Kerala Recipes » Parties & Celebrations

Easter Recipes

Jisha — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:30:35 +0000

Wishing all of you a very Happy Easter in advance!!! May the blessings of the risen Lord be with all of us.

Many Keralaites observe Lent from Ash Wednesday to Easter, abstaining from non vegetarian food and alcohol. After the Easter Vigil Mass or Sunday Morning Mass, it’s celebration time with lots of non-vegetarian food and wine.

Many of you would be contemplating what special dishes to prepare for Easter. Here are a few recipes from my collection. You will find recipes from different cuisines but most of these are traditional Kerala dishes. Whether you are celebrating Easter with family or inviting friends, you can select dishes of your choice for all the courses, and prepare a grand feast.

1. Appetizers

If you were observing Lent and abstaining from Meat and Alcohol, the very best way to open your Fast is with Home Made Wine and a non-veg appetizer like Cutlet. Onion Salad (Sarlas) is a great combo with most of the following appetizers.

Home Made Grape Wine
Hot and Sweet Fish Fingers
Fried Shrimps
Kerala Style hicken Cutlets
Karimeen Varuthathu (Pearl Spot Fry)
Fish Cutlets
Grilled Chicken Kebabs
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
Fried Masala Shrimps
Kerala Chicken Fry
Vegetable Cutlets
Onion Salad (Ulli Sarlas)

2. Appam and Curry

After the round of appetizers, you can either go for Palappam or Kallappam along with a Vegetarian or Non Vegetarian Gravy of your choice.

Vegetarian Curries for Appam

3. Bread and Curry

After Appam and Curry, the next course would be sliced Bread (usually fresh Bakery Rotti which we get in Kerala) served with another Non Vegetarian Dish. You may skip this course and go directly to the Main Course.

4. Main Course

You can prepare Fried Rice, Pulav, Ghee Rice or Biriyani for a contemporary main course.

Sides for Fried Rice

Here are a few Indo Chinese Sides for Fried Rice.

Side dish for Biryani

If you are making Chicken Biriyani, then you can chose a dry side dish like Fish Fry or Prawns Roast. If your making Fish Biriyani or Egg Biriyani, then Chicken Fry will be a good choice.

Side dish for Ghee Rice/Pulav

Since Ghee Rice is a simple flavored Rice, it is served with a spicy Non vegetarian Gravy like Mutton Curry, Chicken Curry or Beef Curry.

Accompaniments for Ghee Rice and Biriyani

For Biriyani and Ghee Rice, you can prepare any Raitha (Salad with Yogurt) and Pappad as an accompaniment.

Raitha – Onion Tomato Raitha
Salad – Onion Salad
Plain Yogurt
Pickle
Pappad

5. Kerala Style Main Course – Rice with Curries

You can also go for Kerala Style Main Course instead of a contemporary main course like Biriyani and Fried Rice. Rice is served with one main Curry/Gravy, one or more Vegetarian Sides and one or more Non Vegetarian Sides.

Gravies or Curries for Rice

Non Vegetarian Sides for Rice

Non Vegetarian Gravies for Rice

Vegetarian Side Dish for Rice

6. Desserts

Cake with Ice Cream/Whipped Cream
Fruit Salad
Gulab Jamun with Ice Cream
Pudding

7. Touchings for Alcoholic Drinks

For those of you want a few touchings for Alcoholic drinks, you can choose any of the following:-

Kerala Beef Fry
Spicy Beef/Pork Fry (Irachi Varuthathu)
Pork Ularthiyathu (Kerala Pork Stir Fry)
Prawns Tomato Roast
Fried Chicken Sausages
Sausage Crumble Stir Fry
Kerala Chicken Fry
Fried Anchovies (Netholi/Kozhuva)

Christmas Recipes

Jisha — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:42:43 +0000

Wishing all of you a very Happy Christmas!!!

Christmas is around the corner and I am missing my parents, my home and God’s Own Country – Kerala. Christmas used to be a family reunion time and it was always filled with good memories. We spent our Christmas Holidays writing Greeting Cards, making Cribs, decorating the house with lights, hanging glowing Stars outside the house and attending the Christmas Midnight Mass.

Now that Advent Season is here, let us not forget to prepare spiritually for the birth of Jesus along with all the celebrations of the holiday season.

Most of us would be busy planning for the Perfect Christmas Party for family and friends. Well, here is a Christmas Party Menu complied from my collection of recipes. A major portion of the menu consists of recipes from Kerala Cuisine. Hope it will be useful for deciding on your HomeMade Christmas Menu.

Once again, I wish all my readers a Merry Christmas!!!

1. Christmas Special

You can start your lunch or dinner party with a Christmas Special Plum Cake, followed by Home Made Wine. I generally bake cake on the previous day of the Party.

Home Made Grape Wine
Plum Cake

2. Appetizers

I guess Cutlets with Onion Salad (Sarlas) make the most common appetizer for any Kerala party.

Simple Chicken Noodle Soup
Fried Shrimps
Onion Salad (Ulli Sarlas)
Chicken Cutlets
Karimeen Varuthathu (Pearl Spot Fry)
Fish Cutlets
Grilled Chicken Kebabs
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
Fried Masala Shrimps
Vegetable Cutlets
Hot & Sweet Fish Fingers

3. Appam with Veg or Non Veg Curry

After the round of appetizers, you can either go for Palappam or Kallappam along with a Vegetarian or Non Vegetarian Gravy of your choice.

4. Bread and Curry

5. Main Course

You can either prepare Fried Rice, Pulav, Ghee Rice or Biriyani for the main course.

Sides for Fried Rice

Here are a few Indo Chinese Sides for Fried Rice.

Side dish for Biryani

If you are making Chicken Biriyani, then you can chose a side dish like Fish Fry. If your making Fish Biriyani or Egg Biriyani, then Chicken Fry will be good.

Side dish for Ghee Rice/Pulav

Ghee Rice is usually served with a spicy Non vegetarian Gravy like Mutton Curry, Chicken Curry or Beef Curry.

Accompaniments for Ghee Rice and Biriyani

For Biriyani and Ghee Rice, you can prepare any Raitha (Yogurt Mix) and Pappad as an accompaniment.

Raitha – Onion Tomato Raitha
Salad – Onion Salad
Plain Yogurt
Pickle
Pappad

6. Kerala Style Main Course – Rice with Curries

You can also go for Kerala Style Main Course instead of Biriyani and Fried Rice. Rice is served with one main Curry/Gravy, one or more Vegetarian Sides and one or more Non Vegetarian Sides.

Gravies or Curries for Rice

Non Vegetarian Sides for Rice

Non Vegetarian Gravies for Rice

Vegetarian Side Dish for Rice

Cabbage Thoran

Beans Thoran

Cabbage Carrot Thoran

Ivy Gourd Thoran

Aviyal

Beans Mezhkkupuratti

Spinach Thoran

Achinga Mezhkkuperatti

7. Desserts

I would usually bake a cake on the previous day of the party and buy a few flavors of Icecream. Cake with Ice cream is the best dessert.

Cake with Ice Cream/Whipped Cream
Fruit Salad
Gulab Jamun with Ice Cream
Pudding

8. Touchings for Alcoholic Drinks

For those of you want a few touchings for Alcoholic drinks, you can choose any of the following:-

Enjoy the Holiday Season!!!

Indian Party Menu

Jisha — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:29:16 +0000

If you are hosting a party at home, then probably you would be wondering how to fascinate your guests with home made food.

Be it a lunch or dinner party, you can definitely please your guests with a little thought and planning. Of course, be prepared to do a lot of hard work in your kitchen. When you see a smile on the face of a well satisfied guest, how else do you need to be gratified for your efforts in throwing a home made party.

Please visit this Page, if you would like view a Kerala Style Christmas Party Menu.
Click here to view the Menu for a traditional Kerala Onam Sadhya.
Please check out this page for a Complete Kerala Menu.

Here are some Indian Recipes for you to choose from, when hosting a party at home.You will find both traditional and modern dishes in this Indian Party Menu.

Contemporary Indian Party Menu

This Contemporary Menu consists of dishes from different cuisines but mostly Indian and Indo-Chinese. I haven’t separated Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian items in this Menu. You would find that most of the dishes are non vegetarian.

APPETIZERS
SOUPS
SALADS
DRINKS
MAIN COURSE
- Rice Bowl
- Noodles and Pasta
- Flat Breads
SIDE DISH
- Gravies and Curries
- Dry Side Dishes
KIDS MENU
DESSERTS

1. Appetizers

Who wouldn’t love to enjoy some steaming appetizers along with a couple of drinks as you familiarize with guests.

2. Soups

3. Salads

4. Drinks

Here are some alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for everyone to enjoy…

5. Main Course

My Main Course for a Party always consist of one Flat Bread item and one or more dishes from Rice and Noodles. For the Flat Bread, you can prepare Paratha, Naan or even Kerala Porotta. I generally buy Malaysian Parathas for my parties to save time from kneading and rolling. When it comes to Rice and Noodles, you have plenty of options.

Rice Bowl

Noodles/Pasta

Flat Bread

Paratha
Appam
Naan
Malaysian Paratha
Kerala Porotta

6. Side Dishes for Rice and Rotis (Flat Bread)

You need to prepare at least one gravy (curry) for your choice of Flat Bread. You can have one or more Dry Side Dishes for Biriyani, Fried Rice and Noodles.

Gravies or Curries

Butter Chicken
Vegetable Khurma
Chilly Fish
Chicken Curry in Whipping Cream
Kerala Chicken Curry
Chicken Masala Gravy
Spicy Chilly Fish Masala
Fish Molee
Spicy Beef Tomato Curry
Vegetable Stew
Mushroom Makhani (Mushroom Butter Masala)
Cauliflower Tikka Masala

Dry or Semi Dry Side Dishes

Chicken Roast
Minced Meat Fry
Minced Sausage Stir Fry
Chilly Chicken
Chilly Prawns
Chilly Gobi
Fish Fry
Beef Fry
Chicken Stir Fry
Chicken Fry
Prawns Tomato Roast
Beef Kheema (Minced Beef) with Peas and Potato

Accompaniments for Biriyani

For Biriyani, always prepare Raitha (Yogurt Mix) and Pappad as an accompaniment.

Raitha – Onion Tomato Raitha
Salad – Onion Salad
Plain Yogurt
Pickle
Pappad
Chips

7. Kids Menu

Kids can often throw tantrums when it comes to food, specially when it comes to eating Rice or Rotis. So here are a few items which kids will definitely love eating.

8. Desserts

I would usually bake a cake on the previous day of the party and buy a few flavors of Icecream. Cake with Ice cream is the best dessert and tastes superb.

Cake with Ice Cream
Fruit Salad
Gulab Jamun with Ice Cream

Hope you enjoyed the Contemporary Indian Party Menu !!!

Kerala Menu

Jisha — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:34:36 +0000

Kerala Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Menu

Here is a Menu for Kerala Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks and Dinner. I go for these dishes when my relatives or Keralite friends come home. Some people can be very choosy and picky. They may prefer Kerala dishes over Contemporary dishes like Fried Rice, Chilly Chicken and so on. That’s when I put all my efforts in making the best dishes from Kerala Cuisine.

If you wish to arrange a Kerala style party at home for your friends, then you can choose the dishes from the following Menu. These are the dishes which are served mostly for Kerala Weddings, Parties and other special occasions like Christmas, Easter and so on.

Please select the Category from the following:

Breakfast
Lunch or Dinner
Vegetarian Banquet (Sadhya)
Non Vegetarian Banquet
- Appetizers
- Main Course Beginners – Kerala Bread with Curry
- Main Course
Snacks
Sweets & Desserts

BREAKFAST

Here are few traditional Kerala Breakfast items. These are usually served with Vegetarian Chutneys and Curries. When you have guests or for special occasions, you can serve Breakfast with Non Vegetarian dishes like Fish Molee, Chicken Curry and so on.

Side Dish for Breakfast

Cheru Payaru ( Green Gram) Curry
Kadala (Bengal Gram) Curry
Chana Masala
Thenga Chammanthi ( Coconut Chutney)
Kunjulli Chammanthi (Pearl Onions and Coconut Chutney)
Ulli Chammanthi (Onion Chutney)
Tomato Chutney
Green Peas Chutney
Kerala Sambar
Egg Roast
Fish Molee
Vegetable Stew
Chicken Masala Gravy
Kerala Chicken Gravy
Simple Kerala Chicken and Potato Curry
CheruPayaru Stew (Mung Bean Stew)

LUNCH AND DINNER MENU

A normal Kerala Lunch consists of Plain Boiled Rice served with Vegetarian gravies and side dishes. A few non vegetarian dishes are also served occasionally.

Many Keralites prefer a traditional Vegetarian Banquet or Sadhya for weddings and special occasions. Vegetarians can visit this page for a complete traditional Kerala Vegetarian Sadhya.

On the other hand, modern day Wedding Parties and Special Occasions consist of three or four courses like Appetizers, Bread and Curry, Plain Rice or Biriyani, and Desserts. It can be vegetarian or non vegetarian.

1. Appetizers

Cutlets form the main appetizer for any Kerala Christian Wedding or Party. Kappa or Tapioca/Yuca is also served as an appetizer.

Fried Shrimps
Ulli Sarlas
Chicken Cutlets
Fish Cutlets
Vegetable Cutlets
Kerala Beef Fry (Ularthiyathu)
Spicy Beef/Pork Fry (Irachi Varuthathu)
Kerala Chicken Stir Fry (Kozhi Varattiyathu)
Kerala Chicken Fry
Kappa Chenda (Boiled Yuca with Red Chilly Dip)
Karimeen Varuthathu (Pearl Spot Fry)
Masala Fried Fish
Fried Fish with Caramelized Onions

2. Kerala Style Bread with Curry

After appetizers, the next round begins with a Kerala style Bread like Palappam, Vellayappam or Idiyappam served with a nice vegetarian or non-vegetarian curry. For many weddings and parties, after the round of Appams, Bakery Bread (Rotti) is served with another side dish.

Kerala Breads

Appam
Coconut Ada
Idiyappam
Wheat Vellayappam
Kerala Porotta
Rotti (Sliced Bakery Bread)
Dinner Roll

Gravies or Curries for Kerala Style Bread

Fish Molee
Vegetable Stew
Egg Roast
Chicken Masala Gravy
Kerala Chicken Gravy
Simple Kerala Chicken and Potato Curry
Kerala Chicken Roast
Prawns Tomato Roast
Spicy Chilly Fish Masala
Beef Masala
Spicy Beef Tomato Curry
Red Chilly Tomato Chicken Curry

3. Main Course

Main Course is usually Plain Rice served with one main Gravy (Chaaru Curry), one or more Vegetarian Sides, and one or more Non Vegetarian Sides. In addition to rice, you can also have Tapioca (Kappa/Yuca). On special occasions, Biriyani, Pulav or Ghee Rice is served along with side dishes. Depending on the occasion and the guests you can decide the items.

Side dish for Biryani
If you are making Chicken Biriyani, then you can chose a side dish like Fish Fry or Beef Fry. If your making Fish Biriyani or Egg Biriyani, then Chicken Fry will be a good choice. Remember to serve a Raitha, Pappadam and Pickle with the Biriyani.

Side Dish for Tapioca (Kappa)

The most common combination is Tapioca and Fish Curry. You can also have Chicken Curry or Beef Curry with Tapioca.

Side dish for Ghee Rice/Pulav

Ghee Rice is usually served with a spicy Non vegetarian Gravy like Mutton Curry, Chicken Curry or Beef Curry. The side sih should have lots of gravy to complement the Ghee Rice.

Gravies or Curries for Plain Rice

Plain Rice is usually served with a nice Gravy or Chaaru Curry.

Non Vegetarian Side Dish and Curries for Rice

Vegetarian Side Dish for Rice

SNACKS

SWEETS & DESSERTS

Semiya Payasam
Cracked Wheat Payasam
Rice Pudding
Paal Pidi/Paal KozhuKatta (Sweet Rice Dumplings)
Pazham with Pani