Koondal peera - Squid fried with ginger and grated coconut

Squid is a unique kind of seafood. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles. In English speaking countries, squid as food is often sold using its Italian name calamari. Its rubbery texture and opaque color has led a lot of people to misunderstand it to be tasteless. But those who know about squids, will know that, if cooked in the right way, can be one of the tastiest. It can be cooked in various ways - barbecue, curry, fry etc. The arms and tentacles are edible, the parts that are not eaten are the ink, beak and gladius (pen). Cleaning squid is fairly simple, you just need to know the right technique as with crab, prawn etc. 
At home, I prepare squid in various ways, when I feel lazy, I shallow fry it, which is the simplest way. Sometimes when I feel less lazy its squid masala or I fry it with coconut and ginger, which is the recipe I am about to share here. It has a very gingery flavor with a coconut masala. This tastes great with rice. 


Squid - 1/2 kg, cleaned and cut into rings or strips
Kudampuli - 2 pieces
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Shallots - 8-10, peeled and crushed
Grated coconut, crushed lightly - 1 cup
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1/4 tsp (to be crushed with the coconut)
Ginger, grated - 1/4 cup
Garlic - 2 cloves, crushed
Green chillis - 4-5, (or as per your spice tolerance) crushed
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - A few


1. Cook the squid with the kudampuli, turmeric, salt and 1/4 cup water for about 10 minutes or till the squid turns whitish from opaque, on medium heat. By this time the squid would have released its juices too. 


2. Add the shallots, and cook till the water has almost completely evaporated. Add the coconut-jeera mixture, ginger, garlic and green chillis. Sauté for about 5 minutes.


3. Add the curry leaves and coconut oil, and sauté for another 5-10 minutes and the squid is ready to be served.


Its quite a simple preparation, having a distinctive flavor of the ginger. 

CONVERSIONS

Tablespoon/Teaspoon - Milliliters:

1 tbsp = 15 ml

1/2 tbsp = 7.5 ml

1 tsp = 5 ml

1/2 tsp = 2.5 ml

Cup - Milliliters:

1 cup = 250 ml

1/2 cup = 125 ml

1/3 cup = 80 ml

1/4 cup = 60 ml

Ounce (Oz) - Pound:

1 = 1/16

2 = 1/8

4 = 1/4

5 = 1/3

8 = 1/2

11 = 2/3

12 = 3/4

16 = 1   

32 = 2

Other conversions:

3 tsp = 1 tbsp

4 tbsp = ¼ cup

16 tbsp = 1 cup

2 cups = 1 pint

2 pints = 1 quart

4 quarts = 1 gallon

8 oz = 1 cup

1 pint = 2 cups = 1/2 quart

1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints

1 pound = 16 oz = 453 grams

1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups = 1/4 gallon

1 gram = .0353 oz

1 pinch = less than 1/8 tsp

1 dash = less than 1/8 tsp

1 oz = 6 tsp = 29.6 ml = 28.3 gram

Water/Liquid measurement conversions:

1 lb = 2 cups

1 oz = 2 tbsp

1tbsp = .5 oz = 15 g

1tsp = .17 oz = 5 g

Measurement terms explained:

Heap pile:  As much ingredient as will stay on measuring device.

Lightly packed:  Lightly press ingredient, only enough to remove air pockets.

Firmly packed:  Tightly press as much of ingredient, as will fit into the measure.

Other measurement conversions:

Bread 1 slice = 1/4 cup (50 ml) dry = 1/2 cup (125 ml) soft crumbs

Butter 1 stick = 1/2 cup = 110 grams

Cheese 2 oz (50 g) grated = 1/2 cup (125 ml)

Cheese 1 lb (500 g) = 4 to 5 cups (1 L to 1.25 L) grated

Chocolate 1 square = 1/4 cup (50 ml) grated

Cocoa 4 cups (1 L) = 1 lb (500 g)

Cottage cheese 1 lb (500 g) = 2 cups (500 ml)

Eggs:

1 = 3 tbsp or 2 oz

1 yolk = 1 tbsp or 1 oz

1 white = 2 tbsp

1 cup = 8-10 eggs

Flour: 1 pound = 3 1/2 cups

Gelatin: 1 envelope (1 tbsp) will gel 2 cups = (500 ml) liquid

Herbs: 1 tbsp fresh = 1 teaspoon dried

Lemon:

   1 lemon = 2 tbsp (25 ml) rind and 3 tbsp (50 ml) juice

   1 tsp (5 ml) grated rind = 1/2 tsp (2 ml) lemon extract

Marshmallows: 8 oz (250 g) = 32 large = 3 1/4 cups (800 ml) mini

Onion: 1 medium 3” diameter = 1 1/4 cups chopped

Orange: 1 orange = 2 tbsp (25 ml) rind and 1/2 cup (125 ml) juice

Pasta: 1 lb dried or fresh pasta serves 4 as a main course

Raisins: 3 cups (750 ml) = 1 lb (500 g)

Rice: 1 cup + 2 cups water = 3 cups cooked rice

Sugar: 1 pound = 2 1/4 cups

Yeast: 1 envelope dry granular yeast = 1 tbsp (15 ml)

Baking pan dimensions and volume:

11x7x2 - 6 cups

13x9x2 - 14 cups

9x9x1.5 - 8 cups

9x9x2 - 10 cups

8x8x1.5 - 6 cups

8x8x2 - 8 cups

8x1.5 - 4 cups

8x2 - 6 cups

9x1.5 - 6 cups

9x2 - 8 cups

TIPS

Freezer Life:

Bacon and sausage:  1 to 2 months

Egg whites or egg substitutes:  12 months

Gravy, meat or poultry:  2 to 3 months

Ham, hotdogs and lunchmeats:  1 to 2 months

Meat, uncooked roasts:  4 to 12 months

Meat, uncooked steaks or chops: 4 to 12 months

Meat, uncooked ground:  3 to 4 months

Meat, cooked:  2 to 3 months

Poultry, uncooked whole:  12 months

Poultry, uncooked parts:  9 months

Poultry, uncooked giblets:  3 to 4 months

Poultry, cooked:  4 months

Soups and stews:  2 to 3 months

Wild game, uncooked:  8 to 12 months




General Tips:

·        

             At altitudes over 3500 feet:

Bake at 25° higher; 20% more water; 5% more flour; 20% less time.

Safety tips:

Grease fire: 

Do not use water.  Smother with a pan lid or use a fire extinguisher. Baking soda works, but it takes a lot and is usually too slow to get at. If clothing catches stop, drop and roll. Call 911 if necessary.

Deep fat fryers:

Never allow water or any other liquid but cooking oil come in contact with hot oil or else it may instantly turn into steam and splatter hot oil.

Boiling:

Always lift the lid of a boiling pot far side first.

Hot pot/pan:

Always leave a hot pad on a hot lid as a warning to others. Never leave handle hanging over edge, especially if children are around.

Cooking time and guidelines for meats/egg/corn:

Steak:

Place a finger against the base of your thumb. Compare firmness of steak to firmness of thumb base.  Touch your thumb to your:

Tip of index finger = Rare

Middle finger = Medium rare

Ring finger = Medium

Pinky = Well done

Beef/lamb roast:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Roast for 30 minutes at 425°F. Reduce to 325°F and cook as follows:

Rare 9 min per pound.

Medium 14 minutes per pound. 

Well-done 18 minutes per pound.

Remove from oven and rest for 20-30 min before slicing.  Meat thermometer should read 120°F+ for rare, 130°F+ for medium rare, 145°F+ for medium, 155-165°F for well done.

Pork roast:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Roast for 30 minutes at 425°F. Reduce to 325°F and continue for 23 minutes per pound. Juice is clear when done. Remove and rest 20-30 minutes before slicing. Meat thermometer should read at least 145°F.

Chicken roast:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Roast for 20 minutes at 400°F. Reduce to 350°F and continue for 45 minutes (small chicken) to 70 minutes (large chicken). Juice is clear when done. Remove and rest 20 minutes before slicing.  Meat thermometer should read at least 165°F.

Egg Boiling:

Hard boiled 13 minutes

Creamy yolk 7 minutes

Runny yolk 5 minutes

Corn:

Corn on cob: Drop in boiling water and boil 6 minutes.

Contact me:

Recipe Index

Breakfast
English breakfast
Vellayappam (Lace rimmed rice pancakes)
Pancakes with Maple syrup 
Sausage rolls


Meat, Poultry and Fish
Prawn Roast
Koondhal Peera (Squid fried with ginger and grated coconut)
Chicken Piralen
Malabar Chicken Biriyani
Chicken Sausage Rice
Chicken with crushed red chillis
Chicken in green gravy
Naadan kozhi varattiyathe / Country Style Chicken Fry
Malabar Chicken Curry
Vellarikka unakkachemmeen curry
Chemmeen manga muringakai curry / Prawn in raw mango and drumstick curry
Malabar Crab Curry
Fish Molee
Kallu shaap meen curry / Toddy shop fish curry
Grandma's fish curry
Quilon shark curry
Coorgi Pandhi Curry / Coorg Pork curry
Pork Fry
Malabar Mutton Stew
Ayala Varuthathe - Mackerel fry, Malabar style

Vegetables
Baby Corn Manchurian
Mochakottai Sambhar
Tabbouleh (A Lebanese salad)
Koorkka fryKarnataka style greens curry... Soppu saaru
Varutharacha Sambhar (Kerala style sambhar)
Vendakka Pachadi
Kayi curry, raw plantain slices cooked in coconut milk gravy
Brinjal fry / Enna kathri

Desserts
Black forest cake or Black forest gateau
Corn flour Halva
Chocolate Mud Cake
Apple pie
Caramel Pudding
Raspberry cheesecake
Orange soufflé

Beverages
Arabian pulpy grape juice
Mango Milkshake
Banana Cream

Pickles, Chutneys 'n JamsTomato Jam
Gongura Pickle
Onion chutney
Biriyani Chutney
Soy chilly vinegar sauce

Gongura Pickle

Gongura pickle is one of the most popular Andhra pickles. Gongura is called Sorrel leaves in English, Pulicha Keerai in Tamil, Gongura in Telugu and Pandi in Kannada. It comes in two varieties, green stemmed and red stemmed. I've used the red stemmed variety here.

Gongura - 3 bunches (Remove the leaves from the stem)
Red chilly powder - 4-5 tsp (Adjust as per your taste)

Fenugreek , roast and ground - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds, roast and ground - 2 tsp

Hing - ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Gingelly oil 6 tbsp

·        Clean the gongura leaves with water and dry them in sun for a day or two. When you are ready to make the pickle, chop the leaves into chunky pieces and set aside.

·        Heat half of the oil in a pan. Add hing, fenugreek powder, mustard powder and chilly powder. Fry it for a minute and remove from heat.

·        Heat another skillet, add the remaining oil to it, and fry the gongura leaves for a few minutes till the leaves shrink completely.

·        Add salt and the powder ingredients to the leaves, mix well so that gongura leaves blend in nicely with the spices.

·        Fry the garlic flakes in a little oil. And pour onto the gongura mixture.

Once the pickle has cooled you can store it in containers and use as required. If it’s stored in the refrigerator, this pickle can last for atleast 6 months.

Arabian pulpy grape juice

Purple or red grapes ½ kg, preferably seedless

Sugar  ¼ kg

Water 1 liter

· Boil all the ingredients till it starts to thicken slightly. Remove from heat. Keep it aside.

· After about 4-5 hours, squish the grapes well with a masher or with hands. The pulpy part of the grape should be left in. Remove the skin, which will be floating above and blend it with a little water, strain and add it to the juice.

· Chill in the refrigerator. Serve chilled. 

Chocolate Mud Cake

Cake:

Flour – 1 ¼ cup
Cocoa powder – ½ cup

Baking powder – 1 tsp
Baking Soda – 1 tsp

Powdered sugar or castor sugar – 1 ¼ cup
Eggs – 2
Milk – 1 ¼ cup
Hot water – ¾ cup
Oil – ¼ cup
Salt – 1 pinch
Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Frosting:

Icing sugar – 1 cup 

Powdered sugar – 1 cup
Cocoa powder – ¾ cup
Softened cooking butter – ½ cup

Milk – ¼ cup

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

• Mix all the ingredients to make a thick mixture. Keep aside till the cake is done.

Method:

Chocolate Mud Cake

• In a large bowl sift together maida, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Keep it aside.

• In a moisture-free bowl, add the eggs, and beat it till its very fluffy, this may take about 10 to 15 minutes with an egg beater. Now add the milk, oil, vanilla extract and boiling water to the eggs. Beat again at medium speed for a minute or until the mix is well-combined.

• Add the powder ingredients to the batter and mix slowly till it’s well-combined. Pour into a greased round pan and bake at 170° C until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. This may take about 30 to 40 minutes, but start checking on the cake after 20 minutes. When it’s done, keep it aside to cool.

• When it’s cooled completely, top with the frosting.

• Store in the refrigerator for atleast a couple of hours before serving.

Apple pie

Apple pie is probably one of the oldest pastries. The English and Dutch Apple pie are said to date back centuries.  The first printed copy of the English apple pie recipe was by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1381. The ingredients for the pie were good apples, good spices, figs, raisins and pears. He also mentioned a cofyn, which is simply a casing of pastry. The last ingredient, saffron, is used to color the pie filling. Most the above mentioned ingredients aren't used in my pie, but then, I’m not English. I adapt to food from all over the world and learn to cook it and eat it in my own way, here’s a tried and tested apple pie adapted from my mom’s cookbook.

Crust and cover:

Maida  1½ cup

Baking powder ¼ tsp

Salt  ¼ tsp

Sugar  1 tbsp

Butter  3 tbsp

Iced water, about 4-5 tbsp

Filling:

Apple 2, peeled, cored and chopped to tiny pieces or sliced thinly, as you like it

Lime juice 3-4 drops (so that the apple does not change color)

Maida 2 tbsp

Salt 1 pinch

Sugar 2 tbsp

Cinnamon powder ¼ tsp

Butter ½ tsp

· Mix lime juice, sugar, flour, cinnamon powder and salt in bowl. Stir in the apple pieces. Set aside.

Method:

·    Pre-heat oven to 400° F.

·    Mix baking powder, salt, sugar and maida together. Add butter and mix it in roughly, till it starts to look like bread crumbs. Add the water now, slowly, little at a time. Mix until the dough holds together, add a bit more water, if necessary.

·    Shift the dough to a lightly floured surface, knead again, and then divide it into 2 equal portions.

·    Flatten one portion into a disk (for the crust). Keep aside for 20-30 minutes.

·    Roll out the other portion on a lightly floured surface into a thin circle (for the cover).

·    Stick the first portion which was kept aside for the crust onto a pie dish, trimming any extra dough from the edges with a sharp knife. Poke all over it with a fork.

·    Add the apple filling onto the base. Drop a few specks of butter in 3 or 4 places.

·    Add covering as you like it. Either top the pie with the plain cover (with the rolled out dough) and put a couple of slits on top or cut the flattened out dough into strips and make a woven cover for the pie. Use a fork or your fingers to pinch the edges together. 

·    Once that’s done, bake the pie for about 20-30 minutes, at 400° F, until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in the crust.

·    The traditional way to serve apple pie in some parts of England (such as Yorkshire) is with cheese. In many Commonwealth countries, apple pie is served with ice cream, custard or double cream. But like the majority of people, I love it just the way it is with no additions whatsoever. I love to relish the flavor of the pie in itself, with no other flavors interfering.

Enjoy your pie!

Baby Corn Manchurian

Baby corn - 1 packet, (about 10 to 15 nos, cut in half) 
Maida – ½ cup
Corn flour – ¼ cup
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - ½ tsp
Crushed ginger - ½ tsp
Crushed garlic - ½ tsp
Vinegar - 1tsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Oil for deep frying      

• Cook the baby corn for 1 whistle in the cooker.
• Mix all the above ingredients except the oil. It should be a thick batter.
• Add the corn to the batter; it should be well coated.
• Deep fry till it turns golden brown on all sides and keep aside.

Crushed ginger – ½” piece
Crushed garlic – 5 cloves
Onion (Preferably white onion) - 1 big, (Chunky cubes)
Green chillies - 2-3, julienne slices (As per tolerance)
Red chilli powder - ½ tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Capsicum - 1 (Chunky cubes)
Spring onion 5-6 stalks, chopped
Chilli-garlic sauce - 2 tbsp
Soya sauce - 2 tbsp 
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Corn flour - 1 tsp dissolved in ¾ cup water
Salt as needed
Oil

•        Heat a pan with oil and add ginger and garlic, sauté it for a minute and add the onion and green chillies and fry till onion starts to turn pink.
•        Add the salt, red chilli powder and pepper and fry for half a minute on high flame. Add the capsicum. Sauté for ½ a minute, and add the chilli-garlic sauce, soya sauce and vinegar, sauté a little.
•        Add the fried baby corn with chopped spring onions and mix well.
•        Slowly add the corn flour dissolved in water and stir well, till the baby corns are well coated with the gravy.
•        Decorate with chopped spring onions.

·       Serve hot with fried rice or noodles!

Mochakottai/Avarekkai Sambhar

Mochakottai, also known as Avarekkai, is a very popular bean around Karnataka. There are many many ways of preparing it, but by far I personally feel that sambhar is the best of the lot. This is the way my mother-in-law prepares it. Usually when she prepares it, she has to empty the entire rice to the curry vessel itself coz all 5 of us (my husband, his brother, brother's wife, sister and me) would crowd around her to feed us. I know its disgusting for most people, to be fed by someone else, but ya, that's how I like it, I really love to be fed. Makes me 'feel' like a child again. When I go to my parents place, its the same story there too, its either my dad, mom or my sister (though she's younger to me) who end up feeding me.

OK, now coming back to Mochakottai, there's a preparation with mutton that's really good too, I would be adding that in shortly. Mochakottai can be used without removing the skin too, but it causes slight gastric problems that way, or so I've heard. I decided not to take a chance and peeled the skin even though it is double the work. But the end result pays for the hard work.                                                           

Dal – ½ cup
Potato – 2, cubed
Tomato – 1, cubed
Turmeric – ½ tsp

Cook the dal with the potato, tomato & turmeric, till the dal is almost mashed, in a pressure cooker this may take about 3-4 whistles.

Mochakottai beans – ½ kg

Take the seeds out from the beans, as you would with fresh peas, and soak the beans for a few hours or overnight preferably. Then remove the skin on the seeds. You can do this by gently squeezing from one end of the seeds.
Add these to the cooked dal. Cook for some more time till the beans are cooked and soft. They should not get mashed. 

Tamarind juice extracted from a handful of raw tamarind - 1 cup.
Or, if it’s tamarind extract, then about 1 tbsp mixed in 1 cup of water

Add this to the dal mixture. Boil for 5 minutes.

To grind:

Oil – 1 tsp
Channa dal – 1 tbsp
Urad dal – 1 tbsp
Peppercorns – 1 tbsp
Methi seeds – 1 tsp
Jeera – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 10-12 leaves
Shallots - 10
Garlic – ½ a pod
Coconut – ½ cup, grated
Asafoetida/Hing – ¼ tsp
Chilli powder – 1 tbsp, or as per heat tolerance
Dhaniya powder – 3 tbsp

In a kadai, heat the oil, roast the channa dal, urad dal, peppercorns, methi seeds, jeera, curry leaves, garlic, coconut and asafoetida. To this add chilli powder and dhaniya. Fry till the raw smell of the masala goes away. Grind this to a smooth paste with little water and add to the dal mixture. Add salt as required. Boil for 5 more minutes.

To temper:
Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Dry red chillis – 3-4, broken into pieces
Curry leaves – 10 leaves

Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, when it sputters, add the red chillies and curry leaves. Pour this on top of the curry. 

Coriander leaves – 1 handful, chopped 

Garnish with the coriander leaves. 

Serve with hot rice!

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is originally a Lebanese dish, but is widely popular in many parts of the world now as a very healthy salad. Tabbūle is a Levantine Arabic word which literally means "little spicy". It’s usually made with Bulgur wheat, but I’ve replaced it with cracked wheat here, with almost similar taste, but I wouldn’t say it’s exactly the same. It’s a multi colored delight which is very fibrous and nutritious.

This is my version of Tabbouleh, which is slightly different from the original one.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup vegetable stock (for vegetarians) or chicken stock or water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cracked wheat
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Juice from ½ a lemon
• 1 small green chilli, chopped
• ½ of a red onion, chopped
• ½ capsicum (green or yellow) seeded and chopped
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1 scallion, chopped with the greens
• ¾ cup parsley, chopped

·        Add the cracked wheat to a bowl. Boil the stock with some salt, pour it over the wheat. Keep this aside for about 30 minutes to an hour.

·        In a large bowl, add the lemon juice, olive oil and cracked wheat, mix well. Add all the other ingredients and combine well delicately.

·        Do a taste test and add more salt, olive oil or lemon juice if required, to suit your taste. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.

·        Tabbouleh is ready. Serve chilled.

·        This can be stored in good containers for a few days, if refrigerated.