Chakkakuru mezhukupuratti|Jackfruit seeds stir fry Kerala style

Jackfruit trees are as common as coconut trees in Kerala .Almost every house in Kerala has one or more jackfruit trees. I remember my childhood days,whenever we visited grandma,grandpa during summer vacation ,we were pampered with plenty of raw,ripe or cooked jackfruits delicacies .

 Some melted in mouth,others were kind of tad crunchy yet juicy to eat ..mmmm...yummy...However,there was/is something which would be an obstacle while enjoying those jackfruit pieces - the jackfruit seeds .They are like like ants in heaven ..I mean like the Malayalam saying ,"Swargathil katturrumbu" or "Kabab mein haddi" in Hindi.

I remember, my grandmaa or maa or aunts removing one by one all seeds and giving us the jackfruit to eat happily.Even though I hated those jackfruit seeds then and I would even secretly throw them out,I loved them whenever,a special stir fry using these jackfruit seeds was made at home .

Grandmaa used to pack a huge bag of carefully sun dried jackfruit seeds for us while leaving Kerala . My mom used to make a variety of jackfruit and jackfruit seed dishes every now and then .One of my favourite was what we call in Malyalam,chakkakuru mezhukupuratti/jackfruit seeds stir fry Kerala style . This Jackfruit seeds recipe is damn simple to make and very tasty to eat with boiled rice,any spicy curry etc etc ....

So,let's see how to make jackfruit seeds recipe Kerala style or Khathal ke beej ki bhujia in Hindi ...
I have also showed in the video below how to clean and cut those jackfruit seeds properly .

Chakkakuru mezhukupuratti

Ingredients

Jackfruit seeds/Chakkakuru/Khathal ke beej - 10-15 Nos.

Red chilli powder - 1 Teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/2 Teaspoon

Fennel seeds - 1/2 - 1 Tsp

Broken dry red chillies - 1-2 Nos.

Curry leaves,a few

 Coconut oil - 1-2 Tablespoon
Salt to taste

Water just enough to cover/cook the Jackfruits

Method:Please watch my video which will show how to make this Kerala style jackfruit seeds stir fry

DID YOU KNOW?

Jackfruit is a complete nutritious fruit in and out . The jackfruit seeds is nothing less and is filled with essential vitamins ,proteins,carbs and fiber . Jackfruit seeds can keep skin,eyes and hair healthy.These little seeds are filled with flavanoids,phytochemicals and anti-oxidants ,which can help in keeping even cancer at bay.

According to a research by Food Science and Food Safety ,jackfruit seeds have antimicrobial properties which helps in fighting against any food borne bacteria/illness.Traditionally,these seeds were used to treat indigestion or diarrhea .

Jackfruit seeds can also prevent anemia,constipation,blood pressure etc etc.Jackfruit seeds may also help to improve blood sugar as it has resistant starch and so is good for even diabetic people but still should be in limits. (Credit : Livingstrong.com)

 See the nutrition benefits of jackfruit seeds,now I am sure hardly anyone is gonna throw those seeds away...

Beet Greens stir fry recipe Kerala style

 Did you know that beet greens/beet leaves carry more vitamins,minerals and fiber than beetroot (except folate vitamin) ? I didn't ..as always..

In fact,I saw beet greens for the first time ever in US .I had no idea beetroots had leaves like Spinach.Actually,I even thought they are spinach with some kind of tumor ...nah just kidding (the tumor part)...

However, the moment I saw those Beet leaves, I knew they are gonna become one of my favorite leaf recipes..No kidding here ..

Oh ..and the health benefits of these beet greens are as wonderful as it's root's color ...
(Credits : Searchhomeremedy.com ,Foodfacts.mercola.com )

• Beet greens are loaded with high Vitamin A,Vitamin C,Calcium and Iron.
• Beet greens have higher iron content than spinach .
• They, just like beetroots are excellent blood detoxifier and body energizer.
• Beet greens have shown to increase blood supply to brain , thereby reducing age related diseases like Dementia,Alzheimer etc .
• Beetroot leaves juice can prevent acnes/pimples ,wrinkles and give a healthy glow to the skin .
• Beet greens promotes hair growth and fights against dry,itchy scalps.

 

For me they taste just like red spinach leaves if not better .I totally love it ,more than the beetroots itself and after reading all those health benefits of beet greens I think I may leave beetroots but not beet greens...These leaves are quite forgiving and can adjust into any tasty recipes.

So,here is my favourite beet greens recipe Indian style :-

 Beet Green stir fry Kerala style

Ingredients

Beet greens,a bunch ,chopped

Shallots,chopped - 2-3 nos.

Green chillies,chopped - 2-3 nos.

Coconut,grated - 1/2 cup

Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp

Garlic cloves (big) - 1 no.

Curry leaves,a few

Turmeric powder - 1 Tsp (optional)

Coconut oil - 1-2 Tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp

Broken red chillies - 2-3 nos.

Salt to taste

To make it little bit spicy,add 1-2 Tsp red chilli powder

Method:Please watch my video that will show you how to make beet green/beet root leaves stir fry Kerala style properly.

Do try this easy and simple beet greens recipe with boiled rice,any spicy curry or chapathi,roti etc..

Oh by the way,do you know what is the botanical name pf beet greens/beet root leaves - "Beta Vulgaris" hahaha.... Beta in Hindi means son,vulgar-is in English = ?? lol ..Rest I leave it to your dirty mind if you have lol :P....but rest assured nothing vulgar about this son :D ...

Kottayam fish curry |Nadan fish curry from Kerala

 

Kottayam is one of the popular city in Indian state Kerala. It is the pioneer of English educational center in South India and the first Malayalam printing press in Kerala and hence is popularly known as "AksharaNagari" meaning "Land of Letters" .

The majority of popular Malayalam newspapers were born here - Deepika,Mangalam ,Malayala Manorama etc. Just like any place in Kerala,it is surrounded by lush paddy fields (I am crazy about ..I hope they never become extinct ) ,breathtaking backwaters (deep sigh with awe) - especially famous tourist spots like Vembanad lakes and Kumarakom,standing and swaying - tall and green coconut trees ,vast rubber plantations and and aaand amazing lip-smacking spicy recipes mostly influenced by Syrian Christians...

So,today I am gonna share one of the most popular food item from Kerala -Nadan meen curry recipe a.k.a Kerala fish curry Kottayam style. I love this fish curry a lot as it is quite spicy and healthy - full of ginger,garlic,spices,and our omega - fish the great :D

So,this is how I make Kottayam style fish curry at home -

 Kottayam Fish curry

Ingredients
Fish Fillets,cleaned,cut and slit (I used Pomfret)- 6 nos.
Red chilli powder - 2 Tbsp
Coriander powder - 2 Tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp
Garlic,chopped lengthwise - 5-6 nos.
Ginger,julienne and chopped - 2 inch
Shallots,chopped -4 nos.
Green chillies,chopped - 2 nos.
Coconut Oil - 3 Tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Kodumpulli/Gambodge - 3-4 nos.
Water - 2 cups
Salt to taste

Method:- Please watch the video that will properly guide you how to make this fish curry .

Note:  If the Gambodges are small pieces ,take up to 5 nos. max only ,too much of this fish tamarind will make the curry too sour to eat.

2. For authentic Kerala taste use only our Indian unrefined coconut oil.Any other oil will give a different taste .

3.More this curry sits,more tastier it becomes.


If you are a spicy seafood lover,you got to try this fish curry Kottayam style especially with our famous Kerala Tapioca recipes or simply boiled rice and any side-dish.

Bharli Vangi |A Maharashtrian eggplant stuffed recipe

Bharli Vangi is a Maharashtrian style stuffed eggplant recipe ."Bharli" in Marathi means stuffed and "Vangi" in Marathi (A south Indian language from the Indian state of Maharashtra) .This Maharashtrian recipe is quite tasty I must say ,one of the eggplant recipe I fell in love with totally .

For making this eggplant recipe,baby eggplants are used exclusively and filled with a special ground paste /Goda masala and made into a fingerlicking,liplicking,platelicking brinjal recipe (Eggplant is called "Brinjal " in India and "Baingan" in Hindi ). I am extremely happy that I came across this baingan curry and now it is one of my family's favorite go-to Brinjal gravy at home.

Just like other vegetables,eggplants were never enticing to me other than this Baingun baja recipe which is more like a snack . However,the baby eggplants look so cute that they do some kind of maya/illusion/magic on me ,I am immediately drawn towards them and then I usually end up making  varieties of stuffed eggplant curries and this is the first of them that made it to my blog so far.

Eggplants are by the way very nutritious .Eggplants can help in controlling obesity ,diabetes,heart diseases,cholesterol,cancer and they even improve blood flow to the brain .No only that ,they are very good for pregnant women and baby because of folic acid in it which prevents any defects in the development of baby.Eggplants also improve hair ,complexion and overall energy .(Credit:Medicalnewstoday.com )

DID YOU KNOW ?

Eggplants are also known as Garden eggs,Guinea squash,melongene ..

Anyways,off to the eggplant recipe - This is how I make Bharli Vangi recipe

Bharli Vangi recipe

Ingredients

Baby eggplants,slit - 6-8 nos

Onion,chopped - 1/2 cup

Tomatoes,chopped - 1/2 cup

Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp

Whole dry red chillies

Oil - 2 Tbsp for gravy & 2-4 Tbsp for frying

Peanuts - 1/4 cup

Sesame - 1 Tbsp

Coconut - 1/4 cup

Jaggery - 2-4 Tsp

Tamarind - a small marble size

Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp

Coriander seeds - 2 Tsp

Peppercorns - 6 nos.

Cloves -3 nos.

Cinnamon - 1'

Water - 1-2 Tbsp for ground paste & 1/4 cup for the gravy

Method: Please watch the video that will show how to make Bharli Vangi Marathi style :

This eggplant recipe Indian style will make any eggplant haters fall in love again with the eggplants...like me...