Olive Pomace Oil

Olive Pomace Oil is very good for cooking. I am using it for all types of cooking at home and it is as good as Coconut oil and remember it is healthy too..!! This oil does not have any special smell unlike Sunflower oil and other veg oils. So it can be used for Kerala style cooking. Fish curry, Beef Fry, Thoran and Upperi etc. I am using Cesar Pomace Oil from Borges Co; Spain. It is available in Big Bazaar.

Cesar Olive Pomace Oil

Olive Oil comes in various varieties and Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the most expensive of it. Pomace Olive Oil like this shown here is used for Cooking, Frying etc. like Coconut Oil and Veg Oil like Sun Flower Oil etc. Then there is light Olive Oil also for Cooking. Extra Virgin is for Seasoning Pickles and Salads etc. Cesar brand is from the Famous Borges group of Spain who are the leading manufacturers of Premium Olive Oil in the World. 

Mattupavile Krishi at Thekkiniyath House Ollur

The Krishi Bhavan supplied grow bags at my home have started yielding veggies. Today I harvested some red spinach. All the 5 vegetables given Tomato, Chilli, Brinjal and Ladies finger have flowered and are getting ready for harvest. 

Kolaan and Kolpuli Fish Curry

This is the Fish curry most of the Malayalees in their 70's and 80's like. The new generation may not like it. The fish is simply not seen in the Fish market. It is an endangered species now. So Kolaan meen curry is special and my wife likes it very much. My Father also likes it I hope. He likes all those small "Puzhameen". 

BBQ Time in Kerala

yeah..I know the Chicken is having fever these days. BBQ ? Let the bird get out of the bed.
It is cool in the night and it is good for making a BBQ get together in Kerala. On your terrace or Garden. See my earlier post on how to set up a nadan BBQ stand/rack. Try Fish/Veggies and of course Chicken. 7- 10 pm will be ideal for a family to eat and drink (Pepsi/Coke) and do some gup... shup. Hey after all BBQ is not reserved for the Middle East or the Western World. Mallus can also do it. But it takes some efforts and that is what Mallus don't like. They would rather dismantle a BBQ chicken which mostly is prepared on the road side with all the dust, dirt and smoke of the vehicles...!!

Kolaan Kolpuli Fish curry

Kolaan or Garfish and also known as Needle fish and Half beak in other countries is a nostalgic fish for Mallus. Generally seen in the Kole fields/Paddy fields, this Silver grey fish is very tasty especially when prepared with Kol Puli or raw Tamarind. This is what we are going to do with this Fish. Watch out our next post for the mouth watering Kolaan Kol Puli Fish Curry.  

Dear Food becomes more dearer

The Diesel price hike and monsoon failure will drive the prices of food commodities to never seen before levels. Eating out will be more dearer. Even eating at home will be more expensive. Growing vegetables at home is an option to cut down the grocery bill. I heard the Krishi Bhavan is giving away "grow bags" with pre planted veggies in poly bags in a subsidised rate (Rs. 500 with Govt. paying Rs. 1500) I think it is good opportunity to get some quality vegetables at home.

Eating out is anyway a No-No for Mallus especially after the Shawarma Case.

Okra or Ladies Finger Bhajji

This home made subzhi or curry is too good for chappathi or nan. The spicy taste with a little sweetness of tomato is a good combo for any meal.

Preparation.

Slice Okra in thin pcs. Mix with Kashmiri Chili powder and salt. Keep aside for 5 min. Heat oil in a Tava. Deep fry the Okra. Set aside. Take a little more Oil. Saute sliced large onions, capsicum, tomato and garlic. Add some MDH Chana Masala and little more Kashmiri Chili powder and salt. Add Okra and mix the veggies well. Good stuff to pamper your taste buds...!!

Halloween Pumpkin Curry

This Halloween my daughters Carol and Olivia forced me to buy a 3.5 K Pumpkin. We carved it and lighted the Lantern. But after that, the Pumpkin need to be consumed and we have various dishes of Pumpkin these days in our home.

Lettuce and Beetroot in Thrissur, Kerala

The Winter Veggies Lettuce and Beetroot were planted today @ my home in Ollur. The Seeds were brought from Ireland by my brother. The crop will bring laurels to the farmer since Lettuce is not known to be grown anywhere in Kerala I Guess.... We will have to wait and see.

Kanthari Mulagu in Olive Oil

Highly inflammable Kanthari Mulagu is doused in Olive oil to reduce its heat. The Green Chutney is one of the most fiery concotion I have ever tasted.

Puli or Tamarind Sauce Hot Sweet and Sour

My earlier post on this type of Sauce was so much appreciated. I would like to pep it up a little more spicy style. It is Hot and Spicy.

Soak some Tamarind or Valan Puli in Hot water for sometime. Remove the seeds and beat the pulp in a mixer. You may remove any lumps or fibers etc. Make it a fine paste. Add some red chili paste.
To make Red chili paste, take 5-10 red chilies and soak it in boiled water for 20 min. Grind it in mixer

Crush some Jaggery and add it to the above with a pinch of Salt and stir well to get a hot, sweet and sour sauce. It is as good as the Kerala Puli Inji, or Rajasthani Sweet and Sour Sauce for Samosas and Kachoris.... or the Filipinio Tamarind Sauce.  May it will be a great combo with the Tex Mex dishes as well...!!

Bachelor Party in Bangalore

Hey Guys 'n' Girls,
This is nothing freakish....Just to tell you that this party means quick and cheap food that might help the party maniacs in town. After long hours in office and onsite, ... and ofcourse after party and outing, you must be tired to spend long time in the Kitchen for Dinner. Here is a quick meal that will take just 15 minutes and will make your tummy full.
Grab a Packet of Maggi/Knorr Chinese Hot & Sour, Manchurian or Schezwan style ready to cook and get some 2-3 carrots, 1-2 capsicum, 100 g garlic, 100 g green chili etc. Buy Chappathi cooked packet also.
Boil 500 ml water. Just use your 7 up or Coke 600 ml empty bottle to measure. Add the Knorr packet, Chopped veggies (Match Stick type), remember to chop the garlic and chili real small... stirring lil bit and bring to boil. Slow simmer for another 3-4 minutes. Your Real Quick Chinese Manchurian Dinner is ready.

The Knorr Packet costs Rs. 38/- The Veggies may be Rs. 30 and including Chappathis will cost upto Rs. 100 - 150 max. The Curry will be good enough for 2-3 persons.

My cousin Paulson who is working for TESCO in Bangalore as a Network Specialist made it last weekend and he can give you some tips. Call 8050151928 or me 9895039531

Turkish Recipes Kerala Style

I had earlier mentioned about this recipe. It is Kanthari Mulagu, Garlic Chammanthy in Olive Oil. I tried this with a combination of Mayonnaise. It was fantastic. Mix 1-2 Tsp of Mayonnaise and the hot burning sensation of Kanthari and Garlic will be subdued by the Mayo. Great Combo for Nan and Chappathi.

Home grown Fruits and veggies ar Ollur, Kerala

Grapes, Custard Apple, Lemon, Robusta etc. all organically grown at Ollur, Thrissur.

Grapes grown in Thrissur

It is great to see the fast growing vines of Grapes now spread on to a trellis. Every week, the Grape plant is getting some type of manure. Kappalandi Pinnakku, Veppin Kuru Pinnakku, Organic Compost etc. It is pruning time in December and the vines are expected to grow more vigorously through March in the hot and cold climate.  

kanthari mulagu for cholesterol

Kanthari Mulagu is a fiery chili of Kerala reputed for its hot flavor. It is having known properties to bring Cholesterol to safe levels. Here is a Turkish recipe that has all the top ingredients to reduce Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and other heart ailments.

Ingredients:

Kanthari Mulagu - 10 to 15
Garlic - 2 large bulbs with 20 - 30 pods
Salt to taste
Olive Oil 2 large Table spoons
Vinegar - 1 Table spoon

Clean and wash chili. Slit Garlic and  semi cook them on a pan over boiling water. Crush both in a mixer thoroughly. Transfer the content into a bowl and add Olive oil, Vinegar and Salt. Mix it well.

Ideal for Nan, Roti/Chappathi etc.

Home Made Cole Slaw in Kerala

Anyone who tried the McDonalds cole slaw will not forget its taste. It is a simple side dish and if you make any fried chicken at home, try this Cole slaw as well. It is simple.

Grate one raw Carrot and also raw cabbage in very small pcs. Mix well in a bowl. Add some Mayonnaise and little Tomato Sauce. Mix well and your tasty Cole slaw is ready. I do not know the Big Mac's recipe but this one is equally good I can assure.

Tuna or Choora Cutlet Kerala Style

Choora is a red meat fish and is very unpopular in kerala due to its disappointing taste for Kerala style Fish Curry with Coconut gravy. The fish can be prepared in some other methods and is quiet tasty.

Cook the fish with some salt. Drain water and remove skin and bones. Mince the fish either in mixie or by hand. Heat some oil in a wok and add some chopped onions, green chili, garlic, tomatoes. Saute them and add some red chili powder and meat masala. Add the fish and mix well and simmer for 10-15 minutes. It tastes as good as Beef fry etc. Good for Chapathi and rice.

Use the same mixture for making cutlets. Add some cooked and mashed potatoes and follow the same route as making beef/chicken cutlets etc. Dip in Rusk powder and egg and fry in oil. Tasty Tuna cutlets are ready.

Use some Tomato sauce and Chili sauce to pep up the taste.

Robusta Banana grown at Ollur

See my earlier post on this Bumper crop. We just cut down the beauty this morning. I saw one of the bananas skin burst due to the maturity. We could count a total of 140 Class A bananas. 100 % organic..!! The topmost single bunch had a whopping 24 bananas in it. Truly a bumper crop with my experience in farming. We distributed bananas to our neighbours and relatives. Very happy to grow this Robusta at our home. The truth is we just cared it in the initial stages only and not much sweat to harvest it until now.

Poor Tuna Fish in Kerala

Tuna locally known as Choora in Kerala and by other names as well is a highly sought after fish abroad. Real Tuna caught here in Kerala boards the flight to Japan, US or Europe directly. We get the thin second grade stuff here because Mallus does not like Tuna/Choora or any fish with red meat. It is not good for that Idivettu Meen Curry of Soyamban Fish Fry. That is why I could still buy a Kilo of the fish for Rs. 80.00 today. Even the humble but rising star Chala demands Rs. 60 these days.

The fishermen says that only boxers and athletes eat this fish half hearted to get high energy and muscle power. They just boil the stuff and swallow it like balls. But unlike red meat monsters like Beef and Pork the fish with Red meat is welcome on the Dinner table. It has many health benefits.

Details and a superb Tuna dish in my next post.

Pumpkin Food for a Healthy Heart

Pumpkin, a humble vegetable mostly sidelined by many is a wonderful heart healthy veggie. It lowers BP and is easy on stomach. A smart combination of Garlic, big Onions, Potato, tomato and some corainder leaves will give a great dish for dinner.

Ingredients:

Pumpkin - 250 gm

Tomato - 2-3 nos.

Garlic - 1 large bulb

Onion large - 1

Potato large - 1

Fresh Coriander leaves

Butter/Ghee - Little

Salt - per taste

Preparation:

Cook Pumpkin, Potato, Tomato, Garlic, Onion etc. in a pressure cooker for 5-6 whistles. Open the cooker and mash any remaining lumps.

Saute some onion and add 1 Tsp of MDH Chana Masala and 2 small spoons of Red Chili powder. Add the veggie paste and add some water. Bring to boil and turn off heat. Garnish with Freshly chopped Corainder leaves and a large cube of Butter or Ghee.

Very good for Chappathi/Roti/Pav/Buns etc.

(You can add cooked Green peas also to make it more like Pav Bhajji styled)

Turkish Red Pepper Salad in Kerala

I tried this Turkish recipe below at home. It came out very good. Use Vattal Mulagu some 10-15 nos. and I used dry Parsely bought from Reliance Fresh in East Fort, Thrissur.

Ingredients

Dry Red Chili - 15 Nos.

Parsely - 2 large Table Spoons

Garlic - 1 large bulb

Lemon - 1/2 pc

Olive Oil - As per your choice.

(Add lots of it. It will taste better)

Salt to taste.

Preparation

Boil Water in a Pot. Turn off heat and add the dry red chilies. Leave it for 30 min.

Take the chili out and peel the skin. Discard the seeds. Use a glove since the Red chili will be burning hot on your skin. Peel the garlic skin and blend it to a paste in a Grinder. Squeeze the lime add salt to taste. Pour Olive oil and leave the salad for some time in the fridge.

Good for Nan, Chapathi, Kubboos etc.

Aloe Vera Juice

Please see my previous post on fresh aloe vera juice. Here is it...!!

Rupees 45 for that whole plant and it takes half of one leaf to make 3 big glasses of juice.

The juice shown above was little sour though. But today I made a nice sweet refreshing glass of juice. See my last post to see the preparation.

Grapes grown in Thrissur

I bought a little grape vine from Thrissur ABARD extn counter some time ago. It was planted with some organic manure and lots of care every week. Now it is touching skies and is ready to blanket our Car Porch. I applied groundnut manure 2-3 times and the growth was amazing. It will take 2-3 years they say to taste some real grapes. But having that grape vine in the front porch is like having a Ferrari..!! Lot of secret admirers who passby on the road infront of my home have comments... I know.

Green Bananas

This bumper crop is almost ready for harvest. Boy, it is going to be more than 100 green bananas on my breakfast table to go hand in hand with the Puttu. Again no poison and chemical like what you get in the shop or Vegetable market in Kerala.

The best part is I did not sweat much for this apart from some initial addition of organic manure (2-3 times) in the first month. All that is seen here is the good plain nutrients it absorbed from the soil to grow this much...!!

Salad Cucumber

Dense growth of Salad Cucumber in my backyard. If the pouring rain these days leave the plant untouched, I may get some garden fresh cucumbers for my salad. No poison in this one. I can eat it without fear.....

Turmeric Pickle Vs Diabetes

What has a pickle got to do with Diabetes ? Yes sure, a lot. The curcumin in Turmeric is known to fight Cancer and now recent research has shown that it fights Diabetes also. Turmeric is a natural antisepetic and is good for digestion. It will cleanse your stomach and get rid of all toxins. It is used in Indian cuisine for centuries.

Turmeric has got a slightly burning bitter taste. Hence use proper accompaniments like Lemon, Garlic etc to cancel that effect.

Turmeric Pickle can be made just like any other Pickle. Wash some fresh Turmeric. Peel the skin and slice it a little more thicker than matchsticks. Semi Boil it. Use Eastern Pickle Masala. Add some slices of Lime and also Ginger. Vinegar is recommended.