CHICKEN ULARTHIYATHU - Spicy chicken dry fry with coconut slices

Chicken cooked with Authentic  Kerala spices and coconut slices.

Chicken ularthiyathu / Spicy chicken dry fry with coconut slices

How to make restaurant style Chicken ularthiyathu / chicken Olarthiyathu at home
Cooking time : 25min
Serves : 3 
Ingredients :

Chicken : 1/2kg

Turmeric Powder : 1/4tsp

Chilli Powder : 1/2tsp

Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp

Garam Masala : 1/4tsp

Vinegar / Lemon juice : 1tsp

Salt

Mix everything and marinate for 30min.

Chicken ularthiyathu / Spicy chicken dry fry with coconut slices

To saute :
 
Onion : 1 finely chopped
ginger : 1/2 inch piece
garlic : 4cloves
green chilly : 2 
Pepper corns : 1/2tsp
Fennel seeds (Perunjeerakam) : 1/4tsp 
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Chilly powder : 1/2tsp
Coriander powder : 1/2tsp
Garam Masala : 1/4tsp
Currry leaves : 2springs
coconut slices : 12 to 15
coconut oil : 1tbsp 
salt

Method :

1. Using a mixer, crush together pepper corns, fennel seeds, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and green chillies(should not make fine paste).

2. Heat oil in a kadai and add coconut slices. When it turns to light brown in color , add onion and saute till translucent. Now add the crushed ginger mixture and saute till you get a nice aroma. 

3. Now add the turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder and when it is roasted add marinated chicken pieces. Cover and and cook till the chicken pieces are tender. Adjust the salt and add garam masala. 

4. Serve hot with rice / Chappathi. 


Similar Recipes :

• Restaurant style Pepper chicken Dry roast
• Easy pressure cooker Chicken and Potato Masala
• Mutton Ularthiyathu
• Beef Ularthiyathu
  

Enjoy!!
Lena

THAI RED CURRY

Thai red Curry

How to make Thai Red curry with Tofu / Chicken / Shrimp at home
Cooking Time : 25min
Serves : 3 
Ingredients :

Tofu / Chicken / Prawns : 200g
Onion : 1/2
Zucchini : 1/2
Carrot : 1
Mushrooms : 5, halved
Blanched  / Steamed Broccoli : 4florets (Do not add broccoli before steaming  / blanching it as broccoli can dominate its flavor)
Thai Red Curry Paste : 1tbsp
Coconut Milk : 1/2 Can
Boiling Water : 1Cup
Ginger : 1/2 inch, Julienne 
Garlic : 2, Julienne
Basil leaves : 5, finely chopped
Coriander Leaves : handful, finely chopped
Fish Sauce : 1tsp (optional, i didn use)
Kaffir Lime Leaves : 2, or Lemon zest of 2 lemons
Lemon grass : 2stalks (if you are not using Lemon grass, add Lemon juice from half of a lemon after making the curry and boil for a minute)
Brown sugar : 1/2tbsp
Salt
Olive oil

Thai Red Curry

Directions :

1. Heat oil in kadai and saute Thai Red curry paste for 2minutes. Now add kaffir lime leaves, onion, garlic, ginger and lemon grass. 

2. If you are using chicken  / shrimp, add at this stage and cook till its 70% cooked. Now stir in coconut milk and boiling water.

Brown Rice and Thai Red Curry with Shrimp & vegetables

 3.  When chicken is completely cooked,  add the vegetables (If you are using Tofu, add now) and cook for few minutes(3-5minutes, they should be tender-crisp). 

4. Stir in coriander leaves, salt, sugar and basil leaves. Add sauce and adjust the salt if needed. Serve Thai red curry hot with Thai Jasmin rice / Thai sticky rice / cooked basmati rice / Brown rice.

Thai Red Curry

 Notes :

Yo can add 3tbsp of pineapple chunks to give natural sweetness to this dish.

Similar recipes :

• Thai Green Curry
• Thai Cucumber Salad

Enjoy!!
Lena

KAALAN - A Coimbatore Street Food with Mushroom

This is a very famous road side snack in Coimbatore which can be made with mushrooms or Cauliflower. I did my college from Coimbatore(2001 - 2008) and this was my  favorite snack at that time.  This can be served as a side dish with chappathi / roti. Don't confuse this dish with Authentic Kerala Sadhya Dish - Kalan which is a yogurt based curry.

 

Coimbatore Street Food - Kaalan Chat

After starting my blog in 2009, i tried to make Kaalan once. I followed the same 3 steps which that old street vendor in Coimbatore used to do. 1. Batter fry the mushrooms, 2. add some aromatic stock and 3. a final touch with onion and some spices. I followed like that  But still something was missing. Then i read online that nutmeg is the main ingredient in Kaalan which i never used. The lady who uploaded this tip (Ramya) got this information from a roadside Vendor who is making Kaalan for years. Hooray!!!! i got the secret ingredient, tried again with the new ingredient and Viola!! My favorite Kalan was ready in 20min. :). I dedicate this recipe to my biggest Kaaln Lover Nish (my sister) and my close friends Milsha, Sisira and Sunendra. Miss you gals :(

How to make Coimbatore street food Kalan at home

cooking time : 20min, Preparation time : 15min Serves : 3adults

Step 1 - Prepare the Stock :

2cups water or 16oz vegetable stock

Oil : 1tsp

Onion : 1/2

Dried  red chillies : 2

Turmeric Powder : 1/4tsp

Bay Leaf : 1

Ginger : 1/4inch piece

Garlic : 2cloves

Whole spices ( Coriander Seeds : 1/2tbsp, 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder , small piece of mace, A small stick of cinnamon, 1 cardamom, 1 cloves, 1/4tsp black pepper corns, 1/4tsp Cumin, 1/4tsp Fennel ) or you can add 1/2tsp Garam Masala plus nutmeg powder (Secret ingredient)

Salt 

Directions :  Add oil and add red chilies, whole spices, bay leaf and saute for one minute. Now add onion, ginger, garlic and saute till translucent. Add turmeric powder along with 4 cups of water / vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Now allow it to cool and drain. This is the base for your Kaalan. 

Step 2 - Prepare the Batter fried Mushrooms :

Button Mushroom : 16oz box / 570g, finely chopped

All Purpose Flour (Maida) : 1/2Cup

Cornflour : 1/4cup

Chilly powder : 1tsp 

Turmeric powder : 1/4tsp

Garam Masala : 1/2tsp

Grated ginger / Crushed Ginger : 1/2inch piece

Grated Garlic / Crushed Garlic : 3cloves

Red Food color

Egg : 1(optional)

Lemon juice / Vinegar : 1tsp

Salt

Oil : 2tbsp *

Directions : Mix all ingredients except oil and mushrooms in a wide bowl. Add 1tbsp water(or more if you are not using egg) and make a batter to fry the mushrooms. Now add the mushrooms and combine well. Heat oil in a non stick pan and deep fry them.(*I used 2tbsp oil and shallow fried the mushrooms by spreading in one layer). Drain the excess oil using paper towel.

step 3 - Prepare the final thick Kalan :

approximately 2 cups of drained  stock we prepared from step 1

Onion : 1, finely chopped

Green Chillies : 2 finely chopped

Red chilly powder : 1tsp

Garam Masala  / Eastern meat masala : 1tsp

Coriander leaves : 1/4cup, finely chopped

Salt 

Directions : 

1. Heat the same vessel from step 2 and add the fried mushrooms. Now add 1cup drained stock we prepared in step 1 and mix well with the mushrooms. Using the spatula stir continuously ad scramble the fried mushrooms. You should work quickly to separate the mushrooms and stir fry well. When the water is absorbed add the remaining 1cup stock and repeat the same process and your final result will be bite sized fried mushrooms with a soggy texture. Make sure your Kaalan is not dry. So Before the water evaporates, add remaining ingredients listed under Step 3 - and stir fry for one minute. Serve hot with some extra onions and coriander leaves on top.

Similar Recipes :

• Mushroom Butter Masala
• Chilly Muhroom
• Mushroom Piralan
• Pepper Mushroom stir fry

Enjoy,

Lena

KUMBALANGA PULINCURRY / Ash gourd in Tangy coconut gravy

Pulincurry / Pulingary is an Authentic Kerala Vegetarian recipe which is prepared with seasonal vegetables like Kumbalanga (Winter Melon) / Vellarikka (Golden Cucumber) / Chakkakkuru ( Jackfruit seed ) / Mahanga (Pumpkin) / Muringa (Drumstick) / Vazhuthananga (Brinjal) in a tangy coconut gravy.

Kumbalanga Pulincurry / Ash Gourd Curry / Ilavan Pulikari

Kumbalanga Pulincurry / Ilavan Pulincurry / Kumbalanga Curry / Kumbalanga Parippu Curry

Cooking time : 30min

Serves : 4

Ingredients :

Ash Gourd (Kumbalanga / Ilavan) : 250g / 2cups, cubed

Onion : 1/2, finely chopped / 3 small shallots

Ginger : 1/2inch piece finely chopped

Green chilly : 2, sliced

Garlic : 2cloves ,chopped

Toor Daal (thuvara parippu) : 1/2cup(See Notes)

Coconut milk : 1/4cup(optional) (See Notes)

Tamarind Pulp : 1tsp or extract from a small tamarind ball

Turmeric powder : 1/4tsp

Chilly powder : 1/2tsp

Dried red chillies : 2
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves : 1 spring

Oil

Salt

Directions :

1. Transfer washed Dal to a Pressure cooker along with turmeric powder, chilly powder, onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies and salt. cook with enough water for one whistle. 

2. When the pressure releases open the lid and add ilavan /kumbanlanga / Ash Gourd and cook till its done. (Note : Ilavan / Kumbalanga / Ash Gourd takes less than 5minutes to cook. So do not over cook it)

Kumbalanga Pulincurry / Ash Gourd Curry / Ilavan Pulikari

3. Now add the tamarind Extract and coconut milk and cook for few more minutes. Adjust the salt.

4. Heat oil in a tadka pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters add red chillies followed by curry leaves. Add this to Kumbalanga / Ilavan / Ash Gourd Pulincurry.

5. Authentic Kerala Ilavan / Kumbalanga / Ash Gourd Pulincurry is ready. serve hot with Rose matta rice.

Notes (Variations to this curry) : 

1. You can omit dal in this curry and make pulincurry with ilavan / Kumbalanga / Ash Gourd Alone

2. As i use maggy coconut milk powder to make coconut milk, i used the thick coconut milk in this recipe. if you are making homemade coconut milk, add second and third while boiing ilavan / kumbalanga and the thick coconut milk along with tamarind extract.
3. You can grind fresh coconut along with 1/2tsp cumin add in the pulincurry instead of using coconut milk.

4. Instead of Ash Gourd / Kumbalanga , You can use vellarikka / pappaya / pumpkin / Jackfruit to make a pulincurry.

Similar Recipes Using Kumbalanga / Ilavan / Ashguard: 

• Vellarikka Palu Curry
• Muringa Pulincurry
• Vendakka Pulincurry 
• Moru Curry

Enjoy,

Lena

PHIRNI

Phirni is a traditional North Indian dessert that is prepared with milk, rice, sugar and flavored with cardamom. The cooking method is similar to kheer / payasam, but phirni uses soaked and ground paste of basmati rice, which gives a unique texture to this popular Diwali / Navarathri dessert. If you are running out of time and looking for a short cut method to make Phirni, use rice flour instead of soaking and grinding the raw rice, But i prefer the traditional method.

Ghee-less / Butter-less dessert - Phirni

Recipe for Indian Milk Dessert Phirni 

Cooking time : 20min

Serves : 6 -7 small clay pots

Ingredients :

Basmati rice : 1/2cup
Milk : 4cups, i used 2% fat milk

Sugar : 1/2cup

Cardamom pods : 2, crushed or Cardamom Powder : 1/4tsp

Directions :

1. Clean and soak the rice in water for 1 hour. Drain using a seive and keep aside to dry. Now transfer it to the small bowl of mixer grinder and grind to a coarse powder, something like semolina in texture.

2. Now add 1/2 cup milk to the mixer, 2tbsp at a time and grind with rice. Transfer to a heavy bottom vessel and add remaining milk. 

Phirni - A simple milk dessert without ghee / butter

3. Heat in low - medium flame and stir continuously (Keep on stirring, otherwise the phirni will form into lumps). Once the phirni thickens, add sugar and combine well. When its almost done, add cardamom powder and boil for another 2 minitues. Tranfer to clay pots while it is hot and garnish with pistachios / almonds.

Notes :

If your Phirni is too thick, you can add  few tbsps of boiled milk and make a perfect phirni. 

BEST COCONUT COOKIES

These scrumptious coconut cookies are a cross between a coconut macaroon and a Coconut butter cookie.

Recipe for Chewy Coconut Cookies / Macaroon style Coconut Butter cookies
preparation Time : 30 mins,  Makes 36 Coconut cookies

Ingredients
 

Sweetened Shredded Coconut : 1 package / 5 1/3Cups / 14oz 

All Purpose Flour / Maida : 1 1/2Cups

Cold unsalted butter : 6tbsp, cut into small pieces

Granulated sugar : 3/4cup + 1tbsp
Salt : 1/2tsp 

Baking powder : 1/4tsp
Egg : 1 
Milk / cream / half and half : 1tbsp
Vanilla extract : 1 tsp 

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take 1 cup of  sweetened Shredded coconut and place it on a plate. Keep aside.

2. Place remaining coconut in a food processor/ mixer along with sugar, salt, and baking powder; process until finely ground. You have to work in batches. If you have a food processor , the entire mixing (step 2 and step 3) you can do in the food processor. other wise transfer the coconut sugar mixture to a wide bowl and add all purpose flour. Using a hand whisker / balloon whisker, combine both slowly.

3.  In a small bowl add egg, Vanilla extract and milk, combine well. Make a well in the center of flour coconut mixture and add the egg mixture. Now mix it with a fork / hand and then add cubed cold butter. Mix well using hand.  

4. Take lime-sized balls from the mixture and roll it on the sweetened coconut mixture on plate (step 1), and arrange on baking sheets 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly golden, 23 to 25 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

MINT / PUDINA CHICKEN

Chicken pieces cooked with a fresh green masala of Mint, Cilantro  and and other spices. It is a quick and easy to make chicken gravy recipe and goes well with appam / rose matta rice / pulao / chappathis / Kerala parotta / Naan. 

How to make the best Mint chicken / Pudina Chicken / Hara Chicken?

Preparation time : 30min

Serves : 3

Calories : 332cal per serving

Ingredients :

Chicken : 500g, small pieces with bones

Onion : 1 large, thinly sliced
Tomato : 1, medium sized, roughly chopped
Ginger : 1inch piece
Garlic : 5 cloves
Green chillies : 5 or 6
Cumin (jeerakam) : 3/4tsp 

Peppercorns : 1Tbsp
Chilly powder : 1/2tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Coriander powder : 1 1/2tsp
Garam Masala : 3/4tsp
Dried Red chillies : 2
Mint Leaves (Pudina): handful, chopped
Coriander leaves/ Cilantro (Malliyila) : handful, chopped
salt
Oil : 2 tbsp++

Directions for Kerala Restaurant Style  Mint / Pudina Chicken :

1. Wash and drain the chicken pieces using a colander.

2. Grind together garlic, ginger, black pepper, cumin, mint leaves, Coriander leaves and green chillies. Keep aside.

3. Heat oil in a Kadai or wide non-stick pan and add onions and saute till the onions turns to translucent. Now add the ground green pudina masala (step2) and stir fry for 2 to 4 minutes.

4. Add the coriander powder, chilly powder, turmeric powder and garam masala at this stage and fry for another minute. Now add the tomatoes and combine well. When it becomes soft, add the drained chicken pieces, salt and combine well. Cover the pan with a tight lid and cook for 20minutes in low flame. (Do not add water)

5. When the chicken pieces are cooked, turn the heat into medium flame and saute till you get a thick gravy. Adjust the salt  according to your taste.

6. Remove from flame and  Serve hot with naan / pulao / chappathi / appam.

SURFBOARD CAKE

I made this Surfboard theme cake for my husband's colleague as a surprise gift on her birthday. Its a butter cake with butter cream frosting. I made the sand using crushed graham crackers.