Kitchen Corner-Try It

Varutharacha chicken curry is chiefly prepared by with roasted coconut and spices. It is very aromatic chicken in a flavorful and spicy gravy. It is not for those lazy days when we would love to make a quick and easy curries. It is time consuming but the end result is supremely satisfying to all chicken lovers. It is popular in Kerala, especially in North Kerala. It is great accompaniment with ghee rice, pulao, parotta or pathiris. Ingredients Chicken - 1kg Shallots- 1 1/2 cup Thinly sliced onion- 1 medium Grated coconut- 1 1/2 cup Sliced coconut- 1/4 cup Tomato- 1 Ginger  garlic paste-2 tsp Green Chilly -2 Chilly Powder- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilly powder- 1 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp Coriander powder-2 tsp Fennel seeds- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon- 2 inch Cloves- 3-4 Star Aniseed-2  Cardamon- 1 Black pepper- a few Nutmeg- a small piece. Curry leaves Mustard seed- 1/2 tsp Dry red chilly- 2 Oil Salt to taste Heat oil in a pan and roast grated coconut, cur

Pineapple Pulisheri is another version of pulisheri. There are different versions like savory pulisheri made with ash gourd or sweet with mangoes. Pineapple pulisheri is a sweet and sour curry and has a wonderful flavor. This is my mom-in-laws recipe and also the first one she taught me. Back at my home my mom made only mango pulisheri. Both these pulisheri's have unique tastes and you will surely love this one too. Ingredients Pineapple- 250 grams/8 ounce can Yogurt -1/2 ltr Coconut- 1/2 cup Green chilly - 2 Turmeric- 1/2 tsp Fenugreek- 1/2 tsp Ginger chopped- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp Curry leaves Salt to taste. Oil- 2 tsp  Dice pineapples into cubes. Grind coconut and ginger into a fine paste using very little water and set aside. Heat oil in a pan and crackle mustard seeds and fenugreek. Add green chilly and turmeric powder and saute a bit. Now add pineapple pieces,salt and 1/3 cup of water and close with a lid. (or just cook the pineapple w

Palada pradhaman/Paal ada payasam Palada pradhaman is a very popular dessert in Kerala and is made on festivals like Vishu, Onam and special occasions like marriage feasts. The secret to this recipe is slow cooking the ada in milk and sugar till it reduces and becomes creamy like condensed milk. Added to this is the flavor of ghee and cardamom and roasted cashew nuts. If this wasn't good enough, here is another way to make your payasam eating unforgettable. Have it with sweet Boli .Palada payasam is served along with Boli in wedding Sadhya , in south Kerala, especially in Triruvananthapuram region and the combination is divine. I have also posted ada pradhaman recipe with jaggery and coconut. This ada payasam is made with milk and sugar. In earlier times it was very difficult to make this pradhaman and it took hours to prepare the rice ada (looks similar to flakes) used in this recipe. Grounded rice paste was spread in plantain leaves rolled and submerged into boiling water

Aval Vilayichathu/ Sweetened Flat Rice with Jaggery Aval Vilayichathu/ Varattiyathu is a traditional old fashioned recipe with authentic flavors of Kerala. It is both easy and inexpensive. This snack is one of the most common snacks made in many homes in Kerala and passed down from generation to generation. At home in Kerala, my mom and granny often made these in the afternoon, so we can enjoy them as a snack at tea time. This snack evokes real nostalgia for simple village life. It is deliciously simple- a taste that lingers in your memory. In this recipe, aval or flat rice is, sweetened with jaggery and enriched with the flavors of ghee, cardamom, dry ginger, and coconut. It is slightly crunchy and chewy because of the jaggery. It also has the intense coconut flavor- I mean lots of coconut and tropical flavors! This is a versatile recipe. Reduce the amount of sweetness, it will transform itself into an interesting fun breakfast. It is also my choice when I want a quick dess

Fish/Meen Mappas  Mappas is a popular recipe in Kerala and is made with fish or meat. This traditional dish has a rich creamy texture and is made with coconut milk. Here I am making with fish. This curry resembles a delicately flavored fish stew.  It goes well with appam or parotta. Ingredients Fish- 1 lb Shallots- 1/2 cup Tomatoes- 2 large Green chilly- 2 Ginger- 2 inch Garlic - 5 Chilly powder- 1tsp Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander powder- 2 tsp Coconut milk- thin- 1 cup Coconut milk thick-3/4 cup Vinegar- 2 tsp oil  salt curry leaves Clean fish and marinate with a little of turmeric, chilly powder and salt and fry it slightly and keep aside. (You can avoid this frying step  for large chunk fish like King fish) Chop onions and tomatoes. Mince garlic, green chilly and ginger.  In a separate bowl mix chilly powder, turmeric and coriander powder with little water and make a paste and set aside. In a hot pan pour oil and splut

Orange Pudding is very light and sweet. It is less tangy and a good dessert option which my family enjoys. I saw this recipe in a TV show and tried it first as Orange sponge pudding which has a cake like texture. This one also turned out well. Many of you might have already tried this and I am also happy with getting a new pudding option. Ingredients Milk- 1 cup Egg- 3 Butter- 2 tsp Sugar- 1/2 cup Orange Juice- 1/2 cup orange zest- 3 tsp All purpose flour- 3 tsp Separate egg whites and yolk and keep aside. In a large mixing bowl blend sugar and butter till it becomes a smooth and fluffy. Beat egg yolks and add in into the sugar mixture and blend well. Add orange zest and flour and blend well without lumps. Now add orange juice and milk and blend well. Don't  forget to beat well after each additions. Beat egg white until light and fluffy soft peaks. Stir and gently fold into the mixture.( or beat with a little sugar and finally layer it on top). Heat oven to 300 Degre

Pavakka Mathura Curry/ Sweet Bitter gourd Curry Bitter gourd is a staple vegetable in Indian cuisine. Bitter gourd or pavakka is bitter but has several impressive health benefits. It is rich in Vitamin C, A, and folates. It helps in reducing blood sugar levels and aids weight loss. Many have a love-hate relationship with this veggie, but there are some dishes with a bitter gourd that tastes delicious and this veggie deserves recognition. There are ways in which you can make it less bitter. Crispy frying the bitter gourd is the best way to reduce bitterness. Adding yogurt, spices, and tamarind also helps. Spicy, bitterness and tangy taste complement each other so well. Today's recipe is a no-fuss, delicious curry, and has a sweet, bitter, and sour taste to it. It is similar to Kerala Sadhya style theeyal but tastes somewhat like puli inji (ginger pickle), and both have tamarind to balance the bitterness. Pavakka or bitter gourd is closely related to zucchini, squash, and cucumber.

Shrimp and vegetable pulao is a very simple and easy pulao. It is mild and less spicy but very delicious and aromatic. It is immensely easy as a lunch box recipe and also for potlucks. You will surely enjoy this easy pulao. Ingredients Basmathi Rice- 2 cups Shrimp- 150 grams Cut vegetables- 1 cup Onion- 1 Green chilly- 2 Ginger- 1 inch peice Garlic- 4 Red chilly - 1/3 tsp Turmeric- 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon- 1 stick Cardamon- 2 cloves - 4 Lemon juice- 1 whole salt to taste cilantro leaves for garnish Oil 2 tsp Ghee- 1 tsp Clean and marinate shrimp with salt, a pinch of turmeric and chilly powder and set aside. Cut vegetables into small cubes. Here I have used carrots, green peas, beans and frozen corn. Heat oil and ghee in a deep heavy skillet or a pressure cooker and add in the whole masalas and allow them to get roasted. Now add ginger and garlic and saute till the raw flavor disappears. Add in onions, salt and fry it till golden

This is a very simple citrus flavored chicken is now one of my favorites-a little sticky,sweet and tangy. Its quick and easy and can  be served over rice or pulao.It is a slight modification of the soya honey glazed chicken wings. Lemon juice tenderizes and the sweet glaze compliments the chicken; striking a balance between tangy and sweet. I have also tried this with orange and that also came out very tasty. Ingredients Chicken- 1 lb Bell Pepper - 1 medium Baby Corn- 15 Onion- 1 medium Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp Soya Sauce- 3 tsp Dark Soya Sauce- 1 tsp Chilly Garlic sauce - 3/4 tsp Worcestershire Sauce- 2 tsp Lemon juice- 3 tsp Honey- 3 tsp salt to taste oil- 3 tsp Roasted Sesame seeds- 1 tsp  Cut chicken into desired size and marinate it with all the sauces and keep it aside for about half an hour. Cut onions and bell pepper into cubes. Heat oil in a pan and saute these along with baby corn for a minute and keep aside. In the same pan pour a little more o

                                  Plantains are used to make a variety of dishes and this a breakfast recipe. Plantains are loaded with nutrition and in Kerala ripe banana is steamed and is part of  the breakfast. It is low in sodium and high in vitamins and fiber.This is inspired by the payam pori or the banana fritter that is common snack in Kerala. But this does not contain eggs as in usual pancake or fitters. We can convert this recipe into fritters by dropping batter spoonful into hot oil and fry it until golden brown. Here I made in the form of a dosa/pancake. Plantains are firmer than dessert bananas and so does not get mashed up and thus making it a better choice. Ingredients Ripe Plantain- 3  All purpose flour- 1/2 cup Rice flour- 3 tsp Coconut - 1/2 cup Sugar- 3 tsp salt- a pinch Cardamon or nutmeg- 1/3 tsp Ghee- 1 1/2 tsp Mash up the plantains using a fork. It is not necessary to be a very fine paste. Mix in all t

Kerala Duck Roast Duck roast makes a beautiful holiday main dish. Kerala duck roast is a traditional recipe, that tastes exotic. It is aromatic with a distinctive flavor and taste and is not like a regular roasted duck. It is pan-roasted and then simmered in a delicious gravy till it thickens and gets coated on the meat. It is a specialty of Syrian Christian families in Kerala and part of their menu on special occasions like wedding feasts and Christmas dinner. For many Malayalis, this is a must-have dish on the Christmas menu. Today I am sharing two recipes, the traditional Kerala style duck roast and a Kerala spice whole duck roast cooked in the oven. Duck has a more intense flavor profile than chicken, and warm spices, black pepper, and coconut oil go well with its flavor. It is a delicious accompaniment with Kerala style laced pancake, bread, idiyappam, or steamed rice. In Kerala duck is cooked with skin-on, for flavor and richness. Duck meat has a lot of fat, mostly from

Ethapazham pulisherri or plantain yogurt curry is a sweet and sour curry made with ripe sweet bananas. In Kerala cuisine we find lot of recipes using plantains. This curry is common and homely and can be made any time of the year. There are not seasonal like Mambayam pulisherri ( Sweet Mango curry). This spiced yogurt dish goes well with rice and any vegetarian or non vegetarian side dishes. It is usually of a little thinner consistency but i like it thick.So i add very little water while grinding coconut. Ingredients Plantain ripe- 2 Coconut- 1/3 cup Yogurt- 1 cup Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp Green chilly- 2 Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds- 1/2 tsp Shallot diced -1 oil 2 tsp Salt to taste Sugar- 1/2 tsp Curry leaves -1 spring Cut plantain into  1 1/2 inch pieces and cook it with salt, turmeric, sugar,green chilly and chilly powder. Do not allow it to get mashed up. Set this aside Grind the coconut into a fine p

Vattayappam or rice steamed cake is a traditional snack. It is quite a simple one usually made with leftover palappam barter. Whisk in a little more or sugar, cardamon and steam it- the vattayappam is ready. Its definitely an old fashioned snack but it has a spongy texture and wonderful mixed aroma of cardamon, yeast and ghee which every one would love. If you are interested in the pink colored vattayappam it is three tsp of strawberry pureed and blended just before steaming. That was fun but came out great with a lovely taste. To make this recipe more easy you can use rice flour instead of soaking raw rice. Ingredients Raw rice - 2 cups Cooked rice- 1/2 cup Coconut- 1 cup Coconut milk- 1/2 cup Yeast- 1/2 tsp Sugar- 1/4 cup salt-  1/3  tsp Ripe Banana- 1 Raisins- 10-15 Cashew nuts- 5-6 Ghee- 1 tsp Soak raw rice for about six to eight hours. Grind this along with coconut, coconut milk and cooked rice into a fine paste ( traditionally instead of cooked rice, thari kurukku

Fish Thoran is a very simple yet popular fish recipe, which can be made with any kind of fish. It is a great side dish, but doesn't have any gravy. It is made with grated and crushed coconut which I have seen mom patiently stir frying to a dry roasted form which makes this fish recipe even more flavorful. It can be prepared with any kind of fish like King fish, Mackerel, Sharvu or Shark, or smaller ones like Sardines or Anchovies and also squid. It is good to avoid bones and cut  larger fishes into small cubes. For the smaller one we can cook them first with turmeric and salt and remove off the bones and then continue with the same recipe. Ingredients Fish- 1 lb Grated coconut- 3/4 cup Shallots diced- 1/2 cup green chillies - 3 Ginger- 1- 1 1/2 inch garlic-1 pod  Cumin-a pinch Chilly powder- 1 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp tamarind- one small ball Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp Red Chilly- 2 Curry leaves- 2 springs Salt to taste Oil 3 tsp Clean and cut the fish into sma