Meen Pollichadu/ Steamed Fish in Banana Leaf

 

Meen pollichadu is usually made with pomfret or any other fish with flesh. And the masala is usually bright red in color as it is made with chilli powder. But for a change I have used green chilli instead of red chilli here.

Ingredients:

1. Fish, cut into slices - 4
2. Shallots- 1/2 cup
3. Green chilli - 4
4. Ginger, chopped - 1 tsp
5. Garlic, chopped - 1 tsp
6. Curry leaves - 4-5
7. Salt to taste
8. White Vinegar - 1 tbs
9. Coconut oil - 1/4 cup
10. Banana leaves - 4 pieces

Method:

1. Grind all ingredients except oil and fish to paste
2. Heat oil and add hot oil to the above paste
3. Take  banana leaf and make it flexible by keeping it on flame for a second
4. Spoon the masala on the banana leaf as shown in picture
5. Place fish on the masala and spoon more masala on the fish
6. Fold the banana leaf as shown in the pic and tie it using thread and keep it for 15-20 minute
7. Heat a heavy griddle and cook fish on it under medium to high flame, 5-8 minutes on each side

Serve Meen pollichadu with rice!

Pepper Chicken

Ingredients:

1. Chicken, cut into small pieces - 1/2 kg
2. Peppercorn - 1 tsp
3. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
4. Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
5. Chicken masala 1/2 tsp
6. Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
7. White Vinegar - 3 tsp
8. Crushed pepper - 1/2 tsp
9. Green chilli  - 1
10. Ginger, minced- 1 tsp
11. Garlic, minced - 2 tsp
12. Onion, sliced - 2 cups
13. Tomato, wedges - 2 medium tomatoes (optional)
14. Salt to taste
15. Oil - 1 tbs
16. Curry leaves - 5-8

Note:

• It is ok to leave tomato in this dish. Since i like the tangy tomato taste, i have added it.
• The green chilli I used is very spicy that is why the quantity is only 1, but you can add more if you like.
• The black spots and patches you see in the picture is either crushed peppercorn or chopped curry leaves. :)

Method:

1. Make a paste of the ingredients from 2 to 7 and keep aside
2. Heat oil in a pan
3. Saute ginger, garlic, and green chilli for a minute and onion slices to it
4. Continue to saute till onion is golden brown and transparent
5. Add the masala paste made in step 1 and saute again till the raw smell goes, about 2 minutes
6. Add Chicken and salt to the above and mix well
7. Close lid of the pan and cook chicken in medium to high flame
8. Once the chicken is almost cooked, add tomato wedges and keep cooking till tomato is mushy
9. Add chopped/full curry leaves to the above, keep the lid open and cook chicken in high flame
10. Add crushed black pepper to the above and stir whenever is required so that the chicken masala doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan
11. When the pepper chicken reaches almost dry consistency, switch off the flame

Pepper chicken is now ready to be served with any roti or rice. I find the pepper chicken to be more tasty after keeping it for few hours or next day. :)

I am linking this post to FiestaFriday#102 which is co hosted by Elaine @ foodbod and Julie @ Hostess at Heart. 

Lamb Roast

Happy New Year!!!

We made this lamb roast to go with Beer as a snack for a Beer Brewing competition held at Anjan's colleagues house! Anyways we both enjoyed the lamb roast even without Beer.  :)

Ingredients:

1. Lamb, cut into small pieces - 1 kg
2. Red chili powder - 1.5 tbs
3. Coriander powder - 1.5 tbs
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Garlic, chopped -  1 tbs
7. Aniseed - 1 tsp
8. Cloves - 3
9. Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
10. Vinegar - 1.5 tbs
11. Ginger, chopped - 1 tsp
12. Salt to taste
13. Garlic - 3 cloves
14. Coconut oil - 2 tbs
15. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
16. Button onion, sliced - 4 tbs
17. Coconut, thinly sliced and cut into small bits - 1/4 cup

Method:

1. Grind ingredients from 2 to 10 into a paste
2. Marinate meat with ground paste, ginger and salt for an hour
3. In a pressure cooker or heavy bottomed pan, cook meat with minimum water. If using pressure cooker, add only 1/4 cup of water and cook for about 4 whistles. Otherwise, use about 2 cups of water.
4. When the meat is cooked, add crushed garlic cloves and cook till gravy is thickened
5. Heat oil in another pan, splutter mustard seeds and add button onions
6. Add coconut bits to the above and cook till coconut bits are almost golden brown
7. Add the cooked meat to the above and fry it till the gravy is fully dry
8. When the meat masala starts to leave from the pan sides, remove from fire and serve hot.

Kerala Chicken curry with coconut milk

 As the name says this chicken curry is made with coconut milk in Kerala style. It goes very well with Vellayappam or Puttu or Porotta or even bread. I made this curry to go with Vellayappam as dinner. Crispy lace edges and spongy center of Vellayappam soaked in chicken curry tastes so good that I love to have it at any time of the day. Vellayappam and chicken curry is my family favorite combo.

Ingredients:

1. Coriander powder- 2 tbs
2. Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Cloves - 3
5. Cardamom - 2
6. Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Aniseed - 1/2 tsp
8. Black peppervorns - 1/2 tsp
9. Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece
10. Oil - 2 tbs
11. Onion, sliced - 1-1.5 cups
12. Ginger, chopped - 1 tsp
13. Garlic, chopped - 2 tsp
14. Green chilli - 2 (optional)
15. Chicken, cut - 1/2kg
16. Thin coconut milk - 1 cup
17. Thick coconut milk - 1/4 cup
18. Coconut oil - 1 tsp
19. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
20. Curry leaves - 2-4
21. Onion/Shallot, thinly sliced - 2 tbs
22. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Make a paste of coriander powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder in 2-3 tbs of water and keep aside
2. Roast cloves, cardamom, aniseed, cumin powder, peppercorns and cinnamon stick and powder it and keep aside
3. Heat oil in a pan and saute onion, ginger, garlic and chilli in it till onion is slightly golden in color
4. Add salt, spice paste and spice powder from step 1 and 2 and fry again for 2 minutes
5. Add chicken pieces and fry for 2-3 minutes
6. Add thin coconut milk to the above and cooke chicken with closed lid
7. When chicken is cooked well, add thick coconut milk and cook for 2 more minutes under low-medium flame. (don't bring the curry to boil after adding thick milk)
8. Switch off the flame
9. In a small pan add coconut oil and heat it
10. When coconut oil is hot, splutter mustard seed  and fry onion slices and curry leaves in it and switch of the flame
11. Pour the above to the chicken curry and keep the lid close for 10 minutes before mixing it

Serve hot chicken curry with appam!

I am linking this post to FiestaFriday#98 co-hosted by Sadhna @ Herbs, Spices, and Traditions and Natalie @ Kitchen, uncorked.

Inji curry/ Ginger curry

Inji curry/ Puli inji is a gingery, tangy, spicy, sweet dish. This is my 7th recipe trial in Mrs.K.M.Mathew recipe series after a failed trial of tomato chutney.. :( The method described for inji curry in the cook book is different and more difficult from how I usually make it. But the hard work is well paid with its outcome.. Inji curry came out really tasty. I have stored it for thiru onam lunch which is approaching later this week, though I am not planning a sadya for this onam..

Ingredients:

1. Ginger - 6 x 1 inch cubes
2. Rice flour - 1 tsp
3. Gingelly oil - 1/2 cup
4. Green chilli - 2
5. Coriander seeds - 1 tbs
6. Dried red chilli - 8
7. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
8. Tamarind - the size of small lime, soaked in a cup of water
9. Jaggery/ Sugar - 1 tsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Mustard seeds - 1/8 tsp
12. Red chilli - 2
13. Curry leaves - few, about 6-7

Method:

1. Crush the ginger pieces and squeeze out the juice.
2. Mix ginger shreds with a tsp of rice flour
3. Fry it in gingelly oil with green chilli
4. Grind it into a coarse powder and keep aside
5. On low flame roast coriander seeds, red chilli and fenugreek in 2 tsp of gingelly oil
6. Grind the above to a smooth paste
7. Extract juice from tamarind and mix it with ginger mixture, salt and above paste
8. Add salt to taste and bring it to boil
9. Cook it till the gravy thickens in low flame
10. Add sugar or jiggery and cook for few minutes more, about 2-3 minutes
11. Fry the ingredients from 11 to in hot gingelly oil and add it to the gravy

Note:

1. Store it an airtight container once the gravy is completely cool
2. Adjust the amount of sugar or jaggery according to your taste. I have used 2 tbs of jiggery.
3. Adjust the red chilli according to your taste. I have used 8 dry red chilli, but removed the seeds from 4 of them as the chillies I have is very spicy
4. You may use the squeezed out ginger juice to make ginger sarbath

Egg Roast

Here is my second recipe in the Mrs.K.M.Mathews recipe series.I have tried out this yesterday for our lunch to go with Chapathi.This is an Egg Roast recipe with perfect blend of spices. It has the sweetness from onion, yet spicy and tangy. 

Ingredients:

1. Egg - 3
2. Red Chilli powder - 1.5 tsp
3. Coriander powder - 1.5 tsp
4. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
5. Aniseed - 1/2 tsp
6. Cinnamon - 1 inch
7. Cloves  - 2
8. Cardamom - 1
9. Oil - 3 tbs
10. Onion, sliced - 1 cup
11. Tomato chopped - 1/4 cup
12. Salt to taste
13. Water - 1/4 cup

Method:

1. Hard boil  and shell all the eggs
2. Grind to paste ingredients from 2 to 8
3. Heat oil in a pan
4. Fry onions till transparent
5. Add ground paste and give it a toss
6. When the comes out clear on pan sides, add tomatoes and let it cook
7. After tomatoes are blended well, add salt and 1/4 cup water
8. When the gravy reaches required thick consistency, take it off from flame
9. Arrange the egg(cut into halves) in a serving bowl and pour the thick gravy over it

Note:

• The only thing i did differently from the original recipe is to use egg as whole without cutting it into half. I have made slits on the egg instead and added eggs to the gravy during step 8.

Easter Chicken Special

This recipe is adapted from Mrs K.M. Mathews' recipe book. It is a different chicken roast recipe from the usual roast recipes and tastes wonderful.
I didn't make this chicken roast for Easter. :) The name "Easter Chicken Special" is according to the name given by Mrs K.M .Mathews in her book. I didn't want to change the recipe name.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken, cut -1/2 kg
2. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
3. Onion, sliced - 1/2 cup
4. Onion, chopped - 1/4 cup
5. Oil - 3 tbs
6. Tomato, chopped - 1/2 cup
7. Curd - 1/4 cup
8. Sugar - a pinch
9. Coconut milk - 1/4 cup
10. Coconut shredded - 1/4 cup
11. Egg, hard boiled and cut into wedges - 1 optional for garnish
12. Cashew nuts fried - 6-8 optional for garnish
13. Masala Paste: 

• Red chilli powder - 1 tbs
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/8 tsp
• Fennel seeds - 1/8 tsp
• Garlic chopped - 1/2 tbs
• Ginger chopped - 1/2 tsp
• Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cloves - 6
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
• Cardamom - 4

Method:

1. Make a paste of masala paste ingredients 
2. Marinate chicken with masala paste and keep for long (I kept it in fridge overnight)
3. Heat oil in a pan
4. Fry turmeric powder in the oil for 10 seconds
5. Fry both onion in it till they turn translucent. 
6. Remove half the onion from the pan and keep it aside
7. Add tomato to the pan and fry with the onion left in the pan
8. Once tomato is well cooked, add curd and chicken pieces and cook the chicken
9. When the masala start changing to dark colour add coconut milk along with the sautéed onion which was kept aside before 
10. Cook till the gravy thickens
11. Move the chicken masala to another bowl from the cooking pan
12. Pulse the shredded coconut in a blender to get coarse ground coconut powder
13. Roast the coconut in the same pan as that of pan in which chicken was cooked
14. When the coconut is golden brown, add chicken masala to the pan and roast it with coconut. 
15. One the chicken is uniformly coated with coconut and browned enough, then switch off the flame
16. Move chicken to a serving bowl and garnish with egg wedges and fried cashews