Sunny Weekend In London !

The clock in U.K has changed to GMT and I am not liking it at all, I dont mind if the sun rise is a bit late but when it gets dark by 4- 4.30 its so aweful, but anyway I m glad that I will get more time for blogging :)
We had a surprise VIP this weekend,my brother in law (my younger sister's hubby) !! He came here on an official trip and was with us over this weekend and we had a great weekend with him taking him in and around London .We were lucky enough with the weather too ,it was so sunny and slighlty warm too.Cant believe its nearly November and the temperature is still in 2 digits !

Here are the few pictures we clicked..

Kerala Spinach /Cheera Thoran

Hope u all had a good Diwali..Mine was good too ,had a small party on Diwali day with my friends and is going to have one more with family soon..I love parties,who doesnt right?? I love to eat what others cook ,even once in a week when I am bored of my dishes I ask my H to cook and he does it happily..

Are u all set for Halloween too ?? I havent made up my mind whether to carve a pumkin yet, I guess its a little early for my lil one to appreciate it,infact I m scared that he might even cry if I manage to carve a scary one !!

Kerala spinach/cheera (red and green) is my favourite leafy vegetable , I can eat 2 meals of rice in a go with this.My love for this cheera is even popular among my inlaws ,and I remember one time soon after marriage when were invited for lunch at his uncles place I was so surprised to see that even the aunty knew about this and she prepared this especially for me..

Here goes my favourite cheera thoran recipe for u all.

Ingredients

Cheera/Kerala spinach - 1 bundle
Onion - 1
Green chillies - 1-2
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Grated coconut - 3-4 tbs
Curry leaves
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Salt

Preparation
Wash and chop the spinach.
In a saucepan add oil,sputter mustard and add green chillies and chopped onions ,saute onions until soft. Add spinach ,turmeric ,salt and cook it covered.When it is almost cooked add grated cononut and curry leaves and cook for 1-2minutes.

Edichakka Thoran/Tender Jackfruit Thoran

Back home we have few jackfruit trees in our backyard so we get to eat a lot every summer  and  I never really missed eating this  until I moved to U.K. We eat all forms of this fruit, like the tender stage called Edi chakka, then the raw jackfruit and ripen one, even the seeds of the jackfruit !! We even cook some dumplings in jackfruit leaves which gives a unique flavour .

Once  in a month  I go to a Srilankan shop here where I get all Indian veggies,when I see all those fresh green veggies I go wild and end up buying a lottt, but after coming back I have a tough job, chopping and freezing it, but it makes my job easier for the rest of the week.Coming to my topic,on our last week's visit to that shop I was soo thrilled to see tender jackfruit/Edi chakka ,without even thinking I picked up one,had no idea how to cook it as I never bothered to watch my mom cooking it. Gave a ring to mum and she gave me instructions how to clean and cook it and so hereit  is  :)

Ingredients
Edi chakka - 1
Shallots -5-7
Garlic- 1 or 2pods
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Cumin seeds -1/2 tsp
Redchilly powder - 3/4 tbs
Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
Salt
For tempering
Mustard seeds -1/2 tsp
Whole redchilly-1
Curry leaves- few
Oil

Preparation
Clean edichakka and peel the thick green outer skin till you find the white porous flesh.Chop it into big slices and pressure cook it with redchilly powder,turmeric and salt for 1-2 whistles.Once it is cooked gently mash it ,leaving the centre portion ( pillar kind of thing which holds it ). Make a coarse paste of grated coconut, garlic, shallots and cumin seeds.In another saucepan sputter mustard seeds, whole redchilly, curryleaves and add edichakka and coarse coconut paste cook it for 1-2 minute.

Potato Bonda/Aloo bonda in 2 styles

Bonda brings back a lot of childhood memories to me..When my father finally managed to get a transfer to our home town (kannur) we all were so happy that we can finally live in our own house and be with our cousins and relatives.Since our house was in a country side there were no good schools there so we had to go all the way to town for school.Going in fully packed school van was a nightmare for me and my 2 sisters.After struggling for few weeks we decided to go in local bus but again that was just the same,since our place was bit far there were not so many buses running in our route so morning and evening bus was fully packed with school kids,so finally my father decided to drop us and pick us everyday.But since its a long way back home after picking us from school he took us to his office,we waited outside in the car in protected carkpark .From 4- 6 pm we stayed in the car doing home works and chatting about our day at school.Apart from 3 of us our cousin brother who was in college also used to join us.Like all other kids after school we used to be soo hungry and so our cousin brother used to go to a small coffee shop and get us some hot snacks like Bonda,Ela ada,Uzhunu vada etc everyday.. Years passed by but still the taste of those delicious snacks are still in the tip of my tongue.

Since I like both kerala and North Indian style bondas I am sharing the recipe of both here...

Ingredients( for Kerala style )
Potatoes -2(medium size)
Onion - 1/2 (finely chopped)
Greenchillies -1-2
Cumin seeds- 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds -1/4 tsp
Ginger chopped -1tsp
Curryleaves - few
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Gram flour -3/4 cup
Redchiily powder - pinch
Salt
oil for deep frying

Preparation
Boil potatoes , peel the skin and mash it.
In a saucepan add some oil sputter mustard seeds and cumin. Add chopped onions,ginger,greenchillies and curryleaves.When onion becomes soft add turmeric , salt and finally add potatoes and mix well.Make balls from the mixture. Meanwhile make a batter of gram flour with water adding little salt and redchilly powder.Batter should not be to thick or too loose.In a kadai pour some oil and keep it on a medium flame,when the oil is ready dip balls in the batter and fry till golden brown.

Ingredients North Indian Style

Potatoes -2(medium size)
Onion - 1/2 (finely chopped)
Greenchillies -1-2
Cumin seeds- 1/4 tsp
Ginger chopped -1tsp
Coriander leaves - few
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder -1tbs
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Gram flour - 1 cup
redchilly powder- pinch
Salt
Ajwain -pinch
Oil for deep frying

Preparation
Boil potatoes , peel the skin and mash it.
In a saucepan add some oil sputter cumin. Add chopped onions,ginger,greenchillies .When onion becomes soft add turmeric , salt and finally add potatoes and coriander leaves and mix well.Make balls from the mixture. Meanwhile make a batter of gram flour with water adding little salt ,redchilly powder and ajwain .Batter should not be to thick or too loose.In a kadai pour some oil and keep it on a medium flame,when the oil is ready dip balls in the batter and fry till golden brown

Milk Peda for Diwali !

Yay..Diwali is almost around the corner !!When we dont have anything really exciting to look forward too until the winter passes its good to celebrate all the festivals that comes along.Diwali,Halloween,Christmas,New Year,Valentines Day... we have something to celebrate till February.
In Kerala(especially in Malabar) we dont celebrate Diwali like other states of India.During my college days I used to take tuition to a small boy from Rajasthan who lived nearby.One Diwali day his family came to our house for wishing Diwali and giving some sweets ,they were soo surprised to see that it was just a normal day for us.From that day onwards I felt that we should celebrate Diwali too..After that somany Diwalis passed by and I think I only celebrated 1-2 till now :( Anyway this year we are celebrating it.I will light some candles ,make some sweets and prepare some special food.
So here is a sweet treat for all my friends as a Diwali Special !!

I adapted this recipe from Show me the curry.com.
Here goes the recipe

Ingredients

Milk powder - 2 cup
Sweetened Condensed milk - 1 tin
Butter -5 tbs

Preparation

Melt the butter in microwave and add milk powder and condensed milk,mix it well and cook in the microwave for 1 min.Take it out and mix well again and cook it again for 1 minute,Do the same one more time and mix well.Allow it cool down and then roll it to desired shape and size and decorate according to your wish.

Chicken Kurma for a Special friend..

Living far away from my home country was so aweful for me in the beginning.I was feeling so lonely and miserable especially when the weather outside is so gloomy and chilly.Family, friends,homely foods,festivals ..list goes on...I missed all of these :( But like any other person I too adjusted soon, made lot of friends and they are like a family to me now.

Today when my typing this I m little bit sad because one of my friend 'N' is going back home (Japan) after living more than half of her life here. I m happy for her as she can be with her family and friends but its soo sad when our friends say goodbye to us.One day she had lunch with us and she loved the chicken curry I prepared for her, since her birthday is coming soon I thought I should share my chicken Kurma for her as a birthday gift. I guess it will be a little surprise for her as she doesnt know about my blog.

Ingredients

Chicken boneless- 750 gm( I used diced thigh)
Onions - 3-4
Ginger garlic paste - 1tbs
Green chillies 2-3
Coriander powder -1 1/2 tbs
Turmeric powder 1/3 tsp
Pepper powder - 1tsp
Red chilly powder -1 tbs
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp(optional)
Yogurt - 1/4 cup
Cahsewnut paste (1/4 cup cahewnuts grinded to a smooth paste)
Coconut milk - 1cup
Salt

Prepartion

Marinate the chicken with redchilly powder,turmeric,salt,coriander powder,ginger garlic paste , garam masala, pepper,fennel powder and yogurt.Keep it aside for 1/2 an hour.
In a saucepan add some oil and saute the chopped onions until its soft and brown. Add greenchillies and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the marinated chicken and cook until chicken is done.Finally add coconut milk and grinded cashewnut paste and water if required.When it starts to boil swith off the flame.
This Kurma goes well with Chapathy.

Coconut Rice (My 100 th post)

It took me nearly 4 yrs to reach this milestone. It has been a slow and smooth journey till now.I was on and off blogging . Sometimes I feel that I am like animals that hibernate,I go to sleep for longtime then when I come back I will be active for sometime , but then again I go back to sleep mode :( But one thing that I am proud of myself is that I never gave up blogging :) I made lot of new friends and they kept me going till now...Thanks to all my friends for supporting me to keep this blog alive.

To celebrate my happiness I am sharing a coconut rice which u can prepare in less than 1/2 an hour, the great part is it is so easy and doesnt need any accompaniment.

Ingredients

Rice/ Pachari / Long grain rice - 1 1/2 cup

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Urad dal / Uzhunnu parippu  - 1 tbs

Chana dal / kadala parippu - 1tbs

Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp

Curryleaves - few

Whole redchilly -2 (optional)

Green chillies -2 (slit lengthwise)

Salt

Prepartion

1. Cook the rice and keep it aside.
2. In a tawa/wok add some oil sputter mustard seeds. 
3. Add urad dal, chana dal and fry till its lightly roasted.
4. Addd grated coconut, green chillies, curry leaves  and roast it for a minute or so ( Donot allow the coconut to become brown). 
5. Finally add cooked rice, mix well and check the salt.

Fish curry (Salmon curry )

Ingredients

Fish (salmon)- 500 gm 

Mustard seeds -1 tsp  

Fenugreek - 1 tsp 

 Onions -2  

Tomatoes - 3  

Ginger minced- 1tbs  

Garlic minced – 1 tbs 

Mango ginger minced – 1 tbs(optional) 

Green chillies- - 3- 4   

Curry leaves  

Red chilli powder- 2 tbs  

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp  

Coriander powder - 1 tbs

Salt  

Cocum -1 small piece  

Coconut milk - 1 1/2cup ( 1 cup thin milk + ½ cup thick milk) 

Fenugreek powder - a pinch  

coconut oil - 1tsp  

 
Preparation

 In a pan add some oil and sputter mustard seeds, add fenugreek and when it becomes light brown, add chopped onions and sauté till it becomes soft and brown.  

Add minced ginger-garlic, mango ginger, curry leaves , green chillies and sauté for few more minutes.  

Add all the spice powders and sauté for minute or so until raw smell goes. 

Add chopped tomatoes and cook till tomatoes becomes cooked and mashed. 

 Add warm some water, fish pieces and a piece of cocum and cook covered till the fish is 3/4 th done.

Add thin coconut milk and cook for a minute or so until fish is done. 

Finally add thick coconut milk and just when it is about to boil, add some coconut oil, fenugreek powder, curry leaves and switch off the flame.