Pazham/ Banana Nulliyittathu

            " Nulliyittathu" means dropping the batter into hot oil using hand. It is similar to banana fritters, but here the bananas are mixed/mashed well with the batter....

Ingredients:

1/2 kg ripe bananas
1 cup plain flour/ maida
2 tbsp grated coconut
a pinch of cardamom powder
a pinch of salt
5-6 tbsp sugar (add to your sweetness)
oil for frying

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, add bananas, sugar and salt and mix well with hand.
2. Then add plain flour, grated coconut and cardamon powder and mix well to a thick batter adding little water.
3. Heat oil in a pan and drop little batter using spoon or with hand into hot oil and fry till golden brown. Serve hot with tea/coffee...

Cucumber/ Kakkirikka Dosa

Ingredients:

2 cups raw rice/ pachari
1 cup cucumber/kakkirikka, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup grated coconut
1/4 cup cooked rice
water as required
salt

Preparation:

1. Soak raw rice in water for 4-5 hours.
2. Grind it with grated coconut, chopped cucumber, cooked rice and salt adding water to a smooth batter. Add enough water to make it thin and watery batter like neer dosa batter.
3. Heat a non stick pan/tawa on medium heat and grease it with little oil.
4. Pour a ladleful of batter and rotate the pan to spread the batter to make a thin dosa.
5. Cover with a lid and cook till the dosa is cooked for about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat the same process with the remaining batter.
6. Serve hot with any veg/ non-veg curry...

Clams Stir Fry / Kakka Irachi Ularthiyathu

Ingredients:

250 gm clams/ kakka irachi/ elambakka, cleaned
15 shallots, peeled and crushed
1" piece ginger, crushed
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2- 2 tsp crushed pepper
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
curry leaves
salt
2 tbsp coconut oil

Preparation:

1. In a pan, add cleaned clams, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and 1/2 cup water and cook on medium flame till done. Keep it aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
3. Add curry leaves, crushed shallots, ginger and garlic and saute well till transparent.
4. Then add cooked clams and mix well. Check for salt.
5. Add crushed pepper and stir fry for 5-7 minutes until they turn brown...Remove from flame and serve hot..

Egg - Coconut Milk Curry

Ingredients:

3 hard boiled eggs, cut each into half
2 onions, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 tsp ginger, crushed
1 tsp garlic, crushed
5 green chillies, slit
1 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder
1 1/2 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp fennel powder
2 cup thick coconut milk
salt
1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
oil

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onions, crushed ginger and garlic and saute well.
2. Add chopped tomato and green chillies and saute till soft.
3. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, fennel powder and salt and stir well.
4. Add one cup of water, mix well and cook covered for few minutes.
5. Uncover the pan and then add coconut milk and stir well.
6. When the gravy begins to boil, gently put in the egg pieces and boil for 1-2 minutes.
7. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot....

Recipe Source: manoramaonline

Strawberry Ice cream

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
1 cup milk
3/4 cup fresh cream
1/2 cup sugar

Preparation:

1. In a blender, add strawberries, milk, fresh cream and sugar and blend well until smooth.
2. Transfer it to any freezer proof container and place it in the freezer for 5-6 hours.
3. Take the set ice cream out and blend it again using a mixer or in a blender. 
4. Pour the blended mixture in the same container and freeze overnight till set.. Serve out the yummy strawberry ice cream in scoops..

Kariveppila Chicken/ Chicken with Curry Leaves

Ingredients:

1/2 kg chicken, cut into small pieces
1 cup (8 sprigs) curry leaves
1 cup grated coconut
1 tsp pepper corns
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 green chillies, chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2-3/4 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
salt
oil

Preparation:

1. Clean chicken pieces and cook it adding chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. 
2. Heat little oil in a pan and fry the curry leaves and keep it aside.
3. In the same oil, fry the grated coconut, cumin seeds and pepper corns. ( Don't make it over fried)..
4. Grind this fried coconut with fried curry leaves to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan and saute ginger-garlic paste.
6. Add chopped onion, green chillies and tomato and saute well.
7. Then add water of the cooked chicken and mix well till it dries.
8. Add the ground coconut-curry leaves paste and boil well.
9. Add cooked chicken pieces and required salt, mix well and boil for 2 minutes.
10. Remove from flame and serve hot...

Cherry Popsicles

Ingredients:

2 cups cherries
1/2 cup water
4-5 tbsp sugar (add less or more to your taste)
2-3 tbsp fresh lime juice

Preparation:

1. In a pan, add  the pitted cherries, water, sugar and lime juice and cook on medium heat until the cherries are soft and cooked.
2. Remove it from heat and cool it to room temperature.
3. Puree the cherries using a blender and strain the mixture through a sieve.
4. Pour the strained mixture into popsicle mould and freeze it for 5-6 hours or overnight....

Kumbalanga/ Ash Gourd Pulissery

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup kumbalanga/ ashgourd/ wintermelon
1 cup grated coconut
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 green chillies, slit
1 cup yoghurt
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 shallots, sliced
3 dry red chillies
2 sprig curry leaves
salt
coconut oil

Preparation:

1. Peel and dice kumbalanga into small pieces.
2. Grind grated coconut, turmeric powder and cumin seeds together to a thick paste.
3. Add yoghurt with the ground coconut paste and mix well.
4. In a pan, add diced kumbalanga, slit green chillies, salt and water and cook on medium flame till the pieces are cooked.
5. Reduce the flame and add ground paste- yoghurt mixture and heat on low flame for few minutes. Don't allow to boil.
6. Heat little coconut oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
7. Add sliced shallots, dry red chillies and curry leaves and saute.
8. Pour this seasoning over the curry and close the lid... Serve with rice...

Mutton Varutharacha Curry

Ingredients:

1/2 kg mutton, cut into pieces
2 onions, sliced
1 tomato, chopped
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 cup grated coconut
5-6 shallots, sliced
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp chilli powder
3 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 sprig curry leaves
salt
oil

Preparation:

1. Heat little oil in a pan and roast grated coconut, fennel seeds, 3 shallots sliced and few curry leaves until brown.
2. Switch off and then add chilli powder and coriander powder and mix well.  Grind it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
3. In a pressure cooker, add cleaned mutton pieces, sliced onions, tomato, ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric powder, salt and pressure cook adding little water.
4. Add the ground coconut paste to the cooked mutton and allow to boil in medium flame.
5. Heat little oil in a small pan and add 2 shallots sliced and few curry leaves and fry till brown and pour this to the curry and boil for another 2 minutes.
6. Switch off the flame and keep covered until its ready to serve...Serve with pathiri, idiyappam, neer dosa, ghee rice etc...

Potato and Drumstick Curry

Ingredients:

250 gm potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
100 gm drumsticks, cut into 2" pieces
1 tomato, chopped
1 big onion, chopped
2 green chillies, slit
1 piece ginger, crushed
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
3/4-1 tsp garam masala
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp mustard seeds
chopped coriander leaves
salt
oil

Preparation:

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker and add chopped onion, tomato, green chillies, ginger, garlic and curry leaves and saute well.
2. Then add coriander powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder and stir well.
3. Add chopped potatoes, drumsticks,salt and little water and mix well.
4. Cover and cook for about 2 whistles and switch off the flame.
5. Open the lid, add coconut milk and garam masala and then boil well till the gravy thickens.
6. Heat little oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
7. Pour this over the prepared curry and add few chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Serve hot...

Chocolate Cupcakes

Recipe Source: Joy of Baking

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup (175 gm) all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup boiling hot water
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (113 gm) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 190 degree celcius. Lightly butter or line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In a small bowl, add the cocoa powder and boiling hot water and stir well until smooth. Let it cool to room temperature.
3. Whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and keep it aside.
4. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract.
6. Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated.
7. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.
8. Divide the batter evenly into prepared muffin cups and bake for about 16-20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
9. Remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool and then serve..

Mathi/ Sardine Peera

Ingredients:

1/2 kg sardines/ mathi
2 cup grated coconut
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3 dry red chillies
1/2 cup shallots, sliced
1 tbsp green chillies, chopped
6 garlic cloves
2 sprig curry leaves
3 kudampuli pieces/ gambooge/fish tamarind
salt
2 tbsp coconut oil

Preparation:

1. Clean and cut sardines into pieces and keep it aside.
2. Soak kudampuli in 1/2 cup water.
3. Crush grated coconut, turmeric powder, dry red chillies, sliced shallots, garlic cloves, green chillies and curry leaves.
4. Transfer the crushed mixture into a manchatti or pan and mix well (using hand).
5. Then add cleaned sardines, soaked kudampuli with its water, salt and little water and mix well.
6. Cover and cook in medium heat for few minutes. When it boils, remove the lid and mix it well. Then add coconut oil and few curry leaves.
7. Then cook it uncovered till all the water dries up and fish is well coated with the coconut mixture. Remove from flame and serve hot... 

Broccoli Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 small broccoli
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2-1 cup boneless chicken, cut into very small pieces
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour/maida
1 1/2 cup milk
3 cups chicken stock
1 tsp pepper powder
salt

Preparation:

1. Cut broccoli into small florets and keep it aside.
2. In a pan, boil water adding little salt. Add chopped broccoli and boil it for 2-3 minutes. Switch off and put the boiled broccoli in to cold water taken in a bowl (blanching).
3. Heat another pan and add butter. When it melts, add chopped onion and saute till light pink.
4. Add chicken pieces and saute well till cooked.
5. Add plain flour and saute well. Then add chicken stock and allow to boil well adding little salt and 1/2 tsp pepper powder. 
6. When it starts to thicken, add milk little by little and the blanched broccoli and mix well.
7. Add 1/2 tsp pepper powder and salt if needed and boil it for 5 minutes.
8. Remove from flame and serve hot...

Recipe source: Magic Oven

Beef Ularthiyathu

Ingredients:

1/2 kg beef
1/2 cup coconut slices
2 1/2 - 3 tbsp coriander powder
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
10 shallots, sliced
1 big tomato, chopped
1 tbsp ginger, crushed
2 sprig curry leaves
few coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
5-6 pepper corns
small piece cinnamon
1 clove
1 cardamom
1 tsp mustard seeds
coconut oil
salt

Preparation:

1. Cut beef into pieces, wash well and keep it aside.
2. Heat a pan and roast coriander powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder for 2 minutes.
3. Then marinate the cleaned beef with the roasted powders and salt for half an hour.
4. Grind fennel seeds, pepper corns, cinnamon, cardamom and clove together to a powder and keep it aside.
5. Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a pressure cooker and splutter 1/2 tsp mustard seeds.
6. Add coconut slices, sliced shallots, crushed ginger, coriander leaves and curry leaves and saute well.
7. Add chopped tomato and saute well.
8. Add marinated beef and 3/4 cup water and mix well. Cover and cook till done.
9. Heat little coconut oil in a pan and splutter 1/2 tsp mustard seeds. Add ground masala powder and cooked beef and saute well on medium flame till dry....Remove from flame and serve hot...

Cabbage - Carrot Thoran

Ingredients:

2 cups cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup carrot, grated
3/4 cup grated coconut
4-5 green chillies
5 shallots, sliced
1 sprig curry leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
salt
1 tbsp oil

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, add sliced cabbage, carrot, grated coconut, chopped green chillies, turmeric powder, sliced shallots and salt and mix well.
2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
3. Add curry leaves and cabbage-carrot-coconut mixture and mix well.
4. Cover and cook on low heat till done, stirring occasionally. Remove from flame and serve hot with rice...

Idiyappam Chemmeen Ularthu

Ingredients:

1 cup prawns/ chemmeen, cleaned
8-10  idiyappams
3/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
2 sprig curry leaves
salt
oil

Preparation:

1. Cook cleaned prawns with chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt adding little water.
2. Break idiyappams into small pieces and keep it aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onions and saute well.
4. Add chopped tomatoes, curry leaves and cooked prawns and mix well for few minutes.
5. Then add idiyappam pieces and mix well. Check salt. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes on low flame.
6. Remove from flame and serve hot...

Recipe Source: Vanitha Magazine

Kakkirikka/ Cucumber Pachadi

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup cucumber/ kakkirikka, peeled and chopped
1 cup grated coconut
2 green chillies
3/4 cup yoghurt
2 dry red chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
salt
oil

Preparation:

1. Chop the cucumber into small pieces and keep it aside.
2. Grind grated coconut,green chillies, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and1/4 cup yoghurt to a fine paste.
3. Add the ground paste, remaining yoghurt and salt to the chopped cucumber and mix well.
4. Heat oil in a pan and splutter 1/2 tsp mustard seeds. Add dry red chillies and curry leaves and saute for few seconds.
5. Add this to the prepared mixture and mix well. Serve with rice....

Milk Popsicles/ Paal Ice

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
1/2 cup condensed milk
1/4 tsp vanilla essence

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, add milk, condensed milk and vanilla essence and mix well.
2. Pour this prepared milk mixture into popsicle mould and freeze it for 4-5 hours or overnight..
3. To release the popsicles, run the mould under the warm water for 20-30 seconds..Serve it immediately...

Baby Corn 65

Ingredients:

10 baby corns
2 tbsp coriander leaves
1 tbsp curry leaves
2-3 green chillies
3 garlic cloves
small piece ginger
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chilli powder
1 1/2 tsp rice flour
1-2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp yoghurt
red color (optional)
salt
oil for frying

Preparation:

1. Cut baby corns lengthwise and keep it aside.
2. In a blender, add coriander leaves, curry leaves, green chillies, garlic and ginger and grind to a coarse paste.
3. Transfer the ground paste to a bowl and add chilli powder, garam masala, red color, rice flour, plain flour, lemon juice, yoghurt and salt and mix well to a thick batter.
4. Add baby corns to this batter and marinate well.
5. Heat oil in a pan and fry the marinated baby corns till golden brown and crisp..Serve hot... 

Recipe Source: Vahrehvah

Confetti Cupcakes

                              Wishing all my readers and friends a very happy and prosperous new year....
      Today's recipe is a colorful confetti cupcakes - white cupcakes with vanilla flavour and colorful rainbow sprinkles, topped with vanilla buttercream frosting  and sprinkles...

Recipe Source: Baking Bites

Ingredients:

For Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
3 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp butter, softened
2 tbsp rainbow sprinkles

For Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2- 2 cups icing sugar
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp milk

Preparation:

For Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree celcius. Line 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg whites, vanilla extract and almond extract and keep it aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder and stir to combine.
4. Add butter and beat at low speed until mixture is coarse and sandy.
5. Add milk mixture (step 2) and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 -2 minutes and stir in sprinkles.
6. Divide the batter evenly into prepared muffin tin and bake for 15 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting...

For Frosting:

1. Beat butter for 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer on medium speed.
2. Gradually add icing sugar on low speed until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter.
3. Add vanilla extract and milk and beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until creamy.
4. Frost the cooled cupcakes with prepared icing and add sprinkles on top.....