Friday, August 30, 2013

Kerala Egg curry/ Mutta curry


There is a part inside me  wishing for a joint family life, living in a big  house full of people having lots of fun. Might  sound crazy right ? But thats what I feel now especially since my parents are here with me now. Work is divided between everyone which  makes life easier. It has been weeks since I did the laundary, folded my clothes  or  given lil A a shower. Mum does everything for me. Luckily the job I hates the most is not so boring for Mum and vice versa !!

Making lil A speak his mother tongue was one of the biggest challenge for us. Both me and S being less patient  gave up the effort after trying for while but surprisingly few weeks with grandparents did the all trick. I feel so happy and thrilled to see him speak his mother tongue. I really wish he won't switch back to English once they leave to India in few days time. The mere thought of my parents leaving is giving me an insecure feeling, but after all that's life !

Coming back to todays post, its egg curry/ mutta curry my favourite curry to go along with idiyappam. I usually enjoy eggs in all forms, be it boiled, scrambled , poached, omlette , fried or even half boiled. Yes I am  a total  egg fan. If not for the fat in yolks I could have enjoyed eggs everyday :) So do I need to say how much I love this egg curry !


Ingredients

Onion - 3 medium( thinly sliced lenghtwise )
Tomato - 2 small
Ginger (minced )- 1 tbs
Garlic (minced ) - 1 tbs
Green chillies -2 (slit lenghtwise )
Fennel seeds (perum jeerakam ) - 1 tsp
Redchilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Chicken masala - 1 tsp
Salt
Sugar - 1/2 tsp( optional)
Boiled eggs - 3 ( cut into half )
oil
Water - 1/4 cup
Coconut milk - 3/4  cup
Curry leaves - few sprigs


Method

  • In a saucepan add oil .When the oil is hot add fennel seeds and fry for a minute.
  • Add sliced onions and a pinch of salt and saute until onions are light brown in colour and soft (takes about 15- 30 minutes )
  • Add minced  ginger, garlic, green chillies, few curry leaves and fry for a minute.
  • Add redchilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chicken masala and stir for a minute. 
  • Add chopped tomatoes and stir until tomatoes are cooked and mashed.
  • Add water , check salt and let it cook covered for 5 minutes.
  • Finally add coconut milk, rest of the curry leaves and  boiled egg. When it is about to boil turn off the flame.

Enjoy the egg curry with Idiyappam / chapathy /  wheat dosa /  appam or even bread :)

Monday, August 19, 2013

Idiyappam/ Nool puttu



Eating cooked breakfast even 3 days a week  was a luxury for us here, but these days since  my parents are here we  get to eat cooked breakfast 7 days a week, and we r totally enjoying all that luxury. Like everytime this time also my mum prepared everything possible for us to bring here which included all homemade spice powders, rice flour, Puttu flour etc etc.. And to make a good idiyappam/ nool puttu you  need a good quality rice flour and what can be better than the rice flour my mum milled for me from rice mill with home grown rice. Oh yes it is  a 5 star rice flour as it involves all the  effort my mum takes in growing our own rice in  paddy fields ,so do I need to say about the outcome ?? It was melt in mouth and super soft idiyappams, the best idiyappams ever.

Every year after our vacation we will be eating such nice stuffs for a while and when it finishes we switch to the readymade flours and I should say that transition is a nightmare, I can't even compare how the taste vary, but soon our taste buds adjust to the readymade flour and we start to enjoy that as well but still I got to say the nothing can beat that homemade taste :) So if you want to make a your own rice flour and have a good rice mill nearby go ahead and soak some rice, drain it and send it to the mill to make the finest powder and roast it well and a first quality flour is ready for u. I dont reccomend using mixie for making  rice flour at home as they dont do a good job and the taste wont be good as the one milled in rice mill, but if you dont have other option go ahead and make  it in mixie or buy readymade flour and make some idiyappam and enjoy !


Ingredients (serves 3)

Rice flour - 11/2 cups
Boiling water -2 1/4 cup or as required 
Oil - 1 tbs
Salt

Method
  • Roast the rice flour for few minutes.
  • Boil the water and add salt and oil.
  • Add roasted rice flour to the boiling water and mix well with a wooden spoon.


  • Mix until you get a smooth dough like the picture below.


  • Fill the idiyappam maker with smooth dough and rotate the handle and fill the idiyappam on to each holes of idly maker filled with a  little grated coconut.


  • Steam the idiyppams for 7-8 minutes.
  • Enjoy with some egg curry (recipe will follow soon )

Friday, August 16, 2013

Cupcakes to say thank you


Time surely flies quickly. It seems only yesterday lil A started nursery and before I knew he finished his nursery and is all set to start School next month in a new School in a brand new environment. I am so thrilled about the whole  thought of him going to  school wearing a  uniform and packed lunch. When he finished his nursery last month I wanted to thank his nursery teachers in my own way and I couldn't think of anything else other than some personalised  cupcakes. Lil  A was also happy to make cupcakes for teachers and since  It was 2 days before my vacation  I was under lot of stress while making this but somehow I managed to pull it out at the  last minute. The teachers were so happy and touched by the gift which made all my effort worthwhile. It was an emotional day for me too, I  was  sad to see him say good bye to his teachers and friends but after all it was for a new beginning :) Anyway the cupcakes I made  was chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream which  always wins hearts and this was no different  :)


Sunday, August 11, 2013

Some Vacation Pictures and Giveaway winner !



A big hello to all...I am back after a months break. As many of u know I was on Vacation in India and getting back to routine after a break is not that easy especially as I am having an extended  holiday in London  as my parents also came along with us for a visit. I am busy taking them around  for sight seeing and cooking for them. 

Whenever I post my recipe pictures in Fcebook or my blog, my Dad always used to ask when am I going to cook for them as I never kind of cooked my specialities in India. I need  my kitchen and my ingredients to cook on my own comfort so when I am elsewhere I usually assist but doesnt do much cooking :) So I am keeping my promise these days by cooking for them which gives me immense pleasure. 

I will be back with a recipe soon but till then here are some vacation pictures for u all :) This time the Monsoon in kerala was the heaviest in 13 yrears and it was raining thorughout during our holidays neverthless we enjoyed each and every moment of our trip.

Also just wanted to let u know that I  picked  the giveway winner before I left to India and its none other than Rafeeda of Big sweet tooth , congrats Rafee :)