Grilled/Baked Chicken Legs..

It's Fall outside my window, yellowed leaves falling constantly, spreading a golden carpet in the woods behind, denuding the trees one leaf at a time. A burst of color everywhere, but this time the hues tempered  down by the unseasonable onset of snow. So the brilliance is low and slowly the grey is pervading everywhere. The malls are fighting back with their slew of bright colored winter sweaters and jackets, as if that will ward off the quietness and stillness already around.  There is a playground outside my house, which lights up when it sees kids but that's only when the sun is shining bright on it.. the rest of the time, it looks so forlorn and empty... as if the kids vaporized instantly. Maybe I should do a chicken sacrifice to appease the Fall gods into extending the glorious Fall season.

Chicken Legs were a favorite growing up, with a fight ensuing for them over the dinner table with my siblings, since the chicken in those days had only two legs.:) Nowadays the chicken (at least here) can have as many legs as they want, since its just a matter of ordering more of them at the Halal shop. You can buy just the thighs, just leg quarters, just the white meat, just wings.. if u pause to think of it, (which the kids don't,) they would wonder why the chicken has so many legs!  It used to be that meat was a luxury, with every part of the whole chicken being used fully to ensure that it was worthwhile. The good meaty parts went into frying and the bony parts went into a curry or stock. And indeed, a curry tastes way better if its made with a mix of dark and light meat, bony part et all than just white meat or dark meat. So for curries, I still get the whole chiken cut up, but for grilling and baking , this is better with even sized pieces which evens out the cooking time. Now it's a convenience, with chicken being cheaper than vegetables, with us buying whatever suits our needs more. 

You Will Need:
Chicken Drumsticks-5
Garlic Powder-1tbsp
Onion Powder-1tsp
Salt-1 tsp
Thyme- 1tbsp
Paprika-2 tbsp
Black pepper-1/2 tsp
All Spice Powder-1tsp
Optionally, Biryani Masala-1tsp

Mix all the dry rub ingredients together and keep aside. Wash and dry the chicken pieces, with or without the skin on. I grilled it with the skin on and the skin just crisps to a  crisp crunchy layer, which you can discard later if you want. The chicken should be dry and then score it twice and rub the dry rub generously all over the chicken. Let it marinate in the dry rub for an hour or so and then grill.
Place a thin layer of oil on the foil lined tray before placing the chicken on it and place it in a preheated 400 F oven for 20 minutes. Then cover the chicken with the foil and let it bake for  another 10 minutes to let the inside get cooked. Increase the heat to broil setting and open the foil and let the chicken crisp up to the broiler for about 5 minutes and you are done.
Some chicken may take less time if they are smaller.. check for doneness after 20-25 minutes.

Serve with flat breads and humus.

A Bowl of Noodles...

Left to myself, I would never have learnt cooking beyond variations of Ramen noodles or as it is called in India..Maggi.  A scrambled egg,  some spinach, some kimchi,  a lot of veggies...customize it any way you like and its is a quick meal.  Like it or hate it, it is a comfort food for many and noodles in any form is an easy meal to get to the table.. of course.. ramen is the easiest and if I thought selecting from the flavors of maggi was getting complicated, you just have to walk down the instant noodle aisle in the Asian food stores.. it ranges from the cheapest 4 for a dollar packets to the "pricier" gourmet packets of even two dollars. Plus recently I got introduced to the Nongshim  varieties of ramen...more junk food for me. Since the rest of the family did not (and still does not)  share this passion for over spiced, salty noodles, I had to learn cooking and could not take the easy way out.
So on other days, there is the stir fried noodles made with the endless varieties of noodles that you get here.. dried or fresh cooked ones too..a quick meal with veggies and chicken and egg all thrown as desired!! Spice up the noodles as you like but we like to have the spice on the side.

Boil noodles as per instructions on the package and drain. Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a wok and saute the 1 tsp each of minced ginger garlic lightly. For 4 cup noodles, add about 1/4 cup each of mushrooms, Snow peas, sliced peppers, cabbage, julienne carrots, white parts of the scallions, thinly sliced beans, etc and saute for 3-4 minutes. Then add 2-4 tsp of soy sauce , 2-3 tbsp chicken stock if you have it,  2 tsp sesame oil and  1/2 tsp pepper. Add the noodles, toss well on high heat, add 1 tsp white vinegar and taste for salt. Finally add the green parts of the scallions. Toss with some sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, chili oil, optionally add sriracha sauce, green chili sauce, black pepper sauce etc for an added spice level. I really don't have a recipe.. I start with this and taste and modify as I go along depending on the taste.sometimes heavy on spices and sometimes its light with a side of the ubiquitous chili chicken. You are welcome to leave you modifications in the comments.

Varutharacha Kozhi Curry/ Chicken with Roasted Spices..

Some curries are traditional... plenty of coriander, plenty of coconut milk, a whiff of spices, an amalgamation of masalas...They taste the best with the salty coastal air, the rush and the sound of rain...
But if its raining outside, making them at home and a taste of it with pathiri or puttu.... can transport you in a second to somewhere else, melding with the pumpkins, the September rush and the fall weather and the nip in the air....

Back home, where spices are plenty...... for some curries, coriander, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cardamon, (all the stuff our spice coast is famous for),  are roasted tossing and turning in a cast iron skillet over a wood burning flame till the spices get  fragrant and turn into varying shades of brown. Most of the time, (since it's a Kerala curry), some coconut  is also roasted, the shade acquired varying from light brown in Northern parts of Kerala to a dark brown in the Southern recipes.... then the spices and the coconut are hand ground to a fine paste (or blend in a blender now) to create what is called a "varutha"(roasted)" aracha"(ground) curry. 

Anyone nostalgic? As one friend sitting in Calicut said, it's the taste you can't beat...  freshly ground chilli powder, fragrant coconut oil fresh from the mills...etc makes a substantial difference, not to 

mention little cooking secrets that our mums and aunts are reluctant to part with..

or are you heading to get some pre-roasted imported coriander powder, some coconut milk , some chicken to try and simulate the curry here in a fraction of the time?

Anyway, this curry can be made as dry as you like or as "neetiyathu"( stretched )as you like.. meaning with lots of gravy. By doubling the quantity of the spices and onions etc, but keeping the same chicken, you can make it a curry with lots of gravy for appam or puttu.  Or keep it on the flame to make it a dry curry.  

My mom used to relate incidents of the old days in the "tharavadu" where the curry starts out with lots of chicken pieces but if there are unexpected guests, it keeps getting stretched till its more of a chicken flavored curry with barely any pieces. Contrast that with our plentiful eating habits now!!

Anyway, thought I would just update the blog just to keep it alive and kicking for anyone who is interested in following my recipes.:) This is not a full version or an authentic varutha aracha curry, but this is one of the ways how I make it.

You will need:
Chicken-1 ½ lb, (700gm) cleaned and cut into small pieces.
Onions-2 medium sized ones sliced finely
Tomatoes-2 plum tomatoes
Hot Green chilies - 4-6 as per taste
Ginger- 1 inch ginger, grind or grate.
Garlic  6-7 cloves.. grind or crush to a paste.
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Red hot chili powder- 2 tsp (more or less as per taste)

Coriander, curry leaves- each a small handful, chopped
Salt - to taste
Oil-4 tbsp

Whole spices- 1 small piece of cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves

To Roast:
Grated Coconut-3 tbsp
Coriander seeds-2 tsp
Black Pepper-1/2 tsp

To Garnish:
Shallots-2
Curry leaves-7-8

Preparation:
Wash the chicken and lightly toss it with lemon juice and rinse again. Drain well onto a slotted drainer. Marinate with the turmeric, the red chili powder, ginger -garlic paste, salt and keep aside for about 1 hour or so. Roast the ingredients for roasting in 1 tsp oil in a skillet till nicely browned and then grind to a paste. If you are using powders, remember not to roast for too long as it will get burnt fast and you could even use coconut milk instead of grated coconut.

Heat the 2tbsp oil in a large  pan and add the chicken and shallow fry them on all sides. Remove and keep aside. Add a bit more oil to the pan..add the whole spices. Then add the onions and green chilies. When the onions start turning brown, add the tomatoes. Let them cook till they break down and then add the previously sauted chicken, the ground paste and saute well till the spices are mixed well and the chicken is coated with the spices. Add 1 cup water. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes till the chicken is cooked. Smaller pieces cook faster so depending on the size of the pieces, cooking time will vary. Open, adjust the taste and add more water or coconut milk if it looks too dry.

To garnish.. Slice the shallots finely and fry in coconut oil till brown and then throw in some curry leaves and pour over the curry.
Let it rest covered for five minutes to let the flavors blend.

Iftar Recipes..

Ramazan has already started ... It's a time to focus, to exercise self-discipline, fast, along with being religious and praying and contemplate. Ramazan is not about the food.. lets not make it about the food but as a food blogger,  the mind wanders to the traditional Malabar fare more often than the usual. There is a community feeling in the fasting back home with the routines all turned upside down, the usual weddings, occasions and activities suspended and time is measured as fasting days.

 So while I haven't had time to cook and blog new iftar recipes, here is a collection of iftar recipes in blogs that I refer to when I run out of ideas.
Life Today
Sugar n Spice
You tube videos
Lebanese Recipes
Zaiqa's Ramadan Round up
Shabs Cuisine
Salkaram

If there are other good sites, do leave a comment with a link and I will add it here.

Ishtoo/ Mushroom and Potato White Stew...

Idiappam or rice noodles with a potato stew is the perfect light breakfast for a summer weekend, especially if the idiappam is already made. This white stew or ishtoo as we call it, is made with potatoes cooked in coconut milk, flavored with just whole spices, onions and green chilies...no heavy hand with the colored spices. Here I added some sauted mushrooms, and there was no adverse change in taste... the mushroom blended in well.

Another version of this curry is the Kurma where all the spices are added generously and there too mushrooms can be added, though it has to sauteed first separately.  A lot of curries can be made with mushrooms, but  simple is best.. sometimes, a bit of butter and garlic is all it needs. If you are making a mix veg dish,  It needs to be sauteed separately before mixing with other veggies as it gives out its liquid and makes everything else  soggy.

You will need: For 4 servings

Onions- 1 small one

Green chilies – 4-6 (use with discretion)

Mushrooms(White)- 2 cups

White/Idaho Potato-2 cups 

Whole Black Pepper (or Powder)- 1/2 tsp

Whole spices: 1 inch long Cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, 2 cardamom

Thick Coconut milk- 1 cup

Thin Coconut milk - 2 cups

Curry leaves- a small sprig

Salt to taste

Oil-2 tbsp

Preparation

1. Wash and cut the potatoes and mushrooms into slices. Slice the onions and green chilies.

 Grind the coconut and extract the second and first milk or use the coconut milk powder and prepare 1 ½ cup of coconut milk.

2.  Boil the potatoes in a salted water till they are half cooked. Drain and keep aside. Heat the oil in a large shallow pan, add the whole spices and curry leaves. Saute till the fragrance fills the air and then add onions, whole peppercorns and chilies.

3. Saute till onions turn slightly transparent and the add the mushrooms. Saute till it gives out all the water.  It should start browning at the edges. Add the half boiled potatoes and 2 cups of second milk of coconut( or a diluted coconut milk) and salt. Simmer covered for about 5-8 minutes till the potato is fully cooked. 

4. Add the thick coconut milk. Allow it to simmer (but not boil) just for a couple more minutes and then switch of the flame. Adjust salt and seasoning. 

 The curry changes in taste the next day for the worse as the mushroom ages.. Better to make this in small quantities.

Serve hot with pathiri, idiappam, appam, puttu or just paratha.

A quick ode to mushrooms

In a damp room it looms,

Ew!! my son says, its gross to eat fungi!

But it may very well be everyone's "fun guy"

Takes well to all soups and stews

On its own, its a perfect muse.

Absorbing all flavors and spices amply

Blending in as a meat in a meatless curry.

Grill it stuff it , top with cheese

If u like it, say more please.:)

Broccoli Stir Fry..

Fastest recipe ever..
Broccoli is a vegetable I started enjoying after coming here..but now have it in the fridge almost always.  It doesn't take well to being over cooked or being smothered in spices and gravy so most of the Indian veg recipes make it limp and  tasteless.
But stir fry it  or steam it with nothing more than some garlic and red chili flakes and it tastes crunchy and juicy at the same time.
There is no recipe for this... just heat a wok/cheenachatti/ or pan with some olive oil(or sesame oil) and add 2-3 cloves of garlic sliced finely. When the garlic starts to brown, add the chili flakes, broccoli florets,  2-3 tbsp of water and some salt. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium high heat. It cooks further after you remove it from the flame, so under cook it for crunch. Do not leave it covered, else it gets brownish and loses its glorious green.

Variations: 

• Add some butter in the end.
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice and pepper.
• Steam it plain and toss with creamy salad dressing.
• Steam it and along with cucumbers, carrots, red peppers,toss with olive oil, lemon juice,  salt,pepper and sumac.

Kozhi Ada.../ Savory Meat pockets.

Posting here after a while since I couldn't think anything to write about and didn't feel like cooking too. My stories of our culture and home food fueled this blog and when my mind was preoccupied with other things, thinking about food seemed a luxury. Rhapsodizing about it and posting glory photos of food that is so elaborate that cooking it in itself is a vacation now, seemed even worse!


So I was job hunting instead. All my creativity went to creating cover letters and my photo skills into creating portfolios and resumes...blog hopping shifted to job site hopping...Instead of luscious food posted by friends, all I could see was insipid requirements and disheartening emails. All part of the striving force that we call life.:) That still goes on along with the myriad other demands in a day..:)


But yesterday I had a dream.(yeah,..in the middle of all this.. ) of these crisp delicacies and even the words that I should use to describe them..so here I am, taking a break from my full time occupation to blog. Before you make a beeline for my house, no, I didn't make these.. just remnants of the last visit home.

Kozhi Ada  means a savory crisp pocket filled with spiced chicken..but  its not an ada filled with Kozhi/chicken....the only ones I have eaten are filled with Beef.  I guess its made with chicken too nowadays. The name is a misnomer like the American Chicken Fried Steak , which is not chicken either..

Ada is the Kerala Dumpling.. steamed or fried crescent shaped dough filled with sweet or savory filling.

The sweet filling is mostly coconut and sugar flavored with cardamom powder. And the savory ones range from fish filling to chicken to egg.
They look like samosas but are super crunchy versions of it.. the wrapper is similar to chips or tortilla chips.. and the filling also is very dry and crunchy. They are made so small that you can pop a whole ada in your mouth at one go... bite into one and the dry spicy fillings just spills out..


Now these.. my mom never made .. too much effort , she says...but my mother in law is an expert and so are all members of her family, who are from North of Calicut in Kerala. So if you know anybody from that part of Kerala, ask them for a taste of the best Kozhi adas ever.  We are always lucky to have my MIL or her sister getting us a a big batch of these adas waiting for us when we reach home, which we all fight over. And trying to get it back here without turning into a powdery mess is an adventure in packing.. discovered a new use for Bubble wrap.:)


So if anyone wants to bring some over for me from home, I will give you my address.:)))
Anyway, do try this and try it with patience, as getting the wrappers crispy is the key to a good Kozhi Ada.


You Will Need:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt to taste
Water sparingly
2 Tbsp Dalda/Ghee/ Veg Shortening.


For the Filling:
1 cup Cooked chicken or beef (or raw meat)
1 cup Onions chopped finely
4-5 Green spicy chilies chopped
1 tsp red chili powder (use less for less spicy)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander powder
Fennel seeds- 1/2 tsp
1 tsp Garam Masala
Salt to taste.


Preparation:

Mix the ghee(clarified butter) or veg shortening into the flour along with salt and work it in to resemble crumbles. Add just enough cold water little by little to make a hard dough . Keep aside. 

Cook the meat or chicken with the turmeric, red chili powder, coriander and salt. Shred the cooked meat or chicken with your fingers into strands.
Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onions, curry leaves, fennel seeds and green chilies. When the onions start getting golden brown, add the meat/chicken and saute on low heat till the meat mixture is full dry and powdery, It is not the like the samosa filling which is a  semi-wet onion mix. Add garam masala and adjust salt.

To Assemble:

Roll out small discs of the dough..about 3 inch in diameter. The  dough should be thin but not too thin. Add 2 tsp of filling on one side, cover with the other side of dough and pinch the edges together in a pattern to make a crescent shape. Keep aside and continue making till all the filling is exhausted.

 Heat oil in a cast iron skillet, and when it is hot, add the adas one by one (not more than 4-5 at a time depending on the size of your pan.. do not over crowd) and fry on medium low heat till golden brown.. It takes patience, as if the heat is too high, the outside will get cooked but not the inside, and if its too low heat, the whole ada will be a soggy oily mess. You need it to get crispy and super crunchy all the way through. If fried well, it stays outside for days.

Malabar Porotta... A Pictorial

The dough has to soak in the oil for at least 3-4 hours to loosen the dough.

The dough is stretched to become paper thin ..

should be  almost see thru like a tissue.

Gather up the sheet, length wise, 

folding it  like a paper fan and then roll it up. 

Some may get bubbles with air trapped inside..its fine.

Flatten the roll with hand or with a pastry roller, 

allowing the porotta to rest for a few minutes in between if it offers resistance.

Cook on medium high heat  on a griddle with very little oil. When one side turns opaque, flip and cook the other side. Apply a little oil so it stays soft longer. As soon as its removed from the griddle, fluff it up with both hands to loosen the layers. It's like hitting the sides of the porotta to dislodge the layers.

The Dough Recipe:
King Arthur Bread Flour or Maida – 2 cups
Water – 1 cup or a bit more.
1 Beaten egg (optional.. it just makes it softer)
Oil – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste


Make a smooth though loose dough with the ingredients.. use water to your judgement. Keep it aside covered in an oiled bowl for about 1 hour. Take it out and make small 2 inch size rolls and place on a wide oiled plate. Pour 2-4 tbsp oil or even more, so that the balls soak in the oil. Cover with a thin cloth or plastic wrap and keep in a warm space for 3-4 hours. Then stretch each ball to paper tissue thickness and then gather it and roll it up. Flatten with the palm of your hand or roller and cook on a griddle on both sides till golden brown.

Kerala Mela....

Do you have  those days when you  suddenly crave an ada or a pacha aracha sambhar or a kallumakai nirachathu, a particular payasam..... you haven't made it in a while and you can't remember exactly how to make it, or whether there is coriander in it or not.. if you are like me, it's probably tough remembering too many things and you keep a note or two around, post-its with recipes, a stash of printouts, a ton of bookmarks in the computer and still wonder!! If you are memory genius then you don't need any bookmarks..lucky you!! You can blog hop to the next blog then..

How many of you know about the site, Kerala Mela initiated some time ago? There were not so many blogs and bookmarking a fav blog  recipe was the only to remember all the recipes going through the blogosphere. Then when I wanted to search for a particular Kerala recipe, if it was not bookmarked, it was almost impossible to find it. So this site was meant to be a portal for all the varied Kerala based recipes blogged in detail by our very own bloggers..mostly for traditional style, since that is the basis for all cooking and then each person varies it to her tastes..hence fusion happens. But here I wanted to just capture the essence of Kerala Cuisine, which is the varied collection of recipes from every region.

I haven't been able to update the site too many times as I can barely keep track of all the Kerala recipes posted now...so I was thinking..
If this site is not used by anyone, I would like to shut it down. If you do think its useful, leave a comment. And bloggers, if you think its useful and would like to update your latest recipes there, the best way might be to make it open to all of you who can join it as co-admin and then update as needed. If you blog something traditional or something special, which you think is not a common recipe, then add that to the list on the site, Kerala Mela.
So if there is no feedback, I would probably close that site soon, so do respond.

Egg less Whole Wheat Almond Cookies..

How do you like your cup of tea or coffee.. with sugar or without?....and what do you like with it? something sweet or something spicy? Do you have it watching TV or with a book ? Or in the balcony looking at the clouds or  in the verandah, listening to the rain. Do you like it alone, catching a moment of peace or with everyone talking at once? Which is one time you can't do without it..morning , mid morning or evening? Any way you prefer it, we need something with the tea or coffee.  When we were new here, we used to wonder how the stickily sweet donut pairs with coffee. I figure the sweetness of the donut cuts the bitterness of the coffee and viceversa!
Then we liked our tea sweet and our snack spicy.. now its the reverse.. our tea is mostly unsweetened but then we need a sweet to go with it.. also similar to the Turkish who drink tea unsweetened but then place a sugar cube in the mouth to sweeten it!!

Whole wheat cookies filled with almond and flavored with cardamom...sounds too healthy for you? Well, these don't have eggs but do have some butter to enhance the nutty flavor of the whole wheat. No, they don't taste like digestive biscuits...They don't taste like rusk or whole wheat crackers....
The taste is best described as the taste of Whole wheat laddoos or atta laddoos for those familiar with it. Those laddoos are made by toasting the whole wheat flour and then binding them with nuts, sugar and ghee while they are hot. For these cookies, the flour , butter instead of ghee and sugar and nuts are all bound together in raw form and then toasted/baked in the oven.. the taste is almost the same.
So if you like whole wheat and like cookies, give this a try. It's very easy and this link to Manjula's kitchen has a video too which definitely makes it self explanatory.

This month’s Sweet Punch challenge was to make Whole Wheat Almond Eggless Cookies from Manjula's Kitchen.

EGGLESS WHOLEWHEAT ALMOND COOKIES
Recipe source: Manjula's Kitchen
 You Will Need:
Wholewheat flour- 1cup
Granulated sugar - a little less than 1/2 cup sugar
Salt-1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder-1/2 tsp
Almonds- 1/4 c chopped finely or cut into slivers.
Butter- 1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted, at room temperature.
Milk- 2 tbsp or less.

Preparation:
Pre-heat the oven to 360F .
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make sure the butter is soft and melted and then work it into the dry mix with your finger. 
Knead  well as you would mix a dough. If the butter is really soft, then without adding any milk, you should get a pliable dough.  Don't add the milk in that case.
Add the milk teaspoon by teaspoon only if the dough feel hard. Knead well and divide the dough into equal sized balls.. you should get about 22- 26. 
Roll each one in your palm till they get a smooth texture and then flatten them to the final size you want them to be. They don't spread much while baking.
Line a Cookie tray/baking tray with parchment paper and place the cookies an inch apart. Bake them in the middle of the oven for anywhere between 15 to 18 minutes, depending on your oven's heat. They should be soft and be slightly golden color when you remove them. 
They may look undone but they harden after cooling on a wire rack. Store in airtight containers.

Pan Fried Shrimps..

A whole lot of prayers and wishes going towards Japan and its catastrophe.  As heartrending the earthquake's visuals are, the radiation's aftermath will be worse.   Hope they control the reactors from releasing radiation and creating unspeakable tragedies. Brought back memories of the Bhopal Gas tragedy an era ago. Makes you wonder why they do have nuclear power plants in the first place. Let's hope everything gets resolved soon.

On a more positive note, slowly, the snow has melted away and the chill around me has also thawed.  I have also started coming out of my hibernation and started smelling the spring in the air. There is less of the ice in the air and more of a cool nip.. even the birds have decided to stop by and say hello on their way to warmer weather.. swooping down in hordes, settling on the trees and grass, searching the ground for some leftover seeds and leaving en-masse in a flash.. the original flash mob.

Shrimps are something ready to cook in a flash, defrost and cook in under 10 minutes. BUT.. maybe its the masala gene in me, I prefer it marinated and spiced up well enough to compliment the sweetness of the shrimps. Usually, the shrimps back home (best ones in my opinion, though they are miniscule) are made into moliyar/molaku chaar, (a super spicy red shrimp curry) or deep fried into extinction.  Or shrimp varatiyathu, or shrimp biryani... i could go on but then I would have to book tickets to go home.

But over here, that deep frying just ends up smelling up the winter insulated sealed house and is not "supposed" to be "good for you" so now we have started pan frying the shrimps with very little oil, just enough to cook the spice paste and leave the shrimp juicy inside. Grilling works well too but in that case 1 tsp of oil has to added to the marinade.
This is usually made without any chili powder( or only paprika) for the kids and with the whole spice cartel for the grown ups. Adjust the spice and salt to taste.
The ready to buy chili paste, sambal olek works wonders with getting flavor into the shrimp so you can marinate the shrimps in just that for as much time as you like and pan fry too. Fry only when everybody is at the table and you are ready to serve.:)

You Will Need:
Shrimps-about 25 (1/2 pound) medium sized ones
Red chili powder- 1 tsp
Paprika/Kashmiri Chili powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric-1/2 tsp
Vinegar- 1 tbsp
Salt- about 1 tsp.
Ginger Garlic Paste-1 tbsp.

Preparation:
Shell, devein and wash the shrimps well and drain excess water. Marinate with all the ingredients for about 1 hour (at room temperature ) or upto overnight in the refrigerator.

Heat a cast iron skillet or a frying pan with  1-2 tbsp oil. Coconut oil tastes good but use any oil preferred. Add the shrimps in one layer around the pan (don't crowd them) and cook on medium high heat for 2 minutes on each side. Cover the pan and cook on medium heat for another 3 minutes and then raise the heat and let the shrimps sear on each side on a minute. Toss in couple of curry leaves and saute. Serve hot with rice or chapathi.

Butter Chicken/ Chicken Makhani ...

It's funny how our family dinners now are getting dictated by my kids more and more. Growing up here, they are more attuned to the western recipes and prefer that to most of the recipes I long for.  They can't handle the spice and  the mouth tingling masala combinations. So most days the recipes are simplified and  lightened up to handle their spice level, resulting in my spouse and I reaching for the spicy pickles.

I bet my folks are sitting and laughing now remembering how picky I was and how my mom used to ask "enthu kazhikannulla vishappanu?" meaning "what are you hungry for?' instead of just telling me what is there to eat.

Our food is spicy and our traditional curries are rich with onions and chilies, all pieces to be fished out and kept aside.  Not many of our gravy recipes are pureed into a silken ubiquitous green / yellow/ rainbow hued sauces used as a drizzle all around a white plate. It's rough textured and it's meant to be mixed into rice, mopped up with a naan or roti and dipped into with a puri. When I tell my not so little ones about some of the recipes I showcase here in this blog, they look at me as if I am from another country.

And one week of the kids being home (mid winter recess) meant a lot of kid friendly food... Now that I feel is the toughest thing to write about in a blog. What works once for the kids may or may not work the next time so I really wing it each day and hope that some of what they eat stays in their memory and one day they will ask for it by name. (Or maybe all that will remain will be relegated to "butter chicken, erachi curry, dal, beans, naan and biryani.)

Anyway, growing up , I can't remember eating butter chicken at all. Its such a restaurant item that its only now its become mainstream in households. Wonder why? Its so easy to make!! Or maybe its a dish more popular outside India!! Butter chicken or Chicken Makhani is grilled pieces of chicken in a tomatoey creamy sauce. It can made with boneless chicken or with bone in chicken, marinated in a tandoori spice and lightly fried or grilled.

Well, amongst our friends's families and our house too, it is a popular item with the kids, so gets made at every get together, ensuring the kids will eat naan and butter chicken without any fuss! What's not to like.. it has a smooth velvety sauce with simple flavors, not too spicy(though I can't resist spicing it up!!) and the grilled chicken adds a smoky twang to it. The main flavors are the garam masala and the kasoori methi, which is the dried fenugreek leaves, without which it just won't taste the same. I add Amul butter if I have it.. does it taste better? I believe so but any butter is fine.  I use more milk than cream for the family but guests get the richer creamier experience. The grilling is avoidable and instead just dry cook it on a hot cast iron skillet with very little oil..not frying though.

You will need: Serves 4

Chicken-1 lb cut up into pieces (without bone or bone in)

Marinade: 

1/2 pack tandoori masala(National or shaan)

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste(fresh)

1 cup regular unflavored yogurt

1 tbsp oil

Sauce:

1 can (425 gm) tomato puree without any added flavors

Onion-1

Garam masala- 1 1/2 tsp

Red chili powder- 1 tsp (add more as needed)

Turmeric-1/2 tsp

Kasoori methi- 1 tsp                                                                                                                                                            

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Amul butter-1 tbsp

Cream+Milk -2-3 cup altogether, any amount of each

1/2 cup water

Preparation:

Marinate the chicken(washed and drained) with all the ingredients of the marinade and keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 hrs or overnight. Preheat the oven to 450 f and then place the chicken on a foil line tray and grill for 8-10 minutes. Raise heat to broil and broil the pieces for 2-3 minutes till the outside just starts to crisp. Remove(it will be undercooked, but will finish cooking in the gravy) and keep aside.

Heat a pan with 1 tbsp of oil and saute the onions. The onions have to be chopped really fine so it melts away. After a 2-3 minutes, add the ginger garlic paste and saute well for a minute. Add the tomato puree and the red chili powder, turmeric and saute on medium heat till the tomato comes together and moves as a mass. 

Add the salt, butter, the water, the milk and cream combination(if you add just milk, it will curdle, so add a bit of cream or butter and then add the milk.)and let it simmer. Add the grilled chicken pieces and cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes on very low heat..barely a simmer. Add the kasoori methi and the garam masala and adjust taste. You may need a bit more of salt or even some butter or sugar or cream to cut the tartness.  Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with hot butter naan.

Chocolate Chip Cookies..

Another snow day, another winter storm warning for travelers... snow, freezing rain, sleet, ice, in any combination you like.. its a winter chaat buffet. The snow days are great, beautiful in their pristine whiteness, the calm, and the bright sunshine that follows, snow forts, snowballs, frolicking in the snow,.. but sleet ..snow that melts as it falls is a damper. Not advised to be on the roads, so a perfect day to curl up at home. The equivalent of a rainy monsoon day back home.


And since its cold, hunger pangs abound... after all what's better than a warm oven wafting the aroma of a chocolate chip cookies? Cookies are what are called the biscuits back in India, but biscuits here are a entirely different thing.. a kind of bread.:)) Biscuits with tea..somehow cookies can't be dunked in tea, only in milk. So I am not a fan of the store bought cookies that kids consume instead of lunch and dinner if given a chance. But a home made cookie is a little bit irresistible, more so if u truly like chocolate chip cookies.  So once in a while, I try my hand at cookies with varied success.  I am definitely not a pro at it, but its fun to try on a otherwise dull day.
What is it about flour, butter and sugar that creates such a varied collection of goodies that are no good for you? These cookies are crunchy at the edges and turn gooey and soft in the middle. They have to taken out when they turn creamy and just a bit golden at the edges as they really turn crisp at the cooling. Try these if you have kids at home.


As for the chocolate chip cookie..No great personal recipe..I just follow Dorie Greenspan's  recipe for chocolate chip cookies and it turns out kid pleasing any day. Just follow the link and there is a word for word description of the recipe. I make it with the half the quantity to start out.

====

My cookies became a little too thin and spread out as my little one switched off the oven thinking its the light switch, to peep inside so the dough got melted before it got cooked. But no change in taste. I also omitted the nuts as the kids don't like it. 
So grab a cookie, a hot cup of  tea, and watch a movie.:)

Coconut Macaroons...

My coconut macaroons fetish is set in all things coconut.. coconut burfi, ada filled with coconut, plantains filled with coconut, flattened rice or aval mixed with coconut, ari undas, coconut based chocolates, upma crunchied up with a dash of coconut....or just fresh coconut (harvest fresh)with a piece of jaggery is soooo good. How can you not like coconut? Especially if you have a tropical gene in you? No offense, but you must be a mutant if you are from the coast and don't like coconut. But seriously, I know a lot of people who prefer chocolate everything to coconut. 


 I used to volunteer to grate coconut for my mom (now my cherava/ grater is gathering dust while I rely on the frozen grated coconut.:)) only to stop after the first few seconds of grating to scoop up the first soft bits of moist shredded coconut and chew on it. Sadly, you can't do that with the frozen coconut.
Along with the hazaar coconut based curries that only a malayalee can dream of, Mom makes yummy coconut burfi, a kind of chewy candy with fresh coconut which I don't even bother trying to make. I just wait to go home and then ask her to make a big batch.
But these macaroons are much easier and fill the need for a coconut candy. The internet abounds in macaroon recipes so why add another of mine? Only for my own reference, as after two months when I decide to make it again, I won't remember how I did it!!


So what is a macaroon?
As per the wiki, the original macaroon was a "small sweet cake consisting largely of ground almonds" similar to Italian or Moroccan amaretti. Most recipes call for egg whites (usually whipped to stiff peaks), with ground or powdered nuts, generally almond or coconut. There was an abundance of macaroon fever going around the blogosphere some time back with macaroons of every color and flavor being made.  Those gorgeous looking ones in pastel colors with fillings are the French macaroons. The Italian ones are the almond macaroons which are a chewy crunchy cookies, pretty easy to make for a non baker like me,( though the first time I made it, I soaked almonds and peeled it one by one instead of blanching it.)
But when I decided to go in for coconut macaroons, it got ugly..It is so confusing to sift through the recipes..should i add whole egg or flour or just egg whites..?some overkill it by adding condensed milk, almonds and egg whites..and then dipping the whole thing in chocolate!

This recipe originated in Nigella Lawson's book but I didn't add the cream of tartar. The cream of tartar helps stabilize the egg whites, but its not super important. I followed the instructions as is, but added a teaspoon of flour to make it hold its shape. The more the almond meal in the recipe, or less the coconut, the better is the shape.

Here is the link for those who want to try it and here is a wonderful site to see the step by step directions. The other recipe I trust is the one from the Joy of Baking site.

It came out really crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside but after a day, it turned soft.. any body knows why? or is it supposed to do that?

Then my sis suggested making the macaroons with condensed milk to be egg free and the next batch of the cookies, I tried out this recipe, but again had to omit something.  So I omitted the semolina and nuts but added the cardamom. This recipe had the really chewy  burfi like taste to it so I tended to like this better. The condensed milk and the cardamom added a depth and maybe Indianised it to an extend. I used store bought sweetened shredded coconut that is so easily available here, but I am sure this can be tried with fresh coconut too. So here is my version of the recipe:

Eggless Coconut Macaroons 
Sweetened condensed milk – 7 ounce or 1/2 can
All purpose flour – 1/4 cup
Sweetened shredded coconut – 2.5 cups( 7 ounce package)
Cardamom powder – 1 teaspoon

Preparation:
Preheat oven 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. 


 In a  large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, flour, coconut and cardamom powder and stir well to combine. If the mix is too hard, add 1 tbsp of milk.  


Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets in slight mounds, 2 inches apart.  You will get about 20- 24 mounds depending on size.


Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Let the macaroons cool on a wire rack as they will turn slightly moist if allowed to cool down on the parchment. Only after it has completely cooled down, store loosely covered at room temperature.
I like mine really crisp outside so I baked it for a minute or two more to get this extra brown look.

Palada Payasam...and a Happy Rest of the Year.

Ah! A new year is already here.. where did the year go?
 In the Malayalam new year, which begins with Vishu, the big deal is Vishu  kani... the auspicious first thing that you see when you wake up which sets the tone for the rest of the year... a prosperous year, a healthy year, a happy year.. all the usual trappings we yearn for. For those who want to know more, there is a link above to the vishu custom.  The concept creates quite a treasury of material for jokes in the layman's language and the malayalam movie industry. Anybody remember Meesha Madhavan? If your day doesn't go well, the common question is, " Who did you see as kani in the morning?"

 Alas, for the New years day, there is no such symbolism.. just a late awakening, still recovering from whatever late night party you happened to be at...legs aching if u were at a dance, head abuzz with a medley of sounds and voices, a hangover for many.... quite a somber beginning to a new year!!

For me the first post of the year is always a dilemma. I want it to be short, sweet, crisp.. it should  be inspiring, joyful and poetic, like one of the verses on New Year's cards. (Does anybody send cards to anyone now? Does anyone collect them still?)

But the search for the perfect words will instead mean that I won't write at all for the month of January and that propelled me to just get started! Here's to wishing a very productive and prosperous year to all my readers and friends. May this be the year of change.:)) May this be the year where we resolve to be resolute to our resolutions.

As for me, I decided to start my blog year with a sweet recipe. All those on a diet can move on to the next blogs where you will find yummy healthy food....just not here today. Well, we all need sugar after a gruelling workout, don't we?:))
The last few weeks were great with a air of festivities all around and a lot of visiting families to complete the festive feeling. The expectations for the holidays start half a year early and just keeps building up but the holidays itself go so fast!! Even a blizzard, two feet of snow and  multiple bouts of flu and cold couldn't keep the spirits down.
Cleaning the house, refrigerator and pantry  after all my guests left, I got stuck with a quart of milk nearing expiration date, a sweet craving, some unused sweetened coconut la languishing in my freezer , a bit of palada, (not enough for a party)and one too many cans of condensed milk. My better half recently asked if I really know the contents of my pantry and I bravely said yes, despite finding endless packs of the same stuff.
So, half the can of the evidence or a bit less went for the payasam and the  remaining contributed to the sticky consistency of coconut macaroons. I have two recipes for the macaroons.. one with just coconut flakes and egg whites and almonds which is what is common.  But my sis-in-law put me onto the eggless version which has just coconut flakes and condensed milk which is much better in taste, reminding of coconut burfi back home, with a fraction of the work!! Flavoring it with cardamom instead of vanilla and aniseed,  Indianized it instantly.
For the payasam, the only ingredient you need is a thick bottom pan, as milk burns instantly and doesn't withstand long cooking. I use an uruli, a traditional thick bottom pan made usually of bronze but now available in aluminium too, which is fool proof for making payasams. It's great for doing any kind of milk based cooking as it never burns!! Get one if you are a fan of payasams. A copper bottom pan available locally may suffice but I am not sure.
By the way, see this link for a multitude of payasam cook off in California. Did any of you attend it?

There is no recipe.. just follow the instructions at the back of the packet!But for those who need it, here it is..
Palada Payasam
A really thick bottom wide pan or an uruli.
Double Horse Palada-1/3 pack
Milk- about 1/3 gallon (which is 4-5 cups)
Condensed Milk-1/2 tin or a little less.
Salt- a tiny pinch
Cardamom powder- crush 5 cardamom into powder.

Preparation:
Boil 2 cups water and steep/soak the palada in the hot water( off the flame) for 15 minutes. Drain the water and then add the palada to the milk and cook for 15 minutes or till the palada is soft and cooked. Then add the condensed milk, cardamom powder and salt and cook further for 10 minutes. If it looks too thick, add 1/2 cup milk. The consistency and sweetness is to each one's taste so use your judgement. I like my payasams not too thick and a bit less sweet than headache inducing sweet. These proportions may end up too loose and not too sweet for you so change as you need.
Garnish with ready bought roasted cashews(or you could fry a handful of cashews and raisins in ghee) and raisins. Serve hot or lukewarm or cold.


The rest of the can of the condensed milk went into the Eggless coconut macaroons which I will post next.:)

Chicken Curry with Green Peppers..

The weather outside is frightful, but i feel so delightful....:))
Ah... one of the comforts of the winter is the warm kitchen.. the same kitchen that used to swelter me in the summer is now a warm hearth, making me find reasons to be there and cook even if there is food in the fridge. (Its 23F outside.. a scant -5 Celsius and I am so glad to be at home and not working outside.)


As Nigella Lawson said in her book, "How to be a Domestic Goddess"(A must flip through for all you aspiring goddesses)" I've always thought that bad weather has its compensations, most of them culinary." The book has pretty simple recipes for a starting off baker and more than that it is jolly wonderful to read her take on each recipe.

So I don't need another cookie or another cake, but that's what I feel like making.. if they don't have bread, let them eat cake.. but to stay practical, I opt for a chicken item instead...curry today..with peppers..and lots of onions..though not a gravy based curry..more a cry.

Yet another spicy chicken curry.  It's your regular chicken curry but with bell peppers added to it to change the taste. Green peppers have the best taste, but yellow and red peppers are good too, they add a sweetness to the dish if you like that.

You will need:
Chicken-1 ½ lb, (700gm) cleaned and cut into small pieces.
Onions-2 or 3 medium sized ones sliced finely
Bell Peppers-2 green ones sliced thinly in strips( or use a mix of red, green and yellow)
Tomatoes-1 chopped into dices.
Hot Green chilies - 6 slit
Ginger–Garlic coarsely ground – 2-3 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice-1 tsp
Red hot chili powder- 1 1/2 tsp (more or less as per taste)
Coriander powder-2 tsp
Garam Masala-1/2 tsp
Black Pepper powder- 1/4 tsp
Coriander, curry leaves- each a small handful, chopped
Salt - to taste
Oil-4 tbsp

Preparation:
Wash the chicken and lightly toss it with lemon juice and rinse again. Drain well onto a slotted drainer. Marinate with the turmeric,half the red chili powder, salt and lemon juice.
Heat the 2tbsp oil in a large shallow pan and add onions. When they are slightly transparent, add the peppers and continue sauteing. Add the slit chilies and curry leaves and stir. When the peppers wilt, remove most of the onions, all the peppers and keep aside.

Add ginger and garlic to the remaining onions, and saute.  Add more oil if the mix looks dry. When the raw smell goes, add the tomatoes, remaining chili powder, coriander and saute till the tomatoes soften. Then add the chicken and cook uncovered on medium heat for 3-4 minutes till water comes out. Do not add any water: it will prevent the spice powders from getting cooked. Then cover and cook 10-15 minutes. The amount of time depends on the size of the chicken pieces. Smaller pieces cook faster.

Add more salt if needed and then add the pepper and garam masala. Check to see if the chicken is cooked. Now add back the onions and peppers sauteed earlier to the chicken and stir well. If there is no water, add 1/4 cup water and cook it covered for five minutes to let the flavors blend.  Add the coriander leaves last, after switching off the flame. Let it rest covered for a while before serving.