Melt in the mouth ..Mixture !
In two days the holidays come to the winding stage and its back to normal .The temperature has been really hot in Thrissur ..I think its been almost the same in most parts of Kerala.Being accustomed to the Munnar climate , changing over to the tropical climate it was a bit difficult.But its nice to have a little rain although the heat doesnt come down very much .
Todays post is an Andhra style mixture with poha or beaten rice.A mixture that looks complicated but which is super simple to try and can be kept bottled for some time.I love this snack as its a wonderful melt in the mouth snacker with a very distinct taste.
- 500 gm thin white Poha (beaten rice flakes) dried in sunlight for 2hrs
- 1 cup of coconut chips
- 1 cup of peanuts
- 1 cup of fried gram
- Salt to taste
- 2-3 tsp of chilli powder
- 1 ½ tsp of chaat masala
- 1 tsp of cumin powder
- ½ cup Curry leaves
- Oil for frying
- Fry the poha till it is crispy in a dry pan and separate.
- Fry and separate coconut chips, peanuts, fried gram and curry leaves in to a
- colander so that the oil oozes out.
- Mix the fried ingredients and poha together, add in salt and mix.
- Mix in chilli powder, chaat masala, and cumin powder.
- Once cool store them in air tight containers.
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Fusioned Bliss-Chettinad Chattipathri & Choondu chutney!
It’s the 31st of Jan and in Munnar the nights have been pretty much cold..well although we haven’t had snow the temperature had dropped down to -3/-2 a few days back. Tomorrow it’s my little ones bday and he’s super excited..of course how would he not be excited… I too was very much the same. He’s been advising me for the past few weeks of how his cake should be …he was more into getting me to make Ben 10 figurines for him. Hmm..but I wasn’t able to strain much and did him a cake .When I just got over with the frosting part the icing bag slips and falls on the edge of the cake causing a havoc on the frosting. Hearing me squeak ..he came near me and voiced smiling at me,”Amma ..Don’t worry its still a very beautiful cake ..I am so happy you made it for me.” I felt my heart sink at that moment…I hugged him and told him I would do the best I could. And I could do justice to an extend to his cake…really happy that I could.Tomorrow it’s the first time he has some of his friends for his birthday and so it’s a Big day for my boy as he’s turning 7!
“Mother’s Recipe”, the market leader in After accepting their invite in a Indian Pickles has a Product range that now consists of Pickles, Condiments, Blended Spices, Papads, Appalams, Curry Pastes, Curry Powders, Ready to Cook Spice Mixes, Ready to Eat meals (Canned and Retort Packing), Mango Chutneys, Ethnic Chutneys, Canned Vegetables, & Mango Pulp. It was indeed pretty much exciting to have an invite from them to participate in their Mother’s Recipe: Innovative Recipe Challenge’!
After accepting their invite in a week or so I have my hamper of their variety goodies at my doorstep.So heres my entry for the challenge.I took up the pack of the ready mix of “Chicken Chettinad “ and the pack of “Gujarati Choondo pickle”.I wanted to bring in a traditional fusion to the recipe. The pickle was very sweet compared to the normal pickle with a had a wonderful tangy taste. I infused the chettinad chicken with the Chattipathiri a traditional keralan Lasagne and popped up a dip with the pickle.Heres the recipe..
- Chettinad Chatti Pathiri
- 2 cups of Wheat flour
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup of thick coconut milk
- ½ tsp of black pepper powder
- Salt to taste
- For the filling
- 1 pack of Mothers recipe Chicken Chettinad mix
- ½ kg chicken (boneless) pieces
- Make a batter of flowing consistency with wheat flour adding water and salt.
- With the batter make 6-8 dosas on a hot flat pan and keep them aside.
- Fry the chicken pieces in 2 tbsp of oil till the chicken goes golden in colour.
- Take it off the pan and shred the chicken pieces in a chopper/mixer.
- Now as per the directions on the pack, mix the contents of the pack to 1 ½ cup of the
- water without any lumps.
- Add this into a pan, let it simmer, add in the shredded chicken and cover and cook till
- the chicken is cooked.
- Evaporate the stock once cooked so that it coats the chicken well and dry fry it in the
- pan and keep aside.
- Beat the eggs well with black pepper powder and salt.
- Dip all the dosas in the egg mixture.
- Place a dipped dosa on a plate and on the top lightly coat the coconut milk on thee
- dosa with your fingers.
- Spoon in and spread the filling on the dosa and place another dipped dosa on top
- smear coconut milk , the spoon the chicken filling and place another dipped dosa
- making a sandwich Stack at the least 6 to the max 8 dosas in the stack.
- Heat a wok /a heavy pan with 2 tbsp of oil, place the stacked dosas and cover it with
- a lid and cook on medium flame.
- Remove from flame once cooked.
My kids were very much fascinated by this version of the lasagna .In an hour there was nothing left. ..
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Going all bananas…..Celebrating the day!
A few weeks back all you could hear was the bloom of the Neelakurinji flower(Strobilanthes kunthiana) a shrub that is told to bloom only once in twelve years in and around Munnar. The beauty was just breathtaking when you have a whole area all blue. It was as if you were in heaven a whole new world. Although I had plans to do a post all were just flushed out with my schedules. The past weeks were pretty out of my hands with my younger one having a fractured arm and guests in and out. A bit relieved that now his arm is ok .Its been quite some time or should I say a very loooooooooooooong time since I baked cakes…it was just now that I recollected that its been an year. Today it’s a very special day…..special in many ways….so back to baking a special cake!
My dad is the best man in my life, the first love of my life, the most perfect man ever….always there to support, to relive my dreams….No matter how old I get, no matter how often I stay out with friends, no matter how far I move away with my husband, no matter how many children I have, no matter how many grandchildren I will have….daddy, I will still be your little girl! I love you more than the world will ever know!!!!
There couldn’t have been a better father than you on this earth – happy birthday to the man who taught me my worth…Happy Birthday Acha! <3 <3 <3
Reliving all the magic that the third of November has here’s the recipe of the Banana cake that I baked .This super moist not too sweet cake was adapted from a cookbook gifted to me by one of my cooking class students, Sylvia Lewis who herself is a very talented cook , foodie and wonderful human being .The book is a collection of tried and tested recipes from different parts of the world. The recipe for the banana cake wad supplied by Daphne Read. This cake is also good with frosting, though I haven’t frosted it.
- ½ cup of butter
- ¾ cup of sugar
- 1 ½ cup of self-rising flour
- 1 tsp of baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 5 very ripe small bananas, pureed
- 2 tbsp of fresh cream
- 1 pinch of salt
- ¼ cup of milk
- Preheat oven to 190 degree Celsius.
- Cream butter and sugar in a bowl until it turns a light colour.
- Gradually add eggs one at a time and beat. Sift flour and salt.
- Mix baking soda in a cup with the milk and cream.
- Add pureed banana into the creamed butter and sugar and mix until combined.
- Alternately add flour and milk mix until just incorporated.
- Pour mixture into a greased and lined baking pan and bake for about 45 minutes or
- until the cake springs from a touch in the middle.
- Cool cake on a wire rack.
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Hummus – the Meditteranean delight!
Being born and brought up in the Middle East has really influenced my taste buds. Being born there the most common question my friends would ask are, “Do u speak Arabic?” and I start grinning trying to answer them ..as I know how to read and write but have totally forgotten all the meanings..so literally don’t know to speak..as I have lost touch with it 😛
My younger son had his Graduation day at school…he’s been graduated to his first grade and so has been bye bye to the kindergarten years. Dressed up in their pink academic dress and mortar board it was a pleasant sight to see all the kiddies singing with lighted candles and scrolls in hand..wish to be their age ….
The recipe that I will be posting today is of hummus. This dip is great with carrot sticks as well as pita breads.
- 1 cup of dried chickpeas (soaked overnight & pressure cooked)
- 3 cloves of garlic
- ½ cup of tahini paste
- 2-3 tbsp of olive oil
- 1/8 cup of lime juice (add 1tbsp more if u feel flavour is less)
- Salt to taste
- Peel the skin of the cooked chickpeas.
- Grind the chickpeas, garlic, limejuice and salt to a smooth paste.
- Add water if it becomes too thick.
- Mix in the tahini paste.
- Serve it on to a plate and garnish with paprika powder and olive oil.
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
An Eggy toast celebrating.. Women’s Day!
Let me start off with wishing all the wonderful women out there a Happy Women’s Day!
My sole pillar of strength and the woman who I adore the most in my life is my mom.She hasbeen there for me to look on to ,advice, love , scold..solving out ..having the patience to hear my stories(which never end..:P)..The life of a woman is indeed no cakewalk..phew! I wanted to pick up a real eezy peezy recipe to post on Womens day… ..it was then that I stumbled on to these Eggy breads while I was watching one of Gordon Ramsays cooking spree on TV.He had mentioned that it was one of his moms special recipes…so why not post a recipe of a wonderful mom celebrating Womanhood 🙂
- 4 eggs
- 2 tbsp of milk
- 2 tbsp of sugar
- 4 thick slices of slightly stale bread
- 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder
- Butter/oil for frying
- For Caramelized Bananas
- 3 firm but ripe bananas
- 2 Tbsp of unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsp of sugar
- 1/2 tsp of orange juice
- Beat the eggs together thoroughly with the milk and 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and
- then pour into a shallow dish.
- Add the bread slices and submerge them in the egg, turning to coat them well.
- Fry the both sides of the bread till golden brown, drizzling ghee or oil on the sides.
- Separate on to a dish.
- Peel the bananas and slice.
- In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter.
- Add the banana slices and cook, gently turning them occasionally, until they begin to
- brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the sugar and cook until it melts, about 1 minute.
- Gently stir in the 1/2 cup orange juice and the rum and cook until the liquid has
- reduced slightly, about 1 minute.
- If the sauce seems too thick, add a little more orange juice until it is the desired
- consistency.
- Top the eggy bread with the caramelized bananas….
Planning to have a glass of juice with your eggy bread?
I had my eggy toasts with a glass of Paperboat’s Aamras.Paper boat drinks boast on reliving the old memmories through their drinks.To say the truth , when I received my set of paperboat drinks …the packs where quite inviting in their colors and flavors.Being a mango lover my first choice was to try out Aamras .I was not quite dissappointed with my sip of Aamras ..boing …felt as if I had a slice of juicy piece of a super ripe mango ..yumm! Paperboat has some unique flavors of which they stand apart from other drinks.The flavors that I got to try out were Aamras, Aampanna , Jaljeera & Jamun .Aampanna did have that tangy sourness with the shot of cumin .Wasn’t quite fascinated by the tastes of Jal jeera and Jamun .The color of Jamun was quite appealing but my tastebuds couldn’t quite cope with the taste of it. My vote would aamras and aampanna when compared to the other two.Its a good innovation though that Paperboat has bought out some very unique tastes 🙂
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Vadai vadai ….Masala Vadai!
Trying to stick on to my resolution for 2014..starting on my blogging spree this post is very much for my little ones most favourite masala vadais ..a typical Tamilnadu recipe.These spicy fritters are simply great with coconut chutneys. I am posting here a write up that came up in Rashtra deepika ..a regionalnewspaper..
Heres the short interview that was aired on Radio Mango 91.9 FM..pls click on the link below…
Masala Vadai
2 cups of Chana dal soaked for about 30 mins & drained
3-4 green chillies chopped
2 dry red chillies chopped
1/2 tsp of Aniseed
a small piece of ginger cleaned and grated
5-6 shallots chopped
1 tsp of garammasala powder
3-4 tbsp of coriander leaves chopped
Oil for frying
Seperate 2 tbsp of soaked and drained chana dal and blend coarsely with all the rest of the ingredients to make a coarse mix.Add required amount of salt and the seperated dal to the ground mixture.Heat oil on mediun flame , pat a tablespoon of the mix on to your palm to prepare thin patties and deep fry till both sides are golden brown in color and drain on paper napkins.Serve hot with coconut chutney …
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Magic with leftover Idlis-Idli Uppuma!
Snacks are a must o must here at home and I’m always on the lookout for something that can be prepared in minutes.When it’s idlis for breakfast,I do a makeover with it so that I get a snack to feed my kids at four. Here.s the recipe for Idli uppuma…
Idli Uppuma
4-5 idlis cut in to small pieces
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of urad dal split
3 green chillies chopped
1 small piece of ginger chopped
2 dry red chillies broken into pieces
2tsp of oil
1/2 cup of curd
Salt to taste
Curry leaves
Heat oil in a pan ,pop mustard seeds,fry urad dal,dry red chillies,ginger and green chillies .Add chopped onions and sauté till translucent.Pour in curd,add in idlis ,curry leaves,salt to taste and curry leaves.Turn off the heat and serve hot. You can mash the idlis if you want for a crumbled texture.
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Nutty Pancakes and spicy chutney!
There’s been quite a lot of happenings in my life for the past months..that I am not able to update my blog regularly.I have joined at my son’s school as a Culinary teacher for the High Schoolers .Its been quite fun being with my kids even at school 😉 In addition to my school work, my Lip Smacking Classes on Kerala Cooking are in full progress on weekdays.
A perfectly new environment..its been quite challenging to bring my horses on the right road.. trying to bring a balance at home and work.There was a Salad making competition at school which was between the 11th and 12th grades.The ideas that the kids came up was indeed a feast to the eyes.I am planning to post some of their recipes in my next post.So wait and watch out.:)
Today’s post is dedicated to my wonderful Culinary students of HRS.This was one of their nutty and spicy treats!
Peanut & Potato Pancakes with Coriander Chutney
For the Pancakes
4tbsp of rice flour
2 small potatoes peeled and grated
1 big onion chopped
2 tbsps of roasted peanuts
salt to taste
Combine all the ingredients with about 3-4 tbsp of water in a bowl and mix well to make a dough.Divide into equal portioned balls.Heat a tawa.Smear oil on ur palms ,flatten the balls into thin circles and cook on both sides on the tawa by drizzling little oil .
For the Coriander Chutney
2 cups of coriander leaves chopped
1 cup grated coconut
4 green chillies
2-3 shallots
juice of 1 lemon
salt to taste
Combine all ingredients except for the lemon juice and grind into a smooth paste in a blender using very little water.Mix in the lemon juice,refrigerate and use with the pancakes.
The Monsoons have started in Munnar..enjoy the rain with hot pancakes and chutney!
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Oats and Coconut cookies to sweeten a happy moment!
I have been trying to update my food court since last month and the moment to write out came today.It was a total hectic month with my kids down with sickness and the happy moment was a write up on me in a magazine called FWD LIFE(march 2012 issue).Heres the link to the online issue of the magazine(page 58)http://www.fwdlife.in/emagazine/march2012.html
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Kappa Varuthathu /Tapioca Chips with shots of Onam!
“maveli nadu vaneedum kalam,manusharellarum onnupole
amodhathode vasikkum kalam
apathangarkkumottillathanum
kallavum illa chathiyumilla
ellolamilla polivachanam
kallapparayum cherunazhiyum
kallatharangal mattonnumilla
adhikal vyadhikalonnumilla
balamaranangal kelppanilla”
All the people formed one casteless races”
(This song is one song that is sung over Onam)
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I’m back after all the Onam celebrations in our family .It was indeed an eventful Onam this year with our family gettogether.The kids were all having their piece of blast.Onam is a festival celebrated in Kerala with great pomp and food has great role to play with the traditional Sadhya and payasams..I have for all my friends my clicky Onam!;)
The recipe that I have in store for you are for homely crispy Tapioca chips..
Tapioca Chips/Kappa Varuthathu
Tapioca -2
1/4 cup of water
4-5 tsps of salt
1 tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder(optional for making spicy chips)
Oil for frying
Peel off the outer brown layers of the tapioca and thinly slice the tapioca chips on a slicer.In a glass stir in the salt and chilly powder to the 1/4 cup of water to make a salty solution.
Heat oil in a wok.Pop in the sliced tapioca and when slightly brown on the edges, pour 2tbsps of salt solution(make sure to keep a distance from the oil as it will splutter badly).When the sound subsides a little laddle out the tapioca chips from the wok.Drain it on to paper towels to remove the excess oil.Crrunchy crunch them on with ur evening tea 🙂
The pookalam that we put up this year was a kathakali face and here’s my clicky Onam for all my food buddies out there!
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Hi! I am Nimi Sunilkumar…an award winning cookbook author /culinary demonstrator/freelance writer / food photographer/food blogger …spiced with the flavors of food..
