Vendakka Khichadi

Khichadi is a traditional South Indian dish which finds its place in any sadya, be it Onam, a marriage or a birthday. It is an easy to prepare curry and requires very little ingredients.

Chicken Varattiyathu

Chicken curry needs no introduction. Non-vegetarians always like to try different varieties of chicken preparations ranging from fry, roast, chinese, north-indian or a South Indian. Today, I am posting an easy chicken curry prepared in a South Indian style.

Basic info about the recipe

Cuisine                                                      - South Indian

Serves                                                       - 4-5 people.

Ingredients                                  

1. Chicken                                                - 1 kg
2. Onion                                                   - 4 medium
3. Tomato                                                 - 3 medium
4. Ginger-garlic paste                                - 2-3 tsp
5. Curry leaves                                         - 15-20 nos

6.     Turmeric powder                                   - ½ tsp

7. Kashmiri red chilli powder                      - 4 tsp
8. Coriander powder                                  - 3 tsp
9. Chicken masala                                     - 3 tsp
10. Fennel powder                                      - 2 tsp
11. Oil                                                        - 2 tbsp
12. Salt                                                      - to taste.

Method: Clean the chicken pieces and wash them with turmeric powder added to the water.

After washing strain the excess water and add turmeric, red chilli, coriander powder and salt and keep aside for half an hour.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the ginger garlic paste till golden brown. Add sliced onions to it and fry till brown

Add sliced tomatoes and cook for 5 mts covering the pan with a lid.

Make sure that the onions and tomatoes have form a thick paste.

Add curry leaves, chicken masala and fennel powder and fry till the masalas cook.

Add salt required for the masala.

Mix the marinated chicken to the cooked masala and stir for 5 minutes.

Transfer all the contents to a pressure cooker and give 2 whistles.

Open the cooker immediately and transfer back to the pan.

(Check if the chicken pieces are cooked well. Otherwise you can cook the rest in pan covering with a lid for another 10 minutes.)

Cook on high flame for 5 minutes stirring in between so that you get the right consistency for your curry.

Add some curry leaves and serve hot.

          

Amla Pickle

Amla or the Gooseberry Pickle is a very common pickle made all over India. Amla is rich in vitamin-C, minerals, nutrients and anti-oxidants. Eventhough, the ingredients for the pickle are almost same, the cooking method adopted in different places do differ. This recipe which I am posting is my Mother’s recipe. I have tried my best to make it the same way.

Chicken 65

Chicken 65 is a very popular starter item. It is a much demanded item in restaurants.

It is easy to prepare and require very less ingredients

Cauli Flower Varutharacha Curry

Its winter time and the cauliflower is available in plenty. So many dishes, including snacks can be made out of this. So, why not a curry in a South Indian style to go with rotis and rice. This can be had even with idli, dosa, puttu or idiappam.

Tomato Pachadi

Options

Tomato pachadi is a traditional South Indian curry which is made of coconut and tomato and is served with rice. It is very easy to make and can be prepared in less than 10 minutes time. It is an important side dish for a traditional sadya which is prepared for Onam or marriage.

Microwave Banana Peanut Cake

Microwave cakes are easy to make. It takes just 10 minutes and your cake is ready. I have already posted a sponge cake and a dark chocolate cake. Today, I thought of trying a different one. As the name suggests, it is a banana peanut butter cake.

North Indian Poha Upma

Upma needs no introduction. Many experiments are done in kitchen to make healthy upma with so many things like sooji, poha, bread and nowadays oats. Poha Upma is an excellent breakfast item.

Basic info about the recipe

Cuisine                                                 - North Indian

Serves                                                  - 2 people.

Ingredients

1. Poha/ rice flakes                         - 2 cups
2. Onion                                         - 1 no:
3. Green chillies                              - 2 nos
4. Turmeric powder                         - ½ tsp
5. Mustard seeds                            - 1 tsp
6. Salt                                            - to taste
7. Lemon juice                                - 1 tbsp
8. Peanuts                                      - ½ cup
9. Coriander leaves                         - few sprigs
10.  Oil                                             - 1 tbsp.

Method: Sprinkle some water and salt to the poha and mix well. Let it rest for 5 minutes. ( If you soak the poha in water, you will not get a dry upma and it will be soggy)

Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add diced onions and green chillies and fry till golden brown.

Add peanuts and fry till done

Add turmeric powder and mix everything well.

Add the poha, stir and cover with a lid for 3 minutes. Check salt at this stage.

Switch offf the gas, pour lemon juice and stir well.

Add the coriander leaves and serve hot.

Notes: Instead of oil alone, you can add butter/ ghee and oil together.

Wheat and Oats Roll

Roll needs no introduction. Rolls are made of refined flour. I thought of making it healthy with some different ingredients. This can be served as a breakfast item, a tea time snack or for dinner.

Basic info about the recipe

Cuisine                                                           - South Indian

Serves                                                            - 2 people.

Ingredients

1. Atta                                                      - 2 cups
2. Oats                                                     - 1 cup
3. Besan                                                   - 1 tbsp
4. Salt                                                      - to taste
5. Carrot                                                   - 1 no:
6. Onion                                                   - 1 no:
7. Tomato                                                 - 1 no:
8. Oregano                                               - as required
9. Red chilli flakes                                     - as required
10.  Oil                                                       - as required.

Method: Grate the carrot. Dice the onion and tomato and keep aside.

Make a dosa batter with wheat, oats, besan, salt and water.( the consistency should not be very thick)

Heat a pan and pour a ladle of batter to it. Sprinkle the grated carrot, onion and tomato( like uthappam). Drizzle some drops of oil. Wait to cook.

Carefully flip to the other side and allow to cook.

Remove from pan and sprinkle some red chilli flakes and oregano on top. Roll and serve hot.

Notes: If you are making this for children, you can avoid red chilli flakes and put some grated cheese on top. In that case allow the cheese to melt and then add oregano.

Easy Prawn Biriyani

The name itself suggests that the biriyani is quite simple and easy. Biriyanis are prepared at homes mostly on Sundays. So, why not try this one too.

Pizhinju Payasam

This is a traditional payasam of Kerala. It is mostly prepared in temples as an offering to God.

Gobi Manchurian

Gobi Manchurian is a very famous Indo- Chinese item and a favourite of all vegetarians.

Sambol

Having given the recipe for suttu, it is time now to post sambol which is the perfect combination for the previously mentioned suttu. Sambol is a Srilankan side dish prepared with coconut. Some would add dry fish to this dish even though I prefer a vegetarian one.

Basic info about the recipe

Cuisine                                                 - Sri Lankan

Serves                                                  - 2-3 people.

Ingredients

1. Grated coconut                           - half a coconut
2. Shallots                                      - 6 nos
3. Red chilli powder                         - 1 tsp
4. Salt                                            - to taste
5. Lemon juice                                - 2 tsp

Method: Grind all the ingredients together except lime juice. Water should not be added at the time of grinding as it is a dry chutney.

Transfer to a bowl. Add lime juice. Mix well and serve.

Suttu

This breakfast item may not be familiar to most people even though it is prepared in some parts of Kerala. It is an easy item with very little ingredients.

Butter Chicken

Murg makhani, a typical Punjabi dish is better known as butter chicken all over India. It is a much demanded item in restaurants also.

Mulaku Varutha Puli

After a dish from Karnataka, how about a traditional dish from Kerala? Yes, it is from proper Palakkad. Today, I am trying to reproduce the dish the way my mother used to make. It is a 5 minute curry with very little ingredients and tastes good with rice. It is almost like rasam with a little less effort.

Neer Dosa

This is the simplest of all dosas. Neer dosa means water dosa. It is more famous in Karnataka. The reason why it is the simplest is because it can be easily made with rice and requires no fermentation.

Nadan Kozhi Curry

This is a traditional Kerala style chicken curry. Coconut milk, coconut oil, curry leaves, shallots and spices make it a traditional one. This curry goes well with rice, roti, appam or idiappam.

Padavalanga Chakkakkuru Thoran

Padvalanga Chakakuru Thoran

Padavalanga Chakkakkuru thoran is a dry side dish served with rice in Kerala. It is made of snake gourd and jack fruit seed. It can be called a seasonal dish as jack fruit seeds are not available all the time.

Basic info about the recipe

Summer Special Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad

Salads are no doubt refreshing. This high nutritious super food not only fills your stomach but also makes your meal healthy. Making a salad and a dressing for it all depends on your imagination and the availability of the veggies in your hand.

Prawns Roast

Today, I am posting my version of Kerala Prawns Roast. It is a wonderful side dish to go with steamed rice or chapathi. This can even be used as a filling alongwith rice powder to cook prawns puttu.

Cabbage Tomato Mulakushyam

Mulakushyam is a very popular curry which is had with rice in Kerala. It is considered to be a 5 minute curry. It is can be made with any of these vegetable available in your fridge, like cabbage, raw banana, ash gourd, snake gourd, lauki, potato, raw pappaya, palak, pumpkin, carrot, raw mango and drumstick or even Kerala cucumber. Can you ever think of making a curry with such a combination?

Microwave Dark Chocolate Cake

Baking a cake is time consuming. How about an easy microwave chocolate cake in 5mts?

Dry Prawns and Raw Mango Curry

This is a traditional curry called unakka chemmeen manga curry in Kerala. This is an all-time favorite even though it is the best option in rainy season when fresh fish is rarely available and the mango season is on. Prawns are dried and stored for future use.

Microwave Eggless Sponge Cake

Baking a cake is time consuming. How about a microwave cake which can be prepared in 7mts that too an eggless one. Let us substitute egg with curd.