Kitchen Corner-Try It

Easy Basil Chicken Are you looking for quick and budget-friendly dinner ideas? Thai basil chicken with fried rice or leftover jasmine rice is a delicious and comforting dinner. It is one of my favorite quick dinners and takes less than 20 minutes to make. This recipe is simple and inspired by the classic Thai basil chicken. We tried to cook one of our favorite restaurant food at home. Here, we created our version, which tastes incredibly close to the takeout version we've tried. It has delightfully crispy and delicious chicken bites with the fresh flavor of basil. Do you like the flavor of basil? Basil adds a beautiful aroma to the chicken bites. Basil is a flavorful herb and adds freshness and a peppery anise/clove-scented flavor profile to the dish. It is best to use Thai basil or holy basil, and you can easily find it in Asian supermarkets. If it is hard to find, you can use regular Italian basil.  Thai basil has small, narrow leaves its flavor, described as anise or clove-lik

Varutharacha Vendakka Sambar Sambar is an absolute comfort food and is most common and preferred dish in South India for breakfast or with steamed rice .Sambar is a versatile dish and every house has their own versions of sambar. This one is an okra/vendekka sambar with a coastal touch to it.Varthacha sambar has the extra flavor and taste of roasted coconut and ground spices. Ingredients Sambar dal- 1/2 cup Vendakka/okra chopped- 2 cup Shallots- 10-12 Potato- 1 medium Yam cubes-5-6 medium Tomato- 2 small (you can add any vegetables of your choice) Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp Asefotedia-1/3 tsp Tamarind- lemon size ball salt to taste To roast and grind Dry red chilly- 5-6 Coriander seeds- 1 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds- a few Urad dal- 1 tsp Fennel seeds- a pinch Shredded coconut- 1/2 cup Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp Curry leaves- a few Asafoetida- 1/3 tsp Dry red chilly-2 Soak sambar dal for half an hour.Cook with one and half cup of water in a pressure co

Pumpkin/Mathanga Pulinkari    Pulinkari is a coconut and tamarind based curry and is an authentic Kerala dish. Different kinds of vegetables are added into this tangy coconut sauce and it depends on what sort of vegetable is available at home.It can be okra,pumpkin, ash ground or any locally grown vegetable. Here I have used pumpkin.This curry goes well with rice and is simple and tasty. Ingredients Pumpkin - 1 1/2 cup ( cut into cubes) Coconut shredded- 1 cup Dry red chilly- 5-6 Turmeric- 1/3 tsp Jeera/Cumin- 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds/Uluva- 1/3 tsp Raw rice - one tsp Coriander seeds- 2tsp Tamarind- small lemon ball size Jaggery- 1 tsp Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp Urad Dal- 1/2 tsp(optional) Shallot-2 Dry red chilly-2 Curry leaves- a few   Cut pumpkin into small cubes. Squeeze tamarind adding a little water into a thick pulp. Cook pumpkin along with the tamarind pulp,turmeric powder and salt.Once cooked add jaggery. Dry roast red chilly, coriander seeds, cumin seeds,fenugreek s

Fish Coconut Fry This is a simple and easy fish fry recipe which you can do with any fish fillet.If you are tried of the usual fish fry try adding in fried onions and roasted coconut. It adds a unique flavor and taste which is pleasing to the palette. You can try different versions like adding coconut paste to the marinade and fry/bake the fish. Pairs with plain rice or fried rice. Ingredients Fish fillet- 3 ( I used tilapia fillet) 1) To marinate the fish Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp Pepper powder- 1/3 tsp Chilly powder- 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste- 1 1/2 tsp Lemon juice- 1 tsp Salt to taste Coconut oil for frying Onion sliced- 1 medium Green chilly -1  sliced ginger- 1 tsp Coconut shredded- 3 tsp Fennel powder- 1/2 tsp Coriander leaves- a little Clean and cut fish into small pieces. Mix all ingredients listed under to marinate the fish into a paste and apply over the fish pieces and set aside for ten minutes. Fry the fish till it is do

Muringakka Mango Curry/ Drumstick Mango Curry Today's recipe is a simple and quick side dish for rice. This is a coconut based tangy curry with the combined flavors of drumsticks and mangoes. My mother makes this curry whenever drumsticks and mangoes are in season.This is a common curry base with local flavors and you can choose between a variety of ingredients and combinations to make it unique.You can add those available like mangoes, jack fruit seeds/chakka kuru, tomatoes, plantain, drumsticks and also make it non- vegetarian by adding prawns fresh or dried (unakka chemmeen). Ingredients Drumsticks-3 Green Mango- 1 Shallots- 5-6 Ginger- 1 inch thick Garlic-2 pods Cumin seeds- 1/3 tsp Green chilly- 4 Coconut-1 cup Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp Dry red chilly -2 Curry leaves- 1 spring Gently peel or scrape off the green part and cut drumstick into three inch pieces. Peel off skin and cut mangoes into cubes. Add one cup o

Beef Varattiyathu Here is a simple and delicious recipe with beef. This is a spicy beef preparation which is neither a curry nor a fry...its somewhere in between.Beef is pressure cooked and then the gravy is thickened  till it becomes dry and gets well coated with the meat.It is perfect side dish for rice and parottas. Ingredients Beef - 3/4 Kg Chopped Onions-2 Ginger garlic paste- 2 tsp Chilly powder-1/2 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp Coriander powder 1 tsp Pepper powder- 1 1/3 tsp Fennel powder- 1 tsp Cloves -3-4 Shallots- 1 cup Coconut slices- 1/2 cup Curry leaves- a few Coconut oil- 3 tsp Clean and wash beef into small pieces. Marinate with ginger garlic paste and all the spice powders( turmeric powder,chilly,coriander and pepper and fennel) and salt keep aside for half an hour. Pressure cook this with chopped onions and half cup of water. Put heat in high and after one whistle reduce to low flame and cook for two more whistles. Remove lid and continue coo

Chembu/Arbi Fry  Here is a delicious fry with arbi/chembu/colocasia and is a great side dish with rice.It is very common in Kerala and is  grown in plenty in the backyard garden in almost every  home. There are a variety of dishes using chembu. But I like it best in sambar or simply boiled chembu with chamanthy. This fry is simple and spicy and is crispy in the outside and is now a family favorite.  Ingredients Chembu/colocasia- 1/2 pound chopped ginger- 1 tsp Cumin- a pinch Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp Pepper powder- 1/3 tsp Turmeric powder-1/3 tsp Coriander powder- 3/4 tsp Garam masala- 1/3 tsp salt to taste oil for frying Wash and clean arbi and add to boiling water and cook till soft. Arbi should be completely immersed in water. Allow to cool down and peel off the skin and slice into thin pieces. Heat 3 tsp of oil in a frying pan and add cumin and sliced ginger. Fry till there is a nice aroma . Add turmeric powder and stir till the raw flavor d

Caramel Pecan Cake Caramel pecan cake is a delightful cake with the irresistible flavor of caramel and roasted pecans .Dark ember colored caramel is something that I have never been able to resist  in desserts or in baked goodies.This recipe takes a little time, preparing the caramel and roasting and chopping the pecans,but it is really worth the effort.   Ingredients For the caramel syrup Sugar - 1 cup water - 1/4 cup Butter- 1/4 cup For the caramel  sauce Caramel syrup Heavy cream- 1/3 cup Vanilla essence- 1/2 tsp For the cake Flour-2 cup Sugar- 1/2 cup Caramel syrup- 1/3 cup Baking powder- 1 1/3 tsp Salt- 1/3 tsp milk- 1/2 cup Eggs -3 Vanilla essence- 1 1/2 tsp Butter- 1/2 stick Chopped pecans 1/2 cup Layer pecans evenly on a cookie pan and place in the oven at 350 degree F for about 6-8 minutes till there is nice flavor. When cooled chop this and keep aside To make caramel: In a pan add sugar and water. Leave it in medium flame to melt and brown up. Do not stir and allow i