Avial



Ingredients

To Be Ground To A Smooth Paste
3/4 cup freshly grated coconut
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
4 green chillies , roughly chopped
1/4 cup water

Other Ingredients
1/2 cup drumsticks , cut into 25 mm. (1") pieces
1/2 cup long french beans , cut into 25 mm. (1") pieces
1/2 cup carrots , cut into 25mm (1”) pieces
1/2 cup yam (suran) , cut into 25mm (1”) pieces
1/2 cup red pumpkin (bhopla / kaddu) cubes
1 raw banana , peeled and cut into 25 mm (1”) pieces
1/2 cup fresh green peas
1/2 cup brinjal (baingan / eggplant) cubes
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
1/2 cup fresh curds (dahi) , beaten (optional)
2 tbsp coconut oil or any other refined oil
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
7 to 8 curry leaves (kadi patta)
Method
Combine the drumsticks with ¼ cup of water and cover and cook on a medium flame till they are half done.
Add the remaining vegetables, water if required and salt, mix well and cover and cook on a slow flame till the vegetables are tender (approx. 12 to 15 minutes).
Add the prepared paste and ¼ cup of water, mix well and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or till it becomes semi-dry. Remove off the flame.
Add the curds, oil, cumin seeds and curry leaves and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot.


Malabar Prantha



Preparation Time : 30 mins
Resting Time : 4 Hours
Cooking Time : 45 sec to 1 min per paratha
Serves : 4 to 5

Ingredients:

For Dough:
All Purpose Flour / Maida - ½ kg / 500 grams
Warm milk-300 ml
Oil - 2 tblspn + more for frying paratha
Sugar-1 tblspn
Salt to taste

For Making Paste:
Oil - 1/2 cup
All Purpose Flour / Maida - 1/2 cup

Method:

Mix every ingredients in a mixing Bowl and form a dough,cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest for about 4 hours.

In a bowl add around ½ cup of maida and pour in some oil and make it into a smooth paste and set aside.

Divide the Dough in to equal portions.

Take a dough ball and spread it into a thin chappati,Add in a tblspn of maida oil over the chappati and spread it evenly.Now with a sharp knife cut strips on the chappati,pull all the strips together and curl it into a round,Apply some oil on the dough ball and set aside on a oiled plate.Make every dough ball the same way.After that cover the plate with some damp cloth and set it aside for about 1 hour.

After 1 hour take the dough and make it to a slightly thicker Parata.

Heat a tawa on high heat and place the parata over the pan and cook the parata on both sides by applying oil till it is golden brown.

Make some 5 parata the same way,then stack them together and crush them with your both hands vigorously till the flakes separates.

Put them in a Hot case and repeat the process until everything is done.

Serve them hot with your favorite curry.


Paysam



Ingredients
1 teaspoon Ghee or unsalted butter, recipe follows, plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 cup angel hair pasta, broken into 3/4-inch pieces
4 cups whole milk
2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins (sultanas) or dark raisins
1/2 cup broken raw cashew nuts
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Ghee:
8 ounces (2 sticks) butter
Directions
In a large frying pan, heat 1 teaspoon ghee and pasta over medium heat until all pieces have lightly brown and give off a toasted aroma. Set aside.

In a 3 quart heavy saucepan, heat milk and water on medium high. As soon as the mixture boils, reduce heat to medium and add fried pasta. Continue to simmer for 6 minutes, or until pasta is well cooked. Add sugar and simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. When the mixture is done, it will have a creamy consistency.

While the milk simmers, in the frying pan used for the pasta, fry the raisins and cashews in 2 teaspoons of ghee until lightly browned.

Add the fried raisins and nuts and the cardamom to the milk, stir, and remove from the heat. Cover and chill for a few hours or more.

Serve warm, reheating if necessary.

Ghee:
In a heavy skillet, over medium to medium low heat, heat the butter until it is completely melted. Watch as the butter boils, first with large bubbles and white milk solids floating on the surface, then with only a fine white foam filling the entire surface. Stir occasionally.

Soon, small patches of golden brown will appear on the surface, and the overall color of the butter will change from yellow to golden. Push aside the foam periodically to check the color of the sediment. When the sediment turns light brown, remove from the heat. (see note)

Decant into a jar with a tight lid. Warm, if desired, for serving over rice.

Note: If you heat until the sediment turns dark brown, the ghee will lose it's flavor and taste like vegetable oil.

Yield: 1 cup


Irachi Ishtu



Ingredients

1 kg Whole skinless, bone-in Chicken (cut into medium sized pieces)
1 tbsp Butter
Two 1-inch sticks of Cinnamon
3-4 Green Cardamom
3-4 Cloves
1 tsp Whole black peppercorns
1 tsp Fennel seeds
1 Star Anise
1 Bay leaf
1 large or 2 medium Red Onions (sliced or cubed)
2 Green chillies (split lengthwise)
1-inch piece Ginger (thinly sliced)
4 cloves Garlic (thinly sliced)
8-10 Curry leaves
1 medium Carrot (cubed)
1 medium (russet or gold) Potato (cubed)
1/4 cup Green peas (optional)
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1 can of Coconut milk
Salt to taste
Method

If using canned coconut milk, do not shake it, instead open it and scoop out the thick coconut cream from the top (1st coconut milk).
Then pour about 1/2 cup of the coconut milk in a separate bowl (2nd coconut milk) and to the remaining coconut milk add 1/2 cup water and keep aside (3rd coconut milk) .
In a large cooking pan, heat the butter and as it melts add all the spice mix ingredients and saute until you can smell the aroma of the spices (be careful not to burn)
Next add in the onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves along with a pinch of salt and cook until the onion is soft.
Then add the potato, carrots, green peas and Chicken pieces along with the 3rd coconut milk with enough salt and cover and let it cook on medium-low heat until chicken is almost cooked. You can stir occasionally.
To the 2nd coconut milk mix, add the garam masala and coriander powder, mix without lumps and add it to the stew.
Again cover and cook until the chicken is fully cooked and is bone-tender (it should come apart easily when pulled)
Finally take the 1st coconut milk (coconut cream), give it a stir.
Lower the heat to low and add the coconut cream to the stew. Stir well and turn off the heat.
Enjoy with hot lacy Appams

Some suggestions:

There is no need to add water for the gravy as the chicken itself will have enough moisture while it cooks and then there's coconut milk, however if you feel gravy is less after the initial cooking, then add some more water to the 2nd coconut milk mix along with spice powders.
You can add fried cashew nuts, fried raisins and/or fried onion to the stew.
I like my stew to have a bit of spice, so sometimes I add crushed black peppercorns as well, about two teaspoons. These are optional.
You can make the stew with just chicken and potatoes if you don't want any other veggies, but they add colour. And they are good for you.
Mutton or Beef can also be used instead of chicken to prepare similar stew.