Mangalore fish curry (Traditional Fare)

Courtesy: Marita Nazareth

INGREDIENTS:

Fish: 250 g (I used Sole fish)

Coconut: 1 ½ cups

Dry red chilli: 12

Coriander seeds: 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Garlic: 4 pods

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

Onion: 1

Green chilli: 2

Tamarind paste: 1 tbsp

Oil: 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Clean fish & cut into big pieces, wash well & keep aside.

Grind coconut with red chilli, coriander seeds, cumin, garlic, turmeric, tamarind & half an onion. Slice the other half & sauté with slit green chillies in 1 tbsp oil.

Now, add ground coconut paste. Fry well till raw smell goes.

Pour 2 cups water, let in boil. Add salt.

Drop in fish, cook till oil clears on top.

Best served with rice.

Spicy Squid Rings (Party Menu)

INGREDIENTS:

Squids: 200 g cut into rings

Plain flour: 4 tbsps

Cornflour: 2 tbsps

Pepper powder: 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil: for frying

METHOD:

Mix plain flour, cornflour, pepper powder & salt.

Toss squid rings in flour, shake off excess & deep fry.

This can be served as a starter at a party, but make sure it is fried just before serving.

Serve with sauce.

This recipe has been tried by keerthi who sent me this picture.

Shark-Drumstick Sambol (Traditional Fare)

This is a special recipe from coastal Quilon, Kerala.

INGREDIENTS:

Shark fish: 500 g

Drumstick leaves: 2 cups

Coconut: 1 ½ cups

Garlic: 1 clove crushed

Green chilli: 6

Shallots: 10

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

Pepper powder: ½ tsp

Mustard seeds: ½ tsp

Curry leaves

Coconut oil: 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Skin shark, cut into pieces, wash well & cook with salt & turmeric powder. Cool, debone & keep aside.

Coarsely crush coconut, green chilli & shallots.

In a big bowl, mix fish, drumstick leaves, crushed coconut masala & salt. Keep for half an hour.

Heat oil in a wok, splutter mustard, add curry leaves & garlic. When fragrant, add the fish-drumstick mix. Stir well. Cover & cook for some time. Dry it well on slow fire. Sprinkle pepper powder.

Serve with rice.                

 

Ladies finger Masala (Maami's Corner)

INGREDIENTS:

Ladies finger: 250 g cut into 1 ½ “pieces

Onion: 2 sliced

Green chilli: 2 chopped

Curd: 100 ml (not sour)

Red chilli powder: ½ tsp

Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp

Cumin powder: ¼ tsp

Garam masala powder: ½ tsp

Tomato: 2 chopped

To roast & powder:

Poppy seeds: 1 tbsp

Water melon seeds: 1 tbsp

For tempering:

Fenugreek: ¼ tsp

Cumin: ¼ tsp

Aniseed: ¼ tsp 

 Oil: 1 tbsp +5 tbsps for frying

METHOD:

Dry roast poppy seeds & water melon seeds, cool & powder.

Fry sliced onions brown in 5 tbsps oil, grind & keep aside.

Now, fry ladies finger in remaining oil & remove on to a plate.

In the same pan, add fenugreek, cumin, aniseed, chopped green chillies & tomato.

Sauté well, add chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, & cumin powder. Now, add ground onion, poppy- melon seed paste.

Last, pour whisked curd. Stir well, drop in fried ladies finger.

Cover & cook for 5 minutes.

Serve with rotis.

If water melon seeds are not available, use cashew nuts instead. 

Stuffed Pomfret (Party Menu)

INGREDIENTS:

Pomfret: 1 (about 500 g)

Oil: 1 tbsp

To grind:

Shallots: 10

Garlic: 6 pods

Ginger: 1” piece

Pepper: ½ tbsp

Cumin seed: ½ tsp

Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp

Red chilli powder: 2 tsps

Mustard seeds: ½ tsp

Vinegar: 2 tbsps

Dried shrimps: 1 tbsp (optional)

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Grind all the above ingredients.

Clean & keep fish whole. Slit the fish from its sides into 2 without separating.

Smear fish with ground paste, both inside & outside. Keep aside to marinate for an hour.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan, place fish, cover & cook. Flip over to cook the other side too. Brown both sides evenly & serve with salad. 

Cashew-Prawn Masala (Quick Fix)

INGREDIENTS:

Prawns: 250 g

Cashew nuts: 100 g

Kashmiri chilli: 10

Garlic: 2 cloves

Tomato: 2 ripe ones

Ginger: a small piece

Aniseed: 1 tsp

Tomato ketchup: 1 tbsp

Green chilli: 2 slit

Oil: 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Soak kashmiri chilli in hot water for ½ an hour & grind with garlic, ginger, tomato & salt.

Heat oil, fry cashew nuts & remove. Add aniseed & ground paste.

Sauté well till oil clears on the sides of pan.

Add tomato ketchup, green chilli & prawns.

Cover & cook till prawns are done. (about 5 minutes.)

Last add fried nuts, adjust salt & serve.

NOTE: Kashmiri chillies are less pungent & gives the dish a nice colour. If using ordinary chilli, cut down on the numbers. 

Mutton Biryani (Party Menu)

This is my version of the Kacchi gosht ki biryani. This recipe is different from the biryani we are used to in that partially cooked rice is topped over raw marinated mutton & cooked on slow fire. Definitely worth a try!

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati rice: 750 g

Mutton: 1 kg

Ghee: 100 ml

Saffron: a pinch soaked in ½ cup milk

Marinade:

 Onion: 10 fried

Ginger paste: 1 tbsp

Garlic paste: 1 tbsp

Green chilli crushed: 10

Mint leaves: a handful chopped

Coriander leaves: a handful chopped

Curd: 1 cup

Chilli powder: 2 tsps

Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp

Cinnamon stick: 1” piece

Cloves: 6

Cardamom: 4

Lemon juice: 2 tbsps

Raw papaya paste: 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

To garnish: coriander leaves

                     Boiled eggs
                      fried onions

METHOD:

Marinate mutton with all the ingredients in" Marinade" for a minimum of 2 hours (I keep it overnight in the refrigerator).

Cook rice in excess water till half done, with salt, 4 slit green chillies & a few whole spices. Drain & keep aside.

Put the marinated mutton into a heavy bottomed vessel, top with cooked rice, level it, sprinkle the saffron infused milk.

Mix ghee into a cup (200 ml) of hot water (you can use the water from cooking rice).Pour it over the rice, put coriander leaves, fried onions. Cover rice with  aluminium foil & secure with a lid.(Steam should not escape.)

Place on stove, over high flame for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, heat a tawa, place the biryani vessel on it & cook on slow fire for an hour.

(The tawa helps retain low temperature hence the mutton is soft & juicy.Rest the biryani for half an hour before serving.

Serve with salad & date/chilli chutney.

 Chilli chutney: green chilli: 100 g slit

                         tamarind paste: 1 tbsp

                         Jaggery: 2 tbsps

                         Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

                         Oil: 2 tsps

                         salt to taste

Saute green chilli in oil, add tamarind, jaggery, chilli powder & salt.Pour 1 cup (200 ml) water.Boil till thick. Substitute  green chilli with dates for date chutney.

Pork Thoran (Traditional Fare)

                                           Courtesy: Reno Fernandez        

INGREDIENTS:

Pork:  500 g cubed

Raw Banana: 2 cubed

Coconut:  1 Cup

Green Chilli:  6

Shallots:  100 g

Garlic:  6 pods

Cumin:   ¼ tsp

Turmeric powder:  ½ tsp

Pepper powder:   1 tsp

Mustard seeds:  ½ tsp

Dry red chilli:  3

Curry leaves   a few

Oil: 1tsp

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Marinate pork with quarter teaspoon turmeric powder and salt for one hour.

Make a coarse paste of coconut, green chilli, garlic, half the shallots, cumin and turmeric powder. Keep aside.

Cook pork with one cup (200 ML) of hot water. When almost done, put in the cubed banana and cook till tender.

In another pan, heat one tsp of oil, splutter mustard seeds, add red chilli cut into two, shallots & curry leaves.

Now add masala paste and fry till fragrant.

Put in the cooked pork, dry it well, and sprinkle pepper powder.

Serve with Rice & Rasam. 

Fish cutlet (Traditional Fare)

Courtesy: Rosaline Xavier

INGREDIENTS:

Fish: 500 g

Onion: 2(chopped)

Spring onion: 2(chopped)

Coriander leaves: 2 tbsps (chopped)

Green chilli: 6 (chopped)             

Ginger: 1” piece (chopped)

Garlic: 5 pods (chopped)

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

Pepper powder: 1 tsp

Potato: 2 (boiled & mashed)

Egg: 1

Bread crumbs: 1 cup

Vinegar: 1tbsp

Oil: 1 tbsp + for frying

Salt to taste

METHOD: 

Cook fish with salt, vinegar & turmeric powder. Debone, keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil, fry onion, ginger,  garlic & green chilli till light brown.

Add pepper powder, flaked fish & salt. Stir well.

Take off fire & add spring onion & coriander leaves.

Cool well & mix in mashed potatoes.

Shape into rolls, dip in beaten egg, coat with bread crumbs & deep fry till golden brown.

Drain on absorbent paper.

Serve with salad & sauce.

Jackfruitseed Podimas (Maami's Corner)

Locally called Chakkakuru podimas, is made during the summer months when jackfruit is in plenty. It is also teamed with drumstick & raw mango with or without prawns, to make tasty curries. Households dry & store this seed for use when not in season.

INGREDIENTS:

Jackfruit seeds: 500 g

Coconut grating: 1 cup

Green chilli: 6

Onion: 1 (chopped)

Cumin seeds: ½ tsp

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

Mustard seeds: ½ tsp

Black gram dal/urad dal: 1 tsp

Curry leaves: few

Coconut oil: 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Peel off the outer white skin of the jackfruit seed. Wash well & cook with ¼ tsp turmeric & salt in 2 cups water.

Drain off excess water, cool & coarsely crush the seeds. Keep aside.

Make a rough paste of coconut, green chilli & cumin seed & ¼ tsp turmeric powder.

Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add urad dal, onion, masala paste & curry leaves.

Sauté well & add the jackfruit seeds. Stir well till dry.

A good side dish for rice.

Pork Vindaloo (Traditional fare)

This is an elaborate vindaloo recipe, probably, how it should be really made. Make it for a party & watch your guests clean the dish for you!

INGREDIENTS:

Pork: 2 kgs (cut into cubes)

Onion: 6

Garlic: 4 cloves

Ginger: 2” piece

Red chilli powder: 4 tbsps

Turmeric powder: 1 tsp

Mustard seeds: 2 tsps

Fenugreek: ¼ tsp

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Cinnamon: 1”piece

Star anise:2

Mint: 4 sprigs

Jaggery: 2 to 3 tbsps

Tamarind paste: 1 ½ tbsps

Vinegar: 50 ml

Salt to taste

METHOD:

In a large pan, put in pork, salt & turmeric powder. Stir till all the water oozes out & the pork fries in its own fat. (This will take about an hour.)

Remove pork & pour off all the fat except 6 tbsps.

Skewer the onions & roast over an open flame till well burnt. Peel the skin & grind with garlic, ginger, chilli powder, mustard seeds, cumin seeds & fenugreek using vinegar.

Into the same pan that the pork was fried, add ground paste, cinnamon & star anise. Saute till fat clears on the sides of the pan.

Now, put in fried pork pieces. Stir well & pour 4 cups (about 800 ml) of hot water & salt.

Cook till pork is tender. Last, add chopped mint, tamarind & jaggery.

This preparation tastes better if made a day in advance.

Serve with rice/rotis.

Chicken vella Korma (Party Menu)

This korma is different not only in colour but also in flavour.Here, I have used copra & dry water melon seeds for the gravy instead of the usual coconut & cashewnut paste.  

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken: 500 g

Coconut: ½ (grated)

Green chilli: 6

Pepper: 1 tsp

Aniseed: 2 tsps

Garlic: 10 pods

Ginger: 1” piece

Cloves: 3

Water melon seeds: 2 tbsps

Onions: 2 (sliced)

Tomatoes: 2 (sliced)

Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp (chopped fine)

Curry leaves: a few

Oil: 3tbsps

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Heat 1 tbsp oil, add 1 tsp aniseed, pepper, garlic, ginger, cloves, green chilli, water melon seeds&  coconut.

Fry till fragrant. (The colour should not change, otherwise you won’t get the white colour.)

Grind to a smooth paste.

Heat  remaining oil in a pan, fry onions, 1 tsp aniseed & curry leaves.

Now add tomatoes & coriander leaves, fry till tomatoes soften.

Cut chicken into medium sized pieces, add to pan along with ground paste & 1 cup water .Cover & cook till done.

Add salt.

Serve this kurma with pulao, or naan.

You can also substitute tomatoes with curd & make it whiter.

Red fish curry/Meen Vevichathu 1 (pacha masala) Traditional Fare

This is a different version of the meen vevichathu, spicy & a good accompaniment for tapioca preparations.

                                          Courtesy: Rosaline Xavier

INGREDIENTS:

Fish: 500 g

Whole red chilli: 10 or 2 tbsps chilli powder

Coriander seeds: 1 tbsp or 1 tbsp coriander powder

Cumin seed: 1 or 1/2 tsp cumin powder 

Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp

Shallots: 10

Ginger: 1” piece

Garlic: 6 pods

Tamarind pulp: 1 tbsp

Curry leaves

Coconut oil: 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Grind red chilli, coriander, cumin & turmeric powder to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Coarsely crush shallots, ginger, garlic & curry leaves.

In a pan, mix the masala paste, crushed onion, tamarind pulp & salt.

Add 2 cups water (400 ml), fish & bring to boil.

Cook on low flame till fish is done.

Pour coconut oil over curry.

Keep covered for some time before serving.

Green gram dal rasam / The South Indian Soup. (Maami’s Corner)

Rasams have been a regular part of the Kerala, or rather South-Indian diet, both for vegetarians & non- vegetarians, alike. There are umpteen varieties, like lemon, tomato, pineapple, tamarind & dal rasam, for instance. In most dal rasams , the dal is cooked as and when the rasam is prepared.For this recipe, however, we can roast, powder & store the dal & use as and when required.    

                                          Courtesy: Seethalakshmi Mani

INGREDIENTS:

Green gram dal: 3 tbsps

Onion: 1 chopped fine

Tomato: 1 chopped fine

Garlic: 6 pods

Green chilli: 2

Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp

Tamarind pulp: 1 tbsp

Asafoetida: ¼ tsp

Mustard seeds: ½ tsp

 Dry red chilli: 2

Curry leaves few

Coriander leaves: 2 tbsps chopped

Oil: 2 tsps

Salt to taste

Jaggery:  a small piece

METHOD:

Dry roast green gram dal till dark brown, cool & powder.

Crush garlic & green chilli with a few curry leaves. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a deep pan, splutter mustard seeds, add red chilli & onion.

Put in asafoetida, turmeric powder, crushed garlic-chilli- curry leaves paste.

Fry well till fragrant .Now, .add chopped tomato .Saute till soft.

Mix tamarind pulp in 2 cups (400ml) water & pour into pan. Let it boil.

Put in the dal powder & stir well, simmer on low flame.

Add the coriander leaves & jaggery.

Adjust salt .Serve with rice.

By itself, a good appetizer too!

Yam Kebab with garlic chutney (Maami's Corner)

                                           Open source.

INGREDIENTS:

Yam: 200 g parboiled & grated

Green gram: 100 g (sprouted)

Cumin: 1 tsp

Ginger: 1” piece

Green chilli: 6

Garlic: 3 pods

Salt to taste

Oil: 3 to 4 tbsps

METHOD:

Grind sprouted gram, green chilli, cumin, ginger, garlic & salt to a coarse paste.

Mix in grated yam. Divide into small balls.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Flatten each ball & shallow fry.

 Pour a little oil all around the kebab & cook till evenly brown on both sides.

Serve with sauce or garlic chutney.

Garlic chutney:

Garlic: 2 cloves

Red chilli: 10

Shallots: 5

Oil: 1 tbsp

Tamarind pulp: 2 tsps

Salt to taste                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Heat oil, fry chilli, garlic & onion till light brown.

Grind with tamarind & salt. Serve with Kebabs.

Serve with yam kebabs.

 

Red fish curry/Meen Vevichathu -2 (Traditional Fare)

In days of old, this fish curry was inevitably served at all Kerala Christian marriage receptions. It was prepared a few days before the function and warmed every day till serving.

                                        

                                                    Courtesy: Elsie Morris

INGREDIENTS:

Fish: 500 g

Red chilli powder: 2 tbsps (preferably Kashmiri chilli)

Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp

Fenugreek powder: ¼ tsp

Pepper powder: ½ tsp

Kokum or kodampuli: 4 pieces

Ginger: 1 tbsp (grated)

Shallots: 6 (chopped)

Green chilli: 4 (slit)

Curry leaves

Coconut oil: 2 tbsp or any cooking oil

Salt to taste

METHOD:

In a big earthen ware (curry chatty), put in all the ingredients except fish.

Mix well, with your hands.

Keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

Then, pour a cup & a half of water (300ml) & add fish, stir well & put on fire.

Once it boils lower flame, cook till oil clears on top of curry.
Rice,Pullissery & this red fish curry,is an excellent combination. 

Beef Roast (Traditional Fare)

INGREDIENTS:

Beef: 1 kg (preferably rump)

Pepper powder: 1tbsp

Red chilli: 6

Garlic-ginger paste: 1 tbsp

Vinegar: 1 tbsp

Garam masala powder: 1 tsp

Soy sauce: 1 tbsp

Sugar: 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil: 2 tbsps

METHOD:

Marinate beef with pepper powder, ginger-garlic paste, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garam masala & salt for 4 to 5 hours.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker, brown the chunk of meat till evenly coloured all over.

Add a cup (200 ml) of hot water, the red chillies & pressure cook for 30 minutes.

Evaporate excess gravy, if any.

TO SERVE:

Onion: 2 sliced fine

Green chilli: 2

Capsicum: 1 sliced fine

Pepper powder: ½ tsp

Oil: 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

In a frying pan, heat oil. Add sliced onion, chilli & capsicum. Fry till transparent. Add salt & pepper.

Slice cooked beef into thin slices, against the grain, & add to pan. Stir well.

Serve with fried potato wedges.

Note: You can use sweet soy sauce, for the marinade, & avoid the sugar.