Mackeral with green mango / Meenum mangayum

Ingredients :

1. Mackeral / Aiyala / Bangada - 2 medium large sized cleaned and cut into 2 or 3 pieces
2. shallots - 3 crushed
3. garlic - 2 cloves crushed
4. ginger - 1 inch piece crushed
5. coconut oil - 2 tbsp
6. curry leaves - 2 springs
7. green chilly - 2 slit
8. red chilly powder - 2 tsp 
9. turmeric powder -  1/2 tsp
10. salt - to taste 
11. thick coconut milk - 1/2 cup
12. green mango - 1 big peeled and cut into pieces as big as the fish pieces

Method:
into a claypot , add all of the ingredients except the coconut oil and curry leaves and pour in 2 cups of water and mix well with your hands .
cook this on a medium flame for about 10 minutes until the fish and mango are cooked .
reduce the flame to low and taste for salt , spice and sourness .
Adjust taste now and add the coconut milk  and mix gently
allow it to warm up for a minute
turn the flame off and add the raw coconut oil and curry leaves on top of the hot curry mix lightly and cover with a lid and allow to sit for 30 minutes .
serve with rice 

Shallow fried Lady fish

Ingredients :

1. Kane/Lady fish /Nongal - 4 medium sized cleaned ,washed and drained
2. red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
3. turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
4. salt - 1/2 tsp
5. vinegar - 1/2 tsp
6. black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
7. coconut oil - 4 tbsp

Method:
mix together the chilly , turmeric,salt,vinegar,black pepper and 1 tbsp of coconut oil and make into a paste , add few drops of water if needed .
taste the paste for salt and adjust if required
apply the paste on the cleaned fish and set aside for an hour .
heat remaining coconut oil in a shallow nonstick tawa or pan
once the oil is hot place the fish in a single layer and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes per side
turning the fish once.

Disco pumpkin payasam with maggie coconut milk powder

Ingredients :

1. Disco pumpkin - 1 (you can use any kind of pumpkin , disco pumpkins are miniature pumpkins that yields about 3 cups of cubed cleaned pumpkin)
2. Maggie coconut milk powder - 8 tbsp
3. jaggery - 2 cups melted and strained (approximately 400 gms)
4. ghee - 3 tbsp
5. cashewnuts - 10
6. raisins - 10
7. coconut slices - 2 tbsp
8. cardamom - 2 powdered with 1 tsp sugar
9. salt - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Add the pumpkin and 1/2 cup water with salt to a pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistles .
Allow to cool and then open the cooker .
Heat ghee in a pan and fry the cashews until golden and keep aside .
fry the raisins until plump and keep aside .
fry the coconut slices until golden and keep aside .
Into the remaining ghee  add the cooked pumpkin and saute until it starts changing color to a bright orange and all the water content leaves the pumpkin puree .
add in the melted strained jaggery and mix well and cook for another 5 minutes .
mix 4 tbsp coconut milk powder in 3 cups of warm water and add to the pumpkin mixture and mix well.
simmer this on a medium flame until it starts to reduce slightly and becomes thick.
mix in the remaining 4 tbsp coconut milk powder in 1 cup of warm water and keep aside .
add in the cardamom powder and taste for sweetness , if you prefer it sweeter add in more jaggery syrup or sugar and mix well.
reduce the flame to low and add in the thick coconut milk and mix well - do not boil after this step
mix until the payasam gets heated through.
turn the flame off and add the fried nuts and raisins .
serve hot or cold

Note : Cooking times are approximate and depends on how thick you like the end product .

Irachi Chor

Ingredients :

1. Beef  - 1/2 kg with bones cut into medium sized cubes
2. Jeera rice / kaima rice - 3 cups
3. water - 6 cups (you might not need all of it depending on the beef gravy)
4. onion - 4 sliced
5. green chilly - 3 slit
6. ginger - 1 inch piece chopped
7. garlic - 6 cloves 
8. ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
9. curry leaves - 1 spring 
10. coconut oil - 3 tbsp
11. curry leaves - 1 spring
12. corriander leaves - 1/2 cup chopped
13. mint leaves - 1/4 cup
14. vinegar - 1 tbsp
15. yogurt - 1/2 cup
16. chilly powder -1 tsp
17. corriander powder - 1 tsp
18. turmeric powder - 1 tsp
19. fresh ground meat masala - 1 tbsp (2 cardamom, 2 cloves,5 peppercorn,1/2 tsp fennel seeds,1 cinnamon stick,1 bay leaf  

Method :
add the beef , 2 chopped onions ,chopped ginger , garlic cloves ,green chillues ,1/2 tsp turmeric powder , vinegar , curry leaves ,salt and 1/2 tbsp meat masala into a small pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistles .Allow the steam to release by itself and then open the cooker .(cooking time will vary on the cut of beef you use - increase or decrease as needed)
wash and soak the rice in water and set aside .
In a pan add the coconut oil and sliced onions and saute until it starts changing color .
add in the ginger garlic paste and saute until raw smell is gone .
add in the chilly, corriander,turmeric powder and remaining meat masala and saute for a minute .
add in curd and stirfry until the oil starts separating .
add in the corriander and mint leaves and mix well.
Add the cooked beef pieces into this masala and mix well, let it cook on low flame for 5 minutes .
measure the beef gravy and keep aside.
meanwhile drain the rice from soaking water and add to the meat that is cooking .
pour in the measured gravy(leftover from cooking the beef in the pressure cooker )
measure and add remaining water (gravy + water should come up to 6 cups )
add salt to taste and mix well.
bring to a boil and then reduce the flame to low , cover and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through.about 15 minutes .
serve with raita ,pickle , pappad and chutney

Homemade Sambar powder

Ingredients :

1. Dry red chilllies - 1 cup
2. Coriander seeds - 1.5 cup
3. Channa dal - 2 tbsp
4. Toor Dal - 2 tbsp
5. Urad dal- 2 tbsp
6. Pepper Corns - 1 tbsp
7. Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1 tbsp
9. Hing - 2 tbsp
10. cumin - 1 tsp

Method :
Dry roast the chilly and corriander seeds separately in a pan until it turns fragrant but does not change color.
dry roast all the dals aslo until toasted and add the remaining ingredients about 30 seconds before turning off the flame .
allow the ingredients to cool completely by spreading on a plate .
Grind to a smooth powder and cool completely before storing in airtight containers .

Chemeen-muringakka-manga charu curry

Ingredients :

1. medium/small shrimp - 1 cup cleaned and deveined
2. Drumstick - 1 large skin scraped and cut into 2 inch long pieces
3. Raw mango - 1 peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4. green chillies - 5 slit
5. fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
6. turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
7. ginger - 1/2 inch piece
8. garlic - 2 cloves
9. shallots - 8 
10. mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
11. coconut oil - 1 tsp
12. curry leaves - 2 springs
13. chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
14. salt - to taste

Method:
add the grated coconut , 1/2 of the turmeric powder, 2 shallots , ginger , garlic,and 1 green chilly to a blender jar , add few tsp of water and grind to a smooth paste and keep aside.
In a Claypot add the drumsticks , 1 cup water , remaining turmeric powder, slit green chillies and 2 chopped shallots with salt to taste and cook for 5 minutes.
Add in the mango pieces and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add in the shrimp and cook for an additional 5 minutes until all the pieces are cooked through.
Add the ground paste to the simmering shrimp mixture and add enough water to form a thick gravy and mix well.
Taste for salt and sourness.
allow the mixture to come to a slight simmer .turn the flame off and keep covered.
In a small tadka pan add the coconut oil and splutter the mustard seeds.
add the sliced shallots and fry until light brown.
add in curry leaves and stir well.
turn the flame off.
Pour the seasoned oil into the curry and mix well.
cover and keep aside for 10 minutes before serving with rice.

Oats Idli

Ingredients :

1. Urud Dal - 1 cup
2. Raw rice - 1/2 cup
3. cooked rice - 2 tbsp
4. Oats - 1.5 cups
5. salt - to taste
6. Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
7. cooking soda - 1/4 tsp (optional)

Method:
Wash and soak the urud dal, raw rice and methi seeds in  water for 6 hours .
powder the oats in a blender and keep aside .
Grind the dal+rice+methi seeds + cooked rice to a smooth paste using enough water to come up to the level of the grains in the blender .
Add the powdered oats to the batter and beat until mixed well and no lumps remain.
Allow to ferment overnight until the batter is spongy ( or you can add 1/4 tsp cooking soda to the batter and mix well and keep for 10 minutes before making idli)
Steam in idli maker for 15 minutes and remove from mould when cooled .
Serve with sambar or chutney.

Orange Soda

Ingredients :

1. for the orange syrup
2. Fresh squeezed Orange juice - 4 cups 
3. sugar - 2 cups
4. water -3/4 cup
5. citric acid - 2 tsp
6. soda - as required 
7. Orange essence - 1 tsp (optional)

Method :
Squeeze the juice from the oranges and remove seeds by straining through a wide mesh strainer.
Place the 2 cups of sugar and 3/4 cup water to boil.
when the solution starts boiling and all the sugar has dissolved add in the citric acid and mix well until dissolved.
Allow the sugar solution to cool down to room temperature .
Add the orange juice and mix well.
Add orange essence if you are using it.
Strain and store in clean dry bottles in the fridge.
To prepare Orange soda mix the orange syrup with cold soda in the ratio 1:4.
serve immediately.

NOTE : if you prefer a brighter orange color , add some orange food color .
If you have to store the syrup at room temperature you have to add some sort of preservative 

Oats Thair sadam

Ingredients :

1. Oats - 1/2 cup
2. Water - 1/2 cup
3. curd - 1/2 cup
4. Ginger - 1/2 tsp chopped
5. Green chillies - 1 chopped
6. onion - 2 tbsp chopped
7. mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp 
8. curry leaves - few
9. dry red chilly - 1
10. asafotedia - 1/4 tsp
11. oil - 1 tsp
12. salt - to taste

Method:
 dry roast the oats until it is toasted.
Heat oil in a frying pan and splutter the mustard seeds,
add the ginger,green chillies and onion  and saute for a minute.
add in curry leaves and dry red chillies, asafotedia and fry .
Add salt to taste and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil.
add in the oats and cook on low flame until the water is absorbed.
allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Add in curds and mix well.
Serve with garnishes of your choice.

Ginger ,Rice & Banana wine

Ingredients :

1. Ginger - 200 gms
2. Robusta bananas  - 3 peeled and sliced 
3. Kaima rice/Basmati rice -  1/2 cup 
4. Water - 14 glasses 
5. Sugar - 6 cups
6. Yeast -1 tsp 
7. tea bag - 3 (optional, I used saffron flavored tea for color)

 Method:

Boil the water with sliced ginger and allow it to cool to room temperature.
While the water is cooling dip the teabags in it and allow to steep.
Remove tea bags once cool and add all remaining ingredients and mix well.
Store it in a glass or ceramic jar with a lid .
close the lid and keep aside in a cool dark place.
Stir the mix once everyday with a clean dry wooden spoon or stick and replace the lid afterwards.
After 21 days strain the mix ,remove all the solid bits and pour into another clean dry glass jar and leave undisturbed for another 3-4 weeks .
During this time ,do not open the bottle and allow air inside .
Do not keep in sunlight ,keep it in a cool dark place 
After 2-3 weeks the sediments will settle to the bottom and the wine will become clear.
transfer into glass bottles with tight lids without disturbing the sediments and use as required.
You can increase the sugar by 2 cups if you like your wine sweet .

Drumstick leaves Dal curry / Muringa ila parippu curry

Ingredients :

1. tender Drumstick leaves picked - 1 cups packed
2. Toor dal - 1/4 cup dry soaked in water
3. grated coconut - 1/4 cup
4. cumin seeds - 1/4  tsp
5. shallots - 5
6. garlic - 2 cloves 
7. green chillies - 3 chopped
8. curry leaves - 1 spring
9. Onion - 1 small chopped fine
10. turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Oil - 1 tsp
12. mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
13. dry red chilly - 1 broken into pieces
14. salt - to taste

Method:
grind the coconut,cumin,turmeric,shallots and 1 chopped chilly into a paste and keep aside .
pressure cook the  dal with 1 cup water until soft.
Heat oil in a frying pan and splutter the mustard seeds.
add the curry leaves ,dry red chilly ,chopped garlic , 2 green chillies and onion and saute until soft.
add the drumstick leaves and saute for 2 minutes ,until the leaves have wilted and turned darkgreen.
add the cooked dal and ground coconut paste and bring to a simmer .
turn off the flame and season to taste with salt .
Serve with rice.

Goosberry /Nellikka Juice with himalayan rock salt

Ingredients:

1. Gooseberry - 2 remove seeds and chop into pieces
2. water - 1 glass
3. curry leaves - 2 
4. green chilly - 1 or 1/2 of 1 depending on your spice level
5. pink himalayan rock salt - 1/4 tsp or to taste.

Method:
Add all the ingredients into a blender and blend until everything is crushed well.
strain through a sieve and serve immediately.

Garlic pickle

Ingredients:

1. Peeled Garlic - 250 gms
2. Chilly powder - 2 tbsp
3. Tamarind pulp -  small lime sized ball 
4. fenugreek/methi seeds - 1/2 tsp
5. mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
6. asafotedia /Hing - 1/2 tsp
7. turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
8. salt - to taste
9. green chilly - 5 chopped
10. curry leaves - 1 spring
11. Gingely oil / Nallenna - 4 tbsp
12. jaggery - 1 tbsp grated

Method:

add  1/2 cup warm water to the tamarind and squeeze to remove the pulp - strain and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and methi seeds.
When it splutters add in the garlic and green chilly and salt to taste and saute until the garlic slightly changes color to a cream shade.
add in chilly,turmeric and asafotedia and mix well.
Saute until the raw smell is gone and the chilly powder turns a darker shade.
Add in the tamarind juice and jaggery and bring to a boil.
simmer until the gravy thickens.
taste for sourness,sweetness,spiciness  and salt .
Adjust as per taste .It should only be very slightly sweet .
turn the flame off and store in clean dry bottles .
after the pickle sits for an hour , you should see the oil floating on top.
you can add some oil on top if there is not enough oil.
This can be kept at room temperature for over a month as long as you use a clean dry spoon and retain a layer of oiil on top.

Kerala Plantain Halwa

Ingredients:

1. Over ripe Plantains - 6 (1.5 kg)
2. Sugar - 1 cup 
3. Ghee - 1/2 cup
4. Cashews - few
5. Cardamom - 3 powdered

Method:
Steam the plantains until soft .
remove the skin and slit it in two, you can remove the strand of seeds easily once it is steamed.
Add the steamed plantains to a blender jar and blend until a paste is formed.
Add 2 tbsp ghee to a nonstick frying pan and  fry until golden.
Remove from pan and reserve.
Add the plantain paste to the same pan and saute for few minutes.
Add sugar and mix well.
Keep stirring and sauteing on a medium low flame adding table spoon of ghee as the plantains start sticking to the pan.
after about 45 minutes it will start forming a ball and leave the sides of the pan .
At this stage add the cashews and powdered cardamom and fry for few more minutes.
transfer to a greased dish and cut into pieces when cool.
Can be stored in the fridge for 2 months.

White Mutton Stew with Carrots , Beans & Potatoes

Ingredients :

1. Mutton - 500 gms cubed ,washed and drained
2. Carrots - 2 cut into big cubes
3. Potatoes - 3 diced into big cubes
4. Green beans - 10 stringed and cut into 1 inch slices
5. medium Onion - 4 chopped thin 
6. Garlic - 10 cloved chopped
7. Ginger - 1 inch piece chopped
8. Green chilly - 5 slit
9. Thick coconut milk - 1 cups
10. Thin coconut milk - 2 cups
11. curry leaves - 2 springs
12. Whole spices - 5 cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon piece , 1 tsp black pepper ,1 tsp fennel seeds crushed,6 cloves
13. coarsely crushed black pepper - 1/2 tsp
14. salt - to taste
15. vinegar - 3 tbsp
16. Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Heat a pressure cooker pan and add oil.
Add in chopped onion , ginger,garlic,green chillies, curry leaves, whole spices and salt and saute until onion has wilted.
Add in mutton cubes , salt to taste and vinegar .Mix well. put on the lid and pressure cook for 10 minutes after the first whistle .
Turn off the flame and allow the pressure to release by itself.
open the lid , taste for salt and vinegar , add in the cubed vegetable and beans and second extract of coconut milk and cook for 10 minutes (until the vegetables are cooked )
Adjust taste , add crushed pepper and first extract of coconut milk and mix until it has warmed through.
turn flame off and serve with appam ,bread etc.
Do not boil the curry after adding the thick coconut milk.

Chekkurmanis /Madhura Cheera Thoran

Ingredients:

1. Madhura Cheera - 1 bunch (about 3 cups leaves and tender stems picked and chopped)
2. grated coconut - 3/4th cup
3. garlic - 2 cloves
4. shallots - 5 chopped
5. green chillies - 3 chopped
6. turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
7. coconut oil - 1 tbsp
8. curry leaves - 1 spring

Method:
Heat oil in a frying pan and splutter mustard seeds.
add chopped shallots, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves and saute until it is soft.
Add turmeric powder and mix well.
Add in the cleaned  Cheera , salt to taste and saute on open flame for 5 minutes.
Add grated coconut , mix well and cook covered for 5 minutes.
Serve hot with rice.



Madhura Cheera /Chekkurmanis

Payar mezhukkupuratti

Ingredients:

1. Yard long beans/snake beans/Achninga/Neenda Payar - 250 gms
2. Shallots - 3 crushed
3. green chilly - 1 slit
4. curry leaves - 1 spring
5. Garlic - 2 cloves crushed
6. chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
7. coconut slices - 2 tbsp
8. 
   
9. turmeric powder - a pinch
10. salt - to taste
11. mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp 
12. coconut oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
Clean and break the tender yard long beans into 1.5 cm long pieces , take the seeds out of mature pods and use only the seeds else it will be stringy.
Heat coconut oil in a pan , splutter the mustard seeds .
Add crushed shallots,garlic, curry leaves and coconut slices and fry for 2 minutes.
Add chilly and turmeric powder and mix well.
Add beans and and salt and mix well.
stirfry in open pan for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle some water and cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
remove cover , taste and adjust seasonings and stirfry in open pan until dry .
Serve with rice.

Kudampuli itta Nadan Mathi Curry

 Ingredients :

1. Sardines /Mathi/Chala - 10 celaned and drained.
2. shallots - 5 crushed
3. garlic - 15 small cloves crushed
4. ginger - 1 inch piece crushed
5. curry leaves - 2 springs
6. coconut Oil - 2 tbsp
7. Kudam puli /Cocum - 3 pieces soaked in 1 cup warm water for 30 minutes
8. chilly powder - 3 tsp
9. corriander powder - 1.5 tsp
10. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
11. salt - to taste
12. fenugreek seeds/methi - 1/4 tsp

Method:
Heat a clay pot and add 1 tbsp coconut oil .
Add fenugreek seeds and allow to splutter.
Add the crushed shallot,ginger and garlic and 1 spring curry leaves and saute until softened.
lower flame to minimum and add the chilly,corriander and turmeric powder and stir unti  it is mixed well with the oil. Dont let the masala burn or your curry will taste bitter .Add more oil if needed to saute the powders.
Once the masala gets a deep red color add in the cocum water and mix well.
Add 1 more cup of water and then add salt to taste.
Allow this gravy to come to a boil- check the seasonings - salt , sourness, spice and adjust as required.
you can add the cocum pieces if you like it more sour.
Add the cleaned fish to the simmering gravy , cover and cook for 15 minutes.
the gravy should have thickened slightly and you should see a bit ot oil floating on top.
Turn the flame off and add the remaining one spring of curry leaves and 1 tbsp of coconut oil and rotate the pan.
Cove and leave aside for flavors to mingle.
This curry stays good at room temperature for 2-3 days .
Serve with boiled rice /tapioca.

Vadukapuli Achar - white

Ingredients :

1. Vadukapuli - 2 medium sized 
2. Garlic - 2 pods peeled
3. Green chilly - 10 cut into rings 
4. ginger - 2 tbsp chopped
5. curry leaves - 2 springs
6. Vinegar - 4 tbsp
7. salt - to taste
8. mustart seeds - 1 tsp
9. fenugreek seeds/methi/uluva - 1/2 tsp
10. Asafoteda /Hing - 1 tsp
11. Oil (Gingely is best) - 4 tbsp
12. sugar - 1 tbsp 

Method: 

Place a large pan of water on the stove and add the whole vadukapuli to it , add some salt and bring to a boil.simmer for 2 minutes .turn the flame off and pick the lime from the water and keep aside to cool down.
Once it has cooled down , wipe it dry with a clean cloth and cut into small pieces along with the outer skin. you can discard the seeds.
Heat oil in a pan , splutter the mustard and methi seeds.
add the green chilly,ginger,garlic, curry leaves and hing and fry for 2 minutes.
turn the flame off.
Add the vinegar and sugar and salt to taste.
Add the chopped lime pieces and mix well.
transfer into clean dry bottles when cool.
make sure that there is a thin layer of oil on top of the pickle  before you store it .
This will say fresh for 4 weeks at room temperature if the oil layer is retained on top and you use a clean dry spoon to mix and serve .
Serve with rice . Taste best after about 1 week.

Pappaya Halwa

Ingredients:

1. Ripe papaya - 1 whole , flesh scraped out. About 4 cups
2. Sugar - 8 tsp
3. Cardamom - 4
4. Ghee - 4 tbsp
5. Cashew, almonds - 4 each chopped and fried in ghee.

Method:

Cook the papaya pulp on medium flame in a non stick pan until it starts thickening . 

Add sugar and mix . Keep stirring continuously and add ghee and mix.

Cook until the mixture starts forming a ball and leaving the sides of the pan .

The ghee will start coming out of the mixture when it's ready . 

Add powdered cardamom and nuts and stir .

Turn flame off .

Put the mix into a dish and smooth it out with the top of a spoon . 

Allow to cool . Cut and serve .