Shrimp Noodles

For a change, how about Chinese recipes for this week, as being Thanksgiving week and most families celebrate with their kids and friends. There is no doubt that all kids will definitely love the Chinese foods especially the noodles, for them it’s fun to play around with that and I guess you don’t need to force to have than you struggle with feeding a rice or other food varieties. If you don’t want to add the Shrimp in it, you could exclude it and make it out of your desired meat, if vegetarian then you could add the vegetables like carrot, beans and cauliflower too, however the making remains the same.

I even personally love noodles, last week when we visited to a Thai restaurant, we had it, but that was spaghetti. There is a difference between a noodle and spaghetti both in look wise and the size too. Here I used the spaghetti as it gives you extra flavor as well as the taste, however be careful when you are getting it from the shop, as there are lot of varieties, just go for the “plain spaghetti” as some may have with flavors and soups too. Let’s move to the Indian way of making a “Shrimp Noodles” .I am sure you may absolutely love IT!!!!
 

Ingredients:

• Fresh or frozen Shrimps: ½ lb/ ¾ Kg
• Chinese Egg Noodles – 1 Medium sized packet.
• Onion – 1
• Thinly sliced and cooked Carrots – ½ Cup
• Sliced and cooked Beans – ½ Cup
• Turmeric Powder – 1/4 Tspn
• Ginger garlic Paste- 1 Tspn
• Chili Powder- ½ Tspn
• Coriander Powder- ½ Tspn
• Onion Powder – 1 Tspn
• Garlic Powder – 1 Tspn
• Chopped Spring Onions– 1 bunch
• White Pepper – 1 Tspn
• Oil – 2 Tbsp
• Salt – To Taste
• Lemon Juice – 1 Tspn
• Soya Sauce- 1 Tspn
• Chili Sauce- ¼ Tspn
• Red pepper crushed- 1 Tspn

Method:

• Marinate the Shrimp with turmeric, chili powder and ginger garlic paste and keep for at least ½ hour.
• In a pan, heat water, when it bubbles up add the noodles and cook until the noodles is cooked well, drain the water and shower the noodles in cold water just for it to get separate and keep aside.
• In a separate pan,heat oil, add onions, add the cooked vegetables and add the eggs, scramble them well.Stir continuously without burying them at the bottom.
• Add all the powders in the ingredients, and then add the marinated shrimps and cook in low heat until the masala gets well into the shrimp and even the shrimp should also cook well.
• After the shrimp is cooked well, add the soya,chili sauces,red pepper crushed and give a stir again.
• Add the chopped spring onions and add the cooked noodles and stir well to mix everything well.
• Squeeze the lemon to it and serve hot with ketchup.

Tips:

"If you are adding cooked shrimp then no need to keep stirring.

You can add your desired vegetables if needed to this.

Adjust the spice powders/sauces as per your spice level."

Poondu Pulikuzhambu / Spicy Garlic Curry

I am obsoletely sure that every vegetarian has a passion towards this recipe. It’s a great recipe spiced with masala powders and garlic flavor gives you a treat for your taste buds. Most of them prepares it by just adding the powders as it is, however when you prepare by the way how I made by roasting and grinding to powder it gives you the extra taste. I know its not a big deal to prepare this kuzhambu, but its difficult to get the right taste,infact I tried with different versions and ended up with the tastiest one.

The making is very simple and its best when served with hot rice and pappad.The powder I used here is made out of grinding the ingredients under to roast and grind, you can store this powder for further preparation of vatha kuzhambu or pulikuzhambu. If you want to store the powder just increase the amount of ingredients used, with the same ratio.
 

Ingredients:

• Garlic- 10 pods
• Tamarind –Lemon size(make as a paste)
• Fenugreek seeds- ½ Tspn
• Gingely Oil- 3 Tspn
• Curry Leaves- Few
• Mustard Seeds- 1 Tspn
• Small Onions-Few
• Tomato- 1

To Roast and grind:

• Dry red chillies – 5 Nos
• Coriander Seeds/- 3 Tspn
• Rice – 1 Tspn
• Urad Dal – 2 Tspn
• Mustard Seeds – 1 Tspn
• Pepper – 3 Tspn
• Cumin seeds – 2 Tspn
• Toor Dhal – 1 Tspn
• Channa Dhal- 2 Tspn
• Fenugreek seeds – 1 Tspn

Method:

• Dry roast the ingredients under to roast and grind and keep aside.
• In a pan, pour oil, add curry leaves, mustard and fenugreek seeds, when its splits add the small onion and fry until it becomes translucent.
• Add the chopped tomato, garlic and sauté well until it becomes soft.
• Add the ground masala powder and stir until the masala smell goes from it.
• Add the tamarind juice and keep the flame in medium. Let it boil and stands in the stove until the gravy gets thickened well.
• Serve after it becomes warm with hot rice.

Tips:

"Always serve the curry when it becomes warm, so that the curry will be thick.

Cook the curry until it becomes thick; else it may not look thick and doesn’t taste so great.

You can use coconut paste also, but its optional."

Pearl Millet Rice / Kambu Kali and Kambu Koozh

I think this is a 100% recipe which is eligible to be at this page, Kambu kali is very famous in most of Tamil Nadu families, it’s extremely healthiest food and to be consumed especially during summer. The proper way of making the kali is getting the pearl millet as a whole and grinding it to a coarse powder to use, but unfortunately I don’t get the whole millet hence I used the flour in making. It tastes great when you have it Karuvatu Kuzambu or with any fish curry. Try making this with a erumbu karande or a wooden ladle to make it, as it’s really little hard to stir well. Here are some of the nutritious facts which I have gathered a few information from the internet for the readers.
 

You can make the kambu Koozh too as, it tastes great as its made with buttermilk. If you are too busy in the mornings to make breakfasts then these foods are a good choice, as its easy to make and a healthiest food to make you stay refreshed for the whole day. I still remember the person who sells the kambu koozh in many places near temples. Especially while we roam a lot in the Indian summer, when you have the kambu koozh you feel like heaven, it makes the body cool than you having a cold beverage.

Few Nutritious Facts:

• Millets are a great source of starch, protein and fiber. It is said that the amino acids in the pearl millet are more easily digestible than the ones found in wheat.
• Rich in methionine (an amino acid), B complex vitamins (niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin), folic acid, lecithin, potassium, magnesium, manganese and zinc as it lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart attacks.
• Pearl millet is a rich source of phosphorus, which plays an important part in the structure of body cells. This element is also a crucial component of nucleic acids, which are the building blocks of the genetic code. Rich in phosphorus is a constituent such as cell membranes and nervous system structures.
• Recent studies have proven that regular consumption of pearl millets help in preventing gallstones in women. They contain insoluble fibers which not only speed up intestinal transit time but also reduce the secretion of bile acids. Pearl millets are known to increase insulin sensitivity and lower the level of triglycerides.
• Regular intake of millets provides protection against breast cancer in pre-menopausal women. Apart from that, it has also shown a considerable reduction in the occurrence of wheezing and asthma in children.
• Millets contain an essential phytonutrient, lignin, which is very beneficial for the human body. With the help of natural flora, lignans get converted to mammalian lignans and they fight against hormone-dependent cancers and reduce the risk of cardiac arrests.
• Consumption of pearl millets helps in minimizing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Being a good source of magnesium, millets act as a cofactor in a number of enzymatic reactions.

 
Ingredients:
Kambu Kali:

• Kambu Flour- ½ Cup
• Any cooked Rice (Except raw rice)-1/2 Cup
• Water- 3 Cups
• Salt- As needed

Method:

• In the boiling water add the kambu flour and stir it and let that cooked well
• In the same pan, add the cooked rice  and smash it all together 
• Add the required salt and make as large balls(after it sets cool). Serve hot with desired curry or chutney

Ingredients:
Kambu Koozh:

• Cooked Kambu Kali or Cooked kambu (cooled): ½ Cup
• Butter Milk- ½ Cup
• Green Chilies- 2 sliced
• Small Onions- 4 Nos Sliced
• Curry Leaves-Few
• Coriander Leaves- Few

Method:

• Whip up the buttermilk and mix it with all the ingredients and keep it in refrigerator for atleast 10 mins.
• Serve cool with raw onions.

Tips:

"While making kambu kali, stir continuously with a ladle to avoid lumps.

In making kambu koozh, whipping up the buttermilk is very important as it tastes good.

You can add a tspn of curd in the kambu koozh as it gives an extra taste."

Nadan Kanava / (Squid-Calamari) Fish Curry

Squid are very famous in kerala, the look of the fish may little strange, but if you have it cooked you will really love it. It’s a pride dish of a non-vegeterian Malayali :) Kanava is made as curry, thoran and also as fried. Cleaning is the big time work, but most of the keralites, handles it well. My Amma and Ammuma use to clean it so fast and especially when I say kanava, I just remember the way how my Ammuma use to make with her magic hands with mud pots in viragu addupu(chulha) and even my Amma never could get the taste of hers. Here is my Ammuma’s recipe for you all..

If you are a first time to prepare this, please refer to cleaning kanava videos in youtube, so that you can do it properly, and its very important too. After cleaning, cut the pieces as little cubes like how I did and then start your making. There is a very simple making as well, as my Amma use to pressure cooker it for 3 whistles and then she makes it as shredded and mixes with coconut, salt and pepper that’s also again it’s a great dish to have..you can have this curry served with hot rice or with chappathi too..Its more like how you prepare a kerala fish curry, but you are adding ginger in it, , kanava can create gastric problem and so adding ginger will help in digestion

Ingredients:

• Kanava cubed pieces- 1 Cup
• Tomato- 1 Sliced as big pieces
• Drumstick- 1 (optional)
• Coconut-1/2 Cup
• Ginger- half inch
• Tamarind – lemon size
• Turmeric powder- ¼ Tspn
• Chili Powder- 1 Tspn
• Green chilies- 4-5 nos
• Coriander Powder-1 Tspn
• Salt-To Taste

For Seasoning:

• Coconut oil- 2 Tspn
• Mustard – 1 Tspn
• Curry leaves-few

Method:

• Make a fine paste of coconut, turmeric powder, ginger, tamarind and keep aside.
• Pressure cooker the kanava pieces for 3 whistles and keep aside.
• In a pan (without keeping in flame) mix all the ingredients along with the kanava pieces and the grounded coconut paste adding water.
• Keep the pan now at flame, and cook it covered for about 5 minutes.
• Remove the lid and cook it uncovered until the gravy dries up.
• In a separate pan(in flame) add all the ingredients under “For seasoning” and transfer it to the boiling kanava curry.
• Turn off the heat and serve hot.

 

 Tips:

"Adjust the chili powder as per your spice level.

Adding drumstick is optional but it gives a good taste."

Kaadai/(Quail) Roast(Restaurant Style)

If you are a regular visitor for Anjappar restaurants in Tamil Nadu, iam sure you would have tested this. They serve the kaadai roast and it tastes so good that every non-vegeterians will fall in love with that. I haven’t tried this, and for me I know about kaadai only through my best buddy. In India, in southern parts, it’s easy to get, however if you stay at other countries you can try getting these at some fresh meat stores, I got it from Sprouts and as I said I never tried making it, got this recipe from my friend and it just tasted so good.

Quails are nothing but small birds and it tastes more like chicken, but this has more bones in it. Hence, whenever you get it, try getting large quails as it may have little more flesh than the smaller or thinner ones. You could make a biriyani or a curry out of this, but I like the quail when it’s roasted with pepper and our Indian masala powders. Just try this, and surprise your dear ones.. here you go with the making :)
 

Ingredients:

• Kaadai(Quail)-3 Nos
• Small onions- 4-5 nos(finely chopped)
• Green Chilies- 3 Nos
• Garlic crushed- 2-3 pods
• Chili Powder- 1/2 Tspn
• Coriander Powder- 1/2 Tspn
• Turmeric Powder-1/4 Tspn
• Garam Masala- 1/2 Tspn
• Ginger crushed- 1 inch

To Marinate:

• Curd-2 Tspn
• Chili Powder- 1/2 Tspn
• Coriander Powder- 1/2 Tspn
• Turmeric Powder-1/4 Tspn
• Garam Masala- 1/2 Tspn
• Pepper Powder- 1 Tspn

For Seasoning:

• Oil- 6 Tspn(preferably mustard oil)
• Curry Leaves- few
• Cloves- 2 nos
• Bay leaves- 1
• Fennel Seeds- 1 Tspn

 

Method:

• Marinate the quails with all the ingredients under "To marinate" and keep at least for ½ an hour.
• In a separate pan, add oil and add all the ingredients under "for seasoning". Add small onions, green chilies and sauté until it becomes translucent.
• Add the crushed garlic and ginger and then add the chili, coriander and turmeric powder and sauté well.
• Add the cleaned quails and cook covered for about 10 minutes, now open the lid, and cook again.
• Add salt and lower the flame and let it get fried in the pan; give out a stir in intervals until it turns dry.

 

Tips:

"Don’t compromise on the oil, as if it’s cooked with less oil, it may not turn so crisp.

You can also add little coconut, but it’s purely optional."

Kara Sev

I know most of you would have done with all your sweet preparation, how fun it would be to spending time with family friends, sharing sweets, oil bath, crackers :) I really miss my family.. wish I could make it atleast next year.. this post is for someone who still looking to prepare some snacks..Kara sev is the most easiest snack to make and it’s a favourite for most of the people.

My Amma likes kara sev very much and she was much surprised when she heard that I made it rite. Those days they use to make kara sev out of the big ladle holes, but I just tried making it by the three hole idiyappam press which I have which made my job very easy as well. Store the kara sev in a air tight container so that the pepper and asafetida will mix up well and gives a good flavor to it. Here you go with the making. I wish all my readers a very happy diwali :)
 

Ingredients:

• Gram Flour- 1 Cup
• Rice Flour- ¾ Cup
• Turmeric Piwder- a pinch
• Asafoetida- ¼ Tspn
• Cumin Seeds- ¼ Tspn
• Pepper grinded coarsely-1/2 Tspn
• Salt- To Taste
• Butter- 2 Tspn
• Oil- For Frying

Method:

• Melt butter and mix with all the powders with enough water and to make a stiff dough.
• With the help of three hole muruku press gently the dough into the hot oil.

Tips:

"Make the dough stiff, as if its loose, it may not come out properly from the hole."