Backwaters of Kerala

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Sweet root bhajis

Radicchio kachumber

Yellow tail king fish

Keralan mountain rice

Fire roasted pineapple

 

Recipes (serves two people)

Sweet root bhajis (gluten,milk,egg)

Ingredients

  • 100g carrot grated
  • 200g sweet potato finely sliced
  • 2 shallots, finely sliced
  • 100g yam or swede or parsnip, grated
  • ½ tsp ground coriander powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 150g tempura flour
  • 125ml ice cold water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2-3 mixed heat/colour chillies, deseeded/finely jullienned and put in ice water until use
  • 1 lemon, juiced (for citrus pickled onions)
  • 2 large banana shallot, finely sliced (for citrus pickled onions)

Method

  1. Fill a medium saucepan with 500ml of rapeseed/sunflower oil and heat to 190oc
  2. To pickle the shallots, add the lemon juice and 2 pinched of sea salt, lightly mix with fingers to give them a good coating and leave to pickle for 10-20 minutes.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl mix and all ingredients until well incorporated
  4. Pinch out golf ball size clumps from the batter and carefully place in the hot oil pushing away from to as to not get splash back for the oil.
  5. Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden and crisps
  6. Serve with the pickled onions and fresh chilli curls


Radicchio Kachumber 
(fish, sulphites)

Ingredients

  • Seasonal mango – Alphonso/Kent, Pakistani, Sicilian etc, peeled and sliced
  • 1-2 heads of radicchio, tardivo, Castelfranco etc, washed
  • 1 tbsp coriander cress
  • 1 tbsp roasted almonds

For the dressing

  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp mild curry powder
  • 20g ginger, grated
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 60ml fresh lime juice
  • 50ml rice wine vinegar
  • 180ml litre vegetable oil
  • 60ml chilli sauce
  • 60g sugar
  • ½ tsp salt

  Method

  1. Mix all the dressing ingredients together
  2. Plate the sliced mango, tear radicchio leaves onto serving dish too and top with almonds. Pour over the dressing and finish with the coriander cress


Keralan mountain rice 
(milk, celery, nuts)

Ingredients

  • 150g seasonal selection of wild mushrooms
  • 300g white Basmati Rice
  • 40g butter
  • 1 medium red onion, finely diced
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 6 black cardamom pods
  • ½ tsp fresh turmeric, grated
  • 1 piece of cinnamon bark
  • 4 tbsp dried coconut
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 500ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 60g dried fruit, such as currants, cranberries, prunes, dates etc
  • 30g roasted almonds
  • 1-2 sprigs of dill, coriander and bay

Method

  1. Place rice in medium bowl and add enough water to cover by 5 cm. Using your hands, gently swish grains to release any excess starch.
  2. Carefully pour off water, leaving rice in bowl. Repeat four to five times, until water runs almost clear. Using a fine strainer, drain water from rice. Place strainer over bowl and set aside.
  3. Melt butter in a pot over medium-low heat. Add onions, coconut and cook, stirring regularly, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes
  4. Add cumin, turmeric, cardamom pods, cinnamon, and garlic to cooked onions and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer. Add rice to pan, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes.
  5. Add the stock, salt and pepper to rice and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, 15-18 minutes.
  6. Remove lid, and sprinkle dried fruit over rice (do not mix in). Place lid loosely over pot and let stand 10 minutes. Toss in toasted almonds, fluff rice with a fork, then serve.


Yellow Tail King Fish, Malabar coconut curry 
(fish, milk)

Ingredients

  • 200g piece of yellow tail king fish, white fish/etc
  • 1 fresh banana leaf or baking paper then foil

For the fish marinade

  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 5g fresh ginger grated
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp chopped coriander
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 2 pinches of turmeric
  • 4 tbsp full fat yogurt
  • ½ tsp ground, garam masala

For the Malabar curry

  • 1 x tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 x tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 x stick of cinnamon
  • 3 cardamom pods
  • 5 x green peppercorns, smashed
  • 2 – 3 green chillies, chopped
  • 1 x tsp ginger, grated
  • 6 x garlic cloves, grated
  • 2 x onions, finely diced
  • 3 x tomatoes, de-seeded and diced
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp red chilli powder
  • 4 tbsp tamarind sauce/puree
  • 200ml coconut milk full fat
  • 200ml vegetable stock
  • 8 x curry leaves
  • 3 x kaffir lime leaves
  • salt to taste

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 230oc
  2. Mix the fish marinade ingredients and then cover the fish and leave in the fridge while preparing the rest of the dish
  3. In a large pan, heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns, and green chilies. Once everything starts spluttering, add ginger, garlic, and onions
  4. Sweat down the onions until they turn soft and translucent, add tomatoes, turmeric, ground coriander, chili powder and salt. Cook the tomatoes until they are pulpy then add tamarind, stock, and coconut milk.
  5. Stir and bring this to a boil. Simmer till the gravy reduces slightly and becomes thicker. This will take about 20-25 minutes
  6. Wrap your fish in the banana leaf, then pop into the oven for 15-20 minutes
  7. Add some water to the sauce if you need to adjust the consistency
  8. Add the curry leaves and stir, then serve with your baked fish and rice

Fire roasted pineapple (sulphites)

Ingredients

  • 225g soft cheese, mascarpone or cream cheese
  • 1 medium ripe / over ripe pineapple
  • 100g brown sugar
  • 80g floral honey
  • 6 kaffir lime leaves
  • 50ml chardonnay vinegar
  • 50ml lime juice
  • 1 tsp of vanilla bean paste (best possible quality)
  • 200ml coconut yogurt

Method

  1. Light the barbeque or grill and stab the pineapple aggressively but safely at the same time, 10-15 stabs should do it
  2. Place the pineapple straight onto the coal and turn occasionally until completely burnt and reduced in size a little like a baked potato, do not worry as the skin is thick and will tolerate this heat. Alternatively grill the pineapple until blackened then bake in the oven for 1-1/2 / 2 hours until soft to skewer with a fork or knife
  3. You are looking for a core probed temperature of 85oc for you professional chefs out there
  4. Mix the vinegar, sugar, lime, juice, vanilla bean, and kaffir lime leaves in a small pan, bring up to just before boiling point and allow to cool
  5. Once the pineapple is cool enough to handle peel and cut/scoop into desired portion and marinate in the sweet pickle for 2-24 hours
  6. Enjoy with lashings coconut yogurt or ice cream

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