Boiled/ Steamed Vegetables

Staying fit and gaining that healthy glow is not an easy task. Controlling your junks and adding in a whole lot of greens does count a lot when you are into the world of fitness. 

To give your body the complete nutrients especially essential ones is easy when you prefer vegetables in your diet, and I must say there is no alternative to boiled vegetables when it comes to healthy food. 

Ingredients and method of preparation can be found after the picture presentation.

 

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• Carrots - 1/2 kg
• French Beans - 1/4 kg
• Long Beans - 1/4 kg
• Cauliflower - 1/2 no
• Potatoes   - 3 nos
• Salt
• Butter - 1/4 stick (2 tbsp)

Method

• Cut the vegetables except potatoes into long pieces
• Cut the potatoes into cubes
• Blanch Cauliflower separately with salt and a dash of vinegar
• Take out a steamer and add sufficient water to it
• Place all the vegetable pieces including blanched cauliflower to the steamer tray
• Close the lid and let the vegetables cook in steam for about 10-15 minutes
• Make sure that the vegetables do not lose their crispiness.
• Remove the contents to a bowl after 15 minutes
• Add in sufficient amount of salt and mix well by tossing the bowl 
• Now you may add 1/4 butter stick to the cooked vegetables. Toss it once more.
• Serve hot.
• This can serve as a starter for your meal or you can simply snack it up.
• Enjoy!!

Chicken in Spices and Herbs

Planning for a wonderful Sunday surprise for your family? Then what are you waiting for? Try cooking chicken in a perfectly new way that can definitely spice up your Sundays.

The curry is loaded with spices and herbs, so as to give it an extra taste that you have never ever experienced before.

Ingredients

• Chicken - 1 kg
• Onions   - 3 medium
• Cardamom - 2 -3 nos
• Black pepper(Whole)- 6 to 7
• Cloves - 2 nos
• Ginger pieces- 1 inch piece finely chopped
• Garlic cloves- 6 nos. Finely chopped
• Kashimiri Chilly powder - 2 to 3 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala - 2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 3 tsp
• Tomatoes - 2 medium
• Rambha leaves- 2 nos
• All spices leaves- 2 nos
• Bay leaf  - 1
• Mint leaves - a small bunch ( a cup of finely chopped mints would do)
• Corriander leaves - a small bunch ( for garnishing)

Method

• Heat a large kadai and add coconut oil or vegetable oil (3 to 4 tbsps)
• When the oil is heated, add cardamom, black pepper (Whole) and cloves. Allow them to pop
• Now add All spices leaves, bay leaves and rambha leaves and saute for 2 mins
• Add finely chopped onions and green chillies to the oil and saute well
• Add ginger pieces and garlic pieces to the pan and saute well
• In yet another pan or kadai, add Kashmiri red chilly powder, corriander powder and turmeric and roast well. Add half a cup of water and make it into a thick paste and keep it aside
• Into the first kadai where the onions are sauted, add finely chopped tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes become soft and mushy
• Now you can move on to add the chicken pieces with sufficient amount of salt
• Stir well
• Add the spice mix which is kept aside, to the chicken
• Mix well and allow it to boil
• Now close the kadai with a lid and let it cook for 15-20 mins
• After the chicken pieces are cooked, switch off the flame and remove the contents to a serving dish.
• Garnish with corriander leaves and rambha leaves
• Serve hot with rice or chapatis.

Beef Curry

Kerala special Beef curry is a real delight for the taste buds. Preparing Beef curry is not a big deal. It is very simple, easy and when the right spices are added in the right proportion, you get the best curry for your lunch or dinner. The method is simple. I have actually used veal beef for making this curry. Veal beef is actually tender and tasty, and most important of all, takes less time to cook.

So here is the method of making veal beef curry-the kerala style.

Ingredients

• Beef- 1 kg
• Shallots - 15 numbers (You can even replace them for 2 large onions)
• Ginger Garlic paste- 1 tsp
• Tomato- 1
• Red chilly powder- 1 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder- 3-4 tsp
• Garam Masala powder- 1 tsp
• Bay leaf- 1
• All spices leaf- 2 
• Rambha leaf- 1

Method

• In a pressure cooker add the meat after it is washed well.
• Add sufficient amount of salt (Not too much) ;)
• You may add a pinch of turmeric to it 
• Close the lid and let it cook. Since I have picked veal beef, it simply needs 3 whistles from the cooker. Switch off and let it cool.
• Take a kadai and heat it
• pour in oil 
• Add All spices leaves and rambha leaves
• Saute and simmer
• Now add the finely chopped shallots or onions as you prefer
• Add green chillies and saute well
• Now you may add the ginger garlic paste. Make sure that you add the ginger garlic paste after the shallots/onions have turned golden brown
• Now in goes the spices - red chilly powder, corriander powder, a bit of turmeric and garam masala
• Saute well
• Add the finely chopped tomatoes and add sufficient salt for the onions and tomatoes
• Now add the cooked beef to the pan and mix well
• Allow the curry to boil
• Now switch off flame and serve hot with rice or chapatis.
• Enjoy!!

Paavakka Fry / Bitter Gourd fry

Paavakka or Bitter gourd plays a major role in the dining tables during lental period. When most Christians avoid meat varieties during the months of February and March, Bitter gourd becomes their favorite vegetable in the State of Kerala.

I have tasted Bitter gourd fry often at my home. But this one is a bit different from the one I had at home. It was actually tried out by me after tasting it during a function. Bitter gourd fry with fried coconut flakes can add more taste and aroma.

Bitter gourd fry is the best accompaniment for rice, and it is a must try for any Keralite.

Ingredients

• Bitter gourd/ Paavakka- 1 large
• Onion - 1 large
• Red chilly powder- 1/4 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp
• Turmeric - 1/8 tsp
• Coconut gratings or Coconut flakes- 1/4 cup
• Rice flour- 1 tsp
• Salt
• Coconut oil

Method

• Cut the bitter gourd into fine and thin slices
• Add Red chilly powder, turmeric, asafoetida and salt to the bowl and mix well with the bitter gourd pieces
•  Now add 1 tsp of rice flour to the bitter gourd pieces. Mix well.
• Heat a frying pan and add coconut oil to it
• Add the bitter gourd mix to the oil and fry till crisp
• Remove from flame and place them on a tissue for draining off excess oil
• Now in the same oil, add finely chopped onions and fry till golden brown
• Add coconut flakes or coconut gratings to the pan and saute till brown colour.
• Now add a pinch of salt just right for the onion and coconut fry
• Finally you can add the fried bitter gourd pieces to the pan and mix well with coconut mix
• Serve hot with rice.
• Enjoy the yummy taste of bitter bitter gourd in a totally different style.

Spicy Potato Curry

Potatoes with a tint of spicy taste is my favorite, especially with the Indian Bread Chappathi. The spicy touch of red chillies with potatoes is a good combination. I love it with herbs and a tinge of tanginess from tomatoes.

Ingredients

• Potatoes- 6 nos
• Onions  - 2 medium
• Shallots - 6 nos
• Tomato- 1 large
• Garlic   - 4 cloves
• Ginger -  1/2 inch
• Red Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 3 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala
• All spices leaves- 2
• Rambha leaves- 1 large
• Oil

Method

• Peel potatoes and dice them 
• Heat a pressure cooker
• Add oil and add mustard seeds. Pop them.
• Add a pinch of cumin seeds and pop them too
• Add All spices leaves and rambha leaves and saute
• Now add finely chopped onions, shallots, ginger pieces and garlic pieces to the oil and saute till golden brown
• Now add the spices to the pan and saute for 2 min
• Add in the finely chopped tomatoes
• Saute well
• Now add the diced potatoes and a small amount of water for them to cook
• Add in salt and garam masala. Mix well
• Close lid of pressure cooker and cook for 10 to 15 min
• After 10 min open lid and remove the contents to a serving bowl
• Serve hot with Chapattis
• Enjoy!!

Vellarikka Pachadi

Ingredients 

• Cucumber cut into small cubes- 1 cup
• Shallots - 4-5
• Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds powder - a pinch
• Garlic- 2 cloves
• Curd - 1 cup
• Coconut grating - 1/2 cup
• Salt
• Oil
• Curry leaves

Method of Making pachadi with pictures

1. Cut cucumbers into small cubes and add them to a pan

2. Add one chilly, small amount of salt and a bit of water. Close the lid of the pan and cook in slow flame.

3. In a mixer jar, add coconut gratings, musturd seeds (1/4tsp), cumin seed powder (jeera-a pinch), shallots (kochulli - 4 no) and garlic cloves (2nos). Run the mixer and to get a loose consistency, you may add a bit of water.

4. Now add the ground coconut mix to the cooked cucumber pieces

5. Mix the curd well with the cooked cucumber pieces. You may add water. Add salt and make sure you do not add too much of salt. Cook for 2 min in slow flame. Do not allow to boil.

6. Open the lid of the pan 

 7. Now add 1/2 a cup curd to the cooked cucumbers and check salt.

8. Garnish with curry leaves and serve with rice and other vegetable curries.

Garam Masala

Garam Masala gives the spicy touch to any non-vegetarian or vegetarian dish. To make garam masala powder, you need to spend some amount of your quality time, to get the right spices and prepare them the proper manner to spice up any Indian dish.

Ingredients

• Fennel Seeds - 500 gm
• Cinnamon or Karuga Patta - 50gm
• Cloves - 15 nos
• Star Anise- 2
• Mace of Nutmeg- 5 no
• Nutmeg- 1/4
• Poppy seeds- 250 gm

Method

• Heat a pan
• Add fennel seeds, cloves, star anise, mace of nutmeg and nutmeg and dry roast well
• Remove the roasted spices
• To the same pan, add cinnamon and roast separately for 5 min
• Remove from flame
• Now you may roast the poppy seeds in the same manner and keep aside
• When the spices cool down, add them to a mixer jar and grind them to powder
• Store in an air tight container
• You may even roast the spices in microwave. But care should be taken not to roast them too much.