Fish Curry - Kerala style!

Kerala is a beautiful coastal state in the South of India abundant with food from the ocean, spices and coconut trees! Its cuisine is a unique combination of spices and coconut cooked in special earthenware combined with meat, fish or vegetables.
This is a most flavorful and aromatic fish curry which should ideally be cooked on an open flame in a mud pot on the beach! But oh well, not all dreams come true all the time, for now have this picture in your mind and create this magical dish in your very own kitchen!

For this you will need -
10 - 12 - Medium sized pieces of any fish (ideally ocean fish)
3 tbspns - Fresh grated coconut
1 tspn - Turmeric Powder
2 tspns - Red Chili Powder
3 tspns - Coriander Powder
1 tspn - Tamarind Concentrate diluted in water
1 tspn - Roasted fenugreek powder
A small piece of Onion or 2 pearl onions
Salt as per your taste
4 tspns - Coconut Oil


Method -

Take a teaspoon of oil in a small pan and roast the coconut till nice and golden. Make sure not to burn it :) It may take about 8 - 10 minutes.

To this add the turmeric, red chili and coriander powders and fry for a couple more minutes.

Allow to cool and grind to a fine paste with the onion.

Now take the vessel in which you want to make the curry and three teaspoons of oil. Once add the ground paste and fry for a minute. Add water to make it into a gravy consistency and let boil nicely. At least for about 10 minutes. Then add the fish pieces and cook for another 10 minutes. Once the fish is cooked and has taken in all the flavor from the gravy, add the tamarind water. Cook for a couple of minutes, add salt and the fenugreek powder. Allow the gravy to thicken to your liking. Turn off the heat and serve with hot rice.


 

Rave Dose

The last few months were absolutely divine for me. For a change, I didn't have to cook but could savor all the choicest delicacies. Thanks to my mom-in-law and then my mom. While all the eating was so good, I was so lazy to post anything.
Alas, now life is back to normal. Cooking by me and only me. However I have come up with a trick to ensure that I don't see cooking as a chore. Will talk about that in my next post.

After a long break, here's an out and out Karnataka special. So mouthwateringly delicious, no one can eat just one :)

For this you will need -

1 Cup - Fine Semolina (not roasted)
1/2 Cup - Yoghurt ( vary the quantity such that the semolina just gets coated with the yoghurt)
1 Cup - Rice Flour
3 Tbspn - Maida (All Purpose Flour)
2 Tspn - Cumin Seeds
1 - Green Chili (fine chopped)
1 Inch - Ginger (grated)
A handful of Coriander (Cilantro) leaves, fine chopped
Salt as to your taste
Lots of water
Oil - A couple of spoons
Optional - fine chopped onion

Pan - Tava or flat griddle


Method -

Mix the semolina with the yoghurt and let it rest for 10 - 15 minutes. Then add the rice flour and Maida and add water little by little. Keep mixing ensuring that no lumps are formed and bring it to the consistency of buttermilk. Now add the salt, cumin seeds, chili and ginger. If you like add the onions too. The batter is ready.

 

Heat the tava on medium heat. You can check if it is hot enough by sprinkling a few drops of water and it should sizzle and evaporate. Once hot, pour the batter from just above the tava without trying to spread the batter with the spoon. That will give the lacy look to the dose which is it's prime characteristic! Spread a teaspoon of oil all around the dosa. Once it begins to turn golden brown flip it and cook for about 30more seconds.

Serve hot, can be eaten as is, my son loves it! Or serve with coconut chutney and bisi bisi kaapi :)

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This is a recipe I have been planning to try for almost two years. Somehow I never got around to doing it until a couple of weeks back. It was my father in law's birthday and he loves cakes, infact both my in laws are foodies, so I thought it's the perfect time to try it. Turned out to be so moist, fragrant and pleasingly sweet. Real comfort food! Give it a try if you love pineapples, warm cakes or just want to give yourself a cuddle.

For this you will need -

Butter - 50gms + 120 gms
Brown Sugar - 160 gms
Canned Pineapple or Fresh - 7 Slices ( I used canned)
Flour - 200 gms
White Sugar - 200 gms
Eggs - 2 large, separated
Milk - 120 ml
Baking Powder - 2 Tspn
Vanilla Extract - 1 Tspn
Salt - a pinch

Method -

Prepare a 9inch round cake pan by smearing butter and sprinkling a little flour.

Take the 50gm butter and brown sugar in a think bottom pan and allow to melt and dissolve. Now let it cook without stirring till bubbles just begin to appear along the edges. Turn off the heat and pour into the cake dish. Arrange the pineapple slices as shown. If using canned make sure to drain all the liquid.

Pre heat the oven to 350 degF.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt (if using unsalted butter). In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Scrape down the sides once in a while. Now add the vanilla extract, egg yolks and beat well. Add the flour mixture and milk alternatingly and fold into the batter.
In a third bowl, beat the egg whites till soft peaks formed and fold it into the batter. Pour this over the pineapple and bake for 45 - 55 minutes. A toothpick inserted should come out clean. Let it cool for 5 - 10 minutes and run a knife along the edge of the pan. Turn upside down and voila the cake is ready!

 

Palak Paratha with Cauliflower-Potato Sabji and Lima Bean Gravy

This is one of my favorites! The green in the paratha is so inviting and the spicy curries on the side served with a cup full of yoghurt and I'm in my sacred place.

For the Palak Paratha, you will need -

2 Cups - Whole wheat flour (Atta)
2-3 Handful - Spinach, washed and cleaned
Water as required
1 tspn - Salt
A pinch of sugar
1 tspn - Red Chili Powder (optional)
1 tspn - Turmeric Powder (optional)
1 tspn - Cumin - Coriander Powder (optional)
Ghee

Method -

Cook the spinach with as little water as possible. Add a pinch of sugar so it retains it color. After a couple of minutes turn the heat off and blanch the spinach. Drain the excess water but keep the water, don't throw it away. Grind the spinach to a fine paste.
In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, turmeric powder, cumin - coriander powder, red chili powder and salt. To this add the ground spinach and make it into a dough as shown. While making the dough, if required use the spinach water little by little, so as to not end up with excess water in your flour!

Make small balls and roll them out.

Heat a tava or a flat pan. Once hot put the paratha and cook evenly on both sides. Smear ghee on the cooked paratha for added flavor.

Cauliflower - Potato Sabji -

For this you will need -

1 Cauliflower cut into big florets
1 Medium Sized Potato cut into big chunks
1 Tomato quartered
2 tbspn Oil
A tspn cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
Salt
1 tspn turmeric powder

To grind -

A tspn cumin seeds
2 tspns coriander seeds
2 inches ginger root
2 garlic cloves
1/2 of a medium sized onion
1/2 inch cinnamon or 1 tspn cinnamon powder
3 cloves
1 pod cardamom
 
Method -

Keep the ground paste ready before starting.
Heat oil in a deep dish. Add the cumin seeds and once they splutter, add the bay leaf and the cauliflower florets. Fry till the florets turn slightly brown. Then add the ground paste and mix well. After a couple of minutes add the tomato, turmeric powder and salt. Cook for a few minutes.

Now add a glass of hot water, cover and simmer for a few minutes. That is till everything is cooked and the flavors have blended well.

 

 

Great Lima Bean Gravy

 

For this you will need -

 

About 100gms lima beans soaked overnight

 

 



1/2 an Onion
3-4 Dried red chilies
2 tspn ginger - garlic paste
2 cloves
1 tspn cinnamon powder
1 cardamom
2 tspn coriander seeds
1 tspn turmeric powder
Salt
1 tbspn Tomato Ketchup

Method -

Pressure cook the soaked lima beans till well cooked. In the meantime, lightly fry the rest of the ingredients that is onion, chilies, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and coriander seeds. Once cool, grind to a fine paste with ginger garlic paste. Fry this mixture in a couple of teaspoons of oil nicely, like really well. Add this, salt, turmeric powder to the cooked beans. Add the ketchup and give another whistle in the pressure cooker so the flavors are well blended. Garnish with coriander leaves.

 

Chilli Cheese Toast with Oven Roasted Veggies

Wow, it's been a month since my last post! Last month was busy and I haven't been cooking anything new. This is a staple in my house, really easy to make and there is something for everyone.

For the chilli cheese toast -

Whole wheat bread
Mozzarella cheese
Green Chillies ( Jalapeño, Serrano or any thing not too spicy) - fine chopped

Method -

Spread the chili and cheese on the bread and bake it in a pre heated oven at 350 deg F till the cheese melts. Serve hot.

For the Oven Roasted Veggies -

Veggies of your choice like cauliflower, broccoli, onions, butternut squash, cabbage, asparagus, peppers, egg plant, beans, carrots

Salt, pepper and a few herbs of your choice
A few pods of garlic, crushed
A tablespoon of olive oil
A teaspoon of brown sugar

Method -
Grease the baking dish with oil. Cut the veggies into big chunks. Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic, brown sugar and herbs. Toss it all and bake in a pre heated oven at 350 deg F. Once the veggies char a little bit, they are done.

 

Lokumi

Yes, that is the name. It is a Mediterranean dessert. Simply put, it is a butter cookie coated with sugar :)
Food is my passion and I love trying different foods from all over the world. Moving to the United States has really made that dream come true. The more I eat, meet people and talk about their foods, I find it so interesting that a lot of dishes are common to many distinct parts of the world. There maybe slight variations and names are obviously different but the soul of the food is the same. Not to downplay the diversity but just trying to highlight how the same kinds of food are present in so many different corners of the world! I find that absolutely enchanting!
This Lokumi, is also made in Mexico, at weddings and is known as Mexican wedding cookies.

For this you will need -
1 Cup - Butter (Unsalted)
1/2 Cup - Icing Sugar or Powdered Sugar
1/2 Cup - Chopped Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, Pistachios)
About 2 Cups - Flour
1 Tspn - Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tspn - Baking Powder
1/4 Tspn - Salt
Rind of 1 Yellow Lemon
Another 1 Cup - Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar with Cornstarch)

Method -

Pre heat the oven to 350deg F. Beat the butter till light and fluffy, add the 1/2 cup sugar and mix well. In the meantime, add the salt, baking powder, rind and nuts to the flour and mix well. Add the flour mixture to the butter and make a soft dough. Adjust the amount of flour so as to get a soft firm dough. Sometimes you may need upto 2 1/2 cups. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Either roll out the dough and cut diagonals or make small balls and press flat. You can even make different shapes with a cookie cutter. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes till light brown only.
Take it out of the oven and when still warm, roll in the additions icing sugar, twice. This will ensure a nice sweet sugary layer on top of the cookie! Makes about 40 and these keep for days.

 

Mint Pulav with Tomato Peanut Salsa

Pudina (mint) pulav is like the yummiest food of all times! Yes, hands down it wins. All of you there who say you don't like mint, I challenge you to not like, oh no, not love this!!!
I am not bragging but this rice is sooo aromatic and flavorful that anyone I have served to simply could not get enough. So many of my friends who said mint is too strong now are big fans. All thanks to my mum's recipe 😊

For the mint rice, you will need -

Two Handfuls - Washed fresh mint leaves
5-6 Strands - Coriander leaves
2 Inch - Ginger
4-5 Cloves - Garlic
1-2  - Green Chilies
1-2 - Cloves
1/2 Inch - Cinnamon
1 Pod - Cardamom
1 Small or 1/2 of a Big - Onion
200 - 250gms - Basmati Rice soaked
A Cup - Green Peas or Corn or Paneer Cubes
A Tspn - Fennel Seeds
5 Tbspns - Oil + Butter
Salt
1 Tspn - Turmeric Powder (Optional)
1 Tspn - Red Chili Powder (Optional)
1 Tspn - Garam Masala (Optional)
2 Tspns - Vinegar or 1 Tbspn - Yoghurt or 1/4 of Lime Squeezed (any one for the tartness)

Method -
The ingredients list is long but it is really very easy to make. All the ingredients up until the rice, blend it to a fine paste. If cooking in a pressure cooker, heat the oil and the butter, add the fennel seeds. Then add the ground mixture and sauté really well, for about 8-10 mins. As you sauté add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, if you want a little more spice or you can avoid it. If using yoghurt for tartness add now. Add the peas or corn if using, now. Once the color changes into dark green and the aroma is all over the house, add the rice, after draining the water. Mix well. Add the garam masala now if you want. If using lemon juice or vinegar for tartness, add that now. If your rice measures two cups, add two cups of water, basically rice to water is 1:1 ratio. Add salt as per your taste. Cover the lid, let it blow three whistles and turn off the gas. Once the pressure is released, open, mix well and if using paneer, add now. Cover and let the flavors infuse for a few minutes before serving.
If cooking in a pan, I would suggest you cook the rice separately. Follow the same steps for the initial part of the recipe. Add the cooked rice once the ground paste is sauted well, add salt. Mix well. Turn off the heat and then add lemon juice or vinegar and paneer. Mix and cover to let the flavors infuse.

For the Salsa -
1 - Onion
1 - Tomato
1 - Green Pepper
A small bunch - Coriander Leaves
A small cup - Roasted Peanuts
3-4 Tspns - Tomato Ketchup
Salt and Pepper

Method -
Fine chop onion, tomato, pepper and cilantro. Mix all the ingredients and serve!