Kerala Fish Curry- Meen Curry,Central Kerala Style

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To teach a Malayalee, how to cook fish curry, is like teaching a monkey, how to climb the trees ! It is such a basic recipe in any household, in the place where I come from. But it took a long time for me to post this here, even after so many repeated requests from the readers. If you blog, you know, the most common dishes you make might take the longest to get in your blog !

Christmas Fruit Cake/Kerala Spiced Plum Cake & Wish you all a very Merry Christmas !

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  It’s Christmas and we wish you a very merry one.  Finally, I am done with the marathon cookie baking and packing it off to friends.  Now, it’s my time to just sit looking at all the festive decoration inside and outside the house.  Well, I can't sit around too long because there are a lot of visits to be made to celebrate with friends. 

  Being from Kottayam, Kerala, it was difficult even while I was growing up to ignore Christmas.  Even though I am not of the Christian faith celebrations for Christmas was carried out at my house to match any of my Christian neighbors.  I grew up hanging colorful paper-stars in front of the house on the 1^st of December an age old tradition.  Schools had "best Crib Contests," and I would positively participate.  On the 24^th evening we blasted those crackers louder than any of our neighbors or so I would like to believe.  It was just a lot of fun and I love this festival for everything it stands for.
 


  I know from my nieces and nephews from Kerala they still continue to make Christmas crib.  The last time I called them, they were all excited about the thought of making it.
 
My parent’s house is on a high range and during this time of the year, the mornings are misty.  If you wake up early you can see the clouds touching the earth.  In my mind it symbolizes blessings from heaven.  And here in the U.S. snow flakes take over doing its slow swaying dance to the ground.  Oh! I could just go on about how everything touches me so deeply getting me excited about celebrating.  It’s a perfect time to holiday and I am having fun.  I hope wherever you are you having a good time as well. 



  Even today I continue the tradition of celebrating Christmas with light decorations in the house and bake all kinds of goodies.  Therefore, we have another fruit cake recipe for you.  You can find another on this site here.   Today the recipe I am sharing is a spiced version.  The basic procedures are the same except for the addition of spices. However, that changes everything giving a whole new twist to the cake.  This one is delicious too!

Again, wish you all a very Merry Christmas !!



Ingredients:

Flour- 1 cup
Butter- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 stick)
Dried Fruits and nuts soaked in Rum/Brandy for several months or several days or several hours - 1 1/2 cup
Rum or Brandy from the marination/fresh- 2 Tbsp
Baking Powder- 3/4 tsp
Eggs- 3 large, separated
Granulated Sugar- Scant 1 cup
Candied Orange peel- 2-3 Tbsp
Powdered Nutmeg- 1/8 tsp
Cinnamon- 1/2 tsp
Powdered Cloves- 1/8 tsp
Powdered Cardamom- 1/8 tsp
Caramel Syrup at room temperature- ~1/3 cup (use 1/2 cup sugar to caramelize and finally add 1/4 cup hot water and mix. See here)
Pure Vanilla Extract- 1 tsp

Method:

Making Candied Orange peel:

1.Dry the orange peel by either letting them sit on your counter top for a few days or near the fireplace/warm oven.Chop them into small pieces.
2.Take sugar in the ratio 1:1 with the orange peel and add a couple of spoons of water and make a syrup by boiling, till it reaches one string consistency.
3.Throw in the dried orange peel into this and mix well to coat the syrup evenly on the pieces.
4.Let it dry completely.

Making Caramel Syrup

Sunitha has explained it well in this post.Take enough care while doing this.And let it cool completely before you add into the cake mixture.

Making the Cake:(Copied as such form our earlier post!)

Beating Egg White:
1. It may be a good practice to beat the egg white stiff before you start on the main cake batter. Please make sure you use a dry bowl and a dry blade when you beat the egg white. Any trace of water, grease or egg yolk in the white will not give the desired fluffy frothy egg white. Beating the egg white stiff is very important to give a light and fluffy texture to the cake. Make sure all the egg white has been beaten stiff before you clean the blade and wipe it dry before you start mixing the batter.

Mixing the Batter:
1. Sift the flour,spices and baking powder twice and keep aside (sifting allows the baking powder to be mixed well with the flour)
2. Beat the butter well first before adding the sugar. Gradually add the sugar beating well after each addition. Remember also to gradually increase the speed of your blender from low to medium after all the sugar has been blended in. Taking time and beating the butter and sugar goes a long way to aerate the butter and to give a moist, fluffy texture to your cake
3. Add in the egg yolk and beat well
4. Add the vanilla essence beat well
5. Follow up with cool caramelized sugar
6. Spoon in the flour a little at a time and fold in to mix.
7.Toss the fruit and nut mixture with a tablespoon of flour and fold in the 3/4 of this and the candied orange peel alternating with the flour.
8.Now gently fold in the egg whites until not even a single white streak is left.
9. If you find watery egg white which did not froth do not use it or only use after beating it fluffy
10. Pour the batter in a 9 inch pan and add the remaining fruit and nut mixture left.Even out the surface with a spatula and bake in a preheated oven at 350 D F for 40-45 minutes
11. When a toothpick pricked comes out clear the cake is done.
12.Cool it on a wire rack.Brush with some rum/brandy and keep it covered well with a parchment paper, at least for a couple of days before you cut and serve them.

Notes:

1.Use the butter and eggs which are kept long enough outside the refrigerator and have reached room temperature.
2.Beating egg whites separately makes a huge difference in this cake.
3.Adding some fruit and nut mixture at the end on the top ensures that there is some mixture on the top too.

We wish you all a Great Holiday Season !!!



Last but not the least we have a good news to share with you all. Our Boondi Ladoo recipe has been selected as one of the 30 Best Recipes of 2010 ,a wonderful event hosted by Chacko's kitchen. Congratulations to all other winners and we are so glad that we made it to the top 30 :-)

Contributor: Namitha
Recipe Adapted From: Sunu and Sunitha, my dear friends :-)

Breadfruit/Kadachakka Thoran

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   Collaborative curry was on a roll last weekend.  We were featured in the prestigious Hindu Newspaper. Huh! Can you imagine the thrill.  We are mighty pleased and want to thank you all for supporting and being there to cheer us on.If you haven't got a chance to take a peek, here is a link  A special thanks to Rachel of Tangerine's Kitchen, the lovely lady who brought the published feature to our attention.



  Mostly, the news paper highlighted our Kerala Cuisine and we are proud of it.  I decided there is no better way to concur with this sentiment than to give you one more of our favorite recipe from Kottayam.  This recipe is Namitha's, but since I got access to frozen breadfruit before her, I cooked it.  It is quite different from the regular thoran but very good by its own right.    



Ingredients:

Bread Fruit              - 1   Lb
Shallots                   -  2   nos
Coriander Powder   -  2   tspn or to taste
Chili Powder           -  1   tspn or to taste
Turmeric Powder    - 1/2 tspn
Coconut                  -  1/3 rd Cup

For tempering:
Mustard                  - 1/2 tspn
Shallots,finely chopped- 2
Curry Leaves          - 1    sprig
Dry red chilies         - 3   broken

Method:

1. Cook the breadfruit with water at par with the vegetables in the pot.
2. The cooking time for the breadfruit varies.  Check frequently to make sure it does not overcook.
3. Once the vegetable is almost cooked add coriander powder, chili powder, turmeric powder and cover the vessel
4. Give the coconut and shallots a whirl in your mixer to lightly crush
5. Add this mixture and salt and stir
6. Temper in coconut oil or oil of preference.  (Heat oil, add mustard and wait till it splutter, follow up with shallots, curry leaves and dry red chilies and when they are fried and aromatic pour over the vegetable)
7. Serve it with rice and curry

Note:
1. Bread fruit like I mentioned earlier have varied cooking time and some time you might have to pressure cook it.

Contributor: Sunitha

Naadan Pork Vattichathu / Kerala-Style Pork Curry - Dry

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So what do you do when you have a considerable amount of fat deposited around your waist, and find yourself dancing to lady Ga Ga’s tune in a pub/club passé?  I would work on that waist again!  No, not to lose it but to get it all rounded up like a ‘muffin top’ as Elizabeth Gilbert says in her book ‘Eat Pray Love.’ And the best way to do it is enjoy your friend’s home cooked pork.  Deliciously pungent and nicely fatty, it is most appropriate for a Friday evening.  Let’s kick start this party with food, food and more food.

 

 It’s rare for me to look at weekends so happily in advance.  Most often, I feel the weekend only by Saturday afternoon.  And then I am whining“OMG! Weekend is over!" Once the words are out, that's it! It get’s all melancholy!  The remaining 1 ½ days are wasted.

Does this happen to you?  You have something in hand; don’t realize its worth until it is too late.  Of course! Everybody knows such things, it’s a cliché.   But then remember what I told you earlier, take this weekend head on and enjoy.  Don’t listen to me whatever age we are, we can still swing to the beats of Lady Ga Ga or Justin Timberlake.  Let’s get this thing rolling!



By the way, don’t cook this recipe by yourself.  Print it out on a nice card and gift it to your friend.  Remember what I said, it tastes best when another makes it for you. Have fun!

Pork shoulders - 2 lb
Coriander Powder - 5 Tbspn
Turmeric Powder - 1 Tspn
Chili Powder - 2 Tbspn
Garam Masala - 1/2 tspn
Onions - 3 medium size
Ginger paste - 1 Tbspn
Garlic - 1 Tbspn
Coconut milk- 1 Tbspn
Green chilies - 5 nos
Curry Leaves
Oil
Salt

Method:
1. Chop pork shoulders into small cubes and set aside
2. Take coriander, turmeric, chili and garam masala in a small wok or skillet and heat it stirring to make sure it does not get burned but until the mixture give off its aroma.  Switch off stove transfer the mixture instantly onto any dish to avoid further cooking of the powder.
3. Chop onions and saute followed with slit green chilies
4. Follow up with ginger, garlic, curry leaves and once this express the cooked aroma add the toasted powder.  Once oil expresses add the coconut milk which will help to soothe the pungent masala and then add the tomatoes and cook until they are soft. 
5. Take your time with the above step, it's best when the masala is slowly cooked and oil clears the pan.
6. Slide in the pork and stir to coat the masala.  Cook on a low heat, the pork will cook in it's own water but if you find it difficult add some water about 1/2 cup and cook on low heat until pork is soft. 
7. After about 15 minutes make sure you stir the mixture well to avoid burning the masala.
8. Garnish with Curry leaves and serve.

Note:
1. The dish is pungent and have a concentrated flavor of coriander powder.  It pairs well with idiyappams, sannas, appam etc which have a sweet flavor.
2. This recipe is also my friend Jaya's.  Thank you!

Contributor: Sunitha
Recipe Courtesy: Jaya

Kappa/Tapioca Biryani-Ellu Kappa,Kanjirappally Style

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Can I say snow is falling like cats and dogs? Well, maybe it’s not the right usage of the phrase but you get the ideal. Therefore, am I wrong to be feeling lethargic? I think not, and I know you agree ;) It has been snowing and the mercury levels continue to drop.

I made this biryani a couple of weeks back, and was lucky enough to save a bowl full to take photographs. Once you taste this dish you will know why photographing it before the bowl is emptied is a challenge, believe me! It's so yum! My mouth is watering and running over just thinking about it. All this is if you like Tapioca. If you do, you will definitely fall in love.. This is a hot selling dish in "thattukada"/roadside dhabas these days. If you have seen the "No reservations"(featuring Kerala) by Anthony Bourdain, then you probably got to see this dish.



It is just wonderful even without any side dishes:-)





For Kappa/Tapioca:

Tapioca/kappa- 1 kg or 2 lbs
Turmeric- 1/4 tsp
Salt- to Tatste
Grated coconut-1/2 cup
Green Chillies- 2-3
Shallots- 2
Curry Leaves- 1 sprig

For Chicken/Meat Gravy:

Chicken/Meat of your choice,with bones- 1/2 kg / 1 lbs
Onion chopped finely- ~3 cups
Ginger paste- 1 Tbsp
Garlic paste - 1 1/2 tbsp
Salt- to taste
Turmeric- a big pinch
Red chilli powder- 2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 Tbsp
Meat Masala- 2 tsp(a mixture of 5-6 black pepper corns, a small cinnamon stick, 2-3 cloves and one cardamom)
Curry Leaves- 1 sprig

Method:
For Tapioca/Kappa:

1.Peel off the skin from Tapioca and clean and cut it coarsely to get medium sized pieces.
2.Boil water, enough to cover the tapioca in a deep pan.Once it starts boil add the chopped tapioca pieces and cook with salt and a pinch of turmeric until it is done. The time varies from 5 minutes to 20 minutes once it starts boiling,depending on the variety of tapioca you use.So keep checking in between.
3.Meanwhile grind the coconut, chillies,turmeric and shallots coarsely.
4.Drain all the water once tapioca is cooked.
5.Throw in the ground ingredients and salt and mix well.Mash the tapioca pieces well while mixing.
6.Cover and cook on medium low heat for 3-4 minutes or until steam starts coming.

For Chicken/Meat:

1.Heat oil in a pan and saute the onions till they start to turn brown.
2.Throw in the ginger garlic and saute till the raw smell leaves.
3.Add the spice powders and saute for a couple of minutes.
4.Add the curry leaves and the chicken/meat pieces and mix well till the meat is coated with the masala.
5.Cook on low heat till the chicken/meat is done.The time depends on the meat you use.If you are using any meat other than chicken, you could do this process in a cooker and let 3 whistles come before you switch off the heat.

6.Mix this chicken/meat masala with the tapioca and serve warm.




Notes:

1.Traditionally we use the beef that is near to the bones for making this and the dish is called "Ellu kappa", which is literally translated to "bones n Tapioca".
2.To get that authentic taste, use the meat with bones and use coconut oil while cooking the meat.
3.You could add more chillies.I used less for the kids at home ;-)
4.You could serve a raita or mulaku chammanthi, if you need more spice.
5.You may want to start with cooking your meat first, since that takes longer time than tapioca.
6.Serves 3-4

Contributor: Namitha

Aval Varattiyathu/ Beaten rice cooked with coconut and jaggery

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How are you all? We have been erratic updating this site - being busy myself, and Sunitha moving to a new city.  Nevertheless, since blogging is a lot of fun for me, I wanted to share something that I made a while ago.  It’s a familiar food for most South Indians, and for me it is yet another food that brings back fond memories.  Nostalgia! 

Desserts after a main course is common but after a breakfast? Well, sure why not! Every breakfast party in Hindu-households in Kerala has one. Story of our culture: Every celebration in a family spans over a week even if there are no religious rituals to perform or ceremonies to conduct. You ask why? It is because we invite family and friends over who will stay over even if space is crammed and the noise can wake up the dead.

So then, if there are so many people then there must be a lot of women too right? Yes, and when women in the days got together what to they do? But of course, cook! Like all mothers, they will hang out in the kitchen and cook for the neighborhood. Cooking itself becomes a celebration.  To add to it being a vacation they treat every meal to become special. How they make all this happen?  On top of a carbohydrate rich idli breakfast they will serve beaten rice mixed with jaggery, spiced with ginger, all of it toggled together with a generous portion of sweet, toasted, aromatic coconut.  This aval varattiyathu smells like the food fit for gods.

  Aval Varattiyathu!  Serve it after a spicy breakfast of idli and sambar and the children who hate idli can skip the main course and relish the second.  For creating such an awesome recipe is why we love our mothers as much. My granny and mom continue to make heaps of this and store away for  weeks.  The family snacks on it with evening tea too.



A bite of nuts in between is awesome !



If you like jaggery and beaten rice, you must try this ;-)




Ingredients:

Jaggery- 200g/ 1cup grated
Aval/Poha/beaten rice- 2 cups
Coconut, grated-2 cups
Cardamom Powdered- 1 tsp
Cumin seeds-2 tsp
ginger powder- 1/4 tsp
Roasted pottukadala/kadalapparippu(optional)-3 Tbsp
Cashews(optional)- 3 Tbsp

Method:

1.Melt the jaggery after adding a couple of spoons of water and boiling it.Sieve out any dirt and continue to boil till it reaches one thread consistency.
2.Add the grated coconut and mix well. Continue to stir till all the water is absorbed from the coconut.(this step is crucial if you are planning to store your "varattiyathu" for a while.
3.Now add the aval and the spices and mix well. Also you could add the casgews and the kadalapparippu at this time(if you are adding any)
4.Switch off the heat and let it cool completely before you store this in an airtight container.
5.Serve with plantain or as it is.

Notes:

1.If the jaggery is more, sprinkle a spoon or two of granulated sugar and mix well. This will make it get dried faster.
2.If you wash the aval before using, let it dry completely before making this.

Contributor: Namitha

Coffee Cake

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The name is a misnomer. If you are thinking there is any taste of coffee in this cake, there is not. I am sure you know this, but I just have to write about it because I was fooled too many times. Either while looking up recipes or buying a cake at the store the lack of coffee as an ingredient in the first and lack of it in the later has always had me boiling. When I first looked up a recipe for coffee cake, I was hoping to find one with coffee flavor, and when I did not, I was quite angry. I was appalled that there could be such huge discrepancies in a recipe. These small things always make me wonder about language in general, and how some things came to be called what they are called!



Now I know this is a cake meant to be had with coffee, or on a break or chat (gossip) with friends. According to questionable intelligence from Wikipedia, (I say this because the article has a note on top "This article does not cite any references or sources" ) these cakes are generally square or rectangle. Now with so many things going wrong beginning with the name for these cakes, I baked mine in a pie pan and hence it was round, obviously. Please do use the measurements and guidance for pan size given below for best results.



The recipe is from a friend at my Bible class on Wednesdays. About 15 ladies, including me, meet and have a terrific time of learning and sharing. We take snacks to have with tea or coffee during these sessions. This one was brought by Emily and was a huge hit with us all! Since she knew about my blogging, I was asking her about the recipe. She typed it out neatly and sent me an email of the recipe. She was very generous to share this recipe! I am enjoying this cake with a cup of coffee as I write. To generous friends and family here is quick, painless, tasty recipe.



To talk about the cake itself it is nice, sweet, and oh-so-buttery. Calories yes, but very quickly made, AND it is a fantastic option when you have someone visiting on short notice. I love recipes which can be put together quickly, especially when I have to cook a lot of main courses and dessert generally takes the least priority.

Enjoy a pleasant weekend!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C. flour
1 C. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine the above ingredients.

Take 1 egg and mix well with a fork in 8 oz. cup. Fill the remainder of the cup with milk to the 8 oz. mark.
Combine the dry ingredients and the egg mixture. Pour in to a greased 8x8 pan.

Combine 1/2 C. brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of the batter.

Bake @ 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes. (Until toothpick inserted comes out clean.)

As soon as coffee cake comes out of the oven, prick holes all over the cake with a toothpick and pour 1/2 Cup melted butter over the cake.

This doubles very well using a 13x9x2 pan.

Contributor: Sunitha

Boondi Ladoo/Bundi Laddu - Being Festive

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Hope you all are having a wonderful day,wherever you are. I thought it's not fair if we don't share the second sweet I prepared for Diwali, before the festival is over. So here is the boondi ladoo, my most favorite of all ladoos.We would love to say that again, Happy Diwali and we love you all !

I was in Middle School when I first had home-made Boondi ladoos.  My  Iyengar girl friend, (J), used to bring stuff like this to school all the time, and it was from here that I first had  ladoos.  Most of my class mates looked forward to being invited to her house for any celebration  because we knew there  would be all these delicious, juicy sweets to gobble up.  Other than ladoos, her mother could make Kerala Jilebi(Jangiri), pedas and a host of savory snacks.  My visit to her place was always memorable and quite productive.  I could eat all the home-made sweets I wanted,  and also borrow seedlings of "kanakambaram" for my garden.   Oh yes! Her mother was a great cook and an even better gardener.  I had the orange kanakambaram for a long, long time in my garden thanks to J!  My inspiration to make ladoos at home is J’s mom, but who would have imagined it would take X years to actually try it at home!

  When I was pregnant with my son, my second child, I craved ladoos to no end.  There was not a place I could buy good ones  where I stayed, and I decided to go all the way and fry it myself.  Being huge with a belly, it was not easy, but I persisted.  I know how this might sound foolish, and I don’t recommend pregnant women trying to fry and burn their belly  unless you can be careful and get it done.  I tell you what, when desire strikes no bump is a hurdle ;)

  Now for a couple of years, I have been making ladoos on and off. I am glad to present to you a fool proof recipe.   

Disclaimer: You don’t  have to be pregnant to try this for the first time ;)

May the festival of lights brings you all the happiness in the world !



These ladoos are so delicious and exactly like the store bought one, except for their shape ;-)



This for you all,with good wishes and love, from us !




Ingredients:

Besan/Gram flour- 1 1/2 cup
Rice flour- 1 Tbsp
Baking soda- a pinch
Oil- for deep frying

For the sugar syrup:

Sugar- 2 cups
Water- 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
Cloves, crushed- 6-7
Cashews and raisins- lightly fried in ghee(optional)- 2 Tbsp each

You need a boondi strainer/a strainer with holes for making the boondis

Method:

1.Make a medium thick batter with the flours, water and soda. The consistency should be lighter than of idli batter.If it is too watery you will get boondis with a tail. If it is too thick it will not come through the strainer.So adjust it if required after you try the first time, by adding the flour or water.
2.Heat oil in a deep frying pan.Keep the heat on medium and by holding the strainer over the oil, pour a ladle full of batter onto the strainer.Make circular motions with the bottom of the ladle, just like you do when you make a dosa.The flour will drop into the oil and get fried.
3.It doesn't take long for the boondi to get fried. Also you don't have to fry the boondis till they turn brown, as you do for making mixture and other snacks.As soon as you stop pouring the batter stir the boondis well, so that they don't cluster together and burn. (it's always nice to have an extra pair of hands at this time, but I did it all myself this time !)
4.Drain them on a paper towel. Also it's wise to use a big strainer to take them out from oil, since the boondis are small but large in number.
5.Make the sugar syrup by mixing the sugar and water in a thick bottom vessel and boiling it to one string consistency.This doesn't take long if you add only this much of water.
6.When it has reached one string cosistency, add the cloves and cardamom and also the cashews and raisins. Mix well.
7.Throw in the fried boondis into this syrup and mix everything well.
8.Let it cool for a while so that you can handle it without burning your hands.
9.Make balls out of this before it gets completely cool.
10.Let the ladoos cool completely before you store them.

Do you think that it's a lot of work? But believe me, it's all worth it :-)
Once again we wish you all a very Happy Diwali/Deepawali !!



Sending this to the event "The 30 best recipes of 2010" at Chacko's Kitchen.Thanks Susan and Abraham for hosting such a wonderful event !

Contributor: Namitha

Aval Nanachathu/Beaten Rice snack with Jaggery and coconut

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This is one of the simplest snacks ever, and makes me nostalgic. My granny used to make this as our evening snack. Out of the school bus my sister and I would fly up the stairs to our house, and right on to the dining table laden with snacks. Gee! Do you remember how hungry one is coming back from school? Oh! I would be so famished, I would grab any food in front of me forgetting I had not even washed my hands. Ok.. don’t tell my daughter I told you that.

Aval (beaten rice) used to be catered to my family by Muthu. He was a Tamilian lad, probably a young man now and if you reading it Muthu, thank you. How some food and flavors bring back memories of a different place and some people ceases to surprise me. I have never thought of Muthu until just now when I start to write about Aval.

A lot of brands now sell aval but while I was growing up it was a rarity. Muthu would come in his mundu and shirt just when we needed aval and it never went without a comment from my mom “I wonder how he knows that I have just finished my stock of Aval.”




It is best when you take this with some plantain.



Ingredients:

Aval/Beaten rice- 2 cups
Grated Jaggery- 1 cup
Grated coconut- 1 cup
Jeera/Cumin- 1 tsp
Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp

Method:

1.Mix the grated coconut and jaggery well using your fist.
2.Throw in the jeera and cardamom and mix again.
3.Mix in the aval using your hands, as if you are kneading the dough, until everything is mixed well.
4.Keep it closed for some time till the aval absorbs all the moisture and becomes soft and puffs up.

Notes:

1.I used brown poha/aval.White one is fine too.
2.If you don't have jaggery, use white/brown sugar.
3.Do not add any water at all.If you are in a hurry just sprinkle a few spoons of milk.
4.Fresh grated coconut works best for this, since the moisture from coconut plays a major role in softening the aval.

Karimeen Vazhayilayil pollichathu/Pearlspot dry fried on Banana leaf

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When someone says "karimeen", this evergreen malayalam song reverberates in my mind.."ayala porichathundu, karimeen varuthathundu, kudampuli ittu vacha nalla chemmen kariyundu" The heroine is elaborating on the dishes for lunch.  To woo her hero and win his heart. She sure believed "Stomach is the way to a man's heart." The translation is something like this:fried mackerel and pearl spot fry, kokum added prawns curry. For most of us listeners the song became a paradigm for cooking fish. If it is pearl spot, it's best fried! Go ahead and dispute it if you dare I have a whole state backing me up. :)

We have posted a "meen pollichathu" earlier. That is fried and then smothered in a wet gravy. Today's is smeared with masala, wrapped and fried in banana leaf



Ingredients:

Karimeen/Pearlspot- 2-3
Black pepper powder-2 tsp
Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Garlic paste- 1 Tbsp
Ginger paste- 1 Tbsp
Lemon juice- 1 tsp
Salt
Curry Leaves-2 sprigs
Banana leaves- for wrapping the fish
Coconut Oil- enough to spray on the leaf

Method:

1.Clean the fish by taking out the head with the parts in the stomach of the fish. Keep the tail intact.Make some shallow slits on the fish.
2.Prepare the marinade by mixing together all the ingredients, add a little water to make it a thick paste and rub it on the fish.
3.Heat an earthen pot on medium heat.Spray the coconut oil on the banana leaf and wrap the marinated fish in it.
4.Keep it in the pot and cook on low heat, turning the sides after every 2-3 minutes.
5.Serve warm with rice and a gravy of your choice.



Notes:

1.If pearlspot is not available you could use Pomfret instaed.
2.You could reduce the amount of pepper if you would like it to be mild.
Contributor: Namitha

Thaalu Thoran/Taro Stem Sauteed with coconut and spices

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  Thaalu thoran is made out of Colocasia stem.  Have you heard of this one before?  I am asking because my friend from Kottayam (my home town) says she has never had this before. You should, if you haven't.  The thaalu and deep friend rice grains together gives this thoran a nice crunchy texture.  I hope I could explain the taste better.

  Everyone at home know how much I like this one.  Not so easily available in the US my sweetest granny made sure I had enough.  She made up for all the missed times.  Oh! she is quite old now and she spoils me.

  Back to the recipe.  It is quite simple.  Though rare you can buy the stems in Chinese super markets in the US.  Exorbitantly priced when the urge hits I indulge.   This used to happen especially when I was carrying my son.  Now, you will agree those are times when you can just let go. I have to say this in closing you need no  excuses to spend on this one.  Once you taste it I guarantee you will go back for more thaalu.



Ingredients:

Stem of colocasia/Taro/thaalu- 4
Cocnut grated- 1/3 cup
Green Chillies- 2-3
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Salt

For seasoning:

Raw rice- 3 Tbsp
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil/Any cooking oil- 1 Tbsp
Shallots- 2-3,chopped finely
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Dried red chillies- 2



Method:

1.Chop the stem finely into slender pieces.Sprinkle a few tablespoons of water and salt over it and squeeze out this completely to remove the juices from the stem that cause itching.This also keeps the thoran dry and crisp rather than mushy.(You could apply some cooking oil on both your palms,or wear some disposable gloves so that it will not make you itchy !)
2.Heat the oil in a pan and do the seasoning starting with mustard seeds.Once they splutter add the rice into it and let it brown slightly. Trow in the shallots and red chillies and saute for a couple of minutes or until the shallots turn brown.Now saute the curry leaves too
3.Meanwhile grind the coconut and green chillies coarsely.
4.Throw in the chopped stem and coconut mixture along with turmeric and salt into the seasoning and cover to cook on low heat. Stir every 2-3 minutes until it is cooked. This won't take more than 5-6 minutes.
5.Keep the pan open and let all the moisture get absorbed.Serve warm with pulissery or sambar .



These pictures of Taro is from my father's vegetable garden.As a child (and also now) I love to see the water droplets on a taro leaf :-)

Contributor: Namitha

Kumbilappam/ Jackfruit dumplings

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   This is another special dish made from jackfruit.,also known as "chakkayappam" or "theraliyappam".  The flavors from jackfruit and the leaves blend together to give a fabulous taste to these dumplings.  Some things I quite miss from home. Even before leaving for vacation this summer, every time I spoke to my mom I kept asking her if 'vazhanyila' (the leaf used to wrap the dumpling) was available.  I knew they were cos they always are found in our back yard.  Attribute my anxiety to the desire to have some of this deliciousness. 

  My desire was fulfilled and the crowning glory is I even managed to take some pictures.  See the basket in the picture, a 15 year old boy from my sister's class made it for her. (My sister is a teacher)  It looks great doesn't it?  I simply loved it and decided the best way to have it, if not the real one, was a picture.  Did I tell you I had a great vacation? I know I did, but going down that path again even if only in my mind brings a smile I am sharing that with you too.  :) Have a good one!



Ingredients:

chakka varattiyathu/Jackfruit Halwa aka preserve/Jackfruit mashed- 1/2 kg
Rice flour (mixture of puttu and appam flour)- 1/2 kg
Coconut grated- 2 1/2 cup
Jaggery- 1 cup/ to your taste
Water
Jeera- 1/2 tsp
Cardamom- 1/4 tsp
Vazhanayila/Tejpatta



Method:

1.Mix the jackfruit halwa, coconut,jeera,cardamom and jaggery well.
2.Now add the flour and mix well. Slowly add water ,just enough to make a smooth dough.
3.The consistency should be little more watery than the chappathi dough.
4.Make cones using the "vazhanayila".You could use the stem of Coconut leaves (eerkkil) to pin it up.Leave the upper edge to close the cone.
5.Fill up the cones with the dough mixture and cook on steam.This takes at least 30 minutes. If you are using jackfruit instead of halwa steam it even longer. Jackfruit needs more time to get cooked.



Notes:

1.You could also use plantain leaves for making this.
2.I will add the recipe for making jackfruit halwa in the near future :-)

Contributor: Namitha

Jackfruit Chips/ Chakka Upperi

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   Jackfruits are one of the biggest blessing during humid summers in Kerala.  Loved as much as the mangoes we use this summer fruit in manifold ways to turnover scrummy dishes.  Believe me when I say this we really make use of every part.  The fruity flesh is enjoyed as is and turned into cooked sweet delicacies.  When raw we cook them fine adding chilies and coconut and make a savory side dish for rice or eat is with spicy fish curry or pickle.  Coming to the seeds it can be turned into unbelievable variety of dishes as well.  Paired with other vegetables or alone they make great dishes to be enjoyed with rice. 

  It makes me drool just writing about all the delicious stuff.  Without further ado today's recipe is the crispy fries made with the raw flesh of the jackfruit.  They are one of our favorites and while in Kerala I had a chance to make them with family.  It was a wonderful time both making and munching on them over tea and chitchat while the rain splashed away keeping pace with our own relentless chatter.  Simple pleasures of life.

  By the way, I did mean it when I said we use every part of the jackfruit.  The jagged outer husk is fed to the cattle.



Ingredients:

Raw Jackfruit(take only the edible white part)
Salt
Oil

Method:

1.Clean the raw chakkachula (edible white part)and slice it equally.Cut off both the top and bottom edges.
2.Bring the oil to smoking hot.
3.Throw in the pieces and fry till it is done. The time depends on the thickness of the pieces.
4.Add some salt water slowly into the pan ,be careful while doing so, since the oil will splutter around.If you are using a smaller pan you could cover it up, if not stay as far as you can :-)
5.Take out and spread on a paper towel and let cool before storing in an airtight container.



Here is the picture of some jackfruits from our yard ,back in Kerala.In fact when went they were almost over, though we were lucky enough to eat them in all forms.And I got to click the last remaining ones for you all :-)