Angamaly Fish Curry

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Ingredients :
 Fish             -        1 Kg. cut in small to medium cubes
Raw Mango -         1 (medium sized, peeled  & sliced)
Onion           -         1 (medium sized, finely sliced)
Shallots        -         20 no.(finely sliced)
Green Chillies -      4-5 (sliced)
Garlic              -     4 cloves (crushed)
Ginger             -     1" piece, (sliced)
Turmeric Powder -  ½ tsp.
Coriander Powder : 3 Tbsp.
Red Chilli Powder : 1½ Tbsp.
Salt to taste
Vinegar    -     3 Tbsp.
Coconut Oil -  3 Tbsp.
Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs
Semi Thick Coconut milk – 2nd extract - 1 cup
Thick Coconut milk -1st extract     -          ½ cup

For Tempering :
Fenugreek Seeds    -  ¼ tsp.
Shallots/Cherriya ulli         -   8 (finely chopped)
Dried Red Chillies -   4
Red Chilli Powder   -  ½ tsp.
Fenugreek  powder(ulluva podi) - a pinch
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Salt to taste

Method:
1. In a pan (heavy bottomed/manchatti), add the sliced onion, small onion, crushed garlic, chopped green chillies, sliced ginger, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder & required amount of salt & crush them with your fingers.
2. Add the curry leaves, vinegar, coconut oil into it and combine well.
3. Now pour the semi thick coconut milk & half of the thick coconut milk so that it just covers the ingredients.Add  little if required.
4.Keep the vessel on high flame & bring it to  boil. Once it starts boiling add the sliced raw mango  and cook until the mango pieces are almost done(cooked). Check the gravy for salt.
5. Reduce the flame to medium, slide in the fish pieces; check and adjust the salt & swirl the pan so that all the fish pieces are  immersed in the gravy.
6. Bring the gravy to a boil then Cover and cook  for  about 15 mins or till the fish is cooked. By now the mango pieces would  be done too.
7. Lower the flame to low & pour the remaining half of the thick coconut milk & cook for another minute or two. Swirl/shake the vessel(DO NOT use a spoon as the fish might crumble) so that everything is combined well. Remove from flame & set aside.
8. for the tempering.. In a frying pan, heat coconut oil, splutter fenugreek seeds, sliced  shallot, dried red chillies, curry leaves & fenugreek  powder and red chilli powder, saute till it turns to light brown in colour and  pour it on the  curry .
9. Goes well with rice,  Appam or any other Indian bread.

Notes :
* I used King Fish/nei meen , Pomfret/ avoli or any other  thick fleshed fish can be used.
* I used Fresh coconut milk . You can use coconut milk powder or the canned one too, but fresh coconut milk does make a huge difference .
Recipe Source: Taste of Kerala

Achinga Payar Thoran (Long beans stir fry)

                           I used to know this as payar, I didn't know it was also called  achinga payar. I prefer to use dry red chilli instead of green chilli as I find it hard to distinguish between the payar & the green chilli. I know it's childish & yes, I do the same for all the thoran dishes with green vegetables.

Ingredients:
Long beans/achinga, chopped finely                   -                 250 g.
Mustard seeds                                                      -                  ½ tsp.
Urad dal                                                                -                  ½ tsp.
Curry leaves                                                         -                  few sprigs
Shallots, sliced                                                     -                  5 or 6 no.
Dry red chilli                                                        -                  3 no.
Grated Coconut                                                    -                  ½ cup
Turmeric Powder                                                  -                 ¼ tsp.
Cumin Seeds                                                         -                 ¼ tsp.
Oil(pref. coconut)                                                 -                  1 Tbsp.
Salt  to taste

Method:

1. Coarsely grind ½ cup of coconut, ¼ tsp. cumin seeds & ¼ tsp. of turmeric powder(you can also crush it using mortar & pestle).
2. Heat oil in pan, splutter mustard seeds, add the urad dal. dry red chilli, curry leaves & sliced shallots. Saute for a minute or two.
3. Add the ground coconut mixture and saute well for a couple of minutes & add the chopped achinga payar & required amount of salt & combine well.
4. Cover with a lid & cook on medium low flame for about 10 minutes or until the beans become soft(Make sure to stir in between). 
5. Once the beans has become soft open & cook for  few minutes, until the dish becomes dry. Remove from flame & serve with rice.

Avial with curd

                                 This is similar to recipe here, the only difference is that I have used curd  instead of mango & have also added potato. We liked this avial compared to the one prepared with mango. There are so many ways to prepare, it differs with  locations trivandrum style, kotayam style etc. & some people(like me) prefer it a bit overcooked.


Ingredients:
A mix of Veggies of your choice(cut in small strips)  -   ½ - ¾ kg. 
(I used yam(chena), snake gourd(padavalam), long beans(achinga), Carrot, Drumstick, potato, Cucumber(vellarika))
Curd, lightly beaten -       ½ cup
Coconut Oil            -        1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder   -         ½ tsp.
Chilly powder        -         1 tsp.
Salt as required
Curry Leaves a few sprigs
Coconut Oil           -          ½ tbsp.

For Grinding:
Grated Coconut     -         of half a coconut
Cumin                   -         1 tsp.
Green Chilies       -           4 or 5 

Method:

1. Cut the yam(chena) in small and long strips, immerse it in water and set aside.
2. Cut the remaining veggies and place it in a separate  bowl of water.
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil in  a hard bottomed vessel and place the drumsticks, achinga, snake gourd, potato, carrot, Yam(chena) and finally vellarika one above the other respectively.(ref. Notes)
4. Add the turmeric, chilly powder and the required amount of salt on top of the vegetables, close the vessel with a lid and cook it on low flame.
5. Coarsely grind the coconut, cumin and the green chilies and set aside.
6. When the vegetables starts to boil combine all the vegetables together. Add the coarsely grounded coconut mixture and the curry leaves and combine well.
7. When all the vegetables has been cooked, add the beaten curd, combine well.
8. Finally drizzle the remaining coconut oil on the prepared avial and remove from flame & serve with rice.

 Notes:

• The reason as to why the veggies are arranged is because no water is added & also to prevent the yam from losing its color.
• The use of curd or mango is for the light sour taste. The dish will become watery if the amount of curd is increased.

Wayanadan Chicken Curry

                       Wayanad is a district in the north-east of Kerala, India & here are some facts about Wayanad(from wiki)..

1.  The Folk etymology of the word says it is a combination of Vayal (paddy field) and Naad (land), making it 'The Land of Paddy Fields'. 
2. It is set high on the Western Ghats with altitudes ranging from 700 to 2100 m.
3. It is the least populous district in Kerala.

Ingredients: 
Chicken                               -            500 g.
Coconut milk                      -           ½ coconut
Tomato, large, sliced          -           1
Onion, large, sliced             -           1
Ginger, finely chopped        -           1 inch piece
Garlic,  finely chopped        -            5 cloves
Green chili, vertically slit    -            5 
Chilli powder                      -          1 tsp.
Coriander powder               -          ½ tsp.
Turmeric powder                -           ½ tsp.
Pepper powder                    -          ½ tsp.
Garam masala                     -          ½ tsp.
Salt    to taste
For the Seasoning:
Coconut Oil                        -          1 Tbsp.
Mustard seeds                     -          ½ tsp.
Dry Red Chilies                  -           2
Curry leaves                         -          a sprig


Method:

1. Clean & cut the chicken pieces in medium size.
2. Take a pan(pref. an earthen pot) and place the chicken pieces. To this, add salt, turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, chopped garlic, chopped ginger, green chili, tomato and onion. Mix the ingredients well & set it aside for 10 min.
3. Now place the pan on medium  heat and add some water(just to cover the chicken) &Combine gently & let it boil. Lower the heat  and cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes or until chicken is done.(the amount of gravy will be reduced by now)
4. Once the chicken is cooked give the gravy a gently stir and add the coconut milk and cook for few more minutes.Switch off flame & set aside. 
5. For the seasoning, take another pan and heat some coconut oil(2 tsp.) , add mustard seeds, once spluttered add the red chilies & the curry leaves. Pour this over  the cooked chicken curry, combine gently & serve. 

(recipe source:Mr. Biju Thomas, Haritagiri Hotel, Wayanad)

Carrot Thoran (Carrot Stir Fry)

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Ingredients:
Carrot, minced                   -       3 or 4
Onion, minced                   -      1 
Cumin  seeds                     -       ¼ tsp.
Grated coconut                   -      ¼ cup
Ginger chopped                  -      ½ tsp.
Green chilies, chopped       -      3
Turmeric powder                 -    ¼ tsp.
Mustard seeds                      -     ½ tsp.
Curry leaves                        -     a sprig
Dry red chili                        -     2
Salt to taste
Oil

Method:

1. Combine the minced carrot, onion, cumin seeds, coconut, salt, green chilies, ginger, turmeric powder in a bowl using your hands.
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds, add the dry red chili and the curry leaves to saute for a minute.
3. Now add the combined mixture of carrot and coconut to the pan and saute well for 2 or 3 minutes.
4. Cover the pan with the lid and let it cook on low flame for 3 or 4 minutes.
5. Remove the lid and mix again and open cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from flame when the carrot are cooked and serve with rice.

Fish Molee (Fish in coconut milk gravy)

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           My mom makes meen molee occasionally,I made a small change in the recipe(I marinated the fish before using(from Kothiyavannu)). This dish goes well with appam, this is the first time I am making this dish as I got the green signal to give fish for my baby daughter. The doctor advised to give a mildly spiced fish gravy to begin with and she suggested fish molee.

Ingredients: 
King Fish(any firm fleshed fish), washed, cleaned & cubed  - ½ kg.
Turmeric powder                               -         1 tsp.
Lemon juice                                      -         of half a lemon
Salt         
Onion, sliced finely                          -        2
Tomato, sliced                                  -        1
Ginger garlic paste                           -         1 Tbsp.
Black pepper powder                       -         ½ tsp.
Thin Coconut Milk                          -          1 Cup
Thick Coconut Milk                        -           1 cup
Mustard seeds                                  -           ½ tsp.
Curry Leaves                                   -           few sprigs
Green chilly, slit lengthwise            -           4
Oil (pref., coconut oil)                     -           3 Tbsp.
Salt according to taste

Method:

1. Marinate the fish in turmeric powder, lemon juice and salt for about half an hour.
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry the marinated fish for a 3 or 4 minutes on each side and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan and splutter the mustard seeds, add the sliced onion, green chillies, curry leaves and saute until the onions becomes soft. Add the ginger garlic paste and pepper powder and saute for a 2 or 3 minutes. 
4. Add the tomatoes and saute for a minute or two.
5. Lower the flame and add the thin coconut milk and salt & combine well.
6. Carefully add the fried fish to the gravy. Cover & simmer until the fish is completely done.
7. Add the thick coconut milk and swirl the pan, simmer for 2 or 3 minutes.
8. Remove from flame and serve with palappam or vellayappam.

Mushroom Theeyal (Mushroom In Roasted Coconut Gravy)

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Recipe Source: lekshmisadukkala

Ingredients:
Shallots, sliced                       -        15 
Green Chilly, Slit                   -          4 
Mushroom, Sliced                  -        250 g.
Grated Coconut                      -       1 cup
Red Chilly Powder                 -       2 tsp.
Coriander Powder                  -         2 tsp.
Turmeric Powder                   -        ½ tsp.
Fenugreek Powder                 -          a pinch
Tamarind                                -         a gooseberry sized ball
Water                                      -          ½ cup
Oil                                            -       2 tsp
Curry Leaves                           -        few sprigs
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak  the tamarind in ½ cup of warm water and take the extract from it.
2. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan add grated coconut and saute till brown.
3. Reduce the flame and add chilly powder and coriander powder and saute for  few minutes(do not burn the spices).The color of the roasted coconut determines the color of the whole dish.
4. Remove from fire and allow to cool. Once cooled grind it to a fine paste.
5. Heat 1 tsp oil in heavy bottomed vessel/pan(I used a traditional clay-pot).
6. Add the sliced onions, Green Chilly and saute, till they turn golden brown in color, now add the sliced mushroom and saute again for few more minutes.
7. Add turmeric powder, salt and water and the tamarind juice and allow to boil.
8. Add the coconut paste and let it boil for 10 minutes on low flame.
9. Remove from the fire and add curry leaves. Sprinkle fenugreek powder and mix well. Serve warm with rice.