Puttu (Steamed Rice Cake)

Aha – there will be hardly a Keralite who doesn’t like puttu. Also known as steamed rice cake, this is a wonderful dish that we have for breakfast. While the traditional side for this dish would be a kadala (black chickpea) curry(Recipe posted), puttu also goes well with any non-vegetarian gravy dish too. There is a special vessel in which the traditional puttu is made – called the puttu kutti (cylinder). In my case I have gone for the coconut shell shaped bowl which is placed over a pressure cooker.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Rice flour
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• Water & Salt as required

Wet or moisten the rice flour, add salt and cumin seeds and rub them with your hands until you get wet crumbles by adding little water.

Grind the flour for couple of seconds.

(I have my aluminium coconut shell shaped vessel in which I cook my puttu with the help of my cooker. I add 2 cups of water and close the cooker without the weight. You can add water to your puttu kudam and boil as well).

In to the vessel, add freshly grated coconut and top with rice flour and then coconut and repeat the process until the vessel is full. Donot press in the mixture too tightly.

Cover and keep it on the top of the kudam or cooker and cook for about 5 minutes after steam starts coming out of the vessel.

Transfer to the serving dish.

Kadala Curry ( Black chickpea)

This is one of my hubby’s fav curry. I make this dish along with puttu (Recipe posted). I make this for breakfast and occasionally for dinner when I feel lazy to cook. Oil free cooking is the main highlight of this dish. I have gone easy on the dish with chilli powder. Best combo – Puttum kadalayum. Can also be served with rice as well.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup black chickpea (soaked in water-overnight)
• 1 onion medium sliced
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. chilli powder
• 3 tbsp. coriander powder
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 1 tsp. ginger garlic paste
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• Salt/ 1 ½ veg stock cube
• 1 tbsp. fennel seeds (perum jeerakam)

In a pressure cooker, add chick pea, onions, turmeric powder, chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and salt by adding 1 cup of water. Cook for about 4 whistles. Once the pressure is released set side 2 tbsp. of cooked chick pea.

In a non-stick pan, add Fennel seeds and roast them for about 3 minutes. Add grated coconut and roast till darkish brown. Do not burn them. Add coriander powder and sauté for about 2 minutes. Remove from flame and add the 2 tbsp. chick pea to it. Set aside to cool.

Grind them to a smooth paste without adding any water. Add this paste to the curry and mix well. Check for salt.

Chilli Beef

This next dish is again a Kerala specialty. Traditionally (when my mom or hubby used to cook them) this is a dry dish and made in coconut oil. However I have opted for vegetable oil. Furthermore I have added onions and bell peppers. Potatoes or tender coconut pieces can also be added to enrich this dish. This dish can be served with either roti or plain rice.

Ingredients

• 250 gms Sliced Beef
• 1 tbsp. Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp. Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp. Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 tsp. Pepper Powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 1 Green Chilli split
• 1 onion medium cubed
• 1 bell pepper cubed
• Coriander Leaves
• Curry Leaves
• 1-2 tbsp. Veg Oil
• Salt to Taste

In a pressure cooker, add beef, salt, pepper powder, chilli, turmeric, garam masala powder and ginger garlic paste. Add 1 cup of water and cook for about 2-3 whistles.

Dry roast coriander powder in a non-stick pan for about 2-4 seconds and set aside.

To the same non-stick pan, add veg oil, add onions, 1 tsp. ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and green chilli and sauté till slightly translucent. Set aside. Add the beef mixture and mix completely. Bring to a boil on a high flame. Check for salt. Add onion mix, coriander powder and bell peppers. Cover and Cook till you get your preferred consistency.

Remove from flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

Rose Swirl Cake

This next cake was a valentine special that I had baked. The actual cake is a strawberry based cake, but since my hubby isn’t exactly a strawberry fan so I swapped them with raspberry. Otherwise this is a pretty easy chocolate & vanilla cake (at least the baking part). The tricky part is the icing & decoration which did take some time. But the patience does pay off, because with a simple butter cream frosting, this is one moist & delicious cake.

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Cake

• 1/8  cup unsalted butter ( 28.4 gms)
• ½  cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 2 drops of raspberry essence
• Pinch of salt
• ¼  cup + 1 Tablespoons milk
• 2 egg whites

Lightly grease pans a 9 inch round pan and line bottom with parchment paper.

Pre heat oven to 350˚F (175˚C).

With the standing mixer/ hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the vanilla & raspberry essence and beat for a minute. Add the flour mixture alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. Stir until just combined.

In another bowl beat the egg whites until foamy and fold into the flour and mixture. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool on wire racks completely. Flip the cake and divide into 2 layers.

 For the Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup  cocoa powder (85 gms)
• 2/3 cup of Luke warm water (153 ml)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cups superfine sugar
• 1 1/4  cups all-purpose flour
• ¼  teaspoon of salt
•  1 teaspoon of baking powder
•  1 teaspoon of vanilla

Place the cocoa powder in a small bowl and gradually add the warm water; Set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Grease a 9 inch round cake pan and line with baking parchment.

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F).

In a bowl, mix sugar and eggs until light and foamy with a hand mixer. Fold in the cocoa mixture. Fold in the flour and combine. Pour the mixture into the pan. Bake for about 50-55 minutes. Check with a toothpick. Leave to cool in the pan for a few minutes then turn out and cool completely on a wire rack.

Cut the cake into 2 layers if you wish and fill with the frosting.

Butter cream frosting

• 2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 6-8 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, sifted
• ½ tsp. table salt
• 1 tbsp. vanilla essence
• 8 tbsp. milk

Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer on medium speed. Add 6 cups of powdered sugar gradually and turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so you don’t get a cloud of sugar everywhere) until the sugar has completely mixed with the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla essence, salt, and 4 tablespoons of milk and beat for about 5 minutes.

Note: If the frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk at a time.

Fill the cake with the frosting. And with Tip # 1 M (large) pipe the roses.

I had added few drops of raspberry essence to the frosting to get the lovely pink colour.

Grilled Chicken in Mushroom Pepper Sauce, Mashed Potatoes & Veggies

This is one of my Friday Specials. The name maybe long and all however I can assure you that this is a real simple dish which can be made with the least of efforts. You can always grill the chicken with Barbeque sauce or any sauce of your choice. In my case I have kept the chicken simple and have gone for a homemade pepper sauce with mushroom. When added with the mashed potato this dish really blended well.

Ingredients

• 4 Chicken Breast
• Veggies of your choice (I used baby corn, carrots, French beans and cucumber)

Mashed Potatoes

• 4 Potatoes medium  cut into cubes
• Garlic salt/salt
• 3 tbsp. milk
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter softened/ melted
• 3 tbsp. fresh cream

Mushroom Pepper Sauce

• 250 gms mushroom chopped
• 2 Chicken stock cube
• 1 ½ cups of water (can be replaced with chicken stock also)
• 1 tbsp. corn flour/starch mixed in ¼ cup of water
• 1 ½ tbsp. Pepper corn crushed/ pepper powder
• 2-3 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

Mashed Potatoes: In a pot, boil the potatoes with a little salt until cooked. (Check with a fork). In a bowl, place the potatoes and mash them with a fork/masher. In a non-stick pan, add butter, garlic salt and cream and stir nicely for about a minute. Add it to the mashed potatoes and mix nicely. Add milk and again mix it. If you want your mixture to be rich and creamy… go ahead and add little more melted butter and cream. Close the bowl and keep warm.

Veggies: Put your choice of veggies in a pot of boiling water with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 10 minutes. You still need the crunchiness. Remove from heat and drain them and set aside.

Chicken: Season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill until cooked.

Mushroom Pepper sauce: In a pan, add water and stock cubes and bring to boil. Add crushed pepper corn and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.  Add mushroom and cook for about 5-8 minutes. Add corn flour water and mix until the sauce is thick. Cover and set aside.

Potato Stew

Stew or Ishtu (like we Keralite’s call it) is something which is often served with ‘Appams’ and for sadhya’s (feast) in Kerala.  Well the traditional recipe doesn’t call for spice, but over here I have tried them and it came out well. This is something I make once in a while. My favourite combo with this is the appam. While I would go with the use of coconut oil for this dish, use of vegetable oil is also fine. Also if you want to try something different, you can swap salt with veg stock cubes.

Ingredients

• 4 Medium -Potatoes cubed
• 2 tbsp. Coconut Oil
• 1 (inch) Cinnamon stick
• 3 Cloves
• 2 Cardamom pods
• 1 (inch) Ginger – finely chopped
• 2- 3 Green chillies split
• 1 Large onion
• Curry leaves- 1 sprig
• Coconut Milk- ¾  Cup (thick)
• Vegetable stock cubes- 1Cubes/ salt

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Sauté the spices for 1 minute.

Add onions, ginger, green chillies, curry leaves and sauté for a minute.

Add potatoes and sauté for 5- 10 seconds. Add the stock cubes and stir well. Check for salt (cubes have salt in them).  Pour in 1 ½ cups of water and pressure cook for about 3-4 whistles.  Once the pressure settles down, smash the potatoes a little bit with back of your spoon/ladle. Boil in a high flame and add coconut milk and stir for a minute. If you want more coconuty taste, you can add ¼ cup more.

Remove from heat; cover and let set the curry for about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a serving dish.

(You can add carrots, green peas and beans for a variety)

Enjoy!!!

Kerala Beef Roast

This curry accompanied with some warm parottas (recipe already posted) is an all-time favourite combo for me. Once again I grew up on this combo & so being in love with this I decided to try out this one too. While the one my mom used to make used to be real spicy, over here I have toned it down. The tastiest beef roast I have tried out till date happens to be the one my hubby used to make. However being the lazy bum that he is now I hardly get them these days. This dish is cooked in the pressure cooker which makes it easier & faster to cook. This dish can be served with plain rice/ roti, pulao. But the best combo would be porotta.

Ingredients

• ¾ kg Beef  cleaned and cut into cubes
• 1 tbsp. black pepper powder
• 1 tsp. Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. Red chilli powder
• 3-4 tbsp. Coriander Powder
• 1-2 tomatoes finely chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 ½ tbsp.  ginger chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp. garam masala
• 2 onions medium finely chopped
• 4 green chillies split (less or more)
• 9 No.s Pearl onions (Cheriya ulli) crushed
• ¼- ½ cup grated coconut slightly fried (without oil)
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• Coriander leaves to garnish
• Coconut Oil
• Salt to taste

Marinate the beef with garam masala, turmeric powder and pepper powder for about 10-20 minutes.

In a pressure cooker, add marinated beef, ginger, garlic and a little bit of pepper powder and salt if required and 1 ½ cup of water. Cook for about 4 whistles. Remove from heat.

In a non- stick pan, add oil and sauté onions and crushed pearl onions till translucent. Add green chillies and curry leaves sauté. Add chilli powder, coriander powder and ¼ tsp. turmeric powder. Saute for a while. Add tomatoes and cook till its done. At this time you can open the cooker and check the beef.

Once the tomatoes are done, add the beef along with the leftover water in the cooker; cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Once the gravy thickens, add fried grated coconut. And cook for 5 minutes more on a low flame. Check for salt. Remove from heat and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with porotta and yumm.. yummm !!!!