BEETROOT PACHADI

Ingredients: - (Approx.)
• 1 cup beetroot, finely chopped
• 2 green chillies
• A small piece of ginger, finely chopped
• A pinch of turmeric
• Salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsp water
For Grinding:-
• ¼ cup grated coconut
• 2 green chillies
• 2 pinches of mustard seeds
• Salt to taste
¼ cup beaten curd

For seasoning:
• 2 tsp oil, preferably coconut oil
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• 1-2 whole dry red chillies
• 5-6 curry leaves
Directions:
• Grind grated coconut and green chillies into a smooth paste, in the small jar of a mixer or blender,
adding some water if required; add mustard seeds at the last minute and grind it along with coconut
and keep aside.
• In a small saucepan, cook the chopped beetroot pieces with green chillies, ginger, turmeric powder
and salt, adding 2-3 tbsp water, just enough to cook the vegetable. When beetroot turn soft, add the
ground coconut mixture and cook again, in low-medium heat, till it starts to boil. Add the curd and
adjust the salt; mix everything well and turn off the stove (before it starts to boil) not letting the curd
to boil. At this stage, the curry should have a medium consistency, neither thick nor thin or dry.
• In another pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, dry red chillies and turn off the stove and
immediately add the torn curry leaves and pour the whole thing to the dish; Close the lid and let it rest
for sometime before serving.

Kerala Style Chicken Biryani: (Serves 4-5 adults)

Ingredients for cooking rice:

• 4 cups Basmati Rice (I use Tilda )
• 8 cups water or more depending on the cooking method*
• 10 Cloves
• 8 Cardamom pods
• 5-7 small ½” inch long Cinnamon sticks
• 1-2 bay leaves (Optional)
• A handful of fresh mint leaves
• 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Salt to taste
Ingredients for cooking Chicken:
Step 1: To shallow fry the Chicken:
• 1- 1 ¼ kg (Approx. 2 ½ lb) cleaned & cut chicken pieces
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ¾ tsp red chilly powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• Oil for shallow frying.
Step 2: To prepare the Chicken Kurma
Step 2:A) For the spicy paste:
 • 1/3 cup sliced garlic (Approx. 50gms)
• 1/3 cup sliced ginger (Approx. 50gms)
• 20-26 Indian Green chillies (Approx. 75gms) (adjust as per your tolerance level)
Step 2:B)For Sautéing:
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 4 cups thinly sliced big onions (Approx. 300 gms)
• 2 cups chopped or 2 big tomatoes
• ½ cup yoghurt
• ½ - 1 tsp red chilly powder
• 4 tsp coriander powder
• ¾ tsp turmeric powder
• 1/8 cup lightly packed chopped coriander leaves
• ¼ cup lightly packed chopped mint leaves
Step 2:C) For grinding the Masala Powder
• 10 cloves
• 8 cardamom pods
• 3-4 small 1” inch long Cinnamon sticks
• ½ tsp Shajeera
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 6 mace
Step 2: D ) For the nutty paste (Soak in water for 30 mins before grinding)
• 15 whole cashew nuts
• 5-10 almonds
• 1tbsp poppy seeds
For layering & garnishing:
• ½ cup raisins (preferably golden raisins)
• ¼ - ½ cup cashew nuts
• 1 medium size big onion, thinly sliced
• 3tbsp + 2 -3 tbsp ghee + more ghee/ oil for frying onions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh coriander leaves.
• A pinch of saffron
• 2tbsp warm milk
For the aromatic masala powder:
• 2-3 cloves
• 2 cardamom pods
• 3-4 small ½ “ inch long cinnamon sticks
• 2 tbsp ghee
Directions:
• Make the Chicken Kurma : To shallow fry the chicken first, make a marinade with turmeric
powder, red chilly powder, garam masala and salt with some drops of water and apply it on the
chicken pieces and leave it in the room temperature for 30 minutes and then shallow fry in oil, not
more than 4 minutes, including both the sides. This phase of cooking is done mainly to enhance the
taste of the chicken as well as to keep the pieces slightly firm in the cooking process to follow.

In a big cooking vessel, heat 2 tbsp ghee and sauté thinly sliced onions, until golden in colour; make a
fine paste of ginger, garlic and green chillies (Step 2: A)and add the same to the cooked onions and
sauté till they turn a nice brown colour (Note: This will fetch you a darker brown colour for the chicken
Kurma, as shown in Liz’s picture. I did not cook till they turned dark brown and hence the lighter
shade for my Kurma.) At this stage, add tomatoes and mix well; add chopped coriander leaves and
mint leaves and combine well; add the ground Masala powder (Step 2: C), chilly powder, coriander
powder and turmeric powder and mix well with all the ingredients and sauté, until the raw smell of the
spices is gone, for a couple of minutes. This is base of the Chicken Kurma masala and it will be dark
brown in colour. Once the raw smell is gone, add the shallow fried chicken and cook covered in
medium heat. If the chicken was not shallow-fried for a longer time, then this stage will produce some
water from the chicken, during the cooking time; but if the chicken is dry and there is no gravy at all,
cook with very little water and salt. When the chicken is half-done, add the yoghurt and cook covered
and when it is almost done, just before turning off the stove, add the nutty paste of nuts, almonds and
 poppy seeds (Note: Nuts, almonds and poppy seeds should be soaked in water for 30 mins before
grinding them into a fine paste) and cook for a couple of minutes. Chicken should not be overcooked
at all or it should not fall off the bones. The Kurma will be a thick, creamy and rich gravy. (Note:
Adding the nutty paste will change the really dark brown colour of the chicken kurma to a lighter
shade.)
• Cook the Rice:
Microwave Method:Wash
Method:Wash Basmati rice well. In a microwave safe bowl, pour 8 cups of water, add rice
and whole spices mentioned above, in the respective section, along with bay leaves and a handful of
mint leaves and salt to taste and cook until the rice is just cooked. Since my microwave compatible
bowl is not large enough to accommodate so much of rice and water, I halve the ingredients, i.e 2
cups of rice and 4 cups of water with half of the spices and herbs and microwave for 23 minutes. This
way, you can make sure that no two grains stick to each other. Immediately after the microwave
cooking, using a fork, gently separate the rice, so as not to get sticky and sprinkle 2 tsp fresh lemon
juice. Please note that you should halve the quantity for lime juice too, if you are cooking the rice in
two batches.
Stove-top Method: Liz follows stove top method for cooking rice and she does that in the old
fashioned way where in a huge vessel is heated and when water is fully boiling, add the washed rice
and whole spices and herbs and cook the rice uncovered, for 12-15 minutes. When the rice is cooked
(do not overcook), drain the excess water immediately and sprinkle the fresh lemon juice.
• Prepare the garnish:
For the aromatic masala powder used in between the layers, heat 2tbsp ghee and fry the whole
spices, mentioned in the respective section; and grind these into a fine powder. Save this ghee in a
small bowl for later use.

Fried Nuts and raisins: In the same pan, add 3 tbsp ghee, fry the raisins, stirring continuously until
they turn plump or look like golden grapes and keep them aside; fry the cashew nuts in the same oil,
till they turn golden in colour and keep aside.

Fried caramelized onions: Add more ghee or oil to the same pan, to fry the thinly sliced onions till
they become golden brown; at this stage sprinkling a pinch of sugar to the onion, while frying, to get a
taste of nice caramelized onions is a good idea; remove the fried onions from the oil with a slotted
spoon and let them drain on paper towels.

Saffron Milk: Heat 2 tbsp milk and a pinch of saffron

• Get your work-area ready for layering with Chicken Kurma, spices and herb flavored cooked rice,
fried nuts, fried raisins, fried onions, saffron milk, ground aromatic masala powder and the leftover
spice flavored ghee and some 2-3 tbsp fresh ghee and finely chopped fresh coriander leaves.
• Final layering: This Chicken Biryani can be prepared either in a conventional oven or through the
Dum method. Click here,
here, to get a better idea for the Dum Method. Choose your cooking method and
depending on your choice, choose your cooking vessel. Grease your cooking dish generously with
some ghee. Randomly place some chicken pieces along with gravy in the bottom of the dish; then
spread some cooked rice, (do not stack); sprinkle a pinch of ground aromatic masala powder; some
fried nuts, fried raisins, fried onions and finely chopped coriander leaves; sprinkle some spice flavored
leftover ghee (the one used for frying the spices for making the aromatic masala powder) and also a
few drops of saffron milk. Repeat this layering process 3 or 4 times, depending on the quantity of the
rice and meat as well as the largeness of the vessel. Reserve some fried onions, nuts and raisins for
final garnishing before serving.
• Final cooking:
Conventional Oven Method: Preheat the oven to 350F. Close the oven safe dish with aluminum foil
and bake for 20-30 minutes.
Dum Method:
Method: Perfectly seal the lid with the dough and cook in low heat for 20-30 minutes.
• Serving: After the final cooking, keep the dish covered for minimum 30 minutes. Ideally, a window of
30 mins to 2 hours is suggested, to get a better taste, and for all the flavors to set in thoroughly. Place
your individual serving platter; Just like you slice a cake, dig with a bigger serving spoon and transfer
it to the serving platter; you should not mix the rice and meat; it’s already layered and hence just
transfer it to the platter and garnish with some fried onions, nuts and raisins. Serve with Raitha
(Coarsely chopped onions, tomatoes and cucumber mixed in yogurt and seasoned with a dash of salt
and pepper), Indian pickle, Pappadam (Indian wafers) and a chilled Diet Coke or Pepsi :)
Cooking Schedule I Followed :
• Cut and clean the chicken; marinate the chicken pieces.
• Chop the onions, cut the tomatoes peel and slice the garlic, ginger and green chilly, and chop the
herbs.
• Make the spicy paste of green chilly, ginger and garlic
• Soak the cashew nuts, almonds, and poppy seeds
• Grind and powder the Masala powder
• Shallow fry the chicken
• Prepare the Nutty paste
• When half of the chicken is fried, start sautéing the veggies and make the base masala for the Chicken
Kurma
• Prepare the chicken Kurma.
• While chicken is being cooked, wash and cook the rice with spices and herbs.
• Fry the whole spices in ghee and grind and powder them into aromatic masala powder and reserve the
leftover ghee.
• Fry the nuts and raisins and onions
• Prepare the saffron milk.
• Get the work area ready.
• Final layering
• Final Cooking

Verdict & Recommendation: When I finished preparing the Chicken Kurma, I was sure this is going
to be a super hit in our place and when I finished cooking and served it , the first response was,
”Adipoli” meaning ”Excellent”!!. It has a nice aroma and the Chicken Kurma is medium spicy which
gives a distinct character to the Biryani. The chicken Kurma on its own is very tasty and can be served
with Nan or Roti (Indian breads). Though the rice preparation is different from the general method of
washing and draining the rice and then roasting that in ghee along with whole spices, it does not
reduce the look or taste of the flavored rice. I will be making this again on special occasions and to
treat my friends and guests. Liz suggests one more method to make the look appealing; she suggests
mixing some lemon juice with a pinch of turmeric powder or saffron and add it to ½ cup cooked rice
and reserve and sprinkle this on the top layer to get some colour, as she has done in her picture. This
dish taste better the next day but since we cannot serve one day old food to our guests, better to
prepare it in the morning if guests are invited for dinner! The amount of ghee given in the recipe is my
personal choice , one is free to use more than the noted measurements, it will only increase the aroma
and taste.

PINEAPPLE AND GRAPES WITH GROUND COCONUT CURRY

Ingredients:
• 1 cup ripe pineapple, diced into small bite size pieces
• 8-10 black grapes
• ¼ tsp turmeric p/w
• A pinch of red chilly powder
• 1-2 Indian green chillies, finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• Water to cook the fruits
• 1 ½ tbsp curd
• 1 tsp sugar, if required
For grinding:
• ½ - ¾ cup freshly grated coconut
• 2 Indian green chillies
• 1 small piece of ginger
• A pinch of mustard seeds
• ½ tsp turmeric
For seasoning:
• 2 tsp oil, preferably coconut oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
 • 1-2 whole dry red chillies
• 5-6 curry leaves
Directions:
• Grind grated coconut, green chillies, ginger, mustard seeds and turmeric powder into a smooth paste,
in the small jar of a mixer or blender, adding some water if required and keep aside.
• In a small saucepan, cook small pineapple chunks with green chillies, turmeric powder, chilly powder
and salt to taste, in some water and when the fruit is half-cooked, add the whole grapes, close the lid
and cook in low flame, till the juice from the grapes comes off and blends with pineapple. Just before
the grape juice colour overwhelms the yellowish-ness of the cooked pineapple, add the ground coconut
mixture and cook again, in low-medium heat, till it starts to boil. Add the curd and adjust the salt and
mix everything well and if the sweetness is not enough, add a tsp of sugar, stir well and turn off the
stove, not letting the curd to boil. At this stage, the curry should have a medium consistency, neither
thick nor thin or dry.
• In another pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, dry red chillies and turn off the stove and
immediately add the torn curry leaves and pour the whole things to the dish; Close the lid and let it
rest for a couple of hours , allowing all the fruit flavors to gel well with the ground coconut mixture and
oil . (Note:
(Note: This dish takes time to blend all the flavors; so give enough resting time before serving it.)

MANGO IN YOUGURT AND COCONUT SAUCE

Ingredients: (Approx.) For cooking:

• 1 cup of sweet and ripe mango, skin off and diced ( 1 medium size mango) OR 2-3 Chandrakkaran
manga
• 2 -3 Indian green chillies, slit opened lengthwise
• ½ inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp red chilly powder
• Salt to taste
• Water to cook mangoes
For grinding:
• ¾ cup grated coconut
• 2-4 Indian green chillies
• 1 small clove of garlic
• ¼ to ½ tsp cumin seeds, jeera
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 3-4 curry leaves
• Salt to taste
1 cup homemade curd or store-bought yogurt
Sugar, if required

For seasoning:
• 2-3 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds/Uluva
seeds/Uluva
• A pinch of red chilly powder
• 4-6 curry leaves
Directions:
• Grind grated coconut, green chillies, garlic, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and curry leaves with a dash
of salt into a fine and smooth paste and keep aside.
• In a deep vessel, cook ripe mango pieces or Chandrakkaran manga mildly spiced with green chillies,
ginger, turmeric powder, red chilly powder in little water, just enough to cook the mangoes.
• While mangoes are cooking, heat oil in a shallow pan and splutter mustard seeds, dry red chillies,
fenugreek seeds and tear off some curry leaves and add to this. Transfer this to a small deep bowl and
keep aside. In the same pan, sauté the ground coconut paste for a minute and pour it to the cooked
mangoes and gently blend everything well and cook for a minute. Remove the vessel from the heat
 and now add the thick homemade curd; stir continuously while adding curd and then bring the vessel
back to the stove and stir occasionally, in medium heat, until it starts to boil. Let it boil for a minute,
without letting the curd to curdle. (Note:
(Note: You need to be very careful at this stage because if you stop
stirring for a while, it will boil immediately and curdle. So stay away from phone calls and other
chores.) Do a taste –test and adjust the flavors. If sourness still dominates the dish, add 1-2 tsp sugar
and stir well. Adjust the flavour until the right balance of sweetness and sourness is reached. Switch
off the stove and transfer the vessel from the stove and keep stirring gently for another minute as the
bowl is still hot and hence it will continue to boil until the temperature of the bowl subsides. At this
stage, pour the seasoning, which was made earlier, to the dish and stir gently. A pinch of red chilly
powder we added to the seasoning will now create a nice streak of reddishness to the yellow dish ,
making it appealing to your eyes and taste buds at the same time :)
• Let it stand for atleast 30 minutes before serving. Serve with rice.
Note: Please note that Mambazha Pulisseri tastes better with aging. The real blending of flavors happen as it
rests for one or two hours and taste best the next day. It should have a thick yet liquid-y consistency. The
taste basically depends on the ripeness and the variety of mango used, thickness and sourness of the curd
and smoothness and creaminess of the ground coconut paste.

KOOTU CURRY – IRRESISTABLE AROMA OF ROASTED COCONUT MARRIES YAM AND BLACK CHICK
PEAS

A combo of one or two vegetables cooked with black chickpeas and flavored with the irresistible aroma of
roasted grated coconut. Depending on the regional differences, variations are possible in the selection of
vegetables and the consistency as well. At my place, this dish is prepared with yam and black chickpeas and it
is a semi-dry preparation and this is the method followed at home:

Ingredients: (Approx.) To Cook:

• ½ cup Kadala/Black
Kadala/Black chickpeas, soaked overnight
• ½ - ¾ cup chena/yam,
chena/yam, chopped into small pieces
• 1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
• 3-4 Indian green chillies, chopped
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 ½ cups water
To Roast:
• ¾ cup grated coconut
• 3-4 small red-pearl onions, thinly sliced
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2-3 dry red chillies
• 1 sprig of curry leaves
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
Directions:
• Heat oil in a shallow pan, splutter mustard seeds and dry red chillies; add the thinly sliced onions and
sauté till it is translucent. Add curry leaves and coat well with oil and onions and then add the grated
coconut and roast till it is brown and keep aside.
• Pressure cook ½ cup soaked Kadala/Black
Kadala/Black chickpeas, with 1 ½ cups of water and enough salt, till it is
well-cooked and soft. (Note: It usually takes about 6-7 whistles for me.)
• Add chopped chena/yam,
chena/yam, ginger, green chillies, turmeric powder, salt to this cooked Kadala/Black
Kadala/Black
chickpeas, and cook until it is soft. Add little water if required. Once yam is cooked, add the roasted
coconut mixture to this, give a gentle stir and switch off the stove. This is somewhat a semi-dry
preparation. Serve with rice!
ULLI KICHADI – FRIED ONION IN HOMEMADE CURD

Pachadi and Kichadi are the prominent ones in “thodu

“thodu –curry”
–curry” section, giving a colorful start to ‘the organic
plate’. They are usually cooked with various vegetables in ground coconut and homemade curd base, giving a
taste of freshness. I do not know the theoretical difference between pachadi and kichadi but based on my
personal experience, as the princess daughter of the Queen of Arabian sea, pachadi is where vegetables are
cooked in little water and then ground coconut flavored with pounded mustard seeds, is added and finished
with home-made curd and seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves where as Kichadi is vegetables fried in
oil and then enhanced with a touch of fresh curd. If anyone out there knows the correct differentiation, please
enlighten me.

My mother usually resorts to pavakka kichadi where bitter gourd is fried in oil and finished with a touch of
curd. Since CJJ is quite fond of Ulli Kichadi,
Kichadi, I usually go for this one whenever I prepare the traditional feast
and this recipe is from my friend, R who introduced us to this dish in one of the Onam celebrations in Uncle
Tom’s land.

Ingredients: - (Approx.)
• 1 cup big onion, minced
• 2-3 green chillies, minced
• 1 inch piece of ginger, minced
• Around ¼ cup oil to fry
• 1 ¼- 1 ½ cup curd
• Salt to taste
Directions:
• Heat oil in a shallow pan and fry the green chillies and ginger till it starts to brown and keep aside. Fry
minced onion till it reaches golden brown and keep aside.
• Mildly beat the curd and add the fried onions, ginger and green chillies to the curd and blend well. Add
salt if needed and serve.
--
AVIAL – A MISHMASH OF VEGETABLES COOKED IN GROUND COCONUT AND CURD BASE

Another signature dish of Kerala and I have never had a Sadya where Avial was not served. All the traditional
vegetables are thrown into this dish and come out as one of the yummiest dishes of all times. As with most of
the other Kerala preparations, this dish also has a vegetable base, ground coconut mixture and a curd base
and then seasoned with the freshness of coconut oil and curry leaves but still it is unique , like all the other
preparations, and absolutely tasty too. Again, regional differences play its role in this dish as well. If curd is
used in some regions, then it is raw green mango for some other regions and it is tamarind for some others.
Some add big onion and some do not. The taste of this dish varies with the pick of vegetables used in its
preparation too. At my place, we usually stay away from adding beetroot to this dish, as its color overwhelms
the entire dish. Cooking avial in a “mann-chatti
“mann-chatti”,
”, an earthenware from Kerala, embellishes the entire
experience. This recipe is something which my mother has tailored to suit our family preferences.

Ingredients: (Approx.)
To grind:
• ¾ cup grated coconut
• A small piece of ginger, peeled
• 3-4 Indian green chillies
• 1 small clove of garlic
• A pinch of cumin seeds/jeera
seeds/jeera
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
To Cook:
• 1 – 1 ½ cups of traditional vegetables like Plantain, yam, ash gourd, drumsticks, carrot, cut into thin
sticks
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 egg-size big onion
• 1-2 green chillies, slit opened lengthwise
• A small piece of ginger, thinly sliced
• A smidgen of red chilly powder
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• 3 tbsp homemade curd
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 sprig of curry leaves
• Salt to taste
Directions:
 • Grind grated coconut, ginger, green chillies , garlic, , cumin seeds with salt and turmeric powder into a
coarse paste and keep it aside.
• In a “mann-chatti
“mann-chatti”
” (an earthenware from Kerala), cook all the vegetables, tomato, sliced big onion,
ginger and green chillies by adding some water (very little, just to cook the veggies) along with salt
and a pinch of turmeric and a smidgen of red chilly powder. When the veggies are cooked well, add
the ground coconut paste and stir well to coat all the veggies in this ground mixture and cook for 2-3
minutes. Now add curd and stir gently. Adjust the salt. Crush the curry leaves in coconut oil and pour
it to the veggie-coconut mix. Stir gently and turn off the stove.-----------
KAALAN-RIPE PLANTAIN AND ASHGOURD CURRY

The more you cook Kerala traditional dishes, the more you wonder about the similarities in the cooking
method and yet the uniqueness in flavor and taste each dish brings to the table. It might be a slight
difference in the combination of ingredients ….or it could be an omission or addition of an ingredient…..or it
could be a particular taste of the same ingredient used at a different phase of cooking…..or it could be a mix
and match of a fruit and vegetable……whatever it may be, they are all unique and tasty. Kaalan is another
proud entry, lined up in Sadya,
Sadya, and again depending on the regional differences, the consistency and
ingredients of this dish vary from place to place. In some places it is a combination of plantain and yam, with
a thin consistency. At my place, my mother pairs Eathappazham/ripe
Eathappazham/ripe bananas with Kumbalanga/ash-gourd
Kumbalanga/ash-gourd
and it has a thick consistency.

Ingredients: - (Approx.)
For cooking:
• ½- ¾ cup ripe plantain/Eathappazham
plantain/Eathappazham and ash-gourd/kumbalanga
ash-gourd/kumbalanga , diced into small pieces
• 2 green chillies, chopped into small pieces
• ½ inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp red chilly powder
• Salt to taste
• Water to cook banana and ash-gourd
For grinding
• ¾ cup grated coconut
• 2 Indian green chillies
• 1 small clove of garlic
• ¼ tsp cumin seeds, jeera
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 3-4 curry leaves
• Salt to taste
¾ cup thick homemade curd

For seasoning:
• 1tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds/Uluva
seeds/Uluva
• 4-6 curry leaves
Directions:
• Grind grated coconut, green chillies, garlic, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and curry leaves with a dash
of salt into a fine and smooth paste and keep aside.
• In a deep vessel, cook ripe banana pieces and ash-gourd, mildly spiced with green chillies, ginger,
turmeric powder, red chilly powder in little water, just enough to cook the fruit and veggie.
• While fruit and vegetable is cooking, heat oil in a shallow pan and splutter mustard seeds, dry red
chillies, fenugreek seeds and tear off some curry leaves and add to this. Transfer this to a small deep
bowl and keep aside. In the same pan, sauté the ground coconut paste for a minute and pour it to the
cooked banana-ash-gourd mixture and gently blend everything well and cook for a minute or two.
Remove the vessel from the heat and now add the thick homemade curd; stir continuously while
adding curd and then bring the vessel back to the stove and stir occasionally, in medium heat, until it
starts to boil. Let it boil for a minute, without letting the curd to curdle. (Note:
(Note: You need to be very
careful at this stage because if you stop stirring for a while, it will boil immediately and curdle. So stay
 away from phone calls and other chores.) Do a taste –test and adjust the flavors. Switch off the stove
and transfer the vessel from the stove and keep stirring gently for another minute as the bowl is still
hot and hence it will continue to boil until the temperature of the bowl subsides. At this stage, pour the
seasoning, which was made earlier, to the dish and stir gently. Let it rest for minimum 30 minutes and
then serve with rice. Tastes best the next day.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Chemmeen Olathiyathu – Sautéed Prawns Fry

Shall I give you a break from my lengthy prefaces and go straight to the recipe? :)
Staying in a place blessed with abundance of fresh seafood, my mother always knew how to preserve the
essence of seafood, especially prawns, with her careful use of spices. Also, she always made sure that such
preparations were served with light and simple curd based curries and vegetable stir-fries for our everyday
meals, so that our taste buds really appreciated the flavours of sea. The ingredient list and cooking process
may seem somewhat similar to my Chemmeen Varattiyathu/Spicy Prawn Roast which I had posted sometime
back, but this is not heavily spiced up with pungent fennel and peppercorns and still the simplicity shines in
all its vigour !

Ingredients:
• ½ kg (approx. 1.14lb) prawns or shrimp peeled, deveined and washed thoroughly
• 1 ½ cup red small onions thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp garlic minced
 • 1 tbsp ginger minced
• 4 green chillies split lengthwise
• 2 sprigs of fresh curry leaves
• 1/3 cup small coconut slices/’Thengakothu’
• 1 piece ‘kudam-puli’/Gamboge
• ½ tsp + ½ tsp homemade garam masala
• ½ tsp + 1 tsp red chilly powder
• ¼ tsp + ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp pepper powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
Directions:
• Make a marinade with ½ tsp garam masala, ½ tsp chilly powder, turmeric, salt and few drops of water
and apply it thoroughly on the cleaned prawns, using your hands and leave it in room temperature for
around 20 minutes. Soak the kudam-puli in some water to make it soft.
• In the meantime, chop the red small onions, ginger and garlic.
• Heat oil in a big shallow pan, sauté the small onions until they turn pale in low flame; add minced
garlic and ginger cook until everything turns transparent, At this stage, add turmeric powder, 1 tsp red
chilly powder, pepper powder and garam masala and stir continuously until the raw smell goes and
spices are sautéed well and combined thoroughly with the base mixture; make sure that you don’t
burn your onions or spice powders. Now add the coconut slices (coconut slices should be smaller than
the prawns) and a sprig of curry leaves and combine well with the base mixture and then add the
marinated prawns to this; take out the leftover masala from the bowl by adding a couple of
tablespoons of water and pour it to the pan and also the softened kudam-puli (without water) and
cook covered, in medium heat, until the prawns changes its colour and is almost cooked. Do not add
water to cook the prawns. Once the prawns are almost cooked, remove the lid and sauté them, in low
flame for 5-10 minutes, until prawns are coated well with the spices, as in the picture. Whether to
make it dry or keep it with some gravy-like masala, is purely one’s choice. Do a taste –test in between
and adjust the salt, if needed. Just before turning off the stove, tear a sprig of curry leaves and coat
the entire dish well with this herb.
• Serve warm with rice or chappathi (Indian bread).
A steaming plate of fluffy rice with a drizzle of golden ghee ........the whiff of divinity sure enough to tickle
anyone's nostrils....to that add a pinch of Unakka (Onakka) Chemmeen Chammanthi and then it is ready to
delight your palate……

OR

..... a hot bowl of thick and creamy plump rice soup, Kanji flavored with a dash of salt and a sprinkling of
Unakka (Onakka) Chemmeen Chammanthi….scoop some with a plavila, jackfruit leaf………… get a whiff of that
earthy smell of the fresh plavila, jackfruit leaf when it holds that hot rice soup coupled with the delightful
taste of Unakka (Onakka) Chemmeen Chammanthi……hmm…..that sure can make me salivate!!!

Pungent dried prawns ground with freshly grated coconut, spiced up with dry red chillies and black
peppercorns and fresh herbs like ginger, shallots and curry leaves and spruced up with a touch of
tamarind............it is a mouthwatering condiment that has reigned my palate right from my childhood days.
One of those dishes that is sure to transport you back home for few minutes………………either you love it or
simply ignore it !

Ingredients:-
• 1 cup fried dried prawns/Unakka Chemmeen
• ½ cup fresh grated coconut
• 8 dry red chillies ( depends on how hot you want)
• 1 small red pearl onion/shallot, thinly sliced
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• A very small piece of ginger
• 3-4 curry leaves
• A small drop of tamarind paste or a very small piece
 • Salt to taste
Direction:
• In a shallow pan, warm up the fried dried prawns along with dry red chillies and thinly sliced onions
without burning any of the ingredients, for 1-2 minutes, or until the fried dried prawns starts to shine
and release its oil. Transfer this to the smallest jar of a mixer and add rest of the ingredients and swirl
for 1-2 minutes until everything is ground coarsely and holds together.
• Pour everything to a small serving bowl….or with your palms, shape the ground mixture into one big
ball or as shape them into small individual balls as my grandma used to serve.
• Serve with Kanji or Kutharai Choru
Chemmeen Varattiyathu – Spicy Prawn Roast from Kuttanadu & A virtual sneak-peak in to the
village!
Ingredients:

1 lb (approx. ½ kg) prawns or shrimp peeled, deveined and washed thoroughly

1 cup red small onions thinly sliced
¼ cup garlic minced
1- 1 ½ tbsp ginger minced
4 green chillies split lengthwise
2-3 sprigs of fresh curry leaves
1/3 cup small coconut slices/’Thengakothu’
1 piece ‘kudam-puli’/Gamboge
Masala powder (Recipe follows)
1 ½ tbsp coriander powder
2 tsp red chilly powder
¼ tsp +1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt to taste
2 tbsp + 1tbsp coconut oil
To make the Masala Powder: (For 1 lb prawns)

1 tbsp fennel seeds/’Perinjeerakam’

½ tbsp black peppercorns
4-5 small ½ inch cinnamon sticks
1 clove
1 cardamom
Directions:

Grind and powder the spices, mentioned to make the masala powder. Make a marinade with this masala
powder, turmeric, salt and lemon juice and apply it thoroughly on the cleaned prawns, using your hands and
leave it in room temperature for around 20 minutes. Soak the kudam-puli in some water to make it soft.
In the meantime, chop the red small onions, ginger and garlic.
Heat oil in a big shallow pan , sauté the small onions until they turn pale in low flame; add minced garlic,
ginger and green chillies cook until everything turns transparent, At this stage, add turmeric powder, red
chilly powder and coriander powder and stir continuously until the raw smell goes, making sure that you don’t
burn your onions or spice powders. Now add the coconut slices (coconut slices should be smaller than the
prawns) and 2 sprigs of curry leaves and combine well with the base mixture and then add the marinated
prawns to this; take out the leftover masala from the bowl by adding a couple of tablespoons of water and
pour it to the pan and also the softened kudam-puli (without water) and cook covered, in medium heat, until
the prawns changes its colour and is almost cooked. Do not add water to cook the prawns. Once the prawns
are almost cooked, remove the lid and roast them, in low flame for 10-15 minutes, until it reaches a brown
colour, as in the picture, and fully dried up. Do a taste –test in between and adjust the salt, if needed. Just
two minutes before turning off the heat, make a well in the centre of the mixture and add 1 tbsp coconut oil
and a sprig of curry leaves and coat the entire dish well with this oil and herb; do not omit this stage of
cooking as it really helps the dish to attain a wonderful aroma of the coconut oil and fresh fragrance of the
curry leaves.
Serve warm with rice or chappathi (Indian bread). This dish attains its real flavour after a couple of hours
from cooking and tastes the best, the nexy day!!
Note: This Chemmeen/Prawns Roast is a spicy dish and if you are used to medium heat, you may reduce the
amount of chilly powder. Please do not substitute small onions with big onions for convenience sake, as it
completely changes the taste of the dish. It might be time consuming to clean up and slice the small onions
but the taste it produces is worth the effort and time. Some non-Keralites might be hesitant to use coconut
oil; yes, you are free to use your preferred oil but I suggest using coconut oil, to all my fellow Keralites, as
the taste this particular oil gives is quite unique and very significant in this preparation, for its authentic taste.
If you do not have Kudam-puli in your pantry, you may skip it as, in this preparation, it is added mainly to
speed up the cooking as well as for easy digestion.

Chicken Roast With A Kuttanadan Touch !

Step 1: Ingredients to marinate chicken:-

1 ½ lb chicken cut into small pieces (Around ½ to ¾ kg)

3 ½ tbsp Masala Powder* (Recipe follows)
1 ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1tsp vinegar
3 finely chopped green chilies
2tbsp Oil, preferably coconut oil
Salt to taste
1-2 tsp water
Step 2: Ingredients to roast the chicken:-

2 cups thinly sliced small red pearl onions/shallots

¼ cup finely chopped ginger
¼ cup finely chopped garlic
3 green chilies
1 sprig coarsely chopped curry leaves + 2 sprigs
¼ tsp Masala Powder* (Recipe Follows)
Salt to taste
1-2 tbsp water
Directions:

Wash and cut the chicken into small bite size pieces with slits on the flesh. Make a paste with masala powder,
pepper powder, turmeric, vinegar, green chilies and salt with 1-2 tsp water and marinate the chicken well and
leave for 30 minutes in the room temperature. This helps the marinade to penetrate into the meat.
Heat oil in a large pan and sauté small onions until they turn transparent and then add green chilies, ginger,
garlic and curry leaves and cook until they are soft. At this stage add the chicken and sprinkle 1-2 tbsp water
and cook for around 20 minutes in low heat or until the raw smell goes. Transfer this chicken masala to a
pressure cooker and I generally wait for 3-4 whistles.
When steam goes and cooker cools down, transfer the pressure cooked chicken with the gravy, back to the
large pan and in medium heat, bring it to a boil. There is no need to add more oil at this stage. Sprinkle ¼ tsp
masala powder ( to get the aroma of the spices) and adjust the salt and generously use 2 long sprigs of curry
leaves and then reduce the heat to low and let the slow cooking begin. Keep stirring, until the gravy is well
coated with the chicken and completely dry, making sure that the gravy does not stick to the bottom. This
slow-cook-dry-process will take 15-30 minutes depending on the amount of the gravy. Serve hot with
rice/Chappathi/Appam.

*To Make the Masala Powder: - (Approx. measurement shown in the picture)

¼ cup fennel seeds/perinjeerakam

12-15 cinnamon/karugapatta
8-10 cloves/grambu
2 cardamom/Elakkaya
How to: Grind all the ingredients together until it becomes a fine powder. Use sparingly as per the
measurement listed in the recipe. There is no need to roast the the masala powder before marinating the
chicken.
Note: The taste of this dish mainly depends on the masala powder used and also on the fresh ingredients.
Hence, to get the authentic taste, it is better to stick on to the masala powder recipe given above and also
stay away from using big onion instead of small onions and store bought ginger-garlic paste instead of finely
chopped fresh ginger and garlic. Also there is no need to add tomato. I have personally tried out all these
variations and alternatives, but it does not come anywhere near the original recipe. So trust me!

Verdict: Husband does the ‘taste-test’ and comments (or recommends?),” hmmm…..mm….it has the authentic
taste……A ‘naadan’ taste……” He takes one more bite and tells the wife, “…mm…really good…..hey, why don’t
you blog this?”!!!! Should I add anything more than this?:)

Prawn with Raw Mango & Drumstick in a ground coconut sauce-

This dish is a classic example of Keralites’ clever way of sneaking in some seafood into a vegetarian dish or
vice versa or a good example of using the bits and bobs from the kitchen.

Ingredients:
For boiling:

Around ¼ kg prawn/Chemmeen, peeled, deveined and washed thoroughly (I used 15 jumbo shrimp)
A handful of sour green mango, skin removed and cut lengthwise (add depending on the sourness you need)
10-12 drumstick pieces of 1 inch length, cleaned and split lengthwise
3 green chillies
1 tsp ginger, thinly sliced
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp chilly powder
4-5 curry leaves
Salt to taste
Around 1 ¼ cup water
For Grinding:

¾ cup grated coconut

3-4 green chillies
A small pinch of cumin seeds/Jeerakam (Optional)
1 small clove of garlic
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Salt
½ cup water to make the gravy

For Seasoning:

½ tsp mustard seeds/Kaduku

½ tsp fenugreek seeds/Uluva
2 dry red chillies
2 small red pearl onions
1 sprig of curry leaves
1-2 tbsp coconut oil
Directions:

Grind grated coconut, green chillies, garlic, cumin seeds, turmeric powder with a dash of salt into a fine and
smooth paste and keep aside. Add some water if your mixer gives you a hard-time and in which case, use
little water from the one kept for making gravy to thin it out, so the dish will not turn out to be too watery in
the end.
In a curry-chatti/earthenware, cook - prawn, mango slices and drumstick pieces, mildly spiced with red chilly
powder, turmeric powder, salt, curry leaves, thinly sliced ginger and green chillies in 1 ¼ cup water or enough
to cover all the ingredients- until everything is cooked well. To this add the ground coconut paste and pour
water, suggested in the ingredient list or enough to get your desired consistency and bring to a boil in
medium heat; try to stir occasionally when it bubbles start to appear and turn off the stove.
In a shallow pan, heat coconut oil and splutter mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry chilly and sauté small
onions and curry leaves for a minute and pour it to the curry. Let it rest for minimum one hour for the
sourness of mangoes to embrace the seafood flavor of the prawns and blend well with the creamy coconut
paste.
Serve with warm rice/chappathi(flat wheat bread)

There is only one person whom I miss the most in

my life, my grandma whom I call Amma. If the time machine were a reality, then I would rewind and go back
to tell her how much she meant to me and how much I loved her! I knew she was a part of me but never
realised the depth of the bonding we shared until she left us 4 years ago! I never had a closure, I could not
bid farewell to her, I was not there at the time of her death nor at the funeral....and towards the end she had
lost her memory too, so I don’t even know if she was aware of my occasional visits to her, whenever I came
home during my holidays.....she comes in my dreams and thoughts quite often and at times I miss her a lot..I
think about the days I spent with her...my summer holidays... my weekends during my childhood....her
image is still crystal clear in my mind; standing in front of the gate anxiously waiting for me to get back from
the school ..she used to send her maid to pick me up from the school and accompany me till I reached home
safe..and I am sure she enjoyed those days, when both of us waited for the mobile bakery man to buy hot
puffs and samosas and some sweets, because her kids, that’s my mother and her siblings never allowed her
to eat any sweets coz of her high blood sugar. I learned the basics of bargaining from her; it was a pleasure
and a great time pass to watch her bargain with the fish vendors...and at the end of all that intense
bargaining, sometimes she offered them a cup of tea or some breakfast occasionally...my exposure to
different varieties of fish started there. The root cause of my obsession with cleanliness and organizing traces
back to her; she had a spotless kitchen and home and a perfectly pressed and arranged wardrobe. Even at
the age of 70s, she wore neatly pressed clothes at home and such thoughts help me neglect my obsession for
pressing each and every piece of cloth, including my apron and kitchen towels !! I have great respect for
her..she was a strong woman who raised her three kids all alone after losing her partner at a very young age.
She was very generous and affectionate too...I wish she had met CJJ before she left us, in which case, he
would have been her favourite. My mother is a great cook, nevertheless, at times I tell her some of her
preparations don’t even come close to that of Amma’s. She was a fabulous cook...she did not have an oven,
but she used to bake cakes with a stove top vessel; she never used to frequent Chinese restaurants but she
used to make the best fried rice and ofcourse the authentic kerala dishes and snacks....the days I spent with
her are some of the sunken treasures of my life and when I dive into those memories, I get lost
somewhere........!!
Grandma was from a quaint little town in Kerala,
Kerala, named Alappuzha or Alleppey which is labeled as the ‘Venice
of the east’ because of its breathtaking view of the backwaters and house-boats; it’s a beautiful small town,
famous for its network of canals and lagoons, crisscrossing the center of the town as well as boat races and
coir products. Mean Pollichathu (Roasted Fish in a Banana leaf Wrap) is a ‘must try’ local delicacy which is
generally prepared with a fresh catch of karimeen (Pearl Spots),
Spots), marinated with various spices and a ground
paste of pearl onion/small onions, green chilies, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and coconut milk and then cooked in
banana leaf wraps. My grandma’s preparation is slightly different from this widely used recipe and this is my
4th attempt at reproducing her signature dish with certain changes adopted in the cooking method to suit my
cooking conditions here in US; grandma used to do this at one shot where as my method consist of three
stages. Recipe follows: -

Ingredients (Approx. for the size of fish shown in the picture)

Step 1: - Ingredients for Marinating and roasting the fish:

• 1 whole fish cleaned, preferably Karimeen (pearl Spots);
Spots); Pomfret,Tilapia
• 3 tsp chilli powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp pepper powder
• ¼ tsp ginger paste
• ¼ tsp garlic paste
 • 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
• Salt to taste
• ¼ cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil) for frying
Step 2: - Ingredients for the gravy:
• 1 cup finely chopped red pearl onions/small onions (around 20-22 nos)
• 1 ¼ tbsp finely chopped ginger
• 6-8 finely chopped green chillies
• 1 sprig of curry leaves
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• A pinch of chilli powder
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
• ¼ cup thick coconut milk
• Salt to taste
Step 3: - Ingredients:
• Banana Leaf - big enough to wrap the fish from all the sides.
Directions : Step 1
1. Make 4-5 slits on the cleaned fish; mix chilli powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, ginger and
garlic paste, lemon juice and salt with 1-2 tsp of water to make a thick paste and marinate the fish
evenly on both sides and keep it for atleast 2 hours. The slits made on the fish will help the marinade
to penetrate into the fish during this time.
2. Heat oil in a flat non-stick pan and place the fish, when the oil is steaming hot. Shallow fry the fish at
medium heat by flipping each side when it is almost done; do not make it too crispy and do not
overcook ; it should be soft and moist as the same fish is cooked again at the final stage. When the
fish is done, (at this stage the oil will stop spluttering) transfer it to the gravy on the banana
leaf,instructions for which follow.
Directions : Step 2
1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and sauté the chopped small onions, ginger, green chilies and curry leaves, in
low heat, until they are cooked and golden brown in colour and add a pinch of turmeric powder and
chilli powder to get a roasted colour. At this stage, add the thick coconut milk (Users of canned
coconut milk need to dilute it by adding some water- for eg: 3 tbsp of coconut milk & add 2tbsp water)
and salt and mix well to make the gravy; just combine the gravy well and turn off the stove; do not
boil/cook it at all.
Directions: Final Step - Cooking in Banana Leaf Wrap
1. Mildly wilt the fresh and washed banana leaf by keeping it on a low flame; Place it in a large flat non-
stick pan; Make a thin bed with half of the gravy and keep the roasted fish and top it with the rest of
the gravy. Cover and wrap the fish completely by folding the banana leaf, from all the sides and place
a lid on top and let it cook for 10-15 minutes on low flame, until the gravy is thick.
2. Serve hot with rice. You may wilt one more banana leaf and wrap it again before serving, to make it
look like 'banana leaf parcels'.
Verdict & Recommendations!
It is very different from the usual fish preparations like fish curry and fish fry. It is not very spicy but still I
suggest reducing the number of green chilies for those who cannot eat hot n spicy type of food at all. And if
you are lucky to prepare this with a fresh catch of Karimeen (Pearl Spots), then you will notice an oil coating
on the sides of the fish along with the gravy, which is not there in my picture as I used a different fish. Oil
coating mainly depends on a fatty fish and also on the freshly squeezed coconut milk. Instead of using one
whole fish, the same preparation can be done with fish steak pieces, wrapped individually in banana leaf, to
serve for a group. This is one of the most famous central Kerala delicacy that adorns the dining table at the
time of guest visits as well as X’mas and Easter lunches.

TODDY SHOP SPECIAL: Virtual glimpse into a Toddy Shop & Kappa Puzhukku (Mashed Tapioca) &
Meen (Fish) Curry with a Kuttanadan touch !

Kappa Puzhukku (Semi-Mashed Tapioca/Yucca root seasoned with ground coconut mixture)
Ingredients:
2 medium size Kappa/Tapioca washed, peeled and chopped into small cubes ( Click here for a pictorial on how
to clean Kappa/Tapioca)
½ to ¾ cup grated coconut
4 small green chilies finely chopped
1 small red pearl onion/shallots finely chopped
¼ tsp + ¼ tsp tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Oil, preferably coconut oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
3-4 dry red chilies
1 sprig curry leaves
Directions:
Wash the cubed pieces thoroughly in cold water; fill a large saucepan with water enough to cover the
Kappa/Tapioca and bring to a boil. When it boils, drain the water and fill the pan again with cold water (just
enough to get cooked) and add salt and turmeric and cook until the kappa/tapioca is soft, when pierced with
a fork/knife.
Meanwhile, prepare the ground coconut mixture. Crush and blend the grated coconut well with finely chopped
small onion, green chilies, turmeric powder and a tinge of salt (do not add more salt here as you have already
added while boiling the root veggie), using your hands OR a mortar-pestle set OR put all the ingredients in a
small food processor and pulse 1-2 times.
When the Kappa/Tapioca is soft and water is evaporated well, add the grated coconut mixture to this and
combine thoroughly, breaking the Kappa/Tapioca cubes with a wooden spatula, to get a semi-mashed
Kappa/Yucca and cook for not more than 2 minutes. Do a taste-test here and adjust the salt. In another pan,
heat oil and when steaming hot, splutter mustard seeds, dry chilies and curry leaves and pour everything to
the semi-mashed Kappa/Yucca and stir well to combine. Serve with Fish curry. (Recipe Follows)
Fish Curry with a Kuttanadan Touch
Ingredients:
5-7 slices of cleaned fish (Seer fish, King Fish, Spanish Mackerel, Tilapia)
6-7 small red pearl onions/shallots, thinly sliced
4 small green chilies slit opened lengthwise
4 whole, medium size, garlic cloves
1 small piece of ginger (approx.1 tbsp ), julienned
2 -3 sprig curry leaves
½ tsp fenugreek/uluva powdered
2-3 small pieces of Kudam-puli (Gamboge)
2 ½ tsp red chilly powder * (Adjust according to your tolerance level)
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2tbsp Oil, preferably coconut oil
Salt to taste
1 + ¼ cup water
Directions:
Before starting the preparation and chopping the onions and chilies, soak the Kudam-Puli/Gamboge in ¼ cup
water, especially if it’s a store-bought one. The home made ones are generally soft and moist and can add
directly to the curry after washing in some cold water. Make 1-2 slits on the fish to absorb the flavours. You
will not see that in my picture as I forgot to make slits on mine :D
Heat oil, preferably in a ‘curry-chatti’, an earthenware from Kerala or a cooking pan; when the oil is medium
hot, throw in curry leaves, snipped off of its stem, and smear the entire ‘curry chatti’ with oil and curry
leaves, so as to coat the cooking ware fully with the combined flavour and aroma of the oil and curry leaves;
DO NOT skip this step. Next, add the thinly sliced small onions, ginger, green chilies and whole garlic (Do not
chop garlic; make 1-2 small slits on ‘em to absorb the flavours) sauté until transparent, in low flame. Add
turmeric powder and red chilly powder and combine well and let it cook for 1-2 minutes or until the raw smell
goes, in low flame itself. At this stage add powdered fenugreek and coat well with the other ingredients and
then pour soaked kudam-puli, along with its water plus one more cup, or just enough to cover all the fish
pieces and add salt and bring to boil, in medium heat. When it is boiling check the sourness and adjust by
adding/removing one or two pieces of Kudam-puli/Gamboge.
Place fish pieces to this and cover with a lid and allow it to cook in medium heat; open the lid once in a while
and let the steam out and swirl the cooking vessel; avoid stirring as you may end up breaking the fish pieces.
Once the fish is cooked, lower the flame and cook for another 5 mts without the lid, until the gravy thickens a
bit. Just 1-2 minutes before turning off the stove, take some oil in your palm and crush some curry leaves
with oil and add it to the Fish curry, which accentuates the aroma, flavour and ‘the look’ of the dish. Turn off
the stove and let it cool.
You may serve this dish after 30-40 mts, nevertheless, for best results, keep the cookware covered in the
room temperature atleast for 4-5 hours, for all the flavours to set in and penetrate into the fish.
Note: In many of the households in central Kerala, this type of fish curry is prepared the previous night and
kept overnight at room temperature, allowing it to set in all the flavours and spices, to serve for lunch. Fish
curry prepared in ‘curry-chatti’ has an incomparable taste that the stainless steel or non-stick pan cannot
achieve. Please do not substitute small onions with big onion as it definitely alters the taste and a generous
use of curry leaves is suggested for a fresh and wonderful aroma. Also the taste will not be the same if
kudam-puli/Gamboge is replaced with the tamarind used in Sambar and Rasam. Do not throw away the whole
garlic in the curry as they turn succulent and taste awesome with all the flavours soaked in. Beginners (to this
particular dish) need to be cautious with the use of fenugreek powder and Kudam-puli /Gamboge, until one
gets a hang of the right proportion. *The Red colour: The red chilly powder I get from the Indian store is hot
and at the same time, gives a fiery red colour too. But not all the brands produce the same colour; in which
case, you may also add a bit of Kashmiri Chilly powder/ Paprika/ Piriyan Mulaku Powder. I am not in a
position to note the exact amount to be used, as I do not use them at all.

Cabbage Thoran – A cabbage side dish cooked with a touch of grated coconut.

Ingredients: - (Approx.)
2 cups cabbage, thinly sliced or finely chopped (depends on personal choice)
¼ cup grated coconut
1 small onion/shallots, finely chopped
1 small clove of garlic, finely chopped
3-4 green chilies, finely chopped
A pinch of cumin seeds
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp Uzhunnu parippu/urad Dal/black grams
1-2 dry red chilies
4-5 curry leaves
Salt to taste
2tsp oil

Directions: -

Crush and blend the grated coconut well with finely chopped small onion, garlic, green chilies, cumin seeds,
turmeric powder and salt using your hands OR put all the ingredients from 2 to 6, without chopping, in a
small food processor and pulse 1-2 times.

Heat oil in a pan and when it is steaming hot, splutter mustard seeds, followed by urad dal and dry red
chilies. Add the thinly sliced or finely chopped cabbage to the pan and cook them covered for a minute in
medium heat. Remove the lid, add the grated coconut mixture and cover it cooked for another 40-50 seconds
in low flame. Then remove the lid and do the rest of the cooking; do a ‘taste test’ here and add salt if required
and when it gains perfect balance between softness and crunchiness (should not be soggy), tear off some
curry leaves and add it to the dish, stir gently and turn off the heat. (Note: There is no need to add water to
cabbage while cooking. Cabbage leaves are moist on its own and adding water will only make it soggy.)