Kappa (Cassava or Yuca) Puzhukku

Here again one of my grandma’s recipe. Tapioca (yuca) which is known as Kappa(Kizhanghu) in Kerala is served as an evening snack with Fish curry or Mutton Curry and tea. Wow what an awesome combination. I remember my grandma serving this dish in a banana leaf along with ‘chai’ when we come back from school. Those days can never be back where we don’t have to think anything other than playing, eating and studying; with loads of love and affection of elderly people especially the grand parents. So guys, enjoy this lip smaking delight with Fish Curry and a cup of tea. Enjoy!!!!

Ingredients:-

Tapioca (Yuca) peeled and diced – 2 lbs
Turmeric pwdr – 1 tsp
Shallots chopped – 4 small or 2 big
Green chilly – 4
Curry leaves – few
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad daal(uzhunnu parippu) – 1 tsp
Dry red chilly – 3
Salt to taste

Preparation Method:-

1. Cut the yuca roughly, peel off the skin and wash it thoroughly in running water.
2. Pressure cook it by adding enough water(Yuca should be fully immersed in water), salt and turmeric powder for 2 whistles.
3. When the pressure is off, open the cooker and strain the water in a colander. Set aside.
4. Heat up a frying pan, pour some oil, crackle the mustard seed, add dry red chillies and urad dal and stir
5. Add chopped shallots, curry leaves, green chillies and a tsp of salt. Saute for a while till shallots are golden brown.
6. Add the grated coconut and sauté for a while(say 2-3 mins).
7. Add the yuca and stir well to mix everything.

8. Sprinkle few more curry leaves on top and serve hot with fish or lamb curry.

Apple Cinnamon cake with Nuts

I still remember my mom making cake on weekends when we were kids. She being a working mom was not much passionate about cooking. I really understand with three school going kids it is tough for her to manage everything. But still she wants to make something different for us and dad on weekends. So she makes our favorite simple egg cake for us because she knows that is our favorite of all the sweets. I have edited her recipe with Apple and nuts and every time I make any kind of cake it reminds me of my childhood with my brother and sister waiting for that mom’s cake to be ready to eat.

Ingredients:-

Apple – 3 (cut into small pieces)
All purpose flour - 3cup
Sugar – 1 1/4 cup (you can add more accoding to your taste)
Oil – 1 ½ cup
Egg - 3
Chopped cashews,almonds(I added dates as well) – 1 cup
Cinnamon powder – 2 tsp
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 1/2 tsp

Cooking Instructions: -

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a baking pan, set aside.
2) Take a bowl and sift together flour, cinnamon powder, baking powder, salt and set aside.
3) In a mixing bowl whisk together the vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs, mix on speed until lemon yellow.
4) Gradually add in the flour mix and mix until just incorporated.
5) Add apples, mixed nuts to the batter, mix to combine.
6) Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until a tooth pick or a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean (40-50 mins)
7) Remove from oven, and let it cool. Move it to a serving dish, slice it.
8) Apple cake is ready to serve.

Optional:- You can serve it with a dollop of whip cream just before you are ready to eat if desired

Thenga Varutharacha Mutton Curry - Goat Curry with roasted coconut gravy

Again one of my Grandma’s recipe with a bit changes here and there. I always feel my grandma is a person with Magical fingers, even the simplest dishes she make used to be so awesome!!! Being far from her I really miss my favorite ethnic dishes that she cooks and Dear Grandma thanks for all those wonderful recipes.

Ingredients:-

To Marinate:-

1. Tender Mutton/Goat cut into medium size pieces - 2lbs(~1kg)
2. Turmeric Powder - ¾ tsp
3. Chilly powder – 1 tsp 
4. Salt to taste(¾ tsp)
5. Garam Masala - 1 tsp

To Roast and Grind:-

1. Grated coconut – 2 cup(to make coconut paste)
2. Coriander powder – 3 tsp
3. Dry red chilies - 3
4. Curry leaves a sprig
5. Shallots roughly chopped - 3(or a small piece of onion)

For Mutton Gravy:- 

1. Onion sliced – 3 Medium(~ 2 cups)
2. Tomato chopped – 2(~ 1½ cup)
3. Potato cut into medium cubes – 2 small(~ 1cup) 
4. Chopped Green chilly - 5
5. Ginger thinly sliced – a small piece(~ 1tsp)
6. Water ~ 3cups
7. Curry leaves

For Seasoning/Tadka:-

1. Coconut oil - 2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1tsp
3. Onion chopped - 2tbsp(or shallots chopped)
4. Dry Red Chilies – 2
5. Curry leaves few 

Cooking Instructions:-

• Wash mutton two-three times well and pat dry. Marinate with the 'To Marinate' ingredients and set aside for 1 hour. 
• Put the marinated mutton and 'For gravy' ingredients together in the pressure cooker and pressure cook for two-three whistles.Take off the stove and set aside till the pressure goes off fully.
• Meanwhile take a frying pan/kadai, add the grated coconut, curry leaves, dry red chilies, onions and saute in medium flame till coconut turns golden color and start giving nice aroma.
• Add the coriander powder and saute till the color turns brown(not deep dark brown) but make sure not to burn the coconut mixture.
• Remove and set aside, let it cool down completely. Grind this mixture into a very fine paste.
• Open the pressure cooker and add the ground coconut paste to the cooked mutton, add water if needed according to the gravy you require. 
• Switch on the stove in between medium-high heat and cook the mutton again. When the gravy start to boil simmer and let it cook for another seven-ten mins. Remove from flame.
• Heat up another small pan, pour oil, add mustard seeds, when they start to sizzle, add chopped onion,  curry leaves and red chilly, saute for while till onion turns golden brown. 
• Pour over the mutton curry and serve warm preferably with Ghee Rice or Naan/Roti.
• It taste great with Pttu/Appams/Dosas/Idly as well. Enjoy!!!

Note:-  Add/reduce water according to the gravy requirement.

Vegetable Biriyani

Normally I cook chicken or lamp biriyani at home and parties since my husband and many of our friends are non-veg lovers. We got a friend recently who is a veggie and we were invited to their home for their daughter’s 1st birthday party. Since she being a mom of two kids is tough to cook all the dishes alone we planned for potluck . I was told to make any kind of rice and she told me it is fine even I get some normal Basmati rice cooked. First I thought of making pulav, but then I decided to make veg biriyani. I was trying this recipe for first time and you guys might not believe me if I tell this recipe came out soooo good. All our friends in party were telling me that biriyani is veryyyyy yummy. My husband was like ‘ohhhh I never knew that veg biriyani can be this tasty’. Then I realized this an easy recipe and I can prepare it for my baby who just turned one yr old and it is really not much spicy for him too…

Ingredients:-

Basmati Rice – 2 cups(u can wash and soak rice for about 15 mins)
Mixed Vegetable (cauliflower, potato, carrot, beans) - 3 cupsGreen Peas- 100gms
Onion thinly sliced- 4

Onion Finely Chopped- 2
Tomato- 3Green Chillies- 6
Ginger, Garlic crushed- as required
Coriander leaves-1 bunch
Mint leaves-few
Turmeric powder- 1tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Black Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala powder- 2 tsp
Yogurt- 1 cup
Salt to taste
Water- 3-3/4 cup
Whole spices as required (Cinnamon stick-3, Cardamom-4, cloves- 4, Bay leaves-4)
Vegetable Oil for deep frying veggies (you can shallow fry it also if u r health conscious)
Cashews and raisins as required.

Preparation Method:-

1) To cook rice heat oil in a pan in medium flame, add whole spices and fry for 1-2 mins. Add water
and salt to taste. Add soaked rice when water comes to boil, stir it with a spoon till bottom and close the pan with a lid, simmer until rice is soft and tender. Turn the rice out 2 or 3 platters to cool down, cover it and set aside.
2) Fried Veggies: - Peel one large potato, and cut into small cubes. Heat some oil in a non-stick skillet, deep fry the potatoes until golden, drain and set aside and fry sliced onions until golden-brown. Also fry cauliflower florets, peas, diced carrots and beans. Fry some cashews and raisins as well.

3) Heat a frying pan to make masala. Add chopped onion, green chilly, ginger-garlic and fry until golden brown in color. Add tomato and sauté until soft. Add coriander leaves, mint leaves and stir. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder and aromatic garam masala powder and sauté well. Now add yogurt and stir in until it mix well with masala.

4) Now start layering the biriyani and the best part. Take a baking tray and grease it with some butter. Start with half the rice, followed by some fried veggies and onions, nuts, raisins and the masala followed by the rest of the rice. Repeat the layering till finished.  Decorate on top by adding few fried onions, nuts, raisins and chopped coriander leaves. Bake it covered by a silver foil for 30 mins at 350 degree Fahrenheit

6) You can serve it as it is or with raita and achar/pickle