Kitchen Corner-Try It

Beans Poduthol Healthy vegetable stir fry is easy to make and a perfect side dish for steamed rice.Poduthal is a North Kerala style vegetable dry dish. You can use other vegetable like long beans, cabbage,bitter gourd etc., to make this recipe. Ingredients Beans chopped- 2 1/2 cup Grated coconut- 3 tbs (a hand full) Onion- 1/2 Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp Dry chilly flakes- 1/2 tsp Garlic-1 pods Curry leaves- a few Mustard - 1/2 tsp Urad dal- 1 tsp Coconut oil- 3 tsp Pappadam- 2 (optional) Salt to taste Chop beans and onions. In a bowl add the chopped beans, onions, coconut,chilly flakes, turmeric powder and salt, rub and mix well and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and when they splutter add urad dal , crushed garlic and curry leaves and roast. Add the beans mixture and saute on medium high till the beans are tender and cooked. This will take about four to five minutes. Just before switching off the flame add powdered pappadam (this is o...

Fish Masala Roast Fish Masala is versatile recipe which you can make with any kind of fish. I have tried several variations of this recipe with King fish, Salmon, Mackerel, Cat fish etc.Some time I use tomato as the star ingredient and sometimes green masala. But for this fish masala, I added lots of pearl onions.The gravy has a touch of natural sweetness of pearl onions. It is a spicy and aromatic sauce. If you do not want to add this much pearl onions add some chopped tomatoes instead. Fish Masala can be served as side dish with steamed rice, ghee rice, appam or pathiri. Some times I make this for Sunday lunch.   Ingredients Fish - 1 lb Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp Pepper powder- 1/3 tsp Salt to taste Oil for frying Pearl onions/shallots thinly sliced- 2 cup Sliced coconut pieces- 3 tbs Tamarind- goose berry sized ball Green chilly-1 Ginger chopped- 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp Coriander powder- 1 1/2 tsp Roasted coconut powder- 1 tbs (optional) ...

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 pa...

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 so...

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 ...

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 th...