Broccoli Thoran

Hi! Broccoli is a vegetable high in vitamin C, K and A. It also contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties.
I know, I know.. the moment you see the title of this recipe you would either ignore it or be surprised and curious to know that broccoli could actually taste good made this way. Its a Love or Hate situation with this vegetable..you either hate it or love it. I personally used to hate broccoli until I tried this recipe Kerala style ;)!

I would like to acknowledge my dear friend, Sinthu, for sharing this recipe with me.

Ingredients
2 stalk Broccoli (500g) chopped finely
3 green chillies, slit in two ( medium spicy)
1 large onion, chopped finely
1 cup grated coconut
1 egg
1/2tsp turmeric powder
1/2tsp ginger powder
salt to taste

Method:

1. Mix broccoli, onion,turmeric, ginger powder and salt in a bowl and keep aside
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan, add green chillies and the broccoli mixture. Stir well.
3. Cook for 5 mins in low heat and then add the grated coconut and stir in well.
4. After a min or 2 of stiring, move aside the broccoli to a side of the pan and break an egg into it.
5. Mix the egg and the broccoli together.

Happy Cooking!

Cabbage Thoran

Heya! This dish is pretty popular with many mums in kerala. Do you know why? Because its very easy to prepare and they get you to eat your daily intake of veggies! ;). So when they are not around to make it for you.. its no excuse to skip having your vegetables. Trust me.. cabbage thoran is very simple to prepare and this recipe will taste just like your mummy's!

Simple and Delicious!

Ingredients:

2 cup Cabbage (finely chopped)

Salt to taste

3 Green chilly

1/2 onion finely chopped(if using the veg. chopper,

add the green chilly as well to this)

1/4cup Grated coconut / Desiccated coconut

1/4tsp Cumin powder

1/4tsp Turmeric powder

Curry leaves 1 stem

2 red dry Chilli

2tbsp Oil

1/2tsp Mustard seed

Preparation:

In a pan, pour oil and splutter mustard seeds, tear in red dry chillies

Add chopped cabbage, onions & green chilly and add salt as required and allow it to cook (5mins)

When half done, add turmeric powder ,cumin powder, desiccated coconut

Mix well and cook on low flame for 5-10mins

Garnish with curry leaves

Happy Cooking!

Parippu(Dhal) Curry

This simple spicy side dish goes well with rice. I post this recipe for all my cousins and friends who are studying abroad..craving for some Indian food and who are fed up of eating potato chips. :)


Serves 4-6.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Mysore Dhal (Red lentils)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chillie powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 green chillie chopped
1 onion chopped
1 cup water
3-4 curry leaves(optional)
1 cup coconut milk
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seed
2 dry red chillies, broken into 2-3 pieces
2 cloves gralic, minced
Salt to taste

Method:
Step 1: Wash the dhal thoroughly and boil in a pan with 1 cup water

Step 2: Add 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 of the onion and the garlic. When the
the color of the dhal turns from pink to yellow, remove from
fire and put into a bowl.

Step 3: Heat some oil in cooking pot. Add the remaing ingredients
except the coconut milk and dhal. Cook stirring for about 1-2 minutes.

Step 4: Add the boiled dhal to the pan and stir well. Cook for another
couple of minutes.

Step 5: Add the coconut milk, and salt to taste. Cook till the curry starts to boil.

Step 6: Remove from fire and Serve hot with rice or bread.

Happy Cooking!! :)!

Thakkali curry - Tomato Curry

Heya! Today I made rice and spicy dry chicken masala dish and I realised I did not have any curry based side dish to go with it. Since I could find only tomatoes in my fridge..i thought..'hey,why not try a tomato curry??. .

Although, its my first attempt at it... I must say my Tomato curry did turn out delicious! ;)

Ingredients:
5-6 tomatoes or 4oo gms canned peeled tomato
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp ginger powder
1/4tsp cinnamon powder
1 tblsp fenugreek seeds/powder
spring of curry leaves
1" piece rumpe
2 tblsp maldive fish
2-3 cardamoms and cloves crushed together
1/4 cup coconut cream
3 meduim onions chopped
1 green chilli
1 1/4tsp salt and sugar

Method:
Heat the oil and gently fry the onion until golden brown.
Add fenugreek, curry & rumpe leaves and cinnamon to
the oil, then fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add chilli powder, turmeric, curry powder, cardamom/clove
mix, garlic, ginger and mix with 1 1/2 tsp of water. Fry
this on low fire until this become fragrant. Then add
Maldive fish, chopped tomatos and coconut cream to the mix.
Let this simmer until oil float on top. Adjust the seasonings
with sugar and salt. Serve hot.

ps. If you dont know what the hell a Rampe or Maldive fish is.. I Wikipedia it for you. :)! You probably would find these ingredients at any srilankan or Indian grocery store.

NB: What is Rampe? Ambemohor-Patta, Pandan-leaves
Rampe are fragrant leaves of a screw-pine shrub called Rampe(Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb). The leaves are used to flavor curries and rice in South India and Srilanka.

What is Maldive Fish: It is cured tuna fish traditionally produced in Maldives. It is a staple of the Maldivian cuisine, as well as of the Sri Lankan cuisine. Many Sri Lankan dishes, especially vegetable curries, include Maldive fish, which acts as a thickening, flavouring and protein component.

Nippon Deviled Pork

Hi! This is a very popular pork dish made at my family restuarant, The Orient, Srilanka. Its absolutely delicous and I would love all of you to try it. I am posting this recipe for all my Nippon deviled pork fans! :)!

Ingredients for 1 kilogram of Pork.

1. One kilo of boneless Pork (serves 4 to 6 portions). Cut into 1 inch size chunks. Marinate with Black Pepper, Cider Vinegar, 1-1/2 table spoons of Soy Sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Mix thoroughly and leave for 45 minutes or longer.

2. Chop up the following into 1/2 inch or slightly larger size pieces.
Two large Onions
Two tomatoes
Two capsicum or bell pepper
100 grams of Curry Chilies (Malumiris) or Srilankan Kattasambol
Four to six bulbs of garlic chopped or sliced fine.
1-1/2 Tablespoons of red chilli flakes
1-1/2 Tablespoon Curry powder
3 Cloves
3 Cardamom pods

Prepare as follows.

Step 1: Cook the pork on medium heat in covered pan until juices have formed a thick oily gravy.The meat should become very soft by this time. Stir occaionally, to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan and to allow it to cook evenly. Check it's saltiness before you add any more salt.
Step 2. Add the other ingredients and cook for another 10 minutes. Remember to keep stiring contents.Once it's cooked, keep warm on low heat.

Add a little shredded lemon grass before serving.

Happy Cooking! :)

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken is a very popular dish all over the world and I have had it so often that I found it monotonus and boring. 

Last year, when I visited my aunt in India, she served me some butter chicken for dinner. Well, I was pleasantly surprised, it was by far the best butter chicken I have ever tasted. And so, after several attempts and failures at replicating that butter chicken recipe, I just had to find that secret ingredient.. (psst!.. Its ketch up!). It is now my favorite dish and I would like to share that recipe with you.

Ingredients

- 6 filet chicken breasts cut into cubes
- 200g butter
- 1 medium sized chopped onion
-  2 tsp cashew nut paste(or 7-10 cashew nuts crushed)
- 1 tin peeled tomatoes(200g)
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp ginger & garlic
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp cumin powder(or seeds)
- 1/4 tsp fenugreek powder(or leaves crushed)
- 2 green chillies
- 1/2tsp chilli powder
- 1tsp coriander powder
- 1tsp garam masala powder
- 2tsp tomato ketchup(optional)
- 3 strands of coriander leaves
- 250ml fresh cream
- 1cup water 

Method
 

- Wash the Chicken cubes and marinate it with 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/2tsp coriander powder, 1tsp of ginger and garlic paste and 1/2tsp salt. Leave for 5-10mins.

-  Heat a little oil n butter in a pot and semi-fry the chicken cubes. once done, separate the chicken cubes into another bowl. In the same cooking pan (with all the stock juice of the semi-fried chicken and butter) add cumin seeds,chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste and stir in 1/2 cup water.

- To this mixture add 1/2tsp corriander powder, fenugreek powder, garam masala powder, green chilli, cashew nut paste, coriander leaves and tomato puree. Stir in all this ingredients, cover with lid and slow cook it for 10-15mins...until the tomatoes are well cooked.

- Cool the mixture and then blend it in using a blender into a smooth paste texture.

- Heat some butter and oil in cooking pot. Add the blended curry paste. Add tsp salt and stir it in well. Add 1/4cup water to make the mixture thinner. Add chicken and cook till chicken is well done( 30-40mins).
Stir occasionally.

- Add 2 drops of red/orange coloring(optional). Add sugar. Add tomato ketchup (optional). Add fresh cream. Stir well. Garnish with coriander leaves.

- Serve along with some Chapathi or Parotta bread.

Enjoy!