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..

Kerala Mutton Peralan

Kerala Mutton Peralan

Mutton peralan is a popular recipe in North Kerala and is mutton in a dry gravy. This is spicy and delicious mutton which is relatively easy to make  but tastes exotic.This peralan recipe was little different from the peralan recipe I had tried earlier. I found this recipe in a TV show called "Taste of Ramdan" and it looked so delicious that I decided to give it a try. I brought about a little changes to the original recipe and my family enjoyed.It is a delicious accompaniment with rice or pathiri.


Ingredients
1)Mutton - 1 l/2 lb
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

2)For masala
Shallots crushed - 1 cup
Onion finely chopped - 1 medium
Ginger and garlic finely chopped - 3-4 tsp
Whole red chilly- 3-4
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/2
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Fennel powder- 1/2 tsp
Garam masala- 3/4 tsp
Thick coconut milk- 3/4 cup

3) For Garnish
Cashew nuts- 6-8
Sliced coconut pieces- 10-12
Raisins-  a few
Chopped coriander leaves- a hand full

Clean and cut mutton into medium sized pieces, mix with all ingredients listed under one and half up of water and cooked till meat is soft and tender. Simmer till all the water evaporates.
Heat oil in a pan( preferably coconut oil) and fry one by one coconut slices, cashews and raisins till golden brown and set aside.
In the same pan add cumin seeds, curry leaves and whole chilly and fry till there is a nice aroma. Next add garlic and ginger and saute for a minute followed by shallots and onion and saute till golden brown. Add all spice powders and masala along with the cooked meat. Fry this for a minute and add the roasted cashews, raisins and coriander leaves. Finish it off with thick coconut milk. Reduce the flame and allow this to simmer and thicken. Serve with rice or pathiri/appam.

You might also like,
Kerala Mutton Biryani
Nadan Mutton Curry
Mutton Stew
Mutton Pepper Fry
Persian Mutton Roast
Kerala Mutton Fry


Try this..
Hope you will all enjoy..

Bottle gourd/Lauki and Dal Curry

Bottle gourd/ Lauki and dal is a delicious combination and is a great accompaniment with rice or chapatis. It is light and filling with the touch of cumin and a bit tangy from tamarind and tomatoes. I was not much confident to try bottle gourd mainly because we never had much of this veggie in our part of Kerala. Its freshness and tenderness attracted me that I finally decided to give it a try. I did not have a recipe and decided to  try my moms spinach dal recipe,but used lauki instead. Try this recipe..you will surely love it. 

Ingredients
Bottle gourd- 1 medium sized tender
Chana dal- 1/2 cup
Onion -1 medium
Green chilly-  2-3
Tomatoes - 1
Garlic- 2 cloves(crushed)
Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Cumin - 1/3 tsp
Asafoetida- a pinch
Tamarind- a small lemon sized ball
( soak in half cup of water)
Curry leaves
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp. 

Cook soaked chana dal in  two to three cups of water till it gets mashed up( soak at least for one hour)
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Add garlic, green chilly, curry leaves, turmeric and a pinch of asafoetida. Add finely chopped onions and saute till golden brown. Now add cubed bottle gourd/lauki and tomatoes. Add chilly powder and mix well and cook covered for 2-3 minutes. Add cooked dal and tamarind pulp and allow to simmer and thicken for two more minutes.Serve with rice or chapatis.

Try this..
Hope you will enjoy..

Semiya Payasam

Semiya or vermicelli payasam is simple and delicious dessert and is truly delectable.It has  very simple procedures like roasting the vermicelli in ghee till it slightly changes color and then slowly allowing to cook in milk and sugar till milk is reduced and it attains a slight creamy consistency.When ever its time for celebration or festival I make this payasam because it is the easiest and also my favorite.I made this for Vishu along with sweet boli and the combination was divine. Boli is very popular in southern Kerala and is served along with pal payasam or semiya payasam during Sadhya. For the boli recipe click here.

Ingredients

Semiya/Vermicelli- 3/4 cup
Whole milk- 4 cup
Condensed milk- 1/3 cup
Sugar- 1/2 cup
(adjust according to your taste)
Cashews and raisins- 1/4 cup
Cardamon powder-1/2 tsp
Ghee- 2 1/2 tsp

Heat two tsp of ghee in a pan and roast cashew nut till golden brown and raisins till they pop up and keep aside. In the same ghee roast semiya till golden brown. Allow this to cool a bit. Add warm milk and stir occasionally. Allow the semiya to cook completely before adding sugar and cardamom powder. When it starts thickening add condensed milk and simmer for a few more minutes. Garnish with ghee fried cashew nuts and raisins.

Try this
Hope you will all enjoy