Daily Archives: February 19, 2015

Unda puttu

Preparation Time : 40-45 minutes

Cooking Time : 40 minutes

Serving : 5-6 members

Description

The first year of my food blogging and I made sure to avoid deep fried treats for Iftar while breaking my fast . The little successful recipes I came up with was shared to you all . In one such post , a fellow sauté, fry n bake member suggested an authentic malabar kannur dish known as unda puttu . The first time that I got to know about this dish . Got to know more about this dish in the following few months when a fellow foodie friend of mine ameera safi posted images with the recipe . Saved the recipe ( all credits to her for this recipe as I have made no changes at all ) and waited the following year’s holy month of Ramadan to try this wicked treat . Gave a try and it was sublime with brownie points of being steamed not deep fried . The absolute winning dish just vanished away in seconds from the table . The main secret benefit Being the left over prawn filling was served as a side along the main course meal . Delighted me as one recipe being used in two different avatars . Well that’s the magic of authentic recipes from fantastic food destinations.

Filling ingredients

ingredients	Quantity
Small prawns	1 cup cleaned
Onion	3 chopped
Green chillies	4 chopped
Garlic	6 cloves chopped
Ginger	1 inch piece chopped
Coriander leaves	2 tablespoons chopped
Tomato	2 chopped
Curry leaves	few chopped
Red chilli powder	1 teaspoon
Coriander powder	1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder	1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala powder	1/2 teaspoon
Coconut oil	2 tablespoons
Salt	to taste

Method for filling

Marinate cleaned prawns in 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder , 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and salt to taste for 15 minutes .
Cook the prawns with little water until the water drains and the prawns are cooked through . Heat coconut oil , sauté onion to brown .
Add tomato , green chillies , garam masala powder , coriander powder , red chilli powder and turmeric powder and mix well .
Top with ginger , garlic , curry leaves ,coriander leaves and salt to taste . Mix well .
Add the cooked prawns and stir well . Cook over low heat for 5-6 minutes letting the flavours infuse together

Remove from flame and cool completely .
Ingredients for cover

Ingredients	Quantity
Rice flour / iddiappam flour	3 cups
Fennel seeds powder	1 teaspoon
Coconut grated white part alone	2 cups
Hot boiling water	3 cups
Salt	to taste

Method for cover

Mix rice flour , fennel seed powder and salt together .
Add hot boiling water and knead to a dough using a wooden spoon first to get it together .
Quite a difficult task but just dip your hands into a bowl of cold water once in a while in between while kneading the hot dough .Then by hands when hot itself .

How to proceed

Make lemon sized with the rice flour dough . Make small Palm sized discs with oil greased hands .
Bring the edges of the rice flour disc towards the middle and roll into a ball .
Do the same with all the dough and prawn filling . Roll each prawn filled ball over grated coconut .
Steam in an idli cooker or any vessel of your convenience for 15 – 20 minutes . Serve hot . Place one tablespoon of cooled prawn filling in the middle .

Barbecued chicken kandhari

Preparation Time : 20 minutes + 5 hours or over night marination .

Cooking Time : 15 minutes

Serving : 5 members

Description

The talk about a fruit in a savoury dish and I can’t help but frown . The thought of adding a fruit ( except tomatoes for sure ) to a savoury dish is far from the likes of me . So I never ever attempt doing such things as it does not sit well on my tongue . Me thinks every thing has its own place . End of the matter !!!!!! But I was put to shame for doing so until I tried this recipe that uses pomegranate juice for marinating the chicken pieces . The pomegranate juice gave a slight tangy , sweetness with its ruby red colour sure did add some chutzpah to the dish . This was a genius idea , opening my mind to many interesting options apart from the regular staples used . This yummy experiment has already found its biggest fan in me hooked . Not so long ago , I was put off by the same idea of adding fruits to a savoury dish but now I am addicted . A smart way to improve your kitchen skills is to seriously push away all the likes and don’t likes out of your head and experiment all the way saving the good and forgetting the not so good . A lesson learnt for life .

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Boneless chicken	600 grams cut into cubes
Black cumin seeds	2/3 teaspoons
Black pepper crushed	1 1/3 teaspoon
Butter for basting	2 2/3 tablespoons
Double cream	7 1/3 tablespoons
Garam masala	2 teaspoons
Garlic and ginger paste	2 2/3 tablespoons each
Lemon juice	2 2/3 tablespoons
Pomegranate juice	2 2/3 tablespoons
Red chilli powder	2 1/2 teaspoons
Saffron	a pinch
Salt	to taste
Hung Curd	1 1/2 cup

Method

Mix red chilli powder , lemon juice and pomegranate juice together . Rub over the chicken pieces evenly .
marinate for two hours in the refrigerator .
Whisk hung curd . Add ginger and garlic paste , cumin , cream , salt , saffron , black pepper and garam masala together .
Marinate the chicken in this mixture and refrigerate for 3 hours or over night .
Place the marinated chicken out side to bring it to room temperature . preheat the oven to 175 degree Celsius .
Skewer the chicken pieces with a gap of 1 cm between each piece . Bake in the oven for ten minutes
Remove from oven, baste with butter and roast again for 4-5 minutes .
Remove the chicken from the skewers to a serving platter , sprinkle with chaat masala powder and a squeeze of lime , along side of a fresh salad of choice and roasted pepper paped .

Lucknowy shahi vegetables korma

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 15- 20 minutes

Serving : 4 members

Description

I think veggies are boring .. ( no offense to anyone here please ) but this knock out recipe did make me eat my words … Literally as to me veggies often take a back seat while creating dishes . complains keep pouring in at home saying that I always end up making the usual when it comes to vegetarian dishes . So I used an interesting technique for a delightful twist of substituting vegetables instead of mutton in a lucknowy recipe that I came across . The subtle creamy curry did pair well with the mixed veggies that elevated the dish to another level that was highly appreciated by my entire family and guaranteed me to relish my veggies like never before . So peeps veg with an edge like never before with this recipe .

Ingredients to grind

Ingredients	Quantity
Cumin seeds	1/2 teaspoon
Fennel seeds	1/2 teaspoon
Green chillies	4 to 5 depending to taste
Coriander powder	1 teaspoon
Cinnamon	1/4 inch stick
Green cardamom	1
Cashew nuts	10

Other ingredients

ingredients	Quantity
Mixed vegetables	3 cups ( carrots , beans , cauliflower, green peas , capsicum , cabbage ) cut into bite size cubes
Onion	1 big sliced
Bay leaf	1
Cloves	2
Ginger , garlic paste	1/2 teaspoon each
Thick Curd beaten	1/4 cup
Turmeric powder	a pinch
Oil	2 tablespoons
Lime juice	1/4 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Coriander leaves	to garnish

Method

Grind all the ingredients mentioned to grind together to a smooth paste adding little water .
Heat oil in a pressure cooker . Add bay leaf and cloves . Once they crackle , top with onions and fry to a golden colour .
Add ginger garlic paste and fry to crisp . Then add the vegetables , turmeric powder and salt to taste along with beaten thick curd and sauté for a minute or two on medium heat until the vegetables loose its firmness .
Add the ground masala and sauté until oil floats on top making sure the bottom does not get burnt . Add water just enough to cover the vegetables. Mix well and pressure cook for one whistle.
Add lime juice . Mix well and bring to boil . Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with roti , phulkas , chapathis , pulaos or plain rice .

Thenga choru / coconut milk rice

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 25-30 minutes

Serving : 2 members

Description

The first food item other than biriyani and ghee rice that comes to any true blue ravuthar house hold menu to entertain guests and loved ones would be thenga choru which is a rice based dish where rice is cooked in coconut milk and flavoured with spices by tempering in coconut oil . This aromatic rice is served with a non vegetarian curry made with mutton , chicken , fish or dried fish . Each house hold has its own variation of this same recipe . This recipe is from my mothers place , that is very different from the thenga choru made at my in – laws place . This dish sure does smell of deliciousness when ever served the same way and travels across the dining table which lingers with in you until the next time . All my memories of this dish is having it with my aunts and cousins , where from spicy stories to sweet small bites from the past to plans of the future were discussed bringing every one and everything together through food . This has now led me to celebrate ravuthar communities rich cultural and food in equal measures.

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Rice ( par boiled rice / pulungal arisi)	200 grams
Cinnamon	1 inch piece
Cloves	4
Fenugreek seeds	1/4 teaspoon
Green chillies	2 slit
Small onions	one hand chopped
Garlic	4 chopped + 4 whole peeled
Water	200 ml
Coconut milk	300 ml
Salt	to taste
Coconut oil	5 tablespoons

Method

Hear coconut oil in a pressure cooker . Add cinnamon , cloves , fenugreek seeds , small onion chopped and whole peeled garlic . Sauté until the fenugreek seeds crackle and the onions get to a pale pink colour .
pour water , coconut milk , salt and green chillies . Do not let the coconut milk and water boil but once it’s hot enough and heated up add washed rice .
Mix well . close the pressure cooker and cook for 3 whistle. Switch off the heat and wait for the whistle sound to subside . Open and serve hot with any non – vegetarian curry .

Notes

Here are a few non – vegetarian curries that this thenga choru can be served with . Click the links below for the recipes .

Salna ( can be made with mutton also )

http://www.sautefrynbake.com/category/authentic-dishes/chicken-salna/

Kaaei charu

http://www.sautefrynbake.com/category/authentic-dishes/kaaei-charu/

Red hot fish curry

http://www.sautefrynbake.com/category/non-vegetarian/red-hot-fish-curry/

This is a chutney that is served only with the mutton and chicken curries . Helps you gobble up more rice for sure .

Puli chutney

http://www.sautefrynbake.com/category/authentic-dishes/puli-chutney/

Paan mousse

Preparation Time : 35 minutes + 2 hours to soak the basil seeds

Cooking Time : 30 seconds + setting time in the refrigerator.

Serving : 4-5 members

Description

Came across a new recipe of a welcome drink made with betel leaves and was awe struck with the totally innovative idea of using betel leaves in a new avatar . Me not wanting to repeat the same just borrowed the idea and tweaked it to a mousse instead . All the way tasting every bit of the mousse a million times as I felt the task to be very tricky as the betel leaf flavour has to be felt but not over powering at the same time . Finally got the spot on taste but the mousse looked so plain so had to add some colour to bring the pop out . Mixed soaked basil leaves , gulkand , rose milk syrup together and topped it . Wolla .. Looked appealing to the eyes as well now . Served it as a finale dessert after a fishy feast to hubby dears niece Zenofer and was waiting for her verdict . She did find it difficult to trace the right flavour but liked it so much that , she had a second helping . I was confident about my boys liking because as a kid he used to like paan so much that when asked what do you want to become when you grow up ? His answer was to own a paan factory .crazy little minds . I was totally flattered with what the humble betel leaf that relates to our grand parents and weddings usually could be show cased in such a posh elite way . So it’s good to go wild with flavor combos once in a while breaking the myth of regularity.

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
betel leaves/paan	15 ground , gives approx ⅓ or ½ cup of puree.
Whipped cream	4 cups
Condensed milk	1 cup or more to taste
Gelatine	2 tablespoons
Water	4 tablespoons

Topping ingredients

ingredients	Quantity
basil seeds/sabza	3 tablespoons, soaked in enough water for 2 hours .
rose milk syrup or rooh afza	1/4 cup
gulkand	1/4 cup
2 to 3 tbsp of chopped dry fruits	few ( I didn't use as I don't like nuts )
To decorate	few small betel leaves whole

Method

soak gelatine in 4 tablespoons of water in a microwave safe small bowl for five minutes .
Rinse the betel leaves well in water. In a small blender, puree the betel leaves with little water.
whip the whipped cream to soft peaks .
microwave the soaked gelatine for 30 seconds to dissolve . Cool to room temperature.
mix puréed betel leaves , condensed milk together . Take around 1/4 cup of the whipped cream and mix it with the betel leaf + condensed milk purée .
Then pour over the remaining whipped cream and mix gently .Add the dissolved gelatine and mix well .pour into desired pudding bowl or glasses to 3/4 th full .
Place a small betel leaf into each glass with the pointy end of the leaf facing up wards ( if using a big pudding bowl arrange the betel leaves all around the bowl ) .
place in the refrigerator to set for one hour or more.mix together all the ingredients mentioned for topping except for nuts and dry fruits and place in the refrigerator to chill .
just before serving , pour about 2-3 tablespoons of topping mix over each set paan mousse . Garnish with dry fruits and nuts . Serve chilled .