Kerala Chicken Molee : Easter Special

Have you ever heard of Chicken Molee ( pronounced as Moli) or Molly ( as in molly aunty ;) ) ?? Nope I am not talking about the the signature chocolaty, smoky and savory dish- Chicken Mole of Mexico. But the Kerala Molee , the younger meat-y sibling of  Fish Molee and dearest colored cousin of Kerala Chicken stew??? 

I know this is not such a popular recipe, but my grandma used to make this on special occasions especially when she couldn't get hold of fleshy butterfish like fish for fish molee. On such cases the menu goes with Karimeen mappas and Chicken molee with Appam and Bread. So this is for those who are looking for a yummy twist to our regular kozhi ishtu ..a yellow colored chicken stew.

Easter and Christmas breakfast are never a fully special one without those creamy ,yummy Chicken stew or Fish molly right? Oh I can't even imagine one of those delicious curries and hot hot Appams. talking about Appams , my kuttanadan grandma makes a brown color appam with the Puncha Aripodi , the rice for which comes from our own paddy field , back home. 

Chicken Molee is a blend of flavors from both Meen molee and chicken stew and comes out as a deliciously creamy and subtly spiced curry with the fullest flavors. I made this recently and served with Puttu and I m telling you , its a dynamite.

Here in this recipe bite size chicken pieces are marinated with ginger, garlic and green chili and cooked in a creamy coconut gravy flavored with whole spices and a tomato. Its already rich and aromatic and can be made more exotic by adding raisins and cashew nuts fried in butter or ghee.

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter with this excellent dish from my kitchen

Recipe for Kerala style Chicken Molee / Molly / Moli

Ingredients:-

Bowl 1

Chicken - 1 lb

Garlic - 2 or 3 small cloves

Ginger - a very small piece

Green chilis - 2 or 3

Turmeric powder - a large pinch

Bowl 2

Oil - 2 table spoon

Cinnamon - 1

Cardamom - 4

Cloves - 5

Star Anise - 1

Bay leaves - 1 or 2

Mace - 1 ( optional)

Bowl 3

Onion chopped - 2

Garlic sliced - 1 or 2 cloves

Ginger chopped - 1/2 tea spoon

Curry leaves

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Black peppercorns - 1 tea spoon( lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle)

Thin coconut milk - 1 cup

Garam masala - 1/2 tea spoon

Tomato chopped - 1 big

Thick coconut milk - 3/4 to 1 cup

Ghee/Butter

A handful of raisins and cashew nuts 

Directions:-

Clean and cut chicken pieces into 1.5 inch cubes . Blitz ginger , garlic and green chili into a coarse paste and marinate chicken pieces with this paste , turmeric powder and salt to taste. Set aside for 30 minutes. If keeping for more than that refrigerate it.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add all the ingredients in Bowl 2 and fry for a minute. Add chopped onions and fry for a couple of minutes and add garlic , ginger and curry leaves. Saute for 5-7 minutes. Add turmeric powder and toss well. Stir in marinated chicken pieces and stir fry for another 5 minutes. Stir in crushed black peppercorns and thin coconut milk and 1/2 cup water and cook covered for 15- 20 minutes. 

Uncover , add chopped tomato , sprinkle garam masala and cook it covered for another 5-8 minutes.

Pour the thick coconut milk ,adjust the salt and  simmer for a couple of minutes .

Add fried cashews and raisins in ghee and add to the curry and serve.

Sarah

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Kanji + Payar + Kadumanga Achar for Good Friday

I have only a vague memory of having piping hot Kanji ( Rice Gruel) , Cheru Payaru Thoran and Achar at church on Good Friday , in Kuttanad( my maternal ancestral home) once upon a time. I believe they stopped this custom in most of the catholic churches later, though other denominations still continue this  and i never used to get it from our catholic churches in Changanacherry. 

But , this has become a tradition in most of households back home , to have kanji , a dish with payar and Pickle on Good fridays , after long hours of ceremonies in church ... I am here trying to continue the same and pass on to the Next Gen..

REcipe for Kanji for 2 

Soak 1/2 cup Rose matta rice or any parboiled rice of your choice for 30 minutes . Wash and clean till the water runs clear. Drain and set aside.

Bring to boil 1.5 litres of water and cook on a medium flame till it is soft .( you can add more water of you want).

Serve this with the any of the following recipes and fried Pappadoms

Payaru mezhukkupuratti / Sauteed Red Beans
Cheru payaru thoran ./Green gram stir fry
Vazhakka thoran / Plantain Stir fry
Kadumanga Achar / Mango Pickle
Naranga Achar / Lemon Pickle

Sarah

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Broccoli Thoran + Chembu Moru Kachiyathu for a Simple Vegetarian Lunch

Did you all celebrate Vishu ? Well here we had a very yummy Vishu with splendid treats and good company of friends. I tell you , we are so blessed with so many loving people around us in the form of relatives and friends even though we live thousands of miles away from our parents and siblings , who makes each special day a very special one. 

All those who are on lent and who aren't ..I know you are hunting for good vegetarian meal ideas especially for this Holy Week..Todays recipe is for you guys. 

A thoran with highly nutritious Broccoli and a moru curry with our naadan chembu . Know what , my joy knew no limits when i saw chembu in the neighborhood grocery store around 2.5 years back , when i was so new to this country . From then on i always include chembu in my menu , just like we used to take home grown chembu , back in kerala. 

Recipe for Broccoli thoran with garlic and green chiles.
Ingredients:-
Broccoli - 1 medium size or 1 lb
Shallots  chopped - 3-4 nos or half of a medium size onion
Garlic - 2 cloves
Green chili - 1 or 2
Black peppercorns - 4-5 nos
Turmeric powder - a pinch ( optional)
Grated coconut - 2 table spoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
Curry leaves
Oil
Salt to taste

Directions:-

Clean broccoli by rinsing in salted hot water and drain. Finely chop it ( Cut into small florets and give 3-4 pulse in food processor).
Crush small onion , garlic , peppercorns and green chili in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder
Heat oil in a saute pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter add curry leaves,the crushed onion mix and saute till the raw smell disappears. Add turmeric if you are using now and toss well.
Add chopped broccoli , salt to taste and mix well . Sprinkle 3-4 table spoons of water , keep everything to the center of the pan and cook covered till it is done and all the water is evaporated.
Sprinkle 2 table spoons of grated coconut and saute well till it is dry for like 3-4 minutes.
Serve warm

Recipe for Naadan Chembu Moru Kachiyathu / Pulissery

Ingredients:-
Bowl 1
Chembu / Arbi - 2 medium
Red chilli powder - a pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt to taste
Curry leaves

Bowl 2
Grated coconut - 3 table spoon
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tea spoon
garlic - 1 clove( optional , but i prefer to have this)
Green chili - 1 or 2
Turmeric powder - a pinch

Bowl 3
Yogurt - 1 cup

Tempering
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
Dried red chiles - 1 or 2
Oil - 1or 2 table spoon

Directions
Clean and cut chembu / arbi into small cubes. Cook the ingredients in Bowl 1 with enough water till it is tender and the water is all absorbed. set aside
Grind the ingredients in Bowl 2 into a fine paste .Whisk yogurt into a smooth consistency.
Add the coconut paste to the cooked chembu and bring to boil and let it heat through for 2-3 minutes. Add yogurt , stir continously, give a salt check and let heat through for a minute or two. Remove from heat.

Tempering
Heat oil in a pan and mustard seeds. When they pop up add dried red chiles and fry for a minute .switch off heat and pour over curry.

Sarah

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Sadya Special: Mathanga -Vanpayar Erissery / Pumpkin with Red Beans

Missing the taste and the smell of home ? Especially when the Vishu is almost here ? Oh i know exactly how some of you feel right now . No kanikonna , No holiday ....and we are so used to changing the very day to a weekend and celebrate it right. At least I am happy that we are doing that ....

Have you decided on the Sadya menu yet ? Wanna a peek into what I am making for our Vishu Sadya On Saturday ? I decided on everything except payasam , and I am sure it will take me some more time to pick it .Honestly I am not very good at making payasams and I am positive i will have to depend on some others for this. So this list is  in no order of how they serve in sadya and its just a random one ..

Sambar

Avial

Koottu curry

Cherupayar parippu Curry

Mathanga  Erissery

Beans carrot Thoran

Pineapple Pulissery  or Ethakka Kalan 

Carrot Pachadi

Cherunaranga Kichadi

Kadu manga Achar

Naranga Achar

Sambaram 

Kuthari choru 

Pappadom

Ooh!!!! I am definitly gonna have a long day .......and a very yummy sadya ...

Coming to todays recipe , Pumpkin Erissery or as some say Elissery is a favorite of mine with or without the red beans part and I don't usually wait for an occasion of sadya to make it. The lil sweetness of Pumpkin combined with the coconut cumin paste and fried coconut topping is oh so irresistible for me.

Recipe for Pumpkin Erissery / Mathanga Vanpayar erissery

Ingredients:-

Red Beans / Vanpayar - 1/3 cup( cooked till tender with salt to taste)

Pumpkin diced - 250 gm

Green chili chopped - 1

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Salt to taste

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Cumin seeds - 1/4 to 1/2 tea spoon

Green chili -  2

Turmeric powder - a pinch

For tempering :-

Grated coconut - 2 table spoon

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon

Dried red chiles - 2

Curry leaves

Directions:-

Cook Pumpkin pieces with chili , turmeric and salt to taste with enough water to cover it , till it is soft.

Add more water if needed. mash it with a spoon

Grind Coconut with cumin , green chili and turmeric powder to a paste .

Transfer the paste to a cooking pan and bring to heat and fry for a minute. Add Cooked pumpkin and red beans ( more hot water if you need it to be thin) and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until it is well heated through.

For tempering :-

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they pop up add dried red chiles , curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds . Add grated coconut in low flame and fry till golden brown and pour over erissery .

Wishing you all a very happy and yummy Vishu 

Sarah

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Kerala Sadya Special : Pineapple Pulissery

I love Pulissery and any moru curry for that matter and who doesn't ? A moru kachiyathu , Red fish curry and rice is such a heavenly combo for us .......

The very fact that you can make it sweet ,sour or just plain by adding or replacing one or two ingredients makes this curry such a handy one even for a sadya. 

Here in this recipe , pineapple pieces are cooked with a hint of chili and turmeric till tender and made rich with a coconut paste and yogurt and topped with a flavorful seasoning. 

Its so easy to make and can be done even with those canned pineapple we get in US. But make sure you drain it well and give a quick rinse before you make this . Even if i use those tender canned pieces ,i cook it again with chili and a pinch of turmeric n salt so that it absorbs the heat n salt .

Recipe for Kerala Style Pineapple Pulisseri

Ingredients:-

Pineapple - cut into small cubes - 1 cup

Red chili powder - a pinch

Turmeric - a pinch

Salt to taste

Plain Yogurt - 2 cup

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tea spoon

Turmeric - a pinch

Green chili - 1 or 2 as per your heat level

Salt to taste

Tempering : -

Small onion chopped - 1 table spoon

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tea spoon

Dried red chiles - 2

Curry leaves 

( sometimes I add a clove of sliced garlic and a small piece of ginger also to this tempering )

Directions :-

Grind grated coconut with cumin seeds , green chili  , turmeric and salt to a fine paste.

Whisk Yogurt without adding water until it is smooth.

Cook pineapple pieces, a pinch of chili and turmeric ,with a cup of water( 1/2 to 3/4 would be fine sometimes) till it is tender.

Switch off the flame , let it stand for 2-3 minutes and then add Coconut paste 

Bring to boil and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. 

In a very low heat add the yogurt and stir continuously and let heat through for a minute or two.( make sure the heat is low that it wont  curdle). Remove from heat.

Tempering :-

Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds . when they pop up add fenugreek seeds and fry for 20 seconds . then add dried red chiles , chopped shallots and curry leaves and fry it for a minute or two. Pour over pulissery and serve.

Sarah

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Spring I Love Thee...For you enliven my glee

The Spring is here , and The Pink is in the air

The blossoms are blushing , with people gazing at them , gushing 

I wonder how you smile , knowing how far goes your mile ,

Spring I love thee , For you enliven my glee

Note :- From the weekend enjoying Cherry Blossom in Washington , DC

Sarah

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Mushroom Chicken Kheema / Scrambled Mushroom + Chicken

Are you all enjoying the weather or still idling in the pod ?

Well here , spring has finally given me a chance to get out of my sleep and admire natures beauty everyday  taking walks with some sweet souls. Two birds with one shot ...Enjoy the freshness and burn some calories ;)

I tell you a walk in the morning in this mellow weather do a lot of good to you , and you feel so energized for the rest of the day . Don't you think so ? Any one doing that yet ?

We do a lot of hiking in Poconos, which is so close to where we live and we look forward to these awesome times every year. The recipe of the day is one of our favorite "on the mountain" ones , that we usually take with us to have a bite when we reach the high point . A wrap , a soda and amazing views ...mm..thats one yummy entertaining part of the hiking ....

The mushrooms are usually viewed as a substitute for meat ,but  they two go along so well, once you get a taste of it you would very well know how beautiful they complement each other .

This kheema is a very easy one to make and i use the regular masala from my spice rack. In my recipe here , cardamoms dominate a lil , but you can easily mix and match and your favorite curry powders or masala and customize it to how you love it . See notes @ the end of the post for some tips 

Recipe for Mushroom and Chicken Kheema (Wrap)

Ingredients:-

Ground Chicken - 250 gm ( or use boneless chicken pieces, mince it before or after cooking with some salt and pepper)

Garlic chopped - 2 cloves

Ginger chopped - a small piece ( optional)

Cinnamon stick - 1 small or 1/4 tea spoon of ground cinnamon

Soya sauce - 1 tea spoon 

Salt to taste

Hot water or chicken stock - 3/4 cup

Mushroom - 250 gm

Garlic chopped - 1 clove

Onion finely chopped - 1 small

Cardamom - 3-4

Cloves - 4

Star anise - 1

Black pepper - 4-5 or 1/8th tea spoon of ground back pepper

Red chili powder - 1/2 to 1 tea spoon( per your heat level)

Coriander powder - 1/2 tea spoon

Juice of lemon - 1 tea spoon( optional)

Chopped Parsley or any other herb of your choice - a handful .

Directions:-

Heat 1 spoon oil in a pan and add ground meat , saute well , breaking the lumps with back of spoon . Add salt to taste and saute till its no longer pink. Add chopped ginger , garlic , cinnamon and soy sauce and saute for another couple of minutes. Add water or chicken stock and cook it covered for 20-25 minutes , or until it is cooked( add more water if needed) . Uncover the pan and simmer for a couple of minutes until it is dry. Set aside.

Heat one spoon of oil in another pan and add chopped finely onions and saute for 6-7 minutes and add chopped garlic. Saute till it starts to brown. Meanwhile lightly crush cardamom , cloves , star anise , and black pepper in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder and add to the pan . Toss it well.

Add red chili powder , coriander powder and juice of lemon(if using) and fry for a minute or so . Add chopped mushrooms saute for a couple of  minutes and add prepared meat mixture, parsley and simmering saute for some time , till it is mixed with all the masala , mushrooms are cooked and it is done and dry . Takes like 7-8 minutes .

On the go :-

Take a  Chapatis or a Tortilla in a foil , keep a small portion of the kheema and wrap it  . You can add a dollop of sour cream , cheese and some vegetables of your choice to make an  Indian burrito too ;)...

Notes :-

• If you are taking it for a trip , do not add onions and coriander powder ...
• I have used parsley in the recipe , since i love the smell of parsley , you can use any herb of your choice.
• Try to make chapati with butter or if you are using tortilla smear some butter on warm tortilla , to get that awesome aroma when you open the wrap :)

Cheers

Sarah

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Sadya Special : Cheru naranga Kichadi - Steamed Lemons with Yogurt

Steamed Lemons + Yogurt?? Sounds Weirdo ?? Thats what exactly i thought seeing this recipe on the very first page of Lekshmi Nair's Cook book. I love Pachadi - Kichadi and can never imagine a Sadya without it too. I never even thought of giving this recipe a try until my aunt said she happened to have this at her friends place and she liked it. She is one with good damn taste buds and we have similar tastes in food . 

I love Lekshmi Nair's recipes , its so easy to make with what is already available in your pantry and can  whip up so quickly too. So trusting her cooking skills , as some of you trust mine ;), and my aunts taste buds , i decided to give it a go...Thus cheru naranga kichadi, finding a permanent place in my Sadya Special recipes. 

Oh yeah , I am certainly gonna have this for my vishu sadya next week . Have you planned on the sadya vibhavangal yet?

Luckily for me , i had some steamed lemons , which i have been keeping in salt and sugar for 3 days , for my next batch of Kerala lemon Pickle. On the cooking side , if you have happen to have some lemons just like me,  you don't have nothing much to do other than mixing some yogurt and coconut milk and making a tempering to pour over it . So within 3-5 minutes you will be out of the kitchen with a delicious side with rice.

But I tell you , I was a bit too much apprehensive about how this combination of two sour things would turn out to be. In a tad , this cheru naranga Kichadi was a lot more yummy than i imagined , making myself addicted to it like my affair with pickles , for the time being .....

Recipe for Cheru naranga Kichadi ( Adapted from Pachaka Ruchi by Lekshmi Nair)

Ingredients:-

Cheru naranga / Lemon - 5 

Green chilli chopped - 2

Ginger chopped - 1 tea spoon

Thick yogurt - 3/4 cup

Thick coconut milk - 1/2 cup

Sugar - a large pinch ( I did not add it )

Salt to taste

Tempering :-

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon

Dried red chilli - 3

Curry leaves - a handful

Coconut oil or any cooking oil - 2 tea spoon

Directions:-

Steam the lemons in a steamer / Appa chembu for 5-8 minutes or till it is soft. ( The original recipe says you can also boil the lemons in water till it soft , but i prefer steaming )

Let it cool and  cut into small pieces. Rub it with some salt and keep it for a day.( I used lemons that i was keeping for 3 days)

So when you are ready to make the kichadi , in a bowl mix lemons, green chili and finely chopped ginger . Add Thick coconut milk , yogurt and a pinch of sugar if you are using and combine well.

Tempering :- Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds . when they pop up add dried red chiles and curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds. Pour it over Kichadi and serve.

Cheers

Sarah

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