Kerala Chicken Curry (New recipe)

Kerala Chicken Curry (New recipe) – This type of  Spicy Chicken curry is popular in almost all the restaurants and fast food joints in Kerala. A quick recipe without coconut paste, ginger – garlic paste and coconut milk. Best with Kerala parotta / Chapati / Phulkas / Pulao / Rice …

Serves: 4 – 5

Ingredients

For the spice paste:

2 ½ teaspoon red chilli powder (or 1 1/2 teaspoon to 2 teaspoon - less spice)

½ teaspoon pepper powder

4 teaspoon coriander powder (or 3 teaspoon for less spice)

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon garam masala powder (or mix  ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder, ¼ teaspoon nut meg powder and ¼ teaspoon clove powder (these spice powder available separately in super markets). No need to buy chicken masala of leading brands.

¼ cup (50 ml) water

Dilute spice powders in  50 ml  water and make a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Ingredients

For  chicken:

1 kg chicken, cut into medium pieces

1  teaspoon salt

½  teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

Wash and clean chicken pieces. Drain out water thoroughly. In a wide bowl, marinate chicken  pieces with turmeric powder, red chilli powder  and salt. Cover and keep aside for half an hour.

Other ingredients

3 tablespoon oil (45 ml)

4 big size onion, finely sliced

15 garlic cloves, sliced

1 – inch piece ginger, finely sliced

12 curry leaves

4 tomatoes, sliced

Spice paste

Marinated chicken pieces

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Method

Heat oil in a wide karahi / uruli / or any other pan on a medium heat. Add sliced onions and fry light golden in color (color change from pink to light golden). It may take 20 – 22 minutes.

Add sliced ginger, garlic and curry leaves. Fry for 5 minutes on a medium to low heat.

Add sliced tomatoes and fry for 5 minutes.

Add diluted spice paste and stir well on  a low heat for 5 – 7 minutes until the water dries up and raw smell disappears.

Add marinated chicken pieces and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients well. Do not add water for cooking. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a medium to low heat for 30 – 35 minutes until chicken pieces well cooked. Final gravy may be ½ cup. Open lid and stir continuously for 10 – 12 minutes until the gravy thickens / well coated on chicken pieces / fragrant. Serve with Kerala parotta / rotis  / pulao  / brown bread  / appam ..

Lamb Curry / Mutton Curry (with jeera paste)

Lamb  Curry / Mutton Curry (with jeera paste) - A delicious lamb curry, made of jeera (cumin seeds), shallot – ginger – garlic paste and other Indian spices. Best with rice / pulao / parathas / rotis …

Serves: 3

Ingredients

For the lamb (mutton):

600 g lamb pieces (net weight after cleaning), cut into medium size

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vinegar

Wash and clean lamb pieces. Drain out water thoroughly. In a bowl, marinate lamb pieces evenly with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, vinegar  and salt. Cover and keep aside for half an hour.

For the spice paste (masala):

1 ½ teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

1 teaspoon fennel seeds (perumjeerakam)

10 dried red chillies, halved

20 peppercorns

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

10 shallots (chuvannulli / small onion)

10 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon ginger, chopped

2 tablespoon water

Make a fine paste of above ingredients in a small mixer bowl with 2 tablespoon water. Keep aside.

Other ingredients

2 tablespoon oil

3 big onions, thinly sliced

10 curry leaves

Spice paste

2 tomatoes, chopped (optional)

Marinated  lamb

200 ml / 1cup water

¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves (optional)

Method

In a wide pan or karahi,  heat oil on a medium heat.  Add thinly sliced onions and fry till golden  color. Add curry leaves and fry for 2 minutes.

Add spice paste and stir well on a medium to low heat for 5 – 8 minutes until the raw smell goes and well combined with onions.

Add cubed tomatoes  (optional) and stir well for 2 minutes.

Add marinated lamb pieces, 1 cup water (200 ml), and adjust salt to taste (or 3/4 teaspoon). Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a medium to low heat for  40 - 45 minutes or until done / lamb pieces well cooked /  gravy thickens.

Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves (optional) and serve with rice / pulao / naan / rotis / rumali roti …

Potato Humman

Potato Humman  / Kukka Humman - Kook is potato in  Cochin GSB Konkani. A tasty main curry goes well with Idli / Dosa / Rotis / Puris ... No added onion and garlic.

Serves: 3 - 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

2 well ripe tomatoes, chopped

3/4 teaspoon red chilli powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

¼ teaspoon hing (asafoetida)

3 medium size potatoes, boiled separately and mashed

3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

200 ml (1 cup) water (Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity

Method

Dilute red chilli powder, turmeric powder and hing in 2 tablespoon water and keep aside (spice mix).

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add jeera and fry on a low heat for 30 seconds.

Add chopped tomatoes and gently stir well for 2 minutes.

Add  diluted spice mix and stir well on a low heat for 1 minute until the water dries up.

Add  separately boiled potatoes,  salt to taste and 1 cup (200 ml) water. Mix all the ingredients well.

Cover with a lid and cook on a medium to low heat for 10 – 12 minutes until the gravy thickens / tomatoes well combined with potatoes / fragrant. Serve with dosa / idli / puri / chapatti ..

Onion Rice

Onion Rice – A delicious  & quick rice preparation,  made of minimum ingredients. Best with veg or non veg  gravy dishes or Chinese  dishes. 

Serves: 2 – 3

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil / ghee

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cups / 400 ml cooked  and cooled rice (Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity)

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Method

Heat oil in a pan / karahi on medium heat. Add chopped onions and fry until deep pink color.

Add cooked and cooled rice and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 8 minutes. Open the lid and stir well continuously for 2 minute. Serve hot.

Vegetable Stew

Vegetable stew - Best with Appam / Idiyappam !!

Serves: 3

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

3 green chillies, slit lengthwise (3 big size or 4 small size green chillies)

1 - inch piece ginger, finely sliced

10 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1 spring curry leaves (6 nos)

2 onions, cut into ¼ - inch cubes and separate each layer

2 potatoes, medium size, cut into ¼ - inch cubes

225 ml / 1 1/4 cup thin coconut milk (Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity)

3/4 teaspoon salt

50 – 75 ml (less than ½ cup) thick coconut milk

Method

In a wide pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil on a medium heat.

Add green chilli, curry leaves,  garlic, sliced ginger and onion. Saute for 2 - 3 minutes on a medium heat till onions are light pink in color.

Add potato cubes, salt to taste and thin coconut milk. Mix all the ingredients well.

Cover with a tight lid and cook on a medium to low heat for 15 minutes or until done / potatoes well cooked. Switch off the heat. Finally, mix with 50 – 75 ml thick coconut milk (do not boil again). Serve with appam / idiyappam …

Besan - Whole Wheat Parathas

Besan – Whole wheat  Parathas - A delicious parathas, best with pickles, curd .

.

Makes: 8

Ingredients

Please use same measuring cup to measure wholewheat , besan (grasm flour) and water.

1 cup / 200 ml wholewheat (atta) Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity

½ cup 950 ml)  besan (gram flour), sieve gram flour)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

¼ teaspoon amchur powder (dried mango powder)

2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (or  a mix of mint and coriander leaves)

¾ cup water (depending upon the texture of the whole wheat and besan – ½ to ¾ cup + 1 – 2 tablespoon)

6 – 8 teaspoon ghee / oil

 Method

In a wide bowl, mix all the ingredients except the water and oil.

Add the water little at a time (first start with 1/2 cup water and later adjust with 1 – 3 tablespoon water) and make a soft dough like chapatti dough.  Cover and keep aside for half an hour. Divide the dough into 8  equal portions / balls.

These recipe steps are adapted from ‘’ Rotis and Naans by Purobi Babbar”

Roll out into thin chapatis of  5 - inch diameter with the help of a dry flour.

Now smear a little ghee, with a spoon on the roti (the upper surface only) and fold it over into a semi circle.

Smear some more ghee over the upper surface and fold it the second time. Double fold it length ways press it gently with fingers and roll into a round circle making the edges thinner than centre.

Place it on a hot griddle, turn over once and smear with ghee / oil again.

Cook for few seconds, turn over again and smear the other side with ghee  / oil as well.

Cook for further few seconds until the paratha is golden brown on both sides. Serve hot.

Vellarikka Parippu Curry / Cucumber Dal Curry

Vellarikka Parippu Curry / Cucumber Dal Curry - A delicious main curry (ozhichu koottan) in Kerala cuisine, goes well with rice / rice - fish fry / meat dishes.

Serves: 3 

Ingredients

For parippu / dal:

Leftover 1 cup boiled turdal

or

1/3 cup / 80 g (Indian standard measuring cup of 80 ml / 6 oz capacity) tur dal / arhar dal

1 cup / 200 ml water

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon oil

Wash and clean dal. Soak in a pressure cooker for half an hour with turmeric powder, oil and 1 cup / 200 ml water and cook for 15 minutes or till done ( reduce the heat to medium after 3 rd whistle (3 quick whistles) and cook for 10 minutes until done / soft. Allow the cooker to cool naturally. Reserve dal stock (cooked dal water).

For coconut paste:

5 tablespoon (50 – 60 g) grated coconut

5 shallots (chuvannulli / sambar onion / small onion), chopped

½ teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

2 tablespoon water

Make a fine paste of above ingredients in a small mixer bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoon water when making the paste.

Other ingredients

½ piece vellarikka (yellow cucumber / mogge) gently peel off the outer skin, remove seeds , wash and cut into ½ - inch cubes

2 green chillies, slit lengthwise

¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Method

In a wide bowl , mix boiled dal (along with the stock / dal water), vellarikka  pieces, salt to taste and 2 slit green chillies. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a lid and cook on low to medium heat for 15 minutes or until 3/4 done / vellarikka  pieces almost transparent.

Add coconut paste, adjust the consistency of the gravy with extra ¼ cup (50 ml) water if required.  Gravy should of pouring consistency (Please do not make it too thin like moru curry / moru kachiyathu or rasam). Mix well and cook on a low heat for 8 - 10 minutes or until done / well cooked.

For seasoning:

2 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

½ teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

6 curry leaves

1 dried red chilli, halved

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add jeera , halved red chilli and curry leaves and fry till crisp. Pour the seasoning over curry. Serve with rice / rice – fish fry / meat meat dishes ..

Appam / Palappam (4th recipe)

Appam / Palappam (4^th recipe) - with Eno Fruit salt and without Yeast / Baking Powder / Cooking soda.

 Palappam is a traditional breakfast dish in Kerala cuisine, goes well with stew, non vegetarian  gravy dishes , korma, egg roast ..

Additional recipe links

1, Here' s the recipe of '' How to make tasty and spongy Appam (with yeast and without coconut milk.

2, Here's the recipe of Appam  - made of coconut milk.

3, Here's the recipe of Nirapara Easy Palappam.

4,  Here's the photos of Appachatty (Hopper pan)

Makes – 9 - 11

Ingredients

Please use same measuring cup to measure rice and grated coconut.

1 ¼  cup Ponni  Raw Rice / Silky raw rice ( good quality pachari ) (Please measure in Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity)

2 tablespoon sago (sabudana)

2 cups water (to soak rice)

2 tablespoon leftover cooked and cooled rice

½ cup grated coconut

½ teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 sachet (4.6 g)  Eno Fruit salt (available at medical stores and supermarkets. It’s an antacid and good for digestion). Eno fruit salt is used to make Dhokla (Gujarati snack). It helps the batter to rise well. So need to keep the appam batter to ferment too long. 

To prepare Appam batter:

Wash and clean ponni rice and sago. Soak  ponni raw  rice and sago (sabudana)  in 2 cups water for 4 hours. Drain out water.

 Grind soaked ponni raw rice – sago,   cooked rice and grated coconut  together in a mixer in 2 batches.  Batter should not be too watery. You can add 1/4 cup water  (3/4th level of rice and other ingredients)  when grinding.

Transfer this batter into another vessel and mix  with salt.  Stir the batter nicely with a thick ladle.  Cover and keep aside to ferment  for minimum 4 - 5  hours (or 6 - 8 hours / overnight). Do not refrigerate appam batter during fermenting. 

Now add ½ teaspoon sugar and 1 sachet Eno fruit salt. Stir well continuously for 2 -3 minutes.  Cover and keep aside this batter for 10 minutes.

Appachatti is used to make Appam. If there’s shortage of Appachatty or Hopper pan, use dosa pan (normal tawa) to make flat appam.

Appa chatty (Hopper pan) - Hopper pan is available at all leading steel utensil show room / supermarkets in India and also online stores. Price Rs 835 for Hawkins brand and Rs 790 for Prestige Omega.

1, Heat non stick appachatty (or normal frying pan / dosa tawa - If using dosa tawa, do not make more circles).

2, Grease the appachatty with little oil.

3, Pour 1 full ladleful  of appam batter to the appachatty.

4, Lift the pan ( from the stove ) and slightly twist around to spread the batter in the pan to make circular shape .

5, Close appachatty with a lid and cook on low heat till the edges are golden brown. When the Appam is ready, the edges resemble crisp lace and centre soft . Traditionally this is eaten with Stew/ chicken curry / egg roast/ coconut milk/ sugar.

Kabuli Channa Ani Potato Galnu Soyi Bajjilli Gashi

Kabuli Channa Ani Potato Galnu Soyi Bajjilli Gashi (Curried Chickpeas and Potatoes in Dry coconut paste. A delicious main dish in Konkan cuisine)

Please find here more details  and recipe of Mossolu (dry roasted coconut paste)

Serves: 3 -  4

Ingredients

For Kabuli channa  (chickpeas):

1 cup (100 ml / 4oz – Indian standard measuring cup) chole (white chick peas)

3  cup water

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½  teaspoon salt

Method

Wash and soak Kabuli channa / white channa for 6-8 hours (or overnight) in 3 cups water (300 ml). Add salt, turmeric powder and pressure cook (pressure cook along with soaked water – Final water level should be 1 – inch above chole / channa / chickpeas) for 30 minutes ( reduce heat from high to medium after 3rd whistle and cook for 25 minutes ). Allow to cool naturally. Open the lid and. Reserve  ½ cup (75 – 100 ml) stock for later use.

For dal:

¼ cup / 50 ml tur dal (or 1/2 cup leftover cooked dal)

2 potatoes, cut into cubes

1 ½ cup water (250 ml)

½ teaspoon oil

½ teaspoon salt

(Adding dal will make the gashi thick and creamy texture)

Wash and clean dal and soak in 1 ½ cup water for half an hour.

Boil tur dal and potato cubes  in 1 ½ cup water (in which dal is soaked) with oil and turmeric powder in pressure cooker for 15 minutes or till done ( reduce the heat after 2nd whistle and cook for 5 minutes ). Allow the cooker to naturally.

Other ingredients

1 kudampuli (darmbyasole)

½ teaspoon  salt (or to taste)

Extra 1/4 cup hot water (optional)

3 – 4 teaspoon massolu

Final preparation:

In a wide bowl, boil  cooked dal - potato (along with stock ), boiled channa (along with stock), salt to taste and kudampuli.  Cover with a lid and cook on a low to medium heat for 10 - 12 minutes or until  all the ingredients well combined / slightly thickens (gashi should be of pouring in consistency / medium thick gravy). If the boiled dal – potato mixture / boiled channa is thick in consistency, adjust with ¼ cup hot water.

At this stage, add 3 - 4 teaspoons dry roasted coconut paste / massolu (you can dilute massolu with 4 teaspoons water before adding. Then it will mix easily with dal)  and cook on a low heat for 10 - 12  minutes / brown in color / fragrant. Serve with Rice / Polo / Idli / Santhan / Hittu ...

For Cauliflower Gashi: Wash  and clean 200 g (18 - 20 florets) cauliflower florets. Boil cauliflower florets along with boiled dal, salt to taste  and darmbesole (kudampuli) for 10 - 12 minutes on a medium to low heat until half done. At this stage, add 3 - 4 teaspoon  massolu and cook until done / gravy slightly thickens / fragrant.  Do not over cook cauliflower florets. Serve with rice / idli / dosa / hittu ...

Mixed Dal Fry

Mixed  Dal Fry - A  less spicy tasty dal, made of masoor dal (pink color dal),  tur dal and green gram dal.  Best with rice / rotis / puri / parathas ..

Serves: 3

Ingredients

For dal:

1/4 cup (50 ml) masoor dal (pink color dal)

¼ cup (50 ml) tur dal

¼ cup (50 ml) moong dal (split gram dal – yellow color)

3 cups (300 ml) water

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon oil

Method

Wash and clean dal. Soak in 3 cups of water for 15 minutes and boil in pressure cooker with its soaking water, turmeric powder and oil until done and soft (Switch off the heat on high after 3 rd whistle and allow the cooker to cool naturally). Open the lid.

Final preparation:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

1 onion. finely sliced

1 green chilli, slit lengthwise

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

Boiled dal

Extra  ¼ cup (50 ml) hot water

½ to ¾  teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Method

Heat oil in a kadai / pan.  Add jeera and fry on a low heat for 1 minute until fragrant. Add finely sliced onions and fry till golden color on a medium to low heat.

Add slit green chilli and fry on a low heat for 1 minute.

Add red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Stir well on a low heat for 1 minute until well combined with onions  and raw small goes.

Add boiled dal  and salt to taste. If the dal is too thick in consistency, adjust with extra ¼ cup hot water. 

Dal should be of pouring consistency / medium thick. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a medium to low heat for 10 – 12 minutes or until done and dal slightly thickens. Serve with Rice / Rotis / Puri .. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves.