Ginger Chicken Fry

This recipe is for those who love gingery aroma. I love the flavor of fried or roasted ginger which enhances the taste of chicken. This is not the Thai version but a Kerala style chicken fry and is inspired by the chilly ginger chicken fry or perattu popular in my native place.I just tried different version by adding lots of ginger. It tasted delicious as a side dish for rice.

Ingredients
Chicken boneless- 1 lb
Chilly powder- 1 1/2 tsp
( add according to your taste)
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Garam Masala/meat masala- 3/4 tsp
Ginger finely chopped- 3-4 tsp
Thinly sliced shallots- 2-3
Mint leaves - a few
Curry leaves
fennel seeds- a pinch
mustard seeds
oil-2 tsp
salt to taste


Cut chicken into small pieces and marinate with chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder,garam masala and salt and keep aside for half an hour.Pour one tsp of oil in a pan and add curry leaves and mint and then the chicken.  Close the lid and cook in a low flames. The chicken will shed its own water and cook. Stir occasionally till completely cooked. ( If the chicken gets dry you can sprinkle a few drops of water.
Heat a little oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and fennel seeds. Next add ginger and shallots fry till golden brown and mix this with the cooked chicken. Stir fry for two more minute till all the masala gets well coated.


Ginger Prawns fry

I tried the same recipe with prawns.  But here the cooking time is less and you need not precook the prawns. You can add marinated prawns to the ginger mixture and fry.

Try this...

Hope you will all enjoy..

Papaya Coconut Cake

 Papaya coconut cake is a delicious, moist and buttery cake and the inspiration is from the  by the Bahamian papaya cake.Usually a little of rum is added for extra flavor in these cakes.This cake can be better known as a papaya sauce cake as I cooked the papaya into a chunky sauce before adding to the cake. You can also add the puree or just chopped papaya, but cooked papaya reduces the water content and gives it a sweet caramelized flavor which you will surely enjoy. Here are the ingredients.

Ingredients
All purpose flour- 2 cups
Baking powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Baking soda- a pinch
salt 1/3 tsp


Papaya sauce-1 cup
( I used an orange red papaya for this recipe)
coconut- 1/2 cup
Sugar- 3/4 cup
brown sugar- 1/3 cup
( Adjust sugar according to the sweetness of the papaya)
butter- 1/2 cup
egg - 2
candied ginger- one tsp ( optional)
Vanilla essence- 2 tsp
Imitation Rum Extract- 1 tsp ( Optional)
( I used McCormick Imitation Rum Extract or you can add 1/3 cup rum )

orange zest- 1 tsp
sour cream- 1/2 cup


( you can also add nuts and raisins)


To make the papaya sauce heat one tsp of butter and brown sugar in a sauce pan.When it gets caramelized add the papaya and cook  till all the water gets evaporated and almost dry. Allow this to cool completely.
Sieve in all flour, baking powder,soda, and salt. mix nutmeg or candied ginger,coconut  salt and keep aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Prepare cake pan by greasing with butter and dusting with flour and set aside.
Beat room temperature butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time and beat till fluffy. Mix in vanilla essence, orange zest and sour cream. Now add little by little the dry mixture and spoon in the papaya sauce alternatively and gently fold in. Pour into the pan and bake for 20 minutes or till the tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
For the icing Combine two tsp of butter and one cup of icing sugar using an electric mixer in low speed. Add two tsp of milk and 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence and  a  few drops of imitation rum and beat till smooth and creamy. Spread on the cake when it is completely cool. I have used nuts and coconut for decorating the cake.

Cake without icing..

Try this
Hope you will all enjoy..

Pineapple Pachadi

Pineapple pachadi tastes like an exotic dish full of flavor. Fruit curries like pachadi and pulisherri is an integral part of the traditional Kerala cuisine.Locally available fruits like pineapple, mango and sweet plantain are used to make some of these curries.Most of them are yogurt and coconut based curries and part of the traditional feast or  Kerala Sadhya.This pineapple pachadi is a unique dish. It is a mouthwatering delicacy which is sweet and tart,a combo of pineapple, coconut and yogurt/curd. There are different versions in different regions like pineapple mathura pachadi and pineapple tenga aracha curry. Here is two other versions which tastes equally delicious.

Ingredients
Pineapple chopped- 2 cup
Yogurt- 1 1/2 cup
Coconut- 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp
Chilly powder-1/2 tsp
Green chilly -1
Sugar- 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Mustard seeds- 1/2tsp
Curry leaves


Cook pineapple with turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt and sugar and a 1 cup of water till pineapple is completely cooked and can be easily mashed up. Grind coconut and green chilly into a fine paste and mix in yogurt and blend. Add this mixture into the cooked pineapple. Cook in low heat for one minute or till the curry is warm.  Do not allow to boil.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter add one red chilly and curry leaves and pour this mixture and oil on the pineapple curry. Serve with rice.

Pineapple pachadi another version

Ingredients
Pineapple chopped - 2 cup
Coconut- 1/3 cup
Yogurt- 1 1/2 cup
cumin- 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/3
Green chilly- 2 -3
Sugar- 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
mustard seeds- 1/2tsp
Dry red chilly-1
Curry leaves

Cook pineapple along salt, green chilly and 1/3 cup of water.
Make a paste of coconut and cumin. Mix in yogurt into this paste.
Add this mixture to the cooked pineapple and stir till it is warmed up. Do not allow to boil.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter add one red chilly and curry leaves and pour this mixture and oil on the pineapple curry. Serve with rice.

Check other pachadi recipes in this blog:

Vellarikka/Cucumber Pachadi
Thakkali/Tomato Pachadi 
Mango/Mambazham Pachadi
Bottlegourd/Churaykka Pachadi

For pickled pineapple recipe check: Pineapple Achar/Pickle


Try this...
Hope you will all enjoy..

Broccoli Stir fry

Broccoli Stir fry with ginger and fennel powder tastes delicious and is a good side dish for rice. It is healthy veggie with its vibrant green color and distinct flavor.This is a very simple and quick stir fry but you will love the simple aroma of ginger and fennel combined.

Ingredients
Broccoli florets- 2 cup
Onion sliced- 1
Chopped ginger- 1 tsp
Fennel powder- 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder or flakes- 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/3 tsp
curry leaves
Oil - 2tsp
Salt  to taste

Sprinkle a few drops of water and microwave broccoli in high for two minutes till it is crisp tender.( or steam broccoli florets in  water till cooked but it should retain its color and crispness)
Heat oil in a pan and when mustard seeds splutter add ginger and curry leaves and saute for a minute till you get a nice aroma. Now add onions and saute for a minute and add chilly powder and fennel powder and a pinch of salt. Drop in the broccoli florets and toss till well coated, but not more than 30 to 40 seconds. You can also add sesame seeds or sliced almonds if you like extra crunchiness.

Try this..
Hope you will all enjoy...

Meen Mulakittathu

Meen mulakittathu or mulaku chathachatu which means fish with crushed chilly flakes- is a spicy and quick side dish for rice.  It is a fish stir fry with crushed chilly flakes,ginger and shallots.It is popular in central and southern Kerala and is usually made with dry fish or dry prawns. But here I have used fresh boneless fish and this also tastes delicious. Here are the ingredients.

Ingredients

Boneless fish- 2 lb
Shallots crushed- 1 cup
Ginger - 2 inch thick

Crushed chilly flakes- 3/4 tsp
( adjust according to taste)
Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp
Pepper powder- a pinch
clove powder- a pinch
lemon juice- 1 tsp
mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
curry leaves
coriander leaves
salt to taste
coconut oil- 2 tsp

Clean and cut fish into small pieces and marinate for 10 minutes with turmeric powder,a pinch of pepper powder, salt and lemon juice.
Lightly fry this in oil and set aside.

 In the same oil add mustard seeds. When they splutter add crushed onion, ginger, curry leaves and saute till golden brown.
Put back the fried fish and sprinkle chilly flakes and clove powder. Close lid and allow to cook in medium heat. When the water fully evaporated sprinkle coriander leaves.
Serve warm with rice.

Try this..
Hope you will all enjoy..

Nankattai

Nankattai  is a very popular Indian tea time cookie and has the perfect crumbly melt in mouth texture. It is buttery, with the inviting fragrance of cardamon. It has been my favorite cookies and still remember those inviting and beautiful round cookies arranged in glass jars in bakeries and canteens. I had no idea that it was so simple and easy to make. ya much easy than baking a cake. It has very little ingredients and can be put together quickly. Serve this with a cup of tea and enjoy :)

Ingredients

All purpose flour- 1 cup
Corn starch or Rava-2tsp
Baking powder- 1/2 tsp
Baking soda- a pinch
Salt- a pinch
Powdered sugar- 1/2 cup
Butter- one stick( 1/2 cup)
Cardamon-1/2 tsp

Mix and combine flour,corn starch,baking powder,baking soda and salt and set aside.
 In a mixing bowl combine room temperature butter and powdered sugar till it is light and fluffy. Add cardamon powder and mix well. Add the flour mixture little by little till it is well combined and one smooth ball. Cover and let it rest for half and hour.
Preheat oven to 200 degree F and line cookie sheet with butter paper. Divide the dough into small balls and roll between your palms and gently press. Bake them for 15 minutes. Take out of the oven and allow to cool completely and store in air tight container.

Try this...
Hope you will all enjoy..

Stuffed Bread sticks

Enticing flavors of fresh baked bread is something that every one loves.This stuffed bread stick is inspired by the cheese stuffed bread sticks but an Indianised version and is a delicious appetizer or a great option for picnic.


Ingredients
For the stuffing 
Cooked potato- 2 medium
Cooked and shredded chicken - 1/2 lb
Chopped carrot-1
Onion- 1
Garlic paste- 1/2 tsp
Green chilly- 2
turmeric - a pinch
pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste

For the bread
Flour - 2 cup
Yeast - 2 tsp
warm water- 1 cup
salt - 1/2 tsp
Sugar- 3/4 tsp
oil - 2 tsp
melted butter- 2 tsp


First to make the stuffing heat oil and saute onions till translucent.Add in garlic paste and fry till raw flavor disappears. Add in chopped carrots and stir fry for a minute. Mix in cooked chicken ( cook chicken separately with 1/2 cup water, turmeric, pepper and salt) and potatoes mix well. Finally add coriander leaves and allow this to cool.

For the bread mix in sugar and warm water and add yeast and set aside for 5-6 minutes till it is frothy. Mix together flour and salt,yeast and oil to knead to form a smooth dough. Cover with damp cloth and let it rest to raise for one hour or till it doubles its size. Knead it a little more and using a rolling pin flatten it into a square.cut into equal size long stripes. Fill in the stuffing and seal the edges. ( or just roll them and make a well in the center and fill in the stuffing).Allow to rest for another 10 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes till golden brown for 15- 18 minutes. You can brush it with a little butter after taking out from the oven and allow to cool.

Try this..
Hope you will all enjoy.