Kottayam Style Sambar RECIPE#160

Step 1:- Cut vegetables ( 2-3 drumstick ,one  Savala/ Onion  ,6-9 Pearl onion( Kochulli) , One Carrot,1-2 Egg plant ,2-3 Cucumber , one Snake gourd , 4-7 baby carrots, and  2 large tomato  ) Or use Frozen vegetables. And keep aside .

  Step 2:-  Soak 1/ 2 cup of  toordal ( parippu).

Step 3:- Pressure cook  toordal ( parippu), with  3-4 garlic and salt for 2-3 whistle ( or cook on stove top for 20 minutes ) . 

Step 4:- When the dal gets almost cooked,  blend it , until it is becomes smooth paste.Keep  aside.

Step 5:-  Soak    tamarind ( small lemon sized  )  in 1/4 cup water .

Step 6:-  Add Step 4  paste in a pan or in  a  cook pot.

Step 7:-  Add  the vegetables ( from step 1) . 

Step 8:-  Add   the tamarind pulp  ( from step 5 ) . 

Step 9:-  Add  11/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder , salt ,

 4-5 splitted green chillies , and 2- 3 cups of water ,

cook  for  12-15 minutes ,  until the vegetable is   ''done'' .

Step 10:- When the vegetable gets almost done, add   3-4  teaspoons of Nirapara Sambar powder  ,

a pinch of asafoetida ,  and  1/2 cup of chopped cilantro . Cook for another 10 minutes on low -flame. 

FINAL SEASONING 

Step 11:- Heat a  pan  ,  add  a  table spoon of oil ( canola)  .

splutter 1 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds , 

 2-3 dried red chilliies  , 

 and few curry leaves  . And  saute   for 1-2 minutes .

Step 12:- Pour over  ''the vegetables '' ( step 10 )  '    , Combine well.    ''Cook ''for another 2-5 minutes on low flame . 

Step 13:- Kottayam  style Sambar ready.......  Enjoy with  steamed rice/ Dosa/ Idly .......:) ...... JA -Mathew- 

Banana Bread RECIPE#159

Step 1:-   Preheat the oven to 300 Degree Fahrenheit .

Step 2:- Grease and flour two loaf  pans  and keep aside .

Step 3:-   Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a mixing bowl .

Step 4:-   Add 1 1/4  cup of sugar  , 

2  eggs , 1/2 teaspoon of salt  to step 3 bowl .

  Step 4:-  Mix well with a hand mixer.

Step 5:-   Mash 4  bananas (  2 ripened  and  2 ''over ripened''    ) ,  

and add 2-3 drops of Vanilla extract and combine well .  And keep aside .

  Step 6:-      Combine  3 1/2  cup of all purpose flour  ( maida) , 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 2  teaspoon  of baking powder . 

Step 7:-   Now add  Step 6 flour to step 4 bowl ,Combine  well with a hand mixer.

Step 8:-   Now add step 5  mashed banana 

Combine  well with a hand mixer.

Step 9:-  Pour 'the  step 8  batter '  into Step 2  loaf  pan ,

 place  walnuts  evenly on the top of the batter 

Step 10:- Bake for  60 - 75 minutes ,

  until a '' wooden tooth pick '' inserted into the center of the bread  comes out clean.

Step 11:-  Banana cake is ready......................Enjoy ....JA-Mathew- 

Fish Curry ( Kottayam Style ) RECIPE#158

Step 1:- Make a smooth paste with  1/2 of an onion , 2-3 green chillies , 3" ginger root  and 5-7 garlic cloves   and  keep aside .

Step 2:- Make  puree with a large tomato  and keep aside .

Step 3:- Heat   2 table spoon of vegetable oil  ( Canola ) in a pan . Splutter 1/2 teaspoon of  mustard seeds. 

Step 4:-Add  the Step 1 paste  . Saute  until the paste  becomes "light brown"in color . 

Step 5:- Bring down the heat  and add   11/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 2 1/2  teaspoon of kashmiri chilli powder, and 1 teaspoon of  coriander powder   . Saute  for 2-3 seconds  

Step 6:- Now add the step 2 tomato puree,  

 1 teaspoon of fenugreek powder, and a coccum ( meen puli)  [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garcinia_indica]  ,

1 cup of water ,a pinch of asafetida, 

 few curry leaves  and boil  10 minutes on   low-medium flame .

Step 7:- Now add  sliced  (2 lb  /1 kg) fish pieces , Combine well  and cook for 18-22 minutes on low flame , until the fish is done .

Step 8:-   Fish curry ( Kottayam Style )   is ready...........:) ........:) Enjoy  with Kappa ,  steamed rice/chapattis/ tortillas..............- JA Mathew-

Kappa Vevichathu - Kottayam Style - RECIPE#157

Step 1:- Chop  2- 2 1/2  lb of tapioca as in the picture .

Step 2:- Boil water with 1 teaspoon of  salt . 

Step 3 :-Add the tapioca  , 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder  and cook until the tapioca  becomes  soft  .

Step 4:-Drain  in a colander .And then mash it and keep aside 

Step 5:-Grind 1 cup of  grated coconut ,  3/4 teaspoons of cumin seeds , 2-3 green chillies ,  3-4 garlic cloves ,  few curry leaves and 4-5 pearl onions and set aside . 

Step 6:-Add the  Step 5 ''coconut mixture'   into  Step 4 mashed tapioca  , combine well , Keep aside .

FINAL SEASONING 

Step 7:- Heat a  pan  ,  add  a  table spoon of oil ( canola)  .

splutter 1 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds , 

 2-3 dried red chilliies  , 

few curry leaves and  finely minced  1/4  cup of  onion   or  finely chopped  5-8 pearl onion .

saute  until the onion becomes  golden brown in color. 

Step 8:- Pour over  'the tapioca ( step 6)  '    , Combine well.    ''Cook ''for another 2-5 minutes on low flame . 

Step 9:- Kappa Vevichathu  ready ..... ...Enjoy......JA- Mathew-