Konju Pappas

Yet another Kerala special prawns dish- delicious prawns masala in creamy coconut milk!!!!!

Prawns: 500 gms

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves: 2 sprigs

Onions: 2 sliced

Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tsp

Green Chillies: 3 slit

Tomato: 1 medium sliced round

Kudam puli/Cocum: 3

Kashmiri Chilly powder: 1 heaped tsp

Coriander Powder: 2 level tsp

Fenugreek Powder: 1/4 tsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Garam Masala: 1/2 tsp

Perinjeerakam/Fennel Powder: 1/4 tsp

Pepper Powder: 1/4 tsp

Thick Coconut Milk: 1 cup

Oil and Salt: as required

Deshell and devein the prawns.

Heat oil in a kadai and splutter mustard and curry leaves.

Throw in the onions and green chillies and saute till wilted.

Now add the chilly powder, turmeric powder coriander powder, fenugreek powder, pepper powder and garam masala powder.

Saute properly till the raw smell is gone.

Now add the prawns and mix properly so that the masalas get coated properly on the prawns.

Pour a cup of water, cocum, salt and let it cook on low flame.

When it is almost done, add the fennel powder, the round slices of tomato and let it again cook till done (a minute or so)

Now add the thick coconut milk and when it boils along the edges, take off fire.

Serve warm with rice or chapatis.

Egyptian Roz bi laban/North Indian Milk Kheer/ South Indian Paal Payasam/East Indian Payas/payesh

Rice pudding is called by different names in different regions of the world. Once I went for an Egyptian buffet and saw Roz Bi Laban in the dessert section. I took a bowl and was surprised!!! it was paal payasam. Later I came to know that it is a very famous preparation in Egypt, just like in India.

I love paayasam regardless of whether it is semiya or palada or ada pradhaman or parippu payasam or payar payasam.... But during my childhood, whenever mom used to make paal payasam (rice pudding...not semiya or ada), my brother used to complain saying mom is finding ways to make him eat rice (he hated rice those days!!!).. so since I used to do whatever he does, I also never touched this preparation whenever she made it....and now Iam missing out on all those years of not eating this heavenly payasam....and that too my Amma's preparation!!!

Basmati Rice: a handful
Milk: 750 ml

Sugar: 8 tbsp

Cardamom powder: 1/2 tsp

Wash the rice and keep aside.

Boil water in the pan you are going to use to make the payasam. Rinse properly.

Now in the clean pan, mix the rice and milk and cook on high flame till it boils.

Now lower the flame, add the sugar and cardamom powder and let it cook on very low flame till rice is tender and milk considerably reduced.

Serve as dessert.

Crab Roast

This is one dish all four of us (yes even my 2 yr old) just love love love and love. When we were in chennai, our fish shopping would never be complete without crab. So this was a regular dish every sunday afternoon. This preparation is a kallu shap (toddy shop) recipe and I got this from Vanitha Pachakom Magazine.

Crab: 1/2 kg

Onions: 2 large diced

Garlic: 10 cloves chopped fine

Ginger: 1 inch chopped fine

Green chillies: 2 slit

Tomato: 2 medium chopped

Turmeric powder:1/4 tsp +1/4 tsp

Pepper: 1 tsp

Chilly powder:2 tsp

Garam Masala:1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves: to garnish

Salt and Oil: as required

Marinate the crab with 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp pepper powder and salt.

Cook the marinated crab in 1 cup water.

Now heat oil in a kadai and throw in the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies.

When it is brown, add the masala (chilly, turmeric and garam masala)

Saute for a minute and add the tomatoes.

When the tomatoes are half cooked, add the cooked crab and mix everything properly and let it get roasted for a few minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve as an appetizer or with rice/chapatis.

Tomato Rasam

Nothing like overcooked rice and piping hot rasam on a cold afternoon. O yes, I make rasam whenever I overcook rice... also, I overcook rice whenever I feel like making rasam.

Tomato: 3 medium

Garlic: 6 cloves

Shallots: 3 sliced

Dried Red chilly: 6

Mustard: 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves and Coriander leaves: a few

Oil and Salt: as required

Asafoetida: a pinch

Tamarind: lime sized soaked in water

Turmeric Powder: a pinch

Pepper Powder: 1 tsp

Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp

Boil the tomatoes. Take it out from the water and mash it properly.

In a kadai, splutter mustard, add curry leaves, shallots and the dried red chillies

Fry for half a minute and add the garlic and saute for a minute.

Now add the mashed tomatoes along with the tamarind water and let it boil

Add the turmeric powder, asafoetida, pepper powder and cumin powder.

When it boils properly, turn off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice and appalam.

Banana Whole Wheat Bread

If your child refuses to eat those healthy bananas, you can sneak them in by making bread or muffins. I bought a kilo banana 3 days back and noone was interested in even looking at it...

Since kids hate any food that is good for them, the healthy stuff usually sit there and rot and finally goes into the trash. So today I was determined that I will not throw it away but make something fun and healthy too and this is what I did.

Whole Wheat flour: 2 cups

Nutmeg Powder: 3/4 tsp

Caraway seeds: 1 tsp

Baking Powder: 1.5 tsp

Vanilla essence: 1.5 tsp

Olive Oil: 1/4 cup

Salt: 1/4 tsp

Low Fat Milk: 1/2 cup

Very Ripe Bananas: 4 (2 cups mashed)

Preheat oven to 180C

Grease and flour a loaf pan

Sift the flour, nutmeg powder, salt and Baking powder.

Mix in the caraway seeds.

Add the Olive oil, milk, vanilla essence and the mashed banana and fold in with a spoon.

(it wont be a smooth batter- don't bother!!!)

Now pour the batter in the prepared pan and bake till the top is brown

(it took 40 mts in my oven..it will vary, so keep an eye)

Prawns Peralan

This is another Easter special at my table today. An authentic Kerala recipe, and Iam already missing mom's Easter spread.

Prawns: 1/2 kg shelled and deveined

To Marinate:

Fennel Powder: 1.5 tsp

Pepper Powder: 1 tsp

Salt: as required

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Marinate the prawns in the above mix and keep aside.

Onions: 2 roughly chopped

Garlic: 2 pods sliced

Ginger: 2 inch juliennes

Turmeric Powder:1/4 tsp

Kashmiri Red Chilly Powder: 1.5 tsp

Coriander Powder: 2 heaped tsp

Fenugreek Powder: 1/4 tsp

Cumin Powder:1/4 tsp

Garam Masala: 1/2 tsp

Kodam Puli (Kokum): 3

Oil and Salt: as required

Heat Oil and saute the ginger and garlic for 2 minutes

Add the onions and saute till wilted and brown along the edges

Add all the masala and saute till raw smell is gone

Now add the marinated prawns and saute till the masala gets coated

Now add the Kokum and half a cup water and cook on low flame.

Let the water dry up.

Do a taste test and adjust the salt.

When the prawns are cooked, turn off the stove and serve with White rice.

Heritage Celebration Cake

Happy Easter to all of you. What better way to celebrate Easter than piling your plate with all sorts of calorie laden delicacies!!! hmmm... sinfully delicious.
This cake is an adaptation from Hershey's chocolate cake recipes. I first saw this recipe in Divya's cook book and instantly fell in love with the Hershey's site. I combined two of their recipes to come up with this delicious chocolate cake and frosting. Heritage Chocolate Cake and Celebration Chocolate Cake. so to the recipe:


Cocoa Powder: 3/4 cup
Boiling water: 1 cup
Butter: 100 gms
Powdered Sugar: 2 cups
Eggs: 3
Vanilla essence: 1.5 tsp
All purpose flour: 1 3/4 cups
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Milk: 3/4 cup
Fresh Cream: 1/8 cup
Yoghurt: 1/8 cup
Baking Powder: 1.5 tsp


Sift the flour, baking powder and salt thrice and keep aside
Grease and flour a baking tray
Preheat the oven to 180C
Boil 1 cup water and mix in the cocoa powder till smooth and turn off the stove. Let it cool
Cream the butter and sugar till light and add the egg one by one beating well after each addition.
Mix in the vanilla and cocoa mix and beat again.
Add the flour, milk, yoghurt and fresh cream and beat again on speed 1 till everything is well combined.
Pour the batter in to the prepared tin and bake till done.
Set aside to cool and do the frosting.

 Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Butter: 1/3 cup
Cocoa Powder: 2/3 cup
Powdered Sugar: 2 2/3 cup
Milk: 1/3 cup
Vanilla essence: 1 tsp

Dissolve the vanilla in the milk
In a saucepan, melt the butter on low heat.
As it melts, add the cocoa and stir till you get a smooth and thick mixture. Let it cool slightly.
Now use your hand mixer to beat this cocoa mix, sugar and milk till you get a spreading consistency.
Spread the frosting over the cake
Indulge!!!

Puli Inji

This one is almost like the Inji curry recipe Ive posted earlier. Here. Ive used molasses syrup instead of sugar. This is a must have in the Kerala Sadya menu (Well, Inji curry is usually served in our corner of the state. ie south.. and in North Kerala, it is Puli Inji that is served for Sadya). If you ask me which one I prefer...well, I love both and will be very very happy if both are served.. ;)

Ginger:250 gm chopped fine
Green chillies: 5 chopped fine
Tamarind: a lil bigger than lime sized soaked in a bowl of water
Kashmiri Redy Chilly powder: 3 tbsp
Fenugreek powder: 1/4 tsp
Molasses Syrup: 3 tbs
Salt: as required
Oil: 1/5 cup

Mustard: 1 tsp

Dried red chily

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil and splutter the mustard and dried red chilly.

Add the green chillies and ginger and fry till ginger turns brown.
Now add the tamarind water, salt, molasses syrup, chilly powder and let it boil.
When the gravy becomes thick, add the fenugreek powder and simmer for a minute.
 Serve with rice. It tastes even better the next day and the days after...

Bread Masala

Bread lovers will really love this recipe. This is a quick fix breakfast and also very very tasty. I make this both as breakfast and also as a 4 'o' clock snack. The recipe is adapted from Vanitha magazine but I changed a lil bit here and there

Bread Slices: 3
Onion: 1 medium diced
Tomato: 1 medium diced
Cheese; 2 cubes/triangles
Oil: 1 tbsp
Chilly Powder: 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder: 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala: 1/5 tsp
Salt: as required
Coriander Leaves: to garnish

Remove the crust from the bread and slice it in small squares
Apply cheese on the slices and toast it
(in the original recipe, ghee is used instead of cheese)
Keep it aside.
In a pan, heat oil/ghee, throw in the onions and saute till slightly brown.
Add the tomato and cook till it is mashed up.
Add the dry masalas and saute till the raw smell is gone.
Add required salt, the toasted bread and mix everything properly.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with tomato sauce.

Kadai Gobi

Anything made in a kadai is a big hit at home. This preparation is almost similar to Kadai paneer and this goes well with chapatis.

Cauliflower: 2 cups (cut into florets)

Capsicum: 1 large cubed (I used yellow bell pepper)

Cumin: 1 tsp

Onion: 2 medium cubed

Green chilly: 3 slit

Ginger garlic paste: 1 heaped tsp

Chilly Powder: 1 tsp

Coriander powder: 1.5 tsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Tomato Paste: 1 tbsp

Tomato Sauce: 1/2 tbsp

Tomato: 1 medium quartered

Yoghurt: 1 tbsp

Salt and oil: as required

Wash the cauliflower, pour 4 cups of very hot water and a tbsp of salt onto it and keep it covered for 15 minutes

In a Kadai, heat oil and saute the drained cauliflower for 3 minutes.

Now add the cubed capsicum to the half cooked cauliflower and let it get cooked (don't overdo it..)

Keep this aside.

In the same Kadai, heat oil and add the cumin, onions, ginger garlic paste and green chilly.

Saute till wilted and add the turmeric powder, coriander powder and chilly powder.

Saute for a minute and then add the yoghurt.

Mix everything properly and add the tomato paste and tomato sauce and saute again for half a minute.

Now add the quartered tomatoes and required salt and let the tomatoes cook a lil bit (not too much, coz we need the tomato to remain in quarters and not mashed up)

Add the cauliflower and capsicum and mix everything properly.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with Rotis.

Award..and loving it!!!

I really feel like a kinder gartner each time I receive an award!!! really love it and Iam all smiles :)

Deepa of hamaree rasoi has passed on this award to me...Thanku so much Deepa.

and sheena of Sheena Babus Kitchen has given me this award... Thanq sooooo much, sweetie..

Ive already posted 7 facts about me... so heres some other facts....

1) I badly want to reduce 5 kgs, but cant say NO to food

2) Which means, my shopping is never complete without Galaxies and Mars and also Twix

3) Which I compulsorily have after dinner

4) I am a big Mohanlal fan from when I can remember....but now I like both Mammooty and Mohanlal and cant decide whom I like more... Ok... I admit... I like Mohanlal more.. or is it Mammooty? seriously cant decide.

5) I also like Kamal Hassan and Rajni Kanth and Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bacchan and Amir Khan.. but Mohanlal will remain my all time favourite...

6) I love waking up to a squeaky clean Apartment which is a luxury these days with my kiddos...but still I try my very best.... and succeed 40 percent of the time...and how did I come up with that maths...dont know!!!! :)

7) I can have Kerala red fish curry with almost anything and everything...I even eat it with Banana fritters... now can u beat that??????? which reminds me I still havent posted the recipe of my favourite food!! meen kudampuli itttu vevichathu aka red fish curry.

These Awards belong to each and every1 of u.... You are all amazing cooks and I love reading through all your recipes.... Iam allowed to pass it on to only 15 of u... so heres the list..

TINA

RINI

LISSIE

VARSHA

SUHAINA

PRASU

SHARMI

LISHA

SHAHANA

SWARNA

PRIYA

VIJITHA

 RESHMI

 VIMITHAA

All u have to do is:

1.Accept the award. Post it in your blog with the name of the blogger who has given u this award with a link to his/her blog.
2.Pass it on to 15 other blogger friends.... to keep the ball rolling.
3.Let the nominated blogger know about their award [leave a comment in their most recent post]
4. State 7 facts about u

Arisi Parippu Saadam ( Toor Dal cooked with Rice)

There are many different recipes which has dal cooked with rice, like Pongal, Dal ki Khichdi etc. Well, this recipe is a bit different and this is a speciality of Coimbatore. I had it at my friend's place here in Cairo. She is from Coimbatore and when me and kids went there to spend a day (her little boy and my little boy are classmates),she made this tasty one pot meal and we hogged and hogged like anything!!! It is really tasty, easy to cook and I would recommend it for packing in lunchboxes - healthy and hassle free!!!

Raw rice: 1 cup
Toor Dal: 1 cup
Onion: 1 medium diced
Garlic: 6 cloves chopped
Tomato: 2 small chopped
Green Chilly: 5 chopped
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida: a pinch
Salt and Oil: as required
Water: 4 cups

Wash and soak the rice and Toor dal for atleast 20 minutes.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker and throw in the onions, garlic, green chilly and tomato.
Saute till tomato is mashed up and cooked properly.
Now add the turmeric powder, asafoetida,salt and the 4 cups water and let it come to a boil.
Now add the drained rice and dal, close the lid, keep the weight ane let it cook for 4 whistles.
Turn off the stove and open after 15 minutes.
Serve hot with pickles or with potato podimas.

Vanilla Cocoa Pound Cake

The beginning of this academic year, I attended a parents orientation at my son's school. My restless, very naughty 2 yr old was also with me and I was really having a tough time managing her while trying my best to listen to what the director was briefing us. Seeing my plight, another parent gave a packet to my daughter to keep her occupied for sometime. It was a vanilla cocoa pound cake and what did my daughter do? She forced it into my mouth with both her hands. Such an embarassing situation but I really liked the cake coz it was only mildly sweet- what I means is the sugar was not overpowering!!- They say hunger is the best sauce, don't know if I was hungry or was it that I was under stress...I don't know but the cake was superb!!! and this is how I tried to replicate it and well, I did succeed.

Butter: 100gm

All Purpose Flour: 250 gm

Baking Powder: 2.5 tsp

Vanilla Essence: 1 tsp

Powdered Sugar: 200 gm

Eggs: 2

Milk: 240 ml

Cocoa Powder: 3 tbsp

Milk: 60 ml

Grease and flour muffin tray.

Preheat oven to 200C

Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

Add the eggs and vanilla essence and beat till everything is properly mixed

Now fold in the flour and the 240 ml milk alternately.

Divide the batter into two.

To one portion add the cocoa powder mixed in the 60 ml milk.

In the muffin tray, pour 1 heaped tbsp vanilla batter and 1heaped tbsp cocoa batter alternately till it is 3/4 full

Bake for 20 minutes or till done.

Allow to cool and serve at room temperature.

The round cake below is what I baked and the square one is store bought, which I tried to replicate.

Linking this to Show me your muffin hosted by Divya of Dil Se

Kadai Paneer

This is my hubby's favourite paneer dish and mine too- well me likes it not only for its taste, but also for the fact that this was the first paneer dish Ive ever made in my life... 2 weeks into my marriage, and my husband bought me a cook book from Coimbatore Nilgiris- 100 vegetarian dishes or something like that- Iam so ashamed to admit that I lost the book and don't remember the name!!!!

Well, this recipe might not be exactly like how it was in the book coz Ive done my fair share of additions and deletions due to preference over the years!!! Whatever, it tastes absolutely delicious, fabulous, heavenly and yummy!!!!!!

Paneer: 250 gms cubed

Capsicum: 1 large cubed (I used red bell pepper here)

Tomato: 1 medium quartered

Butter: 1 tbsp

Oil: 2 tbsp

Cumin: 1 tsp

Onions: 2 diced

Green Chillies: 2 slit

Ginger Garlic paste: 2 tsp

Tomato paste: 1 tbsp

Tomato sauce: 1 tbsp

Coriander Powder: 1 tbsp

Chilly powder: 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Kasoori methi: 1 tsp

Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp

Melt the butter in a shallow pan and lightly fry the paneer and keep aside

In a kadai, heat the oil and splutter cumin.

Throw in the onions, green chillies and ginger garlic paste and saute till wilted

Add coriander powder, chilly powder and turmeric powder and saute on low flame.

Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce and saute for a minute.

Add the capsicum, required salt and let it cook for sometime, but make sure it is still crisp

Add the quartered tomatoes and saute again for a few minutes but it shouldnt go limp.

(it should be a lil cooked but should remain like quartered tomatoes)

Add the kasoori methi followed by paneer and mix eveything properly

Switch off the flame and serve hot with rotis.

Payar ularthu (Green gram saute)

All my recent posts were though delicous, was calorie laden and not-so healthy... so here comes a highly nutritious and healthy post.

Green gram is one of the most nutritious pulses. Before coming to Cairo, I knew we wouldnt get most of the Indian grocery here. So I came well prepared with my stock of Urud dal, Toor Dal, Idly Rice, Raw rice, mustard, masalas etc etc etc...well the list is long... and I still dont have any clue how I could forget my favourite cherupayar aka green gram. I cant imagine having Kanji without it!! Well the next visit to India, green gram was the first thing I put in my cart at Chennai Nilgiris along with Kerala Matta rice.

My mom makes cherupayar with coconut to go with Kanji while my mom in law always makes this ularthu with Kanji. So here comes her Ularthu recipe.

Green gram: 1 cup

Water: 3 cups

Onion: 1 small diced

Garlic: 3 cloves crushed

Red Chilly Powder: 1 tsp (adjust to your tolerance level)

Turmeric: 1/4 tsp

Salt: as required

Oil: 1 tbsp

Curry leaves: a sprig

Pressure cook the green gram till done.

In a non stick pan, heat oil and throw in the onions and garlic and saute till onions are wilted.

Now add the curry leaves, chilly powder and turmeric powder and saute.

Add the cooked green gram and salt and mix everything properly.

Turn off the stove and serve hot with hot and delicious Kanji

Butter Chicken

Is there anyone who can say no to Butter chicken. Delicious half fried chicken in an utterly butterly yummy creamy sauce.... ooooo!!!! Over the years, Ive tried many different ways to make this dish and this recipe is my favourite- just like a perfectly made restaurant butter chicken. Iam giving a step by step instruction on how I make this... and I have to tell u, get ready for a lot of "Mamma, I love u, U r the greatest cook" when U serve this to your kids.

To Marinate the chicken:

Chicken: 500 gms (boneless would be better, but here Ive used leg pieces and breast pieces)

Coriander Powder: 1 tsp

Chilly Powder: 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Ginger garlic Paste: 2 tsp

Salt: 1/2 tsp

For the sauce:

Onions: 2 medium roughly chopped

Ginger Garlic paste: 2 tsp

Coriander Powder: 2 heaped tsp

Chilly Powder: 1 heaped tsp

Cumin Powder: 1/2 tsp

Tomato: 2 medium roughly chopped

Cashewnuts: 6

Kasoori methi: 1 heaped tsp

Yoghurt: 2 tbsp

Fresh cream: 2 heaped tbsp

Butter: 1 tbsp

Oil: 2 tbsp

Marinate the chicken in the to marinate ingredients and keep aside for 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan and saute the chicken like shown in the pic. Keep it aside

Now in the same oil, saute the onions, ginger and garlic for a minute on low flame.

Add the coriander powder,Chilly powder and cumin powder and saute again for a minute on low flame

Now add the roughly chopped tomatoes and saute again for 2 minutes on low flame.

Add 2 cups water and let it get cooked.

When it is half done, add the Kasoori methi

 

and the cashewnuts and again close and cook for 2 minutes

Turn off the stove and allow it to cool.

Transfer this to a blender and add the yoghurt and make a smooth paste.

Now in the same pan, melt the butter

Add the blended sauce and the chicken pieces.

At this point I added a pinch of kesari colour mixed in 3 tbsp water

(you can add colour or omit the step, totally upto you, usually I dont add, but I wanted the curry to look photogenic)

When the chicken is properly cooked, add a tsp of sugar and the fresh creamand let it boil for a minute.

Turn off the stove and serve hot with Rotis.