KANNI MANGA ACHAR (Traditional Fare)

As soon as the mango trees start to bloom, big earthen containers/ BHARANIs would be washed & dried in the sun, getting ready for the next lot of kanni manga pickle for the year. Red chillies had to be dried & pounded too. These are memories of years gone by. Then we started buying them off the shelf. The flavour of the pickle was good enough to down a big bowl of hot KANJI & PAYAR.

(Kanni manga is small mangoes with a soft nut, about the size of big marbles.) 

INGREDIENTS:

Kanni manga/small mangoes: 1 kg

Salt: 250g

Red chilli powder: 100 g

Asafoetida/hing: 1 tsp

Fenugreek/uluva powder: ½ tsp

METHOD:

Wash & wipe dry the mangoes, make sure you don’t break the stem fully.

In a dry bottle or bharani, alternately pack mango & salt, ending with salt.

Close the bottle & leave in a cool dark place for 2 weeks. Shake the bottle in between. Water from the mango will ooze out & cover the mango. Do not add water at all.

Now strain the liquid from the mangoes, mix the chilli powder, hing & fenugreek powder into it & pour it back into the bottle, to cover the mangoes.

Keep for another week before using.

NOTE: Do not add water at all. The shelf life of this pickle depends on this! 

SMILE BISCUITS (Just Bakes)

This is my mother’s recipe, given by her Chinese neighbour, probably, the first thing she made after she bought her round baking oven in the mid 60's. As a child, I used to love the smell that wafted in the air when she baked this. She had a particular mould for this. I had never been able to identify “that” flavouring & she didn’t remember the recipe either.  After so many years my sister, Faby, found the original recipe from my mother’s old recipe book.  It’s rose essence which made all the difference. The measurements were listed in “glass & tin”, which I converted to cup size. Try this, if you love baking, very simple & the flavour..... AWESOME!

Courtesy: Rosaline Xavier

INGREDIENTS:

 Unsalted butter: 200 g

Clarified butter/ghee: 25 g

Sugar: ¾ cup (measure in a 200 ml cup)

Plain flour/maida: ¾ cup

Whole wheat flour/atta: ¾ cup

Rose essence: 1 tsp

Baking powder: a pinch

 METHOD:

Sieve both flours with baking powder & keep aside.

Powder sugar & cream together with butter & ghee till light & fluffy.

Add flour & essence.

Bring all the ingredients to form a dough.

Roll into small balls & place them a little apart on a baking tray.

Bake at 170⁰ C for 15 minutes or till it browns slightly on the sides.

Cool & store. 

Duck Roast (Traditional Fare)

We, in Kerala, are familiar with very spicy, masala coated duck cooked in coconut milk.This recipe is very different. The brown colour of the dish is because of the initial roasting with flour. 

Courtesy: May Solomon

Photo courtesy: Priya Abrao

INGREDIENTS: 

Duck: 1 whole with skin on

Maida/plain flour: 2 tbsps

Onion: 3 sliced & deep fried

Oil: 3 tbsps

1. Pepper powder: 2 tsps

2. Worcestershire sauce: 2 tbsps

3. Garlic paste: 1 tsp

4. Ginger paste: 1 tsp

5. Garam masala powder: ½ tsp

6. Salt: to taste

METHOD:

Keeping duck whole, wash & pat it dry.

Grind 1 to 6 to a paste & marinate duck with this for at least 6 hours (overnight is better)

In a wide pan (uruli is ideal), heat oil & put in the whole duck.

Turn around & roast till it browns evenly.

Sprinkle flour on the duck & roast further till the flour gets a golden hue.

Remove duck from pan & cool it.

When cool, cut the duck into 6 to 8 pieces.

Pour 2 cups of water & make a sauce with the flour & oil left in the pan.

Put the duck back into pan, cover & cook till done.

Before taking off the fire, add half the fried onions & stir well.

Serve garnished with the remaining fried onions.

CHICKEN MOLEE (Traditional Fare)

We are very familiar with fish molee. The word “ MOLEE”, I think, is derived from the Portugese word “MOLHO” meaning sauce/gravy.

Kerala tourism popularises this dish almost exclusively using Karimeen/pearl spot, Sear fish or Pomfret. These fish are however seasonal & hence, fresh fish is hard to find.

And it is here that, this recipe becomes relevant. Juices from the chicken flesh gels well with coconut milk just as gracefully & the result is amazing & is there for you to try for yourself.

  

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken: 1 kg

Coconut milk: 1 cup thick

Coconut milk: 3 cups thin

Onion: 1 chopped

Green chilli: 8 to 10 slit

Ginger: 1 tbsp sliced

Garlic: 1 tbsp sliced

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

Cinnamon stick: 1” piece

Cloves: 4

Cardamom: 2

Pepper powder: 1 tsp

Vinegar: 1 tbsp

Tomato: 1 sliced

Curry leaves: a few

Salt to taste

Coconut oil: 2 tbsps

METHOD:

Clean & cut chicken into medium sized pieces, smear a little turmeric & salt & keep aside for half an hour.

In a kadai, heat oil & add the whole spices, after it splutters add the sliced onion.

When light brown, add the slit chillies, ginger & garlic. Fry for a while.

Put in the chicken & sauté till the chicken flesh turns white.

Now, pour the thin milk, stir, cover & cook.

When chicken is done add salt, thick coconut milk & pepper powder.

Last, add the vinegar & curry leaves.
Arrange the sliced tomatoes over the molee.

Take off fire & serve. 

PAPAYA "MATHURA" CURRY (Maami's Corner)

With Onam around the corner I thought it is just apt to publish a very different sweet & spicy curry. Usually, ”Mathura “(Sweet) curry for a sadya is made with ripe banana or pineapple. This recipe is with papaya, not too ripe or raw.

Courtesy: Mrs. Sudha Kartha.

INGREDIENTS:

Papaya: 500 g

Dry red chilli: 5

Coconut: 1 cup

Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp

Salt: to taste

 For tempering:

Coconut oil: 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds: ½ tsp

Dry red chilli: 3

Shallots: 2 sliced

Curry leaves: a few

METHOD:

Cube papaya & cook with turmeric & salt. Mash a little with the back of a spoon.

Grind coconut with dry red chilli & pour into cooked papaya.

Let it simmer till thick.

In another Kadai, pour oil, splutter mustard seeds & add sliced shallots. Fry till brown.

Put in dry red chilli & curry leaves.

Pour into prepared curry & serve.