MEEN PEERA (FISH COOKED IN MILD SPICY COCONUT MIX)

Ingredients

1.      Fish-250gm (any small sized fish like anchovy ,small sized sardine etc…)

2.      Ginger-1"(inch) piece

3.      Pearl onion-4nos or half of 1 pink onion

4.      Garlic-4pods

5.      Green chilly-3nos

6.      Turmeric powder-3/4tsp

7.      Chilly powder-1tsp

8.      Grated coconut-1/2 cup

9.      Cocum(kudampuli)-2nos

10.  Oil-1tbsp

11.  Salt

12.  Water-1/2 cup

13.  Curry leaves

Method of preparation

1.      Clean and cut the fish(sardine) into small pieces .wash kudampuli 3 times ,soak in ¼ cup of salt water for 15 minutes.

2.      Crush the ingredients 2-4 using mixie. Add the ingredientes5-7 into this. Give one more rotation just to incorporate all. Take care not to grind the coconut.

3.      Transfer this into your cooking pot (preferably cheenachatti or meen chatty).now add fish,kudampuli,little salt and water,mix well. Cook in medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes or until the water dries up.

4.      When it is cooked switch off the flame. Add oil and curry leaves. Give a stir without breaking the fish. Serve with rice or puttu..

NOTES: Here I used sardine. You can use any small sized fish ,that can be used whole with head and tail removed.kudampuli can be substituted with raw mango or irumban puli(Averrhoa bilimbi).the curry tastes best when it is added with coconut oil.

 

MIXED VEGETABLE CUTLET

Ingredients

1.      Potato-3nos,medium sized

2.       Mixed vegetables {Green peas-1 cup(cooked) ,Beans-5no(,chopped ),Carrot-1no(grated )Sweet corn-1/4 cup(optional)}

3.              Onion-1 no,chopped

4.      Ginger-1tsp,chopped

5.      Green chilly-1no,chopped

6.      Pepper powder-1tsp

7.      Garam masala-3/4 tsp

8.      Bread slices-4nos

9.      Bread crumbs-1/2 cup

10.  Corn flour/maida-2tbsp

11.  Oil-1/4 cup

12.  Salt

13.  Water

Method of preparation

1.      Boil and mash the potato without any lumps. Keep it aside.

2.      Heat 2tbsp of oil in a pan. Add ginger and green chilly stir for a minute. Add in onion sauté for 5 minutes. Add all vegetables .let it cook for a while. Add all powders and salt. Stir for 2 minutes.

3.      Dip bread slices in some water. Press  to remove the excess water. Add this into the cooked vegetables. Add mashed potato.mix well to incorporate all ingredients. Switch off the flame. Let it cool.

4.      Mix corn flour with some water to make a thick batter.

5.      Shape the vegetable mix into cutlets.dip in corn flour batter. Roll in bread crumbs. Heat oil in a pan. Shallow fry  till both sides turn crispy.

NOTES: you can add any vegetables of your choice. If you do not have bread crumbs in stock, you can make your own by following method –microwave bread slices in high power for 2minutes or heat it on a tawa till it turn crispy. Then crush it using a mixer grinder.Aroud 10-12 cutlets can be made with the above measurement

SENDING THIS TO THE EVENT HOSTED BY COOK LIKE PRIYA and YOU TOO CAN COOK-INDIAN FOOD RECIPES

 

 

SAMBAR-KERALA STYLE

Ingredients

1.      Toor dal-1/4 cup

2.      Tamarind-1 lemon sized ball

3.      Sambar powder-2tbsp

4.      Turmeric powder-1/2tsp                                   

5.      Salt

6.      Water

7.      Coriander leaves-one hand full

Mixed vegetables

·         Potato-1no,cubed

·         Carrot-1no,cubed

·         Drum stick-2nos,cut lengthwise

·         Vellarikka/madras cucumber-1/2 cup, cubed

·         Brinjal-1no,cubed

·         Tomato-2nos,cubed

·         Ladies finger-5nos,cut into medium long pieces

·         Pearl onion-8nos /1 onion sliced

·         Green chilly-2nos,slitted

For tempering

1.      Curry leaves-2sprigs

2.      Pearl onions-2nos,cut into thin circles

3.      Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp

4.      Fenugreek seeds-2 pinches

5.      Dry red chilly-2nos

6.      Asfoetida-a pinch

7.      Oil-2tbsp

Method of preparation

1.      Dissolve 1tsp of salt in ¼ cup of water. Soak tamarind in this for 15 min.squeeze out to extract the juice.

2.      Cook toor dal by adding ,turmeric powder,1cup of water and 1 tsp of oil in a pressure cooker up to 4 or 5 whistles. Let the pressure come down ,open the cooker mash the dal well. Into this add all the vegetables, except tomato and ladies finger and some water just enough to cover the veggies . Cook up to 3 whistles.

3.      Mix sambar powder with ½ cup of water. Keep it aside.

4.      Heat oil in a pan sauté ladies finger and tomato for 5 minutes.

5.      Now add this sauted ladies finger,tomato,sambar powder,tamarind juice in to the pressure cooked vegetables. Let it boil for 5miutes.lastly add coriander leaves.

6.      For tempering-heat oil, splutter mustards seeds, add all other ingredients. Stir until onion turns brown. Switch off the flame. Pour this over the prepared sambar.keep the sambar closed for some time.mix well just before serving.

NOTES : I used eastern brand sambar powder,quantity of powder to be added may vary with the brand. So adjust it accordingly. Red masoor dal also can be used instead of toor dal.

EGGLESS VANILLA ICE CREAM - MADE WITHOUT ICE CREAM CHURNER

 Ingredients

1.      Milk-1/2 litre                                                                                         

2.      Fresh cream-1 cup

3.      Corn flour-3tsp

4.      Sugar-8 tbsp

5.      Vanilla beans-2nos /vanilla essence-1tsp

Method of preparation

1.      Mix corn flour in ¼ cup of milk. Keep it aside.

2.      Mix the remaining milk, vanilla and sugar, boil this in a saucepan. Reduce the flame, add the corn flour. Stir continuously until the milk reaches a thick consistency -see the picture below. (it will take around 10-15 min)when it reaches required thickness switch off the flame, let it cool down.

3.      Beat the cream well. Add this into the cooled milk.mix well.

4.      Keep this in a freezer for 2 or 3 hours. When it is partially set, take it out. Blend  in a blender. Keep it back in the freezer and let it set completely.

5.      Scoop it on a serving bowl and serve.

thickened milk

NOTES: If you are using vanilla beans, then split the beans length wise using a knife, scrape out the oily seeds from inside and add this in to the boiling milk. You can adjust the quantity of sugar according to your taste. If the milk is not getting thicker even after long time, one more small spoon of corn flour can be added.