Chilli Garlic Prawns

Chilli Garlic Prawns

Ingredients

Tiger Prawns (12 to 18 count) - 24 pcs

Diced onions - 100 g

Capsicum - 150 g

Sliced green chillies - 25 g

Ginger - 50 g

Garlic - 50 g

Refined flour - 75 g

Corn flour - 50 g

Sugar - 2 g

Salt - 3 g

Monosodium glutamate - 3 g

Oil - For frying

Red colour - 5 ml

White pepper powder - 2 g

Method of preparation

1. Marinate the prawn in refined flour, corn flour, sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate & white pepper powder. Shallow fry for about 5 minutes. Stir fry the capsicum, onions, green chilli and chopped ginger & garlic. Add sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate and white pepper powder. Add fish stock, mix in the prawns and cook for about 3 minutes. Serve hot with hot garlic sauce.

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Ghee Rice (Neichoru)

Ghee Rice (Neichoru)

This video shows the preparation of Ghee Rice. Ghee Rice (Neichoru) is usually prepared on special occasions.

Ingredients
Biriyani rice - 2 cups
Ghee - 5 to 6 tsp
Cashew nuts - ½ cup
Clove - 4 to 5 pieces
Crushed peppercorns - 4 to 5 no.
Raisins - ¼ cup
Crushed ginger - 1 tsp
Crushed garlic - 1 tsp
Lime juice
Onions (sliced) - 2 no.
Bay leaf - 2 no.
Cardamom - 4 no.
Cinnamon - 2 sticks
Chopped coriander leaves ¼ cup
Salt - to taste
Water - 3½ cup

Method of preparation
Wash and drain the rice and keep it aside.  Heat three teaspoons of ghee in a pan. To this, add cashew nuts and stir, till it becomes brown. Remove the cashew nuts. Repeat the procedure with raisins.

Heat some more ghee in the pan. Now put big onions and add salt. Stir and cook till it turns brown. Transfer this into the plate containing fried cashew nuts and raisins.

Take some more ghee and heat in a big vessel. Put cloves, followed by cinnamon, cardamom, crushed pepper, and ginger-garlic paste. Stir well. To this, add pieces of big onion and stir a bit. You may now add the rice, which has been washed, drained and kept aside. Mix well and add salt. Now add coriander leaves and stir again. Add some split pieces of bay leaf and pour water to cover the rice fully. Stir gently and close the vessel. Cook for five minutes.

Remove the lid of the vessel and add some lime juice. Mix well.

Garnish with cashew nuts, raisins, fried onions and serve the ghee rice hot.

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sassy wate

we have mentioned about sassy water. If you are not familiar with sassy water – it is flavored water named by Prevention magazine in honor of its inventor Cynthia Sass. She created it for the “Flat Belly Diet”. This water tastes greater than ordinary water. With almost no calories, the ginger content actually helps to calm your digestive system. 

2 liters or 8 1/2 cups of fresh water

Fresh ginger, grated : 1 teaspoon

Cucumber : 1 medium sized peeled and sliced thinly

Lemon : 1 medium sized sliced thinly

Mint leaves : 12 fresh ones

How to make sassy water?

1. Wash the citrus fruits thoroughly well before slicing.
2. Slice them into small circular pieces.
3. Pour water into a large jar and add the plant ingredients.
4. Tear the mint leaves just a little to release the flavours and add them to the jar.
5. Cover it and place it in the refrigerator overnight.
6. Drink the next day.

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Kerala Olan

Here is the second side dish for your Vishu Sadhya. You can find other sadhya recipes in my previous posts. Olan is a traditional Kerala side dish which is regular at every Onasadya. Kerala Olan is made with red gram and  vegetables (pumpkins) cooked in coconut milk, which gives it a rich and creamy texture.This recipe belongs to my loving grand mother.

Black eyed beans (Vanpayar) : 3/4 cups

Raw pumpkin : 1cup, cut into cubes

Green chillies : 4nos

Grated coconut : 1 half

Coconut oil : 1tbsp

Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves : 1sprig

Salt : as needed

Kerala Olan preparation

1. Clean and soak the Red Cow peas (Vanpayar) for a long time in water (around 5 hours).
2. Chop the pumpkin into small cubes and wash it well.
3. Add the green chillies (sliced length wise), salt and the soaked red cow peas to this.
4. Cook it well and drain (Don’t over cook the vegetables, they should retain their shapes).
5. Collect the first extract of the coconut milk by squeezing the grated coconut with around half a liter of water.
6. Collect the second extract also by pouring one liter of water once again into the grated coconut and squeezing it well.
7. Add the 2nd extract of coconut milk to the cooked and drained vegetables.
8. Allow it to boil and when it boils, switch off the flame and add the 1st extract of coconut milk.
9. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When the seeds starts crackling, turn off the flame and add it to the dish. Mix well.
10. Serve it hot with Sadhya.

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Clam / Kakka Irachi Ularthiyath

Today we had a visit to Cherai beach, Paravoor.  A fishermen there gave us around 1 kg of Kakka / clams. Though I have taken Kakka irachi fry from hotels and my home I haven’t prepared it before. I collected the recipe from my mother and we prepared it. It was really a spicy one and my Husband loved it. We took it for our dinner along with Pulissery and rice.

 

Ingredients

Clams (Kakka Irachi) : 1/2 kg

Sliced Shallots : 1.5 cups

Crushed Garlic : 4 big cloves

Crushed Ginger : 1 inch

Curry Leaves : 2 sprigs

Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp

Chilly Powder : 2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder : 2 tsp

Black Pepper Powder : 4 tsp

Thinly sliced coconut : 1/2 cup

Coconut Oil : 2tbsp

Water : 1 cup

Salt : to taste

 

Preparation of Clam / Kakka Irachi Ularthiyath

1. Clean the Kakka / clam thoroughly by pinching it laterally. Force out the greyish-black grit found inside each of them. Wash it in plenty of running water to remove any dirt and grit and finally squeeze the clams to remove water.
   
2. Into a pressure cooker with out weight add the Kakka, sliced shallots, salt, Turmeric powder, Chilly powder, garam masala powder, black pepper powder, coconut and water. Cook it for 15 minutes with lids closed.
3. In the mean time, in a pan add coconut oil crushed garlic, crushed ginger, curry leaves and saute till the aroma goes.
4. After 15 minutes put the weight over the cooker, and cook for 2 more whistles.
5. Turn off the flame and allow the steam to go out of the cooker.
6. Transfer the clams into the pan and saute in between in medium flame. Cover it with the lid.
7. Add coconut oil as needed and saute in between, to make the mix dry.
8. Serve with rice , Idiyappam or appam.

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Mini Mushroom Toast

 

 

 

Aren’t you bored of appetizers like kebabs and tikkis??!!! Try out these cheesy mushroom toasts to have it on starter plate, which are very much kids-friendly too

Mini Mushroom Toast preparation

1. Take some water in a bowl and add dry yeast with sugar. Set aside for 5-6 mins.
2. In another bowl, take maida and mix salt in it. Make a well in center of bowl. Add the yeast mixture and some oil.
3. Mix them all together and form a sticky dough and knead it for 10 mins.
4. Brush a bowl lightly with oil and sprinkle some maida in bowl.
5. Put dough in it and set aside in a warm place to rise until its doubled in size (approx 1 hour).
6. Once done, punch it well to remove air.
7. Make small balls (5-6) out of it and roll it thick to make toast base. Bake them in pre-heated oven for 5 mins on 180 degrees.
8. Heat oil in a pan and add sliced mushrooms in it.
9. Saute it for 2-3 mins till they are little soft (Make sure you don’t overcook them, else it will start releasing water).
10. Season it with salt and pepper powder. Mix well and transfer it to another bowl to cool down to room temp.
11. Arrange these mushrooms on toast base as a topping and sprinkle cheese over it.
12. Bake it for 10-12 mins until toast-crust is crisp & light-brown in color.
13. Serve hot as an appetizer or side dish!!!

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Arabian Chicken Majboos

Chicken Majboos is an Arabian rice dish similar to Kerala Biriyani. Some people also call it as Arabic chicken Biriyani. This is a popular dish in northern Kerala. I learned this recipe from my sister in Dubai. She used to prepare it at home occasionally and we all love it. I am sure you will enjoy this Arabic Cuisine and  will make spicy Chicken Majboos.

Arabian Majboos preparation

1. Wash the chicken pieces and the rice thoroughly and separately under running water and keep it aside.
2. Mix the ground spices garlic, ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, lemon juice, turmeric powder (optional), salt and 2 tablespoon oil in a bowl.
3. Apply ½ of this mix thoroughly over the chicken inside out and marinate it for one hour.
4. In a large pan, heat ½ cup of oil, add the onions and saute it till they become translucent.
5. Add the remaining ground spices, chicken pieces, carrots, tomatoes, salt and saute for about five minutes over low heat.
6. Add water to the mix and let it boil.
7. When the pieces get cooked, take out the chicken pieces along with tomatoes and keep it aside. Do not drain away the remaining water (Chicken broth).
8. Filter the chicken broth and measure it. For 1 Cup of rice you need 1½ cup of broth. You can add more water if needed.
9. Boil the chicken broth solution. Add the washed rice when it starts boiling.
10. Reduce the heat, cover the broth and cook it for about 25 – 30 minutes (until the rice get cooked). Need not stir in between.
11. When the cooking is over, uncover the dish and evenly stir it to let the cooked ingredients mix well.
12. Meanwhile you can lightly fry / grill the chicken pieces.
13. To serve, spread a rice layer and put chicken, tomato and boiled eggs on top. Cover with the rest of the rice.
14. Garnish it with saute onion and coriander leaves. Serve warm.

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Banana fritters

Pazham pori aka Ethakka appam or banana fritters is a traditional evening snack item in Kerala. Its available through out Kerala and all most all Keralites prepares it the same way. Its simply ripe banana’s coated with flour and deep fried in oil.

Pazham pori Preparation / Banana fritters

1. Mix the all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and water in a dish and blend it thoroughly to form a semi thick batter.
   
2. Add a pinch of turmeric powder to the batter to color a bit.
3. Peel the bananas and slice them length wise into half and then slice each halfway into 3 or more to get the thin slices.
4. Dip the slices in batter and evenly coat them.
5. In a deep bottom frying pan heat some oil.
6. When the oil becomes hot, dip the batter coated banana pieces and fry them until they become golden brown. Flip them in between.
7. Remove from oil and drain the excess oil with paper napkins /  kitchen towel.
8. Serve it hot.

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Falafel-Arabian

Falafel, the lebanese deep fried balls or patties is a snack / fast food very popular in the Middle East which is now available world wide, each with its own special version. It is very popular among the vegans.  As a main dish, falafel is served as a sandwich, stuffed in pita bread / Khubboos / Turkish bread with vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, and tahini. As an appetizer, it is served on a salad, or with hummus and tahini. Falafel is a favorite among vegetarians. It is usually shaped like a ball or flat burger. It may have a pale brown color, or be darksome. Falafel may have a smooth or grainy texture. Here is the authentic & traditional recipe for preparing falafel from scratch.

Falafel Preparation

1. Place dried chick pies in a large bowl filled with cold water and soak it overnight. You can omit this step if using canned beans.
2. The next day, drain the chickpeas and grind it in a food processor until they have a breadcrump like consistency and there are no whole chickpeas left. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Next blend the onion, garlic, coriander leaves in the blender until it is a paste consistency, add to bean mixture.
4. Add the ingredients like cumin, chicken masala/cayenne, salt, lemon juice, bread crumbs, pepper and flour. Mix well.
5. Taste it to check the salt and spice level.
6. Add baking powder and soda about 15 minutes before frying. Mix everything well.
7. From this mix make small lemon sized balls.
8. In a large skillet/ Cheenachatti heat oil. Drop a small of batter into the oil and if it sizzles, the oil is ready.
9. Carefully drop the falafel balls into the oil. Fry them for 3-4 minutes until they are golden brown. Then flip over and fry other side.
10. Remove from the oil and drain on a kitchen towel.
11. Serve warm as an appetizer main dish with hummus, tahini, pita bread and vegetables.

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Wheat Banana Bread

Wheat Banana

After a short gap (Sorry friends I was busy with my cake baking classes, Athen’s Oven and with my fondant cake experiments), here comes my new baking experiment. Try this mouthwatering whole wheat banana bread recipe which tastes great with a cup of coffee!

Wheat Banana Bread preparation

1.  Grease a 9″ pan or a loaf pan and spread a butter paper inside and grease again. Keep aside.

2.  Sieve flour + Baking powder + Salt.

3.  Powder sugar in a mixer jar and empty into to a large bowl.

4.  Peel and cut banana and mash in the same mixer jar and add with sugar.

5.  Beat until banana paste and sugar powder gets well combined.

6.  Add eggs one by one and beat until just incorporated.

7.  Add in condensed milk and beat.

8.  Add oil and beat. Keep the hand mixer aside.

9.  Preheat the oven in 180 degrees.

10.              Then fold the flour mixture spoon by spoon and mix with the wet ingredients.

11.              Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan/loaf. Sprinkle chopped almonds on top and bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

12.              When it’s done, keep the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then run a knife around the pan and revert the cake and peel off the butter paper.

13.              Let the cake stand for half an hour to cut.

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Few kerala foods

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