Aval Vilayichathu - Arusuvai Friendship Chain and Moving on to My Own Website...

Hi Friends,

I am glad to inform all of you that I now have my own website

http://saltandspice.org

From now on I will be posting on my new blog. I have posted the recepie for Aval Vilayichathu there.

Please visit my new site and leave your comments. Also please change the link on your website to reflect the same.

Thanks for all your support

Lissie

Lime Pickle

This is a Kerala Style Lime Pickle. Lime Pickle is often served with rice and curries in Malayalee homes. There are different versions of Lime Pickle. This is my style of making it.


Lovely Zlamushka of burntmouth is hosting the event a spoonful of Christmas. For the event, she wants food to be send as a Christmas Gift to someone you love. I thought of sending this Lime Pickle to my sweet little sister who lives in Dubai.
Ingredients:

Limes -16
Water -4 cups
Pickle masala powder -4 tbsp
Vinegar -1\2 cup
Ginger -3 tbsp chopped
Garlic -3 tbsp chopped
Green chillies -5 chopped
Curry leaves -3 srigs
Salt -2 tbsp or to taste
Gingelly oil -4 tbsp

Method:

Boil the water in a large vessel. Put off the fire and add the limes to it. Keep them immersed in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain and wipe dry. Cut each lime into 8 pieces. Heat oil in a kadai and add ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves. Fry till the garlic turns light brown. Add the pickle powder, salt and vinegar. Stir and immediately put off the fire. Add lime pieces and mix well. Cool to room temperature. Transfer the pickle to sterilized jars. Let it stand for 2 or 3 weeks before using. If there is no oil on top, turn the jar sideways so that the oil coats the lime pieces on top. Do this every two days. Refrigerate the pickle after opening since no preservative is added to it.

Healthy Mixed Flour Dosas and Peanut Chutney

Yesterday was World Diabetes Day. Mixed flour dosas and Peanut chutney are something Diabetic patients can have without regret.
Mixed flour dosas are healthy and tasty. Apart from all purpose flour, it also contains whole wheat atta, soyabean flour and ragi powder which enhances the nutritive value. Adding egg makes it tasty and helps to make smooth dosas which do not stick to the pan. You can avoid egg if you are a vegetarian. It can be served for breakfast or dinner.
I make different kinds of Peanut chutneys. Here I am posting one of the recipes for Peanut chutney which I served with the dosas.


Ingredients:

Whole wheat atta -1 1\2 cups
Maida -1\2 cup
Soyabean flour -2 tbsp
Ragi powder -2 tbsp
Egg -1
Water -2 cups or more
Salt -to taste
Oil

Method:

In a bowl, beat the egg well. Add water and beat again. Add the flours and salt and mix with a whisk to form a smooth batter of dosa consistency. Heat a frying pan or dosa tava. Smear some oil on it and pour a big spoonful of the batter. Make a round dosa with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle few drops of oil on the dosa. Keep on medium flame. When one side is done, flip the dosa and fry the other side. Transfer to a serving plate. Make similar dosas with the rest of the batter. Serve it hot with Peanut chutney. To prepare a healthy snack for kids, spread some jam on the dosa and roll it!

For the Peanut chutney:

Peanuts -2 tbsp
Tomatoes -2 chopped
Dry red chillies -2
Peppercorns -4
Cumin seeds -1\2 tsp
Curry leaves -5
Coriander leaves -1 tbsp chopped
Garlic -2
Tamarind -1 small gooseberry size
Salt -to taste
Oil -1 tbsp

Method:

Dry roast the peanuts, cool and remove the skin. Keep aside. Heat oil in a frying pan, add all the ingredients except tamarind and salt. Fry them till the tomatoes are soft. Cool and grind them along with peanuts, tamarind and salt adding a little bit of water to form a fine paste. Transfer the chutney to a bowl and serve with dosas.

Aloo Methi

Potatoes and Fenugreek Leaves Stir Fry

This is a simple North Indian dish which I make often for dinner. It goes well with rotis. Delicious Aloo Methi can also be served as a side dish for rice.

No power is needed in cooking healthy and nutritious Aloo Methi! Hence I am sending this to the 'Power'less Cooking Event being hosted by easycrafts.

Ingredients:

Potatoes -3 medium cubed
Fenugreek leaves (methi) -1 bunch chopped
Tomato -1 chopped
Onion -1 chopped
Chilli powder -1 tsp
Turmeric powder -1\4 tsp
Salt -to taste
Oil -2 tbsp

Method:

Heat oil in a non stick pan. Fry onions till they turn pink. Add chilli powder and turmeric powder. Fry for a few seconds and add tomatoes. Fry for a minute and add the potatoes, fenugreek leaves and salt. Mix well and cover it with a lid. Keep on a low flame and cook till the potatoes are soft. Stir occasionally. Do not add any water. Open the lid and fry for two minutes. Serve with rotis or rice.

Karimeen Varuthu Palu Curry

Fried Pearlspot in Coconut Milk

Karimeen or Pearlspot is a tasty fish we get in Kerala. 'Karimeen Pollichathu' has become world famous! 'Karimeen Varuthu Palu Curry' is a dish made often in Christian homes in Kerala. In this recipe, first the fish is fried lightly and then cooked in a coconut milk gravy. It is a very tasty curry and goes well with rice, bread, appam, idiyappam, puttu or dosa! If Pearlspot is not available, you can replace it with Pomfret, Seer fish or Tilapia.

Ingredients:

Karimeen -1 kg
Chilli powder -1 tsp
Turmeric powder -1 tsp
Pepper powder -1/2 tsp
Vinegar -1 tbsp
Salt -1 tsp
Oil -for frying

For the Gravy:

Onion -1 big sliced
Ginger -2 tbsp chopped
Garlic -1 tbsp chopped
Green chillies -5 slit
Curry leaves -2 sprigs
Coriander powder -3 tsp
Turmeric powder -1 tsp
Pepper powder -1 tsp
Thin coconut milk -2 cups
Thick coconut milk -1 cup
Vinegar -2 tbsp
Salt -to taste
Coconut oil -2 tbsp



Method:

In a vessel, mix together chilli powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, vinegar and salt. Smear this paste on the fish pieces and keep aside for half an hour. Fry them in oil till light brown in color. Keep aside. Heat oil in a large pan, fry onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves till the onion tuns light brown in color. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder and pepper power. Fry for few seconds and add thin coconut milk, vinegar and salt. Cover and cook till it boils. Now add the fried pieces of fish. Pour some gravy over the top of the fish pieces, cover and let it simmer for about 10 minutes on low flame. Open the lid and add the thick coconut milk. Mix gently or twist the pan. When i is about to boil, put off the flame. Serve hot.

Note : you can use the coconut milk or coconut milk powder available in stores. To make thin coconut milk, dilute it with water.

This is my entry for the event Think Spice....Think Ginger being hosted by dear Sunita of Sunita's World.

Muttakuzhalappam (Coconut Pancake)

Muttakuzhalappam or Coconut Pancake is a Kerala Christian delicay. It is an ancient traditional recipe. We all love to eat it at breakfast time. Kids will surely love to eat it as a snack!

What you need:

All purpose flour (maida) -2 cups
Eggs -2
Salt -to taste
Water

For the filling:

Grated coconut -2 cups
Cardamom powder -1 tsp
Sugar -5 tbsp



Method:

Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them well. Add some water and mix well. Add the flour and salt and mix with an egg beater to form a smooth batter. The batter should be thinner than the dosa consistency. Add more water if needed. In another bowl, mix together grated coconut, sugar and cardamom powder. Keep aside. Heat a non stick frying pan and smear some oil on it. Pour a large spoonful of batter and tilt the pan to make a thin round pancake. Keep on mediun flame. Fry lightly on both sides. Transfer the pancake on to a plate. While you make the next one, place a tablespoon of the coconut filling on one end of the pancake and roll it. Transfer it to a serving dish. Repeat the process with the rest of the batter. You can make 12 pancakes out of it.

Garlic Babycorn & Fantastic Four Meme

This is a very tasty chinese dish. It can be served as a side dish with noodles, fried rice or pulao. Or it can also be served as a snack for parties! I have garnished it with home-grown spring onions.

Ingredients:

Babycorn -200 gm
Onion -1 chopped
Garlic -2 tbsp chopped
Egg -1 beaten
Red chilly sauce -2 tbsp
Tomato sauce -2 tbsp
Pepper powder -1\4 tsp, 1\4 tsp
Sugar -1\4 tsp, 1\4 tsp
Aginomotto -1\8 tsp, 1\8 tsp
Salt -1\4 tsp, 1\4 tsp
Corn flour -2 tbsp
Maida -2 tbsp
Spring onions -1 tbsp chopped
Oil -1 tbsp, and for frying

Method:

Slice the babycorns slantwise. In a bowl, mix egg, corn flour, maida, salt, sugar,pepper powder and aginomotto, adding a little water. Add the babycorns and mix. The batter should coat them well. Fry them in oil till golden brown. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Fry the onions and garlic till it the onion turns light brown. Add red chilli sauce, tomato sauce, salt, sugar, pepper powder and aginomotto. Mix well and add the fried babycorns. Fry for a minute. Garnish with spring onions and serve hot!


Fantastic Four Meme...!

Remya of Spices n' Flovours has tagged me for Fantastic Four Meme. Thank you Remya for tagging me! I am happy to write about myself so that other fellow bloggers can know me better.


4 Places I've Lived

• Kochi (Ernakulam), the commercial capital of Kerala - where I did my studies till graduation (BSc Chemistry). Got married during the final year, did my Post Graduation (MA English Literature) when my son was 1 1\2 yrs old.
• Bangalore - where I am staying for the past 16 yrs.
• Vienna, Austria - stayed there as a Missionary and also worked for PRO-LIFE movement protesting against the Abortion Clinics mushrooming in and around Vienna City.
• Dubai - still an NRI shuttling between Dubai and Bangalore!

4Jobs I've Had

• Teaching English to Novices in a Convent in Bangalore.
• Director of a Company owned by us.
• Working as a Missionary. I am a member of Spiritual Revival Ministry
• The role of Super Chef I am playing for the past 25 years!

4 Favourite Places I've Holidayed

(I have visted eighteen countries so far for various reasons, not exaggerating)

• Toronto and Montreal, Canada - visited Niagra Falls, and also Biodome and Botanical Gardens in Montreal...
• Holland - a small fishing village called Monnickendam is the best place I have visited so far! Here the sea level is higher than the land.
• Switzerland - nick named Heaven on Earth!
• Thailand - Pattaya Beach and the Floating Market in Bangkok...

4 Favourite Foods

My Grandmother and my mother inspired me a lot in cooking. I like traditional Kerala food the most!

• Appam and Stew
• Bread and Fish Moly
• Mutton Biriyani
• Pazham Pori

4 Places I'd rather be...

• Home, sweet home! to be at home with my dogs - 6yr old Daschund, Daisy and 9 month old Golden Retreiver, Ginger
• With my hubby in our new apartment in Dubai...
• With my son and daughter wherever they are...
• Help the poor in 4 countries -India, South Africa, Philippines and Papua New Guinea... this is my dream! Please see the kind of work that is being done in India - New Ark Mission

4 Persons I like to tag...

• cinnamon of Cinnamon Trail
• padmaja of Spicy Andhra
• shn of Mishmash
• sirisha of Ambrosia Flavours