Yellow split pea curry -- parippukoottaan

One of my favorite dishes is parippu curry, a lentil soup, actually. Each state in India has its own versions of daal. Each home has its own favorite version. Some add cumin, others mustard, yet others cilantro, or all of those.
This, here, is my favorite.




parippu

 Ingredients:

yellow split pea/ toor daal -- 1 cup
onion, sliced - 1 cup
garlic, crushed -- 4 cloves
4 green chillies, split
turmeric powder -- 1/2 tsp
crushed red pepper -- 4 tsp
tomatoes, diced -- 1/2 cup (optional)
curry leaves
Oil - 3- 4 tbsp
Salt

Cook the lentils with a pinch of turmeric powder.
Heat oil. Saute onion, garlic, green chillies, curry leaves, till onions are soft and the garlic gives out its aroma.
Add the turmeric, crushed red pepper. Fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes. Saute for a couple of minutes, till they wilt. Add the cooked parippu with enough water to get to your preferred consistency.  Stir well. Bring to a boil. Add salt to taste.

Note: If you like, you may add a couple of pearl onions, a crushed clove of garlic, and a couple of green chillies to the lentils, when you cook it. I soak the parippu overnight in water,(kind of an overkill) and use a pressure cooker to cook it.Instaed of oil, you could use ghee, which is heavenly, but not as healthy. :)

red chori(dried red beans) or payaru -- top left/ parippu or yellow split pea--bottom right

The same recipe can be used to make other lentil curries/soups, like payarucurry, which is a variety of tiny dried red beans, called red chori in Hindi. And this one takes a lot of soaking.

payarucurry



Very good with rice, and Kerala fried fish, and mango pickle.

parippu curry, kerala fried tilapia, dried shrimp fry



Buttermilk curry or Morozhichukoottaan or morucurry





Now to the buttermilk curry! As usual, the recipe has many variations, depending on the occasion, and taste preference. For instance, if it is for medicinal purpose, as in for indigestion, the buttermilk curry will not have onion or coconut. And also, it will be totally fatfree.

moru = buttermilk. koottaan = to add/side dish/accompaniment/add-on. so, meenkoottaan is fish curry.

ozhichu= to pour. thus, morozhichukoottaan is a dish made of buttermilk, that is poured on rice, which is our main food.

Ingredients:

Buttermilk - 1/2 gallon
Oil - 2 tbsp
Onion, chopped -- 1/2 cup
Ginger, crushed -- 1 tbsp
Garlic, crushed -- 1 tbsp
5 green chillies, slit
turmeric powder - 1 tsp
red chilli powder -- 1/2 tsp
fenugreek/ methi powder - 1/4 tsp
cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
black pepper powder - 1 tsp
Coconut, grated, fresh or dried coconut powder -- 1/2 cup
mustard seeds, black - 1 tsp
dried red chillies - 3
curry leaves -- 1 sprig
Salt, as needed

Heat oil. Add mustard seeds. Let'em pop. Reduce heat, we do not want it burned. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies. Saute for a minute or two, till soft and you get the aromas. Add the dried red chillies, each broken in three pieces ,and the curry leaves.
Now add the spice powders. stir and fry for a minute. Add the coconut.
stir and fry for amother minute or two.
Pour in the buttermilk. Keep stirring. Low to medium heat. Add enough salt. Do not let it come to boil. Should be just warmed enough.

Note: You may make this as thick or thin as you like. Add boiled and cooled water.

If you are in a really nutritious mood, you may add some veggies -- say, zucchini, cucumber etc. cubed and cooked. Or you can add them right before pouring in the buttermilk, cook, and then finish off.

I ran out of curry leaves, so you don't see any curry leaves. :(

rice withbuttermilk curry, nazrani beef fry, baby mango pickle (hot)

Serve with rice, pickles and Nazrani style mutton or beef fry, or Malayali "thorans" and "mezhukkupurattis" -- vegetable stirfry, or spicy lentils.

Nazrani mutton fry - aattirachi varattiyathu

This is a favorite nazrani dish. Obviously, we make it spicy and hot, so if you prefer it less spicy, you may have to reduce the amount of spices. Lamb can be used instead of mutton which is  goat meat.
"varattal" is a common method of stovetop cooking in Kerala. It is a mix of braising and stir-frying. There is also thaalikkal where the spices are sauteed first and then the meat is added., and cooked. You may use tomatoes instead of vinegar.

aattirachi varattiyathu after the final seasoning

Ingredients:

bone-in or boneless mutton cubed -- 2 lb.
1/2 cup onion, sliced thin
 2 tbsp ginger, crushed
5-6 green chillies, split lengthwise
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
4 tsp coriander powder
2 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
3/4 tsp cumin powder
1 1/2 tsp Kerala meat masala powder or garam masala powder
1 or 2 sprigs of curry leaves
1 tbsp vinegar
2 -3 tbsp cooking oil
Salt

 final seasoning or "kaachal" - noun, "kaachuka"- verb:

3 tbsp oil

1/2 to 1 cup onion, sliced thin

3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed

scant 1 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp kerala meat masala

a pinch of cumin
curry leaves

Method:

Clean the meat thoroughly.Drain. In the pot you would be cooking in, mix all the ingredients in the first set, except the meat and vinegar, with enough oil (traditionally, coconut oil, but now, any vegetable/olive oil) to make a moist mass. Now add the meat and mix well. You may marinate this for half an hour, if you like. But not really necessary.
Cook with enough water to cover the meat. Give it a stir. Cover. Start with high heat till it boils. Pour in the vinegar.Then reduce heat. Stir again. Cover and cook till meat is done. If the meat is real tender, it will be done sooner than if it is tough. Usually it will take an hour or more. Check and stir occasionally. Test with fork, if the meat comes off easily from the bones, it is done. (Pressure cookers save time, by the way.) All the liquid should be gone at the end. (If meat is still not done, and water is gone, add more boiling water. If there is too much liquid, and the meat is almost done, leave the pot open, turn the heat high and let the liquid dry out. Meanwhile do not forget to taste and see if the seasonings including the salt is balanced and to your taste.

Once the meat is done, we go to the next step of "kaachal" -- it is okay to eat it now, but the next step makes it even more delicious.

Heat oil in a wok or skillet. Add the onion, garlic and curry leaves. Saute till almost brown -- do not burn --
Now add the prepared meat. Stir well. Reduce heat. Keep stirring.
Be careful about the center -- things could get sticky and burn.
Trick is to stir well and all around and under.
The longer you do this "varattal", the tastier the dish.

Serve with rice or roti. A simple, good accompaniment is morozhichukoottaan or buttermilk curry. Or if one feels real lazy, yogurt-onion sallaas.

buttermilk curry

tournedos of beef

This dish seems to be a favorite of a Betty Neels hero -- appears in many of her novels.

Tournedos

Ingredients

Croutons:
4 slices, country-style bread
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place bread on a work surface and using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut a round crouton from the center of each piece of bread. Brush both sides of the croutons with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place the croutons on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Tournedos and Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 beef fillet steaks, about 6 ounces
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
2 shallots, finely diced
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over high heat. Season the fillets with salt and press the coarsely cracked black pepper onto 1 side of each fillet. Place the fillets pepper-side down into the skillet and sear until golden brown, turn the fillets over and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare doneness. Remove the steaks to a plate. Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the fat in the pan and return to high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown and their liquid has evaporated. Add the shallots and cook until soft. Add the red wine and reduce by half. Add the broth and cook until reduced by half. Whisk in the mustard and butter and cook for 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place each fillet on top of a crouton and spoon some of the sauce over.

Source: http://foodnetwork.com/

Scalloped potatoes

Servings: 6


4 cups thinly sliced potatoes

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 dash cayenne pepper

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated cheese, to sprinkle on top

paprika

Method

1 In a small sauce pan, melt butter and blend in flour.


2 Let sit for a minute.

3 Add all of cold milk, stirring with a whisk.

4 Season with salt and cayenne.

5 Cook sauce on low until smooth and boiling, stirring occasionally with a whisk.

6 Reduce heat and stir in cheese.

7 Place a half of the sliced potatoes in a lightly greased one quart casserole dish.

8 Pour half of cheese sauce over potatoes.

9 Repeat with second layer of potatoes and cheese sauce.

10 Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

11 Top with some paprika for color.

12 Bake uncovered for about 1 hour at 350F.

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/scalloped-potatoes-85629


grilled asparagus

french bread

scoring nil

french bread2 -scoring not right yikes!

still workin' on the pockets. :(

better now.

:)

Victoria Sandwich Cake

Also called Victoria sponge cake, this is a cake that a Betty Neels heroine or her mom will have handy for afternoon tea at home. Back home, I had made this for my brother's birthday, a long time ago. Of course, I do not think it crossed my mind then, that  it was a Neels staple. A basic, easy cake that can be dressed up or down ( try different fillings, icings, decorations) and which tastes wonderful.

Ingredients

8 tbsps unsalted butter ( 1 stick)
1 cup self-rising flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup castor sugar (powdered, not confectioner's)
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
whipped cream - 4 tbsp
raspberry jam -- 3-4 tbsp

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Sift flour+baking powder + salt in bowl.
Combine butter + sugar in mixer.
Add eggs and vanilla. Mix. Low speed.
Add flour mixture. Combine. Do not overbeat.
Transfer batter into two 7"x 1½" round, greasedcake pans lined with parchment paper.
Spread it evenly with a spatula.
Bake 20-25 minutes until tops are golden.
Let set for 2 minutes in the pans. Then, cakes onto racks. Cool.
Place one cooled layer on a serving plate and spread whipped cream within half inch of edges.
Spread jam on the other layer. Invert and place it on top of the first layer.
Sprinkle top with sugar.

Note: The size of the cake pan--shouldn't be too deep.

Lamb chops with watercress-grapefruit salad, potatoes Dauphinoise

I couldn't get noisettes of lamb that Betty neels mentions in her books, hence, lamb chops. :)




Lamb chops

Serves 3


Ingredients:

8 lamb rib  chops (or ask the butcher for  double cut lamb rib chop to get thicker chops)
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
4  sprigs fresh thyme, crushed
1-2tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
1/2 - 1 tsp ginger, grated
1 tsp garlic paste/crushed
salt

 Mix all the ingredients together in 2 tbsp olive oil  and marinate the lamb chops for an hour (or more).
Heat the rest of the olive oil plus  butter in a skillet. Add the chops. Brown on both sides.
Cover and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes on each side.
Remove cover and brown for a minute or less.
You may make a gravy from the drippings. Saute some onion in the drippings. Deglaze the pan by adding some red wine vinegar plus chicken/lamb stock and scraping the skillet. For thicker gravy, add a tablespoon of flour and cook thoroughly.
Serve lamb chops  with the salad below and potatoes Dauphinoise ( au gratin). Add a few  fried tomato slices, if you like.

Watercress and Pink Grapefruit Salad:

1 bunch fresh watercress trimmed
1/2 pink grapefruit, peeled and segmented
1 small bunch freshly chopped mint

Vinaigrette dressing:
1 tbsp olive oil
1tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2-1 tsp sugar

Method:

Make the dressing. Toss the trimmed and washed watercress and mint together with the dressing.Add  pink grapefruit pieces.

Potatoes Dauphinoise


Ingredients

5 Yukon gold potatoes

3 cloves of garlic

2-3 sprigs of thyme

3 0z Gruyere cheese, grated

1/2 pint whipping cream

1 tbsp unsalted butter


Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 3 - 4

Method

1.Preheat oven to 300°F.

2.Finely chop the garlic and thinly slice the potatoes (the skin can be left on or peeled off).

3.Put the cream, milk, garlic, rosemary and thyme in a saucepan. Season with salt & pepper, bring to the boil and then remove from the heat.

4.Rub the inside of a oven-proof dish with butter and place a layer of potato in the bottom of the dish. Lightly season the layer with salt & pepper, add cheese all over the potatoes,  and continue to layer and season until the dish is full. Then pour the milk mixture over the potatoes.

5.Put the dish into the oven for 40 minutes.

6.Check the potato is cooked by sticking a knife into the middle, the potato should be soft and offer no resistance.

7.Cut out portions and serve.

Source: http://www.reallynicerecipes.com/recipe/potato/dauphinoise which I modified.
I found the recipe for the salad here, but I have modified them :  http://www.heritagemeats.co.uk/heritagemeats/node/18

of Bourdain, Kerala and politically charged chips (of the shoulder kind)

started off as a response to some comments on Kerala by a few facebookers, after Anthony Bourdain's visit to that state. this blog could be said to be  indirectly set off by all that.  Bourdain's sweeping statement about Indian food being not aesthetically pleasing, even though delicious, put my back up. Any food can be presented in a "cultured' way. I have tried to do it in my humble way, like my mom ( and many other moms do)  does it everyday without going overboard -- I am no professional. This ancient culture of mine has seen and done it all, and so called modern cultures are re-discovering it everyday --say,  in their adoption of vegetarianism, which has been a way of life for us for centuries.( well, my ancient culture is backward in one factor -- its treatment of its girls, but that's another story , or maybe not, come to think of it)

 ..

all right. It was interesting to find out what the thoroughly rebellious, but democratized Mr Bourdain would do to Kerala. Along with many other proud Mallus, I waited for the show to air.

After all, Kerala is the state with the highest rate of literacyin India. Because of the Marxist revolution, its people are relatively freer than their counterparts in some other states. No bonded labor here, a strong labor union etc. etc. There aren't many communal riots here, and our health care is on par with a wealthy European country. We have enjoyed trade relations with the known world from ancient times. This is  the fabled Malabar -the  spice land. This is the land about which Roman historian Pliny wrote, when Roman Senators complained about the flow of gold to India in return for  black pepper. You do not have to go far to look for the politics of food, if you look for the history of the need for black pepper and other spices. This is where the legendary port of Muziris was, from where gifts were sent to King Solomon! Where St Thomas the Apostle landed. We have defeated the Dutch in battle. Our Kings were more forward thinking and less flamboyant.  And it is not all Portuguese influence, as one person on Bourdain's show seemed to imply! Jews were there before Christ. I belong to that group - Nazrani. descendants of the ancient Jewish population in Kerala. Phoenicians, Arabs and Persians came there too. So did the Chinese. Kerala was from where they got their martial arts. Compared to all that the  Portuguese was a recent intrusion. And there was Christianity in Kerala before their arrival. They forcibly made us Roman Catholic, that is all. The Portuguese may have brought tomato to Kerala. But we already had various types of tamarinds, garcinia, and mangoes, so the cuisine did not suffer that much, I should say. Also, the Portuguese did not go empty-handed either. They took away more than they gave. Like all the rest of the  East India Company traders.
Kerala - Roman - Middle East connection http://www.keralatourism.org/muziris/

To see Kerala through Mr B's eyes, and stomach ( :) ) , was pleasantly engaging. of course, what he showed was just a little bit of street level Kerala. Very much a part of it, but just one part. But then we all know that is what Mr Bourdain does.And  I was happy, on the whole, as just seeing a bit of that greenery makes my day. He missed out on both Nazrani and Malabari/Muslim cuisines, along with all other traditional and also regional basics. So what if Mr B did not taste even the standard, run of the mill 'fish curry meal" , or notice the fact that we keralites eat a variety of rice that is different from most other states'? As it is, it is a special, nutritious and delicious rice which is not bleached but double-boiled with hints of  brown on it. Rich in thiamine. Or the "kanji" from that rice, with the Nazrani staple "beef and  raw banana varattiyathu". Mr B did not savor the aroma or the taste of pearl onions sauteed in ghee, poured over the above mentioned rice. !! Or the numerous jackfruit dishes, with or without coconut. Nor did he see or taste our "upperis" or "thorans" and "mezhukkupurattis" -- our versions of salads, where we make use of all kinds of veggies and greens, from the crunchy, white inside of the plantain trunk, to the tender, green shoots of the bean plant -- another standard, basic food of Keralites. And all the "appams"!! Come to think of it, I wonder at whoever acted as guides for this show?!!! oh well!

Then I happened to read the comments, and  I started to remember certain "facts" Mr Bourdain made in passing. For instance, the assumption that all elections in Kerala are rigged,. 1957 's was not a rigged election. Mr B! In fact, it was some of the enlightened "upper" caste leaders who lead that revolution.


Along with that it dawned on me that some people only see what is shown here. They will never see the rest of Kerala or India, or wouldn't want to, if they had the chance. So this is the only lesson they get! And that set me thinking again. Again conveniently reinforcing their exalted ideas about themselves and the opposite about others.
 
Someone said India should be a parking lot for Asia and other derogatory stuff, I have to remind them that not all nations get to throw up their superfluous onto other nations, and not all superfluous get to kill off the natives and grab all their land, and start a new nation from scratch. Nor do they get to start up wars anywhere they like so that they can fill up their dwindling coffers, at the same  time make their citizens' jingoist hearts swell with pride and patriotism.

And the caste system -- as if they are new to that! the slavery and the aftermath has been swept under the rug? of course, most people are drugged senseless here, by TV and shopping.
India is an ancient country, and it has an ancient culture, (not to speak of a different climate!) its landmass has been reduced by hook or by crook, and its people are just waking up from centuries of colonial abuse.



As for the concern about  cleanliness, of course we are too, actually I haven't seen or tasted much of what Mr Bourdain ate!! (And we do have breaded beef and starch dishes,  if that is the epitome of "civilization" and prettiness!!.) There is a huge majority who eat only clean, healthy (and also unhealthy, fatty , since that is a criterion for an advanced civilization!!!)  homemade food.


Anyway  I guess it is much better than eating almost-touched -by fire raw meat, and fish. Or drinking milk from cows that aren't cows anymore. I mean a herbivorous animal fed on meat! or the sausages, and the chickens and the eggs and so on and so on.
Or the mush that they serve here in the name of "curry" or the "curry powder" that they sell as spice!!!
and they add that thing to everything, and call it Indian!!

I know it is a natural tendency of many of  the so called First World to assume that they are the superior ones in everything, and  smugly watch the misery of others, pretending all is cool with them and their lot. I would be ideal if people knew that every culture is different, and that India has a huge population, in which each state, each district, each community, and each family is different. There is no standardized, assembly line home style food making here, for good or bad. For a westerner, it is an almost incomprehensible unique individualistic but collective identity that is India. Also, talking about differences in culture, and a foreigner's perception and expectations when they visit India, in this case, Kerala, let me give an example, esp. since Bourdain is taking us not to high end restaurants but to the low end eateries. Well, there lies the rub. For instance take the beach culture that you can experience almost anywhere in the world. But come to Kerala with its beautiful beaches -- there is no such culture here. Not many outdoor eateries where the whole family or women can go. Yes, the class structure even thoug hit is slowly dissolving is still very much there. Does that mean people do not eat good food? They do, but mostly at home. If Bourdain wanted to see low-end eateries serving tasty Kerala food, he should have gone to college or university students, youngsters at workplaces. But even then, he may not srike luck, because again, these will be mostly the male sex, thereby missing a whole chunk of ideas from the majority of the population.( The reason for a  lack of a beach and outdoor and a commercialized foodie culture in Kerala can be traced to the traditional ways of controlling women. Sadly. That needless to say has many other consequences, least of all being that the people there seem to be idiots, again, sadly. Add to that the idea that has been ingrained in the patriarchal minds about cooking as a whole -- it is a woman's job. And a woman's place is in the kitchen of her own home. And the work she does there is not appreciated or valued or considered important. So there is no real incentive to take that cooking out to the public. Granted, there is an instance of untapped potential resourcewise and marketwise, with regards to local food taken to the public stage. As it is, it is mostly a man's world. Things are changing, of course, but slowly. But I still have hopes for my state -- not to blindly ape western habits, for example, please stick to drinking water! not Coke and Pepsi, and keep using those spices, and not cheese and salt and sugar -- but treat the women as human beings.)


 But I don't think Mr Bourdain meant that to happen. I hope not! Because I always admired his lack of condescension and ability to get along with everyone.  Accepting them for what they are, even respecting them, without that sense of superiority that plagues others. Which makes one distrustful... .He never seemed to  be one of those show persons who show only the Magnificent Miles of their own country, and went a-scavenging in others.(anyway, it is taken for granted that the white world is rich and happy, they needn't be afraid that people will misunderstand!) Showing just this bit of Kerala cuisine makes it rather representative of the whole state's cuisine, which is far from reality. Almost like me assuming that eating opossums and innards is representative of white American cuisine, thinking those are the the only things that the whites eat. Or that everything is porridgy or "custardly" and are in a rather dastardly manner pushed through various implements to form curls or swirls and slivers. Bourdain's disdain for simple food is unhealthy -- the less processed and breaded, the more nutritious. Anyway, reduction should stay as a culinary technique, not as a method to reduce the cuisine of a whole civilization. Like they did with the branding, 'curry".For the colonial powers it was a systematic reduction of everything that was Indian, of course, their history, philosophy, religion etc -- part of their exploitation agenda, and placing imperialist machinery of law, politics, and education in their place. for instance, see Macaulay's educational ''reforms' tailored for Indians, which we sadly follow even now.

But getting back to the Bourdain matter,  the boorish comments from the viewers color the whole thing for me -- negatively. makes me wonder if here is just another white guy pretending.....another phony.... or just human? after all, not everyone can be a Henning Mankell. could it be another instance of "all are equal, some are more..."? I want to be proved wrong.


Still, all this, including my reaction, ( because I know that I can't blame Mr B for the comments from a few of his fans, but that is what triggered these thoughts)  leaves a bad taste in the mouth, and I will stay clear off Bourdain's show  at least for a while.
Aah! that feels better -- end of rant.

And something else -- Mallu TV channels broadcast the "fact" that Mr B came all the way from America   in order to discover the favorite foods of Mammootty, Kerala's beloved actor. :D

Mammootty

PS: I just read this again. and my goodness! I wince! what an embarrassing rant! but there it is. :) I have to agree that things can be better.
I realize I have to work on this piece some more. later, when I have the time and patience. for instance why do I have pictures of our food here? Do I need to prove that our food is better and tastier than any other? but it is inevitable that the second rate world citizen gets angry, because in his mind, he is not second rate, but he knows that in their eyes he is, or they prefer to think he is so.
someone once told me that the proletarian and the feminist have one thing in common -- they whine.
I should also add, they become defensive too. and not just them -- well -- I guess it is a part of the  subaltern effect.




(UPDATE: $20 billion - Temple's secret vaults yield treasure - World news - South and Central Asia - msnbc.com
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43629294/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

wonder how the Brits overlooked this bit of treasure. one reason could be the lack of flamboyance on the part of Kerala kings. the British, and the others, did take a lot (an understatement, if I didn't make it clear) - one gets an inkling of the enormity of their loot from the kingdoms of India. .)