MEEN MULAKITTATHU/ FISH MULAKITTATHU (MALABAR STYLE)

Fish curry or fish fry is a daily dish for every non vegetarian malabar family. We can’t have our lunch and dinner without fish curry!!! Meen mulakittathu is one of the simple and easy fish curry. You can prepare it as “with gravy or without gravy” curry. I prefer without gravy and spicy. You can enjoy this curry with rice and kerala parathas. Meen mulakittathu and kappa (tapioca) puzhungiyathu is a famous kerala dish combination.

Ingredients : 

1. Fish (any) : 1/2 kg, cut into pieces
2. Shallots : 1 handful, sliced
3. Ginger : 1″ piece, finely chopped
4. Garlic : 6 cloves, finely chopped
5. Tomato : 1, medium, chopped
6. Green chilly : 2 nos, split into two
7. Tamarind : gooseberry size (soak it in 1/2 cup water and remove the juice)
8. Curry leaves
9. Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
10. Chilly powder : 1 or  1/12 tsp
11. Fenugreek powder : 1/4 tsp
12. Coconut oil
13. Salt

Method : 

1. Heat oil in a mun chutty( clay pot) and add the fenugreek powder and saute for 10 secs.
2. Add sliced shallots, chopped ginger and  garlic and saute.
3. Add the masala powders and saute.
4. Add tomato, green chilly, curry leaves, tamarind water and salt and mix well.
5. Add the fish pieces and mix well.
6. Add enough water and cook it till the fish is cooked well.
7. If you want this curry with gravy, then switch of the stove.
8. Otherwise cook it till all the water has been absorbed.
9. After you switch off the stove add 1 tbsp coconut oil to this and twirl the mun chutty to spread the oil in the curry.
10. Enjoy!!!

Note : 

• You can prepare the curry in other pans also. But clay pot gives the curry more taste.
• You can adjust the spiciness of the curry according to your taste.
• You can increase or decrease the size of tamarind according to your taste.
• Coconut oil gives the curry more taste than other oils.
• You can use any fish. We even use small chemmeens( prawns).

BHINDI MASALA/ LADY’S FINGER MASALA

Ingredients : 

1. Lady’s finger : 500 gms; (cut into 1″ pieces)
2. Onion : 1, medium, chopped
3. Tomato : 2, medium, chopped
4. Ginger paste : 1 tbsp
5. Green chilly : 2 nos, chopped
6. Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
7. Coriander powder : 2 tsp
8. Red chilly powder : 1 tsp
9. Garam masala : 1/2 tsp
10. Coriander leaves
11. salt
12. oil

Method : 

1. Heat oil in a nonstick pan and add lady’s finger pieces and saute it well. Cook it till it is done by sauteing in between.
2. Add salt to this and cook for 1-2 minutes. keep it aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onion to it. Saute the onion till it is soft.
4. Add ginger paste to it and saute.
5. Add chopped green chilly and chopped tomato pieces to it and saute. Cook it till it becomes soft.
6. Add all the masala powder except garam masala and saute for a minute.
7. Add the cooked lady’s finger and mix it well.
8. Now add the garam masala to it and cook it for 1-2 minutes.
9. Switch off the stove and garnish it with coriander leaves.
10. Serve it with chapatis.

GREEN PEAS MASALA

It is an easy and quick recipe.

 

Ingredients :

1. green peas : 250 gm
2. Onion : 1 ,medium
3. Tomato :1 ,medium
4. green chilly : 2 nos
5. ginger & garlic paste : 1/2 tbsp each
6. Garam masala or meat masala or chicken masala : 2 tsp
7. coriander leaves
8. salt
9. coconut oil

For Seasoning

1. curry leaves
2. dry red chilly : 2 nos,broken
3. mustard seeds
4. coconut oil

Method :

1. Pressure cook the green peas with enough salt and water.
2. Heat coconut oil in a pan and saute onion till it becomes soft.
3. Add ginger & garlic paste and saute well.
4. Add green chilly and tomato and saute till tomato becomes soft.
5. Add cooked green peas with remaining water.
6. Add masala powder and mix well.
7. Allow the gravy to thicken and adjust the salt.
8. Switch off the stove and add coriander leaves.
9. Heat oil in another pan and splutter mustard seeds.
10. Add dry red chilly and curry leaves to this and saute.
11. Add this to the cooked green peas masala for seasoning.
12. Serve it with chapatis.

Note :

• You can use garam masala or meat masala or chicken masala in this recipe. Curry’s taste will change according to the masala you use. But it’s really tasty  with whichever masala you use.

 

PULIYINJI

Puliyinji is a traditional kerala recipe. It is one of the main dishes in Sadhya.

Ingredients : 

1. Tamarind : Lemon size ball
2. Ginger : 1/4 cup, finely chopped
3. Jaggery : 1/4 cup, grated
4. Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
5. Chilly powder : 1 tsp
6. Green chilly : 6 nos, chopped
7. mustard seeds : 1 tsp
8. dry red chilly : 2 , broken
9. curry leaves : 2 springs
10. coconut oil
11. salt

 

Method : 

1. Soak tamarind in 3/4 cup warm water for 10 mins and extract the juice.
2. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt to the tamarind juice and boil it.
3. When the juice thickens add grated jaggery and continue boiling for few mins.
4. Heat coconut oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds.
5. Add dry red chilly and saute.
6. Add curry leaves and chopped green chilly and saute.
7. Add finely chopped ginger and saute.
8. Add this to the boiled tamarind-jaggery mix.
9. Puliyinji is ready to serve.

Note : 

• You can keep it in refrigerator for 1 or 2 weeks.
• Make it day before the sadhya to settle the flavors well and taste better.

VARUTHARACHA SAMBAR

Ingredients:

1. Tuvar dal/ thuvara parippu : 1/2 cup
2. Mixed Vegetables : drumstick, ladies finger, carrot, potato, green beans, raw banana etc(cut 2″ pieces).
3. Garlic : 6 cloves.
4. green chilly : 2 nos, slitted
5. Tomato : 1 no (cut to small pieces)
6. Tamarind : Gooseberry size; Soak it in water.
7. Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
8. Chilly Powder : 2 tsp or  1 1/2 tsp
9. Coriander powder : 3 tbsp or (coriander powder 2 tsp and 1 tsp sambar powder)
10. Asfoeitida powder : 1/2 tsp
11. Coriander leaves
12. coconut oil
13. salt

for coconut paste

1. Grated coconut : 1 cup
2. Shallots : 3-4 nos
3. Curry leaves : 1 spring
4. Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp
5. Fenugreek seeds : 1/4 tsp
6. coconut oil

for seasoning

1. Coconut oil
2. Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
3. dry red chilly : 2 nos, broken to 2 pieces
4. shallots : 3-4 nos; sliced
5. curry leaves : 1 spring

 

Method:

1. Heat coconut oil in a frying pan and add grated coconut, shallots, curry leaves, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Fry this until the coconut become golden brown. Keep it aside to cool. Then grind this with enough water in a mixer. Keep it aside.
2. Pressure cook the dal with water and salt.
3. Add vegetables(except ladies finger), green chilly, and garlic to this and pressure cook it for two more whistles.
4. In a frying pan add coconut oil and fry ladies finger add this to the cooked dal and other veggies.
5. Add tomato pieces also.
6. Add maslas and asfoetida powder to this.
7. Add tamarind water.
8. cook for 2-3 minutes. Adjust salt.
9. Add fried coconut paste to this with enough water. Let it boil well. Switch off the stove.
10. Add coriander leaves.
11. Heat coconut oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add dry red chilly, curry leaves and shallots. Fry this for 1 min. Add this tempering to the sambar.
12. Serve with rice.

Note : 

• Use coconut oil. It gives sambar more taste.
• You can use 3 tbsp coriander powder or 2 tbsp coriander powder and 1 tbsp sambar powder.
• If you are using asfoetida piece instead of asfoetida powder fry it while you are frying the grated coconut.

KAIPOLA(BANANA CAKE)

Kaipola is a famous malabar dish made with ripe bananas and eggs. It is a traditional ramdan dish among muslims during iftar parties.

Ingredients:

1. Ripe bananas : 3 nos (cut to small cubes)
2. Eggs : 4 nos
3. Sugar : 4-6 tbsp
4. ghee
5. Cashews
6. Raisins

 

Method: 

1. Heat ghee in a nonstick pan and fry the banana pieces. Keep it aside.
2. In a bowl beat eggs and sugar well.
3. Add the fried banana pieces to this bowl and mix well.
4. Heat ghee in a pan fry the cashews and raisins.
5. Greece a thick bottomed nonstick pan with ghee and pour this egg banana mix.
6. On the top of this mix add the fried cashews and raisins.
7. Close the pan with a lid and cook in very low flame for about 15-20 minutes.
8. Transfer to a plate and enjoy with your tea.

ULLI VADA (ONION FRITTERS)

Ullivada is a yummy evening snack..Tea, ulli vada and rain..yumm..:)

Ingredients : 

1. Onion : 3 nos, sliced
2. Gram flour/ kadala maavu/ besan
3. Turmeric Powder : a pinch
4. Green chilly : 5/6 nos, chopped
5. Ginger : 1tbsp, chopped
6. Curry leaves : 2 springs
7. Salt
8. Oil for deep frying
9. Water

Method :

1. Take ingredients 1 to 7 in bowl. Add a little water and mix well with your hands.
2. Take small balls of this mix and press it between your palms.
3. Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry it until golden brown.
4. Enjoy with your tea..:)

THALASSERY MUTTON DUM BIRIYANI

Thalassery dum biriyani is very famous for its taste and aroma. I love thalassery biriyani. It is favorite of many food lovers.

This is Thalassery mutton dum diriyani recipe.

 

 

Ingredients:

1. Mutton : 1 kg
2. Kayama Ari /jeerakasala rice : 4 cup
3. Green chilly : 12 nos(crushed)
4. ginger : 2 tbsp(crushed)
5. garlic : 2 tbsp(crushed)
6. onion : 10 nos(sliced)
7. curd : 2 tbsp
8. coriander leaves : 1/2 cup(chopped)
9. mint leaves : 1/2 cup(chopped)
10. tomato : 3 nos(sliced in round)
11. lemon juice : from 2 lemon
12. Turmeric powder : 1 tbsp
13. Chilly powder : 1 tbsp
14. Biriyani Masala : 2 tsbp (preparation of biriyani masala powder is given down)
15. cloves(6nos), cardamom(4nos), cinnamon sticks(2nos)
16. cashews, raisins, coriander leaves and mint leaves for garnishing.
17. salt
18. ghee
19. oil

Preparation of BIRIYANI MASALA POWDER: 

You can get garam masala packet from market. Garam masala contains bay leaf, fennel seeds, star anise, cardamom, pepper corn, cinnamon sticks, cloves, coriander seeds,  jeera,  mace flower,  nutmeg etc. Heat a pan and dry roast the ingredients excluding fennel seeds and jeera. if you add jeera and fennel seeds along with other spices it may get burned. When it is well roasted add jeera and fennel seeds and roast for few seconds. Let it cool. Powder them in a blender. Store it in an airtight container.

Method : 

1. Marinate the mutton with turmeric powder, chilly powder , salt and lemon juice(from 1/2 lemon).
2. Pressure cook the marinated mutton and keep it aside.
3. Soak the rice for 20 mins and wash and drain it.
4. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a kadai and roast the cashews and raisins. Kepp it aside.
5. Add 1 more tbsp ghee and  add 1/2 of sliced onions and roast them till dark brown in color.
6. Add more ghee and roast the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon sticks and then  roast the rice in it.
7. Add 8 cup boiled water and to the rice and cook in low flame.
8. When it is half cooked add salt and lemon juice (from half lemon)
9. When it is cooked allow it to cool.
10. In biriyani pot heat oil and add crushed ginger garlic and green chillies  and saute well.
11. Now add sliced onion and saute well.
12. When onion becomes soft add sliced tomato and saute.
13. Add chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves and saute.
14. Add curd and salt and cook for 3 mins.
15. Add 1 tbsp biriyani. masala and mix well.
16. Add the cooked mutton with gravy and mix well.
17. And cook for 5mins.(no gravy).
18. Remove half of this mutton masala and keep it aside.
19. Fill the other half of mutton masala well at the bottom of biriyani pot.
20. Arrange half of the rice over the masala.
21. Sprinkle 1 tsp ghee, 1/2 tsp biriyani masala, 1/2 lemon juice, 12 of cashews, raisins and onion roasted over the rice.
22. Arrange the other half of mutton masala over it.
23. Arrange the other half of rice over it.
24. Sprinkle 1tsp ghee,1/2 tsp biriyani masala, 1/2 lemon juice, 12 of cashews, raisins and onion roasted, few coriander leaves and mint leaves over the rice.
25. Cover the biriyani pot and seal it with maida dough.
26. Cook for few mins in low flame.
27. Switch off the stove.
28. Enjoy the biriyani with salad, pappad and lemon pickle.

PAALPAAYASAM(IN PRESSURE COOKER)

It is an easy to prepare and very tasty paal paayasam.

Ingredients:

1. Jeerakasala rice(kayama ari) : 1/4 cup (you can use basmati rice also)
2. Milk : 2 cup
3. Sugar : 1/2 cup (or according to your taste)
4. cardamon : 1 no
5. cashew nuts and raisins
6. ghee : 1 tbsp

Method: 

1. In a pressure cooker, add rice, sugar, milk and cardamom and pressure cook it in low flame for 45 mins.
2. If the paayasam is thick add boiled milk.
3. Roast the cashews and raisins in ghee and add to the payasam.
4. Enjoy!!!

SUKHIYAN

Sukhiyan is an evening snack of keralites and tamilians. In Tamil Nadu it is called suzhyam.

Ingredients:

1. All purpose flour (maida)  : 1 cup
2. Moong (cheru payar) : 1 cup
3. Jaggery : 250g (or according to you)
4. Cardamom powder : 1/2 tsp
5. Grated coconut : from 1/2 coconut
6. oil for frying
7. salt
8. water

Method:

1. Pressure cook the cheru payar with a little salt and enough water. Do not overcook. Drain excess water after steam has released.
2. Add a little water to jaggery and melt it in a pan.
3. Add Cooked cheru payar to the melted jaggery and stir well.
4. Add grated coconut to this and stir well.
5. Add cardamom powder to this mixture and stir.
6. Cook for 2 mins in low flame.
7. Transfer this to a bowl and let it cool.
8. Make small balls of this mixture.
9. Take maida in a a bowl and add a pinch salt. Add enough water and make a thick batter.
10. Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying.
11. Dip each ball in the maida batter and deep fry them in the oil.
12. Fry until golden brown in color.
13. Tasty Sukhiyans are  ready.