BROWN BUTTER HONEY GARLIC SALMON

Ingredients

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) honey
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (or juice of half a lemon)
4 wild caught salmon fillets (about 1/2 pound or 250 grams each), skin off or on
Lemon wedges (to serve)
Salt, to taste

Method

Arrange oven shelf about 8-inches away from heat element in your oven. Preheat your oven to broil .
Place butter in a cast iron skillet . Cook over medium heat, stirring and swirling pan occasionally for about 3 minutes, or until the foam settles; the butter begins to change in colour to golden brown and has a nutty fragrance.
Pour in the honey and let it dissolve into the butter. Then add in the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add in the lemon juice; stir well to combine all of the flavours together.
Add the salmon steaks to the butter in the pan; cook each fillet (skin-side down if there's any skin) for 3-4 minutes or until golden, while basting the tops with the pan juices. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Add the lemon wedges around the salmon. Transfer the pan to your oven to broil / grill for a further 5-6 minutes, or until the tops of the salmon are nicely charred.
To serve, drizzle with the reserved brown butter sauce. Serve with steamed vegetables; over rice or with a salad.

MATHANGA/PUMPKIN VANPAYAR ERISSERI

Ingredients

250 gms Pumpkin/Mathanga diced
1/2 cup vanpayar 
3-4 Green chilies, slit
1 cup Grated coconut
2 cloves Garlic 
5-6 nos Black pepper corns 
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds 
1/2 tsp Chilly powder 
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 
3 Dry red chilies
1 tsp Mustard seeds 
few Curry leaves 
2-3 tsp Oil 
Salt   to taste

Method

Pressure cook vanpayar till soft and done. Set aside.

In another vessel cook the pumpkin with salt,turmeric,chilly powder, slit green chilies and salt adding enough water to cook the pumpkin. (You can pressure cook it for 1-2 whistles).

 Meanwhile grind  1 cup coconut, 2 cloves of garlic, whole black pepper corns and cumin seeds into a fine paste adding water, if needed.

Add the ground coconut paste and the cooked vanpayar to the cooked pumpkin and mix well. Check for salt and add water if needed. If you prefer dry erissseri, you do not need to add water. Cook for a few minutes at medium-low heat.

In a frying pan heat coconut oil, splutter mustard seeds, fry the dry red chilies, curry leaves and then add remaining 1/2 cup grated coconut. Roast the coconut till it turns brown (If you want, you can pour the seasoning over the curry and then roast the coconut in the same pan).

Add this roasted coconut to the pumpkin and mix well. Check for salt. Serve hot with rice and a thoran/mezhukkupuratti.

KERALA STYLE CHICKEN CURRY WITH COCONUT MILK

Ingredients to marinate

1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs boneless and skinless
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp salt

To be crushed together

10 pearl onions peeled
5 cloves garlic peeled
2 inch piece ginger
1/2 tsp fennel seeds

Other ingredients

2 tbsp coconut oil
2 small red onion chopped
10 curry leaves
3-4 green chillies slit lenghtwise
1 medium potato cubed
2 medium tomatoes chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp red chillie powder
salt to taste
1/2 can unsweetened coconut milk

Method 

Marinate the chicken pieces in black pepper, turmeric powder, white vinegar ans salt for 30 minutes.

Crush together pearl onions, ginger, garlic, fennel seeds in mortar and pestle to coarse paste.

Heat coconut oil in kadhai. Add chopped onions , curry leaves, green chilli and saute until onion turns brown.

Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder, garam masala. Saute for few seconds.

Add crushed paste of onion , and ginger garlic and saute till raw smell of ginger garlic disappears.

Add chopped tomatoes and cook till tomatoes soften. Now add marinate chicken pieces and cubed potatoes along with 1/3 cup water. 

add salt and cover and cook over medium high heat till chicken cooks through.

Remove lid and cook until curry becomes thick.

Heat coconut oil in small pan, ad pearl onions, curry leaves saute and pour this over chicken curry.

Serve hot with rotis or rice.

RED BELL PEPPER CHUTNEY

Ingredients

1 big Onion, cubed 
3 cloves Garlic, cut 
2 samll Tomato, cubed 
2 Red Capsicum, cubed
1 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
Salt- to taste

2 tsp oil

Oil 1 tsp
1/2 tsp Jeera 

1 tbsp Urad dhal 
Dried red chilli-2-3
Tamarind- Pea size

Method

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and roast the jeera, urad dhal, dried red chillies and tamarind together till the urad dhal becomes golden colour and the red chillies becomes crisp. Set aside and allow to cool. Blend in a mixer jar as a coarse powder.

Heat two teaspoons of oil in a pan and add the cubed onion, pinch of salt and cook slightly. Then add the garlic and cook for a minute. Now add the cut tomato and cook for a minute till it becomes slightly soft but not mushy.

Now add the red capsicum and enough salt. Cook for two minutes till the peel starts to get blisters or the bright red colour starts to change.
Now add the coriander leaves and cook for fifteen seconds and switch off the gas. Allow to cool.
Now add the urad dhal mixture into the blender and powder it. If it is a coarse powder also it will grind further with capsicum.
Now add the capsicum mixture and grind as a fine puree.
Without tempering itself this chutney tastes really yummy.
If you wish you could splutter mustard seeds in oil and then add some curry leaves and mix with this chutney.(This step is optional)
Serve with Idli or Dosa. 
Can be stored up to 2-3 days in refrigerator.

GAWAR ALU SABZI

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup Gawar / Cluster beans  cut into ½ inch bits
1 medium Potato, diced
2 large Onion
1 large Tomato, chopped
7 cloves Garlic
1/2 "Ginger
4 Green chilies
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Cloves
1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
3/4 tsp Everest meat masala
3 tbsp Oil
Water – 1 and ½ cup or as needed depending on your pressure cooker
2 tbsp Coriander leaves , finely chopped

Method

Take ginger, garlic, green chilies, clove, and cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle.
Pound them all really well. Set aside.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add in the onions. Sauté them till they turn golden brown.
Add the mixture of ginger, garlic, green chilies, clove, and cumin seeds. Sauté till the raw smell disappears and it gives out a nice aroma.
Add the tomato and cook till they get mushy and some oil begins to separate.
Add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and meat masala. Cook for a few seconds.
Add gawar/cluster beans, salt, and sauté them with the masala.
When the masala begins to stick to the base, add a couple of tablespoons of water and continue to saute the beans while stirring constantly on high flame. Repeat this process 2-3 times. I used up about ¾ cup of water sauteing the beans.
Add in ½ cup of water and mix. Close the pressure cooker and cook the cluster beans for 3 whistles. The beans should be partially cooked.
Open the lid and add in the potatoes. Add some more water if needed. I added another ¼ water. Mix well. Close the pressure cooker again and cook the cluster beans and potatoes for 3 whistles or till the vegetables are completely cooked. Turn off the heat.
Let the pressure release. Open the cooker. If any water is left, turn the heat on high and let it dry off a bit.
The oil will begin to separate again. Add in the chopped coriander leaves and give it a final stir. Cluster beans potato curry for rice is now ready.
Serve the cluster beans potato curry with chapathis or rice. Enjoy

CHIILI FISH

For Marinate:

1/2 kg Boneless Fish Pieces Cut into small square cube (I used Basa fish)
1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder 
1 tsp Soy Sauce
Salt to taste

For Batter :

1 no Egg 
1/4 cup Corn Flour 
1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour/Maida 
Water as needed
Oil for frying

For Sauce :

2 cup Onion  ,finely chopped
1 tsp Garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup Capsicum, diced
4 nos Green chilly ,finely chopped
1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilly  (optional- Here i have used get for more colour)
1 tsp Red Chilly Powder
3 tsp Chilly Sauce
1/2 tsp Sugar
2 cup Water/Stock 
1 tbsp Corn Flour  
Spring Onion Greens : for garnishing (Chopped)
Salt to taste
Peanut Oil/Cooking Oil as needed

Method

Marinate the fish pieces with above mentioned marinate ingredients and mix well and keep it for 30 minutes preferrably in a refrigerator.
Heat oil in the frying pan; Prepare the batter, mix all purpose flour,cornflour,salt for taste.
Beat the egg and mix it with flour,add little water and make it to a thick batter.
Dip the fish pieces in the flour batter and deep fry till it turns to light golden brown in color,remove and set it aside.
In the remaining oil,add chopped garlic,green chilles,chopped celery,onion and saute them until onion turn translucent.
Add diced capsicum,red chilly powders and saute for couple of minutes now add stock/water and allow it to boil.
Add chilly sauce,sugar,salt and mix well now add the fried fish pieces.
Mix the corn flour with little water and mix it well with the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes.
Garnish with spring onion greens. Serve hot and Enjoy!

NADAN CHICKEN ROAST

Ingredients

1/2 kg Chicken pieces 

3 nos onion 
2 tomatoes 
2green chillies 
few curry leaves 
coriander leaves few chopped
1 tsp garlic paste 
1 tsp ginger paste 
2 tsp lemon juice 
1/2 tsp turmeric powder 
2 tsp chilly powder  or as desired
1/2 tsp garam masala powder 
pepper powder as per taste
coconut oil
salt

Method

Marinate chicken with chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt, garlic and ginger paste,lemon juice and half of garam masala.

Shallow fry these chicken pieces after kept for half an hour.
Remove the chicken pieces from the pan when it turned red out side.
Saute finely chopped onion in the same oil used for frying chicken.
When onions are sauteed well and about red in color, add finely chopped tomatoes.
Saute until it is mashed well.
Add pepper powder and remaining garam masala powder.
Put chicken pieces in this and mix well.
Add enough salt too.
Reduce heat to a very low flame, place the lid and cook the chicken for some time.
You have to stirr this occasionally to prevent this from sticking to the pan.
After few minutes , the masala covers chicken pieces, the add green chilly slits,curry leaves and coriander leaves.
Stir well and remove from fire.
Serve hot!!