PANEER KADAI GRAVY !!

Ingredients

250 gms Paneer 

5-6 pieces garlic
1 tsp garam masala    
1 dry red chili
3 medium sized onions
1 green chili
4 medium sized tomatoes
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 bay leaf
3-4 cloves
1 Cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
5 table-spoon ghee or butter
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ginger
coriander leaves, finely chopped
salt to taste





Method :

• Take a grinder and add onion, ginger, green chili, tomato and garlic to it, and blend them to form a paste. keep it aside.

• Take 1 table-spoon ghee in a frying pan and heat it. When it gets heated up, turn the heat to low and add paneer cubes to it. fry them until they get shallow brown. Then, turn off the heat and keep them aside.

• Take 4 table-spoon ghee in a pan and put it over high heat. When it gets heated up, turn the heat to low and add bay leaf, laung, Cinnamon and dry red chili, stir well and fry for 2 mins.

• Then, add onion paste to the pan and put it over low-medium heat, cook until the oil separates from the mixture and it turns golden brown, Stir the gravy every 2 mins. so that it should not burnt from the bottom.

• Then, add turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, fenugreek seeds and salt to taste. Stir it well and cook it over low-medium heat. Add little water if needed.

• Now, add fried paneer cubes stir again, add some water if needed. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 mins. and turn off the heat.

• Garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves.

• Serve hot with naan, chapati, tandoori roti or pulao.

King fish curry /nadan neymeen curry

Ingredients:

• King fish – 500g cut into medium pieces
• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
• Small onion – 8-10
• Fenugreek seeds (uluva) – ¼ tsp
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Kashmiri chilli powder – 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Coriander powder – 3 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste – 3 tsp
• Cocum (kudampuli) – 2-3 pieces
• Curry leaves – 6-8
• Water – 1 ½ cup
• Oil preferably coconut oil .
• Salt

 Method:

• Heat oil in a pan (preferably an earthen pot) and splutter mustard seeds.
• Add fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, and crushed small onions.
• When onion becomes soft add ginger garlic paste and cook for 4-5 min.
• Add red chilli, kashmiri chilli, turmeric and coriander powder to the pan and cook for 4-5 min.
• Add water and cocum to the pan and mix well.
• Once it start boiling add fish pieces and swirl the pan. Do not stir with spoon after adding fish pieces as it will break the fish.
• Keep the pan covered and cook in low flame till oil starts appearing on the top. It will take approx 15-20 min for this. By this time fish will be cooked and gravy will be thick.
• Keep the pan aside and pour 3 tbsp of oil over cooked dish. Keep the pan closed for 10 min.
• Fish curry tastes best after 3-4 hrs of preperation.
• Serve with kappa, rice etc. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

kappayum meenum !! /Mashed Tapioca & fish curry !!

Nothing beats the combo of kappa & a spicy fish curry. Kerala's own popular traditional food.The one and  only kerala dish DH never says "No" !! Its always my comfort food .




Ingredients:


Tapioca /Kappa : 2 medium

Green Chilli : 2

Turmeric powder :  1/4 tsp 

Curry leaves : a sprig 

Small onions /Shallots sliced : 4-5 

Garlic crushed: 4 cloves

Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds  : 1/2 tsp

Coconut oil : 1 tbsp

Grated coconut : 2 tbspn

Dried Red chillies : 3-4

Salt to taste




method: 

Peel and wash tapioca /kappa and chop into small cubes.

Pour enough water to the cleaned tapioca so that all the pieces will be immersed completely,cook uncovered and allow to boil.

When the water boils,remove and drain the water and again add the same amount of water, salt,turmeric powder and cook till it turns to very soft. and drain off excess water from cooked tapioca.

 Heat the coconut oil in the pan and crackle mustard seeds,cumin seeds,sliced shallots,green chilles, dried red chillies and curry leaves grated coconut and saute till shallots turns to translucent and coconut slightly fried.

Add the cooked tapioca and stir well and mash and adjust the salt.

 

Serve with fish curry and moru curry !!

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Christmas Plum Cake !! ( Alcohol free )

Ingredients

All purpose flour- 1 1/4 cup

Butter -1/2 cup (1 stick) (at room temperature)

Eggs- 3 If large then 2

Baking powder-1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1 cup + 3 tsp

Raisins-1 cup (black raisin,white raisin and few candied cherry cut into pieces,tutti fruity )

Cashew nuts- 1/2 cup (broken into pieces)

Spice powder-(cloves -1-2 ,   cinnamon-1 small stick ,  dry ginger- a very small,tiny piece,cardamom -1,nutmeg- a small pinch make a powder of all this)

Vanilla essence-1 tsp

Boiling water-1/2 cup

Method

1.Caramelize sugar.Take an old pan .Heat it and put three tsps of sugar in the center of the pan.Reduce flame to medium low  .Do not touch the pan or stir the sugar.Keep a close eye and you will see that the sugar is melting when all the sugar has completely melted (not even one speck of white sugar o.k:)) pour the boiling water into it and switch off flame.Mix the sugar and water well bring it back to boil and put the nuts and raisins (not tutty fruity & cherries) in this.let it boil in this for 5 minutes or until they are tender .Let it cool down. Remove nuts and raisins from it and keep aside.

(While caramelizing sugar do not disturb it  because it will stick to the pan which is very difficult to remove ,if it is left undisturbed it will not stick !!

Pour only boiling water so it won't splutter .caramelized sugar is very hot and it can cause serious burns if you pour tap water.)

2.Keep 3 tbsp of flour aside and in the rest of the flour mix the baking powder and spice powder. Sift 2 - 3 times.

3.Beat the butter and sugar till fluffy then add eggs one by one and beat well.Add vanilla essence too.Now slowly fold in the flour mixture to it without mixing too much.Pour the caramelized sugar water to get the brownish color.

4.To the soaked raisins and nuts add the 3 tbsp flour we had kept aside and mix well and the tutty fruity  and cherry.This dusting is done to save the fruits and nuts from sinking to the bottom of the cake while baking.

5.Add it to the cake mixture and fold gently.Pour the batter into the greased baking pan and level the top.

6.Bake in a preheated oven at 350 ° F for about 45 to 55 minutes.Until the toothpick /skewer comes out clean.The cake top is dark brown in color .

Slice it only when completely cool ,don't take chance as it will crumble!

Enjoy with a cup of hot tea / coffee!! 

Happy Christmas !! :-)

Recipe courtesy : Meena kumar from Elephants and coconuttrees .

CHICKEN TIKKA SKEWERS !!

boneless chicken cubes 1 lbs

coriander pdr (optional) : 1 tsp

garam masala : 1/2 tsp

ginger garlic paste : 1 tbsp

chilli pdr : 1tsp

kasoori methi pdr : a good pinch

lemon juice :2 tbsp

onion, ,tomato ,bell pepper : 1 each ( cut into squares ; u can use multicolour bell peppers)

salt : to taste

sour cream or curd : 2 tbsp

Directions :

Cut chicken in to small cubes, wash nicely and apply lemon juice ,curd/sour cream and spices .
Mix well and then keep the chicken pieces in this marinade for about 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Put the chicken and other vegetables on to skewers and cook in moderately hot grill (if u don hav grill u can use a tawa) for about 6 to 8 minutes, keep basting the chicken pieces with butter and cook until slightly colored and cooked.

Remove and serve hot sprinkled with chaat masala.

CHICKEN STIR FRY !!

This easy chicken stir fry recipe is quick to make and tastes better than take-out! 

Ingredients

* 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
* 3 tablespoons cornstarch
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
* 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
* 1 small onion, cut into wedges
* 1 cup water
* 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (can substitute with chicken stock /cube or powder)

Directions

1. Cut chicken into 1/2-in. strips; place in a resealable plastic bag. Add cornstarch and toss to coat. Combine soy sauce, ginger and garlic powder; add to bag and shake well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of oil; stir-fry chicken until no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Add remaining oil; stir fry carrots and onion( u can use any veggies u like brocoli,muashroom celery etc) for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add water and bouillon. Return chicken to pan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
SERVE HOT WITH NOODLES OR FRIED RICE.
ENJOY!!! 

COCONUT CHUTNEY !!

1 cup freshly grated coconut 
2 teaspoons bengal gram (chana dal) roasted 
1" piece ginger peeled and chopped 
4 green chillies chopped 
salt to taste
for tempering :

1 teaspoons each of mustard seeds and black gram (urad dal)
½ teaspoon asafoetida powder
4 curry leaves
1 red chillies broken into bits
2 tablespoon oil (coconut oil preferably)

Directions :

Grind the coconut, roasted gram, green chillies, and ginger to a fine paste using a little water. Pour the paste into a bowl and adjust the consistency using suitable amount of water and add salt to taste.
Heat the oil in a pan on medium level for about 2 minute till it is hot enough. Add the mustard seeds. Let them splutter and then add the black gram (udad dal), red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida powder. Fry briefly till the gram turns red and pour it on the chutney.
serve with masala dosa ,idli etc.