Palada Payasam

Palada Payasam (Pressure cooker method) – A delicious dessert  in Kerala cuisine, made of rice ada, milk and sugar !!

Makes: 10 – 12 dessert cups

Ingredients

½ cup / 100 ml / 4 oz (Indian standard measuring cup) Double Horse Rice ada (available @ all supermarkets)

1 litre boiled milk (do not dilute with water)

1 cup / 200 ml / 8 oz (Indian standard measuring cup) sugar (or ¾ cup – 1 cup)

2 pinches cardamom powder

Method

Wash and clean rice ada in normal water.  Soak rice ada in 2 cups of hot water for half an hour. Ada will be double in volume. Drain out water.

Transfer soaked ada in a pressure cook with 1 litre boiled milk and pressure cook for 2 quick whistles. Switch off pressure cooker. Do not open the lid immediately. Allow the cooker to cool naturally.

Open the pressure cooker lid. Add ¾ to 1 cup (or to taste) sugar and mix well. Cover with a normal lid and boil on a low heat for another 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Now the palada is thick and creamy in consistency. Switch off the heat and keep aside to cool for half hour. Sprinkle cardamom powder.  Serve warm or cool.

Cashew nuts in Caramelized Sugar

Cashew nuts in Caramelized Sugar – A tasty & quick  sweet, made of cashew nut splits and sugar. It’s almost like peanut brittle / candy / bar !!!

Ingredients

Ratio of sugar and cashew nut splits  1: 3/4

1 cup sugar

¾ cup cashew nut splits

Method

Heat a frying pan or karahi on a medium heat. Add 1 cup sugar and spread it evenly. Do not stir or shake the frying pan. Sugar will slowly melt and become a smooth solution without any sugar crystals / golden color thick syrup.

At this stage, add cashew nut splits and stir well quickly. Switch off the heat.

Remove from the heat  and pour into  a baking tray. Once it reaches normal temperature, break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Aloo Methi Kofta Curry

Aloo Methi Kofta Curry – A delicious main curry, goes well with chapatis, rotis, pulao  rice ..

Makes: 10 koftas

Serves: 2 – 3

Ingredients

For the koftas:

2 medium size potatoes, boiled and mashed

2 tablespoon very finely chopped methi leaves (fenugreek leaves / uluvayila)

1 tablespoon very finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon grated paneer (cottage cheese) (optional)

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon besan  (gram flour) or 1 tablespoon corn flour or a mix of besan and corn flour (1 ½ teaspoon each)

2 tablespoon oil (to shallow fry)

Method

In a small bowl, mix all the above ingredients  (except oil) together. Gently knead and make a soft dough / ball. Divide this mixture into 10 portions and make small lemon sized balls.

Shallow fry method:

Heat unniyapam / paniyaram kadai / appe kaayli on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium . Sprinkle little oil in each mould. Arrange prepared koftas and shallow until golden brown on both the sides. Sprinkle remaining oil when turning other sides. Keep aside.

For the curry:

 1 tablespoon oil

1 onions, chopped

2 tomatoes or 1 big (well ripe), finely chopped

1 teaspoon  ginger - garlic paste

3/4 teaspoon red chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 ¼ cup water  (250 ml)

¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

 ½ teaspoon jeera powder (cumin seed powder)

½ teaspoon fennel powder

½ teaspoon garam masala powder

Shallow fried koftas

1 tablespoon fresh cream

2 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves

Method

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

In a pan, heat 2 tablespoon oil on a medium heat. Add thinly sliced onions and fry till golden color.

Add ginger – garlic paste and stir well on a low heat for 2 – 3 minutes until the raw smell goes.

Add chopped tomatoes and fry for 2 - 3 minutes on a medium heat until well combined.

Add diluted spice mix and stir well on a low heat for 1 – 2 minutes until the raw smell goes and water dries up. Now the gravy will be bright red in color.

Add 1 ¼ cup water, jeera powder, fennel powder, garam masala powder and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a medium to low heat for 10 – 12 minutes until slightly thickens.

At this stage, add shallow fried koftas. Cover again and boil for another 5 minutes.  Switch off the heat. Add 1 tablespoon fresh cream.  Gently stir until kofta gravy well combined with fresh cream.  Consume this curry after half an hour. Then it will absorb all the flaours.

Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves. Serve wth  chapatti / phulkas / pulao / ghee rice ..

Egg Curry (made of Madras Curry Powder)

Egg Curry  (made of  Madras curry powder) – An easy & tasty egg curry. Best with rice / pulao / chapatti / appam / idiyappam / phulkas / brown bread / parathas .. !!

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

4 curry leaves

6  cloves garlic, thinly sliced

½ - inch piece ginger, thinly sliced

¾ teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 cup / 200 ml / 8 oz  water

¾ teaspoon  Madras Curry Powder (It’s available @ Nuts N’ Spices in Chennai)

2 boiled eggs

Method

Dilute red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander in 2 tablespoon water and make a smooth mix (spice mix).

Heat oil in a karahi / pan on medium heat. Add thinly sliced onion and fry till golden color.

Add curry leaves, thinly sliced ginger and garlic. Fry on a medium to low heat until golden color and crisp.

Add diluted spice mix and fry on a low heat until water dries up and raw smell goes / thick in consistency.

Add  1 cup water, salt to taste and ¾ teaspoon  Madras curry powder. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a lid and cook on a medium heat for  10 – 12 minutes until the gravy slightly thickens.

At this stage, add boiled egg. Cover again and cook on a low heat for another 5 minutes.

 Serve with rice / rotis / idiyappam …