Grilled Prawns (Party Menu)

INGREDIENTS:

Prawns: 500 g

Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

Lime juice: 2 tbsps

Turmeric powder: 1/2tsp

Pepper powder: 1 tsp

Oil: 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Bamboo skewers: as required

METHOD:

Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 2 hours.

Shell the prawns leaving the head & tail intact.

Devein & wash well.

Mix all the ingredients except oil & marinate prawns with this for one hour.

Poke on bamboo skewers & cook on a grill or non-stick pan.

Turn occasionally till cooked,

Serve with salad & sauce.

Mackerels with pepper/Pacha kurumulaku (Traditional Fare)

A very different fish preparation using green pepper, if not in season, use the dried black ones.

Courtesy: Elsie Morris

INGREDIENTS:

Mackerels: 5 cut into 2

Pepper, black or green: 2 tbsps

Coriander seeds: 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder: 1/2tsp

Shallots: 10

Ginger: 1”piece

Curry leaves: a few

Vinegar: 3 tbsps or kokum/kodampuli: 2 pieces

Oil: 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Grind pepper, coriander, turmeric, shallots, ginger & a few curry leaves to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a clay pot, add the ground masala, fry it well till the raw smell goes.

Pour one cup of water, the vinegar, salt & curry leaves.

When the gravy boil, add fish & cook on low flame till oil clears on top.

This can be served with cooked tapioca/cassava or rice.

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Oats Puttu (Quick Fix)

Everyone's talking about the benefits of including this cereal in our daily diet, hence this simple recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

Oats: 1 cup

Coconut: ½ cup

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Dry roast oats till it starts to change colour.

Cool & powder coarsely.

Sprinkle salted water & mix the oats flour till it resembles crumbs.

Stem in a puttu maker.

Serve for breakfast with banana or any curry.

Egg Roast (Quick Fix)

In Kerala, egg roast or egg masala is served with Appams, Idiappams or plain rice. This is a simple, easy to prepare recipe which can accompany any main course item.

INGREDIENTS:

Eggs: 6 hard boiled

Onions: 6 sliced fine

Capsicum: 1 sliced fine

Tomato: 3 chopped fine

Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsps

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

Turmeric powder: 1/2tsp

Garam masala powder: 1/2tsp

Coconut milk: 2 tbsps thick (optional)

Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp

Curry leaves a few

Oil: 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Heat oil in a non stick pan, add sliced onions & sauté till light golden brown.

Now, add ginger-garlic paste, sauté further. Add salt.

 Put in the sliced tomatoes, capsicum & the spice powders.

Fry till oil clears up.  

Pour the coconut milk (if using) or 2 tbsps water.

Score the eggs all around & put into the masala.

Also add coriander & curry leaves.

 Now its ready to serve!

Peanut Ladoos ( Quick Fix)

Peanuts are a good source of protein, hence try this for your kids. And when its home made, they will appreciate it even more! 

INGREDIENTS:

Palm sugar/jaggery: 1 cup

Peanuts: 2 cups roasted & crushed

Cardamom: 1/2tsp

Ghee: 2 tsps

METHOD:

Melt the palm sugar/jaggery with 2 tbsps water, cool & strain to remove any grit.

Reheat the syrup, till it reaches a string consistency.

Add the nuts, cardamom powder & one teaspoon ghee.

Mix well, take off fire, cool a little & roll into small balls. Grease your palm with a little ghee for easy handling.

Use almonds, cashew nuts, coconut or a mixture of different nuts to make yummy ladoos.

Special Veg Pulao (Maami's Corner)

A quick method to make a tasty treat!

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati rice or any other aromatic rice: 2 cups.

Mixed vegetables: 2 cups (carrot, peas, cauliflower, broccoli, corn etc)

Paneer/cottage cheese: 100 g fried

Whole spices: a few (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf)

Onions: 4

Curd: 1/2cup

Fresh cream: 1/2cup or milk

Garam masala: 1 tsp

Tomato puree: 1/2cup

Saffron: a few strands soaked in milk

Ghee: 1/2cup

Salt to taste

To make the masala paste:

Green chilli: 4

Garlic: 6

Ginger: a small piece

Coriander leaves: 1/2cup

Mint/pudina: 1/2cup

METHOD:

Grind the ingredients listed above in the masala paste.

In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tbsps ghee, add whole spices & rice (washed & drained).

 Fry till ghee coats each grain of rice. Add salt. Pour 1 cup water & cook for one whistle.

Open cooker immediately. (we need partially cooked rice)

In another pan, heat remaining ghee, add onions, fry brown. Remove some for garnish.

And add the ground paste.

Now add tomato puree, garam masala powder & vegatables.

Fry for 5 minutes & pour in the curd & cream. Mix well, add paneer & salt.

Layer the rice over this Korma. Cover with lid or foil.

Cook on low fire or bake it for 25 minutes.

Top with fried onions & serve with raita/salad.  

Feijoada/Beans Curry (Traditional Fare)

Whereever the Portugese had settled they introduced their beans curry. This is the Goan version.

INGREDIENTS:

Red/black/white kidney beans: 250 g

Pork: 200 g cubed

Goan pork sausage: 100 g cut small

Tomatoes: 3

Onions: 3 big ones

Garlic: 8 

Ginger: 1” piece

Recheido masala: 2 tsps

Vinegar: 1 tbsp

Oil: 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Soak beans overnight. Pressure cook with one teaspoon oil, one tablespoon vinegar, one teaspoon Recheido masala& salt for 25 minutes. (beans must cook till really soft.)

Make a paste of ginger & garlic.

Heat oil, sauté onions, add tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste & fry well.

Add the meats, & 1 cup water. Cook till meat is done.

Last add the cooked beans, remaining Recheido masala.

Simmer for 10 minutes more. (Adjust salt last, cos the Goan sausages are salty.) 

Serve with Pav/bread.

Tandoori Chicken (Party Menu)

Tandoori chicken is a very common preparation, which also goes into dishes like “Butter chicken”, “Tawa chicken” etc. It can be made easily in a non stick pan or oven, if you don’t have a tandoor, gas/clay.

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken: 1 cut into 4

Curd/yoghurt: 1 cup (200 ml)

Red chilli powder: 2 tbsp

Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp

Lime juice: 1 tbsp

Cumin powder: 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil: 1 tbsp

 Tandoori red colour: few drops, optional (I have not used it)

METHOD:

Cut chicken into 4 o 6 pieces & marinate with all the above ingredients & keep in the fridge for at least 6 hours (overnight is best).

Place on a baking tray & bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes first, turn over, baste with more oil & bake for another 30 minutes.

Serve with Naan, onion rings & lime wedges.

NOTE: Chop up any remaining prepared tandoori chicken you have and make a Butter chicken masala, or Tawa chicken.

"Thenga-Manga" Curry (Traditional Fare)

A versatile gravy preparation once mastered can be used to make umpteen variations .My father used to love this with fish but my daughter’s favourite combination was drumstick-prawns-jackfruit seed.  

INGREDIENTS:

 Drumstick: 2 cut into 2” pieces

Raw mango: 1 or tamarind paste: 1 tbsp

Prawns: 100 g cleaned

Jackfruit seeds: 10 (optional)

Coconut: 1 cup

Red chilli powder: 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder: 1/4tsp

Ginger: a small piece

Shallots: 6

Curry leaves

Green chilli: 2 slit

Salt to taste

For tempering: coconut oil: 2 tsp

                            Shallots: 2 sliced

                             Curry leaves

METHOD:

Grind coconut with red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger, shallots & curry leaves to a fine paste.

In a clay vessel (Curry chatty) mix the ground paste with 1 1/2cups of water, add drumstick, prawns, jackfruit seeds, & raw mango.

Add salt & bring to boil. Lower flame & cook till done.

Temper with shallots & curry leaves.

Adding a few fenugreek/methi while tempering gives the curry a nice flavour.

  Try this with any fish or prawns.            

Curry Puffs (Just Bakes)

Curry puffs (fried) used to be a favourite tea time snack before bakeries sprung up in our neighbourhood. Now, since fried foods are on the list of NO-NO’s, I baked it. The only fat that goes into this is 2 tsps butter. 

INGREDIENTS:

Plain flour: 250 g

Butter: 2 tsps

Salt: a pinch

For the filling:

Minced beef /mutton/chicken: 150 g

Onion: 1 chopped fine

Green chilli: 2 chopped fine

Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp

Curry powder/garam masala powder: ½ tsp

Curry leaves: a few

Pepper powder: 1/2tsp

Turmeric powder: 1/4tsp

Oil: 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

METHOD:

In a bowl, mix flour with butter & salt till it resembles crumbs.

Add cold water and make a stiff dough. Rest the dough for a while.

To make the filling, heat oil in a frying pan, add the onion, green chilli, ginger-garlic paste & curry leaves.

Now, add minced meat & sauté till it dries up well.

Pour a little water, cover & cook till done. (you can add cubed potatoes & green peas, if you like.)

Add the powders, salt & leave to cool.

Divide the dough into 12 parts. Roll out into small puris, fill with a tablespoon of the prepared meat, fold over & seal the ends well & place on a baking tray.

Bake at 160⁰ C for 20 minutes. Brush the puffs with beaten egg yolk for a rich golden brown colour.

Alternately, deep fry the puffs.

Potato Bhaji (Maami's Corner)

This is something we make very often, but here's a variation.

Small potatoes: 12

Red chilli paste: 2 tsps

Garlic paste: 1 tsp

Besan/gram flour: 1 cup

Asafoetida: 1/4tsp

Rice flour: 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

Oil to fry

METHOD:

Parboil the potatoes & skin them.

Make a paste of the chilli paste, garlic & salt.

Make a thick batter with the gram flour, rice fkour, asafoetida, salt & water.

Cut potatoes into two, sandwich with the paste & poke a toothpick to secure the 2 pieces together.

Heat oil to near smoking point, dip the potatoes in the batter & deep fry till brown.

Serve with tamarind sauce.    

Fish Biryani (Traditional Fare)

Very popular item in the Malabar region of Kerala, tasty too.

INGREDIENTS:

Fish: 500g (any fish fillet)

Basmati rice: 2 cups        

Onions: 4 sliced

Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp

Curd: 1/2cup

Coconut milk: 1/2cup

Cashew nut paste: 1 tbsp

Green chilli: 6

Coriander leaves: a handful chopped

Mint leaves: a handful chopped

Turmeric powder: 1/4tsp

Chilli powder: ½ tsp

Garam masala powder: 1 tsp

Cinnamon: 1” stick

Cloves: 3

Cardamom: 2

Fried onions: 2 tbsps

Ghee: 1 tbsp

Oil to fry fish: 4 tbsp

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Marinate fish with turmeric powder, chilli powder & salt for 10 minutes.

Fry in 4 tbsps oil till light brown, keep aside.

Crush 4 green chillies with the coriander leaves.

To make the fish masala:

In the same pan that the fish was fried, add slices onions, fry brown, add ginger-garlic paste, crushed green chilli-coriander paste. Fry well.

Mix curd, cashew nuts paste & coconut milk together & pour into the pan.

Crumble one piece of fried fish into the masala for more taste.

Adjust salt, put the fried fish into the masala, let it just come to boil, put off fire.

To prepare rice:   

Heat ghee in a pressure cooker, add the whole spices & washed rice, sauté well.

Pour 1 cup water, add 2 slit green chillies, salt & close cooker.

Cook for 1 whistle, open cooker immediately (we require half cooked rice).

 To assemble biryani 

Take a heavy bottomed vessel, put in half the fish masala, layer half the rice over it, sprinkle a little garam masala, chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves & 1 tbsp fried onion.

Put the remaining gravy over it, layer rice & sprinkle masala, coriander & mint.

Dot with ghee, if you like. Seal the vessel with dough or cover with aluminium foil & place in an oven for 45 minutes.

Be careful not to break the fish pieces while serving.

Serve with raita & pickle.