Fish Curry in Tomato and Mustard Paste

Ingredients–

• 4 pieces of fish
• 1 tbsp mustard paste
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 tomato, grated
• 1/2 cup green peas, boiled
• 2 green chillies + 4 garlic cloves ground to a paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp nigella seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tbsp mustard oil
• Salt to taste

Method –

1. Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric powder for 15 minutes
2. Heat oil in a pan
3. Fry the fish lightly and set aside
4. In the same oil, add bay leaf and nigella seeds
5. Add the onion and fry till light brown
6. Add the tomato paste and sauté for 3-4 minutes
7. Add the chilli garlic paste and the peas
8. Sauté for 2-3 minutes
9. Add turmeric and red chilli powder
10. Once the oil separates, add 1 cup of warm water
11. Add the mustard paste
12. Let it come to a boil
13. Add the fish and cook on low heat for 7-8 minutes

Coconut Laddoos

Ingredients–

• 2 cups desiccated coconut
• 1 cup condensed milk
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp ghee

Method –

1. Heat a pan with 1 tbsp ghee
2. Add the desiccated coconut and sauté for 2-3 minutes
3. Add the cardamom powder and condensed milk
4. Stir till it comes together and switch off the flame and let the mixture cool down
5. Make round balls and roll the balls in desiccated coconut.

Kada Prasad (Wheat Halwa)

Ingredients –

• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1 cup ghee
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups water

Method –

1. In a saucepan, add water and sugar
2. Let it come to a boil
3. Stir and remove from heat
4. In a pan, add ghee and wheat flour
5. Keep on stirring over medium flame till it becomes dark brown in colour
6. Add the water mixture
7. Keep stirring continuously for about 8 minutes till the water evaporates and the ghee is seen in the sides
8. Serve hot as prasad

Thalassery Chicken Biryani

Ingredients–

• 1/2 kg biryani rice
• 1/2 kg chicken
• 800 ml water
• 4 tbsp refined oil
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp crushed ginger
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2.5 cups sliced onion
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• 15 cashew nuts, split
• 15 raisins
• 5 cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 4 green chillies, slit
• A handful of mint and coriander leaves
• 1 large onion, sliced for frying
• 1” cinnamon stick
• Salt to taste

For Garam Masala (to Grind) –

• 5 cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 1” cinnamon stick
• 1/2 piece mace
• 1 tsp fennel

Method –

1. Marinate chicken with a little turmeric, lime juice and salt for 30 minutes
2. Soak rice in water for 30 minutes and drain
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee in a pan
4. Toss in cinnamon, cardamom and cloves
5. Next add hot water, salt and bring to a boil.
6. Drop the drained rice into the water and cook by absorption method for 15-20 minutes. Keep aside.
7. In another pan, heat oil and fry cashew nuts along with raisins and keep aside. Also fry the single onion to golden brown and keep aside.
8. Add 1 tbsp ghee to the pan with oil and sauté the onions and green chillies for 7-8 minutes, until the onions turn golden brown.
9. Toss in ginger and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
10. Add the remaining turmeric powder, coriander powder and pepper powder and continue sautéing.
11. Add chopped tomato and cook the masala for 6-7 minutes.
12. Drop in the marinated chicken, coriander leaves, mint leaves and the ground garam masala. Cook chicken for 12-15 minutes in its own juice and masalas. Once done, keep aside.
13. Take a thick-bottomed vessel and layer precooked rice and chicken masala.
14. Top with fried onions, cashew nuts and raisins.
15. Cover the vessel with a tight lid and keep on a hot plate for 15 minutes.
16. Serve hot with raita

Pyaj Xaak Alu Bhaji (Spring Onion Greens and Potato Stirfry)

Ingredients–

• 2 bunches of spring onion greens
• 2 medium sized potatoes
• 2 green chillies
• 1/2 tsp panch phoran
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp mustard oil

Method –

1. Separate the onion part from the greens and chop then into 2 cm lengths
2. Chop the potatoes likewise
3. Heat oil in a pan
4. Add panch phoran and green chillies
5. Add the onion part of the greens
6. Sauté for 2 minutes
7. Add the potatoes, turmeric powder and salt to taste
8. Cook covered on low heat
9. When the potatoes are almost done, add the spring onion greens and cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes
10. Serve hot with chapati

Pork with Bamboo Shoot

Ingredients–

• 500 gm pork
• 15-20 dry red chillies
• 2” ginger
• 8-10 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup shredded fermented bamboo shoot
• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
• Salt to taste
• Water as required

Method –

1. Dry roast the peppercorns for 1-2 minutes and keep aside
2. Coarsely pound the ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle
3. Roughly break the dry red chillies and add them in a bowl
4. Add hot water, cover the bowl and soak the chillies for about 5 minutes
5. Pound the soaked chillies coarsely in a mortar and pestle
6. In a pot, add the pork cubes, pounded red chillies, salt to taste and cook for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally
7. Add enough water to cover the pork and cook till 50-60% cooked
8. Add the shredded, fermented bamboo shoot and cook till the pork is completely cooked
9. Adjust the gravy consistency as per your requirement
10. Add the coarsely pounded ginger garlic and dry roasted Sichuan peppercorns
11. Cook for 3-5 minutes and switch off the flame

Paneer Curry

Ingredients–

• 500 gm paneer
• 250 gm potatoes
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 green chillies chopped
• 2 tsp cumin seed paste
• 2 tsp coriander paste
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 2 tsp ginger paste
• 1.5 tsp turmeric paste
• 1 tsp garam masala paste
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt to taste
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp ghee

Method –

1. Cut the paneer into small cubes
2. Peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes
3. Heat oil and fry the paneer till light golden and set aside
4. Similarly fry the potatoes and set aside
5. In the same oil, add cumin seeds and bay leaves
6. Then add all the pastes except garam masala and sauté
7. Add tomatoes, chillies and salt to taste
8. Continue to sauté till the tomatoes are soft and the curry gets a rich colour
9. Add water and bring it to a boil
10. Add the paneer and potatoes, cover and simmer till potatoes are tender
11. Add ghee and garam masala paste at the end

Caramel Custard

Ingredients–

For Caramel –

• 1/3 cup sugar

For Custard –

• 1/2 litre full cream milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sugar

Method –

1. To prepare caramel, take a light coloured pan and allow the sugar to melt over low medium heat
2. Swirl the pan and once the caramel reaches the desired colour, pour it into a pan of about 6” diameter
3. Keep it aside to cool and harden
4. Boil the milk and cool it to nearly room temperature
5. In a mixer, combine milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and blend on low speed for a few seconds until well combined
6. Pass this mixture through a sieve into the container with caramel
7. Cover the container with 2 layers of aluminium foil and steam for about 40 minutes
8. Once it cools down, refrigerate for 3-4 hours

How to Make Soft Paneer (Cottage Cheese) at Home

Ingredients–

• 1.5 litres whole milk
• 3 tbsp white vinegar/lime juice

Method –

1. Bring the milk to a rolling boil
2. Turn off the heat
3. Add vinegar/lime juice
4. Stir until the whey separates and you can see the curds
5. Put a strainer in a large bowl
6. Put a cheesecloth over the strainer
7. Pour the liquid over the strainer
8. The curds will be collected in the cheesecloth and the whey will drain out
9. Gather the sides of the cheesecloth together, press the paneer gently and hang to completely drain out the water
10. Leave it hanging for about 30 minutes
11. Then refrigerate the paneer for a least 1 hour before cutting into cubes

Note – 1.5 litres of milk will yield approximately 300 gm of paneer

Paneer with Fennel and Milk

Ingredients–

• 500 gm paneer, cut in cubes
• 1 cup peas, steamed
• 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tsp maida
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 2 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp ghee

For the paste –

• 1.5 tsp fennel
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 green chilli

For the Tempering–

• 1 tsp fennel, coarsely pounded
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 slit green chillies

Method –

1. Make a paste of fennel, ginger, green chilli and set aside
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil
3. Lightly fry the paneer and set aside
4. Add 1 tsp ghee in the same pan
5. Temper the oil with fennel, bay leaves and green chillies
6. Add the steamed peas and sauté for 2 minutes
7. Add the paneer and season with salt
8. Now add the paste and green chillies
9. Sauté for 2 minutes and add milk
10. Simmer for 3-5 minutes