Shrimp/ Prawn Fry - Kerala Style

Shrimp/ Prawn Fry - Kerala Style

Who can resist these fried Tiger Prawns? 

Ingredients

Prawn / Shrimp – 12 Large Ones(Fresh or Frozen)

Chilli Powder - 3 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Ginger/Garlic paste - 1 tbsp (My mom uses minced ginger and garlic. I prefer that)

Ginger - Medium piece cut into slices
Garlic - 4 cloves cut into slices
Curry Leaves - A bunch
Oil – 1 tbsp

Steps

Wash Shrimp very well and drain all the water. Now take the shrimp in a bowl and add spices and ginger garlic paste. Now knead very well with your hand until they are coated well. Keep it aside for 10 minutes.

Now keep a pan under medium heat. When it is hot, add oil. Throw few pieces of curry leaves to see if the oil is hot enough. Now slowly add shrimp one by one.

Fry it on medium flame until they turn brown abt 10 - 15 minutes. You can hear a sizzling sound when it is ready. Garnish with Lemon wedges.

Serve hot with Plain rice or Chappathi.

Spicy Okra Fry

Spicy Okra Fry

Ingredients
1 pound okra, stems removed and cut in to small cubes
1/4 cup cornmeal or maida
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt – ½ tsp

Chilli Powder – 2 tsp

Directions
Rinse the whole okra pods under cold water, drain, pat dry, trim and cut into small cubes.

Place the cornmeal into a sealable ziptop bag. Or take the corn meal in a bowl. Add the okra and shake to coat thoroughly. Return the okra to a dry colander and shake off excess cornmeal.

Add enough vegetable oil to a pan. Place over medium-high heat and throw some curry leaves to see if the oil is hot enough to fry.

Add the okra and fry until golden brown on 1 side 5 to 6 minutes. Stirring occasionally, continue cooking until okra is golden brown on all side. Remove the okra from the pan to a bowl. Immediately sprinkle chilli powder and salt to it.

Easy Chicken Fry(Nadan Style)

Sharing My Amma's Nadan Recipe for Chicken or Kozhi fry.

Ingredients

Whole Chicken - 1(cut into medium pieces)
Chilli Powder - 3 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Ginger/Garlic paste - 1 tbsp (My mom uses minced ginger and garlic. I prefer that)
Ginger - Medium piece cut into slices
Garlic - 4 cloves cut into slices
Curry Leaves - A bunch
Oil - 1/4 cup

Steps

Wash chicken very well and drain all the water. Now add spices and ginger garlic to the chicken pieces and with your hand knead the chcicken pieces until they are coated well with all masalas.
Keep it aside for 10 minutes.

Now take a pan and add 1/4 cup of oil. Throw few pieces of curry leaves and slowly add chicken pieces the oil. Fry it on medium flame until they turn brown abt 10 - 15 minutes.

Serve hot with Kerala Paratha or Chappathi.

Strawberry Kheer

Ingredients:

Fresh Strawberries – 10 - 12
Rice Rava / Cracked Raw Rice - 1 /2 cup (You can also use Vermicille)
Whole Milk - 4 cups
White Granulated Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Cardamom Powder - 1 1/2 tsps

For Strawberry Puree - Milk – ¼ cup
Strawberry Essence - 1 tsp(optional)
Dry Fruits (Cashew nuts, almonds, raisins) - 1/4 cup(optional)

Method:

1.                  Cut strawberries into thin slices. Add them into a mixer with ¼ cup milk and puree it. Keep it aside.

2.                 In a pressure cooker, pour the rice, milk and sugar.

3.                 Stir for few minutes. Add the lid and cook on medium flame. When you hear 2 whistles.

4.                 Switch the stove off. When it is cool, open the lid and see if the rice

becomes soft and the milk thickens. If not cook for 4-5 mins until it thickens and is well combined. Keep it aside for cooling.

5.                 Now add the strawberry puree in to the slightly cooled kheer.

6.                 Add Cardamom powder

7.                 Garnish with Cashews, Almond slices and Raisins.

Pumpkin Cake Roll with Cream Cheese filling

This pumpkin cake roll is filled with cream cheese filling and sprinkled with chopped pecans. Always a favorite cake among people who doesn't like regular store bought cake.

Ingredients

·         3 eggs

·         1 cup granulated sugar

·         2/3 cup store bought pumpkin puree

·         1 teaspoon lemon juice

·         3/4 cup flour

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon powder

·         1 teaspoon ground ginger

·         1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1 cup finely chopped pecans

·         confectioners' sugar

·         .

·         Filling:

·         1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

·         8 ounces cream cheese, softened

·         4 tablespoons butter

·         3/4 teaspoon vanilla

·         milk or cream as needed

Steps

1.In a mixing bowl beat eggs on high speed of electric mixer; gradually beat in sugar, beating until light and lemon colored. Stir in the pumpkin puree and lemon juice.

2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Fold flour mixture into the pumpkin batter. Spread in a generously greased and floured rolling pan.

 3. Top with the chopped pecans. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 15 minutes, or until cake bounces back when touched lightly with finger.

4. Turn cake out onto a clean dish towel which has been generously sprinkled with powdered sugar.

5. Starting at narrow end, roll towel and cake up together; cool. Unroll.

6. Combine the 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla; beat until smooth, adding milk or cream if mixture is too stiff.

7. Spread over the cooled cake and roll up.

Tea time Snacks - Roast Cashew nuts

Tea time Snacks - Roast Cashew nuts

Ingredients

• 1 cup cashew nuts (whole cashews taste better)
• 1 tablespoons chopped Rosemary or dried Rosemary (Optional) leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tablespoon butter

Directions

Heat a pan on medium flame. Add butter and when it melts, start roasting the cashews until they slightly turn brown. Meanwhile, combine the rosemary, chilli powder, salt in a small bowl. Toss the warm nuts with the rosemary mixture until these nuts completely coated. Serve warm with a cup of tea or coffee.

Quick Palappam or Appam in minutes

 

Easy Palappam in minutes

 

Ingredients

·         Rice Flour – 2 cups

·         Semolina (Rava) – 2 tablespoon

·         Coconut milk –  ½ cup

·         Yeast – ½ tsp

·         Sugar –  2 tsp

·         Water –  1 1/2 cup

·         Previously Cooked rice – 1/4 cup

·         Salt – 1 tsp

 

Instructions

1.     Add ½ cup of lukewarm water to ½ teaspoon yeast & sugar & mix well.Allow it to rise for few mts.

2.     Take 2 cups of rice flour in the Mixer. Add cooked rice, remaining water (about 1 cup), coconut milk and Rava and grind it for few minutes until rice is well grinded.

3.     Now add the lukewarm water with yeast and sugar

4.     The dough will look like a smooth batter.

5.     Pour in a deep vessel and keep it overnight to rise.

6.     Befor cooking, add salt and stir.

7.     Heat Appa chatty or round pan.

8.     Pour the batter and spread ina sircular fashion.

9.     Cover it with a lid for a minute.

10.   See the middle portion is cooked, repeat with the dough until all appams are cooked.

11.   Serve hot with Egg roast, Potato stew or Spicy Kerala Chicken curry.

 

I will add the recipe for Spicy Kerala Chicken curry soon.

 

Chocolate Chip Oats Streusel Bread

Ingredients:

For Brown Sugar Oat Streusel

•  old-fashioned or quick oats 2/3 cups
•  light or dark brown sugar 1/2 cup 
•  All-purpose flour 1/2 cup
• ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon 
•  unsalted butter, cold 1/4 cup
•  semi-sweet chocolate chips  1 Tablespoon (10g)

For Bread

• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9x5 (or 8x4) loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Make the streusel first by combining the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the cold butter.Mix until the streusel resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips with a spoon. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the beaten egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, and vanilla until evenly combined. In a large bowl, toss the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chocolate chips together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Avoid overmixing.

Spread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake the bread for 20 minutes at 350F degrees. Remove from the oven and top with the streusel - press it down into the top. This is to prevent it from sinking to the bottom. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I covered the bread loosely with aluminum foil after 35 total minutes to avoid the top from getting too brown. Allow bread to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before removing from the pan and serving.

Now the Secret Ingredient, It's ZUCCHINI. Add 1 cup of grated zucchini to the Bread mixture.

No one will realize you’re sneaking veggies into their dessert J

Delicate Spinach Idlis with Urad dal Chutney

Urad Dal Chutney

Ingredients:

Urad dal 1/2 cup ( I use urad dal with black skin)

Dry red chilli - 3

Grated Coconut 2 tbsp

Gingerly oil 1 tsp

salt to taste

Method:

·         Heat oil in a pan and  when the pan is medium hot, add the urad dal and roast it. Keep  it under low flame and stir for few minutes.

·         Once the dal started turning brown add the red chilli, and roast it along with the  dal. When it gets roasted,  remove them out from the pan and keep it aside.

·         Now add the coconut in the same pan and roast it. Let them cool down for some time.

·         Grind the coconut and the chilli at first without water.  Then add dall ,tamarind and salt with little water.

Secret Ingredient to this chutney is HING. When you add urad dal to the oil, add a tsp of hing to it.. This will give a nice aroma to the chutney.

Spinach & Carrot Mini Idlis (South Indian Appetizer)

Ingredients

1.       Idli rice – 3 Cups

2.       Urad Dal – 3/4 Cup

3.       Fenugreek – ½ tsp

4.       Water – As needed to grind

5.       Salt – to taste

6.       Carrot – 2 cups

7.       Spinach – 2 cups  

Wash and sock Rice, Urad dal & Fenugreek min 6 hours. Drain water from urad dal and Fenugreek and grind with 1/2 cup of water. Add more water if needed.  It will take around 25 minutes to grind urad dal and Fenugreek.  And then grind rice in the same way.Grind to smooth batter.  Mix Rice batter, Urad Dal batter and add Salt.  Mix well Keep closed in a warm place for fermenting minimum of 12 – 14 hrs. 

Grind carrot and Spinach separately and keep it aside. 

Mix small portion of batter with carrot and another small portion with spinach.

Grease idli plates with ghee or oil. Pour the idli batter with carrot and then spinach in separate idli plates. Make some plain idlis too. Decorate well.

Fudgy Nutty Gooey Brownies with Walnuts

One of my all-time favorite desserts, we like brownies no matter which way we bake them: glazed with icing, packed with nuts, or topped with cream cheese. My kids love them with walnuts and enjoy with a scoop of plain vanilla ice cream.

These Brownies loaded with crunchy nuts, and melty shards of chocolate, are yummy little treats. Enjoy them in the nicest possible way :)

INGREDIENTS

6 tbsp. unsalted butter or

¼ cup vegetable oil & ¼ cup of water

Note: Use oil & water only if you’re not using butter.

 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
1 egg beaten
 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
1 cup flour 

¼ tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Heat oven to 350°. Grease an 8" x 8" baking pan with butter or cooking spray.

2.     Melt the butter and the chocolate together in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

3.     I usually microwave for 30 seconds first, stir it and see if its loose consistency. If not try for 15 more seconds.

4.     Remove the pan from heat and stir in the sugar.

5.     In a bowl, add flour, walnuts, and salt; stir until incorporated. Now add the beaten egg and vanilla and stir to make a smooth batter about 35 strokes.

6.     Pour the batter into the baking pan and spread evenly. Bake until a fork inserted into the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Let cool on a rack.

7.     Meanwhile take some confectionery sugar and stir it with butter on room temperature. Drizzle that on top of brownie.

8.     Garnish with chocolate shavings.

9.     Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.