Payaru/Black eyed peas curry

| Rekha Vengalil
Payaru/Black eyed peas curry

You need –

  • Black eyed peas, soaked for 2 hrs – ½ cup
  • Onion, thinly sliced – 1 large
  • Tomato, cubed – 1
  • Ginger & Gralic, crushed – 1 tablespoon
  • Chilly – 1
  • Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
  • Coriander powder – 3 teaspoons
  • Chili powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
  • Meat masala – 1 teaspoon
  • Thin coconut milk – 1 cup
  • Thick coconut milk – 1/4 cup
  • Oil – 2 tablespoon
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Salt to taste

How to –
  • In pan, heat oil and splatter the cumin seeds. Add ginger and garlic, saute till the raw smell is gone
  • Add the onion, curry leaves, chili and cook till the onions turn pale.
  • In a bowl mix all the powders with enough water to make a paste. Add this to the onion and continue to cook till the raw smell is gone.
  • Add the tomatoes and cook till mushy .
  • Add the peas, coconut mill,mix well and pressure cook till done.
  • Uncover, cook further if you need to thicken the gravy. 
  • Add the thick coconut mix, bring to simmer and turn off

Payaru/Black eyed peas curry
Serve hot with rice or roti.

Simple n Easy Apple Cake

| Rekha Vengalil
                                 Simple n Easy Apple Cake

You need – 
  • Self raising flour, sifted – 1 ½ cups
  • Caster sugar – ¾  cup
  • Butter, softened – 125g
  • Eggs – 2
  • Milk – ½ cup
  • vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon
  • Apple, thinly sliced – 1
  • Sugar – 1 tablespoon

How to
  • Preheat oven to 160C
  • In a mixing bowl, place the flour, sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs and milk and beat until combined.
  • Spoon the mixture into a greased 22cm spring-form tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Top with the apples and sprinkle with sugar.
  • Bake for 45 minutes or until done.
Serve with vanilla ice-cream or double cream..

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.

Paneer Jalfrezi

| Rekha Vengalil
Paneer Jalfrezi

You will need –
  • Oil – 4 tablespoon
  • Paneer, cut into cubes – 200 grams
  • Onions – 2, finely chopped
  • Green capsicums – 1, cut into cubes
  • Green chili- 2, slit
  • Minced garlic – 1 tablespoon
  • Minced ginger – 1 tablespoon
  • Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
  • Garam masala – 1 teaspoon
  • Fennel seed -½ teaspoon
  • Tomatoes – 2 medium, pureed
  • Tomato ketchup – 1 tablespoon
  • Salt to taste
  • Chopped coriander leaves, for garnishing

Paneer Jalfrezi
How to –
  • Heat oil in a frying pan, fry the paneer till golden brown and set aside
  • To same pan, crackle the fennel seeds. Add the onions, capsicum, Chilies, ginger, and garlic and fry till onions are browned.
  • Add the turmeric powder and garam masala. Fry till fragrant.
  • Add the tomato puree and tomato sauce, and salt. Cook till tomatoes are cooked and the oil starts to separate.
  • Add ¼ cup water, paneer and cook on high heat till the gravy is thick, about 10 minutes.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with roti.

Muringailla koottan/drumstick leaves curry

| Rekha Vengalil

This is one of my favorite curry which my Mom-in-law makes.. simple n easy..:)

Muringailla koottan/drumstick leaves curry


Ingredients:-
  • Toor Dhal – ½ cup
  • Drumstick leaves – 2 cups
  • Chili powder – 2 teaspoons
  • Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
  • Grated coconut – 1 cup
  • Cumin Seeds
  • Shallots – 4 nos
  • Salt – to taste

For tampering
  • Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
  • Coconut oil – 1 tablespoon
  • Dry chilies – 2 nos
  • Curry leaves – One twig

How to:-
Muringailla koottan/drumstick leaves curry
  • Grind the coconut, cumin seeds and shallots to a fine paste.
  • Cook the dhal in a pressure cooker till mushy. Once done add the chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and bring to boil.
  • Add the drumstick leaves and cook for 5 mins or till done.
  • Add the coconut paste. Mix well. Bring to boil. Turn off the heat.
  • In a pan heat the oil. Splatter the mustard seeds, tip in the dried chilies and curry leaves. Add to the curry and serve hot with rice.

Water Melon Sorbet

| Rekha Vengalil
Ingredients:-
  • Condensed milk – 200 grams
  • Watermelon pulp – ½ kg

Method:-
  • Remove seeds from the watermelon and into a blender to make a pulp.
  • Add the condensed milk and blend again.
  • Pour into a bowl and freeze.
  • Serve frozen.

Chemmeen-beans ularthiyathu/prawns stir fried with beans

| Rekha Vengalil

Chemmeen-beans ularthiyathu

You need –

  • Prawns – 500 grams. 
  • Beans – 250 grams (Slit length-wise and chopped 1 inch in length)
  • Shallots – 10 nos
  • Garlic – 3 big cloves
  • Crushed dry chillies – 1 ½ tablespoon
  • Curry leaves – 1 stalk
  • Salt – as per taste
  • Coconut oil – 2 tablespoon

How to –

  • In a pestle and mortar, crush the garlic and shallots. Cook the prawns in boiling water with ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.
  • Heat oil in a pan, add the crushed garlic, shallots, chilies and curry leaves  Fry till the raw smell is gone and the onions turn golden brown.
  • Add the prawns, beans and cook till the beans in done. Make sure the beans is crunchy and not over cooked.
  • Serve hot with rice and curry. I had it with curd rice..:-)
Chemmeen-beans ularthiyathu

Mutton curry – kerala style

| Rekha Vengalil

Mutton curry – kerala style

You need –
  • Mutton – 500 grams, cut into pieces
  • Onion – 3 medium, thinly sliced
  • Tomato – 1 big
  • Ginger – 1 small piece
  • Garlic – 3 big cloves
  • Shallots – 4
  • Green chillies – 2
  • Coriander – chopped 2 tablespoons
  • Chili powder – 2 teaspoons
  • Coriander powder – 4 teaspoons
  • Fennel powder – ½ teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
  • Meat masala – 1 teaspoon
  • Thin coconut milk – ½ cup
  • Thick coconut milk – ½ cup
  • Salt – as per taste
  • Curry leave – 2 stalks
  • Coconut oil – 2 tablespoons or as required.

How to –
  • In a pestle and mortar, crush the ginger, garlic and shallots.
  • Heat oil in a pan, add the onions and fry till golden brown. Add the chilies  coriander, crushed ginger, garlic and shallots. Continue to fry till the raw smell is gone.
  • Add the all the powders, salt and fry till the oil start to separate.
  • Add the tomatoes and cook will soft.
  • Add the mutton; mix well.
  • Add the thin coconut milk and pressure cook till the mutton is done on a medium-low heat.
  • Uncover, add the thick coconut milk and curry leaves, Bring to boil. If the gravy is too thin; continue to cook till thick before adding the thick coconut milk.
  • Turn off the heat and serve hot with rice, appam  or roti
Mutton curry – kerala style


Paneer Pulao

| Rekha Vengalil

Paneer Pulao

You will need –
  • Basmati rice – 1 cup
  • Water – 2 cups
  • Frozen Peas – ½ cup
  • Paneer – 2 cups, deforested and fried in oil till golden brown.
  • Onion – 1 medium thinly sliced
  • Garlic paste – 1 teaspoon
  • Ginger paste – 1 teaspoon
  • Green Chili – 1 slit length wise
  • Fennel seeds – ½ teaspoon
  • Cardamom – 2
  • Cinnamon – 1 small stick
  • Clove – 1
  • Bay leaf – 1
  • Ghee/ clarified butter – 2 tablespoon or as required
  • Coriander leaves – for garnishing
Paneer Pulao
How to –
  • Wash the rice and soak for 15-20 minutes. Defrost the peas.
  • Heat the skillet and add the Ghee. Once the ghee is heated, tip in the spices (Fennel seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, clove and bay leaf) and fry till the raw spell is gone.
  • Add the onions, chili and ginger-garlic paste. Fry till the onion turns pink and the raw smell of ginger-garlic is gone. Please make sure not to burn them as this will change the color of the rice when you cook.
  • Once done add the rice in and fry till the rice doesn’t stick to each other ensuring the rice not turning brown.
  • Turn of the heat and move the rice to the rice cooker. Add 2 cups of water, paneer, peas and salt to taste. Cook till done. If you have fried the rice in the pressure cooker then continue in it adding water and cooking.
  • Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.