"Aloo poha"

A wonderfully light but filling breakfast or snack that is easy on the tummy and a perennial favourite with my family. "Aloo poha" literally means potato with beaten rice and these are the main ingredients here. This dish originates in Western India, mainly Maharashtra.

Serves 4
Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1. "Poha" or "chidva" or white beaten rice (thick variety) - 250 gms
2. Potatoes diced - 1 cup
3. Onions chopped - 3/4 cup
4. Green chillies (chopped) to taste
5. Salt to taste
6. Oil - 3 tblsp
7. White sesame seeds or "safed til" - 1 tsp
8. Cumin seeds or "jeera" - 1/3 tsp
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Curry leaves - few
11. Lime juice, chopped coriander leaves and a little grated coconut (optional) for garnish

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wok with a lid, on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the sesame seeds and cover. After the sesame seeds splutter, add the cumin and stir.
2. Add the onions, potatoes, curry leaves, green chillies, turmeric powder and salt. Stir and cover to cook on medium heat.
3. Meanwhile, pick and clean the "poha" and place it in a colander. Wash the "poha" in the colander and make sure all parts of the "poha" are wetted well. It is better to do this step using drinking water. Leave the poha to drain. The poha swells a bit and the different grains show up well.
4. When the potatoes and onions are well cooked, added the damp "poha" and stir well. Cover and cook till the "poha" is cooked through and heated well. The "poha" should be yellow like the potatoes and hot to touch. Adjust seasoning.
5. Stir in some lime juice, grated coconut and coriander leaves. Cook for a minute and take off heat.
6. Serve piping hot.

Tips

Use the thick variety of "poha" as, while washing, the thin variety could become a damp sticky mass, in step 3.

Any remaining "poha" may be steamed well, in a colander, to be reheated.

Sauteed peanuts or cooked green peas may also be added along with the poha in step 4.

You may also crackle mustard seeds, if you like in step 1.

Simplest Tomato "Rasam"

Simplest tomato rasam

"Rasam" is usually made with the stock of split red gram or "toovar dal" and some tomatoes, tamarind water or lime juice and easily available herbs and condiments like coraiander seeds, its leaves and garlic. There are many more types of rasam which are made by different communities but here I have a simple recipe to make this fragrant soup-like thin sauce that is a staple of South Indian cuisine. I have not used any gram or lentils or any rasam powder as is done usually, nevertheless, this "rasam" is appetising and aromatic. The recipe was suggested to me by my South Indian help when I wanted some "rasam" done in a jiffy.

Serves 3 to 4 persons
Preparation and cooking time : 20 to 30 minutes

Ingredients

1. Tomatoes - 1 very large or 2 medium
2. Unpeeled garlic - 6 flakes
3. Green chillies - at least 2 (medium sized) or according to taste
4. Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1/2 tsp
5. Black pepper - 1/2tsp whole corns or 3/4 tsp coarse powder
6. Asafoetida (hing powder) - 1/4 tsp
7. Dried red chillies - 2 or 3 (each torn in two)
8. Tamarind (imli) - 1/2 lime sized ball (soaked in water to yield 2 1/2 cups of watery pulp)
9. Turmeric powder (haldi) - a small pinch
10. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
11. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
12. Fresh coriander leaves (dhania leaves) - 2 tblsp freshly chopped
13. Salt to taste
14. Vegetable oil - 2 tsp

Method

1. Take items 2, 3, 4 and 5. Pound very well in a mortar or give it a spin in a clean coffee grinder (without water). The mixture should be coarse.
2. Warm 1 tsp oil and fry this mix till it starts giving out a nice aroma. Do not cook further. Nothing should be browned.
3. Take the tomato/es and crush and squeeze well by hand or give it a short spin in a mixie (without water) to make a coarse, chunky mix. Transfer to a vessel. Add the fried spice mix to this crushed tomato.
4. Add items 8, 9, 12 and 13 to the tomato mix.
5. Heat 1 tsp oil and temper the mustard seeds, hing, red chillies and lastly the curry leaves. The curry leaves need to be very lightly fried only. Add to the tomato mix.
6. Give the whole thing only a light boil. When it begins frothing up, turn off the heat, immediately. This "rasam" loses flavour if boiled any further.
7. Serve hot with rice.
8. Or strain and serve warm as a soup.

Rasam starting to froth up (step 6)

Tips

If you want, a 1/2 cup of boiled "toovar" dal stock may be added to improve the flavour, at step 5, before you boil the "rasam".


It is better to make just enough "rasam" for one meal.


A 1/2 cup of chicken stock may be added at step 5 if using as a non-vegetarian soup.


I like to prepare the "rasam" till step 5 and store the mix in the fridge. Then, when its lunch time, I do step 6 after giving the whole thing a nice stir. Fresh "rasam" is ready without having a lot of cleaning up remaining at lunch time.

Steaming hot strained rasam

I serve "rasam" when anyone at home has a running nose or cold. My family likes having it during the rains and winter.

Mutton Fry

Mutton fry

A dish that just happened when I had to make something for potluck to take to a friend's place. My husband wanted mutton, but in all my life, we have only had gravy based mutton dishes or "biryani", and so out of necessity this dry dish was sort of put together as we were already running late that evening. It is very simple and quick. Thereafter, whenever I have made this, its one of the first things on the table to get over......which to me is a huge compliment. Needs only a simple "raita" and some warm "rotis" (Indian bread) to go with it. A useful recipe to have in one's kitty.

Serves 6 to 8 persons
Preparation and cooking time: about 40 minutes

Ingredients

1. Mutton* - 1kg
2. Green cardamom (whole) - 5
3. Cloves (whole) - 3
4. Cinnamon stick - 1"
5. Whole black pepper - 1 tablespoon
6. Star anise - 1
7. Aniseed - 1 teaspoon
8. Curry leaves washed - 2 handfuls
9. Salt to taste
10. Ginger chopped - 1 tablespoon
11. Garlic chopped - 1 tablespoon
12. Green chillies - 3
13. Coriander powder - 2 teaspoons
14. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
15. Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
16. Onions sliced long - 1 cup
17. Oil - 2 tablespoons
18. Water
19. Chopped coriander leaves and lime wedges for garnish

Method

1. Wash and drain the mutton pieces.
2. Grind items 2 to 15 into a smooth paste using some water. It does not matter if the paste is watery.
3. Combine the mutton and the watery paste and boil for about 15 to 20 minutes. Add a little water if the mutton begins to stick to the vessel. You may pressure cook it, however, I boil this in a thick-bottomed vessel. Take off heat.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wok and add the sliced onions. Let them brown well.
5. Add the cooked mutton and all the gravy and cook till the mutton pieces are rather dry.
6. Serve hot with the chopped coriander leaves and lime wedges as garnish. Goes well with " rotis", "paranthas" or any sort of Indian bread. Needs only some "raita" or a green salad to complete the meal.

Tips

*Goat meat has been referred to as mutton.
The curry leaves give this recipe a nice, fresh flavour.
The amounts of chilli powder and pepper can be changed according to taste.
Chicken can be substituted for mutton in this recipe.
I sometimes use boneless mutton or chicken in this recipe to make spicy hors d'oeuvres.

"Meen vevichathu" or the Central Travancore style of fish in red gravy

Meen vevichathu

There are as many ways of preparing this simple, elegant and classic dish as there are Kerala Syrian Christian households. Some do this with whole spices and others use powdered "masalas", each one extolling the virtues of his or her method! The proportions of condiments vary with the taste preferences of the family and finally the type of fish used also depends on personal favourites. Kerala fish curries are cooked in a clay pot called the "meen chatti". And if a "meen chatti" is not available, not to fret...you can cook this in any thick bottomed cooking pot. It is said that the clay pot imparts a certain inexplicable yummy flavour which is missing in other vessels. All in all, a dish that could be the barometer of a cook's expertise. In the end, this is just simply a spectacular dish which will transport you to culinary heaven (if you can take the spices!). It is one Kerala dish which has no use of any grated coconut though the oil is used to give it a nice, complete sort of aroma! Here is one of the simpler versions I do that always gets me a compliment or two from my family and friends.

Serves 8 - 10 persons
Preparation and cooking time approx: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Ingredients

1. Seer fish (preferably) or any large variety of fish that has firm flesh - 1 kg
2. Fish tamarind or "meen pulli" - 4 large pieces
3. Kashmiri (mild) red chilli powder - 2 heaped teaspoons
4. Pungent red chilli powder - 1 heaped teaspoon
5. Roasted coriander powder - 1 heaped teaspoon
6. Turmeric powder - 3/4 teaspoon
7. Ginger chopped finely- 1 1/2 tablespoons
8. Garlic chopped finely - 2 tablespoons
9. Onions or shallots (madras onions) chopped finely - 2 tablespoons
10. Coconut oil or any mild flavoured vegetable oil - 3 tablespoons
11. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
12. Roasted fengreek powder - 1 tsp
13. Curry leaves (fresh) - a handful
14. Salt to taste
15. Water
16. Coconut oil - a teaspoon or so (optional)

Method

1. The fish has to be prepared first. It may be skinned if you like. Cut into medium to slightly larger pieces approximately 1 1/2" thick pieces. Wash thoroughly under running water and keep aside to drain in a colander.
2. Clean the fish tamarind thoroughly of all grit under running water and tear each large piece into 3 or 4 strips. Place all the 12 or so strips in the clay pot along with a few washed curry leaves. Add a teaspoon of salt and pour a cup of water so that the tamarind soaks for sometime. The meen chatti, thus prepared, is kept aside.
3. Take items numbered 3, 4, 5 and 6 and mix together in a 1/4 cup of water to get a thick semi-solid paste.
4. Heat a wok or frying pan on medium heat, pour the oil and then add the mustard seeds. (The "meen chatti" is a delicate vessel and replacing a broken one is easier said than done, so I normally do not fry the masalas in it to reduce the wear and tear on the pot bottom.) When the seeds splutter, add the chopped ginger and let it turn a light brown, then add the garlic bits and stir till the whole thing becomes a darker brown. The garlic needs to become brown mostly around the edges only. At this stage, add the chopped shallots or onions. When the onions become a deep brown without burning, add the semi-solid masala paste. Stir and fry this till you can see the oil surfacing around its sides. This could take 3 to 5 minutes on medium heat.
5. When the masala has begun releasing oil, tip all of it into the prepared clay pot. Rinse out the wok with half a cup of water and pour this water also into the "chatti". Add another 1 cup of water. Set the "chatti" on the stove and wait till the water and masalas come to a rolling boil.
6. When the gravy is boiling hard consistently, add the fish pieces, one by one, so that no two pieces are stuck to each other while cooking. As the fish is placed in the "chatti", the boil comes down to a simmer. Wait for the gravy to boil hard again. Add a few more curry leaves. You will find that the fish has released a lot of water. The fish curry should never be stirred around while or after cooking as fish is prone to breaking. Adjust salt and let the gravy thicken to your preference. The fish has to be boiled hard for at least 15 minutes to absorb some of the taste of the masala. A light simmer will not do as the fish will remain insipid and the gravy will be watery. (The gravy can be of thick pouring consistency.)
7. Towards the end of the cooking, add the roasted fenugreek powder. Let it cook for a few seconds after that and then turn the fire off. The "chatti" retains a geat amount of heat and you will see that the gravy is still boiling well even when it is off the stove. Sprinkle the remaining curry leaves and add a dash of raw coconut oil, do not stir at all. Keep the lid shut for about 10 minutes. Open the lid a little so that the steam does not condense inside. Keep for at least half an hour. Serve warm with rice, tapioca or even with "rotis" (Indian bread).

Tips

"Meen vevichathu" can be kept for a few days (if it doesn't get over!) as the flavour improves vastly with time. This can be kept in the fridge. While reheating, I like to take only the required amount of curry and fish pieces and zap it for a minute in the microwave before serving it.

It is better to use larger, fleshy fish rather than small varieties as the masala can work its way into the pieces without making a mash of the whole thing.

A "meen chatti" is a good thing to have in your pantry if you plan on doing Kerala fish curries more often. You can buy one from a Kerala store or from Kerala itself! You can tilt the chatti this way and that to move the fish pieces around during cooking.

Fish tamarind aka "meen pulli" is available in South Indian/Kerala stores everywhere. Or you can get them through somebody coming from Kerala. This stuff keeps for ages.

Fenugreek seeds aka "methi" seeds can be roasted and powdered. After cooling, this powder can be stored in a bottle for use in different dishes.

Kerala boiled rice goes very well with this curry.

The key to a good "meen vevichathu" is fresh ingredients. Freshly caught fish, freshly picked curry leaves, fresh coconut oil, fresh ginger, garlic and shallots make a huge difference to the end result. This difference is felt when one has this dish in the village and the flavours that you experience there are not something easily replicated in the city.