Kitchen Corner-Try It

  Pineapple chicken  Pineapple chicken stir fry is an easy recipe that can be made in a jiffy. This is an adaption of Thai pineapple chicken but with no gravy. It tasted wonderful with bite sized chicken pieces, sweet pineapples and bell peppers. This was not the authentic Thai dinner. For me it was a side dish for fried rice.  Ingredients Boneless chicken pieces - 1 lb Pineapple cubes- 3/4 cup Corn starch- 2 tbs Bell pepper- 1 ( or a combo of different colors) white onion- 1 medium Garlic 3 -4cloves Oyster sauce- 11/2 tsp Soya sauce- 2 tbs Vinegar- 1 tsp Garlic-chilly pepper sauce- 1 1/2tsp sugar- 1tsp Honey - 1tsp Oil- 3 tsp Cut chicken pieces into bite size chunks. Mix with corn starch and salt and set aside.Drain out the water from pineapple and keep aside( I used canned ones) Heat oil in a wok or a heavy pan and add minced garlic and saute it for about 30 to 40 seconds and add in the chicken pieces and fry for about four...

Milk peda Sweet- Indian Milk Fudge Milk peda or khoya sweet is quintessential Indian sweet or  mith ai made on all special occasions. No festive occasion is complete without these small round discs of milky creamy delight. They are commonly distributed in temples as  prasad , or a religious offering of food The richness and flavor of this sweet, soft fudge is truly divine. Along with the richness of milk, this sweet is gently laced with the flavor of  cardamom and saffron . This is so addictive and the best you can ever imagine! Peda is my all-time favorite sweet. It has a soft and slightly chewy texture and is made with mawa or milk solids. During my years in college, my friends and I would eagerly wait for the food truck that comes to campus every Wednesday. Everyone lines up for ice cream. But there are a few of us that join a small line for peda and palkova (the south Indian milk fudge). Now it does not mean that I don't like ice creams. But I simply lov...

 Vazhuthananga Theeyal Theeyal is a spicy side dish made with roasted coconut. It is very aromatic and can be made with vegetables like eggplant, bitter gourd,drumsticks and several other vegetables. Prawns theeyal is also very popular and one of my favorites. This curry is only made occasionally as it cannot be made in a jiffy.It is time consuming especially cleaning and slicing of shallots which is the main ingredient and roasting the coconut. Still this flavorful curry is one of the favorites with my family. Here I am using baby eggplants. Ingredients Baby Egg plants- 8-10 Shallots sliced- 1 1/2  cup Shredded coconut- 3/4 cup Tomato - 1 Green chilly -2 Ginger chopped- 3 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp Chilly powder- 1 1/2 tsp Coriander  powder- 2 tsp Pepper powder- 1/3tsp( optional) Fenugreek powder- 1/3 tsp Tamarind- gooseberry size ball Curry leaves- 1 spring Oil Salt to taste Roast coconut with one tsp of chopped shallots till brown but ...

Ada Pradhaman (updated pic) Today's recipe is a classic dessert from Kerala made on all special occasions. Ada pradhaman is a sweet delicacy made out of rice flakes, coconut milk, and jaggery.  Ada is pasta-like thin ribbon-shaped, dry rice flakes that are available in Indian stores. The combination of soft-cooked creamy rice flakes, jaggery, and coconut milk, along with the flavor of ghee and cardamom, tastes divine. Ghee roasted nuts, raisins, coconut bits, dried ginger powder, and roasted cumin powder adds another layer of flavor and taste. Unlike refined sugar, jaggery is often used in traditional recipes as a sweetener to make snacks and desserts. Jaggery adds a rich molasses taste and color to this pudding. Ada pradhaman is an irresistible treat and adored by all Sadhya lovers.    Ada Pradhaman is part of the traditional Kerala Sadhya, the traditional vegetarian banquet. Rice and an array of pickles, vegetable curries, and puddings are served on banana leaves....

This is a berry cake which I made a few days back. Here I used white cake recipe but dashed in a few black berries and strawberries. This cake complements any type of filling or frosting but I have just dusted it with powdered sugar to make it an accompaniment with coffee and my family really enjoyed this cake . I used self rising flour but you can use all purpose flour instead by adding in one third tsp of salt and one and one half tsp of baking powder to each cup of plain flour. Ingredients Self Raising flour- 2 cups Egg white- 3 eggs ( half Cup) Butter - one stick ( 4 ounce) Sugar- 1 cup  Confectionery sugar- 1/3 cup Milk- 1/2 cup  Vanilla essence- 2 tsp Black berries- 1 pint Strawberries - 1/2cup Preheat oven to 350 F. Set rack in he middle of the oven Grease pan with butter and layer with parchment paper and again grease with butter and dust with flour. This will ensure that the cake comes off properly. Set aside.  Beat egg whites and vanilla extra...

Karimeen Pollichathu  Do you love grilled fish fry? Especially spicy grilled masala fish wrapped in banana leaf? Fish roasted in fresh banana leaf adds more flavor and taste to the dish, and also helps to lock in the taste and moisture. The result is a tasty, tender, succulent fish. Karimeen Pollichathu or Pearl spot fish fry is one of the authentic dishes of Kerala. It is a sort of grilled fish parcels in a spicy and tangy gravy. The fried fish, onion masala, spices and aromatics spark up the flavor and make the end result even more enjoyable. Karimeen pollichathu seems to be the most famous dish among the tourists who visit Kerala, especially if you go to regions like Alleppey. This fish delicacy is among the fabulous food served in houseboats as you take a ride enjoying the beauty of Kerala backwaters. You can relishing the taste of fresh fish  from the backwaters.  Well, now you can also make them at home! Check the recipe. It is not complicated but simple to make. ...

Ridge gourd or peechinga is a very common vegetable in most Indian household. It is low in saturated fat and cholesterol . It is good to introduce this vegetable in your diet if you wish to achieve weight loss. This is a very simple and quick recipe with very little ingredients and one of the favorites with my in laws. You can also use the same recipe for a vegetarian version..add Bengal gram or green gram instead of shrimp. Ingredients Tender Ridge gourd- 2 medium Coconut- 1/2 cup Shrimp- 1/2 lb Shallots- 3-4 Green chilly- 3 Garlic pod- 1 Turmeric- 1/3 tsp Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp Curry leaves- 1 spring Oil for tempering Salt to taste Clean and cut ridge gourd into small pieces after scrapping off its hard edges with a peeler. Cook shrimp along with turmeric, green chilly, salt and 1/3 cup of water. When it is almost done add in the ridge gourd pieces and cover it with a tight lid and cook in medium . No need to add more water as the vegetable will shed water and w...

Avocado mousse is a sweet and refreshing summer treat. The soft and creamy texture of avocado makes it a favorite choice for desserts. You will love this wonderful mousse. For me it was a perfect treat for a weekend brunch :) This recipe is super easy and resembles the Persian cream recipe (yaa we owe to the French cuisine for this fluffy,airy dessert). It is absolutely no cooking and all you need is a food processor to blend in all the ingredients and cool it. Mine was not a very smooth paste as I was a bit lazy then.  I did not use gelatin as this mousse naturally attains a thick fudge like texture, but you can use gelatin if you wish to bind the mousse into desired shapes.   Ingredients Avocado - 2 large Cold heavy cream- 1cup Condensed milk- 1/3 cup Confectionery sugar- 3-4 tsp Lemon Juice- 1 whole Whip cold cream with sugar till it stands in medium stiff peaks and put it back in the refrigerator. Cut avocado into half, and scoop out the fle...

Cauliflower Roasted-Low Carb Pan Seared Cauliflower roast  is a quick and simple dish. This is a hassle-free recipe with very few ingredients which you can whisk up in no time. Cauliflower is one vegetable I buy almost every week and cook them in several different ways. Are there days when you are craving for lighter dinner options? There are days when I like to do elaborate cooking and then there are days when I like to spend as little time as possible in the kitchen. Well in days when I want dinner in a jiffy, cauliflower is always a favorite option and during peak seasons this vegetable is insanely inexpensive. Cauliflower is a lovely vegetable, packed with a rich supply of nutrients, vitamin c, folate, and anti-oxidants. It is a gluten-free low carb substitute for potato and rice. The best way to prepare cauliflower is roasting it. It brings out the nutty sweetness of the vegetable and complements well with any spicy meal. Here I have used a pan searing/ stir fry techn...

Avalose unda (update pic) Ari unda/Avalose unda meaning rice balls is a traditional sweet of Kerala. It is made with very little ingredients but has a wonderful aroma of roasted rice, coconut and cardamon.The sweetener used for this recipe is jaggery. Avalose podi is a snack by itself, you can mix add chopped banana and have it for tea. For Avalose unda you mix it with jaggery and make it into balls/ladoos.It is usually made by dry roasting matta or chemba rice till brown and then making a fine powder of it. I have instead used a shortcut which my mom uses as it was difficult for me to pound the rice.It came out well and my family was able to enjoy the traditional taste of ari unda. For me this sweet invokes lots of childhood memories. As children we used to sit around joyfully watching grandmother and aunts busy roasting, pounding and mixing rice and jaggery to make these laddos. It is made in large quantities on festive occasions like Onam and Vishu. This has a long ...

Beetroot root thoran is a simple and easy side dish which goes well with rice. Thoran is an easy stir fry recipe of vegetables with coconut and there are endless varieties of thoran in Kerala. Many do not like beetroot due to its raw flavor. But once cooked this raw flavor disappears. Back home beetroot is made either as pachadi or as thoran. This thoran is made adding either Bengal gram or green gram . It has a good flavor and taste and is nutritious as well. Prep and cooking time- 20 minutes Recipe Type- Side dish Cuisine- Kerala/ South Indian Ingredients Beetroot- 2 medium Bengal gram split - 1/2 cup Coconut- 1/2 cup Green chilly- 2 Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp Cumin - 1/3 tsp Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp Garlic - 2 pods Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp Shallots- 2 Curry leaves- 2 springs Cook kadala or gram until it becomes soft but not mushy and keep it aside. Note: Adding Kadala parippu is optional.  Chop beetroot finely into small pieces using a kitchen chopper or...

Sweet Plantain Stew- Ethapazham Stew/ Kurukkiyathu/ Paal vayakka Do you love recipes with sweet plantain? Then you have come to the right place. Here is a simple old-fashioned treat with ripe plantains. Sweet plantains cooked in creamy coconut sauce along with soft chewy rice balls/dumplings is a fun treat. It is a mildly sweet creamy stew served as a side dish for breakfast or as a snack on its own. As a kid, I loved dipping soft and fluffy appam into sweetened coconut milk flavored with cardamom. Here coconut milk is thickened with rice flour and stewed plantain and has an irresistible flavor. This sweet treat reminds me of my grandmother's kitchen. I am sure all my Malayalee readers might be familiar with this recipe. Did I rekindle old memories of good food or a forgotten taste? This snack evokes real nostalgia for simple village life. Perfectly made soft appam or idiyappam, and this sweet plantain stew is a pure joy to indulge.  It is deliciously simple- a taste that linger...

Masala fish fry is a very tasty fish preparation. It has great aroma of poppy seeds, sesame seeds,coconut and curry leaves. This one is inspired from a TV show but I have brought certain changes to the original one . The recipe actually uses gram masalas, coriander powder and tamarind paste but I used green chilly, curry leaves and lemon juice and only a little of fennel seeds instead of garam masala. This came out very tasty and flavorful which my family enjoyed. Ingredients Fish - 1/2 lb Poppy seeds- 2 tsp Sesame seeds- 1 tsp Coconut shredded- 1 tsp Onion- 1 small Ginger- 1 inch Garlic- 4-5 pods Green chilly- 3 Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp Turmeric- 1/3 tsp Pepper powder- 1/3 tsp lemon juice- 1/2 lemon fennel powder- 1/3 tsp corn flour- 1 tsp salt to taste Curry leaves- 2 springs Oil for frying Cut and clean the fish and marinate it with chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Dry roast poppy seeds till it attains a nice aroma...