Peechinga Chemmeen Curry/ Ridge Gourd Shrimp Curry

I make various combination of Peechinga or Ridge Gourd either Vegan and Non-Veg. Shrimp-Ridge Gourd curry is one of our most favorite combination with this Veggie. If you get to buy some tender ridge gourd try making it with Shrimp, I bet it is a wonderful combo. I make the dry version of this combo as well, but curried shrimp and ridge gourd tastes equally great!! So here you go for the Recipe 



Ingredients Used:-

1. Peechinga/Ridge Gourd - 2 Medium(Tender one's)
2. Shrimp - 1lb
3. Turmeric Powder - ½ tsp
4. Chilly Powder - 1 tbsp
5. Salt - 1 tsp(add more if required)
6. Slit Green Chilies - 5
7. Ginger chopped fine - 1 tbsp
8. Curry Leaves a sprig
9. Water - ½ Cup

To Grind:-

1. Grated Coconut - ½ Cup
2. Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp
3. Dry Red chilies - 2
4. Turmeric Powder - ½ tsp

To Season/For Tempering:-

1. Coconut Oil/Oil - 1 tbsp
2. Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
3. Curry leaves a sprig
4. Shallots chopped fine - 2(or ½ onion chopped fine)  
5. Dry Red Chilies - 3

How I made It:-

• Peel off the hard edges of the Ridge gourd with a peeler. Cut it into half and scrape off the inner seed section(If the veggie is very tender there will not be hard seeds, you do not need to remove the middle part in that case) 
• Cut it into small pieces and set aside.
• Peel and deveine the shrimp, wash and clean twice. Marinate with turmeric powder, Chilly powder and Salt and keep aside for 30 minutes
• Meanwhile grind together 'To Grind' ingredients and reserve.
• In an earthen ware/manchatty, add the marinated shrimp, chopped ridge gourd, green chilies, ginger and water. Cover and cook for ten minutes or till the ridge gourd and shrimp is cooked and soft.
• Add the ground coconut paste and add it to the cooked shrimp and veggie and bring to boil.
• Simmer the heat to medium and let it boil for another three-five minutes. Take off the stove and add few curry leaves.
• Heat up a small pan, add coconut oil, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add dry red chilies, curry leaves, chopped shallots/onion. Saute till shallots/onion turn light brown.
• Pour over the curry and keep it covered till ready to serve.

• Curry tastes better after couple of hours of making. Serve it with boiled Rice/Roti.

Carrot Beetroot Mezhukkupuratti - Carrot Beetroot Stir Fry

Carrot Beetroot Stir Fry(Mezhukkupuratti) is one of my favorite stir fry from school days. I could finish off a bowl of rice just like that with this stir fry and some curd/yogurt. I love the color of carrot beetroot stir fry when combines with yogurt, transformation from deep red to pretty pink and they taste marvelous!!!! I would always suggest to use fresh beetroots as they are soft and tender. They are very easy to slice and dice and cooks up quick unlike aged ones which are hard to cut, takes longer to cook. So make this easy breezy stir fry for your lunch/dinner to serve with Rice/Roti!!!!

Ingredients Used:-

1. Beetroot - 3 (~ 2 Cups When chopped into strips)
2. Carrot  - 2(~1½ Cups when chopped into strips)
3. Onion finely sliced - 1
4. Green Chilies - 4 slit into halves
5. Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
6. Salt - ½ tsp
7. Curry Leaves few
8. Coconut Oil/Oil - 1 tbsp + ½tsp

How I Made It:-

• Heat a Kadai, pour coconut Oil/Coconut Oil. Add onions and green chilies and saute till onion turns translucent.
• Add few curry leaves and saute for few seconds. Add salt, turmeric powder and stir to mix and combine.
• Add the chopped carrot and beetroot and stir well to combine. Cover with the lid and let it cook in low-medium flame for five-seven minutes stirring one or two times in between.
• Open the lid and check if beetroot is cooked enough, if not cover and cook for another three-five minutes.
• If there is more moisture set the heat on high and stir for a minute or two.
• Turn off the heat and drizzle ½ tsp of coconut oil(only if using coocnut oil, dont add oil if you are using normal oil) and few curry leaves and keep it covered until ready to serve.
• Give a gently stir before serving to blend in the flavor of coconut oil and curry leaves. Move to a serving dish and serve warm with Rice/Roti

Pazham Pori/Ethakka Appam/Ripe Plantain Fritters ~ Keralite's Favorite's Teatime Snack

Pazham Pori is one of the most popular teatime snack among Keralites. You can find this snack in any paart of Kerala, every roadside restaurants, dabas, college canteens, railway stations have them. I doubt there will be any Malayali who do not like this delicious and crispy snack and so do our family. Ripe Plantains/Nethra Pazham/Ethakka is used for making this awesome snack. It is quite ezee to make Pazham Pori if you have some all purpose flour and ripe plantains in your pantry. Since my in-laws are home I mostly have these bananas at home.

Last time when I got this banana home, my son started telling my MIL 'Amma used to make snack with these bananas with sweet filling at our old home'. My MIL didn't have any clue as to what he is talking about since he said it was not Pazham Pori. When I came back from work she told me about him bugging for some 'unknown' snack with plantains. I immediately knew he was talking about 'Unnakkaya' - another famous snack from Kerala/Malabar which I always used to make before moving to our new home.  He wanted me to make it again and I absolutely didn't have the energy and patience to go through all the elaborate process of steaming  the plantain, making the filling, rolling them with utmost patience and then deep fry them. So I thought of making this Pazham Pori which is really Ezee to make and equally enjoyable by kids and everyone in the family. Make them for the evening snack and enjoy with your loved ones!!!!



Ingredients Used:-

1. Ripe Plaintains/Nenthrakkaya/Kerala Banana - 3
2. Maida/All Purpose Flour - 1Cup
3. Rice Flour - 2 tbsp
4. Baking Powder - ¼tsp
5. Salt a pinch
6. Sugar - 2 tbsp
7. Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
8. Water - ½ Cup(use as needed)
9. Oil for deep frying

Preparation Method:-

• Cut the banana into half from the centre. Peel of the skin of both halves. Run the knife between each half to thinly slice them into at least 6 slice. Repeat for the bananas and set aside to make the batter
• Add all purpose flour, Rice flour, baking powder,salt, sugar and turmeric powder into a bowl. Add water little by little till you get a lump less, thick batter. Batter should not be too runny, kind of cake batter consistency.
• Heat up a kadai and pour oi to deep fry, keep in medium-high heat.
• Dip banana slices one by one in the batter and drop into the oil. You can add up to five-six slices at a time according to the size of the pan used for frying
• Turn the banana slice to cook on both sides. Make sure not to burn but fry till the covering get a golden brown color.
• Drain off to the paper towels to remove any excess oil
• Repeat the process with rest of the banana slices. Enjoy with hot steaming Chai/Tea !!!

Whole Wheat Macaroni and Cheese topped with scrambled egg ~ Kids lunch box Ideas

I hear moms whining about kids lunch box. I totally agree with them, it is not easy to please the kids especially when it comes to lunchbox. They bring it back or dump them saying it was not good. My simple and short answer for Mommy's are to make the lunchbox look more appealing. Don't give them the same kind off stuff everyday, cook something simple but different, tasty and healthy as well. I bought a pair of partitioned lunchbox for my kids so that I can send them some fruits/veggie and a small dessert along with a main meal. So instead of stuffing a big main meal, I always include my kids favorite fruits or crunchy veggies and a small dessert. Don't you think its a good idea to sent them a combo, instead of a fully loaded lunch??
 
                   

How difficult is to make Macaroni and Cheese??? Especially when you know your teddy is so very fond of Mac n Cheese. Make them healthy by buying Whole Wheat or Whole Grain pasta shells. Would love to make it a full meal? Top them with scarambled eggs, includ some juicy strawberries and a petite Madeleine Cake. I bet kids will never say 'no' to this delicious yet healthy lunch. So Enjoy making healthy and delicious lunchbox for your little ones. Nothing satisfies you better than the little ones empty lunchbox, do you agree??



Ingredients:-

1. Whole Grain or Whole Wheat Macaroni/Pasta Shells - 2 Cups
2. Organic Low Fat Milk - 1 Cup
3. Cheddar Cheese Slice - 2
4. Shredded Mozarella Cheese - ¼ cup(optional)
5. Salt - 1 tbsp + more as required
6. Dry Basil Leaves - 1 tsp
7. Water - 5 Cups
8. Organic Eggs - 2
9. Pepper -¼ tsp
10. Salt - ¼ tsp

Preparation Method:-

• Make the Egg scramble ready. For this, break open eggs into a bowl, add salt and pepper and beat well to combine
• Heat up a small pan, spary some cooking oil, pour the beaten eggs and stir until eggs are scrambled. Set aside.
• Now pour water to a pot/wide vessel and bring to boil. Add the pasta shells and salt, stir till the bottom of the pan and let cook till al-dente.
• Drain off the water using a colander and set aside.
• In a wide pan, add milk and bring to boiling point. Reduce the heat to medium and add the cheddar cheese and stir till it melt.
• Add the macroni and stir well to mix. Cover and let it cook in medium heat till it become creamy. Add Salt only if required.
• Rub the dry basil leaves under your palm and add to the pasta. Cover and cook again for another two minutes.The milk should be mostly absorbed by now but should not be too dry but creamy.
• Take off the stove. Move to a serving dish/lunch box and serve topped with scrambled eggs and some shredded cheese(if required)

                    

So Signing Off until I'm back with more healthy and yummy recipes. Have a great time everyone !!!

Carrot Semiya Payasam/Carrot Semiya Kheer

Carrot Semiya Payasam/Kheer is a very ezee and delicious Payasam which can be whipped up in very less time and tastes utterly delicious. As many of you might know my son loveeee Payasam/Kheer and always prefer white payasam(Milk based) over Brown ones(Jaggery-Coconut milk based). This payasam is one of his favorite and he just relishess this given at any point of time. We did not have much Onam celebrations at home this time, but I made this payasam for kids. So here comes an ezee, breezy payasam/kheer which can prepared at home whenever unexpected guests shows up or for any ceremomys or just as a dessert. Hmm, do you really need any reason to make this delicious payasam??? So make this home and relish with your loved ones !!!!

Ingredients:-

1. Grated Carrot - 3 Nos(~1 Cup)
2. Roasted Semiya/Vermicelli - 1 Cup
3. Ghee - 2 tsp
4. Thick Milk - 5 Cups(Full fat or 2%)
5. Water - 2 Cups
6. Sugar  ~ 1 Cup(Add more according to your tolerant level)
7. Cashews/Raisins a handful
8. Freshly Ground Cardamom - From 4

Preparation Method:-

• If using unroasted Semiya/Vermicelli, dry roast it well till golden brown and set aside.
• Heat up a wide pan, add ghee. Roast the Cashews till light brown and move to a bowl. Add Raisins and saute till they puff up, remove from the pan to a bowl.
• Now add the grated carrot to the same ghee and saute for about five-seven minutes till they change the color to deep orange and become soft. Move the carrot to another bowl and reserve.
• Add 2 Cups Milk + 2 Cups Water to the same pan and let it boil. Add the roasted Semiya/Vermicelli and let it cook in medium heat till it become soft.
• Add Sugar + 2 More Cups of Milk and let it cook again for another five minutes till the sugar is blended well and milk is reduced.
• Spread the sauteed carrot and gently stir to blend with Semiya. Add 1 More Cup of milk and let it boil for another five minutes till the payasam/kheer is creamy.
• Sprinkle the cardamom powder and mix gently. Let it reduce in low heat covered for another two minutes to infuse cardamom flavor.
• Switch off the stove and add ghee roasted cashews and raisins.
• Move to serving bowls and serve warm or cold.

Linking this to Favorite Recipe Event : Kheer/Payasam started by Swathi hosted at Rafeeda's The Big Sweet Tooth