Chembu Asthram / Taro root curry

This is a coconut yogurt based curry with taro root. The name is kind of fancy, but the recipe is similar to kaalan.

Taro root / Chembu - 5 or 6

coconut - 3/4th cup(grated)

small onion - 3

cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

yogurt/curd - 1/2 cup

turmeric powder - a pinch

chilli powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp (depending on the heat)

salt to taste

Clean and cut taro root(chembu). While cleaning scrap off all the brown and green skin completely.

Take them in a vessel. Cover with water. Add turmeric,chilli powders and salt and let it cook well.

Grind together coconut,small onions and cumin seeds to a smooth paste.

Add yogurt into the ground mixture and add them to the cooked roots.

Keep the flame in lowest. Let it gently heat through.dont let it boil.

Season oil with mustard seeds,dry red chilli,chopped small onions and curry leaves and pour over the chembu curry. Done.

Turkey Rolls

This is a roll with some turkey and vegetable mix filling. You can replace it with chicken if you don't have some.

Cooked turkey - 1 cup (cubed)

Any mix of cooked vegetables -1/2 cup cut [ i used potatoes and snow peas]

Cream cheese - 2 or 3 tbsp

garam masala - 1/2 tsp

pre made crescent roll dough- 1 can [a can will have 8 pieces, you can find it in refrigerator section of supermarket]

Cook turkey and vegetables separately with salt.

In a pan, add them and garam masala and cream cheese. Mix it well and heat through.

Take out the crescent dough, open it up and cut up the triangles.

Arrange it in a baking sheet. Add a spoon of filling into each and wrap it over.

Bake in 375F for 12 - 15 minutes.

note: its an easy appetizer which you can vary with any filling of your choice.

Pazham Unniappam

This is a very easy evening snack. And it needs over ripe banana. So do not throw them away:)

Banana's are plentiful in kerala houses. So my grandma used to make this often.

Banana - 1 (nice ripe or over ripe)

sarkara / brown sugar cane- about 1/2 cup grated (add more if u like it more sweet)

APF or maida - 5 or 6 heaped tbsp

baking powder - 1/4 tsp

salt - a small pinch

oil -for frying

Peel banana and mash it well with a fork. Add grated brown sugar cane and mix well.

Add a pinch of salt and baking powder and mix.

Keep adding flour 1 tbsp at a time and mix.

Stop adding flour when the batter is not runny.

Not too thick not too loose.

Heat oil in medium low fire. Spoon batter into oil and deep fry.

It will only take a couple of minute.

Drain and enjoy.

konjum mangayum(dry shrimp mango curry)

This a nice kerala recipe with dry seafood which goes well with some steaming boiled rice.

Here in US we can get dry shrimp from kerala stores or korean stores like Hmart.

dry shrimp - 1 cup

raw mango - 1/2 (I used frozen, use 4 or 5 slices)

ginger - a small piece

small onion - 5 or 6

tomato - 1

green chilli - 1

coconut grated - 3/4 to 1 cup

cumin seeds -1/4 tsp

turmeric powder -1/4 tsp

chilli powder 1/2 tsp

mustard - 1/2 tsp

curry leaves - 1 or 2 sprigs

oil-2tsp

salt to taste

Wash and clean the dry shrimps. If its very salty type soak in water for a few minutes. Remove its head part and discard. we need only the body part.

Slice small onions, tomato, chilli, mango and ginger.

Cook the shrimp with all the above sliced ones and turmeric powder, chilli powder and some water. Let it the shrimp cook.

Grind together coconut and cumin seeds.

Add it to the cooked shrimp.

Add salt after checking for it. Because the dry shrimp will give out some salt.

Continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

Heat oil for seasoning. Add mustard and curry leaves. Pour over shrimp curry and mix.

Done.

Diamond Cuts

Its a simple snack from kerala. The dough is rolled out and cut into diamond shapes and hence the name.

All purpose flour or Maida - 2 cups

Sugar - 2 tbsp

salt - a small pinch

Egg - 1 (optional)

Black sesame seeds or Ellu - about 2 tsp

water - about 1 cup

Oil for frying.

Make a dough like you make for poori with flour,sugar,salt,ellu,water and egg if using. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

Roll it out nice and thin and cut into diamond shapes.

Deep fry in oil until nice and crisp. Keep the flame medium or less.
Be with it moving them around.

Strain,cool and keep in air tight container and enjoy..

To make a sweet version: after you make the diamond cuts, make a syrup with sugar and water, boil it until sticky, put the diamond cuts into it, coat them nicely and take it out and let them dry.

Cherry Delight Cake

This is a cherry flavoured chocolate cake which I made sometime back, just came across the picture now. So thought of posting it.

Its the same recipe as the strawberry delight cake which i have posted earlier. Substitute cherry for this cake where ever it was strawberry in that.

You can find that recipe here.

So use cherry Jello for flavouring and chopped cherries in between. I used the bottled maraschino cherries.

No much decoration here. I just slathered it with whipped cream and drizzled little melted chocolate and a few cherries for decoration. You can dress it up or down. This cake can even be looked up as a version of the all favourite black forest!

Vegetable Fried Rice

Vegetable fried rice is an easy way to sneak peak the vegetables in my house and can be easily made to go with any vegetarian or non vegetarian curry. Below one is just carrot and spring onions. Add any vegetables of your choice.

Basmati rice - 2 cups

Carrot - 2 medium

spring onion - 1 or 2 bunches.

vegetable stock or chicken stock - 2 cups

water - 2 cups

garam masala - 1/2 tsp

salt to taste

oil or ghee.

Make your own stock or use store bought. To make your own boil water with chopped onion,carrot and celery with salt and whole garam masala for about 45 minutes. Strain and use.

You can make a large batch and freeze it.

Soak the basmati rice for 15 minutes. Strain.

Thinly slice the vegetables.

To cook the rice add a couple of tsp of oil or ghee and fry the rice lightly.

Add 2 cups of stock and 2 cups of water. Check for salt.

Keep in high. When it boils reduce flame to medium.

When you see the water is almost gone and there will be holes on top of rice, mix it once and sim the flame. Switch off and keep it closed for some time.

In a wide pan, heat some oil, fry the sliced vegetables until well done.

Add salt necessary for the vegetables.

Add garam masala powder and saute.

Add the cooked rice and saute a couple of minutes with light hand.

Done.

Upperi or Banana Chips

Banana is rich in potassium. But beware banana chips has plenty of calories.

Raw Plantain - 5 [any number u wish to]

Turmeric powder

salt

oil for frying

Prepare the plantain by removing the peel of it. Make a long slit on the skin and push it gently with the knife to peel off the skin and wash in salt water.

Take a bowl with water and add a quarter teaspoon of turmeric powder.

Slice banana into thin rounds and drop them in the turmeric water for a few minutes.

Heat the oil for frying.

Mix a tablespoon of salt with a couple of tbsp of water and keep.

Pat the slices dry and deep fry in oil.

When its almost done sprinkle a few drops of salt water.

Once its fully crispy drain to a paper towel.

When it cools transfer to air tight container.Enjoy!

Inji Curry

Inji curry has a lot of variations in different parts of kerala and a must part of onasadhya.

Below is one of it. Its a savoury dish with different flavours of salt,sour,sweet and the star, pungent ginger in it.

Ginger - about 100 gms

Green chilli - 1

tamarind - a gooseberry size

chilli powder -1/2 to 1 tsp

turmeric powder -1/4 tsp

jaggery - 1 tbsp(powdered)

salt to taste

fenugreek seeds - 1tsp

rice - 1 tsp

oil to fry

mustard - 1/2 tsp

curry leaves - a sprig

dry red chilli - 1

Chop ginger and green chilli into fine pieces.

Soak tamarind and extract the pulp.

Dry fry fenugreek seeds and rice and grind it into a fine powder and keep.

Heat about 2 to 3 tbsp of oil. Splutter mustard, followed by curry leaves and dry red chilli.

Add the chopped ginger and green chilli and fry well until browned.

Keep sauteing it and be with it, because it will get burned easily.

When its nicely fried add chilli powder and turmeric powder and fry.

Add tamarind juice and salt. Let it boil for about 5 minutes.

Add jaggery and mix.

Finally add fenugreek and rice powder and keep stirring until slightly thickened.

Done.