Parippu vada

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                 A very famous tea time snack in Kerala. Lets check out the recipe,

Ingredients:

1. Chana dal/Toor dal - 1 cup

2. Onion - 1

3. Green chilli - 2 to 3

4. Curry leaves

5. Ginger

6. Asafoetida powder as required

7. Dry red chilli - 2
8. Oil for deep frying
9. Salt to taste

Procedure:

               Soak the chana dal in water for 3-5 hrs. After that drain all the excess water in the dal. Separate 4-5 tspns of dal and keep aside. Grind the remaining dal coarsely in a mixie and transfer to a bowl. Grind the separated dal to form a paste. Chop the onions, green chilies, ginger and curry leaves into very small pieces. Transfer everything to the bowl with the dal and mix it nicely. Add asafoetida and salt into it. Mix  properly and then make small patties. Don`t forget to wet your hands before making the patties, otherwise it will stick on to your hands. Take a skillet, pour oil in it to deep fry the vadas. Once the oil is hot drop in the patties one by one. Deep fry it on medium heat. When you drop the vadas you can see the skillet will be filled with bubbles and slowly the bubbles will disappear once the vadas are cooked. Fry in batches. Parippu vada is ready, serve it with some chutneys like coconut chutney and with a tea too.

Aloo Gobi

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                Combination of Potatoes and cauliflower with some spices tastes amazing. Here goes the recipe

Ingredients:

1. Potatoes - 3 to 4

2. Cauliflower - 1

3. Onion - 1

4. Tomato/tomato puree

5. Whole cumin

6. Chilli powder

7. Garam masala 

8. Ginger and garlic paste

9. Turmeric powder

10. Coriander leaves to garnish

12. Amchur powder(optional)

11. Salt to taste

Procedure:

               First separate the cauliflower florets and put them in hot water for 5 mnts with Turmeric powder. Next take the potatoes and cut it into cube sizes. Chop the Onion into small pieces. Take a skillet/wok and pour oil in it. Once the oil becomes hot add the whole cumin to splutter. Next add the onions and saute them. Then add the chopped tomatoes/tomato puree and ginger/garlic paste. Cook for sometime with the lids closed. When the excess water is evaporated from the gravy add the garam masala and chilli powder. After this add the potatoes, and stir properly. We can add little water also, so that it helps the potatoes to cook fast. When the potatoes are half cooked, add the cauliflower  and cook on medium flame. Check for salt and add if required. If there is moist in the dish then, take off the lid and allow all the excess moist to disappear. You can  add Amchur powder to this dish, if you want more sourness.The dish tastes good if its made dry. Aloo Gobi is ready to be served with Rotis, Nan`s, rice etc. Before serving garnish it with coriander leaves.

Thai red curry

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                 I had previously shared the recipe for Thai green curry. Here goes the recipe for Thai red curry.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken/Prawns - 500gm(Prawns are preferable used in red curry)

2. Thai basil

3. Ginger and garlic

4. Frozen vegetables

5. Carrots

6. Onion - 1

7. Lime juice - 1tsbp

8. Coconut milk

9. Red curry paste - 3tsbp

10. Salt to taste

Procedure:

               Prawns are preferable for red curry but didn`t had prawns at home so decided to try   with chicken and it came out good. Clean the chicken and keep aside. Cut the carrots into cubes and Onions into thin slices. Crush the ginger and the garlic. Clean the Basil leaves and keep aside.  Take a skillet, and add oil. Next add the crushed ginger and garlic, then goes in  the onions. Saute the Onions . Next add the carrots and frozen vegetables. Cook all the vegetables on a medium flame. Add the red curry paste and mix well. Now time for chicken to go in. Close the lid  and let the chicken cook for almost 10 minutes and slowly add the coconut milk and simmer the flame.  Cook till the chicken becomes tender. Last ingredient to add is the Thai basil and lime juice. Thai basil gives a good aroma and different taste to the dish.  Thai red Chicken curry is ready to be served with rice etc. Enjoy!

Beetroot pachadi

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                 Beetroot pachadi is a very famous dish in Kerala, especially for Sadhyas. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:
1. Beetroot - 1
2. Curd - 1/2 cup
3. Grated coconut
4. Green chili - 1
5. Ginger
6. Curry leaves
7. Mustard
8. Shallots - 3 to 4 or we can use Onion also.
9. Turmeric a pinch
10. Salt to taste

Procedure:

                Clean and dice the beetroot into smaller pieces. Take a skillet add one cup of water, beetroot, turmeric powder and salt. Close the lid and allow the beetroot to cook. Lets grind the coconut with green chili, shallots and the ginger to make a ground paste. Whip the curd and keep aside. Once the beetroot is 90% cooked, add the ground paste into the skillet and mix everything properly and leave it on low flame. After few seconds add the curd and mix. While adding the curd the flame should be low or add it after switching off the stove. Mix everything after adding the curd. Now season the Beetroot pachadi with mustard and curry leaves. Pachadi is ready to be served with rice. Enjoy!

Vietnamese Spring roll

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                   Spring rolls is a vietnamese salad rolls with ingredients like  boiled pork, beef, shrimp, basil, mint etc. I first tasted this spring roll in one of my Vietnamese friend's house and I really liked the taste. So I thought to prepare it by myself and check how it turns out. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Rice vermicelli/ rice noodles - 100g
2. Prawns/Shrimp - 8 to 10
3. Mint
4. Thai Basil
5. Lettuce
6. Rice wrappers
7. Fish sauce( I used Phu Quoc fish sauce) - 5 tsbp
8. Lime juice - 2 to 4 tbsp
9. Crushed  garlic
10. Crushed red chili.
11. Rice vinegar - 1 tbsp
12. Sugar - 1 tbsp
13. Warm water

Procedure:

               Spring roll is served along with a dipping sauce. So first lets see the recipe for dipping sauce. This sauce can be preserved in fridge also.

Dipping Sauce
             Take lightly warm water, then add sugar. Allow the sugar to dissolve, then add the 1 tsbp of vinegar, lime juice, crush garlic, red chilli(birds eye chilli) and the fish sauce. Whisk all the ingredients and allow it to cool down. Dipping sauce is ready.

Spring roll
              Lets make the spring roll now. Cut the lettuce into 2 or 3 pieces. Boil water and cook the rice vermicelli for 3-4 mnts or we can even boil the water and place the vermicelli in it for some minutes. Once it is cooked, drain and rinse with cold water. Cut the vermicelli into smaller lengths with a scissors. Cook the Prawns(boil), we can add little fish sauce while cooking it. Once it is cooked, cut the prawns into 2 pieces. Take warm water in a bowl, to soften the rice wrappers. Take one wrapper and dip it in the warm water for 1-2 seconds and lay it on a flat surface. Fold the top of the wrapper little till the center, then place a piece of Lettuce. On top of it spread little rice vermicelli, 2 mint leaves, 2 basil leaves, and 2 pieces prawns. Now roll them by folding the bottom of the wrapper over the filling in the center. Wrap the roll tightly. Spring roll is ready. Serve it with the dipping sauce.  It really tastes good.

Koombu Thoran(Banana Blossom dish)

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                   Koombu thoran is a dish that is made of Banana blossom. Thoran is mainly a Kerala cuisine. Thoran's can be made of Spinach, bitter gourd, Jackfruit  etc. Lets check out the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Banana blossom - 1

2. Grated coconut 

3. Shallots - 3 or 4

4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp

5. Chili powder or dry red chili - 1tbsp  

6. Curry leaves 

7. Garlic 

8. Mustard

9. Oil

10. Salt to taste

Procedure:

                 Take the Banana blossom, and peel off the first two layer, then wash the Banana blossom. Next start chopping it into thin shreds. Shred the Banana blossom into water with turmeric and salt in it. This avoids the darkening of the vegetable. Once the chopping is over drain off all the water properly.

   

                 Crush the garlic and dry red chili. Chop the shallots into small pieces. Take a skillet  and add oil. Splutter the mustard and add the curry leaves. Next add the garlic, dry red chili and the shallots. Slightly saute it. Now add the Banana blossoms, a pinch of turmeric powder, chili powder if required, salt and the grated coconut. Add little water also. Close the lid of the skillet and cook on medium flame. Give stirs in between till the dish is cooked. Banana blossom doesn't take too long to get cooked. Hope everyone likes the recipe.

Pepper Chicken

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                    Chicken can be prepared in various styles with different ingredients. I tried preparing Chicken with pepper and turn out real good. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 500gm

2. Onion/shallots 

3. Garlic

4. Pepper powder - 2-3tsp

5. Ginger 

6. Garam masala ( ready or homemade)

7. Curry leaves

9. Tomato - 1

10. Turmeric- a pinch

11. Green chilli

12. Oil

13. Salt to taste

Procedure:

                 Clean the chicken and keep it aside. Chop the Onions, green chili, tomatoes and shallots.  Crush the ginger and garlic. For this recipe I used the homemade garam masala. Coarse powder the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise, fennel seed and homemade garam masala is ready. Take a skillet and pour oil into it. Once the oil becomes hot add the curry leaves, green chilli, crushed ginger and garlic. Stir it for sometime till the raw smell goes. Next add the shallots/onions and salt as required.

                  Once the onion starts changing the color add the tomatoes. Close the lid and allow to cook. Then add the pepper powder and the garam masala(we can add it now or even in the end). Next goes in the chicken. Stir everything properly, so that the gravy coats on the chicken. There is no need to add water, since the Chicken itself will ooze out water. Close the lid and allow the chicken to cook. Check for salt and add if required. Give regular stirs in between. Once the Chicken is 90% cooked, take off the lid and then allow the excess water to evaporate. This will make the Chicken have a thick gravy coated all over. Cook it without lids for sometime and then switch off the stove. Pepper chicken ready to be served. Garnish with Cilantro before serving. Hope all will like this recipe.

Baingan Bartha

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                  Baingan Bartha is a dish that`s made with Eggplant. For making this dish the Eggplant is grilled in an Oven/ charcoal or direct stove flame to get a smoky taste. The main attraction of this dish is the smoky flavour of the Eggplant. Lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Eggplant - 4

2. Onion - 1 (small)

3. Ginger and garlic

4. Green chili - 2

5. Frozen/ fresh  green peas - .5 cup

6. Tomato - 1(small)

7. Whole cumin 

8. Turmeric powder 

9. Coriander powder - 1tsp

10. Chili powder - 1tsp

11. Garam masala - 1/2tsp

12. Cilantro to garnish

13. Salt to taste

  

Procedure:

                  Take the Eggplant and gently rub little oil all over it. Next grill the Eggplant and for this either  grill it in Oven for few seconds or grill on stove flame. I would suggest grilling on stove flame or traditional kitchen chulha . Oil  is rubbed over the Eggplant to avoid burning of the eggplant skin as well as  it will help to peel out the skin easily.  Grill the Eggplant over the flame and leave it aside to cool down.

                   Chop the Onion, tomato, green chili, ginger and garlic into small pieces. Once the Eggplant cools down, peel of the skin and chop it to small pieces. Take a skillet and add oil. Add cumin seeds and saute. Next add the green chili, ginger and the garlic. Stir it for few seconds. Now add the Onions. Saute the Onions for few minutes and add the Tomato. Cover the skillet with a lid and allow it to cook for 3-4 minutes. Add in salt too. Next goes in the masalas. Add the coriander powder, chili powder, and turmeric powder. Mix everything properly and cook it  for some more time with the lid closed. Do give a good mix in between. After 1-2 minutes add the grilled Eggplant and the frozen peas. Mix everything and allow it to cook for few minutes(We can add little water at this time, though its optional). Add the garam masala. Since the Eggplant is already grilled  there is no need to cook it  for long time. Just may be 3-4 minutes on medium flame is enough. Take off the lid and allow all the extra water to evaporate from the Bartha so that it will have a thick consistency. Swtich off the stove and transfer it to a bowl. Baingan Bartha is ready to be served. Garnish the Bartha with some cilantro leaves.  Baingan bartha goes good with Rotis, rice etc. Try it...

Duck curry

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Description:

               Duck curry is a  served with rotis, rice though the famous combination is that of Appams/Kerala Parathas and duck curry. 

Ingredients:

1. Duck - 1 kg

2. Shallots - 1 cup

3. Ginger

4. Tomato - 1 small

5. Garlic

6. Curry leaves

7. Pepper powder - 1 tsp

8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

9. Onion - 1

10. Chili powder - 1 tsp

11. Coriander powder - 2tsp

12. Garam masala

13. Mustard

14. Green chilli - 3 to 4

15. Oil

16. Salt to taste

Procedure:

                 First marinate the duck with pepper powder, turmeric, salt and chilli powder. Allow it to marinate for at least 30 mints , the longer the marination it will taste more good. Duck curry can be prepared in skillet or cooker. I used cooker for cooking. After marination put the duck into the cooker and let 3-4 whistles go. Keep the cooked duck aside. Lets prepare the gravy now.

                 

                     Cut the shallots and Onions into small length wise slices. Crush the ginger and garlic. Chop the green chilies and tomatoes too. Lightly roast the remaining chilli powder, Turmeric powder and  Coriander powder. Grind this roasted powders to make a paste and leave them aside. Next take a skillet and pour oil. Splutter mustard and add the crushed ginger, garlic, curry leaves and the green chilies and saute for few seconds. Then add the Onions  and after sometime add the shallots. Saute till the onions gets light brown. Add the tomatoes, salt and cook on medium flame. When the gravy boils add the paste that we made. Cook till the gravy gets a thick consistency. Now add the cooked Duck meat  into the gravy. Mix well and allow to simmer on a low heat. Also add the garam masala. Curry is ready.
 If you are adding coconut milk then pour them into the curry on low flame. Simmer it till the gravy thickens. After adding the coconut milk don`t increase the flame, just keep on low flame. Thats it, Duck curry is ready to be served. Hope everyone enjoys this recipe.

Prawns Tikka

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                  This dish is very tasty and requires a grill to prepare it. Lets check out the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Prawns - 500gm

2. Curd - 1/2 cup

3. Pepper powder - 2 tsp

4. Chili powder - 1 tsp

5. Garam masala powder(a pinch)

6. Food color(optional)

7. Onion - 1

8. Red & yellow bell peppers

9. Ginger & Garlic paste

10. Oil

11. Brush( to gently brush oil over the prawns)

12. Skewers

13. Salt to taste

Procedure:

                       Clean the prawns and keep it aside. Take a bowl put the curd into it. Whip the curd throughly. Next add the chili powder, garam masala, food color, pepper powder,  ginger/garlic paste and mix everything  properly. Keep mixing for few seconds then add the prawns into the mixture. Coat the prawns nicely with the mixture. Cut the onion and bell peppers into square pieces and mix it with the Prawns.  After this keep aside for marination. Its good if we marinate it for 5-6 hrs. 

                            Take the skewers, if you are using wooden Skewers then soak it in water for at least 20minutes before cooking, so that the moist goes inside the skewers and it won't get burnt while cooking. Now put the marinated Prawns, Onions, bell peppers one after another  into the skewers. Gently rub the grill with little oil, then place this skewers on them. Brush little oil on top of the tikka`s. Generally Prawns cooks very fast. So grill the tikkas for some 5-8 minutes or less. Just check, if the Prawns are cooked then turn it over and let it cook. Once the Tikkas are cooked take it off the griller and place it on a serving plate. Squeeze lemon over the Tikkas. Garnish the plate with Onions, Lettuce etc. Tasty prawns tikkas are ready. It can be served with chutney also. Hope everybody will like it.