Kitchen Corner-Try It

Breadfruit/Kadachakka Puzhukku Kadachakka Puzhukku is cooked and mashed breadfruit with coconut and spices. It is a simple everyday meal that you can find in rural villages of South India. Puzhukku is a mildly spiced mashed vegetable with coconut paste, common are mashed tapioca, mashed jack fruit , and mashed breadfruit. This recipe is very similar to the kappa/tapioca puzhukku . For an authentic taste of Kerala, try puzhukku with red spicy, tangy Kerala fish curry. It is a super delicious combo and a filling meal- hearty and comforting. Mildly spiced mashed breadfruit and the bold fish curry with spicy chilly, coconut, and tamarind strikes the right balance of heat, sourness, and flavor. Today's recipe is something that all fish lovers should try! Back home in Kerala, breadfruit is a staple, referred to as Kadachakka or Sheemachakka. Just like jack fruit, breadfruit is grown in almost everyone's backyard. Not everyone shares my enthusiasm about breadfruit at home. It ...

Cherry Sorbet Sorbet is a delicious frozen dessert perfect for summer parties. It is very simple and yet refreshing.The chilled  fresh fruit juice with a melt in mouth texture makes it really unique. In this recipe I have used pitted fresh cherries, strawberries and fresh ginger. Try this you will surely love it. Ingredients Cherries- 2 1/2 cup Strawberry- 1 cup Sugar- 1 cup Water- 1 1/2 cup Ginger - 2 thin slice Mint- 5-6 leaves Juice of one lemon Rum extract- a few drops (optional) Remove the seeds from the cherries and the top stem of the strawberry. In a medium sauce pan add half of the pitted cherries, one cup strawberry, sugar, sliced ginger, mint leaves and water. Bring this to a boil. Simmer in low flames for 6-8 minutes till the fruit is soft and the syrup thickens. Switch off the flame and strain and allow the syrup to cool down. Add the rest of the cherries, rum extract, lemon juice and the syrup into a mixer and blend into a smooth puree. Po...

Goan Shrimp Curry This is a simple Goan style shrimp coconut curry. The gravy is mildly spicy and the key ingredient is ground coconut paste. It is yummy and goes well with rice or chapati. Ingredients Shrimp- 1 lb  Kashmiri red chilly- 5-7 Grated coconut- 1 cup Coconut milk -1 cup Onion finely chopped- 1 Ginger- 1 inch Garlic- 4-5 Tomatoes- 1 Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp(optional) Coriander  powder- 1 1/2 tsp Tamarind - small ball Vinegar- 1 tbs Whole spices- 2 clove, 1 stick cinnamon and 2 cardamom  Coriander leaves- 2 tbs chopped Salt to taste Oil Clean and de vein the shrimp.Soak Kashmiri red chilly,mustard seeds and cumin seeds in vinegar and warm water and set aside for half and hour. Chop onions and tomatoes and keep aside. In a blender make a smooth paste of the soaked red chilies,mustard,cumin, ginger and garlic,grated coconut,pepper and coriander powder. ...

Goan Fish Fry Fish fry is my all time favorite comfort food and we make them often for lunch and dinners. For all those lazy days, I usually stick to a simple and basic marinade for fish fry. But sometimes experimenting with different regional flavors is good to take simple fish fry, to the new level.This recipe is inspired from Mye's Kitchen and from a tv show. The marinade has an enticing flavor similar to the Vindaloo marinade.This is a tasty and tempting fish fr. Try this you will surely love it. Ingredients King Fish- 4 slices Kashmiri chilly powder- 1 1/2 tsp Ginger- 1 inch piece Garlic- 5-6 pods Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp Whole black pepper- 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds- 1/4 tsp Clove- 2 Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds-1/ 2 tsp Roasted fenugreek seeds- a few Rice flour or semolina- 1tbs(optional) salt to taste Vinegar- 1 1/2 tbs oil for frying Clean fish and squeeze some lemon juice,rub on the fish and then give a final rinse. Make a paste of ginge...

Guava and Lychee Cooler Guava and lychee cooler is delicate and refreshing summer drinks. Both guava and lychee are in peak season and so here is a yummy summer drink. You can also use this combo to make cocktail drink or add fruit punch take this juice to the next level. Try this,you will surely love it. Ingredients Guava- 4 small Lychee-8-10 Sugar- 2 tbs Ginger- 1 thin slice Lemon juice- 1/2 lemon Mint leaves- 2-3 Ice crushed- 1 cup water or fruit punch-2 1/2 cup Cut guava into small pieces. Peel lychee skin and remove seeds.  Add the lychee flesh,chopped guava, sliced ginger, mint leaves and water. Blend in a mixture till it is pulpy.Strain the juice and remove the seeds of the guava. Stir in sugar and lemon juice and crushed ice. Serve with mint leaves or lemon wedges. Try this Hope you will all enjoy!

Neyyappam Neyyappam is a traditional sweet/snack of Kerala. It is deep fried fitters made with rice and jaggery and with the enticing flavor of ghee and cardamom.You can use karupatti/palm jaggery or regular jaggery. Batter is mixed into a smooth thick paste and fermented overnight. But you can add baking soda if you want to make it the same day itself.  The proportion of rice and jaggery/karupatti is 3:2 ratio,adjust according to the sweetness you prefer.This ever popular delicacy is soft in the inside and crispy in the out side. Ingredients Raw rice- 2  cup Karupatti- 1 1/3 cup (adjust according to taste) Cardamon crushed- 5-6 pods Chopped coconut slices- 3 tbs Dry ginger/chukku - a pinch Cumin powder- a pinch Black sesame seeds- 1/2 tsp Baking soda- a pinch Salt- a pinch Ghee- 2 tbs Oil for frying Wash and soak rice for 4-5 hour. Drain and spread the rice on kitchen towel and allow to air dry till it is almost dry. Make a fine powder of the ri...

Chocolate Waffles Chocolate waffles is chocolaty goodness and is perfect dessert for breakfast recipe. It is for special occasions or for those days, when you want to make your loved ones feel extra special.These easy to fix waffles can be served with whip cream, ice cream or fudge sauce. This recipe is inspired from Alton Browns chocolate waffles. The original recipe also had chocolate chips,but since I was planning to serve with ice cream, I made it rather simple. Try this,you will surely love it. Ingredients All purpose flour- 2 cup Baking powder- 1 tsp Baking soda- 1/4 tsp salt-1/4 tsp Sugar- 3 tbs Cocoa powder-2 tbs Vanilla essence- 1 tsp Egg- 3 Butter- 3 tsp Butter milk- 1/2 cup Milk- 1 cup oil In a bowl mix the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder and set aside. In another bowl whisk eggs till light and fluffy. Add milk,melted butter, butter milk and vanilla essence and mix lightly. Pour this into the flour and gently fold in into a smooth batter.It ...

Mathi Puliyum Mulakum/Sardine Fish Curry Mathi puliyum mulakum/sardine fish curry is a regional specialty. Kerala is a paradise for seafood lovers with so many drool-worthy fish and seafood recipes. Now let's be honest, the real joy of Kerala is its food. If you are feeling adventurous, try what the locals eat. This is one such curry, simple and straight forward with distinctive regional flavors. Mathi mulakum puli means sardine cooked in chilly tamarind paste. It is a spicy seafood delicacy with a bold and assertive taste. If you like to indulge in spicy food this is a perfect dish. Sardine is a small oily fish found plenty in Kerala coast. Curried or fried sardine fish taste delicious. It is healthy and rich in protein, calcium and omega fatty acids. It boosts the immune system and helps maintain healthy skin. Spicy sardine curry is an absolute comfort homey food and goes well with kappa puzhukku/boiled mashed tapioca or with rice. Don't forget fried curry leaves and c...

Roti Jala- Malaysian Net/lace Crepes Roti Jala/Roti kirai is a traditional Malayan savory crepe with a beautiful lacy pattern. Roti Jala means net bread, and it has a pretty net/ lacy pattern. It is a delicious tea-time snack and tastes delicious with chicken or beef curry. It is considered a traditional dish of the coastal community-the crepes are inspired from the fishermen's net and hence made like a net. Roti Jala batter is simple as any crepe batter, and you can whip it up in minutes. It is fun to make, and you can involve your little helpers. The beautiful golden yellow color is from turmeric. Turmeric powder adds a savory touch and is best with a spicy curry. But if you want to enjoy it as dessert, add yellow food color. There are so many colorful roti jalas that you can make- my favorite dessert is the green one flavored with pandan extract. Beetroot juice or butterfly pea flower water can be natural coloring agents. To make the roti jala, there is a special cup with ...