Elaneer / Karikku dosa

Ingredients

1. Sona masoori rice - 1 cup
2. Elaneer / Karikku / tender coconut flesh - 1 cup
3. Elaneer / Karikku / tender coconut water - 1/2 cup
4. Fenugreek seeds - 0.5 tsp
5. Sugar - 2 tbsp
6. Salt
7. Oil

Procedure

1. Wash the rice and soak it overnight using water.
2. Grind rice, tender coconut flesh and fenugreek seeds using very little coconut water.
3. Add sugar and salt to this and grind again.
4. Add more coconut water so that the batter gets a dosa batter consistency.
5. Heat a dosa tawa and apply oil on top of the tawa.
6. Pour one laddle of batter and circle the batter on the tawa.
7. Flip the dosa to the other side when one side has browned lightly.
8. Yummy elaneer dosa is ready to be served with katti chammanthi.

Prawn pulav using pressure cooker

Ingredients 

1. Prawn - 250 gm
2. Green chillies - 3
3. Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tbsp
4. Onion - 2 medium
5. Tomato - 1
6. Star anise - 1
7. Cinnamon stick - 2 pieces
8. Cardamom - 3
9. Cloves - 4
10. Pepper corm - 7
11. Ghee - 3 tbsp
12. Prawn cubes - 2
13. Coriander leaves - 0.25 cup
14. Basmathi rice - 1.5 cup
15. Water - 3 cups
16. Lime juice - 1tbsp
17. Salt

Procedure

1. Clean and devein prawns.
2. Marinate this with 0.5 tbsp of lime juice and salt.
3. Soak basmathi rice in water for 20 minutes.
4. Cut onion into thin slices.
5. Cut tomato and green chillies into small pieces.
6. In a pan, heat ghee.
7. Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, pepper corn and star anise.
8. Fry for few minutes.
9. Add onion to this and fry till it becomes brown.
10. Add ginger-garlic to this and fry for few minutes till the raw small leaves.
11. Add tomato and coriander leaves to this.
12. Fry for few minutes till tomato becomes mushy.
13. Add prawn cubes to this.
14. Boil water and add to the pan with masala and mix well.
15. Pour this masala water into a pressure cooker.
16. Add rice to this along with salt.
17. Cook the rice till 3 whistles.
18. When the steam of the pressure cooker is completely released, add the remaining lime juice.
19. Fluff the rice with a fork.
20. Yummy prawn pulav is ready to be served with raita.

Note: Garnish the pulav with onion (half onion cut into thin slices) fried in ghee.

Prawn masala

Ingredients 

1. Prawn - 500 gm
2. Ginger, garlic paste - 1 tbsp
3. Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
4. Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
5. Garam masala - 0.5 tsp
6. Tomato - 1 medium
7. Onion - 3 medium
8. Curry leaves - 2 twigs
9. Water - 0.5 cup
10. Salt
11. Oil
12. Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure

1. Clean and devein the prawns.
2. Marinate prawn with sat and keep aside.
3. Cut onion and tomato into small pieces.
4. In a pan, heat oil.
5. Add onion to this and fry till it turns brown.
6. Add ginger and garlic paste to this and fry for a minute or till the raw small leaves.
7. Add tomato to this and fry till becomes mushy.
8. Add red chilli, coriander, turmeric and garam masala and fry for a minute.
9. Add prawn to this and once it becomes white all around, add water. 
10. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.
11. Add curry leaves and coconut oil and let the masala boil till it comes to right consistency.
12. Yummy prawn masala is ready to be served with rice or chappathi.

Thai basil chicken fried rice

Ingredients

1. Jeera sambha rice / Basmathi rice- 1 cup
2. Chicken - 250 gm
3. Egg - 3
4. Onion - 1 medium
5. Oyster sauce - 3
6. Fish sauce - 2
7. Soya sauce - 1
8. Pepper powder - 1 tbsp
9. Ginger - 1 inch
10. Garlic - 4 cloves
11. Green chillies - 1
12. Sugar - 0.5 tsp
13. Pomace olive oil - 1 tbsp
14. Vegetables
1. Beans - 5
2. Carrot - 1
3. Capsicum - 1/2 of medium size
4. Brocoli - small size
5. Basil leaves - 1 cup
6. Spring onion - 1 stem

Procedure

1. Cook rice and keep in refrigerator for cooling. It is better to use rice that is cooked the previous day.
2. Clean and cut chicken into very small pieces.
3. Cut green chillies, garlic and ginger into very small pieces.
4. Cut onion into small pieces.
5. Cut all vegetables into very small pieces.
6. Mix the oyster, fish and soya sauce nicely.
7. Heat a wok and when it very hot, add oil.
8. When the oil is hot, add ginger garlic and green chillies.
9. When the ginger and garlic gets browned.
10. Add chicken to this and cook for 5 minutes. Chicken will cook fast since it has been cut to small pieces.
11. Add onion to this.
12. When onions are soft, add the vegetables and sauté for few minutes till it cooked 
13. Add sugar to this.
14. Move the vegetables to one corner of the wok.
15. Break two eggs into the wok. Add little salt and pepper on top of the egg and mix the egg to make a burji.
16. Mix the burji with the vegetables.
17. Add mixed sauces on top the vegetables and mix well.
18. Add rice and cook for 3 minutes.
19. Sprinkle pepper on top of the rice and mix well again.
20. Yummy thai basil egg fried rice is ready to be served.

Chicken ularthiyathu

Ingredients 

1. Chicken (Boneless) - 0.5 Kg
2. Red chilli powder - 3 tsp
3. Coriander powder - 1.5 tsp
4. Garam masala powder - 0.5 tsp
5. Onion - 1 large
6. Shallot - 0.5 cup
7. Tomato - 1 
8. Green chillies - 2
9. Ginger - 2 inch
10. Garlic - 5 cloves
11. Salt 
12. Curry leaves - 2 twigs
13. Water - 0.5 cup
14. Oil

Ingredients for marination

1. Red chilli powder - 0.5 tsp
2. Pepper powder - 0.5 tsp
3. Turmeric powder - 0.25 tsp
4. Lime - 1 tsp
5. Salt

Ingredients for

1. Red chilli - 2 tsp
2. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
3. Fennel seeds - 0.5 tsp
4. Onion - 1 small
5. Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
6. Fenugreek powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Oil - 1 tsp

Procedure

1. Clean chicken well.
2. Cut chicken in small pieces.
3. Marinate chicken with all ingredients mentioned under "Ingredients for marination" for a minimum of 30 minutes in a refrigerator. 
4. Cut onion into thin slices.
5. Cut green chillies vertically.
6. Cut tomato into small pieces.
7. Cut shallots into thin slices.
8. Crush ginger and garlic into a paste
9. Heat oil in a pan.
10. Add ginger garlic paste into this.
11. When the raw smell leaves, throw in shallot, onion, green chillies and curry leaves.
12. Fry till onion turns golden brown.
13. Now, add tomato and fry till it becomes mushy.
14. Add red chilli, coriander and garam masala powders and fry for a minute.
15. Add chicken to this.
16. Stir the chicken till it turns white on all sides.
17. Add water to this.
18. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
19. Open the lid and cook till all the water has almost evaporated.
20. In the mean time, heat oil in another pan.
21. Add red chilli broken into two or three pieces into the oil.
22. Add fennel seeds to this and stir for a minute.
23. Add onion and fry till it turns brown.
24. Add pepper, fenugreek and garam masala powder to this.
25. Add this into the other pan with chicken.
26. Mix well for another 5 minutes or till the colour becomes deep brown.
27. Sprinkle some more curry leaves to the dish. 
28. Yummy chicken ularthiyathu is ready to be served with rice or chappathi 

French toast

Ingredients 

1. Bread - 4 slices
2. Egg - 2
3. Milk - 0.5 cup
4. Sugar - 2 tbsp
5. Vanila essence - 0.5 tsp
6. Butter - 2 tbsp

Procedure

1. Whisk together egg, milk, sugar, 1 tbsp butter and essence into a smooth mixture.
2. Dunk a bread into it and make sure that either sides are coated with the mixture.
3. Heat a pan over medium heat. Apply butter in the pan.
4. Place the bread into the pan after the butter has melted. After two minutes when one side of the bread has become brown, flip the bread to the other side.
5. When both sides have browned, take out the bread into the serving plate.
6. Repeat for remaining bread.
7. Yummy french toast is ready to be served as an evening snack.

Both my girls are very fond of this easy french toast.

Note: 

1. I have seen some recipes in internet call for adding cinnamon powder to this. I have not tried this.
2. If you have a sweet tooth, increase the quantity of sugar or spread some powdered sugar on top of the toast.

Varutharacha chicken curry

Ingredients 

1. Chicken - 500 gm
2. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
3. Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
4. Coriander powder - 1.5 tbsp
5. Garam masala powder - 2 tsp
6. Onion - 1 large
7. Tomato - 1 medium
8. Ginger - 1 inch
9. Garlic - 4 cloves
10. Green chilli - 1 
11. Oil - 1 tbsp
12. Salt
13. Water - 1 cup

Ingredients for roasting

1. Grated coconut - 1 cup
2. Shallot - 10
3. Curry leaves - 1 twig
4. Ginger - 2 inch piece
5. Fennel seeds - 1 tbsp
6.  Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure

1. Clean the chicken well and marinate it with salt and lime juice.
2. Cut onion into thin slices.
3. Cut tomato into small pieces.
4. Make ginger and garlic into a paste.
5. Cut green chillies lengthwise.
6. In a pan, heat oil and add onion.
7. Fry till onion is about turn brown
8. Add ginger garlic, curry leaves and green chillies to this.
9. Stir for a minute.
10. Add the coriander, turmeric, red chilli and gram masala powder to this and stir well till the raw smell leaves.
11. Add tomato and mix till tomato turns mushy.
12. Add the chicken pieces to this and stir till it turns white.
13. Add one cup water and salt to this.
14. Close and cook for 10 minutes. Mix the curry in between.
15. In another pan, heat oil.
16. Add shallots and fry till it becomes transparent.
17. Add fennel seeds, ginger and curry leaves to this.
18. Add grated coconut to this and roast till it becomes brown.
19. Let the mix cool.
20. Grind this in a mixie adding very little water.
21. Once the chicken has cooked, add the roasted coconut paste into the pan.
22. Cook for another 5 minutes.
23. Add remaining coconut oil and curry leaves.
24. Yummy varutharacha chicken curry is ready to be served with rice.

Tandoori chicken

Ingredients

1. Chicken - 250 gm
2. Tandoori chicken masala - 1.5 tbsp
3. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
4. Ginger - 1 inch piece
5. Garlic - 4 cloves
6. Curd - 3 tbsp
7. Salt
8. Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
9. Mint leaves - 1 twig
10. Butter - 2 tbsp

Note: I used Everest tandoori chicken masala.

Procedure

1. Clean the chicken pieces.
2. Marinate with lime and salt for 15 minutes.
3. Make ginger and garlic into paste.
4. Mix ginger garlic paste, tandoori chicken masala, red chilli powder, curd, coriander leaves, mint leaves and salt. 
5. Apply this over the chicken.
6. Marinate this for minimum 4 hours. Overnight marination is better.
7. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degree celsius.
8. In an oven tray, apply butter.
9. Place the marinated chicken on the buttered tray.
10. Place a drop of butter on each chicken piece.
11. Bake for 15 minutes.
12. Turn the chicken to the other side.
13. Bake again for another 15 minutes.
14. Check if chicken is cooked. Chicken will turn brown on top.
15. Take the tray out of oven and let it rest for 5 minutes.
16. Serve this with thinly sliced onion.

Aval / Poha nanachathu

Ingredients

1. Aval - 1 cup
2. Water - 1/3 - 1/5 cup
3. Grated coconut - 0.25 cup
4. Sugar - 2 tbsp

Procedure

1. Take aval in a pan
2. Add water little by little on the aval and keep mixing well till it is completely soaked.
3. Keep it aside for 15 minutes. Aval absorbs the water and becomes soft. 
4. Add grated coconut and sugar and mix well.
5. Keep aside for another 10 minutes for the sugar to blend in.
6. Yummy aval nanchathu is ready to be served as an evening snack.

Aval / Poha fry

Ingredients 

1. Aval / Poha / Rice flakes - 1 cup
2. Grated coconut - 0.25 cup
3. Sugar - 2 tbsp
4. Ghee - 1 tbsp

Procedure

1. Heat a pan.
2. Drop the aval into the pan when it is hot
3. Dry fry the aval.
4. Add coconut and fry for few more minutes
5. Add sugar to this 
6. Add ghee and fry till it melts and spreads into the aval.
7. Yummy aval fry is ready to be served.

Chicken biriyani in pressure cooker

Ingredients

1. Basmati rice - 1.25 cup
2. Chicken - 250 gms
3. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
4. Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
5. Jeera powder - 1 tsp
6. Curd - 0.25 cup
7. Onion - 1 large
8. Tomato - 1 medium
9. Green chilli - 2
10. Ginger - garlic paste - 2 tsp
11. Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
12. Coriander leaves - 0.25 cup
13. Mint leaves - 1 twig
14. Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
15. Fennel seed - 1 tsp
16. Cashew nuts - 4
17. Coconut - 2 tbsp
18. Salt
19. Ghee - 3 tbsp
20. Water - 2 cups

Spice ingredients

1. Cardamom - 3
2. Black cardamom - 1
3. Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
4. Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
5. Cloves - 2

Marination ingredients

1. Curd - 2 tbsp
2. Green chilli - 1
3. Ginger - 1 inch piece
4. Garlic - 3
5. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
6. Salt

Procedure

1. Clean the chicken well.
2. Pulse the ingredients for marination.
3. Apply it on the chicken.
4. Keep it refrigerated for 1 hour or more.
5. Cut onion into thin slices.
6. Cut green chillies lengthwise.
7. Cut tomato into small pieces.
8. Soak poppy seeds, cashew nuts and fennel seed in water for 10 minutes.
9. Grind this with coconut into a smooth paste using a mixie. Keep this aside.
10. Rinse basmathi rice well with clean water.
11. Keep it soaked for 20 minutes.
12. In a pan, add 2 tbsp of ghee and heat it.
13. Add the rice after filtering off all the water.
14. Gently keep mixing the rice with ghee so that the rice is completely coated with ghee
15. Keep the rice aside.
16. In a pressure cooker, heat the remaining ghee.
17. Add the spices listed under spice ingredients and stir well till it becomes fragrant.
18. Add Onion and fry till it becomes transparent
19. Add green chillies and ginger garlic paste to this
20. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, jeera powder and garam masala to this and mix for a minute.
21. Add tomato and curd. Stir till tomato becomes mushy.
22. Add half of coriander and mint leaves and stir for a minute.
23. Add the coconut paste to this and mix well.
24. Add chicken to this and wait till the entire chicken pieces change its colour to white.
25. Add hot water to this and allow it to boil.
26. Drop the ghee coated rice to this mixture.
27. Add enough salt.
28. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and switch off after one whistle.
29. When the steam is completely released, open the cooker and add lemon juice.
30. Fluff the rice with a fork.
31. We can garnish this with ghee roasted cashews, raisins and thinly sliced and fried onion
32. This yummy and easy chicken biriyani can be served with raitha and chicken curry!

Kerala fish fry

Ingredients 

1. Fish (Vatta para) - 5
2. Shallot - 10
3. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
4. Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
5. Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tbsp
6. Coriander powder - 1.5 tbsp
7. Pepper powder - 0.5 tbsp
8. Salt
9. Curry leaves - 3 twigs
10. Oil - 3 tbsp

Procedure

1. Clean the fish.
2. Peel the skin completely.
3. Cut the fish into small pieces so that masala can be absorbed well.
4. Pulse shallots, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and  pepper powder in a mixie for 1 second.
5. Add salt to this and mix well and paste.
6. Apply this paste on the fish. Fish should be completely coated with the paste.
7. Keep the marinated fish in the refrigerator for an hour at least.
8. Heat oil in a pan.
9. When the oil is hot, drop the fish into the oil.
10. Flip the fish to the other side and cook both sides.
11. Drop curry leaves on top of the fish and fry for few more seconds.
12. Yummy fish fry is ready to be served with rice.

Note: I recently made this with Vatta para. The same recipe can be used for any fish fry.

Bread pudding

Ingredients 

1. Milk - 1.5 cup
2. Sugar - 0.3 cup
3. Butter - 1 tbsp
4. Bread - 4 or 5 slices
5. Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
6. Egg-2
7. Salt - pinch
8. Cashews (optional) - 5
9. Raisins (optional)-5 

Ingredients for caramelization

1. Sugar - 3 tbsp heaped
2. Water - 3 tbsp
3. Lemon juice - 0.5 tsp

Procedure 
1. Take a dry pan and coat the inside with butter and keep aside
2. Make caramel from sugar
1. In a pan add the sugar and water and heat it.
2. Sugar will dissolve in the water.
3. Stir the liquid sugar
4. Add the lemon juice
5. Keep stirring till the colour of sugar turns light brown.
6. Switch off the stove.
3. Pour the caramel into the buttered pan
4. Boil milk and sugar
5. Break the bread into pieces 
6. Add the bread into the boiled milk and keep it aside for 5 minutes to cool.
7. In a mixie, pulse the bread and milk mixture, egg, vanilla essence, and salt till it becomes a smooth custard.
8. Pour this custard into the pan containing the caramel
9. Add cashews and raisins if required.
10. Close the pan with a lid
    
11. Heat water in idli cooker.
12. When the water is hot, place the pan in the cooker
13. Cook for 20-25 minutes
14. Open the lid of the pan and check if the pudding is of the right consistency. If it is still liquid, boil for some more time.
15. Take out the pan from the cooker and allow it to cool for five minutes.
16. Run a knife over the edge of the pan
17. Flip the pan into a serving plate. The pudding will drop into the plate nicely and the caramel will be on top of the pudding.
18. The pudding can be served hot or after cooling in a refrigerator for a minimum of an hour.