Chicken Roast

Ingredients:

1.      Chicken-1 Kg

2.     Chilly powder-1.5-2 tsp

   Coriander powder- 3 tsp

   Garam masala- 1 tsp

   Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp

   Yogurt -4 tsp

        Salt

        Ginger- 1 inch piece

        Garlic -4

3.     Onion-2, thinly sliced

4.     Green chilly-3, sliced

5.     Curry leaves- 2 sprigs

6.     Pepper powder- 1 tsp

7.     Whole garam masala (Cloves-4,Cardamom- 4,Cinnamon-1 inch piece)-crushed

8.  Oil for frying

9.  Potato-1, diced (optional)

10. Tomato-1, diced
11. Coconut milk  ~2 cups

Method:

Clean chicken and cut into medium sized pieces.

Crush together ginger and garlic. Marinate the chicken with the ingredients 2 for 30min. Add one cup of water or thin coconut milk to the marinated chicken and cook covered until it is half done. Slightly fry green chilly and curry leaves and keep aside. Take out the chicken pieces from the gravy (Save the remaining gravy), shallow fry the chicken pieces and keep aside. Fry onions in a pan until they are transparent and add  the remaining gravy. Saute for a while and add the chicken pieces, fried green chillies, curry leaves, chopped tomato, crushed whole garam masala and pepper powder. Add ½ -1 cup of water or thin coconut milk to mix everything. Saute in medium heat until the gravy is thick and it is well coated on the chicken. Serve hot with rice.

Tips: If you like to add potato cook them with chicken. Take care not to overcook.

Chembu puzhungiyathu(Boiled Malanga)

 
Ingredients:
Chembu/ Malanga -4
Salt
Water
For mulaku pottichathu:
Yogurt- 1 cup
Pearl onion-5-6
Green chilly 1-2
Salt

Method:
Peel the skin of chembu (Malanga). Wash and cut into pieces. Boil in plenty of water until they are fork tender. Add salt, cook for 2 more min then drain all the water(Take care not to overcook). Serve hot with mulaku pottichathu.
Mulaku pottichathu: Crush together pearl onion and green chilly. Mix it with yogurt and add salt.

Buffalo hot wings

 
Ingredients:
Chicken wings-4 
Vinegar-2 tsp
Black pepper powder-1/2- 1 tsp
Chilly sauce-2 tsp
Hot wing sauce-1/4 cup
Butter for frying(~1/6 th of a stick)
Salt

Method:
Clean chicken wings (Do not remove skin), discard the tips and cut each into two pieces.You can make tiny gashes on the skin for sauces to penetrate.
Marinate with black pepper powder, chilly sauce, vinegar and salt for an hour.
Melt butter in a frying pan and add the marinated wings. Fry in medium heat for 10 min each side. Apply half of the hot wing sauce and fry both sides 5 min each sides. Stop heating, let sit for 10 min and coat well with the remaining hot wing sauce.  
Tips: You can bake at 400-450F for 20 min each side instead of frying.

Fish curry (Meen mulakittathu)

Ingredients:
Fish - 1Kg (I used Tilapia)
Kashmiri red chilly powder- 3-4 tsp
Coriander powder-1/2 tsp (optional)
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Ginger-3-4 tsp(chopped)
Garlic-3-4 tsp(chopped)
Pearl onion-4-5(chopped)
Kudam puli-3-4 (medium)
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds(uluva)-1/2 tsp
Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Salt
Coconut oil/ any veg oil
Method:

1. Clean fish and cut into medium sized square pieces
2. Soak kudampuli in 1/2 cup of water.
3. Make a paste of chilly powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder in water.
4. Heat oil in a pan (preferably manchatti) splutter fenugreek seeds followed by mustard seeds. Add ginger, garlic and onion. Saute until the raw smell has gone. Now add the chilly powder paste, salt. Saute until you see the oil bubbling through the paste. 
5. Add soaked kudam puli along with water and bring it to boil. Finally add fish pieces, curry leaves, 1-2 cups of water and salt. Cook covered in medium heat for half an hour. After that simmer it until the curry gets thickened. 

The curry would taste better next day.  

One more method:
Follow the steps 1-4.Grind everything in a blender and make a paste. Transfer everything into a cooking vessel and follow the step 5. Serve warm with rice or kappa.

Lasagna

Ingredients:  (Serves: 8-10)
Lasagna noodles-1 packet 12 oz (15-18 lasagna sheets)

For making meat sauce:
Onion-1/2 cup (chopped)
Bell pepper-1/2 cup (chopped)
Garlic- 1 tsp (minced)
Green peas-1/3 cup
Fennel seeds(perumjeerakam)- 1tsp, crushed or 1 tsp of fennel powder
Ground beef-1 lb
Pasta sauce-30 oz
Tomato sauce-1 can (150g)
Diced/crushed tomatoes- 1 can (~400g)
Water-1/2-1 cup
Extra virgin olive oil

For making cheese mixture:
Mozzarella cheese-1cup
Ricotta cheese-32 oz
Parmesan cheese-1/4 cup
Parsley- 2 tsp  (chopped)
Eggs-2 (slightly beaten)

For sprinkling:
Mozzarella cheese-1cup
Ricotta cheese-32 oz
Parmesan cheese-1/4 cup
Parsley- 1 tsp  (chopped)
Method:

1. Cook lasagna noodles in lightly salted water (or follow the package instructions).
2. Cook ground beef in excess of water, drain and keep aside.

To make sauce mixture:

1. Warm olive oil in a cooking vessel. Slightly fry onions, bell pepper, garlic and green peas. Add the cooked ground beef and crushed fennel seeds.
2. Saute for a while and stir in tomato sauce, pasta sauce, diced tomatoes and water. 
3. Simmer, covered, for about 30 min, stirring occasionally.

To make the cheese mixture:

1. In a bowl combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup of  Parmesan cheese, parsley and egg. Mix well.

 Layering lasagna:

1. Spread one third of the meat sauce mixture prepared above in a 9" X 13" baking pan. 
2. Place 5-6 sheets of lasagna above that.
3. Spread half of the cheese mixture above that.
4. Repeat the process one more time.
5. Then top with 5-6 sheets of lasagna and then one third of the sauce mixture.
6. Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and parsley
7. Wrap the lasagna pan with foil
8. Bake at 350F for 40min
9. Remove the foil and bake for 20 min more uncovered until the cheese get slight browned.
10. Slice and serve warm

Scrambled eggs with chives

Ingredients:

• Eggs-4
• Chives-1/3 cup, chopped
• Tomato-1/2, chopped
• Onion-1/2, chopped
• Green chilly-1, sliced or chopped
• Salt
• Oil 

 Method:

• Break eggs and beat nicely with all other ingredients except oil
• Heat oil in a pan and pour the egg mixture and scramble until it is done.

Karimeen fry (Pearl spot fry)

Ingredients:

1. Karimeen (Pearl spot)-1
2. Red chilly powder- 3/4 tsp
3. Black pepper powder-1/2 tsp
4. Coriander powder-1/4 tsp
5. Turmeric powder-1or 2 pinches
6. Ginger garlic paste- 1/2 tsp
7. Salt
8. Coconut oil for frying
9. Sliced onion for garnishing

Method:

1. Clean fish and make gashes on both sides
2. Make a paste of the ingredients 2-7 in water or lemon juice. Apply it on fish and keep in refrigerator for 1/2 hour.
3. Warm oil in a pan and fry fish for 20 min (10 min each side)
4. Garnish with sliced onion, green chillies or curry leaves and serve warm with rice

Baked Pork

Ingredients: 

1. Pork- 1 lb (rib meat)
2. Chilly powder- 1/2tsp
3. Coriander powder-2 tsp
4. Garam masala-1tsp
5. Fennel (perumjeerakam) powder-1/2 tsp
6. Black pepper powder-1/2 tsp
7. Salt
8. Lemon juice-enough to make a paste with all the above  masala powders

Method: 

1. Cut pork into strips, wash and pat dry.
2. Make a thick paste of the ingredients in lemon juice and apply it to the pork strips. Coat well
3. Keep in refrigerator for 2 hours.
4. Spread the strips on a small baking wire rack and keep it above a baking tray lined with aluminum foil. (This is to prevent the dripping of burned fat into oven). Keep this in oven.
5. Bake at 400-450 F for 30-40 min. Flip the pork strips and repeat baking for one more time.
6. Serve hot with grilled or mashed potato.

Kerala fried rice

Ingredients: (Serves 6)

1. Basmati rice- 3 cups
2. Cardamom-9
   
3. Cloves-10
4. Bay leaf-4
5. Cinnamon sticks-5
6. Green chillies-2
7. Garlic-1
8. Ginger-1/2 inch piece
9. Green peas-1/2 cup
10. Carrot-1/2 cup, chopped
11. Beans-1/2 cup, chopped
12. Soy sauce-1 tsp
13. Vegetable oil-1/4 cup
14. Melted butter-1/4 cup
15. Salt
16. Water for cooking rice
    

For garnishing:

1. Onion-1, thinly sliced
2. Raisins and cashew nuts-1/2 cup
3. Cilantro
4. Curry leaves

Method:

1. Wash rice and drain.
2. Crush together ginger, garlic and green chillies.
   
3. In a pan pour half of the melted butter and add cardamon, cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon sticks, saute until you get a nice aroma.
4. Transfer the rice into a cooking vessel and add crushed ginger, garlic, green chillies and fried spices into rice along with the melted butter. Add water just enough to cook the rice. (I used a rice cooker and it need 1.5 cup of water for 1 cup of rice). Add enough salt and cook the rice. Take care not to overcook the rice. Rice should not stick together.
   
5. Mean while slightly fry chopped carrots, beans and green peas in 1-2 tsp of oil and 1 tsp of soy sauce and stir. Add salt and keep aside.
   
6. Fry cashew nuts and raisins in 2-3 tsp of the melted butter and keep aside.
7. Finally fry thinly sliced onion in 1 tsp of oil or butter until it is crispy and brown. Transfer into a plate and add 1 tsp of sugar and mix well(this is to keep them crispy and would give a nice taste to fried rice)
8. When rice is done transfer into a big flat tray and mix well with fried vegetables. Finally garnish the top of the rice with fried raisins, cashews, onions and chopped cilantro and curry leaves. Sprinkle 2-3 tsp of melted butter or oil. Serve warm with chilly chicken or chicken curry.

Grilled chicken and potatoes

Ingredients for chicken:

1. Chicken pieces- 6 medium sized
2. Chilly sauce-1 tsp
3. Chilly powder-1 tsp
4. Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)- 2 tsp, chopped
5. Mint leaves- 3 tsp, chopped
6. Chives- 3 tsp, chopped (optional)
7. Ginger garlic paste-2 tsp
8. Soy sauce-2 tsp
9. Pepper powder-1 tsp
10. Olive oil-2 tsp
11. Lemon juice-2 tsp
12. Yogurt-3-4 tsp
13. Barbeque sauce

Method:

1. Clean chicken pieces and make few gashes. Make paste of all the ingredients 2-12 and rub this all over the chicken. Keep it in refrigerator for 2 hours.
2. Make the grill ready. Spread few aluminum foil (this is to prevent dripping of the marinade to grill). Keep chicken over that and cook covered for 10-15 min each side.
3. Remove the foil and let the chicken cook for 2-3 min each side in direct flame. Spray oil if necessary.
4. Take out the chicken pieces and brush with barbeque sauce and serve warm with grilled potatoes

Grilled potatoes



Ingredients for grilled potatoes:

1. Petite potatoes-1 lb
2. Garlic powder-2 tsp
3. Pepper powder-1 tsp
4. Lemon juice 2 tsp
5. Salt
6. Cooking spray

Method:

1. Wash potatoes and cut each into half
2. Rub these with garlic powder, pepper powder and lemon juice.
   
3. Transfer these into big sheet of foil and spray cooking oil. Wrap the foil and grill it for 10 min each side of the potato wrap. Grill until the potatoes are fork tender.Serve hot with grilled chicken