Karimeen / Pearl Spot Fry

This is a fresh water fish and very tasty also. Recently it is declared as the official fish of Kerala. 

Ingredients

• Karimeen /Pearl Spot - 2 
• Chilly powder - 1.5 tbsp
• Black pepper powder - 2.5 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
• Lemon juice - 1.5 tbsp
• Curry leaves 
• Salt

Preparation

1.Clean the fish and make 3-4 gashes on each side of the fish. 

2.Mix red chili powder, black pepper powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice,salt and little water to a thick paste.

3.Marinate the fish with this paste and refrigerate it for about 1/2 an hour.

4.Heat coconut oil in a pan and layer curry leaves in the oil and then place the marinated fish on top of it and shallow fry in a medium-low flame. Then turn it around and fry the other side. When both sides of the fish becomes golden brown switch off.

Happy Onam

Onam is the state festival of  Kerala. It is the festival celebrated with most number of cultural elements such as Vallam Kali, Pulikali, Pookkalam, Thumbi Thullal, Atthachamayam etc.   

The celebrations begin within a fortnight of the Malayalam New Year and go on for ten days. Thiruonam day is the most important day of Onam.

The Onam Sadya is a very indispensable part of Thiruvonam and almost every Keralite attempts to either make or attend one. The importance of the feast to the Kerala's Onam celebration culture is captured in the famous Malayalam proverb "Kaanam Vittum Onam Unnanam" which means "One must have the Onam lunch even one is forced to sell his property" .

The feast is served on plantain leaves and consists of several dishes, including Banana Chips, Papadam, Thoran, Mezhukkupuratti, Kaalan, Olan, Avial, Sambar, Parippu curry, Erissery, Rasam, Kootu curry, Inchi curry, Pickle, Pulissery, Pachadi, Kichadi, Payasam, Banana and so on.

You can find out the recipes of Sadya here...

• Cabbage Thoran
• Payar Mezhukkupuratti
• Aviyal
• Sambar
• Parippu Curry
• Erissery
• Mambazha Pulissery
• Rasam
• Koottu Curry
• Inchi Curry
• Mango Pickle
• Moru Curry
• Beetroot Pachadi
• Paal Payasam
• Semiya Payasam

Enjoy the feast and have a great year ahead!!

Inchi / Ginger Curry

Inchi curry is a side dish mainly used in the traditional feast / sadya of Kerala. Ginger has many medicinal values also. 

Ingredients

• Ginger – 100 gm
• Tamarind – Lime size 
• Chilly powder – 2 tsp
• Jaggery – 2 tbsp
• Fenugreek powder – 1 tsp
• Hing  - a pinch

Preparation

1.Cut the cleaned ginger into thin slices. Fry them in coconut oil. Crush the fried ginger using a mortar and pestle.

2.Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water and extract its juice.

3.Heat oil in a deep pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and saute for a few more minutes.

4.Pour the strained tamarind extract to it. Bring it to a boil and add chilly powder, fenugreek powder and hing. Now add the ground ginger and jaggery. Mix well. Check for salt.


5.Bring down the heat to low. Cook for another 10 minutes stirring in between and switch off. Adjust the gravy according to your consistency. 

Koottu Curry

Koottu curry is a prominent dish in the traditional Kerala Feast or 'Sadya'. It is a combination of some vegetables, chick peas and roasted coconut. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients

• Raw plantain – 2, cubed
• Yam – 1/2 cup cubed
• Black chickpeas cooked – 1/2 cup
• Chilly powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Jaggery – 3 – 4 tbsp
• Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Pepper corns - 1tsp

For seasoning

• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Dry red chillies – 2 – 3
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig
• Grated coconut – 1/4  cup
• Coconut oil – 2 tsp

Preparation

1. Soak the kadala / black chana in enough water for at least 4-8 hrs. Pressure cook it in enough water adding salt until it is fully done.

2. Add the raw plantain, elephant yam, chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt and enough water in a pan and cook till they are done. Add 3 – 4 tbsp jaggery and mix well.

3. Coarsely grind the grated coconut, cumin seeds and pepper corns in a mixer. Add this ground mixture to the cooked vegetables and mix well. Check for salt.

4.Cook until the raw taste of coconut is gone. Add the cooked chickpeas to the above mixture. Mix well. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Switch off.

5.In another pan add oil, pop mustard seeds, fry dry red chillies, curry leaves, grated coconut. Roast the grated coconut  till it is reddish-brown in color. Add the roasted coconut mixture to the curry and mix well.

Ulli Puli / Onion Curry

Ingredients

• Shallots  – 1 cup
• Tamarind – Lemon size (Soak it in 1/4 cup warm water and extract its juice.)
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp 
• Chilly powder – 2 tbsp
• Fenugreek powder-  2 pinches

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pan and saute sliced shallots adding little salt. Saute until onions turn light brown.

2. Bring down the heat. Add the turmeric, chilly and fenugreek  powder. Saute until the raw smell is gone.

3. Add the tamarind juice and bring to a boil. If the gravy is very thick, add little water. Check for salt. Switch off when it reaches a medium-thick consistency.

4. Heat oil in a small pan. Splutter mustard seeds and fry curry leaves. Pour over the curry.

Cucumber Juice

Cucumber is a powerful tonic for the skin, hair, and nails. Because cucumbers contain mostly water they are and excellent food to help cleanse and wash away toxins. Drinking cucumber juice helps you reach your recommended daily intake of vitamin K. It is a source of Calcium and Copper.

Ingredients

• Cucumber - 1 cup, chopped
• Chilled Water - 1/4 cup
• Sugar - 1 tbsp
• Ginger - a small piece

Preparation

1. Peel the cucumber and chop them up and transfer to a blender.

2. Add ginger,water and sugar and blend till it's nice and smooth.

3. Pour into glasses and serve.

Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

• Fresh Cream - 100 gram
• Strawberries - 12, chopped 
• Condensed milk - 100 gram

Preparation

1.Put strawberries in a mixer and make it into a fine puree. Set aside.

2.Mix cream and condensed milk in a bowl and whip until it becomes thick.

3.Once it is thick, add in strawberry puree and fold gently. Pour the mix into freezer.

4.Once it is set, take it out and blend it again and keep it in freezer. Scoop and serve.

Green Salad

Green salad/garden salad is most often composed of leafy vegetables. Due to their low caloric density, green salads are considered a common diet food. Salad dressing consist of oil, an acid and seasonings. The ratio of oil to acid is often 3:1.

Ingredients

• Cucumber - 1
• Carrot - 1
• Iceberg  lettuce - 1/2 of one head
• Olive oil - 3tbsp
• Lime Juice - 1tbsp
• Pepper - 1tsp
• Salt - 1tsp

Preparation

1.Wash and shred the lettuce leaves. Slice carrot and cucumber.

2.Put these into a bowl.

3.Add dressing; pour olive oil and lemon juice, then add salt and pepper. Mix everything
together and serve.

Sweet Vermicelli Upma



Ingredients

• Vermicelli - 1 cup
• Water - 2 cups
• Curry leaf - 1 sprig
• Urid dal - 1/2 tsp
• Onion -1
• Red chilly -1
• Sugar - 1.5tsp
• Ghee- 3 tsp

Preparation

1.Boil water and add sugar and a pinch of salt. Add 1tsp of ghee in a pan and roast the semiya till light brown.

2.Heat 1tsp of ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutter,add urid dal.

3. Add curry leaf, red chilly and chopped onion. Fry it for some time. Add semiya and mix it well. Then add boiled water.

4.When it cooked well and water evaporates, switch off the flame. Serve it hot.

Chembu puzhungiyathu / Boiled Malanga

Ingredients

• Chembu/ Malanga -4
• Salt
• Water

Curd Chutney

• Shallots - 3
• Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
• Green Chilly - 2
• Curry leaf -1/2 sprig
• Curd - 1/4 cup
• Salt

Preparation

1. Peel the skin of chembu (Malanga). Wash and cut into pieces.

2.Boil in plenty of water until they are fork tender. Add salt, cook for 2 more min then drain all the water(Take care not to overcook).

3.Grind coconut, green chilly, curry leaf, shallots together. Add curd and salt to this. Chutney ready.