Andi Unda (Cashew nut and rice laddoo)

This recipe comes from my sister in law, Sophys kitchen. This is somewhat similar to our avalose unda and o yea, really tasty and healthy too!!!!

Red Rice/Kerala matta rice: 2 cups

Coconut grated: of 1 big coconut (around 3-4 cups)

Cashewnut; 100 gms dry roasted

Jaggerry: 400 grams

Wash rice and drain.
Once the water is fully drained, dry roast in a wok on medium heat till it is a darker shade but not too dark either.
Dry roast the cashews
Grate the jaggerry.
Now grind the rice in your mixie.
Take out and mix all other ingredients together and again pulse it in your grinder.
Take the mix out and shape it into balls.
Serve this as an evening snack.

Chicken Curry- Taste of Grandma's Kitchen!!!

We all love the taste of our childhood.... The smell of our grandmothers kitchen.... this taste and smell forms an important part of the emotional narrative of our childhood, our lives!!!

But havent you noticed over time, our recipes alter to accommodate our present lifestyle?
 One such example is using big onions for chicken curry. I remember, my ammachy always used pearl onion for chicken curries but now very few people use it. I too use big onions mostly but when I go home to my mothers, I just love the chicken curry there, it brings back so many memories, triggers emotions sometimes happy, sometimes sad....But mostly, wonderful memories.

This recipe with a generous helping of small onions sure recreates the taste of my childhood.
 And its amazing how I got the exact recipe/taste from someone I met by chance. My sons friends grandmother. This is her recipe and while waiting for my sons school bus, she was telling me about her daughter- in- laws blog. I googled and found the blog and this recipe was there. When I saw the small onions, I knew I had to try this and wow, I was transported back to those days and my kids inhaled this!!!!


Chicken: 1 kg
Fennel Seeds/ Perinjeerakam: 2 tsp
Small Onion/Pearl Onion/Shallots: 2 cups or 300 grams (pls do not use big onions)
Curry leaves: 4 sprigs
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Tomato puree: 4 tbsp or of 2 tomatoes pureed
Kashmiri Chilly Powder: 2 tsp
Pepper Powder: 2 tsp
Coriander Powder: 4 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala: 1 1/2 tsp
Salt: as required
Oil: 4 tbsp

The peeled pearl onion weight should be 300 grams or 2 cups packed.
Slice each onion to 3. Do not have to make it too small.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker, splutter fennel seeds.
Thrown in the onions and curry leaves and saute till wilted.
Add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell is gone
Add the tomato puree, all the masalas and chicken and saute for sometime on low flame.
Add a cup of water and close the lid and cook for a whistle on high, then lower the flame and cook for one more whistle and switch off the flame.
When the pressure releases,open the lid and mix everything once and serve warm with rice or rotis.

Recipe Source: Mithraja's blog

Chicken Minced Creamy Pasta

This sure is a crowd pleaser. The quantity mentioned here will be enough for 6 people.

Macaroni (dry): 400 grams

Cook it in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under running water. keep it aside.

Minced Chicken: 400 grams

Onion: 2 medium diced

Garlic: 10 cloves minced

Tomato Puree: 6 tbsp

Chilli Flakes: 1 tbsp

Pepper Powder: 1 tbsp

Oregano or pizza seasoning: 4 tsp

Amul or any  Fresh Cream: 1 cup

Milk: 1 cup or more

Cheese: generous helping for garnish.

Heat oil in a pan and saute the onion and garlic till wilted.

Add the chicken, tomato puree, the chilli flakes and pepper powder, required salt and let it get cooked.

When it is done, lower the flame and add the oregano or pizza seasoning and give everything a toss.

Now add the cooked pasta, fresh cream, mix everything, then add the milk. Sometimes you might need more than a cup of milk.

 Make sure the dish isn't too dry. It should have a creamy wet texture. So add milk according to that.

Do a taste test, if needed add a little more of salt and the oregano or pizza seasoning.

Take off fire and garnish with a lot of grated cheese.

Enjoy!!!!

Kaara Chutney

This is another hotel style recipe. 

The recipe I got from bloghopping one day. Thanks to Cook N Dine

Onion: 1 chopped

Tomato: 1 medium chopped

Dry Red Chillies: 6

Urad Dal: 1 tbsp

Bengal gram dal: 1 tbsp

Salt: as needed

In a pan, heat a tsp of oil and saute all these items till it changes colour and tomatoes are mashed up.

Let it cool and grind to a paste adding little water.

Transfer to a serving dish.

 

To temper

Oil: 2 tsp

Mustard Seeds; 1/2 tsp

Urud Dal: 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Heat oil and splutter the items under temper and pour over the chutney.

Serve warm with idly. Dosa.

Kerala Coastal Fish Fry

Yummy Yummy Crispy Fish fry !!!!!

King Fish: 1 slice
Or large prawns:6 nos
Kashmiri Chilly Powder: 1 heaped tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Salt: as Needed
Lime Juice: 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1/2 tsp
Rice Flour: 1 heaped tsp

Make a paste of all these and apply on the fish and keep aside for atleast half an hour
Shallow fry it in coconut oil.
Serve warm with sliced onions.

Bhatura

This is one of my earlier posts but the pics were so baaaaaad that I wanted to redo it. So finally I got a chance to make this again.... Took pics and here it is.

This is a dish that can never go wrong. And the beauty of this is it is filling, and can be had as breakfast, lunch or dinner and whenever I've served this for a party, it has become a huge hit.

Serve this with chole masala

Maida: 3 cups

Semolina/Rava: 1/4 cup

Oil; 1 tbsp

Curd: 3/4 cup

Baking Powder: 1 tsp

Salt and Water: as needed

Sugar: 1 tsp

Oil: 2 cups for frying

Sift the maida and baking powder.

Add the oil, semolina/rava, curd, sugar salt and water to the flour and knead.

(Pour water little by little- so that you get a smooth dough. you might need very little water as you are using curd)

Keep it covered for 3-4 hours in a warm place

Divide it into equal portions and roll it like big puri

Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry.

Serve hot with chole masala and sliced onions.

Kerala Prawns Fry

This is my Moms Prawns fry recipe. I guess this is the basic fish fry recipe for any malayalee. It tastes yum with prawns!!!!

Prawns: 1/2 kg

Ginger Garlic Paste: 2 tsp

Kasmiri Chilly Powder: 1 level tbsp

Pepper Powder: 2 tsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Salt: as required

Lime Juice: of 1 small lime

Oil: 1 tsp

Marinate the prawns with all this for atleast 30 minutes....more the better.

Heat Coconut oil and shallow fry the prawns.

Make sure you dont cook it too long.

Serve warm with rice and onion slices

Chettinadu Chicken Gravy

Chettinad Chicken, my all time favourite and I love it best with Dosa, Egg Dosa, Kaldosa, Onion Dosa...basically any Dosa!!!!! Its not me alone, all of us at home love this preparation. But we always order in and this is the first time I made it at home. Thanks to my Tamil Cooking expert for all the lovely recipes....

Recipe got from here

Chicken: 1 kg

Curd: 4 tbsp

Chilly Powder; 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Salt: as needed

Marinate chicken and keep aside.

To Roast and Grind:

Dried Red Chillies: 6-7

Coriander Seeds: 1 tbsp

Pepper Corns: 1.5 tsp

Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp

Fennel Seeds: 2 tsp

Onion: 2 medium chopped

Tomato large: chopped

Coconut grated: 1/4 cup

Heat a kadai and throw in the red chillies, coriander seeds, pepper corns, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and saute for 2 minutes.

Now add the onions and tomatoes and saute till the raw smell leaves.

Add the coconut grated and saute till browned.

When it cools, blend it into a smooth paste.

To temper:

Oil: 2 tbsp

Cardamom:1

Cinnamon:1

Cloves:2

Small Onion: 12 halved

Garlic: 7 minced

Curry  Leaves: lots

Tomato: 1 chopped

Heat oil and add the cardamom, cinnamon and cloves and saute for a minute. Now add the onion, garlic, curryleaves, saute for a few minutes

 Now add the  tomatoes and saute till limp.

Add the marinated chicken and saute for 10 minutes on low flame.

Add the ground paste and let the chicken get coated with the masala.

Add required salt, a cup of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles on high.

After the pressure releases, Boil again till required thick consistency is reached.

Serve warm with Dosas, Rotis or Rice.

Here, Ive served it with Egg Dosa.

Mango Mousse (eggless)

This recipe was on my to do list for such a long time. Finally I got to try it. It was really good and thick but it doesnt have that egg mousse consistency (if you know what I mean). Also, this recipe doesn't contan gelatin or agar agar.

 But when you try, whisk the fresh cream till soft peak consistency and then fold in with the cubed mango. But be careful when u beat the fresh cream coz at first it will become liquid then it reaches soft peaks and then look out----- past the soft peak stage, it will turn buttery- the fat will separate. So stop immediately when the soft peak stage is reached.

Mango puree: 4 cups

Sugar syrup: 1/2 cup

Amul cream: 1 cup

Thick curd: 2 cups

Mango cubed: of 1 fruit

Prepare sugar syrup by dissolving half cup sugar with half cup water and heating it on medium flame for about 3 minutes.

Take the mango purée, cream, curd and sugar syrup in a bowl and blend it with your cake mixer. Not too much.
What you can do is, do not add cream at this stage when u blend it. Whisk the cream till soft peak stage and then fold in to the blended mix. Be very careful coz past the soft peak stage, the fat will separate from the cream.

Mix in the cubed mangoes and pour in to a serving bowl or individual bowls and refrigerate till set.

Mint Coriander Chutney/ Pudina Sandwich

Mint/Pudina Leaves: 1 bunch

Coriander Leaves: 1 bunch and a half

Coconut grated: 3/4 cup

Ginger: 1/2 inch

Green Chillies: 2-3 (adjust according to your tolerance level.... I add 3)

Salt: as needed

Wash the leaves properly under running water.

Take the leaves off the pudina bunch. Discard the stem.

Now put the coriander leaves, pudina leaves, grated coconut, salt, ginger, green chillies in the mixie and blend them till you get a paste.

Spread butter generously on bread slices.

Now spread the mint coriander chutney.

Cover with bread slices.

Serve as an evening snack with coffee.

Left Over Magic- Veg Cutlets!!!

Ever wondered what to do with all the left over vegetable thorans and veg stir fries? please do not throw it ever again!!!!! Heres a simple tip to use it again to make a fresh new dish- Vegetable cutlets!!!! Make it and serve as an evening snack or as a side dish for lunch or rotis!!!!

Any left over veg stir fries and thorans: 1 cup,  (but pls do not use bittergourd!!!)

Potato: 1 large (pressure cooked and mashed with salt added.)

Egg: 1 beaten

Bread crumbs: half cup (maybe more)

If you do not want to use eggs, make it pure veg by making a paste with maida and water.

Mix the left over veggies with mashed potatoes,

 Dip in beaten eggs or the maida paste.

Coat with bread crumbs and deep fry.

Serve with sauce and salad

Vazhuthanaga Theeyal/ Brinjal Theeyal

Brinjal: 3 cut in medium sized pieces 

Button onion: a handful

Green Chillies: 3 slit

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Chilly powder: 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder: 1 heaped tsp

Tamarind: lime sized

To Roast and grind

Coconut grated: 3/4 cup

Dried Red chilly: 2

Ginger chopped: 1/2 inch

To temper

Coconut oil: 2 tsp

Mustard: 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Dry roast the grated coconut, dried red chillies and ginger over a low flame till the coconut becomes brown making sure it doesn't burn.

When it cools, grind to a very smooth paste. Oil will ooze out of the coconut, so no need to add water, but if it is absolutely necessary add 1 or 2 tbsp water.

Heat Oil in a kadai and saute the onions and green chillies for 2 minutes on low flame.

Now add the chopped brinjal and saute again for 2 minutes.

Add the chilly powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder and saute till the raw smell is gone.

Pour a cup of water and let the brinjal get cooked.

Now add the tamarind water and let it come to a boil.

Add the coconut paste and when it boils along the edges, take off fire.

Splutter mustard, curry leaves in coconut oil and pour it over the Theeyal.

Spicy Tasty Crab Masala

Ive posted Crab masala recipes before. This is also a very tasty preparation. I got this recipe long back and since Ive already posted crab roast recipes before, I wasnt sure if I wanted to post again!!! But anyways, I clicked pictures. And when I tasted it, I was sure this was going in my blog. My husband gave me full marks... :) :) :) So here it is. Now this recipe is gonna be a regular in my kitchen.

Crab: 1 1/2 kg cleaned

Onion: 4 thinly sliced.
Heat 3 tbsp oil and saute the onions till slightly brown.
Add a tbsp of ginger garlic paste and saute till it is a nice brown.

Now add 

Chilly Powder: 2 tsp heaped

Coriander powder: 2 level tsp

Cumin Powder" 1 level tsp

Garam Masala: 1 level tsp

Pepper Powder: 1 tsp

 Saute till oil oozes out onlow flame. keep sprinkling water so that it doesnt stick to the bottom.

Add 2 chopped tomatoes, keep the flame on high and saute till it is all mashed up

Now add the cleaned crab, 2 cups water, required salt and let it get cooked on medium flame.
When all the water dries up and masala is coated, take off fire and garnish with coriander leaves.
Enjoy!!!!!

Sambar Saadam Restaurant style/ Bisi Bele Bath

Iam not fond of one pot meals. But my family loves it and coz of that, I always make it and most importantly, look out for real good recipes. Sharmis recipes are like my tamil cooking Bible. O yes, it is really good...otherwise I wouldnt even have bothered to post it. This one is for keeps!!!!

Rice: 1 cup (I used boiled rice/Puzhangalarisi/puzhukkalari)

Toor Dal: 1/2cup

Water: 5 1/2 cups

Tamarind: a small ball

Oil: 1 tbsp

Mustard: 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds; 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves: 1 sprig

Pearl Onions :8

Carrot: 1/2 chopped

Tomato: 1 chopped

Green Peas: 1/4 cup

Potato: 1 chopped

Asafoetida: 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp

Sambar Powder: 1 heaped tbsp

Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp

Soak the tamarind in 2 cups water. Keep aside. 

Wash Rice and dal and soak in water For 10 minutes.

In a big pressure cooker, heat oil, splutter mustard, fenugreek, curryleaves.

Throw in the onions and tomatoes and saute till tomatoes are mushy.

Add the turmeric powder. sambar powder, asafoetida salt and all the vegetables and saute well.

Add the rice and dal.

Add the 2 cups tamarind water, 3.5 cups plain water.

Keep the lid and weight and pressure cook for 6 whistles on high.

When the pressure releases, open lid, pour a tbsp ghee, 2 tbsp coriander leaves and mix.

Serve warm with fryums or papad.

 Recipe Source: Sharmis Passions

Cheera vada/ spinach cutlet

Cheera/Spinach: 3 cups packed

onion: 1 large sliced

ginger: 1/2 inch

green chilly: 3

Steam cook all this and keep aside

Potato: 2 medium cooked and mashed

Eggs: 2 beaten

Mix the cooked potato, the spinach mix and the eggs. Make round patties.

Deep fry in oil

If you dont want to add eggs, make a paste with maida and water. Make patties with the spinach mix and potato, Dip each in the maida paste, coat in bread crumbs and fry.

Serve warm with rice or you can even serve it with tomato sauce as an evening snack.

Hotel Sambar (Saravana Bhavan style)

I am always on the lookout for new sambar recipes and Ive tried like umpteen kinds of sambars. We as a family have a weakness for hotel sambars, and Ive tried many hotel recipes too with good results.  But all of em have been time taking and a lil bit tedious. So when I saw this Saravana Bhavan style Sambar posted here, I had to try it and wow, It is good and also easy to prepare. So for the time being, my search for hotel style sambar ends here. Ive tried Sharmis tiffin style sambar too, thats also gooooooood but a lil more time taking... so this sambar gets my vote!!!!!

Take a gooseberry sized tamarind and soak in water and keep aside.

Clean coriander leaves, chop and keep aside.

Toor Dal: 3/4 cup

Pressure cook this with 2 cups water and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder for 5 whistles on high.

When the pressure is completely released, mash the dal with a spoon.

To saute:

Oil: 1 tbsp

Potato: 1 chopped

Cucumber: 1/4 cup chopped

Carrot or beans; 1/4 cup chopped

Tomato: 1 chopped

Heat oil and saute the potato and carrot beans first. Then add the tomato and cucumber and take off fire.

Add this to the cooked dal and pour one more cup water and let the vegetables get cooked.

Meanwhile take:

Tomato: 1

Coconut grated: 2 tbsp

Dry Roasted chenna dal: 1 tbsp

Sambar Powder: 1 tbsp (heaped)

Grind this into a smooth paste.

When the veggies are cooked, add this paste to it and let it boil.

Now add the tamarind water to it and let it boil again, add required salt at this stage.

Adjust water, if it is too thick, add more water and let it come to a boil.

Take off fire.

Now to temper:

Oil: 1 tbsp

Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp

Urud dal: 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves; 1 sprig

Small onion: 8 whole (best to use this, but u can substitute with onion chopped-1)

Green Chilly: 2 slit

Hing/Asafoetida: 1 tsp

Heat oil, splutter mustard, fenugreek, urud dal, curryleaves.

Add the onions, green chillies and asafoetida.

Take off fire and pour over the sambar.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve warm with Idlys, Dosas or with plain rice.

Choco Chip Cookies

Maida/All Purpose Flour: 2 1/4 cups

Baking Powder: 1 tsp

Salt: 1/4 tsp

Butter: 200 grams

Brown Sugar: 3/4 cup

Granulated Sugar: 3/4 cup

Vanilla essence: 1 tsp

Eggs:2

Chocolate Chips: 2 cups

Cream together the sugars, butter and vanilla till creamy.

Add the eggs and beat properly.

Now sift the flour and salt and baking powder and add to the butter mix and beat on low till everything is mixed.

Add the chocolate chips and beat again on low.

Preheat oven 170C

In an ungreased cookie sheet, drop the dough in spoonfuls.

Bake for 10 minutes (maybe more or less depending on your oven) in the middle rack till the edges are brown.

When you take out, it will be soft...do not worry, it will get crunchy as it cools.

Serve with cold milk.

Chicken Pie (With leftover baked/Roasted Chicken)

Chicken baked/Roasted leftovers: 1/2 kg shredded
(If you dont have leftovers, just pressure cook chicken with pepper and salt or roast it in oven with pepper and salt)

For White Sauce:
Maida: 1 tbsp
Butter: 1 tbsp
Milk: 400 ml
Pepper and salt: as needed

Potato Layer
Potato: half kg
Butter: 2 tbsp
Milk: 1/4 cup tbsp
Salt and Pepper: as needed.

Cheese Grated: 1/4 to 1/2 cup

From my personal experience, do not use cheddar cheese, it browns very fast. You can use regular block cheese grated.

Chicken Layer:
Grease a baking dish and layer the chicken shredded at the bottom.

White Sauce Layer:
In a sauce pan, melt 2 tbsp butter, add the maida to it.
Mix it properly on low heat and when the raw smell is gone (pls do not brown it) add the  milk to it and whisk properly till you get a thick sauce. Add pepper and salt to this.
Pour this over the chicken layer.

Potato Layer:
 Pressure cook the potatoes and mash it properly and add butter and milk to it to make a smooth paste
Add salt and pepper to this mix.
Now add the potato mash on top of it and smooth it with a spatula.
Sprinkle grated cheese on top (generously!!!! for better taste)
Bake for half hour (more or less) depending on the oven, the potatoes have to brown a bit (that is the idea)
Slice and enjoy it warm with butter toasted garlic bread.

Paneer Butter Pepper Fry

Iam a big fan of Chef Sanjay Thumma. Ive tried many of his recipes including paneer curries, biriyanis, snacks, lots of airfryer recipes (I must say, those r really good, especially the crumb fried fish and chips in airfryer,,,,ooooolalala) ......
Well, this paneer one is also his recipe.

Butter:  1tbsp
Green chilly:  4 slit
Curry leaves: 1Sprig
Ginger garlic paste : 1/2tsp
Salt: as needed
Garam masala: 1 tsp
Turmeric: 1/4tsp
Maida: 1Tbsp
Rice flour 1Tsp
Corn flour: 1tsp
Paneer: 250 grms
Coriander powder: 1tsp
Chilly powder: 1tsp
Pepper powder: 1Tbsp
Oil for deep frying
Lime juice: 1Tsp

 Make a thick paste with corn flour, rice flour, maida, turmeric, garam masala powder, salt and ginger garlic paste. Add water in spoonfuls.
Dip the paneer pieces in the paste and coat the masala and deep fry them and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a kadai and add curry leaves, green chilly and butter.
 Saute them and add coriander powder, chilly powder, pepper powder, salt.
 Add fried paneer pieces, toss it and sprinkle lime juice.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve warm as an appetizer.

Recipe got from here