Lemon pickle

Ingredients:
Lemon – 12 nos’s
Mustard seeds – 1tsp
Fenugreek – 2tsp
Chili powder -3 tbs
Coriander powder – 1 ½ tbs
Asafetida – 1 tsp
Vinegar - 2tbs
Salt as required
Oil Gingley oil (sesame )

Preparation:

Wash the lemon nicely and steam it for 10 mins. Allow it to cool and cut each one into 4 or 5 pieces and keep aside.

Heat some oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, when it splutters add fenugreek and asafetida, just sauté for a minute, see that it is not burnt. Then add the lemon pieces, chili powder, coriander powder, salt and mix well. Add the remaining oil and keep mixing nicely. Finally add vinegar, mix well and remove from fire.

Allow it to cool and transfer into a air tight containter.

Zucchini Baji

Ingredients:
Zucchini – 1 small, sliced thin
Besan Flour/Chick Flour
Chili powder – 1tsp
Asafetida – ¼ tsp
Salt – as required
Oil for frying

Preparation:
Slice zucchini into thin round shapes and keep aside.

Take a bowl and mix the above said ingredients by adding little water. The batter should not be very liquid. Heat oil in vessel, dip the cut zucchini into the batter and coat well on both the sides and fry until golden brown. When done drain them on paper towels.

Serve hot with Mint/coconut chutney or chili sauce

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

Ingredients
Banana -1 large
Milk – 1 cup
Sugar – 2 tbs
Coco powder - 1tsp
Vanilla essence – few drops
Ice cubes – as required

Preparation:
In a blender mix all the above ingredients and blend until it becomes smooth. Pour it into a glass, add ice cubes and serve immediately

Watermelon Morukari

Ingredients:
Watermelon – ¼ piece small of watermelon
Yogurt (Curd) – ¾ cup
Garlic – 4 or 5 flakes
Ginger – small piece
Green chili - 2
Red chill - 3
Curry leaves - few
Mustard – 1tsp
Asafetida – ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for seasoning


Preparation:
Scrape the bottom part of the water melon and keep aside. Grind ¾ of the scraped watermelon and green chili. Chop the remaining into small pieces. Beat yogurt in a blender adding little water. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds & asafetida, when mustard seed splutters add red chili & curry leaves and sauté for few seconds. Then add ginger & garlic and sauté until raw smell goes away.

Add the ground watermelon into it and allow it to boil, when it starts boiling nicely & starts becoming thick add the chopped watermelon pieces, mix well, allow it to boil for few minutes. Finally add yogurt mix well and remove from fire.

Note: This recipe has a taste of sweet & sour. Those who like the taste of sweet & sour, will surely enjoy this.

Pazham pori

Pazham pori is a very popular snack in kerala. You can find this in almost every Restaurant, Tea shops and all Railway stations in Kerala. Its very simple recipe & easy to make.

Ingredients:
Riped Plantain (Ethapazham) – 3
All purpose flour – 3/4th cup

Rice flour -1 tbs
Sugar - 1/3 cup ( I like it little sweet so I add more sugar)
Oil for frying
Baking powder - ½ tsp
Safforn or Yellow colour – This is optional

Preparation:
Peel and cut the plantain into 3 equal portions and again slice it lengthwise into 3 or 4. Make sure it is of equal thickness.

Prepare a dough with all purpose flour, wheat flour, rice flour, sugar, baking powder. The consistency should not be very thick.

Dip the sliced plantain in the batter and coat it well on both the sides.

Deep fry till golden brown. Drain excess oil by putting it in a paper towel.

Server hot with tea as evening snack.

Rice Pathiri with Lamb gravy

Ingredients:
Rice flour - 2 cup
Water - 2 cup
Jeera – 2tsp
Oil for frying
Salt to tase

Preparation:
Boil water adding salt, when its starts boiling well, add the rice flour into it. Keep stirring to make a smooth and soft dough. Remove from fire, close with a lid & keep aside for few minutes. Allow it cool. Then add jeera to it & knead the mixture well, do not add water.

Make it into small balls. Then take each balls and roll it into very thin, round shapes on banana leaf. (Usually banana leaf is used for this. But I used Plastic wrap as I dint have banana leaf) Heat oil in a pan and fry it.

Serve with mutton or chicken gravy

Potato Poori masala

Potato poori masala is a simple recipe which is prepared in every house either for breakfast or dinner.

Fresh Potatoes from my garden

Ingredients:
Potato - medium size 5 or 6
Onion – 2 medium size
Tomato – 1 small
Green chili – 3 No’s
Curry leaves - few
Red chili powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Mustard seeds – few
Salt to taste & oil for sautéing

Preparation:
Boil potatoes, peel off the skin, and dice into small pieces and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds, when it splutters add onion and sauté for sometime,when it starts changing color add tomatoes & green chilli sauté for 2 to 3 mins. Then add the potatoes mix well,add water as needed to adjust the dish to the consistency you like let it boil for 10 minutes. When done serve with hot poori.

Nesi Lemak ( Malaysian food)

Nesi Lemak is a Malaysian food. It is rice prepared
in coconut milk, and served with boiled egg, peanuts,
Netholi fry ( Anchovy),Gravy & Cucumber.

Source: My husband
Ingredients:
Rice - 2 cups
Coconut milk - 3 cups
Water - 1cup
Salt-1 tsp

Preparation:
Wash rice, drain and keep aside. Take heavy bottom vessel, pour coconut milk and water into it, mix it with salt, then add the drained rice, cover with lid, simmer it and allow it to cook.

Meanwhile clean the fish, add some turmeric powder,chili powder, salt & mix well and fry nicely. Boil the egg, cut it into halves, Cut cucumber into slices.

When rice is cooked, serve with the above said items. Usually it is served in leaf.

Kalathappam

Source - My Mom
Ingredients:
Idli Rice - 1 1/2 cup
Cooked rice - 1/2 cup
Jaggery - 1 cup
Cashew - few
Chopped Coconut - few
Coconut oil - 3 tbs
Baking powder 1tsp

Preparation:
Soak Idli rice for 5 to 6hours or overnight. Melt jaggrey adding 1/4 cup of water. Grind the soaked
rice add cooked rice adding jaggery syrup to a fine consistency. The batter should not be very liquid.

Heat a pan add few tsp of coconut oil and fry cashew nut and chopped coconut until it turns brown.

Take pressure cooker grease it with coconut oil and heat it,add the batter into it. The batter has to be
lukewarm, if you grind in a mixie it will be lukewarm,you can add immediately. Then on top of it spread with the fried cashewnut, chopped coconut. Cover it with the lid, do not keep the weight. Allow it to cook on low flame for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from fire,allow it to cool, open the lid, turn over and cut it into small pieces.

This can be stored for 2 to 3 days.

Mango Halwa

Ingredients:
Mango Pulp - 3 cups
(I used Nirav mango pulp)
Milk mava - 1 cup (This is optional)
Sugar - 1 cup (You can use 1 1/2 if you need more sweet)
Sooji/Rava - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 6 tbp
Almond - few

Preparation:

In a pan add 1 tsp ghee and fry rava & milk mava and keep aside. In the same pan add the mango pulp and stir well for 2 to 3 minutes on low flame. Then add rava & milk mava and mix thoroughly. When it starts boiling add sugar. After sometime it will start becoming thick, now
add ghee little by little and stir continuously till it is thick like halwa and leaves the sides of the vessel.

when done, transfer into a greased tray & cut it into squares or any other desired shape & decorate with almond.

Note: If you can get riped mangoes, then peel of the skin, cut it into pieces and grind in a mixie for pulp.

Spicy Chicken curry

Ingredients:
Chicken – 1lb
Onion - 2
Tomato – 1
Garlic – 5 flakes
Ginger – small piece
Green chilly – 2
Red chilly – 4
Cinnamon Stick - 1
Cloves – 3
Pepper corns – few
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Coriander powder – 2tsp
Ground pepper – 1 ½ tbs
Salt to taste, oil for sautéing
Coriander leaves - Few for garnishing

Preparation:
Cut chicken to medium sized pieces, wash & keep aside. Finely chop onion, ginger, Garlic, and slit the green chilly.

Heat oil in a pan, add cinnamon stick, cloves, red chilly, pepper corns & sauté for a minute. Add chopped onion and fry until it changes its color, then add ginger, garlic, green chilly and fry until raw smell goes away.

Then add the washed chicken pieces, all spices & mix well and cover it with lid and allow it to cook, do not add water. When it is half done cut tomato into 4 to 5 pieces and add it this. Finally garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot with steamed rice, chapathi

Sooji Coconut Ladoo

Preparation time: 20 to 30 mins
Source: Shilpa
Ingredients:
Sooji/Rava - 1cup
Coconut - 1cup (grated)
Sugar - 1cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 2stp
Cardamom - 1/2 tsp

Preparation:
Heat a heavy bottom pan, add ghee and roast sooji on a low heat, when it starts turning light brown
add coconut & continue to roast, stir continuously.

Mean while boil water and sugar to make syrup. Add the sugar syrup to the roasted sooji & coconut, mix well, when it becomes thick remove from fire

Make small balls, about the size of a table tennis ball. Transfer in a container and refrigerate.

Mixed Fruit Jam

Ingredients:
Apple - 2
Papaya - 1
Grapes(seedless) - 2 cups
Banana - 2
(You can use any fruits - Not juicy fruits)
Sugar - 2 to 3 cups cups ( based on ur taste)
Corn Flour - 1 tsp (Optional)
Essence - 1tsp ( I added pineapple & banana essence)
Preparation:
Wash the fruits well, peel of the skin and cut into pieces. Blend well in a mixie. Grind grapes
separately and filter it to take the juice. Take a large cooking bowl or pan, mix the fruit pulp and
sugar together and allow it to cook.

When it starts boiling you can see the bubbles in the center, then all over the sides. When it starts
becoming thick, mix the corn flour in water - 1/2 tsp & add to this. Cook till you get a thick consistency. Finally add the essence.

When done, allow it to cool and transfer in a container.

Note: You can use preservative if u want

Kerala Parotta

Ingredients:
Maida - 3 cups
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1/2 cup
Water - as required to make the dough

Preparation:
Combine maida, salt and knead with sufficient water to make smooth dough.Cover the dough with wet cloth for 3 to 4 hrs.Pat and knead the dough well for again so that the dough becomes elastic.

Make some 5 or 6 balls with the dough. In a flat surface apply oil & take each portion and flatten it by pressing with your hands, also apply oil when you flatten it. Make it as thin as possible. Now with both your hands make pleats starting from one end. Now holding the other end of the pleated dough roll it into spiral. Repeat the same for each balls.


Now roll each portion like how u roll chapathi. Grease aflat pan or a non stick flat pan. Place a parotta and fry on one side and turn over to cook the other side.


When parotta is done,place them in a flat surface & hold them between your hands & beat the hands together,do not beat them very hard as Parotta might break. This is done to get the layers separated.


You can serve with Egg/Chicken curry, Kuruma, Chicken fry

Caramel Cake

Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 2 ¾ cup
Butter - 1 1/2 sticks
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Eggs - 3
Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 3/4 tsp
Cloves - 1/2tsp
Nutmeg - 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 2 1/2 tsp
Salt - a pinch

For caramel:
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp water
1 cup water

Preparing Caramel: Heat a heavy bottomed vessel and cook the sugar and a tbsp of water on
medium high heat. Sugar will melt and start to change its color. Don’t stir, you can swirl the vessel, once or twice. When the color has changed to a little darker or golden brown color, turn off heat and immediately, pour 1 cup of water very carefully into the caramel and stir to mix well. You will find that the liquid will splash when you pour the water into the hot caramel, so you have to careful with your hand and see that children are not around. Cool the caramel before adding to the cake batter.

Preparation:
In a large bowl beat sugar and butter till smooth Add eggs,milk and vanilla essense beat until fluffy.
Add cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and Caramel & combine well. Seive all purpose flour, baking powder,salt. Blend all the ingredients to get a smooth batter.Pour the batter into a greased baking pan.

Preheat the oven and bake the cake 350 F.

Liver Fry

Ingredients:
Liver -1lb
Onion - 1 Large
Tomato - 1
Ginger - small piece
Curry leaves - Few
Mustard - tsp
Chilly powder - 1tsp
Ground Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Corriander Powder - 2tsp
Salt to taste & Oil for frying

Preparation:
Cut the liver into small pieces, mix well with a pinch of chilly powder, turmeric and salt and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds, when it splutters add curry leaves, onion, ginger and satue for a while. Then add tomatoes and all masala powder and mix well. Then add the liver pieces and deep fry.

When done serve with Steamed rice, Chapathi.

Vegetable/Beef Puffs

Ingredients:
Puff pastry sheet - 1
Beef - 1 cup (Boiled & chopped)
Onion -1
Potato - 1 or 2
Carrot - 1 no
Peas - 2 tbs (Fresh peas)
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1tsp
Corriander powder -1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Corriander leaves - few
Garam masala - a pinch (Optional)
Salt to taste
Oil for sauteing

Preparation:
Heat oil in a pan add onion, ginger-garlic paste and saute for few minutes until onion turns transparent. Then add chopped beef, carrot, mashed potato, peas &  all spices and cook until it becomes soft. Add corriander leaves mix it well. Remove from fire and let it cool.

Cut puff sheets into 5 pieces unfold the layers and stuff with the filling & seal the sides with
water or oil.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees & place the puffs in a baking tray. Bake them until golden brown.

Serve hot with Sauce