Chicken Chili

Recipe No: 287
This is my version (also Chicken) of the American dish ‘Chili’ which is usually made with Beef. This recipe is a combination of Chicken and Red Kidney Beans (Rajma) with an outstanding Cumin flavor. Well, if you are not a Beef person, you can try this… Here is Chicken Chili that suits an Indian palate...

Ingredients                                      Serves 4-5

• Oil………………..................……2 Tablespoons
• Ground Chicken….................1 lb
• Onion chopped fine……........2/3 cup
• Garlic chopped fine….....……4 big ones
• Green Chilly chopped fine….1
• Bell peppers chopped fine….1/2 cup (Capsicum; I used red and green ones)
• Rajma……………………………...1/2 Cup (Red Kidney Beans; washed and soaked overnight in 2 cups water)
• Tomato chopped…………....…1 medium
• Tomato Sauce……………….....1/2 Cup
• Red Chilly Powder…………....1 Teaspoon (Use more if you want)
• Cumin Powder………………....1/2 Teaspoon
• Oregano……………………….....1/2 Teaspoon (If you don’t have this please skip; but I see them in Kerala cooking shows now a days.)
• Corn Starch…………………......1 Teaspoon
• Salt as needed

Method of Preparation

1. Heat Oil in the pan of a pressure cooker (If you want to wash more dishes, please feel free to use another pan!!!) on high heat and fry the minced Chicken with Salt, stirring and separating the Chicken.
2. Once the Chicken changes its color, add Onion, Garlic, Green Chilly, Bell Peppers/ Capsicum and the soaked Rajma (reserve the soaking liquid) and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add Tomato, Tomato Sauce, Red Chilly Powder, Cumin Powder and Oregano; add 2 ½ Cups of Water (Use the Rajma soaking Water now); mix well; close the pan and cook till 2 whistles.
4. Once the pressure subsides, open the cooker; switch on the heat again (put the flame on medium ) and adjust the seasonings and the level of the liquid. (You need some gravy, but not too much. With the amount mentioned in the recipe, I didn’t add more; but it depends on the Pressure Cooker too.)
5. Mix the Corn Flour in ¼ cup Water and add to the Chili once it is boiled. Mix well and let it boil and thicken for a minute.
6. Off the heat and serve hot with desired toppings. (I used chopped Onion, Grated Cheese and sliced Green Onions.

Notes:

• Tomato sauces generally come in cans and are different from Ketchup.  It is not sweet and in case you don’t have it, please blend 2 Tomatoes without the seeds (Seeds increases its sourness) and use.  But the canned Tomato Sauce gives a nice color and texture.
• Cooking Rajma/ Kidney Beans and Chicken together in the Pressure Cooker works only if the Rajma is soaked properly. So it is advised to do that. Otherwise you have to cook the Beans separate (or use canned Beans) and add it to the Chili once the Chicken is cooked and let them cook together for about 10 minutes.
• If you are cooking the Kidney Beans/ Rajma separate, please cook it only till soft. Over cooked Beans (It will be a bit slimy) are not good in this preparation.
• You can use any kind of Beans for this preparation but adjust the cooking time accordingly.
• Chili can be eaten by itself, serve over Chips or even Rice, over Burgers or hot dogs…. Let your imagination work...

 




Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…

Vegetable Stew

Recipe No: 286
This is the vegetarian/ vegan version of the Stew (For Chicken Stew recipe click here) which we just love. Even though the best combination for this is Palappam, Bread is also an option.

Ingredients

• Vegetables cubed…………......2 – 2 ¼ Cup (I used Carrots, Beans, Potatoes and Fresh Green Peas)
• Oil…………………………………...1 Tablespoon
• Whole spices……………….......3 Cardamom pods, 6 Cloves, 1 one inch Cinnamon piece and ½ of a Star Anise; all crushed fine)
• Onion sliced thin……………....1/3 cup
• Ginger chopped fine...……....1 Tablespoon
• Garlic chopped fine...…….....1 Tablespoon
• Indian Green chilly…………..2 split into halves (Depending on your taste)
• Curry Leaves……………………2 Sprigs
• Tomato sliced…………………...1/2 small
• Thin coconut milk……………..1 1/3 cup (mix 1/3 cup canned thick coconut milk with 1 cup water)
• Thick coconut milk…………....3/4 cup
• Pepper powder……………….....1/4 Teaspoon
• Garam Masala Powder.........1/4 Teaspoon (Homemade preferred)
• Vinegar…………………………….1/4 Teaspoon
• Coriander leaves chopped…..2 Tablespoons
• Salt as per taste
• Oil…………………………………….1 Tablespoon
• Shallot sliced………………….....1
• All Purpose Flour……………....1 Teaspoon (Maida)
• Water……………………………….1/4 cup (Can use thin Coconut Milk instead)

Method of Preparation

1. Heat 1 Tablespoon of Oil in a pan on medium heat, add the crushed whole Garam Masala and saute till fragrant.
2. Add chopped Onion, Ginger, Garlic, Green Chilly and a sprig of Curry Leaf; saute till everything is wilted for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the Vegetables and continue sautéing for 2 minutes on high heat.
4. Add thin Coconut Milk. Once it is boiled, reduce the heat to medium low; add the Salt and cook till the Vegetables are almost done.
5. Add sliced tomato and continue cooking.
6. In another shallow pan add 1 Tablespoon of Oil and saute the Shallots and a sprig of Curry Leaf till brown.
7. Adjust the heat to low and add 1 teaspoon of Flour and fry till its raw smell is gone for about 45 seconds. Do stir continuously at this stage.
8. Add ¼ cup water and mix till everything is combined well without any lumps. Add this to the already cooked stew and mix well. (This will thicken the stew and give a nice taste.)
9. After a minute of boiling, add the thick Coconut Milk, Pepper Powder, Garam Masala Powder, Vinegar and Coriander Leaves. Check the seasonings and add more Salt if needed.
10. Once the stew starts to simmer along the edges, switch off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving hot or warm with Palappam or Bread.

Notes:

• If you are using dried Green Peas in this recipe, precook it and then use towards the middle of cooking. (Cook properly, but avoid mashing.)
• Don't use too much of Carrots (Use one medium sized) for this curry, as it gives an undesirable sweetness to the dish.
• Don’t let the Stew boil once the thick Coconut Milk is added to avoid the Coconut Milk from separating.
• You can use Rice Flour instead of All Purpose Flour too.

 




Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…

Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate drizzle

Recipe No: 285

Ingredients                                              Makes 12

• Sweetened Coconut….............6 oz/ 155 grams/ 2 ¼ Cups
• All Purpose Flour………...........1/3 Cup (Maida)
• Sweetened Condensed Milk…7 oz/ ½ Cup and 2 Tablespoons/ ½ of a 396 Gram tin
• Vanilla Essence…………………..1/4 Teaspoon
• Pinch of Salt
• Semisweet Chocolate Chips….1/2 Cup

Method of Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F/160˚C.
2. Mix together Coconut, Flour, Condensed Milk, Salt and Vanilla Essence well.
3. Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop the mixture onto a greased, parchment paper lined baking tray. (I used a medium sized Ice cream scoop to make 12 scoops.)
4. Place it in the middle of a preheated oven and bake for 15 – 20 minutes or till the top of the Macaroons become light brown here and there. (The time to bake depends on the size of the scoops; so adjust it accordingly.)
5. Let it cool completely on the baking tray itself.

6. In a double boiler on low flame, (A dish with the Chocolate placed on top of a deep pot of simmering Water, taking care to avoid Water from coming in contact with the dish with the Chocolate.) melt Chocolate until smooth.
7. Dip the bottom of the Macaroons in the melted Chocolate and place them on a parchment paper and press slightly so that the Chocolate spreads evenly. Repeat this with all the macaroons.
8. Scrape all the remaining Chocolate into a small zip lock bag and make a hole on one end.
9. Squeeze the Chocolate and drizzle it onto the Macaroons to make pretty patterns.
10. Let it cool completely (so that the Chocolate hardens) and serve at room temperature. Store the left over in air tight containers. 

Notes:

• Almond extract can be used instead of Vanilla Essence.
• The dish to melt the Chocolate should be absolutely dry or the Chocolate will separate. (It becomes a thick mass that won’t melt; if it happens, do start with a fresh batch of Chocolate.)

 




Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…

Sending this to Love and Chocolate Fest by My Culinary Trial Room Valentines Day Event by Teenz' Yummy Delights and Valentines Day Special by Annz Cafe

Kappa Veyichathu/ Mashed Yuca/Cassava/Tapioca

Recipe No: 284
Does this need an introduction? No matter how much we, Keralites, eat this, our mouth still waters when we see a picture or hear someone speaks about it. Every household makes a version of Kappa Veyichathu and this is mine…

Ingredients                          Serves 6

• Yucca/ Tapioca…….......1 Kilo (Weighed after cleaning and cutting)

To Grind

• Grated Coconut…………2/3 Cup (Unsweetened of course)
• Turmeric Powder…...…1/2 Teaspoon
• Onion Sliced……………..1/3 Cup
• Garlic……………………….3 Big Cloves
• Indian Green Chilly…..3-4
• Cumin Powder………….1/2 Teaspoon (Use 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds instead)
• Salt…………………….……1 Teaspoon

For tempering

• Coconut Oil………………2 Tablespoons
• Mustard Seeds………….1/2 Teaspoon
• Shallots…………………...3 (sliced thin)
• Curry Leaves…………...1 Sprig
• Grated Coconut………..2 Tablespoons

Method of Preparation

1. Grind all the ingredients given in the ‘to grind’ section to a course consistency. Keep aside till ready to be used. (This step can be done while the Tapioca is cooking.)
2. Peel the Tapioca and split it lengthwise into two. Take off the hard root like thing that runs through its middle. Slice it into thin pieces. (Making it into thin slices helps it cook  fast and mash easily.) Wash them at least three to four times and drain.

Place the sliced Tapioca in a large pot and cover it with plenty of cold/ room temperature Water. (Pieces will not cook evenly if warm Water is used; please refer the picture to see the amount of Water used.)
Let it come to a boil on high heat and continue boiling till the Tapioca is cooked properly. When cooked, the pieces will become slightly translucent. (This has a tendency to boil over, so remove the lid of the vessel once it is boiled.)
Drain it into a Colander and immediately transfer it back to the pot. (Don’t drain it really well as the residual water is needed to cook the ground ingredients; refer the picture below (the one on the upper right hand side) to see the moisture at the bottom of the vessel.)

3. Make a well in the middle of the Tapioca and place the ground ingredients. Cover it with the Tapioca pieces from the sides; close the vessel; lower the heat to minimum and cook for another 3-5 minutes or till the residual Water is all absorbed.
4. While this is happening, make the tempering. Heat the Coconut Oil in a small pan on medium heat and splutter the Mustard Seeds.
5. Add the Shallots and Curry Leaves; fry till the Shallots are golden brown.
6. Add the grated Coconut and fry again till the Coconut is golden brown.
7. Add this together with the remaining Oil, if any, to the prepared Tapioca and mash everything together until it is uniformly mashed. Check for Salt and add more if needed. (Salt should be enough so that it can be eaten alone.)
8. Serve hot/ warm with Fish Curry or Beef Veyichathu, Chicken Veyichathu or simply with Chutney.

Notes:

• It is advised to use good and fresh Tapioca as possible. If you see any blackened areas in it while cleaning, it is better to discard them.
• Tapioca contains a small amount of cyanide (Cyanogenic glucosides; ‘Kattu’ as it is called locally in Kerala which is responsible for illness in animals like Cows,if eaten in huge amounts), so it is advised to cook them in plenty of Water (and the excess water should be discarded).
• Frying the grated Coconut while tempering is traditionally done for raw Jackfruit preparation, but I love it for Tapioca too.
• It will be difficult to mash the Tapioca if cooled, so do it while hot.
• Don't keep the Tapioca for a long time after slicing and wash them only just before cooking.
• If you are buying fresh Tapioca with skin, then,  you will have to buy at least 1 1/4 Kg  from the store in order to get approximately 1 Kg of cleaned Yucca/ Tapioca. Peeled Tapioca is also available in the frozen section of Indian/ international stores.

 






Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…

Unniyappam

Recipe No: 283
Traditionally Unniyappam is made with fresh Rice Flour. But as making/ getting fresh Rice Flour is a bit hard here in US, this is the best alternative. Well, I don’t think that the word ‘alternative’ do justice to these Unniyappams as it is far too easy to make and at the same time tastier and softer than the traditional ones. Oh… forgot to mention one important thing… I consider this as one of the best ways to use those black skinned overripe Bananas… Isn’t it wonderful? My friend who is from the North of Kerala says they call this ‘Kara Appam’ (As these are made in a ‘Kara’/ ‘Unniyappa Kara’).

Ingredients                               Makes around 40 small ones

• Long Grain Rice……1 Cup (Pachari)
• Banana………………..1 Big/ 2 small (1/2 cup mashed)
• Jaggery……………….1 Cup (cut into small pieces)
• Ghee……………………1 1/2 Tablespoons
• Coconut Pieces…….2 Tablespoons (Cut into very small pieces)
• Cumin Seeds………..1/2 Teaspoon (Optional)
• Sesame Seeds………1/2 Teaspoon
• Oil for frying
• Unniyappa Kara or Paniyaram pan for making the Unniyappam.

Method of Preparation

1. Wash and soak the Rice for 5-6 hours.
2. Melt Jaggery in ¼ Cup Water on a medium low flame until the pieces are melted thoroughly. Strain it twice to remove the impurities. Let it cool completely.
3. Drain the Rice well and grind it together with Banana and the melted Jaggery into a course batter. (The consistency requires special mentioning… It doesn’t have to be smooth; if we touch the batter and rub it between fingers we should feel the small bits in it.)
4. Pour it into a container and let it rest/ soak for about 6 hours. (I keep this overnight. This step is very important and read the 'notes' part to know more.)
5. Heat Ghee in a shallow pan on medium heat and fry the Coconut pieces till it starts to brown. Add the Cumin Seeds; stir and off the heat immediately. Pour this into the soaked batter together with the Sesame Seeds and mix well. (Adjust the thickness of the batter at this stage; if poured from a height it should flow down easily; you may not have to add any more Water if you follow the recipe carefully.)
6. Heat an Unniyappam/ Paniyaram pan on a medium heat and add the Oil up to 3/4th of the indentations. (Please refer the picture) Let it heat up.

7. Pour a tablespoon full of batter into each indentation and let it cook on the bottom. Once cooked, the sides will detach from the pan and will start to rotate in the Oil. (Please refer the picture.)
8. Turn the Unniyappam so that the other side is also cooked. (I pour 1 Tablespoon batter each and it took a minute on one side and 30 seconds on the other…yes very fast…)
9. Remove it from the Oil and let the excess Oil drain on a paper towel.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature. This will stay good at room temperature for 3-4 days; but will stay good for a longer period in the refrigerator. In the case of refrigeration, let it come to a room temperature or slightly warm it up before serving.

Notes:

• I used the dark Kerala type Jaggery, so using alternatives can reduce the color of the Unniyappam. Also it was broken into small pieces. Grating may change the level of sweetness of the dish.
• I used the common Robusta type Banana that is available in US. These are big ones, so if you are using small variety you may have to use 2 or 3 depending on the size.
• This batter will be a little bit thinner than the Dosa batter.
•  Letting the batter rest for at least 6 hours is very important, as it helps the Rice particles soak making the Unniyappam rise; take into consideration that we are not adding any Baking Soda. Please note the bottom picture to see how much it rises without any leavening agents; this will happen only if you allow the batter to rest.
• To reduce the amount of batter sticking on to the 'Kara', let the pan heat up a bit before adding the Oil. Let the Oil heat again before adding the batter.
• The level of the Oil in the pan will rise with the addition of the batter; consider this when you pour Oil into the pan.
• Using a wooden skewer or an elongated rod with a pointed end is better to turn the Unniyappam and to take them out of the Oil.
• I put the gas stove on medium heat (on 5) throughout the whole process of making Unniyappam.(No increasing or decreasing the heat) Find a suitable moderate heat level on your stove for the process. Too high heat will burn the Unniyappam without cooking the inside and too low heat will make the Unniyappam absorb a lot of Oil.
• This recipe can be easily doubled.

 




Make it enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…

Radish Pickle

Recipe No: 282
This is one of those recipes that came into life as a desperate attempt to save some Radishes that were left behind in my vegetable bin just before we moved to Atlanta. It stayed good for a long time and was a real help during the movement.
The inspiration for this recipe is the Carrot Pickle featured in one of my favorite blog Mishmash. As Radish contains lot more Water, it requires a different treatment than that of Carrots. So here is it…

Ingredients

• Radish……...............3 Cups (wash; cut off both ends and slice into thin long pieces)
• Salt……………………..1 Teaspoon

To Saute

• Oil……………………….2 Tablespoons (I used Vegetable Oil)
• Mustard Seeds……..1/2 Teaspoon
• Garlic…….…….........2 Tablespoons (cut into thin, long slices)
• Ginger……...............1 Tablespoon (cut into thin, long slices)
• Green Chilly……......3 Tablespoons (cut into thin, long slices)
• Vinegar……………....1/4 Cup
• Sugar………………….1/4 Teaspoon

Method of Preparation

1. Mix Radish and Salt; keep aside for 20 minutes. (By this time Water from the Radish will be oozing out.)
2. Squeeze the Radish really good; discard the excess liquid and keep aside.
3. Heat Oil in a pan on medium high flame and splutter the Mustard Seeds.
4. Add Garlic, Ginger and Green Chilly; sauté for a minute or till slightly wilted.
5. Add the Radish; mix well and off the heat immediately.
6. Mix in the Vinegar and Sugar. (Add Salt only if needed; most of the Salt that was added to the Radish will go while squeezing them and the remaining will give enough Saltiness to the pickle.)
7. When cooled, store in an airtight container.

Notes:

• Even though this pickle is good to serve the day it is made, I think it tastes better the second day.
• Don't leave the Radish in the heat for a long time as it may reduce its crunchiness. 
• Do adjust the amount of Vinegar according to your taste. (But the amount given in the recipe is good for mine.)

 





Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…

Pazham/ Banana Varattiyathu – Nurukku Gothambu/ Broken Wheat Pradhaman

Recipe No: 281
Jack fruit or Chakka Varattiya Pradhaman is one of my favorites (I had this Pradhaman more than one time from a friend of ours at Indianapolis) and as Jack fruit is not available in this part of the world (my friend used to bring Chakka Varattiyathu from Kerala), I settle with Pazham/ Banana instead of Jack fruit. Along with its tempting an addictive taste, this is a good way to use the overripe Bananas (with black/ dotted skin) that most of your family members may ignore. This Pradhaman should be thick so that it can be easily poured on to a Banana leaf without running for a traditional Sadhya/ Feast.

Ingredients                                       Serves 6-8

• Broken Wheat……......1/4 Cup (Nurukku Gothambu)
• Jaggery………………....1 ½ Cups (broken into small pieces)
• Mashed Banana……..2 Cups (4 large ones)
• Ghee……………………...3 Tablespoons
• Cashew nuts…………..2 Tablespoons (broken into small pieces)
• Raisins…………………..2 Tablespoons
• Milk……………………….1 Cup
• Cardamom Powder…1/4 Teaspoon (homemade; if not, add a bit more)

Method of Preparation

1. Add a cup of Water to the washed Broken Wheat and cook till soft. If you are doing this in a regular pan let it boil on high heat; reduce the heat to minimum and let it cook covered (There are chances of boiling over if this is allowed to boil at high temperature for a longer time.). If you are using Pressure cooker, cook it for one whistle. (I used a regular pan method.)
2. Melt Jaggery in ½ Cup Water on a medium flame and strain it twice to remove the impurities.
3. Heat Ghee in a pan on medium heat and fry the Cashew pieces till it starts to brown along the edges. Add the Raisins to the Ghee along with the Cashews and fry till plump. Remove this from the Ghee and keep aside till ready to be used.
4. To the remaining Ghee and the Mashed Banana and the strained Jaggery and cook till most of the Water is absorbed.

Add the cooked Broken Wheat (I add the remaining Water too as it was only a little.) and most of the Cashews and Raisins (keep some for garnish); cook till the mixture starts to leave the sides. Stir occasionally to avoid burning at the bottom. Once the mixture starts to reduce considerably, do stir almost continuously. (Please refer the picture to know the stage at which you can proceed to the next stage).
Add the Milk and let it start to simmer along the edges. 
Add Cardamom Powder and switch off the heat. Mix well and serve hot or cold.

Notes:

• This Pradhaman is on the sweeter side; but it is meant to be eaten only in very less amounts. If you wish to make it less sweet, do reduce the amount of Jaggery. (Well I don't prefer that at all...)
• I used the most commonly available (in US) Robusta type banana (Not plantains) for this preparation and only 4 of them. If you are using small variety Banana, you should mash at least 8 of them to make 2 cups of mashed Banana.
• I used the dark Kerala style Jaggery and hence the dark color. The color of the dish will be a bit on the lighter side if lighter colored Jaggery is used.
• If you are using already roasted Cashews, add both Cashews and Raisins together to the Ghee. But if you have to settle with raw Cashews, do give it a head start.
• Don't let the milk boil vigorously in the Pradhaman or it may separate. Also do stir continuously at this stage.
• I like this Pradhaman on the thick side; if you want it thin, add a bit more of Milk. But I don’t recommend adding too much Milk in order to preserve the uniqueness of this Pradhaman.

 






Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…