A MALABAR EVENING

An ideal weekend dinner for me would be on a houseboat in Kumarakaom eating some of my favorite Kerala dishes. The surroundings would have to be imagined while the food needn’t be. The following recipes are my version of God’s own country.

CHICKEN STEW (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1. Chicken(skinned and cut into medium size pieces) - 1 kg
2. Onions - 4 no.s cut lengthwise
3. Green chillies - 4 slit lengthwise
4. Ginger - 2 inch piece cut into strips
5. Coconut - 1 large grated
6. Cloves - 3, Cinnamon - 3
7. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
8. Bay leaf - 1
9. Pepper - 2.5 tsp powdered coarsely
10. Curry leaf - 1 sprig
11. Oil - 2 tbsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Chicken stock powder - 1 tsp optional

Method:

1. Coconut milk extraction - take 5 cups of water and warm it to bearable heat. Extract 2 cups of thick milk and 3 cups of second milk.
2. Warm oil in a wok or kadai.
3. Add cloves, cinnamon, bayleaf and cumin seeds
4. When light brown and smell of spices escapes add onions,ginger and green chillies
5. Fry till onions are transparent.
6. Add chicken pieces, powdered pepper, chicken stock and salt and turn the chicken with all ingredients for 5 minutes.
7. Add the second extract of milk and let the chicken cook.
8. When cooked add the first milk and curry leaves and remove from flame.
9. Serve hot with aapam, bread or idi appam.


Ghee Rice or Nei Chor (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1. Basmati Rice – 4 measures or olaks
2. Onions – 4 big cut lengthwise
3. Ghee – 4 tbsp
4. Cardamom – 6, Cloves – 6, Cinnamon – 4, Bayleaf – 2, Star Anise – 2
5. Cashewnuts – 20 no.s(split), Ghee – 1 tbsp
6. Water – 600 ml(approx 6 tumblers)

Method:

1. Wash rice and keep aside
2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add spices
3. When spice smell becomes strong add onions and fry till onion turns light brown.
4. Add rice, salt to taste and water.
5. Cook for 2 whistles on medium flame
6. Fry cashewnuts in ghee till golden brown and garnish rice with the same

Lamb Masala or Mutton Masala (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1. Mutton – 1 kg
2. Red chilli long – 15 no.s
3. Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp
4. Peppercorns – 20 no.s
5. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
6. Cloves – 4 no.s
7. Cinnamon – 2 inch piece
8. Cardamom – 4 no.s
9. Onion – 2 large
10. Ginger – 1inch piece cut into strips
11. Garlic – 2 cloves cut lengthwise
12. Curry leaves – 10 no.s
13. Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
14. Salt to taste
15. Oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Cut mutton into small pieces and clean well.
2. Fry red chillies,pepper, cardamom,cloves,cinnamon and coriander seeds without oil till brown. Powder till fine.
3. Add the above spice powder, turmeric powder, salt, ginger , garlic, mutton pieces and water and cook the meat.
4. Water must be twice the quantity of meat.
5. In a wok/kadai heat oil and add onions and curry leaves and cook till golden brown.
6. Add this to the cooked meat. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.

Avial(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1. Carrot – 2 no.s
2. Beans – 4 no.s
3. Drumstick – 2 no.s
4. Ash gourd – quarter
5. Potato – 2 no.s
6. Brinjal – 3 no.s
7. Elephant foot yam or senai kizhangu – quarter
8. Coconut – 1 grated
9. Green chilli – 2(long firm variety)
10. Jeera or cumin seeds – 2 tsp
11. Turmeric – 1 pinch
12. Curd – 1 cup beaten or whipped
13. Salt to taste
14. Coconut oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Cut all vegetables to 2 inch length.
2. Grind coconut with jeera and green chilli to a smooth paste
3. Boil vegetables with salt and turmeric till soft. Add water to just cover the vegetables.
4. Add coconut and cook till blended well.
5. Add curd and turn heat to sim.
6. After 2 minutes shut the stove and add the coconut oil.

SIZZLING SANDWICHES!!!

REQUISITES: Non stick toaster
Bread – white bread, whole wheat bread or a baguette

Chilli Cheese Toast

Ingredients:

1. Bread – 12 slices lightly buttered on a side with table butter
2. Garlic – 3 pods chopped fine
3. Green chillies – 2 no.s chopped fine
4. Amul or Britannia cheese slices – 6 no.s
5. Oil – 1tbsp
6. Capsicum – 2 small green ones chopped fine
7. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Take a shallow frying pan and heat 1 tbsp of oil .
2. Add garlic and green chilli and sauté till raw smell disappears and garlic is turning light brown
3. Add capsicum pieces and salt and cook till capsicum is soft and mixture can be lightly mashed
4. To make a club sandwich take a buttered slice and a plain slice of bread. Place a cheese slice on the plain slice and add a little capsicum paste.
5. Place the club sandwich on the non stick toaster and toast over an open flame.
6. Serve hot with sauce or amla chutney


Mushroom and Egg Toast

Ingredients:

1. Button mushrooms without the stalk – 1 packet grated
2. Eggs – 1 beaten well
3. Bread – 12 slices all buttered lightly
4. Pepper – 1/2 tsp
5. Chicken Stock – 1 cube
6. Spring onion – 2 sprigs chopped fine
7. Garlic – 1 chopped fine
8. Green chilli – 1 chopped fine
9. Oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Take a shallow frying pan and heat 1 tbsp of oil.
2. Add garlic and green chilli and sauté till raw smell disappears and garlic is turning light brown.
3. Add mushrooms, chicken stock cube and pepper and cook till mushroom is done and water dries up
4. Add spring onion and sauté for a minute
5. Add beaten egg and stir it in
6. Take off the fire and keep aside to cool
7. Make a club sandwich with the above mixture and toast on an open flame
8. Serve hot with a cheese dip


Chicken and paneer Toast

Ingredients:

1. Chicken shredded and deboned – 3 cups
2. Panneer crumbled - 2 cups
3. Cabbage – 6 leaves
4. Onion – 1 chopped very fine
5. Tomato – 1 chopped fine
6. Ginger garlic coarse paste – 1 tsp
7. Chilli powder – 3 tsp
8. Bread – 12 slices
9. Salt to taste
10. Oil – 1 tbsp
11. Fennel seeds/ sombu - ½ tsp
12. Chicken 65 masala – ½ tsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a wok/kadai and add sombu
2. Add onions and fry till golden.
3. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté till raw smell disappears
4. Add tomato and cook till soft.
5. Add chilli powder, chicken 65 masala and salt. Saute till oil separates
6. Add chicken and 2 cups water and cook till sticky consistency
7. Take off the fire and cool
8. Place cabbage leaves on 1 slice and sprinkle paneer on it. Add Chicken and place the other slice and grill with hand toaster
9. Serve hot with mayonaisse


Mixed Vegetable Toast

Ingredients:

1. Bread – 12 slices of whole wheat bread or a baguette buttered
2. Carrot – 1 grated
3. Cabbage – 150 gm cut very fine
4. Capsicum – 1 chopped very fine
5. Onion – chopped fine
6. Garlic – 1 pod mashed
7. Green chilli – 1 cut fine
8. Salt to taste , non-vegetarians can add chicken stock
9. Oil – 1 tbsp
10. Amul or Britannia cheese slices – 6

Method:

1. Heat oil in a wok/kadai
2. Add garlic and green chilli in oil
3. When raw smell of garlic goes add onion fry till transparent and add all the vegetables
4. Add salt or chicken stock and 1 tbsp of water and cook till v soft and pasty
5. Take buttered slices and place cheese slice on 1 slice and spread the vegetable spread evenly on it. Place the other slice on top and grill with hand toaster
6. Serve hot with chilli sauce


Cabbage, carrot and kheema sandwich

Ingredients:

1. Cabbage – 200 gm cut very fine
2. Carrot – 2 carrots grated
3. Mayonnaise
4. Salt to taste
5. Pepper powder
6. Mutton or chicken kheema – 250 gm
7. Onion – 1 med sized chopped fine
8. Tomato – 1 chopped fine
9. Green chilli – 1 chopped fine
10. Ginger – 1 inch chopped fine
11. Garlic – 2 pods chopped fine
12. Oil – 1 tbsp
13. Fennel seeds/sombu – 1 tsp
14. Chilli powder – 1 tsp
15. Bread – 12 slices of whole wheat bread or a bagette cut into slices

Method:

1. Heat oil in a wok and add fennel seeds
2. Add onion,ginger,garlic and green chilli and fry till onion is golden.
3. Add tomato and cook till soft
4. Add kheema, chilli powder and salt and sauté for 1 minute
5. Add enough water to let the kheema cook.
6. Remove from fire when all water has dried up and kheema is dry
7. In a large bowl mix grated carrot, cabbage, salt, pepper and mayonnaise.
8. Don’t add too much mayonnaise.
9. Take 1 slice of bread and spread the vegetable mixture on it
10. Then add a layer of kheema on top of this
11. Place with another slice and grill in the toaster
12. Serve hot with pudina chutney