Tomato Nutty Chicken Roast

Today, I am posting a special chicken curry called, Tomato Nutty chicken roast. As the name indicates, this chicken roast is rich in tomato and nuts..Chicken is first marinated in spices,deep or shallow fried,which is combined with tomato and nuts-coconut curry..I got this recipe from my cook book 'Malabar Chef',which I bought in Kerala...It has a slight taste of kurma,but the preparation is entirely different..Its a tasty chicken roast..It goes well with the combination of chappati,appam.poori, batoora etc..Ok, Lets move to the recipe.

Recipe Courtesy: Taken from my cookbook,Malabar Chef

    Ingredients:

      To marinate:

• Chicken,cut into small pieces - 500 to 900 gm
• Kashmiri/Red chilli pdr - 2 tbsp
• Coriander pdr - 2 tsp
• Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Garam masala pdr - 1/4 tsp
• Vinegar - 1 tbsp

      Other ingredient:

• Cumin seeds ( Nalla Jeerakam) - 1/2 tsp
• Fennel seeds ( Perumjeerakam) - 1/2 tsp
• Cinnamon - 2 pcs
• Cloves - 2 to 3 no.s
• Onion sliced - 3 medium
• Ginger-garlic crushed - 1 tbsp
• Green chillies,sliced into halves - 2 no.s ( optional)
• Black pepper pdr - 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala pdr - 1/4 tsp
• Tomato sliced - 2 medium
• Almonds - 1 tbsp
• Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp
• Coconut shredded - 1/4 cup
• Coriander leaves,chopped -11/2 tbsp
• Spring onion,chopped ( green part) - 2 stalk

      Method:

• Marinate the chicken mentioned in 'To marinate' and set aside for 1/2 hr..

• Soak the nuts in little water for 10 mins..This is done in order to grind into paste easily..

• Deep fry or shallow fry the marinated chicken in oil till brown on both sides till 70 percent cooked..No need to fry chicken fully as it will cook in gravy later...Drain the chicken and set aside..

• In a deep pan, heat oil and add whole spices mentioned and let it crackle..

• Add the ingredients from sliced onion till garam masala powder and saute one by one..

• Add fried chicken and  sliced tomatoes and saute well..Close the lid and cook for 8 to 10 mins or till cooked..

• Meanwhile grind the nuts into smooth paste along with soaked water in a grinder...

• In a blender, add coconut shredded and grinded nut paste with one cup of water...

• Pour coconut and nuts mixture into the chicken  and cook for 5 mins in a low flame..

• Taste and adjust salt..

• Off the flame..Sprinkle little garam masala ( optional) and garnish with chopped spring onion (green) and coriander leaves..

• Serve hot with any combination of your choice like chappati, batoora, appam etc

Chemeen Varatiyat- Kerala Prawn Roast ( Dry Version)

Today,I am sharing a Kerala based seafood special, Chemeen varatiyath (Dry Prawns Roast)....I made this dish, when my cousin came to lunch at my home 3 weeks ago..Sorry, for delaying to post this recipe,I had too many food photo in my draft, which is yet to be posted...It depends upon my time..In Sha Allah,will try my level best to post the recipe..I started blogging 2 months ago, response is amazing..I have more than 200 likes in facebook during these times, alhamdullilah..I starts blogging as a time pass,which to my surprise,turns into serious and enjoyment...I enjoyed taking food photos...But I still wish, I have to improve my photography more...Most of the time, I took photo from my smartphone....Coming to the recipe, its a delicious dish which is perfect for biryani,ghee rice, chappati etc..I had the combination with chicken biryani,which I will share later..Do try this dish and impress and your family..Lets go the recipe.

     Ingredients

• Prawns - 500 gm

• Onions, thinly sliced - 3 medium sized

• Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp

• Crushed green chillies - 2 no.s

• Red tomato,chopped - 1 large or 2 small no.s

• Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp

• Coriander pdr - 1/2 tsp

• Kashmiri chilli pdr - 1 tbsp

• Garam masala pdr - 1/2 tsp

• Chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

• Salt - to taste

• Curry leaves - few

• Coconut oil - 2 tsp

     Method

• Remove the skin, head and tail of prawns..Discard the thick black thread on top of prawns..Wash and clean the prawns thoroughly and drain in colander...

• In a fry pan, heat coconut oil, add onion sprinkled with salt and saute till light brown..

• Add ginger-garlic paste and crushed green chillies and saute for a second..

• Add chopped tomatoes and saute for 5 mins till mushy...

• Add all the spice powders and saute thoroughly till raw smell goes away...

• Add chopped coriander leaves and saute well..

• Add cleaned prawns and mix thoroughly..

• Close the lid and cook for medium flame at 3 to 4 mins till prawns changes colour..

• Turn all the prawns other side and cookat high flame for 1 min..

• Off the flame and garnish with curry leaves...Sprinkle little coconut oil on top...Close the lid for few minutes to infuse flavour of curry leaves...

• Serve warm as a side dish of any combination like chappati, biryani, ghee rice etc..

     Notes

• Prawns cooks very fast..Do not overcook the prawns as it may turn rubbery...

• Instead of prawns, you can substitute it with fish,squid and chicken...

Pepper Beef Curry

Today, I am sharing a spicy Kerala style curry, Beef curry...I used to make mostly with mutton either in biryani or curry..I rarely make it with beef as my hubby is not so fond of beef..He prefer mutton..As its long since I had beef, so I wished to have and decided to make it...Lots of things comes to my mind,what to make with beef..I even think to make beef roast which I used to make mostly before..I tried making pepper curry with chicken,but didn't try it beef...Finally I decided to make beef with pepper curry version...Its a spicy curry which contains lots of pepper powder,instead of red chilli powder..So adjust spice accordingly..I had it with the combination of pathiri ( rice roti), which tastes awesome..Its very simple to make..Try to make this curry and impress your family..Had it with any combination of your choice like plain rice, chappati, pathiri etc..Lets go to the recipe:

     Ingredients

       To marinate:

• Beef/Mutton with bone - 500 gm

• Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp

• Yogurt - 1 tbsp

       For Gravy:

• Coconut oil - 1 tbsp + extra for drizzling

• Bay leaf - 1 no.

• Cardamon - 2 no.s

• Cloves - 3 no.s

• Cinnamon stick - 1 small piece, broken

• Shallots,sliced - 8 no.s

• Large Onion, sliced - 2 no.s

• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 1/2 tbsp

• Chopped green chillies - 2 no.s

• Chopped tomatoes - 3 no.s

• Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp

• Crushed pepper powder - 2 or 3 tbsp ( peppercorns crushed in grinder coarsely)

• Coriander pdr - 1 tbsp

• Garam masala pdr - 1 tsp

• Coriander leaves, chopped - 2 tbsp

• Beef stock - 3 tbsp 

• Water - 1/2 cup

• Curry leaves,few - for garnishing 

    Method

• Trim the fat and wash the beef thoroughly and drain in colander..

• In a pressure cooker, add cleaned beef with pinch of turmeric pdr and little water and cook for 1 whistle..After one whistle open the pressure cooker...You can see too much oil that comes from fat of beef..reserve 3 tbsp stock from it, drain and throw remaining stock...If you are using mutton, ignore this step and proceed next step ( marination), as mutton didn't contain too much fat like beef..

• Then marinate the beef with ingredients mentioned in 'To marinate' and keep aside for 15 mins..

•  In same pressure cooker, heat coconut oil and add all whole spices mentioned and let it crackle..

• Then add shallots and onions together, sprinkled with salt and saute for few minutes till transparent.

• Then add ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chillies and saute for few seconds..

• Add chopped coriander leaves and saute for few seconds..

• Add chopped tomatoes and saute for few minutes till mushy..

• Add all the spice powders and saute till raw smell goes away..

• Finally add marinated beef and 3 tbsp of stock and mix well...

• Add 1/2 cup of water and pressure cook it for 8 to 10 whistles till soft and cooked ( It depends upon the beef)..

• When the pressure releases, taste and adjust salt and spice...

• Garnish it with curry leaves and drizzle few coconut oil on top..

• Close the lid to infuse the flavour for few minutes..

• Serve warm with any combination of choice like ghee rice, chappati, pathiri etc...

     Notes:

• Instead of beef/ mutton, you can replace it with chicken..

• Vegetarians/vegans can make it with any vegetables of your choice...

Vegetable Green Kurma

Today, I am posting a recipe of delicious vegetable curry, i.e Vegetable Green Kurma..Its a mild spicy curry..Generous amount of mint and coriander leaves is grinded with little coconut and yogurt and is added to the curry which gives the curry a greenish one..Earlier, I shared the recipe of Green Chicken Fry.Its a delicious vegetable curry, which goes well with the combination of chappati, Appam ( Laced rice crepes), Batoora ( deep fried bread), plain rice etc..Do try this curry and I am sure everyone in your house will love this creamy curry..Lets go to the recipe.

    Ingredients

        To roast and grind:

• Cinnamon stick - a small pc

• Cloves - 2 no.

• Coriander seeds - 1 1/4 tsp

• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

• Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp

         For Masala:

• Large Onion,sliced - 2 no.s

• Garlic,chopped - 6 to 7 pods

• Ginger,chopped - a small piece

• Tomato,sliced - 1

• Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp

• Any vegetables of your choice, chopped - 1 to 1 1/2 cup ( I used Green peas,beans, carrot, potato,capsicum and mushroom)

• Water - 1 cup

• Salt - to taste

        For Green paste

• Coriander leaves,chopped - 1 cup

• Mint leaves, chopped - 1/2 cup

• Coconut shredded - 1/3 cup

• Green Chillies, chopped - 4 to 5 no.s ( depends upon your spice level)

• Thick Yogurt - 2 tbsp

      Method

• In a pan, add little oil and fry all the whole spices mentioned in ' To roast and grind' till crackles..Drain and set aside to cool..Grind the roasted spices along with chopped ginger and garlic and make into a paste ( doesn't matter if it leaves tiny bits of whole spices). Keep aside.

• Heat a pressure cooker, add oil and add sliced onions,sprinkled with salt and saute till transparent..

• Add grinded ginger-garlic-spice paste into it and saute for few seconds till raw smell goes away..

• Add tomato and saute till mushy.

• Add turmeric pdr and saute for few minutes till raw smell goes away..

• Add vegetables and mix very well..

• Add 1 cup of water,mix it and close the lid of pressure cooker. Pressure cook at high heat for 1 whistle.Don't cook more than 1 whistle, otherwise vegetables will get mashed..

• Off the flame. Wait till pressure releases.

• Meanwhile, in a blender, add the ingredients mentioned in 'For Green paste' and grind into smooth paste..

• Open the lid of pressure cooker and add grounded green paste into it and mix well.

• Adjust salt...ON the flame and cook at medium flame,when it comes one boil, off the flame..

• Garnish it with chopped coriander and mint leaves.

• Serve hot with any combination of your choice like chappati, poori, batoora, appam, dosa etc.

    Notes

• Can add 1 tsp rice flour/corn flour if the gravy becomes too thin..

• Can add tiny bit pieces of chicken breast along with vegetables as needed.

• Instead of vegetables, you can replace it with chicken breast..First marinate the chicken with turmeric, pepper pdr and salt and shallow fry it..Then proceed with the above mentioned ingredient.

• Instead of pressure cooking vegetables, you can cook it with normal pan too..I pressure cook the vegetables so it saves lot of time for me..

• If your using frozen vegetables no need to pressure cook, just combine with grinded ingredients..

• If your using fresh green peas, always pressure cook green peas seperately. Cook for about 3 whistles..As green peas takes time to cook, better don't pressure cook with other vegetables..

• If using cauliflower or broccoli, don't pressure cook it..Boil these in seperate pan with lots of water, with pinch of salt,cook for about 2 to 3 minutes till tender..Don't overcook it..

Chicken Kurma - South Indian special

It is believed that Korma / Kurma  can be traced back through the roots of Mughal cuisine, which is characteristics by the present day India,Pakistan and Bangladesh...Traditionally, Kurma is made with meat or vegetables which is infused with yogurt, nuts and spices and it is cooked in a very slow flame...Korma is made either with chicken, meat,vegetables or a mixture of meat and vegetables...This curry is mildy spicy and has rich nutty taste..North Indians called this dish as korma,whereas South Indians called as kurma...There are few variation in South Indian kurma..They combined it with spice powders along with coconut milk, nuts,yogurt and also poppy seeds ( Khas -khasa)...Each one has their own way of making this dish..Today, I am sharing  a South Indian version of Chicken Kurma, which is of course my mom's speciality...Its an excellent combination for ghee rice, pathiri ( rice flatbread), appam ( laced thin rice pancake), chappati etc..Lets go to the recipe

Recipe Source : Umma

     Ingredients

        To marinade:

• Chicken,cut into small pieces - 1/2 kg

• Black pepper powder - 1 tsp

• Turmeric pdr - a pinch

• Salt - depends

• Yogurt - 1 tbsp

        For Gravy:

• Cardamom - 2 to 3 no.s

• Cloves - 3 no.s

• Cinnamon stick - 1" pc

• Bay leaf - 1 no. 

• Onions,sliced - 2 large

• Shallots,sliced - 4 to 5 no.s

• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsp

• Chopped green chillies - 2 no.s

• Tomatoes,sliced - 2 large

• Mint leaves,chopped - 1 tbsp ( optional )

• Coriander leaves,chopped - 1 tbsp + few for garnishing

• Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp

• Kashmiri chilli pdr - 1 1/2 tsp

• Coriander pdr - 1 tbsp

• Garam masala pdr - 1/2 tsp

• Water - 1/2 to 3/4 cup

       To grind:

• Cashew nuts - 7 no.s

• Coconut shredded - 1/4 cup

• Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp

    Method

• Marinate chicken as mentioned in ' To marinate' and keep aside for 10 mins.

• Soak cashew nuts in a hot water for 10 to 15 mins..

• Heat a oil in a kadai or deep wide pan, add cardamom till bay leaf and let it splutter.

• Add sliced onions and shallots sprinkled with salt and saute till transparent..

• Add ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chillies and saute for few seconds.

• Add tomatoes and saute till mushy or till oil seperates from pan..

• Add chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves and saute for few seconds..

• Add all the spice powders and saute till raw smell goes away.

• Add marinated chicken and mix well.

• Add water, mix well thoroughly and close the lid..Cook for 15 to 20 mins or till chicken is cooked..

• Meanwhile, grind coconut, cashews and fennel seeds with a soaked cashew water and make it into thick paste..

• Add coconut- cashew paste in this curry and mix well.

• Taste and adjust salt and spice accordingly..

• Heat this in a medium flame,when it comes one bubble,off the flame..

• Garnish it with coriander leaves and sprinkle little garam masala on top..

• Serve it with the combination of ghee rice, chappatis, pathiri, appam etc..

    Notes:

• If the curry becomes too thin, add 1 tsp of rice powder to thicken it..

• You can add your desired vegetables along with chicken pieces..

• Instead of chicken, you can replace it with mutton,beef or fish..

• Vegetarians can replace it with soya chunks or any vegetables..

• If you don't like cashewnuts. you can add poppy seeds ( khas - khasa) instead..

Kerala style Coconut dal curry with Pumpkin and Jackfruit seeds

Today, I am sharing a Kerala style curry i.e Coconut Dal Curry with mashed yellow pumpkin (mathan) and Jackfruit Seeds ( Chakka kuru)..It can be called as Malabar Vegetable Curry..In our area, we used to combine different vegetables with dal curry like raw plantain ( pacha nentrakaaya), Snake guard ( padavalanga), Ash guord ( vellari), Ridge guord ( peechinga / tallolam), drumstick  (muringaka) , muringa ila ( drumstick leaves) etc..we used to make this curry without adding veggies too..Its a easy curry to make.Perfect combination for plain rice, ghee rice, chappati, pathiri etc..Lets move to the recipe.

    Ingredients

      For dal ( lentils) curry:

• Red masoor dal ( chuvanna paripp) / Bengal Dal ( kadala paripp) -  1 cup

• Yellow pumpkin,diced ( mathan) - 1/2 cup

• Jackfruit seeds ( chakka kuru) - 10 to 15 no.s

• Onion,sliced - 1 large or 2 medium

• Tomato,sliced - 1 small or half of 1 large tomato

• Chopped garlic - 3 to 4 large pods

• Chopped ginger - a small pc

• Green chillies - 2 no.s, slit halves

• Turmeric pdr - 1/2 tsp

• Red chilli pdr - 1/4 tsp

• Salt - to taste

• Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

      For Coconut paste:

• Coconut shredded - 1/4 cup

• Shallots ( Pearl Onion) - 2 to 3 no.s

• Fennel seeds ( perunjeerakam) - 1/4 tsp

      To Temper

• Coconut oil - 2 tsp

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

• Shallots (pearl onion), sliced - 3 to 4 no.s ( optional)

• Curry leaves - 1 sprig

• Dry red chillies - 2 no.s broken into halves ( optional)

     Method

• Remove outer skin ( white skin) of jackfruit seeds and soak in water for 5 to 10 mins..Soaking is done to peel the inner skin ( brown skin) of jackfruit seeds easier..Peel the brown skin of jackfruit slightly with knife i.e it should leave few traces of brown skin here and there and keep aside

• In a pressure cooker, heat oil, add sliced onion and saute till pink.

• Add chopped garlic,ginger and green chilly and saute for few seconds.

• Add sliced tomato and saute for few minutes.

• Add turmeric,chilli pdr and salt and saute till raw smell goes away.

• Add washed dal ( no need to soak dal in water),jackfruit seeds and diced pumpkin and mix well..

• Add one and half of water,mix well and pressure cook for about 5 to 6 whistles.

• Grind coconut paste with little water as mentioned in 'For coconut paste' and keep aside.

• When the pressure subsides, slightly mash the pumpkin and add coconut paste and mix well.

• On the flame, cook till when it comes one boil, off the flame..Don't cook for too long, otherwise coconut will curdle..Can adjust the salt, if needed.

• In another pan, heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds.

• When it splutters completely,immediately lower the flame, add shallots ( if using) and saute till pink.

• Add curry leaves and dry red chillies and saute for few seconds.

• Off the flame and pour these immediately into coconut dal- veg curry and close  the lid to infuse flavour.

• Serve warm with the combination of plain rice, chappati , ghee rice etc..

    Note

• You can pressure cook or boil dal seperately, if you don't prefer mashed dal..But I prefer the dal to be slightly mashed.. 

• You can pressure cook,jack fruit - pumpkin seperately and combined it with cooked dal in another pan ( I dumped all the ingredients in pressure cooker in order to save my time).

• You can add any vegetables of your choice or you can make it plain, without adding veggies too.

• If your adding drumstick (muringa kai),saute it in a pan with little oil and dump in pressure cooker to avoid breaking it..Pressure cook for 1 whistle.

• If you are adding other veggies like ridge guord, bottle guord etc..pressure cook at high flame for 1 whistle.

• If you are using cheera ( spinach ) or muringa ila ( drumstick leaves), add last after pressure cooked or pan cooked dal curry and close the lid for few minutes..

Koontal Varatiyat - Spicy Squid Gravy

Today, I am posting a Kerala seafood recipe,Koontal Varatiyat i.e Squid prepared in Spicy Red Gravy..Its a simple recipe which can be prepared in a few minutes..If you are a squid lover like me, definitely you will love this dish...I prefer squid in gravy form..Its tastes delicious... Its a great side dish for plain rice, chappatis etc..Lets move to the recipe.

       Ingredients

• Squid - 3 to 4 no.s

• Large onions, sliced - 2

• Large tomato, sliced - 1

• Green chilly,chopped - 1 or 2 no.s

• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsp

• Turmeric pdr - a pinch

• Coriander pdr - 1/2 tsp

• Garam masala pdr - 1/4 tsp

• Kashmiri chilli pdr - 3 to 4 tsp

• Salt - to taste

• Curry leaves - 1 sprig

• Coconut oil/ any oil - 2 tsp 

    Method

• Clean the squid inside and outside, discard the intestine and skin and cut into medium or round pieces. Wash it with couplets of water. Drain and keep aside.

• Heat coconut oil in a pressure cooker, add sliced onions with salt and saute till translucent.

• Add ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chilly and saute for few seconds.

• Add sliced tomato and saute till mushy.

• Add all the spice powders and saute well till raw smell goes away.

• Add cleaned squid into it and mix well..

• Add quarter cup of water and close the lid of pressure cooker.

• Pressure cook for 6 to 7 whistles till squid cooks.

• When the pressure subsides, open the lid and cook at high flame for 3 mins till gravy reaches semi-thick consistency. If you prefer more gravy, ignore this step.

• Off the flame. Add curry leaves and  a few drops of coconut oil and close the lid to infuse the flavour for few mins.

• Serve warm as a side dish with plain rice, chappati etc.

      Notes

• Always use fresh squid as it tastes better..

• You can substitute it fish,prawns,chicken,etc..

Varatharacha Mutton Curry or Mutton in Roasted Coconut Curry

In Kerala,most of the dish has a presence of coconut..Most non or non veg curry is made either with extracted coconut milk,coconut paste or roasted coconut paste..There are many types of mutton/beef curry or dry gravy like mutton/beef stew, naadan mutton/beef curry, beef varatiyath( Beef gravy) etc..Will share these in my later post..Today, I am sharing a recipe of mutton with roasted coconut curry,it is called 'varatharacha irachi curry'in Kerala...In this curry, shredded coconut is pan roasted along with spices and blended to make smooth roasted coconut paste and combined in the curry..I made this curry last week for dinner for my in-laws who is there for short visit to UAE,as they are leaving to their hometown that day..I had the combination with pathal/ pathiri ( rice flat bread).My hubby and my in-laws loves this curry so much..I got the recipe from  here, but I slighly modified according to my taste..Everyone has their own method for making this curry..Do try this curry and impress your family..

    Ingredients:

        For Masala:

• Mutton (Goat meat) - 1 kg

• Large Onions,sliced - 3 large

• Tomatoes,sliced - 2

• Ginger-garlic paste - 1tbsp

• Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp

• Kashmiri chilli pdr - 1 tsp heaped

• Hot water - 1 1/2 cup

       To Roast and Grind:

• Coconut shredded - 3/4 cup

• Fennel seeds ( perumjeerakam) - 1/4 tsp

• Pepper corns/black pepper pdr - 1/2 tsp

• Coriander seeds/ coriander pdr - 2 tbsp

• Cardamom - 2 no.s

• Cloves - 3 no.s

• Cinnamon stick - a small pc

• Dry Red Chillies,stem removed - 3 to 4 no.s ( according to your spice level)

• Shallots ( Cheriya ulli) - 4 to 5 no.s

• Curry leaves,chopped - 1 tbsp ( I didn't use as its not available in my pantry)

        To temper: ( taalikal)

• Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

• Shallots - 5 to 6 no.s

• Curry leaves - few

• Coriander leaves,chopped - one handful

• Green Chillies - 2 no.s

     Method:

• Heat a pan,roast the shredded coconut and add few drops of coconut oil ( to brown faster)at medium flame.When it turns brown ( never mind if it leaves few traces of whites here and there),turn the flame to low and add all the ingredients mentioned in ' To roast and grind' and saute for few mins..Be careful not to get burnt..If using coriander powder and pepper powder, make sure to add last and saute it, otherwise these will get burnt..Off the flame and set aside to cool..when it cools down, grind into paste by adding 1/4 cup of water.

• Heat a pressure cooker and add little oil . Add sliced onions with salt and saute till translucent.

• Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for few seconds.

• Add tomatoes and saute till mushy.

• Add turmeric and chilli powder and saute till raw smell goes away.

• Add cleaned mutton and saute well.

• Add hot water, mix well and close the lid. Pressure cook for 6 or 7 whistles , depending upon the mutton.

• When the pressure releases, add roasted coconut paste and mix well.

• Adjust salt according to your taste.When it comes one boil, off the flame.

• In separate pan, add coconut oil and add sliced shallots and saute till light brown.

• Add chopped coriander,curry leaves and green chillies and saute for few seconds.

• Off the flame and pour these into the mutton curry.

• Close the lid of pressure cooker,so the flavour will infuse.

• Serve warm with the combination of your choice like pathal, ghee rice, plain rice,chappati, poori. kerala porotta etc..

Pepper Mushroom Masala

Today, I am sharing a vegetarian dish,pepper mushroom masala...As in the name, pepper is the main highlight of this dish..It does not contain red chilli powder..Its a mild spicy dish...Its a tasty curry,even mushroom haters will like it...This recipe's method is different when compared with other curry...Masalas are sauted and pureed which gives gravy thick consistency...You can substitute any vegetable of your choice..You can add non veg too like chicken, beef, mutton etc...we had the combination of curry with poori ( deep fried puffed wheat flatbread)..It tastes super delicious :)...My hubby loved this curry, he cleaned his plate without a trace of it...He asked me,' From where did you got this recipe' ?...I told him, " I didn't copy anywhere, its definitely my own recipe''..He smiled and said, " But dear, it tastes delicious"..I feel happy and satisfied ...As I said in About me section earlier, I do sometimes experiment recipe taken from other sources, but I do experiment my own too which most of them turned successful and tasty..Here is one of the recipe..

     Ingredients:

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Cardamom (  elakai ) - 2 no.s
• Cinnamon ( karuvapatta ) - 1/2 " broken into pcs
• Cloves ( grambu) - 2 to 3 no.s
• Fennel seeds ( perunjeerakam) - 1 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 1 1/4 tsp
• Sliced mushroom - 250 gm
• Large onion,sliced - 1 
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Tomato sliced - 1 small
• Shallots - 4 to 5 no.s ( optional)
• Green chillies,slit halves - 2
• Black pepper pdr - 3 tsp ( depending your spice level)
• White pepper pdr - 1 tsp
• Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp
• Garam masala pdr - 1/2 tsp
• Cashew nuts - 5 to 6 no.s ( soaked in hot water for 5 to 10 mins)
• Chopped coriander - 1 tbsp + 1/2 bunch for garnishing
• Salt - to taste

     Method:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide deep pan, add ingredients from 'cardamom' till 'coriander seeds' and let it crackle.

• Saute onions,shallots with salt till pink and add ginger garlic paste and saute for few sec.

• Add sliced tomato and saute well.

• Add all the spice powders from 'black pepper pdr' till' garam masala pdr' and saute till raw smell goes away and add chopped coriander and saute.

• Keep it aside to cool and add the blend the masala into puree along with cashews and soaked water ( used to soak cashews).

• Heat the same pan again, add little oil and saute the masala puree for few secs.

• Add sliced mushroom along with 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water and mix well.

• Close the lid and cook the mushroom for about 5 to 7 mins. Mushroom cooks very fast.

• Taste and add salt. Can add little pepper powder if you require more spicy. Saute well.

• Off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and slit green chillies.Close the lid to infuse the flavour. When it cools down, the gravy becomes thick.

• Serve with any of the combination like plain or ghee rice, naan , batoora, poori, chappati etc.

Erisherry or Black eye beans-pumpkin in roasted coconut curry

Today I am sharing a kerala vegetarian recipe,  Erisherry. It is served as a side dish for rice in kerala sadhya ( traditional grand meal served in banana leaves)..Main ingredient of this recipe is Black eye beans..Erisherry is made with black eye beans,combined with yellow pumpkin and roasted coconut curry..Its a tasty curry..It goes well with rice, chappati, appam, dosa etc..Lets go the recipe :)

Ingredients:

To Roast:

• Coconut shredded - 1/4 cup
• Fennel seeds ( perumjeerakam) - 1 tsp
• Coconut oil - 1 tsp
• shallots ( cheriya ulli ) - 3 to 4 no.s ( optional)

For masala:

• Black Eye beans - 1 cup
• Yellow pumpkin,cubed - 1/2 cup
• Onion, sliced - 1 large
• Tomato,sliced - 1 small or 1/2 of one large tomato
• Garlic chopped - 1 tsp
• Ginger chopped - 1/2 tsp
• Green chillies, slit horizontally- 2 no.s
• Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander pdr - 1 tbsp
• Kashmiri / red chilli pdr - 1/2 tbsp

To splutter ( for tadka)

• Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Dry red chillies,broken into halves - 2  ( optional )

Method:

• Soak the black eye beans overnight or soak in a boiled water for l hr.

• Heat a pan,roast shredded coconut in a pan at medium high heat for 5 mins, taking care not to get burn.Add one 1tsp coconut oil, to brown faster. Add fennel seeds and shallots and saute for few mins..When it turns brown ( doesn't matter if coconut leave white colour here and there), Off the flame.When it cools down, grind and make a paste of these by adding 1 tsp of water. Keep it aside.

• In a pressure cooker, heat coconut oil, add sliced onions and salt and saute well till translucent.

• Add chopped garlic,chopped ginger,green chillies and saute for few seconds..Add tomatoes and saute till mushy.

• Add all the powders and saute till raw smell disappears.. Add the yellow pumpkin and mix all together..

• Finally add beans, and pour 1 or 1 1/2  cup of water depending upon your desired quantity, mix well.

• Close the lid of pressure cooker and cook at medium flame for 2 to 3 whistles..If beans are not soaked, pressure cook for 6 to 7 whistles..

• Off the flame..and wait till the pressure releases..Slightly mash the pumpkin with the back of the ladle..

• Add roasted coconut paste and saute well..Taste and add salt..Keep it in low flame..when it comes one boil,off the flame.

• In another pan,heat coconut oil at medium flame and add mustard seeds.

•  When it crackles, reduce the flame to low and add curry leaves and broken red dry chillies and saute for few sec..Off the flame.

• Immediately add mustard tadka into the beans curry and close the lid of pressure cooker..let it infuse flavour for few mins..

• Serve it with rice,chappati, appam etc..