Kaalan

കാളന്‍ 

Kaalan is a traditional Kerala dish made of yogurt/curd, coconut and one vegetable like raw plantain(vazhakka) or Ash gourd(kumbalanga) or a tuber like Yam(chena) or Colocasia(chembu). I have used raw plantain in this recipe. Kaalan is a part of Sadhya (a vegetarian feast of Kerala)


Ingredients:

Raw plantain/Vazhakka - 2
Red chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 3 or 4, slit
Water
Salt

Shredded coconut - 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Yoghurt/curd - 3/4 to 1 cup

For Seasoning
Oil
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
fenu greek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Dry Red chilly - 2
curry leaves - a sprig

Preparation:

1.Clean and cut the plantain to pieces and cook with turmeric powder,chilly powder,green chillies,water and salt till it is cooked and the water is evaporated.
2.Meanwhile grind the shredded coconut and cumin seeds to make a smooth paste.When the plantain is almost cooked add the coconut paste,combine well and cook for few more minutes.
3.Add the beaten yoghurt/curd  and combine it well. Switch off the stove immediately.
4.Heat oil in a small pan and splutter mustard seeds followed by fenugreek seeds.Add curry leaves and red chilly .Pour this seasoning on the kaalan .

Linking this to Kerala Kitchen July 2011 hosted by Magpie

My little girl turns 2 today...

Mussels thoran

കടുക്ക തോരന്‍ 

Mussels, known as Kadukka or Kallumakkai in Malayalam is a popular seafood in Malabar region of Kerala. This is something that makes me really home sick. The mussels that we get in Calicut(my home town) are the best and I miss all the yummy dishes my mother makes with it. Mussels can be fried, curried, pickled, stuffed, or you could even make biriyani.  I am glad that I could find some mussels here in UK, but they are smaller in size.

It is preferable to buy uncooked mussel with the shell from markets. One tip that my father gives is that the you should buy only those mussels with the shells tightly shut. To clean the mussel, the shell needs to be srcubbed to remove dirt and then boiled/steamed. When the shell opens up after boiling, you need to remove the mussel flesh and clean them thoroughly. It requires lot of patience especially if the mussels are small. I could get only cooked and de-shelled ones here, so I had to do a little bit of cleaning and the mussels are ready to be prepared.

This is a delicious thoran recipe, which is best made with small size mussels. 

Ingredients:

Cleaned and de-shelled mussels - 300 gms

Shallots - 6 to 8

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Garlic - 4 to 5

Green chilly - 3

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Shredded coconut - 3 to 4 tsp

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Curry leaves - a sprig

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Salt

Oil - 1 tbsp. I used coconut oil as this is a kerala style recipe.

Prepartion:

1. Clean and rinse the mussels thoroughly. Roughly chop them and keep aside.

2. Crush shallot, ginger,garlic and green chillies together. I just did a pulse in the mixer.

3. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add the crushed ingredients and curry leaves and saute till you get a nice aroma.

4. Add turmeric and coriander powders and saute well. Add the mussels and salt and stir fry for a few minutes. As the mussels are pre-cooked it wont need much time.

5. Take jeera and coconut in a bowl and mix it well with your fingers. Add this to the mussels along with pepper powder and stir well to combine.

Serve with hot rice. It tasted great with Red rice(Matta rice) and Kachiya moru.

Linking this to Kerala Kitchen July 2011 hosted by Magpie.

Mushroom Wrap

Wraps are a convenient option for packing lunch or a quick dinner. You may make the wrap with chappathi/roti or even tortilla. I have chosen a saucy mushroon filling for this recipe.

Ingredients:

Close cup or button Mushroom - 200 gms

Onion - 1, finely chopped

Finely chopped ginger - 1 tsp

Finely chopped garlic- 1 tsp

Red chilly flakes - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Tomato ketchup - 2 tbsp (adjust to your taste)

Chopped coriander leaves

Salt

Oil - 1 tbsp

Cooked Roti or Tortilla - to wrap

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add jeera. Add onions, ginger and garlic and saute till onions are soft. Add red chilly flakes and coriander powder and saute. 

2. Add mushrooms and salt and combine well. Cover and cook till mushroom is done. Mushroom releases lot of water, hence no need to add water for cooking.

3. After mushrooms are cooked and water is evaporated, add tomato ketchup and saute well. Add coriander leaves and give a good stir. The filling is ready.

4. Take a roti and do the filling at the centre. Wrap the bottom and sides. If you are packing it for lunch, wrap in a foil or cling film.

Sending this to Dish It Out hosted by Kalyani of What's Cooking?

Linking to Anyone can cook - Series 26

Sending to Signature Recipes hosted by Saras