Kerala Style Tuna Ularthu - Canned Tuna Stir Fry

Ingredients Used:-

1. Canned Tuna in Water - 3 tins
2. Onions - 2 chopped fine
3. Green chili - 3 slit into halves
4. Ginger crushed or chopped fine ~ a small piece
5. Curry leaves as needed 
6. Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
7. Red chili powder - 1 tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Black pepper powder  -  1/2 tsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation Method:-

• Open the Canned Tuna and drain off the water. Set aside.
• Heat up a deep Kadai/Pan and pour Coconut oil. 
• Once the oil is hot enough, add few curry leaves and saute for few seconds.
• Add finely chopped onions, crushed ginger, sliced green chilies and salt. Saute well till onions become translucent and light golden color.
• Reduce the heat and add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, fennel powder and saute till the spices are well blended with the onion. 
• Now add the drained tuna, stir well until the tuna flakes are separated.  Check for the salt and add more if needed(Canned Tuna has Salt in the Ingredients list even though it do not say Salted Tuna in Water)
• Drizzle a tsp of coconut oil and let it cook covered in low flame for another three-five minutes.
• Sprinkle the black pepper powder and generous amount of curry leaves and stir well in medium-high heat for another five minutes. Drizzle few drops of oil and stir well if it tend to stick to the bottom of the pan. Take off the stove.
• Serve Warm with Boiled Rice 

Kallumakkaya Masala/Mussels Masala ~ A Malabar Delicacy

Ingredients:-
To Marinate:-

1. Kallumakkaya/Mussels Big - 2lbs
2. Turmeric powder - ½tsp
3. Chilly powder - 1½ tsp
4. Salt - ¾ tsp

For Stir Fry:-

1. Onion very thinly sliced - 1 Cup(2 Med Size)
2. Ginger minced - 1 tsp
3. Garlic Minced - 1 tsp
4. Green Chilly Chopped fine - 3
5. Fennels Seeds crushed/coarse ground in a mortar - ¼tsp
6. Coriander Leaves chopped - 2 tbsp + to garnish
7. Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs or more
8. Salt - ½ tsp(to taste)
9. Turmeric -  ¼ tsp
10. Garam Masala - ¾ tsp(optional)
11. Chopped coconut pieces/kothuthenga - 1tbsp

Preparation Method:-

• Wash the mussels two-three times to remove all the dirt stick on the shell. Place them in a wide vessel/Pot with water to cover the mussels and bring to boil.
• You will see the shell open and mussel leave the shell from one side and form shape instead of sticking on both sides of the shell.
• Take off the stove and drain off water. Let it cool 

  

  Mussels cleaning Process in Pics

  
• Seprate the flesh from the shell and discard the shell. Remove the black color dirt inside the mussel meat. Remove byssus(a strong group of filament like hair) inside the mussels as well.
• Pour water in a bowl and put mussel meat in it. Rinse gently to remove any sand/dirt in the meat once or twice.
• Marinate with Salt, turmeric and chilly powder. Set aside for 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a Wok/Kadai/Pan, add curry leaves and chopped coconut pieces and give a quick saute. Add minced ginger and garlic, saute till raw smell goes away for a minute or two.
• Add Green chilies, sliced onions, salt  and saute very well in medium heat till they turn translucent.
• Add turmeric powder, corriander leaves and saute well to mix. Add the marinated Mussles/Kallumakkaya and saute well to combine.
• Cover and let it cook for five-seven minutes stiring occassionally.
• Add garam masala, coarse ground fennel and more curry leaves, saute well for two-three minutes. Check for salt and adjust. Switch off the stove and move to serving plate.
• Garnish curry leaves and coriander leaves and serve warm with Rice/Roti.

Chemmeen Varattiyathu - Prawns Roast

Chemmeen Varattiyathu or Kerala Shrimp Roast is a great side dish best served with parboiled rice/any rice of your choice. I am unsure of which part of Kerala was this dish born but I learn't this from my brother(who is chef by profession). He makes shrimp in ten different ways maybe but for me this tasted the best and I carried on with this the most especially when any guests peeks in. This Prawns roast have an excellent taste with the wonderful aroma of coconut oil and generous amount of curry leaves cooked along with shallots and aromatic homemade garam masala. This prawn roast taste so good that me(and my hubby) tend to eat it with plain rice with out any curry so that we don't loose even the tiny bit of taste of this Prawns Roast.

I used to love the kind of fresh shrimp we used to get in 'Thalassery Fish Market'- my home town and I was totally disappointed by the taste of shrimp I got here in US which are mostly frozen and/or half cooked. My quest to find the fresh fish and shrimp took me to the 'Asian Markets'. For my readers in US who would love to relish the taste of fresh seafood you will find many of them and vegetables in the markets like 'H-Mart', 'Grand Mart' and many more for reasonable price. Just google for the nearest 'Asian Market/Korean Market' and you will be surprised to find the best of them.

Five years back when I was a newly wed my brother-in-law and my husband used to make fun of me seeing me doing the extra labor of peeling and deveining the shrimp when there is an easier option of getting cleaned frozen one's from the stores. First time my BIL tasted these fresh prawn roast he used the word 'amazing' to describe the taste and let me tell you friends he is a person who do not appreciate/accept anything/anyone easily. And from then when ever he plans to drive from  Connecticut to Maryland, I get the order for a 'big plateful' of very spicy Shrimp Roast at-least two days ahead :) So friends I understand it is an extra labor to do clean fresh shrimp but if possible try to get the fresh shrimp instead of frozen and you will really know the 'amazing' difference in taste. You can make this medium, spicy and extra spicy by adjusting pepper-garam masala. I used to make this spicy before and this taste better being spicy but now considering my kids I make it medium spicy. So please adjust the spice level according to your family's tolerance level :-)

                          

Ingredients:-

1. Chemmeen/Prawns/Shrimp - 1 lbs
2. Kunjulli/Shallots finely sliced - 2 cups
3. Green chilly chopped - 2
4. Ginger-Garlic crushed - 2 tbsp
5. Curry leaves a sprig or more
6. Coconut oil(preferably or any oil of ur choice) - 2 tbsp
7. Chopped coconut pieces - 2tbsp(small bite pieces)
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Garam masala - 3/4 tsp(I use homemade garam masala and prefer eastern garam masala if I don't have homemade one)
11. Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp(Crushed well in a mortar) 
12. Salt to taste

To Marinate the Prawns

1. Cleaned Shrimp
2. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
3. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
4. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
5. Salt - 1tsp(or as needed)

Preparation Method:-

• Peel, devein, wash and clean the prawns. Drain off the water completely.
• Marinate the shrimp with salt, turmeric powder, chilly powder and pepper powder. Set aside for 30 minutes if possible.
• Heat up deep kadai or pan, pour coconut oil and add the coconut pieces and curry leaves and saute for few seconds till they are very light brown(always in medium heat)
• Add the sliced small onion(shallots), green chilies, salt and saute for a minute. Add crushed ginger-garlic and saute till onion turns translucent.
• Add the turmeric powder, chilly powder and stir for a minute till masala powders are combined well with onion and ginger-garlic mix
• Add the prawns and saute till everything is combined well.
• Cover and cook for atleast five minutes without adding water as shrimp releases enough water to cook. Make sure stove remains in medium heat.
• Open the lid add the garam masala and fennel powder. Saute in high heat till garam masala is mixed well evenly and water is fully absorbed if any(aroud two-three minutes.)
• Switch of the stove and add more curry leaves. Drizzle a tsp of coconut oil if desired(I do and like it) and stir well.
• Move to the serving plate and serve warm with rice/roti. Enjoy!!!!!

Note:-  If buying the frozen prawns/Shrimp use the uncooked one's. Half cooked(salad prawns) prawns don't taste as good as the uncooked prawns for this recipe..