Pavakka Varuthathu/ Fried Bitter Gourd

Pavakka fry is quick and easy side dish and goes well with rice and sambar.I know it is one of the less loved vegetable because of its bitter taste..for some reason I have always loved them.Usually I make mezhukkuvaratti or pachadi but this fry is something I love to have occasionally. Try this crispy and spicy pavakka fry, you will surely love it and believe me,you will not feel the bitterness :)

Ingredients
Bitter Gourd/Pavakka- 2 medium
Onion sliced- 1 medium
Green chilly- 3
Coconut sliced- a few
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp
salt to taste
Rice flour-1 tsp (optional)
Corn starch- 1 tsp( optional)
oil for frying

Cut bitter gourd into thin slices and mix in green chilly, coconut slices, chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt. Set this aside for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a pan. Mix in corn starch and rice flour into the marinated bitter gourd just before frying. 
When the bitter gourd starts changing color to golden brown add in sliced onions and fry them all together till crispy. Use paper towels to drain off the excess oil.Serve with rice.

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Hope you will all enjoy..

Sooji Halwa ( With Jaggery)

Sooji halwa is a sweet and delicious dessert and is one of the easiest halwa It is very easy to put together and will not take more than 10minutes. There is very little stirring unlike usual halwa preparation. It has the  inviting aroma of roasted sooji, cardamon and ghee and is perfect for any occasion. This recipe is inspired by the sooji halwa of Manjula's kitchen..I used the exact measurement but here I used jaggery instead of sugar.

Ingredients
Sooji/Rawa- 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Powdered jaggery- 1/3 cup
Water- 1 1/2 cup
Cardamon- a pinch
cashew nut chopped- 2 tsp
Cashews for garnish

Boil water and jaggery till it is completely dissolved, strain and keep aside.
Roast sooji in ghee for five minutes till it is golden brown and there is a nice aroma.
Add jaggery syrup little by little and stir till the halwa gets thickened for 5 minutes. Add cardamon powder and roasted cashews.Pour into a greased plate and allow to cool and set.Garnish and serve.

Sending this to Akheel's wonderful event  Food Palette Series Brown

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Chicken Pulao

Chicken pulao is a  quick and delicious one pot aromatic meal.It is different from the elaborate chicken biryani,but equally tasty and great for weekend lunch .Its simplicity in preparation yet delicious taste and flavor makes it a sure winner.

Ingredients

Basmathi rice- 2 cups
Chicken - 1 lb
Yogurt- 3/4 cup
onion- 1/2 medium
tomato puree- 1/2
green Chilly-3-4
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2tsp
garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp
Ginger- garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsp
Mint leaves/mint powder - a few/ 1/2 tsp
Ghee- 1tsp
oil-2 tsp
salt
Cashew nuts- a few
water-3 cups
Cinnamon - 1 stick
cloves- 4-5
Star aniseed- 2
cardamon- 2

Wash rice, drain and keep aside.
Clean and marinate the chicken with chilly powder,turmeric powder, salt garam masala,yogurt and mint leaves and keep aside for half an hour.
Heat oil in a pan and add whole garam masala and fry for a minute followed by cashew nuts,onions and ginger garlic paste till onions are golden brown. Add tomato puree and saute till it is cooked and oil separates. Add in the marinated chicken and half a cup of water cover and cook till the chicken is almost done.Chicken will have gravy at this stage. Add  rice on top along with 31/2 cups of hot water. Cook in medium flame till the rice is cooked all the water is absorbed. Gently mix rice and chicken with a fork.Serve warm.

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Chemmeen Theeyal - Prawns in Roasted Coconut Gravy

Prawns Theeyal

Theeyal is one of the most cherished dishes of Kerala and lip-smacking delicious. It is a very traditional curry with a saucy tangy gravy with a rich dark color. It is a versatile gravy and you can use any vegetable of your choice. So now let's talk about the gravy. It is spicy and tangy coconut gravy and its wonderful aroma comes from roasted coconut. Perfectly roasted coconut brings in the rich dark color, right flavor, and consistency.

The gravy is simmered in tamarind sauce. There is a beautiful balance between the nutty sweet flavor of roasted coconut and the slightly tangy taste of tamarind. Added to this is the taste of prawns. Pearl onions or small onions add richness to the curry. Now when I say pearl onions, I mean a lot! You need lots of pearl onions in this curry. Theeyal sounds elaborate cooking, but it is a delightful curry and is worth the effort. This chemmeen/prawns is a great side dish for rice or pathiri.

Theeyal is part of Kerala Sadhya- traditional vegetarian feast There are different variations of theeyal This is similar to the Vazhuthanenga/eggplant theeyal and Pavakka or bitter gourd theeyal that I had posted earlier. Chemmeen Theeyal is for seafood lovers. Try this, you will surely love it!

There are lots of flavors that combine to make a perfect theeyal. Coconut is quintessential in Kerala cooking. The perfect roasting brings out the essential oils and makes it aromatic and flavorful. The color of the curry also depends on the roasting of the coconut. So make sure roast till brown for rich dark color. Curry leaves and coconut oil adds to the flavor. Below is how I prepare the roasted coconut. You can make a large batch if you prefer. You can refrigerate it for weeks and always have it on hand in your kitchen. It is versatile and you can cook any veggie of seafood of your choice.

How to make Prawns Theeyal

Prep and cooking time- 40 minutes
Recipe Type- Side dish
Cuisine- Kerala/ Indian

Ingredients
Prawns- 1 lb
Pearl onions sliced- 2 cup
Thinly sliced coconut pieces-  a few
Ginger- 3 inch thick
Green chilly- 2
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Tamarind- one lemon size
mustard seeds- 1/2
Curry Leaves- a few
Coconut Oil- 2 tbs

To roast
Coconut grated- 1 1/4 cup
Pearl onions- 4-5
Dry red chilly- 3
Chilly powder- 1 tbs
Coriander seeds- 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp
curry leaves- a few
Salt to taste
Coconut oil- 1 tsp

Roasting the coconut

Heat one tsp of oil in a pan and add coconut and fry in low flame for two to three minutes. Next add curry leaves, dry red chilly, pearl onion whole, coriander seeds, and fenugreek seeds. Roast this in low medium heat for about 10 minutes. Make sure it does not burn, or the gravy will turn bitter. When it is dark brown add chilly powder and roast for a few seconds and switch off the flame. Using a mixer blend this into a fine paste and set aside.

To make the theeyal 

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter thinly sliced coconut pieces and fry till golden brown. Now add sliced pearl onion, ginger, curry leaves and green chilly and fry till the onion becomes golden brown. Add turmeric and stir for one more minute. Now add the prawns and salt and saute till the prawns change color. Add half a cup of tamarind extract and allow this to boil. Finally, add the ground coconut paste and simmer for three minutes. Serve with rice.

You might also like,
Achinga Payar Chemmeen Theeyal
Pavakka/ Bitter gourd theeyal
Ulli Theeyal
Vazhuthanenga Theeyal
Eggplant Fry
Padavalanga Chemmeen Curry

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Hope you will all enjoy..

Lemon Cup Cake

This is a simple lemon cup cake.It has a wonderful citrus flavor and a delicious tea time cake. Children will love its sweet buttery flavor and a sweet and bit tangy lemon flavored frosting.

Ingredients
For the cup cake

All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cup
Baking powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Salt- 1/3 tsp
Sugar- 3/4 cup
Egg- 3
Lemon juice- 1 lemon
Lemon Zest- 1/2 tsp
Vanilla Essence- 1 tsp
Butter- 1/2 cup
Milk- 3-4tsp
One drop of lemon color(optional)

For the Cream frosting.
Heavy Whipping-1 cup
Confectionery Sugar- 1/2 cup
Lemon zest- 1/3 tsp

To make the frosting mix cream and confectionery sugar and keep in refrigerator and keep chill till use. Beat them together using a hand mixer until it holds stiff peaks. Sprinkle the lemon zest and fold in. Chill till it is time to do the frosting.

To make the cup cake
Preheat oven to 350 degree f.Line baking tray(muffin tin) with paper cups and keep ready.
Shift flour, baking powder and salt at least two times and keep aside.
Beat sugar and butter till it is light and fluffy.
Add in eggs one at a time into the butter mixture and beat well for one minute. Add vanilla essence, lemon juice and lemon zest.Add the flour little by little and little milk and fold in.Scoop the batter into the cups till 2/3and bake for 20 minutes. Check by inserting a tooth pick at the center. Place on wire rack and allow to cool completely before doing the frosting.

Adapted from : Food network

Sending this to Rumana's wonderful event 

And  to Priya's event

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Hope you will all enjoy

Kurukku Kaalan

 Kurukku kaalan is a popular dish of Central Kerala. It is a delicious yogurt and coconut based dish and is made by slowly simmering cooked vegetables and yogurt and coconut paste to a thick and creamy consistency.Kurukku literally means liquid that is reduced or thickened.It is essential part of the Kerala Sadhya, and is one of my favorites among the wide range of exquisite vegetarian dishes served during Onam or other festive celebrations. The vegetable I have used here is chembu /Taro.

Ingredients
Chembu- 5- 6 medium ones
Yogurt- 2 1/2 cup
Coconut- 1 cup
Pepper powder- 1 tsp
Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp
Cumin- 1/3 tsp
Curry leaves
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp
Dry red chilly-1
shallot thinly sliced-1
oil- 3 tsp
salt to taste


Cut vegetable into small pieces. Mix pepper powder in one cup of water and strain. Discard the husk. Use this water along with salt, turmeric powder and chilly powder and cook the taro till it is soft. 
Mix in thick yogurt (strain out the water using a cheese cloth) and cook a medium flame for about five to six minutes till it thickens.Stir continuously for the first two minutes and allow to simmer.
Grind coconut and cumin into a thick fine paste using very little water. Add this simmer for a minute and switch off the flame.
Heat oil and ghee in  a pan and splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds followed by shallot slices red chilly and curry leaves and fry for a minute. Add this to the curry and mix well. Serve with rice.

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Kerala Fish Biryani

This is a Kerala style fish biryani more popular in Northern Kerala. Any biryani lover will love this simple  delicious and easy to make fish biryani. This is a flavorful and spicy fried fish cooked in a tangy sauce. Aromatic spices, tangy fried fish and rice flavored with ghee and fried onions will definitely please your palate. Fish biryani tastes best with King fish. But I have tried with salmon too, which also tasted delicious.

Ingredients
For the rice
Basmathi rice- 2 cups
Water - 4 cups
salt as needed
Whole garam masala
(cinnamon- a small piece, clove 3,cardamon 2)
ghee- 1/2 tsp


To marinate the fish
King fish - 3/4 kg
chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp
lemon juice- a few drops


For the masala
Shallots/onions- 8-10 or one medium
Ginger garlic chopped- 1/3 cup
Green chilly- 6-8
Yogurt- 1/2 cup
tomato- 1
Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp
Garam masala- 1 1/2 tsp
(For home made biryani masala check here)
Fennel powder- 1/2 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves- a handful
Mint leaves- a few


Garnish
Onion thinly sliced- 1/2 onion
Raisins- 10-  12
cashew nuts- 8-10
ghee- 3 tsp

Cook the rice till it is 80% done by adding in the ingredients listed under rice. You can tie the masalas with a muslin cloth and remove it after the rice is cooked. Once cooked spread on a tray and allow to cool.

Marinate the fish with the ingredients listed and shallow fry them one minute on either side. Need not cook them all the way as it will be cooked in the sauce.
Fry onions listed under garnish in ghee till it is crispy and brown. Strain and keep aside. In the same pan fry cashew nuts till golden brown and raisins and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in crushed or finely chopped garlic, ginger, green chilly and mint leaves and fry for a minute. Add crushed shallots and fry till golden brown. Add finely chopped tomatoes and saute till it is soft. Now add in the turmeric powder, chilly powder and fry ( you can also add coriander powder - 1/2 tsp if you like).Take one spoon full of this masala and mix into the yogurt and blend well. Now add this to the masala ( this will prevent it from curdling) . Pour half a cup of hot water and stir well. Now add the fish pieces and cook in medium flame for three minutes. 
Sprinkle little of coriander leaves and layer the rice on top of the fish masala. Garnish with coriander leaves,mint leaves, fried onion and cashews and drizzle a few drops of ghee. If you feel that the masala has dried up completely pour 1/3 cup of thin coconut milk finally on top of the rice. This will add more flavor to the biryani, but this is optional. Close with a tight lid and place a little weight on top. Cook in low flame ( or place a tawa first and then the biryani vessel) for four to five minutes. Serve warm with raitha, pickle and papad.

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Hope you will all enjoy...