meat

Beef vermicelli cake

| Rekha Vengalil

This is one of the cake I cut for my birthday the other day. Sure was a treat, as we at home love Italian.  With that gooey cheese on top and the meaty inside, this is nothing less I would want on a special day. Happy day! GIORNO FELICE!

You need –
  • Vermicelli – 200 grams
  • Grated parmesan cheese – ½ cup
  • Grated mozzarella cheese – ½ cup

 To make the meat sauce –
  • Onion – 1, finely chopped
  • Garlic – 1 clove, finely chopped
  • Minced/ground beef – 250 grams
  • Canned chopped tomatoes – 400 grams
  • Ground oregano – ¼ teaspoon
  • Dried basil – ¼ teaspoon
  • Red wine – 1.5 tablespoon
  • Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
  • Salt and pepper to taste

To make the white sauce
  • Salted butter – 50 grams
  • All-purpose flour – ¼ cup
  • Milk – 1 cup

How to –

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C. Grease a round 8 inch spring form cake tin.
Cook the pasta in rapidly boiling salted water till al dente. Drain well and set aside.


Heat oil in heavy bottom pan, add the onion, garlic and cook till tender. Add the minced beef. With a wooden spoon break up the beef and cook till brown. Add the tomato, wine, basil and oregano.  Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Reduce the heat and cook for 15- 20 minutes. Set aside.

To make the white sauce, heat a sauce pan and melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook till pale. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk. Return to the heat and stir constantly until the sauce boils and thickens. Reduce the heat and simmer for a minutes.  Turn off the heat.



To assemble –


Spread half of the vermicelli into the cake tin as the base. Layer half of the meat sauce over to form the second layer. Cover with the remaining pasta and press down with your palm of your hand. Top the remaining meat sauce, pour the while sauce and sprinkle the cheese.  Into the oven and cook for 15 minutes.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges  to serve.


Beef cutlets – Kerala style

| Rekha Vengalil

You need –
  • Minced beef – 225 grams
  • Potatoes – 2 medium, Boiled and mashed
  • Onions – 1, finely chopped
  • Garlic – minced 2 teaspoons
  • Ginger – minced 2 teaspoons
  • Green chili – 1, finely chopped
  • Curry leaves – 8-10, finely chopped
  • Garam masala – ½ teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
  • Ground pepper – 1 teaspoon
  • Egg – 1,
  • Bread crumbs – 1 cup
  • Oil – 2 teaspoons + for deep frying
  • Salt to taste

How to –

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in pan. Add the onions and saute till translucent. Add the ginger, garlic, curry leaves, chili  salt and fry till the raw smell is gone. Add the garam masala, pepper , turmeric and cook briefly.



Add the minced beef and cook till done.  Tip in the mashed potatoes and mix well till everything comes together. Check for the seasoning at this point. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool.



In a bowl, beat the eggs and spread the bread crumbs on a plate. Now roll 2 tablespoons of the beef mixture into a ball and flatten to round shape or any shape of your choice. Dip into the egg and then coat with the crumbs and set aside. Repeat this for the rest of the beef mixture.

Heat oil in frying pan and deep fry the cutlets till brown; remove and set on a paper towel. Serve hot with ketchup or chili sauce.


Chicken and spinach curry

| Rekha Vengalil


You need –
  • Chicken – ½ kilo, cut into bite size pieces
  • Spinach – 1 big bunch, washed and drained
  • Onion – 2 medium, thinly sliced
  • Grated ginger – 2 teaspoons
  • Grated garlic – 2 teaspoons
  • Chili powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Chicken masala powder – 2 ½ teaspoons
  • Tomato paste – 1 tablespoon
  • Cream – ¼ cup
  • Corriander leaves – chopped 1 tablespoon
  • Oil – 1 tablespoon
  • Salt to taste

How to –

Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions till soft.  Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Tip in the chilli, chicken masala powder and fry till the oil start to separate.  Mix in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.



Add chicken and mix well. Add ¼ cup or as required water, cover and cook. Add the spinach during the last 10 minutes of the cooking time.  Once the chicken is done uncover, mix the cream in and bring to a simmer. Turn off of the heat.



Serve hot with rice or flat bread.


Ham fried rice

| Rekha Vengalil



You need –

  • Ham slices – 5-6
  • Cooked rice – 3 cups
  • Onion – 1, thinly sliced
  • Garlic – 2 gloves, minced
  • Capsicum – ½, cut into small cubes
  • Dark soy sauce – 1 tablespoon
  • Egg – 3, scrambled
  • Chili paste – 1 teaspoon
  • Parsley – to garnish
  • Oil – 2 tablespoons
  • Salt to taste

How to – 

Heat oil in a wok; add the onion and garlic. Cook till the onion is translucent. Add the chili paste , cook for 2 minutes. Tip in the ham, salt, mix and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring frequently.



Add the scrambled egg and capsicum; mix well. Increase the heat, add the rice and drizzle the soy. Mix well to coat the rice. Cook for 3-4 minutes stirring continuously.




Turn off the heat. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.


Pork curry

| Rekha Vengalil


You need –

  • Pork – ½ kilo, boneless & cut into bit size cubes
  • Onions – 2 large, thinly sliced
  • Dried chili flakes – 2 teaspoon or add more if you want to
  • Oil – 2 tablespoons
  • Grated ginger – 2 teaspoons
  • Grated garlic – 2 teaspoons
  • Ground  Coriander– 2 teaspoons
  • Ground turmeric – 2 teaspoons
  • Ground cumin – ½ teaspoon
  • Ground pepper – 2 teaspoons
  • Dark soy sauce – 2 tablespoons
  • Vinegar – 1 teaspoon
  • Chopped parsley – for garnish

How to –

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and brown the meat on all sides. Set aside. In the same pan fry the onions till they caramelize a bit. Add the ginger garlic and continue to cook till the raw smell is gone.  Stir in the ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, chili flakes, pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add soy sauce and 1 cup water. Cover and cook for 45 minutes or till the meat is done.



Uncover and Stir in the vinegar. Cook till the gravy thickens a bit about 4-5 minutes or as per your choice on the consistency of the gravy. 

 
Garnish with parsley and serve with rice or flat bread.


Lamb rogan Josh

| Rekha Vengalil



Mutton cooked in rich gravy with aromatic spices.  It leaves your kitchen smelling good too! Well as much as I love this dish I like to stay of it too.. 🙂 its additive and I can mop up till the last bite…



The recipe is from the Hawkins cookbook. I have not made any change to the recipe but altered the quantity of the ingredients since I was using 1 kilo of mutton where as the original uses more.


You need-
  • Mutton (Shoulder) – 1 kg , cut into bite size pieces
  • Whole coriander seeds – 2 tablespoon
  • Cumin seeds – 1 ½  teaspoon
  • Poppy seeds – 3 teaspoons
  • Almonds – 12 nos
  • Brown cardamoms – 1
  • Pepper corns – ½ teaspoon
  • Cloves – 2
  • Mace – a pinch
  • Grated coconut – 2 tablespoon
  • Ginger – 15 grams
  • Garlic – 5 cloves
  • Grated nutmeg – a pinch
  • Bay leaf
  • Cinnamon stick – 1 cm
  • Green cardamom – 2 nos
  • Onion – 1 large, grated
  • Tomato – 1 large, chopped
  • Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
  • Whole dry chillies – 4-5 nos. Soaked in ¼ cup hot water for 15 mins.
  • Kashmiri chilli powder – 1 tablespoon
  • Yogurt – ½ cup, beaten
  • Water – ½ cup
  • Salt as per taste

How to –

In a pan roast together coriander, cumin, poppy seeds, almonds, brown cardamoms, peppercorns, cloves, maze, coconut and grind to fine paste along with Ginger, garlic and soaked dry chillies adding enough water (use the water in which the chillies were soaked) . Set aside.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker pan.  Add the bay leaf, cinnamon and green cardamom until fragrant. Add the grated onion and fry till golden. Add the ground paste, tomatoes, turmeric and chilli powder. Stir well.


Add the yogurt 1 tablespoon at time. Stir and blend well. Continue to add the remaining yougurt the same way. Cook until the oil start to separate. Add the meat, salt and fry till the meat is lightly browned. Add the water and mix well. Closed the pressure cooker and cook till done.


Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with rice or rotis.


Chicken, shiitake mushrooms and fresh peas in creamy sauce

| Rekha Vengalil

You need –
  • Skinless chicken breast – 250 grams, thin strips
  • Fresh shiitake mushrooms – 150 grams, Discard the stem and thinly sliced
  • Fresh peas (pods) – 75 grams
  • Frozen peas – ¼ cup
  • Fresh ginger – 2 teaspoon
  • Cream – ½ cup
  • Cornstarch –  1 teaspoon
  • Fresh Parsley – 2 tablespoon chopped
  • Spring Onions – 2 tablespoon chopped
  • Salt and pepper – as per taste
  • Vegetable oil – 1-2 tablespoon

How to –
  • In sauce pan, bring water to boil. Add the peas and cook till tender but yet crisp (around a min). Drain and set aside.
  • In a bowl stir together the cream, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Set aside.
  • In large pan heat the oil. Add the grated ginger and stir fry for a few seconds. Add the chicken strips, fry for 3-4 mins. Add the mushroom and continue to fry for another 2 mins.
  • Add the cream, salt, pepper and stir well, cook until the cream thickens.
  • Add the peas and cook for a minute or two.
  • Garnish with parsley and spring onions.

Serve hot.

Mutton green kurma

| Rekha Vengalil

You need –
  • Boneless mutton – ½ kilo, Cut into cubes
  • To grind into a fine paste
    • Green chilies – 4-5 nos
    • Ginger – 2 inch
    • Garlic – 4 pods
    • Whole pepper – 1 teaspoon            
    • Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
    • Onion – 1 large
    • Cashew nuts – ½ cup
    • Mint leaves – ½ cup
    • Coriander leaves – ½ cup
  • Yogurt – ¼ cup
  • Coconut milk – 2 tablespoons
  • Water – ¼ cup
  • Sunflower oil – 2 tablespoons
  • Salt to taste

How to –
  • Heat oil in a pan, add the  masala paste and cook till the raw smells gone.
  • Add the yogurt to the masala paste. Beat the yogurt well before adding. Cook for 2-3 mins
  • Add the mutton pieces, salt and stir to coat well.
  • Add  water and pressure cook till done.
  • Uncover, add the coconut milk. Mix well and turn of the heat.

Serve hot with Rice or Roti.

Irachi Peralan

| Rekha Vengalil

A traditional dish from the Nasrani (Kerala Syrian Christians) kitchen. You can cook this with beef or chicken.
Irachi Peralan

You need –
  • Mutton, cut into medium pieces– ½ kg
  • Onion, thinly sliced – 1¼ cups
  • Ginger, thinly sliced – 1 tablespoon
  • Gralic, crushed – 1 tablespoon
  • Curry leaves – 3 sprigs
  • Coriander powder – 3 tablespoons
  • Chilly powder – 1½  teaspoons
  • Garam Masala powder – ¼ teaspoon
  • Turmenric powder – ¼ teaspoon
  • Water – ½ cup
  • Coconut Oil – 3 tablespoons
  • Salt to taste

How to –
Irachi Peralan
  • Mix all the powders with a enough water to make a paste and set aside.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in pan. Add the crushed garlic and sauté for a minute or till the raw smell is gone.
  • Add the ginger, onions and curry leaves, sauté till the onions turn light brown. Set aside
  • In a pressure cooker, add the remaining oil and sauté the coriander, chilly, Garam masala and turmeric paste till the raw smell is gone.
  • Add the sautéed onions, ginger, garlic and curry leaves to the paste.
  • Add the mutton, salt, water and mix well. Pressure cook till done.
  • Uncover and cook on a low flame till the gravy is thick.

Serve hot with rice or roti.