Daily Archives: July 13, 2015

Kozli lode prawn biriyani

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : one hour

Serving : 4-5 members

Description

I am always taken aback with the flavour’s, taste, pairing of ingredients and recipes of the malabar cuisine. This biriyani was on my try list for quite some time. The curry leaves used in the biriyani put me off as my grand mother always told curry leaves are only for chutney’s. But this biriyani did prove me wrong as the curry leaves along with the home made garam masala elevated the dish to another level. Well now this Malayali connection is taking to me an interesting incident that happened a few days back. Our sauté, fry n bake family member kavitha Vivek messaged me asking me for a sweet potato recipe. I did send her the links of a few dishes. She replied saying” Akka I remember the story of a live in maid bringing sweet potatoes for you and you trying some new recipe… I can’t find the story in any of the above recipes.. Which is that one Akka”. I felt out of the world as my little story got a place in her heart and she related to the dish with my foodie memory. I did let her know how I felt and she replied saying” yes Akka, your stories are so true, practical, down to earth like Malayalam movies that it steels our hearts!! No show off, no dreams, no exaggerations. It’s so real.. I can visualise it sitting here. I was flattered with this one of a kind compliment for sure as one among my dreams as a kid was to do journalism and I strongly feel I am satisfying myself with the freedom to pen down my food related memories here which has got a place in all your hearts to live and visualise it adding more drama to my humble home made preparations. letting way of an opportunity to learn and share with one another.

Ingredients for the gravy

Ingredients	Quantity
Prawns	1 kg cleaned
Basmati rice	2 cups
Big onion	6 sliced
Small onion	1 hand full chopped
Curd	1 cup
Green chilies	20 slit
Tomato	4 big chopped
Ginger paste	1 1/4 tablespoons
Lime juice	of 1 lime
Coriander leaves	1 cup chopped
Curry leaves	8 leaves
Ghee	1 cup
Turmeric powder	1/4 teaspoon
Coriander powder	2 teaspoon
Salt	to taste

Garam masala powder ingredients

ingredients	Quantity
Cinnamon	2 inch piece
Fennel seeds	1/2 teaspoon
Cardamom	3
Cloves	3
Pepper corns	1/4 teaspoon

Method for the gravy

Heat ghee add sliced big onions and small chopped onions. Fry to brown.
Top with green chillies, ginger paste and curry leaves. Fry to crisp. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, tomatoes, curd, prawn and salt.
Sauté until mushy and oil separates. Cook to half done adding little water. Top with coriander chopped, lime juice and powdered garam masala powder. Simmer until ghee floats on top.
Remove From heat and cool completely.

Ingredients to garnish

Ingredients	Quantity
Curry leaves	one hand deep fried to crisp and drained
Cashew nuts	2 teaspoons fried to golden in ghee
Raisins	2 teaspoons fried in ghee to golden

Ingredients for rice

Ingredients	Quantity
Basmati rice	2 cups
Cardamom	6
Pepper corns	10
Cinnamon	1 inch piece four
Turmeric powder	1/4 teaspoon
Salt	to taste

Fry roast all the ingredients for garam masala separately until a nice aroma arises with out burning the spices. Cool and powder the spices

Method for rice

Soak washed rice in water for 15 minutes. Boil 8 cups of water with all the above mentioned Ingredients except for curry leaves. Add soaked and drained rice . Cook the rice to 3/4 done. Drain.

How to proceed

Take a heavy bottomed vessel. Spread two ladles of rice, top with one ladle of prawn gravy, sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves, few fried cashew nuts, fried raisins and crisp curry leaves.
Keep layering until all the rice and prawn gravy is over. Heat a griddle on high heat, place the layered biriyani vessel over and close with a lid tightly.
Cook for fifteen minutes in medium flame in dum. Serve hot with dates pickle and pappadam.

Notes

Make sure the prawn gravy is hot, sour and salty more than required as when layered with rice it tastes perfect.
You can do the same with chicken, mutton, beef or fish.
Vegetarians can opt for mushrooms, cauliflower, channa, panner or mixed vegetables instead of prawn.
Once you drain the rice, you need to work fast or else the rice gets grainy.
Can do the layering and dum process of the biriyani in an electric rice cooker and cook to done. ( I do this as its hassle free and once done it stays warm also in keep warm mode )

Brain omelette

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 4 -3 minutes for each omelette

Serving : 2 members

Description

Cooking is an art form from home made rustic authentic dishes to gourmet dishes or innovative dishes. The key to perfecting the art of cooking is attained with a delicate balance of flavour’s, aroma and taste which comes after years of practice and tasting. We need to understand each individual ingredient and marry them together. Once you achieve this, your food is guaranteed to transport you to another level. Like wise this simple omelette took me years to master the art of cooking it right. I know it’s just an omelette but then I failed on every try with the right colour to the spongy texture and crisp cover its supposed to have. As always my try’s with error and practice made me perfect with this simple dish. The beauty of this dish lies in the fact that it can be cooked at the last minute. The crisp outer cover, spongy cooked egg with oozy brain pieces and bite of the onions is to die for. Make sure to have it hot and once in a blue moon as this fatty indigent culprit can easily shoot up your cholesterol level. happy trial and error to all of you.

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Goats brain	2 cleaned and each cut into 6 pieces
Eggs	4
Small onions	1 cup chopped
Green chillies	2 chopped
Coriander leaves	few chopped
Cinnamon	1/4 inch piece
Clove	1
Coriander powder	2 pinches
Ginger garlic paste	1/8 teaspoon ( a pinch of each )
Red chilli powder	2 pinches
Turmeric powder	1/8 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Cracked pepper	to taste
Ghee	5 tablespoons

Method

Powder the cinnamon and Clove together. Mix all the ingredients together. Heat a shallow kadai with 2 tablespoons of ghee.
Pour half the mix (about two ladles) and cook to done on both sides for 2 minutes each in medium low heat to a golden yellow colour.serve hot

No butter Black Forest cake

Preparation Time : 40 minutes

Cooking Time : 40 minutes

Serving : 8-10 members

Description

The first time I baked a Black Forest cake was years before following the same recipe. I didn’t read the recipe well with innocence of not knowing how precise baking a cake is required, resulting in a big mess. My cake was cracked on the top with the middle not cooked. I still remember cutting the cake into half with out checking if it’s cooked through. The cake batter all over both my hands. I was in tears but some how managed to cook them again in the microwave oven for a minute to done. Layered the cake and assembled it but when cutting the cake, it was rock hard. I came to a conclusion that baking and me are far apart from one another and never ever attempted to bake a cake ever again. I did bake a lot of savoury delights on the run and slowly to sweet tarts and cheese cakes. Yet again cake never coming to my mind. Then one fine day made up my mind to break the fear in me and baked a chocolate cake which again didn’t rise well. Not giving up this time made an orange almond cake the following week and there it was a perfect yum cake baked by me finally. There after on every occasion to celebrate I make sure to bake a cake just to let go off the fear from me for sure. Like wise this cake was baked for my in- laws wedding anniversary. A home made cake sure does spread in a lot of joy with its aroma from the time it starts to bake. This cake was a sure fire hit vanishing in seconds with me getting just a small bite. It was music on my tongue with perfect harmony of sweet goodness and taste that let temptation take over my senses. Well this cake is the kind of thing that you should eat quietly on your own enjoying it in your mind and body with a slice of excellence. I ended up with the cake in my mind through out the day and when going to bed too. Crazy breed me !!!

Ingredients for the cake

Ingredients	Quantity
Flour / maida	2 1/8 cups
Sugar	2 cups
Cocoa powder	3/4 cup
Baking powder	1 1/2 teaspoon
Baking soda	3/4 teaspoon
Salt	3/4 teaspoon
Eggs	3
Milk	1 cup
Vegetable Oil	1/2 cup
Vanilla essence	1 tablespoon

Method for the cake

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Grease and dust flour to two 9 inch round cake pan’s. Cover the bottom with parchment paper.
mix all the dry ingredients from flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Beat wet ingredients from eggs, milk, oil and vanilla essence together separately in another bowl until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three batches mixing well to incorporate. Pour the batter equally into the two round pans.
Bake for 30- 35 minutes in the middle rack. Check with a tooth pick inserted in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean it’s done or bake further for 5 more minutes.
Remove the cake tins from the oven and cool completely over a wire rack.

Ingredients for filling

Ingredients	Quantity
Pitted tinned cherries	20 ounce / 1 big tin
Sugar	1 cup
Cornflour	1/4 cup
Vanilla essence	1 teaspoon
cherry juice	1/4 cup from the tinned cherries

Method for filling

Combine all the above mentioned ingredients together with no lumps. Cook over low heat until thick, stirring constantly to get a gooey mass of filling. Remove and cool completely.

Other ingredients

ingredients	Quantity
Whipped cream	4 to 5 cups ( I used blue bird brand two packets )
Sugar powder	1/3 cup
Whole cherries	10 to decorate
Grated chocolate	2 bars or more to decorate

How to proceed

whip cream to packet instructions with powdered sugar to stiff peaks.
Cut each cake to equal half horizontally with the help of a sharp knife to get four layers of cake.
Place one cake layer, spread with 3/4 cup cherry mix. Top with one cup whipped cream. sprinkle grated chocolate over. ( I omitted this as I didn’t want my cake to be too sweet) Top with second layer of cake.
repeat the cherry mix, whipped cream layers and chocolate grated. (I used only two layers here) you could use up to three or four layers doing the same leaving the top most layer with just a cake.
frost sides and top evenly with the whipped cream with the help of a spreading spatula. Cover the sides with grated chocolate gently.
Fill the remaining whipped cream into a pipping bag with nozzle of choice. Decorate as you wish. Garnish the top with whole cherries.
Once the cake is done, place in a cool place or refrigerator until needed to be served.

Chicken pakoda

Preparation Time : 25 minutes

Cooking Time : 15 minutes

Serving : 6 members

Description

As a new bride, very rarely did I get an opportunity to dine out. Mainly because of the few good restaurants we had at hubby dear’s place (oops my place too). I remember a new restaurant named neelambari was open and out of the blue we ended up there for dinner. I ordered chicken pakoda for starters and it was yummy yum. There after on our every visit to the hotel the chicken pakoda was a must. A few years later, the restaurant was shut down and back to square one with no going out to dine. The chicken pakoda did haunt me every now and then. Once I had gone to help hubby dear’s aunt- sara amma for a party arranged at her home. She was prepping for some thing and asked her what it was? She told chicken pakoda for starters . I could hear the bells ring in my heart but it paused immediately when the though came in… Will it taste like the one in neelambari restaurant?? If yes, hurray or else just keep craving. I made sure to take note about the ingredients to the procedure. Waited for the star moment to give it a try and it tasted perfect exactly like the neelambari hotel chicken pakoda. The trick was to add hot oil to the batter to get crisp pakoda’s creating a spark. I have been making this simple to make pakoda’s from then on but every time I re- check with Sara amma once again as it’s made only during the Iftar day’s taking our table by storm always.

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Bone less chicken	1/4 kg cut into chunks
Red chilli powder	1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder	1/4 teaspoon
Ginger garlic paste	1 teaspoon
Salt	to taste .

Method for chicken

Marinate cleaned chicken with all the above ingredients for half an hour. Pressure cook for one whistle with out water.
Once the whistle sound subsides. Open and boil until the the cooked chicken bits get dry. Cool and shred the chicken pieces.

Other ingredients

ingredients	Quantity
Big onions	4 sliced
Curry leaves	few chopped
Green chillies	3 chopped
Red chilli powder	1 teaspoon or to taste
Ginger	1/4 inch piece grated
Chick pea flour / besan / kadala maavu	1 cup
Rice flour	100 grams
Hot oil	5 tablespoons
Salt	to taste
Soda salt	1/4 teaspoon
Cashew nuts	2 tablespoons cut to bits
Oil	to deep fry

Method for chicken pakoda

Mix all the ingredients together mentioned above except for oil to deep fry along with the chicken shredded.
Mix well with out adding water and set aside for ten minutes. The onions will let out enough moister to the batter to get a sticky thick mass and the hot oil added also helps to give a crisp pakora.
Heat oil to deep fry. Drop one tablespoon of batter into to the hot oil in batches.
Deep fry to crisp and golden in color.
Drain and serve hot as it is with no dips.

Kaima kanji

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Serving : 10 members

Description

All the men at home like the kayalpattimam Kari kanji (mutton kanji ) that’s made with rice, veggies, dal and mutton. It is tasty and filling but we ladies like the light version of kanji with less masala and white in colour with lots of coconut milk to soothe the empty stomach as you break your fast. So the debate of which kanji is to be made while breaking the fast is a big problem every single day . My mother- in- law came up with a genius idea of making the kanji the way we ladies like it but with an addition of a light mince meat gravy to it. As we can not taste what we have cooked due to fasting, the million dollar question of how does it taste was revealed only the Iftar table. We ladies of the house ( my mother- in- law , my co- sister and myself ) with crossed fingers awaited the results and it was in deed a pleasant result with all the men whole heartedly giving a thumbs up. A big solution to the debate was born and the sensational recipe bursting with mouth watering flavours was added to our regular menu at home. This is how I started to learn little tips and tricks that are perfect for the home cooks like us to see food served to be celebrated and enjoyed with exotic blends to suit all kinds of tastes.

Ingredients for kanji

Ingredients	Quantity
broken basmati rice	1 1/2 cup heaped
fenugreek seeds	1/4 teaspoon
cumin seeds	1/4 teaspoon
garlic flakes	5
small onions	6
green chillies	2slit
coriander leaves chopped	1 teaspoon
mint leaves	1/2 teaspoon
thick coconut milk	2 cups
water	8 cups
salt	taste
ghee	1 table spoon mustard seeds 1/4 teaspoon
cinnamon	1
clove	1
cardamom	1
curry leaves	4
ginger garlic paste	1/4 teaspoon

Ingredients for minced meat

Ingredients	Quantity
Minced meat	1/4 kg
Red chilli powder	1 teaspoon
Tomato	1 big chopped
Small onions	one hand chopped
Ginger garlic paste	1/2 teaspoon
Salt	to taste

Method for kanji

Pressure cook, washed rice, small onions, garlic flakes, green chillies, mint leaves, coriander leaves, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds along with the water for 4 to 5 whistles.
Add salt to taste and coconut milk. Mix well adjust the consistency to a flowing thick porridge adding water if needed. Bring to boil.

Method for minced meat

Mix all the ingredients mentioned for minced meat together. Add 1/4 cup water and pressure cook for one whistle in medium flame.

How to proceed

Pour the cooked minced meat mixture into the boiled rice kanji. Mix well and adjust seasoning.
Heat ghee in a pan, crackle the mustard seeds, add the cinnamon, clove, cardamom, cut small onions 4, curry leaves and ginger garlic paste.
Fry to brown and crisp and pour over the kanji and mix well. Serve hot with samosa, cutlet and paruppu vadai.

Coconut milk semolina sweet balls

Preparation Time : 10 minutes + 30 minutes to soak

Cooking Time : 5 minutes for each batch deep fried

Serving : 6-8 members

Description

Very rarely did my mother-in-laws mother-nannima ( that’s how we called her ) visit us when we were in a joint family set up but the few times of her visit she would cook some family style meals or make appalam’s. Very simple, tasty and soul full food for sure. Towards her last few years, she did stay with all of us. Harm less soul in her own space but never wanted cold food or thin dosas. Other than these two demands… All she wanted was a lot of love . She would tell stories to the little ones ( my kids ) at home. I was called for only to cut her nails and check her meals before being served to her. She kept complaining ( this is when she lost her eye sight completely) about rats biting her toe thumb. We all were really worried and did the needful immediately. A week passed by and she kept complaining the same. One day, we were all chit chatting in the living room and suddenly heard nannima shout out rat, rat.. We ran in to see my nephew (brother-in-laws one year old son) biting her toes. We grabbed him and all of us laughed our guts out seeing the actual rat.. Stories and memories to be cherished of living in a joint family…. Coming to the dish… This was one snack that nannima would make for tea on her visits. The first time I had this full flavoured indulgence, I had to ban myself from eating it as it just went in non- stop. A few days back was craving for this home cooked comfort snack and felt lost as I didn’t know the recipe. With my fingers crossed asked my mother- in- law and luckily she did know. Made it but the authentic flavour of nannima’ hands that offered warmth and a sense of well being and satisfying carvings were surely missing. I curse myself for not taking note of the hearty recipes she used to cook for us… I can’t be blamed though as I was just in my teenage when all this happened ….

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
All purpose flour / maida	1 cup
Semolina / rawa	1/2 cup
Sugar	1 cup
Salt	a pinch
Cardamom powder	2 teaspoons
Soda salt	1/4 teaspoon
Coconut milk	1 cup ( might require less or more depending on the quality of flour used )
Oil	to deep fry

Method

Mix all the ingredients together except for oil to deep fry. Add coconut milk little at a time to get a thick bajji batter consistency.
Set aside for half an hour. The batter might get too thick as the semolina swells. Add little more coconut milk to get to the right bajji batter consistency. (at times this Taste and Check seasoning.
Heat oil to deep fry. Drop balls out of the batter in batches and deep fry to crisp and golden in color. Drain and serve hot.