Last year, during the peak of monsoon season, my husband and I spend the most amazing 10 days in Alapuzza, Kerala. And lucky us, our holiday happened during Onam.
We had heard a lot about Kerala cuisine, but never had had the chance to relish it. Our holiday gave us THE perfect opportunity to do so.
On one of our canoeing rides, our guide, Anil, was very kind enough to invite us to his house for the Onam celebrations. Anil, Jayanti and Anandu ; one of the simplest, and the most down to earth family, who lived it king size with whatever they earned everyday or managed to fish out of the lake.....
Our delicious lunch that day had Vendekka Varathathu, prawns fry (caught in the lake RIGHT outside the house and tossed on to a pan!), parippu curry, avial, rice and poppadums.
I have never tasted anything so soo delicious! Of course, cooking them on wood-fire gives it the best smoky taste, but apart from that, the combination and proportions of spices was just perfect! I had to get all the recipes from Jayanti and definitely try them out!
Hopefully I have made some justice to Jayanti's expertise.
Bon Appétit
We had heard a lot about Kerala cuisine, but never had had the chance to relish it. Our holiday gave us THE perfect opportunity to do so.
On one of our canoeing rides, our guide, Anil, was very kind enough to invite us to his house for the Onam celebrations. Anil, Jayanti and Anandu ; one of the simplest, and the most down to earth family, who lived it king size with whatever they earned everyday or managed to fish out of the lake.....
Our delicious lunch that day had Vendekka Varathathu, prawns fry (caught in the lake RIGHT outside the house and tossed on to a pan!), parippu curry, avial, rice and poppadums.
I have never tasted anything so soo delicious! Of course, cooking them on wood-fire gives it the best smoky taste, but apart from that, the combination and proportions of spices was just perfect! I had to get all the recipes from Jayanti and definitely try them out!
Hopefully I have made some justice to Jayanti's expertise.
Bon Appétit
PREP TIME TOTAL TIME SERVINGS | 10 - 15 Minutes 15 - 30 Minutes 2 portions (bhindi lovers) |
INGREDIENTS Bhindi Oil Onions Pepper Corns Cinnamon Cloves Saunf / Fennel Seeds Hing Salt | QUANTITY 750 gms 2 - 3 tbsp 2 medium 1/2 tbsp 3'' piece 1/2 tbsp 3 tbsp 1/4 tsp to taste |
RECIPE
Wipe and clean the bhindi.
Cut off both the edges on the bhindi and make a slit vertically, without splitting it, but just enough to open a bit and fill the masala.
Roast all the masala in a non-stick pan on a low flame.
Allow it to cool and grind it to a fine powder.
Grind the onions to a fine paste.
In a bowl, mix the onion paste and the ground masala.
DO NOT add salt at this time, as the onions would leave a lot of water.
Wipe and clean the bhindi.
Cut off both the edges on the bhindi and make a slit vertically, without splitting it, but just enough to open a bit and fill the masala.
Roast all the masala in a non-stick pan on a low flame.
Allow it to cool and grind it to a fine powder.
Grind the onions to a fine paste.
In a bowl, mix the onion paste and the ground masala.
DO NOT add salt at this time, as the onions would leave a lot of water.
Open the slit in the bhindi slightly and fill it with a little masala. Once all the bhindis are filled, rub the rest of the masala on them, and allow to sit for atleast 30 minutes.
In a casserole, heat the oil, add the hing and then the stuffed bhindis.
Add the salt according to taste.
Cook on a medium flame stirring frequently.
It would take about 10 - 15 minutes to cook.
P.S. Tastes best with Parippu Curry and rice / rotis.
Add the salt according to taste.
Cook on a medium flame stirring frequently.
It would take about 10 - 15 minutes to cook.
P.S. Tastes best with Parippu Curry and rice / rotis.