Kalathappam in non stick pan/ Kannur style Kalathappam

Kalathappam is an extremely popular malabar delicacy. I grew up eating this as my Amma is a bit of a kalathappam expert. She used to make this as one of our afterschool treats and  for all  special occasions. Usually kalthappam is made in an aluminium  pressure cooker but I don’t own one, as all  my cookers are steel. Steel cookers don't work for this, as it burns the bottom. So I had to look for other options.
In 2010,  I posted the recipe of how to make kalathappam  in an oven . You can find that recipe here.This is an alternative way of making it and my Amma gave me confidence as she has tried it in non stick pan many times. So for people who don’t own an aluminium cooker, please go ahead and try it in a good quality  non stick pan. It didn't burn at the bottom and I got the beautiful 'aaru" !

You get judged whether it’s a good kalathappam  by checking whether ‘aaru"  (icicle-like structures) has formed inside. It’s a bit like getting a feet for macarons !

Ingredients

Kaima rice/ Jeerakashala rice/ Biriyani rice or non-starchy rice – 1 cup

Cooked rice – 2 tbs

Cardmamom – 5 small

Shallots ( thinly sliced ) – 5 -6

Coconut slices/Thenga kothu – 2 tbs

Baking soda – ¼ tsp

Salt – pinch

Jaggery – 250 gm

Water – 1 cup

Coconut oil/ghee  – 3 tbs

This is wha t' Aaru " looks like

Method

Soak the biriyani rice for 5-6 hours.

Grind the rice with cardamom seeds and  cooked rice adding ½  cup water into a fine batter.

Meanwhile melt the jaggery with ½ cup water and strain any impurities.

Add the melted jaggery to rice batter and make sure you mix well while adding to avoid cooking the batter.

In a pan add 1 tbs oil and fry the sliced shallots until light brown. Add this to the batter and mix well.

In the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil and fry coconut slices until light brown and  add it to the batter and mix well.

Add a pinch of salt and baking soda and mix well. Batter should be like a thin dosa batter consistency and should be warm to touch ( this is important)

Take a non -stick pan and heat it on medium flame just like you prepare the pan for making dosa.

Add 1 tbs oil and swirl it around.

Pour the warm batter to the pan and  cover. Cook it  on medium flame for a 1 minute.

Reduce the flame and cook it for further 18-20 minutes on low flame.( cooking time may vary depending on the depth of your pan/ gas  flame  etc)

Turn off the flame and let it rest for another 20 -30 minutes. Donot open it. It cooks more in that heat and that’s when the ‘ aaru’/ icicle like structure forms.

Let it cool completely for another 15-20  minutes before cutting.

Enjoy !

Meen vevichathu

About 14 years back ,when I first came to U.K in 2006, we lived in a little village called Ipswich. Life was a bit boring and dull  there, as I was new to the place and didn't have any friends.There were hardly any malayalees or Indians  around and I had trouble understanding british accent, so I used to be a bit hesitant to step outside on my own.  

When boredom hit me real hard, I decided to venture out on my own and it was during one of my casual walks that  I met Marina chechi. She was from Kottayam and was a great cook !  She  made this Kottayam fish curry/meen vevichathu for one of the dinner parties at her place. She confessed before dinner  that she messed up with kashmiri( milder) chilli and hot chilli powder and ended up adding hot chilli powder  instead of kashmiri chilli and gave us all a heads up !

My husband was in for a real treat..he can’t handle too much red chilli..he sweats like crazy ! As soon as we started eating, he started sweating nonstop . He was sweating profusely at one end and she was handing him tissues one after the other..it was hilarious ! So if you are attempting this recipe and can’t handle spicy, please make sure u used kashmiri chilli instead of normal chilli.

Ingredients

Fish – 500 gm ( I used pomfret/ avoli)

Shallots/ cheriya ulli – 4- 5 number

Fenugreek seeds – one small pinch ( 1/8 tsp)

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Ginger crushed – 1 tbsp

Garlic crushed – 1 tbsp

Curry leaves

Kashmiri red chilli powder – 3 tsp or according to your spice level( more  u add  better the colour)

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp

Coconut oil – 2 tbs                                                                         

Kudam puli – 2 petals
Fenugreek powder - 1/8 tsp ( a pinch)
Water as required

salt

Method

In a chatti/ clay pot or pan add coconut oil and sputter mustard seeds.

Once it sputters add fenugreek seeds and saute until its light brown.

Add thinly sliced shallots and fry for 4-5 minutes until light brown.

Add crushed ginger and garlic and saute for a minute or so , or until raw smell goes.

Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and fry the powders until raw smell goes( sprinkle some water if it’s sticking to the bottom of the chatti)

Add water, salt,kodum puli, curry leaves and let the gravy boil for 2-3 minutes.

Add the fish pieces and cook for 5-8 minutes until done. Add a pinch  fenugreek powder and remove from fire.

Drizzle some coconut oil in the end.

Leave it untouched for few hours before serving

I usually make it the overnight and boil it again next day  before serving.

Ferraro Rocher cake

Ingredients for the cake

Plain flour - 225 gm / roughly 2 cups

Baking powder - 1/2 tsp

Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Cocoa powder - 1/2 cup

Boiling water 250 ml

Unsalted butter (softened)- 125 gm 

Vanilla extract - 2 tsp

Dark muscuvado/brown sugar - 100 gm (tighly packed 1/2 cup) 

Caster sugar - 150 gm ( 1 1/2 cup )

Eggs - 2 large  at room temperature )

Chopped hazelnuts ( for assembling )

Method

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and keep it aside.

In a bowl measure cocoa powder, dark brown muscuvado sugar, boiling water and whisk. Keep it aside.

Cream butter and sugar until soft and creamy.

Beat one egg at a time and beat well,add a  tbs of  sifted flour and beat for few seconds, break the second egg  and beat well.

Add vanilla extract and beat.

Add the rest of the sifted flour and beat.

Finally add the cocoa mixture and fold in.

Pour the batter into two 8 inch greased cake tins and bake them in a preheated oven at 180 degree celcius for 30 minutes.

Cool the cakes completely on a wire wrack.

Note – This recipe is for two layers,  I needed three layers so I adjusted the ingredients proportionately

For Nutella buttercream icing

Unsalted butter – 200 gm

Nutella – 100 gm

Icing sugar – 250 gm

Cocoa powder – 2 tbs

Method

Beat Butter for a minute or so until creamy

Add cocoa powder and icing sugar and beat until it’s mixed.

Finally add Nutella and whip for 3-4 minutes.

Nutella Ganache

Double cream – ½ cup

Chocolate – ½ cup ( I used equal parts of milk and dark )

Nutella – 1 heaped tablespoon

Method

In a pan add the cream and bring it almost boil.

Remove from fire and pour over the chocolate in a bowl.

Add Nutella. Let it stand for a minute. Mix until its smooth. Let it cool down for sometimes until it thickens. ( As u can see, I didn’t have time for that and had to  use it  while it was still warm, so   my drip was very  thin and didn’t get the look I wanted )

Assembling

Place the cake on a stand.

Spread the Nutella buttercream icing evenly

Drizzle some nutella ganache on top of the buttercream ( 1 1/2 tablespoon)

Sprinkle some chopped hazelnuts

Place the second layer on top and cover the cake with buttercream.

Pour the ganache on the top of the cake and also on the edges for the drip if you desire.

Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts and decorate it with some ferraro rocher chocolates if you like ! 

Thalassery Biriyani/ Telicherry Biriyani

There was a time when we used to make biriyani every weekend. Every Sunday without fail  ! Once the health consciousness started kicking in, we cut down the biryani a lot and now I make this only when I have guests.

My other half is from Telicherry and the biriyani that we get there is so tasty , especially the ones served for weddings. Eventhough I like to experiment with biriyani’s from differerent regions, this one has to be  my favourite.  We use a special biriyani rice calles kaima or jeerakasala rice for it and every year when I go home I bring a few packets of biriyani rice with me. But unfortunately I ran out of it and had to  make this one with basmathi  rice.

Ingredients

Chicken – 1 kilogram

Onions – 6 medium thinly slicled ( for sauting)

Onions -5 ( thinly sliced ) for frying

Cashewnuts – 2 tbs

Golden sultananas – 1 tbs

Tomato – 2 medium

Ginger –  1  inch piece

Garlic – 5-6 pods

Green chillies – 5 ( according to your spice level)

Mint leaves –1 small bunch

Coriander leaves – 1 small bunch

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt 

oil

For biriyani masala powder

Fennel seeds – 1 tbs

Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp

Shahi jeera – ¼ tsp

Cinnamon stick – 1 small stick

Cloves – 5

Cardamom – 5 no

Pepper – 1 tsp

For rice

Khaima rice/ jeerakashala rice/ basmathi rice  - 3 ½ cup

Boiling water – 5 cups ( depends on the rice)

Cinnamon stick – 1 small pices

Cardamom – 5

cloves -4

Fennel – 1 tsp

Bay leaves – 1

Onion – 1 thinly sliced

Fried onions

Ghee

salt

Method

Soak the rice for 30 minutes, drain and keep it aside.

Preparing the chicken masala

First take a pan add oil and deep fry the onions until golden brown.

Strain and keep it aside.

In a big pan add enough oil and saute the thinly sliced onions( 6 onions ) until it’s golden brown.

Add the chicken pieces to this and fry for about 5 minutes to seal the juices.

Meanwhile In a blender make a paste of ginger, garlic, green chillies, mint and coriander .

Add the  paste to the onions and saute until the  raw smell goes.

Add  biriyani masala powder, turmeric powder and saute until the raw smell goes

Add chopped tomatoes , salt and give it good mix.

Cover and cook the chicken for 10 minutes.

Open the lid and add the half of the crushed fried onions ( reserve the rest of the fried onions for the rice) to the chicken and cook for another 10 minutes or until chicken is done.

Cooking rice

In a big pan add some ghee add the whole spices and saute until nice aroma comes.

Add sliced onions and saute until soft and light brown.

Add the drained rice and fry for a minute.

Add salt, lime juice, boiling water and cook until water has been absorbed.

Fluff up the rice gently with a fork.

Fry some cashew nuts and sultanas in ghee until cashew nuts have browned lightly and sultanas plump.

Layering the rice

Grease the bottom of a big vessel with some oil.

Add chicken masala on the bottom.

Add one layer of rice, sprinkle with some fried onions, some ghee, some chopped mint and coriander

Repeat until all rice has been used.

Finally top it with fried cashews and sultanas.

Cove it with a aluminium foil tightly and place the lid on top and dum it  on the  stove top or in the oven. If using the stove, place the the vessel on top of a pan, so that the masala doesn’t get burnt . dum it for about 20 minutes, 5 minutes on high and 15 minutes on low flame. Of using the oven place it in a preheated oven 180 degree C for 20 minutes.

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Aloo fry/ potato masala

The recipe for this aloo fry is from my friend who is a great cook. I have also learnt a few North Indian recipes from her, but this one in particular is the one I make often, especially when I am pressed for time or crave something spicy.

Ingredients

Potatoes – 5-6 medium

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Kashmiri red chilli powder – 1 ½ tbs

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Coriander powder – 1 ½ tbs

Hing – pinch

Coriander leaves – finely chopped

Method

Peel and cut potato in cubes or wedges

Boil some water with salt and cook potatoes until just done (do not overcook)

In a kadai/pan, add oil and sputter cumin seeds.( be  generous with oil for this recipe)

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

Add the cooked potatoes and fry for few minutes until well coated in the masalas.

Add salt if needed and garnish with coriander leaves 

Beetroot pasta

When I came across this recipe by Nadiya Hussain in BBC food , I wasn't really sure how beetroot would taste in pasta and was not too keen on trying it. However, my 11 year old, who is also a keen foodie ( it runs in the family !) convinced me to try it and I was pleasantly surprised as it tasted delicious !   

The original recipe uses cooked beetroot,which we get here in super markets, but I used fresh ones. 

Other than cooking the beetroots and pasta, this recipe hardly take any time at all and will be ready in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Pasta - 300 gm

Beetroot - 2 medium

Garlic - 3 pods

Olive oil - 2-3 tbs

Feta cheese - 100 gm

Red chilli flakes - 1 tsp

Salt

Dill leaves (for garnish)

Method

Peel and roughly chop beetroot into cubes.

In a pressure cooker or pan add oil. Add chopped beetroots, red chilli flakes, garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add 1 -2 tbs water, salt and pressure cook for a whistle or if using a pan cook covered until done. I prefer pressure cooker for faster cooking.

Once cooked, puree the beetroots in a mixie/blender.

Cook pasta according to packet instructions. Drain and keep it aside.

Add the pureed pasta sauce to cooked pasta. Give it a good mix. Drizzle some olive oil.

Serve hot with crumbled feta cheese and some chopped dill leaves.

Chicken enchiladas

Recipe adapted from - BBC good food

Ingredients( serves 6 )

To marinate

Boneless chicken thigh fillets (diced into small cubes) - 600 gm

Smoked paprika – 1 tbs

Coriander powder – 1 ½ tsp

Cumin powder – ¼ tsp

For enchilada sauce

Olive oil

Red onion -2

Minced garlic - 1 tsp

Dried oregano - 1 tsp

Cumin powder – ½ tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder – 1 tsp

Smoked paprika - 2 tsp

Tomato passata /puree – 500 gm (I bought a bottle of tomato passata from supermarket but if u can’t find it blanch and puree tomatoes)

Sugar – 2 tsp

Salt

Pepper

For the enchilada

Olive oil

Red onions -2

Red pepper/capsicum – 1

Garlic

Smoked paprika – 1 tsp

Red kidney beans or black beans – 300 g ( I used tinned  one but you can pressure cook some red kidney beans and use that instead)

Flour Tortilla – 6 large

Cheddar cheese grated – 150 gm

Cream cheese – 2 tbsp(optional ) I only used it because I had it in my fridge.

Method

Marinate the chicken with the ingredients mentioned and keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile make the enchilada sauce.

Add oil in a pan, add the chopped onions, sauté for 7-8 minutes until it’s soft and light brown.

Add minced garlic and fry for a minute or so.

Add oregano, paprika, cumin, chilli powder and fry for another 2 minutes.

Finally add the tomato puree, salt, pepper and cook for another 10 minutes.

Add sugar to cut the sourness.

Keep the sauce aside.

Enchiladas

In another pan add some oil and shallow fry the chicken until done. Remove and keep it aside.

In the same pan  use different if it is burnt) add some more oil and fry the chopped onions .

Once onions are nice and brown add chopped garlic and fry for a minute.

Add smoked parika, chopped red peppers , drained red kidney beans and  add half of the enchilada sauce we made before. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Remove from fire.

Assembling

In a baking dish/tray spread a layer of enchilada sauce.

Take tortilla wrap in a plate and  add the chicken filling in the middle, sprinkle with some grated cheese and roll it into a log. Place it in the tray.

Repeat the same until your tray is full( My tray wasn't big enough so I had to do it in two batches)

Pour some enchilada sauce on top, sprinkle some grated cheese and some cream cheese (if using)

Bake it in preheated oven at 180 degrees for 15 minutes until cheese melts and bubbles