Beetroot Biriyani

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Basmathi rice/Long grain rice - 1 cup
2. Beetroot - 1 large
3. Onion - 1 large
4. Tomato - 1 large
5. Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
6. Green chilli - 2
7. Fennel seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
8. Cloves- 5
9. Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
10. Cardamom - 1
11. Bay leaves - 2
12. Cilantro/Coriander leaves chopped - a handful
13. Mint leaves chopped - 1 tablespoon
14. Oil -1 tablespoon
15. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a large vessel and add fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves. Saute for few seconds.

2. Add thinly sliced onion and fry until they turn translucent.

3. Add ginger garlic paste, sliced tomatoes, and slit green chillies. Fry for couple of minutes. 

4. Cut beetroot into small cubes and add to the pan.

5. Add washed rice,cilantro, mint leaves and salt to taste. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

6. Add 2 cups of hot water. Either cook in an open vessel or electric rice cooker or pressure cooker(2 whistles). Garnish this with some more cilantro.

Serve this delicious beetroot biriyani with yogurt and pickle.

Mushroom Soup

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Mushroom - 1 cup
2. Garlic finely minced - 1 tablespoon
3. Whole milk - 1/2 cup
4. White pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon
5. All-purpose flour - 1 teaspoon
6. Butter - 1 tablespoon
7. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Wash and cut mushrooms into thin slices.

2. Heat butter in a pan and add minced garlic.

3. Add mushrooms and fry for 3-5 minutes.

4. Add milk and 1/2 cup water  and allow the mixture to boil.

5. Meanwhile, mix a teaspoon of all-purpose flour to a tablespoon of cold water. Add this paste to pan and mix well.

6. Cook for couple of minutes and serve hot. 

Mango Jam

Ingredients:

1. Mango- ripe - 4 (pulp will come upto 2 cups)

2. Sugar - 3/4 cup

3. Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon

Method:

1. Remove the peel of mangoes and cut into large pieces.

2. Put into a blender and make a smooth paste.

3. Heat a large saucepan and add mango puree, sugar and lemon juice.

4. Cook on medium heat for 25-30 minutes until you get a jelly consistency.

Swiss Chard Stir Fry

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Swiss Chard - finely chopped 2 cup
2. Onion - 1 medium sized
3. Garlic - 2 cloves
4. Dried red chilli -2
5. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
6. Oil -1 teaspoon
7. Salt to taste

Method: 
1. Rinse and finely chop Swiss Chard.

2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.

3. Add dried red chillies, crushed garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute until onions turn translucent.

4. Add Swiss Chard and cook for 5 minutes and they are ready to serve.

Chickpea Sandwich

Chickpea sandwiches are very delicious as well as full of nutrition. If you are looking to start your day with a protein packed breakfast, this is one the dishes you must certainly try.

Servings: Makes 4 sandwiches.

Ingredients:
1. Chickpea/Channa - 1/2 cup
2. Onion - 1
3. Tomato - 1
4. Cilantro chopped - 2 tablespoon
5. Whole wheat bread - 8 slices
6. Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon
7. Green chilli - 1 (avoid if you are serving for kids)
8. Butter - 2 tablespoon
9. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak chickpea in water for 8 hours or overnight.

2. Wash the soaked chickpea and pressure cook with enough water for upto 5 whistles on medium flame.

3. Finely chop tomato, onion and green chilli

4. Coarsely grind the cooked chickpea in a blender without adding water.

5. In a large mixing bowl, add ground chickpea, chopped tomato, onion, green chilli and cilantro.

6. Add lemon juice and salt to taste. Mix well.

7. Apply butter on one side of each of the bread slices and put a thin layer of chickpea mixture between 2 slices.

8. You can either eat the sandwich as is or grill them. Both ways these sandwiches tastes real good.

Garlicky Asparagus

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Asparagus - 1 bunch
2. Garlic - 1 tablespoon finely minced
3. Red chilli flakes - 1/4 teaspoon
4. Olive oil - 1 teaspoon
5. Salt to paste

Method:
1. Cut and remove the base(about 1 inch) of the asparagus spear as there are very fibrous and difficult to eat.

2. Wash the asparagus and cut into 1 inch pieces.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add finely minced garlic.

4. Fry for a minute and add cut asparagus.

5. Add salt to taste and red chilli flakes and saute for around 3 minutes.

Switch off the heat and serve.

Nice Pathiri | Akki Roti

Nice Pathiri is a Kerala dish which are super soft rotis made of rice flour. In Karnataka, they are referred to as Akki Roti(akki means rice in Kannada)

Serving: Makes 15 small sized pathiri

Ingredients:
1. Fine rice flour - 1 cup
2. Oil - 1 teaspoon
3. Salt - 1/2 teaspoon or as per taste

Method:
1. In a large pan, boil 2 cups of water.

2. Add a teaspoon of oil and salt to boiling water.

3. Reduce the flame to low and add rice flour little by little and stir continuously. Once all the rice flour is added, turn off the flame. By now the dough will have a crumbled look with all the water absorbed. Allow the dough to cool down for around 10 minutes.

4. Transfer the dough to a working surface and knead for couple of minutes.

5. Take small lemon sized piece of dough and roll into small circles. Use rice flour for dusting.

6. Transfer the rolled pathiri on a hot griddle and cook on both sides on medium-high heat. Don't apply oil on griddle while making pathiri.

Serve these pathiri/akki roti with chicken curry/egg curry/vegetable kurma/tomato chutney.

Egg Curry

Kadala Curry

Puttu and kadala curry is one of the very famous breafast dishes in Kerala. 

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1. Black Chana/Kadala - 1 cup

2. Onion - 1

3. Garlic - 3 cloves

4. Green chilli - 1

5. Turmeric powder - 1/8 teaspoon

6. Red chilli powder - 1/4 teaspoon

7. Black pepper powder - 1 teaspoon

8. Coriander powder - 2 teaspoon

9. Garam masala powder - 1/4 teaspoon

10. Coconut - 1/2 cup grated

11. Curry leaves - few

12. Mustard seeds  - 1 teaspoon

13. Oil (preferably coconut oil) - 2 tablespoon

14. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak black chana in water for around 8 hours or overnight.

2. Wash the soaked chana and pressure cook for upto 5 whistles on medium heat. Add a pinch of salt while pressure cooking.

3. Heat a pan and dry roast the coconut on medium heat with continuous stirring. Roast until coconut is dark brown in color. Cool the coconut and grind it into smooth paste by adding little water. Keep the coconut paste aside.

  

4. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan and saute thinly sliced onion, crushed garlic and slit green chilli. Saute until onions turn soft and translucent. 

5. Reduce the heat to low and add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and pepper powder. Fry for a minute.

6. Add cooked black chana and water left over after boiling black chana. 

7. Check for salt. Allow the curry to boil for around 5 minutes.

8. Add ground coconut paste. Add little water to get the desired curry consistency. Cover and cook for around 15 minutes on medium heat. 

9. Add garam masala and turn off the heat.

10. In a small pan, heat a tablespoon of oil. Splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves. Transfer this tempering to the curry.

Delicous and spicy kadala curry is ready to serve. Serve with puttu or dosa.

Unniappam

Unniappam with baking soda

Unniappam is a very popular Kerala snack.

This unniappam recipe is one of the best of what I have tried and easiest as well. Make sure you use dark brown colored jaggery to get these golden colored unniappams. This can be made with or without baking soda and both the versions tastes equally good. Baking soda gives extra softness and fluffiness.

Unniappams tastes best when eaten the same day. They can be stored in air tight container for upto 5 days. Usually they tend to become little hard over time but reheating in a microwave makes them soft.

Unniappam without baking soda

Serving: Makes 35 unniappams

Ingredients:

1. Rice(Sona Masoori) - 1 cup

2. Jaggery grated- 1/2 cup 

3. Small banana/Cherupazham - 2

4. Cardamom - 1 pod

5. Wheat flour - 2 tablespoon

6. Baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon(optional)

7. Oil - for frying

8. Salt - a pinch

Method:

1. Soak rice in water for atleast 3 hours. 

2. Wash the soaked rice and grind it by adding 1/4 cup of water.

3. Add jaggery, bananas and cardamom to rice batter and grind again until all the ingredients are well combined. Transfer the contents into a bowl. 

4. Add wheat flour and a pinch of salt to rice batter and mix well. The batter must be thick. Thinner batter tends to absorb more oil.

5. Add baking soda and mix well. 

6. Heat oil in a unniappam pan on medium heat.

7. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the batter in each of the holes so that they are 3/4th full.

8. Turn and cook on both sides till they golden color.

Unniappam pan

Cherupazham/Small bananas

Small bananas are best for unniappam but other varieties like Cavendish/Robusta can also be used.

Blini | Russian Pancakes

This month's 'International Food Challenge' event takes us to Russia. Saraswathi gave us 3 dishes to choose namely: 

1. Medovik – Honey cake

2. Blini – Russian pancake

3. Russian Borscht – Soup with vegetarian and meat version

I chose Blini, a Russian Pancake. These pancakes are easy to make and are best suited for a quick breakfast. They are paper thin and tastes best when eaten warm. These can be served with jam.

Recipe Source: Russian Bites

Serving: Makes 8 pancakes

Ingredients: 
1. All purpose flour - 1 cup
2. Milk - 1 cup
3. Egg - 1
4. Sugar - 1 tablespoon
5. Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
6. Oil - 1 tablespoon + little for greasing the pan

Method:
1. Beat an egg and to this add milk, sugar, salt and 1 tablespoon of oil. Mix well.

2. Add all-purpose flour and mix thoroughly to avoid any lumps.

3. Keep the batter for resting for around 15 minutes.

4. To make pancakes, heat a non-stick skillet and spread few drops of oil for greasing the skillet.

5. Pour a ladleful of batter on the skillet and immediately spread the batter into a thin layer by rotating the skillet in circular motion.

6. Cook on both sides on medium-high heat.

Serve hot with your favorite jam.

Muskmelon Panakam | Muskmelon juice | Cantaloupe Juice

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Muskmelon/Cantaloupe - 1/2
2. Jaggery - 2 tablespoon or as per taste
3. Cardamom pod - 1
4. Water - 1/4 cup

Method:
1. Blend all the ingredients in a blender and serve.

This drink is served during Ramanavami. 

Eggless Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

Serving:

Makes 8 pancakes

Ingredients:

1. Whole Wheat Flour - 1 cup

2. Banana - 1 large

3. Baking powder - 2 teaspoon

4. Baking soda - 1/4 teaspoon

5. Milk - 1 cup

6. Yogurt - 1/4 cup

7. Honey - 2 tablespoon

8. Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon

9. Salt - 1/4 teaspoon

10. Maple syrup for serving

11. Butter for greasing pan

Method:

1. First we need to mix the dry ingredients. For this, sift baking powder, baking soda and salt into wheat flour and keep it aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together milk, yogurt, honey and vanilla extract.

3. To this add mashed banana and give it a good stir.

4. Finally add the dry ingredients and gently fold the batter. Do not over-mix the batter. Over-mixing will make the pancakes hard and dense.

5. Heat a non stick skillet on medium heat.

6. Pour a ladle full of batter and spread little to make a small circle. Apply little butter on surface and cook on both sides on low-medium heat.

Serve these pancakes with maple syrup.

Linking this recipe for Priya's "Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge". This month I paired up with Priya of Priya's Versatile Recipe who gave me Banana and Honey as my secret ingredients.

Chicken Fried Rice

Serves: 2 

Ingredients:

1. Rice - 1 cup ( I used long grain rice)

2. Cut mixed vegetables(mushroom, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, carrot) - 1 cup 

3. Onion finely chopped - 1

4. Oven roasted/pan fried Boneless Chicken cut into 1 inch pieces - 1 cup

5. Garlic - 3 pods

6. Green chilli finely chopped - 1 or as per spice level

7. Soy sauce - 1 tablespoon

8. Tomato ketchup - 1 tablespoon

9. Oil - 1 tablespoon

10. Salt to taste 

Method:

1. Wash and cook rice in 2 cups of water and keep it aside.

2. Heat oil in a wide pan. Add finely chopped garlic, green chilli and onion. Saute until onions are translucent.

3. Add mixed veggies and try on medium-high heat till the vegetables are cooked. 

4. Add oven roasted/pan fried chicken to this. 

5. Add soya sauce, tomato ketchup and salt. Mix thoroughly and saute for couple of minutes.

6. Add cooked rice and mix well. Allow it to simmer for 5 minutes and then turn off the heat.

Vellirikka Pachadi

Vellirikka is referred to as golden cucumber in English. Using vellirikka, we can make different kinds of  Kerala dishes like mooru curry, pachadi etc and it can be also added to avial and sambar.

Vellirikka/Golden Cucumber

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Vellirikka/Golden Cucumber- 1 small sized
2. Coconut grated - 1/2 cup
3. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
4. Green chilli - 1
5. Dried red chilli - 1
6. Curry leaves - few
7. Yogurt/Curd - 1/2 cup
8. Oil - 1 teaspoon
9. Salt to taste

Method:
1, Wash the cucumber, remove skin and seeds and cut into small pieces.

2. Add around 1/4 cup of water to cucumber and cook it along with slit green chilli and salt. Cook until cucumber becomes soft. Turn off the heat, transfer into serving bowl and allow it cool.

3. Grind coconut into a fine paste. Roughly crush 3/4 teaspoon of mustard seeds. Add this coconut paste, crushed mustard and yogurt to cucumber and mix thoroughly.

4. For seasoning, heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add dried red chilli and curry leaves. Transfer this seasoning to cucumber and serve.

Yellow Green Florets | Stir Fried Cauliflower and Broccoli

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Cauliflower florets - 1 cup

2. Broccoli florets - 1 cup

3. Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1/8 teaspoon (optional)

4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

5. Oil - 1 teaspoon

6. Salt to taste

Method:

1. First we need to blanch the cauliflower. For this boil around 2 cups of water. Add washed cauliflower florets, salt and turmeric powder. Turn off the flame. Cover and keep it for 3-5 minutes.

2. Then drain off the water completely and keep the cauliflower aside. 

3. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds.

4. Add washed broccoli florets, blanched cauliflower and sprinkle little salt. Turn the flame to high and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.

Colorful florets are ready to serve. 

Kappa Curry - Kerala Style

Ingredients:
1. Tapioca/Kappa/Yucca root - 2 cups cut into pieces
2. Onion - 1 small
3. Green chillies - 3 nos.
4. Ginger finely chopped - 1/2 tsp
5. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
6. Curry leaves - few
7. Coconut oil - 1 tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Remove the skin of tapioca and cut into small pieces. Wash and pressure cook with around 2 cups of water, turmeric powder and salt for 2 whistles.

2. Drain the water completely and keep tapioca pieces aside.

3. In a big pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds.

4. Add finely sliced onion, green chillies, chopped ginger and curry leaves. Saute until onions turn soft.

5. Add cooked tapioca and around 1 cup of water. Mash few tapioca pieces. Adjust the salt and cook for around 10 minutes.

Serve hot as a side dish for dosa. This curry thickens when it cools down. So while reheating, you might need to add little water and boil.

Rava Puliyogare

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Rava - 1 cup
2. Tamarind pulp thick - 1 tablespoon
3. Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
4. Asafoetida/hing - a pinch
5. Green Chilli - 1 (optional)
6. Dried red chilli - 1-2
7. Curry leaves - few
8. Peanuts - a handful
9. Urad dal split - 1/2 teaspoon
10. Chana dal - 1/2 teaspoon
11. Turmeric powder - 1/8 teaspoon
12. Rasam powder - 1 teaspoon
13. Jaggery grated - 1 teaspoon
14. Oil - 2 teaspoon
15. Salt - to taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat and splutter mustard seeds.

2.  Add peanuts and stir them till they start to brown.

3. Add asafoetida, turmeric powder, dried red chillies, curry leaves, urad dal, chana dal and slit green chilli. Fry until chana dal turns light brown in colour.

4. Add the tamarind pulp, jaggery and salt and allow it to simmer for couple of minutes.

5. Add rasam powder and stir thoroughly.

6. Add 2 cups of water and let it boil.

7. Add rava to boiling water and mix thoroughly.

8. Cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes until the rava is cooked well.

Rava puliyogare is ready. Serve with pickle and yogurt.

Papaya Milkshake

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Papaya - 1 cup diced

2. Milk - 1 cup

3. Maple Syrup - 2 tablespoon (can be substituted with sugar/honey)

Method:

1. Blend all the ingredients in a blender and serve.

Mango Pickle | Manga Achar

I am so excited to announce that this is my 100th post.

Mango Pickle or Manga Achaar, as it is known in Kerala is a mouth watering pickle. The sourness of mango, spiciness of chilli powder and the smell of vinegar gives this dish an unique flavor and make you eat this pickle for every meal, be it with rice, dosa, idli or chapathi.

Ingredients:

1. Raw Mango - 1 large sized (around 1 and 1/2 cup finely chopped)

2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

3. Red chilli powder - 1 1/2 tablespoon

4. Fenugreek powder - 1 pinch

5. Asafoetida - 1/8 teaspoon

6. Vinegar - 2 tablespoon

7. Salt - 1 teaspoon or as per taste

8. Oil (preferably gingelly/sesame oil) - 2 tablespoon

Method:

1. Wash and cut mango into very fine pieces.

2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.

3. Reduce the flame to low and then add asafoetida, fenugreek powder, red chilli powder and salt.

4. Turn off the flame immediately and add the cut mango pieces. 

5. Add vinegar and allow the pickle to cool completely. Store in a air tight glass container.

This mango pickle tastes best when eaten after 5-7 days once all the flavor blends together. 

Cheesy Egg Dosa

Serving: Makes 1 dosa

Ingredients:
1. Dosa batter - 1/4 cup
2. Egg - 1
3. Grated Mozzarella cheese - 1 tablespoon
4. Tomato ketchup - 1 teaspoon
5. Salt - 1 pinch
6. Pepper - 1/8 teaspoon
7. Oil - for greasing dosa

Method:
1. Heat a non stick griddle.

2. Pour a ladle full of batter on griddle and spread it evenly in circular motion to make thin, round dosa. Keep the heat on low-medium.

3. Grease the ends of dosa with little oil.

4. Break an egg at the center of dosa and add a pinch of salt and pepper to it. Using a spoon spread the egg all throughout the dosa.

5. Sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese and spread tomato ketchup.

6. Cook till ends of dosa starts to turn brown. Turn off the heat and roll the dosa like a pipe and cut into small bite sized pieces.

Linking this recipe to 'Healthy Diet Event', an event organized by Priya's Versatile Recipes and hosted by Anitha's Kitchen Diary.