Beef fry
This is a Kerala style, very delicious dish flavored with spices like fennel, cardamom and pepper.
You need:
Beef - 1 kg
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Onion - 2 nos
Green chillies - 6-8 nos
Ginger(finely chopped) - 1" piece
Garlic pods(chopped) - 8 nos
Tomatoes(chopped) - 2 nos
Cinnamon- 1" piece
Cloves- 5 nos
Cardamom - 5 nos
Fennel - 4 tsp
Black peppercorns - 20 nos
For seasoning:
Onions (chopped) - 2 no
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Coconut (chopped) -1 cup
Curry leaves - 4 sprigs
oil – 3 tbsp.
Method
1) Mix meat and ingredients 2,3,4 and salt.
2) Grind the ingredients 10,11,12,13 to a paste.
3) Cook the beef with the ground paste in a pressure cooker. After the first whistle, bring the heat to medium. Wait for one more whistle. Now remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release.
4) Heat oil in another pan.
5) Splutter mustard seeds.
6) Add the ginger, garlic, coconut pieces, and chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves, saute till light brown. Now add the tomatoes and fry more.
7) Add the meat and stir till the gravy is dry and well coated to the beef pieces.
Red Fish Curry
A spicy fish curry, so unique in its tastes, the key ingredient here is Kudumpoli (cocum).This curry tastes best the next day.
To prepare, you need:
1. ½ kg fish pieces
2. 2 tbsp chilli powder
3. ¼ tsp turmeric powder
4. 1/8 tsp roasted fenugreek seeds
5. 6 small garlic cloves
6. 2 tsp ginger, finely chopped
7. ¼ cup coconut oil/olive oil
8. 1 tsp mustard seeds
9. 1 tbsp button onions, sliced
10.curry leaves -2 sprigs
11.2 pieces cocum, washed and soaked in water
12. Salt to taste.
Method
1.Clean and wash the fish pieces and keep aside.
2.Grind ingredients 2 to 4 to a paste with 1 garlic clove and 1 tsp ginger and keep aside.
3.Heat oil in a pan. Splutter the mustard seeds. Add onion, remaining garlic and ginger. Keep stirring till it turns slightly brown ,now stir in the ground masala, and fry until the aroma rises. Add the soaked cocum and 2 cups water. Add salt to taste.
4.Transfer this into an earthenware vessel and simmer. Gently ladle in the fish pieces and the curry leaves.
5.Cook half covered, till it boils.
6.Remove the lid and allow to simmer on low heat till the gravy thickens and the fish is cooked.
Chammanthi podi
The main ingredient here is the Coconut,which was abundent in kerala,hence the name (land of Coconut ).Now the picture is different,there are more rubber trees than Coconut trees as the Rubber price shooting up ,only the love of coconut remains.Anyway,this fruit is so unique in many respects. No other fruit has the three distinct eyes of the coconut. In India coconut is offered to God by way of prayer and this is then eaten as blessed food or prasad in the belief that it has now received divine vibrations from God and will therefore give us good health and prosperity.Many break coconut at auspicious ceremonies. The sweet, nectar-like water that it holds is so refreshing and thirst-quenching.
And If you don’t know how to open a coconut, here is the steps to follow. 
Fried coconut chammanthi podi
Mom used to make this spicy powder and store in air tight jars ,this would be a great time saver while preparing lunch boxes. We used to carry this and pickles when we stay away from home.
Chamanthi podi taste great with hot rice. Here is how my mom used to make this,
Ingredients :
Grated coconut - 6 cups
Dried red chilies 10 (adjust according to taste)
Black pepper corns -1 tsp
Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Asafetida a small piece fried in Sesame seed oil
Ginger one large piece finely chopped
Garlic – 3-4 pods finely chopped
Tamarind the size of a goose berry
Shallots -6 diced.
Salt to taste
Method:
Heat up a heavy bottom pan the bigger the better to allow space for it to be swished around . And fry grated coconut, red chilies, black pepper,ginger, shallots and curry leaves. Keep it on a medium heat and keep stirring it around. Fry until the coconut turns to a brown color. Take this out and spread it on a tray and let it cool.
dry toasted coconut and other ingredients
Now grind well the roasted ingredients with tamarind asafetida, and salt.Taste and adjust salt, Tamarind, chilies etc.when cold store this in a clean dry jar.
Tips: you can use dry shredded coconut instead of fresh/frozen grated coconut,this actualy reduce the roasting time to half .
Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp. ginger paste
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 lb boneless chicken (cut in bite-size pieces)
1 tbsp. oil
1 bunch broccoli
1 lg. onion
1/4 cup chicken stalk
Combine Soy sauce,ginger,garlic and corn starch with little water in bowl, mixing well. Marinate chicken in sauce for 10 minutes or longer. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Heat oil in skillet. Add chicken in small amounts . Stir-fry until brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Add broccoli and onion to hot skillet. Stir-fry 1 minute. Add 1/4 chicken stalk, cover and steam for 3 minutes or until broccoli is tender-crisp. Return chicken to skillet, adding marinade. heat through, stirring constantly. Serve with steamed rice.
Egg stew
Ingredients
Egg - 3
Potato – 2 medium
Onion - 1 (diced)
Ginger (minced) - 1tsp
Garlic (minced) - 1tsp
Green chillies slit - 3
Garam masala - 1tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Pepper powder – 1/2tsp
Thick coconut milk - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Curry leaves – a sprig
Preparation
Hardboil the eggs. Allow it to cool. Remove the shells and cut in to small pieces and keep this aside.
In a deep vessel, add oil and saute the onions and fry till brown. Add the ginger and green chillies and fry some more. Now add the potatoes, coriander powder and garam masala, and little water. Add salt and pepper and bring to boil on a medium heat. When the potatoes are cooked, add the eggs. Allow it to simmer for 1 minute. Add the thick coconut milk and the curry leaves. Stir well and remove from heat.
This dish taste best with bread and Palappam Also can be served with roti's and chapati's.
(Tips :Do not boil after adding the coconut milk. )
