Prawn Passion

Ingredients
For marination
Prawns – 250gm
Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Lemon juice – 2tsp
Garlic – 6nos
Ginger – 2pieces
Salt – 1tsp


For gravy
Finely chopped Shallots /Small onion – 8nos
Kashmiri red chilies – 16nos
Cilantro or curry leaves – a few
Vinegar – 3tsp
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Ghee – 2tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Garam masala – 1tsp
Heavy whipping cream – 3tsp
Kasthuri methi powder – ½ tsp
Water – ½ cup

How to prepare
=►Remove the seeds and soak kashmiri chilly in 3tsp of vinegar for 1hr.
=►Grind marinating ingredients together and marinate prawns in it.
=►Heat 2tsp of ghee in earthern pot (meen chatti) or pan and put cumin seeds.
=►Add finely chopped shallots, soaked kashmiri chilly, turmeric, garam masala and salt into it.
=►Saute it well and add marinated prawns and 1/2 cup water into it.
=►When it cooks well (the gravy would be thick), add 3tsp of whipping cream and ½ tsp of methi powder.
=►Finely add chopped cilantro or curry leaves and cook it for 1-2min.

Submitting this to Akheela's Food palette series Orange

Methi chapathi / Fennugreek chapathi

Ingredients
Wheat flour – 2 ½ cup
Fresh fenugreek /methi leaves –1 bunch
Sliced ginger – 2tsp
Sliced garlic – 2tsp
Chopped cilantro -1tsp
Chopped curry leaves – 1 ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¾ tsp
Cumin seeds – 1tsp
Oil – 3tsp
Ghee -2tsp
Salt -1-1 ½ tsp
Water to make dough

How to prepare
=►Clean and cut fresh fenugreek leaves.
=►Heat 1 ½ tsp of oil in a pan, put cumin seeds and allow it to crack.
=►When it cracks add sliced ginger, curry leaves and garlic into it.
=►Saute it well and add chopped methi leaves , ¼ tsp of turmeric and cilantro into it.
=►Mix it properly and cook it for 1-2min. Switch off the flame.
=►Take a big bowl and put 2 ½ cup of wheat flour, salt and ½ tsp of turmeric.
=►Mix everything well and add enough water to make a dough.
=►Knead it well to make a soft dough (You can add little bit oil for softening).
=►Make a carving in the centre of the dough and put cooked methi and cover it.
=►Then again knead it well to make a smooth dough. Divide into chapathi balls.
=►Press it and cook it on tawa and bursh it with ghee on top.

Pazham nirachathu /Stuffed banana

Pazham nirachathu is another malabar dish and is a part of Ifthar party. This is a very tasty snack with coconut filling and dipped in maida batter. It is a very healthy snack for kids.

Ingredients
Ripe banana /Ethakka – 2nos medium

For fillings
Grated coconut – 5tsp
Sugar -3tsp
Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
Chopped cashew – 2-3tsp
Raisins – 1tsp
Ghee – 2tsp

To cover the fillings
All purpose flour/ Maida – 4tsp
Rice flour – 2tsp
Salt – a pinch
Water to make thick paste – 2-4tsp

For dipping batter
Maida – ½- ¾ cup
Sugar – 3tsp
Turmeric – ¼ tsp (optional)
Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
Water – ¼ - ½ cup (to make thick batter to dip banana )
Ghee for frying -3-4tsp

How to prepare
For filling
=►Mix grated coconut, cardamom powder and sugar.
=►Heat 2tsp of ghee in a pan and put above coconut mixture, cashews and raisins.
=►Saute it for 2-3min and leave the mixture to cool down.

To cover the fillings
=►Mix maida (4stp), rice flour, salt along with 2-4tsp of water and make thick paste.

For Making dipping batter
=►Mix together maida ( ½ - ¾ cup), sugar ,turmeric(optional), cardamom powder.
=►And add enough water to make thick batter.

To stuff the banana
=►Make a slit in banana (centre of banana) and another slit between 2inch width as shown in the picture.
=►separate that Piece from the banana and put filling mixture into that (2-3tsp) and cover it with the same piece what we took before.
=►Then seal the gap with thick maida paste.
=►Now dip whole banana in batter and fry it very well.

Ayala muluku curry /Mackrael curry

Ingredients
Ayala / Mackrael - ½ kg
Finely chopped onion – 1 ½ cups
Tamarind – one small ball like gooseberry
Sliced tomato – ¼ cup
Sliced ginger – 1 ½ tsp
Sliced garlic – 1 ½ tsp
Sliced green chilies – 2nos
Chopped curry leaves – 2 ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Kashmiri chilly powder – 2tsp
Coriander powder – ½ tsp
Fenugreek seeds – 1tsp
Oil – 4tsp
Coconut oil - 2tsp
Salt to taste




How to prepare
=►Clean and cut fish into medium size pieces.
=►Soak tamarind in half cup of water and keep it aside.
=►Heat 4tsp of oil in a earthern pot ( meen chatti) or pan and put fenugreek seeds.
=►When it cracks add sliced ginger, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves into it.
=►Saute it well till the raw smell of garlic goes off.
=►Next add sliced onion and salt into it.
=►Saute it till the onion turns light brown color. Add turmeric, chilly, coriander powder
and sliced tomatoes into it.
=►Mix it properly unitl the tomatoes gets completely mixed into it.
=►Then put ½ cup tamarind juice into it. Allow it to cook for 3-5min.
=►When the tamarind boile nicely put cut fish pieces into it.
=►If you want more gravy ,add ½ cup of water into it.
=►Allow it to cook for 15-20 min on sim flame.
=►When it cooks well switch off the flame.
=►Pour 1-2tsp of coconut oil on this curry and garnish with curry leaves.

Note - Instead of tamarind we can use kudam puli also.

Rotti pathiri

This is a thick version of pathiri which is very famous in Malabar region and finds a prominent place in Ramdan party. It is made with slightly roasted rice powder(pachari) mixed with shallots, crushed fennel seeds and coconut.

Ingredients
Slightly Roasted Rice powder -1cup
Crushed fennel (jeerakam) – 1tsp
Grated coconut – ½ cup
Coconut slices(thenga kothu) – 3-4tsp
Sliced shallots(small onion) – ¼ cup
Salt to taste
Water - 1cup+5-8tsp
Oil - 5-6tsp

How to prepare
=►Boil one cup of water & salt in a wide pan.
=►When it boils add 1cup of rice powder little by little and keep on stiring. Mix it well and switch off the flame.
=►Next add crushed fennel, grated coconut, sliced shallots, 2tsp of oil and coconut slices.
=►Mix it well and cover it with a lid. Leave it for 8-10min.



=►Once the dough is slightly cool ,take it on flat surface and knead it well like chapathi dough.
=►Divide the dough into small balls (like chapathi dough balls).
=►Put little bit oil in your hand, place the dough balls and press it nicely.
=►Press it untill it get the shape of small bangle and the thickness should be 1-1 1/2 inch.
=►Heat 2tsp of oil in a skillet, fry it untill light brown color appear on both sides.
=►Rotti pathiri is ready. This goes with any non-veg curry or sweet coconutmilk.


Note- You can put dough on a bangle or any round shape material to get a good shaped rotti pathiri.

Fried Bitter gourd rings / pavakka rings

Ingredients
Bitter gourd – 2 nos
Oil – 4tsp for deep frying

For grinding & marination
Sliced Shallots /small onion – 3 nos
Sliced ginger – 1 ½ tsp
Sliced garlic – 1 ½ tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Chilly powder – 1 ½ tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Salt to taste
Water – 2-4tsp





Steps.



How to prepare
=►Cut bitter gourd to thin round rings (with seeds).
=►Grind together all marinating ingredients well.
=►Apply this paste on each bitter gourd rings and marinte for 30min.
=►Heat 4tsp of oil in nonstick pan and put bitter gourd rings into it.
=►Fry (deep fry) it well and serve hot with plain rice.

This participates in Vegetable Marathon - Bitter Gourd, hosted by Nithu and started by Silpa

Beetroot pakovada

This is a very easy to prepare tea time snack which can be best enjoyed over a cup of hot tea. This is nutritious and looks very colorful. It’s a better way to serve to children who don’t eat beetroot.

Ingredients
Beetroot – 1medium size
Ginger- garlic paste – 2tsp
Green chilies – 2nos (optional)
Besan/ kadala podi - 1cup
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Chilly powder – 2tsp
Garam masala – ½ tsp
Finely chopped curry leaves – 1-2tsp
Oil – ½ cup (for deep frying)

Water- 2 cups
Salt to taste

How to prepare
=► Peel the skin and boil beetroot in enough water and grate it well.
=► Take a bowl mix all ingredients (except oil) along with little water.
=► Coat grated beetroot with besan mixture.
=► Heat oil in a pan, take a spoon full of mixture and put into hot oil.
=► Fry it (deep fry) each pieces very well and serve hot with ketchup.