Pachakkaya Thoran (Raw Plantain)

Ingredients

Pachakaya - 1 (Raw Plantain )
Shallots - 6
Green chili - 3-4
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Water - 3/4 cup
Oil
Curry leaves
Salt

First cook plantain in water for 10 minutes. Make sure to close the lid and cook. Meanwhile mash shallots and green chilies. Keep it aside. In another pan, add little oil. Once oil is hot,  add mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Then add mashed green chilies and shallots. Saute it for two minutes. Now add cooked plantain to this and mix really well. Finally add curry leaves to this. Cook for a minute and serve hot.

Kakka Peera (Clams Stir Fry with Coconut)

Ingredients

Kakka - 500 grams (Clams)
Shallots - 12
Ginger - 1 medium
Garlic - 7 cloves
Green chilly - 6
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Pepper powder  - 1/2 teaspoon
Grated coconut - 1 1/2 cup
Salt
Oil
Curry leaves

Clean Clams three to four times just to make sure there are no pieces of shells in it. Then pressure cook clams for 4-5 whistles. Meanwhile, using an Ammi stone or grinder, grind shallots, ginger and garlic.  Keep it aside. 

Now grind coconut, green chilies, cumin seeds and turmeric powder. Make it thick paste. Since we don't need a fine paste. It has to be thick enough. Now heat a pan. Add little oil in it. Once oil is hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, mashed shallots, ginger and garlic. Saute it for two minutes until shallots turns to light brown color. Add pepper powder. Saute it for sometime. Slowly start adding cooked clams in it and mix really well. Cook this for another 3 - 4 minutes. 

Kakka peera is tasty with very little water and that's why it's called Peera in Malayalam. Those who prefer gravy can add little water. Pepper powder is optional. In case you need this to be extra spicy, add 2 - 3 green chilies. Its an awesome yummy dish. I would suggest you to try it out whenever clams are available since its seasonal.

Prawns Fry

Ingredients

Prawns - 500 grams
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Red chili powder - 2 teaspoon
Shallots - 8
Ginger - 1 medium
Garlic - 7
Curry leaves
Tomato ketchup - 1 teaspoon
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt
Oil

First marinate prawns with little salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder in a bowl. Keep it for 10 - 15 minutes. Meanwhile, add, shallots, ginger and garlic in a mixer. And just grind it. We need thick mixture and not a fine one. Use Ammi Stone if you have it at home. Its a traditional method to use small ammi stone to mash shallots, ginger and garlic which will give us the real flavor instead of using ginger garlic paste.

Now take a pan with water and heat it. Add prawns to it and cook this for 5 minutes by covering the lid. Add mashed shallots, ginger, garlic and curry leaves to this. Mix really well. Cook it for two minutes. Finally add little oil and after couple of minutes add tomato ketchup. Prawns fry is my all time favorite especially this recipe since we are using ginger, garlic and shallots. It is so yummy and gives a different flavor all together. Please try it out.

Upma (Rava)

Ingredients

Rava - 1 cup
Green chilly -3
Onion - 1
Ginger - 1 small
Mustard seeds - 1/ 2 teaspoon
Salt
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Ghee - 1/2 teaspoon

In a pan, start by adding oil. Once oil is hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chilies and chopped ginger. Now add finely sliced onion and saute it until it turns golden brown in color.

Add one n half cup water with little salt in it. Let it boil for one or two minutes. Slowly add one cup Rava to this and close the lid. Let it cook for three to four minutes. In between  keep stirring it so that entire Rava is cooked properly. Finally add ghee on top of it and serve. Its is also known as Upma, an easy and a traditional south Indian dish for breakfast.