Chicken/Fish Cutlet

This is a very tasty recipe for making cutlets. My mom makes beef and chicken cutlets. I have ventured to try fish and vegetable ones too. They are yummy and like they say, no one can have just one.
Ingredients:

1. 2 big size potatoes mashed
2. Bunch of cilantro
3. 6 green chilies
4. 1 onion finely cut
5.  2 cup ground chicken or beef OR 2 cans tuna
6. 1 tsp red chili powder
7. ¼ tsp turmeric powder
8. 3 egg whites
9. 4 bread slices
10. Oil
11. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat the bread slices in microwave till they become stiff. Grind them in grinder to make breadcrumb powder. The powder should be fine.
2. Fry onion and green chilies. Add chili and turmeric powder.
3. When onion turns transparent, add tuna/chicken/beef and fry till cooked/done. Keep aside for cooling it down.
4. Mix this fried mixture with mashed potato, cilantro and salt to make dough.
5. Divide the dough to make oval shaped patties with this dough. Size is around 3“ long and ¾ “ thick. Press it in centre to flatten it a bit.
6. Roll this patty in egg white and then in breadcrumb powder. Make sure that the patty is coated completely in this powder. To make crunchier cutlets, repeat this step.
7. Deep-fry the patties till the color turns golden brown.
8. Remove the patty from oil, strain oil and place them on tissue to remove excess oil

Serves 4
Serving suggestion: Serve hot with tomato ketchup

Royyalu Aakura Curry (Shrimp Veggie Curry)

I love shrimp. But because of its high cholesterol virtues I only cook it occasionally. This recipe gives an alternate way of having shrimp by cooking it with veggies. This makes it a more healthier choice with a chance of experimenting with different vegetables for different flavors.
My mother-in-law cooks a batch of shrimp and pairs them everyday with a different vegetable. Each day is a flavor feast while keeping your cholesterol in check.

Ingredients:
Shrimp
Vegetable like Thotakura/Chavuli/Amarnath Leaves, Gongura/Pitwaa/Sorrel Leaves, Dosakkaya/Keera/Cucumber
Onion
Chillies
Ginger garlic paste
Turmeric powder
Red chilli powder
Salt
Oil
Water
Tadka: Mustard seeds, Jeera, Chana Dal

Method:

1. Clean Shrimp and boil them in a pan with water, salt, turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste till the water is drained.Keep it aside. If you are making a big batch you can put in fridge for 2-3 days and only use some in the dish. 
2. Wash and drain vegetables and cut them
3. Put tadka in oil in a pan and fry
4. Add onions and chillies and fry
5. Add cooked shrimp and mix
6. After a little while add the cut vegetables
7. Cover pan with lid and let the curry cook in the vegetable's juice, no need to add water
8. After a while add red chilli powder and stir 
9. Switch of gas when veggies are done

Andhra Style Fish Curry

Fish is a staple diet in my hometown Kerala and my usband's hometown Andhra Pradesh. My mother-in-law makes this amazing fish curry that is so simple to make. Every bite melts in your mouth with an explosion of savory tanginess! Bliss!

Ingredients:
Fish - cleaned and cut
1 onion
6 chillies
1 bunch spring onion

1 bunch coriander leaves
few curry leaves
tamarind
Ginger garlic paste
Red chilli powder
Turmeric powder
Garam masala powder

Oil
Salt


Method:

1. Fry Onion, Chillies in Oil in Pressure cooker
2. Add spring onions, ginger garlic paste
3. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder 
4. Layer fish pieces on top
5. Add coriander leaves
6. In a vessel add tamarind to water and make tamarind paste
7. Add this watery paste to pan so that fish is submerged
8. Add salt and pinch of garam masala powder
9. Cook without whistle for few minutes
10. Tada!

Prawn Pakoda

You must already know my love for shrimp by now! This serves as a delicious appetizer.

Ingredients:
1 cup shrimp (prawns), big size
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp red chilli powder
salt to taste
oil

For garnishing:
Onion rings
Cilantro (Coriander leaves)

Method:

1) Apply salt to the shrimp and keep aside.
2) Make thick batter with flour, red chili powder and water. Add salt to taste.
3) Dip the shrimp in the batter and deep fry.
4) Garnish with onion rings and cilantro.

Serves 4

Serving suggestion: Serve as appetizer

PRAWN PAPPAS - Kerala style shrimp curry

This recipe is quite famous in Kerala and is known for its spice. Not for the mild hearted folks :)
I dont know why its called 'pappas' though. I would love to know a reason.

Ingredients:

250 gm Shrimp (Prawns) remove shell and clean
2 Green chili
some Curry leaves

I
1/2 tsp red chili powder
3 tsp Corriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Pepper powder
2 Garlic flakes
1/4 tsp Methi (ulva)

II
Coconut oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 Onion, finely cut
1 tsp garlic flakes
1/2 tsp ginger, finely cut

III
1 ½ cup water
Tamarind (Imli/puli)
salt to taste

Method:
1) Heat ingredients listed in part I, then make a paste and keep aside.
2) Heat oil. Add ingredients in part II and fry
3) Add grinded masala to it and fry
4) Add water, tamarind and salt. Bring it to boil
5) On boiling, reduce gas to medium flame and add green chili, curry leaves and prawns. Cook till gravy is thick as desired.

Tip: Instead of tamarind, fry 3 cut tomatoes fand grind with masalas from part I
Replace 1/2 cup water with coconut milk to add extra flavor

Serves 4
Serving suggestion: with plain rice and buttermilk

Meen Vechuthu (Kerala fish curry with fried spices)

This recipe is different from the previous fish curry recipe in the way the spices are treated. Here we fry the spices. This is also traditionally cooked in a vessel called chatti, that imparts a distinct flavor to the curry. Kodumpulli imparts sourness and Red chilli powder makes the dish spicy.

Ingredients:

500 gms King fish , skinned,washed and cut in edible size
3 big kodumpulli(tamarind) ,6 if small size
1 pinch methi powder(ulva powder)
bunch of curry leaves
salt to taste


For Tadka:

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
3 garlic cloves cut length wise
2" piece ginger cut length wise, thinly
7-8 green chillies cut length wise
1 onion cut in small pieces
4 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder

Method:

1) Splutter mustard seeds in coconut oil
2) Add ginger, garlic, chillies and onions. Fry till onions turn transparent.
3) then add remaining tadka ingredients and fry for a minute
4) Add fish, kodumpulli, salt and water just above fish level and bring it to boil. Keep boiling for 3 -5 minutes to let fish be cooked
5) Add curry leaves and methi powder

Tip: Add 1 cup coconut milk to make gravy thick

Serves 6
Serving Suggestion: With plain white rice and buttermilk

Meen Vechuthu -pacha podi (Kerala fish curry with raw spices)

This kind of fish curry is made the pacha podi way, meaning the spices are not fried. This is traditionally cooked in a vessel called chatti, that imparts a distinct flavor to the curry. Kodumpulli imparts sourness and Red chilli powder makes the dish spicy. You will be surprised at how tasty this simple turns out to be. Thanks Mamma.

Ingredients:

500 gms King fish , skinned,washed and cut in edible size
2" piece ginger cut length wise, thinly
7-8 green chillies cut length wise
3 big kodumpulli(tamarind) ,6 if small size
4 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
bunch of curry leaves
salt to taste
1 pinch methi powder(ulva powder)
1 tsp coconut oil

Method:

1) Put all ingredients except methi powder and coconut oil in chatti(earthern vessel) and mix together.
2) Pour water till just above the level of the fish mixture and bring it to a boil. keep boiling for 3 minutes (by this time, fish will be cooked)
3) Check for sourness. You can add or remove kodumpulli according to the sourness desired.
4) then add methi powder and hot coconut oil.

Serves 6
Serving Suggestion: With plain white rice and buttermilk