Prawns Biryani / Chemmen Biryani

Ingredients:

1. Prawns: 250 gm.
2. Rice : 1 cup.
3.Cinnamon /cloves/cardamom crushed - 1 tsp.
4.Bay leaf- 1
5.Butter - 1 tsp
6.Lime juice - 2 tsp
7.Water - 2cup
8.Onion thinly sliced - 2 medium ones
9.Green chili - 1
10. Ginger and Garlic paste- 1 1/2 tsp
11.Tomato small chopped - 1
12.Yogurt - 4 tsp
13.Chili powder - 4/3 tsp
14. Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
15. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
16.Garam masala - 1 tsp
17. Coconut milk thin - 1/4 cup.
Oil

Method:

1.Marinate the prawns with chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, lemon juice tsp, salt leave in room temperature for 30 mnts.

2.Soat rice for 15 mnts and drain.

3. Heat butter in a pan and add bay leaf and powdered spices. After one or two mnt add the rice and fry for 3-4 mnts.

4. Add water (preferably boiling water) then add one tsp lime juice and bit salt cook this covered till done.

5. Once it is cool keep this refrigerated for 2 hours. (optional)

6. Heat oil in a pan and fry the marinated prawns for 3- 6 mnts. Remove the prawns then add onion and saute for 3 mnts, then add crushed ginger, garlic paste fry for 2 mnts, then add chopped tomatoes fry for another 4 mnts or then add the fried prawns back to it and mix well for further 2 mnts or till the masala is dry. Once it is dry mix yogurt with coconut milk and add this to the masala.

For baking.

a) Microwave: Layer the masala first in a bowel then add spread rice as next layer repeat the process till rice and masala is over and microwave in high for 4 mnts.

b) Pan : Heat 1 tsp gee in a pan Layer rice and masala. Cover it with lid and cook in low flame for 4 mnts stir once.

Garnish with fried onions,raisins, nuts.

courtesy:http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepapraveen/6059219380/in/photostream/

Palapam

For 10-12 appams:
...............................
Ingredients.
1.Raw rice -2 cups.
2.Cooked rice-1 cup
3.Active dry yeast - 1 tsp
4.Sugar - 1 tsp
6.Coconut powder or grated coconut- 1/2 cup
7.Egg - 1 no
8..Milk - As reqd
9.Salt - A pinch.
10.Coconut water-1/4 cup(from one coconut)

Pre-mixed coconut water and sugar mixture=add one tsp sugar to 1/4 cup of coconut water and keep it in fridge for one or two days

Method:

1. Sock the rice in water for few hours.
2.Drain it and grind this with coconut(grated or powder) and cooked rice add enough milk.
3. Combine yeast in luke warm water and then add to coconut water mixture. Keep it for half an hour, for fermentation.
4.Add this to the grinded mixture and mix well.
5. Keep it over night for fermentation.
6.Next morning, mix egg white and salt together add this to the mixture,just check the batter and if it is not so sweet for you, you can add more sugar( but not too much).
7.Heat appachatti or a non-stick pan and pour a big spoon of mixture(2 to 3 tsp of batter together) and rotate the pan in circular shape holding both the handles of the pan to get the laze like edges as shown in the picture.
8.Cover this and cook in medium heat for 2-3 mnts if you get a bit golden shade to the edges your appam is ready to be served.

NO need to FLIP.

In a hurry?
Transfer rice batter to a micro-wave friendly container and in medium heat cook for 1/2 mnt.
Add warm water(not boiling) to a big dish and place the batter can in this. Replace this water twice. You can prepare appam with in 4 hours.

P.S : We use the same batter to prepare 2 pancakes. One is palapam and the other one is the vella appam.
Vella appam- you make in a pan like a thick dosa or a pancake. Use the above mentioned batter and prepare a normal pancake.
Palapam is the frilled one- The one with the golden Frill. The batter is more watery, bit more milk to the batter will make it bit runny.

Let me know if you enjoyed this...

courtesy :http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepapraveen/5496613849/in/set-72157625741798699/

potato fry/Aloo fry/urulakilangu fry/urulakilangu mezhukupuratti

Red chilly powder-1-2 tsp( as per your need)
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Onion- 1/4 sliced or 4 shallots
Garlic -1 clove cushed
cumin powder-1/2 tsp
fennel powder-1/4 tsp
Garam masala-1/4 tsp
Pepper-1/4 tsp crushed
curry leaves
Cashew nuts 1 tbspn
Mustard
salt
oil

Method of preparation:

Wash the potatoes and peel them.
Cut in to small pieces (small cuber of long stripes)
Boil the potatoes so that it speeds up the frying process
Then take the potato pieces and mix the spices with the potatoes( if you are not adding any other spices just add chilly powder and turmeric powder)..
Heat a pan and pour oil .
Splutter mustard and curry leaves
And then add the potatoes that are already mixed with the spices
Keep on frying
Stir fry till all the piees are completely cooked and potatoes become crispy
Note: The spices add additional taste but the basic potato fry contains no masala
Basic potato fry can be made with redchilly powder, turmeric powder and salt.

Kerala fish curry/ varutharacha meen curry

Ingredients:

1. Any fish (I used Salmon fillets)- 1/2 k.g.

2.Onion chopped- one.

3.Small onion- 3 nos.

4.Ginger crushed- 1 tsp.

5.Garlic crushed - 1 tsp.

6.Pepper corns- 1/2 tsp

7.Kashmiri chilli powder- 1 1/2 tsp.

8.Coriander Powder- 1 tsp

9.Grated coconut- 1 cup

10.Green chillies chopped- 3.

11.Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp.

12.Fish Tamarind- 2 (If that is not available you can use raw mango).
13.Salt
14. Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp
15.Fennel seeds- 1/4 tsp
16.Curry leaves.
17.Lemon juice or vinegar - few drops
Oil

http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepapraveen/6088562676/in/set-72157625741798699/



Method of Preparation:

1.Soak fish Tamarind in one cup of hot water.

2. Marinate the fish with bit salt, lemon juice, bit turmeric, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, bit crushed ginger and garlic. Keep it aside for 15- 20mnts.

3. Heat one tsp oil in a pan and add grated coconut, shallots,pepper corns, fennel seeds and roast them in medium flame, stir well in-between, may take 15-20mnts. This mixture should turn a golden brown colour.

4. Once this reached that golden colour add chillipowder and coriander powder and roast for another one mnt.

5.Remove from heat and stir again for another one mnt or so. Now let this cool. Then grind this to fine paste with 1/2 tsp water.

6.Heat oil in a pan and fry the fish for 2, 3mnts( optional).

7.Remove fish from the oil and add mustard seeds. If you are not frying fish, heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.

8. When they pop up add curry leaves,green chilli, ginger, garlic and toss them well.

9. Add chopped onion and cook for 8mnts with pinch of salt.

10.Add turmeric powder and fry for another mnt.

11. Add fish and fish tamarind water along with that tamarind and salt.

15.Add more warm water if you need more gravy.

16.Cover this with a lid and Let this cook in low flame for 10- 20mnts.

17.Uncover the pan and add the roasted gravy paste and cook for further 10 mnts.

Remove from heat and serve warm...Let me know if you like it.

courtesy:http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepapraveen/6088562676/in/set-72157625741798699/

The best idli's in the world!

The best idli's in the world!, a photo by Aditi Patnaik on Flickr.

Kerala style cheera thoran

Ingredients:
Cheera(spinach) leaves- 4-5 cups
coconut-1/2 of the coconut
Green chillies-3 nos
Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
garlic-4 pods
turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
dry red chillies-2 nos
coconut oil
plain rice(pachari/puzhukkalari)-2tsp
mustard seeds-1tsp
salt -as per taste
curry leaves-few sprig

Method of preparation:
Clean the cheera well and finely chop it.
Grind together coconut, turmeric powder, green chillies, cumin seeds,garlic and curry leaves in to a coarse form.
Better not to add water while grinding.
Mix togethet the chopped cheera along with the ground coconut mixture and salt.
Heat oil in a kadai
Splutter mustard seeds and saute then dry red chillies rice and curry leaves.
Add the cheera + coconut mixture and stir well
cover and cook on low flame for about 1-2 mins.
Remove the lid and continue cooking till done on a low flame ..

source: mom

Soya Fry

Soya chunk, is one of my other fvrt friend in kitchen. IT is very hard for me to find different veg dishes for my strict veg companion. So last day decided to give a go with Soya chunk.
But it was yummy. So decided to share this with you.

Soya Chunks – 2 cups
Meat Masala/veg masala – 2 tbsp
Red chilly powder – 4/3 tsp
Big Onion (sliced) – 1 large
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Tomato (sliced) – 4/3 large
Mustard Seeds – a pinch
Green Chillies (slit) – 2
Curry Leaves – A sprig
Corriander powder-1tsp
Pepper Powder – 1/2 tsp
Ginger ,Garlic Paste – 1 tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt – As required
Water – As required

Step 1:
Soak the Soya chunks in hot water for around 15-30mnts minutes. With bit red chilli powder,turmeric and salt.

Step two:
Squeeze out the water and clean the soya chunks. Drain out excess water if any.
Step 3:
Put bit water to the masala and chilli powder then roast it in low flame.
Marinate the soya pieces with the above roasted masala powders and salt,leave it there in room heat for some time.
Step 4:
Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add sliced onions and saute till the onions change its colour.Add turmeric bit salt,green chillies, chopped tomatoes and curry leaves and saute till the tomatoes are cooked properly.
Step 5:

Add rest of the chilly powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, ginger garlic paste and stir fry for few minutes.
Step 6:
Add the marinated soya chunks . Add some water just to cook the ingreditens.

Step 7:
Cover and cook on low flame for another 15-20 minutes.

Curry is ready.

P.S:Since my veg boy doesnt agree with masala cotted fry I have limited all the ingredents,so mine (as seen in the pic) is a much more plain one. If u follow the above method you will get a masala cotted fry...Njoy

courtesy :http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepapraveen/5997051385/in/set-72157625741798699/