Almond, Saffron & Pepper Biscuits

Attention : Health Conscious People : Here comes a snack item which is sugar free. It's also gluten & Dairy free too.

This goes well with Tea/ Snacks or may be as a meal, if you have few of them in one go.

Almond, Saffron & Pepper Biscuits:

Almond Powder - 170 grams
Whole Egg - 1 Each
Salt - 3 grams
Cracked Black Pepper - 5 grams
Saffron - few strands

Heat the oven to 170*C.

In a bowl; mix egg, salt, pepper and Saffron. 

Add the Almond powder to the mix & make a dough. Spread a parchment paper or a Cling film on a work top table. Place the dough on it & press gently. Place another cling film on top of it & roll it evenly. 

By using a cookie/ biscuit cutter; portion the biscuit. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. 

Bake them at 175*C for approx 15 minutes. 

Once it's done leave it aside till it comes down to room temperature & then serve 

Chef's Tip : 

1. For sweet lovers; do not add Pepper , Salt. Add 2 grams of cinnamon  & 5 grams of brown sugar. 
2. This biscuit tastes much more better with Philadelphia Cheese

Spinach & Corn Pakoda

Pakoda (South Indian) / Pakoṛā (North Indian) - A mouth watering "fritter" from India.
 the word is derived from Sanskrit.  "Garama Garam" (Hot Hot) Pakoṛā & Chāi - A heavenly combination during a cold / rainy day.

What the North Indians call as Pakoṛās ( the word is derived from Sanskrit) is known as "Bhajji" in South India (Tamil Nadu)

It's simple dish to make yet needs more of attention to details to get a perfectly finished Pakoda.

  Pakoda's can be made with Onion, Potatoes, Carrots, Spinach, Cauliflower, Capsicum, Raw Plantain, Aubergine, Paneer, Bread, Prawns, Fish & Chicken.

In one of my recent corporate event, we tried Corn and Spinach Pakoda. It came out very well & the clients enjoyed it even with out any chutney/ dip

Corn and Spinach Pakoda - I like the ingredients used to be freshly prepared & rustic. So, the texture takes the taste of the dish to a different level

Corn Kernels - 250 grams
Spinach - 125 grams
Green Chillies - 10 grams
Besan/  Gram Flour - 100 grams
Rice flour - 40 grams
Cumin Seeds - 5 grams
Asafoetida - 5 grams
Ginger Chopped - 5 grams
Garlic Chopped - 5 grams
Coriander Leaves - 5 grams
Curry Leaves - few
Chilli Powder - 2 grams
Oil - For frying
Salt

Boil & drain the Corn kernels. Gently squeeze out the water. Pick, Wash & chop the Spinach Leaves. Add cumin seeds, chillies, ginger & garlic, asafoetida, coriander and curry leaves. Add salt.
Mix all the ingredients together. Leave it aside for few minutes.

Heat oil in a fryer/ deep pan (Kadaai). Take a small portion of the Corn & Spinach mixture. Gently slide it in the hot oil. Continue the process till you manage to slide 5- 6 pieces. By using a slotted spoon, turn the "pakodas" just to ensure it cooks evenly & gets nice colour.

Once cooked, remove it from the oil & place the pakodas on the tissue paper to absorb the excess oil.




Chef's Tip :  A spoon of cornflour can be added to get more crispy Pakodas. For a twist in taste & texture; sliced onion & potato can be added to the above recipe. 

I will personally not recommend "Tomato Ketchup" for this dish. 

Broccoli and Oats Oothappam

Oats - Highland's pride, slow energy release cereal ,One of the healthy yet simple way to start one's day as a breakfast cereal.

 The beauty of Oat's is it's very adaptable to any given dishes as per our choice and play a subtle role by not dominating with it's own flavour.. Let it be the traditional Porridge, Bircher Muesli, as a crumb to coat fish, Snacks/ light  bites as Oat cakes, Dessert as Cranachan Oat's will makes it humble appearance. 

I am big fan of Oats. A thought of introducing this Highland Hero to a South Indian family ended up with Oats Oothappam

It's quick, lighter and easy to make

Broccoli and Oats Oothappam -  Few people spell it as "Uthappam". Being a hardcore South Indian I insist it should be spelled as "Oothappam"

Oats - 250 grams
Whole Wheat flour- 120 grams
Rice flour - 75 grams
Cumin Seeds - 15 grams
Green chillies  - 1 - 2 No's
Broccoli - 125 grams
Carrot - 1
Asafoetida / Hing - 2 grams
Cracked Black pepper - 3 No's
Chopped Curry leaves - Few sprigs
Chopped Coriander leaves
Chopped Ginger - 10 grams
Yoghurt - 4 tablespoon
Water - 250 - 400 ml
 Salt

Mix Oats, flour, hing, salt, chopped chillies, curry leaves, Coriander leaves, Cumin, black pepper, ginger together. Cut the Broccoli in to small pieces & cook it salted boiling water.Grate Carrots. Add the vegetables to the Oats mixture. Add the yoghurt in water and mix it to the Oats - Veg mixture. Make sure the batter is free of any lumps. The consistency should not be thin. 

Heat a pan on stove (Pref. Non-Stick) . Wipe it with a tiny bit of oil. Pour a spoonful of batter  & allow the batter to settle on its own.
Pour a teaspoon of oil around the batter & turn it upside down with a flat spoon. Allow the batter to get cooked and then remove it on a plate.


The Oothappam is ready to be served now. Coconut - Coriander Chutney can be a good accompaniment. I personally like it with a bowl of plain yoghurt. The hot Oats Oothappam complements cold Yoghurt very well.

Chef's tip : The same ingredients can be made in to Dosa( i )  by powdering the Oats. So, it's easy to spread the batter evenly on the hot plate. 
The vegetables can be added as a filling / stuffing instead of adding to the batter. 
Oil can be replaced with Ghee (Clarified Butter)

Kerala Chicken Roast

Kerala Chicken Roast - As the name derives it's from Kerala but not a "Roast" dish as in the British cooking term. Here the word "Roast" means marinated diced Chicken cooked on a pan or a griddle.

(Like many others....)When I started my career as a professional chef this is the first dish which I was "allowed" to work/ marinate on my own. Only senior chef(s) add spices to any meat/ fish items & the trainees or newly joined commis mix it together.

It's a very simple dish still it will be a winner in any menu.

Diced Chicken thighs - 500 gms
Chilli powder - 20 gms
Coriander powder - 15 gms
Cumin powder - 10 gms
Turmeric powder - 2 gms
Curd  - 10 ml
Garam masala powder (optional)- 5 gms
Coconut oil - 20 ml
Salt
Curry leaves - Few sprigs
Ginger- Garlic paste - 10 gms
Lemon - 1 No'

Marinate the chicken with half the amount of salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder & ginger-garlic paste. In a bowl add rest of the ingredients except the lemon.

Add the chicken to the marinade. Cover & leave it in a fridge for a minimum of 5-6 hours.

Heat a pan, add little amount of oil. Place the chicken & cook it on a medium heat for approximately 5-6 minutes.

 Turn it around & repeat the process.

Make sure Chicken is cooked thorough.

Arrange it in a platter & squeeze fresh lemon juice just before serving.

Chef's tip : 

1) Coconut oil can be substitued with any other cooking oil.

2) Curryleaves can be fried, crushed before adding to the marination. It will give a nice flavour.

3) Place the chicken in the oven & cook it around 170*C for 15 minutes. This is just to make your cooking easier ( No need to keep cleaning the pan every now & then)

Aappam- Hoppers

Aappam (Hoppers) aka Aappum is a common food in Tamil nadu, Kerala & even in Srilankan cuisine.

It's often eaten as breakfast
Aappam is a delicacy made out of fermented rice batter. "kallu" (Toddy) is used to ferment the batter.

To make one understand I would like to relate Aappam as "Dosa's" cousin. Ofcourse the cooking techinque & the shape is different. Unlike Dosa it's not crispy but have a spongy center & crispy endges.It is made in a special pan / kadai known as "Aappa chatti". It takes the shape of this pan in which they are cooked in.

Aappam

Raw rice - 2 cups

Salt

Sugar - 10 gms

Water - To grind

Yeast (Substitute for Toddy)(optional) - 5 gms

Coconut milk - 50 ml

Wash & soak the rice over night. Grind it by adding some water. Add salt, sugar, yeast & leave it in room temperature for around 4-5 hours. If desired add coconut milk & mix well.

Heat the "Aappa chatti" & drizzle with some oil. Make sure the pan is hot & cleaned & "seasoned".

Rub oil evenly in the pan by using a clean / soft cloth.

Pour a laddle of the batter & rotate the pan in a circular motion . Place the pan on the stove &

cover it with the lid. Leave couple of minutes & check by using a wet tooth pick in the center of the Aappam. If the tooth pick comes out clean then consider it as cooked. If not leave it for couple of minutes more.

Use a thin spatula around the corner of the Aappam & slowly lift it out. By regular practice it will be easy & fun making Aappams.

Chef's tip :

Traditionally Aappams are made in cast iron pan. Recent years have been witnessing non-stick pans just to make the cooking more enjoyable & easy.
The word "seasoned" means : Cleaning & getting the pan ready. The best way to do it is by heating the pan, rubbing some oil saute some onions or break an egg in to the pan & quickly stir it off. Wipe it off with a clean cloth & again spread some oil evenly.
Variations can be made like Masala Egg Aappam, Chicken Kheema, Lamb Kheema, Fried Egg Aappam

It is a nice dish for the dinner menu aswell because it is very light & not on the heavier side.
Vegetable kuruma, Ishtew, Kadalai curry (Channa) or a meat gravy can be a good accompaniment. Freshly extracted "thengaai paal" (Coconut Milk) will also be an ideal accompaniment.

Kuzhi Paniyaaram

Kuzhi Paniyaram, quiet popular breakfast/ snack item in South India, mainly in the Chettinad region. There are two varieties in this.
1)Kaara paniyaaram (Savoury/ Spiced )
2) Inippu paniyaaram (Sweet)
The batter for "kaara paniyaaram" is similar to Dosa / Idly.....what makes it different & special is the shape & the style it's been cooked.
Outside South India it's not as popular like Dosa/ Vada/ Idly ....but I can see quiet few small restaurants are coming up with this item in their menu.





"KUZHI" means hole. The pan in which it's made contains lots of "kuzhis" not exactly a hole but it's something like a Muffin mould.
Kara Paniyaaram
Dosa batter - 250 gms
Chopped onions - 10 gms
Green chillies - 2 No's
Mustard seeds - 5 gms
Curry leaves - few (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves- few (finely chopped)
Ginger- chopped - 5 gms
Cumin Seeds - 5 gms
Hing - 2 gms
Turmeric - 2 gms (optional)
Oil - 20 ml
Heat oil, add mustard seeds & ginger, chillies, curry leaves, onion & hing. Add the tempering to the batter. Grease the paniyaaram mould. Make it hot.

Pour a spoon of batter in each hole. Cover it with a lid. Turn it around & cook it for few more minutes & take it off from the pan.
It goes well with coconut chutney.

Chef's tip : Non- stick paniyaaram pans are available in the market. It's easy to use, clean & it consumes less of oil.

I personally like to use the traditional iron pan. Care should be taken before making paniyarams. Such as making sure the pan is not rust. Clean it properly, wipe it with a dry cloth & apply little bit of oil , wipe it again & then store. If the paniyaaram doesn't comes out off the pan then heat the pan , add some chopped onion; allow them to cook for a while. Alternatively beat an egg & pour it in the mould along with oil & wipe it off clean & then restart the process.
Your choice of finely diced vegetables can be added to the batter (cabbage, peas,carrots,beans,etc...)
Apply the coconut chutney on top of the paniyaram & place another one top & hold them together with a tooth pick & name it as "paniyaaram sandwich)
It can be used in cocktail parties as a snack.

Aaharam – MEAL

Aaharam - A Tamil word which means MEAL used by the Brahmin community.

"Aaharam Aacha " means " Have you had your meal" ?

As the word is from Tamil ; let's see few interesting details about Tamil (Brahmin) cuisine.
Tamil Nadu (To be pronounced as Tamizh Nadu) is one of the 28th states of India. It lies in the southern part of India. It was known as 'Madras Presidency' till 1968. It's the eleventh largest state in India by area. The region has been the home for Tamil civilization since atleast 1500BC. The state's classical language Tamil has been in use & contributed in literature for the past 2500 years.
Like any other Indian state Tamil Nadu is also well known for it's hospitality & it's deep belief that " Serving food to others is a service to humanity
Tamil cuisine is basically South Indian cuisine , where Rice & Rice derived dishes from the major portion a diet. There are regional sub varieties namely Chettinad, Kongunadu, Madurai, Tirunelveli , etc.... Traditionally food is served on a banana leaf instead of a plate & eaten with right hand. The Chettinad region is famous for its spicy non-vegetarian delicacies , while Ambur, Dindugal and Sankarankovil are known for their Biriyani.

A common person from the Tamil community starts his/ her day after bathing, praying god & then have their breakfast. There are still families who do not enter kitchen before bathing & they only allow family members inside the kitchen. This is just to make sure that the kitchen is hygiene & safe.

Breakfast normally consists of Idly, Dosai, Pongal, Poori, Vadai, Puttu, Paniyaram, Aappam, Idiappam, uppuma, etc... with an accompaniment of Chutneys, Sambhar, Spiced powder (called as Milagaai podi- Chilli powder; made with dried red chillies & lentils). As Rice is the staple diet most of the dishes are based on Rice.

Lunch At home ; consists of following items: Rice with Sambhar (with or with out Ghee) followed by Rasam & then curd or buttermilk with an accompaniment of a vegetable (dry preparation called 'Porial'), vegetable (a semi gravy item called 'Kootu'), Pickle ( known as 'oorukai')& Appalam (Pappadums)
Non Vegetarian meal consits of the above menitoned items with an addition of Chicken or Fish or Mutton or Egg (can be made of a dry or a gravy preparation)
Majority of the people don't eat Beef or Pork dishes due to religious reasons.

Dinner will be similar to Lunch or Breakfast items

Tamil wedding feast Traditional Tamil wedding meal is always a table service; where friends & families sit in a row & the waiters serve the food in order. Any request of second service will be happily served.
The wedding lunch is served on a Banana leaf & the elaborated menu items are served in the following order.
Sweet (as Payasam), Thair pachadi, Pickle, Salt, Lentil salad, Vadai, Sweet pachadi, Appalam, couple of vegetable dishes, Boiled rice with Ghee. Sambhar, Mohr Kuzhambhu, Rasam are the traditional gravy items which accompanies the rice followed by curd / buttermilk to cool the appetite. This delicious meal compliments the appetite with mouth watering sweet dishes sucha as Payasam/ Badam Kheer or Mysore pak. The items may vary depending on the financial background of the families.
After the meal is over , there'll be a tray of Betel leaf/ nuts which aids in digestion.


Few Tamil culinary terminology absorbed in English
* The word "Curry" is an anglicization of the Tamil word "Kari"
* The Tamil phrase "Milagu Thaneer" (Pepper soup), literally Pepper water , been
adapted in English as "Mulligatawny"
* The word "Mango" is derived from the Tamil word " Maangai"
* The word "Rice" may have ultimately derived from the Tamil word "Arisi"