Mutton Biriyani

Ingredients:

For Green Mix:
Green Chilly - 6 no.s
Garlic - 7 to 10 no.s
Ginger - 2" length
Fennel Seed - 1/2 t spoon
Coriander leaves - few
The above ingredients should be grounded to make a paste.

For Marinating Mutton:
Mutton/ Goat meat - 500 gm (Wash Mutton well with turmeric and salt before marinating)
Turmeric Powder - 1 t spoon
Meat Masala Powder - 2 table spoon
Green Mix - 1 t spoon
Salt - to taste

For Mutton Masala:
Onion - 3 no.s (Medium)
Tomato - 2 no.s (Medium)
Yogurt - 1 table spoon
Mint Leaves - few
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few
Garam Masala Powder - 1 t spoon
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Salt - to taste
Cooking Oil - 2 tb spoon
Ghee - 1/2 tb spoon

For Rice:
Basmati /Jeera Rice - 2 1/2 Cups
Water - 5 cups
Salt - to taste
Ghee - 2 table spoon
Lemon juice of half lemon

For Garnishing:
Cashew nuts - few
Raisins - few
Onion - 1 small sliced lengthwise
Garam Masala - 1 t spoon
Chopped Coriander leaves - few
Ghee - 1 tb spoon

Preparation:

1. Marinate the chopped mutton pieces with all ingredients specified under For Marinating Mutton and set aside for 1 hour.
2. Heat ghee, oil and add the sliced onions and saute well till translucent.
3. Add Salt and a pinch of turmeric.
4. Add sliced tomatoes and marinated mutton pieces together with remaining Green Mix. Add Yogurt also. Stir well together. Add 1 cup of water. Pressure cook for 8 whistles.
5. Add Mint leaves, Curry leaves and Garam Masala Powder and mix well and keep aside. The mutton masala is ready now.
6. Take a big sauce pan and add ghee. Add the cleaned & dried rice and fry it until the rice become crispy. Add water, salt and lemon juice. Close the pan with a lid and cook.
7. Once the rice is cooked, keep it aside and make a small well in the middle of rice and add prepared mutton masala and cover it with the rice around.
8. Take a small pan and add ghee. Fry cashews, raisins, sliced onions.
9. Garnish the prepared mutton biriyani with cashews, raisins, sliced onions, garam masala powder, coriander leaves.
10. Cover the pan of prepared mutton biriyani with a lid and keep a vessel of hot water on the top of the lid and keep it for dum. Now the Delicious mutton biriyani is ready to eat.

Pathiri

Ingredients:
Roasted Rice Powder (Puttu Podi) - 2 cups
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Oil - 1 table spoon
Cumin seeds - 1 tspoon
Fennel seeds - 1/4 t spoon
Shallots - 5 to 6 no.s

Preparation:

1. Boil water in a vessel and add salt and oil.
2. Once boiled slowly add rice powder and combine the mixture well. Keep it aside and allow it to cool.
3. When it is cooled, knead well with your hands. (Make sure you don't add water).
4. Crush grated coconut along with shallots, fennel seeds and cumin seeds.
5. Add this crushed mixture to the dough and mix well.
6. Make small balls and flatten it using chappathi roller.
7. Heat a frying pan and rub oil if needed and then heat one side of the pathiri until its cooked and then repeat the same with other side.
8. Serve hot with fish curry, chicken curry or any sort of non veg of your choice.

I thank Sangeetha chechi of Kothiyavunnu whose blog really taught me how to make this. This is her recipe.
Thanks a lot!!!

Kudampuliyitta Ney Meen Curry (Seer Fish Curry With Gambooge/Fish Tamarind) And Awards

Fish is one of the most consumed food in Kerala. If you ask most of the Keralites about their favorite fish dishes, I am sure a good % will include Kudampuliyitta Ney Meen Curry in their list and I am not an exception. I love this with kuthari choru (Kerala red rice/Paalakkadan matta rice). mmmm!!!!

Ingredients:
Seer Fish (Ney Meen) : 8 pieces (Cut one round piece into 4 equal sized pieces)
Shallots : 5-6 nos (Chopped finely)
Ginger : 1 inch (Chopped finely)
Garlic : 2 cloves (Chopped finely)
Green Chilly : 2 nos (Splitted length wise)
Tomato : 1 medium (Sliced length wise)
Fish Tamarind/Gambooge (Kudampuli) : 3 pieces
Red Chilly Powder : 2 1/2 t spoon
Coriander Powder : 1 tspoon
Black Pepper Powder : 1/2 t spoon
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 t spoon
Salt : To taste
Cooking Oil (Preferably coconut oil) : 2 1/2 t spoon
Curry Leaves : 1 sprig

Preparation:

1. Make a thick paste with turmeric powder and a little salt mixing it with very little water.
2. Apply it on fish pieces and keep it aside.
3. Wash the fish tamarinds and dip it in a bowl with water.
4. Boil 1 1/2 table spoon oil in a man chatti (Earthen pot)
5. Saute the chopped shallots till it is brownish and soft.
6. Add curry leaves, ginger, garlic and green chillies and saute well.
7. Add the red chilly powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder and mix well for 2-3 minutes.
8. Add chopped tomatoes and mix for 10-20 seconds and then add 1 1/4 cup water and bring to boil.
9. Add the soaked fish tamarind and fish pieces, lower the flame and heat it with lids open till fish is cooked.
10. Don't stir using spoon after adding the fish because it may cause the pieces to break. For stirring, instead the chatti should be swirled.
11. Spread 1 table spoon oil over the curry and swirl the chatti to make it spread on top of the gravy.

Delicious meen curry is ready. It is a great combination with kuthari choru.

Tips:
The curry taste great after 7-8 hrs. I normally keep a portion for the next day. :)
The fish tamarind keeps on add sour taste when it stands. If you find the curry too sour remove the fish tamarind from it.

Awards
Thanks a lot to Fathima of Thattukada for sharing with me the below 3 awards. I am so excited to get 3 in a bundle!!!

I would like to share it with my following friends.
Sarah
Tina
Sangeetha
Nithu
Faiza
Beena
Jisha

Thanks a lot to Beena of My Kitchen for sharing with me the below award.

To know more about me please click here. I love to share with all my blogger friends. Please feel free to accept it and post it in your blogs.

Mashed Kappa (Tapioca)

Ingredients:
Kappa (Tapioca) - 1 kilo
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 t spoon
Chilly Powder - 1/2 t spoon
Salt  - to taste
Dried Red Chilly - 3 no.s
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 t spoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Cooking oil - 1 table spoon

Preparation:

1. Boil kappa(Tapioca) in wide opened vessel with enough water, salt, turmeric, chilly powder and cover it with a lid.
2. Once cooked lower the flame and mash the kappas well.
3. Heat a pan and add oil. Splutter mustard seeds. Then add dried red chilly & curry leaves.
4. Transfer these contents to the cooked kappas..
5. Ready to serve with chutney.

Mathanga Erissery (Pumpkin Curry)

Ingredients:
Pumpkin - 420 gm
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Cumin Seed - 1/4 t spoon
Mustard Seed - 1/2 t spoon
Dried Red Chilly - 4 no.s
Urad Dal - 1 t spoon
Cooking oil / Coconut oil - 1 1/2 table spoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Preparation:

1. Chop pumpkin into cube pieces.
2. Boil pumpkin in a manchatti (Deep Earthern pot) with enough water (300 ml), salt, turmeric powder.
3. Grind 1/2 cup of grated coconut with cumin seeds into fine paste.
4. Once the pumpkin is cooked, reduce the flame, add the coconut paste to it. Mix it well
5. Heat a pan and add cooking oil. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, dried red chillies.
6. Transfer this to cooked pumpkin. Turn off the flame and keep aside the cooked pumpkin.
7. Heat the same pan, add 4 table spoon of grated coconut and curry leaves and fry it till it turns brown.
8. Add these to the cooked pumpkin.
9. Ready to serve. A part of Kerala Sadhya.

Malabar Kozhi Biriyani (Chicken Biriyani)

Ingredients:
For Marinating Chicken:
Turmeric -1 t spoon
Red chilly - 1/2 t spoon
Salt - To taste

For Chicken Masala:
Chicken - 6-7 big pieces (Preferably leg, thighs or breast)
Onions - 4 medium (Sliced lengthwise)
Tomato - 3 medium (Chopped lengthwise)
Cooking oil - 2 table spoon
Chicken Masala - 2 t spoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Yoghurt - 1 table spoon
Fennel seed - 1/2 t spoon
Garlic - 5 clove
Ginger - 1 1/2 inch
Green Chilly - 3 nos
Cardamom - 3
Mint leaf - 10
Coriander leaf - 1

For Rice:
Rice - 3 cups
Ghee - 1 table spoon
Water - 6 cups

For Garnishing
Cashew - 15
Raisin - 15
Cinnamon stick - 2 inch (Break it into small pieces)
Onion - 1 small (Chop it lengthwise)
Flower spice -3
Bay leaf - 3 (Cut into pieces)
Oil - 1 table spoon
Ghee - 2 table spoon

Marination:
Mix salt, turmeric and red chilly powder with very little water. Apply it evenly on the chicken pieces and keep aside for 15-20 minutes

Preparation:
For Chicken:

1. Grind fennel seed, garlic and ginger in mixer.
2. Heat oil in a deep sauce pan.
3. Add onion and saute until it becomes soft.
4. Add chicken masala and stir well for 15-20 seconds.
5. Add tomato and one t spoon of the paste prepared in step 1 and stir for another 20-30 seconds.
6. Add the marinated chicken and rest of the paste and mix well.
7. Add yoghurt (Or lime juice), mix well and close the lid. Cook over medium flame
8. Once chicken is almost cooked add cardamom, mint leaf, curry leaf and coriander leaf
9. Chicken masala is now ready. Keep it aside for mixing it later with rice.

For Garnishing:
We will first prepare the garnishing item as we can use the same oil and ghee for frying the rice.

1. Heat cooking oil and ghee in a wok
2. Add sliced onion and saute it till deep golden brown
3. Then transfer it to a plate.
4. Add rest of the spices and heat it till fragrant
5. Transfer these to a plate.

For Rice:
Wash and drain the rice using a colander.
Heat 6 cups of water in a separate bowl and boil it.

1. Add one more table spoon of ghee to the wok after transferring the garnishing items out of the wok.
2. Once heated add the dried rice and fry it till rice becomes firm and rigid.
3. Add boiled water, salt and close the lid and cook over low flame.
4. When water is almost over, turn off the flame. But don't open the lid and keep it aside for 15 minutes, until the rice is completely cooked.

Layering:
For layering we need a vessel big enough to hold rice and chicken. Or you can use the wok itself.

1. Put rice and chicken in alternate layers starting with rice.
2. Add chopped coriander leaves while adding chicken
3. Garnish with initially prepared spices.
4. Cover the vessel with a well fitting lid (air tight) and heat over low flame for around 1 minute.
5. Keep the lid closed for another 10 minutes

Chicken biriyani is now ready to serve. I have just copied out my amma's way of cooking kozhi biriyani except that i didn't any colors. Last weekend i tried this & turned awesome.

Cheera Thoran (Palak Fry)

Ingredients
Green cheera - 1 bunch
Shallots - 5 - 6no.s
Garlic - 2 - 3 cloves (if its big one)
Green chilly - 2 - 3no.s
Cooking Oil - 1 table spoon
Salt - 1 t spoon
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Coconut grated - 3 tablespoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Preparation :

1. Chop the green cheeras. Slice shallots, garlic lengthwise, split green chilly lengthwise.
2. Heat a pan and add cooking oil.
3. Add sliced shallots, garlic, green chilly and saute it well. (If needed you can splutter mustard seeds also)
4. Add chopped cheera, turmeric powder, salt & grated coconut and mix it well.
5. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 2  to 3 mins.
6. Its now ready to serve with rice. Good combination with rice & dal.

Fish Fry (Sting Ray)

Ingredients:
Sting Ray - 1no.(I have taken 8'' length chopped sting ray piece from market)
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 t spoon
Chilly Powder - 1 1/2 t spoon
Salt - 1 t spoon (to taste)
Cooking oil / Coconut oil - 5 - 6 table spoon

Marination:
Marinate the cleaned chopped sting ray pieces with turmeric, chilly powder, salt and keep it aside for 10 - 15 mins.

Preparation:

1. Heat a pan and add cooking oil to it.Wait for oil to get hot and bubbles to appear.
2. Add the marinated fish pieces to it , cover it with a lid so that oil wont spread outside, cook over medium flame one side of fish for 3 to 5 min.(Depends on what kinda fish) Repeat the same the other side too.
3. Off the flame and add curry leaves.
4. Transfer to a bowl & garnish with sliced onions.

Tips:
Coconut oil is best for frying fish since it add flavor to it..
Remove the excess oil from fish by keeping it on a tissue paper.
A very simple way of frying fish and saves time.

Unakka Chemmeen Chammandi

Ingredients:
Unakka chemmeen(Dried Prawns) - 20 - 30gms
Coconut - 1cup
Shallots - 5no.s
Curry leaves - 1 strip
Dried Red Chilly - 3 big
Salt  - to taste (1 t spoon)

Preparation:

1. Heat a pan and add unakka chemeen(Dried Prawns) and pat it well for 3 to 5mins (without any oil) and keep it aside and when its cooled add it in a mixer and make it in a powder form.
2. Mix it with coconut, dried red chilly, shallots, salt, curry leaves.Blend it well for just 30 sec.
3. Its ready and a very good combination for Rice, Porridge.

Aavoli Pollichathu (Pomphret Fry in Banana Leaf)

Ingredients:
Pomphret - 1 medium
Banana Leaf - 1 leaf
Turmeric Powder - 1 t spoon
Red Chilly Powder - 2 table spoon
Garlic - 2 cloves (Slice it thin and long)
Ginger - 1 small (1" in length) (Slice it thin and long)
Onion - 1 medium (Slice it length wise)
Salt - To taste

Marination:
Take turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt in a bowl. Sprinkle some water and mix it well. Make sure that the mixture is not too solid.
Make thin slits width wise on the fish on both sides and apply the above mixture evenly on the fish and keep it for around 20-30 minutes.

Preparation:

1. Heat 1 banana leaf directly on the flames till it becomes soft.
2. Apply 1 tspoon oil evenly on the banana leaf.
3. Keep the marinated fish on the banana leaf.
4. Add the sliced ginger, garlic and onions along the side of the fish.
5. Pour one table spoon of oil on and around the fish.
6. Fold the banana leaf.
7. Heat a pan and place the folded banana leaf with fish and keep it over medium/low flame.
8. Cover the pan with the lid.
9. After around 5-7 minutes turn the fish, and keep the other side for frying around 5-7 minutes.
10. Now it is ready to serve. Garnish it with roundly sliced onions and curry leaves.

Tips:

If banana leaf is too long, don't fold it too many times over the fish. Just fold it on the sides and use a tooth pick to stick it.

Pavakka Thoran (Bittergourd Fry)

Ingredients:
Pavakka (Bitter gourd) - 300 gm/2 no.s
Onion - 1 medium
Green chilly - 1 no.
Curry leaves - 1 strip
Mustard seeds - 1/2 t spoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 t spoon
Salt - to taste
Cooking oil - 1 table spoon

Preparation:

1. Chop the cleaned pavakka (bitter gourd) into small pieces and transfer to a bowl.
2. Add 1/2 t spoon salt and knead it for 10 - 15 sec.
3. Slice onion into small pieces (as for omlette).
4. Chop green chilly & curry leaves to very fine pieces.
5. Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds.
6. Add finely sliced onions & saute it till golden brown.
7. Add pavakka, green chilly & curry leaves to the pan.
8. Add turmeric, remaining salt & stir well.
9. Cook for around 3 - 5 mins with the lids closed.
10. Pavakka thoran is ready to serve.

Kappa (Tapioca)

Ingredients:
Kappa (Tapioca) - 1kg
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 t spoon
Red Dried Chilly (full) - 2 to 3
Curry Leaves - 1 strip
Cooking oil - 1 tablespoon
Salt - To taste

Preparation:

1. Cut the cleaned Kappa into small pieces (2cm cubes).
2. Boil kappa in a vessel with enough water.
3. Once boiling add turmeric and salt. Cook till kappa becomes soft.
4. Drain the water from kappa and transfer to a bowl.
5. Heat a pan and add cooking oil. Splutter mustard. Then add red chilly and curry leaves.
6. Transfer these contents on to kappa and mix it.
7. Ready to serve for 4 people.