Spicy Shrimp Fry

Last night, we had a sudden craving for shrimp fry and dint want to do any deep frying...

The solution : bring in the onions 

And the result : on your left :) 

Shrimp is something that was consumed very scarcely at home...they are known to boost allergies... Even today we are very mindful of the quantity of shrimp we consume. 

Mampazha Pulissery - Mangoes in yogurt sauce

Chandrakaran is a variety of mango that used to be available in south India. I have not seen them in years... I dont mean to suggest that they are extinct... hope not... Dont know the scientific name or for that matter any other name of this variety. They were small...smaller than apples...was one of the most aromatic varieties in mangoes...skin was thicker than other varieties... but inside was pulpy... This variety was not sliced, but the pulp was sucked out by making a small bite on its skin...much like sipping without a straw... 

Cloves

The cute little flower buds with a lot of medicinal powers. An important part of Indian cuisine. 

Also known as:
Grambu, Karayambu in Malayalam

Green peas pulao

Simply put, pulao is flavoured rice. Depending on what kind of spices are used, it would fall under more specific categories of Mediterranean or Asian cuisine. Does that really matter??? I doubt.

I am tagging this under Indian cuisine as I use garam masala. Of all the pulaos, this one is super simple, has a wonderful flavor,  and takes about 15 mins in all... A wonderful combination that makes me smile :)   

Broken wheat upma

Traditionally, upma falls into the category of  south Indian breakfasts... For me, these fall into light lunch/dinner or a heavy snack... You can spice them up with your favourite pickle, or mix with raitha or have them as is...

Broken wheat

This is also called cracked wheat and is considered to be much healthier than rava, sooji, semolina etc.
Payasam (a dessert) made of broken wheat is a festival food back home and is one of my favourites...

Also known as:
Gothambu nurukku in Malayalam

Cardamom

Known as the 'Queen of Spices' ... Very versatile and aromatic... And surely lives up to that nick name...
I would have gladly called this one the mother of all spices... after all it has a mom in its name... :D

Also known as :
Elaichi
Elam or Elakka in Malayalam