Dates Pickle

Overview
This is a sweet and hot pickle that goes very well with fried rice and biriyani. This pickle is a mix to three big flavors - sweet taste from the dates and brown sugar, the tangy taste from the vinegar and tamarind and the hot spicy taste from the green chilly and red chilly powder. These 3 flavors mixed to together adds a unique blend of flavor to this delicious condiment.

Dates Pickle

Date Pickle Ingredients

Ingredients
Dates pitted and cut into pieces - 2 cups
Garlic 1 -  - 12 cloves finely chopped
Ginger 2 inch piece - finely chopped
Green chillies finely chopped - 3 -4
Curry leaves 3 sprigs
Brown sugar or jaggery - 2 tablespoons
Tamarind the size of lemon
White Vinegar - 3 - 5 tablespoons
Fenugreek - 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
Red Chilly powder 3 - 4 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil - 4 tablespoons

Steps
1. Soak the tamarind in 1/4 cup warm water for about 10 minutes . Squeeze the pulp out and strain the tamarind liquid and keep aside.
2. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds in a pan and powder well and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in heavy bottom pan. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter.
4. Add the finely chopped garlic and ginger to it and saute few minutes till it starts to turn light brown.
5. Add the curry leaves and finely chopped green chillies to it and saute few minutes. Add the turmeric and chilly powder to this and saute few minutes.
6. Add the tamarind liquid and 1 cup water to this and mix well. Add the dates pieces to this and mix well.
7. Add the fenugreek  powder, asafoetida powder, salt, brown sugar and vinegar and mix well.
8. Cover the lid and cook this till the dates are cooked well and soft.
9. Turn off heat and add additional salt and vinegar if needed.
10. Let it cool to room temperature and transfer to a clean bottle and store in refrigerator.

Serve as a condiment with Fried rice or Biriyani.

Bow Tie Pasta with Tomatoes, Meat and Green peas

Overview
Farfella is a common pasta also know as Bow Tie pasta. The word Farfella in Italian is butterfly. This is a real delicious pasta that looks like butterfly or bow tie. In this dish I have combined the Bow Tie pasta with tomatoes, ground beef and green peas to make Ragu that coats the pasta to make each bite delicious.

Bow Tie Pasta with Tomatoes, Green Peas and Beef

Bow Tie Pasta Ingredients

Ingredients
Bow tie pasta - One box - 1 pound
Minced beef or lamp - one pound
Green peas -  1 cup
Grape or cherry tomatoes split at center - 1 cups
Garlic 6 - 8 cloves minced finely
Red Onion One large thin sliced
Dried Basil - 1 teaspoon
Red Pepper flakes - 1 teaspoon or to taste
Salt to taste
Olive oil - 5 tablespoons

Steps
1. Cook the paste according to the instructions on the box. Do not overcook the pasta needs to be al dente. Drain the pasta and mix it with 2 tablespoon olive oil and the basil leaves. Mix well and keep aside.
2. Brown the ground beef  and keep aside.
3. In another pan heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the minced garlic Saute till it is light brown. Add the Red pepper flakes saute few minutes and then add the sliced red onions to this.
4. When the onions get soft add the sliced grape tomatoes to this along with salt. Mix well and cook covered until the tomatoes are cooked well.
5. Add the frozen green peas to this and cook till the peas are cooked about 5  - 7 minutes.
6. Add the ground browned ground beef to this and mix well and let it cook on low heat till all flavors mingle.
7. Add the prepared pasta to this and mix well. Turn off heat.

Serve hot.

String Hoppers( Idiyappam)

Overview
Idiyappam or String hopper is fresh rice noodles very popular as a breakfast dish in Kerala. Usually Idiyappam is served with Egg curry or Stew made with coconut milk. This is also served with sweetened coconut milk and with sweetened fresh grated coconut. You do need to have the String hopper press to make the noodles and the idily stand to steam the idiyappam in. My family likes it with Egg curry.

Idiyappam with Egg Curry

Ingredients
Rice flour - 1 cup
Water 2 cups
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tablespoons

Steps
1. Boil the 2 cups of water with salt till it comes to boil.
2. Add the rice flour and mix well. Turn off the heat
3. When the dough gets warm enough to handle knead well with the oil to make smooth dough.
4. Add dough to the String hopper press and rotate to dispense the noodles in to the idliy stand.
5. Steam for 10 - 15 minutes till it is cooked.

Serve hot with egg curry or stew

String Hopper press and Idily stand

Mutton Curry

Overview
Mutton or Goat curry is a very common curry found in all Indian restaurants. Each state in India has its own recipe for mutton curry. This a recipe from my state Kerala. Mutton is usually made into stew in Kerala with coconut milk, but this is another version of mutton curry which is served with rice or chapati and made for special occasions. Lot of sauteed onions mixed with ground ginger, garlic and whole masala makes the delicious base of the gravy for this curry.

Mutton Curry Ingredients

Mutton Curry

Ingredients
Mutton - 2 pounds with bones cut into pieces
Red Onion - 4 medium size one thin sliced
Tomatoes - 3 plum  tomatoes. thin sliced
Cilantro - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Mint - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Green chilly - 4 - 6 - split at center
Oil - 4 - 5 tablespoons
Salt to taste

To be ground
Garlic - 8 - 10 cloves
Ginger - 2 inch piece
Coriander powder -  2 teaspoon/( ground from whole seeds)
Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Star anise - 1
Cloves - 2
Whole black pepper - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Chilly powder - 1 -2 teaspoon

Grind all of the above ingredients to a smooth paste by adding enough water (about half cup ).

Steps
1. Cut the mutton  to bite size pieces wash well and drain in colander. Keep aside

2.Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the thin sliced onions and green chilly and saute till the the onions are golden brown.

3. Add the ground masala paste to this and saute till the paste is brown and the oil comes out.

4. Add the sliced tomatoes to this mix well with a 1/2 teaspoon salt cover and cook till the tomatoes are cooked well.

5. Add the mutton to this mix well and transfer to a pressure cooker. Cook till two whistle in pressure cooker or in a pan on low heat till the mutton is cooked well( if cooked in pan it would take about 45 - 1 hour)

6. Add the chopped cilantro and mint leaves and mix well

Serve hot with rice or chapati

Pineapple Pachadi

Overview
A very common Kerala dish served for all vegetarian meals. The sweet taste of pineapple mixed with the tangy taste of yogurt gives this dish a delicious taste. The crushed mustard seeds and the cumin seeds grated with fresh grated coconuts adds another layer of flavor to this dish. This can be served with plain white rice or any kind of rice dish.

Pineapple Pachadi

Ingredients
Half of a pineapple - skinned and cut into bite size pieces
Green chilly - 4 - 6 split at center
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Crushed Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Plain non fat yogurt - 1 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

For Garnish
Oil - 3 tablespoons
Mustard seeds -1 teaspoon
Whole red chilly
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Steps
1. Add the pineapple pieces to a heavy bottom pan (I have used the traditional Chatty) with green chilly, curry leaves, salt, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and one cup water. Bring to boil. Simmer cook covered with lid till the pineapples are cooked well about 10 minutes.

2. Grate the Fresh grated coconut with cumin and 1/4 turmeric power to a smooth paste.

3. Add the ground coconut mixture and crushed mustard seeds to the cooked pineapple , mix well and bring it to a boil. Cook for 1 - 2 minutes till i is mixed well and turn off heat. Let this cool to room temperature.

4. Whisk the yogurt well and add to the prepared pineapple dish after it comes to room temperature. Mix well and keep aside.

5. In another dish heat the oil. When the oil gets hot add the whole mustard seeds to it till it splutter. Add the broken whole red chilly pieces and curry leaves to this. Mix well and pout over the prepared Pineapple Pachadi.

Serve with any kind of rice.

Cluster Beans Dry Curry (Kothavarakkai Thoran)

Overview
Cluster beans are high in fiber and good for diabetic patients. It has very unique bitter taste which separates it out from the rest of the fresh green beans. The sweet taste from fresh grated coconut compliments the slight bitter taste from cluster beans to make this a very delicious dish. This is a very common dish in Kerala which is easy to make and can be used as a side dish for rice or chapati.

Cluster Beans Finely chopped

Cluster Beans Thoran

Ingredients
Cluster beans - one pound - cleaned and finely chopped
Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Red Onion half of a medium size one finely chopped
Garlic - 6 cloves finely chopped
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Crushed red pepper - 1 - 2 tablespoons
Turmeric -  1/4 teaspoon
Oil - 3 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Clean the cluster beans tips removed, wash well in plenty of water and finely chop and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the  finely chopped red onion and garlic to it.

3. When the onions get light brown add the crushed red pepper and turmeric to it. Saute few minutes.

4. Add the curry leaves to this . Saute few more minutes and add the finely chopped cluster beans to it. Mix well cover pan with lid, simmer heat and cook till the cluster beans are cooked well . Takes about 7 - 10 minutes. Keep stirring every 5 minutes

5. When the cluster beans are cooked add the freshly grated coconut to it. Remove lid. Mix well till all liquid is evaporated.

Serve hot with rice or chapati.

Eggplant Dry Curry (Brinjal Mezhakupurratti)

Overview
A dry eggplant dish that goes well with rice or any Indian breads. Long purple egg plants are good for this dish. The eggplant should be sliced evenly to thick slices if not it gets mashed up. This is a simple and healthy eggplant curry

Eggplant Dry Curry

Ingredients
Eggplants long ones 4  - cut into 3 inch thick slices
Plum tomatoes - 3 thin sliced
Red Onion - 2 medium ones thin sliced
Ginger one inch piece - thin sliced
Garlic 4 - 6 cloves thin sliced
Chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Black pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Salt to taste
Oil - 3  - 4 tablespoon

Steps
1. Cut the egg plants into  3 inch thick slices and keep it immersed in slight salt water.

2. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the sliced red onions, ginger, curry leaves and garlic to it. Saute till the onions are golden brown.

3. Add the red chilly powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder and turmeric powder to this and saute well. Add the sliced tomatoes to it. Cover the lid simmer heat and cook till tomatoes are cooked well.

4. When the oil separates add the eggplant slices to it. Add salt to it mix well and cover lid and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove lid and saute till all liquid is evaporated.

Serve hot with Chapati or plain rice.