Monsoon delights

It’s that time of the year again when the rain goes pitter patter against the windowpanes making us yearn for something hot and spicy to warm our soul, the emphasis being on hot. While snacks and short eats are the preferred easy fixes, here are some recipes that can be used as lunch or dinner dishes as well. There are some dishes that make the dark and gray days a lot more brighter and happier. These recipes are by Soju Philip, executive chef, Ramada Cochin Resort, Kochi

Kappa pidi (tapioca croquettes)
Ingredients:

• Tapioca - 250gms
• urmeric - 1/4 tsp
• Chopped onion - 2tbsp
• Chopped chilli - 1tsp
• Red chilli broken -1tsp
• Mustard-½tsp
• Curry leaves -1sprig
• Coconut oil - 3tbsp
• Salt - to taste

Method:

• Clean the tapioca, slice and wash. Boil it  with turmeric and salt and drain once it is cooked well, mash it with spoon and keep aside.
• Heat oil, splutter mustard, red chilli and curry leaves. Sauté chopped onion and green chilly, add the mashed tapioca, and mix well.
• Check salt, remove from fire.
• Divide into small balls and shape into an oval finger-like shape like a croquette. Heat oil in a pan and fry it from all sides till the outer layer becomes crisp and hot.
• Remove and serve hot with coconut chutney.

Meen pappadachurul (fish rolled in papad)
Ingredients

• Fish fillet - 200 gms
• Masala papad - 4 pc
• Sliced onion - 50gms
• Ginger juliennes - 1tsp
• Garlic sliced - 1tsp
• Curry leaves - 1sprig
• Turmeric powder - 1tsp nChilli powder - 1tsp
• Black pepper powder - ½tsp
• Lemon juice - 1tbsp
• Salt - to  taste
• Chopped coriander - 1tbsp
• Coconut oil - 1tbsp

Method:

• Wash and drain the fish fillet and cut into four slices. Marinate with ½ tsp turmeric and ½ tsp chilli powder, lemon juice, pepper powder and salt.
• Pan fry the fish and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, add curry leaves, sauté ginger, garlic and onion, add turmeric, chilli powder and salt, sauté well and add chopped coriander and remove from fire.
• Roast the masala papad on fire and immediately place a fillet of fish. Sprinkle some onion masala over it and rapidly roll it.
• Tighten it and cut into three pieces.
• Repeat with rest of papad and serve hot with some fish gravy or chutney.

Meen karivepilavara (fish skewers with curry leaves) 
Ingredients

• Fish - 250gms
• Curry leaves - 8 sprigs
• Green chilli - 5 pc
• Ginger - 1pc
• Garlic - 1pod
• Shallots - 5-6 pc
• Lemon - 1pc
• Black pepper powder - ½tsp
• Coconut oil - 3 tbsp
• Grated coconut - ½ cup
• Salt - to taste

Method:

• Cut the fish into long slices, wash and drain.
• Fry the curry leaves in coconut oil and drain.
• Grind with ginger, garlic, shallots, lemon juice and salt with some oil. Marinate the fish in this.
• Skewer each fillets  and roll over grated coconut.
• Heat some oil in a pan and grill from both sides.
• Serve hot with red chilli chutney.