Cardamom Kitchen iPad App

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

My parents left India in the early 60s to begin their lifelong adventures in North America. Children of Kerala’s midlands, they grew up with lush paddy fields, towering coconut trees, and the flavor of hundreds of varieties of bananas – some subtle, some strong. They watched the monsoon rains coax pepper vines out of the ground and give birth to prickly skinned chakka (jackfruit) and fleshy manga (mangoes) the color of the sun.

 

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

Like other immigrants, my parents left much of their lives behind when they left India. To quell their longing for home and close the 8,000 mile divide, they recreated the flavors of Kerala in their tiny Midwest kitchen. My mom loaded the cupboards with turmeric and cumin and coriander that she shipped in from a retailer in New York. She cracked open hairy coconuts to shred their chewy flesh and squeeze out their thick milk. My father stocked the counter with bananas and any other tropical fruit he could find. 

Preparing Spinach in Spiced Yogurt 

By the time I came around, the ingredients my parents knew as children were easier to find.  I grew up with the heady smell of sautéed ginger and the floral flavor of cardamom like my cousins in India. Even though we were in the Bible belt, we had parboiled rice and moru kachiyathu (turmeric-flavored yogurt) nearly every night.  

Preparing Kerala Fried Shrimp

As a child, I swore I would never fix a Malayalee meal when I lived on my own. But by the time I left home, the flavors of Kerala had sunken into my bones. To recreate the flavors of my mom's kitchen, I began to write down family recipes step-by-step, line-by-line. Grandma Anne’s Stir-fried Cabbage with Coconut. Grandma Susan’s Pan-fried Plantains. My mom’s Mild Fish Curry. 

The Cardamom Kitchen iPad App includes 25 of my favorite family recipes featuring the flavors of Kerala - a place National Geographic Travel Magazine called “Paradise Found." Full-flavored and fool-proof, the recipes call for simple cooking techniques (boiling, stir-frying or sauteing) and can be easily mastered. The App also includes over 130 step-by-step photos to lead users through every dish, start to finish. So if you'd like embark on a culinary tour of Kerala for less than the cost of a tall Mocha Coconut Frappuccino, come along with me.

Mixed Veggie Almond Frittata

"Frittata" is an Italian word derives from fritto, the past particle of "to fry", and was orginally a general term for cooking eggs in a skillet. "Frittata" is an egg-based dish similar to an omelette or quiche, enriched with additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses, vegetables, pasta and herbs.  

I always make this mostly on a weekend, especially on a sunday when we get out of bed late and kinda hungry and have a good breakfast, kinda brunch and that can be made easily and fast and the main concern is that my son should like it. He likes eggs and cheese. So I combine these ingredients with veggies, so that I can sneak in some healthy goodness. :)

But this one I made it for my lunch box, as I was feeling lazy to cook and was running out of time. I had these turkey meatballs made the previous day night, so combined it with the frittata. But you can always experiment with your choice of ingredients. This actually made a very healthy and heavy lunch with all the proteins and veggies in it.

Ingredients:

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2 Eggs

1/2 cup Mixed Veggies (I used frozen with beans, carrots, corn and peas)

1 tbps Milk

1/4 tsp Red Chili Flakes

1/4 cup Blanched Almond Flakes

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/4 tsp Butter

Method:

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1. Heat a non-stick pan.

2. In a bowl beat 2 eggs, mix with all other ingredients together.

3. Add the butter in the pan, let it melt and add the egg mixture and let it cook on a medium flame, add the almond flakes on top of the egg mixture.

4. Once the bottom is slightly golden brown, flip it over and cook the second side too for about more 3-4 mins until the egg is well cooked all through.

5. Serve it as a brunch or a heavy snack.

Linking this to Go Nuts Event

 

The curved windows in the front will need allot of work.  Many very large holes that will be repaired with solid wood after old sections are cut out.  www.bettermadecabinets.com

The curved windows in the front will need allot of work.  Many very large holes that will be repaired with solid wood after old sections are cut out.  www.bettermadecabinets.com