Happy's Cook

Friday, August 28, 2015

Crab Masala with Coconut | Nandu Masala | Thenga Aracha Njandu Curry

I had crab only once in my childhood during one of the visits to my chithi's home. Since mom have not tried it in home I don't show much interest towards it. Also, I don't even remember how crab tastes because I was very young when I tried it.  After we shifted to our new house in Chennai, I have seen fish lady's roaming near my home selling crabs that is very fresh and straight from the nearby seashore. 

I told my neighbor akka that I wanted to try it once. Her name is Kalpana, Happy fondly call her as 'Kappaka'. :) She is from Pondicherry and a very good cook. Already I have posted her Chicken Fried Rice recipe in this space. She is kind enough to help me, the next weekend we bought it and she cleaned the crab and gave the recipe as well. It turned out very well , after which I have tried it twice or thrice. Now I am confident enough to handle crabs in my kitchen :) This recipe will be a treat for seafood lovers. Onto the recipe:
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Thursday, August 27, 2015

Coriander Mint Chutney Recipe | Kothamalli Pudhina Thogayal | Chutney Recipes for Idli Dosa

We are busy packing and doing last round of shopping this week. Yes, we will be back to India this weekend. Happy and I enjoyed the trip very well since we both bunked school and office respectively :P Again our busy schedule will start from next week. So before starting from here, I don't want to waste any day without posting recipes here. Today's post is about coriander mint chutney, I got this recipe from my mom in-laws cook in Saidapet. She is a great and super fast cook. To give variation from our regular side dish for Idli Dosa, we can try this chutney. To check other chutney recipes in this space, visit here.
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Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Peanut Chutney Recipe | Groundnut Chutney | Verkadalai Chutney

My preference for food is changing over time. During my schooling, I never like chutneys as side dish for Idli, Dosa and I always go for Sambar. But after college I started loving chutneys and wish to try new chutney whenever I can. Already I have posted few other Chutneys like Coconut Chutney, Peerkangai Chutney, Tomato Chutney, Onion tomato Chutney and Kara Chutney in this space. Today I am adding one more chutney to my list, which is my recent favourite. Yes,  I am presenting the delicious creamy peanut chutney with detailed steps here:
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Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Nethili Meen Manga Curry Recipe | Anchovies Mango Fish Curry | Nethili Meen Kuzhambu

Nethili manga curry is an authentic south indian recipe that is loved by majority of seafood lovers. Whenever I get nethili, I usually fry it since Jany prefers it that way. But whenever I have mango in hand, I don't miss to prepare this curry. The mango is the main souring agent and it gives a divine flavour to the curry. The fish is high in calcium because we eat the bones too. Nethili fish can create gastric problem, so mom prefers to add ginger in the recipe for easy digestion.

Mom makes this curry very well, but I missed to get the recipe from her. But luckily mom had taught Vanitha akka to prepare this curry. Vanitha akka helps us with all our household works in native. Mom had moulded her as a decent cook for a period of 6 to 7 years. So whenever I have any doubt about how mom does a particular dish, I will immediately ring her. She helps me and explains whatever mom had told her about that. During our last visit, I asked dad to buy nethili fish and I tried it with the help of akka. It was super tasty and I didn't miss to click it. So here we go for mom's yummy nethili manga curry: 
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Monday, August 24, 2015

Coconut Fish Crisps Recipe | Kids friendly recipe

This post was lying in my draft for more than a year now. This is an unusual recipe in my kitchen, but it was a huge hit when I tried it. Once Jany and his friends got huge amount of fresh Vanjiram fish from a nearby beach. Apart from our usual fish curry and fish fry, he was asking me to try something new. I had no clue about his expectation and I asked him to give the recipe. He was googling and eventually came up with this recipe. It was from Laura Vitale's space, where she tried it with Shrimp. This super easy recipe turned out very well. Both Jany and Happy were fond of this coconut fish, which got vanished by no time. If your kid is a fuzzy fish eater, then you can try this and for sure they will love it. Already I have posted fish finger which is one of the kids favourite fish recipe. Onto the recipe:
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Friday, August 21, 2015

Masala Dosa Recipe | Masala Dosa with potato filling | Breakfast Recipes

Masala dosa is one of my childhood breakfast recipe whenever I visit restaurants. Though I am not crazy about masala dosa these days, I try it once in a while. In home whenever I have some left over Poori masala, I make use of it to prepare masala dosa the next day. The masala dosa gives rich flavour, when you drizzle some ghee on top of the dosa along with some ghee fried broken cashews in the potato masala. If you are strictly on diet and feel guilty about its richness, don't go for more than one. :P Here we go for the step-by-step pictures:
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Thursday, August 20, 2015

Aappam Recipe | Appam Recipe | Appam without Yeast | Breakfast Recipes

Appam is a type of pancake made with fermented rice batter and coconut. It is a common food in Kerala. Since I am from a place, which is very near Kerala, it is quite common in our home too. During Christmas and Easter, mom usually make appam with mutton or chicken curry for breakfast. 

The appam recipe which we follow is not the traditional Kerala appam. But it is similar to that and it tastes equally good. My mom in-law makes perfect spongy appam and this is her recipe. I have also mentioned few tips which I got it from her to make this appam. Every weekend I grind both Idli Dosa batter and Appam batter. I will preserve it for a week in fridge. Here, we go for the detailed recipe:
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Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Idiyappam Recipe | Nool Puttu | Sevai | String Hoppers | Breakfast Recipes

Idiyappam is one of our regular breakfast recipe. Jany likes Idiyappam, only if it is paired with vegetable coconut stew (Sodhi) or any non-veg gravy. He hates having it with sugar and coconut. So I mostly make it on weekends and sometimes I make it for dinner. This is one of the healthy traditional breakfast recipe prepared by steaming the rice flour. The dough which we make use for preparing this idiyappam is similar to our Kozhukattai dough which I have posted here.

After I start cooking, mom taught me the preparation of Idiyappam. I still remember the day when she gave a chance for me to try pressing the idiyappam. After marriage whenever we go to native,  mom makes this idiyappam along with mutton curry for the breakfast. Jany and I love to have her preparation, but Happy had not got a chance to relish in her dishes :(. Again, the plate I used for preparing this idiyappam was the one which mom owns. This idiyappam can be made in our normal idli mould. But she prefers making big sized idiyappam like in restaurants. Without much delay let us go to the preparation steps:
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Monday, August 17, 2015

Homemade Idli Dosa batter Recipe | Failproof Idli Dosa Batter| Idli Recipe | Plain Dosa Recipe | South Indian Soft Idlis | Breakfast Recipes

Idli/Dosa is a traditional breakfast in south India. It is one of the healthiest and popular breakfasts. In my school and college days, I love only dosa and don't prefer Idlis at all. However, I started missing my mum's softest Idli during my PG hostel days. She makes fabulously soft idli and serves it with runny coconut chutney tempered with small onions(shallots). She says the softness of the Idli mainly depends on the quality of the urad dal used. Also, she never soaks the urad dal for more than 30 minutes and she skips the fenugreek seeds to get pure white Idlis. I follow her measurements(4 cups idli rice: 1 cup urad dal) religiously when I was in Chennai and it gives amazing results. 
After we move to Sydney, the quality of the urad dal we get here is different and I didn't get soft idlis with this measurement. After so much trial and errors, finally, I have settled with (2 cups idli rice:1 cup urad dal) and a handful of Poha(Aval). This failproof Idli & Dosa batter is giving me the perfect sponge idlis. 
I will explain both the measurements in this post and you can choose anyone based on the type of urad dal. The good quality urad dal will give the fluffy batter.
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Friday, August 14, 2015

Onion Samosa Recipe | Crispy Onion Samosa | South Indian Onion Samosa | Samsa | Mini Samosa

Today's post is about my all time favorite street snack samosa. It is very famous in south India. I have tried this samosa without pastry sheet once in my in-laws home soon after my marriage. It was a huge hit, without knowing anything in cooking I just tried it using a recipe from internet. That unexpected success might be one of the reason for my cooking interest. 

When I was in hostel during my PG days in Chennai, I often snack one rupee mini samosa on my way to hostel :). I am not sure about how hygiene it was. But I love those crunchy and yummy street samosa a lot when compared to samosas from restaurants. I have introduced that to Jany once, as my favorite snack. He too loved it. Nowadays the same samosa is getting sold in Nilgris (You can find it near the billing counter). 

Since preparing this samosa from the scratch is time-consuming I usually don't go for it, even though it is everyone's favorite at home. Once I saw this pastry sheet in Adyar Nilgris and I immediately grabbed it. I tried it on a weekend when Danie and Jeffy where in home. Kids enjoyed it to the core and here I am with that easy recipe today. Posting samosa recipe from scratch is in my to-do list and you can see it soon.
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Thursday, August 13, 2015

Filter Coffee Recipe| South Indian Filter Coffee | Kitchen Basics | Filter Kaapi / Degree Coffee

Again, the lazy Me came out and I didn't post anything here for the past two weeks :(. We are busy exploring Paris on a daily basis. Though our weekend trips are tiring,  we had many lovely experience and memorable moments. I will write about few of our trips in the coming days and I will share few recipes which I learned from my new French friend soon. 

I was deeply saddened to hear about the demise of one of the most inspirational leader, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. May his soul rest in peace, he has left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of Indians. I was lucky enough to listen one of his lectures when I was doing my PG in College of Engineering, Guindy. It was a memorable experience to cherish throughout my life. 

Coming to today's post, it is about making filter coffee. Though making a coffee sounds simple, I wanted to post it here with few tips to make perfect filter coffee. One needs practice to make perfect filter coffee. Though I am not an addict to coffee or tea, I like to have it once in a while. I was introduced to filter coffee by mom, she likes it very much and in weekends she makes it. I still remember the way she explains about the taste of filter coffee. I am using the filter which mom was preserving for a long time. Let's go to the detailed preparation steps:
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Recent Videos

Recipes from the Kitchen

Sakkarai Pongal
Poosanikai Halwa (white Pumpkin)/Ash Gourd Halwa
Rava Kesari
Aval Urundai with Jaggery/Poha Balls
Aval Payasam(with Jaggery)/Poha Payasam
Paal Kozhukattai(with Sugar)
Ellu Urundai/ Sesame Seed balls
Vella Kozhukattai / Modhagam (Modak)
Pasi Paruppu Payasam/ Moong Dal Payasam (Kheer)
Unniyappam/Neyyappam
Semiya Payasam/Vermicelli Kheer
Suzhiyam/Susiyan
Motichoor ladoo
Paruppu Poli/ Puran Poli
Corn Flour Halwa
Adhirasam
Carrot Halwa/Gajar Ka Halwa
Mysore Pak(Krishna Sweets style)
Gulab Jamun(with Khoya)
Paal Payasam
Maa Ladoo/Pottukadalai Urundai
Sakkarai Pongal(without milk)/Sweet pongal
Sweet Pidi Kozhukattai
Thengai Poorna Kozhukattai
Chakka Pradhaman
Sarkara Varatti(Sweet Banana Chips)
Ada Pradhaman
Chakka Varatti(Jackfruit Jam)
Rasgulla
Thirattipal(Palkova)
Rasamalai
Vattayeppam
Kalkandu Pongal
Akkaravadisal
Pazham Pori
Banana Dosa(Chef Venkatesh Bhat Recipe)
Rava Ladoo
Ellu Poorna Kozhukattai
Ragi Kozhukattai
Badam Halwa
Aval Kesari
Besan Ladoo
Peanut Butter Marshmallow Fudge
Khajoor Ka Halwa(Chef Venkatesh Bhat Recipe)
Semiya Kesari
Poha Ghee Ladoo(Aval)
Palada Pradhaman
Milk Kesari
Pachaipayaru(Green Gram) Suzhiyam
Pachaipayaru(Green Gram) Ladoo
Malai(Paneer) Ladoo
Boondi Ladoo
Bread Gulab Jamun
Tirunelveli Wheat Halwa
Coconut Burfi
Sweet Bonda(Wheat Flour Unniyappam)
Munthiri Kothu
Achu Murukku(Achhappam)
Sweet Diamond Cuts
Wheat Rava Sweet Pongal
Makkan Peda
Wheat Flour Kesari
Green Gram Poli
Paneer Kheer
Green Gram Sago Payasam
Pineapple Kesari
Vella Seedai
Jackfruit Ela Ada
Therali Kozhukattai
Jackfruit Appam
Kaju Kathli
Vettu Cake(MuttaiKose)
Ashoka Halwa
Samai Sweet pongal
Health Mix Ladoo
Mango Kesari