Nadan Crab Curry|Kerala Style Crab Curry

Kappa(Tapioca) vevichath and 'nalla nadan' kottayam style meen(fish) curry is a match made in heaven. After every few weeks I get a craving for kappa vevichath, So two days ago, I made a crab curry instead of fish curry to have with kappa which turned out to be really good. This dish is spicy, tangy and the sweetness of the crab meat makes this dish take everything to another level of goodness.

There are few things to be noted:-

1. I used lightly flavored chicken stock in the curry but you can use  plain water. In my opinion chicken stock and seafood is a great combination.
2. You can adjust the spiciness of the curry by adding more or less chilli powder and pepper powder.
3.  You know the crab is cooked when the legs turn orange,

When I buy crabs I ask the 'fish fella' to cut and clean them for me, When I reach home, I check for any yellow substance in the cavity and remove them. Twist off the legs. Clean the crab under running water and with a kitchen scissor(or the back of  knife) give each legs and the fingers a crack for the masalas to infuse into the crab.

Ingredients

750g crab washed and cleaned

1 onion sliced

10 shallots sliced

1 heaped  tbsp ginger chopped

4 cloves of whole garlic

1 or 2 green chillies sliced(optional)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1  1/2 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder

2 tsp pepper powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp meat masala

1 sprig of curry leaves

A handful of chopped coriander leaves

Tamarind pulp of 1 lemon sized ball soaked in 1 cup of water squeezed and drained

1 cup chicken stock or half of a chicken stock cube 

1/2 tsp sugar

salt

2 tbsp oil(use coconut oil for authentic taste)

Method

Heat oil in a pan

Add onions,shallots,ginger,garlic,green chillies,turmeric powder and a little salt and saute till it turns slightly brown.( This is gonna take a while)

Add chilli powder, coriander powder, pepper powder and meat masala saute for 10 seconds or till raw smell has gone.

Add 1 cup of chicken stock and allow it to boil.

Add curry leaves, tamarind juice, coriander leaves, salt and sugar and once again let it boil for couple of minutes. Check for salt and add salt if required.

Add the crab, mix well,cover the vessel with a lid and cook the crab for 8 -10 minutes. 

And when you open the lid, through the miracle of time, there you have it, finger licking good crab curry

 This is best served hot with ghee rice and kappa vevichath.

Happy Cooking!

Schezwan Chicken Wings

My husband is a "chicken wings specialist". Honestly, he makes the best chicken wings in the whole wide world in my opinion. This is my husband's recipe and this is different because the main ingredient is baking powder(of course, apart from  the chicken wings) which gives a unique texture to the wings. Interesting? But wait till you try this! :)

Ingredients

500 gms chicken wings(with skin)
1 tbsp chili flakes
1 tbsp pepper powder
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup schezwan sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
Chopped cilantro and lemon wedges for garnishing

Method
Clean and wash the chicken wings and pat dry.
Mix chilli flakes, pepper powder, salt and baking powder and coat the chicken wings.



Arrange this on a pan and keep this on the middle rack of a preheated oven

Bake this for 50 to 60 minutes at 220 degree celsius flipping the chicken wings every  20 minutes

Meanwhile, mix the schezwan sauce with lemon juice. 

As soon as the chicken wings is out of the oven, pour the schezwan sauce over the steaming hot chicken and mix well with a tong or two spoons

Garnish with chopped cilantro and have it while its hot! Don't forget to squeeze the lemon on the chicken wings:)

        

Happy Cooking!

Beef Curry Recipe

If you are searching for an easy simple yet packed full of flavor beef curry recipe this is the one!

For this recipe, you must use curry leaves which you can get in any Indian grocery store. Curry leaves, in my opinion gives a beautiful aroma and flavor to this curry. However, the barbeque spice I use in this recipe  is totally optional. I felt the barbeque spice will give a nice touch to the beef. The good thing about this recipe is you can totally control the  spice, throw in the all the ingredients in a pressure cooker, put the flame on and VOILA!

I was inspired to make this curry by mariasmenu.com. Honestly. I don't even know how many times I visit her site a week:-). Her recipes are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I was wondering what to do with the half kilo beef that I had and ended up making this beautiful curry. Thank you Maria. (Click here for Maria's beef recipe)

(Psst.. I had to use my camera phone for the picture since Mr cam is a lil sick..meh)

Ingredients:-

Half kilo beef cubes

1 medim sized onion chopped

6 cloves of  garlic chopped

1" ginger chopped

1 tbsp kashmiri chili powder 

 1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp meat masala powder

1 tsp Barbeque spice powder(optional)

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp soya sauce

1 sprig curry leaves

2 tsp pepper powder

salt

Half cup beef stock 

1/4 cup cream

2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped

Method:-

Wash and clean the beef 

In a pressure cooker mix beef,onions,garlic,ginger, chili powder,coriander powder, meat masala powder. barbeque spice(I bought this from the carrefour spice section), vinegar, pepper powder, salt, soya sauce and curry leaves. 

Pressure cook this on low heat for 3 whistles. You don't need to add water. The water content in the beef will be released. After 3 whistles are over, put off the stove and let it rest for 20 minutes. Release the pressure and check for the  'doneness' of  beef. Mine was nice and soft at this stage.

 Add the beef stock and cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Add  the cream and give it a boil. Mix in the coriander leaves. I garnished with some coriander leaves, a dash of cream and few pinches of chilli powder. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

(I am thinking coconut milk instead of cream can take this recipe to another level too)

Happy Cooking!

Tuna Cake Recipe

If you are on a budget, have canned tuna in the pantry yet you want to have a flavorful dinner, this is the way to do it-TUNA CAKES! There a are a zillion ways to make this, This dish is so versatile that you can throw in what you have in hand and make these scrumptious patties, This dish is a good source of protein.

These tuna cakes can be frozen. I used green chilies but you can substitute this with bell peppers and if you have only carrots or peas at home use that. Some people add mayo in the recipe and if you like mayo add 2 tbsp. . You man make this spicy, gluten free or not. If you don't want to have the bread crumb coating don't do the crumb coating but the result is excellent. Having said that, have to tell you that the bread crumb coating is the best part of this dish. Instead of regular bread crumbs you can use panko bread crumbs for the coating if you like that extra crunch.

Ingredients

370g canned tuna(drained)

2 eggs

1 cup +1/2 cup bread crumbs

2-3 tbsp plain flour

Half medium sized onion chopped

2 garlic cloves  minced

1/4 inch ginger minced

2 Green chilies (optional) chopped

1/4 cup Cilantro chopped

2  tbsp Lemon juice 

1 tsp BBQ spice powder(optional)

1 tsp Paprika 

1-2 tsp pepper powder

1 tbsp oil

Method

In a pan, heat oil and saute chooped onion, garlic, ginger and green chilies till translucent(or till raw smell goes). Keep this aside for 5 mins

In a bowl, mix the tuna. 1 egg. bread crumbs, cilantro,sauteed ingredients,bbq spice, paprika and pepper, I used my hands to mix this, (I know I know....you can use spoon or fork if you want)

Form the moisture into patties of the the size of your palm. I made 7 patties( I know right..tis' cheap...hehe)

. Dust the patties with flour. Beat the egg a bowl. Dip each patty in the beaten egg and roll with bread crumbs. 

At this point you can pack some and freeze if you want to, Defrost and shallow fry for 2 mins on each  side when its required.

Serve hot with salad,tomato sauce or cream cheese spread.

Happy Cooking!

How to make Chicken Stock (White & Brown)

Use this flavorful chicken stock while preparing soups, rice, stuffing or gravies.. You won't be disappointed.

To make a good soup or stew you need to have a good stock. To make a good stock you need to have good ingredients which results in good flavor. By good ingredients I mean chicken wings, necks, bones etc which are not very inexpensive.(You can even use left over roasted chicken from last night)

If you want a clear stock or white stock merely simmer the ingredients in water with the aromatics, You do not need to roast them. This is best for soups and sauces. If you want brown stock, roast the meat in the pan on the stove or in the oven along with the vegetables, This has a deeper color with a caramelized flavor to it. This is best for stews and braises.

This is how I make chicken stock at home

RECIPE FOR WHITE STOCK

Ingredients

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

1 onion

2 bay leaves

Quarter cup cilantro or parsley

1 tsp Rosemary

1 tsp Pepper corns 

2 cans store bought chicken broth(optional, for more flavor)

salt

Method

Put all the ingredients in a pot of cold water. Bring it to boil and put the flame back on simmer. Let this simmer for a good 90 minutes.  Skim it frequently to prevent the stock from getting cloudy,Keep adding water when the quantity of water is getting low.

 Strain the stock using a sieve or colander and remove the solid part. Let this cool down and skim off the fat which forms on top. 

Another option is to pressure cook this on a high heat till 1 whistle. Continue on low heat for 30 minutes. Put off the flame and let it rest for another 20 minutes without opening the lid.

Have you heard that the measure of a good cook is how well he or she can make a simple soup?

Well. you can with this stock!

RECIPE FOR BROWN STOCK

Ingredients

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

1 onion

Ginger and garlic sliced 1 tbsp each

2 bay leaves

Quarter cup cilantro(optional)

1 tsp Rosemary

 1 tsp I used pepper powder

1 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tsp olive oil

salt

Method

In a heavy bottom pan, heat the oil and saute ginger, garlic, chicken, carrot and celery for 2 minutes or till browned.

Add 2 litres of water(room temperature). Add bay leaves, pepper and other aromatics you are using.

Bring to a boil on high flame. Add salt and soy sauce. Now turn down the heat and let it simmer. Bubbles should just gently break the surface. Keep adding water when the quantity of water is getting low.

 Skim it frequently to prevent the stock from getting cloudy. Cook this for 1 to 2 hours  This will give you deep colored stock, 

Strain the stock using a sieve or colander and remove the solid part. Let this cool down and skim off the fat which forms on top.

 Store these in different containers and freeze them. Remove the fat on top before use, This can store for few months,

HAPPY COOKING!

Chicken Soup For Winter

                                   When I fell sick last week the only thing that I wanted to have was hot soup. There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of hot soup when you are sick especially during winter.This is a simple recipe you can follow if you have chicken stock at home

. Let me dive straight into the recipe.

Ingredients:

2.5 cups chicken stock(I used home made)

1 chicken breast

1/2 of a carrot shaved into ribbons

few leaves of spinach

salt & white pepper powder

Method

Boil the chicken stock along with the carrot ribbons and chicken breast.

After 7 minutes take out the chicken breast and shred the flesh. Put off the stove and throw in the spinach leaves. The spinach will cook in that heat. Serve the shredded chicken into the soup bowl and pour the soup over it. Add salt and pepper if required. I didn't have to add lots because I had already added salt and pepper in the stock.

HAPPY COOKING!

Spicy Chicken Curry Recipe

After I got married I have asked myself so many times 'Who is a better cook-Ammi(my mom) or Mom(my mom in law)?'. Till this date I don't know the answer of that question. They both are really good. My point is I didn't know how to cook at all when I got married - not even know how to cook rice. And every time I cook I would get so disappointed with myself and my husband would sweetly say 'Why don't we go out and eat babe'. Mom and Ammi have helped me so much by giving me their recipes. This is one of them.

This Chicken Curry is one of our favorites. Its very rich with the almond paste and cream-goes really well with rice or rotis. I have made this for guests and they have loved it too.  For an Indian, this curry would be medium spicy, However, for others this is 'HOT'. Sadly, don't think these pictures do justice to the color of this curry. Ya Ya you are right! I need to take some photography lessons. 

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Ingredients

1 kg chicken

1 cup curd

1 tsp shah jeera or caraway seeds

whole spices(1' cinnamon, 3 cloves,1 star aniseed, 1 cardamom,1 bayleaf) 

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp chopped garlic 

1 tbsp chopped ginger

4 green chillies

1 onion

4 heaped tsp kashmiri chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

4 tbsp almond paste made from 50g  of almonds

1/4 cup tomato paste

 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves

3/4 tsp garam masala

1 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup cream 

salt and pepper to taste

Merthod

Marinate the chicken in curd and 1 tsp salt for a minimum of half an hour. Keep this aside.

Microwave 50g of almond in 4 tbsp water for 4 mins on high. Make this into a paste in a blender.

Chop the onions, ginger and garlic. Slice the green chillies. Chop the coriander leaves and keep aside. At this point you can do all the other prep work like measuring the ingredients.

 When the marination time is over, heat butter in a heavy bottom pan. When the butter melts add the shah jeera and the whole spices.Let the spices infuse into the butter. After 20 seconds on medium high heat add chopped ginger and garlic. When the colour starts to change add the chopped onion and sliced chilies. When chopped onion turns brown, add turmeric powder and chilli powder. Mis this well for 10 seconds add the tomato paste. 

                                                       

Mix well and add half of the almond paste,

                                      

To this add add the marinated chicken. 

Cook this covered for 15 minutes. Do not add water into this as the chicken will release water.

After 15 minutes, add hot chicken stock, coriander leaves, garam masala and the rest of the almond paste. Mix well and check for salt and pepper. Cook this again covered for another 15 minutes.

Before serving add cream and give it a boil.And VOILA! 

Garnish it with coriander leaves or friend onions.

HAPPY COOKING!

Proscuitto Spaghettii Recipe

My husband makes the ultimate spaghetti. So this weekend when he was making the spaghetti I managed to take down the recipe. The prosciutto gives such an unbelievable'OINK'  flavor to the dish!! The smell and taste was so good that its after finishing we remembered about Mr Parmesan waiting for us. 

Ingredients 

200 grams spaghetti cooked in salt water and olive oil til al dente

3 clove of garlic crushed

parsley(u can use how much ever u want) 

10-12 pieces of sliced olives

4 pieces of sun dried tomatoes

175 grams prosciutto  

half teaspoon ground pepper 

Grated Parmesan

Method 

Heat the pan and throw in the oink oink deliciousness (aka proscuitto) like a chef. Let the fat come out of this.

After 3 minutes add the garlic cloves

After 2 minutes throw in the sun-dried tomatoes

Mix in the cooked spaghetti, olives, pepper powder and parsley . 

THAT'S IT!

 U can now serve this on a plate and dig in :-)