Mommie Freida's Chicken chilli

Happy New Year to all my readers. 

Thanks to all your emails, wishes, and encouraging words. Above all, I am really delighted to know my small set of recipes worked for you as it was for me.  Hope to hear more comments from you. 

Happy Cooking

Ingredients

• Chicken - 1 kg 
• Eggs - 2 Nos.
• All purpose flour - 3 tbsp
• Chilli sauce - 3 tbsp
• Soya sauce - 3 tbsp
• Onion, sliced - 3 cups
• Green chillies - 7 Nos.
• Tomato sauce - According to taste
• Coriander leaves, chopped - handful
• Salt as required
• Oil for cooking
• Food color (optional)

Method

Cut chicken into small pieces and wipe off excess water from it with a towel.

In a large deep bowl, beat the eggs. To this, add flour, whisk nicely. Now add chilli sauce, soya sauce, and salt. Whisk again thoroughly. If you have decided on adding food color, add it now. Combine chicken to this and marinate for 1 hour.

After one hour, in a frying pan, fry the chicken pieces.

After frying chicken, pass the remaining oil through a sieve. Now pour the oil back to the frying pan and start sauteeing the onions. when the onions are half sauteed, add green chillies and lightly saute them. At this stage, add chicken, tomato sauce, and coriander leaves and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes in low flame and you are done with your chicken chilli.

Served best with fried rice or a bed of noodles.

• I have not used food coloring here, though the addition lends a beautiful sheen to the chicken pieces. 
• The marinade will stain some chicken pieces black, but it doesn't really disturb the taste. 
• Addition of tomato sauce is up to you. I always end up adding a bit more of tomato sauce before serving as we all like sweetness in the dish. 

Varutha meen/Kerala fish fry/meen varuthathu

I have always heard Keralites say a plate of rice and a fish fry is enough to satisfy rumbling tummies - if you can stretch yourself more - a Moru kachiyathu/moru curry ...... and how many thumbs up for this menu. Yeah, I can see ....a lot. I believe fish fry is out of fashion as health freaks in us love to indulge in fish parcels and the types. Now back to my roots with glamorous meen varuthathu/fish fry after house smelling all meat.

Ingredients
Fish - 1/2 kg
Coconut oil
Salt to taste

To Grind for the marinade
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Peppercorns - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Garlic - 4-5 small cloves
Vinegar/lemon juice - 1 tsp

Method
Grind red chilli powder, turmeric powder, peppercorns, ginger, garlic, vinegar/lemon juice to a fine paste. Marinate the fish pieces with the fine paste. Fry fish pieces in coconut oil and transfer to a kitchen towel. Serve with raw onion rings squeezed with lemon juice.

Kerala Pork Peralan/Pork roast

One for Pork lovers ........

Ingredients

Pork - 1/2 kg

Onion sliced - 1 big

Ginger chopped - 1 tsp

Garlic chopped - 1 tsp

Green chillies, slit - 4 nos

Turmeric pdr - 1/2 tsp

Pepper pdr - 4 tsp

Coriander pdr - 1 tbsp

chilli pdr - 1 tsp

Dry roast and Grind

Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon stick - 1 inch

Cardamom - 2

Cloves - 3

Method

Marinate pork with ginger, garlic, green chillies, turmeric powder, 2 tsp pepper powder (reserve other 2 tsp of pepper pdr for later use), chilli pdr, and salt. Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles or until it is done. 

Heat a pan to dry roast and grind the ingredients shown above in (Dry roast and Grind).

 Heat oil in a pan, saute onion till light brown. Now add coriander powder, pepper powder, ground powder from (Dry roast and Grind), and pork. Fry till the water is reduced nicely. 

Serve hot with rice or chapatis.

T-Bone steak with mushroom sauce and boiled veggies

I love steaks and have to admit it's a pricey affair. The Keralite in me cannot digest the steakhouse terms  of medium rare, rare, etc., etc. For me always it has to be perfectly done. The mushroom sauce to pour on top was too good and I could not resist it when it was cooked. So speaking of T-bone it  is all masked with mushroom sauce and boiled veggies. I believe you can see partly sliced beef meat there. So here goes the recipe for a cheap steakhouse indulgence. Pair it with wine and you will save some rupaiyya in your pockets.

Ingredients for steak
T-Bone steak  for 3 people
Freshly cracked pepper/pepper powder
Salt
Canola oil

Method
Rub steak with salt and pepper powder. Keep this for 1/2 an hour. Add oil in a pan, when it is smoking hot, add steak. Reduce heat and fry them for 5 minutes on each side. Now place this in an oven at 160 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Steak to a Malayali perfection (consistency) - well done is ready.

MUSHROOM SAUCE TO POUR OVER THE STEAK
Button mushrooms - 200 gm
Garlic - 1 clove
Salt
Pepper powder
Cream
Butter

Method
Heat butter in a pan, saute garlic and mushrooms. Don't overcook mushrooms. Add salt and pepper powder according to your taste levels. Now add cream and stir continuously. Let the heat pass through the cream. Don't allow it to boil. Mushroom sauce is ready to pour over the steak.

Enjoy your steak with boiled veggies, sweet cherry tomatoes, and Merlot. 

Smoked salmon salad

Ingredients
Rocket leaves - A small bunch
Smoked salmon - 1/2 of a packet
Avocado - 1
Almond shavings - 1 tbsp

Dressing
Olive oil - 2 tbsp or according to your taste levels
juice of 1 lemon
Salt

Combine all the ingredients. Pour the salad dressing. Serve along with thick lemon wedges. This makes a nice stuffing for sandwiches minus the rocket leaves with a dash of pepper powder.

Chemmeen ularthiyathu/prawns ularthiyathu/prawn roast

Ingredients
Prawns - 250 gm
Coconut cuts/thenga kothu - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1 medium
Onion chopped - 1 medium
Green chillies - 2
Ginger chopped - 1 small piece
Garlic - 4 cloves
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Coconut oil
Curry leaves
Salt

Method
Clean the prawns. Heat oil in a pan, saute onions. Add ginger, garlic, green chillies, curry leaves. When the onion turns light brown in color, add chilli powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, garam masala powder. Saute them for a minute. Add tomato. When the tomatoes are all mushy and oil starts to float, add coconut cuts, prawns, salt, and 1/4 cup of water. When it starts to boil, lower the flame, close the lid. Stir occasionally. Reduce the water. Switch off the stove and serve hot with rice.

Care should be taken not to overcook the prawns.

Kuttanadan duck roast - Christmas special

Ingredients
Duck - 1 kg
Onion - 2 big
Tomatoes - 2
Green chillies - 4
Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Garam masala - 2 tsp
Curry leaves
Salt
Oil

To Soak

Pepper powder - 2 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 3 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Optional:- Coconut milk - 1/2 cup thick

Method
Heat oil in a pressure cooker, saute onions. When the onion turns translucent, add ginger paste, garlic paste, green chillies, and curry leaves. Now add soaked powders (To Soak) to this. When the raw smell leaves, add tomato, cook till it gets mushy and oil starts to float on the surface. Add duck and mix well to coat all the masalas. Now add salt and 1/2 cup of water. Close the lid and cook till one whistle. After that lower the flame, cook for 3-4 whistles. Open the lid and check if duck is perfectly done. If not, again close the lid and cook for 1 more whistle.

For some ducks, it will only take 2 whistles and they are ready. Always it is wise to check after 2 whistles to make sure it is not overdone or underdone. Then proceed accordingly. Once duck is cooked perfectly, reduce the water to get a thick gravy.

You can use coconut milk. It is purely optional. I find this curry tastes better without coconut milk, but if you are an ardent fan of coconut milk, add it.

I am sending this to Divya Pramil's Christmas Event

Fish Cutlets - Welcome December

Hello rainy December,

UAE is all drenched and dressed up for its 41^st National Day. Long live UAE.

December always bring me surprises in some form or another. This year was no different. To me it often paves a tone for the New Year to come. Thank you God all the more.

I love every bit of December right from decorations, presents, carols to everything mulled.

Hope December is going to be action packed. After all who can say no to festive feasts and stagnate.  

Ingredients
Raw King fish - 2 cups, cut into cubes
Onion - 1 big
Potatoes - 1 big
Green chillies chopped - 4-6
Ginger chopped - 1 tsp
Garlic chopped - 2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 1/2-2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves, chopped  - 2 tsp
Mint leaves, chopped - 2 tsp
Salt
Oil for deep frying
Eggs - 2 whites
Bread crumbs - as required

Method

Clean the fish and cut them into small cubes. Cook fish cubes in little water along with turmeric powder and salt. Allow water to dry out completely, then mash the fish cubes. Boil the potatoes and mash them. Keep them aside.

Heat oil in a pan, saute onion, green chillies, ginger, and garlic. When the onion turns translucent and the raw taste leaves, add pepper powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, and garam masala. Saute them for 1 minute. Now add mashed fish. Mix them well so that the masalas coat the fish nicely. Check for salt and if required add salt. Now switch off the stove.  Add mashed potatoes, coriander and mint leaves to this and mix well. Keep them aside.

Now make lemon sized balls out of this and form desired shapes with your hands. Dip them in egg whites (properly coat the egg whites on all sides or else the result will be cracked cutlets). Now dip them in bread crumbs. Deep fry them in oil to get a dark golden brown color as shown in the picture. 

Serve cutlets with tomato ketchup or traditionally kachumber.

Meen Paalu Curry/Fish curry in coconut milk

This curry is very famous among Christians living in and around Fort Kochi. Very mildly spiced and bursting with flavor, Meen Paalu curry is often served on Christmas day and Kochiites love this. Kochiites pick thirutha/grey mullet, kanambu/red mullet or avoli/pomfret for this curry where these fishes taste best any given day. 

Fresh catch converted to Kochi style meen paalu curry

Ingredients
Fish - 1/2 kg (I used fresh Pranjil/long rayed silver biddy)
Onion - 1 big, thinly sliced
Ginger - 1 piece
Garlic - 4 cloves
Green chilli - 6 nos
Curry leaves
Coriander powder - 4 tbsp
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Coconut Oil
Coconut milk, thin - 11/2-2
Coconut milk, thick - 1/2 cup
Vinegar - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Directions
Wash and clean fish. Soak coriander powder, chilli powder, and turmeric powder in little water. Heat coconut oil in a munchatti, saute onion, green chillies, ginger, garlic, and curry leaves. Once it is sauteed well,
add previously soaked powders to this. When the raw smell leaves, add thin coconut milk. Now add salt, vinegar, and fish. Allow the fish to cook in low flame. When the fish is cooked and gravy starts to thicken, add thick coconut milk and switch off the stove. Meen paalu is best served with rice.

Green rice with Brinjal Vindaloo

How about a vegan Christmas? Oh yes, I can see dull, long boring faces. We (myself included) cannot imagine a Christmas without our staples and  don't want to miss on it. If somebody out there is on a search for a  vegan rice and vindaloo recipe for this grand day, this is what I have to offer - Green rice with Brinjal Vindaloo. Rice with its subtle flavor and Vindaloo with its not so fiery taste fits the bill for a Vegan Christmas.

I got a taste of this rice first hand from Aunty Carol who often used to feed us. She is a big hearted lady who is very close to us and touched my heart in many ways. Her work for Theresian Sisters were notable.

GREEN RICE

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cups
Water - 3-31/2 cups
Mint leaves - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 4
Ginger - 1 tsp
Garlic - 2 cloves
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 medium
Salt
Oil

Directions
Heat oil in a pan, saute onion, garlic, ginger, green chillies, mint leaves, and coriander leaves. When the onion  turns translucent,  switch off the stove. Let it cool completely. Once cooled, grind the mixture. Keep it aside.
Grind the grated coconut and set them aside.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add basmati rice and saute for 2-3 minutes. Now add the ground mint-coriander mixture. Mix well. Allow the mixture to coat the rice. Now add the ground coconut mixture. Let them blend completely with the rice. Add 3-3 1/2 cups of hot water and salt. Close the lid and cook till 1 whistle. Switch off the stove and open after 10-15 minutes.

BRINJAL VINDALOO

Ingredients
Brinjal - 250 g (I used big plump variety)
Onion - 2 large, chopped finely
Tomatoes - 2 big
Kashmiri Chilli powder - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Ginger chopped - 1 tsp
Garlic chopped - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Vinegar - 2 tbsp or according to your taste
Salt
Oil

Directions
Grind mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, kashmiri chilli powder, and vinegar. Heat oil in a pan, crackle mustard seeds, saute onion. It should be sauteed well to remove the raw taste. When the onion turns light brown in color (if the onion is not sauteed well, the curry will turn to be sweet), add chopped tomatoes. When the tomatoes are all mashed up, add the ground mixture from above. When oil starts to float on the surface, add brinjal and salt. Mix well. Let the masala coat the brinjal pieces well. Now close the lid and cook for 2 minutes without adding water. Open the lid, add hot water, and let the brinjal cook well. Now reduce water to get a thick consistency vindaloo.

Note:- Add vinegar according to your taste.