Karimeen Varuthu Palu Curry

Karimeen or Pearlspot is a tasty fish we get in Kerala. 'Karimeen Pollichathu' has become world famous! 'Karimeen Varuthu Palu Curry' is a dish made often in Christian homes in Kerala. In this recipe, first the fish is fried lightly and then cooked in a coconut milk gravy. It is a very tasty curry and goes well with rice, bread, appam, idiyappam, puttu or dosa! If Pearlspot is not available, you can replace it with Pomfret, Seer fish or Tilapia.

Ingredients:

Karimeen -1 kg
Chilli powder -1 tsp
Turmeric powder -1 tsp
Pepper powder -1/2 tsp
Vinegar -1 tbsp
Salt -1 tsp
Oil -for frying

For the Gravy:

Onion -1 big sliced
Ginger -2 tbsp chopped
Garlic -1 tbsp chopped
Green chillies -5 slit
Curry leaves -2 sprigs
Coriander powder -3 tsp
Turmeric powder -1 tsp
Pepper powder -1 tsp
Thin coconut milk -2 cups
Thick coconut milk -1 cup
Vinegar -2 tbsp
Salt -to taste
Coconut oil -2 tbsp



Method:

In a vessel, mix together chilli powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, vinegar and salt. Smear this paste on the fish pieces and keep aside for half an hour. Fry them in oil till light brown in color. Keep aside. Heat oil in a large pan, fry onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves till the onion tuns light brown in color. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder and pepper power. Fry for few seconds and add thin coconut milk, vinegar and salt. Cover and cook till it boils. Now add the fried pieces of fish. Pour some gravy over the top of the fish pieces, cover and let it simmer for about 10 minutes on low flame. Open the lid and add the thick coconut milk. Mix gently or twist the pan. When i is about to boil, put off the flame. Serve hot.

Note : you can use the coconut milk or coconut milk powder available in stores. To make thin coconut milk, dilute it with water.

Lemon Pickle

Here is our recipe for lemon pickle.


Ingredients

•10 Large Lemon
•1/2 Cup Vinegar
•2 tbsp chopped ginger
•2 tbsp chopped garlic
•3 green chillies chopped
•Few curry leaves
•Salt as required
•1 tbsp Gingelly oil (Sesame seed oil)
•3 tsp red chilli powder
•1 tsp turmeric powder
•1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
•1 tbsp mustard seeds
Preparation
Bring a pot of water to boil and immerse the lemons and continue boiling for 3-4 minutes. Take the lemons
out and let them cool. Cut the lemons into small pieces (don't discard the juices) and keep it aside. Coarse grind the mustard seeds. Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. Add Ginger, garlic and green chillies as soon as the mustard changes color. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and asafoetida powder. Add curry leaves and switch off the heat. Add the cut lemons and salt. Add enough vinegar and properly mix together. Keep it covered for a day and the adjust the salt and add more vinegar. You can add some sugar also to sweeten a bit. Keep refrigerated.

Bilimbi / Averrhoa bilimbi / Pulichankai / Irumbam puli

The tree and fruit are known by different names in different languages.^[1] They should not be confused with the carambola, which also share some of the same names despite being very different fruits. For example, bilimbi are called balimbing in Indonesia, but balimbing in the Philippines actually refer to carambola and not bilimbi (which they call iba in Cebuano and kamias in Tagalog).

English cucumber tree or tree sorrel India bilimbi Sri Lanka bimbiri

Nutritional value for 100 g of edible portion

• Moisture 94.2-94.7 g
• Protein 0.61 g
• Ash 0.31-0.40 g
• Fiber 0.6g
• Phosphorus 11.1 mg
• Calcium 3.4 mg
• Iron 1.01 mg
• Thiamine 0.010 mg
• Riboflavin 0.026 mg
• Carotene 0.035 mg
• Ascorbic Acid 15.5 mg
• Niacin 0.302 mg

The cucumber tree is a shy tree that ironically hides from the sunlight even though that is a vital need for survival.

Culinary interest
In the rural parts of the Philippines, where it is commonly found as a backyard plant, it is eaten either raw or dipped in rock salt (or other savoury powders - masala), as a snack. It could either be curried or added as flavoring for the common Filipino dish sinigang. The uncooked bilimbi is prepared as relish and served with rice and beans in Costa Rica. In the Far East, where the tree originated, it is sometimes added to curry. Bilimbi juice (with a pH of about 4.47) is made into a cooling beverage. In Indonesia, it is added to some dishes, substituting for tamarind or tomato.

Additionally, the fruit can be preserved by pickling,^[2] which reduces its acidity. The flowers are also sometimes preserved in sugar.
In another part of Indonesia, Aceh, it is preserved by sun-drying, the sun-dried bilimbi is called asam sunti. Bilimbi and asam sunti are popular in Acehnese culinary. It can replace mango in making chutney. In Malaysia, it also is made into a rather sweet jam.
In Kerala, India, it is used for making pickles, while around Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa the fruit is commonly eaten raw with salt and spice.

worth reading : http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/bilimbi.html

Irumbam puli achar Ingredients

Irumban puli chopped 3 cups

garlic 1 bulb

green chillies 6

curry leaves few

pickle powder 3 Tb spoons (used Eastern)

red chilly powder 3 tsps

mustard seeds 2 tsp for seasoning

coconut oil or sesame oil

vinegar 1 Tbsp

salt

How we prepared it

Wash the Irumban puli and remove the stems while chopping.

Mix it with salt and pickle powder.

Keep it for one hour.

Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds.

Add garlic pearls, chopped green chillies,curry leaves and saute for a while.

Add red chilly powder together with Irumban puli.

Saute for some time, check for salt, and add if needed.

Pour vinegar over it, remove from fire.

Keep this out side for one week, then keep in fridge.

(Flicked from some site.... Thanks to the anonymous contributor)