Varutharacha Mutta Curry (Egg Curry)

Another varutharacha curry to my list. This different version of varutharacha curry recipe was shared by one of my friend. I really luv this with Puttu and Ghee Rice. In fact it takes just half an hour to cook this. Once the curry is cooked, the smell will really make any one hungry!!. "It's easy to capture pics of this curry but how can I capture this wonderful smell?" my hubby was commenting... :)

Ingredients:
Egg - 4 no.s
Grated Coconut - 3/4 cup
Onion - 1 medium (Sliced half length wise)
Shallots - 10 nos. (Sliced into half)
Garlic - 3 cloves (Chopped into fine pieces)
Ginger - 1/2 inch (Chopped into fine pieces)
Tomato - 1 medium (Sliced into big 6 pieces)
Curry Leaves - few
Coriander Powder - 1 1/2 t spoon
Red Chilly Powder - 2 t spoon
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 t spoon
Chicken Masala Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Salt - to taste
Mustard Seeds - 1 t spoon
Cooking Oil - 3 table spoon

Preparation:

1. Heat a pan and roast the grated coconut. (If needed you can add oil for roasting but I normally don't prefer it.)
2. Once it turns light brown add coriander powder, roast it well.
3. Once roasted, transfer to a bowl and allow it to cool. Grind this into a paste using a mixer/grinder.
4. Boil the eggs, remove the shell and keep it aside after slicing in to half.
5. Heat 2 table spoon of oil in an earthen pot and add ginger, garlic and shallots and saute well.
6. Add sliced onions and saute again.
7. Add salt, turmeric, chilly powder, chicken masala and mix well.
8. Add sliced tomato and mix. Pour 1/4 cup water.
9. Add the sliced egg pieces and mix with the masala softly without breaking the eggs.
10. Then add the grinded paste with 1/2 cup of water.
11. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. Once ready transfer it to a bowl.
12. Heat a pan and add 1 table spoon of oil.
13. Add mustard seeds & curry leaves.
14. Transfer it over the cooked curry.

Ready to serve with Ghee rice, Puttu, Chappathi, White Rice etc. It taste well if you garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Koondhal Fry (Squid Fry)

Its quite a long time I posted something in my blog. If any one ask "Is it b'cos you are lazy or anything else?", I would definitely say partially lazy, but the main reason is in fact I am not finding enough time to spend in my blog once I started working. Yesterday I bought some squids and thought of trying something new today, but ended up with my favorite squid fry. Hope this will be a good start and will continue blogging as earlier!!!

Ingredients:
Koondhal (Squid) - 3no.s (Big, Cleaned and cut into small pieces)
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Salt - to taste
Red Chilly powder - 1 1/2 t spoon (Less spicy)
Onion - 2 small (Sliced half length wise)
Green Chilly - 2 Nos (Split into half)
Ginger - 1/2 inch (Chopped)
Garlic - 2 cloves (Chopped into fine pieces)
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Cooking Oil - 3 table spoon
Water - 1/2 cup for cooking squid

Preparation:

1. Cook the cleaned and chopped squids in an earthen pot (or any vessel) with water, turmeric powder and salt. It will take around 10 minutes for the squids to be cooked.
2. Once cooked, drain the water and transfer the squids to a bowl.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add ginger and garlic and saute well.
4. Add sliced onions and green chillies and saute till turns tender.
5. Add red chilly powder and salt to taste and mix well.
6. Transfer the cooked squid to the pan, mix well and cooked for around 5-7 minutes with lids closed.
7. In between open the lid and stir well to make sure that it does not stick to the bottom.
8. Garnish with curry leaves and the delicious squid fry is ready to serve.

Diced Chicken With Cashew Nuts

Ever since we had this dish from Lerk Thai we became a fan of this. Till this time we only had it in restaurants. Then I thought it is high time we try it at home. Mmmm and my hubby took charge of this. And wow... it came really wonderful!!!

Ingredients:
Chicken Breast - 500 gm (Cut in to 1.5 cm cubes)
Button Mushrooms - 5 (Discard stem and cut in to 4)
Carrot - 1 (Cut in to 1 cm cubes)
Onion - 1 (Cut in to 1 cm cubes)
Ginger - 1 inch piece (Slice in to thin long pieces)
Baby Corn - 2-3 (Chop in to 1 cm pieces)
Capsicum - 1 (Chop in to 1.5 cm cubes)
Spring Onion - 5 (Chop in to 1 inch length)
Cashew Nuts - 10-15 Roasted
Light Soy Sauce - 1.5 t spoon
Oyster Sauce - 2 t spoon
Corn Flour - 1 t spoon
Salt - 1.5 t spoon
Coriander Leaves - 1-2 sprig for garnishing
Oil - 3 table spoon

Preparation:

1. Put chicken cubes, corn flour and 1 t spoon salt in a bowl, mix well & set aside for around 30 mins
2. Heat 1 table spoon oil in a wok. Stir-fry mushrooms & carrots for 1 min & dish out
3. To heated wok, add seasoned chicken & stir-fry until cooked. Dish out and wash wok
4. Heat 2 table spoon oil in the wok & fry onion pcs until transparent
5. Return fried chicken, mushrooms & carrots to the wok, then add young corn, ginger, remaining salt & stir-fry for 1 – 2 mins
6. Add green capsicums, spring onions, roasted cashew nuts, soy & oyster sauce and stir well

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot (I ran out of coriander, so used capsicum for garnishing ;))

Thanks Beena for remembering and sharing it with me. Sorry for publishing it too late..

I would like to share these awards with my blogger friends

Kairali sisters

Sushma

Deepa

Sangi

Gayathri

Friends please accept these awards and share it with your friends!!

Cherry Smoothie

Cherries are my childhood favorite. I still remember picking cherries whenever my dad gets home cakes before anyone could even touch it. There are lots of instances where I literally fought with my elder sis. Recently I went to a supermarket and saw people grabbing some very fresh cherries and I too picked some. Thought of eating it fresh but my hubby was not interested and requested for something different and I came up with this.

Ingredients:
Cherries - 12 nos
Yoghurt - 300 ml
Ice cubes - few

Preparation:

1. Wash the cherries and remove the seeds.
2. Grind the cherries first in a blender.
3. Once ready add yoghurt, ice cubes and blend well again.

Serve chilled. It is so refreshing...

Chemmeen Fry (Prawns Coconut Fry)

Prawns (Chemmeen) is one of our favorite sea food in any form. But nowadays I am reducing it fearing of cholesterol. So I buy in numbers!!! Last to last weekend I made a simple dish with prawns and thought of sharing with you all.
Last few weeks I tried some of yours recipes and all turned out very very well. Thank you girls for posting such wonderful recipes.

Ingredients:
Prawns (Chemmeen) - 15no.s
Onion - 1 medium (Sliced finely)
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Non Spicy Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 table spoon
Salt - to taste
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Oil - 3 table spoon

Preparation:

1. Marinate prawns with turmeric, chilly powder, salt to taste and keep aside for 15mins.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add sliced onions, saute till it turns tender.
3. Add coconut and mix well, saute till its raw smell goes off.
4. Add marinated prawns and mix well.
5. Cover the pan with a lid and cook till the prawns ar cooked well.
6. Garnish with curry leaves.

Peas Masala Curry

Ingredients:
Peas - 1 1/2 cup
Potatoes - 2no.s
Onion - 1medium
Tomato - 1medium
Cashew nuts - 10no.s (Grind to a fine paste)
Water - 1 cup
Coriander powder - 1 1/2 t spoon
Red chilly powder - 1 t spoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 t spoon
Ginger - 1" inch
Garlic - 3 cloves
Oil - 3 table spoon
Kasoori methi - 2 t spoon
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Preparation:

1. Soak peas in water for about 3-4 hrs.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and saute sliced onions till turns tender.
3. Add chopped ginger and garlic and saute well.
4. Add salt, turmeric powder, chilly powder, corriander powder and mix well.
5. Add the peas and mix well for 1 minute and add chopped potatoes.
6. Add the water, close the lid and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
7. Once pressure is released, open the lid and cook over a very low flame.
8. Add sliced tomatoes and cashew nut paste and mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
9. Add kasoori methi and curry leaves.

Now it is ready to serve. It is a great combination with chappati.

Fruity Delight

This is one of my favorite fruity dessert especially to have this with ice cream. Its really easy and doesn't take too much time except the fact of cutting lots of fruits. This is a good fruit diet for kids who normally say no to fruits. Usually when I prepare this my hubby says its my trick to eat lots of ice cream. In fact thats the truth!!!

Ingredients:
Holy Farm Mango dessert powder - 1 packet
Banana(Small) - 2 no.s
Kiwi - 2 no.s
Orange - 1 no.
Plums - 2 no.s
Green grapes - 3/4 cup
Black seedless grapes - 3/4 cup
Vanilla Ice cream - 1 scoop for each serve
Water - 2cups

Preparation:

1. Cut all the fruits into small pieces and keep it aside.
2. Boil 2cups of water in a vessel and add the holy farm dessert powder and stir continuously till it dissolves completely and starts to thicken slightly.
3. Allow it to cool for few minutes.
4. Take a bowl, layer some fruit pieces.
5. Then add the dessert mix before it gets too thick.
6. Then add the remaining fruit pieces.
7. Its ready to serve. While serving add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or any ice cream of your choice.

Kids gonna love this!!!!

Meen Molishan with Smelt Fish

Friends i am back here again!!!! I just became lazy after my holidays and then some personal reasons too...
Hope all my blogger buddies are doing great. Thanks to all for visiting my blog and following too.
At last I decided to post this which was lying in my draft for some time.

Ingredients:
Smelt fish - 6 no.s
Tomato - 1 no. big
Onion - 2 no.s small
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 t spoon
Green chilly - 1 no. (Optional)
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Red chilly powder - 1/2 t spoon
Salt - to taste
Water - 1/2 cup
Cooking oil - 1 1/2 table spoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Tamarind water - 1 cup
(Soak tamarind in half cup water, squeeze it and later filter the water and use it)

Marinating:
Red chilly powder - 1 t spoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 t spoon
Salt - to taste
Mix these ingredients adding few drops of water and apply the mixture uniquely on the cleaned fish and keep aside for 15-30 minutes.

Preparation:

1. Clean the fish and marinate it with the above mentioned ingredients and keep aside for 15 minutes.
2. Heat an earthern pot (Chatti) and add oil.
3. Saute sliced onions till it becomes translucent.
4. Add red chilly powder, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, salt, green chilly and mix well.
5. Add sliced tomatoes and saute well till becomes tender.
6. Add 1/2 cup water, tamarind water and bring it to boil.
7. Add marinated fish pieces and cook for about 5 minutes.
8. Garnish with curry leaves.

Note: Once fish is cooked never use the spoon to mix as it will cause the fish pieces to break. Instead you can swirl the chatti.

Varutharacha Koondhal Curry (Squid Curry)

It is been few weeks I've made this curry, but was not able to post. Varutharacha curries are one of my favorite except the fact that it requires some roasting and grinding. But its taste compensate for all the efforts involved. Whenever I make it I always cook some extra rice. It is also a great combination with puttu.

Ingredients:
Koondhal (Squid) - 300 gm
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Coriander Powder - 2 t spoon
Chilly Powder - 1 t spoon
Dried Chilly - 2 nos
Potato - 2 small chopped into small cubes
Tomato - 1 medium sliced
Onion - 1 small sliced length wise
Green Chilly - 1 split into half
Cooking Oil - 2 1/2 table spoon
Salt - To taste
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Coconut Slices - chopped into fine pieces
Mustard Seeds - 1 t spoon

Preparation:

1. Clean and chop the squids into small square pieces.
2. Heat a pan and add one table spoon oil and roast the grated coconut.
3. Once it turns light brown add chilly powder, coriander powder, dried red chillies and roast it well.
4. Once roasted, transfer to a bowl and allow it to cool. Grind this into a paste using a mixer/grinder.
5. Take an earthern pot (chatti) and add the chopped squid pieces and cook it with 1 cup of water, chopped potatoes, turmeric powder, sliced onions, green chillies, tomato and salt.
6. Once cooked, add the grinded paste and cook for about 7 minutes and keep aside.
7. Heat a pan and add the remaining oil.
8. Splutter mustard seeds and add the coconut pieces.
9. Once fried add the curry leaves and transfer these contents to the curry.

Your delicious varutharacha koondhal curry is ready to serve with hot white rice or puttu.

Parippum Kaayayum Curry (Dal Plantain Curry) & Awards

Nowadays we are quite busy as we have to move to another house. Need to pack up all our items. So I was not in a mood to update the blog. I had a left over plaintain, and I was thinking what to prepare with 1 plaintain and idea sparked from my hubby. Without any thoughts, prepared this and thought of updating my blog.

Ingredients:
Plantain - 1 (Chopped into medium pieces)
Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Shallots - 5 no.s (chopped into half)
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/4 t spoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 t spoon
Red chilly powder - 1/4 t spoon
Dried Red chillies - 4 no.s
Garlic - 2no.s ( chopped into fine pieces)
Curry Leaves - few
Salt - to taste
Mustard seeds - 1/2 t spoon
Cooking oil - 1 table spoon


Preparation:

1. Soak dal for 30mins.
2. Cook dal & plaintain pieces in a pressure cooker with 1 cup of water,turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt & cook for 1 to 2 whistle.
3. Grind coconut with cumin seeds and make a paste.
4. Add the coconut paste to the cooked dal,3/4 cup water & then cook over low flame for about 3 minutes.
5. Heat a pan and add oil. Splutter Mustard seeds, dried red chillies, garlic, shallots, curry leaves. Transfer these contents to the curry.
6. A good combo with white rice & fish fry.

Here comes the Awards. I apologise to all my blogger friends as i couldn't comment to their recent posts and couldn't publish the awards too. Sorry for the delay friends.
Awards from Beena & Jagruthi

Thank you so much dearies. 

Now, it's not enough just to grab this award, there are conditions and obligations in receiving it:
Requirements:-
I must thank the person who gave me the award and list their blog and link it
I must list 10 honest things about myself
I must put a copy of Honest Scrap logo on my blog
I must select atleast 7 other worthy bloggers and list their links
I must notify the bloggers of the award and hopefully they will follow the above three requirements also.

Here comes the award from Ruchi bedhangal & Deepa

Thank you so much dear. To know more about me please visit here.

I would like to share these 2 awards with
Cicily
Tina
Fathima
Vineetha
Sangi
Rekha
Sushma

Njoy!!!!!!!

Mathanga Thoran (Pumpkin Fry)

Pumpkin is one of my favorite veggie. But the hard thing is that, I never can cook it without my hubby's help. I always find it difficult to peel off its skin. Might be I need to join gym!!! :)

Ingredients:
Pumpkin - 1 1/2 cup chopped in square shape
Small Onion - 10 nos
Dried Red Chilly - 3-4 nos
Cooking Oil - 1 table spoon
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 t spoon
Turmeric Powder - A pinch
Salt - To taste
Curry Leaves - Few

Preparation:

1. Grind onions and red chillies without adding any water and keep aside.
2. Heat a pan with oil and splutter mustard seeds.
3. Add the grinded mixture and saute well.
4. Add pumpkins, turmeric and salt and mix well.
5. Add 3/4 cup of water, cover the pan and cook over medium flame till pumpkin is cooked. It takes almost 5-7 minutes.
6. Garnish with curry leaves.

Serve hot with white rice.

Mushroom Vegetable Rice

This weekend I found lots of leftover vegetables and mushrooms in my fridge and decided to cook something healthy and non-spicy with that. The first thing that came to my mind was vegetable fried rice. But my hubby suggested mushroom vegetable rice, since he is very much fond of crispy vegetables cooked in olive oil. He always prefer coarse black pepper powder, than green chillies and red chilly powder which normally makes the food spicy. I think he got influenced by his Filipino friends who always 'sweat and cry' when they eat dish cooked with red chilly powder or green chillies. But they never have issues with black pepper.

Ingredients:
Jeera Rice - 1 1/2 cup (Basmati rice is a better option)
Mushroom - 1 1/2 cup chopped
Red Cabbage - 1 cup grated
Broccoli Florets - 1 cup
Onion - 2 small chopped
Carrot - 1 no chopped
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Black Pepper Powder - 1 t spoon
Light Soy Sauce - 1 t spoon
Slat - To taste
Olive Oil - 2 table spoon

Preparation:

1. Cook the rice with enough water, salt and few drops of oil. Once cooked drain the water using a colander. Make sure that the rice is not over cooked and sticky.
2. Heat a sauce pan and add olive oil.
3. Add onions and saute well. Add a pinch of turmeric and salt and continue to stir.
4. Add carrots and stir for around 2 minutes.
5. Add chopped mushrooms and stir well.
6. Add pepper powder and mix well.
7. Add broccoli florets and cover the sauce pan with a lid cook over low flame for about 3 minutes.
8. Then add chopped red cabbage mix well and cook for about 1 minute.
9. Add the soy sauce and mix well.
10. Mix the cooked rice with the cooked vegetables.

Delicious mushroom vegetable rice is ready to serve with any kind of salads. It is a very healthy choice.

Black Pepper Chicken Varattiyathu

Few days back, one of my friend just rang me during her lunch break and was having a casual talk. In b/w she asked me "Do you make chicken fry in Thalassery (Kannur district, Kerala state) style"? Even though being from kannur, I never made such chicken fry. I have to say I never knew such sort of fry. The reason she asked me is because she was having the same for lunch. I was curious & just asked her the ingredients & preparation method. Got a quick summary & here comes the dish in my style. The most peculiar thing of this dish is that its absolutely non spicy & comes with crispy coconut slices.

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1/2 kg (Chopped to medium sized pieces)
Black Pepper - 2 1/2 t spoon (Coarsely powdered) (1 1/2 t spoon for marination)
Turmeric Powder - 1 t spoon
Salt - To taste
Coconut Slices - 1/4 cup
Cinnamon Stick - 1/2 inch
Clove - 5 nos
Bay Leaf - 2 nos
Garlic - 5 cloves (Chopped into fine pieces)
Ginger - 1 1/2 inch (Chopped into medium sized pieces)
Onion - 3 nos (Sliced half length wise)
Curry Leaves - 2 sprig
Coriander Leaves - 2 sprig
Oil - 2 1/2 table spoon

Marination:
Marinate the chicken pieces with turmeric powder, 1 1/2 t spoon of black pepper powder and salt and keep aside for 20 minutes.

Preparation:

1. Heat a sause pan with oil.
2. Add cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaf and saute till fragrant.
3. Add coconut slices and saute till it becomes firm.
4. Add ginger and garlic and saute well.
5. Add the sliced onions and saute well till onions become translucent.
6. Then add the marinated chicken, mix well. Cover the sauce pan with the lid and cook over medium flame till the chicken is almost cooked.
7. Add the remaining pepper powder, curry leaves and mix well and cook it completely.
8. Transfer it to a bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

Red Cabbage Thoran

Hi friends, I reached a mile stone today. It is my 50th post!!! Thanks to all for the encouragement.
I have seen this very colorful cabbage so many times while shopping, but never had the courage to pick it up and try. Once tried we really started liking it. Unlike the green one, this is quite thick and is very crispy. It is quite easy to cook and is very healthy.

Ingredients:
Red Cabbage - 250 gm grated
Grated Coconut - 2 1/2 table spoon
Dried Red Chilly - 4 nos
Turmeric Powder - A pinch
Mustard Seeds - 1 t spoon
Cooking Oil - 2 table spoon
Salt - To taste
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig

Preparation:

1. Heat a pan with oil. I used olive oil.
2. Splutter mustard seeds and dried red chilly.
3. Add the grated cabbage and stir well.
4. Add salt, turmeric powder, grated coconut and mix well.
5. Cover the pan and cook over low flame for about 3-4 minutes. In between stir to make sure that it doesn't stick to the bottom.
6. Garnish with curry leaves and it is ready to serve.

Watermelon Juice (Thanneer Mathan Juice)

Ohhh it is so hot here these days. I have been trying various juices to kill the heat. It is so common in our hometown to see people selling watermelons on road side in summer. So I thought of making a simple juice out of it. So refreshing!!!

Ingredients:
Watermelon : 1/2 small
Ice cubes : 10 nos
Sugar : To taste
Water : 1/2 cup

Preparation:

1. Take out the inner red juicy portion using a spoon and transfer it to a blender/juicer.
2. Add water, sugar and ice cubes and turn on the blender/juicer till juice is ready.
3. Transfer it to glasses.

Tips:
Add more ice cubes or refrigerate the juice, if you want it to be extra chilled.

Friends, please share how you gonna beat this summer???

Sweet Potato

Sweet Potato is one of my childhood favorite. Recently I saw Japanese sweet potato while shopping and decided to pick it up. I had a wonderful weekend with my fond childhood memories of sweet potatoes. It is a wonderful option for breakfast or evening snacks. Simple & easy to cook.

Ingredients:
Sweet Potato : 6 nos medium size
Salt : To taste

Preparation:

1. Wash and clean the sweet potatoes well.
2. Boil sweet potatoes in a pressure cooker with enough water and salt to taste.
3. Wait for one whistle and turn off the flame and wait till the pressure is relieved.
4. Take out the sweet potatoes, peel off the skin and cut into round pieces.

Alternatively you can use a wide opened vessel to boil the sweet potatoes. Turn off the flame when the sweet potatoes are cooked well.

Ney Meen Mutta Thoran (King Fish Egg Fry)

My Ammamma (granny - mother's mom) was very fond of fish eggs, especially sardine eggs and i do remember my mother preparing it specially for her. Those days my ammamma usually says "Buy Sardine, will get lots of eggs". Now my ammamma is no more. She passed away last May. Making these eggs just made me remember her words.

Ingredients:
Neymeen Mutta - 150 gm
Grated Coconut - 2 table spoon
Non Spicy Red Chilly - 1 no (Chop into thin round pieces)
Onion - 1 small (Chopped into fine pieces)
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Turmeric Powder - A pinch
Chilly Powder - 1/2 t spoon
Pepper Powder - 1/2 t spoon
Salt - To taste
Oil - 1 1/2 table spoon

Preparation:

1. Clean and slice the king fish eggs.
2. Heat a pan and add oil.
3. Add onions, chopped red chillies and saute well.
4. Add salt, turmeric powder, chilly powder and mix well.
5. Add sliced king fish eggs and mix well.
6. Add grated coconut, mix well and cover the pan with a lid and allow to cook (For around 2-3 minutes).
7. Sprinkle black pepper powder and garnish with curry leaves.

Coconut Rice

There are different ways of making coconut rice and this is one of the easiest version of making it. My friend Nidhu introduced this wonderful recipe to me. I heard at least 20-30 times, over phone, "Aparna, I feel lazy today. So I will prepare coconut rice for dinner". I should say that it is really contagious and I too got addicted to the same habit - when lazy, just go for coconut rice. It is easy and tasty!!! But, I should really thank her, because now me and my hubby really loves it.

Ingredients:
Jeera Rice or White Rice : 1 1/2 cup
Coconut Milk : 1/2 cup
Water : 2 1/2 cup
Coconut Oil : 1 1/2 table spoon
Green Chilly : 2 nos
Ginger : 1 inch
Curry Leaves : 1 sprig
Coriander Leaves : 2 sprigs
Salt : To taste

Preparation:

1. Wash, clean and dry the rice using a colander.
2. Grind green chilly, ginger, curry leaves and coriander leaves and make a paste and keep aside.
3. Turn on the rice cooker and add the oil.
4. Once oil is heated, add the grinded paste and stir well for 5-10 seconds.
5. Add the dried rice and stir well for around 1 minute.
6. Add the water, coconut milk and salt.
7. Close the cooker and start cooking till the rice is cooked.
8. It will take only 10-12 minutes for the rice to be ready.
9. This will be enough to serve 2-3 people.

You can have it with fried items, dry masalas, any varutharacha curry or salads.

Varutharacha Kozhi Curry (Chicken Curry)

I rarely cook varutharacha kozhi curry, mostly because I am lazy to roast and grind the ingredients. So I mostly make chicken masala, stew or fries, which is much easier to make. But last weekend I decided to go for it as my hubby was home and was ready to help me :). I really love this with traditional kerala rice.

Ingredients:
Chicken - 800 gm (Chopped into medium cubes)
Coconut - 1 1/2 cup
Potato - 2 nos small (Chopped into cubes)
Onion - 2 medium (Sliced into half length wise)
Green Chilly - 2 nos (Split into half)
Tomato - 1 medium (Chopped into square shape)
Ginger - 1 inch (chopped into fine pieces)
Garlic - 3 cloves
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 t spoon
Red Chilly Powder - 1 1/2 t spoon (1/2 t spoon for roasting & 1 t spoon for marinating)
Coriander Powder - 1 t spoon
Chicken Masala - 1 t spoon
Dried Red Chilly - 2 nos
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Coriander Leaves - 2-3 sprigs
Salt - To taste
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch broken into pieces
Clove - 4nos.
Cardamom - 3 nos
Oil - 2 table spoon

Preparation:

1. Heat a pan and roast the coconut till light brown. Then add the dried red chillies, coriander powder, chicken masala and 1/2 t spoon of red chilly powder and fry for 5 mins. Keep it aside and let it cool.
2. Grind the roasted mix by adding a little water and make a smooth paste.
3. Marinate chicken with 1/2 t spoon of turmeric, salt, 1 t spoon of chilly powder and keep aside for 20 mins.
4. Heat a Chatti (Earthen Pot) & add oil. Add onion, green chillies and saute well.
5. Add ginger and garlic and saute for 5-10 seconds.
6. Add salt, turmeric and mix well.
7. Add potatoes and stir continuously.
8. Then add marinated chicken pieces together with the chopped tomatoes and mix well.
9. Cover the chatti with a lid and allow the chicken to cook over medium flame for about 10 minutes. In between open the lid and stir well.
10. Once the chicken is cooked, add the grinded paste, 3/4 cup of water and mix well and allow to cook for another 5 minutes with the lid open.
11. Add spices (Cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom), curry leaves and switch off the flame.
12. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Delicious varutharacha kozhi curry is ready. It is a great combination with rice, chappathi or porotta. This will be enough to serve 6 persons.

There are two ingredients missing here as I ran out of stock. Shallots and coconut slices.
Usually shallots will be sauted along with the onions and for tempering we use coconut slices.

Parippu Vada And Awards

Parippu vada is one of the common snack served with evening tea & is popular across kerala in thattukadas. My mom is an expert in making this & is my favorite snack.

Ingredients:
Toor Dal - 1 cup
Onion - 2 nos small (Chopped into fine pieces)
Green Chilly - 2 nos (Chopped into fine pieces)
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig (Chopped into fine pieces)
Turmeric Powder - 1/8 t spoon (a pinch)
Chilly Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Salt - To taste
Oil - 200 ml

Preparation:

1. Soak toor dal for about half an hour. Then grind it using a blender without any water. Don't make it a smooth paste. 5-8 seconds will do.
2. Then add turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt, chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves and mix well.
3. Heat a pan with oil.
4. Make small balls out of the mix, flatten it, and fry it in oil.
5. Delicious parippu vada is ready. It is a great evening snack.

Tips:
I normally prefer shallow frying. In case of shallow frying, you need to fry both sides of the vada.

Awards

I am so happy that my blogger friends Nithu, Renu, Beena & Devi has shown their love and shared some awards with me. They all shared me the below 2 awards.

Renu & Devi has also shared Smart Food Blogger, Kreativ Blogger and Thank You awards. Thanks a ton Renu, Nithu, Devi and Beena. Very much excited these days with lots of lovely awards and wishes.

I would luv to share all these awards to all my blogger friends. Please feel free to collect it and post it in your blogs..

Chemmeen Biriyani (Prawns Biriyani)

Chemmeen (prawns) biriyani is one of our favorites and it used to be a common item on the table when we have guests. A draft was lying in my blog for quite long time. Recently my hubby's friend had been complaining that he never got a chance to taste my chemmeen biriyani, while most of the other friends had a lot to say about it. Last weekend, being chinese new year, my hubby stuffed the fridge with some vegetables, chicken, fish and prawns as most of the shops are closed for 2-3 days. What a coincidence, the same friend gave a casual call on chinese new year and my hubby invited him for a lunch the next day and made it possible to publish this post!!!

Ingredients:
For Marinating Prawns:
Red Chilly Powder - 1 1/2 t spoon
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 t spoon
Salt - To taste

For Prawns Masala:
Prawns(Chemmeen) - 18 no.s
Onions - 1 1/2 medium (Slice to half length wise)
Tomato - 1 1/2 medium (Chop to fine pieces)
Green Chilly - 2 nos (Split into half)
Ginger - 1 inch (Chop to fine pieces)
Garlic - 3 cloves (Chop to fine pieces)
Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 t spoon
Coriander Powder - 1 t spoon
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Salt - To taste
Fennel Seeds - 1/8 t spoon
Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs
Oil - 3 table spoon

For Rice:
Jeera rice - 3 cups (Basmati rice is the best option)
Ghee - 1 table spoon
Water - 6 cups
Salt - To taste

For Garnishing
Cashew - 8 nos
Raisin - 8 nos
Cinnamon stick - 1 1/2 inch (Break it into small pieces)
Onion - 1 small (Chopped half lengthwise)
Flower spice - 3
Bay leaf - 3 (Cut into pieces)
Oil - 1 table spoon
Ghee - 1 1/2 table spoon
Cardamom - 3 nos
Coriander Leaves - 3 sprigs

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

Preparation:
For Prawns:

1. Heat oil in a deep sauce pan.
2. Add chopped garlic and ginger and saute it.
3. Add sliced onions and green chillies and saute until onions becomes soft.
4. Add salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder, fennel seeds and stir for 15-20 seconds.
5. Add chopped tomatoes and stir for another 20-30 seconds till the tomatoes turn tender.
6. Add the marinated prawns and mix well and cover the pan with the lid. Cook over medium flame until prawns are cooked.
7. Once prawns are almost cooked add curry leaves.
8. Prawn 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 (except coriander leaves) 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 starts breaking.
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 prawns. Or you can use the wok itself.

1. Put rice and prawns in alternate layers starting with rice.
2. Add chopped coriander leaves while adding prawns.
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.

Prawns biriyani (Chemmeen Biriyani) is now ready to serve. I love it with yogurt & Coriander Chutney.

Carrot Halwa (Gajar ka Halwa) - Valentine's Day Special

Happy Valentine's Day to all!!!

Ingredients:
Grated Carrot : 2 cups
Milk : 2 cups
Sugar : 1/4 cup
Cashew Nut : 8 nos
Almond : 8 nos
Cardamom Powder : 1/4 t spoon
Ghee : 1 1/2 table spoon

Preparation:

1. Clean the carrot and peel off the outer layer and then grate it.
2. Crush the grated carrot using a blender. Make sure that it doesn't form a paste. Mostly 3-5 seconds will be sufficient.
3. Boil the milk in a sauce pan. Keep stirring and make sure that it doesn't stick to the bottom.
4. In b/w, heat a pan, add ghee and roast the cashew nuts and almonds and keep it aside.
5. Add the blended carrot to the same pan and stir fry for around 6-7 minutes.
6. Add the boiled milk and sugar.
7. Keep stirring until the milk completely evaporates.
8. Then add the cardamom powder and mix it.
9. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with roasted cashew nuts and almonds.

Carrot halwa is ready. You can serve it either hot or cold.

Tips:
You may add food color to get nice reddish color.
You may add raisins too.

I am sending this to Priya for Hearts for St Valentine's Day Event. mmmm so excited!!!

Ginger Chicken And Awards

Ingredients:
Chicken : 250 gm boneless, chopped into small pieces.
Light Soy Sauce : 1 1/2 t spoon
Vinegar : 1 t spoon
Corn Flour : 1 t spoon
Cooking Oil : 1 1/2 table spoon
Onion : 1 medium
Green Chilly : 2 nos
Coriander Leaves : 4 sprigs (Cut off the stem portion)
Curry Leaves : 1 sprig
Ginger Garlic Paste : 1 t spoon
Ginger : 1 1/2 inch (Finely sliced length wise (3/4 inch))
Black Pepper Powder : 1 t spoon
Salt : To taste

Preparation:

1. Marinate the chopped chicken pieces with vinegar, soy sauce, corn flour and a little salt and keep it for 20 minutes.
2. Grind chopped onions, coriander leaves, curry leaves and green chillies and make a paste and keep it aside.
3. Heat a pan with oil and shallow fry both sides of the marinated chicken pieces till it becomes firm and dry.
4. Add the ginger garlic paste and mix it.
5. Add the chopped ginger and stir well.
6. Add the grinded paste and mix well and heat for around 8 minutes. Stir occasionally.
7. Sprinkle salt if required.
8. Sprinkle the black pepper powder and mix well.

Delicious ginger chicken is ready to serve for 2 person. You can garnish it with coriander leaves.
Courtesy: Sanjay Thumma

Awards
Last week had been so exciting because lots of my friends remembered me!!!

Thanks a lot to Jisha, Sarah and Devi for sharing me the below award.

Thanks a lot to Sarah for sharing me the below award.

Thanks a lot to Devi and Sara's Corner for sharing me the below award.
Wow... 200 posts. What a great achievement. Congrats Sara.

I would like to share the above 3 awards with Sara's Corner, Nithya, Faiza Ali, Priya, Remya, Cicily, Fathima, LadyChef, Priya and Neetz. Please collect it and post it in your blog. Keep blogging. Njoy!!!

Thanks a lot to Neetz for sharing the below 3 awards with me.

I would like to share the above 3 awards with all my blogger friends. Please feel free to accept this and post it in your blogs. Keep rocking!!!!!!!