Meen/Fish Thilappichathu

Meen Thilappichathu (Cochin style fish curry)

Meen Thilappichathu is a common fish preparation of Central Kerala especially Cochin. It is fish in a spicy and tangy sauce and is simple and easy to put together. You can use use any kind of fish like king fish, pearl spot, pom fret,mackerel or sardines. You can also use the same recipe to make eggs. This is a healthy and delicious recipe with very simple ingredients. Here I have used vinegar to make the sauce tangy which can be replaced with tomatoes.Try this..you will surely love it.


Ingredients
Fish - 1 lb(I used pomfret)
Shallots 12-14
Ginger- 2 inch thick
Garlic- 4-5
Green chilly- 3
Curry leaves a few
Chilly powder- 2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
water- 1 1/2 cup
Vinegar-2 tsp
Salt to taste

Clean and cut fish and keep aside.
Using a mixer blend into a coarse mixture (not paste) the shallots, green chilly, ginger garlic and curry leaves.
Heat oil in a pan and saute this mixture till it is golden brown. Add chilly powder and turmeric powder and saute till raw flavor disappears. Pour 1 1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the fish and vinegar and cover and cook till done. Simmer and allow the gravy to thicken. Finally add a few fresh curry leaves. Serve with rice or appam.

Try this..
Hope you will all enjoy..

Vendakka/Okra Fry

One of my favorite ways to cook okra or vendakka is a spicy fry. It is easy to prepare and is great accompaniment for rice and sambar. Its simple and delicious stir fry and  a quick recipe for dinner especially when you are short of time. It is spicy and bit tangy from the tomatoes. You can make it a little more crispy if you like.

Ingredients
Okra- 25-30
Shallots chopped- 1/2 cup
( or 1 small onion).
Tomato -1 medium
Ginger chopped - 1 tsp
Urud dal, mustard seeds, Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp each
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/3 tsp
Hing- a pinch
Curry leaves -a few

Wash and completely dry the okra with paper towel before cutting them. Cut into one inch pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds followed by urud dal and fry for a minute. Add hing and after a second ginger and onions. Fry till onions change color. Add turmeric and tomatoes and fry for a minute. Now add okra or vendakka give it a quick mix, reduce the heat and allow  to slowly get cooked and fry and stir occasionally till it gets cooked and fried.( avoid constantly stiring and adding salt in the beginning as it can make it slimy). Finally add chilly powder, salt and curry leaves and fry for one more minute. Serve with rice and dal.

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

Lemon Chicken

Lemon chicken

This is a great chicken recipe infused with Asian flavors and was very similar to the Chinese restaurant style lemon chicken.It is citrus flavored,sweet, tart and crispy chicken .The chicken is first cut into small pieces, dipped in batter and deep fried. The sauce is made separately and drizzled over the chicken.This is perfect with jasmine rice.



Ingredients
1)Chicken boneless- 1 1/2 lb
Soya sauce- 3 tsp
Salt a pinch
For the batter
2)For the BatterEgg- 2
Corn starch-2 tbs

3)For the sauce
Water - 3/4 cup
( or you can use chicken broth)
Sugar- 3-4 tsp
Salt- 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice- 1 lemon
Lemon zest- 1 tsp
Corn starch- 1 tsp
Yellow color- one drop( optional)

Sesame seeds roasted - 1 tsp
Chopped spring onions - a few

Clean and cut chicken  into small pieces and marinate with soya sauce and pinch of salt and keep aside for ten minutes.
Mix the ingredients under two and make a batter. Heat oil in a pan. Dip the marinated chicken in the batter and deep fry in batches for four to five minutes till it is crispy and golden brown. Drain into paper towels and keep aside.
Mix all ingredients listed under three into a sauce pan and put it in medium flame, stir and allow it to simmer and thicken. Place the chicken in a serving dish and drizzle the sauce all over the chicken. Sprinkle roasted sesame seeds and chopped spring onions. Serve with jasmine rice.

You might also like,
Orange Chicken
Mushrooms and Chicken Teriyaki
Honey Bourbon Chicken
Korean Fried Chicken
Honey Glazed Chicken
Caribbean Mango Chicken

For more chicken recipes check my page- 100 Chicken/Meat Recipes

Try this..
Hope you will all enjoy..

Kanava/Koonthal/Squid Thoran

Kanava, koonthal or squid is popular among the sea food lovers of Kerala.Calamari fries is popular recipe in restaurants.This is not deep fried  but a dry preparation with squid cooked along with crushed coconut and spices.Cleaning squid is the difficult part a I was lucky to get cleaned ones in Asian market here. For cleaning instructions search here.It is a delicious side dish with rice..give this recipe a try..you will surely love it

Ingredients

Kanava/Squid- 1 lb
Shallots- 6-8 ( or one medium onion)
Ginger- 1 inch thick
Garlic- 3-4
Green chilly-2
Grated coconut- 1/2 cup
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp
Kudam puli- 1-2 small piece.
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves- a few
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Coconut oil

Clean and cut the squid into into small pieces or round rings and set aside.
Crush the grated coconut in a mixer and add in chilly powder, salt, turmeric, ginger and garlic .Mix this with the squid and add kudampuli. Add 1 tbs of water and cook this in medium heat till all the water gets evaporated and squid is cooked.Squid will get cooked in its own liquid.  Do not cook for more than 5-6 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and when they splutter fry onions,red chilly, green chilly and curry leaves  and add the cooked  squid and stir fry. Add in a few drops of coconut oil (optional),pepper powder and curry leaves and stir fry it for another two minutes.

Try this..
Hope you will all enjoy..

Green Peas Egg Curry

Green Peas Egg Curry

A Simple and breezy curry for appam or chapatis. Both egg and green peas forms an awesome combo.This is a typical Kerala style curry which is a good side dish for appam. It is a flavorful, mild, creamy and tangy sauce with coconut milk and tomato puree. Usually it is made with dried green peas which you have to soak overnight. But here I have used frozen ones.

Ingredients
Frozen green peas- 1 1/2 cup
Hard boiled eggs- 3
Onion- 1 medium
Tomato puree- 1/2 cup
Ginger garlic paste- 11/2 tsp
Coconut milk thick-3/4 cup
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
Meat masala- 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves

Heat oil in a pan and saute onions till golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder and saute for a minute. Add  tomato puree(  you can add chopped tomatoes too) and salt and saute till oil separates. Add frozen green peas, chilly powder,coriander powder and  masala. Close lid and allow to cook. Add coconut milk and boiled eggs and allow to simmer. Finally add chopped coriander leaves. Serve warm with appam/ parottas or pathiri.

Try this..
Hope you will all enjoy

Green Beans Stir Fry

Green Beans Stir fry

 Simple and quick Asian style green beans stir fry with the flavor of garlic, bell pepper and roasted sesame seeds and the crunch of  peanuts.It is  delicious and flavorful dish and the little spiciness comes form chilly sauce and chilly flakes.Goes well with fried rice or any Asian style dinner.

Ingredients

Green beans chopped- 2 cup

Roasted peanuts- 1/4 cup

Roasted Sesame seeds- 2 tsp

Garlic- 3 cloves

Onion- 1 medium

Soya sauce- 1 tbs

Sugar- 1/3 tsp

Chilly garlic sauce- 1 tbs

Chilly flakes- 1/3 tsp

Corn starch- 1 tsp(optional)

Cut beans into desired size. Put it in microwave in high for one minute. Heat oil in a pan and add chopped garlic and saute for a few seconds and add the green beans,onions and sprinkle chilly flakes and a dash of salt. Fry this in for3-4 minutes till light brown spots appear on the beans. In a bowl mix soya sauce, sugar, chilly garlic sauce and add to the fried beans. Lower the flames and allow the sauces to blend. If you are adding corn starch to thicken the sauce mix with two  to three tsp of water and simmer. Finally add peanuts and sesame seeds and toss. Serve warm.

Try this..
Hope you will all enjoy..

Sweet Potato Adai/Pancakes

Here is a delicious and healthy way to start your day This is a quick breakfast/brunch recipe.This is the regular pan cake mixed with cooked and mashed sweet potato. It is light and satisfying, low in starch and can be made in a jiffy just like the regular pancakes, provided you have cooked sweet potatoes in fridge :) You can cook sweet potatoes and store them in fridge for two to three days just like potatoes( do not peel off the skin, pat dry and store in Ziploc bags). Give this recipe a try.


Ingredients
Sweet potato- 1 medium
Flour- 1 cup
Baking powder- 1tsp
Salt- 1/2 tsp
Sugar- 3 tsp
Egg- 2
Milk- 1 cup
Melted butter- 2 tsp
Vanilla essence- 1 tsp
Nutmeg- a pinch

Cook sweet potato in boiling water and cook till its tender. But it should remain firm. Peel off the skin and cut into small pieces (otherwise just poke sweet potato with a fork and place in the over at 350 degree F for one hour)


Combine flour,salt,baking powder and nutmeg and keep aside.
In a mixer blend together eggs,milk, chopped sweet potato,vanilla essence and melted butter.In a bowl whisk in the mixed puree and the flour till well blended.
Heat a non stick pan and grease. Pour one ladle into the hot pan and allow one side to cook and then flip over to the other side and cook. Serve  with syrup

Try this..
Hope you will all enjoy..