Cabbage Thoran

Cabbage Thoran

Such a universal keralite side dish, in Kerala practically every vegetable can be turned into a thoran just because of the abundance of coconuts all around the state.

But also makes every vegetable simple delectable I remember one of my aunt's in Kerala use to make okra thoran which tasted good of course it was loaded up

with shallots and grated coconut. I like the thorans , but by far the one that tops the list will be the cabbage thoran also because my brother loves this thoran

goes great with fried fish and Moru curry.

In India my neighbor who lived next door to us was a fantastic cook and the way she sliced cabbage was a sight in itself, most common way to chop the vegetable down south was and is to use a finger glove to protect ur finger which still gets bruised at the end of the ordeal

Cutting by holding the vegetable in ur hand which needs a talent not everybody can do it but sure with some practice and cuts u will get there and not using the chopping board, but the product was amazingly fine and small.

Coming to the US I was surprised when I walked through the grocery store aisles especially the produce, that cabbages are available in so many varieties, the usual one the green cabbage that we get in India then the red cabbage more like a purple red which I not a big fan of then who can forget the lil' version called Brussels sprouts.

A whole lot to choose from, I have tried all of them Brussels sprouts do taste a little different than the regular green cabbage and good too.

Now to the recipe which is a super simple and easy dish to make,

what u need

Cabbage 1/2 chopped fine

Grated Coconut 1/4 cup

Shallots 1-2 chopped

Ginger 1/2 inch grated

Green chillis chopped 1-2

Curry leaves 1 spring

Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon

Oil to cook 1-2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Heat a non stick pan , add oil to the pan , after a few minutes add mustard seeds when they start to pop, add the chopped shallots, ginger, green chillis and curry leaves , and sauté for a few minutes.

Add the chopped cabbage and the grated coconut together sauté add salt as needed let it cook for 10 minutes

In between keep stirring the pan to avoid the thoran getting burnt. Once the cabbage looks translucent u can switch the heat off

I like to cook it a little more to brown the cabbage just a tiny bit adds flavor to the dish.

Serve with rice or rotis too.

Merry Christmas & happy new year

It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling and everyone telling you
"Be of good cheer"
It's the most wonderful time of the year.

WISHING ALL OF YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS
 AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!!
HOPE U ALL N! JOY THIS WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

T

Moru Curry

Moru Curry is a traditional side dish at any keralite home , perfectly blends with chicken , fish , meat or vegetables, This dish is basically yogurt sauteed with mustard seeds and shallots, some variations of theses are by adding either mango, pineapple, raw bananas, white cucumber etc . The addition of veges just makes it more hardy and filling. I remember having this dish almost every few days but still was never bored of it , if nothing kalan or pulissery is always there which are the other names for this yummy dish.

This Year as Christmas is just around the corner the one thing we all look forward to is the warmth, and goodness, with our family and yes ! the yummy food. This dish was a regular side dish for all Christmas dinner's we had along with the family and still is .There are always the popular ones like chicken curry , beef olatheyadhe and pork vindaloo. Along all the other dishes are on the list I decided to share this one something simple and super easy still so tasty!! It perfectly complements the non-vegetarian dishes sort of adding a added comfort level to the dishes. What u need: 1 shallot chopped 5-6 red Chillies 1 teaspoonful garlic chopped ½ tea spoon Turmeric Powder ¼ tea spoon Methi (Uluva) Powder ¼ tea spoon Cumin (jeera) Powder 2½ cup Yogurt (Curd) salt, oil, mustard seeds, and curry leaves. Heat oil in a deep set pan add mustard seeds , red chillies, garlic curry leaves and chopped shallots. Stir for a while and then add the turmeric powder, methi powder, cumin powder and salt. Now add some water. Cover it and cook for some time. When cooked well, switch off the stove, and after a while add the whipped yogurt to it, stir well. add the whipped yogurt gently in to the pan with stirring it . Add salt in the end with constant stirring . U can also add coconut milk for a rich flavor . Other options also include adding cooked cub sized veges like white cucumber, raw banana or pineapple too. Enjoy with rice !!

Baked Chicken with herbs

Thanksgiving is always such a great time to reach out and celebrate the season, before coming to the US little did I know of such a tradition existing, but now that my lil' kinder gardener comes homes with all the educational information it is so interesting to learn about Thanksgiving and what it has evolved in.
Every year we at home celebrate Thanksgiving by giving thanks to all the people who make your life and world a beautiful place, also we make the dishes only difference since we do not have a big family around whom we always MISS during the holidays , so the big Turkey is substituted by a whole chicken which a family of four can easily devour.

this baked chicken is super simple and a delicious,

What u need:

whole chicken thawed
butter - 2 tablespoon RT(room temp)
all herbs -thyme, oregano, rosemary my favourite
rock salt- as needed
black pepper- freshly crushed
lemon-1 cut in slices

Rub the dried chicken with butter, salt and pepper all around
make sure to go under the skin of the chicken.
Add the herbs to the baking pan rub lemon on the chicken
keep it for at least 2 hours in the fridge.
then Preheat oven to 400°F Cook for 30 minutes at 400°F.
Then lower the heat to 350°F and cook for 10-30 minutes more (approximately 14 to 15 minutes per pound total cooking time) until juices run clear (not pink)
when poked with a sharp knife or the internal temperature of the
chicken breasts is 170°F and the thighs 185°.
serve with potatoes and Njoy !

Egg Potato Curry

Every Sunday growing up I remember my mom would make idly , dosa or on occasions appam for breakfast, now that I am a mom myself I have few traditions of my own since the weekdays are so busy with two kids and jobs the weekend I prefer to make a hearty breakfast and the one that my 6 year old loves the most is appam and egg curry. Some days he will specially request for it.
Since we all love it this one is a pretty common breakfast and easy to make too. I usually boil the eggs and potatoes the evening before make things a lot easier. Now to the recipe

What you need :
eggs-4 boiled
potatoes-1 boiled cut cub size
onion (shallots ) - 1/2 cup chopped
ginger- 1 tablespoon chopped
tomato-1 finely chopped
turmeric- 1 teaspoon
chilli pwd -2 teaspoon (add spice as needed)
paprika - 2 teaspoon
garam masala - 1 teaspoon
curry leaves- 4-5
half n half or coconut milk-1/4 cup
whole spices -cinnamon, cardamon, bay leaves ,anise ,mace (few each)
olive oil-2 tablespoon
salt as needed

heat a pan with the EVOO.
add the whole spices in to get the flavor going,
add chopped onions and chopped ginger into the hot oil and
cook till the raw taste goes away or till the onion turns a little brown
then add turmeric, paprika, chilli pwd, and garam masala and
let it cook for a few mins more till the spice blend into the onion .
Add the tomatoes mix well let it cook for at least 5-10 mins
add the salt as per your taste
let it simmer till the gravy is thick .
Add the eggs and the boiled potatoes mix well now the give the sauce a creamy texture add coconut milk or half n half. Simmer for few mins more DO NOT BOIL.
Serve with soft appams .

Mint Vegatable Biryani

Some days are just so hectic it is hard to make a full course dinner especially both me and hubby working and two kids it seems like we are always running and 24 hours do not seem enough, so to satisfy our hunger I usually try to make up some with whatever is left in the fridge since no one of us want to really go grocery shopping.
So this is a very common biryani whipped up with everything left in bitesN bits in your fridge. Also since my mint plant is growing by leaps and bounds have to chop it off like every month had to add some of those too which made this dish turned out pretty much like a mint vegetable biryani.

What u need:

basmati rice 2 cups
sliced onions 2
thinly sliced onions seperate for garnish 1 cup optional
tomato 1 cup
chopped vegetables like cauliflower, potatoes, beans, carrots , peas etc
green chillies 4 optional
garlic 1 inch
ginger 1 inch
minced coriander leaves
mint leaves about 1/2 of the cilantro
salt to taste
Star anise 1
Bay leaves 3
peppercorns 10
cloves and cardamon 8 each
cinnamon 2 pieces
garam masala Sanjeev Kapoor's 1 tsp
half n half 1/2 cup
turmeric 1/2 teaspoon
lemon juice 2 tsp

Heat with oil fry whole spices lighlty.
A minute or two later add onions cook till they r soft and little brown add tomatoes and veges fry well with the onions .
add ginger and garlic in paste form along with mint n cilantro.
Add to this turmeric powder and the spices u can add garam masala too I added Sanjeev Kapoor's garam masala.
Once the veges are nice crispy n half cooked add the half n half or cream also is an option gives a very soft flavour to the biryani , let it simmer till the sauce is thick about 10-15 minutes.
Now for the rice boil a pot of water with salt and lemon juice (lemon juice makes the rice fluffy ) and whole spices add the washed rice and cook till half done.
Strain the rice and let it drain ,then mix the vege gravy and rice little at a time till even and bake for 30 mins at 350 C. What I need did was took it baking pan out slightly mixed the biryani put it back in again makes it even color .

For garnish add fried onions and raisins serve with a yogurt based raita.

happy onam 2009

wishing all of you very happy and

prosperous onam
2009!

Moong Khichidi

There is something about khichidi that makes it so appealing when u are sick , or down with a cold the gluey texture makes u feel a lot better along with all the tender , love and care . I was first introduced to this recipe years back when I was at my friend P's house and as usual we were chatting non stop didn't realise it was almost lunch time and I was suffering from a cold all stuffed up . So she being a good cook decided to whip up some khichidi with the veges that were available . Although at that age ( being teenagers) nothing was really measured just eyeballed ,threw all the ingredients in a cooker after 2 whistles the khichidi was done.
P served this with homemade mango pickle and roasted papad YUMMY!!
Since then this dish is usually served at my place pretty regularly or if some one is sick.
Recently my 5 yr came down with a cold all stuffed up, didn't want to go to school but did play with toys all day . All he wanted was to stay at home , so for lunch I decided to make the moong khichidi which was pretty simple done in 20 mins.
Turned out great so here is the recipe :
Ingredients:

• 1 cup Basmati rice
• 1/2 cup spilt moong dal
• 3 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup shallots chopped
• 1 carrot chopped
• handfull of green peas
• 2 halopeno peppers chopped
• 1 tomato chopped
• 1 potato cubsize
• 1/2 tsb jeera
  
• 1/2 tsb paprika
• 1/2 turmeric pwd
• 1 tbsp olive oil EVOO
  
• ghee to serve
  
• Salt to taste

wash the rice and moong dal , soak for 5-10 mins .
cut all the veges , heat the cooker add EVOO , add the jeera seeds
after they splutter add the veges and saute for 2-3 mins
add turmeric, paprika , and salt cook some more
add the soaked rice and dal,
mix well add 3 cups of water.
add the chopped cilantro leaves
close the cooker , cook till at least 2 whistles blows,
which makes the rice a lil more gluey.
If u don't like the gluey texture one is enough .
serve hot with a dollop of ghee and pickle.

Coconut Chutney

Coconut chutney has been a staple at our home as and when we have idlis or dosas which is like every other weekend . My mom would make this by adding a little tomato which tasted fine to me as I grew up loving it. But after our wedding every time I made the chutney i.e with the one with tomato in it my hubby dear would eat it , but somewhere down was not very happy with the end product coz he grew up having the orange nadan style chutney like the ones u have at thaatu kada . For all of u who do not know what a thaatu kada is it is a roadside eatery not necessarily in one of the best locations , or decor or hygiene but one thing u can be sure of is it has one of the best tasting foods. Every visit that we make to India we usually love trying food from these joints whether it is mumbai or kerala .

So then I began a quest for the recipe for the orange coconut chutney which I knew was simple but for some odd reason I never got it right. One time while during my trail and error experiments I added the shallots in the grinder along with the coconut and then I had to look no further , my orange chutney was born :) I guess the shallots gave it a raw taste to the chutney which goes very well with idlis .

What u need

• coconut 1/2 cup
• shallots 1-2 chopped
• ginger 1 inch
• curry leaves 4-5
• oil 1 tsp
• salt as needed
• chilli pwd 1/2 tsp
• mustard seeds 1/2tsp

grind coconut, ginger and shallots in to a fine paste , add oil in a pan when hot add the mustard seeds as they start to break add the finely chopped shallots and curry leaves,
keep the heat on low so that nothing gets burnt.
Add the chilli pwd stir well, add the coconut mix soon after the chilli pwd is added .
Keep in stirring for few mins then add salt.
Serve it with idlis or dosas.

Baghare baingan

I was one of the most pickiest kid ever, and just to get me to eat my veges mom would try different recipes. Some vegetables didn't ever make in to my system as they never left my plate and eggplant was one of them. I remember my mom would make eggplant thorans and other possible mallu eggplant versions which never interested me until I came across this recipe .

She would make eggplant which were fried and then simmered in thick groundnut gravy which was tempered with jeera and mustard seeds, tasted great with hot parathas or rotis and I Loved it !!

Here in the US there are so many types of eggplants , but for this particular recipes u need the typical small purple Indian kind eggplants. The recipe turns our much better .

This is a recipe that I made from a fellow food blogger Zaiqa » Baghare Baingan original recipe link posted below, as the bookmarked recipe list had been getting longer and longer so about time I started to make them.

We had it with hot rice and dal tadka :)

Lasagna with ground turkey

Lasagna is now a now craze at my home ever since my friend K made this dish it has been a big hit. The first time she made it for us ground beef was used, then we modified to healthy version the recipe down has turkey which tastes absolutely great and of course more healthy. Lasagna is pretty filling but can be made as per ur likes and dislikes by adding more veges like spinach etc.

what u need:

• 1 pound lean ground turkey
  
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 cups tomato sauce (we used prego)
  
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  
• 1 teaspoon crushed pepper
  
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• hand full chopped fresh parsley
• 12 lasagna noodles
• 8 ounces feta cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup low fat mozzarella cheese grated
  
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  My folders:
  

In a wide pan, heat EVOO add ground turkey, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in tomato sauce, and water. Season with crushed pepper, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 15 mins till the turkey is all done, stirring occasionally. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine feta cheese with egg and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). To assemble, spread the turkey with sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the feta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese . Spoon meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes till the cheese on top browns . Cool for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with garlic bread or by itself

Chicken Curry

Chicken curry is the most common delicacy on every menu of any and every Indian Restaurant
and every home has its own version of it too. So do we too have our version simple , easy and delicious . I always loved the Chicken that u get in India the ones that had more flavor to it and would not cook up so fast. So we opted out for the Cornish hen which is pretty similar in taste as compared to the Indian chicken and tastes also about the same.

what u need:
Cornish hen : cut in bite size marinate with salt and turmeric for 30 mins
onion (shallots ) - 1 cup chopped
garlic -1 tablespoon chopped
ginger- 1 tablespoon chopped
tomato-1 finely chopped
turmeric- 1 teaspoon
chilli pwd -2 teaspoon (add spice as needed)
paprika - 2 teaspoon
black pepper ground- 1 teaspoon
garam masala - 1 teaspoon
whole spices -cinnamon, cardamon, bay leaves ,anise ,mace (few each)
olive oil-2 tablespoon

heat a pan with the EVOO.
add the whole spices in to get the flavor going,
meanwhile grind the shallots, ginger and garlic into a fine mixture
add into the hot oil and cook till the raw taste goes away or till the onion turns a little brown
then add turmeric, paprika, pepper, chilli pwd, and garam masala and let it cook for a few mins more till the spice blend into the onion paste.
Add the cut chicken mix well let it cook for at least 5-10 mins
add the chopped tomatoes and salt to taste
let it simmer till the chicken is completely cooked.
Serve with hot rice or rotis.
salt to taste

Poha

Poha is one of those snacks that just fit perfectly right on a dull and rainy day not too heavy does not take much time to make and tastes great, there are a lot of variations to this dish add more potatoes then it is potato poha , or with addition to peas turn it into a peas poha and the ever famous onion poha (kanda poha) anyways it turns out great.








what u will need:
1 cups Thick Poha ( flattened rice )
1 medium sized Onion chopped fine
2 Green Chillies
a few curry leaves
green peas 1 tablespoon
Chopped Cilantro
Grated Coconut for Garnishing
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
For Seasoning:
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tbsp Peanuts
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

soak the poha in lil' water, what I usually do is wash it once leaving little water to soak up in the poha in my experience the thick poha works this way better and then set aside till u get the other things ready. Fry the peanuts for garnishing and set these aside too.
heat the pan add oil till it warms up, add mustard seeds till it starts to pop, add the chopped onion , green peas, chillies and saute for few mins till cooked, add the curry leaves (optional) then add turmeric do not let it burn add the wet poha mix well .
Add salt as needed and close the pan for the poha to cook for few mins, u can even add little sugar which is also optional .
garnish with chopped cilantro, roasted peanuts ,coconut, and lemon juice enjoy this with a hot cup of tea .

Nadan Chicken Biryani

growing we were always invited over for dinner to my aunt's place who lived very close to us and for most celebrations like Christmas , Easter , anniversary or birthday she would sometimes make her version of chicken biryani which was so delicious and just right with the spices that went along perfect with the onion vinegar salad. All that time never ever thought of jotting the recipe down well better late then never :)
Recently my very good friend S happened to make dinner for us when I was recovering after my delivery, as we have been blessed with our second baby Boy in Dec 2008!!!:)
It was so nice of her to make us food as with a newborn that is the best gift ever good home cooked food ,what she bought us for dinner was chicken biryani with salad , being hungry 24/7 I could hardly resist the smell and it smelt just like the one my aunt used to make well it tasted like that too. YUMMY!!
I guess what they say is true if u desire hard enough for anything then it comes to you ,
I had to get back to her for the recipe and here is the recipe

chicken 750 grams
basmati rice 2 cups
sliced onions 2
tomato piece 1 cup
green chillies 4
garlic 1 inch
ginger 1 inch
minced coriander leaves
mint leaves about a cup each
salt to taste
Star anise 1
peppercorns 10
cloves and cardamon 8 each
cinnamon 2 pieces
yogurt half cup
turmeric 1/2 teaspoon
lemon juice 2 tsp
ghee 1/2 cup
coconut milk 1/2 cup optional

grind 2tsp each of ginger, garlic, onion, mint and coriander leaves and marinate the chicken for 30 mins.

Heat ghee (substitute with oil if you need) fry whole spices. A minute or two later add onions and the ground stuff,along with the chicken, till it is half cooked add tomatoes when onions are almost done and when they are ready . During the last 10 mins or so some coconut milk , salt,turmeric, yogurt and lemon juice. let it simmer till chicken is almost done .
boil a pot of water with salt and lemon juice (lemon juice makes the rice fluffy ) and
whole spices add the washed rice and cook till half done.
Strain the rice and let it drain ,then mix the chicken gravy and rice little at a time till even .
Mix everything if the chicken has gravy it works fine as the rice doesn't dry up while baking
and bake for 30 mins at 350 C.
Serve with yogurt salad .