Bottlegourd Stirfry

This is one vegetable that I have never had back home in Kerala, I have never even seen it in the Kannur market.In the US Indian/Asian markets it is available in abundance.This is one of my son's favorite stir fry's now.

Ingredients:

1. Bottle gourd - 2 medium sized peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
2. Garlic - 5 cloves crushed
3. Onion - 1 big chopped
4. Chicken Bullion cubes/soup cubes  - 4 (If you are vegetarian you can avoid this)
5. Chilly powder - 2 tsp
6. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
7. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Sugar - 2 tsp
9. Vinegar - 2 tsp
10. salt -to taste
11. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
12. Oil - 2 tbsp
13. Curry leaves - 1 spring.

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds.
Add in the curry leaves , crushed garlic and chopped onion and stirfry ntil it starts turning slightly brown.
Add in the chilly , turmeric and coriander powder and saute until the raw smell is gone.
Add the diced bottle gourd pieces and crushed chicken bullion cubes and stir well.
Add in vinegar and check for salt .
add salt if required - chicken bullion cube contains salt so you might not need to add any.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes - the vegetable gives out a lot of water.
Remove the lid and increase the flame to high and stir-fry until all the water evaporated.
Add in the sugar and stir-fry for another 10 minutes until the mixture is dry and starts to brown slightly.
Serve with rice or Roti.

Chicken and Vegetable Eggdrop soup

Sweet corn chicken soup is one of my favorite soups from an Indo chinese restaurant.The canned creamed sweet corn that you get here in the US is really sweet that the end result tends to be on the sweet side.SO instead of using sweet corn I have used vegetables here.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken Breast - 1 piece
2. Lime Juice - 1 tsp
3. Crushed black pepper - 1/2 tsp
4. Eggs - 1 whole
5. Chicken Stock - 3 cups (I used 3 herb-ox chicken bullion cubes dissolved in 3 cups of warm water)
6. thinly sliced vegetables - 1/2 cup (I used mushrooms ,baby corn ,carrots ,celery, shallots)
7. Corn flour - 3 tbsp dissolved in 1/4 cup water
8. Oil/butter - 1 tbsp
9. Soy sauce - to taste

Method:
In a pan place the chicken breast and add the lime juice and black pepper and salt to taste , pour in 1/2 cup water and cover the pan .Turn the flame on and let the chicken poach in the water for 15 minutes , turn it around every 5 minutes so that it cooks evenly.Remove the chicken from pan and keep aside to cool.
To the same pan add the 1 tbsp oil or butter and the chopped vegetables and saute until it is soft .
Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil .
Simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.
Meanwhile shred the poached chicken breast using 2 forks into thin long pieces and keep aside.
Break and beat the egg in a saucer until it is fluffy.
Bring flame to high and get the soup to a rolling boil.
Slowly pour  the beaten egg into the hot soup in a thin stream while stirring continuously in a circular motion- the egg protein cooks on contact with the hot liquid and forms strings that give the typical egg drop look.
Keep the soup boiling and pour in 3/4'th of the cornflour liquid and boil until it starts thickening.
If you like it thicker add the rest of the cornflour liquid.
Add the shredded chicken pieces and simmer for a minute .
Serve hot with chilly and soy sauce.

Vazhakoombu Thoran

Vazhakoombu,Kodappan,Chundu,VazhaChundu are all names used for the humble Banana Flower.
Keralites use all parts of the Banana Plant Ripe bananas are eaten as such or used in making desserts , raw bananas are made into curries , stir fry's etc The Banana leaves are used to serve food in , wrap food for baking grilling and also to pack food in, The stem of the Banana plant is user for making makeshift floating devices, decorating and cooking.Here is a quick Thoran using the Banana Flower

Ingredients:

1. Banana Flower - 2 medium sized remove the purple outer petals until you see the creamy white inside petals
2. Grated Coconut - 1 cup
3. Green Chilly - 4 chopped
4. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
5. Shallots - 3 chopped
6. Curry Leaves - 2 springs
7. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tsp
8. Salt - to taste

Method:
Banana Flower turns a dull grey color when exposed to air.SO either chop it only when ready to add to the pan or keep it immersed in water until ready to cook.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds , when it splutters add curry leaves and chopped shallots and green chillies to the oil and saute until it is soft.
Add in the chopped banana flower and turmeric powder , sprinkle with water , add salt to taste and mix well.
Cover and cook for 10 minutes until the bananaflower is 3/4'th cooked.
Remove the lid and add the grated coconut and stir well.
Stirfry on a medium flame until the mixture is dry.
Serve with rice.

Tandoori Murgh Masala

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 2 lb (cut into small 1.5 inch pieces)
2. Shan Tandoori masala - 1 tbsp
3. Lime juice - 1 tbsp
4. Onion - 2 (chop into 4 big chunks each)
5. Tomatoes - 1 large cut in 2
6. Garlic - 5 cloves
7. Ginger - 1/2 inch piece chopped
8. Karoori methi - 1 tsp
9. Butter - 2 tbsp
10. Ghee - 1 tbsp
11. Oil - 2 tbsp
12. Sugar - 1 tbsp
13. Kashmiri chilly powder - 1.5 tbsp heaped
14. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
15. Whole spices - 1 small piece cinnamon, 4 cardamom, 1 tsp Fennel , 3 cloves and 1 tsp black pepper.
16. Salt - to taste

Method:
Wash and drain the chicken pieces and add i the tandoori masala and Lime juice and mix it well and keep aside for 30 minutes to few hours (in refrigerator)
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a nonstick pan and saute/grill the chicken pieces in a single layer until it is slightly browned (about 10-15 minutes, since the chicken is cut into small pieces it will be almost cooked)
Remove chicken pieces with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
Add the chunks of onion and into the same pan and grill on high until it starts getting brown spots , add in the garlic, ginger , tomatoes and whole spices and saute again for another 5 minutes until it gets grilled.
Turn the flame off and add the grilled veggies into a blender/food processer and blend until smooth.
Heat 2 tbsp butter in a nonstick pan and add the ground masala to the pan and stir , add in the chilly and turmeric powder and salt to taste and mix well.
Saute the mixture until you see oil float on the sides of the pan, and the gravy attains a deep reddish brown color.
Add in the sugar and grilled chicken pieces and 1/4 cup of water if the gravy is too thick and bring to a simmer - cook it for 5 minutes.
Add the kasoori methi and Ghee on top and bring to a quick simmer and turn thr flame off.
Garnish with corriander leaves and serve with nan,chappathi, rice etc.

Soda Naranga Vellam

BonjiSoda, Uppu soda ,Soda naranga Vellam,fresh lime soda ,Nimbu Soda What ever you call it ,it is one of the most popular thirst quenchers in Kerala.It is as popular as Karikkum Vellam /Tender coconut water and Sambharam/Spiced Buttermilk.
It is a variant of the traditional Lime juice or Naranga vellam which is traditionally prepared by Squeezing fresh cut lime and mixing the juice with salt, sugar or both and adding clod water.It is a perfect drink on a hot summer day.

Ingredients:

1. Lime - 1/2 of 1
2. Soda - 1 small bottle (use around 8 ounce / 1 glass)
3. Salt - 1/2 tsp (or Sugar 4tbsp + a pinch of salt)
4. Ice cubes - few

Method:
Squeeze the lime juice into a glass and stir in the salt/Sugar .
Mix until it dissolves, add in ice cubes.
Top with cold soda and drink immediately.

Long beans and Dry shrimp stirfry

Ingredients:

1. Yard long beans/Achinga Payar/ Neenda Payar - 1 bunch
2. Dry shrimp - 1/4 cup(head removed and cleaned)
3. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Garlic - 4 cloves
6. Shallots - 5 crushed
7. Green chillies - 2 slit
8. Oil - 2 tbsp
9. Curry leaves - 2 springs
10. Salt - to taste
11. Vinegar - 1 tsp
12. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan and add 2 crushed shallots, 2 cloves crushed garlic , 1 spring curry leaves and dry shrimp and fry for few minutes.
Add in 1/2 tsp chilly powder and vinegar and salt to taste and fry until the shrimp is toasted.Keep this aside.
Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan and add the mustard seeds. When it splutters add the curry leaves ,remaining crushed shallots,garlic and slit green chillies and stir well.
Add in the chilly and turmeric powder and stirfry until raw smell is gone.
Add in the cut beans and sprinkle a tbsp of water- add salt to taste and cover and cook until the beans are cooked.
Remove the lid and add in the shrimp mixture and fry in open pan for 10 minutes .
Serve with rice.

Nadan Tharavu Piralan with black pepper

Ingredients:

1. Duck - 1/2 of 1 duck or approx 2 pounds cut into small pieces with some skin attached.
2. Shallots  - 1.5 cups sliced
3. Ginger - 1 inch piece chopped fine
4. Garlic - 1 pod chopped
5. Green chillies - 5 slit
6. Curry leaves - 5 springs
7. Kashmiri Chilly powder - 1 heaped Tbsp(reduce quantity if using spicy chilly powder)
8. Coriander powder- 2 tbsp
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10. coarsely crushed black pepper -  2 tsp
11. Meat masala - 1 tsp (cardamom,cloves,cinnamon,fennel)
12. Oil - 1 tbsp
13. Vinegar - 2 tbsp
14. Salt- to taste

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add the onion , ginger and garlic and saute until soft.
Add in the crushed meat masala and half of the curry leaves and saute for 2 minutes.
Add in the chilly,coriander,turmeric ,pepper powder, salt and vinegar and saute until the raw smell is gone.
Add in the duck pieces and mix well.
Cover and cook on medium flame until the duck is cooked (about 45 minutes)
The duck would have given out some fat and you can cook it in an open pan for 15 minutes until it is browned.Add the rest of the curry leaves and the slit chillies 5 minutes before turning the flame off.
This curry tastes better the next day.It becomes more brown when reheated.

Raw Banana & Green Gram Puzhukku

Ingredients:

1. Green gram/Cherupayar - 1/2 cup soaked over night and pressure cooked until soft.
2. Green banana  - 3 cut into cubes after scrapping off the outermost skin.
3. Shallots - 3 (slice 2 and keep aside)
4. Green chillies - 4
5. garlic - 1 clove
6. salt - to taste
7. grated coconut - 1/2 cup
8. curry leaves - 2 springs
9. mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
10. Dry red chilly - 1 broken into few pieces
11. Oil - 1tbsp

Method:
grind together the grated coconut,1 shallot and green chillies and garlic into a coarse paste.
Cook the cubed green banana with salt and water.
When this is cooked add in the cooked green gram and salt and mix well, there should be some water remaining.
Add in the coconut mixture and mix.Cover and cook for 2 minutes on a low flame.Turn the flame off.
Heat oil and add mustard seeds.When they splutter add the curry leaves , slices shallots and red chillies and fry until light brown.
Add the green gram and banana mixture into this and mix well.
Serve with rice or kanji.

Potato Stew

Ingredients:

1. Potatoes - 3 medium sized
2. Onion - 1 medium chopped
3. Green chillies - 5 cut into rings
4. Black pepper - 1/2 tsp roughly crushed
5. curry leaves - 2 springs
6. Coconut milk - 1 cup
7. mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
8. Oil - 1 tbsp
9. Ginger - 1/2 tsp chopped
10. salt - to taste
11. Vinegar - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Boil or microwave the potatoes until it is cooked and remove the skin and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.When it splutters add the curry leaves and onion,green chilly,ginger and salt to taste and saute until the onion is tender.
Add in the boiled Potatoes and smash with the back of the spoon breaking them down into small pieces.
Add enough salt to taste,Vinegar, crushed black pepper and mix well.
Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
This stew goes well with Appam, idiappam and rice.

Grand Sangria

Ingredients:

1. Red wine - 1 bottle (Use any cheap fruit forward red wine)
2. Chopped up fruits - 1 cup (you can use Plum,apples, Oranges,Cherries,Grapes,strawberries etc)
3. Ginger ale - to taste (OR club soda and sugar)

Method:
Cut the fruits into dices or thin slices and mix it with the wine(and sugar if you plan on serving with club soda, If using ginger ale skip the sugar) and keep refrigerated for several hours or overnight.This will allow the fruit flavors to blend with the wine.
When ready to serve add ice cubes to the glass and fill in 3/4 cup of the wine mixture and top off  with soda/Gingerale.
Serve chilled.

Cabbage & Spring Onion Thoran

Ingredients:

1. Cabbage - 1 medium sliced thin
2. Green onions - 1 bunch (10 -15 stalks)
3. Green chillies - 8 cut into rings
4. Shallots - 5 sliced
5. Turmeric - a pinch
6. curry leaves - 1 spring
7. grated coconut - 1 cup
8. Oil - 1 tsp
9. mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Mix all the ingredients (1 -7) other than Oil and mustard seeds together with salt to taste.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds .
When it splutters add the cabbage mixture and stir in the open pan for 2 minutes.
Cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked.
Some varieties of cabbage will give out water - if this happens stir fry on high heat without covering until water evaporates.

Sambharam - Morum Vellam - Spiced Butter Milk - Pacha Moru

Ingredients:

1. Sour curd - 1 cup
2. Water - 2.5 cups
3. Green chillies - 1 crushed
4. Shallot - 1 crushed
5. Ginger - 1/2 inch piece crushed
6. Curry leaves - 1 spring bruise with your fingers and add
7. salt - to taste

Method:
Beat the curd with a fork or in a blender until it is smooth.
Add in water, salt and the crushed green chilly,shallor,ginger and curry leaves and stir well.
Keep aside for 30 minutes , serve at room temperature or cold if you prefer it that way.
You can add more water if the curd is sour.

Kuttanadan Tharavu Curry

Ingredients:

1. Duck - 1/2 of 1 (around 3 lbs)
2. Onion - 3 medium sliced
3. Ginger - 1.5 inch piece chopped
4. Garlic - 1 pod peeled and chopped
5. Green Chilly - 7
6. Vinegar - 2 tbsp
7. Curry leaves- 3 springs
8. Thick Coconut milk - 1.5 cups
9. Coriander powder- 3 tbsp
10. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Potato - 1 large peeled and cut into big chunks
12. Garam masala -1 tsp (cardamom,pepper,cinnamon,cloves,fennel crushed )
13. Salt - to taste
14. Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Clean,cut, wash and drain the duck and keep aside.
Add oil to a pan and add in the ginger,garlic,onion,green chillies, curry leaves and garam masla powder and saute until the onions are soft.
Add in the coriander and turmeric powder and salt to taste and saute until the raw smell is gone.
Add the duck pieces and vinegar and enough salt and stir well.
Cover and cook until the duck is 3/4'th cooked (about 30 minutes).The duck will give out enough water as it cooks ,but check in between to see if the curry gets too dry and add 1/4 cup of water if necessary.
Add in the Potato pieces and cook until duck and potatoes are cooked (another 20 minutes)
Pour in coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
Add more vinegar, salt , green chillies, crushed black pepper etc to adjust taste.
This curry tastes best with Palappam , Idiappam , puttu etc.