Chilli Gobi (Cauliflower Recipe)

Ingredients

Cauliflower – 1, medium sized

Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

Ginger Garlic paste – 1 teaspoon

Ginger – 1 teaspoon, finely chopped

Garlic – 1 teaspoon, finely chopped

Red Chillies – 2

Onion – 1, cut into cube size

Capsicum – 1, cubed

Soy Sauce – 1 tablespoon

Tomato Ketchup – 3 tablespoons

Olive Oil – 2 tablespoons

Oil – for frying

Salt – to taste

For batter

Corn Flour – 6 tablespoons

Plain flour – 2 table spoons

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon

Salt- a pinch

Steps

1. Wash the cauliflower florets thoroughly in water. Boil the florets in water with turmeric powder for 5 minutes.

2. Mix the ingredients to make batter in a little water.

3. Dip the florets in the batter and fry until golden brown color.

4. Heat olive oil in a pan and saute onions, ginger and garlic. Add red chillies and capsicum and saute well.

5. Add the sauces and salt. Now add the cauliflower florets and mix until the florets are coated well with the sauce.

6. Remove from the heat and garnish with spring onions.

7. Serve with fried rice or roti.

Long Beans Fry

Ingredients

Long beans – 2 cups, cut into thin pieces
Turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon

Onion – 1, sliced

Red chilli flakes – 1 teaspoon

Salt – to taste

Olive Oil – 3 table spoons

Method

Cut and wash long beans. Boil some water and add turmeric powder. Remove from the fire and add long beans pieces into the hot water. Cover the pan and soak for 20 minutes. Heat olive oil in a pan and saute onion. Add soaked long beans and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and chilli flakes and mix well. Remove from the fire. This is a very healthy dish.

Mint Chutney

Ingredients

Mint leaves – 1.5 cups

Green Chilli – 1

Ginger – ¼ teaspoon, chopped

Garlic – 1, chopped

Chaat masala – ¼ teaspoon

Cumin powder – ¼ teaspoon

Salt – to taste

Curd – 5 tablespoons

Method

Wash mint leaves in water and drain the water. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend well. Serve with your tandoori or pakoras.

Creamy Mushroom Pasta - Perfect for vegetarians

Ingredients

San Remo Vegeroni Spiral Pasta – 2.5 cups

Mushroom – 250gm, cut into long slices

Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic Soup – 1 can

Master Foods Italian Herbs – ½ teaspoon

Master Foods All Purpose Seasoning – ½ teaspoon

Mozzarella Cheese – 2 tablespoons, grated

Salt – to taste

Pepper powder – ½ teaspoon

Onions – 1 large, chopped

Garlic – 3, chopped

Olive Oil – 2 table spoons

Fresh parsley leaves – to garnish

Method

Cook pasta in sufficient water and keep aside. (Do not rinse in cold water)

Saute chopped onions and garlic in olive oil. Add pepper powder and salt. Add the cleaned and sliced mushrooms, stir well. Cover the pan for 2 minutes. Now the mushrooms are cooked. You can add the mushroom soup and mix well. Add the Italian herbs and all purpose seasoning. Add the grated mozzarella cheese and the cooked pasta. Combine well. Garnish with fresh parsley leaves.
Yummy pasta is ready to serve.

Prawns Curry

Ingredients

Prawns – 500 gm

Turmeric powder – ½ tea spoon

Chilli powder – 1 tablespoon

Coriander powder – 2 tablespoons

Fenugreek powder – 1 teaspoon

Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

Tomato - 1

Tamarind – 1 small lemon size

Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tablespoons

Coconut – 1 cup, grated

Salt – to taste

Curry leaves – a few

Coconut oil – 2 tablespoons

Water – as required

Method

Wash and clean the prawns. Mix turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder in a little water and make it a paste. Squeeze tamarind in some water and keep aside. Grind grated coconut in some water and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves and saute well. Add the chilli paste and mix well for 1 minute. Add chopped tomatoes, salt and fenugreek powder and combine it. Cover and cook until tomatoes are soft. Pour tamarind juice and add some water. Now add the cleaned prawns. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Pour the ground coconut paste and allow it to boil for 5 more minutes. Garnish with more curry leaves. Keep it for an hour, and then you will see the thick gravy. Serve with rice or any of your favorite breakfast items.

SQUID / KOONTHAL ROAST

INGREDIENTS

Squid / kanava / koonthal – 1 kg

Onion – 1 big

Tomato – 1

Garlic – 5 nos, chopped

Ginger – 1 inch piece, chopped

Green Chillies - 2

Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon

Coriander powder – 1 table spoon

Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon

Salt – to taste

Curry Leaves – a few

Water –  ½ cup

Coconut oil – 3 tablespoons

METHOD

Clean the squid and boil in water for 5-6 minutes. Cut the squid into round pieces. Heat oil in a pan and saute onions, ginger, garlic, chillies and curry leaves. Add all the powders and mix well. Add tomatoes and salt. Cover the pan for 2-3 minutes until the tomato is soft. Add the squid pieces and some water. Cover and cook in a medium flame for 10 minutes. Uncover and mix well until the gravy thickens. Sprinkle a little coconut oil and remove from the fire. Delicious koonthal roast is ready!! Serve with Kerala rice or appam.

Sweet Macaroni Salad

Ingredients

Macaroni – 1.5 cups

Condensed Milk (Milkmaid) – ¾ cup

Mayonnaise – ½ cup

Apple Cider Vinegar – 1 table spoon

Bell pepper (red colour) – ½ cut into small cubes

Carrot – 1, cut into small cubes

Red apple – 1, cut into small cubes

Spring onion – a few chopped

Salt – ½ teaspoon

Pepper powder – ½ teaspoon

Method

Boil some water in a large pan. Put salt and add macaroni. Stir occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop it from cooking any further. Combine the cooked macaroni with the cubed vegetables.

Mix mayonnaise, condensed milk, apple cider vinegar and pepper powder in a bowl. Pour the dressing over the top of macaroni – vegetable mixture. Mix it until everything is coated in the creamy dressing. Chill the salad for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Garnish with some spring onions. This is a very yummy salad!

Notes:- You can use fresh cream instead of mayonnaise. I have tried fresh cream on another occasion and its awesome. You can replace vegetables with fresh fruits or fruit cocktail can which is available at stores.

Perfect juice for glowing skin

Ingredients

Beetroot – 1

Carrot – 2

Orange – 1

Celery – 2 stalks

Method

Wash all the ingredients well and peel the skin. Cut into long slices. Process all the ingredients through the juicer. Put ice cubes, stir well and drink immediately.

Onion Pachadi / Onion in yogurt

Ingredients

Onion – 1 big, chopped

Yogurt – 1 ½ cup

Coconut – 2 cups

Water – ½ cup

Green chillies – 2

Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon

Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon

Dry Chilli – 2

Curry leaves – a few

Salt – to taste

Oil – 3 tablespoons

Method

Grind yogurt, coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds with water to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a pan and fry mustard seeds, dry chilli and curry leaves. Add chopped onions and saute until onion turns brown colour. Add the ground coconut mixture and put salt. Simmer the fire and let it boil. Mix well and serve with hot rice.

Broccoli Carrot Fry

I always have broccoli in my fridge. My hubby needs it daily in his oats meal and my children love broccoli in any form. I make this dish at least 4 times a week. 
Broccoli is a very healthy vegetable and its packed with soluble fiber that draws cholesterol out of your body. Broccoli is a good carb and it is high in fiber, which aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar and curbs overeating.

Ingredients

Broccoli florets – 2 cups, chopped

Carrot – 2 medium, thinly diced

Onion – 1, thinly sliced

Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon

Salt – to taste

Oil- 2 table spoons

Method

Wash broccoli twice in plain water.

Mix ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and salt in some water. Wash broccoli in this water again and drain it.

Heat oil in a pan and saute onion until brown. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Mix well.

Add chopped broccoli & carrot and stir well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and stir for a minute.

It’s a tasty side dish for plain rice or chapati. Enjoy!!!

Pineapple Payasam

Ingredients

Pineapple – 1 ½ cups, thinly diced

Jaggery – 1 cup, grated

Sago (Chowari) – 1 cup

Thin Coconut milk – 1 ½ cups

Thick Coconut milk – 1 cup

Water – 2 cups

Cardamom powder – a pinch (optional)

Ghee – 1 tablespoon

Cashew nuts – 8 nos

Method

Cook the diced pineapple in water until it is soft. Drain the water in the pineapple and smash it with a spoon. Boil sago in water for 10 minutes. Wash the cooked sago in cold water. Melt the jaggery in a little water. Strain to remove the dusts. Add cooked pineapple and melted jaggery in a vessel. Add thin coconut milk and allow it to boil for 10 minutes. Put the cooked sago and mix well. Add cardamom powder. Pour thick coconut milk and stir well. Heat ghee in a pan and fry cashews. Garnish the pineapple payasam with cashews. Have it after a yummy sadya!!

Notes: - It is better to cook pineapple in a pressure cooker as it takes long time to be soft.

Ulli Choru / Shallot Rice

Ingredients

Shallots – 10 nos, thinly sliced

White Rice / Ponni Rice – 1 cup, cooked

Ginger – ½ inch piece, thinly sliced

Salt to taste

Ghee – 1 tablespoon

Method

Heat ghee in a pan. Fry shallots and ginger until light brown. At this point in time, add salt. The salt helps the shallots to be crispy. Combine the fried mixture and cooked rice. Add salt if required. Serve hot!

Raw Mango / Pacha manga Chammanti

Ingredients

Coconut – 1 ½ cup, grated

Raw mango – 1 cup, small cubed pieces

Salt to taste

Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves – 4 leaves

Shallots – 3 nos

Coconut oil – 1 teaspoon

Method

Grind coconut, chilli powder, mango pieces and salt in a blender without water. Add shallots and curry leaves and just crush it together with the blended coconut mixture. Add coconut oil and mix well with a spoon. Serve with hot rice!

Pal Payasam / Rice Kheer

Ingredients

Broken Rice/ Podi ari – 1 cup

Milk – 3 cups

Sugar – ¾ cup

Cardamom powder – a pinch

Water – 2 cups

Ghee – 1 teaspoon

Cashew nuts – a few

Method

Boil water in a pressure cooker and add the washed rice. Pressure cook up to 3 whistles and low flame for 5 minutes. Open the lid once the pressure in the cooker goes out completely. Pour the milk in a vessel and add sugar to it. Bring it to boil. Add the cooked rice to the boiling milk and stir well. Boil for 5-10 minutes. If the payasam is too thick, add some more boiled milk. Add cardamom powder. Heat ghee and fry the cashews. Add fried cashews to the payasam. Enjoy the yummy payasam!!

Notes – If the milk is too thick, you can add a little water when boil the milk. You can use condensed milk in the final step. Usually pal payasam does not need cashews or raisins. 

Chilli Soya Chunks

Ingredients

Soya Chunks – 2 cups

Chilli powder – 1 tea spoon

Soya Sauce – 1 table spoon

Corn Flour – 1 ½ table spoon

Olive Oil – 5 table spoons

Salt – to taste

Onion – 1 big, cubed

Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 table spoon

Bell pepper/capsicum – 1

Red Chillies – 2

Tomato Ketchup – 2 table spoons

Water – 50 ml (for the final step)

Method

Wash soya chunks well.

Boil some water and cook soya for 5 minutes

Wash soya chunks in cold water and drain.

Marinate soya with chilli powder, salt and corn flour. Keep for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan, add soya and toss it well until it is light brown colour. Transfer to a plate.

In the remaining oil, add onions and ginger garlic paste. Saute well.

Add soya sauce and chillies. Mix well.

Add capsicum and tomato ketchup. Check the salt and add if required.

Add water and allow the mixture to boil.

Now add in the soya and mix well in the sauce.

Remove from the fire and garnish with spring onions.

Papaya Pudding

Ingredients

Papaya – 2 cups, diced

Sugar – 3 table spoons

Milkmaid – 1 cup

Gelatin powder – 1 table spoon

Cold Water – 30 ml

Fresh Cream – 3 table spoons

Method

Soak gelatin powder in cold water for 10 minutes.

Boil the diced papaya with sugar. Stir until the papaya pieces are soft. (This will take about 15 minutes) Add milkmaid and stir continuously in low fire for 5 minutes. Switch off the fire and add soaked gelatin to the mixture. Let the mixture cool completely. Blend this mixture together with vanilla essence and fresh cream. Transfer it to a flat pan and steam for 10-15 minutes. Once cooled, refrigerate this sweet mixture for 6 hours. Garnish with diced papaya and serve.

Carrot Kichadi

My hubby loves any kind of pachadi / kichadi dishes. Today I wanted to try something special for him and thought of trying kichadi with carrot. I haven't tasted carrot kichadi before and was a bit worried of the raw taste of carrot. However it turned out to be a very tasty dish and no raw taste at all. We all really enjoyed the dish!!

Thrissur version of kichadis won't have ginger, garlic or shallots. However I used shallots just to get a variety taste from the usual kaalan or pachadi recipes. Its a very easy dish to prepare. Hope all of you will try this!

Ingredients

Carrot – 2 cups, grated 

Yogurt/Curd – 1.5 cups

Salt – as required

Water – 1 cup

For grinding

Coconut – 1.5 cups

Yogurt/Curd – 1.5 cups

Chillies – 4 nos

Shallots – 3 nos (optional)

Mustard seeds – ½ tea spoon

For tempering

Mustard seeds- ½ tea spoon

Dry Chillies – 3

Curry leaves – a few

Oil – 1 table spoon

Method

Cook the grated carrot with water. (Carrot gets cooked very quickly. The cooking time for grated carrot takes only 5-6 minutes). Grind the ingredients listed under grinding with a little water. Add the ground coconut mixture to the cooked carrot and mix well. Add yogurt to the mixture. Put some salt and combine the mixture for 2-3 minutes in low fire. Remove from the fire. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds, then dry chillies and curry leaves. Pour the seasoning over the carrot Kichadi. Serve as a side dish for rice.

Semiya / Vermicelli Payasam

Ingredients

Vermicelli – 1 cup

Milk – 500ml

Water – 100ml (optional)

Sugar – 6 table spoons

Cardamom Powder – ½ teaspoon

Ghee – 1 table spoon

Raisins – 10 nos

Cashew nuts - 8

Method

Heat ghee in a pan and fry cashews and raisins. Keep it aside. In the same pan, roast vermicelli in medium flame with constant stirring until it turns golden colour. Add milk and sugar to the roasted vermicelli and stir continuously. Boil for 15 minutes. Add water to it and cook for 10 more minutes. Put in cardamom powder. Garnish with fried cashews and raisins.

Notes – Add water only if the milk is thick. 

Kadachakka (Breadfruit) Thoran

Ingredients

Breadfruit – 2 cups, cut into pieces

Turmeric Powder – ½ teaspoon

Mustard Seeds – ½ teaspoon

Dry Chilly – 2

Curry Leaves - a few

Green Chillies – 3

Coconut – ¾ cup, grated

Shallots – 4

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2 table spoons

Water –1 cup

Method

Peel the skin of the breadfruit and cut into pieces. Pressure cook the breadfruit pieces with turmeric powder and water up to 2 whistles. Drain the water once the pressure goes out completely. Chop grated coconut, green chillies and shallots in a chopper and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and fry mustard seeds, dry chillies and curry leaves. Add the cooked breadfruit pieces into it. Add salt and mix it well. Cover the pan for 2 minutes. Now add the chopped coconut mixture. Mix it well and remove from the fire. Serve with rice.

Pandan pancake with coconut stuffing

Ingredients

For pancake

Maida/Plain flour – 1 cup

Pandan juice – 1 cup (Blend 5 strips of pandan leaves with water and strain the juice)

Water – 1.5 cups

Egg – 1

Sugar – 2 table spoons

Salt – a pinch

Method

Sift the flour and add salt in it. Mix well. Pour other ingredients in another bowl and mix well. Add the sifted flour into the liquid mixture and combine well. Make the pancakes and keep aside.

For coconut filling

Coconut – 1.5 cups

Jaggery – 1 cup

Water – 1 cup

Butter – 1 teaspoon

Cardamom powder – a pinch (optional)

Method

Melt the jaggery in water. Allow it to cool and strain it. Boil the melted jaggery in low fire. Add coconut and stir well. Cook until the mixture is moist, not dry. Put in the cardamom powder and butter. Allow this mixture to cool.

Final method

Put 1 tablespoon coconut filling inside the pancake and fold like a spring roll. Enjoy this fantastic snack!!

Note – You can also serve the plain pandan pancake with honey. 

Mango Milk Shake

Ingredients

Ripe Mango – 1 large, sliced into pieces

Chilled Milk – 1 cup

Vanilla Ice Cream – 3 scoops

Sugar/Honey – 1 table spoon

Method

Blend together sliced mangoes, chilled milk and sugar/honey. Once it is smooth, add 1 scoop of ice cream and blend. Top it up with the remaining 2 scoops of ice cream.

Note - You can add 2 drops of vanilla essence if you want. Add more milk if you like thinner shake.

Carrot Cashew Milk shake

INGREDIENTS

Carrot – 3, peel off the skin

Milk – 2 cups

Sugar – 3 table spoons

Butter – 1 teaspoon

Cashew nut – 6 nos

METHOD

1. Soak cashew nuts in warm water for 30 minutes.

2. Boil the carrots until it is soft. Grind carrots and cashews to a smooth paste.

3. Heat butter in a pan and fry the ground paste until the raw smell goes off.

4. Boil the milk with sugar. Add the carrot cashew paste to the milk.

5. Stir continuously in low flame for 10 minutes.

6. Allow it to cool and refrigerate it.

7. Serve chill.

A Simple Chicken Rice

Ingredients

White Rice – 2 cups

Butter – 1 table spoon

Ginger – 1 inch piece,crushed

Garlic – 2, crushed

Maggi or Knorr Chicken cubes – 2 cubes

Sesame Oil – 2 table spoons (optional)

Salt – to taste

Pandan Leaves – a few, tied into a knot

Water – 4 cups

Cloves - 2

Method

1. Wash and drain the rice. Put in rice cooker.

2. Heat the butter and shallow fry the crushed ginger and garlic.

3. Add chicken cubes, water, fried ginger-garlic, salt and pandan leaves to the rice cooker.

4. Turn on the rice cooker and let it cook.

5. When the rice cooker shuts off, remove the lid and sit for about 10 minutes.

6. Top it up with butter or sesame oil.

7. Serve hot rice with chicken roast.

8. Garnish with 2 cloves and pandan leaf.

Notes – Choose the water level according to how well you want the rice to be cooked and the type of rice you use. You need not use basmati rice as white rice also gives a good flavor. You can replace chicken cubes with chicken stock as well.

Fish Ularthiyathu/Roasted Fish

This is a variety dish unlike the usual fish fry and fish curry.
I had this dish from a small hotel at Aluva, Kerala and they call it as "Meen Ularthiyathu". Its so tasty and we liked this very much. The chef however shared the recipe with me and here I'am sharing it for you!!

INGREDIENTS

King Fish – 1 kg

Onion – 2, sliced

Ginger – 1 ½ inch piece, sliced

Garlic – 5, sliced

Green Chillies – 3 nos

Curry leaves -  a few

Tomato – 1, chopped

Chilli powder – 1 table spoon

Turmeric powder – 1 tea spoon

Fish masala - 1 table spoon

Pepper powder – ½ tea spoon

Lemon juice – 2 table spoon

Salt – as required

Oil – as required

METHOD

Marinate sliced fish pieces with turmeric powder and salt. Keep for 30 minutes. Shallow fry fish pieces. Remove the bones of the fried fish pieces.

Heat oil in a pan and saute onions with ginger, garlic and curry leaves. Add all the powders and saute well. Add chopped tomatoes and salt. Cover the pan until tomatoes are soft. Add the fish pieces and toss gently until the masala coats well in the fish pieces. Finally add the lemon juice. Serve this as a side dish for rice or roti.