Banana Bread with Blueberries and Oats

Overview
A delicious moist bread you can make when you have overripe bananas. Adding rolled oats to this bread adds a nice texture and nutty flavor. Blueberries adds a sweet tang and keeps the bread moist. I have made Banana bread before too but this is with oats and is delicious and healthy.

Banana Bread with Blueberries and Oats

Ingredients
All purpose unbleached flour - 2 cups
Old fashioned rolled oats - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Sour cream - 1/2 cup
Brown Sugar - 2/3 cup
Mashed banana  - 1 cup about 2 ripe
Frozen or fresh blueberries - 2 cups
Vegetable oil - 1/3 cup
Baking powder - 2 teaspoon
Baking soda - 1/4 teaspoon
Cinnamon powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
Eggs - 2 large
1 egg  and a handful of oats for glazing

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a loaf pan and keep it aside.
2. Whisk the Milk, sour cream, eggs, mashed bananas, brown sugar, oil is bowl until well blended.
3. In another mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients - flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon powder, mix well.
4. Pour the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Gently fold in the blueberries.
6. Pour batter in the loaf pan and bake for about an hour until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. After about 30 minutes into baking glaze the bread with beaten egg and sprinkle rolled oats on top.
8. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and  cool completely on a wire rack.

Slice and serve

Chickpea Curry

Overview
A very common Chickpea curry served in all Indian Restaurants. This dish goes well with Chapati or Naan. Fresh roasted and ground spices adds a nice aroma to this dish. Ground onions, ginger and garlic makes a thick gravy for this chickpea curry.

Chickpea Curry

Ingredients for Chickpea Curry

Ingredients 
1 cup chickpea - soaked overnight
Red Onions - 1 large - ground to smooth paste
Plum tomatoes - 3 made to a puree
Garlic - 8 - 10 cloves
Ginger 2 inch piece
Red Chilly powder - 1 - 2 teaspoon
Whole coriander seeds - 2 tablespoons
Whole black pepper - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Green chillies - 6 - 8 split in centre
Cilantro leaves  finely chopped - 3 tablespoons
Salt to taste
Oil 4 tablespoons

Steps
1. Cook the cleaned soaked chickpea  with 2 cups water in a pressure cooker till it is cooked well.
2. Grind the red onions, tomatoes and ginger garlic to a smooth paste and keep it separate. Onions in one bowl, tomatoes in one and garlic and onion can be ground together.
3. Dry roast the spices in pan one at a time and keep aside - Coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppers and fenugreek seeds. Ground all the dry roasted spices in a coffee grinder to a smooth powder and keep aside.
4. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a pan. When hot and the onion paste to it and saute well till the onions get brown and oil separates. Add all the ground spices along with red chilly powder and turmeric. saute well.
5. Add the tomato puree to this and mix well and keep cooking till oil separates. Add the cooked chickpea with the water to this  and mix well. add salt as needed and let this simmer on slow flame till the chickpeas are well coated with the gravy. Turn off heat.
6. In another pan heat the remaining one tablespoon oil and fry the green chillies, turn off heat and add the asafoetida powder to the oil and pour this to the prepared curry. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.

Serve hot with Chapati or Naan

Kerala Fried Chicken

Overview
A simple fried chicken served in Kerala with most non-vegetarian meals. There are many version of fried chicken this is a simple recipe made with very few ingredients. The fried green chillies add an extra spiciness and flavor to the chicken. Serve this fried chicken with fresh sliced red onions.

Kerala Fried Chicken

Ingredients
One small chicken - skinned and cut into small pieces
Garlic cloves - about 8
Ginger 2 inch piece
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Chilly powder - 1 tablespoon
Freshly ground Black pepper powder  - 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves  - 6 - 8 sprigs
Green chilly - 8 - 10
Red Onion one - cut into thin slices
Salt to taste
Oil for shallow frying

Steps
1. Grind or finely chop the garlic and ginger.
2. Marinate the cleaned cut chicken pieces with chilly powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, ginger garlic paste and salt and leave it aside for 2 - 3 hours in refrigerator.
3.  Heat oil in a pan and when oil gets hot add the curry leaves little at a time and then the chicken pieces. Fry the chicken pieces on medium flame till it is golden brown.
4. Fry the green chillies cut in centre in the same oil  and garnish on top.

Serve the fried chicken hot with sliced red onions.

Beetroot Kichadi

Overview
A very simple and easy to make dish served in Kerala for special occasions especially for Onam. Beetroot mixed with yogurt and grated coconut gives a nice pink color to this dish. The only cooking time needed for this is to cook the beetroot.

Beetroot Kichadi

Beetroot Kichadi Ingredients

Ingredients
Beetroot 2 small ones
Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
Plain yogurt - 1 cup
Green chilly - 6 - 8
Mustard seeds -1  teaspoon
Whole red chillies - 3 - 4 broken int pieces
Curry leaves - 2  sprigs
Oil - 2 tablespoon

Steps
1. Peel 2 small beet roots, clean and cut into half and cook with 1/2 cup water on medium flame till it is soft. Grate the cooked beet root and keep aside should be about one cup.
2. Grate the coconut with the green chillies with just enough water to make a smooth paste.
3. Mix the smooth ground coconut to the beetroot.
4. Whisk the thick plain yogurt and add this to the beetroot too. Add salt as needed. Mix well and keep aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan  and when oil is hot add the mustard seeds when it splutters and the broken pieces of red chillies and curry leaves. Turn off heat. Pour this over the prepared curry.

Serve with rice.

Snake Gourd with Dry Prawns (Padavalanga Chemmeen Curry)

Overview
Snake gourd grows on vines with the vegetable hanging down which grows from one to five feet in length hence the name snake gourd. Snake gourd are rich in nutrients and minerals so is very good for you. This is a very traditional dish from Kerala made with snake gourd and dry prawns. You can use fresh prawns too for this dish. The fresh fried shallots and curry leaves that you add in the end to this curry adds an extra flavor to this dish.

Snake Gourd with Dry Prawns Curry

Ingredients

Ingredients
Snake gourd cleaned and cut pieces - 2 cups
Dry Prawns - 1 cup
Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
Shallots thin sliced - 1 cup
Ginger thin sliced - 2 inch piece
Green chilly split in centre - 8 - 10
Curry leaves - 4 sprigs
Red Chilly powder - 2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil - 3 tablespoon

Steps
1. Dry roast the cleaned dry prawns till it is crispy and keep aside.
2. Grind the coconut to a smooth paste and keep aside.
3. Keep aside 1/4 cup sliced shallots and 2 sprigs curry leaves to garnish in oil at end.
4. Mix the cleaned sliced snake gourd pieces with all of the remaining ingredients ( the dry roasted prawns should be added later)  and 1/2 cup water and cook in heavy bottom pan covered till it is cooked.
5. Add the dry roasted prawns and the ground coconut paste along with half cup water to this and mix well and bring this to a boil.  The gravy should be thick in consistency.
6. Once the mixture boils turn off heat and keep aside.
7. In another pan heat the oil and fry the thin sliced shallots till golden brown. Add the curry leaves and pour this over the prepared curry.

Serve hot with plain rice.

Chakkakurru Mezhakapurratti ( Stir fried Jack Fruit Seeds)

Overview
I got fresh jack fruit from an Indian store which was a very special treat to get in U.S. I saved the seeds and enjoyed making this special Jack fruit seed stir fry. This was a very special treat to have  after a long time. The sweet taste of fresh jack fruit mixed with the garlic and red pepper flakes made this dish very unique and delicious. A very simple and easy dish to make with very few ingredients.

Jackfruit Stir Fried

Ingredients
Jack fruit seed cleaned and cut length wise - 2 cups
One small red onion sliced length wise
Garlic cloves 8 - 10 thin sliced length wise
Red crushed pepper flakes - 1 - 2 tablespoons
Curry leaves 2 - 3 sprigs
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Coconut oil or vegetable oil - 2 tablespoon

Steps
1. Place the cleaned cut jack fruit seeds in a pan with 1/2 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, salt and cook on  low flake till the jack fruit seeds are cooked and soft. Turn off heat and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. When oil is hot add the thin sliced onions and garlic and saute till the onions are light brown. Add  remaining turmeric powder and crushed red pepper flakes and saute few minutes. Add the curry leaves and saute well.
3. Add the cooked jack fruit seeds to this and mix well. Mix well till all the water is evaporated and it is dry.

Serve hot with plain rice or chapati.

Shrimp Biryani

Overview
Biryani is a very common rice dish we find throughout India served with meat or seafood. Here I have used shrimp. Juicy shrimp mixed with the fragrant basmati rice and spices makes a very delicious dish. I have used whole spices which adds a special aroma to this biryani.

Shrimp Biryani

Ingredients for Shrimp Biryani

Ingredients
Shrimp(Large size) 2 pounds
Basmati rice - 2 cups
Red Onions - 3 large
Plum tomatoes - 2
Cilantro chopped 3/4 cup
Mint chopped - 3/4 cup
Garlic - 10 cloves
Ginger 2 inch piece
Lemon - 1
Coriander powder - 2 tablespoon
Chilly powder - 2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon 2 inch piece - 2,
Cardamom  - 4,
Cloves 6,
Star anise - 2
Fennel seeds - 2 teaspoon
Whole pepper corn - 1 teaspoon
Cashews - 10
Raisins - 3 tablespoons
Oil - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste


Steps
1. Devein the shrimp clean and keep aside.
2. Grind the garlic and ginger to a smooth paste.
3. Marinate the shrimp with ginger, garlic paste, the juice of half lemon, chopped cilantro, chopped mint and salt . Keep refrigerated for minimum one hour.
4. Thin slice the red onions and tomatoes and keep aside in separate plates.
5. Wash the rice several times till the water is clear. Soak rice in water for about 1 hour.
6. Heat about 4 - 5 tablespoons of oil in  pan. When the oil is hot  add half of the whole garam Masala( one 2 inch piece cinnamon, cardamom 2, cloves 3, star anise 1, fennel seeds 1 teaspoon, pepper corn 1/2 teaspoon) to the oil and Fry.
7. Add 2/3 of the sliced onions to this and saute till the onions turn light brown, Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilly powder to this and saute well.
8. Add the sliced tomatoes to this with a little salt mix well and cover pan with lid and cook till the tomatoes are cooked well  and oil separates.
9. Add the marinated shrimp to this. Mix well and cover pan with lid and look till the shrimp is cooked(do not overcook the shrimp). Remove lid and cook till the gravy is thick. Turn off heat and keep aside
10. Heat about 1/4 cup oil in a pan and fry the cashews first then the raisins, drain oil and keep these aside. In the same oil fry 1/3 of the sliced onions and fry the onions till it is golden brown. drain oil and keep aside.
11. Take another pan to cook the rice. Drain the water from rice and keep aside. In the pan heat 4 tablespoon in a pan. When the oil is hot  add half of the whole garam masala( one 2 inch piece cinnamon, cardamom 2, cloves 3, star anise 1, fennel seeds 1 teaspoon, pepper corn 1/2 teaspoon) to the oil and fry.
12. Add the drained rice to this and mix well. Add 4 cups of water the juice of half lemon and salt as seeded and mix well and bring this to a boil. Lower the heat, cover pan and cook for about 8 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and keep aside.
13. Layer biryani in a dish. first with cooked rice them the shrimp with gravy sprinkle fried onions, cashew and raisins followed by finely chopped cilantro and mint. Add one more layer of rice and garnish on top with fried cashews, raisins, cilantro, mint and fried onions.

Serve hot with raita and pickle