Appam (made from Basmati rice)

Appam is a popular dish of Kerala. Some consider making appam is a difficult task, but in reality it is not so. With a little bit care fluffy and tasty appams can be made easily at home. Many brands of instant appam mix is available in markets. But I would recommend to follow this recipe instead of instant appam mix.

Makes- 10 - 12

Ratu Basmati Rice

Ingredients 

Basmati rice (or raw rice / pachari / soorai orovu / kachha chawal) - 2 cups ( 400 ml) Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz / 1 cup capacity

Grated coconut – 1 1/4 cup ( 150 g )

Cooked &  cooled rice ( leftover rice ) - 4 tablespoon or 1/4 cup

Water - 1/4 cup 

For the yeast solution:

To prepare yeast solution

1 teaspoon dry yeast (1 1/2 teaspoon for cold weather / winter season)

Warm water -1/4 cup

Sugar – 2 teaspoon

Method

In a small bowl / katori, mix sugar and warm water. Add yeast and keep aside for 10-15 minutes or until a froth appears on the surface / yeast granules are dissolved and well risen. Always use fresh yeast. Yeast solution will be double in size after 20 minutes.

If the yeast is not fermenting as described / also shown in the picture – never go any further. The  batter  won’t rise. Get a new pack of yeast and start all over again..

To prepare Appam batter:

Wash and soak rice in water for 6 hours. Drain out water. Grind soaked raw rice, grated coconut and cooked rice together in a mixer in 2  batches.  Batter should not be too watery. One can add 1/4 cup water /coconut water while grinding (up to the level of rice)

Transfer appam batter into another big vessel / bowl. Add yeast solution and mix it well. Keep aside for fermenting for 6 - 8 hours or overnight. Batter should be of pouring consistency. Adjust with 1/4 cup water if required. Appam batter will be double in size after fermenting. 

Finally add 2 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Stir well. Cover and keep aside for half an hour. This step is very important. Batter should be of pouring consistency. Add 2 - 4 tablespoons of water if required for the final stage.

Tip: Do not refrigerate appam batter during fermenting. Appachatti is used to make 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).

2, Grease the appachatty with little oil.

3, Pour 2 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 .

Carefully remove with a flat spatula. Traditionally this is eaten with Stew/ chicken curry / egg roast/ coconut milk/ sugar.

Kerala Style Egg Roast or Naadan  Mutta  Roast

A thick egg curry, made of  boiled egg, tomato and Indian spices. Best with appam / idiyappam / chapati / pulao / ghee rice .. 

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 tablespoon oil

3 onion (2 big size or 3 small size onion, Bombay onion or white onion), very thinly sliced

8 cloves garlic, sliced

½ teaspoon ginger, finely chopped

6 curry leaves

1 well ripe tomato( 1 big size or 2 small size), finely choppec

¾ teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

100ml water (1/2 cup) water

3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

2 boiled eggs

½ teaspoon garam masala powder (or a mix of ¼ teaspoon clove powder+1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder + ¼ teaspoon clove powder +1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder – homemade spice mix)

Method

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

Heat oil in a pan. Add thinly sliced onion and fry on a low to medium heat until golden color. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt. Then it'll turn golden color immediately. 

Add sliced garlic, ginger and curry leaves. Fry on a medium heat until crisp and well combined with onions.

Add chopped  tomato and fry for 5 = 7 minutes until well mixed / paste like consistency.

Add diluted spice mix and stir on a low heat for 2 – 3 minutes until raw smell goes and well combined with other ingredients.

Now add 1/2 cup water (gravy won't be tasty if the water quantity is more), salt to taste and garam masala powder or homemade spice powder mix. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a medium heat for 10 - 12 minutes until the gravy slightly thickens. 

Add boiled eggs. 

Cover with a lid again and cook on a low heat for 5 - 7 minutes. Serve with appam / idiyappam / pulao / ghee rice / brown bread  …

North Indian Delicacies @ Lyn's Tandoori Restaurant, Kuching

These photos are taken during our recent short holidays in Kuching. Kuching is the capital of Sarawak (East Malaysia). We had delicious North Indian food @ Lyn's Tandoori Restaurant.

Tandoori Chicken

Butter flavoured Dal

Chicken Kali Mirch (Pepper Chicken)

Tandoori Roti

Garlic Naan (without butter)

Address: 7, Lot 267, Jalan Song Thian Cheok, Kuching, 93100, Kuching, Sarawak, 93100, Malaysia

1. Phone:+60 82-234 934

Landmark - Near Malaysian Airlines office and walkable distance from Hotel Grand Margherita, Riverside, Standard & Chartered Bank & Sarawak Plaza.

Jeera Rice with Dal Fry

Jeera Rice with Dal fry

This’s a delicious dish in North Indian cuisine  and very easy to prepare with pre cooked rice.

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil or ghee

1 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

1 bay leaf

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cups cooked and cooled rice

½ teaspoon salt

Method

Heat oil or ghee in a wide pan on medium heat.

Add jeera and fry on a low heat until golden color and fragrant.

Add bay leaf and fry for 30 seconds.

Add finely chopped onion and fry on a medium heat until golden color.

Add cooked and cooled rice and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a tight and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf when serving.

Serve hot with dal fry or any veg or non veg dishes.   

Here's the recipe of Dal Fry

  

Here's another recipe of Moong Ki Daily Dal (Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe)

                                             

Bengali Fish Curry / Maacher Jhol

Bengali Fish Curry (Maacher Jhol)

A delicious fish curry in Bengali cuisine. It goes well with rice / jeera rice / ghee rice….

Serves: 2

Ingredients

4 Rohu fish slices

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon salt

50 ml oil (mustard oil / sun flower oil / olive oil )

Method

Wash and clean fish slices. Wash until the water is clear and no dirt. Drain out water thoroughly. Wipe each fish slices with a soft cotton cloth / towel.

In a serving plate or bowl, mix salt and turmeric powder.

Marinate fish slices with salt and turmeric powder mix . Marinate well on both the sides. Cover and keep aside for half an hour.

Heat oil in a kadai or frying pan on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and fry marinated fish  slices  (2 fish slices at a time) golden color on both the sides. Drain out from the oil and keep aside.

Curry ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

½ teaspoon jeera seeds (cumin seeds)

½ teaspoon kalonji seeds (nigella seeds)

2 bay leaves

1 onion, finely slices

1 tablespoon ginger – garlic paste

1 green chilli,  thinly sliced

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

1 ½ teaspoon coriander powder

1 ½ cup water (300 ml)

¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Fried fish slices

½ teaspoon cumin powder

½  teaspoon fennel powder (saunf powder)

1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

Method

In a small bowl / katori, dilute red chilli powder and coriander powder in 3 tablespoons water and keep aside.

Heat oil in a  pan /  kadai  on medium heat. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle completely, add cumin seeds, kalonji and bay leaves. Fry on a low heat for 2 – 3 minutes until fragrant and crisp.

Add thinly sliced onions and fry until golden color.

Add ginger – garlic paste and fry for 3 – 5 minutes until the raw smell goes.

Add thinly sliced green chilli and fry for 2- 3 minutes.

Add diluted red chilli powder – coriander powder mix and stir well on a low heat for 2 – 3 minutes until the raw smell goes,

Add 1 ½ cup water and salt to taste. Cover with a tight lid and boil on a medium heat for 10 minutes (till it boils vigorously).

Now add fried fish slices, fennel powder and jeera powder . Cover again and cook for 10 – 12 minutes. Switch off the heat. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves.

 Consume this curry / jhol after 2 hours. Then the gravy  and fish will absorb all the flavours.  Serve with rice.

Rohu fish easily available Miri, Sarawak, East Malaysia. We bought it from fish market near Chinese Temple (Miri city area). Also available in Giant, Lutong fish market, E mart fish market Tudan.