Pabda Macher Jhal

Ingredients–

• 4 pieces of Pabda fish
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp white mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp nigella seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 4 green chillies
• 3 tbsp mustard oil
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• Salt to taste

Method –

1. Marinate the fish with salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder for 15 minutes
2. Soak the mustard seeds with a little water for 1 hour
3. Grind the mustard seeds with a little water, 2 green chillies and a little salt into a fine paste
4. Heat mustard oil in a pan
5. Fry the fish lightly and set aside
6. In the same oil, add nigella seeds and 2 green chillies
7. Sauté for 10 seconds and add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and Kashmiri red chilli powder
8. Fry the spices and sprinkle a few spoons of water so that the spices don’t burn
9. Add the mustard paste and sauté till oil releases
10. Add 1 cup warm water and salt
11. Let it come to a boil
12. Add the fish and cook covered on low flame for about 5 minutes
13. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves

Duck Curry with Potatoes

Ingredients–

• ½ kg duck meat, cleaned and washed
• 4 tbsp mustard oil
• 2 tbsp garlic paste
• 2 tbsp ginger paste
• 2 tbsp cumin and black pepper paste (in 1:1 ratio)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 4 onions, chopped
• 4 green chillies
• 4 dry red chillies
• 3 potatoes
• 2 bay leaves

Method –

1. In a bowl, marinate the duck with garlic and ginger paste, turmeric powder, cumin and black pepper paste, along with a tablespoon of mustard oil.
2. Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks.
3. Heat remaining oil in a kadhai. Add bay leaves, green red and dry red chillies.
4. Toss in the chopped onions and fry until golden brown.
5. Put in the marinated duck and continue frying for a few minutes.
6. Add the potatoes and keep frying. After a few minutes, add one cup of water.
7. Cover and cook on medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the duck is tender.
8. Remove from fire and serve hot with steamed rice.

Bottle Masala Chicken Curry

Ingredients–

• 1 kg chicken
• 2 medium potatoes, halved (optional)
• 2 onions cut in cubes
• 5-6 pods of garlic
• 2 tbsp fresh or desiccated coconut
• 2 green chilies
• 1 large tomato
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 cloves
• 3 peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 star anise
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 green cardamoms
• 2 tbsp East Indian bottle masala powder
• A handful of mint leaves
• A handful of coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp ghee or oil
• Salt to taste

Method –

1. In a nonstick pan, add onion, coconut, garlic, chillies, curry leaves, peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, star anise and cardamoms.
2. Roast it until the coconut starts changing colour and the whole mixture becomes aromatic
3. Cool it and grind to a fine paste along with tomatoes
4. Add 1 tbsp ghee to the same pan.
5. Add the ground paste and cook on low flame till oil separates
6. Add the bottle masala and let it cook
7. Add chopped mint and coriander
8. Add chicken and potatoes and mix well
9. Sprinkle salt.
10. Cook covered on low flame till the chicken releases water
11. Once the chicken is 80% done, add about 350 ml warm water
12. Cook covered till the chicken is soft and the gravy is of the right consistency
13. Serve with steamed rice

Chicken Gravy Noodles

Ingredients –

• 200 gm egg noodles
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 150 gm boiled chicken
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1 big onion, cut in big pieces
• 1/2 cup carrot, cut in roundels
• 1 cup cabbage, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup capsicum, cut in squares
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 3-4 tbsp water
• 1 tsp mix garlic
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• Salt to taste
• 3 tbsp oil

Method –

1. Boil the noodles in 1 litre of water with a tsp of salt.
2. Drain the water, drizzle 1 tsp oil on the noodles and set aside
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the noodles for about 4-5 minutes. Set aside
4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok
5. Add minced garlic and sauté
6. Add onions and sauté for 2 minute
7. Next, sauté the carrot, cabbage and green chillies for 2 minutes
8. Add the capsicum, boiled chicken and mushrooms and sauté for a minute
9. Add soy sauce
10. Add salt and pepper powder
11. Add the chicken stock and let it come to a boil
12. Add the cornflour paste and let it boil till it reaches desired consistency
13. Add vinegar and switch off the flame
14. Pour this mixture over the noodles and serve hot

Boror Tenga (Red Lentil Fritters in a Tangy Gravy)

Ingredients–

For the Fritters –

• 100 gm masoor dal (red lentils)
• 25 gm rice
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 2 medium sized onions, chopped
• 2 chopped green chillies
• A pinch of cumin seeds
• Salt to taste
• Mustard oil for frying

For the Curry-

• 3 tsp rice flour
• 6 pieces of thekera (kokum)
• 100 ml warm water
• A pinch of fenugreek seeds
• 600 ml hot water
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp mustard oil
• Salt to taste

Method –

1. Clean, wash and soak the rice and dal for 3 hours
2. Grind it to a smooth paste
3. Add the chopped coriander leaves, onions, green chillies, cumin seeds and salt to the paste
4. Mix well
5. Heat mustard oil in a kadhai
6. Fry the fritters on medium flame till crisp
7. Remove on absorbent paper and set aside
8. Make a paste of rice flour and water. Set aside
9. Soak the thekera in 100 ml warm water for 30 minutes
10. Mash the softened thekera with fingers and set aside
11. Heat 1 tbsp mustard oil in a kadhai
12. Add the fenugreek seeds
13. When the seeds turn red, add the mashed thekera along with the water
14. Also add hot water
15. Sprinkle turmeric powder and salt
16. Let it cook for 5 minutes
17. Add the fritter and cook covered on low heat for 5 minutes
18. Add the rice flour paste
19. Cook for another 2 minutes and remove it from heat
20. Serve with steamed rice

Narikolor Laru (Coconut Laddoos)

Ingredients–

• 2 cups grated coconut
• 1 cup sugar

Method –

1. Add sugar and grated coconut
2. Mix it well
3. Transfer it to a Kadhai
4. Heat the pan on low heat
5. Stir the mixture continuously on low flame
6. Keep on mixing till the mixture turns crumbly and sticky
7. Switch off the flame
8. Make round balls while the mixture is hot

Kerala Style Chicken Cutlet

Ingredients–

• 500 gm chicken mince
• 2 large potatoes, boiled
• 1” piece ginger, chopped
• 3-4 green chillies
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp curry leaves
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• Salt to taste
• 3-4 tbsp cornflour
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• Oil to fry

Method –

1. In a pan, heat 1 tsp oil
2. Fry ginger, onion, chillies and curry leaves
3. Once the onions are translucent, add in chicken and all the masalas
4. Cook till the water evaporates from the chicken and keep breaking it down
5. Add salt to taste
6. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool down
7. Add in potatoes and mix together
8. Shape into cutlets
9. Coat with cornflour slurry and then roll in breadcrumbs
10. Deep fry in hot oil for about 3-4 minutes on each side

Eggless Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients–

• 500 ml milk
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 4 tbsp sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 50 gm dark chocolate
• 3 tbsp cornflour
• 50 ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method –

1. Add milk, sugar, salt, cocoa powder and dark chocolate in a saucepan
2. Heat until the chocolate has melted
3. In a separate bowl, make a slurry from cornflour and 50 ml milk
4. Add into the chocolate milk and cook until thick and bubbly on medium heat
5. Add vanilla
6. Pour into bowls.
7. Cool and serve with grated white chocolate

Duck Curry with Ashgourd

Ingredients–

• Duck meat – 1 kg
• Ashgourd (White pumpkin) – 500 gm
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 bunch coriander leaves (optional)
• 300 ml hot water
• 4 tbsp mustard oil
• Salt to taste

To be Ground to a Paste –

• 2 large onions
• 1” piece of ginger
• 5-6 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2-3 dry red chillies
• 4-5 cloves
• 2” cinnamon stick
• 12 peppercorns

Method –

1. Clean, wash and cut the duck meat. Set aside
2. Skin and de seed the white pumpkin
3. Cut into large chunks roughly 1.5” sized cubes
4. Take a big mixing bowl.
5. Add the duck meat, white pumpkin, ground spices, salt, turmeric powder and 2 tbsp mustard oil
6. Mix well and set aside for 2 hours or longer
7. Heat a thick bottomed kadhai and add 2 tbsp mustard oil
8. Heat the oil till smoking
9. Add bay leaves and sugar
10. When sugar starts to caramelise, add marinated meat
11. Fry well on high flame for 8-10 minutes, stirring all the time
12. Cover with a lid
13. Lower the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes
14. Sprinkle hot water occasionally
15. Stir so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan
16. Add more water if necessary
17. When almost done, remove the lid and cook on medium heat for further 5-7 minutes
18. Check for salt
19. The gravy should be thick instead of runny
20. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (optional)
21. Serve with steamed rice only

Marble Pound Cake

Ingredients–

• 150 gm unsalted soft butter
• 1.5 cups (300 gm) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk
• 2 cups (300 gm) all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Method –

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
2. Add sugar and unsalted butter in a mixing bowl
3. Also add vanilla extract
4. Beat until light and fluffy for about 2 minutes
5. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition
6. Once all the eggs are added, beat for another 3 minutes until the mixture is pale in colour and increased in volume
7. Add the milk to the mixture
8. Mix the milk. The mixture will look curdled, which is normal
9. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder over the mixture
10. Mix with a spatula until the flour is incorporated
11. Beat on low speed for 10-12 seconds to achieve a smooth consistency
12. Divide the batter into 2 halves
13. Add cocoa powder only on 1 half of the batter
14. Mix the cocoa powder well
15. Layer the vanilla and chocolate batter alternately in the prepared cake tin
16. Shake the pan slowly so that the batter settles nicely
17. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean