Recipe of the Day

          Lamb Stew

Christian Keralities eat this at Easter and Christmas and all other festive occasions. It's most liked after the Lenten fast at Easter. This meat dish is always served with savoury rice breads; however, this would taste just as good with plain rice. Just for those who would like to try out this lamb stew dish with the rice breads I have written the ingredients and the method for the savoury rice breads below! However, let's begin with the Lamb Stew!

Ingredients

4-tbs. vegetable oil . 1 red onion (finely sliced).
3 cardamom pods.
1 lb. boneless lamb from the shoulder (cut 1 cinnamon stick into pieces)
3/4 cloves 2 potatoes (diced) 30 fresh curry leaves
2 carrots (peeled & cut into chunks)
1 piece of ginger (shredded)     ,       salt to taste
2 green chillies
11/4 cups of coconut milk or thick fresh milk.
Method
1) Heat oil, when hot put in the cardamom pods/cinnamon/cloves and half the curry leaves then stir.
2) Add the ginger and the onion, stir and fry for 4-5 mins until the onion is soft.

3) Turn the heat up to high and add the meat. Stir again and fry for further 8-10 mins until the meat is just beginning to brown.

4) Then add the potatoes/carrots/with the salt. Pour 2 pints or 5 cups of water and then cover and bring to boil.

5) Turn the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.

6) Add the chillies and the remaining curry leaves. let it simmer at a low heat for 10-15 mins or until the meat is tender.

7) Just before serving add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.

      Savoury rice breads

This is more like pancake bread made out of a fermented rice batter. Perfect to eat with meat/fish dishes or even just have them for breakfast with butter and honey!

Ingredients

4 tsp. flaked rice .
1 &1/2 cups lukewarm milk
2 cups/16 fl oz of rice flour
14 fl oz coconut milk (contents mixed with 2 tsp. dry yeast
4 tbsp. water then heated until lukewarm)
2 tsp. sugar
3-4 tbsp. vegetable oil.
1/2 tsp. salt

Method

        Makes 10 -12 Appams

1 Combine the flaked rice and 1/2 cup of water in a small pan. Simmer. Cook for 10 mins until you have a thick paste then allow cooling.
2 Meanwhile, mix the rice flour/yeast/sugar/salt and the milk. Stir well until you have a smooth, thick but not stiff paste.
3 Add the cooled flaked rice paste to the rice flour paste and mix.
4 Cover with cling film and leave to ferment for 5 hours.
5 Add the coconut milk (or 2 cups of lukewarm milk) to this fermented paste. Mix gently.

6 Cover with cling film again and set aside for another hour.

7 Now getting everything ready to make the appams.

8 Turn the heat under the wok to medium. When hot brush the pan with oil to prevent the appam from sticking.

9 Stir the batter and pour 6 tbsp. of the mixture into the centre of the wok and swish the batter around. Cover & cook for 2-4 mins or until edges are crisp and golden and the centre is cooked through.

Make the rest as you have done this one. Rubbing a little oil on the bottom of the pan and whenever necessary & stirring the batter each time.

Moong Dal Pudding

Like the Keer of Northern India, payasam is the grain or pulse pudding of the south. As Kerala is the land of coconuts, its not surprising coconuts are used in all their cooking. So have a go and try it. Impress your friends and family.

Ingredients

8 fl ozs or 1 cup of moong dal
1/2 tsp cumin
8 fl oz or 1 cup of dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 pint or 2 1/2 cups of coconut milk .
2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg 2-tbsp fresh coconut (cut into 1/2 inches silver or use 2 tbsp. desiccated coconut)

Method

1 Heat the wok and put in the moong dal. Stir and roast it until it turns reddish. I would say for about 5 mins.
2 Wash the dal and add 3 cups of water and bring to boil. Turn the heat low, cover partially and let the dal cook for 40-50 mins or until tender.
3 Meanwhile, combine the sugar with 1/2 cup of water in a pan. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and you have syrup.
4 Add this syrup to the dal.
5 Add 2 cups of the coconut milk stirring well before you pour it in. bring to simmer

6 Cook until you have thick, porridge-like consistency, may take 20-30 mins.

7 Add the remaining coconut milk /ginger/nutmeg/cumin and cardamom. Stir the spices in. Cook for a further 5 mins.

8 Heat the ghee or the butter in a small frying pan over a medium heat. When hot put in the coconut slivers or the desiccated coconut. Stir until brown. Scatter over the payasam before serving.

Carrots Stir-Fried With green Chillies

Gujaratis eat many vegetables that are very lightly stir-fried rather like Chinese vegetables. The vegetables are expected to be crunchy even after they are cooked. This dish goes well with all Indian meals you can serve this with for example roast chicken or with plain sausages.

Ingredients
3 tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil 1/2-tsp. brown mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. ground asafetida
1 1/4 Lb. carrots (peeled and coarsely grated)
6 green chillies (slit in half)
1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. turmeric 1/2 tsp. ground coriander 1/2 tsp. lime juice.

Method

1 Heat the oil over medium heat. When hot add the mustard seeds. Soon as they pop add the asafetida.

2 Add arrots/chillies/salt/turmeric/coriander and lime juice. Stir and fry for 2-3 mins. Remove from the heat the carrots should remain slightly crunchy.

Goan Style Pilaf

Goans eat this dish for everyday meals for festive occasions they use the more expensive Basmati rice. Below is a typical recipe.

Ingredients

2 Cups of Basmati rice
2 Cinnamon sticks
3 tbsp. of ghee or vegetable oil.
2 Onions (peeled & sliced)
8 Cloves
2 Tomatoes (peeled & chopped) 6 Cardamom pods
1 Pint of chicken stock.
1 tsp. salt.

Method

1 Wash & drain rice.

2 Heat oil or ghee over medium-high heat. When hot add cloves/cardamom pods and cinnamon. Stir then add onions until brown.

3 Then add tomatoes, stir and fry until lightly brown.

4 Add the rice, turn the heat down, add the stock and salt. Bring to boil and cook the rice until done.

Prawn Curry

This dish uses no oil, as nothing in it require frying or sautéing. You could say this is the most humblest of curries and could be made with fish that is cut into chunks or use fish steaks or even fillet pieces. However, I enjoy this dish when it's cooked with fresh prawns and it tastes excellent with a glass of cold beer!

Ingredients
1 tsp. pepper
1 piece of fresh ginger (peeled & grated)
1 tsp. red paprika
2 tsp. coriander seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric 1-tsp cumin seeds 4garlic cloves (peeled & crushed)

3/4 tsp. salt 3pieces of kokum or 1 tbsp. tamarind paste. 14 fl oz coconut milk 1lb peeled, uncooked prawns

Method

1 Add 1 1/4 cups of water with pepper/paprika/turmeric/garlic and ginger and mix well.
2 Grind the coriander and the cumin seeds and then add to the mixture.
3 Put this spice mixture in a pan & bring to simmer for 10 mins.
4 Add the coconut milk/salt/kokum & bring to simmer.
5 Add the prawns and simmer until they turn opaque and are just cooked through.