Eggplant Bharta (Eggplant roasted in Air Fyer)

Overview
Eggplants roasted in Air fryer adds a nice smokey taste to this dish. A very common dish available in all Indian restaurants. This is a Punjabi dish that goes very well with any Indian bread. Roasted mashed eggplant is the base for this dish.

Eggplant Bharta

Eggplant Bharta Ingredients

Ingredients
One large eggplant
2 plum tomatoes finely chopped
1 large red onion finely chopped
3 Garlic cloves finely chopped
1 Inch ginger finely chopped
Red chilly powder - 2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
Cilantro chopped 3 tablespoon
Oil - 4 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Slice the large eggplants to thick slices vertically. Marinate with one teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil. Place in the Air Fryer at 400 F for 10 minutes. Take the eggplant slices out and let it cool to room temperature. Peel skin and mash the eggplants and keep aside.
2. Heat 3 tablespoon oil in Pan. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter add the cumin seeds followed by finely chopped onions, garlic and ginger.
3. Saute well till the onions are light brown. Add the turmeric powder followed by red chilly powder and coriander powder. Saute well and add the finely chopped tomatoes to this.
4. Mix well add salt cover pan with lid and cook the tomatoes till they are soft and tender. Add the mashed eggplants to this and mix well till all the water evaporates. Turn off heat.
5. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and serve with any Indian bread.

Ginger Curry (Inji Theeyal)

Overview
Ginger curry made with roasted coconut and tamarind is a traditional dish of Kerala. Fresh ginger roots mixed with the spices makes a delicious condiment that is usually served with plain rice. This dish taste better a day after it is made when all the flavors mingle together.

Ginger Curry (Inji Theeyal)

Ginger Curry Ingredients

Ingredients
Ginger sliced 1 cup
Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Tamarind the size of the lemon soaked in water
Curry leaves 3 sprigs
Coriander seeds 2 tablespoons
Whole Red chilly - 4 - 6
Turmeric powder -1 teaspoon
Garlic cloves thin sliced - 3 cloves
Fenugreek seeds 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 tablespoon
Asafoetida powder 1 teaspoon
2 blocks of jaggery or 2 tablespoon of brown sugar
Salt to taste
Oil about 4 tablespoon

Steps
1. Dry roast the whole red chillies, coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds one after another in a pan and grind to a smoother powder and keep aside.
2. Slice the ginger into thin slices uniformly. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan and fry the sliced ginger on medium flame for about 5 minutes.  Drain from oil and keep aside.
3. In the same pan and oil add the fresh grated coconut along with 2 sprigs of curry leaves and sliced garlic. Fry the grated coconut  till it is golden brown. Tun off heat.
4. Grind the roasted coconut along with the ground spices and 1/4 cup water and keep aside.
5. In an pan add the fried ginger along with the tamarind water, salt and the ground coconut mixture. add 1/2 cup of water to this and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook this mixture on low flame for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally till the gravy is thick.
6. Add jaggery or brown sugar mix well. Add salt if needed. Turn off heat.
6.  In another pan heat 2 tablespoon of oil. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter . Add 3 Whole red chillies cut in halt along with 1 sprig of curry leaves. Turn off heat and pour this over the prepared ginger curry.

Slow Cooker Ribs and Grilled Pineapple

Overview
An easy and simple way to make tender and juicy baby back ribs. I found this recipe in food network and tried it and it came out very good. First part of cooking is in the slow cooker and then you bake it in oven which adds a nice glaze to it.

Slow Cooker Ribs

Grilled Pineapple

Ingredients for ribs
A rack of baby back ribs ( about 12 - 13 ribs)
One large red onion thick sliced
4 - 6 garlic cloves
Fresh ground Black pepper
Your favorite barbecue sauce
Salt to taste.

Ingredients for Grilled pineapple
One pineapple peeled, cored and cut into long slices
Olive oil
Honey 3 tablespoons

Steps
1. Trim the ribs and cut into individual ribs and place in slow cooker.
2. Add thick sliced red onion, garlic cloves, salt and pepper to this mix well and cook in slow cooker on high for one hour then  for about 5 hour on low till the rib meat is cooked well and almost falling out of bones.
3. Scoop the ribs along with the onions and garlic and place on a baking sheet . Bake in a 400 F oven for 10 minutes. Brush each rib with barbecue sauce and  bake again in over for 2 0 - 30 minutes till the ribs are golden brown. Turn off heat and place in a serving dish.
4. Just coat the pineapple slices with olive oil and place on a hot grill and cook for 2 - 3 minutes on both sides.
5. Take off from grill and drizzle with honey


Serve Ribs hot with Grilled pineapple

Chakkakuru Manga Curry (Jackfruit seeds and Raw Mango curry)

Overview
An authentic Kerala recipe made with jackfruit seeds. Since we get plenty of Jackfruit in Kerala there are lot of dishes made with its seeds. Raw sour mangoes and fresh coconut milk balances the flavor of this dish. Since I saw this frozen jackfruit seeds at the Indian store I had to make this dish. This dish goes well with plain rice.

Chakkakuru Manga Curry

Ingredients for Chakkakuru Manga Curry

Ingredients
Jackfruit seeds cleaned and cut length wise - 1 cup
Raw mangoes peeled and cut length wise 3/4 cups
Fresh coconut milk 1 1/2 cup
Red onion medium size - 1 1/2 sliced length wise
Ginger 1 inch piece thin sliced
Green chillies - 5 - 7 split at center
Curry leaves 3 sprigs
Red Chilly powder - 2 teaspoons
Coriander powder - 1 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - 2 tablespoon
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Mix the Red Chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder salt with the sliced onions, ginger green chillies and 2 sprigs of curry leaves along with one cup water.
2. Add the sliced jackfruit seeds to this mix well and bring this mixture to boil. Add the sliced raw mango slices to this to and cook on medium flame till the jack fruit seeds and mangoes are cooked.
3. Add the coconut milk to this, mix well and bring this mixture to boil.  Turn off heat and transfer to serving dish
4. In another pan heat the oil and add 1/2 onion thin slices and saute till the onions are brown. Add one sprig of curry leaves to the oil and turn off heat.  Pour this on top of the prepared curry.

Serve hot with plain rice.

Linguine with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Overview
A simple but delicious linguine pasta dish with roasted cherry tomatoes. Roasting the cherry tomatoes adds an extra unique flavor to this. You can add shrimp or chicken to this linguine too but here I just left it plain the way by boys like it. Make sure you do not overcook the linguine it has to be al dente.

Linguine with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients
Fresh Linguine - 9 Oz
Cherry tomatoes - 20 cleaned and cut in half length wise
Garlic cloves - 3 finely chopped
Red pepper flakes - 1 tablespoon
Dry Basil leaves - 1 tablespoon
Fresh ground black pepper - 1 teaspoon
Olive oil - 4 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Spray oil on a pan and place the cut cherry tomatoes in one layer with the seed side up.  Sprinkle with salt, freshly ground black pepper and one tablespoon olive oil. Roast at 400F in oven for about 20 - 30 minutes till the tomatoes are roasted well.
2. Cook the fresh pasta in salted water per instructions. Drain and add fresh basil leaves and a tablespoon pf olive oil. Mix well and keep aside.
3. In a large pan heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil gets hot add the finely chopped garlic to this and saute till the garlic starts to turn light brown. Add the red pepper flakes and saute  few minutes.
4. Add the roasted tomatoes to this followed by the pasta and Mix well. Turn off heat  and it is ready to serve.

You can serve this sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

Lime Curry (Kerala Lime Curry)

Overview
This is one of my favorite dish that my mother use to make with lemon and lime. It stays in the refrigerator for months and can be used as a pickle with rice or chapati. Dry roasting the spices and grinding them enhances the flavor.

Lime Curry

Ingredients
Lime 6 - 8 cleaned and cut into small pieces
Green chillies - 6 - 8 finely chopped
Ginger 2 inch pieces - finely chopped
Garlic - 8 - 10 cloves finely chopped
Shallots -  2   - 3 tables finely chopped
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Whole red chilly - 6 - 8
Whole red chilly broken into two - 2 - 3
Whole Coriander seeds - 3 tablespoons
Fenugreek seeds - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Asaofoetida - 1/2 teaspoon
Tamarind - the size of a small lime
Dark brown sugar - 2 - 3 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 - 3 tablespoons
Mustard seeds - 1 tablespoons

Steps
1. Mix the fine chopped lime pieces with enough salt and turmeric and keep aside.
2. Soak the tamarind in warm water and squeeze out the tamarind juice and keep aside.
3. Dry roast the dry chillies in pan till it is roasted. Remove and dry roast the coriander seeds next followed by the fenugreek seeds.  When they come to room temperature grind this to a smooth powder in a coffee grinder and keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan. When Oil gets hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add pieces of broken whole red chilly then add the curry leaves, finely chopped green chillies, ginger, garlic and shallots to this and saute well till onions start to become light brown.
5. Add the ground spices to this and mix well. Add the marinated lime pieces with the juices to this. Add the prepared tamarind juice to this  and mix well and bring this mixture to a  boil. Lower heat and add brown sugar and salt as needed followed by asafoetida powder. Mix well and let it simmer for few more minutes till gravy thickens. Turn off heat

When it comes to room temperature store in a clean jar.

Serve with Rice or chapati.

Moong Dal Curry

Overview
A very simple dal curry which goes well with plain rice or chapati. Quick and easy recipe that can be served as a side dish. You can use different kind of lentils to make this dish. This is a healthy and nutritious dish since it is rich in protein too.

Dal Curry

Ingredients for Dal Curry

Ingredients
Split yellow Moong dal - 1/2 cup
Red onions - 1/2 cup - finely chopped
Plum Tomatoes finely chopped  - 1/2 cup
Garlic 4 - 5 cloves finely chopped
Cilantro finely chopped - 1/4 cup
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Red Chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Wash the dal in several changes of water and let it drain. After all water has drained dry roast the dal till the dal gets roasted and nutty aroma comes. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and cook in a pressure cooker till dal is cooked.
2. In a pan heat oil . when the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add cumin seeds to this followed by finely chopped red onions and garlic. Saute till onions start to turn slight brown. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder and coriander powder to this and mix well.
3. Saute few minutes and add the finely chopped tomatoes to this. Add salt mix well and cover lid and cook till tomatoes are cooked well.
4. Pour the cooked dal to this along with  one cup water and mix well. Bring this to a boil. Turn off heat and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.

Serve hot with plain rice or chapati.