Salmon Burger

Dinner is such a hassle these days. With the kids home all day, I get very little time to plan out our dinners, prep and cook. I usually think about dinner at around 5pm when the hubby is almost back home from work and I somehow scrape something together. Today I thought of trying a salmon burger. After all the weekend cookouts, we had a lot of left over chicken and sausages, using that in another dish would have been a better idea. But I was kind of tired of eating all this meat and that's why I thought to take the seafood route for dinner. I tried Paula Deen's Salmon Burger recipe from www.foodnetwork.com. But I did tweak it to my taste.

Ingredients

Salmon-1 lb(cleaned and cut into small chunks)

Garlic-1 cloves minced

Peppers-1/2 cup (diced-red/yellow/orange)

Panko-1/2 cup (Japanese bread crumbs)

Lemon juice- 1/2 tsp

Soy sauce- 1/2 tbsp

Salt-1/4 tsp(Lawry's Garlic salt)

Egg-1/2 (beaten)

Directions

1.Combine the salmon, garlic, peppers and panko in a medium bowl.

2.Next add the beaten egg, soy sauce, lemon juice and salt and fold this into the salmon mixture. I also added some black pepper.

3.Form into 4 patties and refrigerate for at least an hour.

4.Heat the grill to 400 degrees and  grill for 5-6 minutes or till it's done to your liking.

5. Toast some buns on the grill in the last minute of cooking and serve with lettuce and tomato and seasoned mayo. 

6.To make the mayo-I added soy sauce,oyster sauce and toasted caraway seeds and mixed well. Spread an even layer on each half of the bun. 

7.For some heat I garnished with jalapenos too! Served it with a side of potato chips and a pickle. A cold beer would be good too. :) Happy Grilling!!!

Nadan Egg Roast

Today's special for the hubby is Pallappam and Nadan Egg Roast. He loves egg dishes! So I decided to make an Egg Roast for dinner. This dish is a dry dish with no gravy. The more the onions the better because that is usually what everyone scoops out first.

Ingredients
Eggs-3
Onions-2(thinly sliced) *You can use more, I stop at 2 because of the tears*
Green chilly-2 (split)
Ginger-1/2 inch piece minced
Garlic-3 large cloves minced
Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Cilantro/Coriander leaves-for garnish
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Chilly powder-1 tsp
Coriander powder-1 tsp
Garam Masala-1/2 tsp(freshly ground)
Tomato-1 (cut lengthwise)
Salt-to season
Oil


Directions
1.In a non-stick pan heat about 3-4 tbsp oil and splatter some mustard seeds. Then add the onions,garlic,green chilly and ginger.
*Tip- Add a bit of salt too helps the onions saute faster.


2.Once they are sauteed and have a deep rich color(make sure not to burn) you can add the masalas and cook them well. Make sure you cook them long enough so as to lose the raw taste and smell.


3.Now add the tomatoes and curry leaves. Saute this for a good 5-7 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked through as well.


4.In a separate pan boil water and cook the eggs for 5 minutes to get the perfect hard boiled egg. 
*Tip-Adding a bit of salt to the boiling water before adding the eggs makes the peeling of the shell easier.


5.Once the shells of the eggs are removed you can split them lengthwise and add them to the masala mixture.


6.Garnish with some coriander leaves for the final touch.

Spicy Lamb Curry

Lamb was a favorite in my household growing up. My dad had a special recipe where he used Black Elaichi  (black cardamon) which gave a North Indian flare to the dish. He did his BEd in Rajasthan, India, where he learned to make this and other North Indian dishes. This heavily spiced dish pairs well with chappathis. This is a spicy dish and not for the faint at heart.

Ingredients
Lamb-1/2lb
Black elaichi- 2 crushed
Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Cloves-4
Black peppercorns(whole)-10
Cardamon-4
Onion-2 (sliced)
Tomato-1 small quartered
Potato(medium)-1 diced into 1 inch pieces
Garlic-6 cloves (sliced)
Ginger- 1 inch piece ( sliced)
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder-2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Coriander(cilantro) leaves-a bunch
Oil
Salt


Directions
1.Cut the lamb into one inch pieces and wash well under cold running water. Place in a colander to drain.


2.In a pressure cooker heat about 5 tbsp of oil. Add the cumin seeds to splatter then add the black elaichi, cardamon, black peppercorns and cloves.


3.Once the spices release their aroma you can saute the onions along with the ginger and garlic.


4.You can next make a paste with the chilly powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder with a little bit of water. Add this to the onions once they are a golden color and the oil has separated.


5.Mix the spice paste in well and saute till the raw smell is gone. This will take a good 10 minutes on a medium flame.


6.Next add the diced tomatoes and saute till oil separates from the mixture before adding the lamb pieces and potato. Season with salt at this point.


7.Cover the lamb and potato with the masala and place the lid on the pressure cooker.


8.Cook till you hear three whistles and let is rest till all the pressure is released.


9.If the curry seems dry you can heat it again and add half a cup of hot water and let it boil. Add the coriander leaves and mix well. Garnish with some more coriander leaves.


Bon Apetit! Enjoy with hot chappathis or rice!!!

Shrimp(Chemeen) Masala Fry Skewers
Shrimp aka Chemeen is a delicacy to most Keralites. It is very common to make them into a curry based dish in none other than coconut milk or how you would make fish curry with red chilly powder and tamarind. This however is a spicy marinaded shrimp fry on skewers, a dish that you can indulge once in a while! I wanted to come up with a dish that tasted like the shrimp fry you would get in toddy shops back in Kerala. "Karimpumkala" is my favorite toddy shop, not that I'm an alcoholic or anything, just letting you know. LOL!"Extra spicy and hot that you have tears running down your face"  was want I wanted this dish to be. Crazy huh??? Try it and see for yourself....

Ingredients
For Marinade
Shrimp-1lb(deveined and cleaned under running water,tail left on)
Chilly powder-2 tsp
Turmeric-1/2tsp
Garam masala powder-1 tsp
Black pepper-1 tsp(crushed fine)
Lemon juice-from an entire medium sized lemon
Salt (I use Lawry's Garlic Salt)


Coconut oil
Curry leaves-4 sprigs
Shallots-10(thinly sliced)
Bamboo skewers (soak them in water for 10 min or else they will burn)


Directions
1. Make a paste with the chilly powder,turmeric powder,garam masala,black pepper powder,salt and lemon juice.


2.Coat the shrimp in this marinade and keep it aside covered in the refrigerator for a few hours. The longer the better!


3.Now take the soaked bamboo skewers and thread 4-5 shrimp on each skewer. 


4.Once all the shrimp are on skewers you can heat up a shallow non-stick pan pour some coconut oil and after oil has heated through place 3-4 skewers at a time in the pan making sure they are not over crowded.


5.Shrimp cook relatively quick. After a few minutes ,check to see if the under side is browning up,if so you can flip the skewers over and brown and cook the other side. I'd say about 5 minutes on each side.


6.Once all the skewers of shrimp are done you can put the sliced shallots and curry leaves into the remaining of the masala that you used for the shrimp and get them all coated well.


7.Fry them up at the end. Sauteing them in the coconut oil will give the dish an extra burst of flavor especially being coated in that spicy marinade too! Don't forget those fried up masala bits on the bottom.YUMMY!!!


8.Serve this on top of the skewers. 
ENJOY while they are hot! This is a great starter especially with any hard liquor or cocktail. Trust me you will need something ice cold to wash this down with.


I advise you to make this dish in a well ventilated kitchen. All that masala and oil will make your smoke detector go berserk! *Also deveining of shrimp is very important before cooking it in any dish. I remove both the sand vein(the one along the outer side) and the blood vein which runs along on the inner side and rinse it under cold running water before marinating.

Kozhi Varutha Curry (Fried Chicken Curry)
This is a rich and spicy "finger licking good" curry. For those of you counting calories, I would not recommend this dish. This curry simmers in rich coconut milk and spices.  But it tastes so good that you won't be able to help yourself. I tried this dish for our Easter Gathering 2012 and it was a success!Even the worst of critics said that it was delicious. This pairs well with ghee rice or "Neychooru", raita, pickle and pappadam.

Prep Time-45 minutes Actual Cook Time-1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients
Whole Chicken Cut Pieces- 2lb ( I always use Halal meat-it's fresh and pre cut.)

For the marinade

Chilly powder-2 tsp

Turmeric powder-½ tsp

Vinegar-2 tsp

Lemon juice-half a lemon

Salt

For the curry

Large onion (sliced finely)-3/4

Tomato (quartered and sliced)-3  

Ginger garlic paste-4 tbsp

Coriander powder-4 1/2 tsp

Chili powder-2 tsp

Homemade garam masala- 1 1/2 tsp

Coconut Milk- 1 can (The one you get in the can,I just add water to half the can too)

Curry leaves- 2 sprigs

Salt, to taste

Oil for shallow frying

Directions
1.Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade with enough salt and then rub this all over the chicken pieces making sure that the meat is well coated. I sometimes use Lawry's Garlic Salt instead of the regular table salt. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes, leaving it longer makes it more yummier.

2.In a non-stick pan, heat just enough oil for shallow frying and fry the chicken pieces, in batches, until browned and 3/4 the way cooked. Drain and remove to a plate.

3.In the same pan, brown the onions in the remaining oil until tender, add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for 1 minute. 


4.Add the spices—chili, coriander and garam masala—and fry for a few minutes on medium heat. The masala must lose its raw taste and smell before adding tomato and curry leaves. 


5.Cook until tomatoes are tender. 


6.Now add the fried chicken pieces and stir to coat in the masala. 


7.Pour in the coconut milk and let everything comes to a gentle boil. Reduce the flame, let simmer covered till the chicken is cooked through. 


8.Season with salt and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

YUM!YUM!YUM!Let me know how you liked it. 
P.S.It is spicy,don't say that I didn't tell you!

Meen Curry-Fish Curry
"Kappa(tapioca) and Meen curry" is a staple of all Malayali households. Meen curry is dish of any fish simmered in chilly and turmeric powder along with tamarind (kudampooli) in a clay pot. Unfortunately getting a clay pot back to the U.S from India in one piece is quite the process. I had several but they somehow managed to break during the journey over here, so I'm stuck in making mine in a stainless steel pot. I learned my recipe from none other my Mom. Again a very simple recipe to follow and it's hard to go wrong.

Prep Time-15 minutes Actual Cook Time-25 minutes

Ingredients
Fish-1 lb ( usually use Kingfish steak, but this time I had to use Salmon, the price of fish is sky rocketing!)
Vinegar-1 tbsp
Chilly powder-2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seed-1/4 tsp
Ginger-1 inch piece finely sliced
Garlic-6/8 cloves thinly sliced
Tamarind(Kudampooli)-4/5 pieces soaked in 1/2 cup warm water
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Shallots-4 (thinly sliced)
Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Salt to taste
Oil


Directions
1. Cut the fish into to about 1 1/2 -2 inch pieces. You'll get approximately 12 pieces or so from 2 steaks. *Always use a separate cutting board and knives for fish and  poultry so as to avoid cross contamination.


2.Wash the fish with plenty of running water. Lastly place some vinegar in a bowl full of water and soak the fish in it for a a few minutes to get rid off the raw smell. Drain in a colander. *Again use separate colander for fish and poultry.


3.In a clay pot or any pot that you may have pour about 2 tbsp oil. Once hot, add the fenugreek seeds. Once they give a fragrant aroma add the sliced ginger and garlic. Saute them for a few minutes till they turn nice and golden brown.


4.While they are sauteing, take the chilly powder and turmeric powder add some water and make a paste. Once the the ginger and garlic are ready add the paste and mix well. Making sure not to burn the masalas cook them through till the raw smell is gone and oil begins to separate. This will take at least 5-6 minutes.


5.Now you can add the pieces of tamarind along with the water that it was soaking in. Remember don't add any extra water. You can add salt at this time.  Once all this comes to boil you can add your pieces of fish making sure not to overcrowd them.


6.Once all this comes to boil, lower the flame and let simmer for about 12-15 minutes till the fish has cooked through.


7. While the fish is cooking in a small wok/kadai you can heat some oil and splutter some mustard seeds. Then add the curry leaves and the thinly sliced shallots.


8.After the shallots and curry leaves have browned add this to the cooked fish.

***Make sure to wait to a few hours before serving. It takes time for the fish to absorb the salt, chilly and tamarind flavor in the curry. And make sure to remove some of the tamarind pieces after a few hours, because you don't want your curry to taste too sour! 

Kothu Parotta
I had no idea what this was and had never heard about this dish in my life. My hubby mentioned this dish to me in one his "Days at College( which you know is always a bit exxaggerated)". He was used to eating this in "dhabas"-the truck stop street cuisine of India, when he was a student in Karnataka. This dish originated in Tamil Nadu, but has cross overed into neighboring states. Flaked bread-parotta mixed in eggs and spicy masalas-that's what is is in a nutshell. You really can't go wrong,can you? I remember going to a restaurant in MI and having this for the first time and it definitely lived up to all the hype. And of course I wanted to try my version. Looked it up online and saw that there were so many variations of this single dish. I finally came up with a recipe that I found satisfying and flavorful! 

Ingredients
Parotta-4 (I use Maharani's Choice Frozen Parotta)
Eggs-2 (beaten)
Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Onion-1 (diced)
Green chilly-2 (chopped)
Tomato-1 (diced)
*I use a small tomato because my husband isn't too keen of tomatoes. But if you want you could add a medium size one.
Ginger Garlic Paste-1 tsp
Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Chilly powder-  3/4 tsp to 1 tsp(adjust according to your level of heat)
Turmeric-1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves-a handful chopped
Oil
Salt to taste


Directions
1.In a wok or any frying pan add about 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil and heat. Once heated add the cumin seeds and let them splatter.


2.Then add the diced onion, curry leaves and chopped green chilly. Saute for a few minutes. You can add a pinch of salt it helps the onions to render the liquid and make it cook faster. Now add the ginger garlic paste and combine it well. Saute for a couple minutes.


3.Next you can add the tomatoes and saute for a few minutes till it cooks through too. You don't want the mixture to be mushy so cook it till it looks dry.


4.Next you can add the chilly and turmeric powder. Saute this till the raw smell of the masalas are gone. May take 4-5 minutes.


5.Next take the frozen parottas and place in the microwave for about 1:15 minutes. Once heated through you can rip them apart with your hands or you can use a knife and give them a rough chop.


6.Add the pieces of parotta to the mixture and coat the masalas with the parottas and saute it altogether for a couple of minutes on a medium heat.


7.Lastly on a high heat you can add the beaten eggs and mix everything together for a couple minutes. Season with salt. Oh and don't forget to add the coriander leaves just before taking it off the heat.

"Magizhnthu Unnungal" Bon Appetit in Tamil,I think????


*This pairs well with a hot frothy cup of "BRU" coffee.

American Chop Suey

This is my all time favorite Indo-Chinese dish. Now who doesn't like fried noodles with yummy chilly chicken curry with veggies and to top it off a fried egg. YUM!!! Mine is loaded with veggies to take away from the guilt of the fried noodles. I tried a few restaurants in VA that serve it, but it comes nothing close to what you get back home. My version is the closest that I have gotten to the real stuff. The trick is to getting the noodles fried and not having a soggy center. The crisper the noodles, the better.

Prep Time-10 minutes Actual Cook Time-35 minutes

Ingredients

Noodles-1 packet of Ching's Secret Veg Hakka Noodles

For the Curry

Veggies all lined up

Chicken breasts (approx 1/2 lb)-1

Garlic-1 tbsp chopped

Ginger-1 tbsp chopped

Medium sized onion diced-1
Green Chilly-2 cut lengthwise ( I use Thai Chilly)
(You can omit the chilly, if you don't want it spicy)
Celery stalk diced-2

Carrot diced-1

Bell pepper diced-1/2

* Make sure the vegetables are pretty equal in size when diced.

Ginger/Garlic/Green Chilly

Soy sauce-3 tbsp

Green chilly sauce-1 tbsp

Tomato Sauce-3 tbsp (Maggi's Hot and Sweet)

Corn flour-1 tsp (dissolve in cold water)

Salt and Crushed Black Pepper to taste

Egg-1
Scallions- 1 chopped

Oil


Directions

Chilly Chicken Curry 

1.Cut strips of the chicken breast. Heat some oil in a wok and stir fry the chicken strips. This is a bit more healthier unlike the actual chilly chicken where you coat the chicken pieces with egg and corn flour before deep frying the. This is more like a stir fry of chicken and vegetables.You can season the chicken with a pinch of salt and black pepper. 


2.Once the chicken are half done add the chopped ginger and garlic. Adding the ginger and garlic now, will prevent it from burning.


3.Then add chopped green chilly, onion, celery, carrots and bell peppers(basically any veg you like). Saute for about 5-6 minutes. You want the veggies to have a bite to them. 


4.You can now add soy, chilly tomato sauce and green chilly sauce(the last two sauces you find at Indian store). You can adjust the sauces to your liking. Make sure your wok is on a medium heat.

5.At the end you can add the corn flour(dissolved in cold water) to thicken up the sauce. Season with black pepper and salt ONLY if needed. 


6.Cook some hakka noodles(again Indian store) in boiling water for 2 minutes till al dente . Strain noodles,cover the noodles with a 1 tbs of oil to revent from sticking and then shallow fry them. When you drop in the noodles, follow a circular pattern. Makes sure you get both sides crispy and not burnt. Once done drain on paper towels. 


7.In an other pan, crack an egg to make a sunny side up. 


8.Once done all you need to do is stack the dish. Fried noodle on botton ,the chilly chicken curry next and then the egg.


9. Garnish with green scallions and black pepper.

ENJOY! Serve hot and immediately. The longer you let it sit, the noodles will loose their crispiness.


*Tip- For a more saucier curry , you can dissolve a chicken bouillon in some hot water and add it along with the chilly and tomato sauces.
Fry the noodles in batches to get them nice and crisp.

Turkey and Provolone Sandwich
I know this is not a Kerala recipe, but the taste palate of Keralites have progressed to  sandwiches, burgers and fries along the years.I promise you this is a sandwich like none other. Like the name suggests it's turkey and provolone,but I use Italian bread and top it with leafy greens and plump tomatoes and finish it off with a kick of gourmet mayo and Dijon mustard.The sandwich is toasted on a cast iron griddles which makes all the difference. This is a great brunch item that you just have to try!


Prep Time-5 minutes Actual Cook Time-5 minutes


Ingredients
Turkey breast sliced-2-3 slices (I used BBQ rubbed turkey)
Provolone cheese- 1 slice
Italian bread -2 slices (I used a fresh loaf from the deli and always use a serrated knife to cut)
Arugula/Baby Spinach/Any leafy greens-to your liking
Tomato slice-1-2
Boar's Head Pepperhouse Gourmaise-1/2 tbsp ( a kind of gourmet Mayonnaise with pepper and horseradish,plain mayo would do too)
Dijon Mustard-a dash

Directions
1.Heat a cast iron griddle pan and spray some cooking spray. Once heated place one slice of the Italian bread down and smear some of the gourmet mayo on it. 


2.Then top with the tomatoes, greens, turkey slices and finally provolone. I smear some Dijon on the turkey before topping with cheese. 


3.Complete the sandwich with a slice of the bread with some more mayo. 


4.Using a spatula press down on the sandwich for about a minute. After a couple of minutes flip the sandwich, make sure the sandwich doesn't fall apart. And again press down with spatula. 
Once the cheese melts, your grill marked sandwich is ready to devour. Fast, easy and not your ordinary turkey and cheese sandwich!


*You can use Pepper Jack Cheese or any kind of cheese instead of the provolone. I have also used Jalapeno and Cayenne Cheese for that extra kick!

"Thattukada Style" Chicken Fry

"Thattukada" is a malayalam word for street vendor.  If you have ever been to Kerala and tried the street food there you will want to try this recipe. And for you who haven't you are missing out on a piece of heaven, that's all I can say. This dish pairs well with Parotta(a South Indian multi layered bread made with flour,eggs and oil. My husbands favorite.)And if you love spicy this dish will definitely tingle your senses!!! 


Prep Time-30 minutes ( Add a few hours to marinate) Actual Cook Time-45 minutes


Ingredients 
1lb-1 1/4lb Chicken (I always buy Halal. And make sure to pat dry or strain the meat into a colander after washing the meat.)


For Marinade

To Make Homemade Garam Masala

1 tbsp of chilly powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp garam masala ( I grind my own)

1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste (store bought)

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Juice from 1 lemon

Salt to taste

Coconut oil

Curry leaves-you can never have too many

1 Onion thinly sliced

1-2 Green chillies slit

Directions

1.Marinate the chicken with the above ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. The longer the better.

2.In a wok take about 1/4 cup or slightly more (say 6-7 tbsp of coconut oil) in a wok. Once heated add some curry leaves,fry and scoop them out. Then add the chicken and fry them. Since this is a shallow fry it will take longer. I'd say about 10 mins or so ON each side on medium heat.Keralites like their meats well done!

* P.S-This is  not a dish you want to make in a closed kitchen,you need lots of ventilation-the entire kichen will smoke up because of the masala and the hot coconut oil. My poor girls were coughing their lungs out...:( 

3.After the chicken is all fried add the onions and chilly once browned add the remainder of the marinade masala. Fry them all together and add then to the chicken with the curry leaves too. The most delicious part of this recipes are the little dusts of fried masala that you get at the bottom of the wok. Don't forget to scoop them up as well.

Hint-You can serve with Parotta ( I like the ones you get in the Indian store, the ones in the green colored  box. Forgot the name,but you know what I mean right. There are nine in a box. And  the best way to heat frozen parottas is take them out of the box and put it in the microwave on high for 60sec and then place them in a 'Appachembu'-Kerala steamer for about 7-10 mins. They will be nice and hot and not dry out.)