Sweet potato chips

Whenever we go to the nearby beach, the first thing we would do is buy some funnel cake and sweet potato fries, stand in the boardwalk and devour the snacks till the twilight comes. That enormous energy is definitely necessary to enjoy the rest of the day in the shore :) Though we buy fried sweet potato chips for fun, I like baked versions as they are less oily and won't be stuffy, if we are serving this at home:) Hope you all try this and enjoy!

Baked sweet potato fries.

Sweet potato in a bag and thin strips of it.

Beach snacks: Funnel cake and sweet potato fries. Hubby clicked this snap for me, as I started eating :)

Ingredients:
Sweet potato - 2
salt - 3/4 tsp
red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
cumin - 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Extra virgin olive oil - 2 to 3 tbsp

Method:
Scrub and peel the sweet potatoes. Rinse and wash thoroughly to remove any dirt.
Cut it into  thick strips (thinner ones get brown and charred easily).
Add all the other ingredients in a large mixing bowl, mix well.
Then put the sweet potato wedges and mix well.
Spread them on a cookie sheet without touching each other. I needed 2 trays.
Heat oven to  350 deg and bake for 20 minutes. Take out, check , toss using a spoon and bake again for nearly 10 minutes. Broil for 1 minute.
Be careful throughout the process, as the sugar in sweet potato makes it char quickly.
Take out.
Baked sweet potato fries is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve with tomato ketchup as snack or side dish.

Note:
Sweet potato fries or baked fries would never taste like potato French fries.  So don't set the expectations like that.
This is a softer version of chips, tastes unique, sweeter and good.

Crab kulambu

For a long time I was looking for a homely recipe for crab curry that is made in ordinary households of Tamil Nadu. I grew up eating this simple kulambu made by my mom, but eventually we all got used to restaurant versions and totally got diverted from the homely nandu kulambu. However good I make my crab curry I had always felt nostalgic for this mom's recipe. The main features of this curry is that it is a soupy version of crab curry, more watery, less spicy still flavorful and easy to make. Then one day while talking with my mom's sister, my J chithi, I got some non veg recipes of Tuticorin ..... I tried this and I could definitely say that I got my mom's recipe back. Thanks Chithi:)

Recipe source: My talented and always helpful Jeyasri chithi.  

Fish for hubby and crab for me:)

Ingredients:
Crab - 4
Onion - 1
oil - 1 tbsp
tomato - 2
curry leaf - 2 sprig
green chilly - 2 slit
mustard - 1 tsp
fennel - 1 tsp
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
coriander powder - 3 tsp
sea salt - to taste

Masala to grind:
shredded coconut - 1 cup
cumin - 1 tsp
garlic - 1 whole
shallot - 4

Method:
Heat oil in a deep wok.
Add mustard, fennel.
After mustard gets cracked, add finely chopped onion.
After sauteing it for a minute, add chopped tomato and saute till it gets mushy.
Cook this closed with 1/4 cup water.
Peel the garlic, shallot and grind the masala together to a fine paste.
Add chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder,salt, prepared masala, green chilly, curry leaf and bring it to a boil.
Then add crab, cook covered in low heat for 10 - 15 minutes, switch off.
Nandu kulambu is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve this curry over rice as main course.