Sunday, January 23, 2022

Chemmeen Pacha thakkali Curry / Shrimp and Green tomato Curry / Recipes Using green Tomatoes

Even though its winter, my tomato plants were still producing 'sweet lady tomatoes'. I get harvest here and there, but not big harvests like Summer/fall. From 3kg a week , it reduced to  10 or 11 small tomatoes a week. So finally I decided to remove plants in order to keep the raised bed ready for this years planting. We harvested all red and green tomatoes, chopped and put the plants in compost, added more soil to raised bed along with Worm castings, and mulched with dried leaves. I was left with more than 5kg Green tomatoes. So amma gave this recipe and this was absolute heaven. Hereafter I will make shrimp curry only using this recipe. I used Kudampuli / gambooge in this recipe which is a type of tamarind we use in kerala to make fish curry. As a sour agent we use tamarind / tomato / lime juice / raw mango / ilumpan puli / kudampuli.  This is a best combination with rice, appam, kappa and bread.




Ingredients :

Shrimp : 10 large (I used Costco frozen shrimp)
Green tomatoes : 2 Cups chopped
Purple Onion : 1/2 of a large onion ( 1/3 Cup),chopped
Ginger : 1/2 inch piece, chopped
Green Chili : 2, chopped
Curry leaves : 2 springs
Turmeric Powder :1/4tsp
Chilly Powder : 1 1/4tsp
Coriander powder : 1/4tsp
Gambooge : 1 1/2 pieces
Coconut Oil : 1tsp
Coconut milk :1st, second and third extract from half coconut (I used 1 can of coconut milk)
Salt

Method :

1.  Soak gambooge in warm water for 15minutes and then clean under running water. Discard water too. 

2. In a clay pot, combine 1/2 can of coconut milk along with, 1/2 cup water,  Onion, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, green chilies, green tomatoes, turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, gambooge and salt.  Heat in medium flame.

3. When it boils add Shrimp and cook  in medium flame for 20 minutes. Adjust salt. 

4. When the gravy thickens, add remaining coconut milk and boil for 2 minutes. Add the coconut oil and cover the vessel with a lid. 

5. Serve hot with rice / appam / kappa :)

Similar recipes
Enjoy,
Lena

Sunday, January 16, 2022

Rithika's 12th Birthday - Teal cake

Turning 12 never tasted so sweet! ๐ŸŽ‰ Celebrating another delicious year with this heavenly vanilla cake topped with the fluffiest Swiss meringue buttercream. Here's to growing up and savoring life, one slice at a time! ๐Ÿฐ✨ 





Warmly,

Lena

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Mutta Pathiri/ Pola/ Muttayappam / Ottata using non-stick pan

 


เดฎുเดŸ്เดŸเดช്เดชเดค്เดคിเดฐിเดฏും เดšൂเดŸുเดณ്เดณ เด•ോเดดിเด•เดฑിเดฏും ... เด•േเตพเด•്เด•ാเตป เดคเดจ്เดจെ เดจเดฒ്เดฒ เดธുเด–เดฎിเดฒ്เดฒേ ... เดฎเตบเดšเดŸ്เดŸിเดฏിเตฝ เดšെเดฑുเดšൂเดŸിเตฝ เดšുเดŸ്เดŸെเดŸുเดคിเดฒ്เดฒെเด™്เด•ിเดฒും , เดŽเดจ്เดฑെ Non-stick pan เดฎുเดŸ്เดŸเดช്เดชเดค്เดคിเดฐി เดตീเดŸ്เดŸുเด•ാเตผเด•്เด•് เดชെเดฐുเดค്เดค് เด‡เดท്‌เดŸാเดฏി. The heat plays a big role when you make Malabar special Mutta Pathiri. You have to pour batter when the pan is hot , then lower the flame and wait till you get bubbles on top and then close the pan. I learned that trick after ruining 2 or 3 mutta pathiri this time ๐Ÿ˜ฌ.   

Ingredients 

Rice flour: 3/4 Cup

Hot water : 1 Cup

All purpose flour : 1 Cup 

Coconut milk : 1 cup ++


Egg : 2 lightly beaten


Baking powder : 1/2 tsp 


Salt : 1/2 tsp ++

Directions 

๐ŸŒผ Add boiling water to  rice flour and mix well.Keep aside and  allow it to cool.

๐ŸŒผ  In a mixer grinder, add 1 cup coconut milk , all purpose flour , eggs , baking soda , salt and the rice flour mix. Grind it into a smooth batter. Add more coconut milk if needed. Batter should not be thin( Iddli batter consistency). Keep the batter aside for 10 minutes to form bubbles on top.


๐ŸŒผ Heat a non stick pan In medium flame and add 1 scoop of the batter. Turn the heat to low, and wait until you see bubbles on top. Now you can close the pan with a lid. (First mutta pathiri will not form much bubbles)


๐ŸŒผ You can serve it with coconut milk and sugar or with any chicken/ mutton/ beef gravy. I served mutta pathiwith warm Kerala chicken stew this time.

Enjoy,

Lena 


Sunday, September 26, 2021

Homemade fig Jam



This post is so special to me. This jam is made from fresh figs from my neighbors backyard. I plucked each fig, cleaned, chopped , cooked and canned in 2 hours. This is the best jam I ever made too. Canning is very interesting if you do it right. The key to safe canning is two factors - acid and heat. Botulism simply can’t live in an acidic environment. The acid in jam comes from the fruit itself as well as added acid like lemon juice (some fruits are acidic enough on their own, but some need a bit of extra help in the form of lemon juice or other added acid).

Ingredients

30-40 Fresh Figs
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Honey
2Tbsp Lemon Juice (Juice from one lemon)



Directions


Step 1 : In a Dutch oven / wide nonstick pan add the cleaned and chopped figs(Do not add water) . Cook in low - medium flame for 15-20 minutes.

Step 2 : Add Sugar and honey and continue cooking. Mash them to break down into tiny chunks.

Step 3 : Cook till they are really thick. Add lemon juice , cook for a minute and turn off the flame.



Enjoy,
Lena