Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Nadan Konju Curry / Kerala Style Prawns Curry


Naadan Konju Curry


Yes, I am in Kottayam and my mom's sis who lives in the near by town walks in one noon with lovely looking king prawns. They are large, fresh with deep blue and long legs! Amma is done with the lunch and is occupied with other things and I decide to cook the konju in a coconut based naadan style. Marias menu is one of my favourites when it comes to authentic kerala dishes and I decided to follow one of her recipes. She made the same with crab and had mentioned it suited for prawns too.
If you love the touch of roasted coconut and the addition of coconut milk melded with the flavours of tomatoes and onions, this is certainly your pick!

Here we go..

Non-Veg
Warning- This post contains pictures of raw fish. Please do not scroll further down or click 'read more' if intolerant.
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Monday, October 27, 2014

Godhambu Rava Payasam / Wheat Rava Payasam (with coconut milk and jaggery).


Godhambu Rava Payasam

If Amma decides to cook on a festival day, we can expect a feast. She would spend hours of hard work in her kitchen, expecting less help from others, comes out with the authentic festival recipes.
This Diwali she thus made this yummy and creamy Godhambu Rava Payasam along with crispy 'parippu vadas' and sweet 'pal vadas' paired up with an elaborate lunch spread!
Since I am a great fan of traditional payasams with the heavenly dominant flavour of coconut milk, I got my camera and notes ready to follow her cooking steps...

Over to the recipe..


Godhambu Rava Payasam

Godhambu Rava Payasam

Yields- Seven 250ml cups
Preparation time- 45 minutes
Cooking time - 30 minutes

Get ready with:

Wheat rava / gothambu rava - 1 cup

*Coconut milk-for this, we need 1 large coconut that would yield at least 4 cups shavings
Or you may go ahead with canned/tetra packed coconut milk.

Jaggery / nadan sarkara -300 gms

Dried ginger powder /chukku podi - 1/2 tsp
Cardamom powder / elakka podi - 1/2 tsp

Method:

*
Extraction of coconut milk (I recommend this method for this traditional recipe)

Godhambu Rava Payasam

We have to extract milk from a large coconut which yields 4 cups of shavings.
How to extract milk is here, featured by sis following mom.
For this recipe we need 2 cups of thick and creamy first extract,
                                    4 cups of second extract
                                                and
                                    3 cups of slim third extract

If you use canned milk, dilute accordingly and divide them into 3 consistencies as above


Thengakothu (coconut bits)

Godhambu Rava Payasam

Loosen thin strips of coconut from its shell which yields 3 tsps of bits, after the strips are cut. Set this aside.


Godhambu Rava Payasam

Transfer rava to a deep, wide and thick bottomed pan. I used a 5ltr pressure cooker body.


Godhambu Rava Payasam

Cook rava in 3 cups of third extract for around  8-10 minutes. You need not close the pan. Add second extract. Keep stirring and simmer cook further for 8-10 minutes.

Prepare the jaggery syrup simultaneously

Godhambu Payasam

Crush jaggery into small lumps. Add a cup of water and bring to a simmer. Stirring now and then, melt the lumps completely. This will take around 10 minutes.


Godhambu Rava Payasam

Strain melted jaggery ( the one you see here has a metal mesh. Do not use plastic mesh as the piping hot syrup will destroy it. If you use plastic ones, wait till the syrup cools downs and then strain) and add along the payasam. Simmer for 8 minutes stirring all the the time until the payasam gets thicker. Add the thickest first extract and stir along switching off the stove. Add dried ginger powder, cardamom powder and combine.


Godhambu Rava Payasam

Melt 3 tsps of ghee in a small pan. Dump in the coconut bit pieces previously set aside. When it browns well, add halved cashews and fry until they turn golden brown. The coconut bits should be one or two shades darker brown in colour.


Godhambu Rava Payasam

Pour over the payasam and combine gently.


Godhambu Rava Payasam

Godhambu Rava Payasam tends to get thicker while cooling down. Refrigeration makes it creamier. If you prefer thicker and sweeter version, serve hot or cold in katoris or small dessert bowls. If you find it too thick and sweet, you may add a cup of hot or warm cow's milk to make it thinner and less sweeter to serve in cups or large bowls.
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Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Rava Kesari


Rava Kesari


I have been a sporadic blogger for the year. After my daughter's marriage, I had to take all my efforts to bring myself  back here. At least the festivals propelled much! Now that the pompous Diwali just around the corner has left me in my mom's house, 'in no cooking mood but lots of time in hand' mode, I decided to make one of the easiest sweets, Rava Kesari.
Mom happily agreed to share her version and this is how we made just a few hours back :)



Rava Kesari


Rava Kesari
For 20 squares
Total time needed - 20 minutes


Ingredients:

Sooji / Rava - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Ghee – 1/4 cup
Water - 3 to 3 and a half cups
Yellow kesari color - 2 pinches
Cardamom/elaichi Powder - 2 fat pinches
Cashews and raisins - a few

Method:


Rava Kesari

Heat 1/4 cup ghee in a non-stick (preferable) or a thick bottomed kadai. Measure rava and keep ready. Fry halved cashews until golden brown followed by raisins for a few seconds until they plump up. You may not need to remove them. Just dump in rava ( frothes up in hot ghee) and sauté for a few seconds. Thus you are roasting it.


Rava Kesari

Stir in the measured water. Add food colour dissolved in a teaspoon of water. Stir all the time to avoid lumps. Let the rava cook for 3 minutes in low fire. Add sugar and stir to combine.(This is important. Addition of sugar should be after the rava is cooked well, or else rava remains grainy  and uncooked)


Rava Kesari

Stir along cardamom powder. Keep stirring not allowing the mass to get stuck at the bottom. By this time the kesari turns into a glossy mass. Transfer to a tray or a one inch deep plate.


Rava Kesari

Let it cool completely and cut into squares or diamonds .Transfer to your plate and enjoy!


Rava Kesari

 Wishing You A Very Happy Deepavali!

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Wednesday, September 3, 2014

The Complete Onam Menu!


Snacks, Sweets and Light eats

Banana ChipsGhee Fried Bananas


Curries - Sambhar, Aviyal, Erusseri, Pulisseri, Theiyal, Pachadi

Drumsticks SambharA Simple Kerala Lunch with Fish Fry OlanMango SaladMathanga Vanpayar Erisseri-Yellow Pumpkin with Red gram and Coconut CurryPacha-andiparippu Aviyal/Raw Cashew & Coconut Curry


Dry accompaniments - Thoran & Mezhukkupuratti

Vendakka ThoranUlli ThoranPapaya ThoranStir-fried TindorasStir-fried Green PapayaIdichakka MezhukkupurattiMullangi Cheera/Radish Greens ThoranUllithandu Thoran / Stir-fried Onion GreensChuvanna Cheera Mezhukkupuratti / Stir-fried Red SpinachPavakka Roast


Dessert - Pradhaman & Payasam

Ada PradhamanCherupayar parippu PayasamSemia/Vermicelli PayasamChakka VarattiAval/Rice Flakes Payasam


Pickles & Preserves

Tender Mango Pickle



Wishing all a Very Happy and Prosperous Onam!



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