Mango And Mint Milk Shake

 

 

How about we celebrate the heat with some delicious mango and mint milk shake?

Recipe:

2 cups fresh mango chunks
1½ cup chilled milk
12-15 fresh mint leaves
4 tablespoons sugar, or according to taste

Blend together all the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Serve in tall glasses, and garnish with mint leaves.

Notes:

You can store the milk shake in your refrigerator for upto a day.

When choosing mangoes, pick those that yield slightly to gentle pressure and do not have blemishes on the skin. Or just smell them; ripe mangoes have a fragrant aroma. Also keep in mind that fibre free mangoes such as Alphonso are the best to eat.

You can refrigerate ripe mangoes in plastic bags for 3-4 days if you do not want to use them immediately. However, if you want them to ripen just a bit more, then keep them in brown paper bags in a warm place.

Most importantly, before using mangoes, wash them thoroughly. Infact, an even better idea would be to leave them in slightly salted warm water for half to one hour, rinse them and then peel the skin off before eating.

        

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Daal Curry Recipe - North Indian Style Curried Lentils

                                         Valluvanadan Tasty Food

Recipe:

You will need:
1 cup toor dal/tuvara parippu/yellow pigeon peas
2 dried red chilies
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
2 tablespoon oil
1 onion, finely shopped
8 cloves garlic (the small kind), finely chopped
4 green chilies slit lengthwise
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon red chili powder
2 small tomatoes, finely chopped
3 cups water
1½ tablespoon tomato sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ cup coriander leaves, chopped
To taste, salt

Method:

Pressure cook the peas along with water till the peas are completely cooked and mushy. About 4-5 whistles should be enough.

In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and dried red chilies and let the seeds splutter.

Add onions and sauté till they start to brown. Toss in garlic and green chilies and continue sautéing for a couple of minutes more. Reduce heat and add turmeric powder and red chili powder. Mix in tomatoes and stir till the tomatoes have softened. Stir in the cooked lentils along with some salt and boil for a couple of minutes. If you want the daal to be loose, add some more water. Add tomato sauce, sugar and coriander leaves. Boil for a minute more. Take off heat and serve hot with rotis or white rice.

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Sandwiched Indian Omelette - Recipe

Recipe:

For the Indian omelette:
(This is a very simple recipe, the way I like it. You can try adding in garam masala, coriander leaves, chili powder, chopped ginger etc as per your taste)
2 eggs
1/2 a red onion, chopped very finely
1 green chili, chopped very finely
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon pepper powder
1 teaspoon oil

To sandwich
4 slices of bread
2 tablespoons ghee
2 tablespoons tomato sauce

Method:
Beat together all ingredients for the omelette except oil with a fork.

Brush the oil onto a pan, warm over a low flame. Pour in the egg mixture. When the underside of the omelette has browned slightly, turn over and cook the other side. Keep aside.

Brush ghee on the bread slices, and toast in a pan till browned to your liking. Spread the tomato sauce over toasted bread, top with omelette, cover with another slice of bread, and serve hot.

How simple is this! I will soon share the recipe for my mother's easy to make tomato sandwich, which was extremely popular in my class.

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Nadan Kozhi Curry - Kerala Chicken Curry Recipe

The Naaden Kozhi Curry involves cooking the chicken in its own juices along with slightly bruised spices and fresh ginger and garlic. Once the chicken is juicy and infused with the aromatic spices, plenty of sautéed onions are added, along with fried slices of coconut, which is perhaps the most sought after part of the dish. The entire dish is cooked till the sauce reaches a bare minimum, and every bite of chicken is packed with the flavours of all the spices that Kerala is home to. For the authentic Kerala taste, coconut oil is a must.

Recipe

A.
1 kg chicken, on the bone, cut into medium sized pieces (approximately 30 pieces) and cleaned
1 tablespoon piece ginger, finely chopped + 8-10 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cardamom + 5 cloves + 1" piece cinnamon + 1 star anise + 2 pinches of mace (jathi pathiri) + 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, slightly bruised using mortar and pestle
1 table red chili powder + 1 tablespoon coriander powder + 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
To taste, salt

B.
2 large onions cut into thin long slices
1.5 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 tablespoons ginger julienned + 2 tablespoons garlic julienned
1 sprig curry leaves
4 tablespoon oil, preferably coconut oil
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced pieces of coconut (1.5" long slices)
1 teaspoon red chili powder + 1 teaspoon coriander powder
3/4 tablespoon pepper powder + 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder

Method:

Mix together all the ingredients labeled A, and let it marinate for 15 - 20 minutes.

In a large pot, cook the marinated chicken over a low heat till it is completely cooked. While cooking, add a quarter cup of hot water, if you find the chicken sticking to the bottom of the pot. Once the chicken is cooked, boil off excess juices.

In a large pan, heat the oil. Crackle the mustard seeds. Add ginger and garlic, and then toss in the sliced onions. Sauté the onions till they brown lightly. Add the chili powder, coriander powder and salt, and sauté over a low flame. Then add the coconut slices and curry leaves and continue sautéing till the onions have turned golden brown. Add the chicken pieces and continue sautéing till the onions have coated all the chicken pieces well. Sprinkle over the pepper powder and garam masala and mix well. 
 

This curry is quite fiery, as is the curry served in most homes in Kerala. For a milder version, reduce the quantity of spice and chili powder - drastically. Serve hot with rice.

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