Chemmeen Varuthathu

Fried Shrimp/ Prawns



Here is something for seafood lovers. It is a basic recipe for shrimp-fry that would serve well as an appetizer or with any rice dish.

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time : 20 min
Ready in :30 min

Ingredients

• 1 lb Medium shrimp , cleaned and de-veined
• 1 cup pearl onions , crushed
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp fennel powder ( perum jeerakam)
• salt to taste
• 1 stalk of curry leaves
• Oil to fry ( about 2-3 tbs)
  

Procedure

• Set the shrimp in a medium pan/ Skillet in medium heat
• Add the onions, coriander powder, chilly powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, fennel powder , salt and curry leaves
• Cook till the shrimp is cooked and the water-content dries up ( the shrimp would now have a nice coating of the spices and powders by now)
  
• Add the oil and saute for about 8-10 min ( till the coating on the shrimp gets a little crispy)

Happy Cooking !

PS: This one is on-demand from my friend,Veena .

Kozhukkatta

Steamed Rice Dumplings with Sweetened Coconut filling.


One of my favorite snacks from childhood days .. I have had it made in couple of different ways ; with fillings sweetened with sugar or jaggery and then one without any filling.
It was also probably my worst nightmare of a snack while staying in hostels, away from home, for studies. Most school and college hostels in Kerala make this for an evening snack; and probably because it is made in large scale there is hardly any "sweet-surprise" inside the rice layer and therefore end up absolutely tasteless. So one can only imagine how Kozhukkatta has acquired the pet name "la bombe"!
My love for Kozhukkatta is mainly for the really really gooey jaggery-filling. I pack so much of the stuffing in it that by the time the dumplings come of the steaming, they are almost oozing the syrup from all sides. The ratio of the coconut-jaggery mixture is totally dependent on how much sweetness you want , and hence I am not mentioning exact amounts for them. So here is the recipe :

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Rice Flour ( the finely powdered and roasted variety, used for Idiyappam )
• 1 cup water ( 1/2 cup more, if needed)
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 tbs cooking oil
  

For the filling

• Shredded coconut
  
• Jaggery ( I used approximately 1:1 ratio for coconut and jaggery)
  

Procedure:

• Grate the jaggery & mix well with the coconut.
  
• In a medium saucepan boil the water. Add the salt and the oil.
• Remove from heat
  
• In a steady stream add the rice flour and stir ( i prefer to use the handle of a wooden spoon to do this )
• Keep mixing till the mixture forms a smooth dough. (In case the it gets dry, add some more boiling water, about 1/2 cup more )
  
• As soon it cools down to a temperature you can handle , make small balls out of it ( 1 cup of rice flour should yield about 7-8 of these )
• Grease your palms with some oil, and lightly flatten each ball ( Keep the dough on your left palm , press gently to make a 2"circle)
• Put 1 teaspoonful of the filling in the center of the circle and bring the outer-edge together to cover it. ( I wish I had a pictorial to explain this ..Hope to post one soon). The dumplings eventually would like the ones in the picture.

Happy Cooking !

Manga Chammanthi

Mango Chutney: A tangy chutney made of raw mangoes, coconut and mild spices.

It is almost Summer in India. By now the mango trees would be bearing fruits in full form.. At home they would be making all sorts of things with it... pickled mango, mango "achar", mango chutney, raw mango with fish curry,mango juice, ...and that slice from a juicy ripe mango! I would love to go on an on about how much I love mangoes,but I think it would be torturous ..to me and you (if you are a fellow mango-lover).

Here is a basic recipe for a much loved mango-chammanthi. Though Chammanthi translates to Chutney in English, I feel there is a difference in the consistencies; while chutney is more like a dip ( more water-content in it) chammanthi is more dry and holds shape after it is ground.My dad is a stickler for taste..there are somethings which he prefers to be made the conventional way, manga chammanthi is one of them. By conventional I mean the way it is made: stone ground. Though I have been true to the ingredients, since I don't have access to a grinding stone, I ground it in a mixie and hence got the mushier version.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of raw mangoes cut to small pieces
  
• 1 cup of Grated coconut
  
• 2-3 pearl onions
• small piece of ginger
• 1 stalk of curry leaves
  
• 1 tsp kashmiri red chilly powder
• salt to taste
  

Procedure:

• Grind all the ingredients together
  

Ethakka Appam

Ethakka Appam : Plantain Fritters

Plantains are quotidian in Keralite cooking. We have found ways to incorporate them in pretty much all meals : Ripe plantains as a fruit or snack, Steamed ripe-plantains for breakfast, Plantain fritters as a snack,Plantains cooked in coconut milk for dessert , Plantain Pulisseri & Pachadi with rice and the list goes on.
Plantain fritters are much sought after snack for us. The ripe plantains are thinly sliced, dipped in a sweetened flour batter and then deep fried. Here is how to go about :

Prep time : 10 min
Cooking time : 20 min
Ready in : 30 min

Ingredients:

• 3-4 Ripe Plantains
  
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour or maida
• 1 cup of water ( or maybe 1/4 cup more if needed.. the plan is to get a batter loose enough to thinly coat the plantain slices)
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1/8 tsp of salt
  
• a pinch of powdered cardamom (optional)
• 1 cup of cooking oil ( or just enough for deep frying the plantain slices)

You will also need: A small shallow pan & a medium bowl

Procedure:

• Peel the plantains. Cut them across in two or three. Slit each piece into 1/2" thick slices.
• In the medium bowl combine the flour, water, sugar, salt & cardamom powder. Whisk into a smooth batter
• Set the pan in medium heat and once hot, add the oil and wait till it is hot enough*.
• Dip the plantain slices in the batter, so as to cover all sides evenly and carefully immerse in the oil (I use a fork to do this.. you can use any gadget that suits you so long as you don't burn yourself in the process).
• Repeat with more slices , making sure not to overcrowd the pan ( about 3-4 slices in one go)
• Turn them over once they turn golden brown on the sides. Fry till they are evenly golden brown on both sides.
• Carefully transfer them to a plate lined with paper-towels ( to absorb the extra grease).
• Serve hot as a snack with tea or coffee :)

Lifesaver : * The fritters wont be half as fun if they are not fried at the right temperature. Here is a simple test to check if the oil is hot enough. Put a small drop of the batter in the oil. If it sinks all the way in , the oil is not hot enough. If it just floats on the surface and turns burnt right away it is too hot. Around the right temperature, it would just sizzle and gradually turn a golden brown.

Kaachiya Moru

Kachiya Moru : Butter-milk seasoned with mild-spices.

This is probably one recipe that evokes most memories for me. The other day I was taking this picture and Joe came with a very intrigued look and aired " are you sure you want to post the kachiya-moru ..it is hardly a recipe".. that's how simple it is to make this curry. No wonder it is such an indispensable item in the day-to-day cooking of a Malayali. The one I am making here is the basic version. The other variations involve the addition of coconut , some more spices and fruits/ vegetables and is then called Pulisseri.
Though the term "kachiya" means heated/ boiled , this curry is hardly brought to tepid temperature to avoid the curdling of the buttermilk. I have seen various methods employed to do this ..my grandmother would just keep the bowl on the stove in low heat and then stir it gently throughout till it just begins to heat up ; my mom-in-law keeps the bowl in a larger bowl with hot water( not on the stove) and stirs the curry till it gets to the right temperature.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Plain Yogurt
• 1 cup water
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp red-chilly powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• A small pich of fenugreek powder

For the seasoning:

• 1 tbs cooking oil
  
• 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
  
• 1 dry red chilly
  
• 1 stalk of curry leaves

You will also need : Medium bowl & Saucepan

Procedure :

• In the medium bowl combine the first batch of ingredients : yogurt, water, salt, turmeric, red -chilli & fenugreek powders. You could use a wire whisk or a hand-blender or even just a plain spoon; the plan is to have a smooth sauce avoiding any clumps of the dry ingredients.
  
• Set the saucepan in medium heat and add oil. Once it starts smoking , add the mustard seeds and wait to pop. Lower heat, add the red chilly & curry leaves.
  
• Remove from heat. With caution , add the buttermilk mixture to the seasoning & keep stirring gently till the mixture gets tepid. ( I have noticed that the buttermilk warms up with just the heat from the seasoning. So you may not need to take it back to the stove after-all)
  

Kachiya Moru is a great accompaniment with rice , rice porridge (kanji) and also to just plainly sip on-n-on. As I mentioned , this curry keeps a very special place in my thoughts. My grandmother has this curry everyday single day with rice, from as far back as I can rememeber..and as her choicest brat, I stick to her tradition whenever I am home with her.

Puli Meen

From the Keralite cuisine , Fish in *Kudam Puli- infused Spicy Gravy.

This is a household recipe for many Keralites. Kerala is a state in Southern India , blessed with a very long coast- line. Because of the proximity to the sea and subsequent availability of a variety of fish , majority of Keralites are fish-lovers. Most of our households are blessed with wonder-cooks ( also called "mom"s) who have myriad marine-recipes up their sleeves, to include fish in our daily-diet without causing much boredom to the palette.

My method of making Puli-meen has evolved from a combination of my mom's and my mom-in-law's methods. My mom has been making Nei-meen ( Indo Pacific King Mackarel/ Seer Fish) curry like this from the time I could remember, and we used to call it **Mulaku-Curry , maybe because of its red-hot-colour. After I got married, I heard Joe rave about his Amachi's (mom's) Puli-meen, and the way he described it , I was sure it was the same Mulaku-curry with a different alias. I had the original recipe from my mom; so during one of my trips to India , I convinced Amachi to let me help her make it. Puli-meen , as Joe claims, is a very Syrian-Christian way for preparing fish with with ginger, garlic, onions and some spices. For the tangy part, Kudam-puli is added instead of tamarind. After couple of attempts, I managed to make a version of Puli-meen in my kitchen, which Joe certifies as " the closest in taste to the authentic one".
Traditionally in Kerala , fish curries are cooked in clay pans ( called "man-chatti"). It is amazing how this can change the flavor of the curry, and keeps the fish moist even with very little gravy. I managed to get a chatti from one of the Indian grocery stores here in the Bay-Area couple of years back and have been cooking fish in it eversince.

Ingredients:

• 4 tbs cooking oil
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  
• 1 tbs grated ginger ( approximately 1/2 of medium knob)
  
• 1 tbs minced garlic ( approximately 4 large cloves)
• 1/2 cup of pearl onions sliced into quarters
• 1 stalk of curry leaves
  

• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 3 tsp red-chilly powder ( I prefer to use Kashmiri red-chilly powder)
• 1/8 tsp fenugreek powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

• 5 slivers of kudam-puli (leave soaked in water for about 5 min before using)
• 2 cups of water
• Salt to taste
• 15-20 pieces of fish ( I used 2 fillets of tilapia )

Cookware : A medium pan ; I prefer to use the man-chatti mentioned above.

Procedure:

• Set the pan in medium heat and add the oil.
  
• Once the oil is smoking hot add the mustard seeds and wait for them to pop.
• Add the ginger, garlic , curry leaves & onions and saute till they start turning brown.

• Lower the heat.Add turmeric, red-chilly,coriander & fenugreek powders and saute well ; till they turn really dark in color, almost the darkest brown.
• Add the water. Once it starts simmering, add the salt & kudam-puli.
• Let simmer and then add the fish pieces. Cook for for about 10 min. (Cooking time for the fish will vary depending on what variety you use. Adjust accordingly)

Suggested Accompaniments : Rice, Kappa Puzhukku( Mashed Tapioca with Seasonings)
Lifesavers : To get the distinctive flavors of the authentic recipe it is advisable to use traditional ingredients . For eg. substituting the pearl-onions with big onions , would make the gravy a lot milder in taste , because the big onion is sweeter.
* Kudam-puli ( Gambooge) is a fruit indigenous to the South-Western cost of India. The fruit is well known for it's culinary and medicinal uses. The seeds are removed and the rind is sun-dried before it is stored for later use (Available at most Indian stores in the US). It is also well praised for its medicinal value as a digestive aide.
**Mulaku : Chilli

Garlic Rasam

Rasam: Tomato broth with Spices . It is a very common preparation in South India and each region has various versions of it . The basic ingredients are Tomato, Tamarind and some spices . Some prefer to have it as a Soup, where it has the broth like consistency and some like it with rice.

The last week has been bad for me ..It was raining all along and I have caught a cold. Thankfully the two men in the household are up and about and a creating as much of a mess they can with no one to police them. I had a good laugh when another mom from Blu's Class said to me the other day " I would rather my husband or my kid falls sick ..cos if I fall sick the house stops running and it is just chaos".So there I sat, looking almost like Rudolph, with a very red nose (from all the sneezing) and wondering what would help me do away with the sniffles ? The first thing that came to my mind was Rasam.

Before I get to the recipe , I should tell you a little bit about the person who taught me how to make this. I am blessed to have an amazing cook as a very good friend and next-door neighbor. She is my one-stop-rescue-point for convenient Vegetarian ( Tamizh style) cooking. Rasam is an indispensable item in her diet and, me being a constant visitor at her place, I get to savor it every now-and-then. Her garlic-rasam is a little thicker in consistency than the broth and is a great accompaniment with rice.

Prep time :10 min
Cooking time : 15 min
Makes : 4 servings

Ingredients :

• 2 large tomatoes , cut into small pieces
  
• 3 large cloves of garlic , peeled and crushed
  
• 1 tsp of tamarind ( mixed with some water )
  
• Salt to taste
  
• 1 1/2 tsp of Rasam Powder
• 2 cups water
  

For the Seasoning

• 1 tbs cooking oil
  
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
  
• 1 pinch (1/8 tsp) of asafoetida
• 1 stalk of curry leaves
  

Procedure :

• In a medium pot cook together the tomato , garlic, salt & tamarind* with half cup of water. Keep Covered.
• Once the tomatoes are well cooked , using a heavy spoon , mash up tomatoes in the water.
• Add the rest ( 1 1/2 cups ) of water and let boil for couple of min.
  
• In a small skillet, heat oil .
• Add the mustard seeds . When the mustard seeds start popping , add the cumin seeds , asafoetida & curry leaves and remove from heat.
  
• Add to the tomato broth & mix well .
  

Lifesaver:
*Add the salt and tamarind only in small quantities at a time . Taste in between to see if they are enough. Adjust the quantity accordingly.

Related Recipes : Rasam Powder