Lemon and Dates pickle

Ingredients:

Lemon : 15 medium size (around 1200gms)

Dates : 300 gm (pitted dates- chopped)

Oil : 2-3 tbsp (ideally sesame oil, but I used Rice bran oil)

Mustard seeds -1 tbsp

Ginger - 1 big piece (chopped)

Garlic - 2 bulb (chopped)

Kashmiri chilli powder- 5 tbsp

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek powder- 1 tsp

Asafoetida- 1 tsp

Jaggery powder -2.5 tbsp

Sugar -1 tbsp

White vinegar- 1/4 cup

Hot Water - 1.5 -2  cup (depending on the gravy you like)

Method:

 Squeeze the lemons and keep the juice aside. In this recipe we are using the peels only. Make sure you don’t squeeze the lemons too much, its good to have little bit a juice in that peel, but remove the seeds from the peel. 😊

(You can keep the juice in the fridge or can freeze it in ice cube tray and use it later). 

Cut each half into 4 parts and to this add enough salt and pressure cook it for 1 whistle. Once pressure subsided drain the water completely from the lemon. Once water drained out add 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 tbsp sugar and give it a good mix. Keep this aside overnight.  

In a deep pan, add oil and splutter mustard seeds. Then add chopped ginger and garlic and sauté well. Once it start to change the color reduce the heat and add chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida and fenugreek powder. Mix well and cook till the raw smell goes. Add hot water to this. increase the heat to medium and let the water starts to boil. Now add jaggery powder and dates. Cover it for 2-5 mins until the dates soaked in water. Now add the cooked lemon and stir it so that lemon coated with the gravy very well. Again reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Let the pickle simmer for 10 mins or so. 

Kappayerachi/ Kappa biriyani

Ingredients

Tapioca (Peeled and Cubed into bite size pieces)  : 2 kgs
Beef (with bone)  :  1kg
Salt  :  to taste

For Marinating Beef
Diced Shallots (Kunjulli) : 8
Minced Garlic : 5 or 6 cloves
Minced Ginger : 2 tbsp
Slit Green Chillies  : 2
Garam Masala Powder : 1 tbsp
Meat Masala Powder : 2 tbsp
Red Chilly Powder : 1 tbsp
Coriander Powder : 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp
Pepper Powder :1 tsp
Curry Leaves : A sprig
Salt : to taste

For Boiling Tapioca
Salt : to taste
Turmeric : A pinch
Water : As needed

For Dry Roasting and Grinding
Grated Coconut : 2 cups
Coriander Powder : 1 tbsp
Chilly Powder : 1 tbsp
Meat Masala Powder : 1 tbsp
Garam Masala Powder : 2 tsp
Shallots (Kunjulli) : 6
Curry Leaves : A sprig
Garlic : 3 or 4 cloves

Method:

Wash the beef thoroughly and drain all water. Marinate the beef with all the above ingredients and keep it aside for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil the tapioca pieces along with salt and a pinch of turmeric until done. Drain the water and keep the tapioca pieces aside.
Pressure cook the marinated beef with 1/2 cup water (optional). The cooking time varies depending on the beef used. So pressure cook accordingly.
Meanwhile, heat a non stick pan and dry roast grated coconut, shallots, garlic and curry leaves until the coconut turns to a nice brown color. Reduce heat and add coriander powder, chilly powder and garam masala powder. Fry for 2 minutes. Grind all the dry roasted items with very little water to form a thick paste.

Open the pressure cooker and transfer the Cooked Beef without gravy to a Big Pan or Wok.
Add the cooked tapioca pieces to the same pan, followed by ground coconut paste.
Take around 1/2 to 1 cup of gravy from the cooked beef and add it to the pan. Mix everything lightly. Add more salt if needed.
Cover and cook on medium low heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
If you feel the dish is dry, add more gravy from the cooked beef .
After ten minutes, remove lid and mix everything thoroughly. Sprinkle some chopped onion and enjoy this yummy Kappayerachi.

Kerala Porotta

Ingredients:
All purpose flour/Maida : 2.5 cups
Luke warm water as required : almost 1.25 cup
Veg oil : 4-5 Tbsp
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation :

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and knead well to make a dough by adding water little by little, like chappathi dough consistency.
2. Knead the dough till it is soft and smooth (for at least 10-minutes). Oil your palm in between. Cover it with a wet towel, keep it aside for 1-2 hours.

3. Divide the dough into 6 balls. Keep the balls under the wet cloth for 10 min so that it won't get dry.
4. Take a ball and apply some oil on it and roll the ball as thin as possible (using a rolling pin or with hand). Apply a little more oil over the rolled dough.(Note: While spreading the dough use enough oil on the surface, so that it wont stick together when you fold).

5. Divide the rolled dough into 2 portions with a knife. Lift one portion of the stretched dough from one corner.
6. Holding at one end of the layered dough ,rotate it round and pour some oil on the top. keep it aside,again cover with wet towel. Repeat the same for the other portion too. 

          

         

7. Place the folded dough on the table, use your hand to spread it. Porotta should be a medium thick round.

8. Heat a nonstick pan on medium heat, fry the porotta turning frequently,until speckled brown and firm. Brush oil in both sides.
10. When 4-5 porottas are done,place them in a flat surface and tap from the both sides.This is to help the layers to separate.(Note: Do not beat them so hard,this tapping has to be done when the parotta is hot, if not it will break).

Meen pollichathu/Foil-baked fish with indian spices

Ingredients:-

Fish -fillet or whole fish – 2 (tilapia, Pearl spot, King fish, Salmon, pomfret. I used snapper)
Marinade:
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilly powder - 1 tablespoon
Pepper powder - 1 teaspoon (as per your tolerance level)
Salt to taste

For the masala
coconut oil – 2-3 tablespoon
Shallots finely chopped - 1 cup
Ginger chopped - a small piece
Garlic chopped -5 cloves
Green chillies sliced - 2-3nos
Chili powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Pepper powder – ½ teaspoon
Tomato - 1
Coconut milk (thick) - 1/4 cup
Lemon Juice -1/2 lemon
Curry leaves
Salt to taste

Tomato -1 (cut in thick round slices-optional)
Lemon -thin round slices (optional)
Aluminium foil/banana leaf

Method:

Clean the fish, and if using a large one with skin on, make gashes on both sides.
Mix together the marinade ingredients and generously rub it on to the fish. Keep aside for at least 1 hour. Fry it lightly (not crisp fried). In the same oil saute chopped shallots, ginger, garlic and green chillies. When they are soft, add chopped tomato. Then add all the powders, salt and curry leaves, mix it well. Add Lemon Juice and saute it well. 
Add thick coconut milk and let it stand on fire for 2 minutes, until it is thick. Masala is ready.

Take an aluminium foil. Put some gravy in the center. If using tomato and/or lemon slices, place them too. Then place the fried fish over it. Put little more gravy over the fish (you can add tomato and/or lemon slices too if you like that tangy taste). Fold the foil carefully and make sure the edges are secure so that the gravy won’t fall out. Bake it for 20-25 minutes on a preheated oven @ 180C.
Serve hot with rice.