Ambazhanga ( Hog Plum) Pickle

Overview
A special kind of plum grown in Kerala and many parts of Asia. In Kerala usually it is eaten when it is green and raw and typically to make pickles or as a souring agent. It has a sour taste kind of like fresh green mangoes. Though grown in tropical places one of our friends had grown this in big pot at their place and during winter they bring it inside. When I visited them they gave me some fresh Ambazhanga so had to try this pickle which is one of my favorite pickles.

Ambazhanga(Hog Plum) Pickle Ingredients

Ambazhanga Pickle

Ingredients
Ambazhanga cleaned and cut into small pieces - 2 1/2 cups
Garlic  - 10 cloves finely chopped
Ginger 2 inch piece finely chopped
Green chilly - 4 finely chopped
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Whole Red Chilly 4 - 5 broken into pieces
Kashmiri chilly powder - 3 tablespoons
Mustard seed powder - 1 tablespoon
Fenugreek - 1 tablespoon
Asafoetida powder 1 teaspoon
Vinegar - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Whole mustard seeds  - 1 tablespoon
Oil - 4 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Mix the cleaned and cut Ambazhanga pieces with salt. Mix well and keep aside overnight or for 2 - 3 days.
2. Mix the Chilly powder, turmeric powder and Mustard seed powder and keep aside.
3. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds and grind to a smooth powder and keep aside.
5. Heat oil in heavy bottom pan. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds. After the seeds splutter add the whole red chilly pieces and fry few minutes and add the curry leaves.
6. Add the finely chopped green chilly, garlic and ginger to this and saute till the garlic is light brown.
7. Add the chilly powder  mixed with turmeric and mustard powder to this and keep stirring on low flame still the raw taste of chilly powder goes away and a nice aroma of roasted chilly powder comes.
8. Add the vinegar mixed with 1/4 cup water to this and mix well. Add the sliced Ambazhanga to this along with the fenugreek seed powder and asafoetida powder. Mix well and bring this to a boil. Adjust salt as needed and turn off heat.
9. Let it cool to room temperature Transfer to a clean pickle jar.

Serve with any Rice or Indian Breads.

Vallarika Pachadi

Overview
Vallarika is a vegetable found plenty in Kerala. It tastes like a cucumber but is bigger in size. Vallarika Pachadi is a typical Kerala dish served for all vegetarian banquets.  Ground coconut and yogurt makes the gravy for this dish.  Coconut ground with mustard seeds gives a distinctive spicy flavor and elegant aroma to the gravy. One of my friends gave me this fresh Vallarika grown in their garden so had to try this dish.

Vallarika Pachadi

Ingredients
Vallarika pieces - thin small pieces - 2 cups
Green chilli 4 - 6 split at center
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Mustard seeds 3/4 teaspoon
Thick non fat plain yogurt 1 cup
Fresh grated coconut - 3/4 cup

To garnish on top
Oil - 3 tablespoon
Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
Whole red chilly cut into pieces - 4
Curry leaves 2 sprigs

Steps
1. Peel the skin of the Vallarika, remove seeds and cut to thin small pieces. Cook with one cup water, split green chilly, curry leaves and salt till they are cooked well.
2. Grind the coconut with mustard seeds and half cup water to a fine paste.
3. Mix the ground coconut to the cooked Vallarika mixture. Bring to a boil and turn off heat. Let this cool to room temperature.
4. Add the well whipped yogurt to this. Mix well and add salt if needed.
5. In another pan heat the oil. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter add the Red chilly pieces and curry leaves. Turn off heat and pour this over the prepared pachadi.

Serve with plain rice.

Tandoori Chicken Pizza

Overview
A simple a delicious pizza that can be made with left over Tandoori chicken. I prefer thin crust for this but any pizza crust of your choice can be used. Chopped tandoori chicken pieces mixed and caramelized onions are the toppings I have used. Any topping of your choice can be used.

Tandoori Chicken Pizza

Pizza Crust, Pizza Sauce, Mozzarella cheese,
Chopped tandoori chicken and caramelized onions

Ingredients
Pillsbury thin crust pizza crust frozen
One large onions thin sliced - about 1 1/2 cup (when caramelized should be 3/4cup)
Olive oil - 2 tablespoon
Chopped tandoori chicken pieces - 3/4 cup
Grated Mozzarella cheese - 1 1/4 up

For Pizza sauce
1 cup spaghetti sauce with garlic
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon olive oil

Steps
1. Heat olive oil in a pan and saute thin sliced onions till they are light brown. Keep aside.
2. Mix all ingredients of tomato sauce and keep aside.
3. Thaw the frozen pizza crust and spread on a flat tray. Bake for 8 minutes at 400 degree Fahrenheit. Remove crust from oven.
4. Spread the prepared pizza sauce on the partially cooked pizza crust. Spread the chopped tandoori chicken pieces all over the crust followed by the caramelized onions. Last spread the grated mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake pizza at 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes till the cheese is melted.

Slice and serve hot topped with crushed red pepper flakes.

Beef Lasagna

Overview
Simple easy lasagna made with ground beef. I used no cook lasagna noodles which is easy to layer. Once you get the sauces and cheese mixtures ready it is very easy to prepare. This is a filling and satisfying lasagna with ground beef and three kinds of cheese. A hearty dish that my boys request time and time again.

Beef Lasagna

Ingredients
Ground beef 90% fat free  - 1 pound
No cook Lasagna noodles - 1 packet
1 teaspoon dry basil
1 teaspoon oregano
Your favorite spaghetti sauce - 2 1/2 cup
Mozzarella cheese grated - 2 cups
Parmesan cheese grated - 1/4 cup
Ricotta cheese - 1 cup
Egg - 1 whole

For Tomato sauce
14 oz  can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 teaspoon dry basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Steps
1. Brown the ground beef in a pan on low heat. Add the spaghetti sauce to this along with one teaspoon of basil and one teaspoon oregano.  Mix well and bring to boil . Turn off heat and keep aside.
2. Mix all the ingredients for tomato sauce in bowl and keep aside.
3. Mix the ricotta cheese with well beaten egg and keep aside.
4. Use a 13x9 pan. Meat sauce, tomato sauce and ricotta mixture and noodles need to be divided for 3 layers. Mix the mozzarella cheese with Parmesan cheese and divide for two layers.
5. First layer the meat sauce at the bottom of the pan. Put a single layer of noodles topped with a layer of ricotta cheese. Spread the ricotta cheese and then add a thin layer of tomato sauce , meat sauce  and grated cheese mixture. Repeat again in layers to have 3 layers of noodles. Grated cheese should be put in the middle layer and top layer.
6. The top most layer after noodle should be meat sauce, tomato sauce and grated cheese mixture.
7. Bake at 350 degree oven covered with aluminium foil for about 30 minutes till cheese is melted and it is bubbling.
8. Remove from oven and let it stand for 10 - 15 minutes before serving.

Cut and serve hot.

Ela Ada (Steamed rice dumplings in banana leaf)

Overview
Traditional Kerala delicacy made in banana leaves. Rice dough is spread out on the banana leaves and stuffed with a sweet coconut mixture and steamed. The banana leaves does add a very distinctive aroma and flavor to the Ada. The rice flour has to spread on the leaves as thin as you can. This is a special tea time snack and is also served for breakfast.

Ela Ada

Ingredients
Rice flour - 1 cup
Water 2 cups
Salt to taste
Fresh grated coconut - 2 cups
Brown sugar - 1 3/4 cup
Ground dry ginger powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Steps
1. Clean and cut the banana leaves.
2. Mix the coconut with brown sugar and dry ginger powder and keep aside.
3. Boil 2 cups of water with about 3/4 teaspoon salt. When the water boils stir in the rice flour little at a time and mix well. Turn off heat.
4. When the dough cools to room temperature knead well to form a smooth dough.
5. Divide dough into lemon size balls. Press flat on clean banana leaves and spread into a oval shape. Fill the center with  about 2 tablespoon of prepared coconut mixture.
6. Fold the banana leaf and press edges to close the filling.
7. Steam the prepared Ada in a steamer for about 10 minutes. Gently unfold the banana leaves to serving plate.

Serve hot.