Kitchen Corner-Try It

Paneer Bhurji  Paneer Bhurji is easy to make, flavorful  and delicious side dish for rotis/chapatis. Paneer(Indian style cottage cheese) is now becoming part of my regular grocery list. Back in Kerala we never tried cooking with paneer. My parents love spicy food and so mom never experimented cooking mild gravy dishes with paneer.The only place you get a chance to try paneer dishes is at restaurants. Now I am buying paneer regularly and hunting new recipes to try.  Paneer burji is the easiest of all and perfect for beginners.It is made with scrambled paneer, tomatoes and flavorful spices. Healthy and protein packed this is also  the  easiest stuffing for chapati wraps. I tried this for my kids lunch box and it was a success. Ingredients Crumbled Paneer- 2 cup Onion- 1 medium Tomato- 1 medium Green chilly chopped-2 Ginger garlic paste- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds- 1/4 tsp Garam Masala- 1/4 tsp Chaat Masala.a pinch(option

Prawns Fry (Kerala Style) This is yet another Kerala style prawns fry, quick and easy to make.Sea food lovers will not be able to resist a spicy and tasty prawns fry and prawns is my favorite.Back home when ever mom buys prawns we insisted in making prawns fry and it is always delicious. Try this, you will surely love it. Ingredients Prawns- 1lb Ginger- garlic paste-2 tsp Chilly powder- 1 1/2 tsp Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp( optional) Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp Fennel powder- 1/2 tsp Rice flour/Corn starch- 2 tsp Curry leaves - a few  Salt to taste Coconut oil for frying Lemon juice- a few drops Clean  and de-vein shrimp. Marinate with ginger garlic paste,chilly powder,pepper powder, turmeric, fennel powder and salt and keep aside for twenty minutes. Just before frying mix in rice flour. This will help to bind the masala. Heat oil in a pan and add curry leaves and fry for a minute. Layer shrimp and shallow fry on both sides till crispy  in the

Mambazha Pulissery/Mango and Spiced Yogurt Curry Mambazham/ Mango Pulisherri is a sweet and spicy curry made with ripe sweet mangoes. It is an old-fashioned recipe still made and served in many homes in Kerala. Whenever I get ripe mangoes, I cannot resist making mambazham pulisherri. It is absolute comfort food and goes well with steamed rice. Cooked mangoes are mixed with cumin flavored yogurt to make this delicious curry. There is a beautiful balance between the sweetness of mangoes and the sourness of spiced yogurt. The heat is from the green chilies and red chili powder and the earthiness from turmeric, fenugreek seeds, and cumin. Does it sound simple? And yes, it is a simple curry. If you are on a time crunch, this is a perfect recipe for you. Pulisheri is the most common yogurt-based dish in Kerala cuisine. Pulisheri is made both with vegetables and fruits.  Ripe sweet mangoes make delicious curries like pulisherri, pachadi, or manga curry with coconut paste. Freshly gr

Stir fried Brussels Sprouts with Coconut Quick and delicious vegetable side dish with brussels sprouts flavored with coconut and the extra crunch of peanuts.Usually I roast brussels sprouts, but this is another wonderful way to enjoy this veggie. Do not over cook brussels  sprouts. It needs to remain crunchy. If overcooked it lose flavor attains a  sulfurous odour..the reason why most people keep away from the wonderful and versatile vegetable. This is less spicy and a good accompaniment for rice. Ingredients Brussels Sprouts- 20 Onion -1 medium Ginger sliced- 1 inch thick Garlic-2 Green chilly- 2 Grated coconut- 1/3 cup Roasted peanuts- 1/3 cup Cumin- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp Turmeric- 1/3 tsp Hing- a pinch Dry red chilly-1 Peel off and discard the loose leaves of the sprouts, wash and cut into half's and keep aside.  Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When the splutter add dry red chilly,garlic and ginger and slightly fry. Add

Nadan Kozhi Curry/Kerala Chicken Curry This is my grandmothers recipe and is a traditional style chicken curry, flavorful and delicious. It is spicy and rich with regional flavors of Kerala like spices,coconut and coconut oil. In this recipe I have used roasted thin coconut slices. You can also add coconut milk. For recipe with coconut milk check here ...Nadan kozhi curry goes well with rice, appam or pathiri. Ingredients  Chicken- 1 1/2 lb Shallots sliced- 3 cup Onion thinly sliced- 1 medium Ginger garlic paste- 3 tsp Green chilly-2 Curry leaves- 3 springs Coconut oil To fry Coconut thinly sliced- 1/2 cup Whole spices- cardamon 2, clove-5 Cinnamon stick- 2 pieces, star aniseed- 1 Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp For the Masala Chilly powder-2 tsp Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp Coriander powder- 3 tsp Garam Masala powder- 1/2 tsp Fennel powder- 1 tsp Asafoetida-1/3 tsp Fenugreek powder- 1/3 tsp Salt to taste Clean and cut chicken into

Lauki/ Bottle gourd and Chickpeas Curry Here is another simple recipe for chapatis/rotis. It is a spicy curry made with lauki/ bottle gourd/churakkaya with chick peas/kadala. It is aromatic with fresh flavors of garam masala and coconut.Try this,you will surely love it. Ingredients Bottle gourd- 1 Chickpeas- 1/2 cup Onion- 1 mediem Tomato- 1 meduim Ginger garlic paste- 1 1/2 tsp Green chilly-2 Chilly powder- 1 tsp Coriander powder- 1 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp Fennel powder- 1/2 tsp Garam masala- 1/2 tsp Coconut milk- 1/2 cup Curry leaves- 1 spring Coriander leaves - a little Soak chickpeas for one hour. Pour 1 1/2 cups of water and pressure cook ( three whistles) and keep this aside. Peel and cut bottle gourd into small cubes. Heat oil in a pan and saute onions, green chilly, curry leaves till it changes color.Add ginger garlic paste and tomatoes fry till there is a nice aroma and tomatoes get cooked. Add chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt and masalas along w

Fish Molly Kerala style fish molly/molee is a mild and delicious curry. It is a fish stew cooked in spiced coconut milk. Fish molee is made with a generous amount of coconut milk and has a creamy and rich taste. It's got a class of its own and will surely tickle your taste buds. Perfectly made soft appam and fish molly is a pure joy to indulge in and is personal pride that every Malayalee share in common. This is one classic combination that you got to try. You will be surprised how easy it is to make appam and fish molly. So if you want to try this delicious combo, check this recipe! Appam is the perfect breakfast and goes well with any curry. But fish molly and appam are a match made in heaven. It is indispensable for lunch or dinner parties in Kerala. Kerala is the land of coconuts, fish, and spices. Coconut is quintessential in Kerala cooking. Coconut gives a creamy richness to this curry, and there is a tangy acidity from vinegar and tomatoes. Coconut oil also adds fla

 Gobi 65 Crispy and spicy fried cauliflower it can be served as an appetizer, side dish or as a snack. This is the vegetarian version of chicken 65 and is quick and simple. Ingredients Cauliflower florets- 3 cups 1)Corn Starch- 1/3 cup All purpose flour/maida- 1/2 cup Kashmiri chilly powder-11/2 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp Ginger garlic paste- 11/2 tsp Garam Masala- 1 tsp Chilly garlic paste- 3 tsp Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp Coriander power- 1/2 tsp Soya sauce- 1 tsp For garnish Onion- 1 medium Bell pepper- 1/2 Coriander leaves- a little Cumin Powder - a pinch Garam masala- 1/2 tsp Curry leaves - a few(optional) Lemon juice- a few drops Cut cauliflower into small pieces.Sprinkle salt and pepper powder and put into micro wave in high for two minutes or just drop into boiling water for a minute and drain(Only half cooked the florets). Mix all the ingredients listed under one to make a smooth batter. Batter should be similar to bhajis  or pakod

Egg puffs   Spicy curried puffs are a timeless favorite when it comes to party appetizers. Making curry parcels with puff pastry is a fabulous idea, and you have so many options for the filling. You can use vegetable, chicken, eggs, or minced meat. Egg puffs are crispy, flaky puff pastry parcels filled with egg onion masala, and it is flavorful. These delightful egg puffs are a treat for your taste buds. If you love to entertain, this is an appetizer that never fails to impress. It goes well with afternoon tea and will be ready in under 30 minutes. I bet you’ll be surprised at how easy and delicious it is to make egg puffs! Sounds exciting? Then check the recipe, and enjoy bakery-style egg puffs at home.   Freshly baked puffs have an enticing flavor that is hard to resist. Puffs are a common item in Kerala bakeries, and the bakery near our home mutta puffs/egg puffs was a huge hit. You can buy freshly baked ones during evening hours, and it is perfect as a tea time snack. Egg puf

Mathanga Parippu Curry  This is a basic home style lentil curry with pumpkin and moong dal. This is a coconut based curry and goes well with rice. It is similar to the nadan parippu curry. Pumpkin added to lentil brings in extra flavor and a little sweetness which is pleasing to the palate. Ingredients Pumpkin/Butternut squash cubed - 2 cup Moong dal- 1/2 cup Coconut grated 3/4 cup Turmeric- 1/3 tsp Green chilly- 4 Cumin- 1/2 tsp Fennel- 1/3 tsp Turmeric powder 1/3 tsp Garlic - 2 Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp Shallot- 2 diced Dry Red chilly- 2 Oil - 2 tsp Curry leaves Dry roast the moong dal till it gets a nice aroma but it should not be browned up. Allow to cools down a bit. Pour two cups of water and pressure cook till soft ( three whistles) Chop pumpkin into cubes. Add this into the cooked dal with half cup of water and salt to taste and cook till pumpkin becomes soft and tender. Meanwhile grind the coconut, cumin and fennel into a fine paste. Cru

Meen Thilappichathu (Cochin style fish curry) Meen Thilappichathu is a common fish preparation of Central Kerala especially Cochin. It is fish in a spicy and tangy sauce and is simple and easy to put together. You can use use any kind of fish like king fish, pearl spot, pom fret,mackerel or sardines. You can also use the same recipe to make eggs. This is a healthy and delicious recipe with very simple ingredients. Here I have used vinegar to make the sauce tangy which can be replaced with tomatoes.Try this..you will surely love it. Ingredients Fish - 1 lb(I used pomfret) Shallots 12-14 Ginger- 2 inch thick Garlic- 4-5 Green chilly- 3 Curry leaves a few Chilly powder- 2 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp water- 1 1/2 cup Vinegar-2 tsp Salt to taste Clean and cut fish and keep aside. Using a mixer blend into a coarse mixture (not paste) the shallots, green chilly, ginger garlic and curry leaves. Heat oil in a pan and saute this mixture till it is golden brown. Add chi

One of my favorite ways to cook okra or vendakka is a spicy fry. It is easy to prepare and is great accompaniment for rice and sambar. Its simple and delicious stir fry and  a quick recipe for dinner especially when you are short of time. It is spicy and bit tangy from the tomatoes. You can make it a little more crispy if you like. Ingredients Okra- 25-30 Shallots chopped- 1/2 cup ( or 1 small onion). Tomato -1 medium Ginger chopped - 1 tsp Urud dal, mustard seeds, Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp each Chilly powder- 1 tsp Turmeric powder 1/3 tsp Hing- a pinch Curry leaves -a few Wash and completely dry the okra with paper towel before cutting them. Cut into one inch pieces. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds followed by urud dal and fry for a minute. Add hing and after a second ginger and onions. Fry till onions change color. Add turmeric and tomatoes and fry for a minute. Now add okra or vendakka give it a quick mix, reduce the heat and allow  to slo

Lemon chicken This is a great chicken recipe infused with Asian flavors and was very similar to the Chinese restaurant style lemon chicken.It is citrus flavored,sweet, tart and crispy chicken .The chicken is first cut into small pieces, dipped in batter and deep fried. The sauce is made separately and drizzled over the chicken.This is perfect with jasmine rice. Ingredients 1)Chicken boneless- 1 1/2 lb Soya sauce- 3 tsp Salt a pinch For the batter 2)For the Batter Egg- 2 Corn starch-2 tbs 3) For the sauce Water - 3/4 cup ( or you can use chicken broth) Sugar- 3-4 tsp Salt- 1/2 tsp Lemon juice- 1 lemon Lemon zest- 1 tsp Corn starch- 1 tsp Yellow color- one drop( optional) Sesame seeds roasted - 1 tsp Chopped spring onions - a few Clean and cut chicken  into small pieces and marinate with soya sauce and pinch of salt and keep aside for ten minutes. Mix the ingredients under two and make a batter. Heat oil in a pan. Dip the marinated chicken in the batte