Egg Curry w/ Coconut Milk

Here is the egg curry which was keeping the Puttu company in the previous post. One of our easy breezy weeknight curries, it goes well with everything except rice.I like this really spicy to offset the coconut milk's sweetness but adjust the spice level as required. Use coconut milk powder instead of the can milk and the rice flour mixed with water helps in thickening the curry.

Cooking time:15 mins
You will need:
Eggs-5.
Onions- 1 1/2 cups chopped (2 medium sized one)
Tomatoes-1 Plum Tomato
Green chilies - 6
Garlic – 1
Ginger- a small piece
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder- 1 tsp (more or less as per taste)
Coriander powder-1 tbsp
Coconut Milk-1 cup ( 3 tbsp coconut milk powder mixed with 1 ½ cup warm water)
Rice Flour- 1tsp mixed with 1/4 cup water.
Salt - to taste
Oil-2 tbsp
Curry leaves – one sprig washed

Preparation Method
1. Keep the eggs for boiling with enough water. This should take a bout 15 minutes. Peel them, cut into long halves and keep aside. Grind the ginger-garlic and green chilies together coarsely.
2. Heat the oil in a large non stick pan, and add the onions and curry leaves. Sauté on medium low heat for 3-4 minutes, till it turns translucent and add the green chilies paste. Take care not to let it stick to the pan.
3. Now add the tomatoes, all the spices and 1tbsp water. Saute on low heat till the spices give out their fragrance. It is important to let the coriander and chili powder cook as it will taste funny otherwise. So take your time at this step. Add 1 cup water and when it boils, add salt.
4. Lower the heat and slide in the egg halves gently, with the yolk exposed to the top. Add the coconut milk and rice flour mixed in water. Use the spoon sparingly after you add the eggs and try shaking the pan instead. Check seasoning and add more if needed. Let it simmer for about 5-8 minutes till the curry thickens. Remove from flame and let it sit for some time to absorb all the flavors. Serve with puttu or roti.

Blogger Postcards Around the World #2

It's that time of the year again..flowers and candy and cakes and cards.. all heart shaped and gooey!It's almost Valentines Day! So what is everybody planning for this one day? Is it a surprise or can you share with me?

Meeta is once again hosting the Blogger Postcards Around the World event and this time the theme is Happy Valentine’s.
I entered the event with a lot of enthusiasm as I had missed the last event and I was always a lover of the snail mail. Now email has just taken over our lives but still there is nothing better than the anticipation of a handwritten card or letter from a friend or family member.

I initially thought it HAD to be a postcard and imagine my surprise when I couldn't get hold of a postcard! I searched the postoffice, 3-4 bookstores and a couple of supermarkets. It started sounding silly when I asked people where can I get a postcard and explained why. I got some really strange looks(cuckoo, cuckoo)! Finally I gave up and opted for a card instead. I guess postcards are available only at tourist spots!

I chose a snoopy card as the cute smile and the crinkly paper just warmed my heart over. While not one to openly express emotions easily, this simple cheerful card is more my style. Hope the card reaches before the special day! My card is going all the way around the world to a mate in a cool continent. Can you guess where?

Puttu/ Steamed Rice Cakes

Puttu is rice soaked and powdered coarsely and then layered with coconut into a bamboo or any other kind of tube and steamed to form long tubes of a soft crumbly texture.The coconut layers impart flavor as well as help in breaking up the tubes into serving sizes. So what is the fascination with puttu that we have? Is it the fresh flavor of steamed rice and coconut in a hollow bamboo or is it its versatility that it can be eaten as a staple instead of rice with any combination of curries?

While growing up, I disliked it immensely (yes, even though I am a Keralite!) and its only marrying a puttu fanatic that I started appreciating it.
It is a staple at my grandmothers and aunts' houses for breakfast. The kids eat it with milk and sugar, with plantains boiled with coconut(my favorite), fried plantains, or with the any of the plethora of tropical tiny bananas such as the Mysore Pazham, Poovan Pazham, Njavali Poovan etc. I remember one of my cousins eating it with milk tea! Then there is also meat puttu (Erachi puttu) and Fish Puttu (Meen Puttu) which is not as common but has meat or fish layered inbetween the rice powder instead of coconut.

The spicier accomapaniments to puttu are fish or Mutton curry, Beef fry, Kadala curry, Cherupayar curry, Vegetable Stew or Egg curry. As kids, we used to call the puttu-kadala breakfast as reinforced concrete with its coarse-soft texture as it would sit solidly in the stomach till late noon.

In Calicut, I couldn't understand how anybody could eat fish curry and puttu for breakfast! But it is in fact a way to use up the previous day's fish curry and start cooking anew with the day's fresh caught fish. The taste of fresh puttu squished into the claypot(chatti)with the remnants of the previous day's fish curry and the flavor of the claypot has us all fighting for it over dinner though. My mother mixes the previous day's Yellow Fish curry (with coconut)and the Red Fish Masala (Moliyar without coconut) to make a unique tasting curry. Some crushed papadams and it is perfect.

There are lots of Puttu recipes already in the blogging world and I thought I should my own recipe also to it. I am not going into the details of the vessel and flour as that has already been covered here and here.

A few pointers that might help..
1. The rice flour should be wet enough to hold together when you try making a fist with it and dry enough to break apart at a simple knock with the thumb. It shouldn't be clumpy or too powdery. Keep breaking it with the hand as you mix. The amount of water varies with the kind of rice flour used. So keep adding in small quantities.
2. The rice flour from the grocery stores use up more water and after leaving it wet for 15 minutes, you may need to sprinkle a bit more water.
3. Grated raw Tapioca or Cassava (1/4 cup or so per cup of rice flour) added to the rice powder while mixing makes the puttu moister as the tapioca cooks inside the puttu.
4. The puttu is cooked when the steam comes out at the top steadily.
5. While reheating the puttu use a steamer to make it soft again.


This is a ragi puttu that is made alongside the white rice puttu.

Ragi or Finger Millet is rich in B vitamins, especially niacin, B6, and folacin and offers calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. It is only grain that retains its alkaline nature when cooked, millet is ideal for those who are allergic to wheat and gluten. Depending on the variety, millet's protein content is very close to that of wheat, with a half-cup serving, cooked, providing 4.2 grams. One-half cup raw millet contains 11 grams of protein. Millet's use is diverse, including in cereals (including porridge), soups, breads and stuffings, fermented beverages, and baby food.

Ragi is full of fiber and vitamins and hence healthier for you. The taste is rougher and more chewy but if you get used to it,it is a healthier version of the traditional one. It is made in the same way as the regular puttu using preroasted ragi flour.

Paliayakka/ Sago or Tapioca Pearls Payasam

Thanks to all you who made me smile throughout the day with your near correct, imaginative, funny, not anywhere near correct combinations. I never there would be such a response. Makes me almost want to create an event about guessing! And all because I was too lazy to write the recipe down and so just posted the picture!

I thought it would be sadistic if I kept up the secret today too so while I don't have the time for the full recipe now, let me just introduce you to another Malabar speciality.

It is indeed Sago Payasam, called Paliayakka, a probable corruption of the word Pal-Vayakka (Milk-Plantains). It is made of sago pearls(Tapioca pearls or sabudana),sugar,fennel seed powder, coconut milk,and plantains.
The sago pearls are cooked till transparent in the second milk of coconut and then the first milk, sugar and ripe plantains are added and allowed to simmer just until the plantains barely cook. When is is hot, it has a silken texture with all the bubbles and milk and when it is cold, it sets into a pudding.

It is also called Bubble Payasam by my son. He doesn't care for the bananas but its the bananas and fennel seed powder that gives its unique taste.
I will surely add the recipe today. Meanwhile, do check out our post on some luchboxes at the Daily tiffin.....
You will Need:
Sabudana or Tapioca Pearls-1 cup
Thick Coconut Milk-1cup
Thin Coconut Milk-2 cup (or 1-2 cup coconut grated)
Sugar-8 tbsp( adjust as per taste)
Ripe Plantain-1 cut at an angle into 5 thick pieces.
Shallots-1
Fennel Seeds-1/2 tsp
Cardamom-3 crushed.

Preparation:
1. Grind the coconut with the fennel seeds, cardamom, shallot and 1 cup warm water. Extract the thick first milk and keep aside. Add one more cup of water to the coconut, grind again and extract as much of the second milk as you can. If you are using frozen coconut, ensure that the coconut is defrosted and soaked in warm water
to maximise the milk. If you grind it without defrosting properly, it will curdle into oil. If you are using coconut can milk(don't :( ),mix one quarter of the can with water to thin it. Grind the seeds and shallots seperately and add to this half of the milk and strain it through so no bits remain.

2. Cook the sabudana in the second milk (or even water) in a pressure cooker and allow only 2 whistles. When it cools, open it and check if all the bubbles look tranparent. If they look white in the middle,there is some cooking left so add more liquid and let it simmer for another 5-8 minutes.

3. Now add the sugar, the plantain slices and the thick milk. Adjust the quantity of the milk so that it looks really fluid.
The payasam will thicken later and is best eaten hot, so when serving later, you may need to microwave it.

Note-Worthy Points:
The liquid need is approximately 3 times the quantity of the sabudana. The sugar retards the cooking, so add that only after the sabudana is fully cooked. There is a very thin line between fully cooked sabudana and over cooked sticky, gummy sabudana so take care as it nears completion.

Bubble Payasam:
This is my son's version of the payasam. Cook the sabudana with 1cup milk thinned with 1 1/2 cup water in the pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Add 1/3 cup(or more) condensed milk and 1 cup milk to the cooked sabudana. Add either cardamom powder or vanilla essence to flavor it. The payasam should be really liquid so adjust the quantity of milk. Serve hot or cold.
There is a egg added pudding version of this, sold as Tapioca Pudding in Grocery stores, which everyone in my family loves. It involes adding warm beaten egg to the cooked pearls but I haven't mastered that so no recipe for that as yet.

Mutter Paneer/ Cottage Cheese with Green Peas.

A relatively easy dish to make and a veritable family pleaser. This with a hot phulka (roti)and a salad sends me right back to my school days when I came home in winter to a hot meal. Now at dinner, my son and I play with the green soldiers(peas) stuck in a glacier(paneer). So much for not playing with food! Hi hi! At least he ends up cleaning the plate this way.

The mutter paneer has endless versions, with butter, with cream, with fried paneer, without fried paneer....
Paneer is a very high fat and high cholesterol food and all the added cream and oil just overpowers the nutrition in this dish at restaurants.While at home, I make a light curry without too much cream, to eat without counting calories.
Hence if you making this for a crowd, make sure you have made it at least once before to familiarize with the balance of flavors so that you can change the richness and spice as suited. Serve with roti or naan.

You Will Need: Serves 4
Paneer- 100 gm
Green Peas- 200 gm (Fresh or Thawed)
Onions – 1 1/2 cups chopped finely.
Green chilies-4 sliced lengthwise
Ginger Paste-1 tsp
Garlic Paste-1 tsp
Tomatoes-3 medium ones
Plain Yoghurt-2 tbsp
Red Chili Powder-1 tsp or less as per taste
Turmeric- ¼ tsp
Cumin powder- 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder-3/4 tsp
Cashew nuts- 1 tbsp soaked in water
Cream -3 tbsp or milk
Garnish:
Cilantro Leaves- ½ cup washed and chopped.
Garam Masala- ¼ tsp
Salt to taste
Oil- 1 or 2tbsp

Preparation:
1. Blanch the tomatoes in hot boiling water for a minute. Peel them and chop or puree them. Alternately, use one small fresh tomato and 1 1/2 cup of canned tomato puree.

2. Cut the paneer into small cubes and sauté in just 1 tsp oil or less just until all four sides are slightly seared and starts turning golden. Do not deep fry and do not let it get crisp. Keep a close watch and keep stirring to avoid the pieces from sticking to the pan. Drain onto paper towels and keep aside.

3. Grind the cashewnuts to a fine paste along with the ginger and garlic. In the same pan, heat the remaining oil and fry the onions on very low heat for about 5-8 minutes till it turns golden. If the heat is very low and you have patience, you don't need a lot of oil to fry the onions. Also if you microwave it for 5 minutes before frying, it cuts down the time a lot. Add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder and sauté till the raw smell disappears. Add 1 tbsp of water if it is sticking to the pan. This should take about 2 minutes.

4. Now add the yoghurt and let it sizzle away the water. Add the tomato puree and let it cook for about 6-7 minutes on low heat. Cover the pan as the tomatoes will splatter everywhere. Open and adjust seasoning and then add the green peas and salt. Add 1 cup water if it is too dry. Cover and cook until the oil separates in the pan.

5. Add the paneer pieces, green chilies to the gravy, fresh cream and cook for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle garam masala powder and fresh chopped coriander.

P.S. The cashews are optional and add a healthy creaminess to the dish. You could replace the cream with whole milk to cut back on the richness. Substitute with ½ cup milk and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

This curry has the onions as small pieces so if you prefer an absolutely smooth gravy, you could sauté (or microwave) the onions for 2-3 minutes without burning and then grind the onions to a paste and then continue frying till golden. I prefer simplifying so unless necessary, I just chop it real fine and sauté.

Meen Chaar/ Fish Curry w/Coconut

T his is one of the favorite fish curries in my family. Fish curries in Northern Kerala are made with Tamarind, Mango, Gooseberries,Yoghurt, Ilumban Puli etc for sourness. The fish curries from South Kerala are more commonly made with Kodum Puli. I am not very familiar with all the other souring agents, so do let me know. I like both styles as my mother makes one way and my mother in law makes both ways. But I am sure there are traditonalists who don't like the tastes mixed. In that case, you could use just one kind of souring agent.

I have used both Kodum Puli and Tamarind in here, which is my innovation to make a spicy and tangy fish curry out of the frozen bland fishes here.Just one piece of the kodum puli changes the taste, so use it with care. I have to simmer for a while to let the flavors seep in, else the curry and the fish stay seperate. Hence the need for a sturdy fish.

You will need:
Pompano/Pomfret/King Fish or any firm fish steaks- 1 lb or ½ kg( or even prawns)
Onion- ½ of a medium onion
Shallots- 6
Green chilies- 4
Ginger-1/2 inch
Garlic- 2 clove
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder-2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds-1/8 tsp
Fennel Seeds or powder-1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1/8 tsp (optional)
Grated Coconut– 1 cup
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Coconut oil or Canola oil- 2 tbsp
Tamarind extract- 2tsp or as extracted from a lime sized ball.
Kodum Puli-1 piece soaked in water for 15 minutes.
Lime/Lemon Juice-1tbsp
Salt- ½ tsp or to taste

Preparation:
1. Preparing the Fish: Clean and slice the fish. Wash it and toss with lime juice. Pat dry the fish with paper towels and marinate with the half the salt, a pinch of the chili powder and turmeric for at least 15 minutes outside the refrigerator.
2. Grind the ginger and garlic to a paste. Keep aside.
3. Grind the coconut with the aniseed and ½ cup water till it is a very fine paste. If you are using frozen coconut, make sure it is at room temperature before grinding to avoid clumping. Add water only as needed and not all together.
4. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a shallow pan (clay pot or meen chatti) till medium hot and add the fenugreek seeds, onions(not the shallots), sliced green chilies and sauté till the onions become transparent. Then add the ginger garlic paste and the dry spice powders. Add 2tbsp water and let the spices cook on very low heat for about 3 minutes.
5. Then add the tamaring extract or water and the kodum puli and let it simmer. Adjust the sourness and add salt as required. Add 1cup water and when it is boiling, slide the fish pieces gently into the pan and add the ground coconut. If the ground coconut is a thick paste, add 1 cup water to it, else omit additional water. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover and let it cook for about 15 minutes.
6. Heat the remaining coconut oil in a pan and sauté sliced shallots and curry leaves till slightly brown. Pour over the prepared curry.

P.S. On a daily basis, this step can be combined with the initial seasoning ingredients to save time. Just saute the shallots then with the curry leaves and fenugreek.
Kodum puli is a souring agent similar to Kokum but not exactly that. I use both kodumpuli and tamarind in this recipe as I like the slight zing of the kodum puli and the sweetness of the tamarind together. U can omit either of them as per taste.

Plantain Pinwheels

I love the traditional appetiser(almost an entree)of Pazham Nirachathu..., plantain filled with coconut, nuts and raisins, sealed with maida and then deep fried in oil. It is one of the items on the Ramazan Iftar menu. I was always on the eating end of this particular preparation and never really learnt how to make it from scratch. My last few attempts with the willful plantains available here turned out to be disasters with the filling coming out, the bananas breaking up and so forth. If anyone has a foolproof method of making it, do send me the recipe.

Meanwhile, my friend was recently at a party in Calicut where she had this eclectic presentation of the plantain filled, and she suggested I try making it. It seemed simple enough from her description and had everything from the traditional recipe in its ingredients.
So I did and was thrilled to get all the flavors of the original recipe in a much more bite sized and low fat morsel. It works well as an appetiser as well as a delicious dessert with cinnamon icecream. Even as a weekend breakfast!


You will need:
1 Medium ripe Plantains
Coconut Grated-1/2 cup
Sugar- 1 tbsp( more or less as per sweetness required)
Cardamom Powder-1/2 tsp
Cashew nuts-2 tbsp chopped
Raisins- 1 tbsp
Ghee or oil-2 tbsp

Preparation:
1. Saute the coconut,nuts and raisins on slow heat till it gives out its aroma and is slightly toasted. Add the sugar and cardamom powder and mix well till the sugar is blended in.

...If the banana is too ripe, it breaks down fast while cooking, and then you cannot roll it up easily...

2. Peel the bananas and cut into half. Now cut each half into about three thick slices along its length. Heat a non stick pan, reduce the heat to medium low and add the ghee or oil. Gently saute the slices for about 30 seconds on each side or till it turns golden yellow, which is an indicator that it is cooked. It is very important that the banana be just ripe. If the banana is too ripe, it breaks down fast(as you can see in my photo, some were just a bit too ripe.),and then you cannot roll it easily. It has to be just a bit unripe for the perfect texture.

3. Drain each slice onto paper towels. When it cools, spread a thin layer of the sticky coconut filling on each slice and roll it up carefully, securing it with a toothpick. Thats it, keep doing that for all the slices and serve hot or cold.

Alu Ka Parantha and The Three Things Meme./Stuffed Bread

I am not great with memes..I let it languish in my to-be-written folder till everybody in the blogging world has had their say and then I smile, thinking I escaped this one.
It is like playing passing the parcel and being the one who didn’t have to do anything. :) Writing about food is easy, writing about yourself is not. You have to be an extrovert to be able to let people in. Doesn’t come easy.
So this time, I put on some of my favorite hindi music, got my cuppa of Cardamom(Elakai) tea and sat down not to disappoint my taggers Coffee and Maheshwari.

T h e T h r e e T h i n g s M e m e:


Three things that make me laugh:
1. My son, my nephews and my nieces’ pranks and antics.
2. My better half!
3. A good movie.

Three things that make me cry:
Just three things? I cry for every thing, happy tears, frustrated tears, sad tears, angry tears…like someone() once said to me,” I can cry at least! These are my tears.”

Three things that scare me:
1. Driving in the rain at night.
2. Trafiic Police.. yeah, me too. I am more worried about my insurance premium going up than getting a ticket.
3. Things I can only worry about but can’t change.

Three things that I love:
1. My family-the one I was born into, the one I married into and everybody in it.
2. Cooking when I am not hungry.
3. Seeing a building seamlessly integrated with its environs.

Three things I don’t understand:
1. Why enough is never enough.
2. Why Priyadarshan is converting wonderful rustic mallu movies into non-contextual Hindi movies.
3. Why we take on more than we can physically do.

Three things on my desk:
1. My pens, erasers, scales, sketch pens, notebooks.
2. My latest cookbook.
3. My laptop and camera.

Three favorite foods
1. Soup, any kind.
2. Eggs in any form
3. Sweets, fruits, nuts.

Three beverages I drink regularly:
1. Black Tea w/ milk( maybe green tea if I am at work)
2. More tea.
3. Hot Jeeraka water..water boiled with cumin(jeera)

Three TV shows I watched/ books I read as a kid:
1.Amar Chitra Katha, Target and Marvel comics.
2. Books galore!
3. Fouji,Nukkad, Kachchi Dhoop, Mahabharatha!

Three fellow bloggers I would like to tag:
RP of My workshop
Anita of A Mad Tea Party
Nandita of Saffron Trail.

I did have fun writing this and I do hope now you three will carry on the baton from here and won't disappoint me.:)Now lets eat some Alu paranthas..I can almost smell the butter.




You will Need: For 6 Paranthas
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour or Durum Wheat Flour
3/4 cups Hot or warm water
1 tbsp Plain Yoghurt
2 Medium Potatoes
3/4 tsp Cumin Powder
1/2 tsp Dry Mango Powder(Amchoor) or 2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Chili Powder OR 2 tbsp finely chopped Green Serrano Chilies
1 1/2 tsp Salt
4 tbsp Chopped Cilantro
1/8 tsp Turmeric


Preparation
1. The potatoes should be boiled, peeled, mashed and cooled to room temperature. Take care not to have a drop of moisture left in the potatoes. That makes the parantha soggy. I usually bake it in the microwave in the baked potato setting. Then there is no additional moisture added to the potato.

2. Put flour, yoghurt and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour half the water in the center. Use a spoon or hand to mix the flour and water and knead it well, adding water little by little till the dough seems non sticky and soft. When the dough is well kneaded, it will feel elastic and silky smooth. To test the dough, press it lightly with a fingertip. If it springs back, it is ready. Spread a very thin film of oil (by hand) on the dough and cover it for at least 15 minutes in a warm place. This allows the dough to absorb the water and makes it pliable enough to spread with the stuffing. Cover with a wet towel so the dough does not dry out.

3. Mix the mashed potatoes with all the spices and taste it for spice, sourness and saltiness. Add more spice if needed. Make small balls of the mixture.

4. Divide the dough into 6 equal size balls. With your hand, flatten each ball to a 3-4 inch round with the edges thinner than the center. Place the potato ball on it and gather the edges around the stuffing to form a secure round again.

5. Flatten these balls slightly and roll into a 6 inch circle. While rolling, do not apply excessive pressure. Never roll to the outside. It will only squish out the stuffing. Try rolling from the edges to the center in an even pressure to avoid the stuffing from spilling out. The stuffing ball should be dry and 3/4 the size of the dough ball and it won't come out.

6. Pre-heat the griddle. Maintain medium high heat and place a parantha on it. After about a minute, flip it and allow it to cook on the other side. When the surface looks opaque and starts rising up, spread a little oil or butter and cook over low heat on both sides till golden brown.
Serve with chutney or yogurt, and Indian pickles

Getting Kids Into The Kitchen.

Now that the holiday season is over, how many of you sighed in relief as the last cookie disappeared? Wished your kids ate all the yummy stuff you made? How to get the kids to eat healthy and help at home? Good habits also begins at home. Kids are like sponges; Read More at the Daily tiffin.....

Easy Kerala Porotta-1/ Layered Flat Bread

The New Year has already started and I am still writing about it with capitals and struggling to get over the hurdle of what to post first in 2007. Remember "kya karoon kya na karoon...yeh kaisi mushkil hai.."
Everybody had time to set beautiful first posts while I was knee deep playing host, spending time with my son and partying! :(
Now you all must know what kind of student I was in school! And blogging with so many events feels like school sometimes! Submissions, Assignments, Research!!
Anyway so to start you all off on a wonderful year, let me introduce you to one of my favorite recipes, the Kerala Porotta.

The Kerala Porotta is a flaky pastry like multilayered flat bread, a speciality of Kerala. It is made from maida, (enriched wheat flour) by a long labor and time intensive process. The flour is mixed with water, oil and egg to make a soft dough, and allowed to rise for 5-6 hrs. It is stretched and flattened by hand in order to save the air pockets which arise from the stretching and then cooked on a griddle.

...It is stretched like pizza dough until it becomes wafer thin, then gathered and twisted into a circle...

While at home, my experience with the porotta was limited to the fun part of stretching and flipping, rolling it into the twisted circles.The first few times I tried making it were a disaster with the porotta stretching w..e..l..l… but then rebounding back like elastic. It looked soft, it left soft but on cooking, it was a hard unyielding mass, not at all like the flaky porotta from home.

I blamed it on the flour and we relegated ourselves to buying the frozen greasy Porottas from Wynad Foods. Till my good friend Gattina blogged about her Scallion Hot Cakes. So now I found an easy breezy way as per Gattina’s method; and figured out the problems with my traditional labor intensive way. More about that in my next post on the Kerala Porotta. This post is about the easy way.

...an easy version of the Kerala Porotta, a derivative of the Malaysianbread Roti Canai...

At the same time, a friend’s mom (who had previously lived in Malaysia) was visiting and she demostrated the easier way Malaysians make the same porotta. I have mentioned the similarities in Malay and Mallu cooking in one of my earlier posts.
The Malaysian Roti Canai is either stretched out and fried as it is or folded into squares, a process which is easy and retains all the pastry like layers intact.

The baking powder and the hot water help in overcoming the elasticity of the dough and make it pliable enough to work with. So I have Gattina and my friend’s mom to thank for this easy version of the Kerala Porotta. This is much healthier than the frozen Malaysian Porottas so do try it on a weekend with a a nice spicy dipping chicken or lentil curry.

You will need:
Unbleached all purpose flour-2 cups
Baking powder-1/4 tsp
Fine salt-1/4 tsp
Oil-2 tsp
Hot boiling water-1 cup
Preparation:
1.In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, 2 tsps of oil and fine salt.
2. Bring a cup of water to boil, immediately pour into the flour mixture, use a mixing spoon to stir, and after 5-10 minutes, knead it with your hand until it is a smooth blend. Do not add any more water.
3. Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let it rest for an hour.

4. Divide the dough into 12 pieces.Roll out the ball as big and as thin as you can get it to be, sprinkling a little flour as you go along. Gattina suggests that whenever you feel the dough refuse to spread, cover and let it rest,and continue working on others.



5. Brush a drop of oil on the whole surface and fold as shown in the pictures, brushing oil on each alternate layer. Take care not to put too much oil or it won't roll out. Once it is a square, roll it out to be about 6" wide on each side.


6. Pre-heat a griddle, and cook on medium high heat on each sides. Flip only after one side gets a little opaque. When the layers start puffing up, spread half a teaspoon of oil on each side to let it crisp. Each porotta takes about 2-3 minutes for cooking. Maintain medium heat throughout to evenly cook it with hardening it.
If the heat is too high or too low, the porotta will get hardened.
7. Remove the porotta and serve hot.

Thanks to all of you who voted for us. It made us the second place winner! Don't forget to check out my post over at the Daily Tiffin..Its on kids's cooking this time.

Kerala Porotta, Roti Canai, Malaysian Recipes, Food Blog, Indian Recipes, Malabar Recipes

Vote For Daily Tiffin

A bit of Good News to be spread around...
The names of the top food blogs nominations have been announced at Well Fed and The Daily Tiffin has been nominated in the category Best Blog for Family and Kids.
For those who are in the dark, The Daily Tiffin is a blog Meeta started and now is a group blog catering to lunches, book reviews, kid cuisine and other related articles. Anybody interested in contributing to it is also welcome.
We would really like to thank everyone who put in the good word for us and nominated The Daily Tiffin for this category.
Until January 9, you can vote for us here.
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Happy New Year!!

So here we are again at the onset of a brand new year and it's cloudy and gloomy outside. Hope the coming year would be full of sunshine climatically and metaphorically!
Thanks to all those who left their sweet New Year Wishes!
Wish You all in return a very Happy New Year. May this year be overflowing with colorful flowers of blessings.

JFI-Thenga Chor/ Malabar Coconut Rice

AJFI-Jihva for Coconuts would be incomplete without a word on the coconut itself. It is said that there are as many coconut trees in Kerala as there are stars in the sky. Anyone who has even the tiniest pocket of land would have at least a couple of palms on it. Coconut palms endearingly dot the front yard and backyard of every house along the Southern Coast. There coconuts are freshly grated for every dish and even now, the preferred drink for guests are tender coconut water blended with the soft coconut flesh, cardamom and sugar.



I remember being asked to write essays on the beneficial qualities of the palm tree in school and wondering what good this would do in my education. What was then disregarded as homework and written by rote, now interests me as everyone around me is concerned about organic and functional utility. The palms are hand harvested by agile climbers. They use just two loops of coir rope(which is organic made from coconut husk) one for the hands and one for the feet to climb up the 20-30 odd feet up to the bunches of fruits. The palms also act as support for the pepper vines.



Anywhere from 5-20 coconuts are harvested from a single palm depending on the type and age of the palm. If left unharvested, they over mature and start dropping off one by one. If we were around during the harvest, we would plead for tender coconuts and spend the afternoon scraping out the soft flesh and guzzling the coconut water. The coconut water is sweet when found inside unripe coconuts and turns a bit bitter as the fruit matures and the flesh thickens up.

Every part of the fruit from the husk to the shell and the flesh inside is used in some way or the other. As everyone knows, the white flesh is grated and used in curries or ground to extract the milk. The extra coconuts are stacked in a dry place, sometimes over the kitchen attic, dried over indirect heat into Khopra, which are then pressed to yield coconut oil. Coconut oil extracted from the dried Khopra possesses healing properties as shown here and is extensively used in traditional medicine among Asian and Pacific populations.
Though badly maligned here, the health benefits of coconut oil is still being researched and debated. however, it still has fat calories similar to cream and should be used sparingly.



When the JFI ingredient was announced, it was a question of what not to post as a lot of our traditional recipes are based on coconut. I chose coconut rice for the JFI to highlight the unique flavor of coconut and rice together. Adding coconut milk to rice is common in Thai and Malaysian cooking but adding it with fenugreek and fennel seeds is unique to the Malabar region. The bitterness of the fenugreek is nice contrast to the sweetness of the coconut and fennel seeds. Try this with any spicy curry and lentils.

You will need:
Kali Jeera Rice or any medium grain rice - 3 cups or 500 gm
Cardamom(Elakkai/Elaichi) -3
Fennel Seeds (perunjeerakam/saunf)-1 ½ tsp
Fenugreek seeds(Uluva/Methi)- 2 tsp
Shallots/ Red Pearl Onions-12
Coconut Grated- 2or3 cups or 1 can coconut milk.
Ghee/Olive oil – 1 tsp
Salt- 3/4 tsp or to taste
Water- as needed.
Coconut Milk: Grind the grated coconut with the fennel seeds, cardamom, 5 shallots and1 cup water for a minute and then put it in a blender processing it at high speed. Strain with the back of a spoon into a strainer, pressing out all the liquid. Repeat blending using the same coconut and ¾ cup water as the coconut is already moist and extract into a separate bowl. This can be done twice or thrice as the second and even third extracts is the thin coconut milk which has flavor and is used as cooking liquid instead of water. The first milk is to be kept aside to be added to the rice only after it is fully cooked. You should have 1 cup of first milk and at least 4-5 cups of the thin milk after extraction.
1. Clean, wash and drain the rice. Slice the remaining shallots finely. Keep the coconut milk ready.
2. Heat the ghee/oil in a heavy sauté pan or a pressure cooker and add the remaining shallots, the fenugreek, the rice and 4 cups of the thin milk. Add water if your thin milk is not enough. The proportion should be 1- 1 1/2 cup of liquid less than needed for full cooking.
3. Bring the liquid to a boil and cover and cook. In a pressure cooker, this would take only 2 whistles and then turn off the flame. Alternately, you could cook it covered in a sauté pan on the cooking range for 10-15 minutes keeping the flame very low. Add salt as needed.
4. Keep the pan covered for another 5 minutes after turning off the flame as the rice will continue cooking. Open, place it back on the fire and add the remaining 1 cup of thin milk and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Check to see if the rice is fully cooked. If not, add more thin milk and let it cook on low heat. When it is fully cooked, add the thick milk and gently fold it in. Do not boil it after the thick milk is added. 5. Remove from fire and let it sit covered for 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to soak in. The finished texture should be somewhere in between a creamy risotto and separated overcooked grains.
Fluff the rice gently and serve warm. This is served traditionally with meat curry but any spicy curry will favor it well.

P.S. The liquid needed varies with the type of rice so follow the package instructions for the amount of liquid. Traditionally this is made with parboiled rice, a kind of rice which is steamed before it's husked, a process that causes the grains to absorb many of the nutrients from the husk. When cooked, the grains are more nutritious, firmer, and less clingy than white rice grains. This rice is available in any Indian store and Uncle Ben has a version of parboiled rice which is close to but not exactly the Kerala one.

The cooking time and liquid needed is different for parboiled rice. The water needed is three times the amount of rice so make note and adjust the coconut milk accordingly.
I made a variation and found it tastes just as good with kali jeera rice or any medium grain rice. It cuts down on the cooking time and amount of milk used drastically.
Coconut Rice, Coconut, Rice, Food Blog, Indian Recipes, Malabar Recipes

Erachi Curry/ Mutton Curry

This can be made with mutton or beef as preferred.
Cooking time:3/4hr to 1 hr
You'll need: Serves 4-5
Beef or Muttton -1/2 lb or 250 gm
Onions - 2 large, thinly sliced
Small Green chilies -4
Ginger -1 ½ inch
Garlic -6 cloves
Tomato – 1-2
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Roasted Coriander powder – 2 tbsp
Paprika or Kashmiri Chili Powder- 1 ½ tsp
Red Chili powder -1 tsp
Fennel powder -1 tsp
Cinnamon- 2 inch piece
Cloves-3
Curry leaves, coriander leaves - A handful of each, washed and chopped
Any oil – 2-3 tbsp
Salt to taste

Preparation:
1. Clean and cut the beef or mutton into small pieces. If using mutton, wash it again with 2 tbsp lemon juice to get rid of smells.
2. Slice the onions, chilies and tomatoes finely. Grind ginger, fennel seeds and garlic into a paste. Mix half the dry chili powder and turmeric with the meat and keep aside for a while.
3. Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pan or cooker and fry the cinnamon, cloves and onions on medium heat. Add the green chilies and curry leaves and stir for a minute. Fry till the onions wilt and start turning brown at the edges. This would take about 8-10 minutes. Now add the ground paste and sauté it till the aroma comes from the ginger and garlic. Add the spice powders and the meat and sauté on medium heat for at least 10-12 minutes. This is crucial as this is the time for the spices to get cooked.
4. When all the water is gone from the meat and it starts looking brown, add the tomatoes, and 1 1/2 cup water. Add the salt, taste the spice level and raise the heat. When the liquid boils, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes on very low heat. At this point, you could pressure cook it for just 2 whistles. Take care not to keep stirring in this time. When you agitate it by stirring and tasting, the oil in it will get emulsified and will not rise to the top. Then the texture and the taste of the curry will not come out clear.
5. Check to see if the meat is cooked only after at least 20 minutes. If more quantity of meat is being cooked, more time will be taken, so be patient or use a pressure cooker. When the meat is cooked, add the chopped coriander leaves and check seasoning.
6. If you plan to add potatoes, be careful not to overcook it as it breaks down and makes the curry pasty very fast if it is not watched carefully. Add it in the last 5- 10 minutes of cooking only.
This is my contribution to Feed a Hungry Child campaign - group book project! Hosted by My Dhabha. It is intended to raise the funds for FAHC campaign by a voluntary ‘Group Book Project’ at My Dhaba where food lovers from all around the world participate and contribute to the finished product which is going to be intriguing treasuries of original traditional home cooking recipes.
Beef Curry, Lamb Curry, Food Blog, Indian Recipes, Malabar Recipes

Spaghetti with Fennel and Tomatoes.

Nowadays when I head for home, it is already gloomily dark outside and my son asks me why am I picking him at night. It took him a while to grasp the nuances of seasons and daylight. While winter is necessary for the renewal of earth and is a natural cycle, the lack of sunlight really erodes our activities. In our quest for maximizing daylight by turning the clock back in summer, we only make the transition into the dark winter more poignant. So its more of TV, scrabble and monopoly along with homework.

The pseudo night and the cold weather is making me feel hungry faster and lazier to cook an elaborate meal. So spaghetti or any other kind of one pot meal is welcoming and appreciated as we all slurp away in abandon. Everyone has their favorite one pot meals, whether it is a pulav, or noodles or fried rice or soup. In our house, pasta is a fool proof menu staple. Most of the time I just make it any way I like but when I was asked for a specific recipe, I had to think and settle on one recipe.

This recipe happens to be from the cookbook Jamie Oliver’s cookbook Happy Days. It has numerous delicious recipes using pasta, meat and fish, simplified in language and techniques. Jamie has an instinctive sense of cooking, and most of the recipes are fairly easy with just an emphasis on fresh ingredients and simple yet satisfying flavors. Jamie Oliver puts a bit of his nonchalant self into each recipe’s introduction and makes the book a good time pass read too. So you won't find any convoluted method or long drawn out recipes which is just what I need on weeknights.

The fennel in this recipe is what attracted me to it. Malabar cooking has fennel seeds in almost all its recipes so it is interesting to see fennel bulbs in use here as well as fennel powder. The sweetness of the fennel cuts the acidity of the tomatoes without any additional cream or cheese. I didn’t add salami as I don’t use it but you could add any sausage or salami you like. So here is the recipe without many changes from my side.


You will need Serves 4
Preparation Time:35 minutes
Spaghetti- 1 lb
For the Sauce:
EV Olive oil
Garlic-2 cloves
Crushed Red Pepper-1/2 tsp
Fennel Seeds-1 tsp
Fennel bulb-1 whole
Plum Tomatoes-2 cans of 14oz each.
Sea salt and Black Pepper
Small handful chopped parsley or fennel green tops.
For the Crunchy Topping:
2-3 slices of stale bread.

Preparation:
1. Fennel Bulbs are also called as anise sometimes. The bulb is the part which imparts the fennel flavor but I did use the stalk too. Quarter the bulb lengthwise and cut out the base like you would for cabbage and slice it like onions. Slice the garlic finely.
2. Pour 2-3 tbsp of olive oil into a pan. Add salami (if you are adding salami) and sliced garlic. Add the crushed fennel seeds. Stir on medium heat and add the finely sliced fennel, dried red chili flakes and let it cook for about 5-8 minutes or till the fennel starts wilting. Add the tomatoes and let it simmer covered on low heat for about 20-25 minutes. The sauce will start thickening and when it is almost ready you will see droplets of oil arising randomly. Season with salt and pepper and keep aside.
3. Give the sauce a 5 or 10 minute head start, and when it reaches the simmering state, start on the pasta. Heat water and 1 tsp of salt in a pot large enough to accommodate the spaghetti and add the dried spaghetti when it comes to a boil. Cook the spaghetti as per the package instructions as the cooking time varies from brand to brand.

Meanwhile, to make the crunchy bread crumbs (pangritata as Jamie calls it): Make coarse bread crumbs from the stale bread by chopping it in the food processor. Heat 2-3 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and sauté the bread crumbs on low heat till they turn golden and crisp. Add salt, pepper and any herb to flavor it.

4. When the spaghetti is cooked until al dente (it should still feel a little undercooked), drain it in a colander and toss it into the sauce. Stir to coat the pasta evenly and let it absorb the flavors. Serve onto a large bowl and sprinkle with the golden bread crumbs, chopped green fennel tops or parsley over all.

Related Posts: Spicyana's Fennel Pasta

Don't forget to check out my post at The Daily Tiffin.

Plantain Pancakes.

I am on my plantain craze. I keep buying them when I see them, nostalgically thinking of all the wonderful Kerala dishes I can conjure up but then they are not ripe enough or get too ripe by the time I find time to cook. Visions of a whole bunch of bananas with the bottom half ripening, hanging in the shops in Calicut dances before my eyes as I pick them from an assorted bunch of ripe and unripe ones here.
I buy them when they are yellow with a little green streaks outside and firm to the touch and let it ripen on my sunny window side. They are ripe for cooking when the ends turn black and dried up. As they get blacker on the outside they are still good for eating but cook too fast and breakdown.

This is for one of those mornings when the kids are having their pancakes and you crave something a little different. It doesn't taste like fritters (Pazham Pori) but it doesn't taste like pancakes anymore. The rice flour and the black sesame seeds gives it a Kerala taste. This same mix can be used for dipping and deep frying the plantains but it soaks up a lot of oil unlike the original fritter's recipe. It tastes very crunchy though. Yum!! So spreading some oil on top and bottom lets it crisp up and cooks the banana too. Use bananas that are ripe but not too ripe.
Use store bought pancake mix (yes, I know it has preservatives but still it is easier to use that on a weekday rushed morning) or make the pancake batter from scratch using this recipe. For those who don't like messing with their Plantain Fritters (Pazham Pori)try the original Plantain Fritter recipe.
You will need: For about 6 pancakes
Fully ripe plantains-1
Pancake Mix-1 cup
Rice flour- 1 tbsp
Sugar -1tbsp
Black sesame seeds- 1/4 tsp
Water - 1/4 cup
Oil /Butter
Preparation:
Peel and cut the banana into diagonal slices of about half inch thickness.
Mix all the dry ingredients together and then add water slowly while whisking to make a smooth thick paste. It should be lump free and not too watery. If it does become watery, add a little more flour.
Heat the pancake griddle and spread a bit of oil or butter. Lower the heat to a medium and pour the mix as you would for pancakes and place one or two slices of the plantain on it, taking care to let the banana slices sink into the batter. Cover the banana slice with a thin layer of batter.
Cover the pancake with a lid for half a minute. When the first side is cooked, bubbles would cover the pancake surface and begin to pop. Spread a tsp of oil or butter on this side and flip the pancake over and after it gets cooked, remove onto plate. Serve with the syrup of choice or eat it plain.
This definitely doesn't taste good after some time so serve it hot.


Stuffed Pancakes, Pancakes, Food Blog, Plantain, Breakfast

Sattui Winery Visit, Napa Valley, CA

A bit late as I was caught up at work but here are some of the photos from our visit to a winery in Napa valley during our visit to San Francisco last month. The famous and historic wineries there have been instrumental in giving Napa Valley wines their worldwide recognition. So we felt a laid back visit to the vineyards, is a good way to understand the easy going West Coast way of living.
The drive to the Napa Valley was pleasing as we left the city and saw endless green and brown. But when we approached closer to the Highway 29 from Yountville, just past the town of St Helena, we did slow down to a snail's pace due to the traffic.

You don't really have to be a wine connoisseur to appreciate the beauty of the rolling Napa Valley countryside and explore a winery there, which is what we had set out to do. You could do a tasting there and visit the cellars to see how wine is made and packaged. You do need a love for bread, cheese and spreads as that is the only food (and sometimes BBQs) available for miles around. This winery had a picnic area open to the public so while we ate, the kids frolicked around. Lots of food and a good day out in the sunshine.


The Sattui Winery building. V. Sattui is a family-owned winery established in 1885 and located in St. Helena, the very heart of California's famous Napa Valley.


The welcoming signboard broadly proclaiming its superior status.


I thought there would be endless wineyards towering over us into which we could walk through, with tantalising goblets of grapes hanging profusely. No doubt prompted by the photos of the Italian wineyards. But this was a dwarf variety of vines all along lines, not much taller than us, and had tiny (but very sweet) grapes randomly. Still it was a sight to see wineyards stretching over the hills all around.


Maybe it was past harvest, so this bunch was one of the last few left.


What's a winery without wine bottles, right?


Wait! But there's more... We had a lot of fun perusing through the amazing collection of rare and familiar cheeses. We tried some, bought some types and demolished the lot with our lunch. Certainly quenched my cheese fetish.


The other eye catching item was the rows and rows of various spread made on premises. With ample breads cubes,dips and spreads for tasting all around, it was tempting to buy a lot. Some were good, some were a stretch of imagination such as "Spicy Apple Garlic Jam","Rasberry Cranberry Chipotle Jam", Peach Chutney" etc.


Oh there's more....The other spreads were "Sesame Mustard", "Spicy Honey Mustard", and "Creamy Horseradish With Dill".

Some of the wide variety of breads..Pain Levain, A kind of crusty but soft on the inside bread, Olive Bread, Walnut Bread, Herb Garlic Flat Bread were there inside the winery for an impromptu lunch on their backyard picnic tables.


This Herb bread dipped in Sattui's Balsamic Dipping Oil is a must try for all bread lovers. We finished one of those yummy bottles of oil and vinegar in a week! So much for a low carb diet!

Payar Thoran/ Steamed Yard Long Beans

The yard long beans are the really long thin beans which are available in both dark green and pale green colors. The dark green ones have a thicker skin and take longer to cook than the thin skinned pale green ones. The paler version tastes similar to the ones we get back home so whenever I find it at the Asian stores, I have to get it right away. It has a softer taste and texture, and my son loves it. Back home, this is a farm fresh item on the lunch table and this steamed and partially stir-fried beans recipe has just green chilies, mustard and coconut to bring out its texture. I like to cut it into tiny pieces but you could cut into an inch long piece also.

The photo on the right shows dark green yard long beans that grew in my vegetable patch last year. I had planted the imported seeds of a pale green beans but the beans that grew turned out to be dark green.

You will need:
White Yard Long Beans-1 bunch chopped finely
Mustard Seeds-1 tsp
Turmeric-A pinch
Green Chilies-2 slit vertically
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Grated Coconut-1 1/2 tbsp
Oil-1 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Preparation:
1. Heat the oil in a small wok/pan and as it heats up, add mustard seeds and cover till it stops spluttering. Reduce the heat and add the curry leaves and chilies and stir once. Add the beans, salt, turmeric and 1 tbsp water. Cover and cook on medium flame for 5-10 mins till all the beans gets cooked. Open, check seasoning and add the grated coconut, mix and keep covered for a minute. Serve with rice.

Beans Sidedish, Yard Long Beans, Food Blog, Indian Recipes, Vegan

Stir Fried Chicken with Mushrooms and Cashews

A quick stir fry to liven up the dinner/lunch table and answer the question..hmm what shall I cook today? Use the basic spices and vary the vegetables as you have available.
You will need: Serves 3
Chicken-1/2 lb Boneless or use 1 chicken breast cut into pieces.
Dried Mushrooms (Shitake)- A handful
Onion-1 medium
Any Bell Pepper/Capsicum (Optional)- 1/3 of a pepper
Green Chilies -2
Red dried chili-3
Garlic-3 crushed
Ginger- ½ inch crushed
Scallions/Green Onion-3 stalks
Cashewnuts-A handful
Soy Sauce-2 tsp
Oyster Sauce-1/2 tsp
1/2 tsp black pepper
Oil-3-4 tbsp
Salt to taste
Lime juice-1tsp

Preparation:
1. Soak the dried mushroom in warm water for 20-30 minutes and squeeze out excess water and slice finely. Marinate the chicken in the soy sauce and oyster sauce for the same time.
2. Dice the bell pepper and chicken into the 1/2 inch squares.(The chicken should also be the same size cubes.) Keep the green part of the scallions to be added in the end.
3. Dry roast the cashews on low heat till fragrant and crisp. Alternatively, to make it richer, fry the cashews in a bit of oil till golden.
4. Heat the wok or pan to a high heat and add the onion and peppers. Stir fry on high heat for a minute and then lower heat and add the chilies, ginger, garlic, mushroom and stir fry again. After a minute, add the chicken and fry for at least 5-8 minutes or till the chicken gets cooked. From experience, I learnt not to mess with the size of chicken. Boneless tiny pieces is better off as then it gets cooked in the same time as the other ingredients. Check soy sauce and add a tiny bit more if needed.
5. When the chicken is cooked, add the cashewnuts, pepper, scallion’s green stem chopped and the lime juice. Toss well and adjust salt as required. If there is a lot of liquid left, add ¼ tsp of corn flour mixed with 2 tbsp water and let it simmer to thicken the sauce.
P.S. Use only dried mushrooms for this dish. It has a smoky intense taste which are lacking in the fresh ones. Any kind of dried ones (availiable at any Asian grocery store) will do but in this recipe, I used Shitake mushrooms. Also use dried whole red peppers not pepper flakes.

Chicken Stirfry, Chicken, Mushroom, Cashewnut, Food Blog, Indian Recipes, Spicy Recipes

Kappa-Ulli Chammandi/ Mashed Tapioca with Spiced Shallots

My sister made this during our recent vacation as an instant evening snack and we were impressed by the simplicity of the dish. This is more prevelant in the southern part of Kerala (as we Malabaris probably look for a fish or meat curry to go with it.:)) and is a legacy from her MIL's kitchen. Very addictive combination as the blandness of the tapioca is offest by the searing spice of the shallots and green chilies. You start off with the light flavored tapioca and then the shallots make you teary eyed and you reach for more tapioca.
You will need:
Tapioca or Cassava-2
Water
salt to taste

Boil water in a big pot. Peel and wash 2 small tapiocas. Follow Injimanga's tutorial on how to peel tapioca if you are new to the concept. Cut into small even pieces.

Wash and add to the boiling water with salt and a pinch of turmeric. There should be a inch of water above the level of the tapiocas. Cook until it breaks when pressed upon by the back of a spoon. This would take about 10-15 minutes depending on the quantity.

The tapioca back in Kerala would need to be pressure cooked but the western versions seem to cook real fast. Add more water if needed. When it is cooked, drain the excess water leaving just about 1/2 a cup of liquid still in and smash it alltogether to make it a slighly lumpy but even textured mass. Adjust salt as required and remove onto serving dish.

Ulli Chammandi/ Spiced Shallots
Shallots-5 or 6
Green Chili- 3
Sea Salt- 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil/ oil-1 or 2 tbsp

Peel the shallots and crush it with the chilies and salt till combined. Pour oil over it. Any oil is good but coconut oil tastes good and so does light olive oil. Add more salt if needed and serve with tapioca. The chammandi also goes well with dosas and idlis.

Related Posts:
Injimanga's Kanthari Chammandi and Dried Tapioca Curry
RP's Kappa w/ Fish Curry
Annita's Kappa Kuzhachathu

Don't forget to check out my post at The Daily Tiffin.

Request A Recipe.....

Most of the time, I just blog on whatever is cooking in my house or whatever catches my fancy. It could be a new cookbook, a vegetable from the farmer's market, a grilled item, a style of cooking or something I ate and just want to replicate. If I like something at someone's house, I always ask for the recipe and most of them part with their trade secrets willingly (he he some unwillingly:)). So I have a collection of my favourite recipes now. Also, each time someone asks a question, I learn something new. So I am welcome to suggestions to make the blog more interactive than a monologue on my part.

If you are looking for a recipe for a favorite dish, mail me a request, or respond as a comment to this post. Time permitting and if I am familiar with the dish/recipe, I will definitely try to post the recipe for you. Please be warned though, that I may not be able to respond to your request right away.