Parippu Payasam (Kheer)

photo credit: cell105

Green gram dal (moong dhuli) –  1 cup
Jaggery – ¾ cup
Coconut milk – 100 ml
Coconut pieces – 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
Ghee (clarified butter) – 2 tbsp
Cashew and raisins – as required

1. Fry the dal in a skillet till nice and brown. Keep it aside to cool. Then wash it with water.
2. Cook the dal in a cooker (1 whistle only) or open fire.
3. Add jaggery and mix well
4. Check for sweetness. If you want it to be sweeter add more jaggery
5. Add coconut milk and bring it to boil
6. Add cardamom powder
7. In a small pan heat ghee, and fry cashew, raisins and coconut pieces
8. Tip it into simmering dal. Stir and serve.

Onam Asamsakkal

Pulinji

Inji means ginger and Puli means tamarind. As the name suggests rightly so, pulinji is a preparation with ginger as the main ingredient cooked in tamarind water. My north Indian friends call it south Indian ginger pickle 🙂

Yet again, Pulinji is one of the main dishes served during Onam sadya, however in moderation just like your pickle!

Ginger – 25 gms (peeled and finely chopped)
Green chili – 4 nos (finely chopped)
Coconut Oil – 1 tsp
Dry red chili – 1 no (chopped)
Mustard – ½ tsp
Tamarind – size of a big lemon
Water – 2 cups

(To be added to tamarind)
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Chili powder – ¼ tsp
Asafoetida – ¼ tsp
Grated jaggery – 25 gms
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Fenugreek seeds (methi dana) – 3- 4 nos

1. Soak tamarind in 2 cups of water
2. In a skillet heat oil and add mustard. Once it sputters add dry red chili.
3. Add chopped ginger and green chili and fry well and keep aside
4. Squeeze and take the liquid out from the tamarind
5. In a vessel heat the tamarind water and to it add all ingredients to be added mentioned under ingredients section
6. Bring to boil and cook till it thickens.
7. Add fried ginger and chili pieces and remove from the fire

Onam Asamsakkal

Chicken Fry

Chicken Fry

Last recipe in this segment of Kerala non veg specials, chicken fry is yet another traditional preparation. A good snack to go with cocktail sessions and yes goes well as an accompaniment for your lunch and dinner too 🙂

Chicken pieces – 250 gms (washed, drained and cut into bigger cubes)
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tbsp
Cinnamon – 1 inch stick
Cloves – 3-4 nos
Shallots (small onions) – 10 nos (finely chopped)
Garlic – 2 cloves (finely chopped)
Ginger – ½ inch piece (finely chopped)
Curry leaves – 1 sprig (finely chopped)
Vinegar – 1 tbsp
Coconut oil or any cooking oil – 1 cup
Salt to taste

1. Mix all ingredients except chicken and oil
2. Rub it over the chicken pieces and marinate for about half an hour
3. Heat oil in the pan and tip in cooked chicken pieces till golden brown
4. Scrape out the remains from the vessel in which you cooked the chicken and fry this as well
5. Place the chicken on the serving plate and garnish with fried scrapings and lemon slices

Till next time…happy cooking!

Pork Curry

Pork Curry

Pork – 1 kg (washed, drained and cut into small pieces)
Onions – 3-4 big sized (finely chopped)
Tomatoes – 2 nos (finely chopped)
White vinegar – 1 tbsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

For curry masala, grind to a fine paste the following

Garlic – 10 cloves
Ginger – 5 cm piece
Green chilies – 4 nos
Tamarind – a walnut sized ball (seeded)
Black pepper – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 2 tsp
Cloves – 5-6 nos
Cinnamon – 5 cm stick
Mustard seeds (sarson) – 1 tsp
Raisins (kishmish) = 2 tbsp
Water (as required to make this thick paste)

1. Pressure cook the pork with ¾ cup water for about 30 minutes
2. Strain and keep aside the pork and the stock
3. Heat oil in a pan and fry onions and tomoatoes till onions turn translucent
4. Add in the masala curry paste and fry further for 2 minutes
5. Add pork and fry well till it browns. Stir occasionally
6. Add stock, vinegar, salt and ¾ cups of water and mix
7. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for another 30-40 minutes, till the pork is cooked and gravy thickens
8. Serve with rice, chappati or Kerala porotta

Till next time…happy cooking!

Liver Curry

photo credit: avlxyz

Most of the people I know are crazy about Liver curry so I thought that it might be a good idea to share its recipe on Akshayapatram!

Lamb’s liver – 500 gms (membrane removed, washed,drained and cut into cubes)
Shallots (small onion) – 10 nos (finely chopped)
Ginger – 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
Cloves – 3-4 nos
Coconut oil or any cooking oil – 1 and ½ tbsp
Salt to taste

For curry masala, grind to a fine paste the following

Garlic – 3-4 cloves
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Chili powder – 4 tsp
Black pepper powder – 1 tsp
Cumin (jeera) – 1 tsp
White vinegar – 1 and ½ tbsp
Water (as required to make this thick paste)

1. Heat oil in a pan and fry shallots, ginger and cloves till shallots turn brown
2. Add liver, salt and the ground masala curry paste and mix well
3. Add just about a little water and stir. Cook over slow flame till liver is tender and gravy thickens
4. Garnish with onion rings and chopped fresh coriander leaves
5. Serve with rice, chappati, Kerala porotta or plain bread from you bakery!

Till next time…happy cooking!

Mutton Curry

Mutton Curry

After seafood and chicken its now time for some mutton 🙂

Mutton – 500 gms (washed, drained and cut into pieces)
Onions – 2 nos (sliced)
Ginger – 1 tbsp (chopped)
Coriander leaves – finely chopped
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
White vinegar – 2 tsp
Ghee (clarified butter) – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

For curry masala, grind to a fine paste the following

Fresh grated coconut (½ portion)
Shallots – 4 nos
Garlic – 3 cloves
Cinnamon- 4 cm stick
Cloves – 3-4 nos
Fennel seeds (saunf) – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Chili powder – 4 tsp
Coriander powder – 2 tsp
Black pepper powder – 1 tsp
Water (as required to make this thick paste)

1. Pressure cook the meat along with ginger, salt, vinegar and very little water for about 30 minutes
2. Heat ghee in a pan and fry onions and curry leaves till onions turn translucent
3. Add the ground curry masala paste and bring it to boil
4. Add the cooked meat along with its stock and cook over low heat till gravy thickens
5. Add chopped coariander leaves
6. Serve hot with rice, chapatti, aapam or Kerala porotta

Till next time…happy cooking!

Chicken Coconut Curry

photo credit: me vs gutenberg

I shared with you earlier recipe for chicken curry sans any coconut…this one is with coconut milk…check it out!

Chicken – 500 gms (washed, drained and cut into pieces)
Onions – 2 nos (sliced)
Potatoes – 2 nos (sliced)
Green chilies – 6 nos (slit length wise)
Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Coconut Milk – 2 cups
Ghee (clarified butter) – 7 tbsp
Salt to taste

For curry masala, grind to a fine paste the following

Shallots (small onion) – 8-10 nos
Garlic – 6-7 cloves
Dry red chilies – 6-8 nos
Cloves – 3 nos
Cinnamon – 1 inch stick
Poppy seeds (Khus Khus) – 2 tsp
Black peppercorn – 15 nos
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 2 pinches
Water (as required to make this thick paste)

1. Pat dry the chicken pieces and rub nicely with the ground curry paste. Let it marinate for about 30 minutes
2. Heat 1 and ½ tbsp ghee in a skillet and add onions and potatoes and fry till the potatoes are cooked and onions are translucent
3. Take the vegetables off from the skillet retaining the ghee in the skillet
4. In a fresh pan put in chicken in coconut milk over low heat for about 10 minutes and cook till chicken is half done
5. Add green chilies, curry leaves and coriander leaves and continue cooking till gravy thickens
6. Remove from the heat and take out the chicken pieces from the gravy
7. In the retained ghee (from step 3) add remaining ghee, heat and fry the chicken over high heat till chicken turns brown
8. Add the vegetables and cooked gravy and mix well
9. Serve with rice, chappati, Kerala porotta, aapam or idiaapam

Till next time…happy cooking!

Kerala Chicken Curry

photo credit: TMAB2003

Well, necessarily not all Kerala recipes need to include coconut as one of the ingredients. This chicken curry is sans any coconut…a must try!

Chicken – 500 gms (washed, drained and cut into pieces)
Onions – 2 nos (big sized, finely chopped)
Ginger – 1 tbsp (julienned)
Tomatoes – 4 nos (finely chopped)
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Cooking oil – 4 tbsp
Salt to taste

For curry masala, grind to a fine paste the following

Shallots (small onions) – 10 nos
Ginger – 3 cm piece
Garlic – 6-8 cloves
Dry Red chilies – 8-10 nos
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Cumin seeds (jeera) – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds (saunf) – 1 tsp
Black Peppercorns – 15 nos
Water (as required to make this thick paste)

1. In a pan heat oil and tip in the onions. Fry till translucent
2. Add the ground curry masala and mix well. Fry for 2 minutes.
3. Remove half of this mixture and keep aside
4. To the remaining half in the pan add chicken, ginger and salt and sauté till the chicken is cooked
5. Tip in chopped tomatoes, curry leaves and ¾ cup water and cook over low heat till oil separates
6. Add in the onion and masala paste you had set aside earlier (step 3) and turn off the heat
7. Mix well and garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves and julienned ginger
8. Serve with rice, chappati, Kerala porotta, aapam or idiaapam

Till next time…happy cooking!

Fish Curry Recipe

photo credit: Ron Dollete

This is a typical country style or nadan (in Malayalam) Sardine fish curry recipe. Sardines are packed with nutrients. I read it somewhere that sardines provide more calcium and phosphorus than milk, more protein than steak, more potassium than bananas, and more iron than cooked spinach!!

Sardines – 10 nos (cleaned and with heads removed)
Green chili – 2-3 (slit)
Camodge (Kokum or kodumpuli) – 1 (soaked in water)
Salt to taste
Coconut or cooking Oil – 1 and ½ tbsp oil
Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Grind to a fine paste

Dry red chilies – 5 nos (tear it into pieces)
Coriander seeds – ½ tsp
Shallots (small onions) – 4-5 nos
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Water (as required)

1. Combine sardines, green chilies, cambodge with its soaking liquid, salt, ½ tbsp oil and the ground spice paste in a pan.
2. Mix well and cook over low heat till fish is tender and the gravy somewhat thickens
3. Stir in remaining oil and curry leaves and remove from heat
4. Serve with rice

Till next time…happy cooking!

Fried Beef Recipe

Malayalees love beef and you will find it in menu cards in almost all non vegetarian joints. Watch out for Erachi / beef  Ulathiyathu…This dry preparation of meat goes well as lunch or dinner accompaniment or as cocktail snacks.

Beef * – 500 gms (cut into ½ inch cubes)
Shallots (small onions) – 10 nos (sliced)
Ginger – ½ inch (sliced)
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Chili powder – 2 tsp
Coriander powder – 2 tsp
Black pepper powder – 1 tsp
Powdered cinnamon – 1/2 tsp
Cloves – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – 3 sprigs
Coconut flakes – ½ cup
Dry Coconut – 2 tbsp (sliced and small pieces – fried)
Coconut Oil – ½ cup
Salt to taste

1. Combine all ingredients except oil and coconut and smear the meat with it. Mix well and keep aside
2. Dry fry coconut flakes with a pinch or turmeric powder and salt to golden yellow
3. Add the marinated meat, mix and cook covered on low flame
4. Stir occasionally and sprinkle boiling water if required (if the mix is sticking to the bottom of the pan)
5. Garnish with sliced and fried dry coconut
6. Serve

*If you are not a beef eater replace it with meat of your choice
* You can also pressure cook the meat first and cook it dry over open fire
* This dish tastes better when refried!

Till next time… happy cooking!