Beerkaya Royyalu / Ridge Gourd Prawns Curry

Absolutely enjoying "Fall", specially when I jog my first grader to school in the morning. Trees with leaves changing colors, a blanket of fallen dried leaves on the ground, got to take the fullest of the season, before cold winter sets in.

Seasonal changes bring change in the way we cook food too. From outdoors BBQs to strict indoor dishes. Most of my indoor cooking is Desi style which requires preparation. Its not like you are hungry and you just sandwiched slices of buttered multi grain bread with a slice of ham, cheese with some lettuce. Your meal is ready to go. Indian cooking is all about intensity, flavour, spice, lots of ingredients and time to cook them up. But its worth the wait, because of the exceptional taste.

This is one Andhra preparation which puts all together with end result being irresistible. Its so strange that I have never tasted this dish whenever my mother cooked it growing up, in fact for some reason I was so averted towards it. but since its was known for its taste, after so many years I cooked it to see what comes of it..and honestly it lived up to its popularity. And this can just be eaten up with plain rice. But let me warn you for the temptation of over-eating here, which is why I don't cook this curry so often, it would disturb my diet of  keeping my serving of rice under one cup per day.

The ridge gourd (Beerakaya in Telugu) forms a creamy base for the curried shrimp. A real match that you are so tempted to call heavenly. Well, ridge gourd is such a versatile vegetable that it embraces any other ingredient, be it veg or non-veg to be subtle and yet give a wholesome lift to the dish. More delicacies of ridge gourd I would be blogging are with Kheema, mutton, Channa dhal..

Now lets is the making of Prawns with Ridge gourd.


Ingredients:
2 big - Beerakaya/ Ridge Gourd / Beerkankai (De-skinned and chopped into small cubes)
1 to 1.5 lb Prawns / Shrimp (De-shelled, De-veined)
2 tsp oil
2 medium Onions chopped
4-5 Green Chillies slit
A Few Curry leaves
1 Tbsp Ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp Red chilly powder
A pinch of garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Finely chopped fresh coriander leaves to garnish

To marinate shrimp :
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp each of cumin and coriander powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric
Little Salt
A splash of oil to put all together

Procedure :
Clean prawns and marinate with the marinade items..keep aside.

In a hot pan add oil and add the marinated prawns and stir fry them till all the water evaporates and a beautiful aroma comes out. Remove from pan and keep aside

In the same pan add some more oil, add chopped onions, slit green chillies, curry leaves, and cook till onions are translucent.

Add ginger garlic paste and cook till rawness is gone.

Add chopped ridge gourd pieces, salt mix together and cook covered, till ridge gourd is half done.

Then add the stir fried prawns, little water and cook covered till the gourd and prawns are fully done.

Add finely chopped coriander and remove from heat.

Serve it with plain cooked basmati, ponni or sona masoori rice.

Cantonese Chicken Chow Mein(Noodles)

It is constant challenge for moms to see that kids get their daily intake of veggies in different colors. I see that they have their share of veggies along with we parents by feeding them everyday with freshly sliced Bell peppers, cucumber, carrot in raw form and broccoli stir fried.

Apart from this if I can incorporate them in meals too, that is a bonus. Making sambar(lentil stew) with plenty of veggies, Veg fried rice, Veg pilaf are some of the keeper dishes for me to make them eat vegetables with not much fuss.

Chow mein is another dish where you can add different vegetables and coz my kids like noodles its a breeze to make them eat. And why not this is wholesome meal by itself, with all the nutrients from the veggies, protein from the chicken and carbs/starches from the noodles.

I keep trying different variations of noodles.. This is one of them.


Ingredients:
1/2 pkt Cantonese noodles
2 tbsp oil preferably sesame oil
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast thinly sliced
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 onion sliced
1 cup chopped veggies (Bell peppers, Broccoli, Carrots)- add according to taste
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 Worcester sauce

Procedure:

Add noodles to hot boiling water in a pot cook for 2 - 3 minutes till the noodles are soft and drain them thoroughly in cold water. Add some sesame oil to keep them seperated.

Heat up a wok and add remaining oil, add ginger garlic paste, fry a little and then add chicken and cook till almost done.

Now add all the vegetables and fry till veggies are nearly cooked but still crisp.

Add all the sauces, salt, pepper and fry for a few seconds.

Now add the boiled noodles and mix thoroughly till noodles are well coated with all seasoning.

Cook on high for a minute and remove from heat.

Serve hot.

Prawn Pakora or Shrimp Fritters

AKA Eraal Pakoda or Royyala Pakodi


With US OPEN and TIFF going around it sure is an interesting week so far. When it comes to weather the tables have turn from hot humid conditions to windy cool cloudy and sometimes rainy too. All the more reason to enjoy some spicy snacks..and this time its prawn pakora. We desi ppl tend to make fitters/pakoras with pretty much any ingredient..be it veggies or chicken, meat or seafood like fish or shrimp.

Growing up I never liked the idea of prawn pakodi. Desi prawns are so filled with flavour that I use to feel they overpowered the original taste of pakodi. But the frozen small shrimp that we get in our local Asian markets are much milder in flavour..perfect to prepare a quick starter or snack. Must add that kids like these too.



Ingredients:
1 pkt frozen shrimp - small size, defreezed
1 medium size Onion cut thinly length wise
Channa flour/besan/Channa maavu/Chenaga pindi- 1 Cup
Green Chillies - 2 ( cut into small pieces)
1/2 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - a handful
Coriander leaves - A few chopped
Baking Soda - A pinch
Salt - to Taste
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Chat masala powder - 1/2 tsp ( for extra flavour)
Enough Water

Oil for deep frying


Method
Mix all the ingredients with enough water to make a mixture which is not too thick or too thin. Keep aside

Meanwhile heat oil in a deep wok/kadai/pot.

Drop small amounts of the mixed batter into the oil for deep frying.

Once the pakoras turn dark yellow or orange color remove them from oil onto a plate with issue paper to drain from excess oil.

Serve hot with ketchup or just by itself.

Banana Sujji Halwa

Toronto was under heat alert this week..Thank God we are getting some showers to bring down the temperatures. It has been a severe summer this year. Kids will return to school next week. They did have a good vacation. My kids are not so fond of Indian sweets, infact they don't like goodies if they too sweet. Good for them..They enjoy the roasted rava more whenever I make any sweet with semolina..And with deserts like these being loaded with sugar its a no-no for parents too.. Thanks to get togethers, pinics and some special events, which inspire us to venture into making of sweets too.

I saw this Banana Kesari one time when I was blog hopping. Had some ripe bananas at hand too..so likely whipped out a dessert for my after church fellowship time.


Ingredients :
1 Cup Rava or Semonlina
1 Ripe Banana thoroughly mashed
1/2 Cup Sugar
4 Tblsp Ghee or Butter
1 Tsp Banana Essence if available
1/2 Tsp Cardamom powder
1 Cup Water
2 Tbsp Cashew and Raisins
Green food coloring(optional)

Method
Heat one tbsp of ghee in a deep pan or kadai and fry the cashew and raisins till cashew turn golden brown and raisins pop up.
Remove and set aside.
In the same kadai add one more tbsp of ghee add rava and fry till all the ghee is absorbed by the rava.
Add sugar and mix well.
Now add the mashed banana to the rava and keep mixing.
Now keep adding water little by little till the rava is fully cooked.
If adding color mix it with the water as you are adding it.
Add the caradamom powder and mix well.
Add the remianing two tbsp of ghee and mix nice till the mixture leaves the surface of the pan.
Add cashew raisins and empty it in a wide plate greased with ghee.
Let it cool and cut into desired shaped or just serve in desert bowls.

Chettinad Style Minty Chicken

It happens sometimes that we think of cooking a dish and suddenly realize that some vital ingredients in cooking the dish are not available. So we are forced to make the dish replacing some ingredients and adding some more. These twists and turns finally come up with a recipe which help sprout a new dish, Thanks to such situations where we venture new recipes and make out a different dish.

This Minty chettinad style chicken is no exception. The tomato puree is replaced by yogurt and to make use of the mint leaves bunch, I decided to add them and give a different flavour to my chettinad style chicken.
Ingredients :
1/2 Kg of Chicken, bone in, Skinless, cut into regular chicken curry size pieces
1 Tbsp Sesame or Olive oil
1 tsp Fennel Seeds
4 - 5 Red Chillies broken into small pieces
8 - 10 Curry leaves
1 big Onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
1/2 + 1/4 cup Mint leaves chopped
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chilly Powder
1/2 tsp Home made Garam Masala
1/2 cup Yogurt
a pinch of Black Pepper Powder
Salt to Taste

Procedure :
To cleaned chicken add turmeric, little of each red chilly powder, garam masala, pepper powder and salt, keep aside.
In a skillet, heat oil and add the fennel seeds , wait for the aroma and then add red chillies, curry leaves and fry without burning.
Add Onions and fry till translucent
Add ginger garlic paste and fry till rawness is gone.
Now add the marinated chicken pieces and mix well.
At this time add the chopped mint leaves and fry along with the chicken for a minute or two.
Add Yogurt and keep stirring.
Add garam masala and mix.
No need to add any water as we are making a semi dry version here.
Roast the chicken till done and the masala mixture leaves oil.
Add remaining mint leaves mix for a minute and remove from heat.
Serve hot with plain rice, rasam or sambar

Koduva meen kuzhambu/Sea Bass Fish Stew

This is one simple and easy to make fish gravy..off course again grandma's style. I was so impressed by this fresh Koduva(Sea Bass)fish on my visit to the supermarket, that I immediately picked it up a thick steak, got it cut into lumpy cubes and returned home and made this super gravy in no time. Koduva or Sea bass is one among the top fish varieties besides Vanjiram(King fish), Viraal(Murrel, Vavval(Pomfret), Sura(baby Shark), Sankara(Red Snipper), Mathi(Sardines) Nathili(Anchovies)that we get in South India. Luckily in Toronto we are able to get all of them except Viraal meen. I did post some of these fish gravies already. Hope to post rest of them in the future.

These fish cubes reminded me of my trip to the fish market with my granny in childhood days. Granny use to have a regular fish vendor lady..who use to keep the best king fish steak for her. She would cut it into symmetrical cubes once we purchased it. Then after coming home I use to watch granny wash these fish cubes by adding rock salt, then rinse it with water and then add cut onions, green chillies,curry leaves home made red chilly powder, salt, oil, tangy tamarind juice and mix it..then she use to give me some of that raw juice to taste..and trust me this juice was good in itself even before it boiled and became fish gravy. The washing of the fish in rock salt and adding all those masalas would really take off the raw fishy smell. And now it just takes another 10-15 minutes for the gravy to be ready to enjoy with hot rice. I missed these childhood precious moments when I was making gravy with these fish cubes. Though I used koduva(Tamil) fish, but it so much resembled king fish gravy that grandma made..Luv you granny!!!

Ingredients:
2 lbs Koduva/Sea Bass fish cubes
1 Tbsp - Rock Salt
1 Tbsp - oil
1 Medium - Onion sliced
4 Green Chillies
10 Curry leaves
2 tsp - Homemade Red Chilly powder
Soak Lemon size Tamarind/Puli/Chintapandu ball in 2 cups hot water
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves - a small bunch

Procedure:
Place the fish cubes in deep pot/saucepan, add rock salt and whisk fish with fingers to melt salt.
This procedure cleans the fish and takes off the raw smell.
Add water and wash the fish cubes and drain.
Now combine fish with green chillies, onions, curry leaves, red chilly powder, salt, oil and mix thoroughly with fingers not breaking the cubes.
Now squeeze the Tamarind/Puli juice from the soaked tamarind & water into this mixture.
Now mix this well and bring it boil, Once the gravy seems to attain a good consistency add the coriander leaves and remove from heat.
Serve with hot rice, dosas or idlies.

Paper Dosa and Coconut Peanut Chutney

I have been MIA for the past month. Its not that I couldn't take time at all..but its the kind of void that you go thru sometimes..no mood to blog at all..It was first for a week, then two and so quickly its more than a month already..Even now I am just forcing myself so that my Blog Archive will show this month.

Summer is in full swing with temperatures hitting 28c-32c, feels like 40, something we are not used to here....kids are enjoying their summer holidays and having fun time.. so do we parents..Food is first thing first that pops up in holidays..With picky eaters we always have to be on the look out to entice them with something they look forward to eat.

Dosa with coconut chutney is one of kids fav..This coconut chutney is a variation by adding peanuts instead of roasted gram. Kids don't know the difference though. And the dosa is also made crispy to fold like a paper

Coconut Chutney - Type II

Coconut with Peanuts and Red chillies:
Ingredients :
To Grind:1 cup grated fresh/frozen coconut
1/2 cup Roasted Peanuts
1 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
4 Red chillies (increase or decrease accordingly)
A small piece of Ginger (about 1/4 inch)
1 Big marble size tamarind ball
Salt to taste
Enough water to grind these into a smooth paste

For Tempering/Tamlinpu:
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dhal
2-3 red chillies cracked
8-10 curry leaves
1 pinch of Asafoetida/Hing/Inguva/Perumgayam

Method:
In a chutney grinder, put all the ingredients in the grinding list and grind them thoroughly to a smooth paste/chutney.
Transfer to a serving container.
Heat up the small tempering vessel add oil, after the oil is hot, allow mustard to splutter and add the rest of ingredients one by one ending with Asafoetida, fry for a few seconds and spread on the prepared chutney.

Paper Dosa
Follow the instructions here to make dosas, just increase the rice flour by 1/2 cup more and fry them for longer time to make them paper crisp...

Enjoy with coconut chutney and sambar.