Pavakka Achar ( Bitter Gourd Pickle)

Overview
If you like Bitter gourd you will definitely love this pickle. This pickle has a combination of different flavors like hot, sour, bitter and sweet which makes it very unique. This pickle can be served as a condiment with any rice dish or Indian breads.

Bitter Gourd Pickle (Pavakka Achar)

Ingredients
Bitter gourd - 4 medium size cut into 2 inch long thin slices
Chilly powder - 2 -3 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Garlic 8 - 10 cloves finely chopped
Ginger 3 inch piece finely chopped
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tablespoon roasted and powdered
Asafoetida powder - 1 teaspoon
Dry whole red chilly - 4 - 5 broken into pieces for garnish
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Vinegar about 1/4 cup
Brown sugar 1 - 2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil about 4 tablespoons

Steps
1. Heat a non stick pan and add the sliced bitter gourd melon and keep stirring till all the water evaporates. Add 2 tablespoon of oil to this and stir the bitter gourd till it gets  crispy and brown. Keep this aside.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the dry chilly pieces and curry leaves to this and saute few minutes.
3. Add the finely chopped garlic and ginger to this and saute well till it is lightly brown. Add the chilly powder, turmeric powder to this and saute well. Add the fried Bitter gourd to this and mix well.
4. Add the vinegar  and salt to this and mix well. Add asafoetida, fengreek powder and brown sugar to this and mix well and bring it to boil. Turn off heat.
5. Let the pickle cool to room temperature. Store in a clean jar.

Onion Pakoda

Overview
Pakoda's are spicy crispy Indian fritters served as a snack or appetizer. These are quick and easy to make. Onion Pakoda is the most common pakoda served through out India but pakodas can be made with any vegetables. Common vegetables used for pakoda are eggplant, broccoli, cauliflower and potatoes. Chickpea flour is used to make the pakoda, a little rice flour is added to this to make the pakoda crispy.

Onion Pakoda

Ingredients
Onions  - 4 medium sized thin sliced
Curry leaves - 4 sprigs
Chick pea flour 1 1/2 cups
Rice flour - 2 - 3 tablespoons
Chilly powder 1 -2 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying the pakodas

Steps
1. Add the sliced onions in a big bowl. Add a teaspoon of salt and mix well and keep it aside for about 5 - 10 minutes. Squeeze out the water
2. Mix all the dry ingredients. Add water little at a time to make a thick batter. Add the prepared onions and curry leaves to this and mix well.
3. Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottom pan, When the oil gets hot add the prepared pakoda batter a teaspoon at a time. Deep fry till golden brown

Serve hot with tomato sauce or tamarind chutney

Fruit Cake

Overview
Fruit cake is a must to have treat in Kerala for Christmas. This is my mothers recipe for fruit cake. Each region in Kerala has its own recipe. The caramelized sugar syrup added to the cake batter adds a unique color and flavor to this cake. You can add any dried fruits and nuts of your choice to this cake to give it your own unique touch.

Fruit Cake

Ingredients
Flour 3 cups  + 6 tablespoons for dried fruits
Sugar 3 cups
Unsalted butter softened 4 sticks
Eggs 8 large
Vanilla essence 2 tablespoon
Baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoon
Salt 1 teaspoon
Sugar  1/4 cup for caramelizing
Candied cherries red and green, citron, raisins and cashews finely chopped 3 cups total -  1 cup nuts and 2 cups chopped dried fruits. You can adjust the amount of fruits and nuts to your taste.

Steps
1. Add 2 - 3 tablespoons of water to 1/4 cup sugar in a heavy bottom pan and bring it to  a boil. Keep stirring it till the sugar turns golden brown. Add 4 - 6 tablespoon water to this and bring to boil. Turn off heat and let this caramelized sugar syrup come to room temperature.
2. In another bowl mix the  flour with baking powder and salt and mix well and keep aside.
3. In a bowl mix all the chopped dried fruits and nuts with about 6 tablespoons flour and mix well so that each piece is coated with flour.
4. In a large bowl mix the butter and sugar well till it is fluffy
5. Add one egg at a  time and mix well  till it is well blended and all eggs mixed well.
6. Add the flour mixture little at a time and mix well to make a smooth batter.
7. Add the vanilla essence and the caramelized syrup at room temperature to this and mix well. Mix in the flour coated dried fruits and nuts to the batter .
8. Pour the batter into two 10 inch round pans which are coated with butter.
9. Bake at 350 for about 30 - 40 minutes till a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Almond Cookies

Overview
Simple cookie covered with thin slices of almonds and sugar to give an extra crunch. These cookies are easy to make and cut in the shape of diamonds to make an elegant presentation. My boys love these cookies and this is another cookie I love to make  during Christmas.

Almond Cookies

Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter softened
1 cup sugar
 2 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp almond extract
3 cups flour

 To decorate cookies
White from one large egg lightly beaten
1 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sugar

Steps
1. In a large bowl mix all ingredients except the flour till it is fluffy. Add flour little at a time and mix till well blended. Divide dough in half and wrap separately and refrigerate 1 hour  until firm.
2. Heat oven to 325 F. Have cookie sheet ready.
3. On a lightly floured  surface roll dough into 12 inch square.
4. Cut dough with a pizza cutter into 8 strips and then diagonally to form diamonds. Place on cookie sheet 1inch apart. repeat with remaining dough.
5. Brush the surface of the dough with egg white, gently press the almond slices on it and sprinkle with sugar.
6. Bake 8 - 10 minutes till edges are light brown.

Christmas Tree Cookies

Overview
These Christmas tree cookies are made with honey and spices and are cute enough to hang on  your Christmas tree as decorations. I found this recipe in a magazine long time back and have been making these cookies for every Christmas.  Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves gives these cookies a distinctive aroma and flavor.

Christmas Tree Cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

To decorate cookies
white from one egg beaten with fork
Red hot cinnamon candies
Green sugar
Multi colored nonpareils

Steps
1. Bring honey, sugar and butter to a boil in a small sauce pan. Boil stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool to room temperature and keep aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Stir in cooled honey mixture and knead until smooth. Divide dough in half. Warp one half and refrigerate
3. Heat oven to 350 F.
4. On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll unwrapped dough 1/4 inch
thick. Cut out cookies using cookie cutter and place the cut cookies on a cookie tray.
5. Brush each cookie with egg white and place cinnamon candy on top. decorate with green sugar and nonpariels.
6. Bake 6 - 8 minutes till the sides are light brown. Remove the cookies from tray and let them cool. Repeat with the other half of dough.

Vattayappam(Steamed Rice cake)

Overview
Vattayappam is very common dish made by Kerala christian families for all special occasions. This is served for breakfast and tea time. The batter is made with ground rice, coconut, sugar and yeast and then fermented and steamed to form a fluffy rice cake. A simple sweet rice cake but the coconut does add a delicious texture and flavor to this.

Vattayappam (Steamed Rice Cake)

Ingredients
2 cups rice
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon yeast
1 cup fresh grated coconut
Raisins - 3 tablespoons

Steps
1. Soak rice is plenty of water for 4 - 6 hours.
2. Take about 3 - 4 tablespoons of the soaked rice and grind to a smooth paste with water.
3. Add this to a pan with 1 cup water and bring it to a boil stirring continuously. Keep stirring till it is porridge consistency. Turn off heat and let this rice porridge cool to room temperature.
4. Grind the soaked rice, coconut, yeast, salt and the rice porridge in a blender to a smooth paste adding water as needed. The batter should be a little loose like idly batter.
5. Leave it to ferment in  warm place for about 2 - 3 hours.
6. Once the batter as fermented pour it into a oiled plate or any vessel( even idly mould can be used)
7. Decorate on top with raisins and steam over water for about 20 minutes till the rice cakes are cooked.

Cut into pieces and enjoy with hot tea.

Beef and Tapioca Curry (Kappa Beef Varathu Arache Curry)

Overview
A traditional Kerala dish made with beef and tapioca. Since tapioca is grown in plenty in Kerala it finds its way in many Kerala dishes. Each region in Kerala has its own recipe for beef with tapioca. Fresh grated coconut fried with spices and ground to a smooth paste makes the delicious gravy for this dish. Since Fresh tapioca root is hard to find here I have used frozen tapioca root which works very well for this dish.

Beef Tapioca Curry

Ingredients
3 pounds Frozen Tapioca root
1 1/2 pound beef
2 inch piece of ginger thin sliced
4 - 6 green chilly split in center
One medium red onion thin sliced
Garlic 3 cloves thin sliced
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Turmeric 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Chilly powder - 1 teaspoon to taste

For the masala paste
1 Cup fresh grated coconut
1 inch piece of ginger
8 - 10 cloves of garlic thin sliced
2 sprigs of curry leaves
Whole Coriander seeds - 4 tablespoons
Whole dry Red chilly - 4 - 6
Whole black pepper - 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon - 2 inch pieces
Cardamom - 2 cloves
Whole Cloves 2 -3
Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
Star anise- 1 whole
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 - 4 tablespoon oil for frying

To garnish
Oil - 3 tablespoon
Red Onion one half thin sliced
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Whole red chilly 3 - 4 broken into big pieces

Steps
1. In a big pot half fill with water and bring it to a boil. Add salt to the water and add the frozen tapioca roots to it. Half cook it and drain the tapioca and keep aside.
2. Remove the center root from the tapioca pieces and cut into bite size pieces and keep aside.
3. Cut the beef into bite size pieces wash in water drain and keep aside.
4. Mix the beef with sliced ginger, onions, green chilly, curry leaves, garlic, turmeric, chilly powder , coriander powder, salt and about 1/2 cup water in a pressure cooker or a heavy bottom pan and cook till the beef is almost cooked.
5. Add the prepared tapioca pieces in a big heavy bottom pan and add the gravy from the cooked beef to this add water as needed and cook the tapioca till they are cooked well. Add the cooked beef to this too mix well and cook the beef and tapioca together for about 5   - 10 minutes. Turn off heat and keep aside.
6. In another pan heat 3 -4 tablespoon oil and fry the whole coriander seeds,red chilly and all the spices for the masala and fry few minutes. Add the fresh grated coconut along with the sliced ginger, garlic and curry leaves to this and fry in a low flame till the coconut turns golden brown.
7. Grind the fried coconut spice mixture in blender with water to make a smooth paste.
8. Add the prepared masala paste to the cooked beef and tapioca mixture and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and transfer curry to serving dish.
8. In another pan heat about 3 tablespoon oil. When the oil gets hot add the thin sliced red onions to this and fry till the onions are golden brown. Add the whole red chilly pieces and curry leaves to this and fry for a minute. Turn off heat and pour this over the prepared tapioca and beef curry.

Serve hot as a meal on its own or with plain rice.