Fish Curry - Thrissur style

Kerala is famous for its fish curries. Each part of the state serves different types of fish curries, which are all remarkable in their own way. Some have coconut milk in them whereas some don't. Some are cooked in a tomato based gravy, some with the tanginess of kokum, tamarind or raw mango, whereas in some places it is cooked in  the gravy of roasted and grinded coconut. Each place you go in Kerala , they will be having their own style of cooking the fish curry. Here I am sharing a fish curry recipe which is commonly found in the Thrissur district of Kerala. In Thrissur itself there are various ways of cooking fish curry, this is just one of them. 

Ingredients
1/2 kg fish(pomfret)-cleaned and cut into thick slices
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 inch ginger, peeled
4-5 shallots
2 pieces of kokum/kudampuli(soaked in 3tbsp of warm water)
3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
few curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 Tbsp kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp chilli powder
salt to taste
For seasoning
2 Tbsp coconut oil
3 shallots, sliced thin
few curry leaves

Method

• Crush the ginger and shallots together.
• In a thick bottomed vessel or preferably an earthern pot(manchatti), add the coconut milk, 1 1/2 cup water, turmeric powder, chilli powders, salt, soaked kokum pieces, crushed ginger and shallots, half of the curry leaves and salt. Mix everything well.
• Bring this mixture to a boil. Once it starts to boil, add the fish pieces.
• Cook on a medium flame until the fish is cooked. Once the fish is added do not stir the curry frequently, instead pick up the vessel and rotate it to mix everything well.
• Add the slit green chillies and remaining curry leaves.
• Cook until the gravy thickens to your preferred consistency.
• Remove from heat and keep aside.
• For the seasoning, in a small pan heat the coconut oil. Add the sliced shallots and curry leaves. Fry until the shallots turn golden brown in colour. Pour this seasoning on the prepared fish curry and cover the curry with a lid immediately, so that the aroma is trapped in the fish curry.
• Leave it undisturbed for 10 minutes. Mix well and serve.

*Any fish can be used. I have also tried this curry with anchovies and it has come out well.

* While cooking with small fish, a few pieces of drumstick can also be added. This imparts a unique taste to the fish curry.

* Kashmiri chilli powder has been used here so that the dish gets a rich colour without being too spicy either. It can however be omitted and the normal chilli powder can be used, but the quantity has to be reduced.

*For those who don't like the taste of kokum can substitute it with, raw mango pieces to impart the sourness to the dish.

Appam

The typical breakfast or dinner dish of Kerala. It also finds place in the menus of  Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. This pancake with a soft spongy center and laced outer crust is simply a beauty to sight and taste. Paired usually with egg curry, vegetable stew or meat stew, this can be relished during anytime of the day.

Basically these are pancakes made by grinding rice and coconut, followed by fermenting the batter with yeast, and then made in a special pan called appa chatti. There are many variations in the process of grinding the batter for the appam. I have tried various methods, but felt this one gives the best appams in terms of taste, texture and appearance. So over to the recipe of appam.

 Ingredients
2 cups idli rice
1 coconut grated
2-3 Tbsp sugar
1/4- 1/2 tsp yeast(I used instant yeast)
salt to taste
water for grinding

Method

• Soak the idli rice for atleast 3 hours.
• Grind the soaked rice with the coconut into a very smooth batter by adding enough water.
• Take a laddle full of the batter into a sauce pan and add 1 cup of water to it. Mix well.
• Bring this mixture to a boil and on a medium flame cook this stirring continuously until it turns into a thick paste.
• Remove from heat and allow this paste to cool.
• In the blender take this cooled paste, add 1 cup of water, yeast, sugar and salt.
• Blend this for one minute until everything is combined well. Add this mixture into the remaining rice and coconut batter prepared before and mix everything well.
• Keep the batter aside and allow it to ferment for about 4 hours.
• You can see a risen foamy batter once the fermentation is done.
• Heat an appam kadai(appa chatti). Smear with some oil if you are not using a non-stick one.
• Mix the batter well and take a laddle full of the fermented batter and pour into the appa chatti. 
• Now pick up the appa chatti and swirl in a circular way once. This leaves a thick center part and thinner, lace like outer sides. 
• Cover and cook the appam on a medium low flame until the center of the appam is cooked and the sides turn to light golden brown.
• Serve this immediately - from the pan directly to the plate.
• Appams are delicious when served with egg curries, vegetable stew or meat stew or any other curries.
• Many like to have these appams hot with just a dash of some sugar sprinkled on top.

Portuguese Custard Tarts

Rich egg custard in crisp and flaky pastry.

Ingredients

 1 cup milk

1 cup sugar

3 Tbsp cornflour

6 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 packet frozen puff pastry sheets(thawed)

Method

• Preheat oven to 190 degree Celsius. Lightly grease and line 12 muffin cups with the pastry sheets, pressing the pastry sheets to the bottom and sides of the muffin cups.
• Combine milk, cornflour, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan. Cook this mixture on a medium low heat until it starts to  thicken.
• In a separate bowl mix the egg yolks with half cup of the above prepared milk mixture. Whisk well.

• Add this yolk mixture gradually back into the milk mixture, stirring continuously Cook whisking continuously until the whole mixture thickens.
•  Remove from heat and pour this mixture equally into each pastry sheet lined in the muffin cups.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until the crust of the pastry turns golden brown and the custard filling is lightly browned.
• Serve warm.

Manthal/ Sole fish fry

Ingredients

 3 big sole fish/ manthal(approx 750gm)

2-4 shallots

6-7 garlic pods, peeled

1 Tbsp kashmiri chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp pepper powder

 few curry leaves

salt to taste

1Tbsp coconut oil

1tsp sesame oil

Method

• Clean the fish, wash and cut into medium size pieces.
• Grind together the shallots, garlic, curry leaves, chilli powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder and salt with one teaspoon coconut oil  into a fine thick paste(you can sprinkle little water to make the grinding easy, but take care not to add too much)
• Marinate the fish with the grinded paste for atleast 15-20 minutes(the more the better).
• Heat a nonstick pan. Pour the remaining coconut oil and sesame oil.
• Once the oil is hot,turn the heat to medium low. Place the marinated fish on the pan and fry, flipping over after few minutes until both the sides of the fish is cooked and roasted well.
• Remove from the pan and garnish with curry leaves.
• Serve with rice and any curry of your choice.

Potato Stir Fry

Nothing is more comforting than a simple potato stir fry. Make this as an accompaniment with curd rice.

Pure bliss...

Ingredients

2 medium sized potatoes

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

salt to taste

2 Tbsp oil

a pinch of fenugreek powder

2 Tbsp chopped coriander leaves

 Method

• Peel, wash and chop the potatoes into small cubes
• Heat oil in a wok. Add the chopped potatoes and stir fry for 2 minutes on a medium high flame.
• Reduce heat and add the chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
• Cover and cook on a low flame for 5-7 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
• Sprinkle the fenugreek powder and stir fry for 1-2 minutes more.
• Remove from heat and add the chopped coriander leaves. Mix well and serve.

Recipe courtesy: Our friend Usha. Thankyou Usha for sharing this simple and easy recipe with us.

Chicken Piccata

A delicious chicken dish that is usually served with a lemon flavoured butter sauce. An absolute favourite of all. Here I have made a simple dip which goes well with this. An impressive dish that is so easy to make. Serve with a dip and garden fresh green salad.

Ingredients

2 boneless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp thyme
salt to taste
a pinch of crushed black pepper
1 egg, beaten well
1 cup bread crumbs
oil

Method

•  Slice the chicken breadth wise into thin rounds(like potato chips) and keep aside.
• Marinate the chicken with the chopped parsley, thyme, pepper, salt and lime juice. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
• Add the beaten egg to the marinated chicken and rub it on to the chicken pieces well.
• Coat each slice of the chicken in with the bread crumbs and deep fry in oil until golden on both sides.
• Drain onto an absorbent paper.
• Serve hot with a dip.

For the dip
4 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp finely chopped parsley

Mix all the ingredients for the dip well in a bowl and serve with the chicken piccata.

Carrot Kheer

Wishing everyone a Happy Diwali...

Ingredients
250 gms carrots
2-3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp ghee
2 cups milk
4-5 Tbsp condensed milk
2 cardomoms, crushed to a powder
few raisins
few cashewnuts

Method

• Peel and chop the carrots into big chunks.
• Add the chopped carrots to a pressure cooker, add a little water (approx.1/4 cup). Close and cook on a medium flame until the cooker gives off one whistle. Allow the pressure to subside , then open the cooker and transfer the carrots to a blender.
• Blend the cooked carrots into a puree.
• Heat 2 Tbsp ghee in a non stick kadai. Pour the blended carrot into the hot ghee and keep stirring until the water is absorbed from the carrots and the ghee starts to leave from the sides.
• Now pour the milk, sugar and condensed milk. Keep stirring until  the mix starts to turn thick.
• Switch off the flame.
• Fry the raisins(until they puff up) and the cashenuts(until they turn golden brown) in the remaining ghee. Add to the prepared carrot payasam.
• Sprinkle the cardamon powder. Mix and serve hot or cold.

*Adjust the amount of sugar and condensed milk as per your taste. You can even skip adding sugar and add only the condensed milk too for a more creamy flavour.

Chembu/Taro root mulakittathu

If you are fond of fish curries that use gambooge i.e kudampuli in Malayalam then this curry is also something you are sure to fall prey to. I should say a vegetarian version of a fish curry with kudampuli. Cook it in an earthern pot(manchatti) just as you would do for a typical Kerala fish curry and enjoy with hot steamed matta rice.

Ingredients
1/2 kg taro root/chembu, peeled and cut into small pieces(keep it soaked in water)
1 Tbsp garlic chopped
1 Tbsp ginger chopped
2 green chillies slit
5-6 shallots, sliced thin
2-3 small pieces of kudampuli/gambooge
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
few curry leaves
2 cup water
3Tbsp coconut oil
salt to taste

Method

• Soak the gambooge/kudampuli in a little water and keep aside.
• Heat the oil in  a pan or earthern pot(manchatti).
• Splutter mustard seeds followed by the fenugreek seeds. Saute for a few seconds, then add the chopped garlic, ginger, green chillies and shallots. Saute well for 4-5 minutes or until the shallots start turning golden brown.
• Reduce to low flame and add the turmeric powder and chilli powder . Saute for 2-3 minutes on low flame itself.
• Add 2 cups of water and soaked kudampuli. Bring this to a boil. Let it boil for a few minutes. Now add the chembu, salt and curry leaves. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the chembu is cooked well and the gravy thickens slightly.
• Serve this fish curry tasting chembu mulakittathu with steamed rice.

Vendakka/ Ladiesfinger curry

Have you found yourself wondering as to what  curry to make for dinner tonight that goes well with chapatti ! I am sure many of you out there must have. Well here comes a dish to your rescue. An aromatic ladiesfinger curry that goes very well with most of the Indian breads.

Ingredients
10-15 ladiesfinger
1 onion sliced thin
1" ginger chopped
few curry leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder(reduce if you don't prefer a very spicy version)
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1/4 tsp fennel/perumjeerakam powder
1 small piece cinnamon stick
1 cardamom
2 cloves
1 1/2 cup thin coconut milk
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
salt to taste
3-4 Tbsp oil(preferably coconut oil)
Method

• Grind together the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, pepper powder and fennel powder into a smooth paste by adding little water.
• Wash the ladiesfinger well and then pat dry them. Cut them into 1 inch pieces and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan. Fry the ladiesfinger pieces on a medium flame until it shrinks slightly and changes colour. 
• Using a slotted spoon remove the fried ladiesfinger from the pan  and keep aside.
• In the same pan add the sliced onions, curry leaves and ginger.
• Saute  until onion turns light brown in colour.
• Add the ground paste and fry well until the water is absorbed and oil starts to show up from the sides.
• Now add the fried ladies finger and mix well.
• Pour the thin coconut milk and add enough salt.
• Allow this to simmer for 8-10 minutes.
• Finally add the thick coconut milk and just as it begins to boil remove from flame.
• Sprinkle the crushed pepper on top and cover and keep aside for 10 minutes before serving.

Onion Rava Dosa

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup rava/semolina
2 Tbsp all purpose flour/maida
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp whole black pepper corns
1 very finely chopped green chillies
1/4 cup thick buttermilk
1 onion, very finely chopped
2 3/4 cups of water
oil
salt


Method

• Mix rava with the buttermilk and leave it for 15 minutes.
• In a bowl mix the rice flour,maida, cumin, pepper, chopped green chilli and salt.
• Add the rava mixed with the buttermilk. Add water little at a time mixing well so that there are no lumps. The batter should be very thin(so add water accordingly). Check salt.
• Heat a non-stick tawa. Sprinkle little chopped onions on the tawa(Don't add too much onions as it will be difficult to make the dosa and remove it from the tawa).
• Mix the batter well(remember to mix the batter well before making each dosa so that the rava does not settle at the bottom). After mixing take a laddle full of the batter and start filling the outer corners of the tawa with the batter and come towards the middle, pouring the batter. Fill in the gaps if any with the batter.
• Once the dosa gets cooked slightly, drizzle oil on the dosa.
• Flip the dosa when golden brown on one side. Cook the other side also for few seconds and then remove the dosa onto a serving plate.
• Serve hot and crispy with coconut chutney and sambar.

Rava dosa takes more time to get cooked than the normal dosa. It tastes best when its hot and crisp.
Remeber the batter should be of very thin consistency in order to get thin and crisp dosas.
You can substitute rice flour with dosa batter . The dosa will be more tasty.
You can omit adding the onions to make normal rava dosa.

Recipe adapted from here

Frosted Lemonade

This is something you must try on a hot summer day. Unbelievably refreshing....
Ingredients
juice of 4 small lemons
4 Tbsp sugar
few ice cubes
2 scoops of vanilla icecream

Method

• In blender, blend the lemon juice, sugar and ice cubes well until the ice is crushed well and  the mixture turns frosty white.
• Now add the vanilla ice cream and blend again well.
• Pour into serving glasses and serve immediately.
• Relish frosted lemonade on hot summer days to leave you energized
  

Modhak

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi 

Ingredients

1 cup rice Flour 

1 1/4 cupwater 

1 cup grated coconut

3/4 cup jaggery(crushed or powdered)

1-2 tsp ghee

a pinch of cardamom powder

salt to taste

Method

• In a pan heat the jaggery. Once the jaggery starts to melt add the shredded coconut and cardamom powder.
• Mix well.Cook until the mixture is almost dry. Remove from heat and keep aside.
• In a saucepan boil the water with a pinch of salt and 1 tsp ghee.
• To the boiling water gradually add the rice flour, whisking it well to avoid lumps.
• Mix well. Remove from  heat and allow to cool slightly or until it reaches to a temperature that you can knead.(should be warm while kneading, don't alllow it to cool completely as it might get dry)
• Once the mix is warm enough so that you can knead, knead well into a soft dough. 
• Grease your hands with a little ghee or water and make small balls of the dough. 
• Flatten each ball between your palms into small rounds.
• Now place a small amount of the coconut jaggery mixture in the middle of the round. Gather the sides of the round together and  seal it on the top by pressing slightly.
• Steam these modhaks either in a steamer or idli cooker for 20 minutes.
• Serve at room temperature.

Aam Ras

Ingredients
2 ripe Alphonoso mangoes
2 Tbsp sugar
1- 2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk(optional)
few saffron strands

Method

• Peel and chop the mangoes.
• Blend in a blender the mangoes along with sugar, milk and condensed milk.
• Serve chilled garnished with saffron strands along with puris.

* Add sugar according to the sweetness of the mangoes. Moreover you can skip adding sugar while using condensed milk.Adjust the milk as per the consistency you like.

Beetroot stir fry

Ingredients
3 medium-small beetroots, peeled and grated
2 big onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch ginger, chopped
4 green chillies, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp pepper powder
3 tsp freshly grated coconut
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp urid dal
2 whole red chillies,broken to pieces
few curry leaves
salt to taste
1 Tbsp +1tsp coconut oil

Method

• Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. Once it starts to splutter add the urid dal and red chillies. 
• Fry for a minute and then add the chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies. Fry for few seconds.
• Add the chopped onions and saute until the onion turns golden brown in colour.
• Now add the turmeric powder  and mix well.
• Add the grated beetroot and salt. Mix well.
• Cover and cook on a medium to low flame, stirring now and then.
• Once 3/4 th cooked open  and continue cooking on a low flame until it becomes dry and dark in colour.
• Add the grated coconut and curry leaves. Mix well.
• Finally add the pepper powder, mix well and continue to cook for a minute more.
• Switch off the flame and drizzle 1 tsp coconut oil on top.
• Serve as a side dish with steamed rice and curry.

Winter Melon Payasam

Winter Melon/Ashgourd or kumbalam is a vegetable that is known by  many names. The health benefits of this vegetable is also something that has been known since ages. In North India a sweet called 'petha' is usually made from this vegetable whereas in South India this is mostly known only as a vegetable to go into the regular dals and other curries. Here I have experimented a payasam something like our 'palada' with this vegetable. Believe me, no one could guess that it was ashgourd payasam. So for your next get together or celebrations try out this dessert.

Ingredients

1 cupWinter Melon/ Ashgourd/ Kumbalam; chopped into very small squares(like the size of ada pieces in palada)

3 cups milk

1/2 tin condensed milk

1 tsp ghee

a pinch of cardamom powder

few cashewnuts and raisins(optional)

Method

• Wash the chopped ash-gourd well and drain the water completely.
• Heat ghee in a wide nonstick pan and add the chopped ash-gourd to it. Saute for 2-3 minutes, until the water is fully absorbed and it is somewhat dry.
• Add the milk and mix well. Allow the milk to boil . Once the milk boils lower the flame and cook until the ash-gourd gets cooked and the milk reduces in quantity slightly.(this will take approximately 15 minutes)
• Add the condensed milk and mix well. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes or until the payasam attains a thick consistency.
• Switch off the flame, add the cardamom powder and mix well.
• Fry the cashewnuts(until golden brown) and raisins(until it puffs up) in 1 tsp of ghee and add it to the payasam before serving for an enhanced taste. (Here I did not add the cashewnuts and raisins as my kids are not so fond of these in their payasam.)