Kerala Mango Pickle

Overview
This is a simple and easy mango pickle to make.  This pickle can be eaten immediately but as it ages the mango pieces become more flavorful. Each region in India has a recipe for mango pickle. This is a typical Kerala mango pickle served with rice and curries.

Mango Pickle Ingredients

Mango Pickle

Ingredients
Raw Mango thin sliced - 2 cups
Garlic finely chopped - 2 tablespoons
Ginger finely chopped - 2 tablespoon
Curry leaves - 4 sprigs
Fenugreek seeds - 1 1/2 teaspoons
Asafoetida powder - 3/4 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilly powder - 2 -3 tablespoons
Oil - 4 tablespoons
Salt 3 - 4 tablespoons
White Vinegar - 3 -4 tablespoons

Steps
1. Mix the thin sliced mangoes with  about  3 tablespoons salt and keep aside for about 4 to overnight in refrigerator.
2. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds and grind it to a smooth powder and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds to it.When the seeds splutter add the finely chopped garlic and ginger to it and saute till this mixture begins to brown.
3. Add the curry leaves fry few minutes and add the chilly powder. Mix well.
4. Add the sliced mangoes to this and mix well. Add the vinegar, fenugreek seeds powder, turmeric powder and asafoetida powder and mix well. Turn off the heat and mix well.  Check salt

Let it cool to room temperature and transfer to a cleaned bottle and store in refrigerator.

Chicken Piralen Curry

Overview
This is a very unique chicken dish made with all ground ingredients. The thick gravy coats the chicken pieces to add flavor and aroma to every piece. Chicken piralen is made in many different ways in Kerala. This is  new recipe I tried which my whole family liked so will be making more often now.

Chicken Piralen

Chicken Piralen Ingredients

Ingredients
2 pound chicken skinned and cut into pieces
Shallots - 15 - 20
Green chilly - 6 - 8
Garlic paste - 2 tablespoon
Ginger paste - 2 tablespoon
Tomatoes - puree made out of fresh tomatoes - 1 1/2 cup
Cilantro finely chopped - a handful
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Olive oil - 4 tablespoons

Spices to grind
Whole coriander seeds
Whole red chilly - 4 - 6
Whole black pepper - 1 - 1/2 teaspoon
Star anise - 1
Cardamom pod - 1 - 2
Cloves 2 - 3
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece
Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon

Steps
1. Wash and drain the cut chicken pieces and keep aside.
2.Grind the shallots and green chilly to a smooth paste. Keep all ingredients ready for the dish.
3. Grind the spices to a fine powder is a coffee grinder powder and keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a  heavy bottom pan. When the oil gets hot add the ground shallots and Green chilly mixture. Saute well till the raw green chilly aroma fades away.
5. Add the ginger garlic paste to this saute well till the paste gets light brown.
6. Add the prepared spice mixture to this and saute for 2 - 3 minutes and add the tomato puree to this and saute well till the liquid has evaporated and oil separates.
7. Add the chicken pieces, salt and turmeric to this and mix well. Cover the pan with lid and cook on low flame till chicken is done.
8. Remove the pan lid and keep stirring the chicken curry till the gravy thicken and coats the chicken pieces. Almost all liquid should evaporate just a thick coating on the chicken pieces.
9. Transfer to serving dish and mix the chopped cilantro.

Serve hot with rice or chapati

Wings with Peanut Sauce

Overview
Chicken wings are one of my favorite appetizer. I like to use wing drummettes in place of whole chicken wings which makes a very beautiful presentation. These wing drummettes are baked in the oven and are full of flavor. The amount of hot sauce and the red pepper flakes used can be adjusted to your taste.

Wings with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients
Wing drummettes  - 2 pounds
Garlic paste  - 2 teaspoon
Ginger paste - 2 teaspoon
Hot sauce  1 - 2 teaspoon
Soya sauce - 2 teaspoon
Red pepper flakes - 1 teaspoon
Oil - 2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

For Peanut Sauce
3 tablespoon peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon soya sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
 Salt - 1/4 teaspoon

Mix all ingredients for the peanut sauce in a bowl

Steps
1. Marinate the chicken wing drummettes in garlic, ginger paste, soya sauce, red pepper flakes, oil, salt and hot sauce for about 1 - 4 hours.

2. Heat oven to 375 degree Fahrenheit.  Place the wing drummettes in a oiled tray and bake in oven .

3. Bake til the wings are done about 30 - 40 minutes. do turn over the wings 2 -3 times so that it gets the crisp on all sides.

Serve hot with prepared peanut sauce and hot sauce.

Pork and Koorka

Overview
A typical pork dish made by Christians in Kerala especially in Trichur.  Koorka or Chinese potato cooked with pork becomes very flavorful and delicious.  More than the pork I like the koorka which gets all the flavors from being cooked with the pork.  This year when I went to India I got to make this dish with my mother. Fresh Koorka  does make a big difference is taste and texture for this recipe. Though cleaning fresh Koorka is a tedious job the end result is definitely worth it.

Pork with Koorka

Ingredients
Pork cut into pieces - 2 pounds
Cleaned fresh koorka about 1 1/2 pounds
Ginger cut into thin long slices - 2 inch piece
Green chilly - 6 - 7 split in center
Shallots thin sliced -  8
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoons
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

For Saute
Oil - 4  tablespoons
Shallots - 8 - 10 thin sliced
Garlic - 8 - 10 cloves thin sliced
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Coriander powder - 2 tablespoons
Chilly powder - 1 1/2 tablespoons
Black pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala powder - 1 tablespoon

Steps
1. Mix the clean cut pieces of pork in a pressure cooker with thin sliced shallots, ginger, green chilly, curry leaves, chilly powder, coriander powder , turmeric and salt. Cook till the pork is done one whistle.

2. Turn off the heat. Add the cleaned koorka to the pork and cook covered  till the koorka is cooked well.

3. In another pan heat the oil. When the oil gets hot add the thin sliced shallots and garlic and saute till the shallots become slight brown,

4. Add the Chilly powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder and garam masala and saute well. Add the Curry leaves. Saute few more minutes.

5. Add the cooked pork and koorka to this and mix well. Saute till almost all the liquid has evaporated.

Serve hot with plain rice and other curries.

Inri Appam and Paal(Unleavened Easter Bread)

Overview
Special Appam made on Maundy Thursday by Christians in Kerala. A very simple unleavened bread made during Easter time and served with a special sauce made with coconut milk and Molasses. The head of the family cuts the appam after prayers and distributes it to others in the family dipping it in paal according to age(eldest to youngest). Traditionally the palm leaf got on Palm Sunday is used to make a cross on the appam.

Inri Appam and Paal

Ingredients for Inri appam
Idly rice - 1 1/4 cup
Urdu Dal - 1/4 cup
Fresh grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Garlic - 1 clove
Shallots - 5 - 6
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Steps to make Inri Appam
1. Soak the rice and Urdu Dal in plenty of water for about 4 - 6 hours.
2. Grind the rice and Urdu Dal to a smooth paste with just enough water the batter should be thicker than idly batter.
3. Grind the coconut with shallots, cumin, garlic coarsely.
4. Mix all together to make a thick batter with salt to taste.
5. Pour batter to a oiled flat steaming vessel . Make a cross with the palm leaf and place at the center of the appam.
6. Steam for about 10 - 15 minutes till the Appam is cooked well. Makes about two 8 inch appams.

Let it cool to room temperature before cutting. Serve pieces of Appam dipped in the Pal.

Ingredients for Paal(Sauce for Bread)
Coconut  milk( canned coconut milk can be used but fresh coconut milk does make a big difference) - 2 cup
Molasses - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
Pinch of salt
Rice flour - 1 tablespoon
Cumin seed powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Dry ginger powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Steps to make Paal
1. Mix the coconut milk with   molasses and bring to boil.
2. Mix the rice flour with 1/6 cup water and add to the boiling coconut milk mixture.
3. Bring the heat to medium and keep stirring till the milk has thickened.
4. Mix  3 tablespoon of coconut milk with the cumin and dry ginger powder and pour to this mixture with a pinch of salt.
5. Keep stirring till it starts to thicken. Turn off the heat and continue to stir for few more minutes.

Serve with appam

Mint Mango Chutney

Overview
The refreshing taste of mint combined with the sour taste of green mango make this a perfect condiment for fried rice,  biriyani and all kinds of Indian breads. Fresh grated coconut is the base of this chutney. Mint leaves, green mangoes, ginger, green chilly ground with fresh grated coconut is an easy a delicious chutney to make.

Mint Mango Chutne

Ingredients
Fresh Mint leaves - 1 cup
Green mangoes cut into pieces - 1/2 cup
Ginger 1/2 inch piece
Green chilly - 4 - 5
Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup

Steps
1. Wash the mint leaves well and keep aside.
2. Peel the ginger and make to small pieces.
3. Mix the fresh grated coconut, mint leaves, ginger, green mango pieces and green chillies in the blender with about half cup water and make it into a smooth paste.

Transfer to serving dish and chutney is ready to serve.

Beetroot Pachadi

Overview
This is a typical Kerala Pachadi made with fresh diced beetroot. A very easy dish to make and can be served with rice or chapatti. Beetroot cooked this way with fresh grated coconut, mustard seeds and yogurt gives this dish a very unique and delicious taste.The ground mustard seeds gives this a dish a pungent and spicy taste. The very bright pink color of this dish makes it one of a kind.

Beetroot Pachadi

Ingredients
One large beetroot finely chopped
Green chilly split at center 2 - 3
Curry leaves  - 1 sprig
Fresh grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Plain thick yogurt -1 cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 3 tablespoons

To Garnish
Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
Whole red chilly 2 -3  cut into pieces
Curry leaf  - 2 sprig

Steps
1. Cook the finely chopped beetroot with the green chilly, salt, curry leaves in 1/4 cup water. Cook till the beetroot is cooked well about 7 - 9 minutes.

2. Grind the Fresh grated coconut with the mustard seeds to a smooth paste.

3. Add the ground coconut with mustard to the cooked beetroot and bring to  a boil. Turn off the heat and let this cool to room temperature.

4. Whisk the yogurt well and mix to the cooled dish. 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 broken red chilly pieces and curry leaves. Turn off heat and add this to the prepared beetroot pachadi.

Serve with rice or chapathi.