Nadan meen curry (Kerala fish curry in coconut milk)

Ingredients:

Fish - 1/2 Kg
Shallots 5
Green Chillies 4,splitted lengthwise
Chilly Powder 2 tsp
Turmeric  powder 1/2 tsp
Ginger 1 small piece(crushed)
Tomato 1 small
Coconut milk.  - made from 1/4 medium coconut
Kudam puli(Kokum) - 2 pieces
Oil
Salt
Curry leaves 1 spring

Method:
Fry thinly sliced shallots till golden brown in a manchatty (earthern pots).
Add green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and saute.
After 3 mins, add sliced tomato and saute well until smashed well
Now add the powders, and saute till raw smell goes (important!).
Now add coconut milk, salt and kokum.
When boils add fish, simmer the flame and cook for about 20-25 mins/till the fish gets cooked.

Eggless Dates Cake

This is my first successful cake. I am so happy it turned out so well and tasted simply superb.
Do try this out. I am sure you wont be disappointed. The recipe is from Aayis recipes. It is an excellent recipe for beginner bakers.

Ingredients:

18 Dates
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour 
1/2 cup oil
1 tea spn baking soda
Cashews


Method:
Remove the seeds from dates.
Heat it  along with milk so that dates become soft.
Add sugar and grind them to a smooth paste.
 Add oil and mix.
Mix together flour and baking soda.
Add the flour one table spoon at a time and mix slowly. 
Add the nuts and mix.
Preheat the oven at 350F.
 Bake the cake in a greased oven proof dish for 35-40min (or till a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean).

Carrot Beetroot Halwa

Ingredients:

1.Carrot  - 250g

2.Beetroot - 250g

3.Sugar - 200g

4.Milk - 3/4 lr

5.Ghee - 4 tbsp

6.Cashew - 10 or as required

7.Cardamom - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Wash carrots & beetroots well. Peel skin and grate them thin.

Add this to milk and sugar in a pan with continuous stirring.

Stir till all the milk has dried out ad halwa starts sticking to the pan.

Roast cashews in ghee add it along with the ghee to the halwa.

Stir well and transfer to the serving dish.

Eat either warm or cold.

This  is an excellent combo with Vanilla Icecream. Again you can give this to your sweet tooths who hates to eat carrot/beetroot  otherwise.

Veppila Chammandi Podi / Veppila Katty

We used to make this at home mainly during Ramadan season. This is excellent when you have no special curries. It can be kept for 3, 4 weeks or to send to your loved one abroad.

    Ingredients:

    1.Red chilly flakes-3 tsp
       Coconut shredded - 1 medium sized
       Shallots  - 1/2 cup
     2.Tamarind - Gooseberry sized
     3.Curry Leaves - 25 springs

  Method:
      Roast curry leaves till they are almost crispy. Keep aside these. Roast  No.1 ingredients till they are golden brown. Mix with tamarind and required salt. Grind everything together.

  Source:  
       My mom
   

MultiPudding -Pudding with biscuit & bread

Ingredients:


Arrow Root Biscuit - 5
Bread 3 slices (cut off the sides)
Instant Coffee Powder 1 dsp
Peanut Toffee (kapalandi mittayi - keralites know it better). If not available you can add crushed peanut/cashew etc - be sure it is coarsly ground.
Butter/ Ghee 1 tbsp
Sugar 1 tbsp
Milk 1/4 cup
Egg - 1
Sugar 2 tbsp
Milkmaid 1/4 tin
Method:
Soak coffee powder in some water and soak biscuits in it. Spread some butter in the pudding dish (steel,which can be steamed). Spread the soaked biscuits in the dish. Now add the ground peanuts and 2 tbsp sugar over this. Soak bread in milk and spread it evenly above this.  Mix the rest of the milk, sugar and beaten egg and pour it over the bread mixture. Spread it evenly with the bottom of a spoon. Steam the dish , well  covered for 15 -20 minutes. Refrigerate after cooling.

Source:
Vanitha magazine

Notes:
It would be better if you double the ingredients. You get a thicker pudding.
This is an easy and yummy recipe you can make quickly with simple ingredients.
Again you can satisfy you sweet tooths @ home.

Scrambled eggs with Mushrooms

Ingredients:
1.Eggs 4
2.Tomato 1 large
3.Milk mushrooms 100gms
4.Green Chillies 4
5.Shallots 4
6.Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
7.Coriander leaves 1/2 bunch
8.Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
9.Pepper & Chilly powder - to taste
10.Coconut oil 2tbsp
11.Salt to taste
Method
Splutter mustard seeds in a pan
Add shallots & saute for few mins till they turn light brown.
Add tomato, ginger garlic paste and saute for few more mins,till tomato is mashed up.
Add the mushrooms cuts into small pieces.
Now add the powders and finally the finely chopped coriander leaves
Cook well covered for 15 minutes.
Stir well and cook uncovered , till all the water formed has dried up.
Serve hot with rice/chappatis

Source:
Adapted from Chackos kitchen


Notes
The original recipe use button mushrooms. I have used the milky ones since the former wasnt available. This is a nutritious food and  very good for kids. Do try it with your fussy eaters.

Beef varattiyathu (Dry Beef Roast)

This is an excellent side dish which can go with any meal. The taste largely  depends on the quality of the meat. Also the shallots give that special taste to the dish. Do not  try to avoid coconut slices. Those are the key taste makers .


Ingredients

1.Beef 1 kg
2.Shallots (kochulli) 20
3.Fennel seeds powder 3tbsp
   Black pepper powder 1 tbsp
   Cinnamon sticks 10
    cloves 4
    Cardamoms 4
4.Ginger paste 3 tbsp
5.Garlic paste 4 tbsp
6.Coriander powder 3 tbsp
7.Chilly powder 2 tbsp
8.turmeric powder 3/4 tsp
9.Green chillies 8 splitted lengthwise
10.Curry leaves 4 springs
11.Salt - to taste
12.Coconut oil - as required
13.Coconut slices 3/4 cup

Method
1.Grind the No.3 ingredients and keep a little aside
Wash beef thoroughly and marinade the beef with this masala, ginger and garlic paste and keep for 3/4 hour.
Cook beef without adding water, or with minimum water and required salt
Heat oil in a pan ans saute shallots.
When brownish add green chillies and 1/2 of curry leaves.
Add powders(6,7,8) and saute till raw smell goes.
Add coconut slices.
Combine well and add cooked beef.
Cook covered for 5mins.
Remove lid and add the kept aside ground powder in first  step.
Roast for 10 mins.
Now add the rest of the curry leaves, just before switching off the stove.
Serve hot with rice,chappatis,Idiyappams, Puris,Puttu, bread,etc.

Pavakka varutharachathu (Bitter guard in roasted coconut gravy)

It is an all time  favourite dish at my house and my Hd's house. It doesnt get spoiled fast. You can store it in fridge and use it as needed, for a week. This one is a life saver, especially for working women. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients 

1. 1 medium sized bitter guard, preferably the white coloured. It will be less bitter.

2. Coconut - 3/4 cup . 

3. Coriander powder - 3-4 tbsp

4. Chilly powder 2 tbsp

5. Turmeric powder 1/2-3/4 tsp

6. Mustard Seeds

7. Curry leaves

8. Dry red Chilly 3-4

9. Tamarind - 1 small  ball.

10. Green Chillies - 2.

Method

1. Wast bitter guard well.Cut, first , lengthwise into 4 pieces. Then each of them to smaller pieces.

2. Dissolve the tamarind in water, add salt and cook the bitter guard pieces in it. Add the green chillies also while cooking. (1 whistle in pressure cooker would be enough).

3. Dry roast the coconut, with constant stirring. This is to make sure all coconut is dried evenly. Use 1 tsp oil to prevent from sticking if  you are using a cheenachatty (kadai).

4. When it starts becoming dark brownish, add powders(3,4,5).

5. Leave for cooling. When cooled make a fine paste out of this. 

6. Now mix this with the cooked bitter guard. If its very bitter , you can strain off some water out of  the cooked bitter guard. But it is more nutritious to keep it. 

7. Check for consistency. If you want it loose, add boiled hot water. 

8.Change to serving dish.

9. In another pan, splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves and red chillies.

10.Garnish this over the Bitter guard curry.

11. Serve hot with rice.