VARIETY RECIPES

Fish Cutlet

Fish                                ½ kg

Vinegar                          1 teaspoon

Salt                                 1 teaspoon

Oil                                    ¼ cup

Sliced onion                  ½ cup

Sliced green chilly        1 desert spoon

Sliced ginger                 1 teaspoon

Sliced curry leaves        ½ teaspoon

Pepper powder             1 teaspoon

Boiled and mashed

Potato                             1 cup

Salt                                   accordingly

Egg yolk                            1

Egg white                         1

Bread powder                  ½ cup

Marinate fish with vinegar and salt. Steam it and mash. Heat oil, add onion, chilly, ginger and roast. Add pepper powder and fish mixture. Add potato, egg yolk, salt and mix well. Shape to cutlets, dip in egg white and again in bread powder and fry. Serve with sauce and salad.

cucumber salad

sprinkle salt and lemon juice in sliced cucumber pieces.

Carrot Rice

Basmati rice                       2 cups

Carrot                                 50 gm.

Sliced onion                       50 gm.

Raisin                                 1 spoon

Nuts                                    1 spoon

Cardamom                          3

Salt                                       accordingly

Ghee                                     ½ cup

Coriander leaves                  accordingly

Sliced tomato                       ½ cup

Water                                    4 cups

Wash and drain basmati rice. Heat a pan. Pour one spoon ghee and roast rice. Keep it aside. Boil water. Add basmati rice, salt and mashed cardamom. Cook for ten minutes.  In a pan, heat one spoon ghee, roast onion,carrot,raisins and nuts.Serve cooked rice in a plate garnishing with coriander leaves, sliced tomato, roasted onions, carrot, raisins and nuts.

Steamed Fish (in banana leaf)

Sliced fish                   400 gm.

Salt                               accordingly

Turmeric powder        ¼ teaspoon

Pepper powder            ¼ teaspoon

Oil                                   5 spoons

Mustard                         ¼ teaspoon

Fenugreek                      a pinch

Sliced ginger                 2 small spoons

Sliced green chilly        2 small spoons

Sliced Onion                  150 gm.

Ginger-garlic paste       2 small spoons

Turmeric powder          ¼ teaspoon

Chilly powder                 4 small spoons

Salt                                    accordingly

Tomato                             2

Gambogia                         3 pieces

Coconut milk                    2 spoons

Marinate fish pieces with turmeric powder, pepper powder and salt. Heat oil, frost mustard, fenugreek, ginger, green chilly and onion. Add ginger-garlic paste. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt. Then add tomato pieces. Add soaked Gambogia with its water and allow to boil. Add coconut milk. Stir well till the fish masala becomes a thick gravy. Take a banana leaf, layer fish masala, add fish pieces, top with masala again, put curry leaves upside and down side of fish pieces, cover well and steam for twenty five minutes. Open the leaf, Garnish with vegetables and serve.

Mango Curry

Sliced mango                      1 cup

Sliced green chilly              1 spoon

Sliced ginger                       1 spoon

Sliced onion                         ¼ cup

Chilly powder                      1 teaspoon

Coriander powder                1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder                 ¼ teaspoon

Curry leaves                          accordingly

Salt                                        ¼ teaspoon

Oil                                          1 spoon

Mustard                                  ¼ teaspoon

Red chilly                               3

Heat one spoon oil in a pan. Add mustard. Add onion, chilly, ginger, curry leaves and roast. Add sliced mango. Stir well. Add chilly, coriander and turmeric powders and roast. Add second coconut milk and salt. Cook for five minutes. Add first coconut milk. Stir till it becomes slight hot. Remove from heat.

         

Cauliflower Curry

Cauliflower                                        : 1

 Tomato                                              : 1

 Onion                                                 : 6

Chilly powder                                    : 1 teeaspoon
Coriander powder                            : ½ teaspoon

Pepper powder                                 : ½ teaspoon

Salt                                                      : accordingly

Oil                                                        : 2 desert spoons

Mustard                                              : ¼ teaspoon

Garam masala powder                     : 1/4 teaspoon

Curry leaves                                        : accordingly

       Separate cauliflower petals. Soak in salt water for half an hour and steam. Mix chilly powder, coriander powder, pepper powder and salt. Marinate steamed cauliflower with this mixture. Keep aside for twenty minutes. Heat oil in a pan. Roast mustard and curry leaves. Add tomato and onion. Add marinated cauliflower. Stir well and cook. Add garam masala powder. Serve hot.

 Vegetable Rice

Basmati rice                               : 3 cups

Green peas                                 : 200 gm.

Oil                                                :2 teaspoons.

Cardamom                                    : 4

Cloves                                            : 3

Cinnamon                                     : 4

 Onion                                            : 2

Garlic                                             : 1

Ginger                                            : 1 piece

Green chilly                                   : 2

Beans                                              : 50 gm.

Carrot                                              : 3

Tomato                                            : 1

Salt                                                   : accordingly

Ghee                                                 : 2 spoons

Nuts                                                  : 50 gm.

Kismis                                              : 50 gm.

Garam masala powder                  : ¼ teaspoon

  

Cook basmati rice in 4 cups of boiling water. Cook green peas. Heat oil in a pan. Fry cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Keep it aside. Add sliced onion to the remaining oil and fry, add garlic, ginger and green chilly. Add sliced beans and carrot. When it becomes half cooked, add sliced tomato and salt. Close with a lid and cook. Mix cooked rice and green peas to it.Sprinkle garam masala powder. Heat ghee and roast nuts and Kismis. Add it to the rice-vegetable mixture. Serve hot.

Fish Fry

Marinate fish with pepper powder,turmeric powder,garlic-ginger paste, chilly powder,salt and lemon juice. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour and fry.

Buttermilk Salad

Add one sliced onion,two green chillies,salt and curry leaves to one cup  buttermilk.

40.RECIPES WITH TAPIOCA

Tapioca Cutlet

Ingredients:

1. Cooked and

   mashed tapioca                : 2 cups

2. Sliced onion                      : ½ cup

3. Sliced ginger                      : 1 spoon

4. Sliced green chilly              : 1 spoon

5. Lemon juice                        : 1/2 spoon

6. Salt                                        : 1 small spoon

7. Filling:

  Sliced onion                  : 1/4 cup

Tamarind                           : 1 small ball

Fried red chilly                   : 4

Salt                                        : little

8. Oil                                      : 1 spoon

9. Bread powder                  : ½ cup

10. Egg                                    : 1

Mix one to six Ingredients well. Make chutney with the seventh ingredients. Add oil and stir well.

Make balls with the tapioca mixture .Make a hole and fill the filling. Shape to cutlets. Beat up egg, dip cutlets in it, cover with bread powder and fry.

Garnish with cucumber, carrot and green chilly.

TAPIOCA ERISSERY

Ingredients

Sliced tapioca                        : 2 cups

Turmeric powder                  : ¼ teaspoon

Chilly powder                         : ½ teaspoon

Coriander powder                 : ½ teaspoon

Cumin seed                             : ¼ teaspoon

Garlic                                        : 2 pieces

Grated coconut                       : ½ cup

Oil                                               :2 desert spoons

Mustard                                     : 1 teaspoon

Onion                                          : 1 teaspoon

Red chilly                                     : 2 (cut each into 3 pieces)

Grated coconut                          : 2 desert spoon

Curry leaves                                 : accordingly

Salt                                                 : accordingly

Cook sliced tapioca with salt & water. Grind turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder,cumin seed, garlic & ½ cup grated coconut. Add this mixture to cooked tapioca and boil. Add some boiled water to make enough gravy. Heat oil. Add mustard. Add red chilly, onion, grated coconut, curry leaves. Roast till it becomes golden brown. Add this to tapioca mixture. Serve hot.

39.PALAPPAM & FISH MOLLY

PALAPPAM

Ingredients.

Rice flour                       1/4kg

Yeast                               1/2teaspoon

Light hot water              3/4cup

Sugar                                1teaspoon

Flour grain                       1/2cup

Water                                1 1/2cup

Coconut milk                   1/2cup

Sugar                                 2 desert spoon

Salt                                     accordingly

Method

Mix yeast, light hot water and sugar and keep aside for half an hour. Mix water and flour grain. Boil it to make a thick liquid. Allow it to cool. Add yeast mixture to the rice flour. Add thickened flour grain liquid and knead well. Add sugar and coconut milk and make it a soft liquid. Keep for four or five hours. Heat a pan. Pour the liquid with a ladle to make soft palappams one by one.

FISH MOLLY

Ingredients

Fish                              1/2 kg

Onion                           2

Ginger and garlic         1 table spoon each

Green chilly                    3  

Small onion                    4

Cardamom                      4

Cloves                             4

Cinnamon                        1 stick

Tomato                             2

Coconut milk                    2 ½ cup

  Salt, oil, and curry leaves accordingly

Pepper powder                 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder              ½ teaspoon

Lemon juice                      ½ teaspoon

Method

Marinate  fish pieces with pepper powder, turmeric powder, salt and lemon juice. Keep it for half an hour and fry for just two minutes. Heat oil in a pan. Put onions, garlic-ginger paste, green chilies, curry leaves. Add cardamom, cinnamon and cloves (crushed). Stir well to become golden colour.Add coconut milk (third).Add the fried fish pieces and salt. Allow it to boil. When the gravy becomes little thick add the second coconut milk and tomatoes. Once the tomatoes are cooked add the first coconut milk and just heat. Serve hot with palappam.

38.RECIPES WITH RAVA

Rava Laddu

Ingredients:

1.     Rava                           -1 ½ cup

2.     Ghee Vanaspati        - ½ cup

3.     Sugar                          - 1 cup

4.     Cashew nut               - 3 spoons

5.     Kismis                         - 3 spoons

6.     Cardamom powder – ¼ spoon

Method

Fry rava in 2 spoons of ghee till it becomes golden brown colour. Remove from heat, add sugar and grind. Heat the remaining ghee, fry nuts and kismis and add it to the rava-sugar mixture. Mix well adding cardamom powder. Make round balls and decorate with cherry pieces.

 Rava – Apple Sweet.

Ingredients:

1. Rava                               - 500 gm

2. Ghee /Vanaspati           -2 big spoons.

3. Ground & sieved apple - ½ cup

  Hot water                           -2 cups

4.  Sugar                                 100 gm

Milk /coconut milk             - 1 cup

5. Cardamom powder            - 1 pinch

Method.

Heat ghee in a pan and fry rava. Add sieved apple and hot water .Stir well. When it becomes dry add milk and sugar. Stir well again. Keep in a low flame, add cardamom powder, stir well and roast. Remove from heat. Apply ghee in a tray and spread the mixture and level. Allow natural cooling, cut into pieces, garnish and serve.

Rava Vada

Rava                1 cup

Onion              1/2 cup

Green chilli      2

Ginger              1 teaspoon

Salt                    Accordingly

Water                 Accordingly

Oil                     1 cup

        Slice onion,chilly and ginger into small pieces.Mix them with rava,water,and salt.Knead to make small balls.Just spread  in the shape of vada and fry.

37.PETALS' WHISPER

Towards the burned earth just fallen the drops,        

The rain, the branches shaken in whirls,

A fire tongue, lightening, swallowed the nature,

Over all dales and hills, the sweetened shower,

Hailstones fell like icy plums,

While thunders vibrated grey sky walls,

Opening windows to listen raindrops,

With mesmerizing, patting, breeze embrace,

Stood up the petals beside the garden plants,

The heart hugged the heart in rosy gowns,

The smile loved the smile in pillared quills,

The eyes conquered the eyes of daffodils.

‘‘Be Gracious! Oh! Butterfly! Where had you been?

Over all moments, all those years, nowhere seen,

While winter and autumn, summer and spring,

Made their way in season’s swing….

Over all dawns while all waves curled,

Over all dusks while all stars glowed,

While termites spoiled, worms made it dry,

Wind withered it away, birds stole the honey…

Fostered to be charm, rejoiced although,

Pleasing to the blinks drifting through,

Nourished to be an offering ever gratified,

Good Heavens! Glimmers still the garland…

From petal to petal, nectar to nectar,

Riches to riches, pomp to pomp,

Mind a vagrant, in vain, in vain,

Till the flesh dissolves in soil again…’’

In drizzles, the heart hugs the heart still,

The eyes conquer the eyes to love the smile,

In brocaded petals the morning showers,

Leave hidden plops of water drops….

36.THE TRAVELLER’S LAMP

Through thorns and stones, the passer-by;

Feet stung, face crumpled, in soil dry,

Pours burning heat, the sun, melting;

All winds of ember embracing.

Fascinate shadow trees aside,

Tempt fruits with wines red,

Entices coolness of oasis beside,

To plunge in pleasures far and wide.

Never a flower pulled the hands,

Never a wine sipped the lips,

Never a plum tasted the tongues,

Never a tear shed the eyes.

Neither any status- the hands empty-

Nor any splendour, nor luxury,

Nor embellishment, nor pomp,

In its journey from the womb.

The head naked, neither any crown,

Nor dwelled in golden throne,

Nor any ruby, nor emerald,

Never had it any coral bead.

While time passed uncertain end

As the deaf, as the blind,

Those who wore precious pearl,

Mocked: “a destitute”, “a fool”.

In the bundle only cost-less things,

Tear drops, scars of wounds,

Torn, scattered, rags of dreams,

Also the refugee’s silly coins.

Still a treasure, in mind's screen,

The traveller’s lamp in journey alone,

Few ever heard, few never saw,

Few ever felt, few never knew.

Neither impure, nor shattered,

Nor hidden, never falsehood,

Can’t be replaced with any jewel,

“The love forever, unconditional”.

35.MAGIC LANTERNS

Hides setting sun in charming sea;

Tumbles saffron box in lurid sky;

Flowing strands of clouds sweetly hug

Afar mountain slope’s misty fog;

Touching shores, slowly recede waves;

Yonder, a sea-gull in alluring dreams;

Gentle shade, a serene cedar spreads;

In horizon, a gallant golden vessel rises…

Twinkle all tire-less planet gods;

Stars as necklace of coloured beads;

While in still-ness the pea-hens wait,

The fragrance of their soul-mate…

Who waves then all the magic wands

To ripen mangoes in dream-lands ?

Who blazes there all magic lanterns

Of love, over feathery green ferns ?

34.FIRE

The fire in veins, ignited;

That can’t be extinguished;

Never becomes an ash heap;

That blazes again with hope...

The most gentle, the delicate;

The strength of the weak, the light;

Mightier than rocks; the petal,

Live, soft, the glowing crystal !

Sleeps as seeds, germinates as plants;

Blossoms as lavender, keeps and spreads

Its nectar in buds as flames;

Where it melts to kindle, as dews..

In hearts, like hurricane lamps;

Leads in incessant rains and storms...

It snows in marrows, blooms in bones;

Makes the dead alive, away from burdens;

Arises the mind – inconstant,

Unsteady, fickle and transient-

Towards immovable permanence,

With amiable loving glance…..

33. VOID AND VACUUM

            

My little nest, empty and void,

Never bear any bud, the flora aside,

Silent, gloomy, the clock stands still

The canopy, why forgets to smile?

None remains to care as she did.

Echoes, ‘how are you my dear child?

Be careful, don’t do it, say sorry’

And the soothing words ‘don’t worry’.

No one to look through the window frames

To check whether any coconut falls,

Whether gate grills rust or not, then to talk

To passers-by, the village women-folk.

The great hands vanished which softly cut

And pealed ripe mangoes, sweet jack-fruit,

Sliced pineapples and plucked, more

Yellow guavas for me, forever.

The courtyard, vacuum, no footstep,

The plantains search for some new hope,

Seeks the gardener, the pomegranate

With fruits in orchard, its inmate!

From the depth of well, the water, why

Listens for a weak pulley  cry?

The ash covered dormant fire-place

Why waits for a fragment spark?

In the boundary walls, slowly,

Mosses or weeds may seen roughly,

Fallen yellow leaves may cover

The sand grains in yard as shower…

The eyes straightened all vague visions,

The ears heard all aching missions,

The immortal soul to console and soften

Disappear in eternity behind the curtain.

The noble platform never again opens

No splendid saga anymore there plays

Nothing can re-fill the emptiness ever

Except the breath of my precious mother.