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..

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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.

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!!!!

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.

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.

Chemmeen Varutharachathu (Prawns Curry)

Chemmmeeen... This is my most favorite sea food. I have a craze for medium sized prawns, whether it is fried, curry or any thing. When I make varutharacha chemmeen curry, I always run short of rice that day. :)

Ingredients:
Chemmeen (Prawns) - 15 nos
Shallots - 10 nos (Chopped into fine pieces)
Onion - 1 medium (Chopped into fine pieces)
Tomato - 1 medium (Sliced into 4 parts)
Green Chillies - 3 (Split in half)
Ginger - 1 inch (Chop finely)
Garlic - 3 cloves (Chop finely)
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 t spoon
Chilly Powder - 1 1/2 t spoon
Coriander Powder - 1 1/2 t spoon
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Salt - To taste
Cooking Oil - 2 1/2 table spoon

Preparation:

1. Heat a pan and roast the grated coconut for around 6-8 minutes.
2. When turns slightly brown add chilly powder (1 t spoon), coriander powder (1 t spoon) and stir well till coconut is completely roasted (Around 6-8 minutes). Keep it aside and allow it to cool. Then grind it in mixer and transfer to a bowl.
3. Heat the man chatti (earthern pot) and add 1 1/2 table spoon cooking oil.
4. Once heated add shallots, onion, green chillies and saute it well till onions and shallots are tender.
5. Add salt, turmeric powder and mix well.
6. Add ginger and garlic and saute well.
7. Add remaining (1/2 t spoon) red chilly powder and coriander powder and saute well.
8. Add the cleaned prawns, sliced tomatoes and mix well.
9. Add 1 cup of water and cover the chatti with lid and allow to cook over medium flame.
10. Once prawns are cooked, add the prepared coconut paste and cook for another 5 minutes.
11. Heat a pan and add 1 table spoon of oil. Splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves.
12. Transfer these contents to the chemmeen curry.
13. Delicious varutharacha chemmeen curry is ready to serve.
14. It is a great combination with steamed rice or puttu.

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.

Mushroom Cutlet

Mushroom is my favorite, also for my hubby too. This weekend I thought of trying something different with it and came up with this cutlet. I am so happy that it turned out sooooooooo well. It was really yummy :)

Ingredients:
Button Mushroom - 12 nos small (Chop to fine pieces)
Potato - 3 small (Boil and mash)
Onion - 2 medium (Chop to fine pieces)
Shelled Green Peas - 1/4 cup (Boil and cook)
Green Chilly - 3 nos (Chop to fine pieces)
Ginger - 1 inch (Chop to fine pieces)
Garlic - 1 clove (Chop to fine pieces)
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig (Chop)
Coriander Leaves - 2 sprig (Chop)
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Chilly Powder - 1 t spoon
Garam Masala - 1/2 t spoon
Salt - To taste
Cooking Oil - 2 table spoon (For masala) &150 ml (For shallow frying)
Egg - 2 nos
Bread Crumbs - 1 1/2 cup

Preparing Masala:

1. Heat oil in a pan and saute the sliced onions till golden brown.
2. Add chopped green chilly, ginger, garlic and saute well.
3. Add salt to taste, turmeric, red chilly and garam masala powder and mix well for around 20-30 seconds.
4. Add chopped mushrooms, green peas and curry leaves and stir well.
5. Take a bowl and transfer the mashed potatoes to it.
6. Transfer the prepared masala to the bowl and mix it well.
7. Add the chopped coriander leaves to the mix.

Preparing Cutlet:

1. Beat the eggs in a bowl and keep it aside.
2. Take the bread crumbs in a flat plate and keep it aside.
3. Make small balls out of the masala, flat it, dip in the beaten eggs and immerse in bread crumbs to get a thin layer of it.

Make sure that you are getting fine bread crumbs. We got slightly thick one which is in fact used for making nuggets.

Cooking:
Heat a tava with oil for shallow fry
Once heated fry the cutlets on both sides in medium flame.
Cutlets are now ready to serve.
Serve it with ketchup.

Tips:
If you don't prefer egg, you can use all purpose flour (maida) for making the dipping mixture. Just take all purpose flour in a bowl and mix it with some water. Your dipping mixture is ready.
Don't dip your cutlet for more than 2 seconds in your dipping mixture. Also make sure that you are immersing it in bread crumbs immediately.

Black Pepper Crab

Singapore is rich in sea foods, mainly lobsters & crabs. Black Pepper crab is our personal favorite. Usually when we go out for dinner, we try chilli or black pepper crab with eggs. I became fond of crabs after coming to singapore. We prepared this with live crab which I am totally afraid off. Its my dear who handed this live crab and I was watching him from 1 km away. So all credits to him only.

Ingredients:
Mud Crab - 1 no.
Ginger - 1" piece (Chop it lengthwise)
Garlic - 5 no.s (Chop into fine pieces)
Red chilly - 1 no (Non spicy. Chop into fine pieces)
Butter - 2 table spoon
Oil - 300ml for deep frying
Black Pepper - 2 table spoon (coarsely powdered)
Spring Onion - 1 no (Chop into fine pieces)
Soy Sauce - 2 table spoon (Don't add any salt as saltness of sauce will be enough for cooking)
Oyster Sauce - 2 table spoon
Sugar - 1/2 t spoon

Preparation:
Clean the crab well. Separate the outer shell and remove the spongy part. Wash it again well.
Separate the two claws and smash it with a cleaver to create cracks.
Cut off the tip of the remaining smaller claws.
Cut the remaining body into 2 or 4 pieces without removing the smaller claws.

1. Deep fry the crab until half-cooked, drain and keep aside.
2. Heat a wok and melt butter.
3. Put in garlic, black pepper, curry leaves, spring onion and chilies. Saute till fragrant.
4. Add crab, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar and mix well.
5. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the crab is done.
6. It is an awesome combination with white rice. 

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.

Chicken Stew

Ingredients:
Chicken - 500gm (Half chicken cut into medium pieces)
Onion - 1 big (Sliced lengthwise)
Potato - 1 big (Chopped into square shape)
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup thick milk (100 ml)
Coconut milk - 1 cup thin milk (200 ml)
Green chillies - 2 nos. split into half
Ginger - 1" piece (Chopped into fine pieces & crushed)
Garlic - 3 big cloves (Chopped into fine pieces)
Pepper - 1 table spoon (Whole black pepper crushed into coarse powders)
Pepper powder - 1 1/2 t spoon
Cardamom - 3 no.s
Clove - 4 to 5 no.s
Cinnamon stick - 1" stick
Salt - to taste
Cooking oil - 1 1/2 table spoon
Curry leaves - 1 strip
Coriander leaves - 2 sprigs chopped

Preparation:

1. Marinate chicken pieces with salt & pepper and keep it aside for 15 minutes. 
2. Heat a deep sauce-pan and add cooking oil.
3. Add cardamom, cinnamon, clove and saute until its fragrant.
4. Add sliced onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies and saute well until the raw smell goes off.
5. Add marinated chicken pieces and fry it well till the chicken pieces become firm.
6. Add chopped potatoes ,salt to taste and thin coconut milk, mix it well & cook over medium flame with lids closed.
7. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
8. Lower the flame and add thick coconut milk.
9. Keep it for 2 mins. Add curry leaves.
10. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
11. It's now ready to serve with bread, vellappam or pallappam.

Mushroom Coconut Stir Fry

Ingredients:
Button Mushrooms - 10 to 12 nos (Cut 1 into 6 pieces)
Onion - 1 medium size (Slice lengthwise)
Grated Coconut - 1/7 th of mushroom
Green Chilly - 2 nos (Splitted)
Curry Leaves - 1 strip
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Coriander Powder - 1 t spoon
Pepper Powder - 1 1/2 t spoon
Cooking Oil - 1 1/2 table spoon
Salt - To taste

Marination:
Marinate chopped mushrooms with turmeric powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, salt and grated coconut and keep for 15 minutes.

Preparation:

1. Heat a pan with cooking oil.
2. Add onion, green chilly and curry leaves, and saute it well until becomes golden brown.
3. Transfer the marinated mushrooms to the pan, mix it well. Cover with a lid and cook over low flame for about 5-7 minutes.
4. Now it is ready to serve for 4 people.

Spicy Chemmeen

Ingredients:
Chemmen / Prawns - 1/4 kilo / 15no.s
Onion - 1 big
Tomato - 2 medium
Green chilly - 2no.s
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Chilly Powder -  1/2 t spoon
Coriander powder - 1 t spoon
Salt - to taste
Water - 1 cup
Curry leaves - 1 strip
Cooking oil - 1 1/2 table spoon

For Marinating:
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Chilly Powder - 1 t spoon
Salt - 1/2 t spoon

Marination:
Remove the shell of  chemeen(Prawns) & Clean it well. Then marinate with turmeric, chilly, salt (kept aside for marinating) and keep it aside for 10mins.

Preparation:

1. Slice onions lengthwise, tomatoes in square shape and split green chilly into half.
2. Heat a pan and add cooking oil. Add the sliced onions & green chilly and saute it well.
3. Add salt, turmeric, chilly & coriander powder.Stir well.
4. Add sliced tomatoes. Saute it well till the tomatoes become tender.
5. Add 1 cup water. Bring to boil.
6. Once boiled, add chemmeen (Prawns) and cover the pan with well fitting lid and allow to cook for 10 mins.
7. Add curry leaves.
8. Ready to serve for 2 to 3 people.