Meen Peera Pattichathu

Meen Peera. How do I describe it? This definitely is one of my favourite fish preparation and as my mom says, just the smell of this fish cooking is enough for a perfectly satisfactory lunch. If there is Meen Peera for lunch, I dont want any other side dish. It will be just rice and fish. Wow, simple pleasures of life!!!

Cleaned Anchovies: 500 gms

Kodum Puli (Gambooge)- 3

Curry leaves: 3 sprigs

Mustard: 1 tsp

Coconut oil: 2 tbsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp

To Grind

Shallots: 6

Ginger: 1 inch

Green Chillies: 6 (adjust to your tolerance level

(I use a lot of Kanthari for this preparation)

Coconut grated: 1.5 cups

Pulse the To Grind ingredients just once in your mixie. (Chatachhe edukkuka)

Clean the Gambooge/Kudam puli and keep aside.

In a Kadai or :Meen Chatti" heat the oil and splutter mustard and 1 sprig curry leaf.

Now on low flame, add the ground coconut paste, required salt and the rest of the curry leaves.

After a minute, add the cleaned fish and mix everything together.

You can add a little water  (1/4 cup)to it.

Close the lid and let it cook on low flame.

Stir in between.

Serve warm with rice.

Sardine curry without oil

This is an easy curry for the health conscious.

Sardine Fish: 8

Kodam Puli/Gambooge- 2

Water and Salt; as required

To Grind:

Tomato: 1 small

Shallots: a handful

Coriander Powder: 1 tsp

Turmeric  Powder; 1/2 tsp

Chilly Powder:2 tbsp

Garlic cloves: 6-7

Ginger: 1 inch

Crush all the ingredients in the "To Grind" in your mixie.

Mix it with the Fish.

Add salt, Curry leaves, required water

Cook till done on medium flame.

Serve with rice.

Pepper Sev

Christmas is round the corner and Iam permanently in the kitchen from the past few days. I already baked cakes, made lots of snacks (which unfortunately is getting over and I seriously doubt if any of it will last till Christmas). Most of what I made is sweets- Cakes, Nankhatai, Diamond cuts, Butter Murukku (tho this one is not sweet, its not spicy either!!!). So while I was having my Garam Chai yesterday evening, I suddenly craved for something spicy which took me back to my Chennai days. There was a sweet and snack shop very near to where I lived. The Pepper Sev they sell are just so perfect for a cold evening to go with your masala Chai. aaa... In a minute, I was up from the chair and in the kitchen. So this is how I made it and my hubby gave me full marks!!!!! :)))

(Ive posted the normal sev recipe before, but this one is really spicy and tastes different and better coz of the rice flour and Urad dal flour)

Besan/Bengal Gram Flour: 1.5 cups

Rice Flour: 3/4 cup

Urad Dal Flour: 3 tbsp

Pepper Coarsely ground: 1.25 tbsp

Butter: 2 tbsp

Asafoetida: 1/4 tsp

Garlic Powder: 3/4 tbsp

Water: enough to make a dough

Salt: as required

Oil: to deep fry

Let the butter come to room temperature.

Mix all the ingredients and make a smooth dough.

Heat oil in a kadai.

Fit the Idiyappam maker with the plate that has big holes on it

(not the plate with which we make Idiyappam, but the bigger one)

Press the dough out of the mould directly into the oil.

Make sure the flame is medium.

Turn over once.

Fry till brown and crisp (the vigorous bubbling will stop when it is done.)

Drain on an absorbant paper.

Once cool, store it in airtight container.

Beef Biriyani/ Minced Meat Biriyani

This one is again my mom-in-law's recipe. My hubby and his brothers call it Kalipeeru Biriyani. Even Mom calls it that. Very easy to make and really tasty too.

Im giving a step by step pic of how it is made. Dont get fooled by the pics... the step pics were taken when this was made for 12 people, thats why it looks huge. The recipe measurement Iam gonna give is for a family of four. So over to the recipe.

Beef: 250 gms

Wash the meat. Mix it with a tsp of pepper powder and tsp of salt.

Add required water and pressure cook till done.

(After the first whistle, I lower the flame and cook for 20 minutes.)

Once it cools, take the meat out and mince it in your processor.

Reserve the stock to cook the Biriyani.

Oil: 3 tbsp

Cinnamon: 1 stick

Cloves: 3

Onion: 2 medium sliced

Tomato: 1 large chopped

Ginger Garlic paste: 1 heaped tbsp

Green chillies: 2 slit (adjust to your tolerance level)

Coriander powder: 1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder: 1/2 tsp

Chilly Powder: 1/2 tsp

(instead of the above three ingredients, you can use 1 heaped tsp of meat masala, Saras or Eastern)

Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp

Coriander Leaves chopped: 4 tbsp

Minced Beef: 2 cups

Basmati Rice: 2 cups

Wash and soak the Basmati rice in water for 15 minutes.

Heat oil. Add the cinnamon and cloves. After a few seconds, throw in the onions and green chillies.

Saute till it is slightly brown. Make sure it browns uniformly.

Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a few minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till it is all mashed up and oil separates.

Then add the masalas and saute for a few minutes on low flame.

Add the minced beef and let everything get mixed properly.

Add the coriander leaves and mix well.

Pour 3 cups water (measure the stock from cooking beef and add water to it to make it 3 cups)

 and the two cups drained basmati rice, required salt. and transfer it into a pressure cooker.

Close the lid and when the steam starts coming out steadily, put the weight and wait for 20 seconds.

Turn off the stove and leave the Kitchen immediately.

Come back after 20 minutes and open the pressure cooker. By this time, the pressure would have been released fully and your rice would have cooked to perfection.

Serve warm with raitha, pickles and Papad.

Bitter Gourd/Pavakka Thoran

Uniquely bitter yet wonderfully tasty!! Oxymoron??

Well, if you use pavakka in theeyal, Aviyal etc, ofcourse, it will be bitter. But try this thoran once, and your idea of bitter gourd will completely change. I love this thoran and it could be the onion and grated coconut thats responsible for the enhanced taste.

Bitter Gourd: 1

Coconut grated: 1/2 cup

Green Chillies chopped: 3

Onion: 1 medium chopped

Turmeric Powder: a pinch

Curry leaves: a sprig

Mustard: 1/2 tsp

Coconut oil: 1 tbsp

Salt: as required

Finely chop the bitter gourd like in the picture. (somewhere in between chopping and grating)

In a kadai, heat oil, splutter mustard.

Throw in the onions, green chillies and curry leaves.

Saute for 2 minutes on low flame and then add the finely chopped bitter gourd, coconut, turmeric powder and salt.

Mix everything properly, sprinkle water and cook on low flame with the lid on.

After a few minutes, stir again and cook closed till done.

Serve with rice.