Kitchen Corner-Try It

Ragi Semiya Caramel Payasam Today's recipe is a sweet payasam, a dessert with the goodness of finger millet/ragi.It is a healthy treat for your taste buds.When ever its time for a celebration or festival I make semiya payasam because it is the easiest and also my favorite.I never tried ragi semiya before so was excited to try this payasam for Vishu Sadya. As you know malayalee sadhya is not complete without payasam/dessert served towards the end feast.Ragi semiya caramel payasam is enticing and luscious milk and caramel sugar payasam. Ragi or finger millet is famous for its nutritional value,it is high in iron and calcium and a good source of fiber. My mom and grandmother always made sure to incorporate ragi to our diet on a weekly basis. My favorite was ragi halwa and ragi puttu. But looking into my blog,I realized that I have rarely posted anything with ragi. Finger millet/ragi is very healthy and if you are looking for some healthy options,try incorporating it in your d...

Potato Masala/ Sadhya Urulakizhangu Masala Today's recipe is a spicy potato masala/urulakizhangu masala that I often make as a side dish for chapathi. But this is also an integral part of Kerala Sadhya. This Sunday malayalees around the world will be celebrating Vishu/ Kerala New year. So this is the perfect time to share some Sadhya recipes. Sadhya is a hearty meal, a vegetarian feast with rice and curries ranging from mild and flavorful vegetable and lentils curries to more spicy vegetable curries like this potato masala. Due to this wide range of flavors, one can doubt whether it will be hard to appreciate each dish separately. As an ardent Sadhya lover, let me tell you each curry has its distinctive unique flavor and texture. In Trivandrum area, there is another version of potato curry. It is Vada kootu curry . Small deep-fried lentil balls cooked in potato curry. Most of the recipes of Kerala Sadhya have been passed down generation after generation, but each region h...

Kerala Spicy Mixture  Mixture is a crispy and crunchy snack popular in India.  It is a snack mix or a blend of crispy fries, nuts,chips,fried lentils and  tossed with a spice powder.This is a common snack eaten anytime and at all times. You can find this in every bakery you visit, so back in India, there was no need to make it at home. This always comes handy when you have guests at home or just as a tea time snack.My Mom always stock up on mixture and there is one more reason,it is her favorite snack to this day. Because of her I also became a great fan of spicy mixture.I had never thought that one day I'll make this at home. My mom will be so proud of me when she will see this post :). I am not going to say this is easy to make,but it is definitely worth the effort. Make sure to store in air tight containers,mixture can be made and stored for a long time. There are lot of variations for this humble snack- Bombay mix, Madras mixture, chivada,chuda- different...

Chakka Varatti/ Jack fruit Jam Chakka or jack fruit is a common fruit in South India. Jack fruit is a seasonal fruit and there are several delicious jack fruit recipes. Ripe jack fruit has a distinctively strong aroma and is naturally sweet. It tastes best for desserts. Chakka varatti is a popular jack fruit delicacy of Kerala which is made with fully ripe jack fruit bulbs. Chakka varatti is mainly a preserve and if made in the right consistency can be stored and used for more than a year. Never heard of jack fruit jam? Well, you're in for a treat! Making chakka varatti was a yearly tradition back home in Kerala. The smell of varikka chakka is divine. By the way varikka chakka is the variety used to make chakka varatti. It is very sweet, tastes like honey and has a firm flesh even when it is ripe. Jack fruit is the most versatile of all tropical fruits. It has a strong fragrance when ripe and your whole house with be filled with a strong fruity aroma. Jack fr...

Pepper Prawns Fry Deep-fried spicy and salty prawns are irresistible and one of my favorite ways to eat prawns. Do you love prawns? Prawns are popular among seafood lovers and are my absolute favorite. This crispy fry will be a perfect treat for your family. Pepper Prawns fry is crispy fried prawns with exciting flavors of garlic, butter, zesty lemon, and a kick of pepper. It is my take to butter garlic shrimp, but a little spicy. This recipe is so versatile and easy to prepare. These crispy prawns are ready in under 15 minutes and will be the star of any meal.  If you are frying prawns, you can leave the heads on the prawns. It adds stronger flavor, and when fried, has an irresistible delicate crispness to it, juicy and equally tasty. Thanks to hubby to convinced me that the head is the most flavorful part of prawns. If you are not a fan of the head,  don’t worry. You can use regular shrimp instead. Prawns fry is easy to make. Here are a few tips to get them crispy and...