Prawns Masala Fry

   INGREDIENTS

1. Tiger prawns (cleaned and deveined)– 1 lbs
2. Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
3. Chilly powder – 1 tbsp
   Pepper powder – 1tsp
   Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
4. Oil – 1tsp
5. Vinegar/Lemon Juice – 1 tsp
6. Curry leaves and cilantro – chopped
7. Oil – for frying ( I prefer coconut oil)
   Salt as needed

 Method of Preperation

1.Mix all the the ingredients from 1-6 together in a bowl .keep this for 1 hr.

2.Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry it for 6-7 minutes. Don't  fry  for long, the prawns will become hard
Serve with Rice

Cheerathandu (Red Spinach Stem) Theeyal

Ingredients

1. Cheerathandu (Red spinach stem) -2  cups cut into small peices
2. Coconut 1/2 grated
3. Dry chilly 5 to 6
4. Shallots 4 to 5
5. Garlic 4 to 5
6. Chilly 3 to 4
7. Tamarind paste 2 tbsp
8. Turmeric pdr 1/2 tsp
9. Corriander pdr 1 tsp
10. Chilly powder 2 tsp
11. Curry leaves
12. Mustard
13. Salt and oil(I prefer coconut oil) as needed

Method of Preperation

1. Add sliced shallots, green chilly, curry leaves, salt and water into cheerathandu  and cook well. Keep it aside.

2.Roast together grated coconut, finely sliced shallots, garlic, dry chilly and curry leaves well till it turns golden brown color.

3.Reduce the heat and add chilly, turmeric and corriander powder into the roasted coconut and mix well. Stir it for 5 minutes.

4.Grind it well into a thick paste

5.Add this grounded paste and tamarind juice  into cooked cheerathandu mix . Boil it for few minutes.  Remove it from heat. Season it with mustard, shallots ,dry chilly and curry leaves.

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Ingredients:

   For Marinade

1. 1 cup fresh yogurt
2. 1 cup finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
3. 2 tbsps ginger paste
4. 3 tbsps garlic paste
5. 3-4 tbsps garam masala
6. cumin powder-2 tsp
7. 6 peppercorns
8. Kasoori Methi powder-1 tbsp
9. 3 tbsps lemon juice
10. 3 pounds chicken (breast or thigh) skinless and cut into pieces

            For the gravy:

1. 2 medium-sized onions finely chopped
2. Jalapenos -3 finely chopped
3. 6 cloves garlic chopped fine
4. 5 pods cardamom
5.  6 medium-sized fresh tomatoes chopped fine or grind
6. 2 tbsps garam masala
7. 1 cup heavy  cream
8. 3 tbsps cashew blanched and ground to a paste
9. 3 tbsps butter
10. Salt to taste

                 Preparation:

1. 1. Grind the chopped coriander (keep some aside for garnishing) and all other marinade ingredients (except yoghurt) to a smooth paste in a food processor.
   2. Pour the above mix into a large bowl and add yoghurt. Mix well. Add the chicken pieces and mix well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate. Allow to marinate overnight.
   3.  Cook the chicken in a pan or grill in high heat for 10 minutes each side
   
   
   To make the gravy/ sauce:
   1. Heat the butter in a deep pan on a medium flame and add the onion and jalpenos. Now add the cardamom and the garlic. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
   2. Add the garam masala, cumin powder. Cook till the tomatoes(grind the tomatos if u want) are soft and a thick paste forms.
   3. Add the grilled Chicken Tikkas (chunks/ pieces) and stir and add kasoori methi powder,grinded cashew. Cook for 10 minutes.
   4. Add the cream and mix well. Turn off the flame.
   5. Garnish the dish with chopped coriander leaves

Fish Pollichethe(in plantain leaves)

Ingredients
1. 1 kg pomfret, Pearlspot(karimeen)

For the marinade
1.  pepper powder -1tsp
2.  turmeric powder-1tsp

3.ginger-garlic paste-1 tbsp
4. Salt to taste

For the masala paste and gravy

1. Shallots(kunjulli)-sliced 1 cup and onion sliced -1
2 Garlic cloves-10
3. green chillies, slit -3
4.Ginger-1 inch(chopped)
5.  mustard seeds -1tsp
6. 1 cup thick coconut milk
7.Curry leaves
8.Fish masala-2 tbsp which I used eastern masala

Method of preperation
1. Clean fish . If using whole fish, make gashes on both sides.
2. Rub the fish well with pepper powder, turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste and salt. Marinate for 1 hour.
3. Mix the fishmasala with ttle water to make masala paste.
4. In a pan, heat 2 tp oil and saute  onions,shallots, garlic, ginger,green chillies and curry leaves. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
5. Fry the fish lightly in the same oil and keep aside.
6. Add 1 tbsp of oil(I prefer coconut oil). Splutter mustard seeds. Add the masala paste and saute until the masal seperates from oil
7. Add fish and coconut milk.

8. Add sauted onions, garlic,ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Simmer on low heat until fish is coated with gravy.
9. Wrap each fish in a piece of plantain leaf . Tie securely and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Kozhuva(Anchovy) pattichethe

Ingredients

Kozhuva / anchovies - 1 lbs cleaned

 kudam puli - 2 pieces

Soak two pieces of Kokkum (one used in fish curries/ kudampuli) in 1 cup of warm water

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Small onions/shallots - 6 nos

Green chillies - 2

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece (peeled)

Curry leaves

Method of cooking

In a Fish pot(clay pot/meenchatti), add the fish, chilly powder, turmeric powder, the tamarind water, salt to taste, 3-4 curry leaves .Lightly crush twice in a food processor , grated coconut, small onions, ginger,  and green  chillies. Add this to the fish.and mix well .keep on low fire and cook till all the water evaporatesAdd 2 tsps coconut oil and 1 pinch fenugreek(uluva) powder and mix well remove from flame.

Kappa(Tapioca) Biriyani

Ingredients

1. Tapioca (Peeled and Cubed into pieces) – 4 lbs
2. Beef  with bone(Ribs) – 2 lbs
3. Salt – to taste

 Method of preperation (beef)

1. Diced Shallots (Kunjulli) – 10
2. Minced Garlic – 5 or 6 cloves
3. Minced Ginger – 2 tbsp
4. Slit Green Chillies – 2
5. garam masala – 1 tbsp
6. Meat Masala Powder – 2 tbsp ( Eastern Meat Masala )
7. Red Chilly Powder – 1 tbsp
8. Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp
9. Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
10. Pepper Powder – 1 tsp
11. Curry Leaves – A sprig
12. Salt – to taste

For Boiling Tapioca

1. Salt – to taste
2. Turmeric – A pinch
3. Water- As needed
4. Coconut -1/2 cup grind with 1 clove of garlic.

For Dry Roasting and Grinding

1. Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp
2. Chilly Powder – 1 tbsp
3. Meat Masala Powder – 1 tbsp
4. Garam Masala Powder – 2 tsp
5. Shallots (Kunjulli) – 6
6. Curry Leaves – A sprig
7. Garlic – 3 or 4 cloves

Preparation Method

1. Wash the beef thoroughly and drain all water.
2. Marinate the beef with all the above first  ingredients and keep it aside for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, boil the tapioca pieces along with salt and a pinch of turmeric until tender. Be careful not to overcook the tapioca.
4. Drain the water and Add grinded coconut and keep aside keep the tapioca pieces aside.
5. Cook the marinated beef with 1/2 cup water.  The cooking time varies depending on the beef used.  .
6. Reduce heat and add coriander powder, chilly powder and garam masala powder. Fry for 2 minutes.
7. Grind all the dry roasted items with very little water to form a thick paste.
8. Add the cooked tapioca pieces to the same pan,
9. Take around 1/2 to 1 cup of gravy from the cooked beef and add it to the pan. Mix everything lightly. Add more salt if needed.
10. Cover and cook on medium low heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
11. If you feel the dish is dry, add more gravy from the cooked beef .
12. After ten minutes, remove lid and mix everything thoroughly. Be careful not to fully mash all the pieces. The dish should have some chunks of tapioca and beef ribs
13. Garnish with fried Onions and curry leaves

Prawns(Chemeen) Easy roast

Ingredients
Prawns -1 pound(cleaned)
Onions -2
Ginger & Garlic paste-2 tsp
Greenchilly -3
Curryleaves and coriander leaves.as reqd
tomato-1 cut into small cubes
Vinegar 1 tbsp
Thick Coconut milk -4 tbsp
Fishmasala-2 tbsp
Method of cooking
1.saute Onion sliced ,ginger garlic paste and greenchilly very well in coconut oil(2 tbsp)
2.Saute  Fishmasala into the onion mix
3.When masala seperates from oil add tomato pieces and vinegar
4.Add Prawns and salt as reqd  cook well.

5.When the gravy get very thick add cocunut milk and coriander leaves and mix well

6.Remove from stove and garnish with curry leaves

NB .Fish masala which I used was Eastern fishmasala But be careful it is more spicy