Kitchen Corner-Try It

Kadachakka Ethapazham Stew One of my vegetable/ fruit of the moment is breadfruit, and it has rekindled memories of a forgotten taste. Not everyone shares my enthusiasm for breadfruit in my family. This simple old-fashioned treat with ripe breadfruit and plantains cooked in coconut milk is comforting and inviting, and my family enjoyed it. My recipe comes from my mother and has a homey feel to it. It is a mildly sweet creamy stew served as a side dish for breakfast or as a snack on its own. There is the enticing flavor of ghee/ clarified butter and cardamom powder. Back home in Kerala, breadfruit is called Kadachakka or Sheemachakka is grown in everyone's backyard. It looks like small jack fruit, but the taste and flavor are very different. Perfectly made soft appam or idiyappam, and this sweet bread fruit plantain stew tastes delicious. It is a simple recipe and can be enjoyed as a snack by itself. Both breadfruit and plantains have a good fruity flavor, and coconut milk gi...

Paal Ada Mambazham Payasam Payasam is very popular dessert in Kerala and is made on every special occasions. This recipe is a tweak to the traditional paal ada pradhaman by adding mango puree. You can buy paalada from Indian grocery store,it is available in dehydrated form. Try this creamy and flavorful fruit payasam, you will surely love it Ingredients Palada - 100 grams Mango puree- 2 cups Milk-3 cups Condensed milk- 1 ( 14 ounce container)  Sugar- 2-3 tbs Cardamon powder- 1/2 tsp Cashew nuts and raisins for garnish. ghee- 2 tsp  Heat one tsp ghee in a pan and add mango puree. Cook this in medium flame till the puree thickens. Add 3 tbs of sugar and continue cooking till it thicken and starts leaving the edges of the pan. Allow this to cool down a bit and stir in the condensed milk. Set this aside. Wash palada and strain it. Add one tsp of ghee in a heavy bottom pan and lightly roast the ada for a minute. Add 3 cups of milk and allow it boil. Reduc...

Kozhi/Chicken Mulakittathu Kozhi Mulakittathu is a North Kerala dish. It is chicken in a spicy red curry paste. The chilly used here is kashmiri chilly powder which imparts a rich flavor, color and texture to the gravy. This curry can be made easily in a pressure cooker and is best when served with pathiri or ghee rice. Ingredients Chicken- 1 kg Shallots- sliced- 2 cup Onion- 1 large Garlic- 6 -7 pods Ginger- 2 inch thick peice Curry leaves- a few Kashmiri chilly powder- 3 tbs (or according to spice tolerance) Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp Fenugreek powder-1/4 tsp Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp Whole spices- Cinnamon - 2 piece, cardamon- 5. cloves-5 star anise- 2, fennel seeds- 1/4 tsp Coconut oil- 1 tsp Heat oil in a pan and add the whole spices and saute till it is golden brown. Add curry leaves, chopped onion,chopped garlic and ginger and saute till it turns golden brown. Add water and make a paste of chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and fenu...

Chena/ Yam Podithuval Chena podithuval is a quick and easy yam stir fry recipe. Serve this as a side dish for rice. You can use other vegetables like potatoes or chembu/taro for this recipe. Ingredients Chena- 3 cups cubed Shallots- 4-5 Curry leaves green chilly- 1 Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp Tamarind pulp- 2-3 tsp Salt to taste Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp Coconut oil- 3 tsp To roast and grind Urad dal- 2 tsp Raw rice- 2 tsp Dry red chilly-3 Hing/ asafoetida powder- a pinch Fenugreek seeds- a pinch   In a pan add the cubed yam/chena, tamarind pulp,green chilly, turmeric powder, salt, 1/4 cup of water and one tsp of oil. Cook this till the vegetable is soft. Dry roast, urad dal, rice, dry red chilly, fenugreek seeds and few curry leaves. When is light brown mix in the hing. Allow this to cool down a bit and then make a fine powder. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter add sliced shallots and curry leaves abd saute this golden brown...

Sardine/Mathi Fry Today's recipe is my absolute comfort food.... Sardine fish fry/mathi fry. It is quick and simple and perfect side dish for rice. Ingredients Mathi/ Sardine- 6-8 medium sizes Onion- 1 medium Fennel seeds- a pinch Pepper powder- 1/4 tsp Ginger chopped- 2 tsp Curry leaves- a few Chilly powder- 1 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp Pepper powder- 1/4 tsp Fenugreek powder- a pinch Ginger garlic paste-1 tsp salt to taste Coconut oil for frying   Clean fish and squeeze some lemon juice,rub on the fish and then give a final rinse. Make a few gashes on the fish. Mix chilly powder, turmeric powder,pepper powder,fenugreek powder,ginger garlic paste and salt. Sprinkle little water and make a smooth paste. You can add a few drops or vinegar or lemon juice instead of water to make a paste. Keep half tsp of masala for later use. Apply the rest on the fish and inside the cavities and let it  marinate for five minutes. Heat coconut oil and...

Coconut Caramel Ladoo Coconut ladoos is quick and very easy to put together.  This is a twist to the regular coconut ladoo and is a treat for sweet lovers. It has the rich flavor of coconut and caramel.This ladoo has a few extra steps like making caramel, but its is definitely worth the effort.Try this you will surely love it. Ingredients Shredded Coconut- 2 1/2 cups  Condensed milk-1 tin Milk- 1/4 cup Cardamon powder- 1/2 tsp Ghee- 2 tsp Cashew nuts chopped- 2 tsp Sweetened shredded coconut- 1/4 cup To make caramel condensed milk -You can buy store brought caramel flavored condensed milk for this recipe or make at home by boiling condensed milk. Place sealed condensed milk tin in a five quart pan and cover with water.Make sure that the tin is completely submerged under water. Boil this in medium heat for about one and half hours. Add more water  if necessary and make sure the tin is always  submerged under water. After one and half hours r...