Beef Cutlet and Onion Salad

Ingredients

1/2 kg minced beef

2 large potatoes

2 large onions, chopped

3 or 4 green chilies, chopped

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 tsp fennel seed

11/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp pepper powder

2 egg whites

2 1/2 tbsp coconut oil

bread crumbs as required

salt to taste

water

Preparation

1. Cook the potatoes until they are soft, mash them and keep aside.

2. Cook the minced beef in enough water with salt to taste and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. If any water remains, cook in low heat until it is dry.
(I washed the minced beef before I cooked it. Some people say, it is not needed. I prefer to clean the meat even if it is minced)

3. Heat oil in a pan and add the fennel seeds. Once they start spluttering, add the chopped onions, green chilies and the minced ginger garlic paste to it. Saute until the onion turns golden brown.

4. At this stage, reduce the flame to low and add the red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, garam masala and pepper powder to this and saute well for 2 minutes.

5. Add the minced beef to this and mix well.

6. Now add the mashed potatoes to this , mix well and adjust salt to taste. At this stage if you require more spice, you can add pepper powder according to your taste. Cook for 1 minute.

7. Turn off the stove , allow this mix to cool slightly and gently mix it well with your hand.

8. Make small balls in round, oval or in any shape you want with your hand .
(To get perfect round shape, I used a small lid. I made balls of the mix and pressed it against the lid and the perfect round shaped cutlets were ready!!)

9. Beat the egg white lightly in a bowl.

10. Dip the cutlets in the beaten egg white and roll it in the bread crumbs. (If you want, you can store these cutlets rolled in breaad crumbs in freezer for more than 2 weeks and you can deep fry as you need )

11. Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying the cutlets. Once the oil is really hot, add the cutlets to the oil and fry them until they turn brown on both sides.

12. Drain on a paper towel and serve hot.

Onion Salad

Onion salad is a great combination to have these cutlets with.

Ingredients

1 medium size onion, thinly sliced

1 green chilli, thinly sliced

1 tsp vinegar

salt to taste

Preparation

Mix all the ingredients well with hand and that is it. The onion salad is ready

Palgova / Milk Halwa

Palgova is a dairy sweet dish. All credits to my friend Soumya for this recipe.

Ingredients (serves 4 people)

6 glasses of milk
2 glasses of sugar
11/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp ghee
3 or 4 cardamom pods, powdered
5 almonds, crushed
5 cashew nuts, crushed

Preparation

1. In a nonstick sauce pan, boil the milk for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep stirring.

2. Now add the lemon juice to this and make the milk separate.

3. Once the milk separates, add sugar to this along with ghee and crushed almonds and cashew nuts and mix well for 5 minutes.

4. Keep stirring till most of  the water evaporates and it is semi-solid. It will take another 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Allow to cool and the palgova is ready to serve.

* You can also refrigerate it, which will solidify the palgova a little bit.

Enna Kathirikka / Brinjal Fry

Ingredients (Serves 3 to 4 people)

5 or 6 small brinjals,  slit into 4 retaining the crown part

For stuffing

4 tbsp chilli powder

4 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp garam masala

salt to taste

water to make thick paste

For frying

6 tbsp sesame oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 inch ginger, chopped

1 garlic pod, chopped

puree of 2 tomatoes

The left over stuffing masala

water to make the left over masala a loose paste

How to make the tomato puree?

Cook the tomatoes with 1/4 cup of water in a pan until they are soft. Now peel off the skin.Puree it without seeds..

Preparation

1. Clean the brinjals thouroughly, pat dry and slit into 4 pieces retaining the base part.

2. Mix all the ingredients for the stuffing together and make a thick paste.

3. Divide the stuffing masala into two approximately equal portions and fill all the brinjals with the first portion. Keep the other one for the frying .

4. Now heat a bottom thick kadai. Add sesame oil. Once the oil is hot ,add the stuffed brinjals and fry gently until the brinjals change it's color. Make sure all the sides are fried evenly . Once it is done, take out the brinjals from the oil and keep aside.

5. To the same oil, add the chopped garlic and ginger. Saute for 30 seconds.

6. Add the chopped onions and saute until they turn light brown.

7. To this, add the tomato puree and mix well. Cover the kadai with a lid and cook for 2 minutes.

8. At this stage, add the left over stuffing masala after making it a loose paste by adding some water. Stir it for 30 seconds and add the fried brinjal also to this.

9.  Allow this to cook for another 6 to 7 minutes. At this stage you will see the oil separating from the curry.


*It goes well with ghee rice or vegetable biriyani.

Kozhi Curry/Chicken Curry

Less effort and simply delicious!!

Ingredients

1.5 lb chicken, cleaned and cut into small pieces

2 medium onions, slices

10 whole garlic loves , skin peeled off

1 inch length ginger, cut into thin long strips

2 green chilies, split lengthwise

1 medium potato, skin peeled off and cut into medium cubes

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp chilli powder

11/2 tbsp coriander powder

11/2 tbsp garam masala powder

1/2 tbsp coconut oil

a few curry leaves

salt to taste

11/2 cup + 1 tbsp water

To Marinate the chicken

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp coconut oil

salt to taste

1. Marinate the chicken with the turmeric powder coconut oil and salt and keep aside for 15 minutes.

2. In a pressure cooker, heat the oil and add the sliced onion. Saute for 2 minutes.

3. Add garlic pods, sliced ginger and the green chilies to this and saute for another 1 minute.

4. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder to this and saute for a minute in low heat. Take care not to burn the powder ingredients. You can add 1 tbsp of water if you need at this stage to prevent burning.

5. Add the marinated chicken and the potato cubes and mix well. Taste the salt level and add if needed.

6. Close the pressure cooker and cook in medium heat until you hear 5 whistles.

7. Once the pressure subsides, open the lid and add 11/2 cups of water and salt if needed. Mix well.

8. Allow to cook for another 10 minutes. Add curry leaves at this stage.

The chicken curry is ready to serve. It goes well with rice.

Goat Leg Soup / Attin Kaal Soup

Goat leg soup is very good for the people who are recovering from cold, fever, body ache etc. It is a healthy and delicious soup and even kids will love it.

Last week, I made it for one of my friends who was sick and thought of publishing it on the blog for you all.

Ingredients ( serves 3 people)

1 goat leg, cleaned and unwanted  fat removed,  cut into 2 or 3 pieces
10 pearl onions, skin peeled off, split lengthwise
1 green chilli, split length wise
7 or 8 garlic cloves
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp black  pepper powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
3 cups water
2 tsp sesame oil

Preparation

1. Heat the sesame oil in a pressure cooker. Add the cumin seeds to this and saute for 30 seconds.

2. Add the pearl onions, garlic and green chilli to this saute for another 1 min.

3. To this, add 3 cups of water the goat leg pieces, turmeric powder, black pepper powder and salt.

4. Pressure cook it in medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or till you hear 10 whistles.

5. Once the pressure subsides, open the pressure cooker and have a taste. Add more salt and  pepper powder if you feel so.

6. Serve the soup hot.

* You can add curry leaves also to this soup if you prefer

Pudina Rice / Mint Rice & Dates Raita

One lazy fore noon and nothing to cook!! Should I go for a grocery shopping now? Not in this heat. Saw some pudina in the fridge. So thought of making pudina rice.Perfect to try on a lazy day,  make  some dates raita to coplete the mea!!! 

Mint Rice/Pudina Rice

Ingredients (serves 3 people)

2 cups basmati rice
3 to 4 cups water to cook the rice (depending on the rice you use)

15 mint leaves (avoid the stem)
5 tbsp grated coconut
2 or 3 green chilies

1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3 dried red chilies
1 twig curry leaves
2 pinches of asafoetida
2 tbsp coconut oil

salt to taste

Preparation

1. Cook the rice separately in sufficient water until they are cooked, yet firm.

2. Grind the mint leaves, green chilies and coconut with sufficient water to get a coarse paste.

3. Heat the oil in large pan. Add the mustard seeds. Once it splutters, reduce the flame to low and  add the cumin seeds , asofoetida , dry red chillies and curry leaves. Saute for 10 seconds.

4. Now add the chopped onions to this and saute until they are transparent.

5. Add the ground paste to it and cook for a few seconds till the raw smell goes.

6. At this stage add enough salt.

7. Add the cooked rice to this and mix well with the onion-ground paste mixture in the pan and stir for a minute gently without breaking the rice.

Mint rice is ready and it goes well with mango pickle and dates raita.

Dates Raita

Ingredients

1/2 cup curd
10 dates, deseeded and chopped into medium pieced
1 medium onion chopped
2 green chilies, chopped
1/2 tsp coconut oil
salt to taste

Preparation

Mix all the ingredients together and crush them softly with hand. If the curd is very thick, you can add some water.

Mutta Maala and Pinjanathappam

Mutta Mala and Pinjanathappam are authentic malabar dishes. Its all about eggs and sugar. Mutta maala is prepared from egg yolk and it ll be like yellow thin noodles. Pinjanathappam is steamed egg white. If you have a sweet tooth, this is perfect as an evening snack or even as a dessert.

Ingredients (Serves 3 or 4 )

For Mutta Maala

10 eggs,  for the egg yolk
1 cup sugar
2 cups water

For Pinjanathappam

10 eggs, for the egg white
5 cardamom pods, powdered
Left over syrup from mutta maala

Preparation

For Muttamala 

* Keep the flame in medium.

1. Separate the egg yolk and egg white to two separate dry bowls. Keep the egg white aside for the pinjanathappam.
(Make sure not even a single drop of white is mixed with the yolk. If a someyolk is mixed with white, that is fine)

2. Beat the egg yolk until you get a thick yellow mixture and keep aside.

3. Boil the water and sugar in wide and bottom thick pan.

4. Add very little egg white to the sugar syrup to remove impurities if any. You will be able to see the scums coming up. With a spoon you can remove that.

5. You need to boil the sugar syrup until you get one string consistency. Mean time, we can make something through which we need to pour the egg yolk in the sugar syrup.

The traditional way to pour the egg yolk is by making a small hole at the centre of a coconut shell and covering this hole with a finger, fill the egg yolk in the shell. Remove the finger and pour the yolk in the sugar syrup. It will fall like yellow threads. Now , where to get the coconut shell and how to make the hole?

So I used a thin plastic cup (use and throw type) instead of the coconut shell and made a very small hole at the bottom of it. Filled the yolk in the cup and pour the yolk in the sugar syrup in a circular motion.

6. Pour the egg yolk completely until the cup is empty. By then the yolk in the syrup will be cooked. Now reduce the flame and sprinkle a little cold water into the syrup.Take out the egg strings (mutta maala ) from the syrup without breaking them.  Use all the egg yolks this way.
(If the sugar syrup is getting thicker, add a little water to get back the one string consitency)

7. Spread the muttamala on a plate.

Now wait till pinjanathappam is ready!!

For Pinjanathappam

1. Let the left over sugar syrup from mutta maala cool down .

2. Beat the egg white well.

3. Add the sugar syrup and cardamom powder to the egg white. Beat till it is frothy.

4. Heat water in a pressure cooker. Grease a wide vessel and pour the beaten egg white in that. Now, steam it in pressure cooker till it is firm.

4. Allow it to cool down and remove from the vessel. Cut into desired shapes.

5. Serve it with muttamala.

* The pinjanathappam will be white in color. When I prepared it, one egg yolk got completely mixed with the egg white by accident. That is the secret of  this light yellow color for the pinjanathappam. Bear with me !!

Crab Masala

Crab Masala

Ingredients

1.5 lb crab, cleaned
2 large onion, chopped
2 medium tomatoes , chopped
2 or 3 green chillies , slit opened
1/2 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
5 cardamom pods
3 cinnamon sticks
6 cloves
1 tbsp chilli powder
3/4 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tbsp pepper powder
Salt to taste
A twig of curry leaves
1 bunch coriander leaves, chopped
11/2 cups + 1 tbsp water

Preparation

1. Clean the crab. Separate the legs and crush them slightly so that the masala can seep in to the meat. Cut the stomach portion into two and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a large pan or kadai. Add cloves , cinnamon sticks, cardamom and curry leaves and sauté for a minute .

3. Add sliced onions to it and sauté till they are brown in color.

4. Add ginger garllic paste and sauté for 2 minutes.

5. Now add all the powder items and 1 tbsp of water to this and mix well. Sauté for a minute.

6. Add sliced tomatoes to it and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.

7. Add crab pieces to this with 1 cup of water and stir well.

8. Cover the pan with a lid and cook in high heat for about 12 minutes.

9. Open the lid and add 1/2 cup of water to it if needed and cook until the masala is dry.

10. Switch off the stove and add the chopped coriander leaves to the crab masala .

Beef Roast with Coconut Milk

This recipe is for all the beef lovers out there . It is a little different from the traditional beef roast and I am sure you guys are going to love it :)

Beef Roast with Coconut Milk

Ingredients (Serves 4 people)

1.75 lb beef, cut into bite sized pieces
1.5 cups first extract coconut milk or 400 ml canned coconut milk
3 big onions, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 tsp chopped ginger
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 or 3 green chilies, slit length wise
3 tbsp chilli powder
1.5 tsp meat masala or garam masala
2 or 3 pinches turmeric powder
2 tbsp coconut oil
salt to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Put the beef pieces, coconut milk, turmeric powder and salt in a pressure cooker and pressure cook it for 4 or 5 whistles in medium heat. Allow the pressure to release by itself.

2. In the mean time, heat coconut oil in a bottom thick pan. Add onion and saute until they are light brown in color.

3. Add chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies to it and saute for 2 min.

4. Now add the sliced tomatoes to this and cook until they are soft.

5. To this, add the chilli powder ,meat masala and salt and stir well until you get a thick masala.

6. Now add this masala in the pressure cooker and mix the masala well with the  beef cooked in coconut milk.

7.  Cook this until you get a thick gravy. (Do not pressure cook. Stir and scrape every two minutes to avoid sticking to the bottom)

This roast goes well with rice, chappathi, pathiri etc. I always find it tastier the next day.

You can try the same recipe with chicken also. In that case you don't need to pressure cook the chicken. Cook the chicken in coconut milk in a bottom thick vessel instead.

Lemon Almond Cooler

Summer is on it's way and here is a refreshing cooler for you all!!

Lemon Almond Cooler

Ingredients ( serves 2)

1 medium size lemon
12 almonds, skin peeled off
5 or 6 mint leaves
1 inch ginger
3 to 3.5 tbsp sugar
2 cups cold water

Preparation

1. Clean the lemon, cut into 8 small pieces with skin on, removing the seeds.

2. Put the lemon pieces, almonds, ginger and mint leaves in blender and blend it until the almonds are blended well.

3. Now add the cold water and sugar also in the blender and blend for 2 minutes. (I used 3.5 tbsp sugar. But  you can change the measurement according to your taste and the sourness of the lemon).

4. Strain the juice and serve chilled immediately for maximum taste.  If you keep it for a long time, it will give you a bitter taste.