Onam Special Ethakka Upperi (Kaya Varathathu)

Hello Folks,

Its already 1 week since we went through the Onam festivities, but still wishing all of you a very Happy Onam!!!

I am big fan of chips, and that too Banana & Jack fruit chips!!!!

I always get these snacks from the Indian store here, and got bored of eating the same thing again and again.......

So this was an attempt to make Kerala style Banana chips (Upperi) at home......

Started off with some googling and got hold of a very good recipe at

http://www.kothiyavunu.com/2010/01/ethakka-upperi-raw-banana-chips.html

I literally followed everything on that website, except for the time of frying, I cut short the recommended time of 8 min to 4 min, mainly because I had only 2 plantains(the recipe had 4).....here are a few pictures from my experiments........

By the by.:-)   .......Onashamsakal!!!     

Nettooran!!!!!!!!

Chemba Idiyappam

Today, was thinking of having Idiyappam.......so got hold of a "Nirapara" idiyappam podi packet and followed their instructions....here you go....

Add 3 cups of Chemba Idiyappam podi and salt to taste to 4 cups of boiling water. Mix it thoroughly and put off the stove. When the mixture is cool, knead with hands to make it soft. Further, use a tradiational Idiyappam squeezer to make spiral shaped cakes in a steamer. Steam them for about 10 minutes...thats it....Idiyappam ready!!!!

Happy Holidays!!!

Rocky

Walnut Semya Paayasam

This was an instant reaction on seeing the Bambino Vermicelli packet sitting on top of my refrigerator:-)

I just followed the recipe on the pack, which is as follows:

Fry about 180 gms of Vermicelli in Ghee until it turns golden brown. Then fry cashewnuts in ghee as well to be used later on. As the title says, instead of cashews, I used dry Walnuts, did not fry it.

Now, in a separate pan, boil about 1 litre milk and mix with the fried Vermicelli for 2 minutes. Finally add Saffron, Sugar, Cardamom, Dry Walnuts (Cashews) & Raisins.

Paayasam ready:-)

Chicken Shawarma at Home

Its almost 1 year since we posted here.

I thought of doing a comeback by posting one of my favorite Lebanese/Greek dish Chicken Shawarma, which is of course an exact replica from the website "The Shiksa.com".

http://theshiksa.com/2012/08/15/chicken-shawarma/

I hope this healthy Chicken Shawarma will entertain your taste buds:-)

I hope to have more recipe try-outs coming up for the next couple of months.......cooking is my daily bread these days............apart from skyping in the evenings with my family in Kerala!!!!

Enjoy!!!!!!!

Rocky

Jerk Chicken

Shared by one of my colleagues,I  had a bite and was extreeeemely delicious !!!


This spicy Caribbean dish is flavored with allspice, soy sauce, and sugar. It’s best grilled over hardwood charcoal with the addition of pimento wood chips.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup lime juice

4 tbsp. dark brown sugar

2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp. dried thyme

2 tbsp. soy sauce

4 tsp. ground allspice

8 cloves garlic

8 habanero chiles, stemmed

8 scallions, roughly chopped

2 shallots, roughly chopped

1  1" piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 whole skin-on, bone-in chicken legs and thighs

1. Combine the oil, lime juice, sugar, vinegar, thyme, soy sauce, allspice, garlic, chiles, scallions, shallots, ginger, and salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Place chicken in a 9" x 13" baking dish and pour marinade over it; massage marinade into chicken, making sure to push it under the skin. Cover chicken with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. 

2. Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Alternatively, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Place chicken on grill over direct heat and cook, turning occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to indirect heat, or reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes. To serve, transfer chicken to a plate. 


Enjoy

- H

Vazhakka thoran with Spicy Fish curry

Here is a recipe from Asha's (my Mother in law) curry house.

Today's recipe is a variant on the common "kappa and meen curry" combination typical in any malayalee's home. In places where its not easy to get hold of good tapioca/yucca root  a suitable substitute can be found by using raw plantains. Here is the recipe for this alternative that's  equally enjoyable.

Ingredients for Vazhakka thoran: (Serves 10)

Raw plantain - 4  (Peel the plantain and cut into uniform cube shaped pieces)

For seasoning:

Mustard seed - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal - 1tsp

Whole Red chilly - a few

Curry leaves - one stalk

For grinding:

Shredded Coconut - 1.5 cup

Cumin seeds /Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Garlic - 2 cloves

Red chilly powder - 3/4tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

In a vessel heat approximately 2 tbsp of coconut oil and add the ingredients listed under seasoning. Next, add the cube shaped plantain pieces tailing with about 1.5 cups of water. Make sure this step is done under medium flame and preferably cooked in a closed vessel for about 5-7 minutes. Once the plantain has been well-cooked add the ground ingredients to the pan, mix well and switch off the flame. 

Ingredients for Fish curry 

Salmon - 1/2 kg

Fish masala - 5 tbsp

Green chilly (chopped) - 5

Shallots - 6

Garlic - 1 whole

Ginger - 2 1" pieces

Gamboge/kudampuli - 6

Curry leaves - 2 stalks

Oil - 3tbsp

Add oil into a heated pan along with curry leaves. Subsequently add chopped shallots, garlic, ginger and chilly and saute with a little salt for about five minutes. Next add the fish masala and continue sauteing till the raw smell of the masala is gone. Add approximately 5 cups of water to the ingredients in the pan and add the gamboge (kudam puli) and allow this mixture to boil for 5 minutes. Lastly add the fish pieces to the pan and cook till the fish is well cooked. Do not forget to check for salt and add if necessary before switching off the flame.

Enjoy !!!

Happy Easter

On this very special day of love, peace and reunion, let us submit ourselves to God Almighty and Thank Him for all the grace showered upon us!!!!

Wishing all of You A Happy & Prosperous Easter!!!


Let the Easter festivities begin with a fresh and steaming Appam and Nadan isthyle Chicken curry straight away from the kitchen



luv & prayers

Majboori Brothers