There’s a reason travelers go gaga over the varieties and flavours of Kerala cuisine! Inspired by a fusion of Malabari, French, and Arabian influences and enhanced with a touch of Kerala’s unique culture, each dish in the state is an experience in itself that will leave you asking for more! Touche' !! No arguments here!!!
Being a US immigrant, I think my cravings for the hot Kerala curries, coconut based thorans, mezhukkupurattis, red fish curry, choru, etc is understandably even more and shows no sign of curdling down. Because -
1) I miss the 20 minute drama-filled conversation back home with my "Queen" mom on deciding what dishes we want to have (rice, fish curry, thoran) versus to what 'healthy-nutrient-filled' dishes she prefers to make (i.e. rice, sambar, avial).
And, 2) I don't cook all dishes in the true authentic fashion as one would expect. I modify. I recreate. Purely, in the essence of time. I'm sure my mother would be cringing if she read this post.
My creative venture for modification, landed me onto new dishes today - Broccoli & Kale mezhukkupuratti and Masala Chicken & Pepper Fry. What prompted me to cook up these recipes....ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I had Broccoli cuts in my fridge.... Kale, that would've become pure slush by next week, had I not used it. Chicken....fresh & store-bought and Bell peppers, that were still good enough for throwing into a curry. So figured that I might as well cook them...... Kerala-style.
For the Broccoli & Kale mezhukkupuratti, I sauteed the steamed broccoli in 2 tsp of ghee, depth-charged with black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves,shallots, chillies and other aromatics (turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, black pepper powder and salt). And let the low heat do it's work of cooking the masalas, after which I added the kale and sauteed it till the leaves withered. End result? Closely aligned in taste with the koorka thoran my mom quite famously makes for me.
Masala Chicken & Pepper Fry - Now this was a work of patience for sure. Marinating the boneless chicken pieces in crushed ginger, garlic, turmeric, red chilli powder, lime juice and salt is the key. I realized the secret to marination is TIME - the longer the marination, the more set the flavors would be.
I don't know why I did this, BUT I decided I wanted a crunchy texture in my dry-curry...so, I FRIED the onions in 2 tbsp of ghee (Go ahead, judge me). Removed them and then sauteed the chicken with ginger, garlic, curry leaves, coriander and garam masala, at high heat upto 7 minutes. As the dryness set in by the 8th minute, added some tomatoes, lowered the heat and let the chicken simmer in it's own juices until tender. Then the heat goes up again and once the juices are boiled down, added the bell peppers, coriander leaves and slit green chillies. Stir fry for a few minutes. Masala Chicken & Pepper Fry is ready!! This reminded me of the chicken dish mom cooked for us, growing up....(hmmm..those were the days!!)
A Spoonful of both dishes with 2 chapatis left me content and satisfying my cravings for today. But for the most part, I wanted to preserve that essence of a Kerala home-cooked meal ...the one that comes from our moms' kitchens, encompassed with flavours, uniqueness and ...love. Thank you Mama! #openlife#mymentalhood
Comentários