      With Mutton

• 1/2 kg (or 1 lbs) Mutton
• 1/2 medium size red onion
• 4 green chillies
• 1/2 in piece ginger, chopped long.
• 6-8 curry leaves

      Veggies

• 1 potato diced to 3/4 inch pieces
• 2 carrot clean and cut to 1 inch lengthwise slim pieces.

       For Sautee

• 1/2 tbsp whole pepper
• 1 onion sliced thin
• 4 chillies sliced lengthwise
• 1/2 tsp ginger, sliced
• 6-8 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp uppma rava
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1 can coconut milk or milk of 1 grated coconut.
• 1 tbsp oil

METHOD

1. Cut mutton into chunks, wash and drain for a few minutes
2. Cook all ingredients under "With Mutton" in a pressure cooker (2 steams)
3. Cook Veggies in boiling water for a few minutes until cooked, drain water.
4. Cook potato and carrots in boiling water for a few minutes until cooked.
5. Heat oil in a large pan (large enough for whole stew)
6. First fry whole pepper and ginger for 30 seconds
7. Add onion, chillies, curry leaves and fry till onion is a golden
8. Add uppma rava, garam masala and fry for 1 minute.
9. Now add mutton, cooked veggies and stir to mix it all
10. Add coconut milk and bring the whole mix to a boil on low flame
11. Boil for 5 minutes.
12. Turn off the stove, let it sit for 5 minutes and serve.

 

Thrissur Vellai Appam

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups basmathi rice (for 20 appams)
• 1/2 can coconut milk or milk of 1/2 a grated coconut
• 1tsp Yeast
• 1/2 cup cooked rice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• Tapered bottom appam making pan

METHOD

1. Soak rice for 2 hours.
2. Soak yeast in warm water.
3. Drain water from rice and mix all ingredients.
4. Grind in a blender until mixture is very smooth.
5. The mixture should not feel coarse or sandy.
6. Ferment overnight or at least 4 hours. It must rise nicely for fluffy appams.
7. Refrigerate after the dough rises, if not making appam immediately.
8. pour about 2 ice cream scoops of dough into the appam pan.
9. Lift pan and swirl so you coat dough from the bottom, upward to top.
10. This will give you the lace thin outside and thick center of the appam.
11. Cook on stove for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.
12. Remove appam and place on a cooling grid.
13. Cooling each appam is so it wont stick when you stack them for serving.
14. Serve with sweetened coconut milk or egg curry or mutton stew.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Kerala style Noolappam (Iddiyappam)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup rice flour
• Boiling water about 2 cups
• Salt (in the water)
• Iddly making steam pot with dipped trays
• Iddiappam presser

METHOD

1. Bring the water to boil and add some salt.
2. Slowly pour the hot water into rice flour and mix with spoon.
3. It will be a bit difficult to mix but do try to bring it all together.
4. Place cover and keep aside for 15 mts.
5. Grease the iddly trays.
6. Fill dough in the iddiappam press
7. Squeeze out the dough in swirls into each pit in the iddly trays.
8. Steam for 10 mts, remove iddly trays and allow to cool a bit.
9. Remove each iddiappam and keep warm in a casserole container
10. Clean iddly trays of sticky dough remains and grease to reuse.
11. Serve warm with either sweetened coconut milk or egg curry.

Kerala Style Egg Curry

INGREDIENTS

       Main

• 4 Eggs
• 1 Onion finely sliced
• 2 Green chilli
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 large Tomato
• 8 to 10 Curry leaves (1 stalk)
• Cooking oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 can Coconut milk or water instead.

      Masala

• 1 tbsp.  Chilli Powder (lesser to make it less spicy)
• 2 tbsp Coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala

METHOD

1.     Heat oil in a pan.
2.   Add onion, green chillies and curry leaves fry few minutes till light brown.

3.     Add ginger and garlic paste to the mixture and fry for 2 minutes .

4.     When the mixture cools down, grind it to paste.

5.     Put the mixture back into the pan and fry on medium heat.

6.     Fry the paste until it becomes brown and oil being to seep out of the paste.

7.     Add all masala powders to the paste and stir for a minute.

8.     Add tomato diced small. Wait until the mixture becomes like a gel.

9.     Then add water or coconut milk and cook until the gravy becomes thick.

10. Turn off the stove.

11. Add boiled egg cut in half, lengthwise.

12. Garnish with curry leaves and serve.