Egg curry

Egg, as I have often said is a necessity for me. My last-minute saviour!

Most of my cooking trials are based on dishes that I have tasted and my culinary journey began with an attempt to recreate that blissful sojourn. It clearly underlines the fact that epic tastes create lasting impressions. More and more people want to experience that. I believe that's what a splendid idea is. That more people want to replicate it.

In this case, for the egg curry, my source of taste that I am still in the process of trying to recreate is the egg curry of the appam-egg curry combo from a chayakada (tea shop) near Caritas Hospital in Kottayam. As a child, I was a frequent visitor to that hospital and I was bribed into going there with the promise of a lime juice with ice cubes and of course the appam-egg curry that I so dearly loved <3 <3

I don't remember the name of that tea shop and don't know if it is still there. Because I don't visit hospitals that much now thankfully :D :D  So whenever egg curry pops up in a menu, I order it with the constant hope that it has that long-ago taste that lingers in my memory. Such a lasting impact from a chayakada chef! 

Do not be mistaken that the recipe am listing here is a replica of the aforesaid dish. This is different but really good and anyone can try it :D :D

PS: When I manage to replicate that chayakada taste, which will be soon coz I got some hint about how he/she might have made it, that will be here! ;D ;D

What I used

1. Vegetable/coconut oil: 1/4 cup
2. Cardamom (2 pods) cinnamon (1-inch), cloves (2): optional
3. Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
4. Curry leaves (optional): ~8-10 leaves 
5. Finely sliced onions: 1 cup
6. Diced ripe tomatoes: 1/2 cup
7. Salt: to taste
8. Meat masala: 2 tablespoons
9. Pepper powder: 1/2 teaspoon
10. Chillies: 2 - change according to the heat required
11. Coconut milk: 1/2 cup
12. Boiled eggs cut into halves: 2

How I made it

1. If you are using cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, add it into the hot oil at the beginning itself so the oil becomes flavoursome
2. Then splutter mustard seeds with few curry leaves and saute the onions with some salt on low flame till the onions have melted
   PS:You have to be patient here. Coz when the onions melt is when it gets a sweet taste. This mix of sweetness with the spices we are going to add is what gives it a to-die-for flavour
3. Add the tomatoes and chillies at this stage. When the tomatoes wilt and get mushy, add salt, meat masala and pepper powder
4. When the content is aromatic, add the coconut milk and some water for the gravy. Water is to be added based on how thick you want the gravy to be
5. When then gravy comes to a boil, add the boiled eggs ensuring it is coated with the gravy
6. Set aside for a few minutes and serve hot

This curry is very simple to make and we had it with chappathi :D :D

It goes well with rice and appam, bread too :D :D ..

Like I say, you can decide your own combo. What works for you work for you and that's good enough :D :D

Rajma beans fried rice

Rajma beans!

The first time I heard about them was from my ex-boyfriend who was from Delhi. That was years ago! Am not sure if it was common in Kerala back then coz I wasn't that into food then. But I certainly didn't come across them in my diet at that time.

So recently when I went grocery shopping and came across these little pebble beans, I thought it would serve as a good option to stock up. Obviously it was going to come in handy.

So on that Saturday morning when I decided it was going to be home-made lunch, it was going to be my version of a rajma fried rice :D :D

What I used

1. Vegetable oil: 3 tablespoons
2. Cooked rajma beans: 1.5 cups - retain the stock remaining after cooking the rajma beans
3. Finely diced medium-sized onion: 1
4. Diced carrots (optional): 1
5. Chillies (any chillies): use based on how much of heat needed
6. Garam masala: 1 teaspoon
7. Chilli powder (optional): 1 teaspoon
8. Salt: to taste
9. Jaggery: 1 teaspoon
10. Garlic: 2 cloves
11. Basmati rice: 1.5 cups
12. Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
13. Butter: 1/ tablespoon
14. Curry leaves (optional): 2 sprigs
15. Water: enough to cook the rice - for 1 cup basmati rice, add 2 cups of water. To be on the safe side, check the softness of rice and add water accordingly

How I made it

1. In a pan, heat the butter and 1/2 teaspoon oil and when it's hot, add the washed basmati rice with cinnamon stick and fry the rice. Keep aside
   PS:No need to brown the rice. It is fried enough when the grains are all separated from each other
2. Simultaneously in another pan, heat the remaining oil and splutter some mustard seeds, followed by sauteeing of onion with some chillies and salt
3. When the onions have wilted, add in the carrots and cook with pan covered till carrots are soft
4. Sprinkle in the garam masala, chilli powder and jaggery with the beans and mix everything well
5. Add the curry leaves and fried rice with the rajma stock adding enough water to coer the contents
6. Keep the pan covered and cook till the rice is done
   PS: take care of the amount of water being added as too much water can make the rice gooey. There should only just be enough water for rice to cook fully. For this, check the softness of the rice in between and add water accordingly. It's not as difficult as you might have just felt reading this
7. Keep the contents covered for sometime for everything to mingle well and serve hot... or cold :D Whatever way you feel like :D :D

When I made this, it came out a tad bit too spicy for me. So I had this with some cold yoghurt and it was heaven! 

At least try it once. It's worth it! :D :D

Chicken cutlet

Cutlets.. the good old cutlets!

The very mention of it brings forth the epitome of sensuousness to its heights. The perfect amalgamation of hotness so hot, sweetness so sweet, spice so spicy, crisp so crunchy that you can almost hear the crunch of that glorious bite before you are hit with the two-pronged ecstasy of the sweetness of the melted onions and the fire of the chillies. Such a hot combo!.. 

It wont stop at one bite... will it? ;D You just need more ... and more... 

And then... one more bite... :D :D

What I used

1. Vegetable oil: 2 tablespoons
2. Finely diced onion and shallots: 1 cup
3. Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tablespoon
4. Salt: to taste
5. Finely diced carrots: 1/2 cup
6. Garam masala: 1.5 teaspoon
7. Meat masala: 2 tablespoons
8. Chopped green chillies: 2
9. Minced chicken: 250 grams
10. Potatoes boiled with salt and mashed: 1/2 cup
11. Eggs: 2 or as needed to coat all the patties
12. Bread crumbs: as needed
13. Oil for deep frying

How I made it

1. In a skillet, heat the oil and saute onion shallot mix on low flame with some salt till they become really soft and have wilted fully
2. Add the ginger-garlic paste, chillies and carrots and cook on medium flame till the carrots are half done
3. Then add the masalas and cook again on low flame till the raw smell is gone
4. Add the minced chicken and cook really well. This will take sometime as the chicken cooks in its stock
5. Cook on medium flame keeping the skillet covered till all the stock has evaporated and the content is dry
6. Allow the mixture to cool,add the mashed potatoes, mixing everything really well
7. Then make firm patties of the desired shape
8. Dip them in the well-beaten eggs first and then coat it with bread crumbs. This process can be repeated once more for crispier cutlets
9. Heat enough oil on medium flame in a frying pan for deep frying and fry the cutlet patties till they are golden brown on each side
10. Excess oil can be blotted off using tissue or blotting paper

It's a fine snack on its own

Yet, it is equally good as a side dish with rice, fried rice, biriyani and chapatthis too. And if you are on a roll, stuff it between 2 breads or bun and it becomes a sandwich! Roll a chappathi or some flat bread over it and these can be wraps too ;D :D. You can also crumble them into a salad

Plenty of ways to have them, one better than the other

Enjoy!

Aval (flattened rice) nanachhathu

Come evening and we are drawn towards tea and snacks. Else it is as if something is greatly amiss. This is all the more a must when returning from schools and colleges and even being at workplace is no exception to simply go and have a hot cup of tea or coffee and a crispy crunchy bite of that something special. This snack is often awaited for like the surprise of the day. Such is the anticipation! :D :D

Aval (flattened rice) nanachathu is an old-time favorite akin to black and white movies. That is how long it has been in existence. A very filling snack with the goodness of fresh coconut :D :D It is so easy to prepare and is perfect to be seen with on an evening snack array :D :D

What I used

1. Crispy dried aval: 2 cups
2. Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup
3. Sugar or jaggery: 1/2 cup
4. Cardamom pods: 5 (optional)

How I made it

1. In a bowl, mix all the above ingredients well such that the aval soaks in the moisture of the freshly grated coconut and softens. 
2. Keep the mixture for about half an hour before the war cry is hurled ;D

Too simple isn't it? ;D