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Wednesday, February 16, 2011

** Kerala Episode **

Reporting from Kerala. Well this doesn't mean that I am still there in India.  We are back from a month's vacation. It was great meeting up with relatives and old friends refreshing our memories of the wonderful time we had back then. Many of them have changed, some are married, others all set to enter into parenthood, the others have  little cuties around them. Things have changed, yet meeting them all in their new achievement was great. Something that's not expressible.

 The best part of the trip was the food. Tasty treats from our mothers. We had given a list of dishes that we wanted to have to our moms even before the travel.We have definitely added some pounds. I think am in a perfect circle now. Trying hard to shed some, but no luck.

So this episode is a part of the wonderful dinner that my mom had prepared for us. She made it from the list we had given her. Well it was specifically for Briji, since he wanted to have prawns and crab so badly.
I am just posting a part of her recipes, ie Iddiappam (Rice Noodles), Konchu Theeyal (Prawns Curry) and Crab Curry (Dry). The Crab Curry would be on a different posting.


Idiyappam (Steamed Rice Noodles)

Idiyappam is a south Indian dish made out of rice flour. Back home mommies make it the hard way, soaking the rice overnight, then drying it and grinding to get the flour. Now this is an easy method, you get the rice flour ready made from any Indian stores. So try this out.

Ingredients


- Rice Flour - 1 cup
- Boiling water - 2.5 cups
- Salt to taste
- Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
- Oil - 1 tsp

For the preparation of Idiappams you will need a idiappam press, which is also widely available in the Indian stores and idli mold.

Method


1. Boil 2.5 cups of water and keep it aside for 5-10 mins to cool.
2. Meanwhile mix rice flour and salt well.
3. Add the boiled water to the rice flour mixture and knead it with a spoon since its hot. Once the dough is soft, use hand to knead well.
4. Take a small quantity and fill the idiappam press. Prepare the idli mold by rubbing the oil. Press a layer of the rice dough into the idli mold in circular motion. Add 1 tbsp of grated coconut in between the layers. Two layers should be good.
5. Complete the same process until the dough finishes.
6. Steam in a vessel or pressure cooker (without the weight) for about 10 mins until its completely cooked.
Serve hot.

Idiappam can be served with chicken curry, egg roast, stew or even chutney. My mom served it with shrimp curry (konchu theeyal).

Prawns Curry (Konchu Theeyal)

Ingredients

1. Prawns (small) - 500 grms
2. Shallots (kunjulli) - 10
3. Drumstick - 1
4. Green Chillis -4
5. Coconut Shredded - 6 tbsp
6. Tamarind - 1 lemon sized
7. Chilli powder - 1.5 tbsp
8. Coriander powder -1.5 tbsp
9. Turmeric powder -1/2 tbsp
10. Mustard - 1 tbsp
11. Curry leaves - 1 bunch
12. Salt (to taste)
13. Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp

Method

1. In a pan, fry shredded coconut, chilli powder and coriander powder until the coconut turns light brown. Keep it aside to cool. Grind this mixture with water and tamarind to a fine paste.
2. In a claypot, add oil and splutter mustard seeds.
3. Cut shallots into half and add them to the mustard seeds. Saute them well. Add the green chillis to this
4. To this add the shrimp, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. Cook the prawns covered in low flame for 15 mins.
5. Add the paste of shredded coconut, curry leaves and cut drumsticks. Cook for another 15 mins. Serve hot.

*Please add the chill powder according to your spice level. This recipes is really spicy one.

Hope you enjoy this dish. Thanks mom.



Enjoy!!!!

2 comments:

  1. eda looks so good....hope it taste damn good :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love you for using the word "kunjulli" :) :) everyone else cals it "cheriyulli" ;)

    And slurrrp...idiyappam with anything is my fav!

    Btw, when you make idiyappam, next time try mixing the flour with the boilING water itself. Take the req amounts with a cup right off a pan thts still on the flame.

    Trust me, the idiyappams will be super soft(er) and lovelier!!

    ReplyDelete