Uppumanga Chammanthi - Chutney with Salted Mango in Brine

No matter how hard I try to push away rice from my diet , I am always boomeranged.Who can resist the urge for a helping of a plateful rice , especially when you have something like uppumanga chammanthi to go along with it ? I am not above that :).  

Once upon a time, making Uppumanga was one of the summer entertainment for a generation gone by . They make this to savor the labor in monsoon, where rain is the star of the days , and you cant get out of the house without a small boat . So they made a portion of the summer bounty for gloomy monsoon days at least to make their meals yummy treats . Uppumanga , dried-mango , mango skin, green beans, Tindora, Bitter gourd, Lots n lots of fish pickles and mango pickles...I still remember the summer days i spent in my mom's house , a dozen servants would be working on this , to make and pack all the summer bounty to family around. My mom liked uppumanga the best and grandma made sure she got an extra bharani of this every year ;).She makes chammanthi , uppumanga curry , uppumanga ozhichu curry ....with those salt drunken Little mangoes. ...oh even the very thought of it makes me drool :)

Recipe for Uppu manga chammanthi / Kerala Salted mango chutney

Ingredients:-

Uppumanga - 1 nos ( I used store bought Salted mango in brine)

Shallots chopped - 3-4 or half small onion

Green chili chopped - 2

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Curry leaves - 5-6 

Salt to taste

Clean and chop the mango into small pieces with skin and discard the seed.

Add everything to a food processor or small jar of mixer and grind to a coarse paste.

Add a little water if you really need. I use  a bit of the salted water from the mango and adjust salt in that case.

Cheers

Sarah

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Mushroom Cutlet

How are y'all doing? Well, here I am back from a blissful time in Fl, spending time with family and goofing around. Though we spend almost a week there, I wish we had more time. It was a bit chilly there , yet it was definitely better than the cold snowy winter gloom here , that i was about to walk around without bundling up.

Lots of fun , Laughter and good food and of course the late night card games !!!! Yes Blissful times!!

Every time we are in Florida , we make sure we pay a visit to "Shamu" in Sea world and this time was no different. We are soo so much in love with this show.

You guessed wrong!!! i did not make this after coming back..In fact nothing 's been cooking in my kitchen ever since I am back :)...I made this on a snowy day in early Jan . Who wouldn't like to munch on something hot and spicy on a snowy day , curling up on your couch. This mushroom cutlet was made on such a day to make that lazy wintery feeling perfect. We make cutlets once in 2 weeks , mostly with fish and when i saw a pack of mushrooms lying idly in my refrigerator , it reminded me of the mushroom cutlets my mom makes. It such an easy thing to make and the wonderful aroma that diffuses into air while we fry it makes you all the more excited.

Serve it with Store bought or home made mint chutney or regular ketchup if you prefer and a hot cuppa cocoa ...oooh!!!! 

Recipe for Kerala Style  SPicy Mushroom cutlets :-

Ingredients:-
Mushroom - 8 oz
Onion finely chopped - 1 medium
Garlic crushed - 3 cloves
Ginger crushed - a 1 " inch piece
Green chili chopped - 1 or 2
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Chili powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Curry leaves chopped (optional)
Salt to taste

Potato boiled, peeled and mashed - 1 medium

Egg - 1
Plain bread crumbs as needed
Oil to fry

Method:-
Bring to boil 3 cups of water in a cooking vessel and add mushrooms .
Cook it covered for 2 minutes. Switch off flame and drain the mushrooms
Pat dry it with a kitchen towel .
Finely chop it using a knife or put in a food processor and give 3-4 pulse .
Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions and fry for 7-8 minutes.
Add crushed ginger, garlic and green chilies and fry for 3-4 minutes
Add chopped mushrooms and saute till the water evaporates.( 8-10 minutes)
Add garam masala , salt to taste and curry leaves and fry till it is well sauteed
Switch off the flame and let it cool.
Add the mashed potato with the mushroom mix and combine it well using your hands.
Make small balls with it , keep it in your palm , and give a gentle press to shape it into a thick circle.
Dip it in beaten egg, roll it in bread crumbs and deep fry till it is golden and done.
Be sure to keep it in a medium flame for even cooking. Drain on kitchen towels
Serve warm

Recipe for Mint chutney :-

Mint leaves - 1 cup

Cilantro - 1 cup

Green chili 2
Ginger - a small piece

Lime juice - 1 table spoon

Salt to taste

Grind all ingredients in a coffee grinder or Food processor until it resembles a coarse paste.

Store in an air tight container.

Cheers

Sarah

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Kozhi Pidi - Curried Chicken and Dumplings

The celebrations are all over and the decorations are all packed. 

The days are so gloomy with the pale shroud of a January sky. 

I know it will be summer Before i know, but 

I need a get away from the death of this winter..............

Just like those birds flying south in winter

I am flying South To Florida

Where Warm bright sunshine

and crazy cousins awaits me........

But home is always home

and like those winter birds who fly back north

I will be back next week 

With a revived spirit ........

                                        Sarah Naveen

The poem and the vacation thing apart , today's post is a malabar specialty , which my kuttanadan grandma used to make years ago( yeah its kin of oxymoron) and i have blogged about it before here. 

Do you remember i said i was hoping for a stewy soupy winter this time . Yes, i have been cooking a lot of soups , stews and "stoups" in my kitchen lately and that was when i craved for something curried . 

It reminded me of this and , here it is A curried "stoup"or may be "choup" of chicken and rice flour dumplings. 

Here, Steamed rice flour dumplings is cooked in a rich spicy curried chicken gravy enriched with coconut milk. Oh trust me it can do wonders in this cold weather.

Ingredients:-

For Pidi / Dumplings

Rice powder - 1 cup ( Roasted) 

Crushed cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Salto taste

Water - 1.5 - 2 cup

Oil - 1 table spoon (optional)

Bring to boil Water and salt . When it is bubbling hot add rice flour and crushed cumin seeds.

Cover it with a lid and switch off the flame. Let it stand for 2 minutes. 

Add oil and using the hand of a (wooden) spoon combine very well.

Use your hands to knead it to a dough like we do for idiyappam.

Make small balls with the dough .

Steam it in an Appachembu or steamer for 15 minutes or till it is done and keep aside

( You can shape it into whatever you like..

Most of the pidi in the net have dimples in it, i think that would be really good , but this is the way my grandma used to make it, so i decided to stick with it :) ).

For Kozhi / Chicken curry

Chicken - 1 lb

Onion chopped - 2 medium

Ginger crushed - a small piece

Garlic crushed - 3-4 cloves

Green chili chopped - 1

Tomato chopped - 1 large

Cardamom, star anise , and cloves crushed - 1 tsp

Mace - 1 

OR Garam masala - 1 tsp

Red chili powder - 1 tea spoon

Coriander powder - 1 table spoon ( or roughly  two times the chili powder)

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Thin coconut milk - 2 cup

Salt to taste

Curry leaves

Method for making Kozhi pidi

Clean and cut the chicken thighs into small pieces . Wash well and pat dry.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed cooking vessel and curry leaves.

Add chopped onion and saute for 6-7 minutes and add crushed ginger , garlic and green chiles.

Fry it for 2 minutes and add chopped tomato and saute till the oil separates.

Make a paste with chili , coriander and turmeric powder , by adding a little water and add to the pan

Fry it for a minute or two and add the chicken pieces. 

Add 1 cup of thin coconut milk and cook for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked through.

Add crushed spices and mace and steamed Dumplings and combine well. 

Cook covered for another 5-7 minutes and simmer for 2 minutes uncovered.

Remove from fire and serve warm.

Cheers

Sarah

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Vazhayila is 2 .....

This little space of mine in the ocean of food bloggers is turning two today...

Vazhayila is more than just a recipe journal for me ....Its more like a part of me. A savior who pulled me out of the boredom during my initial days as an H4 wife here. A network who helped me to get in touch with all those wonderful people out there , which i have had no chance of knowing otherwise. A medium by which i came to know about a lot of regional and international cuisines.....

So my babe is completing two successful years of presence in the blogging world. When I started this on a lazy winter day of Jan 2009 , I never thought this would bring so much joy and movements in my life.  Even though I am a very slow blogger who has not even made a 200 recipes in 2 years ,my fellow readers, its your encouragement and constant support is what made me to reach this far. Thanks a lot for the applause and cheers you give to each and every post and pictures I present here. Once again A BIG THANK YOU...

And to Vazhayila...

Happy Birthday my Bloggy babe...I love you!!!

Sarah

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White bean and Carrot Soup For a New Year......

Still in the hangovers of the Christmas and New year? Well here .... I am trying to get over it :)

Don't You think you all need a refreshing start after all the hustle-bustle and celebrations of those last days of an year gone by?  Well I need one , especially when One of my new year resolutions is to include lot of soups in the diet and go thin ;). I always try not to take any resolutions , but some how end up taking 1 or 2 every year, mostly non pragmatic ones and there by nothing has full filled so far ..sigh!!! How about you guys ?

I can see all the signs of sticking to my resolutions starting with the winning of "Cook Yourself Thin Faster ' from Fathimas Blog . Thank You Fathima for the giveaway, It feels great to get this book  and I hope this winning is a great boost for me :)...See this is what I told you about positive signs.

..... My love for soup is something I inherited from my Mom. She often makes all kin of soups at home and finally drizzle with a dollop of fresh home made ghee. This is the first thing she orders , no matter how hot its back home, when she hits a restaurant . She is one of those first customers of Maggi and knorr soup, when they initially hit the kerala market I believe....She always serve this to her guest as a first course and even made sure they serve Good chicken soup for my betrothal reception and thus goes My Mom's love for soup ...

Coming to "The soup of the day"...A recipe adapted from Good Food , this won my heart at the very first attempt . The drizzle of the chili oil reminds me of my mom's dollop of ghee over her soup , and may be that has something to do with my love for this one. Its so easy to make and tastes so delicious. Perfect for the bone chilling climate , it soothes your mind and soul alike. Try this and trust me this recipe is a keeper to keep you warm :)

Recipe for White beans and Carrot Soup with Chilli Oil

Ingredients:-

White Kidney Beans - 1 can

Carrots chopped - 2

Celery Stick chopped - 2

Onion chopped - 1

Garlic chopped - 2 cloves

Crushed Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp

Vegetable stock - 2 can

Thyme or Rosemary - 2 - 3 sprigs

Bay leaves - 2

Oil

Method:-

Wash and drain the canned White kidney beans .

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and fry chopped onions and garlic for 2 minutes.

Add chopped carrots and celery and fry for 3-4 minutes.

Add drained beans, stock, Crushed pepper,bay leaves, thyme or rosemary , salt to taste 

Bring to Boil and cook it covered for 30 minutes.

Switch off the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes to cool.

Discard the bay leaves and Thyme .

Puree the Soup with a hand blender or In Food processor until smooth.

Return to Heat and simmer for 3 minutes.

Sprinkle some Thyme leaves or rosemary and drizzle with chili oil..

Serve warm with a cheese sandwich :)

For chilli oil :-

Combine  1/4 cup Olive oil or any oil and  1.5 table spoon Crushed Red pepper (flakes) and let it soak for 30 minutes. Shake well and it is ready to serve.

I know i did not even wish my readers in 2011. So wishing you all a wonderful and blessed New year. May all your dreams and resolutions come true.

A piece of Holidays from my part of the world..Rockefellar Tree and some other pics from NYC..

Cheers

Sarah

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