Potato Stew

 HAPPY ONAM everyone.

Posting the recipe for a kerala-style potato stew. This stew is usually served with appam and it is also served as an item on the sadhya ela (authentic kerala lunch) . I make my stew in a pressure cooker and I feel it is the easiest way to go about, without consuming much time. Very easy recipe.

Ingredients: ( serves 4)

• Potatoes - 4 medium (each cut into 6 pieces)
• Onions - 2 (sliced)
• Ginger - 2 tbspns (chopped)
• Green chilies - 3 (slit)
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Pepper corns -  1 tspn
• Coconut milk - 200 ml
• Water - 2 cups
• Coconut oil - 1 tspn (optional)
• Salt - to taste

Directions:

• In the pressure cooker, take 100 ml of coconut milk and add the water

• Add the potatoes, onions, ginger, chilies, pepper corns and salt

• Cook for 3 whistles and turn off the heat.  

• When the pressure has released from the cooker, open it and add the remaining coconut milk, curry leaves and coconut oil and simmer for 5 mins.

Here are some recipes which you might find useful this onam.

Sambar

Moru kootaan

Avial

Cabbage thoran

Chammandi 

Sambaaram

Paruppu payasam / paruppu pradhaman

Ela ada

Nadan Chicken Curry

In Bangalore, or should I say "Bengaluru", for the past few days the stubborn clouds have been refusing to give way to the Sun. Gloomy days with chill winds..........boring, boring, boring.On one such afternoon last week, I was browsing channels when I came across a show with the recipe for nadan kozhi curry or country style chicken curry. Basically, a recipe from Kerala. It sounded and looked appealing. So, I tried the recipe. Verdict- I should say that it tasted very, very nadan and the recipe was very simple to follow. This is a nice gravy which will go well with pathiri, parotta, roti or dosa. With rice.......not so much. Cooking time was considerably less as the pressure cooker cooked the chicken in a jiffy. A quick curry.
Ingredients:

• Chicken- 1.2 kg


• Onions- sliced - 5 large


• Ginger - 1 inch piece (sliced)


• Garlic - 10 large cloves (chopped)


• Coriander powder - 2 tspns


• Chilli pwder - 1 tspn


• Eastern chicken masla - 1 tspn


• Turmeric - 1/2 tspn


• Garam masala - 2 tspns


• Ripe tomatoes(medium sized) - 5 (diced)


• Mustard – 1 tspn


• Curry leaves - one fist full


• Coconut oil- 8 tbspns


• Salt - to taste


• Water – 1-1/2 cup

For marination:

• Coriander powder - 6 tspns


• Chilli powder - 2 tspns


• Turmeric powder- 1 tsp


• Garam masala powder- 2 tspns


• Chicken curry masala - 2 tspns ( I used Eastern brand)


• Salt - 1 tspns

Directions :

• Marinate the chicken without adding any water and keep aside for 30 mins.


• Take 7 tbspns oil in a pan and fry onions till golden.


• Add ginger and garlic. Saute well.


• Add chicken and tomatoes and the rest of the masala mentioned in the ingredients.


• Add salt to taste.


• Add half the amount of curry leaves


• Let in cook for 5 mins


• Transfer the chicken to a pressure cooker.


• Add water ( For a thick gravy add just ½ cup of water).


• Add the rest of the curry leaves.


• Cover and let it cook for one whistle.


• Take 1 tbspn. oil in a tempering ladle and temper mustard and curry leaves and add to the chicken.


• Serve hot.

Luv 'n' luc'

Smitha

Prawn Vindhali / Prawn curry

This is my very good and beautiful friend Priya, who lives in Philly. We've been friends from our college days. She visited India too, in December, when I was there. We met up with old friends and had a blast.

She gave me this wonderful recipe for prawn vindhali. She says it's a recipe from Thirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. It is a very simple and delicious dish. I tried it and loved it. Thought I must give her the credit for the recipe. So, kudos to you, Priya. And thanks a bundle pal :)




Ingredients:

• Cleaned prawns - 1 pound (abt. 1/2 kg)
• Vinegar - 4-5 tbspns
• Onion - 1 large (chopped)
• Garlic - 6-7 cloves (chopped)
• Ginger - 1 inch thick piece (chopped)
• Oil - 4-5 tbspns
• Red chillis - 10
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tspn
• Mustard seeds- 1-1/2 tspn
• Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
• Water - 1/4 cup
• Salt to taste

Directions:

• Lightly dry roast the red chillis, mustard and cumin seeds in a pan.
• Grind this to a paste with a 2-3 tbspns of vinegar (do not add water at all to this mixture)
• Marinate the prawns in this paste for about 30 mins.
• Heat oil in a pan and add onions, garlic and ginger and saute for 4-5 mins.
• Add turmeric powder.
• Add the marinated prawns, salt and vinegar and fry well.( For about 4-5 mins)
• Pour 1/4 cup of water, add curry leaves and allow it to simmer till the gravy becomes thick.
• Serve hot. Pairs well with rice .

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

MOM'S VEGETABLE KURMA

I flew to Omaha last week to visit one of my very good friend's from school. Another friend flew down from Philly too. The 3 of us met after 9-10 yrs. Had such a wonderful time. Was not really in a mood to get back to blogging :(

Today, I'm posting my mom's recipe for kurma. I love it and whenever I make it, I feel it does not taste as good as her's. Then I realized that her kurma tastes better because she adds a special ingredient to it.............she pours her love into it :)

This kurma pairs well with rotis or Parattas. but, I like it best with dosas or idlis.

Ingredients:

• Oil - 2 tbspns
• Slit green chillies -2
• Bayleaf -1
• Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece
• Cloves- 3
• Cardamom - 1
• Star anise - 1/2
• Chopped onions- 1 cup
• Curry leaves - 1 stalk
• Chopped ginger - 1 tspn
• Coriander powder - 6 tspns
• Turmeric powder - 1/8 tspn
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn ( or to taste)
• Potatoes - 2 (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• Carrots - 1 (chopped)
• Beans - 7-8 (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• Peas - 1/4 cup
• Salt - to taste
• Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Saunf - 1 tspn
• Poppy seeds(kas kas) - 1 tspn
• Garlic - 1 clove.
• Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
• Yogurt - 6 tbspns

Method :

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the chillies, bayleaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and anise. Saute about 2 mins.
  Add onions and ginger. Saute till the onions are translucent.
• Add coriander powder, chillie powder and turmeric. Saute. Add 1/4 cup water and saute on medium-low heat till the masala is well cooked. (about 5-6 mins)
• Add the vegetables and salt and 1-1/2 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
• In the mean time grind the coconut,poppy seeds, saunf and garlic to a fine paste using little water.
• Once the vegetables are cooked add this ground coconut mixture to it and cook for 3-4 mins.
• Finally, add curry leaves and yogurt and stir for a minute. Switch off heat and add coriander leaves.
• Serve hot .

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Achamma's sambar - the ultimate homemade sambar

I would like to thank all my readers for wishing me well when I was ill. I've recovered now. Thank you so much.
Most of you may think that it's a good day for me today. But, no. It's quite the opposite. A very sad day for me. Why? Read on.

I love my grandma. She was a small statured, plump woman and the cutest, sweetest and the most warm-hearted little person I have ever known. I loved her cooking. She was a great cook and I don't know how she really did it. It was like as if she had some magic potion which she used in all her dishes to create those wonderful, aromatic and delightful dishes. Anything she cooked tasted like heaven.

She never had recipe books nor did she ever have to measure ingredients. Everything was in her little silver-haired head and the magic at her finger-tips.

Today, sadly, is her first death anniversary and the following recipe,I, fondly, share in memory of the sweetest and most lovable grandma in the world.

This sambar recipe is a bombshell and it comes from her and She didn't forget to hand it down. So, today my mom still makes it for all at home and when we (my siblings and me) got engaged to be married, my mom handed it down to us. It's always been compliments galore for me, when I make this sambar.

I wish my gramma were here today.I miss her ever-so-much.
"Achamma this post is in memory of you. Sure, you are looking down on me now."

I have made this sambar using Okra( Ladies finger). Some alternatives for okra are drumsticks, white pumpkin( winter melon), brinjal( aubergine) or shallots. My favorite is shallot sambar but could not find any this time.

Ingredients: (serves 3-4)

• Toor dal - 1/2 cup
• Tomato - 2 (cut into quaters)
• Ladies finger (cut into 1 inch long pieces)
• Tamarind - size of a bing cherry
• Turmeric powder - 1/8 tspn
• Asafoetida( Hing) - 2 pinches
• Fenugreek seeds - 1 tspn
• Grated coconut - 1/3 cup
• Curry leaves - 7-8 large leaves ( plus more for tempering)
• Chopped onions - 1/4 cup
• Coriander powder- 4 tbspns
• Chilli powder - 1 tspn( or to taste)
• Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
• Dried red chillies- 2
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tbspns

Method:

• Wash the dal. Pressure cook it with tomatoes and 1-1/2 cups of water. ( 2 whistles will be sufficient)
• In the mean time, take 1/2 tbspn of oil in a pan and saute the okra till the slime disappears. Set aside (If using drumsticks or the other alternatives, avoid this step)
• Add 1/2 cup of water to the tamarind and extract tamarind juice from it and discard the pulp. Set aside.
• In another pan, add another 1/2 tbspn of oil and add Hing.
• Then add fenugreek seeds. When it turns light brown and splutters, add coconut, curry leaves and onions and fry.When the coconut turns a golden brown and a wonderful aroma arises, add coriander powder and chilli powder. Toast well. Stir constantly. ( abt 5-6 mins on medium-low flame) . Then grind this to a fine paste and set aside.
• When the dal is cooked, add the vegetable to the dal and cook along with salt, turmeric powder, tamarind extract and the ground coconut mixture. cook for about 5-6 mins.
• If the sambar is too thick, add as much water as required to make a consistency that satisfies you.
• Finally, temper mustard, curry leaves and red chillies in 1 tbspn of oil and add it to the sambar.
• Serve with rice, idly, dosa or methu vadas.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

GONE NUTS ABOUT COCONUT - CHICKEN CURRY MALABAR

Here we go, back to coconut.
Did you know that the early Spanish explorers called it coco, which means "monkey face" because the three indentations (eyes) on the hairy nut resembles the head and face of a monkey.Now, don't tell me that this post should have been titled differently :). Coconut is a rich source of vitamins, minerals and fiber and oh! .........fat and calories too.With that said, I am not going to harp on health benefits and disasters but I have to add that coconut has myriad medicinal properties as well. So, because I'm a coconut addict, I convince myself that the pros outweigh the cons and thus, anytime is coconaka time :)

This chicken curry goes well with rice or rotis.What's even better is, it takes hardly 20 minutes to fix.

INGREDIENTS(makes 3-4 servings)

• Chicken -1-1/2 lbs(cut into peices)
• Oil - 2 tbspns
• Onions- 1 large (sliced)
• Green chillies-2 nos.(slit)
• Tomatoes - 2 nos.
• Ginger- garlic paste - 1 tspn
• Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
• Chicken curry masala- 2 tbspns(available in Indian grocery stores)
• Coriander powder - 3 tspns
• Turmeic powder- 1/2 tspn
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn
• Salt - to taste
• Coriander leaves- to garnish

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oil in a pan and saute slit green chillies in it.(be cautious of splutters).
• Add onions and saute till transparent.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and keep stirring it for about 4-5 mins.
• Now, add turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, chicken-curry masala and salt and saute.
• When the masala is well-fried, add chopped tomatoes and stir well.Add chicken and 5-6 tbspns of water . Cover and cook on low heat till chicken is done.
• Add coconut milk and stir well. Cover and cook for another 2-3 mins.
• Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

Luv 'n' luc'

Smitha

PALAK PANEER

I had visited Holland, MI over the weekend. Was really tired after the trip. Got the energy to make a post only today :) Will do a write up about the trip soon with a few snaps too.

Today, I'm posting a nutritious, yet, delicious recipe. Palak Paneer.

I am extremely fond of any form of greens.
My amma( mother) recollects that I was crazy about spinach as a kid too. Itseems, she never had issues feeding me lunch when there was greens on the plate. I was a wierd kid :)

Beets were what I disliked the most at that time. My mother's frequent lines used to be " eat pink beetroot for pink cheeks". I was not keen on pink cheeks. But one fine day she was taken aback and astonished when I asked her why my cheeks did not turn green when I ate spinach. She had no answer for that.

That was my baby talk when I was three or so. Still obssessed with greens, palak makes me feel good.

I'm sending this recipe to the 15 minute cooking event conducted by Mahimaa.

Prep. time 15 mins

Ingredients -(makes 3-4 servings)

• Paneer- 200 gms cubed(pan seared or deep fried to prevent it from crumbling)
• Oil- 2 tbspns
• 1 medium onion and 1 green chilli(pureed together to a fine paste)
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tspn
• Palak(spinach) - 1 bunch
• Cumin seeds - 1 tspn
• Cumin powder - 1 tspn
• Turmeric powder -1/4 tspn
• Chilli powder- 1/2 tspn
• Garam masala - 1/2 tspn
• Salt - to taste
• Sour cream- 3 tbspns(substitute with heavy cream)
• Milk - 1/8 cup

Directions:

• Blanch(soak) spinach in boiling water for about 1 min.Remove from water and make a fine puree of it in a blender.
• Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seed and turmeric powder.Then add the onion-chilli paste and saute well for abt 6-7 mins(till the onions no longer smell raw).
• Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for 4-5 mins.
• Add spinach puree. Stir well.
• Add garam masala, chilli powder and salt.Let it cook for about 2-3 mins on low heat.
• Add 2 tbspns of sour cream and the milk and stir well.Add the paneer cubes
• Turn off heat and transfer the palak paneer into a serving bowl and
• Finally, top it with a dollop of sour cream.
• Serve with puris or chapatis.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Tomato egg curry

Going straight to the recipe today.

Ingredients:( serves 2)

Eggs - 2 (hard boiled and peeled)
Oil - 2 tbspns
Ginger - 1/4 inch piece( sliced)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tspn
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tspn
Black gram dal (Urud) - 1 tspn
Green chilli - 1 small
Garlic - 1 large clove
Onions - 1 large
Curry powder - 1 tspn( available at indian grocery stores or see masalas recipe)

• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
• Chilli powder - 1/4 tspn
• Tomatoes - 4
• Coriander leaves - 1/8 cup(chopped)
  

Directions:

• Heat oil in a pan, add ginger to it and saute for a minute. Remove the ginger from the oil and discard.
• Splutter some mustard in the ginger infused oil.Add the cumin seeds, black gram dal and green chilli.Saute.
• Add garlic and saute and before it browns add onions.Saute.
• Once the onions turn translucent, add salt, turmeric, chilli powder and curry powder.
• Saute well for about 4-5 mins on a medium flame.
• Add tomatoes and stir.Cook for a minute, add 1/2 cup water and cover and let cook for 7-8 mins.
• Add coriander, stir and turn off the flame.
• Finally, make slits in the hard boiled egg and add to the curry.
• Serve hot. Partners well with any roti or even rice for a change.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

MORU KOOTAAN(BUTTERMILK CURRY)

Hope all of you had a great weekend. I did:)
We went to the Shaw Nature reserve to see thousands of daffodils in bloom. ( That was how it was advertised- Come see 1000's in bloom). But, I think it was the over expectation which led us to be disappointed. There were thousands. True. But all in small patches here and there spread across a large, large area. So, it's beauty did not come through. But, still, the flowers were beautiful and we enjoyed the stroll.
About this week - We are leaving for the grand canyon on Thursday and will be back only on Monday. So, see you guys sometime next week. I'm disappearing from the blogging scene for a week.
My post for today is another speciality from kerala. Moru kootaan( buttermilk curry)
My friend, Viji, who now lives in Texas, says that she has not made any other style of moru kootan ever since I handed her this recipe. She has nothing less than "awesome" and "great" to say about this curry.

Ingredients :( serves 3-4)

• White pumpkin - 25o gms
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
• Water - 1 cup
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn
• Salt - to taste
• Buttermilk - 1 cup
• Curry leaves - 5-6 leaves
• Oil - 2 tspns
• Red chilli - 1
• Mustard - 1/2 tspn
• Fenugreek seeds(methi seeds)- 1/2 tspn(optional)

Ingredients (To grind to a fine paste):

• Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
• Green chillies - 2 (small)
• Cumin seeds - 1-1/2 tspn

Directions:

• Wash and peel the pumpkin.Discard the seeds and the mushy centre.Cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
• Heat a pan and add 1 cup water to it.Add the white pumpkin pieces, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt and boil till the pumpkin is cooked.(takes about 6-7 mins).
• Pour buttermilk into the ground-coconut mixture and stir well.
• Pour this into the curry and cook for another 2 mins on a medium flame.
• Take the curry off the heat.
• Finally, heat oil in a small saute pan. Splutter mustard. Season red chilli and fenugreek seeds along with it.Add fresh curry leaves.
• Add this seasoning to the hot moru kootan .
• Stir and serve with rice.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha