Crab Rangoon

Crab Rangoon

Crab Rangoon is easy to make crispy appetizer. It is often found in Thai and Chinese restaurants in USA, and is served as an appetizer with sweet spicy dipping sauce. Deep fried wanton wraps filled with crab and cream cheese filling, is yummy and an absolute party favorite. Try this, you will surely love it.

Ingredients
Wanton wraps- 16
Crab meat- 1 cup
Cream cheese- 4 ounce
Sugar- 1/2 tsp
Minced garlic- 1
Soya sauce- a few drops
Spring onion chopped- 3 tbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying- 2 cup

Keep wanton wraps under a damp towel to keep it from drying.
If you are using fresh crabs cook and break the shell. Scoop out the meat and set aside.
In a bowl add soften room temperature cream cheese, crab meat, salt and pepper, few drops of soya sauce, sugar and minced garlic.Mix well.
Take one wanton wrap and wet the edges with water. Place a teaspoon full of crab filling in the center. Fold the wrap diagonally like a triangle.Press and seal the two edges but not the center. Now pull the two side flaps to the top like crown and seal. Make it into a tiny parcel and press to seal all sides to keep it secure.
Meanwhile heat oil in a pan and when hot gently drop them and fry till crispy and golden brown. Remove from oil and place on paper towel to remove the excess oil. Serve with sweet chilly sauce or ketchup.

You might also like,
Crab Croquettes
Malaysian Crispy Fried Chicken Curry Puffs
Korean Chilli Garlic Chicken
Vietnamese Fish Cakes
Italian Spicy Breaded Shrimp
Minced Prawns Patties

Try this
Hope you will all enjoy!

Mathuramulla Nelikka Curry/Gooseberry Curry

Mathuramulla Nelikka Curry/Gooseberry Curry

Nellika curry is a spicy condiments that can be served for sadhya. It does not have a long shelf life like regular pickle and is more like a spicy curry.Usually mango, ginger and lemon pickle/curry are the chief thodu curry for sadhya. Here gooseberry is also prepred in similiar patten and you can try this for a change. Nelikka or goose berry pickle is one of my favorite and this curry is tart, spicy and mildly sweet. Try this,you will surely love it.

 Ingredients
Gooseberry/nelikka- 15 large sized ones
Thinly sliced Ginger-2 tbs
Green chilly-2-3
Shallots- 2
Chilly powder- 1 1/2 tbs
Fenugreek powder- 1/2 tsp
Tamarind- small gooseberry sized ball
Jaggery- a small piece
Curry leaves- a few
mustard seeds- a few
Dry red chilly- 2
Salt to taste
oil for frying.

Steam gooseberry for about four to five minutes till it becomes soft.Cut the goose berry into small pieces and discard the seed.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and when it crackles add dry red chilly and curry leaves and stir fry for a few minutes.
Next add chopped shallots and green chilly and continue to fry till slightly brown.
Reduced the heat and add chilly powder and fenugreek powder, saute for a few seconds. Now add the goose berry, salt and tamarind water. Allow it to simmer and the gravy to thicken. Add grated jaggery and simmer till the gravy thickens and oil to separates.

Try this
Hope you will all enjoy!

Achinga Payar Chakkakuru Mezhukkupuratti/Yard Beans Jack fruit Seeds Stir Fry

Achinga Payar Chakkakuru Mezhukkupuratti

Achinga payar or yard beans is a very common vegetable grown in Kerala and it is a healthy and delicious vegetable. It tastes best in stir fries and I have already posted one recipe with yard beans and raw plantain. This is another combo with chakka kuru/jack fruit seeds. Jack fruits are seasonal fruit but seeds can be preserved for few more months. It can be used in curries and stir fry. Try this yummy combo,you will surely love it.

Ingredients

Achinga payar- cut into  one inch piece- a small bunch

(approximately 2cups)

Chakkakuru/jack fruit seeds- 15 nos

Shallots- 8-10

Crushed red chilly- 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder- 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder- a pinch (optional)

Turmeric- 1/4 tsp

Garlic- 2 cloves

Curry leaves- a few

Coconut oil- 1 1/2 tbs
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

salt to taste

Wash chakka kuru/jack fruit seeds. You can cook it in a pressure cooker. Cook with one cup water and salt in medium flame for 6-8 minutes ( one whistle). When it cools down,gently peel off the top white skin and the bottom red skin. Cut into small pieces.

Cook achinga payar/yard beans, cooked jack fruit seeds along with turmeric powder, pepper powder salt and a few drops of coconut oil.Add about 1/4 cup of water and cook till the vegetables are soft.

 In a mixer crush garlic,shallots,curry leaves into a course mixture and keep aside.

Heat coconut oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters add the crushed shallot mixture few curry leaves and crushed red chilly and saute till it turns golden brown. Add chilly powder and saute for another minute.

Add in the cooked vegetables and stir fry in medium high heat for two to three minutes.  Finally drizzle few drops of fresh coconut oil. Serve as a side dish for rice.

You might also like,
Achinga Payar Kaya Mezhukkupuratti
Chakkakuru Ularthiyathu
Chakkakuru Muringakka Thoran
Achinga Payar Chemmeen Theeyal
Koorka Mezhukkupuratti (Chinese Potato)

Try this
Hope you will all enjoy!

Lychee Pudding

Lychee Pudding

Lychee pudding is a delicious after dinner treat. It is easy to make yet exotic with flavor,taste and texture. Lychee is a summer fruit and is now in season. I picked a bag of lychee from the Asian market. I love to snack on this fruit. I tried this pudding recipe from the book Everyday Chinese Cooking by Leeann Chin. Try this, you will surely love it.

Ingredients
Lychees- 1 1/2 cup
White Grape juice or coconut water- 1/2 cup
Lemon juice- 1 tbs
Sugar-1/2 cup
Unflavored gelatin- 1 tbs
(or you can use agar agar powder)
Sour cream- 1/2 cup
Whole milk- 1/3 cup
Few drops of rum essence or rum- 1 tbs

Take half of grape juice or coconut water in a bowl and sprinkle gelatin and mix well. Let it stand for one minute. Meanwhile heat the rest of the grape juice. Add the gelatin and stir till it is dissolved and well combined.

Make a fine puree of lychee, lemon juice and sugar.
Transfer into a bowl and mix in sour cream, milk, gelatin mixture and rum. Pour into dessert bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for four to five hours  for the pudding to set. Garnish with lychee,sliced strawberry or berries.

Try this,
Hope you will all enjoy!

Beetroot Egg Curry

Beetroot Egg Curry

Egg curry is simple and easy to make for break fast or lunch.In Kerala egg curry is commonly served for breakfast along with appam or idiyappam. Recently I tried this beetroot egg curry,it is mildly spicy curry  and the caramelized onions and beetroot give  a touch of sweetness to the curry. Try this,you will surely love it.

Ingredients

Eggs- 4
Onions medium-3
Beetroot - 1 medium
Green peas- 1 1/2 cup
Tomato- 1
Curry leaves- a few
Ginger thinly sliced- 2 tsp
Kashmir chilly powder-2 tsp
Fennel powder- 1/3 tsp
Garam masala- 1/3 tsp
Salt as needed
Coconut oil

Boil eggs and keep aside. Peel and grate beetroot.
Heat oil in a pan and add sliced onion, ginger and curry leaves and salt . Saute till onion turns soft and caramelized.
Add grated beetroot and chopped tomato and stir fry for another 4-5 minutes or till oil separates.
Add chilly powder  and green peas.Pour one and half cup of water, cover and cook till the peas get soft .
Finally add boiled eggs ,fennel powder  and garam masala and simmer for another two minutes or till the gravy thickens. Serve with appam or chapatis.

Try this,
Hope you will all enjoy!

Vada Pav

Vada Pav is a very popular street food in India. Road side food joints of Bombay is the best place to get this yummy and filling snack. This is a home made version of the vada pav. Vada pav is basically batata vada served with spicy chutney and bread/pav.I wanted to try this for quite some time and had book marked Tarala Dalal's vada pav  recipe. I found pav bread in our Indian grocery and so decided to give it a try. If you are looking for fresh home made pav bread recipe, check here.

Ingredients 
Pav- bread- 6

For the Vada filling
Cooked and mashed potatoes- 2 large
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
Green chilly paste-3/4 tsp
Curry leaves -a few
Hing- 1/8 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/3 tsp
mustard seeds- 1/3 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste

For the batter
Chick peas flour- 1 cup
Rice flour- 1 tsp
Baking soda- a pinch
salt to taste
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Hing- a pinch
Hot oil- 1 tsp
Oil for frying- 2 cup


 Chilly garlic chutney
Coconut- 3/4 cup
Garlic- 8-10 pods
Hing- a pinch
Kashmiri chilly powder- 1 tbs
Oil- 1 tsp
salt to taste

For the green chutney
Coriander leaves- a hand full chopped
mint leaves- a hand full
Green chilly- 2
Ginger- 1 thin slice
Lemon juice- 1/2 lemon
salt to taste

To make green chutney add all the ingredients listed along with salt and lemon juice into a blender. Make a smooth paste and set aside.

To make the garlic chilly chutney. Heat a pan and add one tsp of oil. When it is hot add chopped garlic and coconut. Fry till it changes color to golden brown. Finally add chilly powder, hing and salt and stir for a few more seconds. Switch off the flame and let it cool down. Put this into a mixer and make this into a course powder.

To make the vada filling. Boil and mash potatoes and set aside.Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.When it splutters add curry leaves, ginger garlic paste and green chilly paste. Saute till the raw flavor disappears. Add hing and turmeric powder and then the boiled and mashed potatoes and mix well.When it cools down  make small potato patties and set aside.

To make the batter. In heavy bottom pan heat two cups of oil. In a bowl add besan/gram flour, rice flour, pinch of baking powder, turmeric powder,hing and salt. Mix well. Add one tsp of hot oil and enough water to make a smooth batter. Whisk till there is no lumps and the batter should be neither too thick nor too thin. Take each potato patties and dip in this batter and gently slide into hot oil. Fry in medium heat till one side changes to golden brown. Flip to the other side and continue frying till both sides are evenly crispy in the outside. Drain into paper towels and set aside.Continue the process and fry the rest of the patties.

To assemble.Heat a tawa.Slice pav/bread into two slices.Coat with ghee and toast the bread. Spread a layer of green chutney and a layer of garlic chutney on both slices. Place one potato vada in the center and serve. Enjoy with tea.

You might also like,
Bread Pakora
Potato Paneer Bonda
Spinach Onion Pakoras
Sri Lankan Prawn Vada
Sabudana/Sago Pearl Vada
Paneer Pakora
Roti Jala/Net Pancake

Try this
Hope you will all enjoy!

Thirattipal/Palkova

Thirattipal/Palkova

Thirattipal is  rich and flavorful sweet milk halwa,popular in South India. It is different from the milk peda available in sweet stalls and this is a specialty of South India. It is made on special occasions . It has only a few ingredients, but it is time consuming.We used to enjoy this in our college days, because Palkova was available in our college canteen.My mom used to make it by boiling and reducing milk to one third and then adding sugar and cooking it till it thickens.I just tried an easy method of using condensed milk to reduce the cooking time. It can out perfect. Try this you will surely love it.

Ingredients
Condensed milk- 1 tin
Milk- 3 cups
Curd/yogurt-3 tsp
Cardamom powder- a pinch
Saffron- a pinch for garnish (optional)

Mix condensed milk and milk in a heavy bottom pan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame and continue to cook till it starts thickening. Stir continuously as it has the tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add curd one spoon at a time and mix continuously. Do not add it all at once as the milk will curdle fast.Continue cooking for 7-8 minutes or till you attain a desired consistency. Note that thirattipal will thicken as it cools down.
Check with the sweetness and add if you want more sugar. Finally sprinkle cardamom powder and mix well.Allow it to cool down and serve.

Try this,
Hope you will all enjoy!