Rasgulla

When I was small I remember eating rasgulla's from a can.
I think that's how south Indians first had a taste of this sweet from Bengal or Odisha.
There are different variations in making them. This is relatively an easy way to make it.




Ingredients

milk - 1 ltr
lime juice - 1 to 2 tbp
sugar- 2 cups
water - 4 cups

Boil milk.
Add lime juice little by little and keep mixing it gently.
The milk will curdle and greenish water can be seen separating.
Stop adding lime juice at this point.
Strain it into a kitchen towel or cheese cloth with a sieve below it.
Wash it under cool running water.
Now squeeze it together and tie it and hang it for an hour.




After that take it and knead it.
Make small balls out of it. You should not see any cracks on the balls.

Boil water with sugar and add the balls into it. They will expand, so keep a wide pan.
Let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes until it becomes fluffy.
Or you can keep in pressure pan and cook it for a whistle.




Cool then and keep it in refrigerator for a couple of hours and enjoy.

For the Picky Eaters Out there.

Moms will have a tough time feeding the picky eaters.. Kids love variety , colours, shapes etc.. So at my home these are some tricks to put in the vegetables without any fight. Dont panic seeing the colours.. Its all from the vegetables..
You can puree the vegetables and add them to dosas,chapathis and rice. A few of them I will add below. You can try out any combination coming into your imagination.


Green Dosa

Dosa batter &
Green leaves of any kind.

Clean and rough chop the greens. Saute in a pan for a couple of minutes with a pinch of salt and turmeric. You dont have to add any oil.
Grind it well and mix into the dosa batter. Make dosas and serve!!!

Beetroot Chapathi

Atta
Beetroot

Clean and cut beetroot into cubes. Cook it by adding water and a pinch of salt and turmeric.
Grind them and add it to atta. Knead chapathi dough as usual; adding more water if required.
Roll out and make chapathis as usual. Enjoy with your favourite curry.

Beetroot rice

Rice - 1 cup
Beetroot - 1 medium size
curry powder - 1 tsp
garam masala - 1/2 tsp
curry leaves
coriander leaves
mustard
salt
oil


Clean and cut the beetroot into cubes and cook them with a little water.
In a pressure cooker, add a little oil, splutter mustard and curry leaves.
Add the beetroot puree, curry powder and garam masala and saute for a couple of minutes.
Add washed and soaked rice. Add about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of water and salt.
Pressure cook till rice is done. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Ready!!!

Fish Molee

Fish Molee is another favourite dish from Kerala made in a coconut milk sauce.



It is the same as stew preparation, except that fish is the main ingredient.
Chicken stew recipe is already in the blog.
Just substitute chicken with fish and reduce the cooking time as fish cooks faster.

Delicious fish molee will be ready.

Red rice

Red rice is high in fiber. As the bran is in tact it has a more nutty flavour.
It would be good if you can include this in your diet at times.


The cooked one looks like this.


You can use it like any other rice.
It has a chewy texture. It goes good in salads also.

Netholli Thoran

Small fishes are good for making thoran which is an easy dry preparation with fish and coconut.



Ingredients :
Netholli - 1/2 kg
small onion - a handful
ginger - 1 inch piece
garlic - 6 or 7
kudampuli - 2 or 3 pieces soaked in water
coconut - 1/2 to 1 cup
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
green chilli - 2 or 3 (add more or less according to spice level)
salt to taste
coconut oil - 2 tsp
curry leaves - 1 sprig.

Method:

Clean the fish and keep them in a pan which you are going to cook it.
Add chopped ginger, garlic, small onions, green chilli, turmeric powder,kudampuli, salt and curry leaves and mix it well preferably with hand.
Add half a cup of water and cook it in medium low flame for about 10 minutes.
Finish by adding 2 tsp of coconut oil over it.
Done.

[ You can add more coconut if you wish, I use a little less indeed.]

Karaikudi Style Crab masala

If you like crabs, I would say this is a must try recipe.. Its really yummy....

Crab - 1 kg
onion - 1 chopped fine
tomato - 1 chopped fine
ginger and garlic - finely chopped - 1 tsp each

whole garam masala - 2 pieces of each
turmeric powder - 1 tsp
chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
coriander powder - 2 tsp
curry leaves - a sprig
tamarind - pulp from a small gooseberry size
oil
salt to taste


To grind:
coconut - 1/2 cup
cumin - 1 tsp
fennel seeds - 1 tsp
pepper corns - 2 tsp
kas kas - 1 tsp

Clean and cut the crabs.
Heat oil, add whole garam masala, curry leaves, ginger, garlic and onion.
Saute well. Add tomato and saute nicely.
Add turmeric,chilli and coriander powder and saute very well.
Now add the crab pieces and saute for a couple of minutes.
Add 1 cup of water and let it cook for 5 to 8 minutes.
Add tamarind pulp and cook for a couple of minutes.
Now add the ground coconut paste and simmer for 10 minutes.
Done.enjoy!!!

Chicken Stew

Chicken - 1/2 kg
potato - 2 nos medium size

coconut milk - 1st and 2nd milk extracted from 1/2 of a coconut grated

green chilli - 3 or 4
ginger - a small piece
garlic- 3 or 4[according to your spice level]
onion - 1
whole garam masala - 2 or 3 pieces of each
curry leaves - a sprig
oil
salt to taste

Heat a couple of tablespoon of oil in a pan.
Add whole garam masala followed by curry leaves.
Add sliced ginger,garlic, green chilli and onion and saute nicely.
Now add the cubed potato pieces and saute for a minute.
Now add the chicken pieces and saute for a couple of minutes.
Add the 2nd coconut milk and salt. Add more water if required.
Let it cook for 15 minutes or pressure cook for 2 whistles.
Now open the pan add 1st coconut milk and simmer for 2 minutes.
Done. Serve hot with palappam,vallappam or idiappam.

Chicken Kurma

 Chicken kurma is a coconut based gravy dish which will go well with ghee rice,appam,idiyappam etc.

Chicken - 1 lb or 1/2 kg
whole garam masala - 2 or 3 pieces of each
onion - 2 chopped
ginger and garlic - 1 tbsp (crushed or paste)
green chilly - 2 or 3 (add according to your spice level)
curry leaves - 2 sprigs
coconut grated - 1 cup
cashew nuts - about 15
coriander powder - 1 tsp
pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
curd - 1/4 cup
oil - 2 tbsp
mustard seeds
salt to taste

Grind coconut and cashew nuts into a fine paste.
Heat oil, add the whole garam masala followed by mustard seeds.
When it splutters, add curry leaves, onion, green chillies,  ginger and garlic. Saute until slightly browned.
Add cut up chicken and saute for a couple of minutes.
Add coconut paste, followed by coriander powder, pepper powder and curd. Mix well.
Now add salt to taste. Add a cup or so of  water also.
Cook for about 20 minutes until chicken is cooked and gravy thickens.
Done.

Almost Goan Style Fish Curry

Fish of your choice - 1 lb or 1/2 kg


coconut grated - 1 to 1 1/2 cup
small onion - 1/2 cup
ginger - 1 inch piece
garlic - 3 or 4
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
chilli powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp
coriander powder - 1 tsp
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
tamarind - a small gooseberry size

oil
mustard
curry leaves
salt to taste

Clean and cut fish.
Grind together coconut ,small onion, ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin seeds and tamarind.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil, splutter mustard, add curry leaves.
Add the ground paste and a little water, add salt and let it boil nicely.
Now add the fish and let them cook in it for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Done.