Shrimp Molee

Overview
Traditional Kerala dish usually made with fish. Here I have used shrimp but any kind of fleshy fish can be used for this dish. Made with coconut milk and tomatoes this dish has unique taste and goes well withe plain rice or the Kerala appams.

Shrimp Molee

Ingredients
Shrimp large - 2 pounds
Red Onion - 1 large - thin sliced
Ginger - 3 inch piece - thin sliced
Green chillies - 8 - 10 - split in center
Plum tomatoes 3 - cut into thick slices
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoons
Red Chilly powder - 2 teaspoon
Fresh grated coconut for coconut milk - 1 1/2 cup
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - 1 2 inch piece
Whole black peppers - 1/2 teaspoon
Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Olive oil - 4 tablespoons

Steps
1. Grind the fresh grated coconut in one cup warm water in a blender and squeeze out thee the coconut milk - 1 cup thick first milk(squeezed first time) and 1 cup second milk( squeezed second time)

2. Peel clean and devein the shrimp and keep aside.

3. Heat oil in pan. When the oil gets hot add the dry spices( cinnamon, cardamon, black pepper fennel seeds and cloves) to it  and saute few minutes and then add the the sliced onions, ginger, green chillies and curry leaves to the oil. Saute till the onions are soft.

4. Add the red chilly powder and turmeric to the sauteed onion mixture and saute few minutes. Add the second coconut milk to this with shrimp and salt. Bring it to a boil and simmer and cook till the shrimp is cooked. Do not overcook the shrimp.

5. Add the thick sliced tomatoes and the first coconut milk and bring it to a boil. turn of the heat .

Serve hot with plain rice or appams

Pork Vindaloo

Overview.
This is a traditional dish from Goa India. This is a dish of Portuguese ancestry Vindaloo got its original name from two of its main seasonings Vinho(vinegar) and alhos(garlic).This dish is flavored with chillies garlic, ginger and vinegar and is spicy and tangy at the same time. I used Pork chops with bones for this recipe

Pork Vindaloo

Ingredients
Pork chops 4 - about 2 pounds
Red Onion  2 medium ones thin sliced
Vinegar - about 3 - 4 tablespoons
Olive oil - 4 tablespoon
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Salt to taste
To grind for the masala paste
Vinegar
Garlic  6 - 8 cloves
Ginger 3 inch pieces
Whole dry red chillies - 5
Whole Black pepper - 1  teaspoon
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Cinnamon -  2 inch piece
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 2
Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds - 3 tablespoons

Steps
1. Chop the pork to bite size pieces with the bones. Wash in water and drain in a colander.

2. Grind all the ingredients for the masala paste in a blender and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add the sliced onions and curry leaves. When the onions become golden brown add the ground masala paste to it and saute till the oil separates.

3. Add the chopped pork salt vinegar to the sauteed masala and mix well. Bring it to a boil. Simmer cover lid and  cook for about 25 - 35 minutes on low heat till the pork is cooked well.

Serve hot with plain rice.

Pasta with Chipotle flavored Chicken Sausage

Overview
Tri color cork screw pasta mixed with chipotle flavored chicken sausage and tomatoes, onion, garlic and green pepper. I wanted to try to make some dish with the chipotle flavored chicken sausage I found at my grocery store. This sausage goes very well with the pasta.

Ingredients
Tri color Cork screw pasta - 1 pound
Grape tomatoes - 1 1/2 cups chopped length wise
Garlic - 6 cloves finely chopped
Red Onion - 1 large - sliced length wise
Red pepper flakes - 1/2 teaspoon
Dry basil leaves - 1 teaspoon
Chipotle flavored Chicken Sausage - 5 links
Green Bell pepper  - 1 large - thin sliced
Olive oil 4 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Steps
1.  Slice the chipotle flavored chicken sausages into thin rounds and brown them in a pan and keep them aside.

2. Cook the cork screww pasta in water with salt drain and keep aside. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and mix well to prevent the pasta from sticking.

3. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in pan. When the oil gets hot add the sliced onions and garlic to it. Saute till the onions are light brown.

4. Add pepper flakes to it and saute few minutes. Add the sliced grape tomatoes to this a teaspoon of salt mix well simmer. Cover with lid and cook till the tomatoes are cooked well. Add the bell peppers and sausages to this and mix well. Saute few more minutes till the green peppers are just cooked.

5. Add the cooked pasta to this along with the dry basil. Mix well. Turn off the heat.

Serve hot.

Watermelon Salad

Overview
Watermelon salad is a good summer treat. I scoop out the watermelon with melon scooper you may also cut the watermelon into bite size chunks but using the melon scooper does give this salad an elegant look. Fresh mint leaves combined with honey, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar gives this salad a unique taste

Watermelon Salad

Ingredients
3 cusps of seedless watermelon balls or chunks
Balsamic vinegar  - 2 tablespoons
Lemon juice - 2 tablespoons
Honey  - 2 tablespoons
Mint leaves finely chopped  - 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Put all the salad dressing ingredients in a bottle and shake well till  all the ingredients are mixed well.

2. Pout over the Watermelon balls and serve chilled.

Puri with Potato Curry

Overview

Puri's are deep fried Indian flat breads made with whole wheat flour.  Puri is commonly served for breakfast or snack time with vegetarian or non vegetarian curries accompanied by Indian pickles. I usually serve Puri for breakfast with potato curry. This is very simple potato curry recipe that I got from my mother. My Boys love this Potato Curry with Puri.

Puri with Potatoes

Ingredients for Puri
Whole wheat flour - 1 cups
Salt  to taste
Water to make the dough
Oil to deep fry the puri

Steps to make Puri

1. Add salt about 1/4 teaspoon to the wheat flour and mix well.


2. Add water little at a time to the flour mixture and mix well.

3. Knead the dough well ill is smooth. Cover with a wet clean kitchen towel and keep aside for about an hour.

4. Take small marble size dough balls and dip it in the flour and roll it to make round Puri's. You should not roll the Puri too thin. If it is too thin it will not fluff up well.

5. Heat oil in a pan to deep fry the Puri's. When the oil gets hot add one rolled Puri at a time to the hot oil. When the bubbles start to come on one side turn over the Puri in the oil and gently press the Puri with a spoon in the oil to make it fluff up.

6. Brown both sides and take it out from oil . Let it drain in colander.


Serve hot with potato curry.  Makes about 15 Puri's

Ingredients for Potato curry
4 medium size potatoes peeled and diced
Red Onion  - 1 large chopped into chunks
Green chilly - 4 cut length wise
Ginger 2 inch piece cut length wise
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Olive oil - 3 tablespoons
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Whole Dry red Chilly 2 - broken into pieces
Salt to taste

Steps for Potato Curry
1. Peel the potatoes and dice them to bite size cubes and keep immersed in water.

2. In a pressure cooker add the chopped onions, ginger, green chilly, 2 sprigs curry leaves, turmeric , salt and diced potatoes. Add half cup water and mix well. Cook till one whistle. Turn off heat and set it aside.

3. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter add the Red dry chilly pieces and curry leaves to it and saute. Add the cooked potato mixture to this and mix well. When the gravy is thick turn off the heat.

Serve hot with Puri.

Orange Peel Achar

Overview
Pickle or Achar made with Orange peel has a very nice aroma and flavor. As this pickle ages the orange peel absorbs the vinegar, salt, garlic and ginger and becomes more and more flavorful. I use thick orange peel from Florida oranges to make this pickle.

Orange Peel Achar

Ingredients
Washed diced orange peel - 1 cup
Garlic finely chopped - 6 - 8 cloves
Ginger 2 inch piece finely chopped
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Chilly Powder - 2 tablespoon
Fenugreek seeds -  tablesppon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
White Vinegar - 1/2 Cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 3 tablespoon

Steps
1. Wash the Orange peel well and dry it with a paper towel. Then dice the peel to small bite size pieces.

2. Marinate the Orange peel with Vinegar, salt and turmeric and keep it for 1 - 4 hours.

3. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds and grind it to a smooth powder and keep aside.

3. Heat oil in pan. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter add the chopped garlic and ginger to it and saute for about 3 minutes.

4. Add the curry leaves and chilly powder to this and saute for few more minutes.

5. Add the marinated Orange peel with the vinegar to this. Add the feungreek powder and asafoetida powder to this and mix well. Adjust salt and vinegar as needed and mix well. Turn off heat and store it in clean bottle.

Germinated Green Kadala Curry

Overview
Green kadala are small green chick pea which has been germinated here to increase its nutritional value. This is a dry curry that goes well as a side dish with chapati or rice. Germinated Green kadala can also be used in salads.

Ingredients
Green small chick pea dry - 1 cup
Red Onion - 1 finely chopped
Garlic 6 cloves finely chopped
Ginger 2 inch piece finely chopped
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Coriander seeds - 2 tablespoons
Chilly powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Whole black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin - 1/2 teaspoon.
Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Olive oil - 3 tablespoons

Steps
1. Soak the chick pea is plenty of water overnight.

2. Tie the chick pea loosely in a moist cheese cloth and keep in a dry dark place to germinate ( overnight).

3. Cook the germinated chick pea with 1/2 cup water in a pressure cooker till one whistle. Add salt and turmeric and let it boil. Turn off heat and keep it aside.

4. In another pan dry roast the coriander seeds, black pepper and cumin and grind it to a smooth powder.

5. Heat oil in a pan. when the oil gets hot add the finely chopped red onions, garlic and ginger to it.

6. Saute till the onions are slight brown. Add the ground coriander, black pepper and cumin to this along with chilly powder. Saute few minutes and then add the curry leaves. Saute few more minutes and then add the cooked germinated chick pea to this. Saute well.

7. Keep sauteing till all the liquid has evaporated.

Serve hot as a side dish with plain rice or chapati.