Chemmeen Ularthu - Prawn Dry Fry

Chemmeen or Prawn is one of those sea foods that taste extremely yummy. Getting the freshest of prawns would be the better choice for making the perfect prawn delicacy. Anyone who loves eating sea food would always prefer prawns in the first place and to be frank, I am also an ardent fan of prawn delicacies.

Usually in Kerala, people use to make prawn curries, prawn dry fry or ularthu and simple prawn fry. Since it is very tasty to the core, most people make it a point to fry it or make an ularthu with onions or shallots. If you do not add much chilly powder or green chilies, you will find that your kids too will love it a lot. Ularthu of Chemmeen is a real tasty delight for your taste buds and I am sure you will not be able to resist having them.

This is a simple dish that does not need much of an effort you usually put in bringing out the finest dishes. All you need to do is have fresh prawns and the right amount of ingredients that go with it; and not to forget the correct amount of salt. Too much salt can spoil this dish. So make sure you take good care while adding salt during the making of the dish.

Ingredients

·         Prawns /Chemmeen – 1 kg

·         Onions      - 2

·         Shallots     - 6 nos

·         Ginger Garlic paste- ¼ tsp

·         Green chilly – 1

·         Tomato – 1 large

·         Red chilly powder – 1 + ¼ tsp (For separate use)(You can increase the quantity according to the quantity and the taste you like)

·         Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp + a pinch (For separate use)

·         Oil –

·         Curry leaves

·         Salt

Method

·         In a vessel, add prawns, ¼ tsp of red chilly, a pinch of turmeric and small amount of salt

·         Mix well

·         Heat a pan and pour oil for shallow fry

·         Add the prawns mixed with masala to the oil and fry till golden brown. Do not over cook

·         When the prawns are done, remove them from the pan and keep aside

·         In the same pan, add a bit of oil if there is no oil left,

·         Add curry leaves, finely chopped onions to the oil with green chilies and sauté well

·         After the onions have turned golden brown, add ginger garlic paste and sauté well

·         After 2 min, add 1 tsp of chilly powder and ¼ tsp of turmeric to the pan and sauté well

·         You may now add finely chopped tomatoes to it and sauté for yet another five min.

·         Add sufficient salt. Just add the right amount that is needed for the onions and tomato

·         Now you may add the fried prawns to the pan

·         Sauté well and close the lid for 5 min

·         After 5 min, open the lid and remove the contents in a serving bowl

·         Serve hot with rice or chapattis.

·         Enjoy!!

Wheat Puttu - Gothambu Puttu

Wheat or Gothambu is considered as very healthy for your body. people usually prefer to have wheat flour varieties for breakfast and for supper. Though wheat varieties are famous in the North of India, people in south too have made it a part of their diet.

Most of the people in South of India are not aware of the fact as to when Wheat became a part and parcel of the diet of the people of south. but I do remember my grandmother telling me about how she came to use wheat flour for making breakfast delicacies like chappathis, parattas and puttu.

According to her, there was a kind of scarcity for rice years back. It was a family friend of my grandparents who taught my grandma how to make parattas and chappathis out of wheat flour. Well i was very curious to listen to all those things in the past which my granny used to tell me. And this one really was an interesting incident that told me the story of how my granny started using wheat flour.

So the recipe for the day is Wheat puttu. Wheat puttu is a healthy breakfast and can be accompanied with vegetable curry, beef curry, fish curry or even with ripe yellow bananas.

Ingredients

·         Wheat flour – 3 cups (Serves 2)

·         Grated Coconut – 1 cup

·         Water –

·         Salt

Method

·         Take a vessel and add the sufficient quantity of Wheat flour (Atta) to it.

·         Add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the flour

·         Mix well

·         Sprinkle a handful of water to the flour and mix carefully

·         Let the whole flour get moisture

·         Do not add too much of water to the flour or else it will get sticky

·         If you feel the flour is not wet, you may sprinkle some more water

·         The flour should be moist as if we make a crumble. Not so wet and not so dry. Just the right moisture to get it cooked well.

·         Puttu kutti chembu should be filled with water atleast ½ portion of it

·         Let the water boil well

·         Wet the puttu kutti and put the chillu in it

·         Add grated coconut to the bottom of the puttu kutti

·         Now add a handful of wheat flour mix

·         The next layer would be the coconut grating and then add wet flour until the puttu kutti gets filled up

·         Place the puttu kutti filled with moist flour to the puttu chembu.

·         Let the puttu cook for 10 min

·         After 10 min, push the puttu kutti with the help of a long spoon or spatula

·         Serve hot with vegetable curry, beef curry or with bananas

Wheat puttu serves as a good breakfast and can also make your supper healthy too. Try this out and stay healthy!!

Katti Chammandi For Rice

I remember when I was a child, whenever we went out for a long train journey, Mom used to pack rice with this simple spicy coconut mix known as Katti Chammandi that has the magic to make the food pack exciting. Though it is very simple to make, we often forget to include it in the food packets these days. For me, its taste gives me nostalgia of yester years. Even now I make it sure that Katti Chammandi in my home whenever I feel like going back to my childhood memories.

 Katti Chammandi or Thick coconut chammandi is usually found accompanying with Food packets that have rice, or with rice porridge that most of the people of Kerala prefer to have at supper. Katti Chammandi does not need any cooking. You simply need to grind the ingredients with the perfect amount of salt and tamarind and eat it with rice.

Whenever we buy a rice packet from any hotel in Kerala (South India), we get a ball of katti chammandi right inside the packet with other side dishes that usually go with a rice packet. I don’t think the children these days are aware of this food packet, as most of them prefer quick and easy varieties of food.

PS: Katti Chammandi made with tamarind can be consumed with rice, while that without tamarind can be accompanied with Idly or Dosa. So you can make it a part of your breakfast too. Sure tastes good with Dosa and Idly.

Ingredients

·        Coconut gratings – ½ cup

·        Shallots or Onions- If you prefer shallots, take 5 nos. If you prefer onion, take ¼ of an onion

·        Red chilly powder – ½ tsp

·        Tamarind – a pinch

·        Curry Leaves – a few

·        Salt – a bit

·        (Ginger (Optional)- A small piece, if you prefer a different gingery taste in your chammandi. You can avoid it too)

Method

·        In a mixer jar, add Coconut gratings, chilly powder, shallots/onions, tamarind, salt and curry leaves

·        Grind all the ingredients for a minute

·        Switch off the mixer

·        Make small balls out of the coconut mix

·        Serve with rice or porridge

·        If you prefer to serve katti chammandi with dosa or idly, make sure you do not add tamarind. Chammandi and Sambar with Dosa and Idly tastes perfect

Do take care to add only a little bit of tamarind to the chammandi. Too much of tamarind or salt can make katti chammandi taste bad. The right amount of ingredients alone makes it perfect. Too much of onions too can spoil the chammandi. So all it is about is to add the ingredients in the right proportion. Since this is a no cook variety, you can make it within a few minutes. 

If you have grated coconut in your refrigerator then you will be able to make it quickly or else it will take at least 15 minutes to make a chammandi. The tip is to grate coconuts beforehand and store in the refrigerator. You can make use of them whenever you want to, and you simply need not worry about grating it right at that moment.

Idiyappam - The Steam Cooked Breakfast Special

Title: A Symphony of Tradition: Idiyappam with a Twist of Memories

Embarking on a culinary journey down memory lane, I invite you to join me in the art of crafting Idiyappam—a timeless breakfast delicacy that carries the warmth of family traditions. In this picturesque adventure, I'll guide you through the magical process of creating the perfect Idiyappam, complemented by the sweet nostalgia of childhood stories and the joy of transforming a seemingly complex dish into a weekend masterpiece.

During my childhood, making Idiyappam was an art, and my mother's kitchen tales echo with the rhythmic sounds of the traditional Idiyappam seva nazhi. I remember the challenges she faced, patiently squeezing the thick dough with the help of my father. The ritual of making Idiyappam was reserved for weekends. Today, with modernity's touch, we have a variety of seva nazhis, that reduces the effort of making them perfectly.

Picturization:

Imagine a kitchen filled with the aroma of boiling water, the warmth of family bonds, and the rhythmic movements of crafting delicate strands of Idiyappam. The scene is a beautiful collage of tradition and innovation, a fusion of past and present captured in every frame.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Rice flour
• Boiled Water
• Salt

Method:

1. 
   

   • In a large vessel, let the water dance into a symphony of bubbles.
   • Take the roasted white rice dough in another vessel.
   • Gently add salt, and mix well with a spoon/spatula
   • Pour the boiling water in small quantities, stirring the flour with a spatula, ensuring a harmonious blend without making the batter watery.
   • When the dough thickens, let it rest with the lid on, for 2 minutes.
   • Choose the piston-type seva nazhi, a modern-day enchantment making the traditional task a breeze.
   • Oil the idly moulds and skillfully squeeze the dough into them, creating delicate coils of Idiyappam.
   • In an idly cooker, add a quarter of water, allowing it to reach a gentle boil.
   • Place the idly moulds with the pressed Idiyappam dough and let them dance in the steam for 10-15 minutes.
   • After 15 minutes, unveil the idly cooker, and with a thick kitchen cloth, gracefully take out the idly moulds.
   • Let the Idiyappams cool, their rose-tinted beauty a testament to the blend of tradition and innovation.
   • Gently transfer the Idiyappams to a serving dish and pair them with the symphony of flavours—vegetable stew or chicken stew.
   • As you enjoy the hot Idiyappams, let the flavours transport you to a realm where every bite tells a story—a story of tradition, innovation, and the joy of savouring the weekend magic.

Bon Appétit!

Picture Presentation

                 

  

                                                                                                   

Kesari - Sweet For Any Occasion

Kesari, made out of Semolina is a tasty dessert that is often served during gatherings, marriages or parties in Kerala. Usually family functions are made sweeter with this sweet that is very tasty and healthy too. I did not have any particular liking towards this sweet, until I met Vijayalakshmi Aunty, who was living next doors. She loved to make sweets and usually she gives us the pleasure of tasting her sweet delicacies more often. One of her favorite sweets was Rava Kesari or Semolina Kesari. Tasting her Semolina Kesari more often, I just fell in love with it. I also learned the technique of making the perfect Rava Kesari soon.

Kesari is ghee sweet and the ghee part is actually the tastemaker of the sweet. The semolina has to be cooked well while making Kesari. Care should also be taken not to cook it in an ordinary pan. Try using a non-stick pan to avoid semolina from sticking on to the pan while cooking. You can make use of jalebi color or light yellow color to make the kesari stand out with a yellow tint. If you do not wish to add color to the kesari, then you may avoid it. This will give you an off-white kesari.

Kesari is a diwali sweet that is often made at homes in India. This sweet is an easy to make one that can make your kids happy. Try it out to please your kiddos on a holiday so that they can enjoy a sweet moment at home with Kesari.

Ingredients

·         Rava or Semolina – 1 cup

·         Melted ghee – ¾ cup

·         Water (Boiled) – 2 cups

·         Milk – 1 ½ tbsp

·         Yellow color – a pinch

·         Sugar – 1 ½ cup

·         Cardamom essence (Optional) – 2 drops

·         Nuts for decoration (Optional)

Method

·         Take a non-stick pan, place it on a stove and heat

·         Pour Ghee to the pan and let it melt

·         When the ghee is heated, add semolina or Rava to it and stir continuously. Rava or Semolina should cook in ghee well

·         After 10 min, add sugar to the semolina and mix well

·         In a small cup, add milk. To the milk, mix the yellow color(if you prefer)

·         Add the colored milk to the Semolina or Rava along with Nuts (Optional) and mix well

·         You may add Cardamom essence or cardamom to the semolina if you prefer

·         Stir continuously till the sugar melts completely. This will take a few minutes

·         After sugar has melted completely, you may add the boiled water to the semolina and close the lid of the pan till the semolina cooks well to form a paste
Now you can switch off the stove

·         Pour the Sweet cooked semolina to a flat plate or tray and flatten it with the help of a spatula evenly

·         With the help of a knife, you may draw deep lines on the hot kesari that is flattened. Note that it is still pasty in form

·         After you make cuts on the kesari, decorate with nuts if you want to

·         Allow it to cool for 10-15 min

·         After 15 min, your Kesari will become thick and all set to sweeten your taste buds

·         Enjoy!!