Fried Sardine — Mathi Varuthathu

Finding fresh sardines in the market is a treat, and it is hard to resist the temptation of buying these smelly, oily, toothsome little creatures. The sardines we get back home are much smaller than the ones found here. But they are still such heavenly little bites when pan-fried! They sure outshine any other fried fish, I say.

Kerala kitchen event participation

There’s been such a frenzy of activity this whole week —  I've been busy cooking, taking photographs, writing recipes and, yes, participating in events! Honestly, I had an amazing time.

In two of my most recent posts, I briefly mentioned about my participation in the Kerala Kitchen Event. The host of this event, the lovely Magpie of Magpies recipes, noticed my predilection for Kerala food and kindly suggested that I consider submitting some of my archived recipes for the event. What a cool suggestion! Honestly, I’m thrilled. In fact, more than thrilled. I am happy to participate and contribute to the success of this event. I even received a cute member badge to display on my blog. How nice!

As per the rules, any post published before Jan 6 needs to be republished, for participation. I’m sorry to bother you all, again, with a few recipe photographs from my archives. I hope you understand my predicament. My apologies for the repetition.

With that note, here’s a photographic list of my previously published recipes, for the Kerala Kitchen. Please click on the picture titles to see the complete recipe. Thank you.

Kerala Style Dried Shrimp Chutney — Unakka Chemmeen Chammanthi

Life seems to get busier each day. It’s the weekend. Already. I hope you have great fun this weekend with lots of wonderful food and good company. On our end, we have plans to go wach the thrilling Asian Cup finals between Japan and Australia. Can't wait to see who wins. Any guess?!!

Spiced, Colorful, Tangy And Crunchy Salad With Sausage, Olives And Vegetables

Don’t you love the firm, glossy skin, and vivid colors of bell pepper? What’s more, they actually add a healthy color to our life. Among other nutrients, these beauties are packed with vitamin A and vitamin C, both powerful antioxidants. Just like carrots.

Chili Pepper Fritters — Mirchi Pakora — Mulaku Bajji

Brrr. It’s cold, huh. To help warm up in this weather and keep things interesting, I’m cooking chili peppers. This time of the year is perfect to nibble on hot, spicy fritters, with a perfect cup of warm tea to go with it. Don’t you agree?

Strawberry Rice Pudding — ultimate comfort food

A few weeks into the New Year, with winter still lingering, who can resist rice pudding? Not me! 

Frankly, rice pudding (kheer, firni or payasam) ranks high on my list of comfort food. Its delicious creamy texture is a total seller—be it winter, spring or summer. There’s no special time to eat too.

Jackfruit Seeds With Green Mango Curry — Chakkakuru Manga Curry

It was drizzling this weekend and I felt happy. Rain.  It reminds me of the magical monsoon in Kerala. Memories of sipping hot chai and watching the pouring rain from the balcony of my parent’s penthouse are still vivid. Ah, the view of the town engulfed in rain is something to behold. The howling wind; the torrential downpour lashing down on the swaying palms; the luxuriant tropical green foliage at its best; the clean look of the rain-washed red roofs and the streets below. A truly rejuvenating experience.

Mixed Vegetabe Stew — Sambar

The almost steady drizzle that had been falling for the last two days has come to an end and the blaze of sunlight is streaming in through the slightly ajar main door. I am sitting at my desk, a light pashima silk around my neck, sipping my second cup of morning tea and enjoying the solitude. It is a beautiful day. The last two days, I simply couldn’t summon the energy to take pictures and write recipes. I was delighting in the rain, enjoying the grey sky with the occasional peak of the sun. I had been waiting for this for a while. Perhaps ever since I got back from the pouring monsoon in Kerala. I’m totally loving the winter showers, shallow puddles and chill in the air. Aha.

I’ve had this recipe for sambar in my draft since last week. Sambar is a hearty curried vegetable soup prepared with yellow lentils, vegetables and spices. This dish is said to have originated in the state of Tamil Nadu and soon became an all time favorite veggie dish in South India. It is one of the main items in the Kerala sadya and is quite nourishing as well as tasty. The recipe requires a bit of time, but you can easily rustle up the curry by using readymade sambar masala powder available in Indian specialty stores. Make sure to get a good quality masala mix. I like Brahmins sambar powder that is available in the stores in Kerala. But remember, it is well worth the effort to prepare it from scratch.

There are different versions of samabar in response to different regions as well as personal taste. My family prefers this dish with lots of mixed vegetables and the lingering flavors of tamarind and asafetida. I use vegetables like carrots, potato, drumsticks, raw bananas, yam, green beans, ash gourd and snake gourd. Carrot, drumsticks and beans are cut into 2-inch sticks and the rest of the vegetables are diced into big chunks. You can use any seasonal vegetables or swap around the veggies to suit your taste.

Grilled Chicken Mortadella Sandwich

I guess I’m coming down with a cold, so I’m not staying for a chat.

This is another no fuss recipe. All you need to do is fill two slices of Italian bread with the ingredients and grill—nothing can go wrong. My family enjoys the balance of flavors and textures offered by this delicious, warm sandwich. Oh, and it's healthy too—total guilt free indulgence! I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as we do.

Chickpeas Stir-fry — Spicy Kabuli Chana — Vella Kadala Upperi

It’s a sunny day. A Sunday. Weekday in Qatar, weekend for most of the world. There’s nothing like a sunny day and good food to chase away the winter blues, don’t you agree? But the thing is I don’t feel like much activity today. I just want to have some quite time, go back to bed, pull up the sheets, and rest my eyes and my thoughts. Ah, a lazy Sunday.

Green Mango Chutney — Manga Chammanthi

I have plenty to share. Too many documents in various stages of draft. And even more pictures. I guess this is what happens when I am inspired. But hey it’s the weekend. Again. And we are off to watch the Asian Cup tournament and cheer for the desi team in the match between Bahrain and India this weekend. How about you all? I’m sure you too have exciting plans. Anyways, have a wonderful weekend all of you. And, once again, many thanks for your visits, kind words and support. I am touched.

Fish Fillets in Coconut Sauce — Chettinad Meen Kozhambu

Chettinad, a region in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is famous for its delicious, aromatic cuisine. This wonderful warming Chettinad fish curry is perfect for a family meal or for entertaining friends. You can use any fleshy white fish fillets like hamour, snapper or king fish to make this dish. Also, you can serve it with rice or your choice of bread – it goes well with anything.

Koorka Mezhukkupuratti — Spiced, Sautéed Chinese Potato

I cook vegetables almost daily. Mostly a stir-fry. Sometimes I add them to dal, or make a mixed vegetable curry. Whenever I plan ahead and think of what to make there’s this one dish I’m always excited about. It’s a simple stir-fry made from a root vegetable called koorka in Malayalam. Koorka has a very distinct, highly addictive flavor. I don’t know its English translation. Usually when I’m stuck with the names of Indian native vegetables or food ingredients, I refer to Wikipedia’s multilingual list and I’m never disappointed. This time, however, there’s no mention of this particular tuber. Why’s that I wonder. It’s mostly found small and round with a dark brown skin, and cream flesh. Have a look at this picture.

Prawns in Tangy Masala - Chemmeen Ularthiyathu

I’m suddenly gripped by this burst of energy and I’m all ready to rock and roll. Don’t ask why. Nah, it’s okay. This one seems like a no-brainer, but, seriously, I’m happy. I’m happy to be doing something I like. Life never fails to surprise us, huh. Oh yeah. When I had a full time job and a live-in housekeeper, cooking was an activity I used to indulge in only during the weekends or when I was entertaining. Now, I’m cooking a ton, photographing my way to happiness, sharing it with y’all and making new memories. Ah!

Okay, back to the subject matter. Chemmeen Ularthiyathu or prawns cooked in tangy masala is yet another Syrian Christian delicacy. The seafood is stewed in kokum  broth in an earthern pot or manchatti. Kokum (Garcinia indica) is a berry-like fruit the size of a small orange, used as a souring agent in fish curries. In Malayalam, it is known as kudam puli.  I simply love this dish for the exotic combination of the crunchy coconut pieces with the flavored prawns. To me, it’s something comforting; at the same time it tastes incredible.

Spiced Eggplant Fry — Vazhuthananga Porichathu

Aubergine is another term used for eggplant. In India, it is commonly known as brinjal. In Malayalam, vazhuthananga or katharikka. This spicy eggplant recipe makes a delicious accompaniment for rice. For a vegetarian version, substitute the chicken stock cube with vegetable stock cube.

Red Spinach Curry — Cheera Curry

You all know that I am a totally, totally amateur photographer, right? But I love to learn. Sometimes I get carried away and have way too much fun with the camera. Today was one such day—I clicked too many pictures. I was so bewitched by the color of the spinach and the vivid pink of the final dish. Not sure if the results are successful—you be the judge. But I do hope that you don’t mind. Thanks!

Apple Jelly Pudding With Caramelized Cashew Nuts

January 5. Yesterday. It was my baby’s birthday. He’s such a bundle of joy and we are so blessed. It’s hard to believe my boy is so grown up, he’s going to tower over me soon!

I’m going to round off this eventful week with a sweet sensation. I tasted this dish at one of our regular potluck get-together with friends. One of my friend had cooked apple pudding topped with caramelized cashews for dessert. The pudding tasted like a vanilla flavored gelatin and the crunchiness of the caramelized cashews gave body to the dessert. It was light and tasty, and I liked it. In fact, everyone liked it a lot. So I got the recipe and made it at home. Twice. It tasted just as good. 

Tindora (Ivy Gourd) Stir-fry — Kovakka Upperi

Finally, it’s the weekend. In fact, the first weekend in the New Year. I just wanna lean back and chill out.

Here’s a quick-fix recipe with tindora or ivy gourd. This veg is also known as baby watermelon!

Fiery Red Prawn Curry — Chemmeen Mulakittathu

 

Our usual lunch includes rice, fish, vegetables and yoghurt. Oh yeah, fish. We cook and eat fish and seafood a lot and often. I guess that’s the influence of being a native of the coast. Coastline of any country has a unique, exciting cuisine different from the rest of the land. One of the blessings of life on the Malabar Coast is that we get to enjoy fresh fish, seafood, vegetables, and poultry. Yes, all fresh. The chicken running around in the courtyard is caught and dressed to prepare spicy delicacies. Fresh seafood and fish is boiled in earthern pots made from local red clay, and firewood is used to impart a smoky flavor to dishes. Ah, those good carefree days.

Banana Blossom With Green Gram — Vazhakoombum Payarum or Chundum Payarum

I was daydreaming. Beautiful memories of home. My mother used to grow a lot of tropical fruits and vegetables in her garden. Bananas and jackfruits and mangoes and papayas and guavas and rose apples. Spinach, coconut, pepper, bitter gourd, tomato, chili, tapioca and taro. And still more, depending on the season. She was happy to cook the freshly plucked vegetables from her garden. And we were happy to eat.

Lentil Curry With Zucchini And Spring Onions — Zucchini Parippu Curry

Each time I visit one of those classy looking web sites, my wish list keeps increasing. I wish I were more articulate. I wish I had a better camera. I wish I knew html. I wish I could make my blog pages more appealing. I wish...   I wish...!! Sigh. In all honesty I have to say that I'm not too happy with the look and feel of this site and I've been trying to update the recipe index tab, the about page, as well as work on some other bits and pieces. But for some reason my site has been acting funny and this whole thing is turning to be quite time-consuming. So, hope you have more patience with me as I work on the updates. Thank you.

Two days ago I made this simple dish with creamy and nutritious split red lentils. I always stock my storecupboards with different pulses as they have an indefinite shelf life. Dal is a staple food of South Asia. For me, it is a comfort food. Especially lentil soups. Have you ever tried the lentil soup from Nando's? It's so yummy!

Dry Red Chili Chutney — Mulaku Chammanthi

A new day. A New Year. A new chapter. With Lots of great hopes and endless possibilities to make our wishes come true. Cheers to 2011.

I am sharing with you this quote by Oprah Winfrey, which I find truly inspirational:

"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right"

A toast to all of you for the best year ever, filled with happiness, success and good fortune. I am grateful to share this happy moment and new year with all of you. I truly am!