Spice Coast Kitchen

Rustic Chicken Curry/Nadan Kozhi Curry

2008-02-25T20:14:00.000-08:00

Chicken curry is a generic term that encompasses an immense variety of dishes. In a nutshell, it is chicken braised with spices and some kind of liquid. The spices used and the braising liquid (coconut milk, stock, or just water) differs from dish to dish. The addition of ground coconut, ground nuts (cashew, almond), and /or yogurt make the variety endless.

Southern Indian curries tend to be more spicier than their Northern Indian counterparts. Both are equally delicious!

I prefer to use the whole chicken for curries, makes for a more flavorful dish.

Ingredients:
chicken - 3 lbs (skinned, cleaned, and jointed into small pieces)
curry leaves - 6
onion - 1 sliced thin
green chilies - 3 slit
tomato - 1 small sliced
potato - 1 small cubed
salt to taste
oil - 3 tbsp

wet spices:
fresh ginger - 1" piece
garlic - 5 cloves

dry spices:
cayenne pd - 1 tsp
coriander pd - 3 tsp
turmeric - 1/2 tsp
fennel seeds whole - 1 tbsp
whole black pepper - 1 tsp
cinnamon - 1" piece (optional)
cloves - 2 (optional)
cardamom - 2 seeded (optional)

Method:

Using a small food processor or blender, blend garlic and ginger together to a paste, keep aside. Add water as needed to facilitate somewhat smooth griding. Do not make it too watery.

Mix coriander pd, cayenne pd, and turmeric pd together in a small bowl. Powder fennel seeds, whole black pepper, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom together in a spice grinder. Add to the bowl along with some water to make a paste, keep aside.

Heat a heavy pot. Add oil. When oil is hot, add sliced onions, green chilies, curry leaves and saute till onions are translucent. Add the ginger and garlic (wet spices) paste. Fry till the raw smell disappears, approximately 3-4 minutes. Now add the spice paste (dry spices) to the pot. Continue to fry on a low flame till the spices are fragrant, and starting to brown. If the spices start sticking to the pot, add a tbsp of oil. Now add the sliced tomatoes. Keep stirring till the tomato pieces are soft and the whole mixture is uniform.

Add chicken pieces ands stir to coat with the spices. Add salt and cover the pot. Turn the flame down. After 5 minutes, add 1.5 cup of water and cubed potato. If you are using a fast cooking variety of potato, add towards the last 15 minutes.

Simmer for approximately 30 minutes or more. If you want a lot of gravy, leave the pot covered. If you want a more thicker gravy, simmer with the pot uncovered.

The curry is done when chicken is cooked and the oil separates and start to float on top. Serve with Chappathi or rice.

Fried Fish / Meen Varthathu

2008-02-23T20:37:00.000-08:00

Kerala fried fish is similar to the blackened fish of Louisiana. The fried goodness of fish and spices go well with white rice. Plain yogurt and a vegetable thoran would round up the meal nicely.

Almost any fish can be fried using this recipe. Here, I used Sand dabs.

Sand dabs - 2 skinned/scaled and cleaned
cayenne powder - 2 tsp (+/- to taste)
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
salt to taste
oil - 1/3 cup

Score sand dabs across with a sharp knife. The scores help the spices to permeate the fish and reduces cooking time. If the fish is large, cut into smaller pieces.

I also prefer to leave the bone in when frying. Bones seem to hold the fish together better. Fillets would work well too, but in my experience bone-in is better!

Make a paste of cayenne powder, turmeric, and salt with a little bit of water. Liberally slather both sides of the fish with the spice paste. Leave aside for 15 minutes.

Heat a cast iron pan (or a heavy pan) and add oil. The oil should just come to a depth of less than half an inch. The fish is NOT meant to be deep fried immersed in oil, but rather shallow fried. When the oil heats up, gently place the fish in the hot oil. Fry till the fish and spices have caramelised, approximately 3-4 minutes. Flip the fish gently and repeat frying the other side. When the fish is done, drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Spicy fish in coconut milk /Meen Curry

2007-12-30T11:14:00.001-08:00

Fish is a big part of Kerala non-vegetarian food culture. The meal is often planned around the fish dish which in turn depend on the fresh fish available that day. Growing up we always had some kind of fish dish for lunch and dinner. In rainy season, when fresh fish is scarce, the dried fish would make an appearance.

There are numerous ways to prepare fish Kerala style: stewed in coconut milk, pan fried with spices, cooked with fresh ground coconut, spiced up with coccum, raw mango, or erumban puli (Averrhoa bilimbi). Ripe and even unripe tomatoes are used in flavoring. Sometimes fish is wrapped in banana leaves with a layer of shallots and ground green pepper (unripened black pepper) picked off the vine just that day. The whole package is slowly roasted in a clay pot or a kal chatti (turned rock vessel) traditional Kerala cooking vessels. The fish cooks in its own juice and comes out fragrant, tender, and absolutely delicious!

The day starts with the fisherman coming to the door with his fresh caught wares. He announces his arrival with loud hoots "oooh" as he cycles down the narrow roads, balancing a large basket of fish precariously behind him. He would take off the jute cover to reveal the bounty inside: shining sardines, glistening mackerels and pom frets, king fish, mullets, black and flat pearl spots, crabs, shrimp some still twitching, as fresh as can be! People gather around the basket, commenting on the freshness and haggling to get the best price.

The recipe that follows is for a basic fish curry in coconut milk. Numerous variations can be made by varying the ingredient used for tartness: mango, coccum, tomato, tamarind, erumban puli. The smooth taste of coconut milk tones down the fieriness of the curry.

Ingredients:

*fish - 1 lb
onion - 1 small + (1/4 cup thinly sliced for optional garnish)
ginger - thumb size
green chilies - 4 (+/- to taste)
curry leaves - 6
cayenne powder - 1 tbsp (+/- to taste)
turmeric - 1/4 tsp
tomato - 1 small sliced
coconut milk thin - 1.5 cups (second extract)
coconut milk thick - 1/2 cup (first extract)
white vinegar - 2 tsp
ghee - 2 tbsp (optional)
oil - 3 tbsp
salt to taste

* Almost any variety of fish may be used. Some options are Pomfret, King Mackeral, Mullet, cod and so on..

Method:

Crush onion, ginger, green chilies to a coarse mixture in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle. Heat clay pot and add 2 tbsp of oil. When oil heats up, saute the crushed onion mixture and curry leaves till the raw smell disappears.

Make a paste of cayenne and turmeric with a little water and add to the sauteed onions. Fry for 2-3 minutes till the raw smell disappears. Add sliced tomatoes. When the tomatoes and onion are well blended, add the thin coconut milk and salt.

When the coconut milk comes to a boil, reduce heat and add fish. Simmer for 5-10 minutes till the curry starts to thicken. Add the thick coconut milk and heat through. Add vinegar and take off heat.

Heat a tbsp of ghee in a pan. Fry the sliced onions till golden brown and add as a garnish. This step is optional. Serve with rice or chappathi.

Olan

2007-12-07T20:28:00.000-08:00

Olan is a quintessential Kerala dish. It is made by cooking winter melon in coconut milk by itself or with dried beans. I like to make it with red mung beans. Black eyed peas works well too.

Soak beans overnight for easier cooking. If you have a pressure cooker, it takes just a few minutes.

Ingredients:
red mung beans - 1 cup
*winter melon sliced thinly into small pieces - 2 cups
green chilie - 2 (+/- to taste)
curry leaves - 5
onion small - 1/2
red chilie flakes - 1 tsp
**coconut milk - 1 cup

Method:
Clean and wash mung beans. Slit green chilies and add to the beans. Add enough water to cover 2 inches above the beans. Pressure cook beans till fully cooked. Add the sliced winter melon to the cooked beans and simmer for 3 - 5 minutes. Winter melon cooks fast. Now add coconut milk. Simmer till the curry thickens.

In a food processor or with mortar and pestle crush onion and chilie flakes. Heat oil in a small pan and saute the crushed onion and chilie mixture till slightly brown. Do not allow to burn. Add the whole mixture along with curry leaves to Olan. Mix well and serve with rice.

* winter melon is available in Asian grocery stores.

**Canned unsweetened coconut milk may be used in this recipe. I prefer to use fresh coconut milk. Extracting fresh coconut milk a laborious process but well worth the effort. Blend pieces of fresh coconut with warm water till pulverized. Strain the milk. Repeat the process 2 more times with the remaining solids. Reserve the milk and discard the solids.

The first extract would have a thick consistency and is generally used for finishing the dish, and is saved to add to the dish at the end. Fresh coconut milk freezes very well.

Lamb Lollipops

2007-11-28T17:49:00.000-08:00

Succulent pieces of grilled lamb over vegetable pilaf makes a fine dinner!

Rosemary is not traditionally used in Indian cooking: however, it goes well with lamb and pairs beautifully with Indian spices.

My trusty cast iron stove-top grill makes it easy to have grilled food during winter months when it is too cold to fire up the barbecue.

Ingredients:
rack of lamb cut into lollipops - 8
extra virgin olive oil/cooking oil - 1/4 cup
garlic - 4 cloves minced
coriander powder - 1 tsp
turmeric - 1/2 tsp
whole cumin - 1/2 tsp
whole black pepper - 1 tsp
rosemary leaves - 2 tbsp (optional)
crushed red pepper - 1 tsp
fresh lemon juice - 1 tbsp
salt to taste

Powder cumin and pepper in a spice grinder. Mix in coriander powder, turmeric, crushed red pepper, and salt.

Heat olive oil in a heavy pan. Turn off the heat. Add minced garlic and rosemary followed by the powdered ingredients. When it cools, add lemon juice. Marinate the lamb in this mixture for at least an hour.

Grill lamb done to your liking.

Poori Masala

2007-11-25T18:28:00.000-08:00

Poori Masala tops the list of my favorite breakfast dishes. Fresh made pooris with spicy potato masala, and my day starts well!

Poori tastes great with a spicy chickpea curry or a vegetable stew as well! The combinations are endless!

Ingredients:
*Atta (wheat flour) - 2 cups
water to make dough
salt to taste

Method:
Make a soft dough with flour adding sufficient water. I use a food processor to make the dough, but the hand method works very well too. Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.

Using a rolling pin, roll out pooris in circles of approximately 4" diameter. To prevent the poori from drying out, cover with a kitchen towel.

In a frying pan add oil to 2" depth. When the oil heats up, fry pooris one at a time. Drain well on paper-towels. Serve with potato masala.

*Atta is available in Indian stores.

Potato Masala:
potatoes - 2
onions - 1 cup (finely chopped)
green chilis- 3 (finely minced)
ginger - 1" piece (finely minced)
curry leaves - 6
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
salt to taste
water - 1 cup

Method:
Skin and cube potatoes. Heat oil in a saute pan. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and urad dal. When the mustard seeds have finished popping add chopped onions, green chilies, ginger, and curry leaves. When the onions have wilted, add potatoes and turmeric. Stir well to coat. Add water and keep it covered. Let the potatoes cook well. Depending on the variety of potato, you may need to add more or less water. When potato is cooked and the spices well blended, take off the stove. Serve with poori.

The same potato masala may be used for stuffing dosa.

Upma

2007-11-18T10:08:00.000-08:00

Upma is India's answer to Southern grits and Italian polenta! My go to dish for breakfast, Upma is easy to make and satisfying. You can make it elaborate by adding a cup of vegetables or keep it simple with just a few cashew nuts for crunch. Delicious either way!

The following recipe is for the simpler version.

Ingredients:

*cream of wheat/Sooji -1 cup
vegetable oil - 2 tbsp
onion - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
ginger - 1/4 tsp (finely chopped)
spicy green chili - 3 (finely chopped)
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
curry leaves - 6
cashew nuts - 1/4 cup (broken into pieces)
ghee - 1 tbsp (optional)
water - 1 cup
salt to taste
coriander leaves for garnish

*Cream of wheat is available in Indian grocery stores. It comes in 2 varieties, thick and thin. I like the thicker version for Upma because it gives a nicer texture to the finished dish.

Method:

Heat a heavy pan and dry roast cream of wheat for 3-5 minutes. It burns easily, so keep a watchful eye! Remove before it starts to take color. Keep aside.

Heat oil in the same pan. When the oil heats up add urad dal and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds have finished popping add the chopped onion, ginger, green chilies, and curry leaves. Saute till onions have wilted, don't let it brown! Add water and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add roasted cream of wheat. Stir well. Keep the pan covered for a 2 - 3 minutes. Remove lid, and stir. At this point, the water is absorbed and upma is moist and fluffy. Add ghee and take off heat. Stir in the roasted cashews. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

I like to eat with a sunny side egg on top or a banana. My husband prefers pickle and spicy chutney. To each his own!

Note: If you prefer Upma to be more moist, add a little bit more water, about 1/4 cup.

Dosa

2007-11-04T11:12:00.001-08:00

Dosa is probably the most popular of Southern Indian dishes. Though served mostly for breakfast, it makes a wonderful lunch or dinner! Serve it plain or stuff with potatoes to make Masala Dosa.

My mother used to make it with a little ghee and sugar in the middle for the kids. She would just sprinkle a bit of sugar and ghee as it is cooking. I still love to eat it this way, though sometimes I use splenda and olive oil instead to make an adult version!

Serve with coconut chutney and/or sambar.

Ingredients:

long grain rice - 3.5 cups
Uncle Ben's parboiled rice - .5 cup
urad dal - 1 cup (available in Indian grocery stores)
ghee/vegetable oil - as needed
salt to taste

Clean and soak the rices and dal separately in plenty of water for 4-6 hours. Grind dal in a heavy duty blender till very smooth. Add enough water to facilitate smooth grinding. Similarly, grind the rice till very smooth. Mix ground dal and rice together and keep in a warm place to ferment overnight. In winter, you may have to leave it in a preheated oven to achieve fermentation. Just warm the oven, turn it off and leave the batter inside. When fermented, the batter would rise and become foamy. At this point, it would have the consistency of sour cream. Add salt and mix well. Dosa batter is ready!

Heat a 10" non-stick pan or well seasoned cast-iron griddle. Moisten a papertowel or piece of cotton cloth with a little bit of oil and apply to the pan. This step is critical to keep the dosa from sticking to the pan and should be repeated each time.

Pour the batter (approximately 1/3 - 1/2cup) with a large serving spoon, and quickly spread in concentric circles with the back of the spoon till the batter is spread out evenly. Add 1/2 tsp of vegetable oil or ghee on top. When it crisps, fold over and remove from the pan. Serve immediately.

If dosa is thick, you may have to flip it over and cook the other side too. If it is thin, this step may be eliminated. To make Masala Dosa, add a heaping spoonful of spiced potato masala in the middle of the dosa before folding.

The recipe may be halved or quartered. The batter keeps well in the refrigerator for upto a week. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.

It may take a few trials to master spreading dosa. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect!

Egg curry

2007-10-26T20:47:00.001-07:00

I love a well made egg curry. Boiled eggs simmered with lots of spices and coconut milk, what's not to love!

Growing up we had egg curry mostly for breakfast. It can be served with a number of Kerala breakfast dishes: chappathi, poori, puttu, idiappam, velleppam, the list goes on and on. I often serve it with rice too. A friend of mine loves to eat egg curry as a sauce for pasta, works for me!

Ingredients:
eggs - 5
potato - 1 large cubed
onion - 1 cup sliced thin
green chilies - 3 split (+/- to taste)
fresh ginger - 1" piece minced
curry leaves - 6 (optional if you don't have it handy)
coriander powder - 3 tsp
cayenne powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder -1/4tsp
garam masala - 1/2 tsp (optional)
coconut milk thin - 2 cups
coconut milk thick - .5 cup
tomato - 1 sliced (optional)
oil - 3 tbsp

Method:

*Boil eggs, peel, and keep aside.

Mix all the powdered spices with a little water to make a paste. This is to prevent the powdered spices from burning as they hit the hot pan. Heat a saute pan and add 3 tbsp of oil. When oil heats up, add the spice paste and saute till the raw smell disappears. Add a bit more oil if the spices start to stick to the pan. Be careful not to burn the spices, but fry to a golden brown color. Now add the sliced onion, green chilies, curry leaves, and ginger. Saute till onion is translucent. If using, add tomato slices and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add thin coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and simmer till it cooks. Now add the eggs. I often slice the eggs in half before adding to the pot. If you prefer, it is fine to leave it whole. When the sauce thickens, add thick coconut milk and simmer for a few more minutes. Egg curry is ready to be served.

* Over boiling eggs brings out the sulphuric smell and green ring around the yolk. Here is how I make perfect boiled eggs.

Start eggs in a pan of cold water and a tsp of of salt. Make sure that all the eggs are submerged in upto 1" of water. Bring to a rolling boil. Turn off heat and keep a lid on the pan. After 15 minutes, take eggs out and submerge in cold water. Eggs are ready to be peeled. The yolk would be moist, but firm, and no foul smell!

Chilie ka salan

2007-10-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

Chilie Ka Salan is a Hyderabadi dish. Whole chilies are cooked in a wonderful blend of ground roasted peanuts, coriander, and tamarind. A mixture of different varities of spicy green chilies may be used. I have made this with just Jalapeno chilies with great results. Serve with Biriyani/rice or roti as a condiment.

Ingredients:

whole green chilies - 15
raw shelled peanuts - 1/2 cup
coriander seeds - 1/4 cup
jeera (cumin) - 1 tsp
whole pepper - 1/2 tsp
onion sliced - 1/2
garlic - 2 cloves
ginger - 1" piece
tamarind concentrate - 1 tsp

mustard seeds -1/2 tsp
asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp
turmeric - 1/4 tsp
curry leaves - 6

salt to taste
vegetable/cooking oil as needed

Method:

Clean chilies and slit length-wise leaving the stem intact. Remove seeds unless you have a penchant for super hot food!

Roast raw peanuts in a heavy pan. Remove and keep aside. Add a tsp of oil to the pan and roast whole coriander seeds, cumin, and pepper. Remove and keep aside. Heat a tsp of oil and saute sliced onions, ginger, and garlic. When the onions have wilted, remove and keep aside.

Grind roasted peanuts along with coriander and onion mixture to a paste in a blender or food processor. Add enough water to facilitate smooth grinding.

Add 2 tsp of oil in a heavy pot and saute the prepared chilies. Remove and keep aside.

Add an additional tsp of oil to the same pot. When oil heats up, add asafoetida, mustard seeds, and curry leaves. When mustard seeds have finished popping add the sauted chilies and turmeric. Add the ground peanut paste. Add tamarind conentrate to the chilies. Simmer till the chilies are cooked through and sauce thickened.

Serve as a condiment to rice or roti.

Okra saute

2007-10-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

Okra has always been one of my favorite vegetables. Whether it is stewed in coconut milk or just stir fried till caramelized, I love okra!

The following is a very simple okra stir fry with onions and chilies. I like to serve this as a side dish with rice.

okra - 1 lb
onion - 1/2 (chopped fine)
green chili - 4 (chopped fine)
curry leaves -6
asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
turmeric - 1/2 tsp
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
salt to taste
oil - 3 tbsp

Wash okra and dry with paper towels. Cut okra into fine rounds.

Heat a heavy pan. Add oil. When the oil heats up, add asafoetida followed by mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds have finished popping, add chopped onions, green chilies, and turmeric. When the onions have softened add okra and salt to taste. Keep stirring at high heat. Initially, the okra will be slimy, but keep frying till it starts to brown. When okra has taken a good bit of color and is no longer slimy, take off heat. Serve with rice.

Chicken Biriyani

2007-10-01T08:36:00.001-07:00

My husband hails from Mahe in Northern Kerala. One of the specialities of the region is biriyani. Though made by cooks all over Kerala, the Northern Kerala biriyani is special and different. I learned to make it from my mother-in-law who was a talented cook.

Biriyani is not an everyday dish. Made mostly on special occasions, it is a complex dish and may take a few trials to master. To make an authentic biriyani, you have to be generous with your spices, don't hold back!

Traditionally, biriyani is made with the whole chicken. Using the chicken whole, increases the flavor. Traditional biriyani also use a lot more of ghee than the recipe below. I have cut it down significantly in the interest of health and to be honest taste!

Ingredients:

Chicken whole - 1 (approximately 4 - 5 lbs)
rice - 4 - 5 cups

garlic - 1 pod
ginger - 4" piece
*green chilies - 25 - 30 (increase or decrease to suit taste and endurance level!!)

onion - 2 sliced thin
aniseed - 1 tbsp powdered
garam masala powder - 1 tbsp
medium tomato - 2 sliced
yogurt - 1 cup
cashew nuts - 1/2 cup
raisins - 1/4 cup (optional)
coriander leaves - 1 cup chopped
ghee - 1/2 cup ( may use softened butter instead)
vegetable oil for sauteing onions
salt to taste

*(Don't be alarmed at the number of chilies! This spicing is for the whole dish including rice, which serves 6 - 8 people. I use the small Thai bird chilies. They are spicy!! Depending on what you have on hand, any spicy green chili may be used. If you are not used to handling chilies, may want to wear gloves.)

Clean and joint chicken. Cut into smaller pieces.

Using a food processor/blender blend garlic, ginger to a smooth paste with some water and keep aside. Grind green chilies to a coarse consistency.

Heat a pan and add a tbsp of vegetable oil and a tbsp of ghee/butter. Add 1/2 of the sliced onions and fry till it has an even brown color. Add cashews and raisins to the onion and fry for a few more minutes. Remove onion, cashew, raisin mixture and keep aside.

Heat oil in a heavy pot (large enough to hold the chicken) Add the remaining sliced onions and saute till soft. Add the ginger/garlic paste and saute till the raw smell is gone. Add ground green chilies and saute for a few more minutes. Add tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are mushy. Add aniseed powder and cook the whole mixture for a few more minutes till blended uniformly.

Now add the cut-up chicken and stir to coat the spices on the pieces. Add salt and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add yogurt, stir well, cover, and cook the chicken till almost done.

While the chicken is cooking, clean rice and cook in plenty of salted water. When the rice is almost cooked remove and strain. Keep a close eye when the rice is cooking. It is important to strain the rice before it is fully cooked. It should be only 3/4 cooked. If you don't keep a watchful eye, it is very easy to over-cook the rice and spoil the whole dish!

Now the dish is ready to be assembled and baked. A heavy pot with a tight fitting lid (I use a large cast iron pot) is best for this purpose. Alternatively, use a large baking pan and aluminum foil for covering.

Preheat oven to 350*c. In the pot, add a tbsp of ghee/butter and spread it around. Add a layer of rice and spread. Add 3-4 ladles of chicken pieces along with juices over the rice. Add another layer of rice to cover the chicken. Now spread a layer of browned onion, cashew, and raisin mixture. Add a sprinkling of garam masala and a handful of coriander leaves. Add few spoonfuls of ghee/butter. Repeat the layers till all the rice, chicken, and other ingredients are completely used up ending with rice. Cover with lid or aluminium foil and bake for 30 - 35 minutes. Take out biriyani and stir well. At this point all the moisture is absorbed by the rice and the chicken is completely cooked. Adjust seasoning and serve hot with raita and chutney.

Coconut & tomato chutney

2007-09-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

Tangy, spicy chutney to serve with idli or dosa. Adding tomato is a nice twist to the traditional coconut chutney. The following recipe was given to me by my cousin Usha. Though a relative newcomer, it is now one of my favorite chutney recipes!

Ingredients:
fresh coconut - 2 cups grated
dry red chilies - 6 (less to reduce heat level)
tomato - 1 medium
onion - 1/2 sliced
oil - 2 tbsp
salt to taste

Heat 2 tbsp oil. Add red chilies to the oil. When it starts to turn slightly brown and fragrant, remove and keep aside. Add sliced onion and tomato in the same oil. Saute till mushy and remove.

Blend fresh coconut, and the rest of the ingredients with sufficient water to facilitate smooth griding.

For tempering:
oil - 1 tsp
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
curry leaves - 6
dry red chili pieces - 1 (broken in pieces)

Heat 1 tsp oil and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, urad dal, and red chilies. When mustard seeds are done popping, add the mixture to chutney. Chutney is ready to be served.

Chutney is a must for Dosa and Idli.

Idli

2007-09-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

One of the favorite memories of my childhood is waking up to a wonderful, fresh cooked breakfast. The sights, sounds, and smells are still with me today: the smell of mustard seeds and curry leaves in hot oil; kadala curry (black chick peas) slowly simmering in roasted, ground coconut and coriander; the smell of fermented idli batter waiting to be steamed.

Idli making is a laborious process. It may take a few trials to master it. Since the batter must be fermented overnight, weather plays an important role. The hot, humid, tropical climate in India makes it easier to ferment the batter. In the US, during winter, I leave the batter in a heated oven. If the pilot light is on, it produces sufficient heat to allow fermentation.

The perfect idli is soft, moist, somewhat grainy, and porous. It soaks up liquids like a sponge. Surely, there can't be anything better than a plateful of fluffy idlis and freshly ground coconut chutney for breakfast!

Ingredients:

long grained rice : 4.5 cups
par boiled rice : .5 cup ( I use Uncle Ben's)
urad dal - 1 cup (available in Indian grocery stores)

Special equipment needed: Idli steamer

Clean rice and urad dal. Soak separately in plenty of water for 6-8 hrs till soft. Grind dal very smooth and soft with just enough water to facilitate easy griding. The urad batter should be fluffy and super smooth. Remove into a large mixing bowl. Grind rice with enough water till almost smooth but still somewhat grainy. Pour the ground rice to the ground dal. Using a wooden spoon or spatula mix thoroughly. The resulting batter is fairly thick, much thicker than pancake batter. When poured from a spoon, the batter will fall in a broken stream.

In my younger days, my mother used to make the batter using an "attu kal" carved out of stone. Now even in India, idli batter is made using blenders or motorised grinders made of stone.

Leave the batter in a warm place to ferment overnight. When fermented, the batter becomes spongy. When you are ready to steam idlis, add salt and mix well. Pour a drop of oil into the mould. Using a paper towel spread the oil on the mould. Pour the batter into the mould. Bring water to a rolling boil in the idli vessel, turn flame down to a simmer. Keep the moulds in the vessel, cover, and steam for 8 - 10 minutes.

Take the idli moulds from the steamer. The idlis are best taken out of the mould when the the mould has cooled down. Serve with coconut chutney and/or sambar.

The recipe may be halved or even quartered. 1 cup of rice makes about 10 idlis.

Idlis freeze very well! Microwave frozen idli with a wet paper-towel on top for 3 minutes before serving.

Rasam

2007-09-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

Ahh rasam! The tangy, sinus clearing rasam! Addictive concoction of tomatoes, tamarind, pepper, and cumin! Potent as any cocktail even without the addition of alcohol! It awakens your taste buds as it spreads warmth through the body.

My rasam is simple. I love to make it in summer when ripe, luscious tomatoes are plentiful. You can also add some cooked dal (pigeon peas) to rasam, 1 or 2 tbsp. or so. If I have it handy, I add it. Perfectly fine to leave it out!

Ingredients:

ripe tomatoes - 3 chopped
fresh tamarind - 1 tbsp. (may substitute with 1/2 tsp of tamarind concentrate)
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
water - 3 cups
salt to taste
Note: If the tomatoes are really ripe and flavorful, you may not need to add much tamarind.

Spices for grinding:
whole black pepper: 1 tsp.
whole cumin - 1 tsp
whole red chili - 1
Grind the above ingredients in a spice/coffee grinder. Does not have to be ground fine, but somewhat smooth.

Add water and turmeric to chopped tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes are mushy. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of water. Using your hand squeeze the tamarind to extract the jucies. (Alternatively, use tamarind concentrate.) Add tamarind extract to the pot (discard the tamarind solids) and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Take off heat.

Using the back of your spoon, mash the cooked tomatoes well. Drain in a colander pressing the tomatoes with your spoon. Discard the seeds and skin. The pulp would disintergrate into the water. Bring the tomato broth to a boil. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add the powdered spices. Take off heat.

For tempering:
oil - 1 tsp.
asafoetida pd - 1/4 tsp.
mustard seeds - 1tsp.
dry red chili - 1 (broken into pieces)
fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
curry leaves - 6

Heat oil in a small pan. Add asafoetida followed by the rest of the ingredients. When the mustard seeds have finished popping, add the whole tempering mixture to rasam. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with rice.

Also, great to drink at the end of a meal!

Sambar

2007-08-22T09:26:00.001-07:00

Sambar is the signature dish of Southern India. Vegetables are cooked with tamarind, tuvar dal (split yellow piegeon peas) and an array of roasted spices. It is as unique as the cooks who make it. One of the most intricate and sophisticated dishes in Southern Indian cuisine, it is extremely versatile. Sambar is served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, with rice, idli, vada, or dosa! I do draw the line of eating it with chappathi and nan, but my huband has no such qualms!

The recipe varies from region to region, and even from cook to cook. My mother always ground a little bit of roasted fresh coconut with the spices. Our neighbor, famous for her sambar, ground fresh coconut and added a piece of jaggery, just scrumptious! I have simplified it by leaving out the coconut, less time consuming but still tasty! Besides, fresh coconut is not that easily available where I live.

There are numerous brands of sambar powder available in Indian grocery stores, a substitue for the roasted spices. Though time saving, it does not match the taste of sambar made with freshly roasted spices.

Ingredients:

For Dal:
Tuvar dal (split pigeon peas) - 1/2 cup
Fresh tamarind - Lime sized ball (may substitue with 2 tsp of tamarind concentrate available in Indian grocery stores)
*Vegetables - 1 cup (cut as for thick french fries)
tomato chopped - 1 small
turmeric - 1/2 tsp
water as needed
salt -to taste

*Endless varities of vegetables may be used. Almost any vegetable or a combination of various vegetables work well. Here are few suggestions: egg plant, okra, drumsticks, pumpkin, chayote, potato, green plantain. I have had wonderful sambar made with spinach and even small shallots!

Spices for roasting:
Coriander seeds - 3 tbsp.
Dry whole red chilies - 3 (less for a milder version)
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
whole black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Grated fresh coconut - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1tsp.
Heat oil in a pan and roast spices. Watch the spices closely as they tend to burn if not stirred constantly. Take off heat when the coriander seeds crumble easily when crushed between fingers. Grind roasted spices in blender with enough water to facilitate smooth grinding.
(Tip: I sometimes dry roast the spices and grind in a coffee grinder. Once ground, I add the water. This works just as well.)

For tempering:
vegetable oil - 1 tsp
mustard seeds - 1tsp
curry leaves - 6 (I sometimes leave it out, only because it is not easily available)
asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
dry red chilie - 1 (cut into pieces)

Corinader leaves - 3 tbsp chopped (for garnish)

Method:
Pressure cook tuvar dal with enough water till soft. Do not over cook. Alternatively, soak dal overnight and cook with water till soft.

Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water. Squeeze out the tamarind juice and add to the chopped vegetables. Add another 2 cups water and cook the vegetables. Add chopped tomato and continue cooking.
Note: If using vegetables like okra and eggplant, saute in a tsp of oil prior to cooking in tamarind.

Roast spices in a tbsp. of oil till fragrant. ( Tip: The coriander seeds would crumble easily when crushed between fingers when roasted) Grind spices in a blender with some water added to facilitate smooth grinding.

When vegetables are almost cooked, add cooked dal. Continue to simmer for few minutes. Add ground roasted spices. Continue to simmer till all ingredients are blended together.

Heat oil in a small pan. Add asafoetida powder, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chilie pieces, and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds have finished popping add to sambar. Take off heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Cabbage Thoran (Stir fried Cabbage with Coconut):

2007-08-20T13:00:00.001-07:00

Thoran is a typical Kerala dish of stir fried vegetables. Shredded vegetables (often leafy ones like spinach, cabbage or even cauliflower, carrots, and beans) are stir fried with a mixture of coconut, green chilies, and cumin. I prefer to leave the vegetables to be crunchy. Use high heat and a quick hand to retain the crunchiness.

Ingredients:
Cabbage shredded - 3 cups
Fresh grated coconut - 3 tbsp.
Green chilies - 2
Onion - 1/4" piece
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
mustard seeds -1 tsp
turmeric pd. - 1/4 tsp
curry leaves - 5
oil - 2 tbsp
fresh black pepper - 1/2 tsp
salt to taste

Method:
In a food processor (I often take the low-tech route with my mortar and pestle) mix coconut, green chilies, onion, cumin to make a coarse mixture. Heat pan and add 2 tbsp of oil. When oil heats up, add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds have finished popping, add the coconut mixture, turmeric, and curry leaves. Stir fry for a few minutes. Add shredded cabbage. Add salt. Stir fry for 3 - 5 minutes. Remove from heat when the cabbage is still crisp and all ingredients have blended well. Add freshly ground pepper. Serve with rice.

Mathi (Chala) curry /Braised Sardines

2007-08-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

Sardine is a common fish in Kerala, easily available and inexpensive. It is a very fishy fish, and one either hates or loves it. Needless to say, I fall into the latter category. I love to fry it or make a curry with lots of chilies. Nothing like a spicy sardine curry to wake up a meal!

Traditionally, Kerala fish curry is cooked in a clay pot. It is like a clay saute pan without handles! When I first came to the US, I found that clay cooking vessels are not readily available here. On my next visit to India, I bought back clay pots with me. I still cook fish in these pots. Times have changed, now you can buy clay cooking pot in gourmet cookware shops, at least in California.

fresh sardines - 1 lb
onion small - 1
ginger - 1/2" piece
green chilies - 3 (less if you don't want it spicy)
oil - 2 tbsp
cayenne powder - 1tsp (less if you don't want it spicy)
turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
tomato - 1 chopped
curry leaves - 5
white vinegar - 1 tbsp
water - 1 cup
salt to taste

Scale and clean sardines. Wash gently in several changes of water.

Crush onion, ginger, green chilies coarsely, I use my small food processor. Heat oil in a clay cooking pot. Add the crushed onion mixture, curry leaves and saute till the mixture is fragrant and the raw smell has disappeared. Next add the cayenne and turmeric powders and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes into this mixture and saute till the tomato pieces are soft. Add salt and water and let it come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for few minutes. Add the sardines and continue to simmer. When the sardines are cooked and gravy thick add vinegar, take off heat. Serve with fresh cooked rice.

Fried Green Tomato Sandwich

2007-08-08T15:55:00.000-07:00

Here is my take on the southern Fried Green Tomato.

Fried tomato:

Firm green mature tomato - 2 (sliced thick)
Flour - 1 cup
Cayenne pepper pd - 1/4 tsp
Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
Buttermilk - 1 cup
salt to taste

Sprinkle tomato slices with a little salt. Arrange on paper towels and leave for half an hour. The salt draws out the moisture. Blot with paper towels.

Add black pepper, cayenne & salt to the flour and set aside. Pour the buttermilk into a bowl. Dip the tomato slices in buttermilk. Dredge the slices in the flour mixture.

Pour quarter of an inch of oil into a heavy frying pan. When the oil heats up, fry the dredged tomato slices turning to get an even golden brown color on each side.

Pesto:

fresh basil leaves - 1 cup
grated Parmesan cheese - 2 tbsp
pine nuts - 1/4 cup
garlic clove - 1
extra virgin olive oil - 1/4 cup
salt to taste

Blend basil leaves, olive oil, garlic clove, and Parmesan cheese. You should have a nice thick paste. Add more olive oil if needed to adjust consistency.

Sandwich:

Sandwich bread (any kind, I use a crusty baguette)
Fresh Mozzarella cheese or Monterrey Jack cheese
Lettuce leaves

Slice the bread into half. Liberally slather with pesto sauce. Arrange the fried tomato slices, slices of cheese, and lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with a few pine nuts. Enjoy!!