Pasta with coconut milk

This is super easy,super delicious & a must try esply. if your kids or family is fond of pasta.You can pull it off all in15 mins.Now is it not just wonderful? Now that I have your attention,lets move on to the recipe =)

Ingredients:

1. Pasta : 3 cups/ 250 gms (cooked)
2. Garlic flakes : 2 (finely chopped)
3. Unsalted Butter : 1 tsp
4. Carrot : 2 tbsp (finely diced)
5. Beens : 2 tbsp (fine juliennes)
6. Cheese : 4 slices (I ran out of the cubes ;p)
7. Fresh Cilantro : 1 tsp (finely chopped)
8. Oregano : 1 tsp
9. Red dry chilli flakes : 1/4 tsp
10. Pepper : 1/4 tsp (coarsely ground)
11. Coconut milk : 1 cup
12. Salt : to taste

Method:

Melt the butter in a saucepan.Add chopped garlic,saute till the raw smell fades away.Add the cheese & coconut milk to it and stir cotinuously till the cheese melts & blends in.Now add the carrots & beens (I boil it along with the pasta to save time).Add the cooked pasta.Season it with oregano,salt,chilly flakes.Add a dash of fresh cilantro.Pasta is ready.This tastes best when served hot.

So it is as simple as this.try it I am sure you & ofcourse your kids will love it !

NB: You could add any choice of vegetables you like.I usually add button mushrooms,brocolli,spinach & even sweet corn.I was in a hurry to pick my daughter from her school so had to do away with the hunting ;)

Do let me know how well your family enjoyed it.

Happy cooking !

Cheers,

Water amaranth / Ponnanganni keerai Rice

I love greens & love to experiment and cook them in different ways not that I don't like the traditional keerai porriyal,koothu,masayal,fry,molakosham.....Of late our in take of greens has been very limited.So I thought maybe I should try to include greens atleast once a week to our menu.My kids are not very ethu when it comes to eating greens & sadly like most moms I have to hide them by puring or mincing it.Hopefully they will grow to appreciate the goodness of greens & spare me the trouble of puring it.Till then its hiding the greens that will work for me =).

The recipe I am about to share is not just very delicious but extremely healthy.There are several greens which have loads of goodness but we tend to be shy in trying them.Today I would like to share with you the goodness of "Green gold-Ponnanganni keerai". True to its name this green is believed to be beneficial in improving eye sight,for clearer complexion,for curing piles & ofcourse for promoting hair growth.

Now that a lot of gyan has been shared lets move on to the recipe =).

 Ponnanganni keerai Rice:

Ingredients:

1. Water amaranth / Ponnanganni keerai :1 bunch (cleaned & washed well-atleast 4-5 rinses)
2. Shallots : 7-8 no's(peeled,washed & chopped finely)
3. Garlic : 3 flakes(finely chopped)
4. Tomatoes :3 (medium sized,chopped finely)
5. Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
6. Tumeric : 1 tsp
7. Red chilly powder : 1- 1 1/2 tsp
8. Green chilly : 1(uncut)
9. Tamarind pulp :1-2 tbsp
10. Mustard seeds : tsp
11. Curry leaves : 1 sprig
12. Dry red chilly : 2 no's
13. Salt : to taste
14. Oil : 2 tbsp
15. Ghee /Clarified butter : 2 tbsp
16. Cooked Rice : 3-4 cups ( amount used for serving 3 adults)

Method:

Boil about 1 cup of water in a large sauce pan.When the water comes to a boil add the greens,shallots,tomatoes,green chilly,garlic,cumin & tumeric powder.Cook it covered for about 5-8 mins.Remove and let it cool down to room temperature.Puree this when it cools and set it aside.

Now in a wok add the oil & clarified butter.Add mustard seeds,dry red chilly,curry leaves.When the mustard seeds begin to splutter add the pureed green's mix to it and cook for 5 mins.Now add salt,tamarind pulp,red chilly powder.

When the pureed greens starts emitting oil from the sides,its time to add the cooked rice.Blend everything well.The Keerai rice is ready to be served.It tastes best when eatten hot.
Vaddams / papadam /Vattal & fresh curd go very well as acompaniment with the keerai rice.The rice is quite filling one since w have been generous with the clarified butter =) but trust me your family will love every bit of it.

NB: The pureed green mix (before adding rice to it) could also be eatten as an acompaniment dish with curd rice / jeera rice / coconut rice / plain dhal rice & ofcourse parrupu podi =).

So the choice of serving it is totally your discreation.Do make it & let me know how well your family enjoyed it.

Happy cooking !

Cheers,

Malabar Pepper Chicken Fry

I know I have spoken about my dislike for too much of coconut in any dish,be it as garnish or as an indispensible ingredient in the cooking process.I often try to tweek the recipe to suit my taste.But I must admit few dishes taste best with the authentic flavouring ingredients which could be simple coconut scrappings =).This is one such dish.Thanks to Jisha this is one dish I am sure to serve at family dinners  going forward.My husband was all praise for it & it was a delight to watch the rest of my family dig into it with enthu :).So here goes my tweeked version of the recipe .....

Malabar Pepper Chicken Fry

Ingredients:

1. Chicken:1/2 kg
2. Garlic: 7-8 garlic cloves (Peeled and crushed:I used a pestle to crush it  )
3. Ginger: 2 medium sized pieces ( Peeled and crushed:I used a pestle to crush it)
4. Green chillies : 4-5 nos (Chopped finely)
5. Shallots :15 no.s (Chopped finely)
6. Tomato : 2 Medium sized (Pureed )
7. Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
8. Black pepper powder : 3 tsp  
9. Lemon juice : 1 nos
10. Garam masala : 1/2 tsp
11. Freshly Grated coconut : 1/2 cup
12. Coriander powder : 2 tsp
13. Fresh Curry leaves : 2 sprigs
14. Coconut oil / Cooking oil:5 tbsp
15. Mustard seeds(for tempering)
16. Salt to taste

Method:

• Marinate the cleaned chicken pieces with turmeric powder, pepper powder, lemon juice and little salt and refrigerate it till you get the other ingredients ready :).
• Heat oil in a pan/wok.Add mustard seeds & curry leaves when the mustard seeds begin to crackle add crushed ginger and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes. Now add the finely chopped shallots,green chillies and saute till shallots turn light pink in colour. Add the coriander powder, turmeric powder and the tomato puree (Jisha in her recipe had instructed to add 3 tbsp of water,I poured 3tbsp of water to the mixie jar used for puring the tomato and added that to this.) Cook till all blends in &  gets cooked well.
• When you think its all cooked add the marinated chicken (which you have left in the refrigerator ).Check for salt; if less now is the time to adjust the taste.Cover with a lid and cook for about 20 minutes (donot add any further water,chicken will generate water while it is getting cooked). Stir well ;remove the lid & cook for another 10-15 minutes. Add black pepper powder, garam masala, grated coconut and the remaining curry leaves. Cook till all the gravy has thickened up & has coated the chicken pieces well. Your Malabar Pepper Chicken Fry is all ready to flaunt & ofcourse relish !

Happy Cooking !

Cheers,