Canned Tuna in Kerala

This is from Bachelor's kitchen. In their kitchen, all foreigners turn into keralites. Especially canned food items,sausages etc.

Ingredients

Tuna two small cans
Onion one big
Tomato one big
Green chilly two
Curry leaves few
Mustard seeds half teaspoon
Coconut oil one table spoon
Garlic ginger paste optional
Turmeric powder half teaspoon
Chilly powder one teaspoon
Oil one talespoon

Salt

How to prepare
Drain water and oil from the can.
Heat oil.

Let the mustard seeds splutter.

Add finely chopped onion.

Sauté for awhile
Add tomato pieces green chilly ,curry leaves ,salt and the powders.

Stir till tomatoes are cooked.

Then add the canned tuna into this and stir.

Sprinkle little garam masala over this.

Read more >>

Potato and spinach / Cheera Urulakkizhangu masala

Ingredients
1/2 bunch of spinach
2 medium size potatoes
1 small tomato
1 medium size onion
Ginger 1/2 inch chopped
Green chilly 1 or 2
Pepper powder or chilly powder 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder 2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
Garam masala ¼ teaspoon
Salt
Coriander leaves chopped 2 table spoon
Coconut oil 1 table spoon

How to prepare
Boil potatoes and remove skin.
Cut them into small pieces.
Heat oil.
Let the mustard seeds splutter.
Sauté finely chopped onion.
Keep stirring after adding chopped ginger and green chilies.
Add tomato pieces and all the powders.
Stir for a while.
Add salt , potatoes, garam masala and coriander leaves.
Stir till the masala cover the potatoes.
Then add chopped spinach.
Sprinkle little water over it.
Mix and keep covered.
Cook till done.
Add cumin seeds or black gram dal according to the taste of North or South in the beginning.
Best to have with chapattis.
Submitted to JFI-green leafy vegetables hosted by Indira of Mahanandi

Read more >>

Rava Ladoo

Ingredients

Rava two cups

Sugar two cups

Coconut grated one cup

Ghee one cup

Milk optional

Fry few cashews and raisins, keep aside

How to prepare

First, fry rava for a while

Powder it

Powder sugar with four cardamoms and four cloves

Powder coconut also

Mix all the above ingredients together

Add ghee slowly into the mixture and make balls, sprinkle milk if needed

Place cashew and raisin on each ball

This is a pachakam.com recipe. You can find the original recipe here.

Actually I wouldn't try much sweet recipes. But this one is very easy to prepare. A simple and delicious one!

Read more >>

Chicken 65

Again with the recipe of Mrs. Mano Saminathan.

Ingredients and preparation.

1/2 kg bone less chicken

1 teasp lime juice

1/4 teasp kesari powder

2 teasp chilli powder

1/2 of egg

11/2 tbsp cornflour

11/2 tea sp plain flour

1 tbsp soya sauce

1/2 tea sp pepper powder

1 tea sp ginger paste

1 tea sp garlic paste

1 handful of curry leaves

1/2 tea sp turmeric powder

1/4 teasp garam masala

enough salt

Mix well.

Marinate the chicken for 1 hour and deep fry them.

Read more >>

Small Onion / Kunjulli / shallots

I thought to provide some information about the commonly used ingredients in the Kerala Cuisine. We all know, small onions have an important role in a large amount of the dishes. This adds extra deliciousness to the dish.

According to Ayurveda, small onions are useful for the treatment of Cancer, diabetes, plague, dropsy, tuberculosis and heart diseases.
The amount of iron in small onion is high. So eating small onions or using it in every day cooking will prevent anemia.
To prevent anemia in children, give palm sugar(chakkara) with small onions. Chop small onions and give it with palm sugar.
Small onion is also good for piles. Boil elephant yam with small onions and eat it with ghee. It is good for piles.
Take the juice of small onions and mix it with butter milk and drink it daily. It will help to reduce the cholesterol level. Every one who have cholesterol diseases must include small onions in their daily foods.
When there is wound on the body, crush one shallot and press it on that part. It will help to avoid tetanus.
Small onions are also helpful for growing hair. For dandruff, chop small onions and boil in coconut oil. After it turned brown remove from fire. Massage this oil in warm condition with finger tips on scalp. The use for a week will give wonderful results.
For arthritis, mix mustard oil (kadukenna) and small onion juice (without water) in equal quantity and apply where the pain exists.
For lungs diseases, a drink made with small onions and honey will bring comfort .Small onion juice is also good for epileptic patients. Small onion is a wonderful medicine to stop the blocks in veins.
Prepared by the help of Dr.Raman Namboodiri's book and from my knowledge.

Read more >>

Aattirachi Varattiyathu / Dry mutton curry

This preparation has a medicinal value. This is usually prepared for the benefit of delivered ladies.Have heard from grand mothers that they would take different parts of mutton after delivery to regain health within the forty days of rest! When some one having anaemia or related diseases due to iron deficiency , mutton liver can be prepared using these ingredients and method. If I write about all advantages of mutton, it will go long..

This is a cumin based recipe.If you don't like, reduce the amount of cumin seeds.

Ingredients

Mutton half kg
Small onions 8
Cumin seeds one teaspoon
Pepper corns two teaspoon
Turmeric powder half teaspoon
Coriander powder two teaspoon
Garam masala powder half teaspoon
Garlic cloves seven
Ginger one inch piece
Green chilly two
Curry leaves
Coconut oil
Salt

How to prepare
Grind small onions, cumin seeds, pepper corns, garlic, and ginger together.

Mix with all the powders mentioned above.

Add salt.

Mix mutton pieces with the above paste.

Add little water for cooking.

Cook till done.

Open the lid, keep on a low flame and reduce water.

When the mutton is dry, add curry leaves, slit green chilly and little coconut oil, and mix well.

Read more >>

Avial Thrissur special

Once when I published my avial recipe in one of the famous cooking sites, I got a message from a reader that no one would add small onions in the avial! :) Yeah,We use small onions for making avial. So, this avial has a different taste than the usual one. In some parts of Trissur, small onions or chuvannulli are added to avial. You can make this one without small onions too..

Ingredients

Vegetables - 2 1/2 cups

Vellarikka,Elephant yam(Chena),Raw banana(Ethakkaai),Kumbalanga,Carrot,Long runner beans(Achinga),Drumsticks(Muringakkai)

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Green chillies - 2 nos

Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

Small onions(Kunjulli) - 3 - 4 nos

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds(Jeerakam) - 1/4 tsp

Sour curd - 1/2 cup

Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Curry leaves - As reqd

Salt - As reqd

How to prepare

1)Cook the vegetables with salt, powders and 1 tbsp of coconut oil.:- There is no need to add water if you have washed it just before cooking.

2)Grind together 1 tbsp of coconut, cumin seeds and curd, till it becomes smooth paste.

3)Add remaining coconut, green chillies, small onions and a few curry leaves and finish grinding in one or two turn.

4)Add enough salt and mix well.

5)Pour this solution into the cooked vegetables and just heat it through. :- Don`t cook too much.

6)Remove from fire before boiling.

7)Make a small hole in the middle of curry with a spoon.

8)Fill it with curry leaves and add the remaining coconut oil.

9)Cover it with the gravy.

10)Keep the lid closed.

11)Mix before you use.

Read more >>

Kerala Chicken Biryani

This is the usual method of making biriyani in muslim homes of Thrissur.Mom makes biriyani using other methods like adding coconut milk or blended coconut. I will come with that recipes later Insha Allah.

Ingredients to make Chicken Biriyani
Basmati rice - 2 1/2 cups
Chicken- 1/2 kg
Onion(medium) - 6 nos(chopped finely)
Tomato(medium) - 3 nos(chopped finely)
Garlic - 7 big cloves
Ginger - 1 and 1/2 inch piece
Green chilly - 2
Garam masala powder - 1 tbsp
Yogurt - 4 tbsp
Coriander leaves - 1 cup
Mint leaves(Pudhina) - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Lime juice - 4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp or
Pepper powder - according to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Cardamom(Elakka) - 2 nos
Cinnamon(Karugapatta) - 3 small pieces
Cloves(Grambu) - 2 nos.
Salt

How to prepare
1)Grind garlic,ginger and green chilly together to make paste.
2)Heat ghee in a pan.
3)Saute onions till golden brown.
4)Add garlic-ginger-green chilly paste and fry for 2 mins.
5)Add chopped tomatoes, chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, mint leaves ,salt and coriander leaves into it.
6)Saute for a few minutes till the masala becomes thick.
7)Add cut and cleaned chicken pieces and stir.
8)Pour little water [if required] and mix.
9)Cook till chicken is done.
10)Add yoghurt.



For rice
11)Boil water in another vessel.
12)Add enough salt, a pinch of turmeric powder, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves and 1 spoon ghee into this.
13)Cook rice until it is done and drain. :- Take care the rice not to be sticky.
14)Heat a vessel.
15)Pour a little of ghee.
16)Put a little of cooked rice and spread 1 tsp of lime juice over it.
17)Place one layer of the chicken masala above it and repeat the process till the rice and masala are over.
18)Close the lid tightly and heat on a low flame for about 10 mins.
19)Mix before serve.:- Serve with yoghurt and cocunut-pudhina chutney and pickle.

Read more >>

Meen Mulakittathu / Spicy Red Fish Curry

This curry is good with Kappa/Tapioca, Rice, Rava Upma, Dosa etc.People from different places in Kerala cook this curry using various methods. Some uses chopped onions and adds ginger also. Mathi mulaku curry is the common dish in most of the houses in our place. They make it every day!

Ingredients
Sardines(Mathi) - 6 nos(cut and cleaned)
Onion(medium) - 1 no or
Shallots(Kunjulli) - A handful
Tomato(big) - 1 no
Curry leaves - A few
Salt - As reqd
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 2 tsp
Green chilies - 2 nos or as reqd
Garlic pearls - 6 nos
Tamarind(Puli) - A lemon sized ball or Raw mango(big) - 1 no

How to prepare
1)Soak tamarind in hot water and take the paste of about one tea cup.
2) Add another 1 1/2 cups of water.
3) Put all the powders, finely chopped or ground onion, tomato, salt, crushed garlic into it.
4) Cook till little thick.
5) Add sardines and cook till done.
6) Add curry leaves and green chillies.
7) Pour coconut oil and remove from fire.

Read more >>

Bitter gourd / Kaippakka Pachadi

Ingredients

Bitter gourd 1 big
Cut bitter gourd into half in lengthwise. Make this as small pieces. Marinate this with half tea spoon chilly powder, ¼ tea spoon turmeric powder and salt. Fry these pieces in coconut oil.
Other ingredients
Coconut grated 1 cup
Curd half cup
Small onions 3
Green chilly 1
Mustard seeds half tea spoon for grinding
A pinch of cumin seeds

For seasoning
Mustard seeds, Curry leave red chilly, coconut oil.

How to prepare
Blend coconut with shallots, green chilly, mustard seeds, cumin and curd. Make a fine smooth solution with this. Pour this solution in to fried bitter gourd pieces, add enough salt and just heat this. Don’t boil. Season with mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chilly in coconut oil.

Read more >>

Ghee Rice/Neichoru

Ingredients
Basmati rice - 1 cup
Onion(medium) - 1 no
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon(Karugapatta) - 1/2" piece
Cloves(Grambu) - 1 no
Cardamom(Elakka) - 1 no
Fennel seeds(Perinjeerakam) - A pinch
Water - 2 cups
Salt - As reqd



How to prepare
1)Soak rice in water for 30 mins.
2)Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel.
3)Add fennel seeds.
4)After a few seconds, add onion and stir, till, it turns transparent.
5)Add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and stir.
6)Add 2 cups of water.:- For 1 cup of rice, add 2 cups of water.
7)Add enough salt and mix well.
8)Allow it to boil.
9)Add washed rice and let it boil.
10)Cover and cook on a low flame.
11)When there is no water, remove and keep the lid closed, until rice is cooked well.:- Serve with parippu (dal) curry , chicken or mutton curry, pickle and curd.

Kozhi varutharacha curry/ chicken curry in fried coconut gravy with potatoes is the curry usually prepares with Neichor.

How to make Kachambar
Kachambar - Chop 1 medium size onion, tomato and green chilly. Add 1/2 tea spoon chilly powder and 1 table spoon vinegar into it. Add 2 table spoons of water and enough salt. Mix well.

Read more >>

Kentucky Fried Chicken

This recipe is from Kairali TV fame Mrs.Lakshmi Nair's Magic Oven. Though this chicken fry doesn't have the exact taste of real KFC, it is a hit among kids.

Ingredients
Chicken – 1 kg (Leg OR Breast pieces)
Ginger paste- 1 tbsp
Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
Soya sauce – 1 tbsp
Chilli sauce – 1 tbsp
Tomato sauce – 1 tbsp
Pepper powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 1 – 1 ½ tsp
Water – 1 ½ cup

For the Batter :
Maida – 1 ½ cup
Egg – 1 no
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Water – 2 cup
Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Salt

For Coating:
Bread crumbs

For corn starch:
Corn flour – 2 tbsp
water - 1/4 cup

Oil for deep frying

How to prepare
Heat a kadai and add the chicken pieces, tomato sauce,soya sauce, chilly sauce, garlic & ginger pastes,pepper powder and salt.
Mix well.
Add water, cover and cook for approx. 10 minutes (till the chicken is 3/4 th cooked).
Put off the stove and remove chicken pieces and keep aside the stock.
In another bowl make a batter of maida, salt, pepper powder, haldi(turmeric), beaten egg and water .
Mix with hand for a loose batter.
Take breadcrumbs in another plate.
Dip the chicken pieces in the batter and then roll it on breadcrumbs till well coated.
Deep fry the chicken pieces till crisp and golden brown.
THE KFC IS READY.

In another pan heat the stock again, when boiling reduce flame and add the corn starch (add ¼ cup water to 2tbsp of corn flour).
Stir well.

Use this stock as the gravy and serve it in a bowl separately.
The stock is very tasty so instead of discarding the same can be used as a gravy or soup and can be served along with the fried chicken and may be toasted bread.

Read more >>