Kitchen Corner-Try It

Yellow Dates/ Raw Dates Pickle Condiments like pickles are a staple in my kitchen. Every month I try making some kind of pickle. We like to have it with rice or parathas. Do you also like pickles? I know for many people out there, a meal seems to be incomplete without some kind of pickle. Today's recipe is dates pickle and is not the usual dry dates pickle. It is a unique pickle made with yellow or raw dates. Fresh yellow Barhi/Barhee is common in the middle east. It is commonly used in Arabic, Chinese and Indian Cuisine. Recently during our visit to Dubai, we were able to taste different kinds of dates. We visited a market where we could taste test and buy different varieties of dates. It was the first time, we tasted raw dates and it was additive. Dates fruit grow in large clusters, like bunches of grapes and is a sight to behold. Yellow dates have an astringent or under-ripe after taste to it. It is not chewy like normal dates. It is firm with a delightful crunch. Fresh...

Mashed Tapioca/Kappa Vevichathu/Puzhukku Hello to all seafood lovers! Today's recipe is something that all fish lovers should try!  The super delicious combo of mashed tapioca with red spicy tangy fish curry. This combo brings out the authentic taste of Kerala, that will make you crave for more. This is a full meal in itself with carbs and protein in one.  Tapioca or cassava root  has a neutral flavor and goes well with any spicy pungent curries. Mildly spiced mashed tapioca and the bold fish curry with spicy chilly, and kudam puli/Malabar tamarind strikes a right balance of heat, sourness, and flavor. In Kerala mashed tapioca is served with fish, chicken, beef or with spiced coconut chutney.  Ellum Kappa/ beef kappa biryani  is also a favorite among the people of Kerala. But in almost every household of Kerala fish curry and mashed tapioca is made often. The cuisine of coastal regions has fish as an indispensable part of an everyday meal. Tapioc...

Zesty Fish Curry With Vegetables- Thirutha Fish Curry Today's recipe is my regular Kerala style fish curry with a twist. There are days when I like to indulge in spicy fish curries and meen mulikittathu with mashed tapioca/ kappa vevichathu is a divine combo. This is one curry that I never get bored eating. I have been making this curry for ages, but once in awhile love to try variations of this classic Kerala fish curry. Guess what? I added some vegetables to my fish curry and was pleasantly surprised. It turned out to be a delicious and wholesome curry. The fish I used is Thirutha/mullet . It is a meaty tropical fish found in Kerala. It is soft and delicious when cooked and absorbs the flavors well. The recipe was inspired by the Thai style fish and vegetable curry which is a mild coconut-based curry. The base of this curry is the spicy gravy similar to the Kerala mulaku curry. It is flexible when it comes to vegetables. You can use any kind of vegetables like beans, ...

Sabudana/Sago Pearls Vada Vadas are crispy fried snacks perfect for munching at tea time with hot tea. Combine it with any kind of spicy or sweet chutney/sauce, vada is a delightful savory snack. In South India vadas are also served for breakfast. I often make parippu vada and uzhunnu vada, both made identically by grinding lentils and deep-fried into crispy golden fitters. This is the first time I am making Sabudana/sago/tapioca pearls/chowari vadas and found that they are relatively easy to make.Sabudana Vada/tikkis is a Maharashtrian snack usually made and served during festivals and vrats or fasting. The best part of this recipe is that it is a vegan gluten-free snack. This recipe also calls for roasted peanuts. It adds an extra crunch. I got this recipe idea from Vah chef youtube channel. I instantly fell in love this these vadas, especially its spicy and crispy crust. Back home we only used sabudana/sago to make puddings or payasam. So for me, sago was only for desse...

Pazha Pradhaman/Nendra Pazham Pradhaman It is Onam time in Kerala and tomorrow is Thiruonam- the final day of celebration. Onam is a ten-day-long festival celebrated in Kerala and no festival is complete without a satisfying hearty meal. So Onam sadhya is something we look forward to every year. Sadhya is the traditional vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf and there is a colorful array of vegetarian curries, rice, and desserts. If you love desserts try this Kerala style pradhamam. Trust me on this pradhaman recipe, it is a bowl of divine fruity goodness that will surely satisfy your sweet tooth cravings.Pazha pradhaman or nendra pazham has sweet plantain as the star ingredient. I have already posted recipes like ada pradhaman and kadala pradhaman . Payasam and pradhaman are both dessert or pudding, but when it comes to making pradhaman there is a time- honored cooking technique. Payasam is easier to make but pradhaman is time- consuming. It is cooked and reduced and then...

Kaithachakka Tenga Aracha Curry Kaithachakka/pineapple tenga aracha curry is a simple curry that can be served with rice. It can also be served as a todu curry for Sadhya . Since Onam festival is next week, I wanted to share this fairly easy to make sadhya recipe.This curry is new to me. When you taste it, you will love the simplicity of this curry, plus it is easy to whip up and exotic in taste. It looks and tastes similar to pineapple pachadi , but it has dominant taste and flavor of coconut. We had this curry a few times during our recent trip to Kerala and it is curry made on special occasion. I believe it is a central Kerala style recipe. This is a mouthwatering delicacy, entirely vegan and full of flavors. It has the tangy sweetness of pineapple and flavor of coconut. I am fan of anything  made with pineapples and if you are like me please check out my other pineapple recipes. I will share the links of the recipes at the end of this post. This is a delicious pineapple c...