Chembu Curry

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     I love the beautiful colocasia leaves more than it's root that I eat. Chembu, as I know colocasia, found in plenty obviously made its way into Kerala cuisine as well. There are different ways to make this and a simple style I used the other day was quite pleasing. By adding or subtracting a ingredient or two the root favorably alters the taste making for versatile dishes.   Esssentially,  it’s starchy root. The taste of chembu is close to yam, tapioca etc and yet distinct with its own subtle differences. Cook this root and then season to your liking by sautéing, adding a gravy or you could even eat it dipped in a simple green pepper and shallot dip.

  I can’t help but talk a little about the leaves. Popularly known as elephant ears they are beautiful. My grandfather would call it a weed, invasive and destroying other vegtation.  My cousins and I on the contrary  enjoyed them. The colocasia thrived and lent a verdant beauty to the river bank which is our back yard.   There is a wild one that grows with pink and green leaves.  I am not sure of it's scientific name  but I know their colors like the back of my hand. Green elephant leaves mottled with a brilliant pink.  I can’t explain the joy seeing them spread out in the yard. A very interesting passtime of my cousins and I was to wake up in the morning after a rainy night and go walk in the yard. The droplets of water cradled inside this leaf was a never ending fascination.  We would gather around it watching the water drop sliding beautifully like pearl in its shell. For a more vivid picture imagine how mercury moves.  Wonderful! Gliding water droplet on a velvety rich green!

Getting back to the root of the business here is the recipe for Chembu curry. Just remembered we used to play with the leaves using it as umbrella. Disclaimer: Please do not try this at home some varieties are toxic and can cause rashes. I told you I have a fetish for the leaves.


 
Ingredients:


Chembu – 7 – 8 small ones (I pick the smaller ones since I like them whole in my curry)
Coconut - ¾ cup
Red chillies – 4 or a tspn of chilli powder
Turmeric – ¼ tspn
Garlic pods – 2
Shallots – 2 – 3
Kokum – a small piece (this helps to prevent scratchiness if any of this root)
Salt to taste
 

Method:
1. Cook the chembu in enough water and salt till done. If you want to retain the shape be sure not to over cook. I generally pressure cook the chembu for two whistles with the skin on and then peel and add to the coconut gravy
2. Grind coconut, shallots, red chillies and garlic to a smooth paste
3. Take the chembu out of the water used to cook and add the kokum and coconut gravy
4. Bring it to a boil and turn off the fire/heat
 

Notes:


1. You can either pour coconut oil on top or do a tempering with mustard, shallots, curry leaves and pieces of red chilies with oil of your choice
2. If you like the orange color that I have got you will have to add chili powder and be aware that its quite hot to taste

Contributor: Sunitha

Brownies

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There are hundreds of brownie recipes in the blogosphere. I am sure you have your own way of doing it too. After a lot of permutations and combinations I have come up with my own recipe that works like a charm. My children love it and so do my DH and me. This brownie with a dollop of vanilla ice cream makes a perfect dessert.


 I hope you are doing well wherever you are.  Its time for me to come around and see what you have been up to now and drool over some of your recipes. Let me also say how glad we at Collaborative Curry are that you visit us and tell us about how much you like our recipes and photos. Hoping you will have fun treating yourself and your family to some delicious brownie I will sign off for today.




Ingredients:

Flour- 1 cup
Baking powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt- a pinch
Granulated sugar- 1 1/3 cup
Butter- 1 cup
Eggs- 3
Pure vanilla extract- 11/2 tsp
Cocoa powder- 1/2 cup
Chocolate chips- 2/3 cup(optional)

Method:

1.Preheat the oven at 350 degree F.Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together.
2.Beat the butter and sugar until soft and smooth.
3.Add the eggs one by one and beat well to incorporate.
4.Beat in the vanilla extract and the cocoa powder
5.Fold into the flour mixture alternately with the chocolate chips, if you are adding any.
6.Transfer into the greased 9 inch cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or till a skewer inserted comes out clean.
7.Cool it for a few minutes and transfer onto a wire rack and cool completely.
8.Serve with vanilla ice cream or any ice cream of your choice.



Notes:

1.I have baked it with 1 more egg, and it will give a more cakey texture.
2.Adding chocolate chips will give a mosaic gooey texture and my family love it :-)
3.You could replace the chocolate chips with nuts of your choice if you want it to be nutty .
4.This recipe will give you brownies with a crumbly top, as you can see in the picture.

Contributor: Namitha

Inji Pachadi / Ginger in yogurt

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Ginger is a hero. I was going through the medicinal properties of ginger and I am impressed. It takes care of salmonella! Should I say more?  There are a myriad other good properties of ginger which is not in the scope of this page.  It's suffice to say ginger is good for you.


Most vegetarian feasts in Kerala serve ginger in a couple of savory form pachadi, ingi curry etc. My favorite is the pachadi. Every time my mother cooks up a feast at home, now I am not talking vegetarian but quite the contrary, she will inclue the pachadi. Only for your ears, she loves this just like I do but the medicinal properties are always the excuse for it showing up on the table every time. You will hear her ranting "it's good for your stomach." It took me a while to start liking this dish. However, now I can have just rice and couple of spoons of this and feel satiated. Truly. I feel quite good, like I had a delicious lip smacking 5 course meal.

My mom’s cooking is never healthy but leans all the way to the fatty, rich, tasty side. All said and done this one dish is quite good. Everytime I deep fry the ginger I wonder how much of the medicinal properties or goodness of the ginger is retained. However, experience has taught me that ginger is tough and quite the hero like I mentioned. It seems to be doing its work even after being deep fried it helps to calm your stomach. Did you say, huh! Well I told ya.. ginger is a hero! Have a nice day friends!

Ingredients:
Ginger                                                    - 1/4 cup chopped
Green chillies                                          - 6 nos chopped
Shallots  (you could use onions also)       - 1/4 cup chopped
Curry leaves                                           - 1 sprig
Mustard gram                                         - 1/4 tspn
Curd                                                       - 1/2 cup


Method:

1. Deep fry all the ingredients till semi crisp and color changes
2. Add to the curd with enough salt and spinkle musard over

Contributor: Sunitha