Asparagus Thoran

Asparagus is a low calorie and low in sodium vegetable. Here in the U.S asparagus is usually eaten steamed,roasted or sauteed. Being a Keralite we usually take any vegetable and make it into a thoran by adding grated coconut to it. That's how the asparagus thoran and broccoli thoran came into being.LOL. Any thoran goes well with rice or even chapattis. Only young asparagus shoots are eaten and when preparing  it snap off the asparagus ends instead of cutting the end off. Hold an asparagus spear firmly and bend it until it breaks naturally.

Prep Time-10 minutes Actual Cook Time-10 minutes

Ingredients

Asparagus spears-1 lb (cleaned and diced small)

Onion-1 (finely diced)

Green chilly-1

Garlic-4 cloves

Curry leaves-1 sprig

Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp

Grated coconut-1/4 cup

Turmeric powder-a pinch

Oil

Salt to taste

Directions

1.In a non-stick pan take 1 tbsp of oil and splutter some mustard seeds.

2.Next add the diced onion,garlic,curry leaves and green chilly. Cook till the coconut browns a bit before adding the asparagus.

3.Mix everything together,then lower the flame to medium low and cover for 5 minutes

4.After 5 minutes life the cover, season with salt and check the readiness. You want the asparagus to still have a bite to it! Don't overcook it,you'll loose the firm texture of the asparagus.

Enjoy!!! 

Tuna Cutlet Balls
'Tuna cutlet' another childhood favorite of mine. The first dish I remember helping my mom make. I can say that this was the first recipe I ever learned. Whenever we had guests over this was definitely on our menu as an appetizer. Being a mom now and making this with my kids, brings back such fond memories. Cooking in the kitchen with kids requires time, patience and "extra clean up" but it so worth it. And I'm sure my girls will learn this recipe the same way I did. My cutlets are miniature golf ball size, way easier than patting them down to form that 'patty-like' shape(courtesy my parents). And I found it easier for little hands to pick up too. ;)

Prep Time-20 minutes Actual Cook Time-30minutes

Ingredients
Starkist/Chicken of the Sea Canned Tuna in water- 2 cans(12 oz)
Onion-1 (large-finely chopped)
Ginger-1/2 inch piece(finely chopped)
Curry leaves-1 spring(chopped)
Dried red chilly-2(finely chopped)
Potatoes-5
Bread crumbs-1 cup(I use Progresso Italian Breadcrumbs)
Eggs-2(beaten)
Oil-for frying
Salt and crushed black pepper-to taste


Directions
1.Cook the potatoes. You can put them skin on in a pot of boiling water for 8-10 minutes till cooked or use the "potato" option on a microwave and cook them. Any method would do,once cooked peel them and smash them using a fork.


2.Open the cans of tuna and drain all the liquid and set aside.


3.In a non-stick heat about 1 tbsp of oil and saute the onions,ginger,dried red chilly and curry leaves for a few minutes. Once the onions turn color you can add the tuna to the pan.


4.Cook all these together for a few minutes on medium heat. Make sure not to loose all the moisture of the mixture or else if it dries out it would be too hard to form the cutlets.


5.Now add this mixture to the smashed potatoes and mix together with hand or wooden spatula. Season well with salt and black pepper. Once formed and fried you won't be able to adjust the seasoning.


6.In a bowl add the two(2) beaten eggs and in another bowl add the breadcrumbs.


7.Now take your tuna mixture and form small golf ball size portions. You should approximately 40-42 cutlet balls.


8.Now take each ball dip in egg and then coat with bread crumbs. Use separate hands to dip in the egg and breadcrumbs to avoid getting your hands all messy.


9. Once all the cutlet balls are dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, you can heat oil in a wok with enough oil to cover the cutlets.


10.Drop the cutlet balls in batches. Once a slightly dark brown color you can scoop them out and place them on paper towels to drain the excess oil.


11.You can serve this with "Sarlas"-Kerala Onion salad and Ketchup or on its own.


Bon Apetit! :)

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!

Koon(Mushroom) Thoran
Mushroom is a healthy vegetable and so full of protein. Getting my husband to eat vegetables is like pulling teeth and there is always a lot of fuss and resistance. But "koon thoran" is something he will eat with no complaints. This is very easy to follow recipe and tastes delicious with steaming hot rice.

Prep Time-10 minutes Actual Cook Time-15 minutes

Ingredients

Mushroom-1 8oz box of button mushrooms

Chilly powder-1/2 tsp
Coriander powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Green chilly-1 chopped
Onion-1 diced
Garlic-5 cloves diced
Curry leaves-1 sprig
Oil
Salt to taste


Directions
1.Cut the mushrooms into bit sized pieces and place them in a bowl of water with turmeric powder. Let them soak for 5 minutes and then drain into a colander.


2.In a non stick pan heat a teaspoon or two of oil splutter some mustard seeds. Once spluttered add the diced onion ,garlic, green chilly and curry leaves. Add a pinch of salt and saute for a few minutes.


3. Once nicely browned add the chilly powder and coriander powder and cook till raw taste of masala is gone.


4.Next add the grated coconut and heat through. Once the coconut changes color add the mushroom and cook on a medium heat till the mushroom loses all the moisture and dries out.


ENJOY! This dish finishes fast. With the addition of the chilly and coriander powders the dish gets a 'meaty' flavor. You can substitute with meat masala too.No wonder why the hubby loves to eat it!

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! 

Pineapple n Orange Punch

My version is a non alcoholic one with ginger ale, pineapple juice and sherbet. This is a crowd-pleaser especially with the kids. It's sweet, tangy and easy to make. You can come up with so many different variations of this recipe just by changing the flavor of the juices or sherbet or for an extra kick spike it sweet champagne! For garnish instead of adding sliced lemons or oranges I make a fruit slice ring using a bundt pan.

Prep Time-10 minutes

Ingredients

Hawaiian Punch Fruity Red-1 bottle(128 oz)
Pineapple Juice-1 can(46 oz)
Ginger Ale-1 bottle
Orange Sherbet-1 container (small)
Orange-1(sliced)
Lemon-2(sliced)


Directions
1.Take a large punch bowl and pour in half the bottle of Hawaiian fruit punch.


2.Next add the pineapple juice and lastly the ginger ale. There is no need to stir.


3.Lastly add scoops of the orange sherbet. You can add orange sherbet with vanilla ice cream for extra creaminess. 


4.You can add the sliced oranges and lemons for garnish.


ENJOY!!!This is large enough to feed a large crowd. This is a must have at most of our get togethers.


*HINT-To make the fruit slice ring for garnish, you'll have to start a day ahead of the party.  In a bundt pan arrange the slices of fruit overlapping each other and also alternating orange with lemon (makes it look prettier) to cover the entire pan. Then place some ice cubes on them to keep them in place. You can them pour some water or the fruit punch to cover the fruit slice ring. Place in a freezer for a few hours. Just before serving your punch add the ring to it for the "wow factor".

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.