Cheesy Sweetcorn and Bellpepper sandwich

Ingredients:

Makes 5 sandwiches

Sweetcorn - 150 gms (I used frozen)
Green bellpepper/capsicum - 1
Onion - 1
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
White or black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Brown bread slices - 10
Butter - as needed
Cheese slices - 5

Preparation:

1. Thaw the sweetcorn. Remove the seeds of the bellpepper and chop finely. Peel the onion and chop it.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add Onion, sweetcorn and bellpepper. Add salt and saute for about 5 minutes. Add pepper and combine well.
3. Take a slice of bread and spread the sweetcorn mix. Place a cheese slice and cover it with another slice of bread. Brush a little butter on the outer sides of the sandwich.
4. Grill or toast the sandwich.Serve hot !

Events:
Cooking Concepts:Spring seasonal food hosted by Sravs
Souper Sunday hosted by Deb
Bon Vivant Moments #3 - Breakfast Ideas hosted at Sumee's Culinary Bites
Showcase: What's in your lunchbox hosted by Divya
Let's make sandwiches hosted at Simply Food
Guest Quest hosted by Amina

Meal of the month

Here's my Meal plan for Rosh's event Meal of the month

Breakfast-Rava Idli

  

Lunch - Chicken Biriyani

Dessert - Double ka meetha

Dinner: Egg kothu porotta

Tofu capsicum masala

Tofu has almost replaced paneer in my kitchen. Its been just a few months I started using tofu, and I love it more than paneer now. What I love about tofu is that it doesnt have a milky smell as in paneer and it also feels lighter. Tofu is comparatively less in calories and fat and is a good source of protein ...

Tofu is made by coagulating soy milk and pressing the resulting curds. Tofu originated in ancient China and is widely used in East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines. This recipe is a simple indian style curry with firm tofu and capsicum and it makes a great side dish for chappathi or naan.

Ingredients:

Firm tofu - 200 gm block

Green capsicum - 1, seeded and diced

Oil -1 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Onion - 1 small, finely chopped

Garlic - 4 to 5 cloves, chopped

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - to taste

Kasuri methi - 1/2 tsp, crushed

Chopped coriander leaves - to garnish

Ghee or butter - 1 tsp

For curry paste

Oil -1 tbsp

Dry red chillies - 3

Onion - 2, chopped

Tomato - 2, chopped

Salt to taste

This curry paste can be used in a variety of north indian gravies. 

Preparation:

1. To make the curry paste, heat oil in pan and add dry chillies followed by onions. Add salt and saute till onions become soft. Add tomatoes and a few spoons of water and cover and cook till mushy. Remove from the stove and let it cool. Grind to a smooth paste.

2. Cut the tofu to blocks and keep it in a bowl of warm water for few mins. Drain and keep aside.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Add onion and garlic and saute till it starts turning brown. 

4. Add coriander powder and then the curry paste and combine well. Add a little water and bring to boil. Add capsicum and tofu pieces and garam masala. Adjust the salt and cover and cook for 5  minutes. 

5. Add kasuri methi and coriander leaves and combine well. Serve with a dash of ghee or butter.

Events:

Show me your HITS: SOY recipes hosted by Prabha, an event series initiated by Sangeetha

Healthy Diet - Vegetarian Side Dishes by Vardhini
Cooking Concepts:Spring seasonal food

Prawns varattiyathu/Prawns masala

Ingredients:

1. Fresh prawns(Large/medium)  - 350 gms

2. Chilly powder - 1 tsp

    Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

    Salt - 1 tsp

3. Sambar onion/Shallots - 10 to 12, peeled

   Ginger - 1 inch piece, peeled

   Garlic - 8 cloves,  peeled

   Green chilly - 1 or 2

4. Coconut oil - 2 tbsp (you may use any other oil too, but coconut oil adds a special flavour)

    Coconut cuts/thengakothu - 3 tbsp

    Curry leaves - 1 sprig

    Turmeric powder - a pinch

    Chilly powder - 1 tsp

    Coriander powder - 1 tsp

    Tomato - 1, chopped fine

    Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste

    Garam masala - 1/2 tsp or to taste(as taste of garam masalas vary from different brands)

Preparation:

1. Peel, de-vein and wash the prawns. Drain the prawns and marinate with ingredients listed as 2 for about 15-20 mins

2. Coarsely grind / crush together ingredients listed as 3 and keep aside.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add the coconut cuts followed by curry leaves. When the coconut cuts turn light brown, add the ground/crushed ingredients and saute for a minute. Add turmeric, chilly and coriander powders and combine well. 

4. Add tomatoes and cook till mushy. Add a few tbsp of water and mix well.

5. Add the prawns and cover and cook for 5-10 mins. Open the lid and sprinkle pepper powder and garam masala. Saute for a few minutes on a high flame till the gravy thickens. You may add a tsp of coconut oil at this stage  for more aroma.

Serve with hot rice. Enjoy !

Events:

The Kerala Kitchen - April 2012 hosted by me. Please rush in your entries

Beetroot thoran

Beetroot is a healthy veggie which contains potassium, magnesium and iron as well as vitamins A, B6 and C, and folic acid. Beets also contain carbohydrates, protein, powerful antioxidants and soluble fibre. Apart from having beetroots in salads and raithas, here is one stir fry recipe. Adding grated coconut is optional.

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 2
Green chillies - 3, slit
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
Jeera/cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a sprig
Crushed pepper - 1/2 tsp or more to taste
Oil - 1 or 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Peel the beetroot and cut it into very small cubes. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add beetroot,green chillies and salt.Combine well. Add a little water and cover and cook.
2. Mix the cumin seeds and grated coconut well with your hands. Add this to the cooked beetroot, along with curry leaves and crushed pepper. Fry well till the thoran is dry.

Events:

Healthy Diet - Vegetarian Side Dishes by Vardhini

Healthy morsels - Pregnancy

The Kerala Kitchen - April 2012 hosted by me

Varutharacha Kozhi curry / Chicken in roasted coconut gravy - Easter special

Happy Easter, dear friends...This traditional kerala style chicken curry is my mother's recipe. It goes well with rice, appam, puttu, pathiri, dosa, chappathi, malabar paratha etc...

Ingredients:

For marination

Chicken - 1 kg, cut to medium size pieces

Chilly powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Yoghurt/Curd - 2 tbsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Onions - 3, sliced fine

Ginger chopped - 1 tbsp

Garlic chopped - 1 tbsp

Green chilies - 3 or 4, slit

Tomato - 2, chopped

Potatoes - 2, peeled and cubed

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

To roast and grind

Oil -1 tbsp

Fennel seeds - 2 tsp

Cinnamon - a 3 inch stick

Cloves - 4

Green cardamom - 2

Black pepper - 1 tsp

Dry red chillies - 4

Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp or Coriander powder - 4 to 5 tsp

Sambar onions/Shallots - 5, peeled and sliced

Curry leaves - 6 to 8

Grated coconut - 1 cup

For tempering/tadka

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dry red chillies - 2 or 3

Curry leaves - a sprig

Note: I use only coconut oil for this curry for an authentic taste.

Preparation:

1. Combine the marination ingredients well and keep aside for 30 mins.

2. Heat oil in an earthern/clay pot/large pan and saute the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies. When onions become soft, add tomatoes and saute for a few minutes.

3. Add potatoes and the marinated chicken. Combine well and add some water. Cover and cook.

4. Meanwhile, heat oil in a nonstick pan and add fennel, cinnamon,cloves,cardamom and black pepper. Saute for a minute and add dry red chillies, coriander seeds and shallots. Add grated coconut and curry leaves and roast till the ingredients are a dark brown in colour. Take care not to burn it. Perfeclty brown roasted coconut is the secret for the yummy colour of the curry. If you are using coriander powder instead of seeds, add it after the coconut turns brown so that it doesnt get burnt.Let this mixture cool.

5. Add a little water to the roasted coconut mix and grind it to a smooth paste.

6. When the chicken is almost cooked, add this ground masala and bring to a boil. Check for salt and add at this stage. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

7. In a small tadka pan, add oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add dry chillies and curry leaves. Pour this seasoning on the chicken curry.

This curry tastes best after a few hours.. 

Events:

The Kerala Kitchen - April 2012 hosted by me

Egg and potato curry

It's been a while I posted an egg curry recipe. This is one of our favourite curries that goes well along with appam, chappathi, pathiri, malabar paratha, rice etc.

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 1 large

Eggs - 3 or 4, hard boiled and shelled

Onion - 1, sliced thin

Ginger chopped - 1 tsp

Garlic chopped - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 2, slit

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Tomato - 1, chopped

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp or to taste

Crushed pepper - 1/2 tsp or to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves chopped - 2 tbsp

Thick Coconut milk - optional

Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Peel and cube the potato and keep aside in a bowl of water.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add fennel seeds. Add onions,ginger,garlic and green chillies and saute till onions are transparent. 

3. Add turmeric, coriander and chilly powders. Add chopped tomatoes and saute till mushy. 

4. Add potatoes, salt and 1/2 cup of water and cover and cook till potatoes are done. I lighlty mash a few potato cubes  to make the curry thicker.

5. Add the garam masala and crushed pepper. Add the hard boiled eggs and simmer for few minutes. You may add thick coconut milk at this point. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Events:

The Kerala Kitchen - April 2012 hosted by me

Healthy morsels - Pregnancy

The Kerala Kitchen - April 2012

Dear friends,

I am so glad to announce the The Kerala Kitchen - April 2012.  The Kerala Kitchen is a month cooking event series initiated by Rose and Ria. Check out more about this series here.

Rules for the event:

1. There are no special rules as such, the recipes you send can be traditional kerala recipes like Appam and Stew, Kappa and fish curry, Puttu, Idiyappam etc or any other recipe inspired by the flavours and spices that Kerala is well known for. For eg, the use of coconut, whole spices, seafood etc...

2. Post the recipe in your blog between April 1 -  April 30 and link back to this announcement and also to the Kerala Kitchen homepage. Usage of logo is appreciated. Then send in your entries to events.ramyasrecipe@gmail.com with subject of the email: The Kerala Kitchen - April 2012 and include the following details

Your Name:

Recipe Name:

Recipe URL:

Photograph of the dish

3. Veg and non-veg recipes are welcome. Multiple entries are encouraged. Archived entries  are allowed if updated with the links above. 

4. There are awards in 3 categories - Top Dish, Best Pic and Top contributor, so rush in your entries ..This is a festive month with Easter on April 8 and Vishu on April 14, so would be glad to see some festive dishes too...