Onam is one of the biggest and most important festivals of Kerala. Festivities of Onam continue for ten long days. Of all these days the most important ones are the first day, Atham and the tenth day, Thiry Onam.

All the religious and traditional people of Kerala sincerely follow the customs and traditions set by their ancestors. People wear new clothes on this day and indulge themselves in dances and sports. The children and the youth join in the entertainment of the season and set about collecting flowers early in the morning to decorate the yards of their houses for the next ten days until the festival ends. The major highlight of this festival is “pookalam” the flower carpet and there are specifications of the type of flowers to be used on each day of the festival. But in today's times the artistic and skilful decorations of the traditional “pookalam” has been lost in darkness.

On the day of Utradam, ninth day since the beginning of the festival, houses are well cleaned and decorated and gala feasts are also arranged. Then the images of deities made up of sticky clay painted red are placed there. They are known as “Trikkakara Appan”. These images are adorned with the lines tastefully drawn from the rice flour mixed with water and then they are worshipped.

The next day, that is the tenth day and the main day of Onam, new clothes are given as presents followed by a grand feast. On the ninth day, tenants of the family, dependents and hangers on present the food of their hard work, such as vegetables and coconut oil to “Karanavar”, the eldest member of the Tarawad in a ritual called “Onakazhcha”. In return they are treated with an extravagant feast on the main day of Onam.

Ingredients


Shrimps(chopped) - 250 gm
Yam(Chena) - 100 gm
White Pumpkin - 100 gm
Beans - 50 gm
Peas - 50 gm
Yellow Cucumber - 100 gm
Drum Stick(Muringakkai) - 100 gm
Coconuts - 2 nos
Corn Flour - 5 gm
Turmeric powder - 2 gm
Peppercorns - 5 gm
Cumin seeds(Jeerakam) - 1 tsp
Ginger - 2" piece
Green chillies - 6 nos
Oil - 25 ml
Water - 100 ml
Salt - As reqd

Preparation Method


1)Wash, clean and cut the vegetables.

2)Boil them till soft but not mashy.

3)Chop shrimps.

4)Take out milk from coconuts with 100ml of water. Take out 2 extracts with 600ml of water and 400ml of water respectively.

5)Grind together peppercorns, green chillies, cumin and turmeric to a fine paste.

6)Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan.

7)Add ground masala and fry for a minute.

8)Add second extract and simmer for 15 minutes.

9)Mix corn flour with a little water and add to the gravy.

Ingredients

Shrimps(Chemmeen) - 1/2 kg Raw mango - 1 no (cut into pieces) Tomato - 100 gm Grated coconut - 1/2 cup Pearl onions(Kunjulli) - 2 nos Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp For seasoning: Coconut oil - 1 tsp Curry leaves - A few Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Preparation Method

1)Heat up a vessel or a pan. 2)Add shrimps, mango pieces, tomato, turmeric powder, chilly powder, 1/4 cup of water and salt to taste. 3)Allow it to boil. :- Do not boil for more than 15 mins b`coz if overcooked, the shrimps will become hard. 4)Grind together grated coconut and pearl onions. 5)Add the ground coconut into the pan or the vessel. 6)When it starts boiling, switch off the flame. 7)Heat coconut oil in a pan or a kadai. 8)Splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves. 9)Pour the above seasoning into the curry and mix well.

Persian Rice Cookies

Here's the latest recipe I tried for the first time. Persian Rice Cookies. Again & again I am astonished & happy to discover the similarities between Indian & other cuisines. This one for example tastes & looks very much like the Indian Milk Pedha. If you compare the 2 recipes, you'll see they are very similar.

This is one of the sweet spots of food blogging for me : broadening my horizons and at times discovering that we have been looking at the same view from different angles.

Persian Rice Cookies
Adapted from Source

Ingredients

for Rose Syrup :
3/4 sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 tsp lemon juice, 1/8 cup rose water

1.5 cups rice flour, plus more if required
1/2 cup melted ghee (melted clarified butter)
2 egg yolks+2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cardamon powder
a handful of finely chopped pistas, plus more for garnish

Procedure

Syrup : In a saucepan, bring the sugar & water to a boil on med-low heat & simmer for 2 min. Remove from heat, stir in rose water & lemon juice. Cool to room temp. The syrup should not be too thick.

In a bowl, beat the yolks & 2 tsp sugar, add the ghee, cardamon powder & beat well. Stir in 1.5 cups rice flour & handful of finely chopped pistas. Add enough syrup to be able to form a dough (knead with hands) which doesnt stick to your hands. For that add more flour or more syrup, as required.

Make walnut sized balls of the dough, lightly flatten, place 1 inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 min in a 350 degrees pre-heated oven. At the end of the baking time, the cookies should start to crack on top & turn white, which means they are done. Mine did crack but stayed a pretty yellow (as you can see from the photo). I took the photo after they were reasonably cool & still yellow . Now completely cooled, they are light yellow.

Dont handle the cookies until they cool for a bit. Then, sprinkle very finely chopped pistas over the top & lightly tap in place. Store in an air tight container only when completely cool.

Verdict

Delicate, elegant, yummy. If you like Pedha you'll definitely like this. Compared to the Pedha, these are less sweet & not really fudge-like. Thats probably because of the rice flour while Pedha uses milk powder, which is inherently sweeter & creamier.

Oooh...and the rose syrup is simply seriously divine ! I didnt require all of it, so dreaming of ways to savor the remaining.

Pedha is something Indians usually buy from sweet shops. But after this, I am confident of making it at home. And will definitely do so during Diwali and Ganapati festival. Would love to make the Persian cookies, but they have eggs, which wont do for Hindu festivals. Hmm...I guess I will make them for Christmas instead :).

Posting after a long time. I just wrote my midterms and got my driving license too ! Midterms were ok. Waiting for the results...it has been almost 5 years since I wrote any exam and I was really nervous. Let's see how I did !

Meanwhile, here is something quick for a weekday meal. The star of this dish is store bought Laziza brand Chicken Kurma paste. The Kurma paste has been a good find. Really a blessing when I am too tired to cook or use my brain ! I also always keep fried onions at hand which I have used in this dish.

Quick Chicken & Mushroom Kurma

About 1 pound chicken pieces
1/2 cup store bought fried onions
1 small packet button mushrooms (can substitute diced potatoes)
a handful chopped coriander leaves
2-3 rounded tbsp readymade Kurma paste ('Laziza' brand)
2 tbsp oil, salt to taste, red chilli powder - if required

Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel & chop into quarters. Clean the chicken & pat dry. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a flat non-stick pan. Add the Kurma paste. Saute on medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5 min. Add the chicken pieces & mix to coat well. Add 1 cup water and the onions, mix well, cover & cook on medium heat till almost done.

Add mushrooms, some red chilli powder if desired and salt to taste. Mix well. The Kurma paste already contains salt, you will need to add only a little for the mushrooms. Adjust as per your taste. Continue cooking till chicken is fully cooked, by which time the mushrooms will be just done and not overcooked. Mix in the chopped coriander. Serve immediately.

We ate this with plain rice & it was very good. It will go very well with Naan & Raita too.

Raita

Mix a handful of finely chopped onion, tomato & coriander leaves into 3/4 cup natural yogurt. Add a pinch of sugar, salt to taste and some water to get the consistency you want. Serve cold.

Celebrating with Cookies

Grades are out and I got an A. Yay. To celebrate, I baked these cookies.

Chocolate Rum Cookies

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup nuts & dried fruits (or as much as you want)
1/2 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
Jamaican dark rum

Procedure :

Finely chop or coarsely ground (pulse 3-4 times in the mixer) the nuts & dried fruits and soak in Jamaican dark rum for minimun 1 day, maximum for couple of months. Store in the fridge in a air tight container. In a big bowl, beat an egg. Add all the remaining ingredients to it, plus a couple tsp of the rum in which the nuts were soaking, then slowly mix in the melted butter at the end. Mix together thoroughly with a rubber spatula, so that no flour streaks are seen and you get a glossy dough.

Make walnut sized balls, flatten and place 1" apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for about 12 min at 425 F, in upper 1/3rd of the oven. Cool & store. Makes 12 good sized cookies.

Verdict :

Easy to put together and good to eat. Cakey texture, not too sweet. Distinct rum flavor (that goes nicely with chocolate...), especially when you bite into the bits of dry fruits plumped up with the rum ;). Check the batter as you are forming the dough and add more brown sugar, if you want it sweeter.

Variation :

If children are going to eat these, skip the rum. Instead add 1 tsp vanilla

Wheat Berry-Watercress Quiche

Ingredients

• 1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped watercress leaves
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2/3 cup cooked wheat berries*
• 1-1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (6 ounces)

Directions

1. Line the bottom of pastry shell with a double thickness of foil. Bake in a 450 degree F. oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 4 to 5 minutes more or until set and dry. Set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. In a bowl stir together eggs, egg whites, milk, mustard, watercress leaves, green onion, salt, and pepper.

2. Sprinkle cooked wheat berries in the bottom of pastry shell. Top with shredded Swiss cheese. Slowly pour egg mixture over wheat berry mixture. Bake in a 325 degree F. oven about 50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. If necessary, cover edge of crust with foil to prevent overbrowning. Let stand for 10 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

*To cook wheat berries, in a small saucepan bring 1 cup water and 1/3 cup uncooked wheat berries to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Drain well on paper towels.

Make-Ahead Tip:Cook wheat berries up to 48 hours ahead; cover and chill until needed.

Ingredients

• 1 3- to 3-1/2-pound broiler-fryer chicken, cut-up
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 28-ounce can whole Italian-style tomatoes, cut up
• 4 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (4 cups)
• 1 medium onion, sliced (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup halved pitted ripe olives
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons capers (optional)
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
• 2 teaspoons snipped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions

1. Remove skin from chicken. In a large plastic bag combine flour, salt, and ground red pepper. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time; shake to coat. In a 4-quart Dutch oven heat oil. Cook chicken in hot oil over medium heat about 10 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, turning to brown evenly.

2. Add undrained tomatoes, potatoes, onion, olives, wine, capers (if using), dried basil and dried oregano (if using), and garlic to Dutch oven. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 35 to 45 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Remove chicken to a serving dish; cover and keep warm.

3. In a small bowl combine the water and cornstarch; add to potato mixture in Dutch oven. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in fresh basil and oregano (if using). Pour thickened mixture over chicken in dish. If desired, garnish with a sprig of fresh basil or oregano. Makes 6 servings.

Pepper Chicken:
"Broiler chicken 1 Kg
Jeera ½ Teaspoon
Garlic 2 Flakes
Pepper A Handful
Ginger 3 Piece
Butter 150 Gms
Vinegar 2 Teaspoon
Coriander 1 Teaspoon


Roast all the masala and grind it with salt and vinegar. Mix it with 5 gms of butter. Apply on chicken pieces. Keep aside for ½ an hour. Grill chicken till half done. Sprinkle powdered pepper and smear butter. Grill again till fully cooked. Serve hot with sliced onions."

Madras Chicken Crockpot Recipes - Healthy Chicken Thighs Slow Cooker Entree Recipes: "This simple recipe cooks for hours and is full of nutrition and good taste.
INGREDIENTS:

* 3 onions, chopped
* 4 cloves garlic
* 4 apples, peeled and cut into chunks
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon curry powder
* 1/2 cup mango chutney
* 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
* 3 cups hot cooked couscous

PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients in a 4-5 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours until chicken is thoroughly cooked and onions are tender. Stir well and serve over couscous.

Calories: 600
Fat: 29 grams
Sodium: 320 mg
Vitamin C: 25% DV
Vitamin A: 64% DV
Niacin: 82% DV"

Chicken Amaretto Recipe - Home Cooking: "Chicken Amaretto Recipe

Ingredients
5 boned chicken breasts
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp butter
1-1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1-1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 can (6-1/4 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate
2 tsp paprika
1 cup amaretto liqueur

Instructions
Mix the can of frozen orange juice with a half can of water.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine flour, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic salt. Coat chicken with this mixture. Heat oil and butter in skillet and saute chicken until brown. Remove and put in casserole. To skillet drippings, add mustard, orange juice and amaretto. Increase heat and boil, stirring constantly, until thick.

Pour sauce over chicken and bake, covered, for 45 minutes.

This dish can be frozen and reheated later.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings"

kerala and International dishes: "Diabetic Recipes(Low Cal Breakfast & Brunch Recipes)

Blueberry Almond Coffee Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup Splenda Granular
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup low fat milk
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 large egg white
1 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons Splenda Granular

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. Beat together butter, 1 cup Splenda Granular, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in whole eggs one at a time. Alternately add flour mixture and milk in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix well. Fold in berries.
4. Spoon batter into baking dish. Lightly beat egg white with fork. Add remaining 3 tablespoons Splenda® Granular and sliced almonds. Stir until almonds are lightly coated. Spoon topping over batter.
5. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack approximately 10 minutes."

kerala and International dishes: "Brisket with Stone Ground Mustard

Brisket Ingredients:
1 (3-pound) beef brisket
6 cups water
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves

Sauce Ingredients:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup country-style Dijon mustard
1/2 cup currant jelly
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Prepration

1. Place brisket in 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven; add water. Add all remaining brisket ingredients; bring to a full boil. Cover; cook over medium-low heat until brisket is fork tender (2 1/2 to 3 hours). Remove bay leaves. Place brisket and vegetables on serving platter; reserve 1 1/2 cups broth.
2. Place 1 1/2 cups reserved broth in same pan; stir in flour with wire whisk. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth and bubbly (2 to 3 minutes). Stir in all remaining sauce ingredients. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened (4 to 5 minutes). Serve over carved brisket and vegetables."

Fresh Tomato Sauce: "Fresh Tomato Sauce
A robust fresh tomato sauce with onion, garlic, basil, and oregano that can used as a base for many dishes. Just add cooked italian sausage or beef to make an excellent meat sauce.
Ingredients:

• 10 medium tomatoes
• 2 ounces olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
Method:

Makes about 1 quart. Remove the core from the tomatoes. Plunge the tomatoes in boiling water for 5-10 seconds. Allow to cool. Peel each tomato. Place a colander over a bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds over the colander. Reserve the liquid and the tomato pulp and set aside. Discard the seeds. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until just soft. Dice the tomato pulp and add to the pan. Add the reserved liquid, basil, and oregano. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring frequently. Check seasonings. Refrigerate or freeze.
Notes:


Number of servings: 1 quart"

Ham and Sausage Jambalaya: "Ham and Sausage Jambalaya
This jambalaya recipe contains both kielbasa sausage (smoked Polish sausage) and ham, along with rice, tomatoes, green pepper, and celery, and is seasoned with hot pepper sauce, thyme, bay leaf, and allspice.
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 1/2 pounds kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz.) tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 pound cooked ham, cut into cubes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (Tabasco)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
Method:

In a large saucepot or Dutch oven heat oil. Add kielbasa, onion, green pepper, celery and garlic; cook 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, ham, bay leaf, pepper sauce, thyme, and allspice; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Add rice. Cover; simmer 15 minutes. If necessary, add more broth or water and simmer until rice is tender. Remove bay leaf. Serve with additional pepper sauce, if desired.
Notes:


Number of"

Harvest Chicken Chowder: "Harvest Chicken Chowder
This chowder is full of chicken and vegetables (potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms and corn) in a flour-thickened liquid of chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, and whipping cream.
Ingredients:

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• 1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
• 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup water
• Garnish:
• Parsley sprigs
•
Method:

In a 4-5 quart pot, bring first seven ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until carrots are tender. Stir in diced chicken, mushrooms and corn. Cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes until chicken is done, stirring often. Stir in soup, bacon and cream. Heat through. In a small bowl, stir together flour and water until smooth. Stir into pot. Heat over low heat"

Spicy White Chicken Chili: "Spicy White Chicken Chili
Great northern beans are cooked in chicken broth, then combined with seasonings of cumin, cloves and ground red pepper. Diced, cooked chicken and chopped green chilies are added to this 'white' chili.
Ingredients:

• 1 lb. dry Great Northern beans
• 8 Cups chicken broth
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 2, 4 oz. cans chopped green chilies
• 2 t. ground cumin
• 1/4 t. ground cloves
• 1/4 t. cayenne pepper
• 4 Cups diced, cooked chicken
• Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Sour cream
Method:

Combine beans, broth, garlic, and half of the onions in large pot and bring to boil. Cover and simmer about 3 hours until beans are tender. In a skillet, cook remaining onions in oil until tender; add chilies and seasonings. Combine and add to bean mixture. Add chicken. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes more. Serve with grated Monterey Jack cheese and sour cream for toppers.
Notes:

Great alternative to traditional chili. I use more cayenne for an extra kick. Can also be served with crushed tortilla chips on top.

Number of servings: 6-8

Submitted By: Sharon Jaymes
View all recipes by this user >>>"

Vanilla ice cream

posted by Nidhin

Chocoberry Milk Chiller

1 cup lowfat chocolate milk
4 tablespoons chocolate syrup, divided use
2 tablespoons raspberry syrup
Multi-colored sprinkles (optional)
Fresh or frozen raspberries (optional garnish)

1. Stir 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup and 2 tablespoonsof raspberry syrup into chocolate milk and mix thoroughly. Chill mixture in freezer for 5 minutes.
2. While mixture is chilling, dip 2 glasses upside down into sprinkles to coat edges, if desired. Drizzle remaining chocolate syrup on inside and bottom of glasses.
3. Pull mixture out of the freezer. Pour into chocolate drizzled glasses. Garnish with raspberries, if desired.

Makes 2 servings