Crispy Calamari

Who doesn't like crispy calamari , I haven't met anyone who does not like it . This is a family favourite , it's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside but  frying this is a big nightmare (it splatters all over ) , you have to be really careful , we should really make a suit out of the oven mitts to do this , trust me it's that bad but it is so worth it so here goes.........

INGREDIENTS

1 kg calamari / squid cut into rings
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp pepper
salt to taste
1 egg with a little water to make egg wash
1 cup or more of panko breadcrumbs

METHOD

In a plastic bag , add the flour and the spices and shake it up to mix well .
Then add in the calamari and shkae it till it flour mix coats .
Shake off the excess flour and dip the rings in the egg wash and then the bread crumbs .
Deep fry it till crispy and golden in medium to hot oil .
Serve it with chilli sauce or Mayo tahini dip.

NOTES

You can use normal breadcrumbs but panko really gives you that crunch .

Kerala Style Baked Fish

Whewww!!! Its been one hectic couple of weeks , with my moving and all , still settling in  almost there but I decided to take a break and post a dish I had made a while back . This is a typical dish you can find anywhere in Kerala , here the fish is coated with a subtly spiced coconut mix and then baked covered in banana leaves . The aroma is itself mouthwatering so here goes..............................

INGREDIENTS

2-3 medium sized white  pomfret or red snapper
1 inch pc ginger
4-6 garlic cloves
4 green chillies
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
1/2 cup shallots peeled
1/2 cup vinegar
salt to taste
4 tsp coconut oil

for the garnish

2 tsp coconut oil
2 tsp curry leaves roasted
1 tbsp coriander leaves chopped

METHOD

Clean the fish and make large slits on both sides
Roast the seeds and grind it .
Grind the coconut , shallots , ginger, garlic , green chillies into a paste.
Add the roast and ground powder to it and salt to taste .
Smear the fish with this paste and set aside.
Grease the banana leaves with the coconut oil and line it in the baking dish .
Now place the fish on the banana leaves and pour vinegar all over it and cover it with the banana leaves and bake it in a preheated 180 c oven for about 20 -35 min or till done .
Now transfer the fish to a serving dish and garnish it by sprinkling the coconut oil , roasted curry leaves and coriander leaves .

Chicken Dum Biryani

Since it's the festive season I thought why not post a recipe of a biryani coz that is what we make for every occasion . Everyone has a different way of making them and this is one of my fav ways . Here the chicken is marinated in an array of aromatic spices and yoghurt is added to make the chicken more tender and  juicy . The aroma is itself to make you salivate and the process of cooking it in dum meaning slow-cooking  makes the rice so aromatic and you get to taste the flavour of each and every spice in the rice . Trust me it's soooooo good so here goes..................

INGREDIENTS

1 kg chicken cut into medium size pieces
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
3 large onion finely sliced
3 green chillies chopped
1 cup chopped fresh coriander
1 cup chopped fresh mint
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 cups yoghurt
half a lemon cut into wedges

dry grind
7 cloves
4 cardamom
1/2 inch pc cinnamon
2 tsp whole black peppercorns

1/2 kg basmati rice
8 and 1/2 glasses of water

for the bouquet garni
7 cloves
2 bay leaves
5 green cardamom
1/2 inch pc cinnamon

10 strands of saffron
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup oil
2 tbsp ghee

METHOD

Heat oil and fry the sliced onions till golden in a deep bottomed dish
Grind them and set aside
Rub the ginger and garlic paste all over the chicken .
Add the chilli powder , salt , half the mint and coriander, lemon , green chillies , ground spices and the ground  onions in the same pan with the oil .
Add the yoghurt and the chicken pieces and leave to marinate 4 hours or preferably overnight .
Soak the saffron in the milk and set it aside
Now bring the whole thing to boil and turn it down and simmer till the chicken is done .
Meanwhile bring the water to boil and add the spices for the bouquet garni and salt to taste.
Add the washed and drained basmati , bring it to boil till the rice is almost done .
Now strain the rice and set aside .
Remove the chicken with its juices in another bowl and add a tbsp of ghee inside the pan .
Add half the rice in the bottom and sprinkle with the safffron milk then add the chicken with all its gravy on the top of the rice  .
Add a little of the chopped coriander and mint on top .
Now add the rest of the rice , then the rest of the coriander and mint .
Now pour the rest of the saffron milk and the ghee .
Cover it tightly with a lid and cook on very low fire for about half an hour or till the aroma wafts around the house .
Serve it with pomegranate raita and enjoy :).

Kerala Style Spicy Beef Fry

I think almost all keralites would agree when I say this that fried beef is the favourtite dish among us .Who can resist the succulent beef coated in nice aromatic spices and then fried in coconut oil to bring out their flavour and the best thing to eat it with is soft delicious appams or a nice , crispy , flaky Kerala paratha .The aroma itself is enough to make you drool . Mmmmm !!! Just telling you guys about it is making me crave to have it . One thing I can guarantee is there will be no leftovers at all . It is finished as soon as it is served . Ok enough of my babbling ( also getting very hungry ) , without further ado here goes..........

INGREDIENTS

1 kg beef cut into cubes 

6-8 garlic cloves minced

1 inch pc of ginger minced

3 tsp red chilli powder

2 and 1/2 tbsp coriander powder

1/4 -1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp fennel seed powder

1 tsp or more coarsely ground black pepper

4-6 green chillies 

1 medium onion finely chopped 

1 cup water

coconut oil 

10-20 curry leaves

4-5 dried red chillies 

1-2 tbsp freshly grated coconut 

1/2 tsp garam masala (optional)

METHOD

In a saucepan add the beef , spices , ginger , garlic, onions , green chillies and 1 cup water.

Bring to the boil and then lower the heat and simmer till the beef is done . If more water is needed add in , the beef should be just done . If using a pressure cooker , only add half cup water and switch off with 3-4 whistles .

In another pan , heat coconut oil to shallow fry the cooked beef cubes.

Don't overcrowd the pan , fry the beef cubes till it is crisp and set aside .

Add a little more coconut oil and add in the dried red chillies , curry leaves and the grated coconut  and fry them for a few seconds.

Now add in the liquid the beef was cooked in and keep on high heat till the gravy thickens .

Now add the fried beef cubes and mix them in the gravy till it coats the beef cubes and sprinkle the garam masala.

This may take about 5 min . Garnish with curry leaves and red chillies and serve hot .

Pomegranate Raita

Raita is the perfect accompaniment to really spicy dishes . Everyone has a different version of it , this particular one is a family favourite , it is a perfect balance of sweet, tangy and tart with a little hint of spice , it goes particularly well with a spicy biryani and also it is a pretty looking raita so here goes.........

INGREDIENTS

1 pomegranate
500 gms yoghurt
a pinch of chilli powder
a pinch of cumin powder
salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Cut the pomegranate in half and remove the seeds
Add the spices to the yoghurt and whip it well
Add the pomegranate seeds and mix it well .
Now serve and enjoy .