Unni Appam

Overview
Traditional Kerala fried sweet fritter made for special occasions. It is made of rice, banana, jaggery and is deep fried in oil. You make this in a special mould to get this special round shape. A touch of cardamom powder adds a nice flavor ad aroma to these sweet fritters.

Unni Appam

Unni Appam Ingredients

Ingredients
Long grain rice 2 cups
Small ripe bananas - 3 - 4
Jagger or Molasses - 3/4 cup
Coconut chips - 1/2 cup
Black sesame seeds - 1 tables spoon
Cardamom about 10
Salt 1/2 teaspoon
Oil to fry

Steps
1. Wash the rice is several turns of water and soak for about 4 - 5 hours.
2. Heat 3 tablespoon ghee or melted butter in a pan and fry the thin sliced coconut chips till it is golden brown. Drain the chips and keep aside.
3. In a coffee grinder grind the cardamom  to a fine powder. Strain  the powder and keep aside.
4. Blend the molasses, soaked rice and bananas to  smooth texture and keep aside. Rice doesn't have to be ground to be very smooth it can be a little coarse. The batter should  be the consistency of idly batter.
5. Mix the fried coconut chips, cardamom powder and salt and mix well. Keep the ground batter to ferment for about 6 - 8 hours in warm place.
6. Heat oil in the unni appam mould. When the oil gets hot using a tablespoon pour the batter into each mould. Fry both sides on medium heat. Drain oil and when it cools a bit the Unni Appam is ready to eat.

Cauliflower Peanut Curry

Overview
A nice and creamy Cauliflower curry that goes well with chapati or any Indian bread. Ground peanuts gives this dish a nice creamy texture. Fresh whole spices adds a nice aroma and flavor to this dish.

Cauliflower and Peanut Curry

Cauliflower Curry Ingredients

Ingredients
Cauliflower one small head cut into florets
Plum tomatoes finely chopped one cup
Red Onion finely chopped one cup
Raw peanuts - 1/2 cup
Garlic cloves 6 - 7
Ginger 2 inch pieces
Whole Red chillies - 6 - 7
Whole coriander seeds - 3 tablespoons
Whole cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Cilantro finely chopped - 2 tablespoons
Oil - 3 tablespoon

Steps
1. Wash the cauliflower well and separate into florets and keep aside.
2. In a blender with 1/2 cup water blend the peanuts, garlic, ginger, whole red chillies, whole coriander, whole cumin and turmeric powder to a smooth paste and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. When oil is hot add the finely chopped red onions and saute till the onions are lite brown. Add the ground paste to this and saute till the oil separates.
4. Add the finely chopped tomatoes to this along with salt and mix well. Cover pan with lid and cook on a low flame till the tomatoes are tender and cooked well.
5. Add the Cauliflower florets and salt as needed. Mix well cover pan with lid and cook on low flame till the cauliflower florets are cooked. Do not over cook the cauliflower.
6. Turn off heat and transfer to  serving dish and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro .

Serve hot with any Indian bread.

Okra Stir fry (Vandakka Mezhukkupuratti)

Overview
A simple and easy dish that can be prepared in few minutes. The only time consuming part is slicing the okra. I have sliced the okra in thin strips about three inches. This dish can be used as a side dish with any meat or fish dish or with rice or chapati.

Okra Stir Fry

Okra Stir Fry Ingredients

Ingredients
Tender Okra one pound
One medium red onion thin sliced length wise
Garlic cloves 6 cloves thin sliced
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Red pepper flakes - 1 - 2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Oil 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Clean and dry the tender okras. Cut into 3 inch piece and then into thin slices as shown in the ingredients picture.
2. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the slices onions and garlic to it. Saute till the onions are light brown.
3. Add the turmeric and red pepper flakes to this and saute few minutes. add curry leaves fry few minutes and then add the sliced okra to this. Add salt and mix well.
4. Cook on low flame covering the pan with a lid for about 5 minutes. Remove lid and mix well and saute till the okras are dry and cooked.

Serve hot

Asian Rice Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

Overview
A delicious rice noodle dish that by boys enjoy. This rice noodle dish made with chicken and vegetables makes a complete meal. Ginger, garlic and sesame oil adds a nice aroma and flavor to this dish. I got this brown rice noodle which are real delicious and healthy.

Asian Rice Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients
Brown Rice noodles 1 pound pack
Chicken breast 1 pound cut into thin strips
Carrot cut into thin strips - 1 cup
Green peas frozen - 3/4 cup
Green onion one bunch thin sliced
Garlic 4 - 6 cloves thin sliced
Ginger 2 inch piece cut into thin slices
One large red onion thin sliced
Red pepper flakes - 1  - 2 tablespoons
Sesame oil 1 tables spoon
Soy sauce 2 -3 tablespoons
Vegetable oil - 3 tablespoon
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Boil a gallon of water in a bog pot. When the water boils turn off heat and put the brown rice noodles in the and cover with a lid and keep it for 5 minutes. Drain noodles and immediately wash in cold water drain and keep aside.
2. Thaw the frozen green peas and keep aside.
3. In a heavy bottom pan. heat 3 tablespoon oil. When the oil gets hot add the thin sliced red onions, garlic, ginger. Saute till the onions become light brown.
4. Add the red pepper flakes to this and saute  few minutes and then add the thin sliced chicken breast and one tablespoon soy sauce to this to this mix well and cook covered for about 10 minutes.
5. Remove lid and add the sliced carrots and green peas to this. Mix well and cook covered for about five minutes till the carrots are cooked.
6. Add  the cooked noodles to this with 2 tablespoons soy sauce and one tablespoon sesame oil and mix well till the noodles are  mixed with chicken and vegetables.
7. Garnish with finely sliced green onions and serve hot.

Instant Cucumber Pickle

Overview
A simple pickle which is easy to make  and goes well as a relish with any meat or fish dish. This pickle has very few ingredients and no cooking at all. Quick and easy to make. I like to serve this pickle with fried fish or cutlets.

Instant Cucumber Pickle

Ingredients

Ingredients
English Cucumber - 2 cleaned and cut into cubes
Juice of 2 limes
Red Chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds and grind it to a smooth powder.
2. Mix all ingredients  and transfer to a jar.

Can be served with any fried fish or meat. Can be stored in refrigerator for a week.

Kumbalanga Pulissery (Ash Gourd in Coconut Yogurt gravy)

Overview
Pullissery is  a very  traditional Kerala dish usually made with Ash Gourd. One of our friends over here gave me this fresh Ash gourd grown in his garden and I was excited to make pulliseery. Pullisery is a dish served in  all vegetarian banquets in Kerala. This dish usually goes well with plain rice.

Kumbalanga Pulissery 

Ingredients

Ingredients
Ash Gourd cleaned peeled and cut into cubes about 1 1/2 cups
Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Thick plain yogurt - 1 cup
Garlic - 4 cloves
Black pepper cloves - 1 teaspoon
Red chilly powder 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds 1/2 teaspoon
Whole dried red chillies - 3 - 4 broken into pieces
curry leaves 2 - 3 sprigs
Oil - 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Place the cleaned cut ash gourd pieces in 1/2 cup water 1/4 teaspoon turmeric,1 teaspoon chilly powder and salt in an earthen pot or a pan.  Mix well and cover and cook on low flame till the ash gourd pieces are cooked well.
2. In your blender with 1/4 cup water grind the fresh grated coconut along with garlic, cumin seeds, black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder to a smooth paste.
3. Add the ground coconut mixture to the cooked ash gourd. Mix well and bring the mixture to boil. Lower flame and let the ash gourd pieces cook with the coconut mixture for 2 - 3 minutes.
4. Turn off heat and let this mixture come to room temperature. Beat the yogurt well with a whisk and add to the prepared ash gourd. Mix well.
5. Heat oil in a pan. When oil is in hot add the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Let the seeds splutter. Lower flame and add the Whole red chilly pieces and curry leaves. Turn off heat and pour this over the prepared pullisery dish.

Serve with plain rice.

Chicken with Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Overview
A very spicy chicken curry made with crushed red pepper flakes. The gravy in this dish is thick and coats the chicken pieces. This dish goes well with any Indian bread or plain rice. Fennel seed powder and Black pepper powder adds a unique aroma and taste to this dish.

Chicken with Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Ingredients

Ingredients
2 pound chicken cleaned and cut into small pieces
Red onions 2 large  - finely chopped
Plum tomatoes - 3 finely chopped
Ginger 2 inch piece finely chopped
Garlic 8- 10 cloves finely chopped
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Crushed red pepper - 3 - 4 tablespoons
Red chilly powder - 1 teaspoons
Black pepper - 1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon.
Oil - 4 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Marinate the clean cut chicken pieces with salt, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and one teaspoon chilly powder and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. When oil is hot add the  finely chopped red onions followed by finely chopped garlic and ginger. Saute well till the onions turn light brown.
3. Add the crushed red pepper flakes to this and saute few minutes and then add the pepper,fennel seed powder and turmeric powder to this and mix well.
4. Add curry leaves to this and fry few more minutes and add finely chopped tomatoes to this. Mix well and cover with lid and cook till tomatoes are cooked well.
5. Add the chicken pieces to this and mix well. Add salt as need and cover pan with lid and cook on low flame till the chicken is cooked well. Remove lid and mix well till the gravy is thickened and it coats the chicken. Turn off heat and serve hot