Sunday, November 20, 2011

meen peera traditional style



Ingredients  for meen peera


Turmeric powder         --- 1 tbs

Mustard seeds              --- half tbs

Green chillies               --- 3 nos

Curry leaves                 ---few

Salt                               --- to taste

Water                           --- 1 cup

tamarind(valan puli)    --- 2 small piece

Coconut                       --- half coconut

Ginger                         --- small piece

Onions                         --- 2

Saradine/Mackrel        --- 750 gms

Preparation:
Stir fry the fish and leave it aside. Saute the onions with 1tbs of turmeric powder, mustard seeds, oil, green chillies and curry leaves . Add the 2tbs of ginger paste and stir it well. Once the mixture is well mixed then add a cup of water and the bell tamarind and leave for 2 minutes.

Now add the stir fried fish and cook till the water reduces. Add the coconut powder and salt to taste. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves increase the flavor.Delicious meen peera is ready to be served .







ney meen curry traditional style


Ney meen curry
                                               

This is one of the easiest Kerala Fish Curries I make since it doesn’t involve any roasting or grinding or shredding coconuts. The frozen fish, of course lack the flavor of the fresh Ney Meen which used to be a regular dish at our house, back in Kerala. This Meen Curry is lot more healthier than  Fish curry with coconut and goes very well with Rotis and Rice.


Fish – 10 to12 curry sized pieces
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp
Kudam Puli (Fish /Malabar Tamarind) – 3 or 4 small pieces
Small Onions – 6 to 8(shallot onions-finely chopped)
Green Chillies – 4
Minced Ginger – 2 tbsp
Minced Garlic – 2 tbsp
Curry Leaves –
Fish Masala Powder – 2 tbsp
Chilly Powder – 1 tbsp
Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp
Fenugreek Powder  – 1/4 tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Water – as required
Salt – to taste
To Marinate
Fish Masala Powder – 1 tbsp
Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
Red Chilly Powder – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste

Preparation:
Wash and clean the fish fillets. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and 1 tbsp lemon juice to water and soak the fish fillets for 5 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Prepare a marinade using the above ingredients and rub it on the fish.
Soak the tamarind pieces in a cup of warm water.
Chop the shallot onions finely. Slit the green chillies.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a deep pan. Add the shallots and saute for a while.
Add curry leaves, green chillies, minced ginger and garlic and saute.
Add chilly powder, fish masala powder and coriander powder adding very little water, so that coarse paste of all these ingredients will mix well and give out the special aroma of meen curry .
Reduce heat and stir for 3-4 minutes until the raw smell disappears. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp fenugreek powder and stir.
Add the fish tamarind (kudam puli) pieces along with the tamarind water.
Add 2 more cups of water and little salt. Increase heat and bring it to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and add the fish fillets along with the marinade. Cook covered for 10 minutes and uncovered for another 5 minutes mixing it occasionally.
Switch off the stove. Cover and leave the  fish curry for atleast 6-7 hours before serving. The longer the fish curry left before serving the greater the taste, as the  fish absorbs all the flavors.



special kerala aviyal


                                                     

Ingredients for Avial 


Cucumber(Vellarikka) – 250 gm
Snake gourd(Padavalanga) – 250 gm
Long runner beans(Achinga/Payar) – 50 gm
Drumsticks(Muringakkai) – 3 nos
Elephant yam(Chena) – 250 gm
Carrots – 2 nos
Raw banana(Paccha Ethakkai) – 100 gm
(cut into 1” pieces and put them in water to remove the serum)
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Salt – As required
Curry leaves – A few
Sour curd – ¼ cup
Or
Raw mango – 100 gm
Coconut – 1 no
Green chillies – 50 gm
Cumin seeds – 10 gm
Small onions(Kunjulli) – 6 nos
Coconut oil – 4 tbsp

Preparation of  Avial
1)Cut all the vegetables in the same length, about 1 – 1 1/2 “ pieces.

2)Place them along with turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt and sufficient water in a vessel and keep it on fire.

:- Do not add too much water as it might overcook the vegetables and also might take too much time to become dry.

3)Cover and allow it to cook.

4)Grind together grated coconut, cumin seeds, small onions, green chillies and curry leaves into a coarse form.

5)When the vegetables are cooked, add the raw mango pieces and cook with the vessel open.

6)When the mango pieces too are cooked and the water starts to evaporate, add the coconut mixture and mix well.

:- If you are using curd, add it along with the coconut mixture.

7)Allow all the water to get evaporated.

8)When done, add the coconut oil and curry leaves and mix well.

9)Remove from flame and cover the vessel with a lid.


tomato rasam classic style



Tomato  Rasam
Making time: 30 minutes
 5- servings.

Ingredients
2 large ripe  tomatoes
4 cups water or top water of boiled dal (stock)
2 whole red chillies
1 stalk curry leaves
1 tiny sprig mint leaves
1 tiny sprig coriander leaves
1-2 flakes garlic grated
2-3 pinches clove-cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp. sambar masala
8-10 peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
2 pinches asafoetida
1 marble sized ball of jaggery or 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 small strip tamarind
1 tbsp. ghee or oil
salt to taste


Preparation
Put whole tomatoes in boiling water, simmer for 3-4 minutes, keep aside for 5 minutes.
Heat 1/4 tsp oil in a small pan, add pepper corns and 1 tsp cumin seeds. Roast till aromatic, grind in a mortar or under a stone till powdered. Keep aside. Remove tomatoes from water, peel away the broken skin. Grate or mash till fine. To the thick pulp, add roasted whole chillies, all leaves, all masalas, salt, tamarind, jaggery and mash well either with hand or with a hand blender. The ingredients should have blended well into the pulp. Take in a deep pan, add stock or water.
 Heat ghee in a small pan, add mustard and remaining cumin seeds, asafoetida and allow to splutter. Add garlic and stir. Bring to  boil, check spices and salt and adjust. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Keep aside covered for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve hot as a soup or with steaming hot plain rice and papadams.


fish molee- new style




This  is one of the simplest fish recipee to go with less boned fish and very quick & easy to make it as well. Try this and use one raw mango to give a sour twist!!!

Ingredients
  • 500 gm: Fish
  • 2 large: Onions
  • 3 medium size: Tomatoes
  • 4 : Green chillies
  • 1 small piece: Ginger
  • 4 cloves: Garlic
  • 1/4 tsp: Turmeric
  • 2 : Red chillies
  • 2 cup: Coconut grated
  • 1 tbsp: Vinegar
  • 5-10 pcs: Cashew nuts
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil
Preparation:
  1. Cut fish into thick slices, wash and keep aside.
  2. Chop the onions into fairly thick slices, chop ginger fine and slit green chillies.
  3. Extract 1/2 cup of first milk from coconut and 2-1/2 cups of second milk. Keep aside.
  4. Chop tomatoes small, and keep 1/2 cup separately.
  5. De-seed red chillies and grind till smooth along with garlic and turmeric.
  6. Grind cashew nuts separately till smooth. Heat oil and put in the onion rounds and chopped ginger. Sauté till onions are transparent, but do not let them brown.
  7. Add the green chillies and sauté for a minute more. Then add the tomatoes and the ground ingredients and salt.
  8. Sauté till the tomatoes begin to turn pulpy. Pour in the second coconut milk and mix in the ground cashew nuts and vinegar.
  9. Stir till gravy is well blended, check for salt and gently drop in the fish pieces.
  10. Cover and cook over low flame till fish is done and gravy is thick.
  11. Add a little more water if gravy is too thick.
  12. Drop in the reserved tomato pieces and cook for 2 minutes.
  13. Gradually add the first milk and swirl the dish around till it is well mixed.
  14. Keep for just a minute longer on the stove and remove.
  15. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with a single sprig of fresh mint and coriander.
  16. Serve with plain rice or thickly sliced fresh bread.