Kerala Celebrating Vishu on 15th of April this year

Vishu is a festival held in the state of Kerala (and adjoining areas of Tamil Nadu) in India around the first day in the Malayalam month of Medam (April – May). This occasion signifies the Sun's transit to the zodiac Mesha. Mesha Raasi as per Indian astrological calculations. It is also known as the Malayalam New Year day and thus the importance of this day to all Malayalees regardless of their religion or sect. Similarly the day is celebrated in almost all places in India by the Hindus albeit by different names.

DRY POTATO CURRY RECIPE

POTATO CURRY INGREDIENTS:

Yield: 4 servings

1 lb Potato; Red skins
Salt to taste
2 tablespoon Vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
1 Onion; finely sliced
2 Garlic cloves
1 (1 inch) piece gingerroot;
1 Green chile; seeded, chopped
1 teaspoon Ground turmeric
½ teaspoon Red (cayenne) pepper
1 teaspoon Ground cumin
¼ cups Green pepper; strips

Instructions:
Cut Potatoes into ¾ inch chunks.

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water 6 to 8 minutes, until just tender. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in a large saucepan, add mustard seeds and onions. Cook 5 minutes until onions are soft, but not brown. Stir in garlic and gingerroot; cook 1 minute more.

Add cooked potatoes, chile, turmeric, cayenne and cumin. Stir well. Cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are very tender and coated with spices. Serve hot, garnished with

Your DRY POTATO CURRY is ready.

Kashmiri Rogan Josh - Recipe

KASHMIRI ROGAN… INGREDIENTS:

Yield: 6 servings

1 tablespoon whole fennel seeds
3¼ cups plain yoghurt
6 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 ¾" stick of cinnamon
½ teaspoon whole cloves
2½ teaspoon salt
1 pn asafetida
3 lb cubed lamb
4 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1½ teaspoon dried ginger
3 2/3 cups water or beef broth
¼ teaspoon garam masal

Kashmiri Rogan Josh
Instructions:

Grind the fennel seeds until find. Put the yoghurt in a bowl and beat it with a fork until smooth and creamy. Heat the oil in a large pot over a high flame. When hot, put in the cinnamon and cloves. A second later, put in the ground asafetida. A second after that, put in all the meat and the salt. Stir the meat an cook, still on a high flame for about 5 minutes. Now put in the paprika and cayenne and give the meat a good stir. Slowly add the yoghurt, a small amount at a time, stirring the meat vigorously as you do so. Add all the yoghurt this way. Keep cooking on high heat until all liquid has boiled away and the meat pieces have browned slightly. Add the fennel and ginger. Give the meat some more good stirs. Now put in the water or broth, cover so as to leave the lid very slightly ajar, and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes. Cover completely and cook on low heat for another 45 minutes or until meat is tinder. Stir a few times as the meat cooks, making sure that there is always some liquid in the pot. Remove the lid and add the garam masala. You should have a thick, reddish brown sauce. If it is too thin, boil away some of the liquid.

Your Kashmiri Rogan Josh is ready. Good luck!

Rogan Josh - Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

Rogan Josh
Instructions:


Yield: 6 servings
2 1" cubes of ginger chopped
8 cloves of garlic
1½ cups beef broth
10 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 lb lamb or beef stew meat
10 whole black cardamoms
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
10 whole peppercorns
1 1" stick cinnamon
2 medium onions
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoon ground black cumin
4 teaspoon red paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoon plain yogurt
¼ teaspoon garam masala
1 black pepper


Put the ginger, garlic, and 4 tablespoons water in blender. Blend well until you have a smooth paste. Heat the oil in a wok to medium high heat. Brown the meat cubes in several batches and set to one side. Put the cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon into the same hot oil. Stir once and wait until the cloves swell and the bay leaves begin to take on color. Now put in the onions. Stir and fry for about 5 minutes or until the onions turn a medium brown color. Put in the ginger garlic paste and stir for 30 seconds. Add the fried meat cubes and juices. Stir for 30 seconds. Now put in 1/6 of the yoghurt. Stir and fry for 30 seconds or until the yoghurt is well blended. Add the remaining yoghurt, a tablespoon at a time, in the same way. Stir and fry for another 3-4 minutes. Now add the rest of the broth (a little more for beef than lamb). Bring the contents of the pot to a boil, scraping in all browned spices on the sides and bottom of the pot. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for about an hour if lamb and two if beef. Every 10 minutes or so, give the meat a good stir. When the meat is tender, take off the lid, turn the heat up to medium and boil away some of the liquid. You should end up with a tender meat in a thick, reddish brown sauce. All the fat that collects in the pot may be spooned off the top. Sprinkle the garam masala and black pepper over the meat before you serve and mix them in.

Your Rogan Josh is ready. Good luck!

Basic Fried Rice Recipe

This versatile recipe, with variations, shows you how to make a full, satisfying meal from any kind of leftover rice. Just one thing: Freshly cooked rice is too moist to achieve the right texture when fried. A night in the fridge is ideal, but a few hours will do the trick if you just can't wait.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

* 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
* 3 eggs, beaten
* 2 strips bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
* 4 scallions, trimmed and sliced into 1/4-inch rings (reserve 1 heaping tablespoon sliced dark green portion for garnish)
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
* 1 tablespoon minced ginger (about a 1-inch piece)
* 1/3 cup finely chopped carrot (1-2 carrots)
* 1-2 fresh chilies like jalapenos or Thai chilies, to taste, seeded and minced (optional)
* 4 cups cooked rice, at room temperature
* 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Pour the beaten egg into the pan and swirl the egg around to coat the entire bottom of the pan. When the egg is beginning to bubble, about 1-2 minutes, break it up into pieces using a spatula or wooden spoon, and remove from pan.

Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. (If the bacon begins to burn, lower the heat to medium.)

Add the scallions, garlic, ginger, carrot and (if using) chilies to the pan and cook, stirring often, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the garlic becomes golden. Return the cooked egg to the pan.

Add the rice and stir to coat well with the other ingredients. Cook for about 2 minutes to allow the rice and egg to become hot. Turn the heat down to medium-low and pour the soy sauce over the rice. The pan may be quite full (depending on its size), so stir carefully to allow even distribution of soy sauce throughout the rice.

Taste for salt, and add an additional 1 tablespoon of soy sauce if you like. Sprinkle with the reserved dark green scallion slices to serve.

Variations:

* Add chopped raw shrimp (1/4 to 1/3 pound) 1 minute after adding the scallions, garlic, ginger and carrot.
* Add small cubes of firm tofu (about 1/2 cup) 1 minute after adding the scallions, garlic, ginger and carrot.
* Stir in small pieces of leftover cooked chicken just before adding the rice to the pan.
* For a mellower pork flavor, try pancetta instead of bacon.
* For Thai-style fried rice, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Thai fish sauce over the mixture before returning the egg to the pan, and squeeze the juice from half a lime over the rice just before serving.
* To get more of your vegetables, slice raw green beans (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup) very thin (1/8 inch) and add them along with the scallions, garlic, ginger and carrot.

Marinated Chicken Breasts

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup broth
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* 1/2 minced garlic cloves or 1 to 2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* 1 teaspoon crushed thyme
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* Salt to taste
* 2 pounds chicken breasts, boned and skinned (8 halves)

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients except the chicken breasts in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well. Rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken and marinade in a locking plastic bag, making sure the chicken is coated well (using a bag saves on cleanup, but a shallow dish works just as well). Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for several hours, turning occasionally.

Prepare the outdoor grill or preheat the broiler or a stovetop grill pan. Grill the chicken or place under the broiler for about 10 minutes per side. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees using an instant-read thermometer. Discard the marinade.

Cooking Horoscope

Cooking Horoscope

What to eat
In the section of culinary horoscope "What to eat" you will find out what dishes are recommended to you by "stars" for the welfare of your health and what should be excluded from the menu. There is some useful advice that can be not to your liking, but think of this horoscope as the recommendation of your doctor.

Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19)				Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20)
		Aries, as nobody else, must have rational invalid food. It can sound boring, but Aries has to prefer porridges, fish and vegetables, especially cabbage, radish, beet, to fat meat and fried potatoes. Greens such as parsley, dill and scallions are very good for Aries. Keep to a diet and do your best to avoid eating at nights.				Taurus must know when to stop while eating, as gluttony is a major sin. You should remember that tasty things are not always healthy. Taurus needs different fruits: oranges, lemons, apples, plums and pears. Taurus has to form a habit to supplement the meal with light salads with carrot and cabbage.

Gemini (May 21 - June 21)				Cancer (June 22 - July 22)
		Gemini should pay more attention to albuminous products: eggs, cheese, nuts and farmer cheese. Prunes, raisins and dried apricots bear salutary influence on the nervous system. Geminis can treat themselves with olives and peanuts. Sometimes you can eat spicy and hot dishes with delight.				Cancerians, by the nature, are the slaves of the stomach and they need to keep to a strict diet. Don’t get despaired there is a thing you can eat at no allowance – watermelon, it will purify your organism from refuses. Cancerians can give a treat to themselves with legumes or seafood, but only in moderate quantities.

Leo (July 23 - Aug 22)				Virgo (Aug 23 - Sept 22)
		Leo needs to include poultry in his food ration, but don’t get carried away. You should pay more attention to various fruits and dried fruits. Among numerous vegetables, it is worth to prefer squash and eggplant.				Virgo, being a “lady” in everything, should keep to a vegetarian diet. Forget about fat fried pork or grill meat. The only thing you could allow from time to time is boiled chicken or stewed veal. But Leo is unlimited in apples and greens. Eat to your heart’s content!

Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 23)				Scorpio (Oct 24 - Nov 21)
		The rule that Libra must know like the back of the hand is not to stuff the stomach with everything that falls into the hands. Garlic, black current and cranberries are recommended to Libra as they are predisposed to vascular diseases. The perfect breakfast for them is acrospires. Libra should exclude spicy and hot dishes; it is better to diversify your menu with delicious sauces and vitaminous salads .				Scorpio needs overcome the love to hot sauces and must not abuse them at any case. The best vegetables for them are turnip, beet and cabbage. Milk products are good but in limited quantities. You can make a holiday for you with seafood and fish dainties.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21)				Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19)
		For Sagittarians, the healthiest thing is mineral water; 1-2 bottles a day will make them feel much better. Sagittarius, as nobody else, is recommended to eat legumes – peas, beans and soy. Meat is better to exclude from the menu and eat soy meat. Don’t think about taste, but use. Greens, especially dill and celery can be eaten unlimited.				Capricorns love refinement in meal – a beautiful tablecloth, silver settings, table and dish serving. As most Capricorns suffer from dysbolism, they should pay more attention to the separate nutrition. But they are the only sign that can eat anything the heart desires. It is even recommended to have a glass of wine before meal.

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18)				Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20)
		Aquarians belong to the category of people who should exclude all sweets from their menu – cakes, candies, biscuits are not for them. The most useful fruit is a pomegranate. Milk products can serve a good breakfast and a cup of kefir or clabber will substitute a late dinner. Never deny yourself light vegetable salads.				Unfortunately, Pisceans get food poisoning most of all. They should exclude canned fish, spicy dishes and fries in fat from their menu. As to alcohol, it is better to drink pure vodka than exotic drinks but moderately.

POTATO CURRY- Kerala style Recipe

Serves 10

Ingredients

Potato 1/2 Kg peeled and cut into pieces
Large Onion 1/4 Kg thinly sliced
Tomato 1/4 Kg cut into pieces
Carrot 100 gm diced
Beans 100 gm diced
Coconut 1 grated
Green chilly 5
Ginger small piece
Garlic 5 pieces
Oil 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala 1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder 1 tsp
curry leaves 2 sprigs
Coriander leaves 2 sprigs
salt to taste
water desired

Method

Grind the grated coconut with water in a mixie and extract thick coconut milk and keep it aside. Then grind it again with water to extract thin coconut milk.

Heat oil in a pan.poppy the mustard seeds.Then add curry leaves,Onions,Ginger,Garlic,potatoes,carrots, beans, tomatoes and salt.Heat it in low flame until the liquid dries up.

Put salt,cooked vegetables,Turmeric powder, chilly powder, garam masala powder and thin coconut milk in a cooker and boil it for 2 mts. Then add thick coconut milk,Coriander leaves.Stir it and serve hot.

Traditional Kerala Cocunut Chuttney Recipe

Ingredients

cocunut 1 grated
green chilly 5
medium onion 4
cocunut oil 1 tbsp
mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Curd 1 tbsp
Red chilli 1
curry leaves 2 sprigs
ginger small piece
water 3 cup
salt to taste

Method of preparation

Grind grated coconut,green chillies,onions,ginger and salt in a mixie to make a fine paste by adding water.
Heat oil in a pan.Poppy the mustard seeds.Then add red chilly and curry leaves respectively.Then pour grinded
mixture into it .
Serves 10

Turkey Tortilla Soup - western style recipe

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ --------------------------------

12 Oz. Turkey breast --cut in 1-inch cubes
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 Large Onions
1 Can Diced green chilies (4-oz.) --drained
1 Tsp. Chili powder
1 Tsp. Cumin, ground
1 Large Garlic clove, minced
1/2 Tsp. Oregano, dried and crumbled
1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper
6 Cups Chicken stock or broth
16 Oz Plum tomatoes, diced coarsely
(juices reserved)
1 Cup Frozen corn kernels --thawed
1/2 Cup Cilantro, freshly chopped
1/3 Cup Parsley
Salt & Pepper
Baked tortilla chips

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onion until
translucent. Add in chilies, chili powder, cumin, garlic, oregano, and
cayenne pepper and stir for 1 minute. Add stock, tomato and tomato juices,
bringing mixture to a near boil. Add turkey and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes,
until turkey is cooked through. Mix in corn and cilantro, simmer 1 minute.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with chips (borken in large pieces) sprinkled liberally over soup.

Chicken Quesedilla -Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 cans cheddar cheese soup
• 1 jar salsa
• 1 package flour tortillas


Method:

Cook chicken until no pink remains; cut into pieces.
Mix chicken with the soup and salsa.
Spoon mixture onto tortillas.
Place seam side down in greased baking dish and
bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees until heated through.
Serve warm.

Turkey Tortilla Soup-Recipe Mexican style

Ingredients:

• 1 c. chopped onion
• 1 t. olive oil
• 1 (4-oz.) can chopped green chilies
• 1 envelope taco seasoning mix
• 1 (16-oz) can tomatoes, crushed
• 6 c. turkey broth or reduced-sodium chicken bouillon
• 1 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen corn
• 2 c. chopped cooked turkey
• 1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 8 oz. unsalted tortilla chips, broken
• 1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese


Method:

In a 5-quart saucepan saute onion in olive oil for
3-4 minutes or until tender.
Stir in chilies and taco seasoning. Cook for one minute.
Add tomatoes. Stir in turkey broth. Bring to a boil.
Add corn and turkey. Reduce heat to low.
Simmer for five minutes. Stir in cilantro.
Ladle into soup bowls. Top with tortilla chips and cheese.

Upside Down Pizza

INGREDIENTS:

* 1tb Sausage
* Diced pepperoni
* 1 can olives
* 15 oz spagetti sauce
* 8 oz mozerella
* 1/4 cup parmesan
*
*
POPOVER BATTER:
*
* 2 Eggs
* 1 cup Flour
* 1 cup Milk
* 1 tb oil
* 1/4 tsp salt


METHOD::

Brown meat in skillet. Add pepperoni and olives.
Add spaghetti sauce and simmer.
Pour into 9x9 baking dish and top with mozerella.
Mix eggs, milk, oil, and salt. Incorporate flour.
Pour popover batter over sausage mixture.
Sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 min.