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Showing posts from April, 2010

A Birdie’s Nest

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Idiyappams or little pockets of steamed rice noodles that Nish often refers to as birdie’s nest, is one of Roy’s favorites :D. Yes, I can’t suppress a grin (smirk?) when I refer to the favorites of a person, who eats almost everything and anything with the same gusto like he were eating the best meal of his life! Here’s what I mean- Idlis and Dosas he hates. But, can/will eat about 8-10 of them. Idiyappams and Paalappams he loves and can/will eat about 10 – 12 of them. So, would you call me a nag if I said to him, Kanna do you really think you need to go for that 12th appam?  My sister Sonia, thinks so. According to her, even though there is the term of endearment ‘ Kanna‘ in the sentence, my voice modulation and pitch decibel makes it sound more like – you jerk, you really think you can afford another of those onto to your ever growing waistline? OMG you are going to drive him crazy just like Mummy did Papa., OMG leave the poor guy alone., OMG I wonder how he stil...

A Birdie’s Nest

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Idiyappams or little pockets of steamed rice noodles that Nish often refers to as birdie’s nest, is one of Roy’s favorites :D. Yes, I can’t suppress a grin (smirk?) when I refer to the favorites of a person, who eats almost everything and anything with the same gusto like he were eating the best meal of his life! Here’s what I mean- Idlis and Dosas he hates. But, can/will eat about 8-10 of them. Idiyappams and Paalappams he loves and can/will eat about 10 – 12 of them. So, would you call me a nag if I said to him, Kanna do you really think you need to go for that 12th appam?  My sister Sonia, thinks so. According to her, even though there is the term of endearment ‘ Kanna‘ in the sentence, my voice modulation and pitch decibel makes it sound more like – you jerk, you really think you can afford another of those onto to your ever growing waistline? OMG you are going to drive him crazy just like Mummy did Papa., OMG leave the poor guy alone., OMG I wonder how he still continues to ...

Idiyappam / Steamed Rice Noodles

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I like these best when served with lamb/chicken stew or boiled eggs in coconut gravy. But if you are a thorough vegetarian and don’t do even eggs, then, the best alternative would be to eat these with some Kerala style Kadala Curry   (black chickpeas in coconut gravy). I also like to make my own rice flour for all kinds of appams. The store bought flour, I find, does not give the texture that the appams need. The process of making rice flour, though popularly believed to be cumbersome, isn’t all that tough in this modern age of high tech kitchen gizmos. It simply calls for – soaking raw rice in water, draining, drying, roasting and eventually grinding it to a smooth powder. If you are the kind who use a lot of rice flour you could make it in bulk and store for later use. However, if making appams are a once-in-a –blue-moon  type of activity for you, then I’d suggest you go for the store bought kind. One recommendation would be to add a little bit of nicely ground grated coconut to...

Motta Curry / Eggs in Coconut Gravy

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This easy to make dish is a variation of my kerala chicken curry. I’ve simply replaced chicken with eggs here. This makes a great accompaniment for rotis or appams. Ingredients 6 boiled eggs each cut into half 1 medium sized onion, finely sliced 2 -3 shallots finely sliced 1/4 tsp kerala garam masala 1/2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp chili powder (base it on tolerable spice level) 2 tbsp coconut Oil 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder 1/4 cup canned coconut milk ( use 1 cup thick coconut milk if you are making fresh from scratch) salt to taste one sprig Curry Leaves 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds 1/4 tsp whole black pepper corns Directions Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil in cooking pan, splutter 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, add cumin, pepper corns and onions and sauté till the onions are nicely caramelized. The onions have to attain a deep brown color. Add ginger-garlic to the pan and continue sautéing until the oil separates. Add turmeric, chili, coriander...

From Pala with Love

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As Benny Chetan, my cousin, drives us to the scores of relatives from my side of the family, living in and around Pala, looking at the rubber plantations on either sides of the serpentine roads, I feel a lump in my throat. The more I clear my throat in an effort to  get rid of it, the bigger I sense it grow. It has been seven years since my last visit. Pretty long for a life that has seen only 3 decades. Yet, not long enough. As I feel the wind whistling and hear the cicadas call, memories of 7 years back, 10 years back, 20 and 30, flood my mind. Seems like yesterday when my sisters and I, carried our flimsy thorthu and walked bear foot to the near by thoodu, for a bath and and fun fishing. Yesterday, as Amma balled large grains of boiled rice with nai and onaka-meen and tossed them into my 3 year old mouth, that reluctantly opened as wide as her eyes did at my slightest refusal to eat. Yesterday, when Chachan and Amachi   married me off from the tharavad, with kisses and blessings   ...

Kerala Fish Fry

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The smaller the fish the tastier they come. Don’t ask me the hows and whys. It is just my personal opinion and I think I couldn’t be more right ;). The smaller fishes are a popular sell in Kerala too. Now and even as a child, I could eat just about anything with these! Ingredients 1 lb small fish like parava/false trevally (my favorite) or killi meen/threadfin bream cleaned and whole 1 tbsp of fresh ginger garlic paste ( ginger and garlic in a 1:1 ratio) 1/2 tsp shallot paste 1 tsp chili powder (base it on tolerable spice levels) 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp black ground pepper salt to taste 1 tsp of lime juice (optional)  2 sprigs of curry leaves coconut oil/refined vegetable oil for roasting.   Directions Make a couple of slits on either side of each fish and marinate them with a tsp of lime juice and set aside. Mix all the spices with ginger-garlic, shallot and salt  to make a thick smooth paste. The marinade should be slightly on the saltier side. Apply the paste on all the fish...

Chukka Puzhukku – Spiced Raw Jackfruit

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Like most other South Indians, Keralites too, eat a minimum of 5 good meals a day, and the lavish evening kaapi is one of them. To help Roy build up an appetite ( or to burn up the millions of calories he had devoured just a couple of hours before) for these unaccustomed meals I dragged him along while I sauntered around the paramb and mittam. And, as I showed off the trees, the walls, the rocks and other stuff that seemed at present insignificant and trivial but yet, in my childhood were treasured with greater value than life itself, Mini Chechi, my sister-in-law, whipped us some yummy Chukka Puzhukku and meen for the evening kaapi . It was the first thing I asked for when I entered home and sniffed jack fruit in the air! Chukka Puzhukku made with raw green jack fruit is a staple for breakfast or an evening snack in the south of Kerala during summers. Though I didn’t care about it much as a child, I now miss it like a lovelorn soldier does his sweetheart :(. Ingredients: 1 lb dese...

Chukka Puzhukku – Spiced Raw Jackfruit

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Like most other South Indians, Keralites too, eat a minimum of 5 good meals a day, and the lavish evening kaapi is one of them. To help Roy build up an appetite ( or to burn up the millions of calories he had devoured just a couple of hours before) for these unaccustomed meals I dragged him along while I sauntered around the paramb and mittam. And, as I showed off the trees, the walls, the rocks and other stuff that seemed at present insignificant and trivial but yet, in my childhood were treasured with greater value than life itself, Mini Chechi, my sister-in-law, whipped us some yummy Chukka Puzhukku and meen for the evening kaapi . It was the first thing I asked for when I entered home and sniffed jack fruit in the air! Chukka Puzhukku made with raw green jack fruit is a staple for breakfast or an evening snack in the south of Kerala during summers. Though I didn’t care about it much as a child, I now miss it like a lovelorn soldier does his sweetheart :(. Ingredients: 1 lb deseed...

India, 24 Hours Away

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At the SFO airport. Six overweight bags checked in. Will be boarding in an hour. Decided to post the recipes for Chole and Aloo Tikkis while waiting. That should help shake away the jitters and keep me from gnawing out the last traces of what used to be my nails.The irrepressible excitement has turned me into a walking time bomb, ready to throw up on one of these unsuspecting travelers at the drop of a hat. Can’t help it, excitement and vomit have always been a team for me.  Can throw up on an empty stomach too. That’s why, even for a joke, you wouldn’t want to tell me, I won a billion bucks and will not have to work for the rest of my life!!! At least, not with your favorite jeans on. Anyway, when the menu for the weekend Chaat potluck at a friends’ was decided, I quickly pounced on the easiest stuff to make. Chole. One of the last few things I cooked before locking up the  Tharakan household kitchen. Made extras to freeze too. Roy’s returning sooner than us, and I being the thoughtfu...

Aloo Tikki / Spicy Potato Patties

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These are just about the easiest patties to put together. They make amazing appetizers when served with a combination of meetha chutney (tamarind and sugar),  green chutney (cilantro, green chilies and lime) and chole .   Ingredients 3 large potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed 1 tsp corn flour 1/4 cup green peas, boiled 2 green chilies, chopped 3 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp red chili powder salt to taste 2 tbsp chopped cilantro 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves pinch of asafoetida refined vegetable oil for frying Directions Thoroughly mix all the ingredients except the oil. Divide into 10 to 12 equal portions and shape them into flat patties Heat oil in a fry pan and shallow fry over medium heat until golden brown and crisp on both sides. Drain and pat dry on absorbent paper. Serve hot with chutneys and chole .