Koorka Mezhukkuperatti (Chinese potato dry curry)

Overview
Koorka is very common in Kerala and different kinds of dishes are made with this. Koorka is one of my favorite root vegetable. It is kind of like potato but has a very distinctive taste and aroma. Koorka with beef is another traditional dish common among Catholics in Kerala. This dish is a very simple saute of Koorka with onions and garlic. Since fresh Koorka is very hard to get here I have used frozen Koorka. Makes a good side dish to serve with rice and curries.

Koorka Mezhuppuratti

Ingredients
Fresh or Frozen Koorka - One pound( thin sliced)
Garlic - 4 - 6 cloves thin sliced
Red Onion  half thin sliced
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon
Crushed Red pepper - 1 - 2 tablespoon
Olive oil - 3 tablespoon
Salt to taste.

Steps
1. Cook the sliced Koorak with 1/2 cup water, salt and turmeric. Keep aside.

2. In another pan heat the oil. When the oil gets hot add the sliced garlic and onions. Saute till the onions are light brown. Add the crushed red peppers and curry leaves.

3. Saute few minutes and then add the cooked Koorak to this. Saute well till all liquid has evaporated.

Serve hot with rice and curries.

Dal with Green Tomatoes

Overview
I love the combination of green tomatoes with Dal. I make this dish every summer when I get green tomatoes from my garden. The nutty taste for the Split green gram Dal that is dry roasted compliments the sour taste of the green tomatoes. A good side dish for chapati or rice.

Dal with Green Tomatoes

Ingredients
Split Green gram Dal - 1 cup
Green tomatoes - 6 medium size
Garlic - 8 cloves finely chopped
Red Onion 1/2 finely chopped
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Red Chilly powder - 2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil - 3 tablespoon

Steps
1. Wash the Dal is several changes of water and drain well. In a pressure cooker dry roast the Dal till it is golden brown and gives a nice nutty aroma. Mix with 2 cups water and cook till one whistle or till it is cooked well.

2. Finely chop the green tomatoes and mix with the Dal. Bring it to a boil and cook few minutes till the tomatoes are done. Add turmeric and salt, mix well and keep aside.

3. In another pan heat oil. When the oil gets hot add the finely chopped onions and garlic and saute till onions are light brown. Add the chilly powder and saute few minutes and add the curry leaves. Fry few minutes and pour the cooked Dal and tomatoes to this. Bring to a boil and turn off heat.

Serve hot with Chapati or rice.

Stuffed Eggplant (Enna Kathirikai)

Overview
Small purple eggplants are used for this recipe. Two different kinds of Dal's(Urdu Dal and Channa Dal ) are dry roasted and mixed with spices and is stuffed in between the eggplants. Dry roasted ground Dal's gives it a nutty and unique flavor and texture. This dish goes very well with Chapati or any Indian breads or rice.

Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients
Egg plants small round variety 10
Channa Dal - 2 tablespoons
Urdu Dal - 2 tablespoons
Fry Red Chillies  6 - 8
Whole coriander seeds - 2 tablespoons
Asafoetida powder 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Tamarind size of a marble
Olive oil 4 tablespoons

Steps
1. Slit the egg plants into 4 without separating the pieces. Keep in then in salted water.

2. Dry roast the Dal's, Chillies and Coriander seeds and powder well. Mix asafoetida powder to it and keep aside.

3. Mix a little salt and water to the ground Dal's and spices and make a paste.

4. Fill the inside of the eggplants with this paste.

5. Heat oil in flat pan and brown all sides of the stuffed egg plant.

6.Pour one cup water and the tamarind pulp made with hot water and mix well and add to the egg plants and simmer till egg plants are cooked

7. Simmer till gravy is thick and coats the egg plants and liquid is evaporated.

Serve hot with any Indian breads or rice.

Tandoori Chicken

Overview
Tandoori chicken is a very popular Indian dish prepared by baking or grilling chicken marinated in yogurt and spices.Traditionally cooked in a Tandoor oven but baking it in conventional oven or even grilling it comes out very well. Usually served with Onion salads and lemon wedges. This is one dish found in all Indian Restaurants.

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients
3 - 4 pounds whole chicken or legs
Lime Juice - 2 tablespoons
Vinegar - 2 tablespoons
Cardamoms - 4
Whole black pepper - 8 - 10
Cinnamon - 2 inch piece
Cloves - 3
Coriander seeds - 2 tablespoons
Cumin - 1 teaspoon
Chilly powder - 1 tablespoons
Garlic cloves - 8 - 10 cloves
Ginger - 3 inch piece
Plain Yogurt - 4 tablespoons
Oil - 4  tablespoons
Salt to taste
Red Color( optional) - 1 - 2 drops

Steps
1. Remove skin from chicken and cut into big pieces. Clean well and drain water. If using chicken legs just remove skin and make gashes on the fleshy part of chicken and keep aside.

2. Grind all the  ingredients with vinegar lime juice and water to make a smooth paste. Mix with the yogurt to make a thick marinate.

3. Marinate the chicken pieces in the ground spice mixture mixed with yogurt and salt and keep refrigerated for about 4 hours to overnight. If you have time always do overnight it tastes better that way.

4. Bake in 400 degree oven or grill . Every 15 minutes brush the left over marinates over the chicken. Cook for about 45 minutes till the chicken is cooked well.

Serve hot as an appetizer or side dish with rice and curries.

Appam and Chicken Stew

Overview
Appam is kind of like a crepe but made with fermented rice flour and coconut milk. Very popular traditional breakfast of Kerala. Usually eaten with beef or chicken stew which is also made with coconut milk. Appams are made in traditional pans which are curved in the center which gives the Appam the unique shape with lace like sides and soft center.

Ingredients for Appam
Rice 2 cups
Cocconut milk - 1 cup
Yeast - 1 tablespoons
Salt a pinch
Sugar - 4 tablespoons
Water as needed to make a crepe like batter

Steps for Appam
1. Soak rice in plenty of water for about 8 hours. Drain and keep aside.

2. In a blender grind the drained soaked rice with coconut milk( Luke warm - warm coconut milk in microwave for few seconds), salt, sugar and yeast  to a smooth paste.

3. Cover and keep aside for about 1 - 2 hours till the batter is fermented and rises up.

4. Pour spoonful of batter to the appam pan and swirl it around  to cover the whole area of the pan and cover and cook the appam. After about few minutes 2 - 3 minutes remove lid and take the appam out.

Serve hot with Chicken stew

Ingredients for Chicken Stew
Chicken breast - 2 pounds
Medium size potatoes - 2
Carrots 2 large
Red Onions - 1 1/2 - thin sliced
Green chilly - 4 - 6 split in center
Ginger 3 inch piece - thin sliced
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Cinnamon - 2 inch
Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 4
Whole black pepper - 1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
Black pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coconut milk   - 1st milk - 1 cup
Coconut milk - 2 nd milk - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Olive oil - 2 tablespoons

Steps for Chicken stew
1. Slice the  chicken breasts to bite size chunks and keep aside

2. Peel and cut the potatoes and carrots into chunks and keep aside.

3. In a heavy bottom pan  mix the chicken pieces with one cup water, one sliced onions, ginger, green chilly 2 sprigs of curry leaves, salt, pepper powder and all the whole spices. Cook till the chicken is done.

4. Mix the potatoes and carrots to the chicken and cook few more minutes with the second coconut milk  till the potatoes and carrots are cooked well.

5. Add the second milk and bring to boil and then turn off heat.

6. In a separate pan heat the oil. When the oil gets hot add 1/2 the red onions thin sliced. Saute it till the onions brown. Add one sprig of curry leaves separated and fry few more minutes.

7. Pour this oil mixture over the stew and serve hot.

Kerala Beef Fry

Overview
Traditional Kerala dish prepared for all special occasions. Each region in Kerala has its own recipe. Here is my version of beef fry. Spicy and delicious side dish that goes well with rice. Easter, Christmas or any special occasion would not be complete with out this dish. Coconut chips are optional but they do add a unique texture and flavor to this dish.

Beef Fry

Ingredients
Beef - 2 pounds
Onion medium size  - 3
Ginger 3 inch piece
Garlic - 8 - 10 cloves
Curry leaves 4 sprigs
Green chilly - 4 - 6 split length wise
Red Chilly powder - 2 teaspoon( adjust chilly powder as needed)
Coriander powder - 3 tablespoons(fresh ground coriander seeds does make a big diffrence)
Coconut chips - 1/4 - 1/2 cup optional
Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Olive oil - 4 tablespoons

For Garam masala  powder
Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
Whole black pepper - 1 teaspoon
Star anise - 1
Cloves - 3
Cardamom - 1 whole
Cinnamon  2 inch piece

Steps
1. Cut the beef to bite size cubes. Clean and drain and keep aside.

2. Thin slice one onion and 1 inch piece o f ginger into thin strips. Add the prepared beef, and sliced onions, ginger, green chilly and 2 sprigs of curry leaves to pressure cooker. Mix with salt, turmeric, 1 teaspoon chilly powder and 1 teaspoon coriander powder and cook till one whistle. Turn off heat and keep aside.

3. Finely chop the remaining to red onions, ginger and garlic. keep aside.

4. Heat oil in  a heavy bottom pan. When the oil gets hot add the finely chopped onions, ginger and garlic to it. Saute till the onions are light brown.

5. Add 1 teaspoon chilly powder and 2 tablespoon coriander powder to this and fry few minutes . Add the garam masala powder and the curry leaves. Saute few more minutes and then add the cooked beef and coconut chips if using to this and mix well.

5. Keep stirring on low flame till all the liquid has evaporated.

Serve hot with rice.

Bran Muffins

Overview
These muffins have no oil or butter and is made with whole wheat and bran. Bananas and mixed berries makes this muffins moist , sweet and delicious. In addition to the sweetness from fruits just honey is added. Perfect healthy muffins for breakfast.

Bran Muffins

Ingredients
Whole Wheat flour - 1 1/2 cups
Wheat Bran - 1/4 cup
Honey - 1/4 cup
Baking Powder - 1 tablespoon
Salt - 3/4 teaspoon
Bananas mashed - 3
Skim milk - 1/2 cup
Eggs - 2 large
Egg white - 1
Vanilla essence - 1 teaspoon
Mixed berries - 1 cup
Raw sugar - 4 tablespoons

Steps
1. Heat Oven to 400 F

2. Oil Muffin pans or put muffin cups in it.

3. Mix all dry ingredients wheat flour, wheat bran, salt and baking powder.

4. Mash 3 bananas.

5. Mix skim milk, eggs, honey and vanilla essence to the dry ingredients.

6. Mix the mashed bananas and berries and blend well. Pour into the muffin cups. Sprinkle each cup with raw sugar. Bake at 400 F for about 10 - 15 minutes till tooth pick inserted in the muffin comes out clean,

Serve at room temperature