Banana Chips

Banana chips will always remain at the top of my favourite snacks list!!!!!!!!!

Plantains Raw: 1 kg
Salt: as needed
Oil: 4 cups
Turmeric Powder: 2 tsp



Peel the Plantains and keep it in a bowl of water mixed with turmeric powder.

 

After about 15 minutes, take it out, place it on a kitchen towel to remove moisture and slice them round.

Heat oil and deep fry the sliced plantains in one layer batches.

Add salt to the oil as you fry.
When crisp take it out from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain it on an absorbent paper.

Allow it to cool and then store it in airtight containers.

Green chilly Chicken

I first had this preparation around 5 years back. My husband's close friend G and his wife, K brought it home once....  well, they have a chain of restuarants in Chennai and abroad and whenever they come home, they bring dinner for all of us- so one such evening, K brought a big hotpot full of this chiken curry- it was soooo tasty!!! and I thought they took it from the restuarant and came. But actually that was homemade and G's sister-in-law made it... So what did I do, the next day I called up K, asked her to give the phone to her co-sis, L and got the recipe from her....and here is it

Chicken: 1 kg cut into medium size pieces
Onion: 2+2 sliced
Ginger garlic paste: 4 tsp
Green chillies: 12 slit
Tomatoes: 3 medium chopped
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
Pepper Powder: 1 tsp
Cinnamon: 1 inch
Cloves: 2
Cardamom: 1
Fennel/perinjeerakam: 2 tsp
Coriander leaves: 1 cup packed
Cashewnut: 5
Oil and Salt: as needed


Heat Oil in a kadai and saute the 2 sliced onions till brown.
Add the coriander leaves, cashewnut and fennel seeds and saute for a minute on low flame.
Allow to cool and grind to a smooth paste and keep aside.
Heat Oil again and add the Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, the rest of the onions sliced and the slit green chillies and saute till onions turn translucent.
Add ginger garlic paste, onion-coriander leaves paste and saute till the paste gets cooked well.
Add turmeric powder, pepper powder, chicken and saute till everything is properly mixed.
Now add the chopped tomatoes, salt and a cup of water.
Close the lid and cook till done.

Serve hot with Rotis or Rice.

Masala Peanuts

Oh how I love peanuts!!! I always used to say that peanut is my favourite nut.... until a year back...when I became all health conscious and actually found out that peanut actually is not a nut, but a legume!!! So now it has become my favourite bean!!! howzaat??????? This preparation is my all time favourite and I love to have it with hot chai!!!

Raw peanuts: 1/2 kg

Chilly powder: 2 tbsp

Salt: as required

Asafoetida: a pinch

Oil: 2 cups

Heat oil in a kadai on medium flame and fry the peanuts till done.

(Do it in one layer batches)

Once all the peanuts are fried, transfer it in to another kadai and mix, salt, chilly powder and asafoetida.

Now again heat it on stove on low flame for 2 minutes and yes- keep stirring!!!

Turn off the stove, transfer it into a bowl and allow it to cool.

Once cool, store it in airtight containers.

Chembuperri/ Colocasia Chips

My mom always says it is my Ammachen's favourite chips. But you know what, it is not only achachan's, everyone in my family just love chembupperi and it never lasts for more than 2 days... its that tasty and I will definitely give my vote to make it the King of chips!!!

Fresh Colocasia/Chembu/Elephant ear: 1 kg
Coconut Oil: 3 cups
Salt: as required


Peel the colocasia, wash properly and slice it.
Now heat the coconut oil and deep fry it till crisp.
(make sure you do it in one layer batches)
Add salt to the oil as you fry.
Drain it on a tissue paper and once it cools, store it in airtight containers.

Kozhi Varutharacha Curry

Another not-so-easy but tasty chicken curry. Well, me says not-so easy coz you have to grate coconut, then dry roast it on low flame making sure not to burn  it...and then grind to a smooth paste!!! Other than this step, it is very easy...and yes...absolutely delicious...well, any coconut based Kerala dish is heavenly!!!

Chicken pieces: 1 kg
Onion: 3 medium chopped
Ginger: 2 inch diced
Garlic: 1 pod diced (10 to 12 cloves)
Green Chilly:  3 slit
Chilly Powder: 1 level tbsp
Coriander Powder: 2 level tbsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder: 1 tsp
Garam Masala: 2 level tsp
Fresh coconut grated: 1/2 cup
Coconut Milk: 2 cups (thick)
Oil: 2 to 3 tbsp
Salt: as required

Roast the grated coconut till brown on low heat. Allow it to cool and then grind to a smooth paste
(No need to add water, the oil will ooze out when you grind)
Heat oil in a big kadai and throw in the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies and saute till onions turn brown.
Make a paste of the dry masalas with a tablespoon of water and add to the browned onion and saute till raw smell is gone.
Now add the chicken pieces and mix properly with the masala on low heat.
Add the coconut paste, salt and 1 cup coconut milk mixed with double the amount of water.
Cover with lid and cook on medium flame.
When done, add the thick coconut milk and turn off the stove.
Now heat oil in pan, splutter mustard and dried red chilly and pour over the chicken curry.
Serve it with rice or chappati.

Guava Jam

Guava is my dad's favourite fruit. We have 3 guava trees back home in Kerala and when I was in school, mom always used to make guava jams and jellies. Once when I started college, It was me instead of mom making the preserves. Very easy to make and I love to spread it on crackers...hmmm absolutely delicious!!!!

Guava cut in to small pieces: 4 cups

Water: 2 cups

Sugar: 2 cups

Vinegar: 2 tsp

Cinnamon: 1 stick

Take a pot, add all the ingredients and bring to a boil on high heat.

Now reduce the heat to medium and let it cook for 45 minutes. Stir in between so that it doesn't stick to the pot.

Turn off the stove and let it cool for 10 minutes.

Now pour it through a metal sieve to separate the seeds. You will have to use a spoon to completely squeeze out the juice.

Now transfer it again to the pot and add 1/4 cup water, cinnamon stick and boil it again on low heat for 20-30 minutes till it thickens

Transfer it into bottles and store in refrigerator.

Jangiri

Laddoos and Jangiris are my favourite sweets. Whenever I make Jangiris, I remember my 17th birthday. I was in Std 12 and ususally everyone brings laddoos, pastries or chocolates to school to celebrate their birthday.. I was the only one who distributed Jangiris.... but that was ordered from a bakery... Those days I never used to get into the kitchen!!!!!

Urud Dal: 1 cup

Raw rice: 2 tbsp

Kesari colour: 1/2 tsp

Salt: 1/4 tsp

Oil: 2 cups

Water: 1/5 cup

For Sugar Syrup:

Sugar: 2 cups

Water: 1 cup

Cardamom Powder: 1/2 tsp

Kesari Colour: a pinch.

Soak the Urud dal and raw rice for 2 to 3 hours.

Grind to a very smooth batter by adding 1/5 cup water. The batter should be thick

Add the salt and the colour and work the mixie for half a minute- so that it is properly mixed.

Take a thick plastic bag and make a hole.

(I use the stick that comes with the puttu mould, Show it directly on the flame and poke the plastic bag)

Make the sugar syrup by boiling the water and sugar.

Add the cardamom powder and the Kesari colour and boil till one thread consistency is reached. Keep it on the stove itself so that it remains hot.

what I do is- when it reaches half thread consistency( when you touch the syrup with your thumb and forefinger and pull apart, it forms a thread but breaks) I simmer and let it cook on low heat while I make the jangiris.

Heat the oil.

Fill the plastic bag with the batter, press tightly on top of the oil and squeeze out the batter to make spiral shape.

Turn it over and when crisp, take out and drain and immediately transfer it into the hot sugar syrup.

The Jangiris will absorb the syrup. Take it out of the syrup and serve hot or at room temperature.

Ethakka Mezhukkupiratty

Plantain is a staple in Kerala cooking. For breakfast, we steam ripe plantains to go with puttu. For lunch, we stir fry raw plantains or make curry with raw plantains, As a snack we make banana fritters and also banana chips...hmmmm yummy!!! As dessert, we make payasam with ripe banana or fry it in ghee with a little sugar....hmmmm...  All plantain recipes are really easy and here comes a very easy recipe...

Ethakka (Raw Plantain) : 2
Oil: 2 tbsp
Salt: as required
Pepper: 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves: a sprig
Water: 1/4 to1/2 cup

Skin the plantains, wash properly and cut it into 1 inch rectangular pieces
In a pan, place the cut plantain,add water, turmeric powder, salt and curry leaves and cook till soft and water evaporated.
Now add the oil and fry it and when it is almost done, add the pepper powder.
Goes well with rice.

Idly and Coconut Chutney

There was a time when I used to hate Idlys.. Yes, as a child I never touched it but now, as an adult, this is one of my favourite breakfasts.... Easy to prepare and very healthy too!!!

Raw Rice: 3 cups

Urud dal: 1 cup

Fenugreek: 1/2 tsp

Cooked Rice: 3 cups

Salt: as required

(If you are using Idly rice instead of raw rice, then make sure it is 4 cups of idly rice and no need to add the cooked rice)

Soak the urud dal and fenugreek  for 2  hours.

Soak the raw rice for 3 hours

Grind the urud dal and fenugreek to a smooth paste adding a little water.

Now grind the raw rice and cooked rice to a very smooth paste adding required water.

Mix the ground urud dal and rice properly and add required salt and keep it aside to ferment. (this should take 8-9 hours)

Once the batter is well fermented, (yes, very important- otherwise idlys wont come out soft and fluffy) grease the idly plates and pour the batter and steam for 10 to 12 minutes on medium flame  (do not use the weight, if you are using the pressure cooker to steam)

Wait for 5 minutes, open the lid and again wait for 5 minutes and then you can remove the idlys from the plate with the help of a spoon.

Serve hot with Sambar or Chutney or both.

Chutney

Grated Coconut: 1 cup

Fresh Green Chillies/Red Chillies : 2

Ginger: 1/4 inch

Salt: as required

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp

Dried Red Chilly: 1

Oil: As required

Curry Leaves: 1 sprig

In a blender, make a fine paste of the coconut, fresh chillies ginger and salt adding little water.

In a kadai, heat oil and splutter the mustard, dried red chilly, curry leaves and pour the blended mixture into it adding half cup water.

Switch of the Stove when the chutney gets slightly warm.

Chicken Kidney Bean Salad

Another easy, healthy meal.. Okay , it needs some cooking but not difficult!!!! Just pressure cook Chicken and also the Rajma... Thats it!!!!

Shredded chicken- 1/2 cup
Boil the chicken in a pressure cooker for 4 whistles. Shred it and keep aside.

Cooked Rajma- 1 cup
Soak half cup Rajma for 6 hours and cook on high for 4 whistles

Onion diced: 1/2 cup
Tomato chopped: 1/4 cup
Salt and Pepper: to season

Mix the Chicken, Rajma, Onion and Tomato.
Add salt and pepper
Toss gently.