Pesaha Appam (Unleavened Passover bread)

Pesaha Appam - This unleavened passover bread is had with pesaha paalu on Maundy Thursday after the evening mass.The head of the family cuts the appam into pieces, dips in the "paalu" & then gives it to other members of the family.This is a tradition among the Catholics of Kerala.

Ingredients:
For appam:
Urad dal - 1/2cup
Rice flour - 1cup
Coconut powder - 4tbsp
Pearl onions - 3-4nos.
Salt - 1/2tsp or to taste

For paalu:
Jaggery - 200gms
Rice flour - 2-3tbsp
Coconut milk powder - 4-5tbsp
Dry ginger powder - 1tsp
Cardamoms, powdered - 3-4nos.

Method:

Wash & soak dal for 3-4 hrs. Grind dal. To it add rice flour, coconut milk powder, salt and mix well. Add enough water to reach the desired consistency(that of idli batter). Pour the appam mix in a greased pan and place a little cross made from the palm leaf you get on Palm Sunday. Steam for 10-15 min or till done.

For making paalu - Break jaggery into small pieces and place it in a pan with some water. Heat till it melts completely. Strain it. Mix the coconut milk powder in a cup of water. To this add cardamom powder, dry ginger powder & rice flour and mix well. Add this mixture to the jaggery syrup & mix well to avoid lumps. Return to fire & bring to a boil stirring well all the while. Simmer & stir till the desired consistency is reached. Switch off the flame.

Duck Roast

Duck Roast - Adapted from this recipe
This duck preparation is a Easter/Christmas specialty.

Ingredients:
Duck, cleaned - 11/2 kg
Black Peppercorns - 1tsp
Onions, sliced - 3nos.
Ginger, sliced/grated - 2tbsp
Garlic, sliced - 11/2tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1tsp
Chilly powder - 1tbsp
Coriander powder - 2tbsp
Garam Masala - 11/2tbsp
Whole red chillies - 8nos
Curry leaves
Coconut oil
Salt

For garnishing
Arvi/Taro root, peeled & sliced - 4nos.
Cabbage leaves - 4nos.
Carrots, sliced - 2nos.

Method:

Cut Duck into medium sized pieces. Wash & drain well.
Heat oil in a pan. Add peppercorns. When it starts to crackle, add onions and saute till transparent. Now add ginger & garlic slices. Saute till the raw smell goes. Mix all the powder spices in a little water and add to the pan. Cook on a low flame till oil separates. Now add curry leaves & crushed whole red chillies. Add salt to taste. Next add the drained duck pieces and stir fry for 10 minutes. Transfer the contents to a pressure cooker. Add 1 1/2 cups of hot water & cook till done.

Heat oil( if you are using duck with skin, use the fat that has cooked out from the duck and is floating on top of the gravy)in a frying pan and fry the cooked duck pieces till brown. Drain on paper towels. In the same oil fry the sliced arvi/taro root. You can sprinkle a pinch of salt while frying the arvi pieces. Steam the cabbage leaves. Serve the fried duck pieces with gravy & garnished with cabbage leaves, sliced carrots & fried arvi.

Other Related Recipes:

Mathanga Payasam

Mathanga Payasam - Easy & Nutritious.
Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients:

Mathanga/Yellow Pumpkin/Butternut Squash - 250gms
Thick Coconut Milk - 1cup
Sugar - 1/4cup(or as per taste)
Rice powder - 2tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1-2tsp

Method:

Cut the pumpkin into cubes. Pressure cook the pumpkin pieces in a cup of water. With the back of a spoon mash the cooked pumpkin pieces. Now add the coconut milk & sugar. Mix well & bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes. Mix the rice powder in a little water(Do not substitute cornflour instead of rice flour, as it is the rice flour which gives the payasam a distinct flavour.) Add this to the pumpkin mixture slowly. Keep stirring while adding to avoid lumps. Stir cook for few more minutes & switch off the flame. Add the cardamom powder. Can be served warm or cold.


Quick Pumpkin Facts:

The bright orange color of pumpkin is a dead giveaway that pumpkin is loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is one of the plant carotenoids converted to vitamin A in the body.Beta-carotene offers protection against Cancer, Heart disease as well as some degenerative aspects of aging.

Pumpkin Nutrition Facts
(1 cup cooked, boiled, drained, without salt)

Calories 49 Protein 2 grams Carbohydrate 12 grams Dietary Fiber 3 grams Calcium 37 mg Iron 1.4 mg Magnesium 22 mg Potassium 564 mg

Zinc 1 mg Selenium .50 mg Vitamin C 12 mg Niacin 1 mg Folate 21 mcg Vitamin A 2650 IU Vitamin E 3 mg

Prawn Biryani

Prawn Biryani - Malabar Style

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 3cups
Prawns(Whole) - 1kg
Onion, sliced thinly - 3nos.
Tomatoes, chopped - 2nos.
Lemon juice - 2tbsp
Coriander leaves, chopped - 1 bunch
Mint leaves, chopped - small bunch
Whole spices for rice - cardamom - 5, cinnamon - 2" , cloves - 4, star anise -1 & bay leaves - 2
Chilli Powder - 1tsp
Biryani Masala powder- 11/2tsp
(Biryani Masala powder -
Dry roast & grind to a fine powder the following:-
Cardamom-3, Cinnamon(1" stick) -2, Cloves-4,
Nutmeg-quarter, Mace-3
Fennel seed-1/2tsp, Shahjeera-1/2tsp, Cumin seed-1/2 tsp)
Ghee/Butter - 1tbsp+1tbsp
Oil as needed
Salt as needed

For Marinade
Chilli powder - 1tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2tsp
Salt as needed

For Grinding
Green chillies - 5nos.
Garlic,chopped - 11/2tbsp
Ginger,chopped - 11/2tbsp
Coconut grated- 3tbsp
Curd - 4tbsp

For Garnish
Onion - 1nos.
Cashew nuts - few
Raisins - few

Method:

Soak rice in water for half an hour. Rinse and drain. Heat 1tbsp of ghee. Add the whole spices and fry for a minute. Add the drained rice & roast it for few minutes. Add 6 cups of boiling water & salt and cook rice till done. Spread rice in a flat plate & sprinkle lemon juice.

Clean & de-vein the prawns. Marinate in chilli, turmeric, pepper powders & salt for 30 min.
Grind together green chillies, garlic, ginger and grated coconut into a coarse paste adding curd.

Fry raisins and cashew nuts in ghee, till brown and keep aside. Carmelise one onion(thinly sliced for garnish) & keep aside. In the same pan fry the marinated prawns to a golden tinge. Keep aside a few prawns for garnishing.

To the fried prawns, in the same oil, add 3 onions chopped. Fry till the onions turn translucent. Add tomato, ground paste, chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves and the lemon juice. Cook covered for a few minutes. Then open cook till the masala reduces in quantity. Add chilli powder. Check for salt. Finally add the Biryani Masala & switch off the heat.

In a microwave safe dish, spread half of the rice, layer the prawn masala on top and layer the remaining rice on it. Cover & microwave for 4 min on high. Alternately you can bake it for 15-30 min at 150 deg. celsius. Mix thoroughly and serve garnished with fried prawns,roasted cashews,raisins and caramelized onion and serve hot with onion raita & pickle.

Other Related Recipes:
Malabar Chicken Biryani
Unnakka Chemeen Chammanthi/Dried Shrimp Chutney

Mathi Vatichathu

Mathi Vatichathu - Sardines cooked dry

Ingredients:
Sardines/Mathi/Chaala - 1/2kg
Ginger, julienned - 1/2tsp
Garlic cloves, crushed/sliced/chopped - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Cocum, washed, soaked and shredded in water - 3nos.
Coconut oil/refined vegetable oil - 1/2cup
Water - 1/2cup
Salt to taste

For masala:
Red chillies - 10nos.
Fenugreek seeds - 1/8 tsp
Peppercorns - 8nos.
Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
Button onions, sliced - 1/2cup

Method:

Clean the sardines & make gashes on both sides of the fish.

Coarsely grind ingredients for masala. Mix the ground ingredients with the coconut oil, shredded cocum, ginger, garlic & curry leaves and salt.

Grease an earthenware vessel(Mud pot) with coconut oil and layer the fish and the mixed masala alternately; finish with a layer of masala on top.Add water to cook the fish and bring to boil.Simmer over low heat till dry. Serve hot.

Other Related Recipes:
Fish Curry with Mangoes

Mutta Choru

Mutta Choru
Recipe from Blogs

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice -1 cup
Eggs - 3
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 1
Ginger paste - 1/2tsp(no ginger in the original recipe!)
Ghee -1 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves -1 sprig
Coriander leaves - few sprigs
Salt-as required
Boiled Water - 1 1/2cup

Method

Boil 2 of the 3 eggs. Cut into halves.
Soak the washed rice for 5 minutes.
Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a vessel and roast the rice till the grains become slightly soft on biting. Add boiled water and break into it 1egg and mix well. Add coconut milk,pepper powder and salt and cook till it is done.
Now heat oil in a wok. Add curry leaves, green chillies & ginger paste. Add red chilli powder,turmeric and garam masala. Cook at at a low flame or else chilli powder will get burnt. Next add the boiled eggs. Roast it till it becomes golden.
Add these eggs along with the masala to the cooked rice. Mix well. Finally garnish with chopped coriander.

Vatteappam

Vatteappam
This recipe yields one 8" appam(1"thick). Serves-2

You will need:
Rice flour - 1cup
Semolina/Rava/Sooji - 1tbsp
Yeast - 1/4tsp
Sugar - 1/2tsp
Grated Coconut - 1/2-1/3cup
Cardamom powder - 1/4tsp
Sugar - 1/3cup
Salt to taste
Raisins for garnishing

Method:
Cook rava in a cup of water till it becomes soft. Let it cool.
When lukewarm, add yeast & 1/2tsp sugar to it. Allow it to froth.
Next, add rice flour to it and mix well. Set the dough aside to rise for 6 hours.
Grind coconut with sugar to a fine paste and add it to the dough.
Add cardamom powder. Mix well & let it ferment for another 4-6hours.
Add salt & pour the mixture into a greased 8" pan. Place raisins on top & steam for 5-10 minutes in a steamer or in a pressure cooker without keeping the weight. When done a toothpick inserted will come out clean.
Cool, cut into wedges and serve.

Tips: Alternately, for a quick vatteappam, you can mix rava gruel, yeast, rice, coconut & cardamom and keep aside to ferment for 3-4 hours. Add sugar & salt. Mix well and steam till done.

Aviyal

Aviyal

Ingredients:
Raw Banana - 2nos.
Drumstick - 2nos.
Carrot-1
Snake Gourd - 1cup
Raw Mango - 1small
(Potatos, Yam, Beans, Kumbalanga/Ash Gourd can also be used)
Curry leaves - few sprigs
Turmeric - 1/4tsp
Salt
Coconut oil

For Grinding:
Coconut, grated - 1/2
Green Chillies - 3nos.
Shallots/Pearl onions - 3nos.
Curry Leaves - few
Garlic Cloves - 1(big)
Cumin powder - 3/4tsp
Curd as required, depending upon the sourness of the mango.

Method:
Cut the vegetables into thin long pieces. Cook the vegetables with salt & turmeric.
Grind coconut with rest of the ingredients. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the ground coconut.
Stir & cook till the raw smell of garlic goes. Add curry leaves & about 2tbsp of coconut oil , stir & switch off the flame.

Other Related Recipes:
Sambhar
Mathanga Erissery

Parippu Vada - Dal Fritters

Parippu Vada - Dal Fritters

Crunchy Parippu Vada is a favorite accompaniment with a cup of hot tea in Kerala. The following recipe yields 12 medium sized vadas.

Ingredients:
Dal(Bengal Gram) - 1cup
Onion - 1/2nos.
Shallots - 2-3nos.
Green Chillies - 3nos.
Ginger - 1/2"
Curry Leaves - 2sprigs
Salt - 1/2tsp. or to taste

Method:
Wash & soak the dal for 3-4hours. Drain well & grind to a coarse paste. Do not add any water. The moisture retained by dal will be enough. Chop the rest of the ingredients.(I usually grind the chillies with the dal.) Add the chopped ingredients to the ground dal and mix well. Add salt just before frying the fritters. To fry the fritters, take a spoonful of the dal mixture, shape into vadas and fry in oil on a medium flame.
Tips: Save a spoon or two of the soaked dal. Add to dal mixture at end. This will make the vadas more appealing!

Sambhar

Sambhar

Ingredients:

Tuvar Dal - 1/2 cup
Onions - 1 nos.
Green chillies - 1nos.
Vegetables, diced - 3-5 cups of your choice mix
(Potato/Raw banana/Brinjal/Yellow Pumpkin/Yam/Drumsticks/Ladies Finger/Carrots/Tomatoes )
Sambhar Masala - 2tbsp.
Asafoetida - 1/4 - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Tamarind - half the size of a lemon
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Salt to taste

Method:

Pressure cook the dal with turmeric. Mash it & keep aside. Soak tamarind in water.

Heat oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add curry leaves, chopped onion & slit green chillies.
Fry for a while(not till brown!). Add asafoetida followed by the vegetables(except for ladies finger & tomatoes). Fry for a min or two. Add water. Add salt and cook till almost done. Add tomatoes & ladies finger and cook till done. Add tamarind extract & bring to boil. Mix Sambhar in a little water and add it to the vegetables. Cook for a little while and then add the dal. Check for consistency. Add water if required. Let it boil for few minutes and then switch off. Serve hot with rice.

Other Related Recipes:
Avial
Mathanga Erissery

Malabar Chicken Biryani

Malabar Chicken Biryani - Recipe from Blogs

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 3cups
Chicken - 1/2kg (About 8 big pieces)
Onion, sliced thinly - 3cups
Tomatoes, chopped - 11/2cups
Curd - 1/2 cup
Lemon juice - 1tbsp+1tbsp
Coriander leaves, chopped - 1 cup(or half a bunch)
Mint leaves, chopped - 1/2 cup
Curry leaves - a few
Biryani Masala powder- 2tsp
(Biryani Masala powder -
Dry roast & grind to a fine powder the following:-

Cinnamon-1 big stick,Cardamom-3,Cloves-4,
Nutmeg-quarter, Mace-3
Fennel seed-1/2tsp,Shahjeera-1/2tsp,Cumin seed-1/2 tsp)

Boiled Eggs - 2nos.
Raisins & Cashewnuts for garnishing
Rose water - 1tbsp(optional)
Saffron - a few strands(optional)
Ghee/Butter - as needed
Oil as needed
Salt as needed

For Marinating chicken
Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2tsp
Salt as needed

For Grinding
Green chillies - 5nos.
Garlic,chopped - 1tbsp
Ginger,chopped - 1tbsp
Poppy seeds,soaked in water - 1tsp.

Method:
Soak rice in water for half an hour. Rinse and drain. Roast the drained rice in ghee/ghee+oil/oil for few minutes. Add 6 cups of boiling water & salt and cook rice till done. Spread rice in a flat plate & sprinkle 1tbsp lemon juice.

Marinate chicken pieces in turmeric, chilli & salt for 30 min(preferably in refrigerator).

Fry raisins and cashewnuts in ghee, till brown and keep aside. Fry half of the sliced onions till golden & keep aside. In the same pan shallow fry the marinated chicken pieces for a few minutes.

Heat oil/ghee in another pan and saute the remaining onions till translucent. Add the ground paste and saute. When the raw smell goes, add tomatoes, curd, lemon juice and salt. Saute till oil separates. Add the chopped leaves and fry for a minute. Now, add the chicken pieces, mix well & transfer it to a pressure cooker. Add 1/2-3/4 cup of boiling water and pressure cook for 5-6 minutes or till done. If there is more gravy, open cook till the required consistency is obtained.

In an oven-proof dish, spread half of the rice, layer the chicken pieces on top and layer the remaining rice on it. Sprinkle saffron(mixed in rosewater). Garnish with fried cashews, raisins & onions. Cover & microwave for 4 min on high. Alternately you can bake it for 15-30 min at 150 deg. celsius. Mix thoroughly and serve with boiled eggs(hidden in rice), raita & pickle.

Other Related Recipes:
Prawn Biryani
Chilli Chicken
Chicken Curry
Kerala Chicken Roast

Fish Curry with Mango

Fish Curry with Mango

Ingredients:

Fish(Ayila) - 1 kg

Grated Coconut - 1 cup

Green Mango - 1nos

Red Chilli powder - 4-5tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp

Shallots - 4-5nos.

Ginger - 1"

Curry leaves few

Coconut oil - as needed

Salt to taste

Method:

Clean & cut the fish. Make a paste of chilli powder & turmeric powder. Extract milk out of the grated coconut. To this add the paste and mix well. Add water if needed. Bring to boil and add the sliced mangoes. Add salt & cook covered for 5 min.

At this stage add the fish. When the fish is almost cooked, add crushed ginger & shallots. Also, add the curry leaves and a few tablespoons of coconut oil.

Cook for few more minutes & switch of the flame. Serve hot with rice or kappa.

Dry Chemeen Chammanthi

Dry Chemmeen Chammanthi - Goes well with rice..........

Ingredients:

• Unnaka Chemeen/Dry shrimps - 1/2 cup ( heads,legs & tails removed)
• Coconut Grated - 2 tbsp
• Dry Red Chillies - 1 nos.(more if u want it hot...)
• Onion - 1 nos.
• Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
• Coconut oil - 1/2 tbsp (optional)
• Salt to taste

Method:

Dry roast the prawns & red chillies in a pan. Roast the onion with the skin on(you can do this by keeping it right over the burner flame). After cooling, grind all to a coarse to fine paste. Shape it like balls & serve with rice.

Other Related Recipes:
Prawn Biryani

Mathanga Erissery

Mathanga Erissery

Ingredients:

• Mathanga/Yellow Pumpkin/Butternut Squash - 250 gms
• Vanpayar/Red Moong Beans - 1/2 cup
• Coconut(grated) - 1 cup
• Garlic - 1-2 nos.
• Whole Black Pepper - 6 nos. or 1/2tsp Pepper powder
• Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
• Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Mustard seeds - 1tsp
• Dry red chillies - 1 nos.
• Curry leaves - few
• Coconut oil - as needed

Preparation:

1. Peel & chop pumpkin into 1 inch pieces.
2. Keep aside 1 tbsp of grated coconut. Grind the remaining coconut, whole black peppers, cumin & garlic to a coarse paste.
3. Cook vanpayar with turmeric,chilli powder and salt.
4. When almost done add the pumpkin pieces and cook.
5. When done add the ground mixture. Add water if necessary and cook for some more time and then remove from fire. Check for salt.
6. Fry the reserved grated coconut to a brown color & add to it.
7. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, dry red chilli & curry leaves and add it to the curry.

Other Related Recipes:
Aviyal Recipe
Sambhar Recipe