Kozhi Pidi /Chicken Curry and Rice Dumplings

Nadan Kozhi Curry /Kerala Style Chicken Curry

Ingredients

1. Chicken- 5oo to 700 gms
2. Ginger (crushed)- 2" Piece
3. Garlic (Crushed)-5 to 6 cloves
4. Shallots (sliced)-1 1/2 cup
5. Onion (Sliced finely)-1 Large
6. Curry Leaves-2 to 3 sprigs
7. Coconut pieces (Sliced)-1/4  cup (Optional)
8. Coconut milk(Thin)-1 1/4  to 1 1/2  Cup
9. Fennel seeds( Powdered)-1/2 Tsp
10. Coconut milk(Thick)-1/4 cup
11. Garam masala-1/4 tsp
12. Vinegar-1/2 tsp
13. Water-As required
14. Salt to taste
15. Oil

For marination

1. Kashmiri chili powder-1/2 tsp
2. Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
3. Ginger and Garlic paste-1 tsp
4. Salt to taste

For Masala Paste

1. Kashmiri chili powder-3 tbsp( See Note)
2. Coriander powder-2 tbsp
3. Turmeric Powder-1/2 tsp
4. Garam masala-1 1/2 tsp
5. Water -as required

Method

• Marinate the chicken pieces with all the ingredients for marination.Keep aside for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Combine all the ingredients for the masala paste  with sufficient quantity of water to form a smooth paste and keep aside.
• Now heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add ginger,garlic,shallots ,onion and 2 sprigs of curry leaves.When onion is almost cooked, add the sliced coconut pieces (if using) and mix well.Saute well  until onion turns golden brown.
• Reduce the flame to medium low and add the masala paste and saute it ,stirring continuously  until oil separates.(for about 5 minutes on Medium LOW flame)
• Now add the marinated chicken pieces and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes stirring in between.
• Now add the thin coconut milk and salt to taste.( add more water if you require more gravy).Cover and cook until chicken is tender and the gravy is thick enough.
• Next ,add fennel powder,garam masala and vinegar , mix well.
• Add the thick coconut milk and cook for few minutes or until gravy thickens.
• Add the remaining curry leaves and switch off the stove.

Note:* I have used 3 tbsp of Kashmiri chili powder here ,so it is really spicy,you can always adjust the  quantity according to your spice level.
*If  using normal red chili powder reduce the quantity to 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 tbsp.
*For best results use homemade garam masala

PIDI / RICE DUMPLINGS

Ingredients

1. Rice Powder(i used puttu podi)- 1 cup
2. Grated Coconut-4 tbsp
3. Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
4. Shallots-4 nos
5. Garlic-2 cloves
6. Water-2 Cups
7. Coconut Milk-1/2Cup
8. Salt to taste
9. Rice Flour-2 tsp
10. Boiling water- as required(add salt to taste to the water)

Method

• Grind cumin seeds,shallots and garlic to form a smooth paste.
• Combine rice powder and grated coconut ,mix well for a minute .
• In a heavy bottomed pan dry roast this rice powder ,stirring continuously until  the color turns pale(almost golden).Allow it to cool slightly.
• Add the ground shallots paste, and sufficient quantity of boiling  water (with salt)to the roasted rice powder and mix well using a wooden spatula.Allow it to cool slightly and knead well for almost 4 to 5 minutes to form a soft dough.
• Roll this into small balls and steam it for 5 minutes.and keep aside.
• Combine 2 tsp rice flour with 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil,add salt to taste ,and add the steamed dumplings and cook until it is slightly thick .Switch off the flame and add coconut milk and mix well. 

Fava Bean and Pea Salad (İç Bakla ve Bezelye Salatası)

1 lb fresh fava beans in pod
1/2 lb fresh peas in pod
3 green onions, finely chopped
~1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
~1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
~1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
~1/3 cup crumbled feta (optional)
dressing
juice of one lemon
4-5 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced (optional)

-Pod and boil fava beans in salted water for 2-5 minutes. The cooking time depends on the freshness of the beans. Blanch and poke the skin to squeeze the beans out. This is time consuming, and if you ask me not worth it. Some people find fava skins to be bitter, but I don't. If anything skins make the salad a bit chewy and that is fine. So, I leave them on.   

-Pod the peas and use them as is or boil them in salted water for a couple of minutes and blanch.
-Mix beans and peas with all the greens. 
-Add cheese (Although I've never had this salad with white cheese in Turkey, I think beans&peas are great with white cheese.)
-Again, usually in Turkey this salad is served with a simple lemon juice+olive oil+salt dressing. I add a clove of garlic to the traditional dressing. 


There's absolutely nothing written in stone; you can use more or less of anything or add red peppers, arugula, or even pickles. For example, usually this salad is made with stirred onions in Turkey, but I prefer freshness of green onions to stir fried ones.

Dandelion with Olive Oil (Hindiba)

If cooking every dish (sweet and savory) in olive oil is one of the most important characteristics of the incredibly healthy  Cretan cuisine, boiling all greens including weeds is the other one. The Cretan diet, widely accepted to be one of the healthiest diets, became an indispensable part of Turkish Aegean cuisine through Cretan-Turks who were compulsorily exchanged for the Turkish Greeks of Anatolia starting from May 1st, 1923 based on the treaty of Lausanne. As a result of this agreement between Turkish and Greek governments, half a million Greeks left Turkey and approximately one million Turks left Greek. And through this non-humanitarian and tragic population exchange which caused thousands of dislocated families and hatred between nations the west coast of Turkish cooking is enriched by this cuisine.  

This is a very simple recipe that captures the essence of Cretan cooking: greens and olive oil. Dandelion greens, like many other weeds, are widely consumed in Cretan cuisine with a simple olive oil dressing and tarator sauce. Eren Aksahin in an article about Turks of Crete (read the article) quotes a little anecdote about Creteans' infatuation with greens:

"A Cretan goes into a field with a cow. The son of the field’s owner runs to his father, and says “Papa! A cow and a Cretan are in the field! What should I do?”  His father answers: “don’t bother the cow, she’ll eat until she’s full and leave. But the Cretan will gather everything before he leaves. So chase the Cretan out!”

1 bunch dandelion greens
1/4 cup olive oiljuice of 1 lemon
1 clove of garlic
salt
-Boil enough water for your dandelion bunch in a pot with some salt.
-Add dandelions and cook for 5-7 minutes, depending on freshness of the weed.
-Blanch dandelions for ~3 minutes. 
-Squeeze excessive water and lay on a plate. 
-Mix olive oil, lemon juice, and crushed/minced garlic with salt and pour over the dandelions. (Adjust salt, lemon, and garlic to your taste)


for tarator sauce
2 slices of white bread (cannot stress the importance of the whiteness of bread for this sauce), crusts removed
1-2 cloves of garlic
juice of 1 lemon or 2 tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup ground walnuts (although walnut is more common, some prefer pinenut for tarator sauce)
4-5 tbsp olive oil
salt

-Soak bread slices in 1/4 cup water, squeeze excessive water.
-Put all in a food processor and pulse until smooth. The sauce should not be very runny or thick as a paste. Add a couple of drops of water or lemon juice to loosen up.

Priest's Beef Stew (Papaz Yahnisi)

Since I haven't posted a new recipe in a while, I wanted to break the silence with a heavily delicious or deliciously heavy one: priest's beef stew or ragout. This succulent ragout recipe comes from the Aegean part of Turkey, and judging by the name, priest--not "yahni" since it is of Persian origin for meat and onion dishes--the dish must be originally Greek. Another clue about its Greek roots is the use of cinnamon. Although it is an indispensable spice in Turkish cooking, cinnamon is used for the most part in desserts, not in savory dishes and most definitely not in stews. But here we go, this stew asks for cinnamon and allspice, and in the end the beef braised for hours with these spices is just fantastic. If you are a meat eater, you will want to write this recipe down.    

serves 4-6, depending on the appetite 

2 lb stew beef

1 lb pearl onions, peeled (you can use frozen ones, but I really think they don't taste the same)

3 tbsp butter

1 head of garlic,8-10 cloves, don't panic it's good

3 tbsp red wine vinegar or 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 can of diced tomatoes or 3 tomatoes, grated

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice, ground

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp or more salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 c flour 

2 c hot water

parsley, finely chopped to garnish

-Place stew beef on a flat surface (a big plate or a tray), sprinkle flour on top, and make sure each piece is coated.

-Melt the butter in a stew pot, add stew beef, and on medium heat saute until they are all browned and crispy outside: ~6-7 minutes.

-Add pearl onions and garlic and stir for  another 6-7 minutes. At this point flour on the beef might stick to the bottom of the pot, but that's fine. Keep stirring; it'll go away once you add tomatoes and water.

-Add diced or grated tomatoes (I always put diced tomatoes in a food processor or a hand blender and pulse 2-3 seconds to have a smoother texture), spices, salt, and boiling water.

-Once it bubbles, turn the heat down to low, cover ans simmer for at least 2 hours, and get a beer &  go outside because the delicious smell will drive you crazy. 

-Serve with rice and/or crusty bread.

I started making papaz yahnisi based on a recipe that I read from a Turkish cookbook back in the day when I didn't have a blog and wasn't careful about my recipe sources. and now I cannot remember the name of the writer or the book. If I remember, I'll definitely cite it. 

NADAN MUTTA ROAST (KERALA STYLE EGG ROAST)

Ingredients

1. Hard boiled eggs- 2 to 3 nos
2. Onion(sliced finely)-2 large or 3 medium nos
3. Ginger (chopped)-1 tsp
4. Garlic (chopped)- 1tsp
5. Curry leaves-1 sprig
6. Water-1/4 cup appr ( or as required)
7. Vinegar- 1/4 tsp(optional)
8. Oil
9. Salt - to taste

For masala

1. Kashmiri chili powder- 1  to 1 1/2  tsp( or according to taste)-see note
2. Coriander powder-1 1/2tsp
3. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
4. Garam masala-1/2 tsp

Method

• Combine the ingredients for masala with sufficient quantity of water to form a smooth paste.Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan,add onion,ginger,garlic and curry leaves.saute it till onion turns golden brown ,over a medium flame for about 15 to 20 minutes ,stirring in between.(make sure onion is well caramelized, you can add salt while frying the onion to speed up the process.)
• Reduce the flame to low and add the masala paste,saute for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Now add  water (and vinegar ,if using)and mix well.Adjust salt level at this point.
• Now add the sliced eggs,cover the eggs with the gravy,cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves ,if desired.
• Serve with idiappam or appam.

Note: Few of the readers have said that the curry is a bit spicy,if you prefer less spicy egg roast ,then use 3/4 to 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder only.

Other Egg Recipes
Nadan Mutta curry (Kerala Style Egg Curry)
Egg Curry with potato
Egg Curry
Egg Roast with Tomato
Egg Curry with Tomato

Announcement of this month's Spotlight Theme

It's mid of the month and time to announce the theme of this month's Spotlight. As you know, I was hosting Spotlight event, started by my sister, Indrani of Recipe Junction. As I am on Vacation, this month Spotlight will be hosted by my sister at her place. The theme she chose is Summer Cooler : Thanda Thanda, cool cool

For the rules and to know more about the event, please visit her place and give her all the support and your participation as you did so far in last few Spotlight events.
Thank you and looking forward to your enthusiastic participation.

Fish Cutlet In Bengali Style

West Bengal is in the eastern part of India. Fish Cutlet is a typical Bengali style of cooking and is served as snack to the guests or no special occasions in almost every household.  Bengalis are known to be fish lovers so much, sometimes when its snowing or raining outside and We are stuck at home I make this Fish Cutlet to make brighter our mood. We enjoy this Recipe as a afternoon snack, with Ginger Tea remembering our good old days back in Kolkata. Any kind of fish like Tilapia, Bhetki Fillets, can be used to make this, I used Ruhi fish Fillets.

Ingredients for the filling:

Fish Fillets - 4
Onion - 1,chopped finely
Potato - 1, big size
Ginger paste- 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Green Chilly - 1 or 2
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder  1 tsp
Few pieces of Cashews and Raisins
Salt and Pepper to taste
Oil to deep fry

Ingredients for the Outer Crust ~

Bread Crumbs or (I used Crushed corn flakes)
Egg white - 1
All Purpose Flour or Maida - 2 tbsp

Method :

To make the filling ~  Boil the potatoes with salt and mash them well.

Add salt and pepper on both sides of the Fillets and cook the fish in water for 5 minutes.

Take 2 tblspn oil in a non-stick pan,  add the chopped onions and start frying them. After about few minutes add the ginger garlic paste and fry them. You can now add all the spices, few pieces of cashews, raisins and the fish, break the fillets, cook this mixture till you see oil separating out.

Keep stirring in between so that the fish do not stick to the bottom.

Keep frying till the raw smell of the spices are gone and the fish is well cooked. Add the mashed potato and mix it well. switch off the flame and keep it covered.

After its cool enough to keep on the palm, make equal potions of circular or oval shapes them as cutlets.

To make a batter outer coating ~ Beat the eggs white well and place on a flattened plate.  On another flat plate place crunshed corn flakes.

Take one of your cutlets, first dip in the egg white then roll the cutlet in the crunshed corn flakes. Repeat this with all your other cutlets.

Refrigerate all the cutlet for about 2 hours minimum.

I repeat this process, but this time I use all purpose flour instead of egg white. In a bowl mix 2 tbsp of All Purpose Flour and add about 2 tbsp of water. Then take out the frozen cutlets and dip them in the All Purpose Flour mixture and coat with bread crumb. Refrigerate the Fish Cutlet again, this time around 2-3 hours.


 

Take a deep frying pan and heat oil to fry, place it slowly into the oil.


Fry on medium heat till the colour starts to change to light brown and then fry the other side. Remove the cutlet on a paper towel to soak excess oil.


Sprinkle a pinch of black salt on the cutlets & serve them hot along with good portion of shredded salad & tomato ketchup.

Sending this to Srav's "Cooking Concepts # 10 - Mom’s Recipe" event

Chayote / Mexican Squash Curry

The chayote squash can be eaten raw, it has a crisp texture like an apple and a mild slightly sweet flavor. Like other squashes it is high in vitamin A and vitamin C and is high in fiber. An excellent method to include chayote  squash in your diet other than in soups  is in the form of this curry. I loved the contrasting and interesting combination of flavors in this curry which varied between sweet, spicy.It was simple and quick to make and tasted great when paired with a simple plain roti.

Ingredients :

Chayote / Mexican Squash - 1
Potato - 2
Black chana - 1/2 cup (soaked in water 3-4 hours)
Cuminseeds - 1 tsp
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp.
Salt to taste

Method :

Wash and peel the squash and potato, cut into cubes.

Heat oil in a pan, fry squash and potato with salt and little turmeric powder, until half cooked in low flame.

In the same oil, add cumin seeds, when they start to splutter add onion and saute till light brown.

Then add ginger paste and tomato, salt and sugar, cook for 5 mins.

Add all the spice powder, fried squash, potato and black chana, mix well.

Finally add a cup of water, cook until the squash and potato is soft but not mashy.

Garnish with coriander leaves. 

Sending this to Vardhini's "Healthy Diet – Vegetarian Side Dishes" event and Ramya's "ABC Series: GOURDS" event

Vegetable Dalia

This is a very healthy and nutritious recipe for the breakfast or for lunch. Broken wheat or Dalia has high ratio of calcium, vitamins, iron and other essential nutrients which are critical to the growth and health of the body. Broken wheat is a great source of daily fiber. It becomes even healthier, when we add all the vegetables we have. It makes it more flavorful and yummy.

Ingredients:

Broken wheat ( Dalia) - 1 cup
Carrots - 1, thin slice
French beans - 4-5, finely chopped
Onion - 1, big, chopped
Tomato - 1, chopped
Ginger Paste - 1/2 tsp
Green chilli - 2,sliced
a sprig of curry leaves
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp.
Sambar powder(optional) - 1 tsp
salt to taste
Chopped fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

Soak broken wheat in water for half an hour and drain the excess water.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and crackle cumin seeds.

Add sliced green chillies and curry leaves and fry for few seconds.

Add chopped onion and fry until it is translucent. Add all the vegetables (carrots and beans) and chopped tomato, ginger paste and saute for a minute.

Add dalia and 3 cups of water and let it come to a boil and add salt to taste.

Place the lid of the pressure cooker and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.

Open the pressure cooker lid after the pressure drops down,stir in sambar powder, pepper powder and chopped coriander and cook for 2-3
mins.

Vegetable Dalia is ready to serve hot with Papad and Spicy Mango Pickel.

Sending this to My ongoing event "Spotlight : Healthy Breakfast Ideas", Julie's "Show Me Your HITS - Iron Rich Foods", Prabha's "EP Series-Herb & Spices" ~ "Ginger &Pepper Powder" event started by Julie, Roshni's "Healthy Food for Healthy Kids-Toddler Breakfast/Dinner", srav's "Mom's Recipe"