Kerala Style Kozhi Pidi/ Rice Dumplings in Chicken Gravy

As fasting is going on, watching the food related videos online makes us crave to try all the dishes. One such dish is this rice dumplings in chicken gravy. My daughter saw this on a food channel and asked me about this dish. As I grew up in Andhra, I ate mostly Andhra dishes and I just heard about this dish but never tasted it, so when she asked I thought of giving it a try and here I am today with the recipe in my blog.

This is a very delicious and delightful dish which is popular in the northern region of Kerala. This dish has carbs and proteins all packed in one making it a one pot meal.

Steamed Pidi

This Kerala delicacy consists of steamed rice dumpling that is soaked in the chicken gravy which can be relished as a dinner or a snack which will be very filling. Some people will just cook the pidi (rice dumpling) separately in coconut milk gravy and will have it along chicken curry, here I mixed both which formed as a delicious, thick dumpling gravy. My daughter tried it for the first time and loved it, hope you will also try and let me know how it turned.

Ingredients:

For Rice Dumplings:

1. Rice Flour- 1 Cup
2. Water- 1 Cup
3. Salt- a pinch
4. Coconut- 1/4 Cup
5. Garlic- 1
6. Cumin Seeds- 1tsp

Method:

1. Grind the coconut, cumin seeds and garlic to a fine paste. Keep this aside.
2. Boil water with a pinch of salt and the ground paste. Mix well.
3. When the water starts boiling add the rice flour slowly and mix using a wooden spoon without forming lumps.
4. Mix it well on a low flame and close with a lid. After 5-10 minutes switch off the flame. Mix ones again and let it cool.
5. Knead it well to make a smooth dough. Oil your palms and make small balls, when done steam all the rice balls in a steamer till done. Keep this aside.

Ingredients for Chicken Gravy:

1. Chicken- 2lb
2. Onions- 2 
3. Green Chillies- 3-4
4. Ginger-Garlic Pate- 1 tbsp
5. Tomatoes- 1
6. Red Chili Powder- 2 tbsp
7. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
8. Coriander Powder- 1 tbsp
9. Garam Masala Powder- 1/2 tbsp
10. Oil- 2tbsp
11. Salt- as required
12. Water- 2 cups

To Grind:

• Coconut (grated)- 1Cup
• Fennel Seeds- 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Clean and wash the chicken and keep this aside.
2. Grind the coconut and fennel seeds to a fine paste.
3. Heat oil in a pan add the onions and saute till they become translucent. Add the green chillies, ginger-garlic paste and chopped tomatoes. Mix well till everything blends together.
4. Add salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder, mix and add the chicken pieces.
5. After stirring for about 5 minutes add water and coconut paste. Close it with a lid and let it cook for 10- 15 minutes on medium flame.
6.  When the gravy is done, mix the steamed rice balls keep over low flame for 4- 5 minutes till it combined well. Serve hot and enjoy.

Peanut Chikki/ Peanut Brittle/ Kadala Muttai

Chikki/ Peanut Brittle is a traditional Indian candy made with jaggery and peanuts. This one is loved by everyone in my family. My mom used to make this when we were kids but I never tried as I was not sure of the syrup consistency.

We buy this when we go shopping at Indian store, but nowadays we are not getting good quality ones and so I gathered courage and made this by asking my mom and watching some channels regarding the syrup consistency. It came out perfect. You can cut them into pieces by spreading them on a greased surface. This is a very healthy snack, rich in protein and iron.

Jaggery is an important ingredient for perfect chikkis. Also make sure the syrup reaches the right consistency by dropping a little bit in water and checking whether it turned into candy consistency. Act fast while rolling. Hope my friends will try this and please let me know how it turned.

Ingredients:

1. Peanuts- 2.5cups
2. Jaggery- 1cup
3. Water-1/4 Cups

Method:

1. Roast the Peanuts till nice aroma comes and till it starts to change golden in color. Keep this aside and ones it is cooled remove the skin by crushing gently. Separate the skin and keep the peanuts aside till the jaggery syrup is ready.
2. Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add the jaggery along with water. Let it dissolve on low heat.
3. Begin to boil and keep stirring until it thickens well. Check the consistency by dropping few drops into water. When it reaches the right consistency the jaggery syrup will harden immediately and it forms brittle.
4. If you are unable to get the syrup brittle then cook for few more minutes.
5. Turn off the stove and add the roasted peanuts, be quick and stir the peanuts well till everything gets well incorporated.
6. Grease your hands with ghee and roll them into balls. Ones it gets harder place it in an airtight container. and enjoy.

Chef Pillai's Coconut Milk Prawns Fry (Venad Paal Konch)

Last week I was  going through my instagram feeds and I stumbled upon Chef Pillai's Prawns fry recipe. This is also called as "Venad Paal Knoch". I love all his recipes and the way he explains his recipes are so amazing and crisp and clear. As we all love prawns in our house, I thought of trying this dish as soon as he posted it. The next day I tried and it was a huge hit in my house.

I know that it’s been a month since I posted a recipe, am so sorry. I am becoming very lazy or it might be because of my busy schedule but I will make sure that I will try to post once in a week. But Please try this dish as it is a guaranteed delicious which any seafood lover will love. 

This is a perfect dish/ appetizer for gatherings. The prawns that is fried in coconut milk is an absolutely dish to try for. I never fried prawns in coconut milk, but I know that when coconut milk is reduced it tastes yumm.. 

Today I am here with the recipe which will be a super hit among friends and family. The ingredients for this recipe is easily available in your pantry. Any variety of prawns can be used for this recipe. This dish is filled with flavors with basic spices. Here in US we always get frozen prawns but once in a while we get the best fresh prawns and this tastes amazing with fresh prawns. Hope you will try and please let me know.

Ingredients:

1. Prawns- 15- 20 numbers
2. Red Chili Flakes- 2 tbsp
3. Pepper Powder- 1/2 tbsp
4. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
5. Salt- 1 tbsp
6. Crushed Garlic- 8-10 cloves
7. Crushed Ginger- 1 "
8. Green Chillies- 3 numbers
9. Coconut Milk- 1/2 Cup

Method:

1. Devein and clean the prawns and marinate with salt, pepper, red chili flakes and turmeric powder.
2. Heat a pan with 1 tbsp of oil and spread the marinated prawns and let it cook on both the sides for about 5 minutes. 
3. Pour the coconut milk little by little till it gets over and spread the  crushed garlic, ginger and green chillies.
4. Stir well till everything gets well mixed and the mixture becomes dry. Serve this prawns fry along with hot steaming rice.

Barbecued Grilled Fish- Kerala Style

The thought of eating a grilled fish was lingering in our minds from the time we saw many youtube videos, in which they grill the whole fish, or wrapped in banana leaf and baked or in foil. This time we decided to cook as soon as we bought without keeping it in the freezer. Believe me it tasted heavenly!!!

The place where i came from (Kerala) is a place where fish is staple food and Kerala cuisine has a lot to offer to fish lovers. In this coastal state you will discover a variety of seafood delicacies. 

This grilled fish has all the flavors seeping through and once it gets cooked well, it's so juicy and bursting with flavors. Fish cooks very fast and it's preparation is less time consuming. We can do this using pieces of fish but I wanted to try the whole fish and here it is, in my blog. Try this out and let me know.

Ingredients:

Marination:

1. Red Snapper Fish- 1 Medium size
2. Red Chilli powder- 3 tbsp
3. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tbsp
4. Ginger and Garlic Paste- 2 tbsp
5. Pepper Powder- 1/2 tbsp
6. Curry leaves- a bunch 
7. salt- as required
8. Lemon Juice- 1

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients except curry leaves in a large mixing bowl and keep this aside.
2. Clean and wash the fish and make slight gashes on both sides of the fish.
3. Rub this marinade well onto the fish and make sure to coat inside of the fish properly. Keep this for about 15- 20 minutes.
4. Place an aluminum foil, spray oil and spread the curry leaves and place the marinated fish on top. Place lemon pieces on top and more curry leaves (optional) and seal the fish in the foil tight. We can seal with another foil paper on top, so that the fish doesn't get burned.
5. Pre heat the barbecue grill, place the fish and close it. Grill for 10-12 minutes using tongs until beautifully charred.
6. Enjoy with a splash of lemon, and vinaigrette onions.

PS: Fish cooks very fast, so always keep an eye on it while grilling.

You can use any fish and also the grilling time can vary accordingly.

Arabian Chicken Mandi

A traditional mandi is authentically cooked in an underground oven called Taboon. Coal is used to cook the meat hence the smokey flavor. My version is an easy and a simple way to make at home which is healthy as well as tasty. 

I googled around many recipes of chicken mandi and made this dish which surprisingly turned out the perfect one that we had when we were in India last time. I have marinated the whole chicken for overnight, if you plan well before you can do that or else it can be marinated for 2- 3 hours. I wanted the perfect mandi flavor so I marinated overnight. 

The rice is prepared by adding all the whole spices and the dried lemons which gives a flavor to the rice. Then this rice is transferred into the oven and the whole chicken is placed on top rack so that the water from the chicken directly falls into the rice by this the flavor of the meat lingers on in the rice.

As Kerala has wholeheartedly welcomed yummiest of dishes from across the seas, one such dish is "mandi". In Kerala, which ever restaurant you go this dish is available that too they prepare in the traditional way of digging a hole in the ground and filling it up with coal. 

At first I thought it is a long process of preparation but once i started the step by step everything came of quickly.The perfect combination along with this rice is "dakkous" a mixture of tomatoes, green chilies, onions. 

I will be posting some step by step pictures which I managed to capture while making this dish. Hope you all might really enjoy and try this dish.

Ingredients:

• Whole Chicken- Cleaned and washed

Mandi Spice Mix:

1. Cumin Seeds- 1 tbsp
2. Coriander Seeds- 1 tbsp
3. Cardamom- 3 nos
4. Cloves- 5 
5. Cinnamon Stick- 1"
6. Black Pepper powder- 1 tsp
7. Lemon Juice- 2tbsp
8. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
9. Olive Oil- 1 tbsp

Basmati Rice Mix:

1. Basmati Rice- 3 Cups
2. Water- 5 Cups
3. Dried Lemons- 2
4. Whole Spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, star anise)- 1tbsp
5. Salt- as required

Method:

• Preheat the oven 350 degrees F.

For the spice mix. Heat a pan and roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds. When cooled transfer to a dry grinder along with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper powder and turmeric powder into a fine powder. Rub this mix along with salt, olive oil and lemon juice onto the chicken well and marinate for about 1 hour/ overnight. ( I marinated the chicken overnight as I had some time).

For the rice: Heat a pot, add oil, whole spices, mandi spice mix, dried lemon and add the rice, fry for a minute. Add water and let it boil by putting a lid. Once it starts boiling, switch off the flame and move the pot of rice into the preheated oven.

• Place the rice on the bottom rack and place the marinated chicken on top rack just above the rice so that when it gets baked the water from the chicken falls into the rice. 

• Bake this for 10 minutes and reduce the heat to 200 degrees F and bake for about 1 and half hour. After the time, switch off the oven and open the door for about 5- 10 minutes so that the chicken retains its flavor and juices. Once done, keep the rice outside along with the baked chicken on top of the rice. Enjoy the delicious dish.

Doukkous:

Ingredients:

1. Tomatoes- 2 
2. Onions- 1 
3. Green Chilies- 3 
4. Garlic Cloves- 3
5. Salt- as required
6. Olive oil- 1 tbsp

Method:

• Grind all the ingredients and transfer to a bowl. Enjoy with chicken mandi.

Kilikood/ Birds Nest

Kilikood/ Birds nest is a classic traditional Malabar snack which is very popular and is liked by all. The shape of this kilikood makes it very unique from other snacks. 
A perfect blend of meat, potatoes, and spices, that are shaped and indented, which is later dipped in egg batter and pressed with roasted vermicelli to get the exact shape of birds nest. This requires a lot of patience and time. This is made on special occasions in Kerala.

This is my first attempt and it came out pretty well. I made this for a food fest here in the US, where a bunch of people was organizing a Kerala food fest for the Kerala flood relief. I want to contribute and so myself and my friend decided to make these birds nest, which was a super hit. For the food fest, lots of Malabar dishes were made by different members, which were sold out within minutes.

This birds nest is very different from other Kerala snacks is because of its unique shape. This is also called as Semiya cutlet. My family is big-time fans of this snack. Here we have to use thin vermicelli as the thick ones won't be good. I have made two eggs using rice flour just for the decorations. If making it for home, just omit the rice flour eggs. Hope you all will like and try this out.
Ingredients:

1. Mutton (minced)- 1.5 lbs
2. Red Chilli Powder- 1 tbsp
3. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
4. Garam Masala Powder- 1/2 tbsp
5. Ginger- Garlic Paste- 1 tbsp
6. Salt- as required

For the Masala:

1. Onions- 2 nos
2. Green Chillis- 3 nos
3. Ginger- Garlic Paste- 1tbsp
4. Red Chili powder- 1 tbsp
5. Turmeric Powder- 1 Tsp
6. Coriander Powder- 1 tbsp
7. Cumin Powder- 1/2 tbsp
8. Garam Masala Powder- 1 tbsp
9. Boiled Potatoes- 2 nos
10. Salt- as required
11. Egg- 2 nos
12. Roasted Vermicelli- 2 Cups
13. Oil- for frying

Method:

1. Pressure cook the mutton along with all the spices till done.
2. Heat oil in a pan, saute the chopped onions, green chilies till translucent. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw smell disappears.
3. Add all the spice powders, mix well. Add the cooked spiced mutton. Stir till everything gets well blended. Switch off the flame. Adjust the salt accordingly.
4. When the masala cools down, add the boiled mashed potatoes. Mix well. Make small round shaped balls and press in the middle, shape it like a birds nest. You can make almost 20- 25 cutlets.
5. Prepare the egg batter by beating the eggs along with salt. Arrange the roasted vermicelli in another bowl.
6. Heat oil for shallow frying the bird's nest.
7. Dip each cutlet in the egg batter and then coat it with roasted vermicelli, drop them in hot oil ( keep the oil on low flame)and fry till done on both the sides. Repeat with all the bird's nest and drain on a kitchen towel. Enjoy them along with tomato sauce or just like that.

For decorating:

• Prepare the rice flour like the pathiri dough . Add cumin seeds in the dough. Make small round balls and place them on the bird's nest. It will look like a birds nest with eggs.

Chukku Kaapi/ Dry Ginger Coffee

Chukku Kaapi is also called as herbal coffee, which is a herbal medicinal decoction and a great home remedy for a sore throat, cold, cough and mild fever. This magical drink is hot, spicy, sweet, strong and very aromatic. Whenever I make this coffee, the whole house will be filled with the aroma. My mom used to make this often whenever we fell sick.

This time around when I made the herbal coffee, there was something new that I got to experiment which turns out to be the first of its kind in my blog. Here I am, introducing to you, the beautiful copper mugs sent to me all the way from Canada. Thanks a bunch to Jessica (www.moscowmuled.com) for sending these over to me. You can check their page to know more about these mugs.

I was so excited to see those mugs and it almost never crossed my mind before that we could use these copper mugs in other types of beverages other than the actual "Moscow Mule". While I am on this topic, I have to mention that there are traditional claims about the health benefits of using copper utensils. There are different schools of thought supporting this claim and otherwise.

However, a general concern about copper utensils is the possibility of copper toxicity. But the makers of this particular brand of Moscow Mule mugs have done a good job of thinking through this and these beautiful mugs are made with stainless steel lining in the inside of these mugs.

The herbal coffee which I made today was my first beverage in these copper mugs.

Ingredients:

1. Dry Ginger Powder- 1tbsp
2. Ginger (grated)- 1 tbsp
3. Coffee Powder- 1 tbsp
4. Jaggery Powder- 2 tbsp
5. Whole Pepper- 2 tbsp
6. Water- 2 Cups 

Method:

1. Boil the water. Meanwhile, crush the whole peppercorns along with ginger.
2. Add the jaggery in the boiling water. When it starts melting add the ginger powder and the crushed ginger and pepper. Let it boil.
3. Add the coffee after a minute and switch of the flame. Inhale the steam coming from the coffee, it will enhance your senses.
4. Sip the hot coffee slowly by enjoying the aroma.

Kerala Banana Chips/ Ethakka Upperi

The floods that dampened Onam, the harvest festival of Kerala, didn't dampen the spirit of the people in Kerala for reprising the sense of humanity in a time of grief. Back in Kerala, everyone is trying to get back on their feet after the worst floods hit Kerala. It is heard that as thousands of people are displaced in the floods, many are celebrating Onam in relief camps. This year Onam will be a low key affair.

This year I have tried my hands on making these delicious gold coin chips which are made of raw Kerala Bananas. I think because of it's shape and color as a kid I used to call these gold coin chips. These chips are my all time favorite ones and would buy whenever I see them in the stores. But this time I wanted to make them at home and see how these turn out. Though lots of oil is required to deep fry them I didn't think twice. I bought the raw plantain from a nearby Kerala store, sliced using a mandoline slicer and fried them in enough oil until crisp and crunchy. To my surprise, these chips were not oily, when compared with the store bought ones. I was really happy with the outcome and you know what happens with a homemade, oil-free, delicious snacks???? It gets over within no time.... But I was super excited as they came out really well. Hope you like them...

Ingredients:

1. Raw Kerala plantain- 6 
2. Turmeric powder- 1 tbsp
3. Salt- as required
4. Oil- for deep frying

Method:

1. Wash and peel the bananas. Wipe using a kitchen towel.
2. Heat the oil in a deep bottomed pan. When it is hot enough, lower the flame. Take a plantain, slice using a mandoline slicer, into the hot oil. Make sure not to overcrowd them. Occasionally give it a nice stir and keep them from sticking together.
3. When it is half done, sprinkle turmeric powder and salt in the oil. When the bubbling diminishes completely, gently toss them. When you hear crisp sounds, switch off the flame and drain on kitchen tissue. Store in airtight container and enjoy as needed.