What's a celebration if it is not steeped in tradition. For Chef Sara Jacob Nair no Christmas meal was ever complete without typical Mallu fare.
Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com meets the chef and founding partner of Nair on Fire, a chain of delivery kitchens in Mumbai, at her home in Bandra, north west Mumbai, and requests her to share the recipes for her crowd-pleasing Fish Cutlets and the extra-special Tender Coconut Pudding.
Photographs and video: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com
On Christmas, Chef Sara bakes a variety of tea cakes along with the traditional ghee cake. "I try and send some to my friends, along with some wine which is homemade," she says. That's her way to wish her close ones a Merry Christmas.
"I make ginger, carrot and beetroot wine and start making them from November," she adds.
"As a kid, Christmas was the time all the aunts would be in the kitchen, cooking stuff, and the men would help them with some of the tasks. But the grandparents would always give the grandchildren little bit of toddy and some sweets. That was very precious to me because (as kids) we'd go to the kitchen, steal some food and all that was allowed by the indulgent grandparents.
"That's something I really miss. It's my favourite Christmas memory."
VIDEO: Chef Sara on the special food cooked in her home on Christmas.
As a first timer if you plan to cook for Christmas, Sara recommends you go simple and try appams. "Stew is easy to prepare. But you should try the fish cutlet or a tender coconut pudding. These are easy to put together but creates a lot of delight."
Scroll down for her lovely recipes that you can treat yourself and your loved ones to this Christmas. Her pudding, made with coconut water, tender coconut malai, grated fresh coconut and condensed milk, is a festive treat that's hard to pass up. Both adults and youngsters will enjoy the cutlets that can be served with chilly sauce or ketchup.
Tender Coconut Pudding
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 litre milk
- 1 tin (400 gm) condensed milk
- 500 gm tender coconut malai or the meat of the coconut
- 700 ml tender coconut water
- 16 gm China grass
- 100 gm grated fresh coconut
Method
- Chop the tender coconut meat into small pieces.
If it is very soft, you can cut it into strips.
Reserve some of the tender coconut pieces for later and layer a serving bowl -- or use individual bowls -- with the rest of the chopped tender coconut.
Keep aside.
- Soak the China grass in the tender coconut water.
Keep aside.
- In a large saucepan, boil the milk over medium heat.
Lower the heat and add the condensed milk.
Keep stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from burning.
When the mixture thickens, take off heat and keep aside.
- In another saucepan, heat the tender coconut water-China grass mixture over low heat.
Keep stirring till the China grass is completely dissolved.
Once fully dissolved, take off heat and add this to the hot milk mixture, stirring constantly.
Stir for a couple of minutes more and then pour into the bowl layered with tender coconut.
Add the remaining chopped tender coconut on top and stir gently.
Once cooled and set, refrigerate.
- In a kadhai or pan roast the grated coconut till golden in colour.
Take off heat and keep aside.
- Serve garnished with the toasted coconut.
Fish Cutlets
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
- 500 gm tuna fillets, washed and cleaned
- 400 gm onions, chopped
- 50 gm garlic, chopped
- 30 gm ginger, chopped
- 30 gm green chilly, chopped
- 3 tbsp freshly crushed black pepper
- 1 tbsp dhania or coriander powder
- 2 tbsp garam masala powder
- 2-3 sprigs curry patta or curry leaves
- Handful fresh green dhania or coriander or cilantro leaves, chopped
- 100 gm grated fresh coconut
- 2 tsp haldi or turmeric powder
- 20 ml vinegar
- 400 gm potatoes, boiled, peeled
- Salt to taste, around 1 tsp
- 2-3 tsp oil + extra to shallow fry the cutlets
- Breadcrumbs, to coat the cutlets
- 2-3 eggs
- Water to cook the tuna fillets
- Ketchup or chilly sauce, to serve
Method
- In a saucepan filled with little water, boil the tuna with 1 tbsp of the pepper powder, vinegar, curry leaves, turmeric powder and salt till it is tender.
Take off heat and when it cools, flake it with a fork.
Keep aside.
- Heat a 2-3 tsp oil in a non-stick frying pan or heavy-bottomed kadhai.
Add the chopped onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies and saute until light brown.
Add the flaked tuna fish and saute for a few minutes, till it is combined with the onion-ginger-garlic-green chilly mixture.
Add the coriander powder and saute till the raw smell disappears.
Add the grated coconut and fry till it is lightly dried.
Add the garam masala and the remaining crushed pepper powder.
Mix well.
Add the chopped coriander leaves.
Take off heat.
Once it cools, add the boiled potatoes and using your hands, mix well.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs.
Keep aside.
Spread out the breadcrumbs on a plate.
Keep aside.
- Divide the mixture into small portions and roll each portion into small balls of 2-inch diameter.
Flatten with your palms.
Dip each cutlet into the beaten eggs and then roll in the breadcrumbs until well-coated.
- Heat a few tbsp oil in a non-stick frying pan or kadhai over medium heat.
Shallow fry the cutlets until golden brown on both sides.
Drain the cutlets from pan, transfer onto a plate and serve with ketchup or chilly sauce or any other sauce you prefer.
Editor's Note: If you don't eat fish, consider replacing the tuna with 500 gm grated paneer or 500 gm cooked chicken or mutton mince or boiled, peeled grated suran (colocassia). For a recipe of kheema use Shumaila Chauhan's recipe for mince.
WATCH! Chef Sara rustles up fish cutlets at her home.