Chicken spring roll

Spring rolls are a popular appetizer in parties these days. Its mainly eaten during the spring festival in China and hence the name. Spring roll is a thin wrapping filled with cabbage and other vegetables. Then it is either steamed, fried or eaten as such if the wrapping is really thin. Today I am trying a chicken filled, deep fried spring rolls.

Preparation time: 30 mins

No of servings: 4 nos

Vegetable cutlets

Keralites admire Indian coffee House cutlets.  Cutlets are yummy snack for a hungry school kid as well as an unavoidable starter for a christian wedding feast in Kerala.  Today am trying a vegetable cutlet. You can add vegetables of your choice in this recipe.

Preparation time: 30 mins

No of servings: 10 nos

Chicken Stuffed Bun

Chicken stuffed buns are simply yummy and easy to make. They will definitely cure a hungry stomach. It is a perfect evening snack. This recipe yields about 10 -12 stuffed buns.

Preparation time: 30 mins
No of servings: 10-12

Chicken mappas

Chicken mappas is a traditional Kerala style chicken curry which is very low in spices compared to most of the Kerala dishes. Hence its a favorite among foreigners. This recipe is done with fish also. It doesn't contain any masala powders, only ginger, garlic and green chilly is added for flavor. It goes well with appam, idiyappam, boiled rice etc. I am trying an easier version of this traditional recipe.

Preparation time: 30 mins

Green peas 'N Carrot Pulav

When your kitchen is running low on vegetables, this recipe comes handy. Its is a simple pulav with just carrot or/and green peas.

Preparation time: 30 mins

Kerala fish curry

This is a Yummy Kottayam style Fish curry that we usually prepare at home. Coconut paste is added for a thicker consistency. Fish curry is medium level spicy. It goes well with Boiled rice or Tapioca/ Yuca.

Preparation time: 20 mins

Meen Peera/ Thoran

Meen Peera is again a simple fish recipe of Kerala. Am I using "Simple" tooo often? hmmm... Its a fish thoran.. Remember I have mentioned other Thorans before? Its a dry side dish with grated coconut. Its mildly spicy and you can use any fish for this.

Preparation time: 20 mins

Butter Chicken masala

Today I am trying a very famous restaurant dish in India. It is a rich, creamy and mildly spicy dish. There are different ways to do it. Today I choose to go traditional. So be prepared to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. But the result will always get you applause.

Preparation time- 2 hrs

Tandoori chicken

Tandoori chicken is a very healthy recipe that is traditionally made in a clay oven or tandoor. It is a famous Indian starter that originated in New Delhi. Specialty of this dish is a marination of yogurt and spices that tenders the chicken and makes cooking very easy. Today I am trying this traditional dish in Oven.

Easy chicken fry

Nothing much to say about this Chicken fry, its super easy and simply yummy. Chicken fry can be entered as a starter or a side dish in a dinner menu. Its a crispy deep fried chicken recipe that can be served with Indian rice or other flat breads.

Preparation time- 25 mins

Thakkali kichadi

Kerala`s Thakkali kichadi is a tomato - yogurt curry with coconut paste. Its a mildly spicy dish and its nothing like the north Indian 'Khichadi'. It is served as a side dish as well as main curry by varying its consistency.  I am doing a Thakkali (Tomato) kichadi that has a flowing consistency.

Preparation time: 20 mins

Aloo Matar gravy

Aloo matar is a mildly spicy Punjabi dish. Aloo (potato) & matar (green peas) do make a perfect pair.  I am gonna try a creamy curry version of this traditional aloo matar.  This goes well with any Indian flat bread or rice items.

Preparation time: 30 mins
Servings: 4 nos

Basic vanilla sponge cake

If you are a beginner in baking then this is the first cake that you will try. There are thousands of ways to make this. Here goes the basic vanilla sponge cake recipe that worked for me :)

Preparation time: 1 hr

Green Peas Masala Kerala style

Origin of this dish is unknown.. but its awesome. For a long period of time, this Green peas masala was my favourite side dish for roti. Green peas is not an easy-to-find vegetable in Kerala, but still peas masala is a favourite item in Kerala restaurants. It is a mildly spicy dish. This peas masala can be served with Indian flat breads like chapati, roti, Nan, appam, etc and ghee rice and other mildly spicy pulavs.

Preparation time: 30 mins

Basic Veg Pizza

This is a simple and easy Pizza recipe. I have used all-purpose-flour instead of bread flour as I like a little less crispy base. This recipe will be enough for two 10-inch pizzas. Have a happy pizza time....

Preparation time-40 mins

Homemade Pizza Base/ Crust

Who doesn't like Pizzas? Let me share a simple and easy Pizza crust recipe with you. I have used maida or all-purpose-flour instead of bread flour as I like a little less crispy base. This dough will be enough for 2 10-inch pizzas

Preparation time-30 mins

Chicken biriyani

A Kerala cook book is incomplete without chicken biriyani recipe.  In India you can find many varieties like hyderabadi biryani, Thalashery biriyani, kashmiri biriyani, Sindhi biriyani, karachi beef biriyani etc etc. Originally, it is a Persian dish, Indians adopted during the time of Mughal rulers. Making a Biriyani can be a controversial issue when it comes to the ingredients that goes in. A large no of spices along with pineapple, rose water, cashews, raisins, saffron .. etc etc are used. Today I am preparing the simplest among the many recipes I have seen, with a biriyani masala that you get from stores.

Preparation time- 60 mins

Baigan Bhaji

Baigan or Brinjal is a popular vegetable in North India. Bhaji is a batter fried snack item. Brinjal or Aubergine or egg plant.. whatever it is, this purple beauty is not my fav except for this snack. So I can tell, you wont be able to find the great Indian "Baigan Bartha" recipe here. This vegetable if added to a dish make the gravy more thick. It is a very healthy veggie. So here goes Brinjal bhaji.

Preparation time- 15 mins

Varutharacha Kozhicurry

Kerala's own cuisine - Varutharacha kozhi curry is a traditional chicken curry with  roasted coconut. Again different variants are there but this is how my Amma cooks it. It is time consuming, becoz of roasting and grinding, but lets make it easy by using our microwave and grinder. I am trying the easiest way to get the authentic taste. It can be served with ghee rice, chapati, boiled rice, kerala paratha, appam, idiyappam etc

Preparation time- 45 mins

Vellarikka Pulinkari

Vellarikka or Cucumber Pulinkari is a curry that has n number of varieties through out Kerala. In some places in Kerala they add jeera, others add shallots, some add dal etc etc. I am preparing my mothers own Kottayam style Pulinkari with only Cucumber. For this authentic  Kerala dish you need to use the round fat cucumber not your salad cucumbers. For easy cooking am preparing it in Pressure Cooker.

Preparation time- 25 mins