Egg Curry with Green Mangoes( Mutta Manga Curry)

Overview
The sour taste from the fresh green mangoes gives a tangy taste to this egg curry which is very unique. This is a very common dish my mom used to make. The sweetness from fresh coconut milk and the aroma of ginger adds flavor to this dish. This is a typical Kerala dish fresh fish can be used in place of hard boiled eggs too.

Mutta Manga Curry

Ingredients
Green mangoes small - 4 peeled and thick sliced
Hard boiled eggs - 6
Ginger 3 inch piece - thin sliced
Green chilly - 4 - 6 split in center
Red Onion - thin sliced - one small one
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Fresh coconut milk thick - 1 1/2 cup
Red chilly powder  - 2 teaspoons
Coriander powder - 1 tablespoons
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoons
Salt to taste

To Garnish
Shallots 6 or red onions thin sliced  one half
Oil - 4 tablespoons
Curry leaves  - 2 sprigs

Steps
1. Mix the sliced ginger, green chilly, red onions, curry leaves, red chilly, coriander powder, turmeric, salt  with one cup water and green mangoes sliced  and cook till the mangoes are cooked.

2. Add the fresh coconut milk to it and bring it to boil.  Lower the heat.

3. Make gashes on the hard boiled eggs and add to the curry. Bring to boil. turn off heat.

4. Heat oil in another pan. When the oil gets hot add the sliced onions to it and saute till the onions are golden brown. Add curry eaves fry and then add this to the prepared dish.

Serve hot with plain rice.

Red Mango Ginger Pickle

Overview
Mango Ginger is a ginger that smells like raw mangoes and hence the name mango ginger.Another version of mango ginger pickle. My friend gave me this fresh mango ginger so I had to make this pickle. As this pickle ages the flavors mingle well with the mango ginger and makes this pickle very tasty.

Red Mango Ginger Pickle

Ingredients
Mango ginger thin sliced - 1 cup
Lemon juice 4 tablespoons
Red chilly powder - 2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds crushed - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds whole  - 1 teaspoons
Garlic cloves 4 - finely chopped
Fenugreek - 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
White Vinegar - 3   - 5 tablespoons
Sugar - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Oil - 3 -4 tablespoons

Steps
1. Crush the mustard seeds
2. Mix the sliced mango ginger with crushed mustard seeds, salt, turmeric and lemon juice and keep in refrigerator for 4 - 6 days. Stir it every day.
3. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds and powder well.
4. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds.
5. When the seeds splutter add the finely chopped garlic and curry leaves. Saute till the garlic is slight brown.
6. Add the red chilly powder and saute few minutes. Add the marinated mango ginger to this. Add the fenugreek powder, asafoetoda powder, sugar and vinegar. Mix well. Add salt if needed.
7. Turn off the heat. Mix well and bring it to room temp. Transfer to a clean jar.

Can be served as a condiment for rice  or chapati.

Sprouts Salad

Overview
A healthy salad rich in protein and fiber. The combination of red and green pepper makes it very colorful. This is an easy salad to make and can be used as side for grilled fish or meat. The lime juice dressing adds a refreshing taste to this salad. Yellow peppers can also be used for this salad to add more color and texture.

Sprouts Salad

Ingredients
Moong bean sprouts - 1   1/2 cup
Green pepper - 1 finely diced
Red pepper  - 1 finely diced
Cucumber - medium size  - 1 fine diced
Red Onion  - 1 finely diced( optional)
Cilantro - 1/4 cup finely chopped

For Salad Dressing
Lemon juice - 3  tablespoons
Olive oil - 1 tablespoons
Salt for taste
Black pepper powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Mix all ingredients well and pour over salad

How  to make Sprouts
1. Soak one cup of whole moong beans in plenty of water overnight
2. Drain water and tie the soaked beans in a cheese cloth and keep it in dark place over night.
3. Next day the sprouts should be ready to use

Mix the moong bean sprouts with chopped cucumber, green pepper, red pepper onion, cilantro in a salad bowl. Add the prepared salad dressing just before serving. Mix well and serve.

Achappam ( Rose Cookies)

Overview
Achappam is a very special deep fried cookie made for all special occasions throughout Kerala. Achappam is also called Rose Cookie since it is shaped like a rose flower. The sesame seeds added to this adds an extra flavor and texture to the cookie. Traditional Achappam is made with rice flour which is not roasted. To replicate this I soak rice and grind it.

Achappam

Achappam Mold

Ingredients
3 cups rice
3/4 cup sugar
Coconut milk to grind the rice - about one cup
Egg 1
Salt a pinch
Black Sesame seeds - 3 tablespoons
Oil for deep frying the cookies

Steps
1. Soak the rice in plenty of water for about 4 - 6 hours
2. Drain water put it in the blender with sugar, salt and egg. Add enough coconut milk little at a time and grind to make a thick batter. The batter should be thick if not the Achappams will be very thin.
3. Add the sesame seeds to the batter and mix well.
4. Heat oil for frying the cookies in a pan.
5. Immerse the Achappam mold in the hot oil and let it get hot for few minutes.
6. Dip the hot mold in the batter( do not fully immerse just up to the brim of the mold) and then immerse it in the hot oil and shake the mold to loosen up the cookie in the oil. Fry the cookie it it gets light brown turn it over and fry the other side to.
7. Take it out of the oil and let the oil drain.

Serve at room temperature. Makes about 40 Cookies.

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.