Kitchen Corner-Try It

Besan Ladoo Besan ladoo is fragrant, rich, exotic sweet, and a must-have for all festive occasions. Indian festivals and celebrations are incomplete without homemade ladoos, and besan ladoo is easy to make ladoo with minimal ingredients. I love making ladoos at home. The entire house gets filled with the enticing aromas of roasted gram flour and ghee, and it is so reminiscent of the festive holiday spirit. It is perfect for entertaining, and these round dessert balls are also cute holiday gifts for friends and family. Ladoos are simple yet, exotic sweets made all over India. In Kerala, ladoos with rice flour ladoos , boondi ladoo , coconut ladoo, and nut paste ladoos are very popular. In today's recipe, the flour is besan/gram flour made from split yellow Bengal gram, also called chana dal. Roasted gram flour has a unique nutty flavor, and when combined with the aromatic flavor of cardamom and ghee/clarified butter, it tastes divine. Besan ladoo has an interesting fudgy melt ...

Meen Muringakka Curry/Fish Drumstick Curry Meen Muringakka curry is very popular in South Kerala especially Trivandrum. Muringakka or moringa oleifera/moringa is a very common vegetable in Kerala. It is grown in home gardens and is used in curries like Sambar and aviyal. Drumstick is an exceptionally nutritious vegetable and is always good to incorporate into your diet. This type of curry is a traditional age-old recipe. I grew up eating this fish curry and for me, it represents absolute comfort homey food. This is how my mom and grandmother make fish curry and they make the best meen muringakka curry ever.   The cuisine of coastal regions has fish as an indispensable part of an everyday meal. There are different regional versions. Some fish curries use coconut milk and kudampili or Malabar tamarind. There is also the fiery red curry made without coconuts.  Now you may ask what makes this fish curry special? Let me tell you, few ingredients make thi...

Pavakka Peera Pattichathu Here is a simple and delicious way to eat bitter gourd/pavakka. I know there are lots of people who hate this veggie due to its bitter taste. Believe me, this recipe will not disappoint you. The sweetness of coconut, the bitterness of pavakka and the tangy-ness of tamarind combined will make you love it. You can use either tamarind or kudampuli. My mom also uses the same recipe to make vegetables like kovakka/ivy gourd and plantains. Give this recipe a try.. Ingredients Pavakka sliced- 3 cups Pearl onions- 8-10 Coconut shredded - 1/2 cup Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp Tamarind- a small ball Ginger- 1 inch thick Garlic- 3 pods Green chilly- 4-5 Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp Dry red chilly- 2 Curry leaves - a few salt to taste Chop bitter gourd into thin slices. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and when they splutter add dry red chilly and sliced bitter gourd, salt and turmeric. Stir fry this for about three minutes till the bitter gour...

Ulli Theeyal Ulli theeyal is a popular recipe of Kerala and is made of pearl onion/shallots/ chuvanulli.It has very little ingredients but it is time consuming.It has a sweet and tempting flavor of roasted coconut and caramelized onions and the gravy is spicy and tangy Ingredients Pearl onion or shallots sliced- 2 cups Sliced ginger- 2 inch thick Slit green chilly-2 Curry leaves - a few Tamarind-lemon sized ball mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp To roast and grind Coconut grated- 3/4 cup Dry red chilly-8-10 ( add according to your tolerance) Coriander seeds- 3 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp Curry leaves- 1 spring Heat two tsp of oil in a pan and roast all the ingredients listed under 'to roast'. Roast in medium flame and stirring continuously till the coconut is dark brown. Make this into a fine paste and keep aside. Heat two tbs of oil  in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter add shallots, ginger, green chilly an...

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani  Here is the recipe for the rich and fragrant Hyderabadi chicken biryani.This was on my to- do list for a long time.It is an elaborate process but once you taste this aromatic and filling rice delicacy you will feel that it is really worth the effort.The biryani masala is somewhat similar to the Kerala chicken biryani,but the addition of shahi jeera imparts a unique flavor to this biryani. Ingredients To make rice Basmathi Rice- 1/2 kg Salt as per taste Bay leaf-2 Green cardomon-2 Black cardamon- 2 Cloves- 4 To make masala Chicken- 1/2 kg Sliced onion- 250 grams Green chilly-4-5 Ginger paste- 2 tsp Garlic paste- 1 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp Chilly powder- 1 1/2 tsp Coriander powder- 3/4 tsp Yogurt- 1 cup Lemon juice- 1 lemon Garam masala- 1 tsp Coriander leaves- 1/3 chopped Mint- a few Shahi jeera- 1 tsp Cinnamon- 1 inch thick Black cardamon- 2 Cloves- 4-5 Bay leaves- 1 For layering and garnishing Fried onio...

Ethapazham Bonda/Sweet Bonda Bonda is a perfect tea time snack, crispy deep-fried balls with a spicy masala filling. South Indians love their fried food and bonda and chutney is a delightful combo. The recipe I am sharing today is a sweet version. It is made with sweet ripe plantains and jaggery is insanely addictive. Deep-fried goodness with the enticing flavor of plantains, ghee, and cardamom- now does that not sound appetizing? These bondas are a delightful snack that you cannot stop munching. Just like regular bondas it is crispy on the sides and still quite soft inside the fitter. It goes well with hot piping tea. This is a no-fuss recipe and is easy to whip up. Look at the list of ingredients for sweet bonda. You would usually have these ingredients in your pantry. The sweet filling is made with ripe plantains, coconut, jaggery, and semolina/rava. The batter consists of all-purpose flour and gram flour. The filling is laced with the aroma of ghee and cardamom. Goo...