Sweet and Sour Pork

During the first few weeks of our marriage, we were on a marathon race, visting a long list of houses chosen by our parents!!!  It really was an ordeal when, like all newly weds, we too wanted to be alone and with ourselves.  But excuses were not granted.  Off we went racing, me wearing a five kilo heavy brocade saree which pricked me all over and another five kilo of ornaments which gave my body complete shelter from the sun!!! And as a newly wed, you need to be extremely polite and for that, consuming whatever offered to eat or drink is mandatory!!!   After a couple of visits I had my bladder bombarding with a melange of juice, squash, wine, tea/coffee and what not!!!

And for us, the marathon race continues ever after!!!  Since we visit Cochin only once in a year, our parents work as a unit, making sure that we visit 101 houses and get enough excersice and lot of fluids to drink!!!  A healthy homeland visit indeed!!!

You might be thinking why I'm talking about a totaly different topic under the heading 'Sweet and Sour Pork'!!!  Its because this dish reminds me of my newly wed days!!!  It was at one such visit that we got to eat an extremely delicious sweet and sour pork,  prepared by one of my aunts. I hogged on it like a teenager, unthoughtfull of all the prep talks given by mom on being polite and graceful.  Aunt gave me the recipe and here it is with slight changes. Hope you will enjoy this as much we did...

You will need...

Pork belly strips - 500gm diced
Green bell pepper - 1/2 cut into squares
Red bell pepper - 1/2 cut itno squares
Onion - 1 cut itno squares
Cabbage - 1/2 cup cut into squares
Carrots - 1/2 cup sliced into round disks
Pineapple chunks - 1/2 cup
Dark Soya sauce - 2 tbsp
Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Tomatto ketchup - 1 tbsp
Chilli sauce - 1 tbsp
White pepper powder - 1 tsp
Chilly flakes - 1 tsp
Cornflour - 1 tbsp
Sugar - 1-2 tsp
Ajinomotto(Monosodium Glutamate) - a pinch(optional)
Salt - to taste
Oil - as needed. (preferably sesame oil)

For the batter:
Cornflour - 1/4 cup
Plain flour - 1/4 cup
Eggs - 1
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste or 2 tsp
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Soya sauce - 1 tbsp

Mix all the ingredients to form a thick batter, adding lukewarm water if needed.

Directions:

Pressure cook the pork with little salt, pepper and 1 tsp soya sauce.  Drain out the pieces and reserve the stock.  Dip the pieces in the prepared batter and deep fry in batches.  Keep aside. Add soya sauce, cornflour, vinegar, sugar, tomatto sauce, chilli sauce, white pepper powder, chilli flakes and salt into the pork stock and mix well.  In a thick bottomed pan or wok stir fry all the vegetables in sesame oil for about 5 minutes(the vegetables should remain crisp like in all chinese preparations) or until done in high heat. Add the prepared sauce and ajinomotto into it and let it boil.  Add the fried pork pieces and continue cooking for two more minutes or until few minutes to the consistancy you need.  Serve hot with chowmein or chinese fried rice.  Can be served as an appetizer as well.

Note: 

The consistancy of the gravy gets thicker upon standing.  So can take it off heat a few minutes before reaching the desired consistancy.

Beef Vindaloo

Here is the Kochi Style Vindaloo - to be frank I'm not familiar with any other Kerala cusines like Kuttanad, Malabar, Trivandrum etc.  As far as I can trace my family roots, all my Grannys and their Great Great Grannys are from Cochin and so is my better half's. A bit unlucky that way, not to have had a peek into the multitude of Kerala cusines. But now thanks to blogging, I'm getting to know many new ways!!!

I have a craving for extremely spicy dishes and Vindaloo, which needs loads of chilli, goes hand in hand with this obsession. Got the recipe from my Aunt, she makes the best vindaloo in our family!  According to her, Vindaloo has dominant garlic and mustard flavours with a red tint. Hence the red chillies are de-seeded and used - this allows employing more of them to enhance the red tint and de-seeding keeps the spice level under check.

You will need...

Beef - 1 kg diced

Mustard seeds - 1 1/2 tbsp

Whole Red Chillies - 12 - 15 deseeded

Vinegar(Distilled Malt Vinegar) - 3-4  tbsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp

Onion - 1 sliced

Curry leaves - few

Oil

Grind together:

Green Chillies - 3-4

Onions - 2

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Garlic - 1 1/2 pod

Grind all these together into a coarse paste.

Directions:

Grind mustard seeds and keep aside. Deseed chillies, grind it into a smooth paste with vinegar and keep aside.  In a thick bottomed vessel or pressure cooker heat oil, saute the sliced onions until golden.  Add the ground onion mixture and saute until oil seperates. This might take some time, so be patient. Add the garam masala powder, turmeric powder, ground chilli paste, mustard powder, curry leaves and saute for further 3-4 minutes. Add meat, salt, 1 tbsp vinegar and pressure cook as much you normally do for beef(cooking time varies depending on pressure cooker).  Once done open and saute in high flame until gravy thickens. Serve hot with rice/roti.

Note: 

-The recipe calls for beef fillets or meduim slices. I used diced beef and did'nt find much of a difference.

-To deseed the chillies, slit the chillies lengthwise and tap off the seeds.  If you do not have whole chillies you can use chilli powder instead.  Soak it in vinegar.

-You can adjust the vinegar and chilli amount to suit your liking. 
-Can substitute beef with any meat of your choice.


And now Award time again. Fathima of Thattukada has shared three lovely Awards with me!!! Wow!!! Three at one go!!! Thanks a ton Fathima!!!

I would like to share these three Awards with all my blogger friends. All of you my wonderful, inspiring, creative blogger friends please accept your Awards...

Keema Tikki/Minced Meat Patties

I got the idea of tikkis from a friend Sholi, who's all the way from Dilli!!! She had it stuffed with dry fruits which I replaced with keema(minced meat) to suit my ongoing domestic Meat-a-holism.

You will need...

Potatoes - 5-6medium

Coriander leaves - few chopped

Cumin powder - a pinch

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Bread - 1-2 slice powdered

Salt - as needed

Boil potatoes. Peel, mash, add all the ingredients and mix well. Keep aside.

Note:

Potato mixture should be pliable as well as firm.  Add bread powder accordingly.

For the filling...

Minced meat - 250 gm

Mint leaves - few chopped

Onions - 1 big chopped

Green chillies - 3-4 chopped

Ginger - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few chopped

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Directions:

Cook minced meat with coriander pdr, turmeric pdr, chilli pdr, garam masala pdr and salt stirring well until all the water disappears. Keep aside. Heat oil in the pan and saute onions, green chillies, ginger paste and curry leaves until translucent, add cooked mince and stir fry until goden brown. Garnish with mint leaves. Take a lemon sized ball of potatoes with greased hands, mould as shown in figure and stuff with minced meat(approx 1 tbsp). Close the mash around the meat making a smooth ball. Flatten gently between both hands to form a small round disk. On a greased, hot tava/griddle roast both sides of the tikkis until golden brown.  Brush oil on the tikkis if needed.  Serve hot with tomatto ketchup or any chutney of your choice.

Erachi Ball Curry/Curried Meat Dumplings

Curried Meat Dumplings are widely known as Ball Curry in Cochin!!! For them it is a retro dish which induces nostalgia!!!  Ball curry is usually made on family gatherings to please our 'elderly' guests. They then head into a series of flashbacks bound to the delicacy, going ga ga about Granny's kaipunyam, which propells an exchage of rolled-eye-looks among the daughter-in-laws, who at the moment had spent few laborious hours in kitchen concocting the delight!!! The dumplings are usually made of minced meat or minced prawns.

Every time I look for minced meat while shopping and browse through the meat and poultry sections, comparing the calories and the sat fats in each, I end up with turkey mince which appeals the most.  Hence here goes the recipe with turkey mince...

You will need...

For the dumplings:

Minced meat - 500gm

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 2-3

Shallots(Cheriya ulli) - 5-6 skinned

Mint leaves - few chopped

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Fennel powder(Aniseed) - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Crush green chillies and shallots. Mix all the ingredients together and make fine lime sized dumplings. Keep aside.

For the gravy:

Onion - 1 sliced

Ginger - 1 inch piece crushed

Green chillies - 2-3

Tomatto - 1 sliced into rounds

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp(preferably any Kerala brand)

Vinegar - 1-2 tbsp

Thin coconut milk - 2 cups

Thick coconut milk - 3/4 cup

Oil

Salt - to taste

Soak all the powders in little water to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

To garnish:

Shallots(Cheriya ulli) - 5-6 sliced

Curry leaves - few

Garlic - 1 clove sliced(optional)

Mint leaves - few chopped

Coriander leaves - few chopped

Directions:

Heat oil in a kadai and saute shallots, garlic and curry leaves(under the ingredeints to garnish) until golden brown. Drain and keep aside.  In the same vessel add enough oil and saute the onions, green chillies and ginger paste in medium heat. Reduce heat and add the soaked powder paste, sliced tomattoes, salt and saute until oil leaves to the sides. Add thin coconut milk, vinegar and let it boil. Add meat dumplings into the bubbling gravy. Do not stir, just swirl the vessel if needed. Cover and cook until gravy thickens and the dumplings are well cooked.  Add thick coconut milk. Just heat it without letting it boil. Garnish with the sauted items and chopped leaves. Serve hot.

Note:

-For a low calorie version you can totally avoid coconut milk and use water instead of thin coconut milk and skimmed milk instead of thick coconut milk. 
-The dumplings are made using raw meat.  They will break off on cooking if cooked mince is used.

Chicken Pepper Stir Fry

One of my couch potato days and wanted to cook up something in a jiffy.  This recipe is an easy one when you are not having the patience to deep fry or wait until the oil leaves to the sides  :))

You will need...

Boneless chicken - 500gm
Sugar - 1 tsp
Bell peppers/Capsicum(red or green) - 1 sliced
Onion - 1 big sliced
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 5 chopped
Chilli sauce - 1 tbsp
Soya sauce - 1 tbsp
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sesame oil

To marinate...
Egg - 1
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Soya sauce- 1 tsp
Chilli sauce - 1 tsp
Cornflour - 1 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

Mix chicken with all these ingredients and keep aside.

Directions:

Heat oil in a wok/non stick pan. Add sugar, when it turns brown add chicken and stir fry until well cooked. Add onions, bell peppers, ginger and garlic pastes. Fry until just cooked. Add chilli sauce, soya sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper powder and green chillies. Stir fry until chicken pieces turn golden. Serve hot.

Erachi Kothi Varuthathu/Minced Meat Fry

Another one from my Mom's kitchen. A preparation which can be served as a side dish as well as a sandwich/puffs/rolls stuffing. Mom makes it with minced beef. I used minced turkey here.

You will need...

Minced meat - 500gm
Onion - 1 big sliced
Tomattoes - 1-2 chopped
Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Mint leaves - few chopped
Potatoes - 1
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

To cook meat...
Ginger - 1 inch piece crushed
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 5 chopped
Salt - to taste

Directions: 

Peel potatoes and cut into four lengthwise.  Cut into thin slices. Sprinkle with salt, deep fry and keep aside.

In a non stick pan add meat and the second set of ingredients and cook stirring continously until all the water is gone. Transfer it into another vessel. Pour oil in the cooking pan, saute onions and curry leaves. Reduce heat and add coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder. Add tomattoes. When oil leaves to the sides add the cooked meat and stir fry until golden.  Add vinegar and salt to taste. Garnish with mint leaves and fried potatoes.

Note: 

While cooking meat keep stirring continously or else the meat might stick together into lumps. 

Beef Biriyani/Layer Biriyani

On making biriyani I wonder whose invention this is, with a pang of envy, wishing it was me who had done that with all it's grandeur. Me being a biriyani lover, once it is made and occupies my fridge, find myself eyeing greedily at it, listing all the excuses to justify my about to happen hogging. Making a vow of extra gym hours and boring oats porridge for the next few days, I thereby surrender to "Biriyani the mightiness"!!!

You will need...

For Korma...
Diced Beef - 3/4 kg

Big Onions - 2-3 chopped

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Garlic - 1 pod (10-15 cloves)

Green chillies - 5

Coriander leaves - few stems

Mint leaves - few stems

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Tomattoes - 2-3 chopped

Yoghurt - 1/2 cup

Lime juice - 1/2 lime

Yellow color/Saffron

Ghee

Oil

Salt

Grind together...

Poppy seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp chopped

Grated/Desicated coconut - 2 tbsp

Water - 1/4 cup

For garnishing while layering...

Big onions - 2 sliced thin

Sultanas/Raisins - 10-15

Cashew nuts - 10-15
Coriander leaves - few chopped
Mint leaves - few chopped

Fry onions until golden brown. Keep aside. Fry cashews and sultanas seperatly and keep aside.

For Rice...

Basmati rice - 1/2 kg

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Whole garam masala - few

(Cardomoms, Cloves, Cinnamon sticks)

Salt

Directions:

Korma...

Pressure cook beef with 1/4 cup of water, salt and few chopped green chillies. Keep aside. Grind together onions, green chillies, ginger, garlic, mint leaves and coriander leaves to a smooth paste. Add ghee and oil in a cooking vessel and saute the onion paste until oil seperates. Add the turmeric, coriander, chilli and garam masala powders and tomattoes. Saute till oil seperates. You may add oil in between if needed. Add beef and the stock obtained while presure cooking beef. Wait till all the water dissappears and add youghurt and lime. When it thickens add the ground cashew, poppy seeds and coconut paste. Mix well and cook for five more minutes. Keep aside.

Rice...

Boil enough water to cook the rice with the whole masalas, salt and ghee. Add rice upon boiling and drain when half cooked.

Layering....

In an oven proof deep dish add 1/3 of the rice. Put half of the korma on top. Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and fried onions. Add rice and layer again finishing with rice on top. Make holes in between rice, inserting skewer sticks till it touches bottom and drip ghee into these holes. Mix color in very little water and pour down on the sides and the center. Cover with a damp cotton cloth and bake in a preheated oven to 180 degree/gas mark 6 for half an hour. Remove the cloth, garnish with cashews and raisins and serve hot with onion raita, dates chutney and pappadoms.

Note:
-The cloth used should be pure cotton with the nylon tags(if any) removed to prevent it melting while baking.
-Take care to set the bowl in such a way that the cotton cloth is not coming in contact with the sides of the oven or flame. Fold the extra lengths in, covering only the top of the bowl.

Kadai Chicken

Picture a plump merry looking butler wearing a Rajah's turban and a curled up moustache?

Eh!?...Not interesting?

Alright! Let me complete the sentence,

"Picture a plump merry looking butler wearing a Rajah's turban and a curled up moustache, serving kadai chicken?"

Ah! Hah!!!  How i wish i was on the receiving end!!! Don't you?

Fortunatly or unfortunatly, when it comes to cooking, my better half, who has always been my consistant best half, takes an abrupt turn. And me longing for few homelandish extravaganzas like '10 bright sunny days at a stretch' and 'tongue burning spicy delicacies', kept blabbering about the kadai chicken - its aroma, flavour  and even the ambience of an indian restaurant, unaware of the fact that somebody's tastebuds were building sandcastles at the expense of my imagination.  And as usual poor moi, ended up being constantly nagged for kadai chicken...Eh!?...Me!!? Again!!? Digging my own grave!!? Phew!!!

Btw, there is a restaurant in Cochin, Tandoor, which serves awesome kadai chicken. It has a rich, thick spicy gravy and goes well with naan. I've tried making the dish many times, different ways and this one just came fine with sauted ground bell peppers giving it a spicy edge and a tempting aroma...

You will need...

Chicken - 1 whole cleaned and cut into medium sized pieces
Onions - 2 finely chopped
Green chillies - 5-6 slitted
Tomattoes - 1-2 finely chopped
Ginger paste - 1tbsp
Garlic paste - 1tbsp
Coriander leaves - few chopped
Green bell pepper/Capsicum - 1 finely chopped
Tomatto puree concentrate - 1 tbsp
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece broken into small pieces
Cardamom - 4
Star anise - 1
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp
Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp
Almonds - 5-6
Salt - to taste
Oil

To Marinate Chicken

Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp

Marinate chicken pieces and keep aside. In a kadai or non stick pan saute chopped bell pepper in oil until the sides turn golden. Keep aside. In the same kadai saute  whole masalas until cardamoms splutter. Add onions, green chillies, ginger garlic pastes and saute well. Add the masala powders, tomatto and tomatto puree. Saute well until oil leaves to the sides and all the water disappears. This will take some time. Add chicken and salt and cover and cook in medium heat. Grind the bell peppers along with the poppy seeds and almonds in some water to a smooth paste. When the chicken is almost cooked, add the ground paste and continue cooking until the gravy thickens and gets coated on the pieces. If you prefer it with more gravy adjust accordingly by adding some hot water. Garnish with coriander leaves and sprinkle lime juice. Serve hot with rice or roti.

Meen Paalu Curry/Fish Curry

Meen paalu curry is a preparation with vinegar and coconut milk. A change from the usual fish curry with gambooge/kokum(kudam puli).

You will need...

1. Fish - 750gms cleaned and cut into   pieces(i used black pomfret)
   Green chiliies - 6-7 slitted lengthwise
   Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
   Vinegar* - 2-3 tbsp
   Salt - to taste
   Water - 1/4 cup

Put all the ingredients together in a pan, cover and cook in medium heat and keep aside.

2. Big onion - 1 sliced
    Tomattoes - 1 sliced into rounds
    Garlic clove - 1 sliced
    Ginger crushed - 1 inch piece
    Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
    Chilly powder - 1-1 1/2 tsp
    Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
    Coconut milk* - 1 cup(thick consistency)
                               and 2 cups(thin consistency)
    Shallots(Cheriya ulli) - 5-6 sliced
    Curry leaves - 2 stems
    Salt
    Oil - 2-3 tbsp

See coconut milk recipe here.  Mix coriander powder, chilly powder and turmeric powder in 2-3 tbsp water to a paste and keep it aside. In a thick bottomed pot or terracotta cooking dish(currychatti) saute shallots to golden brown and add curry leaves. Keep it aside. In the same pan saute onions, ginger and garlic(do not allow it to brown),  add tomattoes and saute for one minute. Reduce heat and add the masala paste and saute until oil leaves to the sides of the pan. Add the thin coconut milk( edappal) and let it boil in medium heat. Add fish pieces into it taking special care so as not to break the pieces. If there is any water left out in the pan add that too along with the chillies. When it boils reduce heat and add thick coconut milk(thalappal). Just heat it, do not allow to boil. Garnish with fried shallots and curry leaves. Serve hot with rice or roti.

Vinegar - Distilled malt vinegar is used in this preparation. Can use coconut vinegar if it is available.

Coconut Milk - Fresh coconut milk is used here, suitable substitutes can be used like instant coconut milk powder or tinned coconut milk. Dilute it to thick and thin milks.

Note: 

After adding the  thick coconut milk do not let it boil. The milk solids will get seperated and spoil the curry, specially the look of it. Taste should be alright.

Fish preparations are usually made using currychatti(terracotta dish) which is supposed to make the preparation tastier.

To get an authentic kerala taste you can prepare it in coconut oil.

Fish Fry/Meen Varuthathu

Fish, fish and more fish from the Arabian Sea!!! It's a daily affair in Cochin and fish fry is the simplest of all preparations. Even though frying is not recommended for a healthy diet, due to it's simplicity and taste we end up frying.

You will need...

Fish - 500gm
Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 3/4 tbsp
Pepper powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - as needed
Oil - for frying

Clean fish and marinate with all the ingredients. Keep for about half an hour and deep fry. Serve hot.

 Marinated sardines

Fish Cutlets

My MIL is well known among our relatives for her yummy cutlets. They have even branded it as 'Linda Aunty's Cutlets'!!! It was the first dish I learned from her. I served it as starter for a party and it was a hit!!! After going through the recipe, even if you feel like it's too complicated, trust me, it's worth a try!!!

You will need...

Tinned tuna chunks in brine(185gm tins) - 4

Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Pepper powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

For Sauting...

Big onions - 2 finely chopped

Green chillies - 7-8 finely chopped (I add 10 to make it real spicy)

Curry leaves - few finely chopped

Ginger paste - 1 tbsp

Garam masala powder- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 2-3 tbsp

Salt - to taste

To make patties...

Boiled and mashed potatoes - 4-5 meduim

Egg - 1 large beaten

Bread crumbs - Enough to cover approx 20 cutlets

Oil - for frying

Upper left: after the first step

Lower left: sauted with onions until golden brown

Upper right: mixed with mashed potatoes

Lower right: moulded into patties

Drain the tuna into a cooking vessel and mix with the first set of ingredients and keep stirring in meduim flame until it is dry. Transfer it into another vessel.

Add oil to the cooking pan and saute onions, green chillies, curry leaves and ginger paste until onions are golden brown. Add garam masala powder and turmeric powder in low heat and stir well. More pepper powder can be added now if u need it hot. Add tuna into this and fry until well mashed and almost golden brown. Check salt and add if needed. Once it cools down mix with mashed potatoes.Mould into patties of desired shape with hand or with the help of cookie cutters. Dip the patties in beaten egg and then roll it in bread crumbs. Deep fry and serve hot with tomatto ketchup and onion salad.

Note:

-Tuna chunks in brine are mostly salted, so be careful while adding salt.

- Fresh fish can be used instead. If so cook fish with little water and the first set of ingredients and remove bones.

- In case if it is brittle while moulding into patties, mashed potatoes can be added more to make it pliable.

- The secret trick is saute in a low heat for some time until fish turns golden brown, and the taste of just pepper and garam masala makes it unique. I have tried adding coriander powder and chilli powder and realised that it tastes better without.

- Can add garlic if you like.

- Can freeze, and will stay for almost a month.

Mixed Vegetable and Egg Chowmein

Maggie noodles!!! - it came into the market when I was 6yrs old. I used to literally drool seeing those tempting ads of kids 'vaccuming in' the yummy threads, with their lips. I still remember my Mom cooking it for the first time, as if it came from an alien land and suggested that 'idiyappam' would have been better :-). She still does'nt like noodles/chowmein. Lol. But it is one of my favourites and when no one is watching, I still do the 'vaccuming in'!! :D

You will need...

Egg noodles - 300gm
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Spring onions - 3-4 chopped (whites and greens seperated)

Onions - 1 big sliced

Green chillies - 3-4 chopped

Bell peppers(red, green, yellow) - 1 each sliced into thin stripes

Celery - 2 sticks chopped

Mushrooms - 100 gms sliced

Cabbage - 1/2 cup sliced(optional)

Bean sprouts - 1 cup

Scrambled eggs - 5

Ajinomotto - 1 pinch(optional)

Soya sauce - 1 tbsp

Chillie sauce - 1 tbsp

Pepper powder - 1 tsp

Sesame oil - 2-3 tbsp

Salt - as needed

Cook noodles according to the packet instructions and keep aside. In a wok pan or non stick deep pot add oil and in full heat saute ginger garlic paste, green chillies, spring onion whites, and onions. Add all the other vegetables and stir fry. Once the water is gone add all the sauces, ajinomotto, salt, pepper powder, cooked noodles and scrambled eggs. Mix well. Garnish with spring onion greens and serve hot.

Note:

-Sometimes when the heat is not enough or when not using proper wok pan or if the vegetables give out lot of water, they get overcooked. So you can stir fry veggies in batches or each separately and then finally mix all of them together.

-Can add prawns, shredded meat or any veggies to suit your taste.

Chilly Chicken

ven though Chilly Chicken is not an authentic Cochin dish, it is one of the highly rated favourites. My hubby is a die hard fan of it. And whenever i have this dish, i think of my close friend Niranjana, who used to bring awesome home cooked chilly chicken, when she returned back to the hostel after breaks. And she is the one who taught me to make this dish after my endless unrewarding attempts. So here it goes...

You will need...

Boneless skinless chicken - 500gm(diced into small cubes)
Spring onions chopped (greens and whites seperated) - 4 sticks
Big onion - 1 (Chopped into meduim sized squares)
Green bell pepper - 1( Chopped into meduim sized squares)
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Green chillies chopped - 5( can adjust according to your spice level)
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Ginger paste - 1tsp
Garlic finely chopped - 1/2 pod
Ginger finely chopped - 1 inch
Celery stick - 1 finely chopped(optional)
Ajinomotto - a pinch
Soya sauce - 1 tbsp
Vinegar - 1tbsp
Chilli sauce - 1 tbsp
Tomatto sauce- 1-2 tbsp
Sesame oil - 2-3 tbsp
Sunflower oil - as needed for frying
Chilli flakes - 1 tbsp (optional)
Salt - to taste

For marinade...
Eggs - 1
Cornflour - 25gm
Plain flour - 75gm
Soya sauce - 1 tbsp
Chilli sauce - 1 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Ajinomotto - a pinch
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Salt - 2 taste

Mix all these ingredients to make a thick smooth paste. Can add water if needed.
Note:- You can adjust the thickness according to your taste. Some people prefer the chicken pieces coated in a thick batter while others prefer it thin.

Step 1
Cook chicken pieces with little water, 1tbsp soya sauce, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1 tbsp vinegar and 1 tsp ginger garlic paste until the pieces are well cooked. Drain the chicken pieces out and restore the stock.

Step 2
Heat sunflower oil in a thick bottomed vessel. Dip the chicken pieces in the marinade and deep fry. Since the chicken pieces are already cooked this will take very less time since v need to get only the marinade cooked. Drain it into a vessel lined with kitchen tissue.
Note:-If u have left over batter mix it with the stock. If not add a tbsp of cornflour to the stock and mix well.

Step 3
In a non stick/thick bottomed vessel heat sesame oil(in full heat). Add chopped ginger, garlic and spring onion whites. Fry for two minutes. Now add chopped onions. Stir fry until the onions turn translucent. Add bell peppers and celery. When the bell peppers are half cooked, turn heat to low and add chilli powder, green chillies, soya sauce, tomatto sauce and ajinomotto. Stir well. Now add the chicken stock. Stir well and check the salt. Add if needed. Turn heat again to high, let it boil and now you can see that it turns into a thick glacy gravy. At this point you can adjust the consistancy of ur gravy by ading more water if you prefer to have it a bit runny. Add the fried chicken pieces into it. Simmer in meduim flame for 2-3 mins. Garnish with chopped spring onion greens. Serve hot with chowmein or fried rice. I like it even with chappathis or nans.

Varutharacha Pork Curry

My Mom makes this curry and the aroma fills the whole house. She makes it with kudal(beef intestine) which is a favourite among Cochin Christians, and is also a dish served for the wedding eve ceremony. Can hardly wait till lunchtime and by the time this reaches the dining table it will be in such a state that there'll be only raw banana pieces left. May be that's why mom adds raw banana in it.

You will need...

Pork belly strips - 500 gm

Raw banana - 1(cut into pieces) (optional)

Big onion - 1 big or 2 small

Curry leaves - enough

Whole red chillies - 5-6

Whole corriander - 1 1/2 tbsp

Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece

Cloves - 5-6

Cardomem - 4-5

Green chillies - 4-5

Chillie powder - 1-2 tsp(upto ur spice level)

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Salt - enough

Ginger -1 inch piece

Grated coconut -1/2 coconut

Devon or Melam

Meat masala(optional) - 1tbsp(better if added)

Cut pork into square pieces and pressure cook it with little water, turmeric, salt, green chillies and crushed ginger. In a dry non stick pan(don't add oil) fry grated coconut, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, chillies and cardomem together until coconut turns golden brown(be careful not to burn coconut, low-medium flame is better and be patient, it will take time to turn brown). Keep it aside to cool. When it cools down grind this into a smooth paste without water. Now in a non stick pan add little oil. Fry sliced onions. When the onions start turning golden brown lower flame and add curry leaves, little chilly powder(only if you want it spicy), meat masala and the ground paste. Pour the excess water from the pressure cooker and when it boils add raw banana pieces. When banana pieces get cooked add the pork stir and let it boil. Remove when the gravy is thick. Serve hot.

Note:

- Any meat (chicken, beef, mutton, turkey) can be used instead of pork.

- If you don't have whole chillies and whole corriander you can use powder instead. But add them only after the coconut has turned golden brown and immediately after removing from the hob.

- The coconut will take time to get grinded. So stop mixie in between frequently and stir it. Even then if you cannot get it done add little oil, and if all these fails finally add in little water from the cooked pork. You might not get the dark brown glamourous color for the curry, if you add water while grinding coconut mixture. But taste will be the same.

- The cardomen, cloves, cinnamon can be put more if u like it very spicy.

- Desicated coconut can also be used instead of grated coconut. But be very careful while frying because it turns brown fast, and dry fry whole masalas seperate if using desicated coconut.

- Raw banana is also optional. Potatoes can be used instead eventhough I prefer it with raw bananas.