Kitchen Corner-Try It

Chowari/ Sago Pearls Payasam/ Pudding Payasam is very important for Onam Sadhya. It is a delightful treat/ dessert served at the end of the Sadhya/ feast. Today's payasam/pudding is sugary, creamy rich, a dessert made with lots of milk. I think few could resist a warm bowl of payasam to end a  hearty meal.  If you like pal payasam and semiya payasam, you will surely love this payasam too. The payasam has milk and chowari/sago pearls/ tapioca pearls. Have you tried making desserts with sago pearls? They are soft and delicate with a slightly chewy texture and helps thicken puddings. These beautiful white pearls are a must-have in my pantry. I use them for breakfast, snacks, salads, and desserts. The payasam is easy to make and truly delectable. It is perfect for any festive occasion.   Chowari payasam is gently laced with the flavor of ghee and cardamom. Cashew nuts and raisins and fried in ghee/ clarified butter and used as a garnish. The trick to make a perfect sago payasam is t

Mathuramulla Inji Curry/Sweet Ginger Curry Mathuramulla Inji curry means sweet ginger curry/pickle. Inji curry is an exotic dish and indispensable part of Kerala Sadhya. Inji curry is  made with ginger and tamarind. Here I made the same recipe with a twist by adding dates to sweeten up the curry. The aroma of fried ginger,the heat of chilies, the and the sweetness and flavor of  dates is very appetizing .Try this recipe,you will surely love it. Ingredients Thinly sliced Ginger-2  cups Chopped dates- 2 cup Raisins- 10-12 Green chilly- 4-5 Shallots- 2 Chilly powder- 1 1/2 tsp Fenugreek powder- 1/2 tsp Tamarind- small gooseberry sized ball Curry leaves mustard seeds- a few Salt to taste oil for frying. Clean ginger and chop it finely.Fry in oil till brown and crispy. If it is chunky sized make this into a course  powder using a mixer. Add dates, raisins and  1/2 cup of tamarind pulp in a pan and simmer till the dates are soft. Heat oil in a pan a

Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry Beef and vegetable stir fry is a filling meal with meat and vegetables. It can be served over rice. It is also a quick fix lunch box idea. Try this with beef,chicken or prawns. Ingredients Beef - 1 lb cut into thin long strips Vegetables- broccoli florets, bell pepper and mushrooms- 3 cup Oil- 3tbs (canola or sesame oil ) Soya sauce- 2 tbs Dark soya sauce- 1 tbs Chilly Garlic paste- 2 tsp Ginger minced- 1 tsp Ginger thinly sliced- 1 tsp Garlic- 3 cloves Rice vinegar- 1 tsp Dark brown sugar- 2 tsp Onion- 1 medium Spring onions- 2 springs Corn starch- 2 tsp Sesame seeds and chilly flakes - a dash In a sauce pan mix soya sauce, dark soya sauce, chilly garlic sauce, brown sugar, vinegar , minced ginger and 1/3 cup of water.  Heat this mixture in medium low heat for about two minutes and set aside. In another bowl mix corn starch with two tsp of water and set aside. Heat oil in a large pan or work to medium high. When it is smok

Vazhuthananga/Brinjal Mezhukkupuratti Mezhukkupuratti is a spicy stir fry with vegetables, onions, and spices. It is a common side dish served with rice in Kerala. You can make mezhukkupuratti with any vegetable like plantain, yard beans, yam or any other of your choice. This vegetable dish is also served in Onam/ Vishu Sadhya . Here I have used eggplant/ Brinjal. This is a versatile and satisfying side dish that you will surely enjoy.  Brinjal/eggplant is commonly used in Indian and regional cuisine to make curries, gravies, fries, and even snacks. It is rich in iron, vitamins, and fiber and I often try to incorporate it in my diet. Fried eggplant is one of my favorite side dishes and this mezhupuratti is a healthy stir fry . The recipe has a twist, I have added rice flour to the masala. It gets coated with the eggplant pieces and when stir-fried and makes it slightly crispy. This mezhukkupuratti tastes best with rice, but you can also serve it with chapathi. Try this s

Vella Manga Curry Vella manga curry is side dish made with green mango and yogurt. It looks like a pachadi but  has a distant taste of kadumanga or mango pickle served for sadhya. I had a faint memory of  this sadhya dish which I tasted years back. At that time I thought that it was kadumanga achar mixed with some yogurt. I have been searching for this recipe and recently fond in an old cook book. If you are looking for Sadhya recipe with mangoes for Onam, give this recipe a try. You will surely love it. Ingredients Green mango chopped- 1 cup Green chilly-2 Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp Fenugreek powder- 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp Grated coconut- 3 tbs Yogurt- 3-4 tbs salt to taste To temper Curry leaves - a few Dry red chilly-2 Mustard seeds- 1/3 tsp oil as needed Peel the skin of the green mango and chop into small pieces less than half inch thick cube.Mix this with chilly powder, fenugreek powder,chopped green chilly, salt and set aside

Achinga Payar Chemmeen Theeyal Achinga payar or yard beans and prawns is a delicious combo. This is the first time I tasted this theeyal and fell in love with it. I got this recipe from an old Vanitha mazagine in my mother in laws collection and thought I should give it a try.Theeyal is a spicy, tangy coconut and tamarind based based dish and its wonderful aroma comes from roasted coconut. This chemmeen/prawns is a great side dish for rice or pathiri. Ingredients Prawns- 1 lb Yard beans 12-15 beans Pearl onions- 2 cups Coconut-1 cup Ginger- 3 inch thick Green chilly- 2 Chilly powder-  1 1/2 tsp Coriander powder- 2 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp  Fenugreek powder- 1/2 tsp Tamarind- one lemon size mustard seeds- 1/2 curry leaves Salt to taste oil  Clean prawns and set aside. Thinly slice shallots and ginger.Chop yard beans into one inch thick pieces. In a fry pan pour two tbs of oil and fry yard beans till it gets slightly crispy. Add salt to taste and st

Chana Dal Burfi Chana Dal Burfi is quick and yummy sweet with the  lentils and coconut. Burfi is Indian fudge and there is a range of flavors to try. It is easy to put together and I make them on special occasions like Diwali. I have tried coconut, mango and chocolate burfi. This is the first time I tried with dal.This is an easy version with condensed milk. I found this recipe in you tube and gave it a try. Ingredients Chana Dal- 1 cup Grated coconut- 1/2 cup Condensed milk- 1tin Milk- 1 1/2 cup Ghee- 2 tbs Cardamon powder- 1/2 tsp Almonds/cashew nuts or pistachios- 2 tbs Soak chana dal for 4-5 hours. Cook dal with milk till it is soft. Transfer to a blender and make it into a paste. Heat ghee in a pan and roast the almonds and cashew nuts till golden brown. Remove from ghee and keep aside.  In the same pan pour the dal paste and roast till there is a nice aroma or till it changes color.Add grated coconut and condensed milk and stir for 8-10 minutes. At this

Spicy Salmon Fish Fry Spicy salmon fish fry is a perfect accompaniment with rice and rasam. The marinade for this fish is spicy and flavorful with garlic and fennel. Try this you will surely love it Ingredients Salmon- 1 pound Chilly powder- 3/4 tsp Turmeric powder- a pinch Pepper powder- a pinch Ginger garlic paste-1/2 tsp Lemon juice- 1/2 lemon Fennel seeds- a few crushed Dry red chilly- 1 Whole garlic- 2 Cloves-2 salt to taste oil for frying Crush 2 cloves of garlic, fennel seeds, dry red chilly and cloves using a mortar and pestle and keep aside. Mix chilly powder, turmeric powder,pepper powder,ginger garlic paste and salt and lemon juice into a smooth paste. Apply this on the fish and let it  marinate for five minutes. When it is time to fry dab the crushed masala on top of the fish and press so that it sticks on the fish. Heat oil in a pan and fry fish in medium flame.Fry till fish is crispy and browned up and then flip over and fry the other si

Cream Puffs With Chocolate-Orange Mousseline Filling Are you looking for delicious and impressive party foods? Cream puffs with chocolate-orange mousseline filling are a quick dessert and taste amazing. Citrus flavored desserts are much loved, and orange and chocolate are such a classic combination. The pastry cups with the delicious filling will look festive and elegant. It is simple to assemble this finger food – it is easier than you think!. The contrast of textures is interesting with thin layers of crispy, buttery puff pastry and the sweet,  creamy filling. The mousse has cream and eggs and has an airy texture. Chocolate-Orange Mousseline is a dessert on its own, puff pastry cups are great for individual servings. These easy elegant pastry bites are perfect for entertaining. The filling is versatile and can be used for tarts or pastry filling. Cherries or raspberries also go well with chocolate. The ready-made frozen puff pastry cups are a lifesaver, and you can get creati

Coconut Almond Cookies Coconut almond cookies are addictive and yummy cookies/biscuit with a  light melt in mouth texture. This recipe is egg less. I used organic coconut flour and all purpose flour. You can substitute with other grain flour  for gluten free cookies. Since this was the first time baking with  coconut flour I did not try a gluten free recipe. I will try more cookie recipes will this flour and will update later. The flavor of coconut flour and butter the crunch of sweetened coconut and almonds make this a yummy treat. Try this hope you will all enjoy! Ingredients All purpose flour- 3/4 cup Coconut flour-1 1/4 cup Powdered sugar- 1 cup Sweetened dessicated coconut 1/2 cup Chopped Almonds- 1/2 cup Baking powder- 1/2 tsp Baking soda- 1/2 tsp Salt- a pinch Butter- 1 stick Vegetable oil- 3 tbs Vanilla essence- 1/2 tsp(optional)    In a bowl add flour, coconut flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk it together till well comb

Vada Masala Vada Masala is made with fried urad dal batter like the medhu vada. It is fried dumplings sauteed with caramelized onions and garam masala. It can be served as a snack or appetizer. You can also try this with left over urad dal vada. Ingredients For the Vadas Urad dal- 3/4 cup Green chilly- 2 shallot-1 Ginger- 1/2 tsp chopped Salt Oil for frying For sauteing Onion chopped- 1 medium Ginger and garlic chopped- 1 tbs Kashmiri Chilly powder- 3/4 tsp Tomato paste- 3 tbs Pepper powder- a pinch Turmeric powder 1/3 tsp Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp Curry leaves- a few Chopped coriander leaves- 2 tbs To make the vadas Soak black gram for 4 hours and strain.Grind into a fine paste without adding water. Add chopped chilly, sliced shallots, minced ginger,salt and mix well. Heat oil in a pan and take small spoon full of batter and drop little by little into the oil. Try to make small ball vadas.Fry in batches till it is golden brown and set aside.