Happy's Cook: September 2015

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Sivapu thandu Keerai thoran(Poriyal) Recipe | Red Amarnath Leaves Stir Fry | Red Spinach Poriyal | Keerai Poriyal

Next to drumstick leaves thoran, sivapu thandu keerai thoran is very famous in my native Nagercoil. Nearby market, only has these varieties and we don't get any other kind of kerrai there. After coming to Chennai, I used to get many kinds and among all those red amarnath keerai is my favourite. Mom makes this quite often and I still remember the days when I mix this thoran with curd rice to get pink color curd rice :). I wanted to have this in my repository since it is mom's special recipe. Off to the recipe:

Baby Potato Roast Recipe | Baby Potato Fry (Small Potato Fry)

I usually buy Baby Potato whenever I see it in Kovai Pazhamudiyir Nilayam since I wanted to post many recipes with it. But I never click anything that I try. Finally, few months back I tried this simple and easy to make roast recipe. Even though it tasted good, everyone had the feeling that the masala didn't enter inside. So next time I pricked the baby potato with fork roughly and followed the same process. This time we liked it very much and here I am with that recipe:

Vada Curry Recipe - Steamed Version | Side dish for Idli Dosa

Apart from chutney and Sambar, Vada curry pairs very well with Idli Dosa. I have tasted this yummy vada curry in Sangeetha and Saravana Bhavan few times. After that, I always wanted to try at home. I got this recipe from my colleague and tried it few months back. We liked it to the core, I have also tried the deep fried vada version (I will be posting it soon). Let's go to the preparation steps in detail:

Mango Popsicle Recipe | Mango Kuchi Ice | Summer Special

Popsicles are always a great treat for kids. Even now I love to have fruit flavored popsicles when compared to icecreams. Whenever I get a chance, I don't skip tasting this yummy popsicles. So this summer when we had a large amount of mangoes at home, I tried it. Jany doesn't prefer popsicles much and it was a real weekend treat for Happy and me. This is a very simple and easy to make recipe which we can prepare it with less effort. Already I have posted Rose Milk Popsicle. Also, I have posted few other mango recipes like Mango Panna cotta and Mango Icecream.

Karuvadu(Dry Fish) Kuzhambu Recipe | Karuvadu Kuzhambu with mochai Brinjal Drumstick

I usually prefer fresh fish, when compared to Karuvadu (Dry fish). But I like to have karuvadu kuzhambu with steamed rice just by ignoring the Karuvadu. Sounds weird right? Yes, I love to have the kuzhambu alone. Once in a while I make this kuzhambu just for me. I got this recipe from my neighbor kalpana akka. I will also post mom's version of kuzhambu soon. This recipe can be used by vegetarians as well and they can ignore adding karuvadu to get the yummy mochai kathirikai kara kuzhambu. Here we go for the preparation steps:

Murungai keerai Thoran Recipe | Muringayila Thoran | Drumstick leaves cooked with coconut

Mom makes aviyal and murungaikeerai thoran more often when I am at home. She follows my maternal grandmother's recipe when it comes to thoran. My Granny is also a great cook and she follows Kerala cuisine. When we were kids, my cousins and I help our granny to pluck these leaves while listening to her stories. I cherish those memories by sharing it with Jany these days. Let's see the recipe of this thoran that is very close to my heart.

Badam Halwa Recipe | Almond Halwa | 200th Post celebration Recipe | My 200th Post

Ganesh Chaturthi wishes to all my readers and friends! As we celebrate this auspicious day, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your continuous support. If you're looking for delightful Kozhukattai recipes, you can find a curated collection here. Today marks the 200th post on my blog, and the excitement is palpable. Reflecting on the journey that began in 2013, I am humbled by the unexpected growth. It wouldn't have been possible without the constant encouragement from my family, friends, and dedicated readers.

This milestone feels like a profound blessing, and I owe much of it to the inspiration drawn from my dear mom, who has been the driving force behind this blog. To commemorate this special occasion, I am thrilled to present a recipe that embodies richness and divinity – the delectable Badam Halwa. Made with pureed almonds, saffron, sugar, and ghee, this dessert promises to elevate your celebration. Join me as we delve into the detailed preparation steps:

Ragi Karupatti Kozhukattai Recipe | Finger Millet Palm Jaggery Kozhukattai | Steamed Finger Millet Dumplings | Millet Recipes

I was planning to post Ragi recipes for a long time now. In my home, mom used to make Ragi Puttu for dad and I too like it. After Happy was born, mom used to prepare the ragi flour in bulk and give it to me. Happy likes to have ragi porridge prepared with palm jaggery. After two years, she lost interest in this and I wanted to try some other recipe with Ragi. Recently, I came to know about Ragi Kozhukattai, and I tried it the last weekend. It was too good and Happy likes it. Let's see the preparation of this yummy and healthy snack:

Ellu Kozhukattai Recipe | Ellu Poorna sweet Kozhukattai | Sesame seeds(Til) Dumplings| Ganesh Chathurthi Recipes

After my venture into the blogging world, we celebrate all the festivals through the dishes I try at home. This year for posting as Ganesh Chathurthi Special recipe, I prepared this Ellu Kozhukattai and Ragi Kozhukattai (Will be posting tomorrow) over the last weekend. Ellu is very healthy and it is rich in many nutrients including calcium. I have already posted Ellu Urundai and I am planning to try Ellu Chutney in the near future. Off to the recipe:

Chala Meen Fry Recipe | Mathi Meen Varuval | Indian style Sardines Fish Fry

Chala Meen/Sardines fish are commonly available in our hometown. It is very cheap, yet tasty and packed with loads of nutrients. They are rich in Omega 3 fatty acid, Vitamin B12, Calcium and Protein. When we get chala, mom makes curry with half the quantity and she will fry the remaining. In Chennai, I usually do not go for Chala since Happy don't prefer it much. But this is Jany's all time favorite fish fry, which he starts eating as and when it is fried. So, I get it once in a while for him. When we go to Nagercoil, I will ask Vanitha akka to fry it for him. During our last Christmas vacation, I clicked this there. Only the cleaning part takes time and we can fry it in a jiffy. Here, we go for the preparation steps:

Rava Ladoo Recipe | Rava Laddu | Rava Urundai | Sweet Sooji Balls

Rava Ladoo is quick and easy to make recipe. This is a no fail recipe, even beginners can prepare it perfectly well. It was in my drafts for such a long time, Yes! I tried it for last Diwali :) For last Diwali, from Jany's office we received assorted nut box. I preserved and used it for this post :) My blogging mind always thinks about properties that can be used for clicking. I hunted and purchased so many props from Paris as well, which you can see in this space soon. Let's go to the preparation steps:

Spicy Squid Masala Recipe | Kanava Masala | Koonthal Masala | Calamari Masala

We almost settled now after coming from Paris. As always weekdays are busy, sending Happy to school and then rushing to office. Today I managed to click few recipes for the blog. I also clicked a kozhukattai recipe, which I will be posting in the coming days for Vinayagar Chathurthi. Today's post is about a semi dry squid masala. Squid is one of our recent favourite seafood. I started exploring different recipes using squid. Already I have posted Kerala squid roast. Both the recipes turned out very well and increased our love towards squid. Let's go for the detailed preparation steps: